Chapter 143: Why Are You Out There (4)
Chapter 142 – Why Are You Out There (4)
The transport began.
The Righteous Sword Unit dispatched by the Martial Alliance turned back immediately without even staying a night at the Taigang Branch.
Since the journey from Wuhan to Taigang alone was a long one, sighs of regret leaked from among some Righteous Sword members.
The apprentice cadets also had complaints arise likewise.
If it was a tiring schedule for even the official members, how much more so for the cadets who were new to the Jianghu?
Yet, it was not as if they could grumble about it being hard.
Yun Jong-seung diligently moved his steps while firmly holding back the groans that naturally wanted to come out.
Since there was absolutely no good in grumbling about this and that in a situation where they already ignored the apprentice cadets…
“People, I tell you, have no flexibility! None! What does it matter if we are a day or two late? Huh? Having suffered that hell to get all the way here, wouldn’t it be nice to warm our bodies in hot water, scrub off the old dirt, and have a drink of liquor? This is all because of that stiff Captain. Mutter mutter… mutter mutter…”
Of course, there was a fellow who spoke his mind regardless of the atmosphere.
Yun Jong-seung glanced at Namgung Cheon, then turned his gaze back to look at the transport cart.
The cart covered with black cloth and tied tightly with ropes.
Did they call him the Thieving Ghost?
A person who boasted a vast network among unorthodox martial artists.
He had heard the whispering of the people when leaving the Taigang Branch.
They were saying that because there were many guys helping the Thieving Ghost escape among the unorthodox martial artists, the Taigang Branch had given up on forming an escort team.
In the end, did it not mean it was dangerous enough to deliberately summon the Righteous Sword Unit?
Whoosh.
As a chilly wind blew once, Yun Jong-seung quickly shrunk his neck and looked around.
They say after seeing the horrific face of a transported prisoner, one gets surprised even by rolling leaves, and now was exactly that state.
Well, though he hadn’t directly seen the face yet.
Rattle, rattle…
The transport cart rolled without rest.
Passing through a dense forest, the transport cart stopped briefly in front of a narrow canyon.
It was a canyon so narrow that only a single cart could barely pass.
They had to drag a cart carrying a public enemy of the Martial World through a place that would be scary to pass normally.
Gye Du-sik, the Righteous Sword Captain who stood at the front, also looked back at everyone and spoke.
““Since we must hasten our return as much as possible, we plan to use a shortcut. Once we pass this canyon, a fairly large town will appear, so hold on a bit longer.””
As Paeng Su-hyeok raised his hand, Gye Du-sik asked with a displeased expression.
“What is it?”
“Do we absolutely have to pass through that narrow canyon? Toward a safer place…”
“The reason the Righteous Sword Unit exists is for maximum efficiency. There is no need to take a detour that would take two days longer when we have a shortcut.”
“If we get ambushed in that canyon…”
“Are you afraid?”
“Yes?”
At the seemingly provocative question, Paeng Su-hyeok frowned slightly, and Gye Du-sik twisted his lips.
“I asked if you are afraid. Why? Did you not say the Righteous Sword Unit only needs to play a folding screen anyway?”
Tch, was he keeping that in mind all this time?
While Paeng Su-hyeok pouted, Gye Du-sik continued.
“Do not worry. If a surprise attack occurs, Instructor Bi Ryang will protect you well. Our unit will take care of the fighting, so just look after yourselves. You guys just need to stand like a folding screen like that until this mission is over.”
“No, why do you have to say it like…”
“Ah, acting so damn smart.”
Instantly, people’s gazes jerked around.
Before anyone knew it, Namgung Cheon was perched on the edge of the cart, biting a blade of grass while looking at the sky… no, rather than that…
“Did you… ride perched on the cart all this time?”
When Gye Du-sik asked with a heavily furrowed brow, Namgung Cheon shrugged his shoulders and replied.
“Yes, well. Since there was space left.”
Is that a place for you to sit!
Suppressing the shout that instinctively wanted to burst out, Gye Du-sik whirled around to look at Bi Ryang.
“Instructor! How on earth do you teach the cadets?”
