Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: Ransacking Hang Mountain Stronghold
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"Wow. You guys really bandits?"
Cheonhwi arrived at Hang Mountain Stronghold wearing an utterly incredulous expression.
A massive palace deep in the mountains.
Its interior was far too impeccably clean and well-kept for a place where bandits holed up.
"Hmm. With this setup, they must have a hefty stash of gold and treasures."
Cheonhwi muttered to himself as he surveyed the stronghold at length, then turned his gaze to the frozen bandits and smacked his lips.
"Bring every last bit of it to me. Not a single piece missing."
The bandits couldn't hide their bewilderment.
They'd wondered what was up when he suddenly demanded to be escorted to the stronghold, but never dreamed it was to plunder their gold and treasures.
Who could've imagined?
A Mount Hua Sect Daoist robbing a bandit lair.
By the time they snapped out of their daze at the unexpected turn...
"What, you don't like it?"
Cheonhwi stared at the ones standing stock-still despite his order, speaking in a low voice.
"Then you're not needed."
"Hah, heuk! N-no, sir!"
"We'll fetch it right away!"
The bandits freaked out and bolted.
Their opponent was an absurdly formidable expert.
One who could take their lives with a mere flick of a finger.
How could they possibly resist?
Moments later, piles of gold ingots, countless banknotes, expensive silks, glittering jewels, and other valuables towered before Cheonhwi like a mountain.
"Heuk, heuk. We've brought it all."
Cheonhwi looked at the hoard stacked nearly as tall as a man and spoke in disbelief.
"Well, look at this. Guess you bandits have been busy at your trade after all."
Despite the mocking tone laced with an odd hint of praise, the bandits managed awkward grins.
Meanwhile, Cheonhwi stroked his chin as he eyed the overwhelming bounty.
"But... this is way too much to just carry off."
There was just so damn much.
Even if the entire Fire Spirit Unit wrapped everything in silk and hauled it, it'd be a struggle.
"Ah!"
A great idea suddenly hit him, and Cheonhwi turned to a nearby bandit panting for breath.
"Got any wagons?"
It was a total non sequitur.
But the bandit bellowed his answer before the thought even crossed his mind.
"We do! But they're a bit rickety—will that be alright...?"
Cheonhwi replied flatly to the bandit whose voice trailed off into a mumble.
"Doesn't matter. Bring 'em."
"Yes, sir!"
With that, the bandit dragged his comrades along and dashed off somewhere in a frenzy.
And soon enough, the bandits returned personally hauling three rickety horseless wagons.
"Heuk! Heuk!"
"P-push harder!"
The bandits who'd dragged the wagons up the sloped mountain path stood before Cheonhwi, gasping for air.
"Hah, heuk! H-here they are."
Cheonhwi eyed the wagons.
Every bit as dilapidated as described.
But.
"Eh, this'll do fine."
Not half bad.
The wheels rolled smoothly enough, and aside from the wear, everything else seemed sturdy.
'Not like I'm riding in them anyway.'
As the bandits who'd hauled the wagons brightened at Cheonhwi's nonchalant reaction...
"Horses?"
His sudden question made sweat bead anew on their brows.
The bandit promptly bowed his head.
"Sorry! No horses!"
"Yeah? Can't be helped."
Thankfully, Cheonhwi brushed it off without a care.
He'd asked, but after seeing them drag the wagons themselves, he hadn't held out much hope anyway.
'Plenty of substitutes for horses right here.'
Cheonhwi grinned and said,
"Alright, load up all that stuff we pulled out earlier and let's head down."
"......Pardon?"
A deflating sound escaped the bandits' mouths in unison.
'He wants us to load all that onto these wagons and drag them down?'
They wondered if they'd misheard.
The wagons alone were heavy enough.
Topped with the stronghold's entire plunder? Impossible.
They pleaded with their eyes, but all that reached their ears was mockery.
"What're you waiting for? Hurry it up. No time to waste—load 'em."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Elder."
Steward Oh approached Cheon Igae.
Cheon Igae, who'd been binding the crippled bandits and Black Shadow Corps members, glanced over.
"Hm? What is it?"
"What do you plan to do with these lot?"
"What else? Haul 'em to the nearest Murim Alliance branch."
"Phew. Got it."
Steward Oh sighed in relief.
He'd worried they might have to drag them along on the journey.
Relieved that wasn't the case, he ventured,
"Then you, Elder...?"
