Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Chapter 41. Subjugating the Bandits (1)

“Young Master Pa! Take this.”

“Ah, this too, please! Is that okay?”

The party went around the market of Guiyang, purchasing dry rations, blankets, and extra clothes in preparation for their long journey.

And in proportion to that, the bundles piled on Pa Jin-seong’s shoulders grew increasingly larger.

After about two hours, Pa Jin-seong’s entire body was soaked in sweat, and he began to look like a drowned rat.

Finally, around the time the bundles he carried became larger than his own body, Pa Jin-seong let out a monstrous scream and straightened his back.

The bundles tumbled to the ground with a crash.

“Hm? What’s wrong, Young Master?”

“No, shibal, isn’t this really too much?! There are four of us, so why am I the only one carrying the luggage?!”

Lee Byeok and Eon Mi-hee had naturally intended to share the load, but Gongson Su did not allow the two to interfere with Pa Jin-seong’s ‘role’.

“But wasn’t it you, Young Master Pa, who asked us to take you in, even as a porter? Are you perhaps unwilling to do it?”

“If you don’t want to, you can return to Hainan at any time. Oh, but before that, you’ll have to return the accommodation and food expenses for two days. And of course, the compensation I paid on your behalf.”

“My, my, after saving a person who was causing a ruckus in the Evil Faction Alliance’s front yard and even drew his sword, feeding him, giving him a place to sleep, and taking care so he wouldn't get caught, he even raises his voice. The world has become a much better place, hasn't it?”

“No… that’s just an expression! Kehehe! When did I ever say I didn’t want to?”

Fumbling, Pa Jin-seong picked up the bundles he had dropped. The posture of his back, which had been stiff for a moment, became respectful once more.

For a prodigy who, until just a few days ago, had represented half of the Evil Faction Alliance, his back was remarkably flexible.

“Ah, jeonbyeong(sweet rolled pancakes). They look delicious.”

Just then, Gongson Su, who had spotted some appetizing food at a street stall, led the party in that direction.

After buying her own share, she offered the same to Lee Byeok and Eon Mi-hee. The two tried to refuse, but Gongson Su was adamant.

“I have a lot of money. Don’t worry. The Dark Shadow Pavilion doesn’t exactly live off the land in Jiangxi Province.”

In fact, almost all the money spent on preparations for the journey over the past two days, including today, had come from Gongson Su’s pocket.

Lee Byeok and Eon Mi-hee also had travel funds received from Ji Soyak, but Gongson Su adamantly refused to let money leave their pockets.

Gongson Su called it an ‘investment’.

“What about, what about me……?”

“Hm? Does Young Master Pa want some too?”

The same food was handed to Pa Jin-seong. The way he devoured it greedily the moment he received it showed no trace of a great faction.

Slurp, Pa Jin-seong smacked his lips.

Watching him, Gongson Su smiled.

“That just now is included in your debt.”

“Because while it’s an investment for Unni and Orabeoni, you, Young Master Pa, have no investment value.”

He was falling into a pit of debt.

He was literally being tamed.

However, I had no intention of interfering in the matter between the two. Gongson Su must have her own reasons for her attitude towards Pa Jin-seong.

Lastly, the party bought four horses from the horse market. And only then was Pa Jin-seong liberated from the weight of the bundles.

“Huhu, good work, Young Master Pa! As expected of the rising star of the Hainan Sword Sect, your stamina is incredible. I see you in a new light~”

“Ke… kehehe!! You’re stating the obvious!!”

“Now, let’s go eat. If you keep working as hard as you did today, I’ll gladly write off the cost of your meals!”

“Kehehe!! Alright!! Let’s go!!!”

Watching Pa Jin-seong lead the way frivolously, Gongson Su let out a low laugh. Just then, Eon Mi-hee cautiously spoke.

“Um… Miss Gongson? But why did you buy the horses last? If we had led them from the start, Young Master Pa would have had an easier time……?”

“Hm? I wonder? Why did I do that?”

Gongson Su shrugged her shoulders.

Of course… she must have her own reasons.

Clip-clop, clip-clop!

The party set out on horseback.

After leaving Guiyang, they rode their horses busily towards the east.

From the moment they left the Evil Faction Alliance’s front yard, it wouldn’t be strange to be ambushed anytime, anywhere.

Therefore, they had to hurry.

