Chapter 39
It took ten days to travel from Muak Mountain to Sichuan. Then another ten days were spent in Sichuan. And now, it will take ten more days to return from Sichuan to Muak Mountain.
This arduous journey of 30 days would soon be over.
Finally, we would arrive at Muak Mountain tomorrow.
Since the journey was to deal with the Shanxi Yu Clan's goods, we had carried a lot of luggage on the way there. But it wasn't as if we were returning empty-handed.
After all, I was carrying a full load of Drunken Immortal Wine, a gift from the Haomun Leader, on my back.
Perhaps that's why the return journey felt even more strenuous than the departure.
The sun set... As the day drew to a close, I found the last inn we'd stay at before reaching Muak Mountain and pointed it out to Youngest.
“Youngest, let's stay there tonight. This grueling march is finally over.”
“Yes, Elder Brother. Ah...! Since we're returning to Muak Mountain, should I start calling you Leader again?”
“No, just do whatever's comfortable for you.”
“Th-then... I'll keep calling you Elder Brother. Hehe.”
What's so great about something so trivial...?
I found it hard to understand, but Youngest genuinely seemed happy, smiling brightly. I patted Youngest's head and entered the Inn.
“Hey, more wine over here—!” “When are they going to take our order here?”
The Inn was packed with people, truly bustling. At a glance, every visible table was occupied, and the Attendant was rushing around, busy.
“Elder Brother, it looks like there are no seats...?”
“Indeed... Ah, I'm so tired I could die...”
But it's not like we can just smash everything and take a seat...
As I looked around the hall with a somewhat helpless feeling, the Attendant thankfully spotted us and approached.
“Oh, esteemed guests. Are there two of you? Just lodging, or meals as well?”
“Both lodging and meals.”
“Ah... but what should we do? There's still one Guest Room available, but as you can see, there's no place to eat...”
“All the other Inns will be like this anyway. Isn't there any solution?”
“Ah... well then...”
The Attendant looked around, then pointed to a table and said,
“There are two empty seats over there. Would you mind sharing a table?”
Sharing a table.
If this were the Modern era, I would never do it, no matter how busy it was, but here, it was very common to sit with strangers when there were no seats.
It didn't particularly bother me, and my legs were aching, so I immediately nodded.
“No problem. Lead the way.”
When I said that, the Attendant sought the understanding of the two people already seated, then led us over.
We casually ordered two bowls of noodles and sat down. Two men, with not-so-bad impressions, greeted us warmly.
“Come, sit down. Your luggage looks heavy.”
“Hmm... you seem like young fellows... With all that luggage, are you merchants?”
Since I couldn't exactly tell them we were Bandits, I just nodded vaguely.
“Yes... well... both he and I are Wine Merchants.”
There was no particular reason for introducing ourselves as Wine Merchants. Whatever the case, Youngest's and my luggage currently contained wine.
“Where are you headed?”
“Roughly towards Hunan Province.”
“Hunan Province?”
“You're going towards Hunan Province? Hmm...”
I had answered vaguely again, but as soon as they heard me, the Misters' expressions turned uneasy.
*Hmm? Why...?*
Just then, the noodles arrived, so I slurped them down and asked.
“What about Hunan Province? Is something going on? It's a complete backwater, isn't it?”
The reason I had chosen Hunan Province as our base was precisely because it was a rural backwater where people's attention didn't reach much.
Being so far South, it was less developed than other regions, had a smaller population. While there were a few Small and Medium Sects, there wasn't a single Large Sect to speak of.
But why did these Misters immediately frown when Hunan Province was mentioned?
Perhaps it wasn't a secret, as the Misters immediately continued their explanation.
“You young fellows must be slow to hear the news. Both of us are Peddlers wandering the world with our bundles, and this is already a famous story among Merchants. Hunan Province is currently undergoing a subtle but significant upheaval.”
“Upheaval? Are the Sects fighting over territory or something?”
