Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: The King's Fury
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The main hall trembled as if it would collapse from the thunderous roar.
What's a mountain fortress, really?
It's made of wood. And not even perfectly constructed, but the kind of building thrown together with logs and vines.
After all, they were fated to flee if the government forces ever came to subjugate them.
You can't exactly fight government troops just to protect a fortress, can you?
In any case, it was hard for a place like this to withstand the force of Jong Ri-gang's aura when it was unleashed.
Fortunately, since this was the main headquarters, it had been built with more care and didn't collapse immediately.
Though it was creaking ominously.
Still, he had to be stopped. Any more of this, and it really would come down.
Wasn't the hall already filled with the force that had erupted from Jong Ri-gang along with his fury?
“Chieftain! Please, calm yourself!”
“Shut up, you bastard! Do I look like I can calm down right now?!”
“Brother! Let’s just hear him out first!”
At the sheer ferocity, the messenger who brought the news prostrated himself, bowing his head low.
“Brother!”
“...Dammit all.”
As Takchu called out again, Jong Ri-gang flared his nostrils and barely managed to even his breathing.
But it seemed his anger wasn't subsiding so easily.
Then again, it was understandable.
Bandits call their leader 'Chief'.
But in private, they called him 'Brother'. Most bandits were men who had left the secular world after committing crimes or falling on hard times, so they formed bonds of brotherhood to rely on each other in their shared plight.
Thus, in private, Jong Ri-gang preferred being called 'Big Brother' over titles like 'Chieftain' or 'Grand Chief'.
Takchu, the chief steward, was Jong Ri-gang's fifth sworn brother.
In total, Jong Ri-gang, who ruled the famed mountains of the world as if they were his own home, had nineteen sworn brothers.
Excluding the main fortress where Jong Ri-gang and Takchu were, there were seventeen others. This was why people called them the Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest.
And these nineteen sworn brothers had a relationship that was a little different from that of ordinary bandits.
A certain closeness, perhaps?
Though they were bound by an oath, their bond was stronger than that of blood brothers.
Jong Ri-gang possessed martial arts formidable enough to be called the King of the Green Forest, and his influence in the martial world was considerable, yet he often said it like a habit.
The Green Forest of today existed not because of him, but because of his brothers.
He didn't just say it; he meant it.
In other words, Jong Ri-gang was the kind of rogue who lived and died by loyalty.
Perhaps that was why there were exactly two things he could not tolerate.
The first was when money was involved, and the second was when something happened to one of his sworn brothers.
So for him to hear that the Cheonghwa Mountain band, led by his youngest brother, Jeon Il-seok, had been attacked, his rage was more than justified.
“Brother, are you a bit better now?”
“*Huu, huu*... Enough. I get it. I’ll hold back for now.”
“*Haa*, I thought you were going to cause a scene right away.”
“This punk, am I a child? I’m the Chieftain, the Chieftain!”
“And how many times have you caused trouble after saying that?”
“...Tch.”
Jong Ri-gang whipped his head away, and Takchu finally let out a sigh of relief.
At least his aura had subsided. That was a relief.
Having barely calmed Jong Ri-gang down, Takchu cautiously questioned the messenger.
“Report in detail what happened. Who dared to attack the Cheonghwa Mountain band? What kind of whelp was fearless enough to touch not just any fortress, but one of the Eighteen Fortresses? Was it one of the Nine Great Sects?”
“Th-That is...”
“Ahem! I told you to speak!”
As Takchu pressed him, the messenger, who had been looking up with his head slightly raised, carefully held out a letter.
“What’s this?”
“It was sent by the Cheonghwa Mountain Fortress Lord... The culprit is the Demonic Cult...”
“Hmm?”
At the unexpected words, not only Takchu but also Jong Ri-gang, who had been calming his anger, blinked his eyes.
The Demonic Cult? The one I know?
“Why would those dogs suddenly attack a mountain fortress?”
“I do not know the details either, sir. Only that the Cheonghwa Mountain Fortress Lord wrote it so himself...”
At the messenger's words, Takchu quickly snatched the letter from his hand and unfolded it.
