Chapter 20

"Fucking brat."

Gang Long, the head of the Okpi Caravan, muttered to himself as he walked along the forest path. At that moment, the image of Gang Chong, with whom he had conspired, came to his mind.

Gang Chong, a fellow townsman, had been completely taken in by the promise of finding a gold mine if the natives were driven away, and had stamped the seal of the merchant guild. However, he had later become frightened and tried to back out.

Moreover, upon hearing rumors that a patrol team from the Martial Arts Alliance was in the area, he had even conspired with the branch chief to plan Gang Long's arrest. In the end, Gang Long had no choice but to secretly kill Gang Chong to buy time.

He then had to abandon all his caravan staff and enter the forest with only the thirty hired swordsmen, who were unaware of the situation and had been lured by money.

"Don't worry too much. You were going to have to part ways with them anyway once the goal was achieved."

As if hearing his muttering, one of the warriors beside him whispered in a low voice. The warrior, dressed in a black cloak and a wide-brimmed hat, made it difficult to discern his face and build. However, Gang Long knew his face, identity, and martial arts. He forced a smile and whispered back.

"But we lost the gold mine, didn't we?"

"Although gold dust has been found in the river, it doesn't guarantee a substantial yield. Remember, the gold mine was just a means to drive out the natives."

Gang Long wanted to curse. He had left behind the caravan he had built over three years and entered the mountains with only thirty swordsmen who knew nothing. How could this man speak so casually? But the words that slipped out of his mouth were extremely polite.

"…I hope the story about those primitive savages is true."

"Already confirmed the Danzhong point. To be able to open a human's meridian like that, he must be a creature of great spiritual power. A spirit beast worthy of the grand plan. The head of the sect will be pleased."

"Ah, yes. That's right."

Gang Long responded half-heartedly. He was a low-ranking member and didn't know much about the grand plan. He could only pray for the well-being of the native who had been dismantled by the warrior's hands.

He then hoped that the natives in the valley would be sufficiently frightened and retreat, so that the warrior's goal could be achieved safely. Only then could he start a new caravan under a new identity. Gang Long felt a deep regret for the caravan that had grown rapidly under the support of the shadows.

Just as he was secretly sighing, the swordsmen suddenly stopped.

"…Hey, employer? There's someone there."

The lead swordsman, walking at the front, turned back and sneered. Gang Long found his attitude, which contrasted with the caravan's warriors, particularly annoying, but he had no choice. He pushed through the warriors and looked at the man who had appeared.

The man wore old martial robes with a large patch on the right shoulder. The sword at his waist seemed unremarkable.

However, standing calmly in the middle of the path with his left hand resting on the hilt of his sword exuded a formidable presence.

Gang Long felt an inexplicable sense of unease and shouted. They were about ten paces apart.

"Hey! I'm Gang Long of the Okpi Caravan! Who are you?"

The man, Zhang Jian, slowly raised his head and looked at the sky for a moment. A few mountain birds flew across the clear sky. Gang Long frowned and asked again.

"…Hey? Who are you?"

"Unfair or fraudulent contracts with the natives are strictly punished by the merchant guild and the Martial Arts Alliance. If caught, it won't just be a fine. You might end up in the Martial Arts Alliance prison, serving time."

Gang Long's mouth gaped open at the unexpected response. What kind of person was this, suddenly blocking the road and spouting nonsense? But he soon grasped the general situation and laughed derisively.

He laughed and then said,

"…So, the savages in the valley hired a Central Plains man. What a scoundrel. Are you so desperate for money that you take the savages' gold? Or did they offer you some savage women?"

Zhang Jian, still looking at the sky, spoke in a calm voice.

"If there's a misunderstanding, we can resolve it. If you think there's a gold mine somewhere in the valley, instead of driving them all out, you could offer them a share of the mine and work together. Even if you can't claim the entire mine, it would be a sufficient amount for a single caravan."

Gang Long's face twisted in anger.

"What the hell is this scoundrel saying? A share? Give the savages a share of the gold mine? I already bought that land for five hundred silver taels! The savages who don't even know the value of gold should be the ones to leave! Why should I share my property with them?"

Frustrated and unable to vent his anger after losing his caravan and fleeing, Gang Long stepped forward and shouted.

"Do you know what will happen if you and your savages don't leave right now? I'll kill all those savages living in huts! I'll kill anyone who resists and sell the women! I'll burn down every trace of their existence!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jian looked at him with a serious expression. He had intended to hear the Central Plains man's side of the story, but from the way Gang Long spoke, he seemed like a complete scoundrel. Gang Long, oblivious to the discomfort of the surrounding warriors, continued to shout.

"Ah, right. I saw a lot of children last time. It seems they do nothing but keep having kids. These days, the black market gives good prices for children. Great! I'll catch those brats and sell them—"

At that moment, an arrow flew from somewhere and embedded itself in the center of Gang Long's chest. The swordsmen around him were unable to react, and neither Zhang Jian nor the black-cloaked warrior made any move to stop it.

Gang Long, who had been passionately spouting nonsense, trembled and gaped at the arrow embedded in his chest, as if he couldn't believe it. He couldn't even touch the arrow for a long time, then slowly turned around and said,

"…Sir Hei, please… save me…! Please! Do something…"

The black-cloaked warrior slightly tilted his head and looked at Gang Long. Gang Long could see the warrior's dark purple eyes under the wide-brimmed hat, and the cold smile below.

