Chapter 149
I gave an order to the startled Haomun Leader.
“First, post announcements everywhere in Hunan Province - the mountain path, downtown, magistrate’s office, inn, and courtesan house. Say that the Green Forest is gathering faction members to join us.”
In this situation where the future had become unclear, it was important to quickly grow the Green Forest’s strength. To do that, we needed to hurry and recruit new blood.
“Add that their martial arts realm doesn’t matter, but the higher their level, the better the treatment.”
“Um…, but Great Hero…”
“Hmm?”
However, the Haomun Leader looked up at me with a worried expression, as if something was bothering her.
“It is true that many martial artists have flocked to Hunan Province, but would they really come under us? We are still… the Green Forest…”
“…”
I could immediately tell what the Haomun Leader was worried about.
Even if we grandiosely called ourselves the Green Forest, we were ultimately bandits. In fact, there were people under heaven who just called us the Hunan Bandit Group.
And didn’t the word Bandit have a certain ring to it?
In reality, in this world’s setting, bandits were just thieving bastards living in the mountains.
Some didn’t even consider Bandits to be Martial Artists at all, and even if they did, Bandits existed at the very bottom of the martial world.
As martial artists who revered martial prowess, they would naturally be reluctant to join such a bandit group.
But…
“Why worry about that?”
“…Pardon?”
“I have a lot of money, don’t I? How much is the petty pride of those Martial Artist bastards really worth?”
…I had a lot of money.
In fact, a big reason why I made money like crazy with the Heavenly Demon Sword was to recruit talents.
Recruiting new Martial Artists on a large scale would cost quite a bit of money.
“And the bastards who stubbornly refuse to work with us because we’re Bandits? I don’t need those kinds of bastards anyway.”
It had been a while since our Green Forest took control of Hunan Province, so complaining about disliking us for being Bandits wasn’t pride; it was just stupidity.
I hated idiots like that.
“Then how much should we set the compensation for the new Martial Artists?”
“You set it to a generously appropriate amount, Haomun Leader. Let them know that we operate on a merit system, so the better they work, the fatter their performance bonuses will be.”
“Performance bonuses are understood.”
Perhaps the term 'performance bonus' was unfamiliar to her, as the Haomun Leader tilted her head for a moment before accepting it and nodding.
“Should our Haomun then directly screen the new Talents and place them in the right positions?”
“No, not that. I will personally select and judge them.”
Of course, it was true that I highly trusted Haomun, but I had no intention of leaving everything to it when it came to picking my subordinates.
When I stated this firmly, the Haomun Leader replied again with a worried voice.
“The number of Martial Artists wanting to join the Green Forest won’t be small. Will you be alright? It will be exhausting to see them one by one…”
“Then…, hmm…”
Was it a bit stubborn to try and meet all the new guys one by one? Then…
“How about this? Have Haomun divide our Green Forest applicants into high-grade, mid-grade, and low-grade based on their abilities. I’ll only look at and select the guys in the High-Grade.”
“That is a good idea. Then how about we accept Applicants for two weeks starting today? I will have everything prepared so that in two weeks you can personally select the Applicants, Great Hero.”
“Oh, sounds good. You’re competent as always, Haomun Leader. You know you’re the only one I’ve got, right?”
“…Always just words.”
The Haomun Leader clicked her tongue like that and left my room to prepare for the Green Forest Official Recruitment as I ordered.
* * *
The next day.
The entrance pavilion of the Hunan Province Mountain Path.
“Hey, hey, hey-! That’s my spot-!”
“Bullshit! Once you step out, you’re out!”
The Entrance Pavilion, which was already crowded with merchants trying to use the Mountain Path, was bustling with even more people this time.
It was because of the refugees from the northern region who had fled to Hunan Province.
Hunan Province, which the flames of war had not yet reached, and which also had roads leading to the much more peaceful southern city.
There were several ways to enter the Hunan Province territory, but the fastest among them was through the Hunan Province Mountain Path.
In the barren Hunan Province, the Mountain Path was the only road that was somewhat well-paved.
Thanks to this, the Mountain Path was booming, but those who wanted to hurry and enter Hunan Province couldn’t help but feel their insides bursting with frustration.
