Chapter 162: No, Why Don't You Show Up! (1)
Chapter 161 – No, Why Don’t You Show Up!(1)
Cheol Un, a new recruit of the Black Mountain Stronghold, swept his eyes over the surroundings.
Though bandit-like martial artists were seen here and there around the stronghold, no one paid particular attention to Cheol Un.
It was just when he naturally moved his steps to enter the forest.
“Hey, recruit.”
At the voice that suddenly rang out, Cheol Un froze in his tracks.
It was a familiar voice.
‘Damn it.’
Muttering curses inwardly, Cheol Un raised the corners of his mouth and spun around.
“Yes, elder brother. Did you call me?”
“Brother, my foot. Are you my younger brother?”
“Come on, if we eat and live together under one roof, we are brothers.”
Cheol Un replied affably, but the martial artist with a mustache shaped like the character ‘eight’ did not seem to like his attitude at all.
*Whack!*
Cheol Un, whose back of the head suddenly felt like it was on fire, flared up and glared.
‘You bastard!’
“Oh? The muscles in your eyes are pretty tense, huh? Aren’t you going to relax them? What are you glaring at, you bastard!”
*Whack! Whack!*
“Ugh!”
“A mere recruit like you, when a senior is, huh?”
*Whack!*
“Showing interest and love, huh?”
*Whack!*
“You should be saying thank you, but instead you glare?”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Only after Cheol Un quickly bowed his head and apologized did the man stop hitting him, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.
“Anyway, recruits these days are so slack.”
“I’m sorry, el… senior.”
“Let’s do better, okay? I’m watching you.”
“Yes, senior.”
“How long has it been since you joined?”
“Three months.”
“But is it alright for you to already think of finding some shade to sleep?”
“I had no intention…”
Cheol Un, who was about to argue, caught the man’s expression and quickly changed his words.
“I will correct it.”
“Yes, you bastard. Life is not that easy. Our stronghold is not a place where guys with nowhere to go gather to build a camp and live. Our stronghold has something called ambition. Do you know what that is…”
As the man began to ramble on, Cheol Un’s expression darkened rapidly.
This bastard is starting again. I can’t even kill him outright.
Having spouted a lengthy tirade for a long time, the man slapped the back of Cheol Un’s head once more.
*Whack!*
“Ugh!”
“Do you understand? So behave yourself properly. Our stronghold is different from ordinary strongholds.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Then, keep up the work.”
Only when the man walked away did Cheol Un vent the anger piled up in his chest with a sigh, glaring at the back of the other’s head.
‘You son of a bitch. You’ll die by my hands one day.’
Sensing something strange, the man suddenly spun around, and Cheol Un smiled innocently as if nothing had happened, offering a bow.
‘Stop staring and get lost, you idiot.’
Once the man was finally out of sight, Cheol Un moved his steps toward the forest again.
And when he felt no presence around him, he began to increase his speed.
*Whoosh!*
At first, it was just slightly fast, but he soon became as swift as a flying mountain bird.
Indeed, in the blink of an eye, he crossed rocky hills and leapt over tall pines, running like the wind.
If the mustache guy from earlier had seen this, he would have been shocked out of his wits.
For his lightfoot skill was by no means ordinary for a mere recruit of a stronghold.
Having flown a considerable distance in an instant, he quickly leapt onto a rocky hill.
“Phew…”
As he let out a long breath, a clear voice was heard from above his head.
“You are late.”
“I am sorry!”
Cheol Un replied politely without even raising his head.
A gentle breeze blew, and before long, a woman descended beside Cheol Un. A woman wearing a white cat mask. It was White Cat.
Unfolding her folding fan and fanning herself gently, she asked.
“Any progress?”
“I am sorry. Not yet…”
“Three months have already passed.”
“I am sorry.”
As Cheol Un, sensing a crisis, widened his eyes, White Cat, who had approached before he knew it, thrust her fan and cut his left shoulder.