“Mmm. Since I am quite laissez-faire. Haha.”
Bi Ryang scratched his head while letting out a loose laugh.
At that sight, Gye Du-sik was on the verge of going even crazier.
This fellow and that fellow!
Somehow, it seemed none of the apprentice cadets this time were in their right minds.
“Hey, cadet! Riding perched on the transport cart. Are you in your right mind?”
“Mmm. Was this also not allowed?”
“What?”
“Sigh, you really don’t have a speck of flexibility.”
“What did you say?”
“No, well. Actually, it is so.”
What is so? Dude!
“Did you not say we are a folding screen anyway?”
“Huh…?”
“Did you not say to look after ourselves if a surprise attack occurs?”
“So?”
“Since you are treating us like cargo anyway, does it matter if we tag along on the cart? Come, let’s not be so picky and just pass over it.”
No, what kind of crazy bastard is this?
Yet he could not say anything to refute him.
Since it was true he called the cadets a folding screen, and he was the one who told them to look after themselves if a surprise attack occurred.
As Gye Du-sik stood huffing, Namgung Cheon leaned his back and opened only one eye as if he would take a nap.
“Is there anything you would like to tell me about the posture of a folding screen?”
“It is true you are a folding screen, but a surprise attack might still occur, so you should not slacken your vigilance. It would be if you got carried along like cargo and had your head pierced by an arrow, would it not?”
It was a remark made to scare him as much as possible.
Did it work to some extent?
Namgung Cheon nodded.
“Ah, that is certainly true.”
“Then you should stand up immediately and walk while guarding the surroundings, right?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Right, fine… wait, what?”
“A surprise attack won’t occur.”
“Why are you so sure?”
By now, Gye Du-sik was at the level of growling softly.
“It’s a one-way canyon, after all.”
“So wouldn’t it be more dangerous?”
“No. We are not in the middle of a war right now, are we?”
“So?”
“If it were a war, such a canyon would be perfect for being annihilated. But right now we are transporting a prisoner. If the ones helping him escape launch an ambush in a one-way canyon, they would be proving themselves to be idiots.”
At that, Yun Jong-seung abruptly chimed in and asked.
“Why?”
“Because it’s a single path. Since it is so narrow that only a single cart can barely pass, it is not a very good environment for a large number of people to launch an ambush.”
“Oh, indeed it is.”
“Even if a small elite force helps the escape, it is too dangerous of a choice on a single path where there are only two escape routes. Moreover, if they pour down arrows from atop the canyon, there is a high probability that the Thieving Ghost will also die.”
“I see. I see.”
Yun Jong-seung nodded his head hard as if convinced.
On the other hand, Gye Du-sik narrowed his eyes as he listened to Namgung Cheon’s words.
Look at this?
He is not a greenhorn to be completely ignored?
Most people are bound to be overwhelmed by the atmosphere or environment.
When faced with a canyon where it feels like a ghost might pop out at any moment, they are dominated by that gloomy atmosphere, making it difficult to think rationally.
Yet Namgung Cheon grasped the situation precisely.
Namgung Cheon shrugged his shoulders and continued.
“Therefore, that canyon is indeed the safest path in our journey so far.”
“Then where is the dangerous place?”
“You have to put yourself in their shoes. If you were planning to ambush the transport cart, where would you do it?”
“Hmm.”
While Yun Jong-seung let out a low groan, Yu Hyeon spoke in a calm voice.
“A place bustling with people. It would be a large town.”
“Exactly. Rather than that terrifying-looking canyon, a town bustling with people is the most dangerous. That exact moment when tension slackens.”
Gulp…!
Yun Jong-seung swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.
Namgung Cheon glanced back at Gye Du-sik and continued.
“Well, the Captain must have said that to tease us while already knowing everything. Surely there is no way he did not even know this much logic. Right?”
Gye Du-sik grit his teeth and glared at Namgung Cheon.
“Yes, that is correct. However, get off the cart and walk.”
“Why? We are a folding screen anyway…”
“It seems you won’t be at the level of a mere folding screen. If you really want to be of even a handful of help to our unit, walk while guarding the surroundings.”
