“CHOMP, CHOMP.” 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

“Wow, this is so good! Seriously, it’s amazing!”

“Senior! Give me some more salt!”

“Hey! You over there! Leave some meat on that boar leg!”

It was a sight.

Some fifty beggars were scattered all over the place, chewing with desperate focus on the meat of wild boar and rabbit they had just hunted.

It must have tasted so good it brought them to tears. No, really—there were at least ten of them ripping into the meat while tears and snot streamed down their faces.

Whoa...

Paeng Manho felt himself overwhelmed by the scene.

Watching them like this, he suddenly realized that, honestly, life might actually be worth living properly at least once.

They were devouring the wild boar and rabbits they had just brought down, meat that still reeked with gamey smell, as if it were some delicacy of the world. It wasn’t that Paeng Manho himself couldn’t eat it, but it certainly wasn’t the kind of food you ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) usually ate looking that happy.

Just how many days have they gone hungry?

If he knew they hadn’t skipped a single meal up to now, Paeng Manho’s eyes would have looked even stranger.

Je Gal Ahyeon scratched her head.

“How far did you push them?”

Yeon Hojeong, who had been chewing on rabbit meat, looked at her with a puzzled face.

“Push them how?”

“How hard did you run those people to turn every last one of them into a pack of starving ghosts?”

“As much as they needed.”

“And that’s supposed to mean what, exactly?”

“To the point where they’re usable.”

There was no point talking.

“So, are they usable now?”

“More or less.”

Je Gal Ahyeon found it hard to even imagine what “more or less” meant in his mouth.

She did, however, know just how ruthless Yeon Hojeong was, and how high he was looking.

If they had managed to meet his standards, then they really must have suffered to a degree beyond words these past months.

“Forget it. Hey! Don’t finish all of that, give me some too.”

“Don’t you have any shame? You’re trying to steal food from people who’ve been rolling around in the mountains for three months....”

“I skipped lunch! Hand it over!”

Clicking his tongue, Yeon Hojeong passed her a chunk of rabbit meat. Regret overflowed from his eyes.

Je Gal Ahyeon tore into the meat like she was going to war, then glanced at Paeng Manho.

“Big Bear. You have one too.”

“...I’m fine.”

“Why? You’re not hungry? With a body that big?”

“I guess I’m so overwhelmed I don’t feel hungry at all.”

“You’re so bland.”

After gnawing on the meat for a while, Je Gal Ahyeon patted her stomach.

“Okay, now I can function again.”

Yeon Hojeong let out a small laugh.

“Anyway, I did get the message, but why’d you come together with the younger Paeng brother?”

“Hm? Wait, you didn’t get the full story?”

“They just tossed me a single letter. Said they’d be sending you and Manho as of today.”

“Ah, that figures.”

Dusting off his hands, having finished eating, Yeon Hojeong looked back and shouted.

“This won’t do. I’ve got a lot to talk about with these two, so once you’re done eating, get some real rest. No knife work today.”

Yun Ho stared at him, horrified.

“Don’t tell me you were going to run us again?”

“Yeah.”

“...”

“But I said we won’t, didn’t I? Rest.”

With that one answer, he chilled the mood in an instant, then turned his head back to Je Gal Ahyeon and Paeng Manho.

His face was sunburned and he’d lost a bit of cheek fat, but his eyes were still clear.

No—his gaze seemed deeper and sharper than three months ago. The three months of training had refined not only the Evil-Smiting Corps, but Yeon Hojeong’s martial arts as well.

“I can roughly guess why they sent you two.”

“Of course you can, with that sharp nose of yours.”

“Whatever. First, give me a rundown of how things are moving in the Alliance.”

It was just when Yeon Hojeong, Je Gal Ahyeon, and Paeng Manho had begun a fairly serious conversation.

“Huh? Vice Commander.”

“Yeah?”

Maybe it was because they had shed blood and sweat together for so long.

