The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 71 : A Heroic Journey (3)

The son of the old captain, Jo Jun. He explained his situation as best he could, using his hands and feet.

The sect leader of the Gwak Inseonbang was known as a gentle and good person, but in reality, that was not the case. He was the worst sect leader who exploited people with low wages and only thought of his own profit.

So he was fighting to pursue the rights of the workers and the fair distribution of wealth, and was by no means fighting for personal greed.

Jang So-gil smiled faintly and kicked him.

"I'm not curious at all, so shut up."

"Yes."

"How could a bastard who pretends to be his retired father with a face covered in greed be persuasive?"

"No, so..."

"I said shut up, didn't I? I don't care about your situation. What's important is this. Give me the money."

"Money?"

"I saved you. If I saved you, you have to pay."

Jo Jun looked around. The gazes of the sailors cleaning the blood-stained deck were sharp.

It seemed that no sailors had died. It was a miraculous thing, but it was not a miracle from heaven, but something done by the murderous young man in front of him.

He had killed the water bandits and protected them. If he was the captain of the boat, it was customary to thank him for his grace and give him a reward.

But a custom was just a custom. It was not an obligation.

Jo Jun gave a cunning smile.

"Benefactor, you are a hero, are you not?"

"So?"

"I heard that heroism is something that cannot be bought with money. Then how dare I try to change the benefactor's heroism into money?"

A high-class response that meant 'if you're going to call yourself a hero, don't talk about money'. Even thinking about it himself, it was so skillful that he was impressed.

The corners of Jang So-gil's mouth, who had been listening to the story, went up. Was he smiling?

It seemed like he was smiling, but his eyes had become narrower and sharper than before.

"Who are you to judge my heroism as this or that?"

"I am not judging..."

"Then what is it? Are you testing me?"

"That's not it either..."

"Then what is it? You're not going to give me the money, are you? You want to die, don't you?"

With a 'seureureung' sound, the precious sword was drawn.

Seeing the sword from which a cold energy was slowly rising, Jo Jun's face turned pale.

'What hero? He's a robber, a robber!'

He had avoided the water bandits, and now it was a robber. But this robber also had a sword, and he also had the power of an inspector of the Martial Alliance. He even had the justification of being a benefactor.

It was the worst. The water bandits seemed cute in comparison.

Even if he wanted to give the money, he had no money to give. So he was trying to get by with words, but his momentum was no joke.

The will to kill him if he didn't give it was rising up.

'By the way, why is he so angry...'

Jo Jun trembled.

When the water bandits plundered, they were not particularly angry. Because that was the job of a water bandit.

Putting emotions into work is second-rate. The first-rate do not put emotions into their work.

The water bandits who traveled the rough Yellow River were all first-rate. That's why Jo Jun had rarely seen such an angry person.

Jang So-gil kicked him again as he hesitated.

"Aheuk-! Why, why are you doing this!"

"Why am I doing this? Why am I doing this? This bastard's mouth is open, and he still can't distinguish between up and down?"

"What did I do wrong to deserve this? No matter how much you are a benefactor, you shouldn't do this."

"Wow, every single word this bastard says is driving me crazy. This won't do. You, come here."

"Ack!"

Even though he had held back his strength, a heavy fist filled with internal energy struck Jo Jun. The hand that struck only the sturdy parts like the back or the thigh was fierce.

But he didn't hit any fatal vital points. Because he had no intention of killing him.

"Ttaheuk-! Big brother!"

"Who's your big brother!"

"B-brother!"

"I'm even more pissed off because I think I can understand Military Advisor Sima's feelings. You need to be beaten more."

Watching that, Yang Gwan shook his head. The man named Jo Jun was truly the type of person Jang So-gil hated the most. Selfish, stupid, and irresponsible. He thought it was okay for him to harm others, but he couldn't stand it when others harmed him. The story of the Gwak Inseonbang's sect leader was surely a lie too.

'The sect leader is famous for his character. Looking at that state, it's obvious who's lying.'

