96. The Passing Buddha
The last traces of blood drained from Chu Jahon's face not long after the ambush began.
He might not have been an expert in martial arts, but he could easily guess what was unfolding before him.
His escorts were being ruthlessly cut down one by one.
The only one who had been fighting back fiercely was the main target, but against the likes of Yi Su-san, it was useless.
Chu Jahon had not been appointed to the position of eldest son merely because of his status.
He was sharp and quick to assess the situation.
“The real scum of the green forest, and even Yi Su-san himself has appeared.”
This was to kill Chu Jahon.
The green forest was not stupid.
Excluding the tolls they usually collected, if they were launching such an attack, it was clearly not a simple commission.
Even competitors from outside were willing to pay a hefty sum for the Chuhyeon Merchant Group.
'Meaning, they think killing me won't matter later.'
His face hardened.
The assumption that popped into his mind was something he refused to believe.
'How could my younger brothers...'
It was not a certainty.
There were no documents to confirm it.
Brotherly affection might not be rock-solid, but killing blood relatives was a completely different matter.
He gritted his teeth.
If he survived here, he would dig out every secret of his two younger brothers.
But the situation was not good.
The escorts who had clashed with Yi Su-san were pushed back helplessly.
A sense of despair washed over Chu Jahon's face.
'Damn it. I thought my luck was good.'
Chu Jahon bit his lip.
Merchants were good with numbers, smart, and secretly superstitious.
It was common to consult fortune tellers before a big journey.
There had been a fortune that predicted a great fortune this time.
The fortune had led to acquiring the core business of the Namha Pyo State smoothly.
The problem was whether his fortune would be good after returning safely.
If he died here and the Chuhyeon Merchant Group fell into his younger brothers' hands.
The fruits he had obtained would be eaten by others.
How could this be called a great fortune?
Thinking of the fortune teller who charged a lot because he was in a good mood after the fortune, it was a waste.
But that fortune teller was undoubtedly skilled.
Suddenly, three shadows appeared.
Despite seeing the ambush, they did not flee but approached head-on.
The probability of encountering such a skilled swordsman who hesitated not even in the middle of an attack in the martial world was low.
Especially if they were not ordinary swordsmen.
“All of you, kill those girls!”
Chu Jahon's pupils shook violently at the sudden appearance of the Sun Wukong group.
The bandits who had almost wiped out the guards were sliced apart in an instant.
Bodies severed along with their swords, countless times.
They were undoubtedly peak realm experts that the martial artists spoke of.
Chu Jahon was momentarily overjoyed.
He realized what Yi Su-san was thinking.
'Hostage!'
The man in the flashy clothes was clearly not skilled in martial arts, even to Chu Jahon's untrained eye.
Chu Jahon had met many warriors through repeated journeys, but he had never seen one like that.
Such types were common in other places.
In places of entertainment like taverns or brothels.
While sacrificing subordinates to the two women, they were trying to capture the hostage and turn the situation around.
But today, Chu Jahon had to reflect on his judgment many times.
“...”
The moment Sun Wukong pulled out the huge iron rod that looked vicious.
The noise around stopped instantly.
Screams, groans, the metallic clashing of swords — all of it.
Chu Jahon unconsciously touched his face.
It felt like the sharp blade was slicing his skin.
The sharp qi that pricked the skin.
All the qi around seemed to stop flowing and sink down.
All the bandits who were still fighting with heavy qi dropped their swords one by one.
“Huff!”
For some reason, even with the eerie feeling pricking his skin, Chu Jahon could move relatively freely.
While the bandits and Yi Su-san were bent over, unable to move.
'Could it be that he's pouring qi only at specific people?'
He didn't know the exact realm of the warrior, but he knew it was high-level.
It was obviously a difficult task, but wasn't it common sense?
Yet Yi Su-san's face twisted in pain.
The tightly clenched jade leaf trembled visibly.
