The Black Moon Troops were one of the groups under the Supreme Pavilion Lord, and they lived in the place in front of the garden.
The troops are categorized into various ones like Land or Gold with there being seven units, and among them, the Black Land Troops and the Black Gold Troops were the strongest.
And the place where Seol-Hwi wanted to be was the Black Moon Troops, which was fifth among the seven.
For reference, except for the main units, most of the training units had many things to do besides their given training time.
Most of it was chores, such as maintenance around the pavilion and repair work around it.
Coincidentally, the Black Moon Troops were working on a collapsing outer wall when Seol-Hwi arrived.
“What?”
A man who had been working in the middle of the day, covered in mud, stopped working and looked. He could be seen reacting as he was told something.
“Seol-Hwi?”
“Yes. Right, an hour back, the Supreme Pavilion Lord sent him away and he is now entering Black Moon Troops and changing his clothes.”
“Huh.”
The expression of Jeok Myung went stiff.
It was absurd that an underling who vanished and reappeared without a word was now being transferred to his own squad.
“Captain. Could it be that someone has used their connections?”
Jik San, spoke anxiously.
It was a reasonable question, especially since this person vanished without a trace but then reappeared all of a sudden. And the Supreme Pavilion Lord pushed them out alone.
In a way, it was a miracle. It would be a reasonable suspicion that he had solved one of the errands of his superiors and also returned with various skills. It was something that might happen at least once in the Black Moon Troops, but this was a case where that person came back and was promoted more than than expected.
All of a sudden, a big guy came from among the people.
“Well, we can see for ourselves. Everyone, enough!”
At the cry of Jeok Myung, the members finished their work. After working for a long time, carrying heavy things in the middle of the day, everyone’s foreheads had turned sweaty.
“Everyone gather.”
At the cry of Jeok Myung, a little over 30 people came in line. Soon, as the troops gathered around, he spoke with a grin.
“A new person will be joining us. So let me suggest a nice bet. I was thinking of holding a ceremony for him, but I will give a month’s pay to anyone with an interesting idea.”
“Ohh!”
“Can I make a suggestion? Can I do it?”
Everyone opened their eyes and cheered at Jeok Myung.
Bullying in the name of a ceremony. There was no entertainment like this for the Black Moon Troops, who were dealing with chores every day. No matter how you get through hardships, it was fun to see someone else be ruined.
Soon, a warrior scratched his head.
“Why don’t you ask them to prove their allegiance by pulling their own teeth out? Saying it’s our tradition?”
It was a pretty good suggestion. Among the people in this troop not many had healthy teeth. Some had their molars smashed by their superiors, and others pulled their own out.
Wherever they went, the weaker ones would always get crushed instead of being helped.
“Anyone else?”
When Jeok Myung asked, another person said,
“Looks like you are up to something or you don’t want to get money. That is the least burdensome one.”
“Hmm. Right.”
Money was on the line. And it could be an idea worthy of being taken. However, when they were giving out lame excuses, Jeok Myung felt bad, and the other warriors came ahead then.
“Tie a rope around his neck and hang him from the ceiling, bet how long he lasts?”
“How about holding on while being punched in a stance. Then we guess how many times he will last?”
One after another came bloody ideas. There were all ones which would leave lasting effects on a healthy person.
But Jeok Myung just tilted his head. The bets which break the other people had to go onto another level. As much as he harassed people until now, all this felt bland.
Just because he was not the one being hurt.
“Isn’t there a training pavilion behind the Black Tortoise Hall? How about asking them to make food there?”
“Oh?”
It was then, at the words of the warriors, he looked interested.
“Isn’t that the Black Gold Troops training ground?”
“Yes. Isn’t it time to eat now? If we ask him to head there, wouldn’t there be something fun for us to look at when the Black Gold Captain comes out?”
“Good idea! Won Sang! I will pay you the money!”
“Thank you, Captain!”
