Chapter 571. Which Bandit Dares Make Eye Contact With Me? (4)
Changsha.
The faces of those moving through the streets were etched with deep concern.
Men who kept casting wary glances around them would lower their voices and exchange a few words whenever they ran into someone they knew.
“Have you heard?”
“...About Mount Heng?”
“Yeah. Another trading caravan that went up to Mount Heng today has supposedly lost contact.”
“Good heavens. How many times is that now?”
Everyone let out a long, heavy sigh in unison.
“At this rate, something really terrible might happen. And I hear the caravan that disappeared this time had hired escorts from the Dengcheon Escort Agency.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying they still went missing even with an escort from the agency?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying!”
“My word...”
The Dengcheon Escort Agency was well known in this region as a fairly formidable power. Yet even they had been unable to stop the bandits.
“There hadn’t been any problems for decades, so why is this happening now...?”
“I heard the bandits on Mount Dae-byeol have all moved over to Mount Heng.”
“You mean the Dae-byeol Bandit Band? Those vicious bastards?”
“Of course!”
The man glanced furtively around with an uneasy expression, as if he were worried bandits might be lurking nearby even here.
“This isn’t confirmed yet, but apparently disappearances have started cropping up not only on Mount Heng, but on other mountains too.”
“Ugh. What kind of nonsense is this? People are disappearing, so why isn’t the government doing anything?”
“When have you ever seen the imperial troops handle something like this? Those bastards can’t even deal properly with trouble happening right under their noses. Of course they’re going to turn a blind eye to something happening deep in the mountains!”
“I can’t live like this. It’s too unsettling.”
With the situation so clearly off-kilter, no one could hide their anxiety. This was not a matter that ended with simply being unable to travel Mount Heng anymore.
Changsha was a city that lay with Dongting Lake to the north and Mount Heng to the south. Since it didn’t produce particularly distinctive goods or especially abundant harvests like other major cities, it also earned income as a trade hub connecting the upper and lower reaches of the Central Plains.
But if the caravans heading up Mount Heng kept being attacked, they would naturally begin avoiding Changsha, and the city would inevitably suffer serious damage.
“Honestly... what is this world coming to?”
“Exactly. If bandits start running wild, someone ought to deal with them, but those so-called righteous sects just sit back with their arms crossed and watch.”
“And since when are those people ordinary bandits? The Dae-byeol Bandit Band is famous even among the Green Forest trash for being especially high-ranking.”
“What kind of heroes of justice and what kind of righteous sects only pick on small-time thieves while leaving the big bandits untouched!”
“Shh! Are you insane? Lower your voice! What if someone hears you?”
“Who’s there to hear us? The moment those bandits started rampaging, all the outsiders cleared out. Look, the gate’s wide open like that and there isn’t even a rat in sight—huh?”
The man who had been spitting as he spoke suddenly froze and widened his eyes.
“Huh... what...?”
And for good reason: people had started appearing through the city gate, which had seemed barren and empty just moments before.
Black martial robes.
Long swords at their waists.
Their broad shoulders, and the solid muscles that showed even beneath their clothes, drew admiration on sight. Add to that their penetrating gazes and steady expressions—eyes and faces that naturally evoked the phrase resolve and sword-heart—and they had a way of pulling the eye immediately.
Who are they?
Wow, there are so many of them?
Even one or two people like that would have stood out unmistakably, but there were well over a hundred of them.
Those who had been overwhelmed by the sight shrank their necks a little and whispered only with their lips.
“Looks like a martial sect?”
“T-they’re not bandits, right?”
“Are you crazy? How on earth do they look like bandits?”
“No, no, but their arms really do look like bandit arms...”
Perhaps he had heard that, because the one leading the group twisted his face and looked back. The disciples behind him jerked, then discreetly lowered the sleeves they had been rolling up.
The people who had been gossiping from a distance began edging closer and closer.
Fear was still there, but once they saw that the newcomers were not doing anything threatening, curiosity began to outweigh it.
And with the crowd growing, someone with real knowledge finally spoke up.
“Ah! That insignia! Th-they’re from Mount Hua!”
“Mount Hua?”
Everyone turned and looked at the speaker.
“Why would Mount Hua in Shaanxi come all the way here?”
No one could easily believe it. Mount Hua was a sect in Shaanxi, more than fifteen hundred li away from Changsha, wasn’t it?
What reason would disciples from a place like that have to visit Changsha, and not just one or two of them, but over a hundred?
“No, I’m telling you, it’s them! Don’t you see the plum blossom pattern on their chests? There are countless sects under heaven, but Mount Hua Sect is the only one that uses the plum blossom as its emblem!”
