Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Bandit King
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It takes ten days to travel from Mount Muak to Sichuan.
We stayed in Sichuan for another ten days.
And now another ten days to get back from Sichuan to Mount Muak.
This grueling thirty-day journey is finally coming to an end.
Tomorrow, we'll finally arrive at Mount Muak.
Since this trip was to handle the Yu family's goods from Shanxi, we had loaded up heavy on the way there. That didn't mean we were coming back empty-handed, though.
The Hao Sect Leader had gifted me jars of Clear Immortal Brew, and my back was packed full of them.
If anything, the return trip felt even more exhausting than the outbound one.
As the sun set and the day drew to a close, I spotted the last inn we'd stay at before reaching Mount Muak. I pointed it out to the youngest.
"Youngest, let's crash there tonight. This dogged march is finally over."
"Yes, big bro. Oh...! Now that we're heading back to Mount Muak, should I start calling you boss again?"
"Nah, call me whatever feels right."
"W-Well then..., I'll keep calling you big bro. Hehe."
What was so great about something so trivial...?
I couldn't wrap my head around it, but the youngest seemed genuinely thrilled, beaming innocently. I ruffled his hair as we stepped inside the inn.
"Hey, more booze over here—!"
"When do we get our orders taken?"
The inn was packed to the brim, noisy as could be. Every visible table was taken, and the waiter was rushing back and forth.
"Big bro, looks like no seats...?"
"Yeah.... Man, I'm beat...."
We couldn't just smash everything up and steal a spot, though....
Feeling a bit stuck, I scanned the room—thankfully, the waiter spotted us and came over.
"Aigoo, guests! Just you two? Lodging only, or meals too?"
"Lodging and meals."
"Ah..., but here's the thing. We have one room left, but as you can see, no seats for eating...."
"Every inn's probably the same right now. No helping it."
"Ah..., well then...."
The waiter glanced around and pointed to a table.
"How about those two empty seats over there? Mind sharing the table?"
Sharing a table.
If this were modern times, I'd never do it no matter how busy, but here, when places were packed, sitting with strangers was common.
I didn't mind much anyway, and my legs were killing me, so I nodded right away.
"No problem. Lead the way."
At my words, the waiter got permission from the two already seated and guided us over.
We ordered two bowls of noodle soup and sat down. The two middle-aged men there greeted us warmly; they didn't look half bad.
"Have a seat. That baggage looks heavy."
"Huh..., you young fellas.... With all that luggage, merchants, eh?"
We couldn't exactly say we were bandits, so I just nodded vaguely.
"Yeah..., sort of. Me and the kid here, we sell booze."
No big reason for calling us booze merchants. Our loads were full of it anyway.
"Where you headed?"
"Somewhere around Hunan Province."
"Hunan?"
"Heading to Hunan? Huh...."
I'd answered offhand, but their faces turned grim the moment they heard it.
'Hmm? Why...?'
The noodles arrived just then, so I slurped one down and asked,
"What's with Hunan? Something going on? It's total backwoods there."
Why I'd chosen Hunan as our destination:
It was a remote backwater where few eyes reached.
So far south, less developed than other regions, sparse population, a few minor sects but no major ones.
So why were these guys frowning at the mention of Hunan?
No need to hide it, apparently—they launched right into the explanation.
"You young folks must be out of the loop. We're peddlers wandering the land with our bundles, and even we know this—it's big news among merchants. Hunan's going through some minor upheaval right now."
"Upheaval? Sects fighting over territory or something?"
"If it were just sects squabbling, merchants wouldn't sweat it. The ones fighting for territory in Hunan right now? Bandits."
"...Bandits?"
Hearing that made me uneasy, but I shook my head, denying it.
'No way it's us.'
Did Hunan have just one or two mountains? Before leaving Sichuan, Chi Yan had told me there were quite a few bandit groups there for real.
I relaxed and listened to the men.
"A while back, some bandit shot up like a comet. Guy was so strong, he started brawls and swallowed up all the local bandits."
The instant I heard that, I knew it couldn't be my crew.
Before heading out, I'd told the subordinates to focus on martial arts training.
Especially Chi Yan and the other Mount Muak Brotherhood guys—they were crazy enthusiastic about training, so no way they'd pick fights.
"...Oh, yeah? But bandits scrapping over turf doesn't sound like a huge deal. Don't they always fight among themselves?"
"Ah, if it were just the usual scraps, we wouldn't mention it. But this new guy's so damn greedy, he didn't stop at nearby—he's conquering every bandit group across all of Hunan."
"All of..., Hunan?"
That was... a pretty big scale?
"It's like a new star rising in the unorthodox world. Tons of bandits have joined him already, building a massive force. No official nickname yet, but we call the guy the 'Bandit King.'"
"Bandit King...? Pfft-haha—!!"
What a grandiose yet lame title. Bandit King, seriously.
Still, the impact of this newcomer must've been huge.
