Chapter 42: Chapter 42
Jang Seong-guk’s mind went blank in an instant.
Wang Ak’s corpse was standing with its head blown away.
Beside it, the youngest member sent from the Martial Alliance stood with his ink-colored iron staff drooping down.
From that iron staff, bloody water was dripping down.
“Hey. What in the world is this kind of act…”
“You almost died.”
Cheon Woo-jin calmly spoke and pointed at Wang Ak’s corpse.
Only then did Jang Seong-guk’s gaze lower. The hand axe held in Wang Ak’s hand had approached right up to his waist.
Since Wang Ak was originally of great physique, his strength must have been tremendous as well. Had Cheon Woo-jin been even a little late, Jang Seong-guk’s upper body would have been cleaved in half by that hand axe.
Having thought that, Jang Seong-guk felt a chill run down his spine of its own accord.
However, the problem had not ended.
“T-Thanks, but…”
The bandits who had lost their comrade were truly giving off a ferocious momentum. At a glance, they appeared close to twenty men.
In contrast, the escort warriors accompanying this escort journey numbered around ten or so.
Regrettably, the martial prowess of the escort warriors fell significantly short compared to the bandits. In the first place, had they been able to hire masters of that level, they would have contracted directly with Shaolin rather than going through the Henan Escort Agency.
Jang Seong-guk’s gaze naturally turned toward Cheon Woo-jin and Song Yi-yeon.
‘Even if these two are here…’
In any case, the opponent was a stronghold belonging to the Green Forest, even if it were of the lowest rank. Even if they luckily subdued the bastards before their eyes, reinforcements from Heungsan Stronghold would come pouncing before they could escape this mountain.
Jang Seong-guk drew a conclusion in an instant. He was the escort leader of this escort journey. He had an obligation to finish the escort journey by keeping everyone alive without fail.
Around the time Jang Seong-guk finished sorting out his mind.
“How dare these insect-like bastards!”
A furious roar erupted from among the bandits.
In their hands, axes or clubs the size of a grown man’s torso were held, making them feel even more threatening.
Gulping down dry saliva, Jang Seong-guk strove to draw up something from his dantian.
Drip, drip.
It was none other than tears.
It was a situation without chances of victory. In the end, what he had to rely on was emotion. Begging with folded hands, bowing his head until his forehead wore away. Eliciting pity and begging for their lives.
It was not that Jang Seong-guk possessed no pride. At one time, he was a man who had even harbored in his heart the dream of entering the Martial Alliance and becoming a master wandering under heaven.
However, pride did not feed one. Naturally, it did not save his subordinates either.
When Jang Seong-guk shed tears as large as chicken droppings, the bandits looked at him with dumbfounded expressions.
“Aigu, Great Heroes…”
Not stopping there, Jang Seong-guk slowly bowed his upper body.
From time immemorial, the basics of begging were to kneel down and slam one’s head against the ground.
Just around the time he was about to bow his head and kneel with natural movements like flowing water.
Tap.
His upper body bowed no further. A resistance felt against his forehead was supporting Jang Seong-guk’s body.
“…?”
Jang Seong-guk wore a bewildered expression.
Soon grasping the situation, Jang Seong-guk spat out a curse of his own accord.
“What the hell, just what are you doing!”
What supported his forehead was Cheon Woo-jin’s Crescent Moon Staff.
Having lightly raised the Crescent Moon Staff to prop up Jang Seong-guk, Cheon Woo-jin spoke without taking his eyes off the bandits.
“If they were bastards who would spare you for doing that, they would not have swung an axe in the first place.”
“…Do you think, do you think I don’t know that!”
Jang Seong-guk exploded. The shame, helplessness, and anger toward this situation that he had strove to suppress burst out all at once.
Did he himself want to act like this in front of juniors?
Yet in the martial world, the weak were such beings. Beings who bowed, begged, and eked out their lives by relying on the opponent’s pity.
Still, they had to survive, did they not?
Around the time Jang Seong-guk tried to say something.
“Young Hero Song.”
Cheon Woo-jin called Song Yi-yeon in a low voice.
