Chapter 368: The Journey South
The next day, Tang Mujin and Hong Geolge joined the crowd heading south.
“This is turning out to be a bit more serious than just taking on a simple escort job,” Tang Mujin remarked, though Hong Geolge seemed unfazed.
“Does it matter? Besides, I’m curious about how someone like Wang Ho ended up getting captured.”
“True enough. Wang Ho was a decent guy.”
Their steps were light, as if the world held no threats for them. Indeed, there was little that could intimidate Tang Mujin and Hong Geolge.
Others in the group also walked with a spring in their step, though not from confidence. They were simply enjoying the generosity of a wealthy merchant who had rented out an entire inn for them, allowing them to eat and drink to their heart’s content.
Some crafty individuals even convinced the innkeeper to bring in expensive liquor from other establishments. The merchant didn’t mind at all.
“I’ve had my share of drinks,” he said. “Better to drink good stuff and feel fine tomorrow than to suffer from cheap booze. Drink as much as you like, just be ready to move tomorrow. You wouldn’t want to be hungover and get caught off guard.”
“Isn’t this costing you a fortune?” someone asked.
“Money? Remember, I promised half my fortune. Half of this is on you.”
“Haha! So you’re only paying half the bill, then.”
Tang Mujin began to understand why Wang Ho followed this merchant. He knew how to win people over by being generous where it counted.
As Tang Mujin observed the merchant, Hong Geolge was chatting with someone else.
“So, Wang Ho got captured by the Green Forest Bandits?”
“That’s right.”
“But he’s supposed to be a top martial artist, isn’t he?”
“That’s what they say.”
The man Hong Geolge was speaking with was Bang Woongyeop, the bald man who had smacked him on the back of the head the day before. His hair was so thin and sparse that he had shaved it all off, giving him a monk-like appearance.
Bang Woongyeop wasn’t a monk, though. He had once been a beggar but was taken in by a mid-tier martial arts sect at seventeen.
It wasn’t unusual for beggars to join other sects if they hadn’t learned the core martial arts of the Beggars’ Sect.
Bang Woongyeop hadn’t hit Hong Geolge out of malice. He was just worried, having seen other beggars get beaten for impersonating higher ranks.
“How could a top martial artist get captured by those bandits? Everyone knows their skills are mediocre,” Hong Geolge questioned.
Bang Woongyeop laughed. “You talk big for someone of your skill level. Some of those bandits can swing a sword decently, though not enough to take down a top martial artist.”
Most of the Green Forest Bandits were indeed amateurs, people with no talent for martial arts or those too impatient to train properly.
Occasionally, a skilled individual would emerge, but they rarely lasted long before being taken down by larger sects.
“Then why was Wang Ho captured?” Hong Geolge pressed.
“I don’t know. But it wasn’t because he lacked skill. He’s a top martial artist.”
“Then why?”
“He’s a top martial artist. He must have had his reasons.”
Bang Woongyeop seemed to hold top martial artists in high regard, perhaps because he had never reached that level himself.
He kept glancing at Tang Mujin, one of the three top martial artists in their group, and the youngest among them.
Tang Mujin, however, had already surpassed that level, though Bang Woongyeop was unaware.
“Isn’t it strange, though?” Hong Geolge continued. “Shouldn’t the escort be rescuing the employer, not the other way around?”
“If the escort is a top martial artist, it makes sense.”
“Do you think top martial artists are easy to hire? If I were Wang, I’d do the same.”
It was a strange but somewhat convincing argument.
Tang Mujin was curious about the reason himself. He approached the merchant, Wang.
“Why are you going to rescue Wang Ho?” he asked.
“Why else? He’s been captured,” Wang replied, as if it were obvious.
“I mean, is there a special reason? Are you related?”
Wang shook his head. “No blood relation. But I did raise him. Found him as a kid, holding his sister’s hand and carrying another on his back. Couldn’t just leave them.”
“I see.”