Even Yang Gwan could see through it at once. Jang So-gil, who could read a person's heart like a book, must have already grasped the truth the moment he heard Jo Jun's lie.

And yet, he kept babbling without rest, which was like throwing a flame on a pile of gunpowder. It only made Jang So-gil's already fierce temper burn even more with annoyance.

'I'll just do my own work.'

Yang Gwan left them behind and began to interrogate the three surviving water bandits.

The interrogation was very easy.

"We're called the Huseong Unit. Hehe."

"Even though we look like this, we're pretty successful water bandits. You're not scared of retaliation or anything, are you?"

He glanced back and forth between Yang Gwan and Jang So-gil. The golden pass hanging on the end of the White Azure Divine Sword and the character 'Alliance' engraved on the red and black hero's scarf that Yang Gwan wore. No matter how you looked at it, it was the Martial Alliance. There was no way the Martial Alliance of the world would be afraid of the retaliation of a group of water bandits.

The water bandits were indeed disloyal. They spewed out all the information they knew. In less than an hour, Yang Gwan had found out all the very secret information about the Huseong Unit.

When he returned with a light heart and reported to Jang So-gil, Jang So-gil had also just finished his work. Jang So-gil threw Jo Jun, who had been beaten to a pulp and couldn't come to his senses, and looked back.

"Are you done?"

"Yes, Young Master So. These guys are a water bandit group called the Huseong Unit."

"The Huseong Unit, the Huseong Unit. Heo, they're the biggest of the three water bandit groups I was aiming for."

Jang So-gil opened a book. It was the death list created by Sima Hui using the Fengya Unit. The Huseong Unit was clearly written there.

Since they were at the very front among the water bandits, it meant they were a group of extremely evil people with very bad crimes.

As Yang Gwan watched with his mouth shut, Jang So-gil closed the death list and said.

"The Huseong Unit are guys who travel around the Yellow River and serve as the feet of the Black Way or the Unorthodox Faction guys. As befits water bandits, their original job of plundering is basic, and they are guys who take on the role of brokering and delivering the human trafficking and stolen goods that the villains commit."

"They're vicious bastards. Then do we clean up the Huseong Unit first?"

"Since it's a matter of cutting off the feet of the Black Way group and starting, it should be so. Have you heard the location of their base?"

"Yes. It's a little far from here, but..."

"But?"

"From what I've heard, it seems to be no ordinary matter."

"No matter how big a water bandit group is, it's just a water bandit group."

"That's, the story is complicated."

"We're idle while on the boat anyway, so try telling me."

Yang Gwan began to talk about the Huseong Unit.

Huseong was originally a member of the Green Forest. The Green Forest was often looked down upon as mountain bandits, but at least those who belonged to the 108 fortresses of the Green Forest were people who had learned martial arts to some extent. And if they belonged to the 18 fortresses, which had strong power among the 108 fortresses, they received treatment and support that were not inferior to the disciples of any small or medium-sized sect and had quite outstanding skills.

"Huseong was said to be the action leader of the Fierce Tiger Mountain among them."

"Fierce Tiger Mountain?"

"It's a mountain fortress that is in the top five in terms of external arts even in the Green Forest. But as you know, the Green Forest once boasted a powerful force of 108 fortresses, and because of that, it became the main target of the past Alliance Leader's heroic journey. In less than three years, it was completely smashed, leaving only about ten fortresses."

"Hmm."

"The Fierce Tiger Mountain was also smashed at that time, but Huseong succeeded in escaping and changed his line of work and went to the river. And the Huseong Unit of today was created by gathering the water bandits with his own martial arts. Up to here, it's an ordinary story. But this fellow Huseong's luck turned one day."

The corners of Jang So-gil's mouth went up a little.

"His luck turned? What, did he hit the jackpot or something?"

"If it's a jackpot, it's a jackpot. He was plundering as usual, and after plundering, he found out that those people were architects who were quite famous in Jiangnan."

"Oh my..."

Jang So-gil touched his forehead as if he knew what would come next.