Once again, everyone’s eyes swung toward Mount Hua.
Sure enough, a red plum blossom pattern was embroidered on everyone’s chest.
“It is! It really is Mount Hua Sect!”
“Then why the hell are they here?”
People exchanged looks.
“Could it be because of the bandits?”
“I-is that it?”
“Would Mount Wudang or Shaolin, who are much closer, come here? And Mount Hua, all the way over there, came all the way here on purpose? To beat up bandits?”
“Oh, come on, no way!”
Though they all looked doubtful, a faint glimmer of hope still rose on their faces as they stared at Mount Hua Sect.
“But can they really do it? Those terrifying Green Forest bastards...”
“Nonsense! Hasn’t Mount Hua already flattened Wudang and Shaolin at the All-Heaven Martial Conference?”
“That’s not all, is it? Didn’t they also fight Maninbang and win not long ago? Mount Hua’s momentum is said to be touching the sky these days!”
“R-right! That’s right!”
The way people looked at the Mount Hua disciples entering the city gradually changed.
And the ones receiving those looks were...
Hey, straighten your shoulders! Shoulders!
Stand up straight and walk! Make it look good!
Put some force in your eyes! Force!
...straining with everything they had to look as impressive as possible.
After all, no matter how good a thing was, if the packaging was bad, it would never fetch its true value. In the past they had never cared in the slightest about that sort of thing, but now, under Chung Myung’s influence, everyone had started paying attention to appearances in their own way.
Thanks to that...
Why am I at the front again?
Forced into the lead, Baek Cheon had to endure the full weight of the scorching gazes bearing down on him. On top of that, he was being bombarded from behind by relentless nagging.
“Ah, for heaven’s sake, straighten your back a little.”
“...”
“Lift your chin. What do you even have a face for if you’re not going to use it? Use it now, at least. Hurry up and lift your chin so people can see you properly.”
That bastard...
As Chung Myung kept prodding his back over and over, Baek Cheon had no choice but to jerk his chin upward. His Hero’s Cap fluttered lightly, revealing his pale, refined face in full.
At that, exclamations began to rise from all around.
“Ooh. He’s quite handsome.”
“A fine-looking young man. Truly impressive!”
Praise came pouring in, but Baek Cheon somehow felt like hiding in a rat hole.
“Mount Hua has come to save Changsha!”
“They’ve come to fight the Green Forest!”
Then several people shouted, their voices sounding a little unnatural. The crowd, now fully worked up, burst into cheers and applause.
Chung Myung smiled with satisfaction.
Those beggar bastards are doing their job well.
Looks like he’d need to put out a lot of food outside the tavern today.
The Beggars’ Sect members, having been solemnly instructed by Hong Dae-gwang, were scattering everywhere and inciting the crowd with all their might. If they did this much work normally, they wouldn’t have to be scolded for being useless.
Bathed in waves of cheers and attention, the Mount Hua disciples arrived at the tavern they had already arranged in advance.
Unam gave them another reminder.
“Everyone will rest here today. We’ve rented out the entire tavern, so there are no other guests, but take special care not to inconvenience anyone.”
“Yes!”
The Mount Hua disciples marched inside in step.
Even that drew more noisy praise from the people outside. Then Chung Myung, who had remained at the very end, turned back and flashed them a grin.
“Don’t worry too much. We’ll handle it soon!”
“Woooooaaah!”
“Long live Mount Hua Sect!”
A great roar echoed across all of Changsha.
“...Ah. I feel alive again.”
“My word. I had no idea hot water could feel this good.”
Watching the disciples, now clean and soft-looking after several days, Baek Cheon smiled wryly.
They really did suffer.
The ones who usually traveled with Chung Myung had plenty of experience suffering under his wickedness, so this much was nothing to them. But for the other disciples, this kind of relentless march had been their first.
And yet not a single complaint... well, in truth they had chirped complaints endlessly, but they hadn’t resisted, and that alone was enough to make him oddly proud.
Baek Cheon smiled gently and opened his mouth.
“You all have really worked...”
“Sasuk Baek Cheon! You really went through a lot!”
“We had no idea you were being tormented like that by Chung Myung all this time.”
“Sob, Sasuk!”
Baek Cheon, who had been about to praise them, silently closed his mouth again.
Kids... don’t look at a person like that.
It makes me feel like crying.
Come to think of it, this wasn’t the time for Baek Cheon to be worrying about and finding them admirable. Wasn’t he, by common agreement, the biggest victim of all?
