Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Guidance
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—Ta-at.
Cheongun spun in circles before landing lightly.
In the pitch-black darkness.
His face flickered above the bonfire, and his eyes, fixed on the bandits, gleamed especially bright.
His gaze swept smoothly from left to right over the bandits before curving into a smile.
"I knew it would come to this. What? Take hostages? Honestly. You lot are hopeless. Just die."
He had roughly guessed it from the moment he first saw them.
No matter how much the ancient Central Plains were a symbol of barbarism and savagery, it wasn't an era completely devoid of morals and ethics.
There was at least a minimal notion of good in this age, but these guys had none of it.
"Great hero! It's a misunderstanding!"
"Misunderstanding my ass. I heard it clear as day."
Qi sense wasn't just about feeling the flow of qi well.
Just as qi flowed between heaven and earth, sound was a vibration that followed the qi.
Cheongun had poured nearly 20,000 achievement points into qi sense when creating his character, so his hearing had surpassed human limits.
"I-I'll explain everything!"
"Explain? You dare try to lecture me right now?"
"No, no! I'll clarify everything!"
"Not interested. Just die."
Sring—!
Cheongun drew his sword.
Thin streaks of lightning stretched out like threads, intersecting and gathering at the tip.
Electric light writhed along the blade like it was alive.
And then.
Craaaack—!
Brilliant blue thunderbolts flashed, tearing through the air.
Yang Hogol shuddered at the menacing sight.
He didn't know what martial art it was, but he could tell that getting hit by it meant instant death.
He collapsed involuntarily and shouted desperately.
"I-I'm Yang Hogol, chief of the Iron Gate Mountain Stronghold of the Green Forest Eighteen Bandit Dens!"
It was practically his last struggle.
Begging wouldn't work on this madman anyway, so he had no other choice.
Cheongun paused for a moment.
"You're the chief?"
"That's right! Kill me, and the Green Forest won't let it slide!"
"Ah, the Green Forest would be a hassle."
At those words, Yang Hogol felt a spark of hope.
If the guy knew the Green Forest's power, he might untangle this mess more easily than expected.
Cheongun stood still, staring at them.
Then he muttered something incomprehensible.
"Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know."
"...?"
"Know what that means?"
"O-Of course!"
Yang Hogol nodded frantically.
Even a poorly educated bandit like him knew that saying.
It meant there were no secrets between you and me now, so live straight from here on out!
But his face turned pale blue at Cheongun's next words.
"Heaven and earth have no mouths."
"What?"
"So if I just kill you lot who do, there's no connection between the Green Forest and me."
Ah, murder to silence them all.
This mad bastard!
"G-Great hero, aren't you a righteous warrior of the orthodox path?"
"The path I walk is the orthodox path."
"What kind of bullshit... Aren't you afraid of heaven?!"
"I am heaven."
"Y-You psycho..."
Yang Hogol was speechless.
Of all people, he had to run into a lunatic like this.
"Alright, time to really die."
Cheongun approached, dragging his sword along the ground.
Honestly, he had tailed them because letting them go felt off, and following was the right call.
He had just reached a new realm and wanted to test it out.
What better performance test than killing scum like these?
At that moment, Yang Hogol exchanged glances with his brothers around him.
What pointless scheme were they plotting now?
As Cheongun watched calmly.
"Charge!"
Pababak—!
At his shout, the bandits who had been trembling moments ago surged toward Cheongun from all sides.
Meanwhile, Yang Hogol hung back, forgetting to even breathe as he unleashed his lightness skill to flee.
He ran at full speed, his blood vessels throbbing hot from the strain.
Occasionally, lightning flashed behind him like thunderbolts, followed by a massive boom—Kwang!—and sporadic screams of agony.
But Yang Hogol never looked back.
"Huff... huff..."
The sounds gradually faded.
Still not safe, he kept channeling his inner energy for maximum speed.
After fleeing for nearly half a shichen—about an hour—he finally reached the stronghold entrance.
"Hah... Fuck..."
He caught his breath, relief washing over him that he had survived.
