Chapter 11: A New Member at Mount Five Peaks

As the guests of the Namgung family visited the Walong Hall, Yeonjeok was wandering far to the south at Mount Five Peaks. To be precise, he was in a state where he was on the verge of starving to death on Mount Five Peaks.

Martial arts, which should have been a great help to him, who had not learned how to survive in the world, were of little use. As the saying goes, "Even a string of pearls is useless unless it is strung together"! This saying perfectly described his current situation. Even though he had martial arts, he did not know how to use them to earn a living.

His condition was far from good in many ways.

The gourd he had obtained from a high-ranking member of the Beggar Sect in mid-summer was very dirty.

While wandering around, he ate slightly spoiled food from the gourd, which eventually led to diarrhea. For several days, he had been expelling more from his body than he was taking in.

Finally, he was so exhausted that he would fall over if someone just brushed past him.

Following a group of merchants through Mount Five Peaks, he soon ran out of energy. However, the busy merchants did not care whether the young beggar was following them or not.

Falling behind, Yeonjeok lost his way, making matters worse.

‘This is bad...’

Unlike when he fled from the Walong Hall, he was now wandering aimlessly, so there was no need to hurry. However, as the surroundings grew dark, he suddenly felt afraid.

Having only a broken gourd, he was not afraid of bandits.

What he feared now were wild animals. If he encountered a pack of wolves or wild dogs in his current state, he would surely be eaten.

Yeonjeok, exhausted and weak, staggered over to a noticeable rock. He thought it would be better to rest on a rock than in the grass where snakes might be.

He regretted not staying in the storage room, given his current state.

Leaning against the large rock to rest, Yeonjeok gradually lost consciousness.

A dirty leather shoe nudged Yeonjeok's head.

However, having lost his strength, he could only breathe faintly and could not open his eyes.

The leather shoe muttered in amazement.

"What the hell. Is this a corpse? Or not? This is going to bring bad luck from the start of the day."

A burly man watching from behind chuckled.

"Hehe! Sir! Our youngest brother says he's tired of cooking and doing laundry. Should we take him along?"

"Take a guy who looks like he's about to die?"

"His fate is in his own hands. We should accumulate merit. Who knows? Maybe this will bring us good fortune in the future."

"Ugh! That brat. He's talking about merit again just because he had a meal."

"It's not just a little. I've received the precepts of a novice monk, you know."

"A monk who can't even chant sutras."

"Our master said that if you can chant 'Namu Amita Bul' well, that's enough."

While joking with his subordinate, the leather shoe gently pushed Yeonjeok's shoulder.

Losing his balance, Yeonjeok's upper body slumped to one side.

The leather shoe jumped back, making a fuss.

"Ouch! Damn! He's already dead. Looks like a kid who starved to death."

"Really?"

The burly man shuffled over.

He placed his hand on Yeonjeok's nose and glanced at the leather shoe, who seemed to be the leader, Feng Yanchao.

"He's not dead. What should we do?"

Feng Yanchao, stroking his beard, asked.

"How many of us are there?"

"Six."

"Adding one more mouth to feed won't ruin us, will it?"

"From the gourd hanging on his waist, he seems to be a beggar. He'll know how to get by."

"Tsk! Let's take him. I've never seen anyone worse off than us."

"Good thinking. This is all about accumulating merit, you know."

The burly man, Deputy Leader Zhuo Gao, said 'Yingcha' and lifted Yeonjeok onto his shoulder.

***

Yeonjeok's eyes turned to the distant sky.

The fairy riding the cloud turned back and smiled gently.

"Miss Fairy?"

Suddenly, a gruff voice was heard.

"Stop calling me a fairy. From today, you'll follow the sixth brother and learn the ways of the mountain. Got it?"

Yeonjeok rubbed his eyes and sat up.

The leader, Feng Yanchao, was squatting next to him, grinding his teeth.

It seemed that seeing the fairy was just a dream.

"Hey? You're not answering?"

"…Yes."

Feng Yanchao frowned at the delayed response.

"Too slow, too slow. How will you ever be able to pull your weight? You look fine, but…"

Yeonjeok scratched his head.

Over the past four days, the bandits of the mountain had grumbled but taken care of him. If it weren't for them, he would have been eaten by wild animals and turned into dung. So when they asked if he wanted to join them, he didn't hesitate.

"Hey, since you've decided to be one of us, you need to work hard. Don't be lazy because of your begging habits. Do you understand?"

Feng Yanchao was secretly worried.

Beggars are used to loafing around and don't like to work. If the guy he barely saved ends up being lazy, it would drive him crazy.

Feng Yanchao, looking at Yeonjeok with a doubtful eye, finally stood up.

"Come with me."

"…Yes."

Yeonjeok followed Feng Yanchao closely.

The bandit hideout was located in a secluded spot on the middle slope of Mount Five Peaks.

Feng Yanchao stood on a large rock.

"Little one, there are only two types of people in this world. Those who take and those who are taken from. Which one do you want to be?"

"…The one who takes."

Standing still, a look of determination appeared in Yeonjeok's eyes.

Until now, he had only been taken from. The torment by his stepmother and half-siblings, and the small, smelly storage room…

"Right, with that attitude, you can become a great bandit."

A satisfied smile appeared on Feng Yanchao's face.

He had been worried about a lack of capable hands, but this guy seemed usable.