“Sigh, indeed a person without flexibility.”
Namgung Cheon jumped down from the cart while grumbling to himself.
Gye Du-sik glared with narrowed eyes and spun around.
Certainly… he was a fellow hard to like.
* * *
Just as Namgung Cheon said, nothing happened while they passed through the canyon.
When the transport cart arrived at the entrance of the town, as expected, many people gathered around.
“It’s the Righteous Sword Unit, isn’t it?”
“It seems they are escorting a prisoner?”
“But why did they wrap it in black cloth?”
“I heard they do that sometimes when escorting guys who are well-versed in geography.”
“Which guy is it?”
“How should I know? No doubt it’s a vicious fellow.”
Perhaps because it was a town slightly away from Taigang, opinions were divided regarding the prisoner’s identity.
However, just as Namgung Cheon said, since people kept gathering around, there were too many things the Righteous Sword Unit had to pay attention to.
‘It means we don’t know who among them will launch a surprise attack, right?’
Yun Jong-seung broke into a cold sweat.
The waiters calling in customers, the peddlers laying out their stalls, the women looking at ornaments, and even the clueless children.
The scenery of just an ordinary market street did not look ordinary today of all days.
Every single one of their actions looked suspicious.
Just then, three children burst into laughter and suddenly cut into the Righteous Sword Unit’s procession.
“Oh, danger!”
Yun Jong-seung quickly scooped up a child and turned him around.
Paeng Su-hyeok and Yu Hyeon also snatched the other children respectively and stepped back to the outside of the procession.
As the actions of the three were more agile than expected, the Righteous Sword members guarding near the transport cart also seemed slightly surprised.
During the brief pause in the procession, the man who arrived late scolded and rebuked the children.
“You kids! Did I not tell you not to run this way! Do you need to get beaten to snap out of it?”
“Since they seem to be clueless children who ran without knowing, please do not rebuke them too much.”
As Yu Hyeon spoke gently, the man bowed repeatedly and apologized.
“Oh my, I am sorry. I am sorry. Because these kids acted up without knowing.”
“It is fine. From next time, be care…”
Thud!
Yu Hyeon, who was speaking, opened his eyes wide.
Did Namgung Cheon, who approached the man, not strike the back of his head out of nowhere?
At that moment, not only the watching people but also the Righteous Sword Captain who stood at the front monitoring the situation opened their eyes wide in surprise.
What… what is that crazy bastard doing right now?
However, Namgung Cheon did not stop there, but did he not kick the collapsed man hard with his foot?
“Where is this bastard trying to pull his tricks?”
“Urgh…! Wh-What…! Why is the Righteous Sword Unit doing this to an innocent commoner?”
“Innocent? You are innocent?”
As Namgung Cheon demanded with a ridiculous expression, Gye Du-sik ran over in a hurry and shouted.
“You rascal! What are you doing!”
“You shouldn’t be lecturing me, you should be questioning this guy. Because he is someone trying to help the prisoner escape.”
“What?”
Gye Du-sik wore an expression of disbelief.
When he babbled as if he were smart in the canyon, he thought he was a guy with some sense.
But now he out of nowhere drove a commoner who appeared with children as an accomplice in the escape?
Perhaps because he was too tense, did everyone look like an accomplice to him?
Indeed, he is new to the Jianghu.
That is a time when every single person around is suspicious.
Was he still a child after all?
The people surrounding them stirred while looking this way. At this rate, the honor of the Righteous Sword Unit would also fall to the ground.
“Did you say you are Namgung Cheon? It seems you made a mistake because you were too tense, so get your head…”
At that moment!
“Die!”
Whoosh! Thud!
…Huh?
Continuing his words, Gye Du-sik opened his eyes wide like lanterns.
A dagger that stopped right in front of his eyes.
And Namgung Cheon, who grabbed the wrist of the man who thrust the dagger.
Wait, did Namgung Cheon just grab the wrist of this guy who thrust from a hair’s breadth away?
As Gye Du-sik looked back with an expression as if he had seen a ghost, Namgung Cheon twisted his lips.
“Does it still seem like a mistake?”