Chapter 33. Even those who have traveled a thousand miles have come.

The sky brightened.

The Ten Heroes of Wu Feng leisurely finished their meal in Jianliang and set off again. After walking along the river all day, they arrived at a small village called Wushipo at dusk.

Shim Yanggak looked uncertainly between the village and the main road.

"Old Master Shim, why are you just standing there and not moving?" Feng Yanchao asked.

Shim Yanggak pointed to the village and said, "The village seems too small for our group to stay overnight. I think it would be better to keep going and camp somewhere suitable."

Feng Yanchao, who had been carefully observing the village, nodded.

Indeed, the village was too small, as he had said. In such cases, it was better to follow the advice of Shim Yanggak, who had more experience. If they insisted, they would end up wasting money and suffering needlessly.

"You're right. Let's keep going. The weather is good, so camping isn't bad these days. Who knows? We might even find a shrine or a land god's tomb."

The Ten Heroes of Wu Feng passed through the village without hesitation.

A little further on, the road was flanked by dense forests, and it suddenly became dark.

The youngest, Xia Xiaobai, clung closely to Han Chae-yeon, looking uneasy.

"It's still early, but... I feel uneasy."

"Me too. It feels like a tiger might jump out at any moment."

Han Chae-yeon also looked around nervously.

Then, Lee Cheolsan pounded his chest and declared confidently.

"Don't worry! If a tiger comes, I'll kill it for you. Just trust me!"

"Really? Then I'll trust you, big brother."

At Han Chae-yeon's words, Lee Cheolsan's mouth dropped open.

However, Shim Yanggak's steps, which had been slowing down, finally came to a stop.

Turning around, Shim Yanggak first met the eyes of Yeon Jikha.

Yeon Jikha nodded slightly, as if understanding what he was about to say.

Feng Yanchao asked curiously, "Old Master Shim, you're not suggesting we camp here, are you? It's a bit dark because of the trees, but it's still early."

"There seems to be a big fight ahead. I can hear the faint sound of weapons."

"A fight?"

Feng Yanchao's gaze turned to Yeon Jikha, asking if it was true.

"Yes, it's true. I've been hearing the sounds for a while."

"But why would there be a fight in such a narrow forest path? They're leaving good spots behind."

Tak Gomyeong shook his head, not understanding.

The most perceptive of the Ten Heroes of Wu Feng, Heo Imdal, spoke up.

"Could it be those people we saw before?"

"Who?"

Tak Gomyeong looked as if he had no memory of it.

"Well, didn't we meet the head chef of Shuoyue Merchant House at a restaurant yesterday at lunch? He offered to pay us if we helped, but our eldest brother refused."

"Oh!"

A light exclamation escaped Tak Gomyeong's lips.

The face of the head chef, who had lamented the lack of guards, suddenly came to mind.

At that moment, Shim Yanggak looked at Tak Gomyeong and Yeon Jikha and asked, "What should we do? Should we keep going, or turn back to avoid getting involved in the fight?"

"Old Master Shim, what do you think we should do?"

"I think we should go and see. We might get some leftovers if we're lucky."

Shim Yanggak saw this as an opportunity to gain wealth.

After a moment's thought, Feng Yanchao said briefly, "Let's go. We can't just turn back without knowing what's happening, right?"

Encouraged by Feng Yanchao's adventurous spirit, the Ten Heroes of Wu Feng did not object. Although they felt uneasy, they decided to trust Yeon Jikha and move forward.

The path through the dark forest, shrouded in dense trees.

More than twenty men in black were slaughtering merchants and laborers. Dozens of bodies already lay on the ground. On one side, five Shuoyue Merchant House guards were fighting, but it was clear they were making a last stand.

The head chef of Shuoyue Merchant House, Zhang Hanying, stepped in front of Zhang Xian, who was nearby, and whispered, "It's no good. You should run."

"What? You want me to go alone?"

"They're not just after the treasure. They're killing everyone. Go quickly. Hurry!"

Zhang Hanying's face was filled with despair.

Of the fifteen Shuoyue Merchant House guards, only five were still standing. Ten had lost their lives in less than a quarter of an hour.

The more than twenty men in black had used poison darts as soon as they appeared. No one was spared, not the guards, merchants, carriage drivers, or porters. It seemed they intended to kill everyone and destroy all evidence.

"Ah!"

"Kraaah!"

Two more guards fell with screams.

Zhang Hanying pushed his daughter's back forcefully, as she was still hesitating.

Fortunately, this time Zhang Xian did not resist and ran into the forest.

Once his daughter disappeared among the dense trees, Zhang Hanying finally let out a sigh of relief.

Then, startled by the sudden silence, he turned around.

Annihilation. There were no more survivors among the Shuoyue Merchant House people.

Zhang Hanying could not understand why this had happened to him.

A man in his fifties, who seemed to be the leader, Huan Ying Shenma Xiongzaigui, approached the motionless Zhang Hanying.

"Old man, where is the item entrusted to you by Fangzhu Zhang Wubao?"

Zhang Hanying felt as if he had been hit on the back of the head.

Zhang Wubao was the Fangzhu of Shuoyue Merchant House.

How did this man know about the item secretly entrusted to him by the Fangzhu?

Zhang Hanying glared at the man with wide eyes.

"Did you kill so many people just to take that?"

"Haha. Just that? Some have traveled a thousand miles for it. It's worth more than all your lives. Hand it over, and I'll spare you."

"Hmph! Just kill me! I won't give it to you!"

Zhang Hanying did not believe the man's promise to spare him.

