Chapter 185: Chapter 185
In Gu Jeong-ryong’s eyes, the alliance structure known as the Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds was a strange one.
They were bound together under the name of an alliance, but none of them had the authority to interfere with one another.
Even if the owner of an existing mountain stronghold changed, they would not be expelled from the alliance of the Seventy-Two Strongholds.
This structure had not changed for a hundred years since the Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds were first formed.
Then why did people who had no actual relationship with one another continue maintaining the name of the Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds?
It was precisely so that they could fight as a “mob” when faced with a crisis.
Due to the nature of their occupation, bandits, who often provoked the anger of others, were targets of close attention from martial artists and Government Troops.
Because they never knew when they might be subjugated, they had formed their own unique coalition, gathering when necessary and scattering when unnecessary for the sake of their stable(?) profit generation.
And now, that coalition had been activated.
Because of the Murim Alliance or Government Troops?
No.
It was because of one martial artist.
“Damn it……”
Gu Jeong-ryong bit his lip and spoke.
“What should we do?”
“What do you think we should do! Halt the march immediately and spread out a defensive formation! Transport the wounded to the rear and divide the healthy bastards into two lines.”
“Understood.”
Gam Cheon-ak quickly ran off and began gathering Victory Tiger Hall.
The fact that the Green Forest strongholds had activated their right of coalition meant they were treating them as dangerous entities on the same level as the Murim Alliance or Government Troops.
‘We are the Murim Alliance, yes……. but right now, we have more patients than fighters……’
If three Green Forest strongholds had formed a coalition, they had to assume there would be more than a thousand enemies.
Flower Garland Stronghold, Red Flower Stronghold, Black Peak Stronghold.
They were strongholds famous for gathering only the most notorious scoundrels in Sichuan.
“Even if you had to provoke someone, why did you provoke them!”
At Gu Jeong-ryong’s words, Jin So-un answered.
“Aren’t those bastards the worst ones?”
“……”
To put it plainly, they were bastards who monopolized the trade route with Tibet and made excessive profits from tolls.
He had heard that when small merchant guilds occasionally tried to open a path into Tibet, those bastards would even attack the merchant guilds themselves.
Since Jin So-un had used people like that to stop the Blood Cult, Gu Jeong-ryong even wanted to praise him, but because of that, it looked as though they were about to die here immediately.
At that moment, another voice cut in.
“What are you doing right now?”
The tone was sharp, but it was not a clean voice like Gam Cheon-ak’s. It was a little more shrill, hoarse, and phlegmy……
“Why are you spreading out a defensive formation?”
When Gu Jeong-ryong turned, Elder Suheo and Elder Sangwon were before him, glaring at him with narrowed eyes.
“They are bandit bastards who dared block the Murim Alliance’s procession. Yet you want to defend against those bastards. Are you in your right mind?”
“The mighty Victory Tiger Hall is trembling in fear because of mere bandits! I will absolutely make an issue of this!”
Gu Jeong-ryong’s face turned expressionless.
He was facing the danger of immediately losing his position as Hall Master, yet for some reason, his chest boiled like fire and his head felt as though it would burst at any moment from that heat.
If he fought as they said, they would not lose one-sidedly.
But what about the damage?
More than half were wounded, and even including Victory Tiger Hall, there were fewer than two hundred people who could fight.
Most of those who had barely survived the Sichuan Blood Calamity might ultimately become Lonely Ghosts here.
‘Is that truly what they want?’
The anger that had built up over the past several days began crawling out.
Even if he were removed from the position of Hall Master and locked inside the Prison for insubordination, he felt he must not endure this here.
“Do the Elders truly think……”
The moment he was about to pour out his resentment in a growling tone……
“Have these old coots lost their minds?”
“……”
At the sudden rough voice that cut in, his head cooled.
When he looked toward the place where the voice had come from, Jin So-un was approaching the two Elders with the expression of a street thug.
“Y-you! What did you just say!”
“Fuck, didn’t you hear me? I asked if you’d lost your minds!”
“What!!!”
The two Elders’ faces flushed so red that it seemed hard to believe a person could become that angry.
It was only natural.
They were people who had held only the highest positions in the Murim Alliance all their lives.
For them, being cursed at by a disciple who had only just entered the Academy, and from the unimpressive sect called Taeul Sect at that, must have been an utterly unfamiliar experience.
“What? The Murim Alliance’s procession? Afraid of mere bandits?”
THUD, THUD.
Jin So-un did not stop there. He began shoulder-checking the two Elders.