With a quiet sigh, he said, “In any case, resting is fine, but remember that other people’s eyes are on us here too. Don’t get too relaxed.”
“Yes, Sasuk! Don’t worry!”
The Mount Hua disciples straightened their backs. Then, once again, they began chattering among themselves.
“Did you see those looks earlier?”
“My knees were shaking.”
Remembering the gazes they’d received on entering Changsha, everyone went dreamy and loose-limbed.
They didn’t have much experience being out in the world to begin with, and even when they had gone out for various tasks, they had never once received such envious, admiring looks.
In the end, the people who least understood how much Mount Hua’s standing had risen were the Mount Hua disciples themselves. Only now did they truly begin to feel how far their footing had climbed, and why the elders had kept emphasizing the importance of the sect’s dignity.
We need to work harder.
I’ll crush Wudang and Shaolin and everything else.
Seeing the disciples burn with determination, Baek Cheon chuckled softly.
“We may have to fight as soon as tomorrow, so rest well today. And make sure your hearts are set firmly too!”
“Yes, Sasuk!”
“Don’t worry, Sasuk.”
“Good. Eat plenty.”
After checking the number of disciples and finishing his management, Baek Cheon climbed the stairs to the top floor.
Knock, knock.
“It’s Baek Cheon.”
“Come in.”
When he opened the door, he saw the others gathered in the room.
Hyun Sang and Hyun Young, Unam and Un Geom, the five Un-generation members, and Im So-byeong.
Finally confirming Chung Myung’s presence as well, Baek Cheon sat down on the edge of the room in a proper posture and spoke.
“The disciples are all eating and resting. There should be no major problems.”
“You’ve had a hard time.”
“Still... do we really have to make such a fuss about this...?”
Baek Cheon’s face reddened slightly, and Im So-byeong let out a cackling laugh.
“Things like this are best when they’re flashy. And why are you embarrassed? It’s only natural to be proud when you’re beating up bandits for the sake of righteousness.”
“...”
That’s all fine and good... but shouldn’t you be the last person saying it?
Huh? You bandit bastard?
Baek Cheon let out a long, exasperated sigh.
“Then I’ll prepare so we can leave tomorrow morning.”
“Ah, wait a second.”
“Hm?”
At Chung Myung’s words, Baek Cheon turned his head.
“Let’s wait a little, Sasuk.”
“Wait for what?”
“We made such a huge fuss about it, so those bandits will probably hear about it soon enough.”
“...”
“Then wouldn’t they come charging over?”
“Bandits, here? This is a city, isn’t it? And you think bandits would attack a place like this?”
“If it were normal, maybe not. But we’ve got hostages here.”
“H-hostages?”
Baek Cheon turned his head. The hostage(?) smiled a little shyly.
“This might be the highest my price has ever been in my life. Ha ha, I feel kind of proud.”
That bastard really is out of his mind.
Ah, no. I can’t call the Green Forest King “that bastard”...
Leaving the confused Baek Cheon alone, Chung Myung looked at Im So-byeong.
“He’ll come, right?”
“Of course he will.”
Im So-byeong shrugged.
“Go Hong is a very impatient man. He won’t sit around waiting calmly for the other side to make a move.”
“Hold on just a second.”
Baek Cheon cried out a little urgently.
“If bandits attack the city, it’ll turn into a disaster! Then we absolutely have to go outside!”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. That old man is still so naive.”
“Hm?”
Chung Myung clicked his tongue.
“This is a chance to crush bandits and build our reputation. If we go clanging and banging around in the mountains, how do you think people will see it?”
“...”
“You’ve got to beat them right in front of everyone if you want the rumor to spread properly. It’s way more exciting that way!”
Baek Cheon stared at him in dismay, then shut his eyes tightly.
Where is Mount Hua headed?
Primal Heavenly Honored One,
that bastard is a Taoist priest, a Taoist priest! What exactly are you saving lightning for?
“If we’re doing it, we might as well do it right. Let’s wait a bit. Something will happen within a few days.”
But there was one thing even Chung Myung had not anticipated.
Go Hong was far more impatient than he expected, and their information network had already reached Changsha.
“So they’re in there, are they?”
From the foot of the mountain, Giant Bear Dong Ung looked toward Changsha’s city gate and grinned, baring yellow teeth.
“I don’t know what kind of lunatics they are, but I’ll make them understand exactly what the Dae-byeol Bandit Band is!”
The Green Forest men following him laughed in rough, wheezing voices too.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes!”
Within the darkness, fierce eyes blazed coldly.