Would these men, who had killed even the carriage drivers and porters, really let him live?

Xiongzaigui chuckled and waved his hand lightly.

Then, from the forest, more men in black dragged out Zhang Xian.

Zhang Hanying could not bear to look at his daughter's face.

Xiongzaigui spoke to Zhang Hanying, who was forcibly turning away.

"Hehe. I can stake my life on it that you'll hand over that item. Listen carefully. I'm about to let my subordinates have their way with your daughter. There are exactly twenty-five of them. Let's see how long your stubbornness lasts. Start."

As if waiting for the command, the men threw Zhang Xian to the ground.

"Aaah!"

Four men pinned down Zhang Xian's arms and legs.

Then, one of them roughly tore off her clothes.

"Aaaah! Stop! Dad!"

Zhang Xian's continuous screams made Zhang Hanying roar.

"Stop!"

Xiongzaigui spoke as if he had been waiting for this.

"You've made a good decision. Where is the item?"

Shaking, Zhang Hanying staggered towards a carriage and retrieved a leather bag from a secret compartment under the driver's seat, handing it to Xiongzaigui.

Xiongzaigui's face lit up with a satisfied smile as he opened the leather bag and checked its contents. His gaze then turned to the men holding down Zhang Xian.

"Hehe, enjoy yourselves, but make sure to clean up properly."

"Yes!"

The man on top of Zhang Xian resumed his movements.

"Ah!"

"You bastard! You got what you wanted!"

Zhang Hanying's scream sounded as if he was spitting blood.

Xiongzaigui burst into laughter.

"Kraaah! Your daughter should enjoy herself before she dies. It'll make her less resentful, won't it?"

"How can you say such things, wearing a human face! Don't you fear heaven?"

"Uhhaha! I am heaven. It's time for you to go..."

Interrupting himself, Xiongzaigui suddenly turned his head.

A group of people appeared from the dark forest in the distance.

Despite the bodies scattered on the ground, they did not seem particularly disturbed.

'Could they have known about the fight and still had the nerve to come?'

Xiongzaigui frowned.

He was annoyed at the prospect of adding more bodies to the scene.

The men in black, who had been scattered around, slowly gathered around Xiongzaigui. The man on top of Zhang Xian hurriedly joined them.

Zhang Xian, who had just been freed, staggered towards her father.

Zhang Hanying quickly covered her upper body with his robe and looked straight ahead.

Shim Yanggak, surveying the scene, muttered, "Wow, so many dead. They killed the merchants, carriage drivers, and porters. Who in Henan Province is this terrifying? It's not Dabie Mountain Bandits, is it...?"

Zhang Hanying, who had just noticed the Ten Heroes of Wu Feng, shouted frantically.

"Heroes! Please save us! These men have killed everyone from Shuoyue Merchant House!"

The Ten Heroes of Wu Feng frowned at the gruesome scene.

Although they were bandits, they had never seen so many bodies before.

Xiongzaigui, who was about to order his subordinates to kill, decided to pause. He was curious about the identity of these uninvited guests, who numbered only a few.

Xiongzaigui nodded to the leader of the Black Shadow Corps, Anhun Guisha Sado-yeong.

Understanding Xiongzaigui's intent, Sado-yeong quickly approached the uninvited guests.

"Who are you? How dare you interfere in our business. Do you want to die so badly?"

Shim Yanggak, standing at the front, took a few steps back, startled by the killing intent emanating from Sado-yeong. He had not realized how formidable his opponent was until he was close.

'What! Where did these guys come from?'

He had been feeling confident, having made a name for himself in the mountains, but now his legs were trembling.

Seeing Shim Yanggak's face, Feng Yanchao did not dare to step forward and glanced at Yeon Jikha. He had learned to distinguish when to step in and when to stay back as he improved his martial arts.

Yeon Jikha's discernment had also grown.

He knew from the start that the black-clad men were not ordinary and stepped forward.

"We are from the Five, no, the Flying Dragon Gate. Who are you to speak to us like that?"

Yeon Jikha subtly checked the reactions of the Ten Heroes of Wu Feng.

He had briefly considered whether it was more advantageous to be associated with Wu Feng Mountain or the Flying Dragon Gate, which led to a slight slip in his words.

Meanwhile, Sado-yeong, taken aback by the young man's response, was momentarily speechless. It had been twenty years since the Black Shadow Corps of the Yuming Bridge had gone underground, but shouldn't they still be remembered?

Xiongzaigui was equally annoyed.

He had hoped for a more interesting encounter, but these were clearly not worth his time.

Sighing inwardly, Xiongzaigui said quietly, "Kill them."

As he spoke, he turned away.

It seemed he had wasted too much time on these insignificant men who did not even recognize the Black Shadow Corps.

'Twenty years ago, just the sight of black clothes would make people run...'

A sense of the passage of time suddenly washed over him.

As Xiongzaigui turned, Sado-yeong lunged at Yeon Jikha.

Whish.

Without drawing his sword, Sado-yeong reached out to grab the boy's head, intending to rip it off and throw it at the old man behind him.

Thud.

'Huh?'

The boy's hand lightly deflected Sado-yeong's hand, which was about to grab his head.

Then, his palm seemed to expand.

Smack.

A flash of lightning appeared before Sado-yeong's eyes.

Sado-yeong, who had lunged forward like a bolt, was blown back like a leaf in a strong wind.

Still, as a skilled fighter, Sado-yeong quickly regained his balance and landed gracefully.

Splat.

He managed to avoid the humiliation of being slammed into the ground, but blood dripped from both nostrils.