Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Rest Assured, We're Just Ordinary Bandits
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One month later.
“Phew….”
“Huff… Why on earth did you insist on coming this way? You could plainly see how treacherous the path was….”
“What choice did we have? If these goods get robbed like last time, our lives are finished. We have to take paths no one else uses to avoid bandits.”
Kim Mun and Ha Ryang.
The two merchants were on a grueling trade journey from Anhui all the way to Hunan.
They were merchants tasked with delivering tassels, but what set them apart was their choice to avoid established routes in favor of untrodden paths.
This stemmed from the failure of their previous venture.
They had invested most of their fortune in that last trip, only to run straight into bandits who stripped them bare.
They had barely escaped with their lives, but they lost so much in the process.
If they encountered bandits again this time, it would mean total bankruptcy. No chance of recovery.
That was why, from Anhui onward, they prioritized safety over time, taking the longest possible detours.
Hunan in particular was a border region, where security was undoubtedly looser than in the central areas, so they proceeded with extra caution.
“Argh… If I’d known it’d be like this, we should’ve hired at least one escort back when we set out.”
“Where would we get the money for an escort? And… my guess is even one warrior might not cut it in Hunan.”
“What do you mean by that?”
When Kim Mun asked in confusion, Ha Ryang explained.
“I overheard some talk at an inn a month ago… They say there’s this monstrous bandit in Hunan. Goes by the title… Bandit King or something?”
“Eek… Bandit King…?”
“Yeah! How vicious does a guy have to be to earn a title like Bandit King? That was a month ago when I heard it, so his infamy’s probably only grown since.”
“Whoa… Well, I’ll be…. No wonder you kept saying we should be extra careful in Hunan. Still….”
Kim Mun pointed to the branches and vines constantly blocking their way as he spoke.
“…isn’t this going a bit too far? We can’t even get through.”
“Just bear with it a little longer… Urgh!”
As Ha Ryang scolded the complaining Kim Mun and took a step forward….
Squish.
Unfortunately, that spot was just a pile of fallen leaves over empty air. Ha Ryang’s foot sank right in, and he slipped.
Normally, he’d laugh it off and get back up, but the problem was they were on a steep slope.
Crash!
“Gaaah—!”
“H-Hey—!”
Ha Ryang tumbled endlessly downward without a chance to do anything. The unpaved path was full of thorns and rocks that tore into his body as he rolled.
And that wasn’t all.
At the end of his roll stood a boulder the size of a house. At this speed, slamming into it would mean serious injury somewhere.
“W-What do we do…! H-How do we….”
As Kim Mun stamped his feet in panic before this life-or-death crisis….
“Out of the way—!”
Whoosh—!
A clear voice rang out from behind Kim Mun, and a figure shot forward.
Flash-flash-flash—!
Moving at a speed Kim Mun’s eyes could barely follow, the figure raced down the slope toward the rolling Ha Ryang….
“Hup—!”
…and grabbed Ha Ryang by the collar, halting him dead with sheer strength in a single grip.
“Whoa….”
Seeing this, Kim Mun realized with awe that the man was no ordinary person—he was a martial artist.
“Oh right, this isn’t the time!”
Snapping out of his daze at the man’s movements, Kim Mun hurriedly rushed to Ha Ryang.
“Hey, Ha Ryang! You okay?”
“Ugh… My whole body aches, but I’m fine…. Thanks to this gentleman….”
At Ha Ryang’s words, Kim Mun set down his load, clasped his hands in salute, and bowed to the warrior. Ha Ryang quickly brushed himself off, stood, and did the same.
“Thank you, great hero. You saved my friend’s life.”
“Thank you. You’re our benefactor, great hero.”
“Haha, no need. Protecting Mount Wuak here is my job, after all.”
The two sighed in relief at the sight of the warrior in his neat martial robes and kind face.
But….
“Protecting the mountain? That’s noble work.”
“You could say that. Ah, I’ve been remiss in introductions. I’m Eastern Dragon, deputy leader of the Greenwood Bandits’ Twenty Strongholds.”
“…Pardon?”
They could only freeze at Eastern Dragon’s introduction.
Greenwood Bandits.
Didn’t that mean bandits? He looked so upright, but bandits…?
And if he was a bandit….
‘Did he save us just to take our cargo…?’
Even though their lives were spared, the two felt utter dismay. They’d seen his skill just now—resistance was out of the question.
Kim Mun’s hands trembled as he handed his load over to Eastern Dragon.
“T-This is half of everything we have. Please take just this and spare the rest…. If you take it all, we’re really done for….”
Offering half was a massive loss already, but better than everything. But….
“Hoho, what’s this? We’re not the type to rob like that.”
“…Pardon?”
…No, bandits weren’t the type to rob…?
…Then what did they do?
While Kim Mun and Ha Ryang stood dumbfounded, Eastern Dragon pointed east.
“About two li east, you’ll find a mountain path we’ve maintained. Take that, and you’ll travel quickly and comfortably.”
“A maintained mountain path… exists?”
“Yes, though we do charge a toll.”
“……A toll.”
