Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Sichuan Yizhou's Changying Inn
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After spending the night in Hanzhong, we set out again as soon as dawn broke.
It wasn't a difficult journey. More like a leisurely stroll.
Compared to the complexities of a woman's heart, this was a breeze—no real worries at all.
On the road from Hanzhong into Sichuan, we spotted some bandits.
Well, not exactly "met." They just caught our eye.
Since we weren't sticking to the main trails, our path was our own.
That's how we saw the smoke—and that's why we headed toward it.
Maybe a slash-and-burn village? Nope, not even close.
A bandits' lair. Crawling with nothing but men.
I hold no particular grudge against bandits.
Honestly. They haven't done me any direct harm.
So, to put it precisely, they're like cockroaches to me.
As long as they don't crawl up close and gross me out, I wouldn't go out of my way to exterminate them one by one.
But no one lets a cockroach they spot scurry away alive.
Of course, if you're the type who freaks out at roaches—"Eek!"—you might let it go.
I'm not that type. Roaches don't scare me.
Besides, I have two women with me who need some real combat experience.
So there's zero reason to let these bandits we found just pass by. None at all.
In the deep mountain valley's morning, men's shouts and screams echoed.
Mere bandit riffraff couldn't handle peak-level experts like Seolha and Yeonhwa.
If someone with that kind of skill was slumming it as a bandit, they'd need a psych evaluation.
Or maybe they had some twisted bandit fetish.
Since I ordered them to "handle it," Seolha's sword showed no hesitation.
A blade with no mercy in its strikes. Every graze of her Cloud Rain Sword birthed a mist of blood around it.
Watching her, last night's events flickered in my mind unbidden, but I pushed them aside.
Just keep nurturing Seolha like this from now on. Nothing problematic or weird about it. She's fine.
Yeonhwa still hesitated at her sword's tip.
Even with clear chances to thrust fatally, she missed some. That's a major issue. A mistake that could cost her life.
🔴 TELEPATHIC SHOUT 🔴 "Yeonhwa! Don't hesitate! Cast aside your doubts! Kill those who must die—when you can!" My telepathic yell snapped her to attention, and her movements finally sharpened.
The hesitation at her blade's edge hadn't fully vanished, but it was better than before.
The bandit lair was cleaned up in no time.
I didn't lift a finger. No need to.
"Great Hero!"
Seolha's call drew me over.
There, a few women trembled in terror.
Four women. Their condition was poor—they'd clearly been through hell.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue without thinking.
Typical.
This is why bandits deserve to die. Every last one.
"These scum must have some loot stashed away. It won't undo the ruin they've brought to your lives, but it'll offer some small compensation. Take it and go."
I said that and turned away.
That should do it. Bandit hauls aren't grand, but they're not penniless either.
Even just what I saw was decent enough—they'd live comfortably if they grabbed that and left.
We left the ruined lair and pressed into Sichuan. By afternoon, we found another bandit camp.
Same story. Swift cleanup. Captured women. Liberation.
"Are bandits always this common? Is this tied to the Righteous-Demonic-Evil Great War?"
Seolha answered politely to my question.
"Yes, Great Hero. Since the orthodox sects' power waned, these vermin have sprouted like bamboo shoots. Big cities have government oversight, so it's not this bad, but remote areas are lawless."
Just as I thought. Spot on.
When the righteous sects held sway, trash like this couldn't run rampant.
Back when justice-peddling chivalrous types roamed everywhere, stamping out these tumors was faster than they could grow.
But now? They're too busy worrying about their own necks to play hero.
So guys like that Yeongyangcheon from yesterday are the precious few.
"Makes sense. Even in Shaanxi Province, the righteous sects' front yard, scum ran wild. No chance in these boonies. Anyway, let's go."
We descended the mountain.
Hanzhong was relatively peaceful... but Sichuan's state worries me a bit.
How much of a mess is it?
As we raced down, the slope gradually eased.
Still, the altitude felt high. We'd come down a long way, yet it still felt like we were atop mountains.
Plus, it was humid and sweltering. Annoyingly so.
If I weren't immune to heat and cold, I might've turned back right then.
That's how we reached Yizhou.
The first city straight from Hanzhong. And I spotted familiar place names here.
Jian'ge and Gami Pass. Anyone who's read Romance of the Three Kingdoms knows them.