The man clasped his hands in joy, and the lips of Jeok Myung twitched at it.
The Black Gold Troops, Shin Bi-rang, the best warrior in the Supreme Pavilion.
After failing the military training year before, he was training with extreme pride.
He was showing higher determination to pass the test, and there were many rumors that he was obtaining considerable achievements now.
It was clear that the rest was unrelated this time, and he would rise to a bigger position.
“Something very interesting will happen.”
Jeok Myung hid his laugh as much as he could, then ordered a warrior on what to do.
“Phew.”
Seol-Hwi looked at the room he had been assigned and sighed.
Compared to the places he had been before, this was small.
From the Supreme Pavilion’s Flying Rabbit Troops to Black Moon Troops, with more people, the living space allocated to them would decrease.
“The mission will soon come.”
Actually, it did not matter even if it was a small room to him.
He would not be staying here for too long.
Seol-Hwi sat down like that. He was recalling the conversation he had with the Pavilion Lord.
If it was a gathering for the justice faction…
Did the future change a bit? Or was the Supreme Pavilion Lord just expressing the words differently?
If it was a meeting with the justice faction, it could not be just Mount Hua in there. Still, he stated clearly that it was a meeting place for the justice faction.
“Well, maybe he just said it as is.”
Anyway, time will reveal all.
Seol-Hwi did not care anymore and started to change into the new clothes he was given.
It was indigo blue with the word “Moon” written under the collarbone.
The fabric felt cheap against his skin, and it was a light feeling robe, but Seol-Hwi felt strange in it. In the past, he envied this very uniform much.
And putting it on now, he felt a bit excited at the thought of moving back in time.
“Is someone inside?”
Then came the sound from outside. Seol-Hwi pretended to be popular.
“Come on in.”
Drrrr.
A person who seemed to be from the Black Moon Troops came in. The reason he knew it was because of the word “Moon” written under their collarbone.
“What is it?”
Seol-Hwi asked calmly.
“Um, follow me right now.”
“…?”
The man said it and turned right away, leaving Seol-Hwi unsure of it. He frowned and said,
“It will be time to eat soon. You will eat at a specially assigned place today, so follow me.”
“Time to eat?’”
Seol-Hwi was puzzled.
The Black Moon Troops was not a place which received special treatment from the Supreme Pavilion Lord, so the place they ate should be at the same spot with them all being served at the same time.
But there was a special place now?
“What is it? Hurry up and come out.”
Seol-Hwi followed him at the annoyed shout. First of all, he decided to see what it was.
The place he was guided to was an unknown garden.
“Huh.”
It was a place he had never been to in his time at the Supreme Pavilion, and the garden looked so well maintained that he could not believe it even as he saw it.
After he followed the man for a long time, he saw a mess hall.
There was a large table and a large bowl sitting there.
“You can eat here.”
When he looked down, it was steamed meat stew.
How was such a precious meal even here?
“Thank you…”
Seol-Hwi was trying to thank him, but then the man turned away without even saying anything back.
After he disappeared, Seol-Hwi went to the center of the open pavilion and sat down.
A well prepared soup bowl and cutlery. Seeing this, he smiled inside.
“I don’t know what they are planning but…”
This was a nice meal.
It had been a while, but how many experiences like this did he have? He also had seen a lot of despicable actions that people do when trying to rise to the top.
So this was an obvious method. At first glance, this kind of meal did not match the Black Moon Troops. He could have guessed that something big would happen while eating from such a nice place.
“Should I taste it?”
But Seol-Hwi did not avoid it.
Traditionally this kind of thing was done when one was not expecting it. It was because he managed to read the thoughts of the opponent now that he could see through it.
Munch
Seol-Hwi picked up the chicken leg and took a big bite from it. One bite, and then another, he ate slowly.
Step. Step.
Maybe it was when he was about halfway through the meal, he heard someone walking, but Seol-Hwi did not pay much attention to it.