“Mm... Hmm.”
“Why? What? What’s written in there that’s making you look like you’re at a funeral?”
“...”
Jong Ri-gang, strong in martial arts but illiterate, quickly came over and peered over his shoulder.
“Well, Brother...”
“Goddammit! Just tell me!”
“It’s...”
Jong Ri-gang pressed him, but Takchu was debating how to say it.
He would definitely get angry...
This was the kind of news that would cause a huge uproar...
Of all things, did it have to contain both of the two things Jong Ri-gang couldn't stand?
“Takchu, you punk! Hurry up and speak!”
“...”
Losing his patience, Jong Ri-gang snatched the letter.
But since he couldn't read, looking at it was useless.
And... he was holding it upside down.
“Takchu!”
“Brother, I understand. I will tell you.”
“...”
Takchu composed his breathing and shot a look at the messenger.
Get lost.
If you stay here and get caught up in this, you won't leave in one piece.
As if sensing this, the messenger quickly bowed his head and fled.
“*Huu*... First, it is true that the Demonic Cult attacked.”
“The Demonic Cult? Those damn bastards! Who the hell do they think they are, attacking a fortress! Which bastard was it?!”
“You’ve heard of him, Brother.”
“I have?”
“The Orthodox Murim Alliance sent a letter requesting cooperation a while back. Don’t you remember?”
“The Orthodox Murim Alliance... Ah! That little shit, the Third Young Master, Neung Un-bi?”
“That’s him.”
“What? So that fucking bastard attacked our fortress just to build up his own achievements?”
“Th-That could be it. Since he is the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult, he might have thought that one of the Eighteen Fortresses of the Green Forest would be a fitting target for his reputation...”
“That son of a bitch!”
The anger that had subsided seemed to shoot to the top of his head in an instant.
As a stormy aura burst forth, Takchu’s eyes widened and he cried out.
“Brother!”
“...”
But Jong Ri-gang didn’t kick his seat and storm out.
He was enduring it. His brother, who would normally rush in heedless of the consequences when angry.
“It’s fine, you punk. You think I don’t have a brain? I’m angry, but consider who we’re dealing with.”
“*Huu*... I thought you were about to run off and take that Demonic Cult disciple’s head.”
“I’m dying to. I want to run there right now.”
“...”
Seeing him grind his teeth, it was clear he was serious.
But the opponent was the Demonic Cult.
The single most powerful force in the Central Plains.
And wasn't he said to be the disciple of the incomparably fearsome Dam Un-cheon?
Given the opponent, he couldn't just lash out recklessly. First, he had to find out the details of what happened and then determine who was right and wrong.
That was the proper order of things. The wise way to handle it.
And he had heard many things about the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult.
Recently, the man had come to the Central Plains and clashed with the Orthodox Faction, leading to the establishment of Demonic Cult branches all over... was that it?
He had even received a letter from the Orthodox Murim Alliance, asking him to be careful to avoid any friction.
But he hadn't paid it much mind.
The Demonic Cult and the Green Forest. They operated in different worlds, didn't they?
Why would some arrogant fellow living a comfortable life come all the way into the mountains to persecute bandits?
So he had only given a word of caution to the fortresses under his command.
Told them not to 'do business' for a while if any well-dressed, noble-looking types passed by.
But why?
Why had the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult suddenly shown up at the Cheonghwa Mountain band and caused a ruckus?
But he couldn't act rashly, so Jong Ri-gang forced himself to calm down.
“*Huu*, what does it say next?”
“Can you hear it and still hold back?”
“For now...”
“You must.”
“I get it, you punk. I promise, I promise!”
“Alright. According to the letter, our youngest brother seems to have suffered quite a serious injury.”
“...”
At the word 'injury', Jong Ri-gang gripped the armrest of his chair with all his might.
*Crack, craaack.*
How could it withstand such strength?
The armrest was slowly breaking apart.
But Jong Ri-gang held back his anger until the end.
Even though his face had turned ashen and the skin beneath his eyes was twitching.
“I-Is he badly hurt?”
