Chapter 54: Not Scared
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Chapter 54 – Not Scared?
People and horses moving along a mountain ridge path bathed in sunlight.
The fifty-odd people clattering along with more than twenty large wagons were none other than the Red Cat Merchant Guild transport team.
This many personnel had been mobilized to retrieve the several hundred chunks of Meteoric Iron that Cheol Ryu-heun had previously mentioned.
At the head of that procession, White Peak Sword Sect Guest Retainer Number One Ye Woon-rang and Red Cat Merchant Guild Master Hui Bu-yong were positioned side by side.
To the right of the ridge path was a steep cliff that opened up the view, and the scenery of variously sized peaks that seemed to form a cluster in the distance couldn’t have been more beautiful.
The maple leaves at their peak displayed colorful hues, making one wonder if this was what people meant by a feast for the eyes.
Glancing sideways, Ye Woon-rang took in the rich colors in that direction and quietly exclaimed.
“They say mountains have different colors in each of the four seasons… What a magnificent sight indeed.”
At that, Hui Bu-yong beside him smiled gently.
“Hoho, isn’t it? Every time I pass by here, I too become entranced by that picturesque scenery.”
“I’ve wandered here and there alone, but truthfully, there haven’t been many times when I felt such pleasure from appreciating nature.”
It was natural.
Before encountering Cheol Ryu-heun, he had been devoted to finding the secluded dwelling of his sect’s ancestor, Ascending Heavens Sword Dragon Ba Hun, so he hadn’t had much mental leisure.
“It looks beautiful on the outside, but inside, it’s not so beautiful.”
At Hui Bu-yong’s meaningful words, Ye Woon-rang’s eyes showed a peculiar light.
“Hmm, as expected, there must be bandits lurking about.”
“Yes. I’m only telling you now, but the fastest shortcut is over there. However, because of that gang, we’re deliberately taking this roundabout route. Even at the cost of losing time…”
“For a guild of the Red Cat Merchant Guild’s stature, there shouldn’t be a need to avoid them – why are you watching their mood?”
This was somewhat puzzling to Ye Woon-rang.
The Red Cat Merchant Guild was, along with the rival Azure Hound Merchant Guild, one of the merchant groups representing Baizhou, wasn’t it?
As such, not only did they operate their own capable martial force, but they also had connections with various martial sects in the region, making the procurement of dispatched martial artists available whenever desired.
If it were just some bandit group, they should be the ones shrinking back upon seeing the Red Cat Merchant Guild’s flag – so why was this side avoiding the path as if uncomfortable?
But Hui Bu-yong’s answer was unexpected.
“That place is Green Forest Alliance territory.”
Ye Woon-rang’s eyes went round.
‘What? Green Forest Alliance?’
The Green Forest Alliance was, simply put, a group made up of bandits.
Wait, isn’t it just like any other mountain fortress?
Someone unfamiliar with the ins and outs would probably ask such a question.
However, the Green Forest Alliance, with its ten years of history, was unquestionably recognized as one power within the martial world.
Unlike mountain fortresses made up of ordinary bandit groups, about eighty percent of its members were from famous major sects and minor factions of both orthodox and unorthodox origins.
In other words, expelled disciples who had committed wrongs and been driven out of their respective sects – those very people had become bandits out of necessity for survival and then came together to form the Green Forest Alliance.
Ye Woon-rang was aware of this too.
The power of the Green Forest Alliance, composed of expelled disciples from the martial world, was at a level that could easily disregard minor sects and the like.
Moreover, among the alliance’s core fighting power were numerous martial artists at the level of top-tier expert forces that represented their former sects, so ordinary martial sects couldn’t even dare to provoke them.
It made perfect sense that the Red Cat Merchant Guild would want to avoid friction.
However.
Since the Green Forest Alliance’s base was in the southern part of Hubei, not Hunan, at Mount Apo, another question arose.
“Don’t tell me the Green Forest Alliance has expanded their influence all the way here?”
Hui Bu-yong nodded at Ye Woon-rang’s question.
“As you well know, the Green Forest Alliance has been steadily growing in size over the past ten years. Then about half a year ago, they advanced into this northern Hunan area. They came down along the mountain range connecting the two regions and quietly set up shop.”
“So… They drove out the existing bandits and established a subordinate fortress?”
“Correct. This cliff you see now is the boundary line. We estimate the total fortress personnel at slightly over one hundred.”
