Chapter 108: Guiding the New Recruit (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 108: Guiding the New Recruit (3)
Namgung Jun and his party headed south.
Their mission was to eliminate the bandits who had made their nest on Mount Seok, which straddled the border between Anhui and Jiangxi Provinces.
Normally, bandits would let travelers pass after collecting a reasonable toll, but the brigands of Mount Seok had a reputation for murder and plunder. However, bypassing Mount Seok would add a full week to any journey, causing immense losses for merchant groups and escort agencies.
“Why bother killing everyone and stealing everything? Doesn’t that just scare people away, like what’s happening now?”
When Namgung Jun glanced at her, Man Ye-won quickly shook her head.
“Ah! I’m not defending them. I’m just looking at it logically.”
Namgung Jun nodded in understanding.
“In cases like this, they’re most likely wandering warriors posing as bandits, or perhaps martial artists from the Demonic and Heretical Paths. They make a quick killing at a strategic choke point and then vanish.”
Surveying the surrounding terrain, Namgung Jun added, “These guys are quite skilled. They won’t be easy to deal with.”
“So what? You and I are here.”
Man Ye-won looked back at Yu Geun-su, who was following behind them.
“And I don’t think Uncle Geun-su will go down easily, either.”
“Don’t let your guard down.”
Namgung Jun’s gaze fixed on Mount Seok, which had just appeared on the horizon. They were still half a day’s journey away.
“This would have been much easier if Senior Heo had come with us.”
If it were Heo Il, he would have found the hidden mountain stronghold on Mount Seok in an instant. They could have finished the mission in no time.
But since Heo Il wasn’t with them, they had to find another way.
“Man Ye-won. Any ideas?”
Man Ye-won feigned ignorance, keeping her mouth shut and simply continuing to walk. A major purpose of this mission was to evaluate Yu Geun-su, so she was intentionally holding back to give the rookie a chance to step up.
The rookie, who had been listening quietly to his seniors’ conversation, finally spoke.
“How about we draw them out with a conventional approach?”
“Explain.”
“We disguise ourselves and wander through the areas where the bandits are known to appear.”
It was a simple, common method, but neither Namgung Jun nor Man Ye-won objected. Not only was it a sound plan, but they also wanted to create a situation where Yu Geun-su could take the lead.
“Let’s prepare at once.”
* * *
“Unbelievable. Seriously.”
Man Ye-won grumbled as she climbed the mountain path. She couldn’t help it.
They had to disguise themselves in roles that suited their appearances, and Yu Geun-su had suggested she play the part of a maidservant. Yu Geun-su was to be a servant, and Namgung Jun a young noble.
Man Ye-won had naturally wanted to be a noble lady, but she had been overruled by Namgung Jun’s indifferent gaze. To make matters worse, the disguise suited her so perfectly that she had no room to complain.
“I’m sorry, Senior Man.”
“Forget it. This is a mission, not a game. It can’t be helped.”
While Man Ye-won and Yu Geun-su whispered to each other from the rear, Namgung Jun led the way up the mountain path, his hands clasped behind his back.
Suddenly, Namgung Jun, who was at the front, began to slow his pace.
Man Ye-won didn’t miss the subtle shift. A faint tension had crept into his movements; he had clearly sensed something.
If he has, then what about Yu Geun-su?
Without turning his head, Namgung Jun swept his senses over the rookie.
Not bad.
Yu Geun-su, who was carrying the party’s luggage on his back, gave a slight twitch of his left hand. He must have sensed the presences surrounding them.
“Mmm.”
Just as Namgung Jun paused, as if to take in the scenery, an axe came spinning fiercely out of the bushes.
Thud!
The axe embedded itself in the dirt right before the tips of Namgung Jun’s feet. If he had taken one more step, his toes would have been sliced clean off.
“Lucky bastard!”
Following the axe, bandits began to emerge from all sides.
