Tang Mujin found himself in an unexpected predicament.
To be honest, after Hong Geolge’s ridiculous stunt of jumping into the Yangtze River on a rainy day, he thought any request from him would be trivial.
Maybe asking for another set of clothes or wanting a fancy sword. Something along those lines.
But what Hong Geolge proposed was to storm into some bandit hideout called Zhangshangzai. Just the two of them, without any backup.
Naturally, Tang Mujin thought it was a joke, but Hong Geolge’s expression was dead serious.
“You must have a brilliant plan that would make me slap my knee in admiration, right?”
“No. I’ve never even been there, so what plan could I possibly have…?”
There was no confidence in Hong Geolge’s voice.
Tang Mujin squinted his eyes. What on earth was this guy thinking?
But it was too late to pretend he hadn’t heard. Backing out after agreeing to help would be too cowardly.
Moreover, the real issue was that he had already heard about the child, So-seon.
If he had remained ignorant, it would have been simple ignorance, but knowing and ignoring it would be a sin.
”…Let’s head to the inn first.”
All the items Tang Mujin crafted at the forge were stored at the Shinwol Inn, not the Pung family forge.
If he left his creations at the forge, the blacksmiths, driven by greed, would sneak in and steal them.
They wouldn’t even wait for the items to be completed.
Half-forged lumps of metal, roughly hammered thin sheets, and even practice swords made for shoulder exercises—nothing was safe from their thievery.
They even left a few silver coins in the corner of the forge, as if they were paying for the items.
Because of such petty interference, Tang Mujin hadn’t made much in Chongqing.
A sword for Gwai, a few extra needles, and a metal case for storing herbs. The only thing that might help in rescuing So-seon was the sword.
Tang Mujin was about to leave with just the sword but, after a moment’s hesitation, decided to take everything.
Not only his own creations but also the odds and ends he had brought from home.
“Why are you taking all that junk?”
“In case things go south, we might not be able to return to the inn and have to flee.”
Success was the best outcome. But realistically, the chances of rescuing So-seon were slim.
If luck wasn’t against them, they might at least escape with their lives.
However, returning to Chongqing after such a retreat was out of the question.
Especially after hearing that the Beggars’ Sect and the bandits weren’t on bad terms.
Who knew if the Beggars’ Sect would try to capture Tang Mujin to avoid conflict with the bandits?
Hong Geolge didn’t complain about the amount of luggage Tang Mujin was carrying. He was just grateful for the cooperation.
“Let’s go.”
The two headed downstream along the Yangtze River.
The bandits’ hideout was called Zhangshangzai, but that was only because it was located upstream on the Yangtze.
From the perspective of Chongqing, which sat at the end of the upper reaches, Zhangshangzai was relatively downstream.
Zhangshangzai was nestled between two hills along the riverbank.
A perfect spot for ambushing boats traveling either upstream or downstream.
A tricky location for boatmen, but ideal for Tang Mujin and Hong Geolge to observe Zhangshangzai.
The two stood on a hill, looking down at the hideout.
“They live more humbly than I thought. I expected them to be raking in money.”
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if bandits lived in luxury?”
“True enough.”
They saw four buildings, all sturdy but lacking any sense of style. It was impossible to tell if they were living quarters or storage spaces.
Fortunately, the timing was right. Just like the Beggars’ Sect, who were busy building embankments, the bandits of Zhangshangzai were also hard at work on theirs.
The only difference was that the bandits seemed more desperate than the Beggars’ Sect.
The Beggars’ Sect had chosen a higher location for their tavern to get a good view, but the bandits had set up their base in a low area for quick escape by boat.
Water lapped at the ankles of the bandits building the embankment along the riverbank.
“Shouldn’t they just abandon their base and flee?”
“They can’t just abandon their base. They can’t blend into Chongqing city like others.”
“Is that so… Anyway, what do we do now?”
Hong Geolge looked at Tang Mujin expectantly. Despite dragging him into this, he seemed to expect Tang Mujin to come up with a plan.
Before making any plans, Tang Mujin asked an important question.
“Just to be clear, you’re not thinking of wiping out those bandits, are you?”
“Of course not.”
“Good to hear. We just need to find So-seon and escape. The biggest problem is we don’t know where So-seon is.”
The two lay on the rain-soaked hill, hidden behind trees, pondering their next move.
The heavy rain masked their presence, but searching all four buildings for So-seon was out of the question.
There were at least fifty bandits working on the embankment, and if even half a dozen of them approached Tang Mujin and Hong Geolge, it would be over.
“Should I sneak in and take a look?”
Tang Mujin clicked his tongue at Hong Geolge’s impulsive suggestion.
“Idiot. Even if the rain hides you, you’ll stand out like a sore thumb in that fancy armor among those ragged bandits.”
“Should I strip and sneak in?”
“How about thinking before you speak?”
“Then what do we do?”
“We need to think of something.”
As they continued to watch the bandits, unsure of their next move, they heard a rustling sound behind them.