“I planned to help them for a bit, but things went well with them around. Business boomed. People must have pitied me for having three kids in tow.”
“Interesting.”
“Later, a martial artist noticed Wang Ho’s talent, so I found him a teacher. His sisters got married off, and Wang Ho stuck with me. He’s like a son now.”
Tang Mujin recalled Wang Ho knocking the merchant out cold once. Their relationship seemed more like friends, much like his own with Gwi.
“But offering half your fortune is a big deal. Isn’t that your life’s savings?”
“I’m not losing anything. It’s money Wang Ho would inherit anyway.”
The merchant laughed, justifying his actions with ease. It was hard not to like him.
The wide path soon turned into a forest trail, and it was clear something had happened there.
The merchant led the way, stopping at a certain point.
“This is where the fight happened. Wang Ho told me to run, so I did. But he never came back.”
“Could he be dead?” Bang Woongyeop asked bluntly.
Wang shook his head. “If he were, there’d be blood. But there were only drag marks. He’s alive.”
The problem was finding where Wang Ho had been taken in the vast mountains.
Wang turned to the group for suggestions.
“Let’s split up from here and see if we can find where those thugs are hiding. Anyone have a different idea?”
No one spoke up. Mr. Wang took the lead again.
“Don’t go getting yourself killed trying to be a hero and hog all the rewards. If you find anything, report back here. Got it?”
“Understood.”
With that, the group responded, and Geum Il-seop naturally stepped forward.
When Tang Mujin and Hong Geolgae had entered the inn, Geum Il-seop had been the one to gauge their martial prowess.
Believing himself to be the most skilled among those gathered, Geum Il-seop took it upon himself to lead.
“Let’s divide into three groups. Three top fighters will each lead a team. Let’s see… I’ll distribute everyone based on skill to keep things balanced.”
Geum Il-seop divided the martial artists into three groups of five. However, the distribution was far from fair. The more competent first-rate fighters were all placed in Geum Il-seop’s group, including Bang Woong-yeop.
The last ones left were the merchant Mr. Wang and Hong Geolgae.
Of course, leaving just the two of them behind would be foolish. It’s better to take them along, even if they slow things down a bit.
“You there, from the Beggars’ Sect. Hong, was it? You go that way. Mr. Wang, come with me.”
Geum Il-seop assigned Mr. Wang to his own group, knowing that staying close to the employer could be beneficial.
Meanwhile, Hong Geolgae was placed with Tang Mujin’s group. Since he wasn’t expected to be much help, he was passed off to the younger Tang Mujin.
“Ahem, ahem!”
The four nameless martial artists beside Tang Mujin cleared their throats, glancing at Hong Geolgae.
Hong Geolgae seemed oblivious, wearing a clueless expression. Tang Mujin found his demeanor utterly irritating.
“Alright, if you find anything, let’s meet back here.”
With that, Geum Il-seop wrapped up the discussion.
The group split into three directions.
Tang Mujin and Hong Geolgae’s group moved slowly in their assigned direction.
After walking for a while, Hong Geolgae suddenly stopped.
The others in the group looked at him with displeasure.
“What’s up?”
Hong Geolgae made an excuse.
“Oh, well, I have pretty sharp ears.”
“Do you hear something?”
“I can hear voices. And a bit of clashing metal.”
However, neither the four martial artists in the group nor Tang Mujin could hear anything.
The four martial artists paused to listen, then started murmuring among themselves.
“I don’t hear anything…”
“Me neither.”
“Should we check it out anyway? He might not be completely useless. He’s at least at the beginner level of second-rate.”
As they moved in the direction Hong Geolgae indicated, faint sounds of metal clashing and shouting began to reach their ears. Everyone’s expressions turned serious.
Tang Mujin glanced at Hong Geolgae. There was no time to dawdle.
Hong Geolgae looked back and said, “Follow slowly.”
“Slowly, my foot…”
As the others scoffed, Hong Geolgae and Tang Mujin launched themselves forward with incredible speed.