“Ugh!”
Blood soaked into the white fan.
“Do you know? If we handled you according to the rules, you would have paid with an arm by now.”
“……!”
“However, if we cut your arm now, they will think it strange at the stronghold. Well, I could cut it off regardless, but there is no need to make troublesome work.”
“I will find it as quickly as possible.”
“You should. It is certain to be around here.”
“I will hurry.”
“What about the mechanism map?”
“I memorized it perfectly and burned it.”
“That was well done. Even if it is only half a map, there is no harm in being careful.”
Nodding quietly, Cheol Un asked cautiously.
“By the way, what about the Saber-Severing Ghost’s side…?”
“I heard he fell into a qi deviation. However, we cannot let our guard down. That old snake, the Alliance Leader, might have taken only the sweet fruits and taken action.”
“If he took action, shouldn’t we also keep an eye on the Alliance’s movements?”
“That is why I came to meet you, isn’t it? Otherwise, would I have come to such a frontier in person?”
“I see.”
“The Alliance exceptionally dispatched support personnel here. Though they are only cadets. The fact that the one leading those fellows is Bi Ryang is the concerning part.”
“Ah…! Then it is actually for the best.”
“For the best?”
As White Cat turned and asked, Cheol Un explained the general situation.
“The Three Peaks Sect leaked information to the Black Mountain Stronghold, saying the Jangheung Escort Agency set off on a transport mission today carrying a treasure. It seems the Biyue Sect set off with them, so they will be the target of the Black Mountain Stronghold.”
“The Biyue Sect is the sect to which the Martial Alliance sent support, then.”
“Yes. If the Alliance is really plotting something, wouldn’t we be able to tell roughly when the Black Mountain Stronghold attacks?”
White Cat nodded.
“That makes sense. At any rate, once we know the location of the Demon Elixir Valley, you are the only one who can break the mechanism formation. So find it as soon as possible and bring the results.”
“I will keep that in mind!”
“Do you need support?”
“Secret matters should be conducted secretly. I am enough on my own.”
“Fine. I will trust your ability.”
Having finished speaking, White Cat leaped away without hesitation.
* * *
The carriages carrying the cargo moved diligently.
Yeon Chu-ryang glanced back repeatedly even as he led the disciples.
It was because he worried that the Three Peaks Sect might chase after them to interfere with the transport.
For the Three Peaks Sect he had seen and experienced so far was more than capable of such acts.
Fortunately, nothing had happened so far.
Just as they were almost out of Guilin, a fork in the road appeared. As was usually the case, Yi Sa-heum entered the southeastern route, but did Namgung Cheon not suddenly run toward Yi Sa-heum?
“Wait a moment!”
Seeing that, Yeon Chu-ryang approached Yi Sa-heum, feeling anxious for no reason.
‘What is that fellow trying to cause again?’
Yi Sa-heum turned to Namgung Cheon and asked.
“What is it?”
“Let’s go southwest.”
At the abruptly spat words, Yi Sa-heum frowned slightly and looked at Namgung Cheon.
“Going southwest means taking a much longer detour. We will go southeast.”
“Don’t we still have plenty of time?”
“There is no telling what variables might arise during a transport mission. Even if we have time, there is no need to take a detour.”
“Do you know that the Three Peaks Sect challenged the Biyue Sect to a duel?”
“The Three Peaks Sect challenged them to a duel?”
As Yi Sa-heum knitted his brows, Yeon Chu-ryang, who had approached from the side, was internally ticked off.
‘That fellow is blabbing useless words again!’
He let out a sigh and explained to Yi Sa-heum.
“There was a minor incident.”
“I see.”
Yi Sa-heum did not ask further.
He figured that the Three Peaks Sect would have used some trick to keep the Biyue Sect in check.
Of course, he did not know it was all because of Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Cheon shrugged.
“The Three Peaks Sect might target and chase the Biyue Sect that fled without accepting the duel.”
