Chapter 153: The Namgung Family-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153: The Namgung Family-1
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
A carriage traveled along a narrow path to the rhythmic sound of hooves.
The road was not wide and paved like those in the city, causing the carriage to sway slightly from side to side. For the safety of the passengers, the coachman drove the horses slowly, while a single horse followed closely behind.
A man and a woman sat atop the trailing horse; judging by the atmosphere, they appeared to be guards escorting the carriage.
— Whoosh!
With the sound of slicing wind, several arrows thudded into the ground in the carriage's path.
Startled by the sudden volley, the coachman yanked the reins. The horses let out long whinnies, skidding to a halt and snorting in agitation.
As soon as the carriage stopped, the pair following behind dismounted and moved to flank the vehicle.
The woman picked up one of the fallen arrows from the ground.
While she examined the sharp arrowhead, the bushes ahead rustled, and a group of men emerged. They all looked remarkably similar—dressed in tattered rags and wielding menacing weapons.
The woman scanned the men blocking the road. Perhaps emboldened by their numerical advantage, their faces were clouded with baseless confidence.
"Judging by your looks, you must be bandits," the woman said, sounding utterly bored.
The man who appeared to be the leader stepped forward.
"A sharp girl, aren't you? Then you should know what comes next."
"Let's see... I beat the living daylights out of all of you?"
At the bandit's words, the woman rested a hand on her hip and gave a nonchalant shrug.
— Guffaw!
The bandits burst into raucous laughter, as if her response was the funniest thing they had ever heard.
"You seem awfully arrogant just because you've learned a bit of martial arts. Listen here, girl. I’m a man who can take down two or three first-class warriors on my own. I’m practically the lord of this mountain."
"Hah, two or three first-class warriors?"
The woman scoffed at the bandit's boast. She turned her head back.
"He says he can win against two or three first-class warriors at once... Why don't you go and verify his skills?"
At her words, the man who had been standing by the back of the carriage trudged forward.
"Ugh, you're always making me do everything lately. You should step up once in a while too. Lead by example, Master. By example."
The man's attitude was quite irreverent as he scratched his head lazily, but the woman didn't seem to mind. Instead, she slapped him on the back with a loud thwack.
"Go on. The completion of martial arts is found in real combat."
At her firm command, the man smacked his lips and walked to the front.
"Who the hell are you?"
Ignoring the question, the man began counting the bandits with his finger.
"Let's see... one, two, three... six. Hey, there are some hiding in the bushes behind the carriage too. Do they count?"
"Of course."
"Then that's ten. What are we setting it at this time?"
The bandit watched them, momentarily confused by how they were conversing as if this were a perfectly mundane situation.
"Hmm... fifteen?"
When the woman called out the number, the man's face crumpled into a scowl.
"That's ridiculous. Fifty. How about fifty?"
"What do you mean, fifty? Fine, let's make it fifteen."
"Forty-five."
The man refused to back down.
"Fifteen."
When the woman sharply turned her head away, the man smacked his lips again.
"Fine, I get it. But you have to do it properly. Last time, you were counting way too fast."
"I understand. Do you not trust me?"
"To be honest? No."
"We're going to have a little talk after this is over."
Having finished her piece, the woman stood beside the coachman. The coachman stretched, looking as though he were well-accustomed to such scenes.
By now, the bandits realized something was very wrong.
"It's hard to make a living these days, isn't it?"
The man grinned at the bandits, baring his teeth.
"Normally, we should exchange names and have a little chat to get to know each other... but my picky Master said fifteen, so I can't afford to take my time today. Sorry about that."
The man raised a hand in a mock apology.
Feeling mocked, the bandit leader raised his sword high.
"Are you playing with me?!"
The blade swung down toward the man's crown. Watching the scene, the woman behind him began the count.
"15."
The man twisted his body, narrowly dodging the blade. He then slapped the leader across the ear with his palm.
"14."
The leader lost his balance and began to collapse, his eyes bulging in shock.
"13."
A few bandits with quick reflexes tensed their legs, preparing to rush the man.
"12."
However, the man had already burrowed into the center of the group. He slammed his elbow into the philtrum of a nearby enemy while simultaneously stomping hard on another's foot.
Three bandits were already incapacitated.
"11."
The man's palm struck another bandit's shoulder, sending him reeling. A follow-up kick landed squarely on the man's temple, and he crumpled to the ground.
That made four.
"10."
Two bandits who had finished their preparations swung their weapons down.
"9."
The man took a single step back, and the weapons slammed into the ground right in front of his nose.
"8."
The man drove a straight punch into the back of a bandit who had lunged forward and lost his balance.
That was five.
"7."
The man grabbed the face of the remaining bandit in front of him and smashed it into his knee.
That was six.
"Alright, I see you all, so come on out!"
The man turned around and pulled a set of wooden chopsticks from his robe.
"6."
The four bandits who had been lying in ambush behind the carriage were so terrified by the man's prowess that they turned and began to bolt.
"5."
A single wooden chopstick flew through the air and embedded itself in one bandit's thigh.
"4."
Another chopstick flew and pierced another bandit's ankle.
"3."
The man gave a light leap, kicked off the trunk of a large ancient tree, and soared toward the fleeing bandits.
"2."
He drove the last chopstick into another bandit's foot and took a deep breath. A clear, bright flame flickered to life in his hand.
"1."
The man's fist slammed into the back of the last remaining bandit.
"Fire Punch."
The man looked back at the woman triumphantly.
The woman clicked her tongue as if disappointed and rummaged through her pouch. As she pulled out a few coins, the man hurried over and held out his hand.
"Hand them over. This is the result of a fair bet."
"...Fine."
Looking thoroughly annoyed, the woman dropped the money into the man's hand. He grinned broadly as he tucked the winnings into his pocket.
"Next time, ten should be more than enough."
"Don't even think about it," the man snapped back.
As the woman grumbled, the man cut her off firmly.
It had been one year since the Sparring Tournament.
The master-disciple relationship between Namgung So-yu and In-ho was still going strong.