"What do you want me to do?"

"S-Secret technique! Use the power of the secret technique…!"

The warrior looked down at Gang Long, who was kneeling and losing strength, and replied.

"For someone like you?"

Gang Long, with wide eyes, looked up at the warrior in disbelief, then finally collapsed. He shivered for a moment and then lay still.

The swordsmen, who had been watching the dead Gang Long and Zhang Jian in front of them with confused faces, saw the valley tribe warriors appear behind Zhang Jian. Each of them had their faces painted with colorful pigments and glared at the swordsmen with stern expressions.

The swordsmen, frightened by the warriors who appeared from the forest like shadows, were unable to speak easily.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jian recognized the arrow in the merchant's chest as belonging to Bi Lang, who had been enraged by the threat to the tribe's children. He also realized that the situation had become complicated.

According to what he had heard from the tribe, this merchant was the one who had caused the trouble. The fact that he had led the swordsmen up here suggested that he had intended to carry out his threats. The swordsmen's confused expressions confirmed this.

However, Zhang Jian noticed something more to the warrior who had been pleading for his life, beyond what was visible on the surface.

As if confirming his suspicion, the black-cloaked warrior shouted.

"Pull yourself together! Your employer was killed by a savage's arrow, and you're just going to let it go?"

The swordsmen, instead of regaining their composure, began to chatter among themselves, as if the suppressed atmosphere had burst.

"What the hell. He stepped forward and got himself killed. What can we do about it?"

"Damn! We still had money to collect!"

"What's this? Shouldn't we run? The employer is dead; do we need to fight them?"

The warrior, hearing their chaotic chatter, shook his head and then spoke again.

"Idiots. Don't you remember what the employer didn't tell you? If you keep going up this path, there's a native village with plenty of gold! And there are only a dozen warriors, the rest are just old and weak!"

"Gold? Plenty of gold? Right, he did mention a gold mine."

"Yeah, he did say something like that… But that's not our business, is it?"

The black-cloaked warrior, who had paused, raised his voice.

"Besides, the savages killed a Central Plains man first! How dare they! Savages living in the wild! What did our employer do wrong? He just said a few words! And they shot him with an arrow! You can't let this go, can you? As Central Plains people, don't we have a duty to avenge the unjust death of one of our own?"

"…Right! Killing a Central Plains man in an ambush! Savage brats!"

"…Our dead employer, what was his name, Gang Long! Let's avenge Gang Long!"

Zhang Jian frowned at the swordsmen's behavior. They were getting excited too easily. It was strange for real hired swords to be so easily incited to shout and get excited. The native warriors, who had appeared with stern faces to intimidate, were also looking at each other in confusion.

At that moment, a strange, pungent scent reached Zhang Jian's nose. He quickly held his breath and gathered his inner energy. The substance that was about to enter his body was pushed back by the power of his inner energy.

Zhang Jian exhaled the poison and continued to hold his breath while glaring at the black-cloaked warrior. He could see something blurry flowing from under the warrior's cloak. The warrior, feeling Zhang Jian's cold gaze, met his eyes and showed his teeth in a grin.

"Let's avenge him! Let's kill them! Let's wipe out the savages!"

"Let's wipe them out! Kill them! Kill them and take the gold!"

The swordsmen were already shouting among themselves. The native warriors, though they didn't fully understand the words, could tell they were insults and threats, and their faces were contorting.

Zhang Jian shouted to the warriors.

"Hold your breath! That man is using some kind of poison to excite people…"

But it was already too late. The native warriors, with contorted faces, were slowly lowering their stances and reaching for their weapons. They seemed not to hear Zhang Jian's words, glaring at the shouting swordsmen with yellow, animal-like eyes.

Even Jifeng and Bi Lang, who were usually composed, were baring their teeth and growling. The voices of the Central Plains swordsmen were getting louder, and the warriors seemed ready to draw their weapons at any moment. The black-cloaked warrior, who seemed to have caused this chaos, was grinning at Zhang Jian as if to say, "What are you going to do about it?"

It was not good. If a fight broke out, the advice Zhang Jian had given to avoid the martial artists' initial attack would be useless, and the traps he had set in the forest over the past few days would be meaningless. No matter which side won, it would not be a true victory, and if the warriors lost, the fate of the tribe at the hands of the excited swordsmen was clear.

The Central Plains swordsmen, as if at a rally, were shouting and drawing their swords. They were so excited that they were almost barking as they tried to draw their weapons. The same was true for the warriors behind Zhang Jian.

Zhang Jian's eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath, regardless of the poison in the air, and shouted.

"Stop! Back off!"

It was as if ten thunderclaps had sounded at once. A massive roar and vibration echoed through the forest, the valley, and the mountains.

Startled mountain birds flew up from the forest, clouding the clear sky. The swordsmen, who had been shouting, and the growling warriors were stunned, either sitting down on the spot or staring blankly at Zhang Jian.

Among them, the black-cloaked warrior, whose wide-brimmed hat had flown off, was standing shakily, looking at Zhang Jian in disbelief.

"Lion… Roar!"