Chapter 50
The moment I heard Munseok's words, I shot up from my seat.
The sun hadn't fully risen yet, and the surroundings were still dark, but none of that mattered.
Just as I was about to immediately move...
“W-wait...!”
“...”
“What is it? Where are you going at this ungodly hour...?”
...Perhaps I had been too noisy, as Yoo Somyung, also roused from sleep, called out to me with a questioning look.
Normally, I would have answered her, but...
Whoosh.
“Huh? Hey—!”
I truly had no time, so I used Lightness Skill and sped forward without a word.
As I dashed away using Lightness Skill, she also used Lightness Skill to pursue me, but she couldn't keep up with my speed and soon disappeared from view behind me.
*Please.*
How long had it been since I'd run with such desperate sincerity?
But now was no time to think about such things. I focused all my mental energy on channeling Internal Energy into my feet.
Whoosh—!
Originally, I hadn't placed much importance on Lightness Skill. However, by continuously pouring Internal Energy into my feet, I was able to move surprisingly fast.
I'll be there soon.
I had intended to set off before sunrise, but the sun had already risen, and I could hear birds chirping around me.
Considering it usually took half a day to reach our Mountain Path from Hunan City, I had come at an incredibly fast pace, yet I found it hard to hide my unease.
I had arrived.
I silently wished.
When I arrived, the Merchants would be lined up for their toll passes as usual. Bangsam would make a bewildered face upon my sudden appearance.
But...
“...”
When I arrived, there was no one around, and the Pavilion we had built so carefully was half-destroyed, a scene of utter chaos.
First, I calmly surveyed my surroundings.
There were traces of battle. Someone had fought here, and blood stained the ground.
From the footprints left behind, I could deduce the battle that had taken place moments ago.
The Footwork of these footprints... was Bangsam's.
At first, Bangsam must have fought one-on-one with an opponent.
The one who faced Bangsam wasn't an easy opponent either... At first, they seemed to fight on equal terms, but then...
Slish—!
Bangsam must have exploited an opening and slashed the opponent's side.
At this, the other startled individuals must have jumped into the fray... Bangsam, outnumbered, must have been defeated.
Following that were signs of subjugation and being dragged away.
“At least... he’s alive...”
It was then as I muttered with a hint of relief.
“Hah... hah... Oh.”
Perhaps she had overexerted herself trying to keep up with my speed, as Yoo Somyung arrived where I was, drenched in sweat.
She then scanned her surroundings with a bewildered expression.
“Here... why...”
“...”
“...Was it an attack by another Demonic Path group?”
At her words, I almost let out a snort.
Another Demonic Path group making such a mess of us? Impossible. All the Green Forest groups in this vicinity had already been thoroughly dealt with by Dongryong.
I didn't bother to satisfy her curiosity and simply continued on my way.
“W-wait, I’m coming with you.”
Seeing this, Yoo Somyung also followed close behind me.
I followed the path to the next Pavilion, and because I used Lightness Skill, I arrived quickly.
Similarly, the second Pavilion was also a scene of chaos, but this time there was a difference from the Entrance Pavilion.
That was...
“Ah...”
“...”
...several corpses strewn around.
The moment she saw them, Yoo Somyung immediately ran over and checked the pulses of all the fallen individuals.
Anyone could see they were all dead, but she seemed to be searching for anyone still alive.
“They’re all... dead.”
“...”
I also approached and examined the faces of the fallen.
I didn't know their names. But... they were definitely guys I'd seen coming and going.
They seemed to have decent speaking skills and business acumen for Bandits, so I think I assigned them to the Pavilions at the beginning of the path...
“Damn it.”
...Even though I knew it wasn't my fault, I felt utterly disgusted.
Feeling this utterly disgusting sensation, I turned my gaze sideways. Surprisingly, the corpses next to me were not our Green Forest Subordinates... their attire suggested they were Merchants.
It was then.
Rustle—.
“...!”
I heard something stir in the nearby bushes. The moment I heard it, I immediately rushed over, reached out, and snatched the fellow.
“Ugh—!”
“Who are you?”
“P-please, spare me—!”
At least, he wasn't a Martial Artist. I couldn't sense any aura of cultivation from him, and his appearance was that of a Merchant.
“I-I was just leaving Hunan Province, having started from the opposite entrance...”
Our Mountain Path has two entrances. One is connected to Guizhou Province and one is connected to Hubei Province.
