Chapter 67
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Snake and Hawk Hunt (4)
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The fifth watch—roughly three to five in the morning—was drawing to a close. This final segment marked the last of the night's five divisions, signaling that dawn was near.
The eastern sky was beginning to lighten.
Flying Tiger and his group arrived at the rendezvous point and waited for the others.
One moment felt like an eternity in times like these.
Ye Dok-du grew more anxious by the second, but when he glanced sideways, Dan Geum and Flying Tiger showed no change in their expressions—calm as ever. Curiosity getting the better of him, he asked,
"Brother Dan, is that boldness or indifference? How can you stay so relaxed when the team leader's late?"
"What? I'm anxious too."
"Huh? That doesn't look like an anxious face."
"Sister Ye, don't misunderstand. My face just doesn't show it well, but I've got emotions in spades."
Ye Dok-du couldn't tell if Dan Geum was joking, speaking deadpan without a hint of a smile. Awkwardly chuckling, he turned to the other unflappable man.
Flying Tiger answered before he could even ask.
"One hundred seventy-eight."
"Huh? What's that mean?"
"Back where I trained, we broke each quarter-hour into a hundred fifty segments and numbered them. It's a way to handle time in fine detail."
"Why train like that?"
"Useful for all sorts of things. Even now."
"Like now?"
"Yeah. When you're wondering, 'How long do I wait for someone?' You can't just wait forever."
Ye Dok-du, with his loose grasp of time, looked baffled. Dan Geum, listening quietly beside him, showed sudden interest.
"Ho~ So that number means..."
"Right. Time since we got here. The quarter-hour's passed, plus twenty-eight more units."
"...?"
Both Ye Dok-du and Dan Geum wore puzzled expressions.
"We'll wait two quarter-hours max. That's three hundred in my count, and we're past one hundred eighty-three now."
Ye Dok-du and Dan Geum struggled to follow his exact method, but they got the gist.
Wait a bit longer, and if they don't show, pull back.
Something like that.
Flying Tiger turned to Ye Dok-du.
"Satisfied now?"
"With what?"
"You wanted to know why I'm not anxious or flustered. Too busy counting. Takes real focus."
"Aha!"
The three fell silent again, but Ye Dok-du felt much more at ease.
And Flying Tiger didn't even need to count to three hundred. Not that it was ideal, but that's how it went.
He'd reached two hundred sixteen when it happened.
Pii~ eek.
A whistling arrow shot into the sky from that direction, shrieking as it rose. Judging by position, it came from the eastern sentry's post.
For whatever reason, Jin Ga-yong's side had failed to take out the sentry!
Ye Dok-du muttered a curse under his breath, face sour. Dan Geum asked gravely,
"What now?"
"What else? Time to withdraw."
"Deputy leader, you sure?"
Flying Tiger's expression darkened as he scanned the village interior.
The village was just starting to react to the signal arrow. Bandits poured out of houses here and there, shouting, "Enemies!"
Frustrated by Flying Tiger's silence, Ye Dok-du spoke up for him.
"That's even worth asking? We were gonna pull back if the leader didn't show, and now they've spotted us—obviously retreat. Right, Flying Tiger?"
"Hold on."
Sip~ whoosh.
Flying Tiger drew a deep breath and steadied himself before turning to his comrades.
"We do need to pull back. But after coming this far, doesn't leaving empty-handed feel like a letdown?"
"Well, sure. But just us three?"
"That's why—just a quick greeting on the way out."
Under Flying Tiger's lead, the group swiftly moved to a large warehouse a short distance behind Iga Village. It seemed like a communal storage spot for villagers normally, but now it was packed with the bandits' horses.
The bandits had ridden in one per man—over a hundred head—and there wasn't space for all inside the village. They'd split them into two groups for management, and this warehouse was one of them.
The trio hid under a large tree about a hundred paces from the warehouse and scouted the area.
While the village interior was in chaos, the warehouse area remained eerily quiet.
"Not a single nose in sight? Either no guards, or the ones inside are still dreaming... Nah, probably not."
"With all this racket, they're on alert—and must've spotted us approaching. Probably hiding and watching."
Dan Geum followed Ye Dok-du's words, but Flying Tiger brushed it off.
"Brother Ye, take point. They'll swarm here soon enough—let's wrap it up quick."
Ye Dok-du unslung the massive pot-lid shield from his back and strapped it to his left arm—his custom gear for facing groups of bandits this time.
Then he charged. Dan Geum followed with his hammer drawn, and Flying Tiger brought up the rear, sword unsheathed.