“You still don’t seem to understand the situation very well.”
The two Elders, who were dazed by how absurd the situation was, could not even respond in time and retreated by a couple of steps.
“If you want to fight so damn badly, go fight them yourselves.”
“……Y-you ill-mannered bastard!”
As though Elder Suheo and Elder Sangwon could no longer endure it, they began drawing up their Internal Qi.
Their martial arts uniforms swelled as though they would burst from the storm-like Qi Wave, and their long beards and hair floated up into the air.
It was a powder keg about to explode.
Even amid the surging killing intent, Jin So-un’s voice still rang through the surroundings.
“Ha, because of that precious dignity of yours, you have sacrificed so many living, breathing lives, and yet your dignity is still that important?”
“……”
His voice rang out like a thunderbolt.
From the Academy Students and Victory Tiger Hall members spreading out into the defensive formation to the wounded groaning in pain, everyone looked at Jin So-un and the two Elders.
“If that dignity is so important, go out and fight by yourselves.”
“……”
Jin So-un’s cold anger froze the surrounding air in an instant.
“Use that Murim Alliance spirit of yours and try fighting a thousand people.”
Without even drawing his Internal Qi, much less his sword, Jin So-un tapped the two men’s shoulders.
“……”
“……”
The two Elders, who had raised their Internal Qi like blazing fire, could not swing their hands.
Jin So-un looked at them as though looking at insects, then turned his head toward the back.
“Kunlun Sect! Zhongnan Sect! Come out!”
Then he roared.
“Your Elders say they want to fight those Green Forest strongholds, so go fight and die like blades of grass for their sake!”
“……”
The people’s gazes turned toward Kunlun Sect and Zhongnan Sect.
The Elders of their own sects were being insulted by a mere Academy Student, but no one stepped forward easily.
The two Elders ground their teeth as they looked at the disciples who would not budge.
“……Grrrk.”
“Th-those bastards!”
At that sight, the way people looked at the two Elders began to change.
What filled their eyes was clear contempt and disgust.
It was anger searching for the reason they were trying to grind people into the dirt in the first place.
Jin So-un’s gaze turned toward the two Elders again.
“Why? Since even your disciples won’t step forward, can you not do it by yourselves? Compared to your own lives, is the Murim Alliance’s spirit and dignity not that important?”
Elder Suheo and Elder Sangwon merely trembled, unable to dare open their mouths.
Too much damage had already been inflicted on innocent people, and the Righteous Path Association had failed to clean up even one part of it.
In this situation, it was clear that the only ones who would follow their words were the disciples of their main sects.
However, even cracks had formed in those disciples’ loyalty.
So-un’s eyes wavered with quiet anger.
“With such flimsy resolve, were you trying to throw away your disciples’ lives so easily?”
Jin So-un thundered at the Elders, who were wearing the empty outer skins of dignity and justice.
He hoped desperately that those outer skins would be torn to shreds.
He hoped that, unlike in his past life, the weak would not collapse as innocent sacrifices.
“If you are not going to step forward and do it yourselves, shut your mouths and stay out of the way!”
“……”
“……”
Perhaps because of how enraged he was, blood began flowing from Elder Suheo’s mouth.
In the end, perhaps unable to endure his rage, Elder Suheo was about to raise his hand.
Gu Jeong-ryong stepped forward.
“That will be enough. In an emergency, commanding the unit is the authority of the Murim Alliance’s Martial Pavilions. The Elders do not have command authority, do you?”
At Gu Jeong-ryong’s words, the Elders’ eyes rolled about.
“Jin So-un…… just you wait.”
“Do not think this is the end.”
The two left behind words like villains and turned away abruptly.
Gu Jeong-ryong let out a sigh of relief.
That was exactly the right point.
If things had gone any further, he did not know what kind of retaliation Jin So-un might suffer.
Gu Jeong-ryong was deeply grateful that Jin So-un had stepped forward in his place.
Thanks to that, the Elders could not lay a finger on Jin So-un, who had justification on his side.
It was a clear justification that only the current Jin So-un could possess.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, we got through the crisis.”
“……”
Jin So-un was still looking at the backs of the two Elders’ heads, as though his anger had not yet subsided.
Gu Jeong-ryong spoke with concern.
“Do not think of anything else. No matter what, they are people who rose to the Elder Council through the power of their respective sects.”
Only then did Jin So-un relax his expression and say,
“I am not thinking of doing anything right away either. In any case, there has to be someone who takes responsibility for this incident.”
“Responsibility?”