Mookbi was treated as the most senior of the Evil-Smiting Corps. The first time they called her “Vice Commander,” she had shuddered that it gave her goosebumps, but now she seemed pretty used to it.

Dongho looked at Mookbi with curious eyes.

“You’re not eating any more?”

“I’m fine. This is enough.”

“I’ve thought this for a while, but you really don’t eat much, Vice Commander.”

“If I eat too much, my movements get sluggish.”

The entire Evil-Smiting Corps flinched.

They snuck glances at Mookbi. They all knew she was inherently pure and a good person, but when she was acting as their drill instructor, she was more of a demon than even Yeon Hojeong.

Feeling oddly embarrassed, Mookbi added,

“I just mean that’s how it is for me. It’s different for everyone.”

“...R-right?”

“Yeah. I’m an archer. I need to move more delicately than other people.”

Only then did the Evil-Smiting Corps relax and happily focus on their meal again.

Yun Ho cleared his throat repeatedly.

“But, uh, Vice Commander.”

“What?”

“Shouldn’t you be over there listening in with the Commander?”

Mookbi glanced at Yeon Hojeong.

His expression as he listened to Je Gal Ahyeon was extremely serious. It had been a while since he’d opened both ears that wide.

Mookbi shook her head.

“I don’t really know how the world works. Even if I listen, I won’t understand what they’re talking about.”

“Ah...”

Most martial artists did not readily expose their shortcomings. Because they could become weaknesses.

But Mookbi was different. She was quite cold-eyed when assessing herself. It was her strength, but at times it could become a weakness as well.

She pulled her gaze away from Yeon Hojeong and swept the area, then suddenly locked eyes with someone.

It was Okcheong.

“Mm...”

Okcheong scratched his head, looking embarrassed. To think he was scratching his head with the same hand he’d just been using to tear into greasy meat—three months ago such behavior would have been unimaginable.

“Um, Vice Commander Mook...”

“Are you eating meat?”

“Sorry?”

Mookbi’s face was full of puzzlement.

“You haven’t eaten meat for three months, right? Weren’t you living off those grain-avoidance pills or whatever they were?”

At the same time, loud, red-faced denunciations erupted here and there.

“Vice Commander! Don’t fall for it! He secretly ate rabbit behind the Daoist’s back!”

“Rabbit? Wait, behind the Daoist? With me he snuck away and ate venison...?”

“What was that? With me he was eating pheasant!”

“There isn’t a kind of meat he hasn’t stuffed down his throat, that guy. He calls himself a Daoist but he’s basically a butcher.”

Okcheong’s face flushed bright red.

“Our training has been a life-or-death grind every single day. The Commander said so—better to be a ghost who died full than one who starved.”

“Then why don’t you just eat openly instead of always sneaking off to do it?”

“Because it’s embarrassing...”

Pelted with jeers over his nonsense, Okcheong opened his mouth again.

“Anyway, Vice Commander.”

“Yeah?”

“You really should go over and listen.”

“M-me too?”

“Yes.”

For once, Okcheong spoke with a surprisingly serious face.

“Even if the structure isn’t clearly set yet, you are the Evil-Smiting Corps’ second-in-command. When the Commander isn’t here, you have to lead us.”

“Ah...?”

“It’s not really my place to say this, but if you’re not used to it, it’d be better to start learning from the Commander now.”

Mookbi was flustered.

“Sh-should I?”

Okcheong smiled gently.

“Yes. That’s what I think. If you put your mind to it, Vice Commander, I believe you’ll learn faster than anyone. Don’t you think so?”

He turned to Yun Ho, looking for agreement.

Yun Ho cleared his throat.

“I think so too.”

Just then, in the middle of a deep discussion, Yeon Hojeong raised his hand.

“Mookbi!”

“Yes?”

“What are you doing over there? Come here. I kept wondering what felt missing—turns out you’re the one slacking off.”

“Me too?”

