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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: What It Means to Serve Maeng Ak
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"Kuaaaargh!"
"Kyaaak!"
"Keoheok!"
In the heart of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, amidst its countless peaks.
From a place named Black Mountain, a series of wails could be heard.
But Do Gwang, the last one standing, forced himself to ignore the sounds and swung his saber at the enemy.
They had known each other for less than a week, but a sense of camaraderie had already formed.
His resolve to avenge them was infused into his saber's energy.
However, regardless of the weight of his resolve, his attack was deflected with absurd ease.
To think that the opening his teammates had sacrificed their lives to create was a deliberate feint by his opponent.
Having spent his remaining strength on that attack, he inadvertently exposed a weakness of his own.
In the instant he met the enemy's eyes, Do Gwang's gaze filled with fury and desperation.
The enemy's face was hidden behind a mask, but he was certain it held a blank expression.
How else could they look into his eyes and bring down their sword without a hint of hesitation?
Squelch.
In the end, Do Gwang lost consciousness and collapsed, staining the ground with his blood.
And so, Maeng Ak's team—without Maeng Ak—was completely defeated by a single, suddenly-appeared masked figure.
But what was this?
Instead of finishing them off, the masked figure began pressing the acupoints of the team members he had just struck down.
Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.
His skill was befitting of the profound internal energy master who had so terrified the team members.
His movements were swifter and more precise than those of any ordinary physician.
Thanks to him, the bleeding of the team members, who had lost a great deal of blood, stopped, and they began to regain consciousness.
This was only possible because he had intentionally avoided their vital points when inflicting their injuries.
The masked figure tore off his mask and muttered softly.
"All of you, get up."
A deep, resonant voice filled with an unidentifiable power. It was Maeng Ak.
Right after obtaining the Golden Jade Serpent, he had initiated this sudden spar to confirm his own growth and accurately measure his team's martial prowess.
Well, calling it a spar might be a stretch, given the exchange of lethal techniques and vulgar curses.
Still, he had no intention of putting them in real danger, so instead of aiming for vital points, he had targeted areas that would bleed profusely while infusing them with his own ki.
An energy mixed with demonic and evil ki was more than enough to knock out anyone without a special constitution like his own.
And now that his assessment was complete, he had withdrawn his ki and stopped their bleeding before the situation became dangerous.
To think the masked man they had been trying to kill just moments ago was their lord.
Their hearts sank at the unexpected revelation.
Even though the difference in skill was like heaven and earth, it didn't change the fact that they had fought a battle to the death.
Relieved to be alive, they also hastily retracted the wishes they had made to the heavens in their anger.
Vicious wishes, along the lines of tearing the masked man to shreds and feeding him to dogs and pigs.
Unaware of the curses his team had laid upon him, Maeng Ak raised one corner of his mouth.
It was his way of showing he was proud of them.
Their combined attack was of a higher level than he had expected.
Do Gwang's final strike, launched over the sacrifices of his comrades, was particularly commendable.
Realizing the meaning behind Maeng Ak's smile, the team members finally felt a surge of resentment toward their lord.
It was no different from being forced into a near-death experience.
With the exception of the deeply loyal Chang On, they all glared at Maeng Ak with resentful eyes.
If he were the Heavenly Demon, it would have been an act of immense disrespect, but for now, he was just their team leader and a lord of their own age.
There was no need to reprimand these youngsters, who had barely passed the age of maturity, for merely staring at him.
Maeng Ak glanced over Gung So-so, Jo Gwang-uk, and Do Gwang in turn and spoke.
"No need to look at me like that. You lasted longer than Ha Gyeong's team."
"My lord. Still, this is too much. We haven't even found the secret manual yet..."
Gung So-so whined, and Do Gwang and Jo Gwang-uk nodded beside her.
'These brats. Give them an inch and they take a mile, huh?'
Maeng Ak took out the two Golden Jade Serpent inner cores he had hidden in his robes, then started to put them back as he spoke.
"Is that so? Then I suppose you don't need a reward."
He didn't forget to subtly let the incredible fragrance of the inner cores waft out.
At that, the three of them shouted in unison.
"Not at all! We apologize for failing to grasp our lord's profound intentions!"
"Too late. Chang On?"
