Chapter 6

Earning Merit

One thing Jang Il found surprising was that, even after becoming the commander of a hundred men, Zhang Pae still personally went to collect his own meals.

Normally, even a squad leader commanding ten men would simply order one of his subordinates to fetch food.

Compared to that, Zhang Pae’s behavior was unusual.

When Jang Il asked why, Zhang Pae let out a weary sigh.

“Haah… How am I supposed to trust those bastards? They’re already grinding their teeth because of all the training I put them through. I’d be lucky if they only spat in my food.”

“I… see.”

“In that case, I’ll fetch your meals from now on.”

Never imagining that was the reason, Jang Il answered awkwardly.

Zhang Pae grinned as though he found the young man adorable and ruffled his hair.

“Hahaha! Nah, forget it. Just knowing you meant it is enough.”

Yet when they actually received their meals, Zhang Pae quietly pressured the cooks into giving Jang Il extra food.

He knew the boy hadn’t eaten breakfast.

It was his own way of showing kindness.

Naturally, the two ended up eating together.

Looking at the mountain of food piled onto his tray, Jang Il felt thoroughly satisfied.

After pushing himself through relentless training all day, he had been starving.

With this much food, he felt certain he wouldn’t be hungry again until lunchtime tomorrow.

Zhang Pae, however, who was ten years older than him, complained just as he always did.

“Damn it. Forget the lousy taste—the rice isn’t even cooked properly.”

Despite all his grumbling…

He never actually complained to the cooks.

Not because he could tolerate it.

Experience had taught him that angering military cooks was never a good idea.

By the time they finished eating amidst Zhang Pae’s constant complaints…

The sun had long since disappeared beyond the horizon.

Returning to his tent beneath a sky overflowing with stars…

Jang Il picked up his sword once more.

His body screamed in protest after wielding it all day.

He paid the pain no attention.

Through his dreams, he had directly and indirectly experienced the life of his other self.

Compared to the training that version of him endured…

This was nothing.

The dream Jang Il trained until coughing blood.

Compared to that…

This amount of effort was insignificant.

Perhaps because of that…

It wasn’t until deep into the night that Jang Il finally laid down his sword and went to sleep.

As expected…

The dream resumed exactly where it had ended the previous night.

Zhang Pae was having considerable difficulty filling the ranks of his hundred-man unit.

Its reputation was infamous.

Not simply because the training was brutal.

But because they were constantly assigned the most dangerous missions.

That was something Zhang Pae deeply resented.

“You think I asked for those missions? I only do ’em because I’m ordered to!”

None of the dangerous assignments had been his own choice.

More importantly…

His unit’s survival rate exceeded eighty percent.

Their mission success rate was over fifty percent.

Yet none of that was ever mentioned.

People only spread stories about how dangerous his unit was.

Naturally, he found it infuriating.

Even so…

The recruits willing to overlook that reputation were generally exceptional.

They joined because they knew about the unit’s fifty-percent success rate.

People with ambition.

People hungry for achievement.

Unfortunately…

It took less than a day before they were crying in misery.

Zhang Pae trained them far harder than they’d expected.

He firmly believed that the blood and sweat shed during training would save their lives on the battlefield.

Because of that…

He pushed them until they practically cursed him.

Four days after Jang Il returned…

The reward Zhang Pae had promised finally arrived.

“Congratulations.”

“You’re officially a squad leader now.”

“Thank you for looking after me.”

Yet…

Jang Il’s eyes weren’t focused on the promotion.

They were fixed on the reward money that accompanied it.

Captain was right.

This really was worth looking forward to…

Fifteen taels of silver!

Considering his yearly salary was only two taels…

It was an enormous sum.

Meanwhile…

Zhang Pae’s face turned red with anger after seeing it.

“Damn military!”

“You kill someone that important, and this is all they give?”

“We even brought back the enemy commander’s head!”

“This makes no damn sense.”

“Hah!”

“That damn beggar definitely pocketed the rest.”

The “damn beggar” he referred to was the commander of the rear forces stationed there.

A thousand-man commander named Ryu Man.

Ryu Man belonged to the prestigious Ryu Clan, one of the traditional Kang noble families.

He had reached the rank of thousand-man commander at a remarkably young age.

Without his family’s influence…

Such a promotion would have been impossible.

After all…

A thousand-man commander possessed enough authority to conduct independent military operations.

It wasn’t a position handed out lightly.

Ryu Man was also politically gifted.

According to Zhang Pae…

Even the terrible food was probably his fault.

Seeing Jang Il’s confusion…

He explained.

“He’s stealing military funds to curry favor with the higher-ups.”

“The easiest thing to skim is food supplies.”

“But taking reward money too?”

“That’s crossing the line.”

Watching Zhang Pae become angry on his behalf…

Jang Il simply shook his head.

“It’s fine.”

“This is more than enough.”

He truly meant it.

The only reason he had received any reward at all was because Zhang Pae had made sure someone retrieved the enemy commander’s head during the battle.

Besides…

Now that he had become a squad leader…

His salary had doubled.