Their pace was so fast that the other four martial artists couldn’t even think of keeping up. It was more like they were being shot forward than running.
The four left behind stared in disbelief at the two disappearing figures, then snapped back to reality.
“Let’s go after them!”
The four hurriedly followed.
Bang Woong-yeop was on edge.
The bandits they encountered in the mountains were no ordinary foes. They were skilled enough to be called martial artists.
One of them, who seemed to be the leader, was unbelievably strong.
The bandit leader was a large man in a fur coat, and he had knocked out a first-rate martial artist with a single punch.
Even at a low estimate, he was at least a top-tier master. Bang Woong-yeop couldn’t understand why someone like that would be with bandits.
At that moment, with a heavy thud, Geum Il-seop collapsed. The bandit leader had struck him with a metal club.
Pointing the club at Geum Il-seop, the bandit leader said, “This one’s not bad. Take him.”
“Yes, sir.”
The bandits grabbed Geum Il-seop by the legs and dragged him away.
Now, only four remained. Three who could fight, excluding Mr. Wang.
But there was no hope. Even if the three of them worked together, they couldn’t defeat Geum Il-seop, let alone the master who had easily overpowered him.
Bang Woong-yeop’s legs trembled.
‘Is this where I die?’
He didn’t know where Geum Il-seop was being taken, but being dragged away like him seemed preferable.
Then, the bandit leader started walking toward Bang Woong-yeop. He felt his blood run cold.
‘Should I surrender?’
Just then, there was a rustling sound from behind. Turning around, he saw the two youngest members of their group standing there. The Tang and Hong fellows, if he remembered correctly.
At least the Tang guy was a reliable fighter. Not as strong as Geum Il-seop, but still.
Bang Woong-yeop asked, “Where are the other four? Why are you two alone?”
But the swordsman Tang didn’t answer, instead frowning.
“A supreme master? Why is there a supreme master here?”
Bang Woong-yeop couldn’t believe his ears.
A top-tier bandit was hard enough to imagine, but a supreme master living in the mountains? Yet, given how easily Geum Il-seop was defeated, it seemed possible.
‘Is it all over?’
The bandit leader looked at Tang and Hong without much concern. The outcome seemed decided.
However, the beggar sect member Hong Geolgae stepped forward confidently. Bang Woong-yeop whispered to him in a trembling voice.
“Hey, run away, you fool…”
But Hong Geolgae walked on, tilting his head slightly.
“Interesting fellow.”
His confidence was strange. All eyes were on Hong Geolgae. The three trembling first-rate fighters, Mr. Wang, the bandits, and even the bandit leader.
Bang Woong-yeop couldn’t understand what gave Hong Geolgae such confidence.
But soon, Bang Woong-yeop realized something was off. Hong Geolgae’s presence was surprisingly convincing. As if he were a first-rate master himself.
Hong Geolgae took five more steps forward.
For some reason, Bang Woong-yeop felt that Hong Geolgae might be more skilled than him. As if he were a top-tier master.
Finally, Hong Geolgae stopped and lowered his stance.
“Shall we start with introductions?”
Hong Geolgae bent his knees and lowered his stance, spreading his arms up and down.
It wasn’t just for show. Bang Woong-yeop sensed something significant was about to happen.
Hong Geolgae’s arms traced arcs.
A unique stance that couldn’t be mistaken for any other martial art. But anyone who had been part of the Beggars’ Sect would recognize it.
‘No way. I heard you need to be at least an elder to learn that technique.’
Could it be a bluff?
No, it didn’t feel like mere bravado.
Hong Geolgae’s aura was far more intense than Geum Il-seop’s. Even the bandit leader’s smile faded.
Finally, the young beggar sect member, Hong Geolgae, spoke.
“First move of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.”
His hands, tracing arcs, extended in front of his chest.
“Dragon Soars in the Sky.”
At that moment, Bang Woong-yeop felt as if the world was shaking.