Taoist Arts Demonstration (6)
“Lord of Mount Hua is affiliated with this place? Haha, you must be joking.”
“Joke? What nonsense. Think about it. Have I ever gone back on my word after joining this place?”
At the time, I had clearly registered here, and I had not interfered since. I did establish Mount Hua, but that was purely a matter between users. In the world of Hwaryong Muin, I had no affiliation anywhere, so my belonging to this place could not be denied.
“That may be true, but calling the Lord of Mount Hua a rogue when you already have a proper affiliation seems odd.”
“Does that matter?”
The innkeeper’s eyes trembled as she listened to me, then she carefully spoke up.
“Um… there really isn’t any work here suitable for someone of your stature, Lord of Mount Hua. Perhaps you should try another place.”
“You talk too much. I said I would take on the work.”
Even the most difficult and dangerous requests by rogue standards were nothing more than breathing for me. Even if someone asked me to wipe out the Orthodox or Unorthodox factions, I was the one who could accomplish it. I could not understand why she refused.
This innkeeper clearly lacked the sense to run this place properly. Even if the other party looked dangerous, you should use them when you can.
“Just hand it over quietly.”
“Yes!”
When I spoke as if threatening her, the innkeeper hurriedly bowed her head. She should have given me the request earlier when I asked nicely. If she had acted the way she did the first time we met, things would have been comfortable for both of us. Just because my name has spread a little, she is being this cautious and troublesome.
“Min-ga, I somehow knew you were a villain.”
“A villain? That is unfair. If anything, I am a gift basket.”
No matter how many people a request office employed, there would always be requests they could not handle with their own personnel. When someone appeared who could solve it, they should be cheering, not refusing.
“That statement just made you sound even more like a villain.”
“I cannot understand it.”
Where else would you find such a quiet and kind villain? If she wanted to call me a villain, she should have threatened me with killing intent the moment she refused once, just like I used to do in my prime.
“Besides, it was you, Baru, who suggested I try using Taoist magic in real combat.”
After seeing me use it so well, why was this fellow calling me a villain just because I wanted to take a request?
“I told you to experience real combat. I never told you to threaten people.”
“That is… hmm.”
I had nothing to say. If it were anyone else, I would have forced the issue, but Baru was the one teaching me. While I was pondering how to refute, the innkeeper pulled out a request slip from below.
Good. Innkeeper, your timing is decent this time.
“This request came into the Beggars’ Inn a while ago. A group of Green Forest bandits recently appeared near Hwaeum.”
Eliminate the Green Forest Bandits
Green Forest bandits have appeared near Hwaeum! Deal with these insolent fools!
Reward: Increase in Inner Energy
It had been a while since I last saw the blue window. It was the first time since receiving the Plum Blossom Swordplay as a reward.
“I am curious as well. Is this something special?”
As soon as the quest window appeared, several people in the chat began to make a fuss. Eliminating Green Forest bandits was not particularly unusual.
“So this is the first time this quest has been discovered?”
“That sounds interesting.”
Walking a path no one else had pioneered was always thrilling. Moreover, the stronger the opponent, the more opportunities I would have to use Taoist magic.
As soon as I accepted the request, an arrow appeared in front of me. That meant I should go in that direction.
“Then I shall return after completing the request.”
“Yes. Please go safely.”
“Hey, you bastards.”
After the storm had passed, the innkeeper of the Beggars’ Inn raised her head and looked around at the rogues inside. Not a single one met her gaze properly. They all had some conscience left.
“How the hell could none of you help? Huh?!”
“But sister, the opponent is who they are.”
Min-ga. The one who destroyed the previous Mount Hua that had gone berserk in connection with the Blood Cult and established a new Mount Hua as its lord. The one who single-handedly crushed and subdued the Murim Alliance that tried to threaten her. Her reputation was so great that recently even the absurd rumor that she was close with the Heavenly Demon had spread.
How could mere rogues dare to speak when such a person appeared at the Beggars’ Inn and displayed her presence? Rogues who had survived wandering without a home could sense situations where they might die like ghosts. The moment Min-ga appeared, they all held their breath.
“Then what about me?! I was scared too! I was scared that one wrong word would get me killed!”
“What can we do? You’re the owner of the inn.”
“You should have been kinder with your words normally.”
“…What?! Hey, you bastard. Are you done talking? Huh?!”
The other rogues nearby grabbed the innkeeper as she tried to rush at the one who had spoken nonsense. Meanwhile, the rogue who had said unnecessary things quickly slipped out of the inn.
