LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 111
Chapter 111: Endure
The attack on the Hubei Martial Alliance caused a significant stir.
Rumors about the incident spread so thoroughly throughout Yichang that it seemed as though someone had deliberately fueled the fire.
By the day after the attack, no one in Yichang was unaware of what had happened.
Alongside the initial rumors came whispers that another attack might occur, amplifying the tension.
This led the people of Yichang to focus their attention on the Hubei Martial Alliance.
The damage sustained during the first ambush was considerable.
Most of the warriors guarding the Hubei Martial Alliance at the time were either gravely injured or killed, and several of their pavilions had been reduced to ashes.
While the total number of casualties was not high due to the limited number of guards present, the perception of the surrounding observers was markedly different.
Everyone believed that the Hubei Martial Alliance had suffered a severe blow.
Thus, the importance of the next ambush became paramount.
Objectively speaking, the best course of action would have been to conduct a large-scale search and enlist the help of other organizations to locate the culprits before another ambush occurred.
Preventing any opportunity for an ambush would have been ideal.
However, the situation had escalated to the point where such measures were no longer viable.
The Hubei Martial Alliance had no choice but to prepare for a flawless defense against the next ambush and launch a counteroffensive.
If they failed to achieve meaningful results, their reputation would plummet.
And if it were just a matter of reputation, it might still be salvageable. But if their enemies exploited the situation using various tactics, the very existence of the Hubei Martial Alliance could be jeopardized.
Such a collapse would throw the martial world of Hubei into chaos.
Given these stakes, the Hubei Martial Alliance reluctantly summoned external warriors and meticulously prepared for the next ambush.
If the ambush didn’t happen, that would pose its own set of issues. But it was still preferable to being caught unprepared.
As a result, the area around the Black Iron Workshop, where Byeok Taesan was staying, remained exceptionally quiet.
The Hubei Martial Alliance was too preoccupied to spare much attention there.
Not that they had ever paid significant attention to it in the first place.
In the training hall of the Black Iron Workshop, Byeok Taesan and his group had gathered.
The group included the Heavenly Divine Healer, Needle Master, Cho Seoran, ten attendants, Cheon Kyungwan, Yoo Seoyeon, and even those from the Hao Clan.
They were all sprawled across the training hall, unable to move a finger.
The Heavenly Divine Healer, lying flat on the floor, struggled to lift his upper body.
“Ugh…”
One by one, the others began to stir and sit up.
They all sat dazed, staring blankly at the floor.
It felt like they had just returned from a brief visit to hell.
The first to move was the Heavenly Divine Healer.
He snapped his head up and looked at Byeok Taesan.
“Argh… Young Master, isn’t this a bit too much?”
His voice was laden with frustration, but the moment Byeok Taesan glanced at him, he quickly lowered his head again.
Byeok Taesan scanned the group.
Everyone’s exhaustion was evident. Yet, not a single person showed dissatisfaction.
Only Cho Seoran wore a slightly ambiguous expression, but even she didn’t complain. She had voluntarily chosen to participate in the training.
Still, she couldn’t help but glance around at the others, her eyes filled with concern—or perhaps pity.
If she had to endure this hellish training daily, would she even survive?
She wasn’t sure, but one thing was clear. If she managed to endure, she would become incredibly strong.
“But practicing medicine on top of this… that’s impossible,” she thought.
After such grueling physical exertion, how could one even consider studying medicine? Cho Seoran cast a newfound gaze of admiration at the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master.
“Have those two actually endured this?”
While Cho Seoran was lost in thought, Byeok Taesan spoke.
“For now, let’s eat.”
At his words, everyone snapped their heads toward him. Their gazes wavered wildly.
He had said “for now,” which implied there was something else after eating. That “something else” was most likely more training.
Without realizing it, Cho Seoran muttered aloud.
“If we eat… won’t we just throw it all up?”
Byeok Taesan turned to her and smiled faintly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you don’t.”