“If it were Sects fighting amongst themselves, Merchants wouldn't be so uneasy. The ones fighting for power in Hunan Province are Bandits right now.”
“...Bandits?”
As soon as I heard that, I felt a pang of unease, but I shook my head, denying it.
No, surely they're not talking about us.
How many mountains are there in Hunan Province? According to what Jeokyeom told me before leaving Sichuan, there are indeed quite a few Bandits in Hunan Province.
I put my mind at ease and listened to what the Misters were saying.
“A Bandit recently appeared like a comet, and he's so strong that he's been fighting and consolidating all the surrounding Bandits.”
And the moment I heard that story, I was certain that the Bandit the Misters were talking about wasn't one of our people.
After all, before I left, I told my subordinates to practice their Martial Arts diligently.
Jeokyeom and the others from the Muak Mountain Brotherhood, especially, showed great enthusiasm for Martial Arts Training, so they wouldn't have engaged in gang fights.
...Is that so? But bandits fighting amongst themselves for power doesn't seem like such a big deal, does it? Don't they always fight each other anyway?
“Ah, if it were just their usual squabbles, we wouldn't even mention it. But this new fellow is so incredibly greedy that he's conquering bandits all over Hunan Province, not just nearby.”
“Hunan Province... the *entire* province?”
That's a bit... large-scale, isn't it?
“He's practically a rising power in the Unorthodox Faction. Many Bandits have already joined his ranks, and a massive force is gradually forming. He doesn't have a formal title yet, but we're calling him the *Bandit King*.”
“Bandit King...? *Puhahaha—!!*”
What a grand yet shoddy title. *Bandit King*, indeed.
Still, the impact of this newly appeared fellow must have been greater than I thought.
After all, the title of 'King' isn't just given to anyone.
When I laughed at the title *Bandit King*, the Misters' expressions turned serious as they spoke.
“You shouldn't underestimate that fellow. He's expanded his power like a madman over the past month, so these days Merchants are certain he's a Master from outside the region.”
“Come on, why would a Master act like a Bandit in the mountains? And what if this *Bandit King* gets big? The Murim Alliance will take care of him anyway.”
“Who knows when those slow-moving louts from the Murim Alliance will show up.”
As in any wuxia world, the Murim Alliance here was internally corrupt.
Of course, that doesn't mean they do absolutely nothing. They consistently update the Murim Public Enemy List and are quite active publicly.
The *Bandit King*... That foolish fellow doesn't seem to know that in the world of Bandits, it's crucial not to make your name too widely known.
If he keeps doing conspicuous things and drawing the Murim Alliance's attention, they'll either designate him a Murim Public Enemy or dispatch an Extermination Squad.
Whoever it is, they're a fool. But it's not my business, so it doesn't concern me. I just need to be careful not to get caught in the crossfire.
If an Extermination Squad from the Murim Alliance were to come later, it might try to interfere with our Green Forest Stronghold while it's at it.
I resolved to tell my Subordinates to be extra cautious once we returned for a while, and I slurped down more noodles.
But then...
“His name is quite fearsome, too. *Bandit King Dongryong*.”
“...*Phewk*, what did you say?”
Hearing the name the Misters uttered, I ended up spitting out my noodles.
Uh-oh. I think I just misheard something...?
I misheard, right...?
“Mister, what the *fuck* did you just say? What's the *Bandit King's* name?”
“Wh-why are you speaking so menacingly all of a sudden...?”
“Shut up and tell me!!”
Unable to control my excitement, I grabbed the Mister almost by the collar and demanded. The Mister, looking terrified, answered.
And upon hearing that answer, I...
“...*Bandit King Dongryong*. His name was definitely Dongryong.”
“...”
...I swear, I almost fainted on the spot.
I laughed at some attention-seeking bandit in Hunan Province. But that bandit was my subordinate.
*Hahaha.*
Haha, that son of a bitch.
**
*Chirp, chirp—.*
“Hmm... good morning.”