“His four limbs were rendered useless, and he is now staying at a clinic at the foot of the mountain.”
“...!”
*Grrrrind.*
He was grinding his teeth so hard they might break, but he was still holding back.
“Why? Did our youngest brother make some kind of mistake with the Third Young Master?”
“That’s not written here. However...”
“However?”
“...”
Takchu hesitated for a moment.
Should he tell him, or not?
Right now, Jong Ri-gang was like a cup filled to the brim.
If he heard the next part, he would surely lose control... It would cause a huge incident...
But it wasn't something he could hide, was it? Not when Jeon Il-seok had sent this letter, filled with indignation.
“Spit it out. I’ll try to endure it. I’ll endure it somehow.”
“You... promise?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes! You bastard! I promise!”
“Um... well, according to our youngest brother, the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult took all the wealth the Cheonghwa fortress had accumulated...”
“...”
For a moment, Jong Ri-gang froze like a stone statue.
It was as if cold water had been thrown on a blazing fire.
“Takchu.”
“...Yes?”
“Say that again? What happened? What did the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult do?”
“He... t-took the wealth...”
“...”
“All of it...”
“...”
For a while, his expression was blank.
There was no trace of anger, and the swirling aura had vanished as if washed away.
But Takchu couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.
Because the sight Jong Ri-gang presented now—that coldness—was the most dangerous of all.
It was like the brief calm before a typhoon.
Hadn't he experienced it several times before?
Jong Ri-gang wasn't calm; he was truly enraged.
“That son of a BITCH! That goddamn brat! He dares to steal my money?!”
Just as I thought...
I knew this would happen. The two things that set him off had just exploded at once.
“I don’t give a damn about the Demonic Cult or anything else! I will kill him!”
*KWAANG!*
Stomping and shattering the wooden floor, Jong Ri-gang's figure shot up, bursting through the roof and into the sky.
“Ch-Chieftain!”
The startled Takchu called out, but Jong Ri-gang’s figure was already disappearing into the western sky.
“*Haa*, damn it.”
Of all things, he had to steal the money too? Jong Ri-gang's money, who would rather shed blood than lose coin...
“Messenger.”
“Yes, sir!”
At Takchu’s low call, the messenger who had been waiting outside rushed in.
“Gather the men.”
“Sir?”
“Issue a Code Alpha emergency alert throughout the Green Forest immediately, and inform them that one of our fortresses has been hit.”
“Yes, sir!”
“And send a message to the Orthodox Murim Alliance. Tell them all hell has broken loose. That the King of the Green Forest has lost his mind. And if they want to stop him, they’d better send someone on the level of the Sword Saint.”
“...”
The Sword Saint? Was he really the kind of person who would come just because he was asked?
In other words, it was a warning from the Green Forest to the Orthodox Murim Alliance.
That they should be prepared for the consequences if they interfered.
“Are you going to answer?”
“Huh? Y-Yes! Understood!”
“I’m going after the Chieftain immediately. Tell Yucheong to gather the Vanguard and follow right away.”
The Green Forest Vanguard. They were warriors handpicked from the most talented bandits, raised with limitless investment despite their meager resources.
In short, they were the Chieftain’s personal guard and his troubleshooters. Besides protecting the King of the Green Forest, they were the first to rush in whenever trouble broke out in their territory.
“But where should I tell the Vanguard to go?”
“...”
At the messenger’s question, Takchu glanced to the side and said.
“Cheonghwa Mountain.”
Of course, it would be there.
No matter how enraged he was, Jong Ri-gang cherished his brothers as his own life; he would want to check on his condition first.
The one truly fortunate thing was that, although his limbs were shattered, Jeon Il-seok was not dead.
If he had been, that man Jong Ri-gang—who, once he snapped, would rush in heedless of anything—might have stormed the Demonic Cult itself to demand a price for his brother’s life.
“*Haa*... Still, I can’t let him kill a disciple of the Demonic Cult.”
Takchu sighed and set off with heavy steps.
Still, he was glad that his big brother, Jong Ri-gang, was that kind of person.
Because if he were ever to be killed by someone’s sword, his brother would surely avenge him.