You don't slap "king" on just anyone.
I laughed at the title, and the men got serious.
"Don't underestimate him. Merchants figure he's some outsider master—guy's ballooned his forces like a madman in the last month."
"Psh, why would a real master play bandit in the hills? And even if this Bandit King grows big, so what? The Murim Alliance will handle it."
"When do you expect those fat-ass Alliance goons to show?"
Like in any wuxia world, the Murim Alliance here was rotten inside.
Not that they did nothing—they updated the public enemy list steadily and kept up appearances outwardly.
Bandit King.... That idiot didn't know, but in the bandit world, you don't want your name too loud.
Keep pulling aggro from the Alliance, and they'd label you a public enemy or send a subjugation squad.
'Whoever he is, he's a fool. Not my problem anyway. Just gotta watch no sparks fly our way.'
If an Alliance squad came later and decided to poke around Green Forest Stronghold too, that'd suck.
I'd tell the crew to lay extra low for a while once back. I vowed that and downed more noodles.
But then....
"What a fearsome name. Bandit King Dongryong."
"...Pffft, what'd you say?"
...I spat out my noodles at the name they dropped.
Huh? Did I mishear...?
I must've misheard, right...?
"Uncle, the fuck did you just say? What's the Bandit King's name?"
"W-Why so scary all of a sudden...."
"Shut up and spill it!!"
Too riled up to hold back, I grabbed the guy by the collar and demanded. He looked terrified as he answered.
And hearing it....
"...Bandit King Dongryong. Yeah, that's the name for sure."
"......"
...No joke, I nearly blacked out right there.
I'd laughed at some showoff bandit in Hunan. Turns out it was my own damn subordinate.
Hahaha.
Ha, you fucking bastard.
**
Tweet-tweet-.
"Mm..., nice morning."
Waking to birdsong, Dongryong took a light stroll around the stronghold to soak in the morning air.
The crisp air filled his lungs, making his body feel light and refreshed.
Lately, Dongryong was living the happiest days of his life.
The timid, insecure Dongryong of the past was gone. Now there was only a proper martial artist who could hold his own anywhere in the jianghu.
As Dongryong stretched contentedly, someone approached.
"Vice Boss Dongryong. Up already?"
"Ah, Chi Yan."
It was Chi Yan.
With the boss away, Dongryong and Chi Yan ran the Green Forest. Dongryong also taught him martial arts, so they'd bonded fast.
"You're up early today."
"Something up?"
"Hmm..., probably 'cause the boss is due back soon?"
The boss was coming back soon. The thought made Dongryong's heart race.
"Heh, he'll be thrilled with what I've accomplished."
"Isn't that right? What you've pulled off in a month is unbelievable."
"Thanks for saying so."
As the two shared a warm chat,
Dongryong flinched.
"This...!"
A familiar sensation—he turned and saw....
"Isn't that the boss?"
"Yeah, boss and the youngest are coming."
...There, in the distance, the boss and youngest were walking up.
"Boss—!!"
Overjoyed, Dongryong waved. The boss waved back enthusiastically and started charging over.
Not just walking—he was flying with lightness skill, arrow-fast.
Touched by the boss's joy at seeing him, Dongryong stepped forward to greet. The gap closed in seconds.
And the moment the boss reached him....
"Haha—!! Boss! Good to see y—."
Bam—!!
"Guwaaah—!!"
Crash.
Dongryong took the boss's fist full-on and flipped backward. But that wasn't the end.
"B-Boss, what the—! Gaaah—!!"
"You fucking punk. I'm pissed, so gonna beat you first."
"Aaaah—!! Why, why—!!"
Thud! Thud!!
After a brief(?) beating, Muyeon took a deep breath and asked,
"...Dongryong."
"...Y-Yes, boss."
"...Might be a misunderstanding, so I'll ask."
"A-Anything...."
The boss's fists had a knack for forcing truth. Even Vice Boss Dongryong, who'd served longest, never got used to the pain.
Dongryong nodded frantically, awaiting the boss's words.
"Did you..., no, really..., no fucking way.... ...Are you the Bandit King?"
"...Some folks call me that...."
That answer was plenty.
Smack—!!
"Gaaah—!!"
Muyeon exploded like he'd been holding it in, swinging hard.
"You little shit—!! I said train martial arts only! The fuck? Bandit King? Bandit King? I leave for thirty days and you become Bandit King? If that's your plan, go turn yourself in to the Murim Alliance! You fucking idiot—!!"
"Aaah—!! Why, boss—! I expanded our turf while you were gone, isn't that gre—, gaaah—!!"
"Great, fucking great. Even that rubber bastard took twenty years and couldn't become Pirate King, but you do Bandit King in thirty days? Amazing, you prick—!!"
"B-Boss, what're you even..., uwaaaah—!! L-Listen to my side first—!! Aaaah—!!"
The beating and Dongryong's screams echoed on for quite a while.