Following the mountainous terrain of Guizhou, the party crossed several mountains. They stopped at cities and villages here and there to change horses.

“Kehehek! Hey, there… It’s all good, but can’t we go a bit slower? Huh? My, it’s not like we’re dying to sleep outdoors—”

“Young Master Pa, are you kidding? You think you don’t have to worry about being stabbed in the back because you’re a disciple of the Hainan Sword Sect, is that it?”

“N-no! When did I ever say that—”

“If you want to rest, stay behind and rest all you want by yourself. Oh, and don’t even think about running off without paying your debt. The Dark Shadow Pavilion will chase you to the ends of hell to collect it.”

Slump, Pa Jin-seong’s shoulders drooped.

The party’s destination was Hunan Province.

About fifty years ago, after the war between the Righteous and Evil Alliance and the Demonic Cult concluded, the Murim Alliance and the Evil Faction Alliance divided their territories centering on Dongting Lake and signed a non-aggression pact.

The so-called Pact of Yueyang.

Since then, the area south of the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake was officially recognized as the territory of the Evil Faction Murim, and Hunan Province was no exception.

Currently, amidst the internal strife of the righteous factions, the Murim Alliance had become virtually nominal, eventually splitting into the Righteous Path Alliance and the Righteous Blood Alliance.

Furthermore, the Evil Faction Alliance’s influence had also rapidly shrunk over the past three years since the Paewang Family closed its doors, causing the boundaries of their territory to begin to waver.

The most representative place for such a phenomenon was none other than Hunan Province.

Since the Paewang Family ceased its activities, Hunan Province began to be encroached upon bit by bit by the righteous factions.

This was because, unlike Guizhou Province, where the Paewang Family was located, and Jiangxi Province, where the Dark Shadow Pavilion was located, Hunan Province had no great faction to represent the evil factions.

As a result, the current Hunan Province was classified as a land between the righteous and evil factions.

But for that very reason, it was also the most suitable destination for Lee Byeok’s party now.

The fact that the Evil Faction Alliance’s influence did not reach there also meant that it was easier to build up their forces while avoiding the intervention of the Black Heaven Gang or the Hainan Sword Sect.

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On a clearing halfway up a mountain, Gongson Su pulled on the reins to stop her horse and let out a small sigh.

“…Looks like we’ll have to spend the night here today.”

They had been caught by the night in the mountains.

According to their original schedule, they were supposed to reach a village after traveling for about four more hours, but due to a rare snowfall, their schedule had been delayed.

The party tied their horses nearby.

Lee Byeok gathered dry firewood and skillfully lit a fire. Eon Mi-hee set up a tent and laid out blankets, while Pa Jin-seong went to find stream water.

As the journey continued, roles had been distributed among the party members. The awkward distance between them, whether they realized it or not, was gradually closing.

Having downed a gourd of water in one go where he sat, Pa Jin-seong let out a huge breath and slumped his shoulders.

“Kekeke, Hunan Province!”

Having regained his energy, Pa Jin-seong suddenly lifted his head. He let out a sinister chuckle, ehehehe, as if some thought had occurred to him.

Sleek, he slung an arm around Lee Byeok’s shoulder.

“Hey, Squad Leader, have you ever been to Dongting Lake?”

“Me neither. But you know. Should I call it 'artistic pursuits'? That neighborhood is famous for that sort of thing, you know? Why, that thing is really good for men. As they say, it’s where men can share a deep friendship—”

The next moment, the arm resting on Lee Byeok’s shoulder was twisted at a strange angle.

Pa Jin-seong’s body spun once in the air before being neatly thrown to the ground.

“Kyaak! It’s breaking!! It’s going to break!!”

It was not Gongson Su, but Eon Mi-hee.

As her eyes met Lee Byeok’s, hat, Eon Mi-hee gasped and hastily released his arm.

“…Young Master Pa, please don’t teach the Young Master strange things.”

“Keok, keoheo, kehehe. Hehe……”

Eon Mi-hee stepped back.

However, Pa Jin-seong remained sprawled blankly on the ground for a while, unable to recover from the shock of the surprise attack.

No matter how exhausted and off-guard he was, he had been subdued far too easily.

“Excuse me, Young Master Pa.”

Gongson Su prodded Pa Jin-seong.