At first, they thought it might be an animal moving through the rain-soaked forest, but soon they heard voices.
“Damn it, I’d rather be building the embankment. Climbing up and down this hill in the rain is no job for a human.”
“At least you get to take turns. I’m covering for Jungchil.”
Bandits.
Tang Mujin hadn’t expected these ragtag bandits to have any patrols, but it seemed they were more organized than he thought.
The problem was that the bandits were heading straight for where Tang Mujin and Hong Geolge were hiding.
The two exchanged glances and quietly crawled to either side, hiding themselves in the bushes.
No words were needed. Tang Mujin smiled in satisfaction.
‘I thought he was a fool, but he’s quick on the uptake in situations like this.’
Fighting the bandits here would be the worst possible move.
Even if the sound of battle was drowned out by the rain, if the bandits didn’t return on time, the others would know something was wrong.
That would tighten security and make rescuing So-seon even less likely.
The two hid in the bushes, waiting for the bandits to pass.
At least, that’s what Tang Mujin thought.
The problem was that only Tang Mujin thought that way.
Just as the bandits reached their hiding spot, Hong Geolge suddenly stood up. Tang Mujin’s eyes widened in disbelief at the unexpected move.
Then came Hong Geolge’s swinging staff.
“Double Dog Strike!”
The two bandits quickly stepped back, dodging Hong Geolge’s attack.
Despite the move’s name, which suggested hitting two dogs at once, neither bandit was struck. It was likely due to Hong Geolge’s foolish habit of shouting the move’s name as he attacked.
“Hey! What are you doing, not getting up?”
Hong Geolge shouted at Tang Mujin, his voice full of unjustified indignation.
Of course, the one who felt wronged was Tang Mujin. He hurriedly got up and drew his sword.
“You idiot, why did you get up when we were hiding so well?”
“What? I thought we were waiting for the right moment to ambush them?”
“Then why did you talk about sneaking in? We should’ve waited for them to pass!”
“I just assumed we were going to ambush them…”
Indeed, the idea of working seamlessly without a word was not something that applied to Tang Mujin and Hong Geolge.
The two stood before the bandits, feeling a mix of frustration, disappointment, and a bit of resentment towards each other.
‘I want to beat up Hong Geolge more than the bandits.’
The bandits, initially tense from the sudden attack, relaxed upon hearing Tang Mujin and Hong Geolge’s exchange. Their conversation practically screamed that they were amateurs.
The bandits drew their swords and taunted them.
“Brats who haven’t even dried behind the ears dare block our path?”
“They look like they have some money. Let’s see what they’re carrying.”
Now it was Tang Mujin and Hong Geolge’s turn to tense up. The sight of the two armed bandits reminded them of the deadly duo they had faced before.
Hong Geolge, in particular, was filled with fear. The last encounter with the deadly duo had cost Ma Jeonga his life.
The bandits continued to taunt them.
“Whatever you’re thinking, if you want to live, drop your weapons and lie down. We could use more hands for building the embankment.”
“If you’re obedient, maybe we’ll let you join the ranks of Zhangshangzai!”
Scary as it was, surrendering was a different matter.
There was no guarantee they’d be spared if they surrendered.
It seemed better to resist and see how things played out. If they truly couldn’t win, they could consider surrendering then.
Dang Mujin and Hong Geolge locked eyes. In the next instant, they exchanged a quick glance toward their adversaries. You could see the tension in their hands as they gripped their weapons tightly.
For once, Dang Mujin and Hong Geolge were on the same page. Without a word, they both charged at the two enemies.
“How dare you!”
The enemy’s curved blade swung horizontally.
In the past, Dang Mujin might have flinched and closed his eyes in fear, but today, he stared down the blade with unwavering focus.
Despite his repeated defeats, the month-long sparring sessions on the way to Junggyeong had not been in vain.
The trajectory of the incoming blade was familiar. How many times had he been struck by a wooden sword swinging just like that?
Knowing the attack so well, he also knew how to dodge it. His body moved instinctively, lowering his stance. The blade whistled past just above his head.
From evasion to counterattack, his actions flowed from instinct and practice.
From his low stance, he swung his sword upward, forcing his opponent back, and followed with a thrust aimed at the heart. It was one of the basic techniques of the Jasim Sword style, known as Jakbong, or “Sparrow’s Sting.” As he swung his sword upward, Dang Mujin silently pleaded, ‘Please, let this work!’
But his technique didn’t go as planned.
The upward slash was supposed to make the opponent retreat, allowing him to finish with a thrust. Instead, the enemy failed to dodge and was struck across the neck.
“What…?”
The enemy was as shocked as Dang Mujin. How could he have landed such a blow by accident?
Blood poured over Dang Mujin’s head as the enemy’s grip on his sword loosened, hands clutching his neck.
With disbelief etched on his face, the enemy looked down at Dang Mujin, his voice a gurgling rasp. “Why is a master like you here…?”
The nameless foe collapsed, shuddered a few times, and then lay still.
Dang Mujin stood there, stunned, unable to move or process what had just happened.