novelraw Chapter 5 : Chapter 5
Chapter 5 : Chapter 5
Chapter 5 - Yongho Fortress (1)
Although he knew that bandits were hiding in the bushes, he hadn't thought that the hiding bandits would loose arrows.
A look of absurdity appeared on Hyeok-rin's expression.
“Ha. They were truly crazy bastards.”
Hyeok-rin, watching the arrows flying from all directions, sighed and shook his head.
“I was already very uncomfortable giving this kind of treatment to mere bandits, but this actually turned out well. How dare the riffraff of the Green Forest bare their teeth at the Moyong Family?”
─ Hwa-ak
A massive spirit spread out around Hyeok-rin's body as he finished speaking.
Hyeok-rin's loosened hair fluttered in all directions.
Hyeok-rin, who soared into the air with a tang, reached for the sword stuck at his waist.
As Hyeok-rin's sword flashed, white sword energy drew a huge semicircle and extended forward.
The members of the White Tiger Squad who were guarding the rear also extended their swords toward the flying arrows.
─ Chae-chae-chaeng
In an instant, sharp sword glints filled the surroundings.
Hyeok-rin's sword swept away the arrows flying from the front without leaving any behind, and the arrows flying from the sides also all fell down at the swords of the White Tiger Squad.
A volley of arrows poured down, but it was insufficient to cause damage to the caravan.
Since there were no further attacks following the single volley, the group waved their hands through the rising dust for now and looked toward where the bandits were gathered.
Nam Chung, who was waving his hand through the rising dust, suddenly discovered something and tilted his head.
“Uh?”
Reaching out and snatching the white powder in the dust, Nam Chung rubbed the powder with his fingers.
Hyeok-rin's face, watching Nam Chung's action, hardened in an instant.
Hyeok-rin, who quickly picked up an arrow that had fallen on the ground, grimaced fiercely.
The inside of the broken arrow shaft was empty, and traces remained that the inside had been filled with white powder.
“Surely?”
Hyeok-rin muttered.
Nam Chung, who was checking the powder while sniffing from the side, staggered momentarily.
“P-poison! Everyone hold your breath!”
At Nam Chung's voice, the faces of the group turned pale white in an instant.
“How did the Green Forest…… get poison?”
Hyeok-rin ground his teeth while drawing up his internal energy to the maximum.
“Kuk-kuk. This is why you Orthodox Sect bastards are no good. Knowing full well there are strong guys there, did you think we would have attacked Moyong's trade caravan without any thought?”
One of the giants who had cleared the log said while giggling.
“We were wondering when to use this expensive Energy Dispersing Poison and Paralysis Powder we stole a long time ago……. With about twenty carriages of the Moyong Merchant Group, it’s worth the cost. Very good.”
Looking at the white powder covering the group, the Fortress Master nodded with a satisfied smile.
“We also sprinkled a tiny amount of Soul Confusing Poison on the mountain path you were coming up. It’s a very small amount you wouldn't be able to notice, but by now your senses must be quite dull.”
Licking his lips once, the Fortress Master looked back at the group.
“On top of that, having inhaled a large amount of Energy Dispersing Poison and Paralysis Powder, far from using internal energy, it will be difficult to even move your bodies for the time being! Rest well. Still, considering the name of Moyong, we won’t harm the people.”
At the Fortress Master's words spat out with giggles, Hyeok-rin ground his teeth once again.
“You bastards. Do you think you will be safe after daring to touch Moyong!”
─ Thud
In an instant, the White Tiger Squad members around the carriage, unable to overcome the poison rising gradually, began to collapse one by one.
The poison the bandits released was not a small amount.
Nam Chung, whose body was staggering, perhaps finding it impossible to endure, hurriedly sat down and began channeling his Qi.
Hyeok-rin, who took a step forward in front of Nam Chung and Eun-wol, also entered into Qi channeling while standing with his eyes wide open.
‘So this is the Energy Dispersing Poison and Paralysis Powder I’ve only heard about.’
Jaun examined his stiffening body and committed the energy of the poison to memory.
When living with Wi Jeong-cheon in the mountains, he had learned many things about poison, but this was the first time he had actually inhaled such a large amount of poison.
‘Energy Dispersing Poison that scatters internal energy and Paralysis Powder that paralyzes the body and mind. Certainly, one would be left defenseless for a few hours.’
Just as Jaun was finding it fascinating while feeling his body gradually stiffening, the voices of the bandits continued to be heard.
“By the way, Fortress Master. If we do this, won’t Moyong come invading in a swarm for revenge later? We settled in Mount Gillim with difficulty……. If we have to move again, that’s also a headache.”
At the giant's words, the Fortress Master furrowed his brow.