“You rascal, who fled? Wasn’t it an unavoidable issue because of the transport? And whose fault was it that things turned out this way in the first place!”
“Well, anyway, that’s not what’s important.”
Ah… can’t I just kill this fellow? I want to bury him so badly.
While Yeon Chu-ryang boiled internally, Namgung Cheon casually continued.
“The Three Peaks Sect is chasing from behind, and we don’t know where the Black Mountain Stronghold will ambush us from, so wouldn’t it be dangerous to take the route we always use?”
“Mmh.”
Since it was a reasonable point, Yi Sa-heum groaned, lost in thought.
However, Yeon Chu-ryang felt burdened by the route of the transport changing just because of the Biyue Sect.
“Agency Lord, you don’t need to care too much. If we take a detour for no reason and fail to meet the date, it might be even more troublesome, so let’s go the way we were going.”
“And what if we meet the Three Peaks Sect and the Black Mountain Stronghold?”
“You look as if you are enjoying this somehow? As if you are desperately wishing for the Three Peaks Sect or the Black Mountain Stronghold to attack?”
As Yeon Chu-ryang growled, baring his teeth, Namgung Cheon waved his hand and laughed.
“Ah, of course not. It’s just your imagination. Heh. Why would I think of using the Three Peaks Sect and the Black Mountain Stronghold to fill my own belly? I came as support to help keep the transport safe.”
Wait… did he just hear something strange?
At any rate, Yeon Chu-ryang, concerned about Namgung Cheon constantly stepping forward, looked back at Bi Ryang.
“Instructor, I ask you to manage the cadets.”
“The main purpose of apprenticeship is vivid field practice. If I tell the cadets not to step forward, wouldn’t the meaning of apprenticeship be lost?”
The problem is that he steps forward way too much!
Swallowing the rising rebuttal in his chest, he merely let out a sigh.
“Anyway, this is not a matter for a cadet to interfere in. You just tag along so as not to be a hindrance…”
“No, that child’s words seem to make sense, Sect Leader.”
Unexpectedly, Yi Sa-heum took Namgung Cheon’s words seriously.
“Agency Lord. Rather than unreasonably changing plans…”
“It is not unreasonable. Even if we take a slight detour, it is not to the point of being tight. It would be better to choose a safer route.”
“Ugh. If that is what you think, Agency Lord.”
Yi Sa-heum, nodding, turned to the transport and shouted.
“We go southwest!”
Upon the command, the escorts and porters began to slowly turn direction, leading the carriages.
Namgung Cheon, returning to the cadets’ side, hummed to himself.
‘Good, good. Everything is flowing well.’
However, had Baek Mu-geuk approached before he knew it, asking softly right beside him.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Whoa, you startled me. Since when were you here?”
“I just came to your side.”
“No! Since when were you in Guilin!”
“…….”
“…….”
“From the start.”
“Sorry. It’s because you have so little presence.”
Should I have killed him during the duel after all?
Il-geuk refuted the thought Mu-geuk had briefly harbored.
‘You idiot, with your skills? Have you forgotten? We already lost to this guy.’
‘Shut up.’
Ignoring Il-geuk, Baek Mu-geuk asked Namgung Cheon again.
“What is the reason you are doing this?”
“What else. To protect the cargo. Hehehe.”
“Your actions are too strange for that.”
“Ah, I don’t know. What do you expect me to do when this route looks safer? You bastard, could it be that you are also after my thing?”
“Your thing?”
“Never mind if you aren’t.”
“What on earth is this idiot talking about?”
As harsh words suddenly popped out, Namgung Cheon frowned deeply and turned around.
“What did you say?”
“That was Il-geuk just now.”
“Ah, you bastard… dodging it cleverly.”
Namgung Cheon grumbled and followed the transport.
Meanwhile, there was someone watching this entire scene from atop the sheer cliff…
He slightly curved his mouth and leaped away somewhere.