Chapter 256: Raid of the Northern Wind Unit-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 256: Raid of the Northern Wind Unit-1
"Are you alright!?"
Seeing her slam her head against the ceiling, Chief Ma’s eyes widened as he asked in a panicked tone.
His expression was filled with worry.
Neung So-hwa was the lord he had chosen to serve for the rest of his life. The mere thought that she might have been injured sent a wave of anxiety through him.
"......I am fine."
She lightly wiped away the tears welling in her eyes and answered him.
Because her internal energy had been sealed through a special method, her body was currently no different from that of an ordinary person. Consequently, the pain throbbing in her head was considerable, but she did not want to lose her dignity as a monarch.
She intentionally straightened her expression and regained her composure, worried that she might have let too much of her agony show.
"What on earth is happening!"
Relieved that she was unharmed, Chief Ma turned toward the driver’s seat and roared.
If they were going to stop the carriage, they should have done so gradually. What were they thinking, slamming on the brakes while traveling at such high speeds? The carriage could have easily overturned.
"I-I’m sorry."
A voice thick with intimidation drifted back from the driver’s seat, likely cowed by Chief Ma’s authoritative shout.
"Is 'sorry' all you have to say? How are you driving this thing!? What would you have done if the carriage had flipped? This could have been a catastrophic accident!"
Chief Ma shouted, his face contorted in a deep scowl.
"Oh, I am truly sorry. An unavoidable situation arose..."
The coachman, bearing the full brunt of Chief Ma’s fury, trailed off as he tried to make an excuse.
"What kind of situation could possibly justify this!?"
"Someone is blocking the front of the merchant caravan right now."
The coachman spoke with a dark expression.
"What!?"
Chief Ma asked back in surprise. Who would suddenly block a merchant caravan out here?
"It appears to be a band of bandits."
The coachman spoke with a worried air. Upon hearing his words, Chief Ma’s face hardened.
"Bandits? You’re saying there are bandits in the bitter cold of the North Sea?"
Chief Ma asked, his voice laced with doubt.
He couldn't understand it. This was the North Sea—a place where even ordinary horses found it difficult to move. Furthermore, it was a vast, sprawling land where finding a target to plunder was like finding a needle in a haystack. How could there be a band of bandits in such a place?
"There are bandits even in the North Sea."
The coachman opened his mouth to answer the question.
"How can they go around playing bandit in this freezing weather?"
Chief Ma asked, looking aghast.
"The bandit groups in the North Sea are all composed of martial artists. They can withstand the cold to some degree."
The coachman explained calmly.
"Furthermore, they all ride Blood-Sweating Horses, so their mobility is exceptional."
"Blood-Sweating Horses!?"
Chief Ma asked again, stunned.
What were Blood-Sweating Horses? They were so rare that one couldn't obtain them even with a mountain of gold. They were the very reason he had paid a premium to join this merchant escort mission. And yet, mere bandits were riding such treasures among treasures?
"Their primary targets are the merchant groups entering the North Sea. They've secured their Blood-Sweating Horses by plundering them."
"Hah."
Chief Ma let out a hollow laugh. It was absurd to think they had acquired those precious horses in such a manner.
"Then what happens now?"
Chief Ma asked the coachman. Since his top priority was Neung So-hwa’s protection, the caravan's next move was of the utmost importance.
"Generally, they just take a toll and leave. For a merchant group of our size, even bandits find it troublesome to engage in a full-scale fight."
The coachman answered steadily.
"Phew."
Hearing that, Chief Ma felt a slight sense of relief. Though they had encountered bandits, it didn't seem to be the worst-case scenario. If they could settle it by paying a toll, the situation wasn't that dangerous.
Boom!
Just then, a massive explosion echoed from the front.
"What was that!?"
Startled by the roar, Chief Ma looked at the coachman.
"It seems things didn't go well."
The coachman turned back, his face pale.
"Dammit."
Chief Ma’s brow furrowed deeply. He had hoped for an easy way out, but it seemed that was out of the question.
Clang!
Aaaargh!
Clang!
Euaaaargh!
Clang!
Soon, the sharp sound of clashing metal and screams began to reach his ears. It appeared the negotiations had broken down and a battle had erupted.
"F-First! Please evacuate to the very rear."
The coachman looked at Neung So-hwa and Chief Ma, advising them to retreat. Their carriage was positioned not far from where the fighting had broken out. They could easily get caught in the crossfire.
"Understood."
Chief Ma nodded in agreement. He had also been thinking that staying still in the carriage was the worst possible move. They had to move to keep Neung So-hwa safe.
"My Lady, let us move for now," Chief Ma said respectfully, looking at Neung So-hwa.
Nod.
Neung So-hwa nodded. There was nothing she could do in this situation. With her internal energy sealed, what power did she have? The best course of action was to evacuate to a safe place so as not to become a burden.
Creek.
Having obtained her consent, Chief Ma flung the carriage door open and stepped out first.
As he emerged, the painfully cold snow wind greeted him. Ignoring it, Chief Ma scanned the surroundings, maintaining a sharp vigil. He saw the bandits and the escort warriors facing off not far away. Fortunately, no bandits had made it this far back yet.
"Please, come out."
Chief Ma spoke to Neung So-hwa inside. She nodded and stepped out of the carriage. Once she was out, Chief Ma took a position in front of her.
"Move toward the rear. I will cover you from behind."
Neung So-hwa nodded and began moving toward the rear with the coachman. Chief Ma followed, guarding her back.