“There is no other way. Aren’t the Five Great Families counted among the most vicious of the Orthodox Sect bastards who live and die by pride?”
Scanning the lined-up carriages once, the Fortress Master continued speaking.
“It’s obvious they will chase us to the ends of hell if they hear the news that the caravan was robbed. So, the only way is to scrape everything clean this time and flee all the way to the Hainan region.”
The giant scratched his head.
“Will it be worth it with just these twenty carriages? Brother.”
“Kel-kel. Do not worry. There is one more thing left. That kid lying over there, she’s the youngest daughter of the Moyong Family, right?”
The Fortress Master's gaze headed toward Eun-wol, who was lying down.
“We just have to take that kid, flee, and then send a carrier pigeon to the Moyong Family Head. Saying if he wants to save his daughter, leave the ransom at the Ten Thousand Gold Bank. Since I heard she was raised preciously, if he doesn't want to meet her as a corpse, wouldn't he have no choice but to leave a hefty ransom?”
Raising the corners of his mouth into a smirk, the Fortress Master spoke.
“To think of such a thing……. Although withdrawing money from the bank would be work, if we secretly find it after five or six years, there shouldn't be a big problem. As expected, you are brilliant, Brother.”
Hearing the Fortress Master's words, the giants standing on both sides clapped their hands with a clap-clap.
“I heard rumors that quite high-quality goods are loaded in those twenty carriages too. Including the ransom, let’s change our fate once and for all this time.”
The Fortress Master laughed loudly.
“You bastards not worth chewing up, what nonsense are you spouting now!”
Hyeok-rin, hearing the bandits' words, bit his lip tightly.
Although bandits form a group under the name of Green Forest, since they are scattered here and there, in reality, the power of each fortress is mostly not that great.
Thus, he thought he could handle a decent fortress alone sufficiently, but…….
‘I was complacent.’
Hyeok-rin, who was soundly defeated by the nonsensical act of shooting arrows filled with poison, reproached himself countless times inside.
‘I was too careless.’
Not thinking that the Green Forest would go so far as to use expensive poison to attack the Moyong Merchant Group was a big mistake.
Furthermore, they are going to kidnap Eun-wol?
“Cough!”
Blood trickled down the corner of Hyeok-rin's mouth as if his Qi and blood were tangled from the shock.
“You there. You are the fellow called Wind and Moon Guest staying as a guest in the Moyong Family, right? Do not overexert yourself. If you move even a little, I will blow your head off first.”
The Fortress Master cracked his knuckles with a crack.
“Still, they said you once rose to the Top 100 Masters, and you are certainly different. Seeing that you haven't lost consciousness yet after inhaling that amount of Paralysis Powder.”
The Fortress Master and the bandits, confirming that all the poison had blown away in the wind, only then began to slowly approach the group.
‘Haa…….’
Jaun, glancing at the approaching bandits, sighed inwardly.
He was lying down pretending to be completely intoxicated by the poison and observing the situation, but the way things were turning out didn't look good at all.
‘Just leaving it alone feels very uncomfortable, but taking action risks turning not only the Green Forest but also the Sado Alliance into enemies if done wrong.’
Jaun's worry deepened.
There might be cases where he needs to borrow the power of the Sado Alliance when dealing with the Demonic Cult in the future.
In a situation where he needed to make as many helpers as possible, he couldn't move his body rashly.
Jaun, who pondered for a moment, opened his eyes slightly and examined the surroundings.
‘Two people left.’
It was a situation where everyone in the caravan except Nam Chung and Hyeok-rin, who were channeling Qi, had lost consciousness and collapsed.
Every time the bandits approached step by step, the amount of blood flowing down Hyeok-rin's mouth visibly increased.
He seemed to be trying to drive out the poison even by overexerting himself somehow, but time was insufficient.
‘Talking about Top 100 Masters and what not…… to fall into such a sloppy trap.’
Somehow, he felt something was off since the time he took the guard test.
Still, he followed trusting because it was the Moyong Family, but to think they would suffer a fiasco like this from the first mountain.
Jaun, who was sighing inwardly, turned his eyes toward Moyong Eun-wol.
[For now, since you passed, you just have to take this and come out to the village entrance in three days.]
The image of Eun-wol shouting as if shy with a reddened face flashed through his mind.
Still, she is a child raised finely in a prestigious family; if she gets dragged around by bandits, she will suffer severely…… and in the worst case, she might suffer a terrible fate.
Jaun sighed inwardly once again.
‘……If I just watch, I’ll feel very uncomfortable later. Tsk. Can’t be helped. If I’m going to do it, I have to do it properly.’
Having made a decision, Jaun, while lying down, began to reverse the flow of his internal energy following the mnemonic chant of the Reverse Heaven Asura Art, one of the mental cultivation methods of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Reverse Heaven .
