The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 444

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 444. It’s My Mistake

 

 

“We’ve arrived.”

The Elder of Seonpung Valley said as he gazed at the massive castle wall spread before his eyes.

“Yes, Elder.”

The gaze of Gongsun Mu-oe, the former valley lord of Seonyu Valley standing beside him, was also fixed on Sanwol Great Wall.

Behind them stood about ten martial artists from Seonyu Valley like guards.

Ma Jin-gi, the Elder of Seonpung Valley, carefully observed the castle wall.

The technique he had deployed here several years ago.

The Heavenly Formation Myriad Transformation Demon Expulsion Technique.

He was examining its condition.

“It has been damaged.”

Ma Jin-gi muttered calmly while nodding his head.

“Is that so?”

Gongsun Mu-oe asked with a slightly surprised expression.

Since he had devoted himself only to medical arts, he only had basic knowledge about techniques.

He simply accepted it since Ma Jin-gi said so.

“That’s right, Grand Valley Lord.”

Grand Valley Lord.

It was a title of respect for a living former valley lord.

“It’s burdensome, Elder. Please just call me Mu-oe as before.”

To Gongsun Mu-oe’s request to be treated casually as before since he was no longer a valley lord, Ma Jin-gi calmly shook his head.

“When the Grand Valley Lord has status and honor in Gangho, how could I ignore that using our past relationship as an excuse?”

At the calm but firm answer, Gongsun Mu-oe gave up further persuasion.

He had talked about this several times during their journey from Seonyu Valley to Sanwol Great Wall.

“I understand.”

He gave up further persuasion, making this the last time.

“However… with this level of damage, there shouldn’t be much effect on the technique’s power…”

Ma Jin-gi frowned.

Wasn’t this a technique he had installed with even the weathering of time in mind?

“It seems I’ll need to see that place directly, Grand Valley Lord.”

“I understand, Elder. Then let’s go to the Bongma Corps’ main base first.”

Gongsun Mu-oe took the lead.

The Bongma Corps located due north of Sanwol Great Wall was about a day’s walk away for ordinary people.

 

***

 

“We’re almost there.”

Due north of Sanwol Great Wall.

A gate existed below the massive castle wall.

It was a gate created for the Bongma Corps to pass through.

Measures had even been taken to seal that gate in case of emergency.

So Hwi-ung didn’t go through the gate and leaped up lightly.

Behind him followed Dam Mu-heun and the martial artists of Hotian Dan.

The appearance of the Bongma Corps located not far away came into view.

Countless barracks spread out.

“Even though it’s mealtime, isn’t this too lax?”

So Hwi-ung muttered as if disappointed.

He had climbed up here, but not a single person in the Bongma Corps had noticed.

They had failed in their vigilance.

What if this had been a jiangshi instead of himself?

It would be terrible.

“They seem to have become too accustomed to it. There’s also the wall’s technique.”

Dam Mu-heun spoke calmly, but So Hwi-ung shook his head.

“Someone who attacked the wall appeared, yet they believe he can’t climb the wall. Tsk tsk.”

So Hwi-ung, who had been muttering as if displeased, turned his gaze westward.

He had sensed the presence of a group approaching.

“What’s wrong?”

At So Hwi-ung’s behavior, Dam Mu-heun asked while surveying the surroundings.

“It seems we’re not the only guests.”

He lightly leaped down from the wall and slowly walked toward where he had sensed the presence.

Before long, he was able to encounter the owners of the presence.

“Valley Lord Gongsun?”

“Alliance Leader?”

So Hwi-ung and Gongsun Mu-oe recognized each other.

“It’s been a long time.”

“Indeed, it has been long.”

So Hwi-ung and Gongsun Mu-oe cupped their fists toward each other and bowed.

“What brings the Alliance Leader to this place? I understood that you don’t leave the Alliance.”

To Gongsun Mu-oe’s question.

“What brings Valley Lord Gongsun to this dangerous place?”

So Hwi-ung answered with the same question.

They were both surprised and curious about each other’s appearance.

The first to answer was Gongsun Mu-oe.

Since the other party was the Jeongcheon Alliance Leader, he thought it proper to answer first.

“It’s because of the technique you inquired about at our valley before. Our Grand Guardian of Law wanted to personally examine the wall’s technique, so I escorted him here. And I’m no longer the valley lord. I dumped that hollow position on my son and left.”

