Chapter 41
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Iron Cliff Mountain Stronghold 2
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Sa Hongcheon was greatly perplexed.
‘Why are these bastards acting like this? It doesn’t look like it’ll end with just toll money. Where the hell is Gang Pyo and what’s he doing……?’
No matter how much he racked his brains, no clever solution came to mind.
Without the escorts Gang Pyo had taken with him, the only real experts here were Sa Hongcheon and Jin Seolhwa.
Of course, Seonwoyong and Dogwang were at the rear of the procession, but they weren’t exactly Shenzhou Merchant House members.
Depending on the situation, they might step in to help, but the principle was that they handled their own affairs.
“If you find our tribute lacking, I’ll add a hundred taels of gold right here. Please accept it without scolding us further. I, Sa Hongcheon, will come back another day to pay my respects properly.”
Sa Hongcheon decided to use up all the spare gold he’d prepared right here at Iron Cliff Mountain.
But even so, the bandits’ reactions grew even more hostile.
“What? Come back another day to pay respects? Are you threatening us right now?”
Suddenly, a hulking giant who’d been standing at the back of the bandit group stepped forward with a roar.
“No, of course not. I meant I’d bring more tribute later…….”
Sa Hongcheon hurriedly tried to explain, but the brute showed no sign of listening.
“Shut your trap. No long talk needed. Leave the horses and wagons and get off on foot right now.”
“First, let us meet your stronghold chief, the great hero Iron Cliff Black Leopard Seo Hongsan. This Sa will see him in person and receive his orders.”
“Hey now. This punk is really looking down on me, Mok Gwangji, the third chief of Iron Cliff Mountain Stronghold.”
And sure enough, the giant looked like a massive bear.
“Ah, my apologies. So you’re the Iron Cliff Iron Bear Mok the Great Hero. I’ll apologize properly later, so please let me see Chief Seo Hongsan.”
It was then.
“Hmph. Great hero my ass. You’ve got one right in front of you and still go looking elsewhere. You’ve got no eye for people.”
It was the young man who’d first mocked their paltry tribute.
Looking closer, his face showed more age than the initial impression.
There were fine lines around his eyes, and his sideburns had hints of white.
But with his slender yet toned build, long hair tied back over his ears, and sharp features, he didn’t look a day over thirty—a handsome youth verging on manhood.
Only then did Sa Hongcheon notice the spear in the young man’s right hand.
And realize how pitch-black his skin was.
A black panther who wielded an iron spear like a ghost. Iron Cliff Black Leopard.
“Could you be Chief Seo? Forgive my ignorance. The Sa of Shenzhou Merchant House greets you belatedly.”
Sa Hongcheon belatedly offered proper courtesy, but Seo Hongsan’s response was icy.
“No need for greetings. As my third brother already said, just get off and go. At least the sun’s still up, so you might avoid wandering the mountains and becoming beast food.”
“Chief Seo, how can you do this? Countless merchant groups and escort agencies have passed through Iron Cliff Mountain safely until now. Why single out Shenzhou Merchant House today and press us so harshly?”
“Man, it’s so hard to settle things with words. Hey, bandits gonna bandit—what reason do they need? Five thousand bolts of silk, three hundred pieces of Jingde azure porcelain, thousands of taels in gold and silver…… You think we’d let that pass? Heh heh heh…….”
“Hmm…… How do you know the details so well…….”
Sa Hongcheon muttered in dismay after hearing Seo Hongsan’s words.
Somehow, the bandits knew exactly what cargo the Shenzhou Merchant Group was carrying.
No wonder any bandits would covet it.
“Come on, we don’t wanna get blood on our hands, so hurry down and go. Must’ve been tough dragging it all this way. Hahaha…….”
Seo Hongsan burst into smug laughter, and Jin Seolhwa stepped forward, removing the veil that had covered her face.
“Listen here, Chief Seo. Are you going to disregard even the great name of Shenzhou Divine Fist Jin Ichang?”
“Huh? And who’s this beauty…… Big brother, give this one to me.”
Iron Cliff Iron Bear Mok Gwangji leered at Jin Seolhwa’s jade form and immediately begged Seo Hongsan.
“You rascal. She looks a bit mature—what’s so good about that?”
“Brother, I prefer ’em ripe and ready like her over little girls……. Heh heh…….”
“Everyone’s got their tastes. Fine.”
Seo Hongsan chuckled and spat at Jin Seolhwa.
“Wench. You stay behind. And those two behind you too.”
The two maidservants who’d accompanied Jin Seolhwa began trembling.
Sa Hongcheon could only watch as the situation spiraled to its worst.
Now, there was no choice but to fight for their lives.
“Chief Seo. I may be old, but I can’t just walk away like this. If you oppress us this way, this old life ends here.”
Sa Hongcheon finally drew his sword.
“Hmph. I’m Shenzhou Iron Palm. Taste Shaolin swordsmanship.”