“Who else is supposed to sit in, if not you, huh? Get over here! Oh? Did you finish eating?”

“I finished.”

“You only ate a bird’s share again, didn’t you? There’s still meat left here. Come have some more.”

Awkwardly, Mookbi walked over to him.

Yun Ho snorted.

“For someone whose martial arts are sharp enough to scare ghosts, why is she so naive about stuff like this?”

The warriors around them chuckled.

In the three months of hellish training, nothing had been as hard as sparring with Mookbi. But once the sparring was done, she would always check her partner’s body over.

She just didn’t talk much—that was all. She had a very deep heart. Mookbi’s gentle nature had captured everyone in the Evil-Smiting Corps.

“But, uh.”

“Me?”

Song Yeongyeong and the Emei spearwomen tilted their heads.

Okcheong asked cautiously,

“I’ve wanted to ask for a while... are monks even allowed to eat meat?”

PFFFT.

Song Yeongyeong and all the spearwomen took off their bamboo hats. Their hair, previously coiled up, cascaded down to their lower backs.

“We’re secular disciples of Emei.”

“...?!”

“Don’t tell me you just realized that now?”

Okcheong’s mouth opened and closed like a carp.

The training had been so brutal that he’d barely exchanged a handful of words with the Emei side. And in front of women, he was hopelessly awkward to begin with.

“I-I just found out now.”

“Unbelievable.”

Yeo Guk, who had been patting his belly in satisfaction, commented,

“Yeongyeong, don’t expect anything from that man. I’ve never seen anyone so oblivious in my life.”

Okcheong snapped his head around so fast it cracked.

“You’re already on a first-name basis...?!”

“That happened on the third day. I kept getting beaten silly by Yeongyeong’s spear, so I at least tried to beat her by seniority.”

“...”

“What’s wrong?”

“...Nothing.”

“Sounds like you’re upset.”

“I am not!”

“Got it.”

Now that they had a bit of breathing room, the soldiers were gathered in clusters, trading jokes.

On the other hand, the mood around Yeon Hojeong’s group was quite grave.

“So it’s already gotten that intense.”

“Yeah.”

Je Gal Ahyeon let out a sigh.

“By now the Mo Yong Clan probably knows too. That the Je Gal Clan and the Paeng Clan decided to back the Evil-Smiting Corps.”

“Mhm.”

Yeon Hojeong stroked his chin.

“The Lord of the Je Gal Clan was right. At this point, it’s better to build up our side’s strength than try to sap theirs.”

“To be honest, at first I wondered if we weren’t blowing the whole thing up too big.”

“The Alliance of the Martial World was founded not long ago. No matter how much you try to hide it, severe clashes at the top are bound to trickle down. Maybe later would be different, but there’s no need to force a head-on collision at a time like this.”

“Yeah, apparently your father said the same thing.”

“My father’s a bit sharp. Unlike me, he thinks based on grand principle.”

“Are you complimenting your father, or yourself?”

“Both.”

“In any case, no matter how everyone pretends otherwise, the mood is slowly getting sharper. Especially with the commander of the Demon-Sweeping Corps making his presence more and more felt.”

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes gleamed.

“Really?”

“I figured he’d be something, since the Lord of the Mo Yong Clan sent him out so confidently, but he’s apparently far more impressive than that.”

Yeon Hojeong didn’t press for details there.

He trusted Mo Yong-woo. For now, no matter what news he heard about him, he had to see it as ‘process.’ Anything truly noteworthy, he could hear separately from Ga Deoksang.

“And the Tang Clan.”

Je Gal Ahyeon openly twisted her face.

“I was wondering why they were so quiet—turns out they were weighing both sides from the middle. They contacted my father too.”

“So how did that turn out?”

“It hasn’t surfaced yet, but... I’m guessing they have some kind of understanding with the Mo Yong Clan.”

Yeon Hojeong’s gaze turned cold.

Tang Gwan.