“The humans who led this event. We absolutely cannot just let this pass.”
“……”
They could not just let it pass?
Was that even possible against Elders of the Elder Council?
While Gu Jeong-ryong was sinking into that fundamental question.
Gam Cheon-ak approached again.
“Hall Master, Deputy Stronghold Masters have come from that side.”
“Only the Deputy Stronghold Masters?”
“Yes. They say they want to meet our representative.”
“……”
What did people who held weapons with killing intent and were fully prepared for battle intend to discuss?
Since they were not in a position to immediately start a battle, Gu Jeong-ryong nodded.
“Good. And Jin So-un, you as well. Come with me.”
“Me?”
“……Right now, I cannot think of anyone other than you who can come out. Come with me.”
After giving some instructions to Murong Jae-hwa and his companions, Jin So-un followed Gu Jeong-ryong out.
Between the Green Forest stronghold coalition and the Murim Academy group stood men with such rough impressions that they seemed to walk around with the word “bandit” written across their faces.
‘This will not be easy.’
That was Gu Jeong-ryong’s first impression of them.
It was not that he had no heart that looked down on them as bandits, but their accomplishments were not much lower even compared to Gu Jeong-ryong himself.
If the Deputy Stronghold Masters were at that level, he could not gauge how strong the Stronghold Masters, the leaders of the groups, would be.
‘If this goes wrong, this place could become our grave.’
Gu Jeong-ryong sharpened his focus and opened his mouth.
“It is an honor to meet the Mountain Lords. I am Gu Jeong-ryong, Hall Master of Victory Tiger Hall of the Murim Alliance’s Azure Dragon Pavilion.”
He deliberately emphasized his positions in Azure Dragon Pavilion and as Hall Master of Victory Tiger Hall, but the Deputy Stronghold Masters’ reactions did not change.
“Flower Garland Stronghold, Red Flower Stronghold, and Black Peak Stronghold. We heard you are people from the Murim Academy and the Murim Alliance. Is that correct?”
The Green Forest Bandits confirmed it again, despite clearly already knowing before they came.
“A group of Unorthodox Arts users appeared in Sichuan, so we were carrying out a mission. We have no intention whatsoever of harming your mountain strongholds.”
Gu Jeong-ryong feigned ignorance as he spoke.
However, the Deputy Stronghold Masters’ expressions showed no sign of relaxing.
“But you have already harmed us.”
So they knew everything after all?
“One of your people intentionally dragged our mountain strongholds into battle and inflicted enormous damage.”
Gu Jeong-ryong quickly answered.
“There was likely no intent behind it. We were in the middle of carrying out an urgent operation. If there was damage, we will compensate you sufficiently.”
The Deputy Stronghold Master of Flower Garland Stronghold bared his teeth.
“It would be better if you did not think of trying to evade responsibility. We have no intention of letting this pass.”
One of the Deputy Stronghold Masters glared at Gu Jeong-ryong as if he would kill him and said,
“Who was it? Who exactly caused this? Or was this not the act of an individual, but the intent of the Murim Alliance?”
“……”
Gu Jeong-ryong swallowed thickly.
It was a dead end.
If he said it was the Murim Alliance’s intent, they would kill everyone here.
If he said it was something Jin So-un had personally done, they would not forgive Jin So-un.
“If you try to evade responsibility, we will kill all of you and console the souls of our comrades.”
“……”
Should they fight, or should they not?
At that moment of hesitation.
BOOM.
A signal flare suddenly burst in the eastern sky.
Jin So-un looked at it, then stepped forward and opened his mouth.
“It was me.”
“Jin So-un!”
“……”
Gu Jeong-ryong and Gam Cheon-ak were shocked and tried to stop him, but the words had already been spoken.
The Deputy Stronghold Masters glared at Jin So-un as though they would kill him immediately.
“According to the witnesses, there were two.”
“Ah! The other is a disciple of Three Origins Sect named Nam Hwa-seong. He simply followed my orders, so if you want to hold someone responsible, hold me responsible.”
“Haa……?”
The Deputy Stronghold Master of Flower Garland Stronghold’s face trembled.
“So you are saying you want to die?”
“Mm, not exactly. But there is a slight problem. I will take responsibility, but I am thinking of taking it a little later.”
“What?”
At that moment, a commotion arose on the mountain strongholds’ side.
There were murmurs, curses being spat out, and the sound of something clattering.
Then, with a BOOM, the bandits all flew into the sky at once.
“Wh-what is this!”
“Is it an attack?!”
