CHAPTER 438: AT THAT LEVEL

"Nyaa! Nyaaaah!" the Silver Tiger squealed, struggling and scratching furiously with its tiny claws.

Unfortunately, it couldn't leave a single scratch on Baek Suryong.

"Did you roll around in a mud puddle? In just a few days, you've transformed from a silver tiger into a yellow dog." Baek Suryong clicked his tongue as he dunked the creature into a basin and scrubbed it clean. The Silver Tiger had become grimy from roaming the Jingang Mountains for three days. Despite his rough-seeming touch, he meticulously cleaned every nook and cranny of the animal.

The Silver Tiger wriggled in protest. "NYAAAH!"

"As expected, one rinse in enough, huh?"

In the end, Baek Suryong had to empty the basin three times before the Silver Tiger's fur regained its original color.

Exhausted from its futile resistance, the Silver Tiger went limp like melted mochi.

"Now you look more like a spirit beast," Baek Suryong remarked, stroking the now clean fur.

The Silver Tiger instantly seemed to feel better, purring and rubbing against him. A faint fragrance emanated from its body, thanks to the tree nuts the bandits of the Yama Keep had given him to use in the bath.

Baek Suryong roughly dried the Silver Tiger's fur with a towel. "We're leaving in a little while, so don't stray too far. Now, it's my turn to wash up."

He undressed and submerged himself in a round wooden bathtub. Soaking his body in the steaming hot water, he felt his fatigue melt away.

Baek Suryong uses the Heaven Defying Divine Art on you and beats you to a pulp.

"Haaah... This is nice..."

He leaned back in the tub, sighing like an old man, when suddenly...

SPLASH!

The Silver Tiger jumped into the bathtub. Although it hated being bathed, it seemed to want to play in the water.

Unfortunately, the water in Baek Suryong's bathtub was much hotter than its own bath water.

"Nyaaaa!" Startled, the silver tiger leaped onto Baek Suryong's shoulder, cried out resentfully, and swung its front paws wildly. Despite their fluffy, cotton-ball appearance, the Silver Tiger's attacks carried the force of an external arts master.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Baek Suryong didn't just take the hits, of course. He dodged every single one by tilting his head ever so slightly. "Who told you to jump in, huh? Why are you making a fuss when all this is your own fault?"

Shaking his head incredulously, he grabbed the Silver Tiger by the scruff of its neck and placed it outside the tub.

The creature immediately dashed outside.

Baek Suryong shook his head as he watched its frantic retreat. "The mother Silver Tiger seemed so poised..."

[You can't compare a spirit beast who has lived for hundreds of years with a cub that hasn't even lived a year,] the Divine Azure Dragon Sword, placed on a wooden shelf, mumbled. Although it had been mostly neglected since coming to the Yama Keep, its voice was more energetic than before. [It's a shame we're leaving the Jingang Mountains already. I was able to enjoy the abundant energy of nature for the first time in a long while. It might be nice to wait here for you to return...]

"Sorry, but that won't work." Baek Suryong shook his head. Since he had to hide his identity, he had no reason to draw the Divine Azure Dragon Sword at the unorthodox sects' meeting. However, he needed it around for another reason. "Without you, who's gonna cast the disguise sorcery?"

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[It seems you're increasingly treating me as just a convenient tool...]

"What a disappointing thing to say. I think of you as an unparalleled divine sword, the world's greatest sorceress, a competent advisor, and an inseparable friend who shares my past life's secrets."

[I know you're just flattering me, so why is it that I continue to buy into it...?]

After finishing his bath, Baek Suryong changed back into the black martial arts uniform he had worn when he first arrived at the Yama Keep.

Seol Ryonghwi's face stared back at him, reflected in the bronze mirror. For obvious reasons, he couldn't attend the unorthodox sects' meeting with his original face, but he wasn't totally satisfied with this one either.

"This face was fine at the Ice Palace, but it's too plain for a bandit. I should change my hairstyle and color."

[Imagine the appearance you want.]

Baek Suryong pictured the most bandit-like hair color and style he knew, and the Divine Azure Dragon Sword activated her spell.

SHHHHH...

In a flash, his hair grew long, voluminous, and blonde, fluttering in the wind like a lion's mane.

"...Not bad," he admired himself in the mirror. Right now, he was using Master Maeng's hairstyle and color.

"Nyah?" Returning to the room, the Silver Tiger's eyes widened at Baek Suryong's new look.

