Chapter 14
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Strongest Squad (4)
Death.
There are lives where death feels more comfortable.
Living as a slave for life is far worse than death. But one can't just choose to die. Faking suicide or an accident invalidates the letter.
Even in death, one must give their all until the end.
The Heavenly Annihilation Division had bound a notorious murderer who had slain three hundred and eight souls with a single letter.
Defying the letter was impossible.
It listed weaknesses he had never even imagined.
He had never thought such things could be vulnerabilities... yet they were fatal enough that he had no choice but to accept living as a slave until his dying breath.
Whenever, wherever, just flashing this letter forced obedience.
That's why he was classified as someone who could be spared.
The Fox of Bireung Mountain hadn't received his letter yet. But he would soon, and like the others, he'd be helplessly enslaved.
All the prisoners locked in Thunder Prison were the same.
They couldn't even dream of it, but enormous shackles were already clamped around them.
Their lives no longer belonged to them. The Heavenly Annihilation Division gripped them tightly.
This organization was terrifying.
What a bunch of boring people.
Half a day since they set out, and not a single soul had opened their mouth.
Vanguard was silent. Be it the woman or the men, they just gripped their mule reins without a word.
Four Thousand Four and Fatty wouldn't talk either.
Everyone stared only at the Fox of Bireung Mountain—Hori's mouth.
Hori was the guide. When he said go, they moved. When he pointed a direction, they turned that way.
Even Vanguard didn't interfere with Hori's decisions. No opinions offered. They blindly followed the path Hori indicated.
If Hori erred, they all went wrong.
'Ugh!'
Hori groaned inwardly.
Everyone watching him... but he didn't know the way. He was leading without a clue where to go.
Did Vanguard say he'd be discarded after two mistakes?
He already sensed his first blunder. Not even three steps this time. How long had they been traveling? Already giving up? Damn it! He had to know where Three Villages was to go there!
He'd stared holes through the map, but no "Three Villages" marked anywhere.
None! No place named Three Villages!
No idea where Vanguard got the map. Clearly, even if he found one, it was a total piece of junk.
Vanguard's map was just a single sheet covering the entire Central Plains.
With it, he only knew the rough shape of Shaanxi Province.
Vanguard said head to Three Villages, but scouring the map yielded no such name.
'Just where the hell is Three Villages?'
A map speaks as much as you know. It chatters if you're informed, stays mute if not. Just dead lines on paper otherwise.
To Hori, it was just a picture.
'I have to know which corner it's in to find it. How am I supposed to guide to a place I don't even know?'
He glanced at Vanguard.
Vanguard followed indifferently. He wouldn't speak until Hori did first.
Instinct told him... Vanguard knew Three Villages.
Not telling him meant Hori had to figure out guiding on his own.
Vanguard had given two chances.
Fail once, fail again... discarded.
'Damn! Can't find it!'
Hori folded the map and tucked it away.
"Tch! Can't do it."
Hori admitted failure straightforwardly.
"Don't know where Three Villages is, no name on the map... How am I supposed to find it? And avoiding people? Impossible."
"You're forfeiting your first chance?"
"Let's wrap it clean. I forfeit."
"Fine. Hanbi, lead the way."
The tall man grinned and stepped forward.
He didn't take the map from Hori, didn't think—just strode ahead confidently.
He definitely knew Three Villages.
'This is cheating. Dirty cheating.'
Hori narrowed his eyes and glared at Vanguard.
Hanbi would lead to Three Villages. Then the rope would pass back to him...
'Gotta prepare thoroughly once we're there. So wherever he says to go, I can. Damn! What and how do I prepare? I'd know if I'd ever guided before.'
Hori trailed after Hanbi.
Hanbi reached Three Villages in three days.
Looking down from the mountain, a small village nestled in a gourd-shaped valley.
Three Villages.
No signpost, no label proving it. But it had to be.
'Damn! That's why it's not on the map!'
Hori shot a feral glare at Vanguard.
Hanbi's village was impossible to find without knowing. A tiny hamlet in the mountains—how? No way it'd be mapped.
'How the hell do you expect me to find a place like this!'
Vanguard knew Hori was glaring. But he ignored him. Deliberately? Instead, his gaze fixed on Four Thousand Four.
'Heh! Your turn now!'
The Fox of Bireung Mountain sensed Four Thousand Four was next to get burned, just like he had.
Vanguard was teaching them one by one what to do, making it crystal clear—while threatening death after one more failure.
Sure enough, Vanguard said it.
"Your turn now."
"What do you want me to do?"
Four Thousand Four asked calmly, as if expecting it.
"There's a sword in that village. Fetch it."
"A sword? What kind?"