Just standing there with the iron rod in hand, Sun Wukong was exerting pressure that Yi Su-san couldn't withstand.
Sun Wukong stood in front of the trembling Yi Su-san.
At that moment, all the surrounding bandits writhed on the ground, groaning.
The qi was concentrated solely on Yi Su-san.
Yi Su-san's face turned pale as paper.
Watching him tremble and not move an inch, Sun Wukong said with a look of pity.
“I don't like killing people, you know.”
“...”
Sun Wukong's left hand touched near Yi Su-san's navel.
Yi Su-san's eyes widened.
He realized what Sun Wukong was about to do.
He bit his tongue and swung his sword anyway.
No, at the moment of swinging.
Boom!
“Kyaaah!”
Yi Su-san vomited blood and collapsed.
The corner of the lips of the guards watching with a pained expression twitched.
“His dantian...”
A more cruel punishment than death.
A bandit who roamed the martial world with nothing but martial skill.
He had shattered his dantian in one go.
While he couldn't even resist.
Sun Wukong clicked his tongue.
“I wasn't planning to just pass by, but you swung first, didn't you?
Don't take it too hard, okay?”
Sun Wukong patted the shoulder of the collapsed Yi Su-san.
His face and voice were truly pitiful.
Anyone who saw it would feel like he was being encouraged sincerely.
Chu Jahon felt uneasy because the attitude did not match the situation.
After shattering the dantian, such humiliation.
It was impossible without a strong will.
Yi Su-san probably felt the same humiliation.
Yi Su-san spat blood and cursed.
“You! You! You think you can just touch me and be safe!
The green forest, the green forest that controls the mountains and rivers of the world is behind me, you bastard!
I won't let you go!”
“Hah, look at this guy.
After comforting him, he gets all uppity.”
Sun Wukong muttered with a tone of injustice.
And he smacked his head hard with his hand.
The sound of cracking rocks could be heard from how hard he hit.
Sprawled on the ground like a frog hit by a rock, he trembled and passed out.
It was a truly pitiful sight for someone who had been famous as a green forest hero.
A gaze of disbelief was directed at Sun Wukong.
This whole thing had been very short.
Shorter than the time it took for the green forest to appear and ambush the merchant group.
Sun Wukong, noticing the gaze directed at him, said casually.
“Hello?”
A casual greeting for someone who had just been fighting.
Chu Jahon staggered and hurriedly bowed.
“T-thank you for the help.
I don't know how to repay this kindness... Who exactly are you?”
Sun Wukong chuckled.
“A Buddha who doesn't kill indiscriminately, who just passes by.”
* * *
The bodies of the bandits were all burned.
Sun Wukong had mercifully spared Yi Su-san, but he showed no mercy to Muhwa and Namgung Seowol.
“Tsk tsk.
No mercy at all.
I have to pass on the Buddha's way.”
The sound of Sun Wukong clicking his tongue made Muhwa's expression weird.
Even a normal warrior feels greater pain mentally and physically than death when their dantian is shattered.
For warriors belonging to sects or clans, it's still better.
Even if the dantian is destroyed, they can still make a living in the sect.
But for bandits, it's different.
Even if there are bandit groups, bandits are just bandits.
They are like floating life with nothing to hold on to.
A society of thorough skillism and individualism.
When dantian is lost, no one takes care of them.
For a bandit, property is not even wealth, only martial skill.
After destroying someone's dantian like that and saying there's no mercy.
Namgung Seowol stared at Sun Wukong blankly, unable to comprehend.
But Sun Wukong was unconcerned with the gazes and emotions directed at him.
“Since I saved people and didn't kill any, isn't this the Buddha?”
“...”
Muhwa sighed.
She quietly helped the merchant group dispose of the bodies.
Meanwhile, Chu Jahon approached with a now somewhat calmed face.
“Thanks to the great hero, I lived.
Thank you very much.
I don't know how to repay this kindness...”