Their swift movements and the radiating Qi Waves told the whole story. Not only had they all trained in martial arts, but they were also not a ragtag bunch who had learned different techniques. A sense of unity was present not just in their attire and weapons, but also in the Qi enveloping their bodies.
Instantly grasping the situation, Namgung Jun muttered, “I thought they were wandering warriors, but I was wrong. This is the Green Forest.”
The bandits’ sect: the Green Forest. Originally known as the Seventy-Two Strongholds of the Green Forest, it had been completely transformed thirty years ago by the reforms of the Heaven-Treading Axe Emperor, who had ascended as the new Grand Stronghold Leader. He had trimmed their bloated ranks and sought to forge them into an elite force.
With the Grand Stronghold Leader systematically disseminating martial arts and the mountain strongholds repeatedly merging and dissolving through endless competition, the Green Forest’s numbers were cut in half within a decade. It came to be known as the Great-Axe Green Forest, securing a spot among the Eight Great Unorthodox Powers.
The men before us have clearly trained in the martial arts of the Great-Axe Green Forest.
Despite Namgung Jun’s piercing gaze, the bandits of the Great-Axe Green Forest remained unfazed.
“They look like they’ve got some money. Kill the men. We’ll take the woman.”
“She looks about the right age and is quite pretty. We can sell her to a brothel for a good price.”
The bandits didn’t even attempt to speak with Namgung Jun’s group. After sizing them up, they raised their axes, radiating undisguised killing intent.
Watching the bandits slowly close in from all directions, Namgung Jun spoke quietly.
“Subdue them. It doesn’t matter if some of them die.”
Namgung Jun stared at the axe rushing toward his face. It overflowed with killing intent, clearly aiming to split his head open.
He met the attack by striking the side of the axe with his right palm, which was imbued with Thunder Qi. With a light flick of his hand, as if shooing away a fly, the axe was violently deflected.
The bandit, whose grip was broken by the powerful recoil, stared wide-eyed.
A perfect handprint was now dented into the axe head.
“What the—!”
The startled bandit tried to speak, but Namgung Jun wasn’t listening. His palm, still brimming with power, swung back and smashed into the bandit’s nose.
Crack!
He had returned the lethal strike in kind.
After felling the bandit with a single strike of the Heavenly Thunder Palm Technique, Namgung Jun glanced at his two companions.
Man Ye-won, who had at some point drawn her sword from Yu Geun-su’s luggage, was facing three bandits at once. Perhaps because she had gained a fair bit of real combat experience since joining the Heavenly Sword Hall, she fought calmly, even against a coordinated three-man attack.
Gusts of sword wind swirled around her, forming a protective barrier that kept the bandits from recklessly swinging their axes.
She controls her sword wind quite well now. Has she realized it can be used for more than just offense?
Since Man Ye-won was not someone he needed to worry about, Namgung Jun focused his attention on the rookie.
Yu Geun-su was fighting surprisingly well.
Though he had seemed flustered while drawing his sword from the luggage, the moment his left hand gripped the hilt, his characteristically solid sword style came to life. Though double-teamed by two bandits, he calmly parried their attacks with the Minor Derivation Sword Technique, never missing a chance to counterattack when he saw an opening.
His steadfast nature shone through in the chaos of real combat. His decisiveness, far from being reckless, only deepened his composure, making him stand out. He was the type to seize control of a battle’s flow through an incredibly solid defense.
He fights well. He has a decent amount of real-world experience.
Namgung Jun did not actively join the battle. He simply struck down the few bandits foolish enough to lunge at him with a single palm strike, calmly observing Man Ye-won and Yu Geun-su’s life-and-death struggle.
Though it took some time, all the attacking bandits were soon subdued.
Six were dead, and five survived.
The captured bandits knelt in a line, gritting their teeth and glaring at the trio even in defeat.
“You bastards! Do you think you’ll make it off Mount Seok alive after this?!”
“How dare you brats! Do you have any idea who we are?!”
