Chapter 13
Stunned, the bandit Jang Woong pulled out his axe from his waistband and swung it at him.
*Shwiik!*
With the sound of the wind splitting, the axe swung vigorously, but it literally only cut through the air.
“What, what’s this?”
The young man’s movements were suspicious.
Those who sensed it drew their weapons—one, two swords.
Jang Pyodu, who was watching this, had a grim expression that had already turned earthy.
The owner of the axe had learned some martial arts, but his opponent was truly a martial artist.
And not just any martial artist, but one who confidently held a position in the martial world!
“Maybe he avoided it by chance… huh?”
Once, twice, and then three times.
What he thought was a coincidence continued to happen.
*Woong! Woong! Wooong!*
The bandits, driven by malice, swung their axes with force, creating a sound reminiscent of a swarm of bees.
Their attacks never once touched the young master’s s body.
Jang Pyodu finally regained his senses and shouted:
“Protect the young master first!”
As the order was given, the sword-wielding guards tightened their grip on their weapons.
At that moment, one of the bandits grabbed Eunho from behind.
He gasped for breath and said:
“Gotcha. You rat-like boy.”
The bandits knew.
Eunho’s martial arts had been tormenting them for quite some time.
If that was the case, there was no time to wait.
As soon as an opportunity arose, they had to cut off his breath immediately.
The axe swung toward Eunho’s restrained head.
*Kwaaang!*
The blade clashed with the human skull.
Righteous Protective Qi (護身剛氣).
The same technique Namgung Cheong had used to withstand Eunho’s attack was now unfolding again.
“Did I ask for a difficult favor? I just told you to guide me.”
As Eunho slowly moved his body, the bandit’s arm loosened.
Eunho moved toward the bandits who were frozen in place.
First, he grabbed the back of Jang Woong’s neck, where the axe had swung.
Then, with his other hand, he seized the adjacent bandit.
Thud.
Their foreheads collided, and both of them collapsed.
“Let me say this one last time: guide me. The methods we’ve used so far is that of the Cheonhajang.”
Eunho drew the sword from his waist.
“If you don’t like that, we can do it my way.”
His ominous gaze swept over the still-standing bandits.
Everyone knew what “my way” meant.
Thump.
One of the bandits dropped his weapon and knelt on the ground, resigned to his fate.
Jang Pyodu and the guards stared in shock.
Until Eunho looked at them, they dared not speak.
As he pointed at the bandits, the observant guards and attendants quickly tied them up.
“Proceed as planned, and I’ll finish dealing with these guys before joining you.”
Jang Pyodu naturally objected.
After all, they were here to protect the young master.
“What’s going on, young master?!”
It was Lee Ryang who stepped forward.
“Whether we accompany him or not won’t make a difference, and there’s no way to stop this guy’s determination.”
Eunho and Jang Pyodu both nodded in agreement.
“But you’re coming with me,” Eunho said to Lee Ryang.
“Me?”
“How can I leave you with them? I still don’t trust you.”
Lee Ryang closed his eyes tightly.
The mad young man in front of him was now heading toward the enemy.
And he was going along.
What frustrated him even more was that there was no way to resist.
In the end, he had no choice but to follow Eunho’s determined steps.
Looking at the worried Jang Pyodu, Eunho reassured him.
“It might take a day or two at most. Don’t worry.”
He kicked the tied bandit’s ass and shouted vigorously
“Let’s go!”
Jang Pyodu watched Eunho’s leaving figure with concern, but there was no way for him to catch the already vanished Eunho.
Regardless, Jang Pyodu’s duty was to fulfill the assigned mission.
As an excellent guard, he had only one task.
“We should also set off.”
The prepared group once again moved toward the Wudang faction.
***
Eunho’s party moved swiftly, employing their martial skills.
“It’s unlikely, but guide us properly. If you try to tire me out, I’ll kill you.”
Eunho’s sharp words left no room for hesitation.
However, the bandits’ concerns were entirely different.
There were over fifty of them waiting at the bandit’s hideout.
Especially the leader of the bandits, who had reached the pinnacle of mastery—if he could take him there, everything would be resolved!
But considering the bandit’s aversion to tricks, demanding additional fees might backfire.
Lee Ryang, hanging onto Eunho’s side, realized one thing.
Being a martial artist didn’t necessarily mean lightning-fast speed.
Adjusting to the pace set by the leading bandits, he felt somewhat at ease.
Though the posture was a bit embarrassing, the surrounding scenery was tolerable, and he didn’t hold back his strength—it wasn’t so bad.