After a moment, Feng Yanchao pointed to the surroundings with his finger.

"From the first peak on the left to the fifth peak in front of us, this is our territory. It's quite vast, isn't it?"

"…Yes."

"To protect this vast land, all the brothers have to run around like crazy. All six of the brothers above you have to handle outside affairs. Since your body is weak, you should focus on household chores, right?"

"…Yes."

"Hey, you! You only know 'yes.' Try to say something from the heart."

"…Yes."

"Ouch! Damn. You're killing me."

Shaking his head, Feng Yanchao continued.

"While the brothers are out on business, you need to take care of the cooking and laundry. If the household chores aren't done, the brothers can't handle their outside work. Do you understand what will happen?"

"…No."

"You don't?"

"…Yes."

Feng Yanchao hit the back of Yeonjeok's head with a loud thud.

"What don't you understand, you brat? Starving to death, that's what. If we go around looking ragged, the heroes of the world will mock us. Damn! Do you want to be called an idiot and be ignored?"

"…No!"

For the first time, strength entered Yeonjeok's voice.

He didn't want to be ignored by others. He really didn't. The stepmother who cursed him every day, the half-siblings who bullied him, the kids who threw stones at him. The more he thought about it, the more his teeth ground together.

Seeing Yeonjeok's venomous reaction, Feng Yanchao patted his shoulder with pride.

"Right, kid. That's it. On Mount Five Peaks, we are the kings. No one should ignore us. Those who do must be killed. Repeat after me. We are the best!"

"…We are the best."

Yeonjeok's voice, still not fully that of a bandit, was barely audible.

At that moment, Feng Yanchao spread his arms wide and roared like a madman.

"Damn! We are the best!"

"…."

For the first time in his life, Yeonjeok felt a shiver.

It felt as if something solid in his heart was cracking. Then, a bolt of lightning seemed to run from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

Ah!

A feeling of becoming part of Mount Five Peaks, perhaps?

A desire to ignite a new life as a member of the bandit hideout arose.

As his heart aligned, the Guchan Qi, which had been dormant in his dantian, surged up to his chest.

Yeonjeok spread his arms wide like the leader and shouted.

"Damn! We are the best!"

The mist cleared, but Feng Yanchao, who was rubbing his ears, did not see it.

'Wow! This scrawny guy has a hell of a voice.'

Feng Yanchao, who had lived as a peasant and then became a bandit, did not know about inner energy. He was just amazed by the powerful voice of a beggar he had picked up from the mountains.

***

Yeonjeok, who had been wandering and begging, settled down at Mount Five Peaks. Since he had learned morality through writing and had no aversion to becoming a bandit, it was a natural transition.

He had been raised like a dog in a righteous martial family, and it was the bandits who saved him when he was on the verge of death. As a result, the boundary between right and wrong naturally blurred.

For the first few months, Yeonjeok took over the chores that the sixth brother had been doing.

This was better for both sides.

The bandits needed someone to do the chores, and Yeonjeok, who had not yet developed the heart to cut others, was better suited to this role.

Life in the bandit hideout was the same every day.

After breakfast, the brothers would leave the hideout late and return as the sun began to set.

The brothers, who had left with only a crude saber, would return with bags or money pouches.

Not every day was this lucky.

There were countless days when the brothers returned covered in blood.

Still, the seven of them had enough to live a modest life, enjoying drinking and singing.

The hot summer passed, and a cool autumn arrived.

It had been three months since Yeonjeok, who had run away, entered Mount Five Peaks.

The once taciturn Yeonjeok, who had been like an old man, gradually became more talkative.

He had become so skilled at kitchen work that it only took about thirty minutes.

After quickly finishing dinner preparations, Yeonjeok practiced swordsmanship in the backyard as usual.

Swoosh. Swoosh.

Although it was just a roughly carved stick, the sound of it cutting through the air was impressive.

The stick, imbued with Guchan Qi, looked as heavy as a lump of iron.

Yeonjeok repeated the chopping and slashing movements hundreds of times.

Once his body felt a bit looser, he quickly performed the 'Guchan Sword Technique' and 'Guchan Nine Swords.'

Whirl.

The leaves in the yard were drawn toward Yeonjeok's body.

As time passed, his body became hidden by the swirling leaves.

A faint light flickered within the leaves.

After a while, he performed the final move of the Guchan Nine Swords, 'Lingyun Xiaoyao' (Soaring through the Clouds).

Yeonjeok took a step into the air.

The leaves swirling around his body seemed to form a cloud beneath his feet.

For a moment, his body stood in the air, as if he were stepping on the leaves.

Just like the fairy who briefly appeared in the Guchan Fairy Scripture, riding the clouds.

As his body was about to soar into the sky.

With a thud, the leaves scattered, and Yeonjeok's body crashed to the ground.

Thud.

Leaves fell onto his body, which was lying flat.

"Hehehe!"

Yeonjeok chuckled for a while, finding his appearance covered in leaves amusing.

It seems that imitating a fairy is still beyond his reach.

He sat in a cross-legged position and, following the teachings of the Guchan Daily Practice Scripture, regulated his breathing.

The boiling Guchan Qi quickly settled.

Yeonjeok practiced the Guchan Daily Practice Scripture without stopping until the brothers returned.

One day, he would soar through the sky like the Guchan Fairy. It was a childish dream, but for now, that was all he could think about.