“You’d better be careful. I don’t just call anyone Unni. That Unni seems like she’d be terrifying if you get on her bad side.”

Pa Jin-seong silently picked himself up.

Although he had been reduced to a worker-like status, he had never once thought that he lagged behind in terms of martial strength within this group.

But… as they spent more time together, a sense of anxiety began to sprout.

The party sat silently around the fire, sharing dry rations and jerky. And just when they were about to set a night watch and take turns resting.

Pa Jin-seong spoke again.

His voice was uncharacteristically serious.

“From now on, we’re going to Hunan Province, stirring up the local evil factions, gathering this guy and that guy to build up our numbers, right? Huh?”

Although there was no great faction to represent the region like the Four Great Factions, there were some well-known evil factions.

“But when the number of heads increases, you know. There needs to be a proper system in place, so shouldn’t we at least appoint a vice-squad leader? Huh?”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“Right? Right? Kehehe! So! Leaving the Squad Leader aside, let’s decide the strongest among us through a duel and—”

“Um, Unni? Would you like to be the vice-squad leader?”

“…Huh? What did you say?”

Gongson Su’s gaze turned to Eon Mi-hee. Eon Mi-hee, who had been silent, looked momentarily flustered.

“But you’re the eldest, Unni, aren’t you?”

“W-wait! I meant a duel… No! Even by age, I think I’m the oldest?! How old are you guys? This body is eighteen—”

“The porter should stay out of it.”

Slump, Pa Jin-seong deflated again.

“…No, if that’s the case, I think Miss Gongson would be more suitable. Even now, you are practically leading us, aren’t you?”

Eon Mi-hee shook her head with a vague smile. But Gongson Su continued in a firm tone.

“No, Unni, you have to do it. It’s not just about age… if we fought head-on, I think I would probably lose. In the end, the evil factions are all about power, right?”

Seuk, Gongson Su scooted over, moving closer to Eon Mi-hee. Eon Mi-hee’s shoulders flinched slightly.

“Unni, when are you going to start speaking comfortably to me?”

“Do you not like me?”

“…It’s not particularly like that.”

Eon Mi-hee avoided her gaze.

Lee Byeok watched the two of them.

Their journey continued, but Eon Mi-hee still maintained a subtle difference in how she treated him versus the other two.

Perhaps… it wasn't so much an issue with Gongson Su and Pa Jin-seong, but rather a distance Eon Mi-hee herself held towards the evil faction itself.

Suddenly, Lee Byeok was reminded that he was, for all intents and purposes, the leader of this group. But… it was hard to know what to do.

At that moment, the group fell silent in unison.

It was because an unfamiliar sound was heard from the surrounding darkness. As everyone held their breath, the clearing instantly became quiet.

A faint sound cut through the air.

Arrows flew in from the darkness. But by the time the arrows struck the ground by the fire, there was no one left at the spot.

The moment they heard the sound of bowstrings being drawn, all four of them had kicked off the ground and retreated as if on cue.

“Keh, kekeke… women. They’re women!”

Soon, figures began to appear from the forest. Unrefined presences stirred in the darkness.

“…This is strange. I made sure to plan our route to avoid places where moderately famous mountain strongholds are located……”

“There were rumors that bandits have been growing in numbers everywhere lately, and it seems to be true. To think they’d even show up on a shabby mountain .”

“Hee, heeheehee! Heeheeheehehe!”

Lee Byeok felt a sense of unease.

They hadn’t demanded anything and just shot arrows from the get-go. The enemies’ state was not normal.

A somewhat sticky energy.

It was hard to distinguish clearly in the dark of night, but they didn’t feel different from the bandits they encountered while heading to the Evil Faction Alliance in the Rogues' Guild carriage.

“From the looks of it, there are about five or six third-rate fighters at best… You can handle them alone, right? If you do well, I’ll accept you as an official member.”

“Kekeke! That’s welcome news!”

Just then, the conversation between Gongson Su and Pa Jin-seong happened quickly. Clang, Pa Jin-seong’s sword was drawn from its sheath.

“Kekeke, you bastards walked right into it!”

Pa Jin-seong charged forward. As if to release the resentment built up in his chest, his sword unfolded swiftly among the figures.

A sword like a wave flooded forth.

It was before Lee Byeok and Eon Mi-hee could even react. In a flash, blood spurted and screams filled the mountain.