Just as he thought this, Eunho kicked forcefully.
A sharp gust of wind struck Lee Ryang’s face as if it would tear it apart.
“Uwaaah!”
In an instant, Eunho became a distant dot, leaving the bewildered bandits staring.
“Did he…?”
“Seems like it.”
“What should we do?”
“Well, what can we do? Do we even have a destination?”
Indeed, Eunho’s disappearance eased the tension among the bandits, and they stumbled toward the bandit’s hideout.
***
Lee Ryang was a person with excellent learning abilities. Through several experiences, he had learned how to vomit silently and without pain. Quietly and efficiently, Lee Ryang asked Eunho:
“Where do you think you’re running to?”
“I sensed the aura of martial artists in two different places. The bandits from earlier were standing at a crossroads, heading in this direction.”
“What if this isn’t the right place?”
“We’ll check, and if it’s not, we’ll turn back.”
That made sense. Eunho’s agility allowed for such flexibility. However, Lee Ryang hoped fervently that this was indeed the bandit’s hideout. After all, they’d maintain the same speed when returning.
As Eunho stood before the hideout, he took a deep breath.
“Mountain Master Beast, come out.”
His lion’s roar, imbued with internal energy, echoed throughout the entire mountain, startling birds into flapping their wings.
“It’s not Mountain Master beast, it’s Mountain bandits leader.”
Lee Ryang’s expression showed annoyance. From his perspective, Eunho seemed utterly indifferent to his surroundings. Had he even forgotten their names?
“Ah, is that so? Well, regardless, it seems we’ve found the right place.”
The bandits emerged from the hideout. Among them, a tall figure stepped forward like a leader, pushing aside his subordinates.
“Who are you to seek me out?”
“Ah?”
Eunho’s eyes narrowed. He had expected a defiant response like, “How dare you!” Instead, Lee Ryang’s expression turned slightly displeased.
“Are you a bandit who thinks before acting?”
The Mountain bandit leader spoke with a hint of irritation.
“State your business.”
Despite his appearance, the bandit leader was a cautious individual. At a glance, he assessed Eunho’s demeanor, choosing to engage thoughtfully.
“I come from The Cheonhajang.”
He went on to explain what had happened during the mission.
The bandit leader, Lee Ja-gwang’s expression hardened as he listened, and the bandits began to watch his expression.
Lee Ja-gwang was a man who hated tricks and valued righteousness.
After listening silently, he spoke in a deep voice that matched his build.
“I’m sorry. When those guys come back, I’ll give them a big scolding and make sure it never happens again.”
“Sounds good to me.”
The corners of Eunho’s mouth turned up.
The more he looked at it, the more curious he became about this guy named Lee Ja-gwang.
For a bandit, he had lively eyes and knew how to admit his mistakes. He seemed like a pretty useful guy.
‘But I still have to do what I have to do.’
Eunho nodded with a determined expression and approached Lee Ja-gwang, holding out his palm.
“Hand over the money.”
“?”
“I’m asking you to give back the tolls we’ve been giving you bastards from the Cheonhajang all this time. Do you own the mountain?”
Lee Ja-gwang’s expression became even more contorted.
“That’s out of the question. Tolls are a long-standing custom of the Murim and the law of the green forest.”
“Who made that rule?”
“The green forest.”
His words were filled with pride in the green forest.
“Survival of the fittest, I see.”
Lee Ja-gwang didn’t deny it.
There is only one reason why the green forest charges tolls.
Because those who pass by are weaker than they are.
Would he dare to demand money from the Murim leader if he passed by? Not a chance.
The corners of Eunho’s red lips curled up.
Come to think of it, humans seem to like the law of the jungle too.
The methods and approaches are a bit different, but that’s all.
Eunho grabbed one of the men’s heads and slammed him to the ground.
None of the men could react to his movements.
“What are you doing now!”
There was a hint of anger in Lee Ja-gwang’s voice.
It was not his belief to simply grovel just because the man before him was stronger than he was.
“Survival of the fittest.”
With that, Eunho’s figure repeatedly disappeared and reappeared.
There was no need to draw his sword.
Kwak!
With each swing of his bare fist, a bandit rolled on the floor. It was a one-sided beating.
If anyone here had been able to withstand Eunho’s martial arts from the outset, the Murim would have fallen into the mountain bandit’s hands.
Despite his reputation as a master at the pinnacle, Lee Ja-gwang seemed no different from the others to Eunho.
Before long, Eunho’s violence stopped, and the bandits were all lying on the ground.
He didn’t kill them.