It seemed he had started from Guizhou Province, had passed through Hunan Province, and was heading towards Hubei Province.
“Did you happen to see what happened here?”
“I-I just watched from a distance, holding my breath...”
“Tell me anyway.”
I released the collar I was holding him by and asked him, and he hesitated before opening his mouth.
“Just as I was about to reach that Pavilion..., I saw Martial Artists in Murim Alliance uniforms occupying it from a distance. Feeling uneasy, I immediately hid myself in the bushes...”
“What happened next?”
...One person, who appeared to be their Captain, stepped forward and killed all the Attendants who had been subdued. And then...
The Merchant squeezed his eyes shut, as if he didn't want to recall the next scene.
...I don’t know why, but that one man also killed the other Merchants who were already using the Pavilion.
“That’s... impossible.”
Yoo Somyung was the first to react to the Merchant's words. The moment he finished speaking, she muttered in confusion.
“A Murim Alliance Martial Artist killed civilians...? Why...?”
“...”
Indeed. What could be the reason?
No matter how much I thought, I couldn't come up with a reason, but the Merchant, as if something had just clicked, furrowed his brow and spoke.
“Well... I might have seen it wrong, but... he seemed to be smiling the moment that Captain killed those people.”
“So, it’s a personal depravity, then.”
Hearing the Merchant's story made me feel even more utterly disgusted. I turned to continue on my way, but then...
Tug—.
...Yoo Somyung grabbed my sleeve.
I looked down at her, and her face was quite rigid.
Yoo Somyung seemed unable to believe the current situation.
“Perhaps... there’s some misunderstanding...? Even if we meet them, please don’t kill them right away... We need to properly understand the truth...”
“Somyung, this is entirely possible.”
“...”
I could have just ignored her and moved on, but I personally removed Somyung's hand from my sleeve and spoke slowly.
“Not everyone in this world is like you. There are countless vermin out there who kill people for sport.”
“But... Murim Alliance Martial Artists uphold Righteousness and Chivalry...”
“Do you know what a good shield that facade of Righteousness and Chivalry is for those vermin?”
“What?”
Somyung seemed not to understand, so I tapped the Merchant's shoulder and continued.
“If it weren't for this man, would we have known that a Murim Alliance Martial Artist killed civilians? From their perspective, they could just report to their superiors that they killed Bandit Subordinates, not civilians, and that would be the end of it. Fearing the power of the Murim Alliance, even those who know the truth wouldn't dare to speak up.”
“...”
“Do you think such incidents never happened over hundreds of years? Do you think there were no madmen like this in the Murim Alliance for hundreds of years?”
Perhaps there were, perhaps there weren't.
However, what's certain is that the Murim Alliance has had the power to silence all such truths for hundreds of years.
The Murim Alliance is truly a colossal ancient tree that has lived for hundreds of years.
The one who first planted it surely did so with noble intentions, and the tree grew sturdy and tall over hundreds of years.
But the roots of this ancient tree are already rotting. Unsuitable, filthy parasites have gathered on the ancient tree, unbeknownst to many.
This is a truth that Yoo Somyung, who has only ever gazed upon a beautiful world from the high branches of that ancient tree, will never know in her lifetime.
I left the dazed Yoo Somyung behind and stood up. Then I asked the merchant.
“From here, it’s a fork in the road. Which way did they go?”
“Well... it seems they split in half, with one group going left and the other going right.”
...They split up here.
I couldn't help but fall into thought. And... after a brief deliberation, I took the left path.
The right path led towards the Muak Mountain Green Forest's Mountain Stronghold.
With this much commotion, Dongryong and the others would surely notice and come out to handle the situation. So, I'll leave the right path to my Subordinates.
*Can Dongryong... handle those guys?*
While Dongryong is the strongest after me in our Mountain Stronghold... it's true that he still doesn't quite satisfy me.
If I were to throw Dongryong into the Central Plains as he is, there would be countless individuals stronger than him.
So, I was a little worried, but...
Stomp—.
Nevertheless, I had no choice but to go left.
No matter what, he's our Green Forest's Deputy Leader. He must bear a certain degree of responsibility according to his position, too.
The moment I stepped onto the left path, I sensed their movement with my internal perception.
So, I used Lightness Skill and ran...
“Oh?”
...I spotted the backs of their heads before even a moment had passed.