Abruptly called, Song Yi-yeon nodded his head awkwardly. This situation itself was rather uncomfortable.
Cheon Woo-jin’s words continued.
“Please protect the escort convoy.”
“…Understood.”
Song Yi-yeon knew as well. The situation had already progressed to the point where it could not be reversed. The bandit bastard had swung an axe without fear, and Young Hero Cheon had smashed that fellow’s head.
Naturally, Senior Jang’s feelings were understandable too. What could be more precious than one’s life?
However, there was one truth Senior Jang did not know.
‘It is that Young Hero Cheon is not a run-of-the-mill Martial Alliance member.’
Nodding his head, Song Yi-yeon immediately readjusted his grip on his saber.
“I will stake my life to protect them, so do as your heart desires.”
“Thank you.”
“What do you mean, thank you?”
Jang Seong-guk felt as if his insides would burst at that conversation. Why wouldn’t he have had times like that as well? The emotion of feeling as if he could achieve anything as long as he had a single sword.
At the time, he had thought it was romance and passion, but looking back with time passed, it was nothing more than the rashness of youth.
“Stop it…”
Jang Seong-guk believed that the rash young fellows who had come from the Martial Alliance were ruining his work. Until now, that had been true as well.
However, even before Jang Seong-guk’s words could end.
Whoosh!
In an instant, an ear-splitting sound of tearing wind was heard. Even Jang Seong-guk, who had learned martial arts to a fair degree, naturally frowned.
Yet it was nothing compared to the spectacle that was to follow.
The rash Martial Alliance member dashed toward the bandits. No, to be precise, he was already in their very midst.
Just how fast was he? It was beyond even understanding.
As if startled by that terrifying speed, the bandits’ reactions were somewhat sluggish as well. A few who possessed slightly higher martial prowess swung axes and clubs.
‘…It is already too late.’
It felt as though Jang Seong-guk’s mind had gone blank in an instant. All the emotions that had welled up to the brim vanished completely as if washed away, and astonishment filled that empty space.
It was as if the world had slowed down. A spectacle that should never have been visible by his original martial prowess was clearly seen by both his eyes.
The ink-colored iron staff revealed a truly gloomy and ominous darkness. Following the trajectory of the staff, it drew a gigantic circle, and soon that bottomless darkness engulfed the bandits.
It was darkness, yet it was shining brighter than anything in the world.
“A full moon…?”
Yes, astonishingly, a black full moon had risen.
Around the time Jang Seong-guk’s chest welled up with an indescribable emotion.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
A truly brutal sound of tearing flesh burst forth.
The bandits’ bodies grazed by the black full moon were shattered into fine pieces and scattered in the air. Things like blood, chunks of flesh, and bone marrow soon rained down like a shower.
Red raindrops under a pitch-black sky.
Jang Seong-guk strongly felt that he would never be able to forget this bizarre spectacle for the rest of his life.
Drip, pitter-patter!
In the midst of those red raindrops, the back of the man standing in a lofty and noble posture. He was no longer a junior of the Martial Alliance, nor a rash rising star.
A martial artist. In his life with one foot placed in the jianghu, just how many martial artists had he seen and experienced? Yet never had he seen an existence for whom the word martial artist was as fitting as that man before his eyes right now.
It was truly like watching martial arts itself materialize into human form.
‘I had forgotten and lived on.’
Before the heartless wall known as reality, the emotions he had stashed deep inside his heart creeped up and bloomed. Yearning for strength, and a sense of awe felt before overwhelming martial prowess.
Though Jang Seong-guk had entered his forties, his heart seemed to race just like when he had first set foot in the Martial Alliance at the age of twenty.
What broke his deep reverie was a light voice heard from behind.
“Young Hero Cheon, I protected them well.”
Of course, he had done nothing. After all, the bandits had all died in literally a single breath.
When Cheon Woo-jin turned around, chuckled, and said he had done well, Song Yi-yeon also smirked, raising the corners of his mouth.
Unlike Song Yi-yeon, who had grown somewhat accustomed to Cheon Woo-jin’s martial prowess, the escort warriors, including Jang Seong-guk, were half out of their minds.
It was then.
“Huh? Young Hero Cheon!”