Jin Seolhwa drew her linked swords as well.
Ever since her humiliating defeat at Old Man Nok’s hands, she’d been training relentlessly with gritted teeth.
Not a single day passed without practicing her linked swords, and every evening she sparred with Sa Hongcheon and the others as if in real combat.
“Heh heh…… Fine by me. Wasn’t planning to let you go anyway. Boys, hack down anyone who resists.”
Seo Hongsan raised his spear and stepped forward to face Sa Hongcheon.
At that moment.
*Clang!*
Unexpectedly, the first clash of weapons came from the very rear of the procession.
Both Seo Hongsan, advancing with his spear, and Sa Hongcheon, sword drawn, turned toward the sound.
“Man, these guys really don’t listen.”
Dogwang stood there comically holding a sickle in one hand, and in front of him was a burly man in his forties, blankly standing with a massive saber in his left hand.
Here’s what had happened.
While the tense standoff unfolded at the front.
The bandits guarding the rear had approached Dogwang’s wagon and started harassing them.
“What’s this? Great Cloud Merchant Group? And what’s with these?”
One of them tapped the separately fluttering Great Cloud Merchant Group banner at the Shenzhou rear with the flat of his blade.
“Don’t touch that. It’s kinda precious.”
Dogwang glanced over and muttered a single warning.
“Hey. Check their wagons first. Can’t just let ’em go. Gotta see what and how much they’re carrying, right?”
*Jingle jingle……*
Then, the apparent leader of the rear group approached, issuing orders.
Oddly, the flat of his left-held massive saber had nine small holes, each with a silver bell jingling away.
At his command, bandits swarmed the five Great Cloud wagons.
“Hey. Hands off. Touch our wagons and you die.”
Dogwang stood from the driver’s seat and warned the saber-wielder.
“This punk must be begging to die. Don’t you know who I am, Silver Bell Blood Saber Gwak Sangdo? Second chief of Iron Cliff Mountain Stronghold.”
“Whatever. Second or first, I don’t care. Go up front and see what’s happening, then tell me. For bandits, your voice is too quiet, ain’t it? And you’re scrawny. That young guy up there.”
Just then, Seo Hongsan was stepping out up front.
“Heh heh…… You really are begging to die.”
Gwak Sangdo channeled inner energy into his saber.
He aimed to cleave Dogwang’s torso in one stroke.
“Hey. Hold up a sec. What kinda man has silver bells on his blade? Two balls would do, but for a real man…….”
Ignoring Gwak Sangdo’s killing intent, Dogwang pulled a sickle from under the driver’s seat.
A coachman always carried a sickle for chopping fodder, and this portable one had a blade just three inches long.
The wooden handle and blade connected by a single ring that could be easily removed.
The blade, of course, had its own small grip.
In an instant, Gwak Sangdo’s saber silently sliced through the air, and Dogwang’s sickle blade flashed.
“Gasp!”
Gwak Sangdo let out a deflating wheeze from his lungs.
All nine silver rings dangling from his saber were gone.
Dogwang had sliced them off in one go, and was already back in his seat.
He shook the sickle blade at the stunned Gwak Sangdo and jabbered on.
“Told ya to go check what’s happening up front. We’ll decide what to do based on that.”
“You’ve got some skill, punk. Get down here. Can’t let you walk away now.”
Gwak Sangdo trembled with rage, growling, but Dogwang casually asked Seonwoyong instead.
“What’s going on up front?”
“Not looking like it’ll end with words. Blood’s gonna flow.”
“Yeah? Man, bandits these days have it rough. Risking their lives for this? Hey, what about my monthly pay? Two taels of silver ain’t cutting it, y’know?”
Grumbling, Dogwang hopped down from the wagon.
Seonwoyong slowly descended as well, walking toward the front of the procession.
“Hey, what about my pay?”
As Dogwang yelled at Seonwoyong’s retreating back, Gwak Sangdo’s saber flashed toward his nape like lightning.
Attacking someone’s back while they faced away was taboo in the jianghu, but mountain bandits had no such code.
“Watch out…….”
Jin Seolhwa, who’d been watching that side, cried a warning.
But Seonwoyong didn’t even turn.
*Clang! Slash!!*
Just two strokes ended it. Under Iron Cliff Mountain’s late afternoon sun, a beautiful spray of purple blood bloomed like a rainbow.
Then, Dogwang casually flicked his sickle blade twice, scattering the blood droplets into the air.
Above Gwak Sangdo’s shoulders stood nothing, and thick purple blood gushed from the vacant neck.
A moment later, something thudded to the ground.
Gwak Sangdo’s headless body had floated up briefly before dropping into the grass three *zhang* away.
“I’ve never let anyone live who swings a blade at my back.”
Unlike his usual tone, Dogwang’s voice was chilling.
Only then did Gwak Sangdo’s headless corpse crumple to the dirt.