Seeing them for real hammered home that I'd truly entered the Bashu region.
Yizhou was much like Hanzhong.
I handed coins to street kids, turning them into my info network. They chattered away with what they knew.
That's how we found this upscale inn: Changying Inn.
Top-notch facilities. More than satisfactory. Felt like royalty.
Money's the best, huh? It delivers exactly its worth. Gotta love it.
Best part: once inside, no need to leave.
Meals, entertainment—all handled on-site. This must be what a staycation feels like.
Damn. Never tried one. Kinda jealous.
Wonder if I can return to my original world? Live another 500-600 years from now?
Lost in such idle thoughts, we had dinner.
Sichuan dishes in abundance. High-end stuff, so the table overflowed.
Seolha and Yeonhwa eyed the spread with eager anticipation.
Makes sense—girls back home loved mala tang. Wonder if it's the same here.
Mid-meal, a subtle sensation crept in.
Intense spices. Stimulating flavors.
Then, faintly trailing behind: a sense of wrongness.
Huh? Get a load of this? Pulling this stunt right in the open?
I didn't tell Seolha or Yeonhwa.
Not poison. The system would've alerted me if it were.
By the feel, it's a sedative.
What do they plan once we're out cold?
Seolha and Yeonhwa can't fully conceal their inner energy presence.
So they know we're martial artists.
And they try this anyway? Using a sleep aid instead of cripple qi poison—plausible deniability if it goes south?
Curiosity piqued. I ate on calmly.
Whatever's in it won't affect me.
Just gather it in one spot inside and expel later.
Dinner done, soon after the sedative hit. Seolha and Yeonhwa blinked sleepily, swaying.
"Must be tired from all that lightness skill. Get some early rest."
"Ugh... Yes, Great Hero. Think I should..."
"Yaaawn."
And so we turned in early.
I waited, heart pounding in anticipation of what was coming.
By my guess, around midnight.
Getting bored—why aren't they here yet?—then faint presences stirred outside.
Yes! Finally, the bastards are coming.
Almost dozed off waiting. Was afraid it'd be a bust.
Three presences. First-rate level, roughly.
If awake, Yeonhwa alone could handle all three with room to spare.
"Heh. See? What'd I tell ya? Prime cuts of meat, right?"
"Kekeke. Yep. Your eye for talent shines again. Good job, pup. You get first dibs."
"Ah, shut your trap and let's finish this quick."
Thinking we're dead asleep, they whispered conspiratorially.
Man, so one-dimensional.
Guess that's why they've survived this long—these tricks work.
I rose silently.
They froze like they'd seen a ghost.
"Damn it!"
One had guts, at least. He lunged with a dagger straight for me.
Ah, not guts—recklessness.
Even if I hid my presence perfectly, this lack of sense...
I snatched the dagger and sealed his pressure points.
His panicked face locked in place.
The other two fared no better. No time to flee—they ended up sealed too.
Meanwhile, Seolha and Yeonhwa snored peacefully.
What the hell did they use? Works like a charm.
Grabbing the three by the scruffs, I dragged them away from the beds.
Then, to the two others, I addressed the "brave" one who'd tried to stab me.
"Watch closely. Could be you next."
I poured inner energy into him, scrambling his meridians and bones into chaos.
Divided Sinews, Dislocated Bones. Or Misaligned Bones, Sundered Tendons.
Call it what you will. The excruciating agony's the same.
Points sealed, he couldn't scream—just rolled his eyes back and passed out.
I slapped him awake a few times and repeated the process.
After several rounds, he was a total wreck.
Hm. Perfect. Great object lesson.
"Your turn now. I'll unseal your speech points. Once I do, spill your backers. And don't bother with that crap about it being just you three, no one behind you. I'm not an idiot. Looking forward to it."
I knocked one out cold and unsealed another's speech.
He blurted desperately.
"I-it's the Nether Bandits Sect! We're affiliated with...!"
The demo worked wonders—he spilled everything. Hm. Alright, one down.
Knocked the talker out, woke the next.
He sang the same tune, no major differences.
Both told the truth. Cross-verification passed.
Woke the last one. Gave the two a lighter dose of bone-tendon torment.
They confessed honestly, so half the first guy's punishment.
Can't let them off scot-free for this stunt, right?