"Gotta wait here till those guys show up, right?"
Cheon Igae replied wistfully.
He wanted to tag along too, but things had gotten urgent.
"Can't just let this slide. Might even affect the future of the jianghu..."
Cheon Igae's face grew grave.
'Evil-Black Alliance really overplayed their hand.'
Good thing Cheonhwi was there—without him, they'd all be dead.
'Were they that cornered?'
He frowned.
The Black Shadow Corps' appearance all but confirmed Evil-Black Alliance's designs on the bandits and Great Silver Merchant Company.
That much was understandable.
Replacing absent White Ghost Castle with bandits and grabbing wealth? Natural from their position.
But this went too far.
'Even after seeing Heavenly Assembly request Murim Alliance aid and Mount Hua's Plum Blossom Sword Guards mobilize, they pushed ahead.'
Sure, with Black Shadow Corps, they figured they could massacre everyone.
But contrary to expectations, the ambush failed.
And not just that.
The Black Shadow Corps itself got crushed.
'Think Evil-Black Alliance will let this go?'
Doubtful.
Sure, they wary of Heavenly Assembly, but Black Shadow Corps routed and new bandit recruits from Hang Mountain Stronghold smashed too.
They'd even botched disrupting the escort.
Let it slide, and the bandits and Great Silver Merchant Company would revolt, Evil-Black Alliance look like they bowed to Murim Alliance, shrinking their turf.
No backing down now.
'Why pull such a self-own...!'
Cheon Igae clicked his tongue.
Evil-Black Alliance felt the momentum shift against Murim Alliance and Heavenly Assembly, sensing crisis—but this was too rash.
'This'll spark open clash between Murim Alliance and Evil-Black Alliance. One side crumbles.'
Cheon Igae shook his head with a sigh at the worst-case scenario.
'Still, don't know what Alliance Leader and Strategist will choose.'
It took two hands to clap.
If Murim Alliance yielded maximally, it might blow over.
'Slim chance, though.'
But Cheon Igae could only bitterly smile at the thought.
Evil-Black Alliance struck first.
Why would Murim Alliance yield?
'Plus Mount Hua Sect's choice—no, that guy's choice matters too...'
As he pondered, glancing toward the mountain path Cheonhwi had taken, Cheon Igae spotted wagons rattling down.
"Hm?"
Three rickety wagons struggled down the slope, but something was off.
Cheon Igae wasn't the only one who noticed—murmurs rose from all around.
"P-people pulling the wagons...?"
"Those are the bandits the Plum Blossom Divine Hero took with him..."
Disbelief colored their eyes.
People—not horses—pulling the wagons.
Some rubbed their eyes in denial, blinked, but the sight persisted.
Then they belatedly spotted the figure lounging on the driver's seat and jolted.
"Plum Blossom Divine Hero?"
"Martial Uncle...?"
Cheonhwi sat with legs crossed on the driver's perch, yawning sleepily.
"Yawn."
He wiped a tear from his eye with his pinky and called to the bandits.
"Come on, almost there. Just reach that spot and you can rest."
Soon the wagons pulled up before them.
Plop―
The bandits collapsed in exhaustion.
"Heuk, heuk."
As their heaving chests produced ragged gasps...
"Nice."
Cheonhwi hopped down from the driver's seat.
"Guhk!"
Lightly stepping on the fallen ones, he approached Steward Oh and asked,
"Mind checking the cargo?"
"Cargo, you say?"
Steward Oh's eyes sparkled.
"Leave it to me."
He scurried over and flung open the first wagon's doors, gasping at the crammed contents.
"Wh-what is all this?"
"Stuff from Hang Mountain Stronghold."
"Gulp―"
Steward Oh's throat bobbed.
"C-can I handle selling this for you?"
Cheonhwi grinned.
"You can pay top coin, right?"
Steward Oh nodded vigorously.
"I'll get you the maximum for it, young hero."
"Mm. Then it's yours."
"Thank you!"
Cheonhwi turned from Steward Oh, who eagerly inventoried the wagons, and headed to the Fire Spirit Unit.
"All patched up?"
Cheonhyang nodded.
"Then let's go. Even snagged wagons for you."
The Fire Spirit Unit brightened.
'Not just riding horses—he got whole wagons for us to rest in!'
'What's with Junior Brother today!'
As the thoroughly misled group grinned...