“You want to fight?!”
The three Deputy Stronghold Masters immediately gripped their weapons and prepared to rush in.
“No. For now, you will need to deal with that person first.”
“What?”
At that moment, the bandits of the Green Forest strongholds split to either side all at once, and hundreds of people began walking out.
They were people dressed no differently from the existing Green Forest coalition strongholds.
For a moment, Gu Jeong-ryong even wondered if more of their companions had been added.
However, the new group walking out after pushing the bandits aside was clearly giving off an air different from the existing group.
Moreover, the two people at the very front.
A huge man riding a black horse and a beautiful woman riding a white horse.
As though they did not care in the slightest that the three Deputy Stronghold Masters were sending killing intent their way, the two calmly passed them and approached Gu Jeong-ryong’s side.
The black horse was not an ordinary-sized black horse either, yet the body of the man riding atop it was truly as large as a great mountain.
The huge man, who moved calmly, looked toward Gu Jeong-ryong’s side and opened his mouth.
“Younger brother, it is truly difficult to see your face even once.”
At that, Jin So-un answered with a grin.
“This younger brother, being busy with public and private affairs, has burdened you with a difficult request, Elder Brother.”
A beautiful voice cut into the conversation between the two men.
“Young Master Jin, can you not see me?”
Jin So-un made a clasped hands greeting and smiled brightly.
“Sister-in-law. Have you been well in the meantime? I was worried you might be coming all the way here to Sichuan because of me.”
“Of course I have been well. And thanks to you, Young Master, I even got to travel all the way to Sichuan. I like it.”
At the sight of the woman responding with a bright smile like a single blooming flower, even the Deputy Stronghold Masters of the Green Forest strongholds lost their wits and could not step forward.
The three exchanged greetings as though they knew one another.
Then the huge man slightly turned his head and looked at Gu Jeong-ryong.
“Younger brother, is that person your superior?”
“Yes, I apologize for the late introduction. This is Great Hero Gu Jeong-ryong, Hall Master of Victory Tiger Hall of Azure Dragon Pavilion.”
The huge man moved his massive body nimbly and dismounted from his horse.
Then he strode toward Gu Jeong-ryong.
Each time he stepped forward, Gu Jeong-ryong felt as though the ground gave off a faint tremor.
“Good to meet you. I am Bang Du-chil!”
“Bang Du-chil, as in…… the Green Dragon King?”
“You know me?”
He had heard rumors.
That something strange was happening in Zhejiang Province.
That people had appeared who were subjugating the Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds, which had been nothing more than a coalition, one by one.
The protagonists were the two Dragons who had wiped out Twin Curtain Stronghold, which had committed all manner of evil deeds on Mount Tianmu, in one fell swoop and taken its place.
One of them was Green Dragon Bang Du-chil.
‘Unlike the other one, who is shrouded in mist, I heard he actively works outside……’
Gu Jeong-ryong had thought how arrogant a mere bandit must be to openly reveal his own identity.
But the impression he got from meeting him directly was completely different.
No, he could understand the reason Bang Du-chil went around revealing himself.
‘H-he is overwhelming……!’
He was not speaking merely of the body visible on the outside.
The enormous and overwhelming Qi Bang Du-chil held was like a great mountain.
It was truly a sovereign’s aura of domination.
Gu Jeong-ryong lowered his head without realizing it.
“I-I have heard many rumors.”
People said he was the man who would one day unify the Green Forest Alliance, and that was by no means an exaggerated rumor.
“Is that so? Ahahahahaha!”
Bang Du-chil tapped his shoulder, and Gu Jeong-ryong’s bones rang with the impact.
His laughter was so loud that it felt as though the surroundings were shaking.
As Gu Jeong-ryong forced himself to ignore the pain in his shoulder, a word he had missed flashed back into his mind.
“But just now, you said ‘younger brother’……”
He asked again whether what he had heard was true, or whether he had heard correctly.
Younger brother. He had definitely said younger brother……
Bang Du-chil, who was examining Gu Jeong-ryong’s confused expression, slowly shifted his gaze to Jin So-un.
For some reason, Jin So-un was frowning and shaking his head faintly.
Just as Gu Jeong-ryong’s confusion was about to deepen further at the two people’s contrasting reactions.
“Ah! I am Jin So-un’s sworn elder brother.”
Bang Du-chil burst into hearty laughter.
“Pardon?”
“I am saying we are sworn brothers who vowed to die on the same day and at the same hour.”
Gu Jeong-ryong’s brow furrowed deeply.