He had no desire to ask for more.

“Sigh…”

“I really don’t deserve to face you.”

Even so…

Zhang Pae still looked guilty.

Although Jang Il had become a squad leader…

He made no effort to recruit subordinates.

Unless he intended to build a military career…

There was no reason.

His goal was to leave the army as soon as possible.

Besides…

Every single night brought him another year’s worth of memories from his other self.

Simply keeping up with that was already overwhelming.

Apart from mealtimes…

He never let go of his sword.

From the moment he woke until he fell asleep…

He trained relentlessly.

Seeing that…

Neither Zhang Pae nor the other squad leaders ever complained about his absence from group training.

Everything seemed destined to continue peacefully.

Then…

Ten days after his return…

An unexpected order arrived.

Early that morning…

Zhang Pae attended a military meeting.

He didn’t return until the sun stood directly overhead.

The moment he came back…

He exploded.

“Damn it!”

“That damned beggar gave us another bullshit order!”

His longtime subordinates immediately started cursing alongside him.

“What is it this time?”

“What fresh insanity are we being sent to?”

“Sigh…”

“Every time you come back from headquarters, there’s another miserable assignment.”

“What exactly changed after you became a hundred-man commander?”

“Our unit isn’t even fully staffed yet, let alone properly trained!”

“…”

Among the complaining squad leaders…

Jang Il remained silent.

Not because he lacked complaints.

He simply wanted to hear the mission.

Leaving the others behind…

Zhang Pae looked at him apologetically.

“This time…”

“We’re not the only ones moving.”

“That damn beggar’s coming too.”

“The entire thousand-man battalion.”

“It’s that kind of operation.”

One of the squad leaders, a giant of a man, cried out.

“Hold on!”

“You call it a thousand-man battalion, but even counting all our recruits, we don’t have six hundred soldiers!”

“And we’re carrying out a battalion-level mission?”

“…That’s how it is.”

Even Zhang Pae looked dumbfounded.

Normally…

A rear-position unit like theirs would never participate in such an operation.

The only reason they had been chosen…

Was because Ryu Man wanted military achievements.

War took many things away.

But it also gave many things.

For soldiers…

Nothing advanced a career faster than war.

Since the war was nearing its end…

Ryu Man had become desperate to earn one final accomplishment.

Thus…

He accepted this mission.

“What exactly is the operation?”

“We’re attacking one of the reinforcement forces coming for peace negotiations.”

“If we succeed…”

“We’ll gain leverage during the negotiations.”

The squad leaders immediately understood Ryu Man’s thinking.

Escort forces sent for negotiations were rarely elite troops.

Most consisted of inexperienced recruits and junior officers.

Ryu Man believed the odds favored him.

Even so…

Facing an enemy nearly twice their strength remained a terrifying prospect.

No one felt relieved.

“We leave tomorrow morning.”

“Stop today’s training.”

“Get ready.”

“…Understood.”

The squad leaders walked out with heavy steps.

It felt as though lightning had struck beneath a clear sky.

Jang Il alone remained calm.

Not merely because his mind had matured.

But because…

He believed in the sword he possessed now.

Only ten days had passed.

Ordinarily…

Ten days were far too short for anyone to change dramatically.

Unless one consumed legendary elixirs like the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus or the Child Ginseng, such rapid improvement was impossible.

But for Jang Il…

Things were different.

His ten days…

Were no different from ten years.

Three years had passed.

Since Moon Kang had accepted Jang Il as his disciple…

And eventually passed away.

Oddly enough…

Moon Chu wasn’t consumed by grief.

Instead…

He comforted the mourning Jang Il.

“Father said he’d only live another year.”

“The fact that he survived for three…”

“That alone was a miracle.”

“Thank you.”

“Truly…”

“Thank you.”

He wasn’t merely grateful because his father had lived two extra years.

He was grateful because Jang Il had fulfilled the lingering regrets Moon Chu himself never could.

Indeed…

Moon Kang’s face showed not the slightest trace of regret in death.

He had successfully passed everything he wished to teach…

To Jang Il.

By then…

Jang Il’s Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Hands had already been reduced to eighteen techniques.

The Eighteen Plum Blossom Hands.

In terms of mastery…

He had reached the Fourth Star.

Considering how incomprehensibly difficult the sword art was…

It was astonishing progress.

Yet…

Jang Il felt no joy.

Instead…

He feared his rapid advancement had shortened his master’s life.

Moon Chu understood exactly what weighed on his heart.

That was why he had spoken those words.

Thanks to them…

Jang Il gathered himself once again.

And picked up his sword.

For the next seven years…

He devoted himself entirely to training.

Grinding his teeth through endless practice.

Then…

Ten years after first learning the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Hands…

He finally reached Minor Completion.

He obtained the Twelve Plum Blossom Hands.

The significance was enormous.

It meant…

His swordsmanship had surpassed the level of a first-rate martial artist.

He had entered the realm of a Peak Master.

And he was only…

Twenty-six years old.

An achievement that should have been impossible.