That smile on Byeok Taesan’s lips looked disturbingly devilish to her.
It felt as though they were trapped in hell, and he was the devil orchestrating their torment.
The group was utterly exhausted.
Byeok Taesan’s promise that no one would vomit after eating turned out to be true.
No one threw up.
But it wasn’t because the training had been less grueling. It was because their bodies were so wrecked that they refused to waste any of the nutrients. Every ounce of energy consumed was broken down and absorbed entirely.
The training session had only lasted two hours, but by the end of it, they all felt like they might die from starvation.
As they lay sprawled, bowls of porridge were quietly placed in front of them.
The porridge had been prepared beforehand, before the training began.
No one noticed when the bowls had been placed. They simply devoured the food as quickly as they could.
The portions weren’t large, but they were enough to stave off the immediate hunger.
After satisfying their initial hunger, they prepared a full meal and ate heartily.
Byeok Taesan merely watched.
As the meal was nearly finished, everyone glanced nervously at Byeok Taesan, gauging his expression.
The pace of eating slowed down noticeably.
Byeok Taesan observed this with a faint smile before speaking.
“Today’s training is over.”
At those words, everyone lit up with joy and quickly devoured the remaining food.
Training was over, so they believed they could finally rest. The sooner they finished eating, the sooner they could enjoy some rest.
“Rest well. But don’t let your body stiffen. Stretch periodically so you’re always ready to move again.”
Leaving those instructions, Byeok Taesan headed inside the hall.
The group exchanged anxious glances as they watched his retreating back.
They truly rested well.
After finishing the meal and following Byeok Taesan’s directions to stretch occasionally during their two-hour break, they felt fully recovered.
It was remarkable, really.
After such intense training—closer to torture than anything else—they had completely recovered after just two hours of rest.
No special medicine had been taken, only rest, yet it was enough.
The only unusual occurrence was Byeok Taesan occasionally checking on them, staying briefly before leaving again.
As two hours passed, the sun set, and darkness crept in.
Though it was past dinnertime, they weren’t hungry since they had eaten a lot earlier.
Rather than bothering with another meal, they opted for more rest. If hunger struck later, they could always find something to eat.
Meanwhile, Byeok Taesan sat on the bedding in his room with his eyes closed.
He wasn’t resting. Instead, he was expanding his senses to monitor the surroundings of the Black Iron Workshop.
He had a hunch they would come tonight.
After some time, his eyes snapped open.
“They’re finally here.”
Those fools, desperate for a beating, had arrived. Although they hadn’t yet entered the Black Iron Workshop, they were swarming around it, surrounding the entire area.
Byeok Taesan stood from the bedding and descended to the lower floor.
The attendants stationed below were gathered there to always be on hand for him.
The moment Byeok Taesan appeared, the attendants hurriedly emerged from their rooms.
“Young Master, is there something you need?”
He nodded and gave a single command.
“Gather everyone.”
The attendants immediately rushed downstairs, carrying out his order.
Once they were gone, Byeok Taesan returned to his room.
Soon, all the residents of the hall had gathered in his room.
They watched him with tense expressions.
Considering the late hour, they doubted it was another training session, but one could never be sure.
After a moment, the Heavenly Divine Healer cautiously asked,
“Young Master, you’re not planning…night training or something, are you?”
Byeok Taesan’s eyes briefly sparkled.
“Hmm, night training… It’s true that training at night has a different feel to it.”
He stroked his chin, deep in thought, causing everyone to freeze in horror.
All eyes turned sharply toward the Heavenly Divine Healer, as if daggers were being thrown his way.
Beside him, the Needle Master jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow and hissed through clenched teeth,
“Hey, are you insane? If you want to die, go alone! Why drag us into this? Fix this mess now!”
The Heavenly Divine Healer slapped away the Needle Master’s poking fingers.
“Brother, please, this isn’t the time for such behavior.”
“Behavior? Do you even realize what you’ve done? We’re already in trouble!”