And a little later,
“…You, what are you up to in here?”
A man came up to the pavilion and began to talk to him. Seol-Hwi finally raised his gaze and looked at him.
I can roughly guess.
Seol-Hwi recognized that the man was Shin Bi-rang even before he looked. Not just that, but he could also understand how much he had grown this time.
And that it would not be long before he reached the master level.
“I am eating.”
“…”
Was Seol-Hwi’s answer ridiculous?
Shin Bi-rang’s expression seemed to change into one of shock for a moment before he spoke.
“Black Moon Troops?”
“Yes, I was appointed today.”
“Today? Huh…”
The voice was calm.
Despite being angry, it seemed like the person was trying to not be angry.
“Then, you came here not knowing what the place is?”
He had cold eyes as he spoke.
“The part is so wide and suitable for many to use. However, there are areas used by our Black Gold Troops and more. This is a space exclusively made for us. This pavilion is what I use which is right next to my training space.”
“Nom, nom, is that so?”
Seol-Hwi nodded. And he began to eat again which made Shin Bi-rang’s face go stiff.
Because he looked so calm, Shin Bi-rang felt his thread of rationality get cut down piece by piece.
Even so, he spoke with a patient look.
“Again this place…”
“I get it, this is your place.”
Clench
In the end, the reasoning was being cut short.
If he were in the middle of training, he would be able to look at this as a need for fight, and he would not ponder over the thought of him being a newcomer to the troops, he would instead have cut their throat immediately.
“In the end, blood is…”
Thinking that talks would not make sense, Shin Bi-rang put his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“Ah, I remember.”
Seol-Hwi put down the chicken wing he completed on the table.
“You, the last technique is too loose.”
“…”
“The last technique you used. It needs to be released right for the sword wind to be created.”
Flinch!
Shin Bi-rang’s had a vicious expression on his face, like he wanted to kill him. And soon his face turned red along with his throat.
“You. Did you steal my martial arts?”
“Peeking when having chicken isn’t exactly…”
“What?”
“You can see it from here. The sword technique you used now with all the wind blowing through the air.”
“What…”
Shin Bi-rang’s eyes blinked and Seol-Hwi continued,
“It was good until the process of gradually generating the right force of it. However, when you exploded the wind which was condensed, the strength of the technique didn’t come out right.”
“…!”
Shin Bi-rang looked shocked.
It was a while back when the Wave Windy Sword, the last martial art of the Black Gold Troops, was given.
This bastard, how can I do something which hasn’t been thought of?
Now, it did not matter that this man was having chicken.
The technique with all internal energy used in order to unleash the strongest wind sword, was he telling him to test it?
This was even odder because it was a different approach from the past failures he tried to do.
“Second technique. No, the third one. Does that mean I can wield it once more if I release the internal qi?”
As Shin Bi-rang stood there blankly, Seol-Hwi put down the bone from the last piece of chicken and said,
“Do you know why the more you pursue swiftness, the more your body strains? It is because of the lack of precision and concentration. Usually, when you are running wild, it isn’t important to release all your internal qi.”
“….”
“Even after pulling back your internal energy, you need to pay attention to the full transmission of that internal energy. After that, you need to endure that with your basic physical and mental strength. If you understand, go now. If there is anything else you don’t know, ask.”
“…!”
Shin Bi-rang’s eyes flashed.
What Seol-Hwi had said was a deep understanding of the technique.
“Sir… how did you get here?”
And so, of course, his attitude had naturally changed from before.
“Well, I just happened to come here.”
Seol-Hwi burped dryly and stood up from his place.
“Do not mind me, because I won’t be here long anyways. I have some tasks the Supreme Pavilion Lord has given me.”
“Ah…”
“Then do your best. This time, you need to pass the test.”
“Yes. I will.”
Papt!
Scared of Seol-Hwi’s words, Shin Bi-rang bent down and bowed.