“Tell me how to repay.”
“...”
When Sun Wukong spoke directly, Chu Jahon's eyes widened, then he straightened his expression.
This kind of conversation was the first time.
Normally, one would express humility by saying what one should do in such a situation, wouldn't one?
Of course, Chu Jahon also planned to repay the kindness and return the favor.
But Sun Wukong's speech was hard to catch on.
'Well, a guy who suddenly calls himself a Buddha.'
He was a man with clear eccentricities.
But Chu Jahon needed Sun Wukong now.
'If I get ambushed once, I might get ambushed again.'
The bandits led by Yi Su-san might not be all.
Without the guards except for the current ones, there was no one who could walk on two legs.
If they got ambushed again on the way back, it would be the end.
Chu Jahon felt a slight tension.
Sun Wukong suddenly smiled.
A cheerful smile.
The kind where you can't spit on a smiling face.
Sun Wukong's smile was even more so, a clear smile that erased any doubt.
“It's nothing special.
Since it looks like the sun will set on the way to the destination, I need you to prepare a place to stay.”
“...”
“Can't you give me one place to stay?
As repayment.”
Chu Jahon was at a loss for words.
He frantically thought what the other party would offer as repayment.
Probably money.
It wasn't like warriors didn't need money.
Although his appearance suggested he was rich, money was something that did not have power, right?
The more you have, the more you want.
Repaying kindness with money was the easiest for the Chuhyeon Merchant Group.
But asking for a place to sleep...
Chu Jahon did not know what to say to the unexpected answer.
But it was a good opportunity.
“I will personally escort you to our merchant group.
Since it's one of the five major merchant groups in Hubei, the guest quarters are as well-equipped as any inn.”
Sun Wukong nodded with a satisfied face.
As if that alone was enough.
* * *
Muhwa quietly asked Sun Wukong.
“You came from Hubei Province, right, Teacher Sun?”
“When did you investigate from behind?”
“Investi... investigation?”
Muhwa was startled.
“The trail of Sa Hyeol-cheol-gwi continued from Hubei.
I thought Teacher Sun had been tracking from Hubei.”
“Even before Hubei Province, you investigated the trail?”
“It is... well, I guess so.”
Muhwa hurriedly changed the subject.
It was just a casual remark on the way to Hubei, but she could not get even a penny.
Muhwa no longer feared Sun Wukong.
Instead, she had pure curiosity and was curious about where he really came from.
Besides the strange, unbelievable joke that he came from the celestial realm, she wanted to hear where he really came from.
It was not easy for such a great expert to suddenly appear.
'Moreover... Teacher Sun deliberately hides his identity, and his personality is not like that either.'
All actions were bold.
Whether others looked or not, whatever they thought, he moved as he pleased.
Well, his appearance was like that from the start.
Even ordinary women would envy his glossy golden hair.
And he liked wearing flashy clothes.
If martial artists usually wore plain or uncolored clothes, it was definitely different.
Even now, Sun Wukong was wearing flashy clothes made of silk.
All actions were unique, so it was natural for Muhwa to be curious.
She had been trying to probe subtly, but she had to keep her mouth shut because of the counterattack that she had investigated him from behind.
However, suddenly bringing up the topic was not just for that reason.
“You don't need just a place to sleep, do you?”
“Why?”
“Given your personality, Teacher Sun, you do not seem like the type who would fight just to receive one place to sleep.”
“Are you saying I'm not like a swordsman?”
“No, no.
It's not that.
I think you do not want to get involved in troublesome matters.”
“That's also true.”
“But you saved the Chuhyeon Merchant Group, and as repayment, you only ask for a place to sleep.
It seems like...”
“Like what?”
Muhwa glanced at the merchant group walking ahead and lowered her voice.
“You seem to have the intention of entering the Chuhyeon Merchant Group.”
A smile appeared at the corner of Sun Wukong's mouth.