"Heh... heh..."
Damn, he lived.
A chuckle escaped him.
His men had bought him a good amount of time, it seemed.
Yang Hogol collapsed flat on his back.
The night sky was clear.
Too exhausted to move, he lay there dazed.
"...?"
Suddenly, a shadow fell over him.
He rolled his eyes, and Cheongun's gaze slid into view.
"......"
"......"
Cheongun's eyes drew closer.
Yang Hogol couldn't move until they stopped right in front of him.
And moments later.
Cheongun grinned and parted his lips.
"Gotta die, right?"
"......"
Gulp.
Yang Hogol lost consciousness.
Iron Gate Mountain Stronghold.
Buildings lined up on either side of the central hall, with the vault and chief's quarters at the innermost part.
Cheongun dragged the tightly bound Yang Hogol around and demanded.
"Open the vault."
"...Yes."
Yang Hogol, having lost all will, obediently opened it.
"Oh. Lots of stuff."
Bandits made a living from robbery.
Meaning they had plenty stashed away.
Sure enough, the vault held a considerable amount of gold ingots.
And not just that.
Precious medicines, gold, and all sorts of goods likely plundered from merchant caravans.
The title of Green Forest Eighteen Bandit Dens wasn't empty; for a single stronghold, they were quite wealthy.
And this was unclaimed money.
Meaning, finders keepers.
"Jackpot."
Cheongun thoroughly ransacked every corner, hands behind his back.
The night breeze was cool.
The moonlight serene, pockets heavy—what a poetic night.
As he wandered in high spirits.
"Hm?"
Cheongun spotted something.
He had just entered a particularly secluded room, and the walls were hung with all sorts of things.
Bloody weapons and clothes, even what looked like scalps with red flesh dangling.
And amid various blades, a torture rack.
Cheongun clicked his tongue.
"What are you?"
"......"
"Thought you were just regular trash, but you're full-on hazardous waste."
Cheongun dragged him out again.
Forced him to his knees, then jabbed a finger at his Demon Seal Acupoint.
No need to debate good or evil.
The jianghu had no laws, but it had principles.
Filth like this was better off turned to dust sooner rather than later—for the good of the world.
Sensing death, Yang Hogol trembled and wept.
"S-Spare m..."
"Shut up. Just die."
Cheongun drew his sword.
He moved to sever head from body.
"Young hero."
"!!!"
Cheongun whipped his head around in surprise.
The sudden intruder was a bald monk in faded yellow robes, smiling kindly.
The monk glanced between Cheongun and Yang Hogol, then chuckled and pressed his palms together.
"Please, stay your blade."
Cheongun was flabbergasted.
What the hell was this baldy?
From his speech and looks, clearly a Shaolin monk, but the aura and presence screamed peak master, no matter how you sliced it.
Ah, what a pain.
Righteous faction folks, especially Shaolin monks, were all rigid blockheads who wouldn't listen to reason.
Cheongun spoke in an irritated tone.
"This guy's evil."
"I know."
"Doesn't know how many he's killed—pure trash."
"Buddha nature exists in all beings from the start. Why not give him a chance to be guided under the Buddha's teachings?"
Look at him now.
Trying to kill one piece of trash, and here he was butting in with guidance and all that.
"Guidance, huh."
Cheongun muttered with a sigh.
After pondering the monk's words, he fiddled with the scabbard at his waist.
Sring—
A faint sword cry rang out.
The blade slid out half an inch before snapping back.
The motion was so fast that the monk only saw electric currents from the Heaven-Earth Primordial Unity Qi Art flicker around the scabbard.
A moment of silence.
And then—
"...?"
A thin red line appeared on Yang Hogol's neck.
Blood beaded along it, and finally, his head tilted at an unnatural angle along the line.
"!!!"
The monk realized too late and moved to intervene—but
Pfshk!
Yang Hogol's head already tumbled, blood spraying like a fountain.
As the monk stared blankly at the falling head.
Cheongun tossed out a flat remark.
"Sorry. I don't listen to baldies."
"......"