“Once our Stronghold Leader finds out about this, you’re all—!”
Slash!
The head of the bandit who had blustered first rolled across the ground.
Yu Geun-su had severed his neck in a single stroke. His cold, sudden swordsmanship silenced the other bandits.
With his usual simple, honest expression, Yu Geun-su rested his sword against another bandit’s neck. The man flinched, feeling the cold steel press against his skin.
“The location of your stronghold.”
“Ugh…”
When the bandit hesitated, the rookie swung his sword without delay.
Watching this, Man Ye-won blinked in surprise.
He has such a decisive side? He’s completely different from how he looks and speaks.
Yu Geun-su was far more resolute than she had expected. Just like his solid and clean sword style, his actions were efficient and without waste.
Having finally extracted the stronghold’s location, Yu Geun-su reported to Namgung Jun.
“Well done. Let’s head to the stronghold immediately.”
As they walked up the mountain path, Namgung Jun asked, “You were quite ruthless back there.”
“I’ve learned the hard way that mercy is wasted on bastards like them.”
“Did something happen?”
A faint shadow crossed Yu Geun-su’s gentle eyes.
“If you spare them, they always come back for revenge. Once, I was too afraid to kill, so I let a black-market thug go. Later, he poisoned the well of my martial arts hall.”
If he hadn’t been away in a neighboring village on an errand for his master, he wouldn’t be standing here today. Yu Geun-su didn’t bother to mention that his first kill had occurred right after that incident.
As he spoke with his head lowered, the rookie’s voice was stiffer than usual.
Man Ye-won didn’t dare chime in, merely darting her eyes back and forth in silence.
Namgung Jun nodded quietly and took a step forward.
“Pointing a blade at someone is difficult. Acting on it is even harder. You did well.”
Before long, the stronghold the bandits had mentioned came into view. In truth, it could hardly be called a stronghold. Before them lay a tiny village with fewer than ten houses.
From the looks of it, they had slaughtered the original villagers and taken over.
“It looks like your prediction was correct, Namgung Jun. They must have planned to make a quick fortune and then abandon Mount Seok.”
Namgung Jun nodded, slowly scanning the village layout. Judging by how the bandits had spoken about Man Ye-won earlier, there was a high probability that captive women were being held somewhere inside. If they rashly stormed the front gate, the lives of innocent civilians could be endangered.
“Man Ye-won and I will draw their attention from the front. Yu Geun-su, you slip around to the rear, find the hostages, and protect them.”
“Could you take that role instead, Senior Namgung?”
Yu Geun-su, who had always followed Namgung Jun’s orders without question, voiced a disagreement for the first time.
“And why is that?”
“With my abilities, I can’t guarantee I can safely rescue and protect the hostages. Isn’t saving them the most important part of this?”
Namgung Jun, who had been studying the stronghold, turned his gaze to Yu Geun-su.
“This mission is bandit subjugation. Why do you believe rescuing hostages, which wasn’t specified, is the most important part?”
“Isn’t that what the Azure Heaven Association is for? That’s why I joined.”
Staring straight into Yu Geun-su’s eyes, Namgung Jun nodded.
“The rookie is right.”
Man Ye-won, who had been listening intently, let out a chuckle.
“Namgung Jun. You were testing Uncle Geun-su on purpose, weren’t you?”
“Assessing your own capabilities and remembering your priorities as a Cloud of the Azure Heaven Association… It was a necessary test.”
“You’re too kind. Any other senior would have let him fail first, then chewed him out for it.”
Namgung Jun chuckled at Man Ye-won’s grumbling.
“I can guess how your first mission went.”
“What?!”
As Man Ye-won’s face flushed and she tried to play it cool, Namgung Jun issued his new orders.
“We’re changing the plan slightly. Man Ye-won, you will draw their attention from the front of the stronghold alone.”
“Huh? Me, alone?”
“Yes. You, alone.”
And with Man Ye-won’s reluctant question, the raid on the stronghold began.