The reason this mental cultivation method was named "defying the heavens" is that it utilizes the shock generated by reversing internal energy.
‘The reason it is difficult to quickly remove poison energy is that it is hard to find the poison energy buried and flowing together with the normal flow of internal energy.’
However, as Jaun's internal energy began to reverse following the mnemonic chant of the Reverse Heaven Asura Art, the buried poison energy revealed itself clearly.
Jaun's body, which began to burn away the poison energy quickly, was gradually released from paralysis, and the scattered internal energy also gathered in the dantian little by little, increasing its flow.
“Let’s see…….”
Before he knew it, the bandits had approached right in front of the group.
“First, pull that carriage with the flag and move it to one side. Since the Moyong Family’s daughter doesn't know martial arts, we should lock her in there and drag her away.”
“Understood!”
At the Fortress Master's command, numerous bandits rushed toward the carriage.
A giant, who walked to the front with heavy steps and looked around the carriage, discovered bearded man who had collapsed and kicked his body away with a whoosh.
bearded man's unconscious body floated up and was flung out of the mountain path.
Subsequently, the giant, approaching Nam Chung who was struggling to channel Qi, pressed his blood point to knock him down and threw Nam Chung's body to one side as well.
“You…… dog, like…… bastards. Are you not afraid of the heavens? If you come one step closer, I will…….”
From Hyeok-rin's mouth, who was forcefully drawing up internal energy to move his body, blood poured out with a gush.
Watching that sight, the Fortress Master giggled and opened his mouth.
“Heavens, what heavens. If the heavens did their job properly, would we have been able to breathe until now? You stop at that point and give up too. Or else it will be troublesome if you suffer Qi deviation and die.”
The Fortress Master, who walked forward slowly, raised his hand and struck the back of Hyeok-rin's neck strongly just like that.
─ Thud
Hyeok-rin, who poured out a handful of blood once again with a gush, collapsed on the spot with a thud.
Jaun, confirming that even Hyeok-rin had collapsed, stopped burning the poison energy and opened his closed eyes.
‘Since the watching eyes are gone, there is no reason to drag out time any longer.’
Jaun, who moved various parts of his body to check his condition, immediately began to draw up his energy fully.
Although he hadn't driven out all the poison energy yet, it seemed it wouldn't be a big problem against bandits.
In the meantime, the Fortress Master, who had thrown Hyeok-rin's collapsed body to one side, looked down blankly at Eun-wol lying down and opened his mouth with a slightly surprised expression.
“Oho. This, seeing her up close, she looks quite pretty? If it really doesn't work out, it wouldn't be bad to sell her as a slave to the West?”
The Fortress Master's eyes, looking at Eun-wol while smacking his lips, glistened with desire.
“Ugh…….”
In an instant, Eun-wol tossed and turned. Green light was emanating from the necklace hanging on Eun-wol's neck.
‘……Poison Avoidance Bead?’
Jaun, who was about to raise his body upon seeing the necklace, flinched.
If that is the Poison Avoidance Bead he heard about from his father, Eun-wol will soon regain consciousness.
‘Tsk. It would be rather comfortable if she just stayed asleep.’
Jaun fell into thought for a moment.
In the meantime, Eun-wol's squirming began to increase gradually.
“Cheon-mong! Clear the carriage quickly! We must leave this place as soon as possible before the Moyong Family finds out.”
Without taking his eyes off the squirming Eun-wol, the Fortress Master pressed the giants.
The Fortress Master, who had been pressing them for a while, confirmed that the carriage was ready and began to approach Eun-wol slowly.
With eyes glistening with desire, the Fortress Master reached his hand downward.
‘That bastard right there.’
There was no more time to think.
‘Can’t be helped. If she wakes up in the middle, I have no choice but to make her keep her mouth shut.’
Jaun stopped worrying and drew up his energy again.
A massive energy began to fully envelop Jaun's body.
And Jaun's body disappeared from the spot in an instant.
─ Kwa-ang!
At the sound of something collapsing, the Fortress Master stopped his action and turned his head as if puzzled.
In the eyes of the Fortress Master, who turned his head with a flushed face, the sight of a giant's head rolling while spraying blood in all directions was seen.
The head that rolled rumble-rumble stopped in front of the Fortress Master.
“Uh……? Mak-nae?”
Looking down at the head that rolled to him, the Fortress Master muttered blankly and raised his head.
In the spot where the giant had been, Jaun stood quietly holding a blood-stained sword.
The Fortress Master looked alternately at the giant's head fallen on the ground and Jaun.
Toward the Fortress Master who was staring blankly at him unable to grasp the situation, Jaun smiled with a smirk.