Song Yi-yeon, who was about to sheath his saber, cried out in alarm and rushed forward. That was because one bandit bastard behind Cheon Woo-jin, who still had breath left, had raised an axe.
Song Yi-yeon, who was atop the wagon, immediately charged in a straight line. It was merely slow compared to Cheon Woo-jin; to Jang Seong-guk and the escort warriors, it was a truly tremendous speed.
Around the time he was about to pass by Cheon Woo-jin’s side.
“It is fine.”
At the same time, Song Yi-yeon’s steps came to an abrupt halt.
The bandit swung the axe down toward the back of Cheon Woo-jin’s head. However, at the crucial moment, the axe split in half, merely cutting through empty air.
Cheon Woo-jin turned around casually.
“Gasp…!”
Like a herb gatherer encountering a tiger, the bandit inhaled sharply. Vivid terror was flickering in both his eyes.
Cheon Woo-jin calmly said.
“Guide us.”
“W-What…”
Not only the bandit, but everyone, including Song Yi-yeon, was puzzled.
Cheon Woo-jin’s words followed dryly.
“I said, guide us to Heungsan Stronghold.”
“Ah…”
The bandit let out a deflated sound.
Song Yi-yeon, who was beside him, spoke.
“Young Hero, our mission is not the subjugation of bandits, but concluding this escort journey properly.”
“I know. Having killed all of their affiliated bandits, there is no way Heungsan Stronghold will sit idle. At the speed of the escort convoy, we will soon be caught by the bandits.”
If those bastards attacked head-on, it would be convenient. Since smashing all their heads just like now would be all.
However, if they pointlessly poisoned them or set traps, matters would become troublesome.
Rather, going to the stronghold right now and cleanly subjugating them was right.
“Y-You are telling me to sell out my comrades…”
Even while trembling in fear, the bandit strove to speak.
However, the moment Cheon Woo-jin lightly raised the Crescent Moon Staff…
“If you will only spare my life, I will guide you.”
He was a bandit who betrayed immediately.
Bastards called bandits were originally like that.
Though grouped with the Unorthodox Path as the Evil Sects, they possessed no loyalty. Since they were bastards who chose extorting other people as their means of making a living in the first place, one could say they were mostly devoid of conscience.
Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head.
“Guide us by the fastest path. And Escort Leader Jang may continue the escort journey as scheduled, or if you are uneasy, you may wait here.”
“Umm…”
Jang Seong-guk made an indistinguishable sound. His state of mind right now was like that. He knew Cheon Woo-jin was very strong. Song Yi-yeon, who came with him, was also not ordinary judging by his lightness art alone.
However, it was true that he was worried. It was likely even more so because Jang Seong-guk’s level could not accurately measure Cheon Woo-jin’s martial prowess.
Cheon Woo-jin, noticing his thoughts, said calmly.
“If we do not rejoin you by the time the escort arrives in Henan, please inform the Henan Branch of the Martial Alliance. In the first place, since we are Martial Alliance members, we are merely doing what we must do.”
Beside him, Song Yi-yeon nodded his head repeatedly. Actually, he didn’t have much thought about it, but if Young Hero Cheon had decided to go, then they were going.
Nor was he particularly worried. Young Hero Cheon was someone who fought against even the disciples of the Dark Emperor; would he really struggle against mere bandit nobodies?
“Even so…”
Jang Seong-guk trailed off his words.
However, Cheon Woo-jin merely turned around and struck the bandit’s shoulder with the Crescent Moon Staff.
“Aaaaargh!”
The bandit burst into a scream as if facing death. That was because he clearly knew how his comrades had died by that iron staff.
As if it were absurd, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.
“Stop making a fuss and guide the way.”
“…Yes, Great Hero.”
“And do not call me Great Hero.”
He did not wish to hear the words Great Hero from a bandit bastard.
Thus, the bandit firmly shut his mouth and began to guide.
Following behind the bandit and Cheon Woo-jin, Song Yi-yeon waved his hand toward the escort convoy, which still could not take a step forward out of worry.
“We will be back shortly, Senior.”
He was like a person going out to the marketplace to buy sweets.