A wedge formation for a piercing breakthrough.
Tadak tadak.
The moment they closed within fifty paces of the warehouse.
"Attack!"
Two heads popped up from the roof, loosing arrows instantly. That sparked a flood of bandits from the warehouse itself, bows at the ready, arrows flying.
Shing— shing— shing— shing...
Seven archers firing in rapid succession, arrows unrelenting.
Most initial shots missed, but accuracy improved with each volley as distance shrank.
Yet lead man Ye Dok-du swung his shield furiously, deflecting every arrow while pressing forward—speeding up the closer he got.
Clang clang clang~
By the time he'd batted away sixteen arrows—with one grazing his thigh—he was within ten paces.
The bandits panicked visibly, until one on the roof bellowed,
"Just three of them! Draw swords and fight!"
Flying Tiger glanced at the shouter, marking him.
'That's the head.'
As the bandits discarded bows and drew blades in disarray.
Ye Dok-du led with his shield, slamming into the lead bandit.
Thwack.
The struck bandit flew back like rammed by a rhino, crashing into the one behind and tumbling together.
Dan Geum, following close despite his short legs, surged forward impossibly fast and swung his hammer at another.
The target swung down to block, but the monstrous hammer snapped the sword like dry straw and caved in his skull.
Crack.
Whoosh~
Flying Tiger whistled sharply from behind, leaping over Ye Dok-du's head.
Perfectly in sync.
Ye Dok-du raised his shield after breaking the front line, and Flying Tiger landed atop it—promptly launched upward with force.
Riding the momentum, Flying Tiger soared straight to the roof.
One rooftop bandit aimed at the incoming figure.
But Flying Tiger whipped his rope dart from his left hand first.
A thunk, and the bandit's upper body jerked back—rope dart embedded in his face.
Ping.
The misaimed arrow sailed harmlessly into the sky.
Flying Tiger reeled in the dart with his left, dragging the bandit off the roof as it pulled free.
Splash~
Flying Tiger landed in his place on the roof.
The marked leader tossed his bow and yanked a sword from his belt.
Flying Tiger twirled his blade casually.
"Hi there?"
Not so friendly.
The bandit roared and charged. Flying Tiger met him head-on.
Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang.
Neither yielded an inch, blades clashing seven or eight times in a blink.
The bandit, sensing a chance, roared and accelerated.
Flying Tiger matched, then upped his speed further.
Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang.
Another eight exchanges. Flying Tiger accelerated again.
The bandit's face paled. He'd hit his limit, but worse—breath failing. He'd held it amid the frenzy.
'How is he...?'
Desperate to block, he stole a glance at Flying Tiger's eyes. Shock hit him.
Impassive.
Just doing the job. No strain, no triumph—no human spark at all.
He hit a wall, and it showed in his blade—the first waver.
That instant.
Flying Tiger spun half-turn, body arching back in Iron Plate Bridge to deflect the strike upward, then slashed the bandit's shin from that pose.
Slash.
Iron Plate Bridge: Standing rigid, then arching straight back to face the sky.
With deeper mastery, the back nears the ground, form nearing a straight line.
Originally for dodging projectiles, Flying Tiger adapted it for a surprise strike.
As Flying Tiger completed his spin and rose, the bandit was toppling, scream forming.
Flying Tiger thrust into his back, blade piercing through.
The sequence was so fluid and timely, the bandit never grasped how he'd fallen. Flying Tiger vanished from view, and it was over.
Shudder~
The bandit vomited blood, life fading fast. Flying Tiger, behind him, bid farewell.
"Bye."
With the roof cleared, Flying Tiger looked down. Below, Dan Geum was finishing off foes with his brutal hammer.
Splat~
In that time, Ye Dok-du took one, Dan Geum three. One bandit fled—they ignored him.
Their presence would spread anyway.
Flying Tiger leaped down.
"Let's wrap up."
The whistling arrow roused Yu Orogo, this mission's commander. His first act: summon his lieutenants and order patrols. Then he led others toward the signal's direction.
Thus, one subordinate—"Gray Jackal" Go In-gyeom—took ten men toward the warehouse Flying Tiger had hit.
Forty horses tied there—priority target.
Go In-gyeom arrived to flames engulfing the warehouse, panicked horses inside rearing to escape.
Beyond, three thieves rode off stolen mounts, fleeing desperately.
"Grab those bastards now!"
Go In-gyeom bellowed in rage, but a subordinate objected sheepishly.
"Leader, shouldn't we... save the horses first? If we hurry, we might salvage a few."