“Hmm, that’s quite a considerable number for a mountain fortress. Well, it is nominally under the Green Forest Alliance…”
“I hear it’s the Green Forest Alliance’s eleventh fortress. Though it’s not official.”
“I feel like the fortress leader must be no ordinary person either.”
“He’s from the orthodox martial world – from a very venerable major sect, in fact.”
As soon as he heard that, Ye Woon-rang immediately grasped it.
“One of the Nine Great Sects?”
The Nine Great Sects he mentioned referred to the nine foremost major sects of the orthodox martial world, boasting long history and tradition.
“To be precise, someone who was part of the Mount Hua Sect.”
The Mount Hua Sect, located on Mount Hua in Shaanxi Province, was a place that could be called a holy land of Taoist martial arts, fully deserving of the title of venerable major sect.
No.
All the sects belonging to the Nine Great Sects were like that.
Including the Mount Hua Sect, as well as the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, the Wudang Sect on Mount Wudang, the Emei Sect on Mount Emei, the Mount Huang Sect on Mount Huang – every single one was no different from the greatest holy lands representing Buddhist and Taoist martial arts.
If the Seven Great Families commonly symbolized secular major sects, then conversely the Nine Great Sects could be called the epitome symbolizing lofty major sects.
‘An expelled disciple from the Mount Hua Sect… Then he would basically be a swordsman with good blade skills.’
Ye Woon-rang muttered internally while nodding slightly.
There was nothing particularly novel about the fortress leader over there coming from the giant Mount Hua Sect.
After all, the Green Forest Alliance Master himself was a renegade monk from the Shaolin Temple, the focal point of the orthodox martial world and the very pinnacle of the Nine Great Sects.
“What’s his skill level?”
“Have you heard of the alias Cold Plum Sword?”
The Cold Plum Sword that Hui Bu-yong mentioned was one of the first-rate swordsmen the Mount Hua Sect had produced.
“I heard the rumor once or twice before. As a current-generation Mount Hua Sect elite swordsman, he wields sword forms that are fierce and cold like plum blossoms blooming in winter… He’s the leader over there?”
“Yes.”
“I never imagined that Cold Plum Sword, a first-rate swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect, had been expelled.”
“Apparently there are also people from major sects other than the Nine Great Sects. In Cold Plum Sword’s case, he grew tired of the sect’s strict rules and left on his own two feet. This too is not officially confirmed. But… Honestly, more than Cold Plum Sword, I’m afraid of the Alliance Master standing behind him. That’s why our guild is trying not to create unnecessary friction.”
“That makes sense…”
Ye Woon-rang agreed.
After all, the Green Forest Alliance Master’s martial prowess was reportedly strong enough to rival the Five Supreme Martial Experts of this Hunan region.
He soon turned his gaze to the side and asked.
“By the way, where is that mountain fortress located?”
At that, Hui Bu-yong pointed her slender index finger at a distant peak.
“Over there – no, no, not there. Over that way. Do you see the somewhat round-shaped peak?”
Ye Woon-rang followed the fingertip to discover the peak where the fortress was said to be and wore a faint smile.
It was because Cheol Ryu-heun suddenly came to mind.
‘Heh, what would he have done?’
Just then, there was suddenly a BOOM! and a faint echo, and something could be seen rising hugely from that distant peak.
A dust cloud.
That wasn’t the end of it.
BOOM, BOOM… BOOM… BOOM…!
Heavy echoes struck the ears of the Red Cat Merchant Guild transport team members one after another across the great distance.
At the same time, a massive dust cloud rose like a storm over the peak.
Ye Woon-rang and Hui Bu-yong, who had been watching that spot, were so shocked they had blank looks in their eyes.
“The fortress you mentioned… Is it really there?”
“Ah… Yes… Definitely…”
The two conversed as if murmuring, unable to tear their eyes away from the peak.
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like the Green Forest Alliance fortress had been subjected to a large-scale assault by some force.
Ye Woon-rang blinked and spoke again.
“That person called Cold Plum Sword… Probably looks like a plum blossom with all its petals torn off now…”
Hui Bu-yong then nodded her head and said.
“A-Anyway… It’s good we took the long way around. We nearly got caught up in it…”
Right after, both thought the same thing.
What crazy bastard from what faction carried out such an attack? No, aren’t they scared of the Green Forest Alliance Master?
* * *
‘S-Scary!’
A man in his thirties standing alone in the courtyard of the ruined mountain fortress wore a terrified expression.