“Phew…, do they really have to inspect everyone one by one like that?”
“The line shows no signs of shrinking.”
It was then.
“Now, you must be bored waiting in line, right? Everyone, please take a look at this.”
“Hmm? What’s this…”
“Our Green Forest is currently recruiting family-like Martial Artists to spend a lifetime with.”
“Martial artist recruitment?”
A person who looked like a Green Forest member suddenly stepped forward and handed a piece of paper to everyone standing in line.
Written on that paper was the fact that the Green Forest was recruiting Martial Artists, along with the benefits provided upon joining the Green Forest.
“Bwahaha-! What is this? Are they recruiting Bandits, if it’s Green Forest Members…? Do Bandits recruit like this nowadays?”
“Ooh, still, the compensation for this is no joke, right? Of course, I’m not a Martial Artist, but…”
Since most of the people standing in line were commoners, they just laughed it off after seeing the recruitment announcement.
There were also those who grew curious about the much higher-than-expected compensation.
And among them…
“…”
…There were Martial Artists whose eyes sparkled upon seeing the Recruitment Announcement.
“Wow, guys. This pays pretty well, doesn’t it? Should we settle down here?”
“Should we, Elder Brother? Hehehe.”
Someone saw this announcement as an opportunity to build up their faction again…
“Green Forest Recruitment… This is a golden opportunity to get my revenge…”
Someone else saw this as a chance to exact their revenge…
“Hmm…, it pays quite well. Should I try my hand at Banditry again here…”
And yet another saw this as a chance for a comeback.
Countless Martial Artists paid attention to the Green Forest Recruitment Announcement for their own different reasons, like that…
Two weeks passed, and the day of the Green Forest Recruitment Interview arrived.
* * *
Chatter, chatter.
Our Green Forest’s Muak Mountain Stronghold, which had been quiet, was noisy as it was packed with people for the first time in a while.
It was bustling with Martial Artists who wanted to join our Green Forest and take the interview.
“Now, please follow the attendant according to your respective grades and wait. You must remember that if you cause a disturbance, you might never be able to set foot in Hunan Province again.”
With Dongryong-i, the other executives, and the Martial Artists dispatched from Haomun controlling the Applicants, the interview venue achieved a certain level of order.
“Wow…, a lot of people really came. So all those guys gathered because they wanted to be Bandits, right?”
“Since we offer money similar to the Murim Alliance in a rear area far away from the Demonic Cult, it’s only natural that Martial Artists would flock to us.”
According to the Haomun Leader, among the Martial Artists who came for the interview this time, there were a few righteous faction members as well.
Those who refused the Murim Alliance’s call-up order or righteous Faction Members who weren’t part of the Murim Alliance affiliation in the first place had flocked here…
'Hmm…, it’s not like I negatively impacted the Murim Alliance, right…?'
Still, well…, the Righteous Faction Members were a minority, and most were unorthodox faction members or those between the Righteous and the unorthodox, so I figured it didn’t matter.
“Then shall we head over too?”
“Let’s do that.”
The Haomun Leader and I walked toward the separately prepared High-Grade Interview Venue.
Since indoors wasn’t suitable for observing Martial Arts Skill, the Interview Venue was set up in an open space on the outskirts, and the Interviewers were just the two of us, me and the Haomun Leader.
As I sat in my pre-arranged seat, the Haomun Leader handed me the list of interviewees.
Perhaps because they were High-Grade Interviewees, the number certainly wasn’t that large.
“Since there are only this many High-Grade Interviewees, there must be a ton for the Mid-Low Grade, right?”
“That would be the case.”
“Who’s conducting the Mid-Low Grade Interview? Come to think of it, I don’t know.”
“The Haomun Hunan Branch Leader returned from Anhui last week. He will be overseeing and conducting the Mid-Low Grade Interview.”
“Ah…, Munseok.”
That mister would be suffering from night shifts right after returning from Anhui.
At this point, being competent was a sin, a sin.
“Eying, tsk. What to do about poor Munseok…, hmm?”
Then, I was pitying poor Munseok and looking at the very first interviewee on the list.
“…What is this.”
What we asked of the Martial Artists before the interview wasn’t much: just writing a self-introduction where they could list their personal details and Martial Arts Realm.