Maeng Ak broke off more than half of the larger of the two inner cores and offered it to Chang On.
The other three grimaced at the sight, but Chang On was different.
"This lowly one is too ignorant to know what this is, but I can tell from its luster that it is precious.
But how could I possibly accept it before my lord? Please, take it back."
At his words, the expressions of the other three hardened even more. Do Gwang nearly gagged.
But Maeng Ak couldn't help but be fond of such a loyal subordinate.
"Hmph. A martial artist would find it hard to refuse an inner core... I understand your sentiment, but I am already strong. However, it is not easy to change the Cult with my strength alone. Therefore, you must consume this, grow stronger, and become my hands and feet."
"Loyalty!"
This time, as if moved, all the team members answered in unison.
In truth, even with his Heaven and Earth Body, the effects of consuming the same inner cores and elixirs diminished with each use, so he no longer ate them.
In other words, he had brought them the leftovers after eating his fill.
'Looking at it makes me want some again... No. I have to resist.'
Still, now that he'd taken them out, his appetite was stirred. But this time, they would go to the team members who had trusted and followed him.
Starting with Chang On, Jo Gwang-uk, Do Gwang, and Gung So-so each absorbed half an inner core according to the method Maeng Ak taught them.
A noticeable change occurred within them.
The three of them all crossed the threshold of the peak realm.
They were originally a step below the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon, but now, in terms of internal energy alone, they were their equals, if not their superiors.
As for their external techniques, a few pointers from Maeng Ak would be all they needed.
With this, between Ha Gyeong's team and Maeng Ak's team, there were now six peak masters and three first-rate masters.
There was still a vast gap between them and himself, a master of the Transcendent Realm, but there was plenty of time.
At this pace, it was more than possible to nurture them and build a power base before leaving the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon.
Just then, Jo Gwang-uk asked.
"My lord. Does this mean you've already met with Ha Gyeong's team?"
Just like the muscle-headed fool he was, he asked about something that had already been implied. Still, it wasn't a bad question. There was nothing like competition to fuel the fighting spirit of rising stars who had just come of age. This was true across the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions.
"That's right. Those kids also shared an inner core and have grown quite strong. So don't let your guard down. You may have the upper hand now, but you never know when the tables will turn. If you want to remain by my side, you cannot afford to fall behind."
His words implied that they could be replaced. After all, this was the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon, where the law of the strong was absolute.
"From now on, I will take the lead. I'll be pointing out your shortcomings as we move, so pay attention."
"Loyalty!"
"Let's go."
Fwoosh!
The moment he took the lead, Maeng Ak increased his movement speed. He wasn't going all out, of course, but he was still a master who had stepped into the early stages of the Transcendent Realm.
Before, his four team members would never have been able to keep up.
But seeing them follow so well, it seemed the inner core's effects had taken hold nicely.
Maeng Ak glanced back once before beginning his instruction.
"Chang On. You need to make better use of the advantage of distance that is unique to the spear. And..."
Even as his feet moved ceaselessly, he gave precise instructions without becoming short of breath.
At times, he even moved his upper body to demonstrate.
At that, the team members realized that pledging loyalty to Maeng Ak was a stroke of fortune in itself.
It was an incredibly rare opportunity for disciples of unremarkable backgrounds like themselves to receive direct teaching from a master of the Transcendent Realm.
Perhaps it was even more precious than the Golden Jade Serpent's inner core. And though they didn't show it, they were already steeped in admiration.
To think he would so readily give away two inner cores from a spirit beast they had never even heard of, the Golden Jade Serpent.
The more they learned of Maeng Ak, the more unfathomable the depth and breadth of his character seemed.
They ran for a long time, crossing three mountains.
It wasn't a great distance, but considering the rugged mountain paths, it was quite an ordeal.
Moreover, they had to maintain intense focus to receive his teachings along the way.
Of course, Maeng Ak, who should have been the most exhausted, was perfectly fine. No, he seemed even more energized.
It was only natural, as the foundation of Maeng Ak's martial arts was the Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger.
It was a divine art born in the mountains, so simply being in the mountains had the effect of clearing his body and mind.
Furthermore, since he had run through the mountains as if training, using his internal energy, it had been a beneficial time for Maeng Ak himself.