"Did he perhaps make those architects build his base?"

"You are indeed wise. That's right. Huseong demanded the construction of a fortress from those architects. The architects, who didn't want to die, built the fortress with all their might."

"If a water bandit's base is built like a fortress, it will be a headache."

"That's right. So I think it will be difficult to fight from the front."

Yang Gwan bowed his head heavily, and Jang So-gil also seriously reviewed the situation.

If they fought with martial arts, they could push back the water bandits with just the power of Yang Gwan and Jang So-gil, but if it was a fortress, the story was different. Hadn't even the pirates he had just seen used various tactics such as a feint operation using their comrades or a net operation using the blind spots of their vision?

"If it's to the point of being called a fortress, they'll really use all sorts of means, right?"

"They say they have not only gunpowder but also cannons."

"No, what are water bandit bastards doing with gunpowder and cannons?"

"They say they bought them from the Byeokryeokmun for a high price. Since the boat they came on also had cannons, the fortress won't have just one or two."

If they even had cannons and explosives, the job would become really difficult. If they went crazy and set off the gunpowder, and if they were hit properly by it, even a decent master would be torn to shreds.

The Thunderbolt Sect Master of the Thunderbolt Sect was a representative figure who caught peak masters like flies with that one gunpowder.

"This will probably be difficult with just the two of us."

"What should we do? What should we do?"

Should he request support from the Martial Alliance?

But even the Martial Alliance had no sharp means in the river.

Unless they mobilized a unit like the Jiaolong Unit, the Alliance Leader's direct annihilation battalion, it would be difficult to deal with.

"You can't use a dragon-slaying sword to catch a chicken. The Alliance Leader won't approve."

"I think sometimes retreating is also an answer."

"That's troublesome. The reason I can act so arrogantly is because I've never failed. If I retreat and fail even once, I lose the justification for that."

"Then what on earth are you thinking of doing?"

"I'll use a stratagem."

A stratagem.

It sounded good, but it was a very ominous word.

Yang Gwan swallowed dryly and asked back.

"If it's a stratagem, what on earth are you talking about?"

"That is-"

At Jang So-gil's answer, Yang Gwan felt a headache.

* * *

The sun sets and the moon rises. Three boats appeared on the waters of the Yellow River.

The boat that had left for plunder was trying to dock at the fortress with a yellow flag, which meant the success of the operation, unfurled.

Huseong, who was watching it, laughed heartily, gulping down the wine in his gourd.

"You bastards, how much did you plunder to come back only at night!"

"Hehe, boss. You know that team leader Wang Chang is greedy."

"That bastard doesn't know moderation, moderation. But I'll let it slide today."

"As expected, the boss is magnanimous! But boss, then was the information from the Beggars' Sect true?"

Huseong chuckled at his subordinate's question and threw the gourd filled with expensive wine.

It was free wine that had come about because Huseong was in a very good mood today. After his subordinate rubbed his palms and flattered him a few more times, Huseong gave him an answer.

"Isn't the information power of the Beggars' Sect the best in the Central Plains? It seems that information was true."

The Beggars' Sect had given Huseong good information.

Jo Jun, the captain of the Gwak Inseonbang, was having a dirty fight with the sect leader over money, and he was carrying around all his property, jewelry, and even high-priced goods he had secretly stolen from the Gwak Inseonbang, hidden in every corner of the boat, so that he could run away at any time.

"There's nothing easier to take than a fool's money."

Today's expedition was to take all of that fellow's property, and in Huseong's eyes, it seemed to have been a great success.

The late return and the clean state of the boat without a single wound. As the beggars of the Beggars' Sect had said, it seemed that the cowardly fellow named Jo Jun had raised the white flag after a few threats, and there had not even been a fight.

"This, this, that fellow Wang Chang is going to get arrogant."

"We have to deal with him sometime."

"Leave him be. That fellow is smart. It means he knows his place."

It was while they were having that conversation.

Kwang-!

Kwang-!

The fortress shook with an explosion that shook the heavens and the earth.

(End of Chapter)