After a long while, the innkeeper finally calmed down, let out a sigh, and wiped her face.
“Aigoo. How did my life get so twisted?”
“Well. Someone that great probably won’t come to such a shabby place often. Just endure it a little.”
“Shabby?”
When the innkeeper, whose irritation had reached its peak and found every word grating, glared, the rogue hurriedly changed the subject.
“More importantly, sister, isn’t this a good thing in a way? You were so worried about that Green Forest stronghold, but now it will be cleanly dealt with.”
“That’s true.”
The Green Forest group that had suddenly appeared recently posed a great threat to those passing through Hwaeum. Because of them, fewer people were heading to Hwaeum, and naturally, the number of requests coming into the Beggars’ Inn was gradually decreasing. The innkeeper had wanted to resolve it with the rogues, but that was impossible. The Green Forest group was simply too strong for that.
The strongest rogue in the current Beggars’ Inn had barely returned with his life after going to deal with them.
“Even they won’t be able to handle Min-ga.”
No matter how strong they thought they were, they were still just Green Forest bandits. How could they withstand a monster who could single-handedly destroy the Murim Alliance?
“But still.”
“Yes, sister.”
“What should I give as a reward when Min-ga returns after destroying the Green Forest stronghold?”
At the innkeeper’s quiet words, the rogue hesitated before asking back.
“Didn’t you already decide?”
“I was going to ask what she wanted. But she just left saying she would handle it and come back.”
“You should have stopped her!”
“Could you stop Min-ga if you were me?!”
What if she later demanded something ridiculous as a reward? What if she got angry when it was not given? At the end of a discussion with no answer, only sighs flowed out from the Beggars’ Inn.
“Hmm. My prediction that they would not be ordinary Green Forest bandits was correct.”
The energy I felt from inside was familiar. It was an energy I had faced to the point of exhaustion since entering the world of Hwaryong Muin, so it would be familiar to the viewers as well.
“Blood Cult.”
“Right.”
Why were they here? Hwaeum was close to the Orthodox faction’s territory. No matter how weakened the Murim Alliance had become because of me, it would be difficult for them to cause trouble here.
“That is true.”
Since the one who originally protected Hwaeum had been destroyed by my hands, they could operate without worrying about that. In the past, the Mount Hua group had worked in connection with Hwaeum, but now there was none of that.
Thinking about it, it was strange. With their blades this close, the military officer of Hwaeum should have contacted me, so why had there been no word?
Once this matter was over, I should go meet the military officer of Hwaeum. With my current status, he would not dare to complain about me going up to the roof.
“Well. Whether they are Blood Cult or whatever, what I have to do does not change.”
Anyway, I had to deal with them to complete the request. I headed toward the Green Forest stronghold with Baru, who had transformed into human form beside me.
When I approached the watchtower that had been built quite impressively for a bandit group, I saw the people on top nocking arrows. They knew how to imbue inner energy into the arrowheads.
“Stop!”
Even after seeing me, they shouted without much hesitation as I walked forward.
“Who the hell are you…”
Instead of answering, I threw Taoist magic at him. What I drew was a sharp wind. This wind, which could cut leaves in half, could at best only scratch a martial artist’s skin, but the story changed if I adjusted the position well.
The human blood vessels were quite complex. At the same time a wound appeared on the neck of the man who had been shouting, his body collapsed. He would not be able to get up from the ground for a while.
“Shoot!”
Panicked by the sight, the other Green Forest bandits released their bowstrings. The arrows flying toward me would certainly have been threatening attacks to most people. Those arrows did not simply pierce the skin and embed themselves; they had the power to shatter human flesh.
However, I was not an ordinary human.
I drew Taoist magic. This time as well, it was wind. No matter how fierce the arrows, they would be meaningless before the wind. When I slightly altered their direction with wind, the arrows stuck into the bare ground.
“Let us begin.”
There were many presences beyond the watchtower, which meant there were many puppets for me to use Taoist magic on, which was enjoyable, but their numbers were quite large. Using Taoist magic one by one would take too long.
What was fortunate was that this was a Green Forest group. Since they had built large structures out of wood, burning them down was the best option in this situation.
I summoned will-o’-the-wisps around me. Not just one or two, but dozens. When I threw them toward the watchtower, I could see the Green Forest bandits looking extremely pleased.
“Are you crazy?!”
“It’s a Taoist magician!”
“Block it! Block it!”
“How the hell are we supposed to block all that?!”
“Bring water!”
Right. Who told them to build buildings out of wood?