“Trouble? If you don’t want things to get worse, don’t you think we need to handle this properly?”
The Needle Master flinched, his face pale.
“Are you…are you threatening me?”
“Well, then—”
The Heavenly Divine Healer abruptly stopped, sensing the atmosphere shift. He cautiously glanced around.
Everyone was staring at him, their faces pale with shock.
Standing right in front of him was Byeok Taesan, looking down at him and the Needle Master.
“Why stop mid-sentence? Keep going.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer laughed awkwardly.
Byeok Taesan clicked his tongue once before returning to his spot.
“This is no time for games,” he said.
The room tensed up again, the air heavy with unease.
“We’re moments away from an attack. Their numbers are considerable, but they’re mostly unskilled. It won’t be too difficult.”
Despite his words, everyone swallowed hard.
They knew better than to trust Byeok Taesan’s definition of “unskilled.”
Byeok Taesan’s gaze swept over the group.
Compared to those brought from Wuhan, the people from the Hao Clan were relatively less skilled.
Thanks to the intense training over the past two days, their combat instincts had significantly improved, so they wouldn’t fall easily.
“There are many enemies. I won’t tell you not to get hurt.”
Hearing this, everyone’s eyes widened slightly. They looked at Byeok Taesan with nervous eyes.
If Byeok Taesan spoke this way, it meant the situation was genuinely dangerous.
“Don’t die, and don’t get severely injured.”
The tension grew even heavier.
“If you do, I might get a little annoyed.”
It felt as if thunderbolts crackled in Byeok Taesan’s eyes as he said this.
Everyone shuddered as if they had been struck by lightning.
The intensity of his words sent ripples through their minds.
Byeok Taesan spoke calmly.
“They’re coming now. Let’s go.”
When Byeok Taesan took the lead, the group followed closely behind.
Exiting the pavilion, Byeok Taesan headed for a large training hall nearby.
“Hold your ground here until the end.”
At this, Hwaryeong looked uneasy and asked him cautiously.
“Do we absolutely have to stay here?”
When Byeok Taesan looked at her, she quickly elaborated.
“This space is too wide. Enemies will come from all directions. It’s not a structure conducive to holding our ground.”
Byeok Taesan shook his head.
“You must hold your ground here.”
“What?”
Hwaryeong’s eyes widened slightly. But she soon stiffened her expression and nodded resolutely.
“Yes. We’ll hold our ground no matter what.”
Byeok Taesan wouldn’t have brought them here without a reason. There must be a purpose.
Seeing her response, Byeok Taesan nodded.
The rest of the group also steeled themselves. Their mission was to endure here today.
As he surveyed his group, Byeok Taesan smirked and turned to look at something in the distance.
“They’re here. Now, do your best to endure.”
With that, Byeok Taesan took a step forward.
At that moment, his figure vanished from their sight.
Everyone stared blankly at the spot where Byeok Taesan had been standing.
They had been watching him the entire time, without blinking, yet they completely missed his movement.
It was as if he had never been there.
“How… how strong must someone be to do something like that?”
Cho Seoran muttered to herself and looked at Needle Master.
She wondered if Needle Master might have caught a glimpse of Byeok Taesan’s movement.
But the Needle Master merely shook his head with a wry smile.
“We just need to focus on what we have to do.”
The words he added made everyone’s expressions harden.
“If the Young Master gets angry… what do you think will happen?”
Determination lit up in their gazes as they looked at one another.
Holding their ground here wasn’t something that could be achieved by one person doing well alone.
They all had to work together.
They needed to fight cohesively, to act as extensions of one another. They had to actively support each other, and if someone had extra strength to spare, they would need to share it.
In the distance, the sounds of commotion began to rise, gradually growing louder.
The enemies were finally approaching.
At that moment, a strange energy began to flow through the entire Black Iron Workshop.
“A formation?”
The Heavenly Divine Healer’s muttered observation heightened the tension even further.