Before long, they reached the very end of the caravan. There were quite a few people gathered there already—all merchants of the Bukmun Merchant Guild. It seemed they had also fled to the rear to avoid the aftermath of the sudden battle.
"You've finally arrived."
As they reached the group, a chubby man at the front, drenched in sweat, spoke to them. It was Seok-gyu, the Head Merchant in charge of this caravan.
"I was worried something might have happened to you."
Seok-gyu spoke with a concerned expression.
"You made it here quite quickly, Head Merchant."
"Is this not a merchant journey where one never knows what might happen? One must be swift."
Seok-gyu continued to wipe away his sweat as he replied to Chief Ma.
Chief Ma was impressed. The carriage the Head Merchant had been riding was quite far ahead of theirs. Yet, he had reached the rear faster than they had. He must have bolted the moment the carriage stopped without looking back. One couldn't help but admire his survival instincts.
"No, what on earth is going on!?"
"What is happening!?"
The merchants who were originally at the rear began throwing questions. The carriages had stopped abruptly, and then the merchants from the front had swarmed back in a group. They couldn't grasp the situation.
"It's a raid," Seok-gyu answered.
"A raid!?"
"What do you mean, a raid!?"
The merchants asked back in shock. A raid, out of nowhere?
"It appears to be the work of bandits."
"How could this..."
"Bandits..."
The merchants' faces paled instantly. Usually, when bandits appeared in the North Sea, they would pay a toll and pass. But if even the Head Merchant, Seok-gyu, had evacuated this far, it meant negotiations had failed. Blood was surely being shed at the front.
"Do not worry too much. Is it not the Seven Star Escort Agency protecting our guild right now?"
Seeing the merchants' anxious expressions, Seok-gyu spoke to reassure them.
The Seven Star Escort Agency was the most powerful agency in Beijing, and the escort leaders who had accompanied them on this trip were all masters who had reached the First-class realm. Furthermore, the man overseeing them all was Kwak Man of the Seven Star Sword, a top-tier expert in the industry who was nearing the Upper Stage of the Peak Realm.
Moreover, the escort warriors were all experienced Second-rate experts, and even the porters were men of great physical stature. This was not a force that would lose to mere bandits.
"T-That’s true, right?"
"Exactly. What is there to fear when the Seven Star Escort Agency is guarding the Bukmun Merchant Guild?"
"The Seven Star Escort Agency won't lose to the likes of bandits. No way."
The merchants each chimed in with hopeful words after hearing Seok-gyu. While they weren't completely at ease, they felt their anxiety subside somewhat compared to before.
Seeing this, Seok-gyu nodded with a grave expression. He was just as anxious as they were. However, if he showed signs of wavering here, everyone else would start trembling in fear. As the one responsible for the caravan, he couldn't allow that.
"Still, just in case, everyone grab something that can serve as a weapon."
Seok-gyu spoke as he looked at the now-calmer merchants.
""Understood.""
The merchants began picking up anything that could be used as a weapon. Some drew daggers from their robes, some held walking sticks, and some even picked up stones. It might have looked ridiculous at a glance, but their eyes were dead serious.
Schwing.
Seeing this, Chief Ma also drew his sword from the scabbard at his hip, preparing for any eventuality.
How much time had passed?
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.
Suddenly, the sound of the ground vibrating began to echo. Startled, the merchants looked around to find the source. They soon realized the sound was coming from behind them.
The panicked merchants milled about in confusion, while Chief Ma stared toward the rear with calm eyes.
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
As time passed, the vibration grew louder. Soon, the source of the sound revealed itself.
The first thing they saw was a massive Blood-Sweating Horse, its entire body a shimmering crimson. It was said they were called Blood-Sweating Horses because they sweated blood; in that sense, the horse before them deserved the name more than any other. The red hue staining the horse was deeper and more vivid than any Blood-Sweating Horse they had ever seen. It looked like actual human blood. Its massive, majestic presence was enough to make one's knees tremble.
"So, everyone was gathered here."
Then, a chillingly cold male voice drifted down from atop the horse. The voice was so frigid it sent an involuntary shiver through everyone's bodies.
Thump.
Having finished speaking, the man dismounted and landed on the ground. A heavy sound echoed as his feet touched the earth.
Crunch, crunch.
The man who had dismounted began walking slowly toward the merchants at the rear. Soon, his full appearance was revealed.
He was a neat-looking middle-aged man. If one didn't know better, he could pass for a chivalrous hero of the Orthodox Faction. His eyes were profound, and his hair was combed back neatly. Even his beard was so well-maintained that it exuded an air of elegance.
However, the merchants could not feel at ease. Despite his refined appearance, a sticky, suffocating killing intent was coiling around their bodies.
"W-Who are you!?"
One of the merchants mustered his courage and shouted.
"I don't recall telling you to speak."
The man smiled brightly and swung the sword hanging at his hip.
Swoosh!
The draw was so fast that Chief Ma lost track of his movement for a split second.
"Cough, cough."
Suddenly, a violent coughing sound erupted from the side. Startled, Chief Ma turned his head. Beside him, the merchant who had shouted was coughing, drenched in blood.
"A-Are you alright?"
Chief Ma spoke with a trembling voice as he looked at the merchant.
But the merchant could not answer. A thin red line appeared across his throat, and then his head began to slide off to the side.
Spurt!
Thud.
Roll.
Blood erupted from the severed neck, and the merchant’s head rolled across the freezing ground of the North Sea.
"I am the one who asks. You only answer."
The man spoke, looking at them with eyes full of murderous intent.
'He's dangerous.'
Chief Ma’s eyes began to shake uncontrollably as he stared at the man.