"Get ready to pull the wagons."
Cheonhwi shattered their hopes with one line.
"......What?"
"P-pull the wagons?"
"Yeah. Those guys dragged 'em from there to here—surely you can manage?"
Cheonhyang bristled instantly.
"B-but Junior Brother! You said we'd rest after taking them down."
Cheonhwi smirked.
"So who took down the Hang Mountain Stronghold chief?"
"......"
Cheonhyang shut her mouth and bowed her head.
"And who got pushed around by those Black Shadow Corps bastards?"
"Th-that was..."
The Fire Spirit Unit's backs grew slick with sweat.
Cheonhwi eyed them pitifully and sighed deeply.
"Sigh. I'd be too embarrassed to even ask for rest after that. No lessons learned?"
The Fire Spirit Unit fell silent.
Then Cheonhyang, head still lowered, murmured softly.
"You're right, Junior Brother."
The unit jolted.
"U-unit leader?"
As the Fire Spirit Unit reeled at her agreement...
'That was close.'
Cheonhyang recalled the recent battle.
The Black Shadow Corps were monsters.
Pushed them to the brink.
'Without Junior Brother, we'd all be dead.'
She clenched her fist.
'Thought we'd grown stronger...'
Through hellish training, she'd prided herself on progress.
But it was a massive delusion.
The jianghu was vast, reality harsh.
Cheonhyang looked to Cheonhwi.
"Pull that, and we'll get stronger?"
"Stronger than now."
"Good enough."
She turned to the Fire Spirit Unit.
"Don't you want to grow stronger?"
They shook their heads side to side.
Who wouldn't crave strength as martial artists?
But.
"Still, that training..."
"It's just..."
Pulling wagons felt off.
Mount Hua Daoists hauling wagons? Others would laugh.
'Call us lunatics.'
Yet Cheonhyang was resolute.
"Don't wanna? Fine. Then leave the Fire Spirit Unit."
It hit like thunder from clear skies.
The members slumped in resignation, sighing as they shuffled to the wagons.
'They listen well. Convenient.'
As Cheonhwi nodded with arms crossed, the Chief Escort approached cautiously.
"Plum Blossom Divine Hero."
Hm? What's his deal?
Cheonhwi blinked in surprise at the formerly terrified Chief Escort.
The Chief Escort flinched under his gaze but soon clasped hands in formal salute.
"Thank you for saving me and the company's families."
Cheonhwi looked nonplussed.
"That was the plan."
The Chief Escort twitched.
'So magnanimous. Even when we shied from danger, he gave his all to save us.'
He wanted to crawl into a hole.
What a shameful display.
The Chief Escort bowed deeply.
"As expected of a great hero."
"......Tch, that so?"
Cheonhwi brushed it off vaguely since the man was polite.
Then the Chief Escort glanced at the Fire Spirit Unit.
"One request, though. The Plum Blossom Sword Guards got wounded saving us. Shouldn't they ride and rest during the journey?"
They'd strived to guard the goods too. Couldn't ignore their fatigue.
'Elder!'
'Milord!'
The Fire Spirit Unit, prepping to pull despite themselves, lit up at his words.
Especially the severely wounded ones, relief flashing across their faces.
"Pfft, would Mount Hua's Plum Blossom Sword Guards skip training over a few scratches and loaf in a wagon?"
Cheonhwi cut off the plea cold.
"Martial Uncle..."
As the unit moved to protest...
His follow-up sealed their lips.
"No way! Mount Hua's Plum Blossom Sword Guards doing something so shameful? A bit of spit heals that much."
Cheonhwi stared them down, lips curling slowly.
"Right?"
Their faces twisted.
No riding now without looking like fools.
'Screwed.'
'Damn it!'
As they stiffened...
"True Plum Blossom Sword Guards...!"
"Training through wounds— no wonder they're hailed as Mount Hua's elite!"
Chief Escort and escorts, porters cheered, eyes shining.
Already admiring the unit, they watched with worry and awe.
Under those gazes, the Fire Spirit Unit forced up trembling lips.
"Y-yeah. Plum Blossom Sword Guards don't rest for scratches."
"R-right. Like Martial Uncle said, this is nothing."
And moments later.
'Heuk! Why's it so heavy?!'
'Uwaaak! I'm insane!'
'Damn! Should've just whined about pain and flopped!'
They set off pulling the wagons, faces full of regret. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