Waking to the sound of birds, Dongryong took a light stroll around the Mountain Stronghold to feel the morning air.
The refreshing air filled his lungs, making his body feel pleasantly light.
Lately, Dongryong has been living the happiest days of his life.
The timid, lacking-in-confidence Dongryong of the past was no more. Now, there was only a respectable Martial Artist, one who could be considered quite strong even in the Jianghu.
As Dongryong thought this and stretched, someone approached him.
“Deputy Leader Dongryong, are you already awake?”
“Ah, Jeokyeom.”
It was Jeokyeom.
After the Leader left, the actual responsibility for the Green Forest fell to Dongryong and Jeokyeom. Dongryong also served as Jeokyeom's Martial Arts teacher, so the two quickly became extremely close.
“Today, I just woke up early for some reason.”
“Is something the matter?”
“Hmm... perhaps it's because the Leader will be arriving soon?”
The Leader would arrive soon. That fact made Dongryong's heart pound.
“Hehe, the Leader will surely be pleased when he sees the achievements I've made, won't he?”
“Wouldn't he? Deputy Leader Dongryong, what you've accomplished is truly unbelievable for just one month.”
“It's kind of you to say so.”
The two continued their warm conversation.
*Startle.*
“This is...!”
A familiar sense of déjà vu made him turn his head, and he saw...
“Isn't that the Leader?”
“Indeed, I see the Leader and the Youngest.”
...In the distance, the Leader and Youngest were seen walking.
“Leader—!!”
Delighted to see them, Dongryong waved his hand, and the Leader, seemingly just as pleased, gestured something and began to run towards them.
...He wasn't just running; he was coming like an arrow, as if using a Lightness Skill.
Touched by the Leader's apparent joy at seeing him, Dongryong also stepped forward to meet him, and the distance between them rapidly closed.
And the moment the Leader arrived right in front of him...
“Haha—!! Leader! I'm also gla—”
*Thwack—!!*
“*Whoaah—!!*”
*Thud—.*
Dongryong was struck by the Leader's fist and tumbled backward. Of course, that wasn't the end of it.
“L-Leader, why are you suddenly doing th—! *Aargh—!!*”
“You son of a bitch. I'm angry, so let's start with a beating.”
“*Aaaargh—!!* Wh-why are you doing this—!!”
*Thump—! Thump—!!*
After that brief (?) beating, Muyeon took a deep breath and asked.
“...Dongryong.”
“...Yes, yes, Leader.”
...I might have come here with the wrong information, so I'm going to ask you something.
“Anything... anything at all...”
The Leader's fist had a knack for making people speak only the truth. It was a pain that even Deputy Leader Dongryong, who had served him the longest, had never gotten used to.
Dongryong nodded repeatedly, waiting for the words to come from Muyeon's mouth.
“By any chance... no, really... no, surely not... Are *you* the *Bandit King*?”
...Some people do seem to call me that...
And that answer was enough.
*Wham—!!*
“*Aargh—!!*”
As soon as he heard that, Muyeon, as if he had been holding back his fury, erupted and swung his fist.
“You son of a bitch—!! I told you to just focus on Martial Arts Training, didn't I? But what the *fuck*? *Bandit King*? *Bandit King*? You became the *Bandit King* in just 30 days while I'm gone? If that's the case, just go surrender to the Murim Alliance, surrender! You motherfucker—!!”
“*Aargh—!!* Wh-why are you doing this, Leader—! I expanded our influence while you were gone. Isn't that something to be proud of— *Aargh—!!*”
“Proud, you're *fucking* proud. That Gum-Gum bastard couldn't become the Pirate King in 20 years, but you became the *Bandit King* in 30 days? You're *fucking* proud, you son of a bitch—!!”
“L-Leader, what are you talking about— *Aaaargh—!!* P-please, at least hear me out first—!! *Aargh—!!*”
And so, the sounds of beating and Dongryong's screams continued for quite some time.