Bandits of the Green Forest, Thousand Sword Heroine, and Little Immortal (4)
“He's not as easy a man as I thought, Baek Su-gyeong.”
Gal Ye-ryeong had just returned to her room at the inn after breaking up the drinking party. The black-masked man bowed low at her words and replied.
“What shall we do?”
“About what?”
“For the Left Commander herself to come all the way here personally...”
“Jam-sa. Enough.”
Her voice sharpened like a needle at the mention of Third Commander, making Jam-sa, the bowed man, shut his mouth.
Gal Ye-ryeong glared down at her subordinate with an irritated look.
“I've already reached an agreement with the Dark King Leader beforehand. This deal was made on that basis. It's my business. Do you think the Sect Leader sent me here for no reason?”
“Th-that's...”
“Even as an escort, watch your words carefully, Jam-sa.”
Gal Ye-ryeong's eyes gleamed coldly.
“Don't forget—I could cut your throat anytime.”
“Understood.”
Jam-sa bowed his head, feeling a chill crawl up his neck. His opponent was the Left Commander. Alongside the Great Commander and Right Commander, she was one of Haomen's core executives. After the negotiations with Baek Su-gyeong at Shaolin failed, Sect Leader Ya Noe had sent her personally, leaving Jam-sa behind. A woman with enough power to sever his neck without effort—that was Left Commander Ya-jeop, the Night Butterfly. A master without a known name, bearing the titles Nameless and Thousand Faces. Gal Ye-ryeong was just a temporary alias for this mission.
“But he turned out to have more backbone than expected, Baek Su-gyeong. Even with that Jade Sword Flower by his side. Jam-sa, what did you think of him at Shaolin?”
“I deemed him untouchable. If the Heavenly Demon Church's assessment is correct, he's at least at the Half-Return to Truth Realm.”
“Half-Return to Truth...”
Gal Ye-ryeong's eyes narrowed.
“Why would a master with that level of martial arts waste time writing novels? With skills like that, sects everywhere would be lining up to recruit him.”
“Eccentrics of the jianghu often have incomprehensible quirks. He might just have a perverse personality he keeps hidden most of the time.”
“Hmm... probably.”
Hidden masters of the jianghu were all notoriously eccentric. If Baek Su-gyeong's behavior fell into that category, it wasn't incomprehensible. That's why they were called eccentrics.
Gal Ye-ryeong pulled out a portable copper mirror that folded up and asked,
“Jam-sa. Background check?”
“Still ongoing, but we've dug up almost nothing. After taking the appraiser position at Yongmun Escort Bureau, he hasn't done much public activity, and nothing particularly noteworthy stands out. He's bizarrely ordinary.”
“Appraiser... unusual career.”
It was a role that discerned the authenticity of rare items coming into the escort bureau. Commonly called a gam-jin-sik-bo, it required an eye for treasures and antiques. Not a standard position in most bureaus—only places like Luoyang's Yongmun Escort Bureau, which dealt heavily in ancient books and art, had them. Holding that post meant he had exceptional discernment.
Gal Ye-ryeong said,
“And that's what makes him suspicious?”
“Yes. Someone who can hide their martial prowess this perfectly must have tremendous abilities.”
A perfect misunderstanding—one that would make Baek Su-gyeong spit blood if he heard it.
“A master at Half-Return to Truth who abandons dedicated cultivation to become a poet? Suspicious in itself. Maybe he's seeking new enlightenment in the secular world.”
“Can't rule it out.”
“Hmm. Can't take my eyes off him, that man.”
Gal Ye-ryeong snapped the mirror shut.
“I must have him. Thinking of the impact he could have on the jianghu, I absolutely can't let him fall to those righteous faction nobodies.”
“Understood.”
“Get out.”
As she dismissed Jam-sa, Gal Ye-ryeong took out her comb.
“Now, how to conquer that man...”
Haomen's Left Commander's voice, deep in contemplation, flickered like flames in the night air.
Riiip.
The shoulder of Bang Soran's robe tore away, exposing her pale skin. No wound since it was ripped by hand, not a weapon, but her expression soured.
The bandits cackled at Bang Soran, whose clothes were now half-rags.
“Even the world's Thousand Sword Heroine can't do a thing when her disciple's hostage!”
“Not even whores dress that slutty! Some renowned female master—you're just a high-class prostitute!”
Near-sexual taunts. But she couldn't wound them recklessly. Every time she aimed for their throats, Paek-do pressed against So Seon-ha's neck as if to slice it.
“Kuh...”
“Master...!”
Tears welled in So Seon-ha's eyes. Her beloved master was being toyed with by bandits. Because of her. Just because she was helplessly captured.
“Master!!”
“Stay still, brat. Unless you want your head cut off.”
Paek-do lightly scratched So Seon-ha's throat as she struggled against her ropes, drawing blood. The chilling pain made her freeze.
Jang-yu snickered.
“Watch your master turn into a ragdoll. Once we're done, we'll let you both go.”
“Ah... ahh...”
Tears beaded in So Seon-ha's eyes. Her cool, strong, beautiful master was being defiled. Because of her alone.
Her head drooped, and a voice like tears leaked from her lips.
“What... kind of hero...”
“Aaaagh!”
Bang Soran's scream echoed from nearby. So Seon-ha whipped her head up to see her master retreating with a shoulder wound. Wounds covered her body—not just one or two. Her clothes were shredded beyond usability, and the accumulating injuries were pushing her into a defensive corner.
