Black Flame Dragon Leaping Over the Pass (3)
To first handle the tribute ritual I'd announced to the bandits of Hwamok Stronghold, I requested assistance from Haomen via messenger pigeon.
Two days later, wagons loaded with dozens of wooden barrels rolled into the village just as I'd ordered, and I couldn't hide my surprise at the sight of the man leading the procession.
"Shouldn't you be in Akyang?"
The one chuckling with a tsk-tsk was Yang Gunbaek, the black market lord of Akyang and the eleventh disciple of the Haomen Lord.
"Things just worked out that way. Still, it's good to see you again after so long, Young Master Sowoon."
Yang Gunbaek's affable demeanor felt overly familiar, even accounting for my changed status as a Haomen 'guest' compared to our time in Akyang. It was downright uncomfortable.
From his perspective, I might be the reason the Haomen Lord's seat flew away. Does he know that?
Whether he knew or not, Yang Gunbaek kept smiling brightly.
"Did you bring what I requested?"
Yang Gunbaek nodded. Under his guidance, in one corner of a wagon sat four boxes lined up neatly.
Opening the first and second revealed fifty gold sycee each.
"Tribute rituals for merchant houses or escort agencies usually run about twenty nyang of gold. Is there a reason you've prepared so much?"
Opening the third and fourth revealed twenty gold notes apiece—equivalent to a thousand nyang of gold per box.
"I heard villagers from around here were dragged off to Cheonmok Mountain."
"Ah... don't tell me..."
His face darkened as he grasped my intent.
"...You must have a plan, Young Master Sowoon, but I can't help worrying."
I was curious what he was thinking.
"The new stronghold lords who rose at Cheonmok Mountain—Gold Face Buddha Sword Song Goak and One-Eyed Blood Axe—are brutal and greedy sorts. Even if you rescue the hostages, they won't stay quiet for long before rampaging again."
"Go on."
"Moreover, Ssangmak Stronghold is twice the size of the other seventy-two Green Forest strongholds, with over a thousand men. Wouldn't it be better to target somewhere else while there's still time?"
He looked at me like a brother being dragged off to war.
"I've already accepted the commission."
"Commission?"
"Yes. Village Head Heo's grandson made the request."
"A commission means you've already been paid? How much?"
"One nyang of silver."
"Pardon?"
Yang Gunbaek fell silent, gazing at me with complex emotions.
"This ties into what you entrusted me with, doesn't it?"
"Yes."
"...I hope you come back without a scratch."
Touched by his concern, I pulled a five-thousand-nyang gold note from my bosom—covering the gold, liquor, and hired hands.
"..."
Yang Gunbaek stared at the note for a moment, then shook his head and pushed it back.
"Are we enemies or something?"
"No, it's more than enough."
"Then why?"
"I wanted to make this my gift to you, Young Master Sowoon."
"Pardon?"
No matter my status as a Haomen guest, they were sticklers for fair trade. Why refuse payment?
"Senior Sister Hae-ryeong has cared for me like a mother since I was young."
"Ah."
"When misfortune piled upon her like that, words can't express my feelings."
Yang Gunbaek drew his hidden hand from his sleeve and clasped his fists in a formal salute.
"Thank you truly for saving her."
His demeanor was genuine, transparent—unlike the guarded facade I'd seen in Akyang.
#
"Big Brother Geum Pyo, what the hell is Big Bro thinking?"
"Beats me. More importantly, are you even pushing properly?"
"We could've just made the guy who brought the booze do this from the start."
Geum Pyo, Eunho, and Dongryong were straining to push wagons loaded with massive barrels.
"Urgh, I bet Big Bro's got something up his sleeve."
"Dongryong, you'd believe it if he said he was brewing bean paste from red beans."
"Ain't that true?"
"Damn it, both of you push properly before I let go."
"Shit! What the hell's Big Bro thinking with this oil...?"
Eunho grumbled beside me.
"You saying that for my benefit?"
"Huh? Big Bro? When'd you get here?"
"Hmph."
I flicked a bit of zephyr palm force, snapping one of the wheel locks.
Crack.
"Whoa!"
"G-Get back!"
"Dodge!!"
The wheel popped off, shattering the wagon with a crash. The barrels atop it tumbled down, splintering open and spilling their contents everywhere.
Fortunately, the brothers' wagon was at the rear, so no one was hurt.
"Tsk tsk, can't those idiots even handle that much?"
"We could've moved them easily without circulating energy."
"Then what's the point of training?"
As I bantered with my juniors, Bang Du-chil approached.
"You really think this'll free the hostages?"
His men, along with the escorts, were already hauling the wagons up Cheonmok Mountain.
Thirty wagons ascending a single path—a grand spectacle.
"If we don't wipe out Ssangmak Stronghold, all this is pointless anyway."
"Better no hostages at all, right?"
"..."
When the liquor-laden procession reached the end of the mountain path, bandits blocked the way.
"Halt!"
They were the same ones who'd raided the village days ago.
"Greetings."
"You're late. No sense of timing."
Thanks to the advance notice of the tribute ritual, they knew we were coming.
"Sorry. As you see, we had a lot to deliver."
The bandit eyed the meat and liquor barrels piled high, looking quite pleased.
"Doesn't matter to us, but the stronghold lords won't let it slide easy."
"I've prepared separate gifts for them, so no worries."
"We'll take the goods from here."
"Understood."
At his word, hundreds surged from the brush.
"Wooooah!!"
With thunderous roars, they swarmed the wagons like bandits on a raid, snatching goods at lightning speed.