He was Bu Do-nam, the leader of this place and a former Mount Hua Sect elite swordsman.
The current reason for his pale complexion was one thing – because of a certain young man standing at ease with an expressionless face not far in front of him.
Who was he?
That bastard who had not only beaten up twenty subordinates and dragged them here, but had also smashed the mountain fortress to bits.
Gulp.
Bu Do-nam swallowed dryly and slyly surveyed the ground around him with his eyes.
Bandits strewn about as if they were corpses.
Excluding the forty who had gone out to work, all fifty-odd who had been staying here had collapsed unconscious.
But what was even more absurd was.
‘Crazy…’
The fact that half of those personnel had been taken down by that crazy bastard before his eyes, and the other half was the work of the crazy horse beside him.
At that moment, the young man threw out a curt voice.
“Money.”
Short and thick words.
The young man’s identity was Cheol Ryu-heun.
Bu Do-nam, his body flinching, stammered.
“I’ll… give it right away…”
When Cheol Ryu-heun moved his head in a nod, Bu Do-nam quickly rummaged through the debris piled up on one side and pulled out a box.
“Here…”
At that, Cheol Ryu-heun approached the box while holding the Liver and Intestines Sword angled toward the ground.
Click-
He opened the box lid and looked inside before saying.
“Is this all? And here I thought it was the famous Green Forest Alliance – this is pretty underwhelming.”
His tone implied the amount was less than he’d initially expected.
“The truth is, our alliance has only been active here for half a year, so…”
“But why aren’t you fighting? You’re a swordsman from the Mount Hua Sect.”
When Cheol Ryu-heun asked while closing the lid, Bu Do-nam hesitated briefly before crying out in a trembling voice.
“I’m, I’m scared!”
“You’re honest. Good – next time, have more saved up.”
“…”
Gah, what? You’re saying you’ll come back for money again?
‘This bastard… He’s taking me way too lightly.’
Fine, he’d admit he was scared.
After watching him knock down his subordinates earlier.
But unlike his fear, he had already prepared his next move in his head.
‘Did you think I, who learned Mount Hua’s sword, would back down meekly? An opportunity to strike will definitely come. I’ll finish it in a single second!’
Among the various famous sword arts within the Mount Hua Sect, what he had mastered in the past was the Plum Blossom Secret Shadow Sword, which had rapid swordsmanship as its essence.
In truth, its series of sword forms were very effective for surprise attacks from behind.
Of course, the Mount Hua Sect strictly prohibited such behavior.
That’s why he’d been expelled.
From the moment he’d realized that technique, he’d come to enjoy cowardly rear attacks – in other words, for the crime of disgracing the name of his sect, one of the proper Nine Great Sects.
Just as Cheol Ryu-heun closed the lid, Bu Do-nam’s eyes flashed.
‘Good, the moment he turns around, with the fastest ultimate technique…!’
Suddenly, Cheol Ryu-heun looked upward with an expression of “Huh?”
“A shit-dog is flying through the sky?”
In the instant Bu Do-nam reflexively threw his head back with a “What?”
SMACK-!
Bu Do-nam’s body, hit in the chin by Cheol Ryu-heun’s swinging fist, flew one jang into the air.
“You actually fell for that.”
Immediately after, the Liver and Intestines Sword drew gorgeous lines like scattering flower petals as it emitted sword wind.
Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh-swoosh- BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-!
Bu Do-nam, swept up in the powerful sword force, flew far back and crashed with a thunk!
‘Kuh… Huh… That just now… Was that the Plum Blossom Seven Forms Sword…?’
A light of disbelief circled in his half-closed eyes.
It was definitely not a mistake.
It was the Plum Blossom Seven Forms Sword, the ultimate technique of his sect’s ancestor from the Mount Hua Sect, which he had seen multiple times when he was in the sect.
The internal energy attribute was different, but the sword forms themselves were definitely the same movements.
‘How did that guy…?’
Bu Do-nam lost consciousness with that brief question.
“This is how you do a surprise attack.”
Cheol Ryu-heun muttered quietly as he tied the money box onto Divine Wind’s back.
‘I was planning to visit the Green Forest Alliance someday anyway – how convenient that we happened to cross paths.’
Everything was included in his plans.
Only the order of things differed.
Having placed his behind on the saddle, he gripped the reins and spoke.
“Now then, let’s go find the shit swordsman.”
Simultaneously, Divine Wind broke through the dense forest in a straight line as if carving a new path.
Clatter-clatter-clatter-clatter- CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-!