Baek Suryong beckoned to it. "Just in time. Let's dye you, too."

"NYAA?"

A moment later, the Silver Tiger examined its reflection in the bronze mirror in amazement. Its fur, once white as snow, was now orange-red with black stripes.

Baek Suryong stroked its head. The Silver Tiger now looked like an ordinary tiger cub. "You'll have an important role to play from now on, so I'll be counting on you."

"Nyaaah!"

Namgung Su is mad at you for feeding a thief. You are not allowed to eat his cooking anymore.

Baek Suryong lifted the Silver Tiger onto his shoulder, grabbed his travel backpack, and went outside. The Viridian Scholar and the subordinates who would accompany him were waiting there in simple attire. Notably, the Viridian Scholar wore a wide, white robe and a bamboo hat instead of his usual green attire, making him look every bit a scholar.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Not at all. We just finished preparing, too. However..." The Viridian Scholar regarded Baek Suryong's new appearance. There was more to his transformation than just his hair and eye color. His expression and aura had also become fiercer and rougher to match.

Looking at him, he couldn't help but wonder if this might be the man's true self.

Even though he isn't that tall, I feel like I'm looking up at a great mountain. Is this the same overwhelming feeling that those who faced the Bandit King in the past experienced?

He didn't bother hiding his admiration. "Want to switch sides? The Yama Keep welcomes you anytime," he joked.

"I enjoyed my time here, but I still prefer teaching kids at the academy."

The two men faced each other and grinned. They didn't need to prepare much before leaving, aside from putting on plain clothes and weapons to avoid revealing their identities until they reached Mount Heng.

"Here is the willow leaf dao you requested."

Baek Suryong accepted the dao from the Viridian Scholar. When he slightly drew the blade from its plain, unadorned scabbard, a sharp, gleaming edge was revealed. "This is a much better blade than I expected," he exclaimed.

"It would look strange if a rising young martial artist from Yama Keep carried an overly ordinary blade," the Viridian Scholar explained.

"True. I'll use it well." Baek Suryong nodded and hung the willow leaf dao at his waist. He unfastened the greatsword he had grown rather fond of and handed it to Jang Geol, who was accompanying them to the meeting along with Gu Gil.

"Hyung-nim! We'll serve you comfortably until we arrive!"

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"Give us your luggage!"

"......" Baek Suryong regarded his traveling companions.

The agreement was for each faction to bring a maximum of four people.

He didn't know how many unorthodox scoundrels would actually keep their promise, but the Viridian Scholar had decided to extend his trust to them first. After all, this meeting was more than just a gathering in response to the war between the Blood Cult and the orthodox. This was an opportunity for the Viridian Scholar to announce his claim to the title of Bandit King's successor.

"Big Bro! Be careful on your trip!" Jeok Manpae, the Vice-Boss of Yama Keep, saw the group off dejectedly. Since the Boss and Vice-Boss couldn't be away at the same time, he had no choice but to stay behind. "If those Giant Spirit Keep and the Tiger Pass Keep bastards act up, I should be there to smash their heads in..."

"That's exactly why I'm not taking you along."

"Don't say things you don't mean. You're the one who wants to smash their heads in the most, Big Bro." Jeok Manpae licked his lips as he stroked the blade of his beloved axe, then glanced at Baek Suryong. For a moment, his massive pectoral muscles bulged. "Mr. Azure Dragon Hero, please take good care of our Hyung-nim. If you stop by here again later, let's have another external arts match."

Baek Suryong nodded eagerly. "The result won't change, but I'll accept your challenge anytime."

"Wahahaha! That arrogant attitude is exactly my cup of tea! I'll work hard on building my muscles until we meet again!"

From beginning to end, the Yama Keep was boisterous. Though it had only been three days, the bandits Baek Suryong had grown close to came up to say their goodbyes and even gave him snacks.

"Hey, kid. If you've got nowhere to go, how about following me to the Viridian Forest?"

He recalled Master Maeng, whose eyes had sparkled as he talked about the Viridian Forest, and let out a chuckle.

If we managed to escape back then, joining the Viridian Forest might not have been so bad an idea. No, I probably would've had a lot of fun.

Waving goodbye to the bandits, Baek Suryong and the Viridian Scholar's party left the Jingang Mountains to attend the unorthodox sects' meeting.