But starting from the first guy’s self-introduction…
'I am Heuk Su-Dol from the Yangtze River. Accept me.'
…A very simple crazy bastard had appeared.
“What is this? Without writing anything else down, is one sentence the end?”
He even scribbled half-formal, half-informal speech on his self-introduction, as if he were a bastard who didn’t even know how to write properly.
No matter how much we were Bandits, this bastard seemed way too uneducated…
It also felt like an unapproachable arrogance was revealing itself in his tone and name…
“Haomun Leader. What’s with this guy right from the first one? Is this really correct?”
When I asked with doubt, the Haomun Leader nodded as if telling me not to worry.
“He is a water bandit who was highly renowned in the Yangtze River, and he came to the Green Forest with two hundred Subordinates. His skills are reliable.”
“Right, then I guess… No, wait, he came after doing Water Bandit activities in the Yangtze River…?”
Just as the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance and the Five Great Families appear whenever the Righteous Faction is mentioned in any martial arts novel, there is a Faction that appears for the Unorthodox Faction as well in any martial arts novel.
Could it be, among them, if it’s guys doing Water Bandit activities in the Yangtze River?
'The Eighteen Water Strongholds of the Yangtze River'
The Eighteen Water Strongholds of the Yangtze River existed in this world setting where the Unorthodox Faction was treated like small fry?
Feeling my heart tremble a little, I waited until the number one Interviewee, Heuk Su-Dol, arrived.
And soon after, when he revealed himself alongside the Attendant…
“Ahem!”
“Ooh…”
I couldn’t hide my excitement.
It was because Heuk Su-Dol, who appeared before us, had a quite dignified appearance with bronze skin, bulging muscles, a stylish beard, and fierce eyes.
With anticipation, I asked him.
“Is your name Heuk Su-Dol?”
“That it is.”
“Then are you the general stronghold master of the Eighteen Water Strongholds of the Yangtze River?”
However, contrary to my expectations…
“Hmm? The Eighteen Water Strongholds of the Yangtze River? What is that? I am the leader of the Yangtze River pirate group, though…”
“Ah…”
He wasn’t the Yangtze River water stronghold master, but a romance-filled pirate group leader wandering around looking for some legendary treasure in this world setting.
'Sigh, fuck, right, how could the Eighteen Water Strongholds of the Yangtze River exist in this world setting?'
If they had, they would have been subjugated a long time ago.
Feeling my excitement rapidly cooling down, I muttered to myself.
“Shit, I thought he was some amazing guy, but he’s just a nobody.”
“Silence! What did you just say to me!”
Heuk Su-Dol must have heard my muttering, as he shouted at me in anger.
I couldn’t help but be flustered by this.
“No, but this bastard is shouting when he’s the one who wants to come under me? Do Water Bandits have no sense of hierarchy?”
“Did you really think I, who am called the Pirate King, came here because I wanted to go under you? You bastard-! I came to divide this Hunan in half with you.”
“No, who said I’d share…? More importantly, Pirate King?”
When I looked toward the Haomun Leader to check if that was true, she nodded.
“…That person’s alias is indeed the Pirate King.”
“…I’ve felt this for a while now, but they really just hand out the king title to any dog or cow.”
No, but that bastard operates on a river, so why is he the Pirate King?
As the very first interview turned into a mess, my head started to ache. At this, I waved my hand dismissively and shouted at Heuk Su-Dol.
“Hey, hey, whatever, fuck. Just show me your Martial Arts Skill. Let’s see the level of you, Water Bandit bastards.”
“Alright, this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. Let’s compete for supremacy over this Hunan.”
Saying so, Heuk Su-Dol drew and gripped the saber he had slung across his back.
Seeing that, I considered crushing him myself but soon shook my head.
“Sigh, fuck. I don’t think he’s at my level… Hey! If anyone’s over there, go fetch Dongryong-i! Let’s have a King of Kings Match!”
At my shout, one guy immediately went to call Dongryong-i, who was somewhere else…
“Leader, did you call for me?”
Our Bandit King, who had finished absorbing the Great Restoration Pill two weeks ago, arrived at the Interview Venue with a more imposing figure.