If only she, So Seon-ha, weren't here.
“Master────!!”
“Seon-ha! Hold on! I'll save you for sure!!”
Bang Soran rose, swinging her sword to block the bandits' assault. But she couldn't harm them. The conditions were too unfavorable. A fight started on terms brutally advantageous to the bandits of Gu-ryong Stronghold.
No matter her skill, she couldn't subdue them all without killing, then reach Jang-yu. He'd just use her as a shield again.
“Kuhahaha! That's fun! So much fun! Break through, Thousand Sword Heroine! See that nameless brat crying? Punch through my men and save your disciple with your fancy skills!!”
Jang-yu's mad laughter echoed.
“Dressed like a cheap whore! Can you even call yourself a jianghu hero, Thousand Sword Heroine, looking like that? Maybe Cheap Whore Slut!”
“Kuhaha!”
“The Chieftain's right!”
“Cheap Whore Slut—fits perfectly! How about we call her that instead of Thousand Sword Heroine from now on!”
She glared at the mocking bandits but couldn't use lethal strikes. The conditions were too tight. She'd stepped too deep into Jang-yu's trap.
If only I'd stayed calmer, this disaster...
Rushing off to save her sole disciple might have been the mistake. Jumping in without gauging the enemy's scheme or trap led to this. She'd never thought herself impulsive amid countless jianghu incidents.
But today, Bang Soran knew she'd been far too hasty.
If I'd acted wiser, I wouldn't be this helpless.
The bandits' blades surged. She dodged with footwork, but couldn't avoid every cut etching her skin. Grimacing at the pain scraping her body.
Unilateral offense. Unilateral defense continued.
Watching, So Seon-ha screamed.
“I'm fine! I'm okay, so...!”
She was just baggage, hindering her master. If only she were stronger. If she'd gained powerful martial arts like So Seonhyeopdogi's protagonist, So Yu-hyeon, quickly—none of this would happen.
So Seon-ha screamed as if vomiting blood.
“Don't worry about me! I don't care if I die! You can't, Master! You're the Thousand Sword Heroine! A righteous person! A hero! So don't mind me and...!”
“You bitch!”
Smack.
Jang-yu backhanded So Seon-ha to silence her, grinding his teeth. He turned to his guards, face twisted in murderous intent.
“All of you, go down! Tear that bitch apart!”
“Yes, Chieftain!”
Bang Soran screamed like spitting blood at the sight of So Seon-ha struck.
“Seon-ha!!”
“Time to claim your head, Bang Soran!”
“The Chieftain wants your neck!”
Axes, halberds, longswords, greatswords... Weapons brimming with killing intent whirled at Bang Soran. Until now, the bandits had only toyed, scratching clothes and skin. But with Jang-yu's kill order, they unleashed full power.
Wounded, inner energy depleted, stamina failing—she struggled even to endure.
With So Seon-ha's mouth shut, Jang-yu relaxed, regaining leisure.
“Kekeke, after two hours of fun, you're exhausted. You're dying here, Bang Soran!”
Hearing Jang-yu, So Seon-ha gazed below through blurring vision. Bang Soran, bloodied and cornered, like prey herded by hunters around a massive tiger.
Normally, she'd crush them all and save her. Seeing her master fail, So Seon-ha squeezed her eyes shut.
It's my fault. If I hadn't been caught.
If I had the strength to resist.
Power... I need power...
Power to smash these bandit scum and save her master. Desperately needed.
How? How...!
Eyes closed, So Seon-ha thought. Pathetic inner energy. Bang Soran's techniques memorized but unused. Too weak to even untie these ropes.
How to turn this around?
Ah!
Suddenly, a scene from So Seonhyeopdogi flashed. A trial eerily like this one befalling So Yu-hyeon. He'd overcome it with his own power—defeating those driving his master to death, saving her.
Not orthodox, but reverse-heaven style. As a reverse-blood body, he'd reversed his inner energy for explosive force, self-realizing the heart method to dramatically escape crisis.
But a chill of doubt crept in.
Can I do it?
Never tried. Never even attempted.
Terror surged, but regulating breath deep and shallow, So Seon-ha guided the inner energy in her dantian.
A near-reverse-heaven path defying normal flow. Qi circulating against blood flow accelerated explosively through her reverse-blood meridians.
It's working!
Like chapter two of So Seonhyeopdogi, precursors appeared in her body. Once accelerated, inner energy surged terrifyingly through her, swelling like rampaging from meager stores. Dormant power below stirred.
Her small, unremarkable frame stretched forcibly, like yanked taut.
“Huh?!”
Jang-yu turned to her. Sensing wildly surging power, he thought Bang Soran might be making a last stand.
No. Intense power churned from So Seon-ha.
“How is this bitch...”
Not sealing her meager energy was the mistake. Ropes binding her shredded strand by strand, as if molting in the whirlwind of qi.
“You bitch!!”
As Jang-yu urgently swung Paek-do, blinding light exploded—a fierce gust hurling him back.
Boom!
“Kuhk!”
Wincing at the back pain, Jang-yu saw So Seon-ha freed from ropes. Terrifying qi vortexed around her.
He gasped in shock.
“H-how can that brat...!”
Freed So Seon-ha's icy gaze fixed on Jang-yu. He kicked off the stockade at the frozen stare.
“Dieeeee────!”
With a ferocious roar, Jang-yu's Paek-do plummeted toward So Seon-ha's head.