A man who would have died even if left alone, but had gone ahead and hammered a nail into his own heart, the one who had been the Alliance’s vice leader.

Mo Yonggun had drawn up the operation, but Tang Gwan had executed it. To Yeon Hojeong, every last one of them was the kind of bastard he wouldn’t be satisfied with unless he beat them to death.

“That guy I beat up at the gathering—what about him?”

“Tang Yangseon? He didn’t come. Instead, they brought his elder sister.”

“Elder sister?”

“The Dark-Heaven Divine Maiden. Tang Yangseon’s older sister.”

“...?”

“...Don’t tell me you don’t know who that is?”

“COUGH.”

“Hey!”

Je Gal Ahyeon punched the air in front of her, wild. She looked like she wanted to grab Yeon Hojeong by the collar and shake him.

“Can you please at least remember the famous people? Who in the world doesn’t know the Dark-Heaven Divine Maiden?”

“Her.”

Yeon Hojeong pointed at Mookbi.

“She doesn’t know.”

Mookbi spoke, embarrassed.

“I lived my whole life in the mountains.”

“Point is, she doesn’t know either.”

Je Gal Ahyeon took a deep breath. She couldn’t afford to show an ugly side in front of someone she’d barely exchanged a few polite words with.

“Sorry. I got a bit worked up, didn’t I?”

“O-oh, no.”

“You must have your hands full. Doesn’t it drive you crazy, traveling around with this bastard?”

“...Sometimes.”

Yeon Hojeong clenched his teeth so hard they made a CLACK.

“Quit running your mouth. So is this Dark-Heaven Divine Maiden that impressive?”

“She’s one of the Three Phoenixes. Her martial arts are one thing, but she’s insanely talented in both poison and hidden weapons. In terms of sheer killing power in martial arts, she’s probably at the very top of her generation.”

“Her martial arts don’t matter. I want to know what kind of person she is.”

Je Gal Ahyeon shook her head.

“That I don’t really know. I’ve only heard that the head of the Tang Clan treasures her even more than his heir.”

Yeon Hojeong frowned.

Treasures her...

In the past, during his days as the Dark Emperor, he had spoken with Tang Gwan a few times.

Tang Gwan was the perfect blend of the Tang family’s unique viciousness and selfishness. He had his own kind of loyalty, but would stop at nothing, use any means or methods to achieve his ends.

And that kind of man trusted and cherished this daughter more than the son who was to inherit the clan?

“I should probably ask Hu Gae to look into her, just in case.”

He nodded.

“Anyway, thanks for making it all the way here.”

“Don’t ‘thanks’ me.”

“You’re going to suffer quite a bit going forward. Ready to die?”

“You always have to put it in the most brutal way possible.”

Je Gal Ahyeon slapped her own forearm.

“I’m the craziest bitch on Mount Longzhong.”

“I can see that.”

Yeon Hojeong turned to Paeng Manho.

Paeng Manho folded his arms with an easy motion. His bulging biceps looked as solid as rock.

“Add one crazy bastard from Hebei.”

“Got it.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“I sincerely welcome you to the Evil-Smiting Corps.”

Je Gal Ahyeon thrust out her fist.

“Looking forward to working together.”

Yeon Hojeong made a fist of his own and bumped it lightly against hers.

“Same here.”

“Anyway, are we starting the dark-path cleanup now?”

“Obviously.”

“Where are we hitting first?”

WHOOSH.

In an instant, the air in the clearing turned cold.

Every soldier who had been chatting in small groups turned their icy gazes toward them. They all pretended not to listen, but every single one of them had been following the conversation.

Seeing that, Je Gal Ahyeon felt a chill run through her chest.

Their eyes, their qi, were as savage as wolves. You would never believe they were disciples of the Nine Sects and One Union.

The one whose gaze was as fierce as all of theirs put together spoke.

“We’ll go in the order of mountain warfare, then urban combat.”

“...Huh?”

“We’re going to hit the Green Forest bandits first.”