Separately from whether he liked this bastard, his master had told him not to kill indiscriminately.
Lee Ryang, who had been hiding in the distance, approached, clapping his hands, as soon as it seemed the situation was under control.
“I knew I could count on you.”
“Let’s get to work.”
Eunho and Lee Ryang rummaged through the mountain fortress, leaving the fallen men behind.
“…”
“These wicked bastards! How could they have spent all the money the Cheonhajang gave them over time, when it wasn’t even a small amount?”
Just then, Eunho turned his head abruptly and stared intently at a corner.
Seeing this, Lee Ryang tilted his head and asked.
“Is there something there?”
Eunho took a step forward and swung his fist, smashing the floor.
He reached into the hole he had created and rummaged around for a while.
Soon, a box came into Eunho’s hands.
The box had two amulets attached to it, and Lee Ryang could recognize them at a glance.
“Amulets that block energy. So that means…”
As he removed the amulets and opened the box, a clear energy surged forth, filling the mountain fortress.
The pill was small for its size, but the refreshing feeling and good energy it emitted were by no means small.
“Good. I will receive this pill in the name of the Cheonhajang.”
Eunho had a satisfied expression, while Lee Ryang looked at him like a monster.
‘How did he perceive the energy that I, a Taoist, couldn’t even feel because of the amulet?’
As the two men, who had made a certain amount of progress, left the mountain fortress, they saw a familiar face.
It was the bandits who had been guiding the two men.
The latecomers looked blankly at the nearly fifty fallen comrades in front of the mountain fortress.
“Oh, you’re here?”
Eunho raised his hand in greeting.
Then he swung the raised hand and struck them on the temple.
He was satisfied to see them fall one after the other.
How could a subordinate stand in full bloom when the boss was lying down?
“Let’s go.”
Lee Ryang, who had approached unnoticed, bowed his waist as if he were used to it, and Eunho lifted him up whole.
This was a posture that was now familiar to both of them.
Eunho kicked his foot and the scenery changed.
It happened twice, three times.
After a few more repetitions, they saw the procession they had left behind.
“How far away were you that you’re so happy to see me again?”
Eunho’s figure, who kicked his feet with all his might and jumped, landed neatly in front of Pyodu.
“There was no trouble, was there?”
At this time, the third class disciples of the Wudang Sect were young Taoists who had just received their Dharma names and were beginning their training.
The second class disciples were experienced Taoists who handled practical matters as much as possible and sometimes intervened in Murim affairs.
Myungjin, one of the proud second class disciples of the Wudang Sect.
He was a genius among geniuses who had mastered the Taegum Sword Technique to the 7th level with his tenacity and outstanding intelligence.
He was the pride of the Wudang Sect, with no comparison to the orthodox Murim among his peers!
The third class disciples could only be dumbfounded when he came to the foot of the sacred mountain in person and said he would take over as the person on duty.
“Master! There is no need for you to come all the way to the foot of the sacred mountain in person. We can stand guard in your place.”
However, Myungjin feigned a stern expression and scolded his students.
“How can we neglect our duty? Today is my turn, so you should go back and focus on your training.”
After hearing Myungjin’s stern order, the third class disciples bowed their heads in greetings and headed towards the main hall.
It was rare for a second class disciple to personally stand guard at the foot of the sacred mountain.
Since they were busy with various tasks, it was an unspoken rule for their students, the third class disciples, to take their place.
This was especially true for Myungjin, who was favored by the Headmaster and the first disciples.
Myungjin was strict with himself.
No, rather, he enjoyed being praised for his ‘true Taoist’ image of self-discipline.
This was understandable, as he had been called a genius since childhood.
Myungjin began his day feeling proud, hoping that the third class disciples who had returned would spread the word about his excellence.
It seemed like another smooth day was ahead.
‘I’m sure I felt that way.’
Those hopes were shattered before the sun had even reached its zenith.
A young man with an arrogant look in his eyes jumped off the carriage and approached him.
“What did you just say?”
The youth, with his face pushed close to his own, asked him back in a rude tone!
Myungjin, a second class disciple with pride, was able to tell with one glance.
The young man in front of him was definitely not a meek character.
But I am Myungjin, the proud second class disciple of the Wudang Sect!
He thought to himself and spoke again in a firm tone.
“This is the Wudang’s Sacred Mountain. If you want to go up to the main hall, everyone must drop their weapons.”
Myungjin and Eunho’s eyes met head-on.
Lee Ryang and Jang Pyodu, who were watching this, swallowed their saliva with nervous expressions.