"Hold up."
I blocked a bandit's hand from my chest box with my Black Dragon Sword.
"What the—?!"
"I'll deliver this to the lords myself."
"Bullshit!"
Clang. I smacked his hand with the scabbard; he clutched it, reaching for his saber.
"Enough. Don't touch the lords' tribute."
The one I'd spoken to earlier intervened, and the bandit backed off.
"Follow me."
#
In the valley between Cheonmok Mountain's twin peaks lay a hillock where Ssangmak Stronghold held grand feasts for big events.
"Wooooah!!"
"Wooooah!!"
A thousand voices shook the air like thunder.
Even Bang Du-chil, who'd lived as if he owned heaven and earth, paled slightly at the overwhelming numbers—along with Geum Pyo, Eunho, Dongryong, and his men.
"Senior Bro, you sure about this?"
Geum Pyo couldn't hide his anxiety.
Though their attire and weapons weren't uniform, each was a martial artist of note. Ssangmak Stronghold rivaled mid-tier 108 Peaks sects.
"Silence!"
A booming lion's roar cut across the hillock. The cheering bandits froze, eyes on the two men at the head table.
"Jin Sowoon of Tae-eul Gate?"
A massive chair sat atop tiger pelts, flanked by a cleaver-like saber the width of two palms. Gold Face Buddha Sword Song Goak.
"Greetings to my seniors from Murim Academy."
Technically absurd to call black path riffraff 'seniors,' but I was the gallant rogue who showed courtesy even to villains.
"Ku-kuk. For the Black Flame Dragon, 'senior' isn't so strange."
Beside him, atop bear pelts, sat the one-eyed man: Geum-mok Stronghold Lord One-Eyed Blood Axe.
"So, what brings the Black Flame Dragon junior to our bandit haunt? Calling the whole Ssangmak Stronghold together, no less?"
"Here for the Murim Academy entrance exam tribute, perhaps?"
"Kuhahaha!"
"Kuhahaha!"
The hillock echoed with laughter at One-Eyed Blood Axe's words.
They knew why we'd gathered them but feigned ignorance to hike the price.
"As seniors know, Tae-eul Gate has no business with Murim Academy regular admissions. We're here for the tribute ritual as discussed."
"Hmm."
"We've taken over a major merchant caravan from our sect. We'll be traveling between Hangzhou and Suzhou often, so we prepared modest gifts."
Geum Pyo and Eunho stepped forward with small boxes.
Gold Face Buddha Sword and One-Eyed Blood Axe eyed the double-standard tribute amounts with boredom.
"Grateful for the liquor and meat showing your sincerity, junior—but summoning us all for this offends."
I nodded readily. Their reaction matched when I'd first requested assembling everyone from both strongholds.
"Truth is, I have a real proposal."
Geum Pyo and Eunho opened large boxes. Twenty gold notes each gleamed under the sunlight, rays scattering everywhere.
The chattering thousand fell silent, eyes bulging, drool pooling.
"While visiting nearby villages, I heard locals were laboring here."
Thud. Gold Face Buddha Sword stomped; the vibration reached me faintly.
"So?"
"Our sect's precept is 'Benefit all people widely,' so I couldn't ignore it. If possible, permit us to take them."
I offered a clasped-fist bow, but no reply came.
"Ku-ku. Amusing fellow."
One-Eyed Blood Axe hefted his red axe, stroking the blade.
"Daring to bargain with Ssangmak Stronghold."
"Most of the world runs on deals, no?"
"But trampling pride? That's no deal. You might lose your head for it."
"The ancients said killing the golden goose is for fools."
"What?!"
One-Eyed Blood Axe shot up. Bandits on the right flank rose too, weapons drawn.
Geum Pyo, Eunho, Dongryong, and Bang Du-chil's men startled, reaching for theirs.
"As you may know, Tae-eul Gate took Nangong's Cheonggung Merchant Group without notable martial prowess. Who knows how big we'll grow? Losing such a trade partner to momentary greed is foolish."
"Ha! Got three lives, do you?"
"I trust lords like you won't choose foolishly."
"Cheeky bastard."
One-Eyed Blood Axe spun his axe, eyes glued to the boxes. Even a stronghold lord couldn't ignore a thousand nyang easily.
"Fine, per your words, we'll take the gold and release them. But no guarantee they won't return."
Take the money, recapture the freed—classic bandit logic.
Bandits gonna bandit.
I nodded calmly.
"Their future's not my concern."
"What?"
"Huh?"
My words stunned my crew and the lords alike, eyes wide like rabbits.
"We just do good deeds; preventing future calamity's beyond us."
One-Eyed Blood Axe burst into wild laughter, honey-mouthed no more.
"Kuhahahaha!"
"Kuhahahaha!"
Right-flank bandits echoed like his shadows.
"Amusing indeed. Rumors of a black path saint in white garb were spot on."
No, who you calling saint next to whom?
"Good. Take 'em. But!"
One-Eyed Blood Axe paused dramatically.
"Make food for the feast first!"
"Wooooah!!"
The bandits roared at 'feast,' scenting liquor.
—Think that's it?
A booming transmission jolted my eardrums; I nearly clapped my hands over them.
Bang Du-chil's lips moved. His brutish inner power made even sound transmission uncontrolled.
—We freed them, didn't we?
—Lost our ambush chance thanks to you.
—Planning to ambush? Against a thousand? Is 'brute brain' one of Heavenly Gang Infinite Body's traits? Your head can't keep half-pace with that body.
—...
—Just watch quietly. Everything's prepared.