The demonic ki that had been in his dantian since he opened his eyes was now harmonizing well with the energy of the Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger and the Golden Jade Serpent's inner core.
Perhaps his internal energy was now even more solid than in his past life.
All that remained was to take the time to master the Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger and the Green Forest Demonic Tiger Sword.
He had, after all, extinguished the most urgent fire concerning his internal energy.
If he did, he could become a monster like in his past life, possessing an Indestructible Body and immense internal energy.
But there was no need to be hasty. He had already experienced that by taking one step at a time, he would eventually reach his destination.
Having finally found the secret manual describing the joint formation, Maeng Ak came to a halt.
"This must be the manual."
"They hid it in such a filthy place. Honestly, if it weren't for you, my lord, no one would have ever found it."
Jo Gwang-uk grumbled from behind. It seemed spending a full day in the mountains had put him in a foul mood.
Instead of replying, Maeng Ak opened the manual and flipped through its pages.
Fwip-fwip-fwip.
"Hmm... Fortunately, it's not that difficult. We should have enough time. Fire a signal flare and call Ha Gyeong's team here."
Maeng Ak grasped the intricacies of the formation after skimming through the manual just a couple of times.
His experience from his past life, where he had faced every kind of joint formation during the war with the Orthodox Faction, proved helpful.
Of course, his team members, who knew nothing of this, stared at him with wide eyes.
'To think he could understand it well enough to teach it just by skimming through it...'
Chang On, in particular, now began to look at Maeng Ak as if he were a god.
Ha Gyeong's team, who joined them after seeing the signal flare, also reacted with disbelief, though not to the same extent as Chang On.
Normally, a joint formation cannot be mastered through the efforts of one person alone.
All participants in the formation must pay close attention to each other's breathing and move as one body.
That's why it usually takes a long time to learn.
They have to practice it over and over until it works, identifying each other's mistakes along the way.
However, Maeng Ak's method was extraordinary.
The Demonic Five Formation, or Ma-o-jin, a formation of five, cannot proceed to the next move if even one person is missing.
But Maeng Ak had pierced through its intricacies just by looking at it, allowing him to stand apart and instruct the movements of the other four.
"Jo Gwang-uk. Three steps forward. You need to relax your shoulders more.
Do Gwang. You too must discard your impatience.
Gung So-so. If you use footwork suited for archery, you will lose the flow of the formation.
Chang On. Share the spear's sense of distance with your comrades in the formation."
Then, astonishingly, the Demonic Five Formation, which was supposed to require five people moving in sync, was executed by only four.
After that, it was smooth sailing.
Since he could make the Demonic Five Formation work with only four people, teaching it to Ha Gyeong's team of five was even easier.
The two teams were able to master the Demonic Five Formation much faster than expected.
All that remained was to compete against the other teams with the Demonic Five Formation in the final joint combat test and win.
Thanks to Maeng Ak, both teams had enhanced their internal energy with the inner cores and had perfectly mastered the Demonic Five Formation.
They were so confident that they couldn't even imagine losing the next test.
But, as if that weren't enough, Maeng Ak said something that stunned them all.
"Now that you can perform it to some extent, I will teach you how to break it."
"....!!!"
The nine cadets, everyone except Maeng Ak, doubted their own ears. No matter that Maeng Ak was their lord, no matter that he was the monster who had single-handedly crushed the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon, this was simply unbelievable.
Fine, let's say it was possible to grasp the intricacies of a formation seen for the first time just by skimming the manual.
Giving him the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he had seen it somewhere before.
But to teach them how to break it?
It was difficult enough to break a formation in actual combat by exploiting an opponent's unique weaknesses, but to teach a method that could always be applied?
That was no different from saying he knew every single detail of the Demonic Five Formation.
As if he had created it himself.
But that was impossible, so the cadets shook their heads.
The Demonic Five Formation was created by the Heavenly Demon Founder himself for the sake of the humble cultists.
But Maeng Ak was not the Heavenly Demon; that hypothesis was impossible.
But what could they do? Look at those sincere eyes. Maeng Ak was serious.
He truly intended to teach them how to break the formation.
In the end, unable to erase their doubts, the cadets began to listen to Maeng Ak's teachings.