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The Viridian Scholar's party set out on the road to Mount Heng, the location of the unorthodox sects' meeting. Their journey was uneventful, but that did not equate to it being comfortable for most of the group.

"S-Save me..."

"Mother... are you well...?"

Jang Geol and Gu Gil lay sprawled on the dirt like tattered rags, staring blankly up at the sky. Although it was obviously broad daylight, the sky looked pale yellow for some reason.

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Suddenly, the voice of the true King of Hell reached the ears of the Yama Keep bandits,1 whose limbs trembled from excruciating muscle pain.

"Trainees. Get to your feet. Now."

"NYAAAH!"

The King of Hell swung a willow leaf dao, scabbard and all, like a club, while his tiger cub demon familiar purred beside him.

"Are you deaf? I'll count to five. If you don't get up... I'll leave what happens after that to your imagination. One, two..."

"W-Wait a minute!"

"I'm up! I'm up!"

Jang Geol and Gu Gil forced their trembling bodies to their feet and stared at Baek Suryong in abject horror.

Is this man a devil?

That kid Suhyeok really goes through this kind of training every day?

Baek Suryong uses the Heaven Defying Divine Art on you and beats you to a pulp.

Over the past few days, they had naturally developed a sense of respect for their younger brother at the White Dragon Manor for enduring the King of Hell's brutal training regime.

It's too late to back out now...

Why did I say such a thing...?

Everything started when they saw the Viridian Scholar learning martial arts from Baek Suryong and mustered the courage to request his guidance as well.

"I warned you, didn't I? Learning martial arts from me will be very tough, so think carefully. What did you say then?"

"T-That we could do it..."

"That if you'd just teach us, we'd keep training even if our bones were fractured..."

Baek Suryong nodded, and the Silver Tiger perched on his shoulder nodded along. "Yes, but now you want to quit just because it's hard? Are your bones broken? Or is some part of your body injured? Is this pathetic sight all your determination amounts to?"

""N-No, sir..."" The two bandits' voices trailed off at the merciless scolding.

The wind blew wildly, rustling Baek Suryong's blonde hair.

"Good that you know. What are you doing? You've rested enough, so let's start training again. Begin."

""Y-Yes, sir!""

With tears in their eyes, Jang Geol and Gu Gil trained as Baek Suryong had taught them. They did weightlifting exercises with nearby rocks and logs, while the Silver Tiger—a surprisingly excellent cheerleader—constantly spurred them on.

To their surprise, it only took a few days for their training to bear fruit.

KWAAAAANG!

"No way..." Jang Geol stared at his own hands in disbelief. He had left a clear handprint on a rock, an achievement accomplished purely through external arts.

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The same was true for Gu Gil. Originally, his biggest weakness were his sluggish movements due to his large size, but in just a few days, he had learned to use his physical stature to his advantage. Now, he could dodge attacks that he never would've been able to evade before.

Their fundamentals are solid, so they learn quickly.

Jang Geol and Gu Gil had some of the best physiques in Yama Keep. Their inner arts were unremarkable, but their external arts, honed through more than a decade of climbing the Jingang Mountains, surpassed those of most martial artists.

So far, Baek Suryong had only used part of the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest to draw out their latent abilities. They were rewarding students to teach, and it pleased him to see them improve day by day.

Still, they can't compare to that gentleman over there.

He glanced to the side, where the Viridian Scholar was training in the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest by himself.

"Hooooo..."

White steam rose from the bandit boss's bare chest. Despite his lean appearance, his body was packed with muscle, reminiscent of a noble crane.

HWAAAK!

As the Viridian Scholar moved gracefully through the forms, a typhoon would rage one moment, only to turn into a gentle breeze the next. Fallen leaves swirled around him with a single hand gesture, and a stomp of his foot sent tremors through the ground.

"He's taken to the martial art like a fish to water."

The Viridian Scholar had trained in the martial arts left by the Bandit King for over thirty years. Although he didn't have a muscular physique, his body was more perfectly sculpted than anyone Baek Suryong had ever seen.

For him, the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest was a once-in-a-lifetime miraculous encounter. Like water seeping into dry earth, he instantly absorbed the ultimate technique and entered a state of selflessness.

"At that level... I don't think I need to teach him anymore," Baek Suryong let out a dry laugh as he watched the Viridian Scholar hone his martial arts.

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1. The Yama Keep is named after King Yama, the King of Hell. ↩