They flinched at the word toll, but it was still better than losing everything.
“…So, do we pay the toll now?”
“No, follow the path I mentioned, and you’ll come to a pavilion. Pay there, and you can use the roads safely. I’d explain more, but I need to patrol the rest of the area….”
“…Ah, yes. Go ahead. Sorry to hold you up.”
“Then, farewell.”
Whoosh—!
With that, the man called Eastern Dragon—bandit(?—shot off like an arrow using lightness skill.
The two stared blankly after him until Kim Mun spoke first.
“…A mountain path, huh? Shall we check it out?”
“…Yeah, let’s.”
With the mindset of “once bitten, twice shy,” they headed east, and sure enough, after exactly two li….
“There really is a path…?”
They found a mountain trail, impeccably maintained.
Calling it impeccably maintained was no exaggeration. The smooth surface was free of vines, dust, or even a single pebble.
In steeper sections, steps had even been built for safe passage—no one could claim it wasn’t well-kept.
“After all those rough trails, walking here feels like stumbling into Peach Blossom Paradise!”
“Tell me about it. …Still, let’s stay cautious. Who knows what price they’ll demand for such convenience….”
“Of course.”
Seasoned merchants, the two instinctively knew no favor came free. They stayed alert as they set off.
It wasn’t long before they spotted something else.
“That’s….”
“……An inn?”
An inn on a mountainside ridge. Unbelievable, but the pavilion ahead looked exactly like one.
They couldn’t say if it had rooms, but the wide-open first floor bustled with people eating and drinking, making the pair feel like they’d descended into a city street.
Drawn in like moths to a flame, they approached—only for someone to halt them.
“Hold it, stop right there.”
“…Huh.”
Blocking them were two men seated at the inn’s entrance. One had the refined beauty of a courtesan’s attendant, the other a innocent-looking youth who seemed kindly.
The one resembling a courtesan’s attendant extended a hand with a friendly smile.
“You’ll need to show your transit pass.”
“T-Transit pass? We don’t have one….”
“No pass? Ah… You must’ve joined midway. You need a pass to use this road.”
Only then did they recall what the bandit they’d met earlier had said.
‘Though we do charge a toll.’
“You mean we pay the toll to get the pass?”
“Of course.”
“Ugh, how much?”
“We’ll need to see your cargo first to set the price. Go on, set it on the table.”
No malice or greed came through in the man’s words, so the two unquestioningly placed their loads on the table.
The man unpacked and inspected the contents before speaking.
“Hm… You’re merchants dealing in tassels and ornaments. For this… three taels of silver.”
“Three taels of silver?”
Three taels of silver. No small sum.
“Isn’t that too much—!”
As Kim Mun protested, the man smiled and countered calmly.
“Mister, if you sold all these tassels and ornaments, you’d get about fifty taels, right?”
“Y-Yeah.”
“Losing it all would cost you fifty taels, but for just three, you get our pass and safe use of all the mountain roads in Hunan Province. That’s a forty-seven-tael savings. Am I wrong?”
“Uh… Is that so?”
As Kim Mun hesitated, the man pressed on.
“The moment you get the pass, the Greenwood Bandits’ Twenty Strongholds guarantee your safety. Securing that for three taels? Merchants usually hire escorts for trips—those start at ten taels minimum. Isn’t paying three for a pass better?”
“…….”
…Huh, is it?
Many merchants did hire escorts for safety, but it was exorbitantly expensive.
That was why the pair hadn’t at the start.
But… safe passage through Hunan’s mountains for just three taels? On such comfortable roads, no less…?
As they pondered, the man added one more thing.
He pointed to a plump man enjoying drinks in broad daylight in the open space.
“And see that comfy-looking guy? He’s a silk merchant—looks wealthy, so we charged him five taels. Adjusting tolls by wealth? How fair is that?”
“Ah….”
…Is it?
Before they knew it, three taels felt like pocket change in their minds.
“F-Fine, three taels it is.”
“Good choice. Here’s your passes. Names?”
“I’m Kim Mun, and this is Heo Ryang.”
“Kim Mun… and Heo Ryang. Nice names.”
He wrote their names on two passes from his pouch and held them out.
“Here are your passes. Six taels of silver, please.”
“Six? You said three just now!”
“Three per person.”
Ha Ryang, feeling duped, raised his voice at the man’s deadpan reply.
“You should’ve said that upfront! Were you holding back on purpose to trick us?”
“Even six taels is cheaper than losing your cargo or hiring escorts, no?”
“…….”
Uh….
I-Is it…?
The man’s logic was sound, so despite the tricked feeling, each pulled out three taels from their pouches.
Pleased, the man handed over the passes.
“Thanks for your business. Note that once you leave our roads, the passes can’t be reused. We hope you’ll use them again. There are dozens of these pavilions across Hunan Province—just show your pass each time.”
“…Got it.”
“Oh, and just to be safe, since it comes up sometimes….”
The man had been polite throughout. He smiled as he spoke this time too, but….
“…If you’re caught sneaking through our roads without paying, it’s a thousand times the toll.”
…The glint in his eye made clear he would enforce it without mercy.