When Gongsun Mu-oe finished speaking, Ma Jin-gi stepped forward and cupped his fists.

“Ma Jin-gi greets the Alliance Leader after a long time.”

“I greet the Grand Guardian of Law, Elder.”

So Hwi-ung returned the courtesy and bowed.

He was someone he had met once when they decided to deploy the technique on Sanwol Great Wall.

Seonyu Valley’s greatest technique master, that is, the orthodox faction’s foremost technique master.

“Thank you so much. To personally come this long and dangerous way to examine the technique.”

“Since I deployed it, I should take responsibility too. What brings the Alliance Leader here?”

“Well, I came to find and eliminate the entity that attacked the wall, but it’s not easy.”

At So Hwi-ung’s answer, the people from Seonyu Valley looked at him with admiring faces.

The Alliance Leader’s first outing after the Murim Tournament, who hadn’t budged from the Alliance, was to eliminate jiangshi.

It was admiration that he was truly worthy of being the Jeongcheon Alliance’s leader.

“By any chance, has there been trouble in Sanwol Demon Forest?”

Ma Jin-gi asked among them.

So Hwi-ung nodded.

“The jiangshi have disappeared.”

At that answer, the people from Seonyu Valley showed shocked expressions.

And for good reason.

What kind of place was Sanwol Demon Forest that the jiangshi had disappeared?

It’s impossible.

“Do you perhaps mean….”

Ma Jin-gi spoke as if he had an idea.

“It seems the Blood Cult remnants hiding in Sanwol Demon Forest can control jiangshi.”

“As expected.”

Ma Jin-gi spoke as if he had anticipated this.

And for good reason.

In the last war.

It was because of how the Blood Cult’s jiangshi attacked Seonyu Valley.

That was definitely not an attack by monsters that had lost their reason.

There were clearly jiangshi that showed movements as if receiving someone’s commands.

All of that was meaningless before the Heavenly Formation of Ten Thousand Transformations deployed in Seonyu Valley.

“It seems quite serious, so the Bongma Corps came this way to observe the movements in Sanwol Demon Forest.”

After So Hwi-ung finished speaking.

“I need to directly examine the state of the castle wall that was attacked by jiangshi. I came to find the Bongma member who witnessed it at the time.”

So Hwi-ung nodded at Gongsun Mu-oe’s answer.

It was understandable behavior.

However.

“Even if the jiangshi in Sanwol Demon Forest have disappeared now, wouldn’t it still be dangerous?”

He was worried.

Moreover, wasn’t that the place where Myeolcheon Gangsi had once appeared?

“That’s true, but… I requested help from a trustworthy friend, but I departed without receiving an answer. I’m not sure if the message reached him.”

Gongsun Mu-oe answered with a subtle smile.

“How about going to the Bongma Corps to rest for now? Alliance Leader, Grand Valley Master. It was a long journey to get here.”

At Ma Jin-gi’s sudden interjection, the two responded as if in agreement and turned around.

It was only natural that the Bongma Corps was in an uproar that day.

 

***

 

“Hmm.”

Peng Do-yul looked down at the sword before him.

Due to that final incident, this year’s Winter Tournament ended without a winner.

It was a strange conclusion where only finalists existed but no winner.

But there was no other way.

Both finalists were saying they had lost to each other.

He could understand both of their feelings.

One had experienced the other’s overwhelming power.

And the one who had been overwhelming had completely forgotten the match while entering a state of samadhi.

Though he had won in terms of skill, he couldn’t be confident about claiming victory in that situation.

Still, it was fortunate that it ended without major incident.

The destruction of the martial arts arena was nothing.

It was an arena that would have been dismantled after the finals anyway.

It had fulfilled its purpose and collapsed.

The sword that had created such a result.

He was carefully examining that sword.

He never knew such a master was hiding in Gyoryong Hall.

“It was sword energy, for sure.”

As far as Peng Do-yul knew, only Ha Mu-baek in Gyoryong Hall had reached such a level.

But Ha Mu-baek wasn’t currently at Gyoryong Hall.

He had retrieved it wondering whose hidden master’s weapon it was, but the result was disappointing.