"Judge that for yourself."
Four Thousand Four and Vanguard's gazes clashed in midair.
Vanguard's eyes showed no flicker. Pure indifference.
The woman and Hanbi's gazes were indifferent too. They'd seen this plenty.
"Just bring the sword?"
Vanguard nodded.
"Pfft!"
Four Thousand Four chuckled dryly.
No killing involved. Just fetch a sword—an errand. He could do those all day.
Four Thousand Four broke from the group and descended the mountain at once.
Vanguard watched his back, then pulled a letter from his bosom and handed it to Hori.
"What's this?"
"Read it, then head there."
Vanguard pointed to Three Villages.
"To guide properly, you need preparations, right? Go make them."
"There?"
Hori pointed incredulously at Three Villages.
First, Three Villages was a secluded mountain hamlet like a slash-and-burn village. Naming such a backwater something grand enough for a capital was odd.
Vanguard called it Three Villages—maybe he made it up? A name only he, Hanbi, and the woman knew. Unknown to the world.
Maybe a dozen households at most.
What preparations in a place like that? Even a map? What could he possibly get for guiding? Fetching rice crusts made sense, but supplies?
Ridiculous.
Second, Vanguard told Four Thousand Four to fetch a sword.
Not buy—take it. Judge by sight and feel. Meaning it'd scream "this one!" on sight... definitely a treasured blade.
Then Three Villages would turn into a battlefield.
One more thing: Why a treasure sword in a slash-and-burn village?
Two possibilities.
One: a martial arts master in hiding there.
A renowned expert once wielding a famed sword, now secluded.
Or: escorts covertly transporting treasure.
Hauling a fine sword from somewhere to somewhere.
Can't let word spread in the martial world. So paths off the map, untraveled trails. Naturally, escorts are skilled fighters.
Either way, tough opponents there.
A fight brutal enough for killers among killers.
And go there for supplies?
'What bullshit...'
Hori was flabbergasted.
'Damn! Listen to him and I won't die on my terms. Sending me for supplies there means no second chance... What? Run away?'
Vanguard stole the first chance with nonsense.
Second would vanish the same. Nothing to get in Three Villages... Later, even obvious Luoyang, he couldn't budge without knowing the way.
Know directions to move. Where it is, where on the map.
Essentially, declaring no second chance.
Time to bolt. No reason not to. Head to Three Villages as ordered. Then run like hell.
'Starting to like that guy...'
The Fox of Bireung Mountain watched Four Thousand Four recede.
Everyone shunned him as a killer, but he didn't seem one. Especially after "indebted"—he thought, 'This guy's gonna save me someday.'
Four Thousand Four didn't scare him.
But what could he do? Vanguard as good as declared him dead.
'If I survive, see you later.'
Hori resolved to flee and unfolded the letter.
Indifferently, truly so.
"Vanguard."
A heavy voice, uncharacteristic of Hori, rang out.
Hori stared blankly at the sky, calling Vanguard.
Vanguard glanced and spoke.
"Next is Thousand Rapids."
"Vanguard... Vanguard, really?"
The Fox of Bireung Mountain held up the letter.
Is it true? Real? Proof? A barrage implied.
"It's true."
"Really! Really?!"
Vanguard nodded.
"Heh heh heh! Heh heh! Heh heh heh! Four Thousand Four, that bastard... No wonder he listens so well. How'd you tame a guy like him? Heh heh heh!"
Hori giggled.
"My words stand. Two mistakes, you're out. Each slip costs a few of us our lives. Better to cut loose early. You tossed your first chance, so prepare properly this time."
"Heh heh! Tossed it? Scared? Heh heh heh! No wonder... a guy who'd bolt at a blink, you just let him go. Heh heh heh!"
"A fight will break out there."
Vanguard chin-pointed Three Villages.
"Guessed it. Yeah."
Hori said in a deflated voice.
"Once it starts, scouting's tough. Better move fast for whatever you need."
"Got it. Going. Yeah."
Hori giggled as he headed to Three Villages.
The Fox of Bireung Mountain's steps were slow. Seemed leisurely, giggling along. But his form accelerated soon. Incredibly swift and fluid.
"That guy's got some real skill."
Hanbi said, eyes narrowed.
"That... looks like Cat Step... Using Cat Step like that? Ha! Born thief."
The woman bared white teeth in a grin.
"Feeling good this time?"
Vanguard said with a smile.
Four Thousand Four, Hori... both lost their internal energy. Moving on pure physical prowess, no qi. Four Thousand Four vanished, unknown... but Hori moved like refined lightness skill with deep qi.
That's how he survived Nineteen Hells despite being classified weakest.