It was a training wooden sword that could be found in abundance in Gyoryong Hall’s armory, placed in training grounds throughout Gyoryong Hall.

It was truly a common sword in Gyoryong Hall.

“Who could it be?”

Peng Do-yul continued to stare at the sword with a truly curious expression.

 

***

 

“Sigh.”

Namgung Hu let out a deep sigh.

After the match ended like that.

He had come to the Jamryong Corps First Unit Training Ground and remained in this state.

Namgung Yu was just quietly watching from one side of the training ground.

He said nothing.

He just watched.

Namgung Hu looked up at the darkened sky.

‘I’m far too lacking….’

Entering samadhi was something to be happy about.

It meant he had reached a stage where he could advance to the next level.

However.

‘To completely forget myself just because I entered samadhi.’

Samadhi originally meant such a state.

‘I almost completely killed my sparring opponent.’

That was the problem.

That was what made Namgung Hu fall into anguish.

If this state continued, samadhi could become a heart demon instead.

Step.

Then he heard footsteps.

It was Yeon Ha-min, who rarely walked toward the Jamryong Corps area.

Ha Seol-ran had told her that she could sense Namgung Hu had been staying only here, so she had come to find him.

“Huh?”

Namgung Hu turned his head at the sudden presence and was startled by her appearance.

Just as he was about to speak.

“It was my mistake. I overestimated my abilities… thinking that you, Namgung Hu, wouldn’t attack any further. I poured out all my strength without the power to retreat. Trying to defeat you.”

Calm words.

But Namgung Hu couldn’t accept those words.

She had almost died because of him, yet she was saying it was her mistake.

“A warrior must always think of what comes next. And in any situation, they must do their best to survive.”

Yeon Ha-min’s calm words continued in Namgung Hu’s ears.

“Those are the words of our Monster Instructor.”

Yeon Ha-min had failed to follow that first teaching.

He had told her to think of what comes next, but she had momentarily poured out all her strength without thinking of the consequences.

Without leaving even a handful of internal energy.

She could have given up at that moment.

But Yeon Ha-min tried to follow Ha Mu-baek’s second teaching somehow.

Even in that situation, she moved to survive.

Even after pouring out all her internal energy, didn’t she try to escape the martial arts arena somehow, even with just physical strength?

“It was my fault for not thinking of what comes next. The Instructor hammered it into my ears countless times.”

“It was a sparring match, not real combat.”

Namgung Hu spoke with difficulty.

“Once warriors cross swords, it’s real combat. At least I always approached it that way.”

It was a firm statement.

“Even if I face you again in a martial duel next time, Namgung Hu, I will think of it as real combat. When that happens, I won’t make the careless mistake of not thinking about what comes next like I did today.”

“….”

Namgung Hu couldn’t say anything.

“If your self-reproach is about losing yourself during the duel, I wouldn’t mind. But if it’s self-reproach about nearly killing me, then that’s disrespectful to me. Disrespectful to a warrior who gave their all.”

With those words, Yeon Ha-min turned around. As if she had said everything she needed to say.

Namgung Yu gave a slight nod toward Yeon Ha-min as she left the training ground.

It was a greeting filled with gratitude.

“I am….”

Namgung Hu couldn’t finish the words he had started to murmur and fell into thought.

Namgung Yu turned around, thinking he no longer needed to watch.

He instinctively knew that now was the time to leave him alone.

 

***

 

Swoosh.

An air-rending sound echoed.

Ha Mu-baek was running, leaving rough winds in his wake.

“Good.”

He was deploying Lightning Ten Thousand Li Movement at a mature level, and there was no sense of discord.

At this level, it seemed he had considerably adjusted the disparity.

At his current level, there would hardly be any enemy who could match him.

Thanks to that, he was running at full speed toward Luoyang, but.

‘I’m late.’

Given Han Seol-bing’s lightness skill abilities that Ha Mu-baek knew of.

She would arrive in Luoyang by tomorrow.

Ha Mu-baek would probably only be able to arrive around the day after tomorrow.

Even this was faster progress than expected.

Ha Mu-baek himself was finding his body’s balance faster than he had anticipated.

Even so.

He didn’t know when he could become perfect.

Even if he completely found his balance.

He couldn’t be certain whether his own body could withstand the power he would unleash.

‘I still need to train more.’

There was still a long way to go.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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