Chapter 45

45. Feeling Trapped in a Large Warehouse

At the words “Do what you want,” Hasobae looked at Yeonjeokha with hopeful eyes.

“Big brother, what about you?”

“Me?”

“Yes, what do you want to do, big brother?”

At Mansapyung, Yeonjeokha had said he had nothing he wanted to do. Hasobae wanted to know if he still felt that way. Honestly, she didn’t think Yeonjeokha would spend his whole life as a thief.

The Oobongsipkols also glanced at Yeonjeokha with curious eyes.

When he didn’t know what martial arts were, he had no thoughts about it, but now he does. He knows how cramped the mountain hideout is for Yeonjeokha, who should soar through the sky like a divine dragon.

Yeonjeokha shrugged and said,

“Not really.”

“Nothing?”

“Yeah.”

Yeonjeokha had no particular complaints about his current life.

With a place to rest, food, and sworn brothers, what more could he need!

Compared to the warehouse where he was trapped without dreams or hopes, his current life was like paradise.

Lee Cheolsan said, sounding frustrated,

“Brother, how about becoming a hero in the martial world and commanding the land? Then beautiful women would flock to you.”

“Troublesome. I realized during the Green Forest Conference that I’m not the type to wander around.”

“Wow! If I were you…… Really, just……. Ah!”

Lee Cheolsan shivered, seemingly thrilled by the thought.

“If you like that, work hard to master martial arts and do it yourself. With ten years of training, you’ll have more than enough.”

“Really? If I train for ten years, can I command the land?”

“Maybe not command, but you’ll be able to walk around with your head held high.”

“Wow!”

Lee Cheolsan raised his arms and roared.

He had become a bandit because it was hard to make a living, but hearing those words gave him courage.

Han Chae-yeon pouted and said,

“Why? Do you feel energized thinking about beautiful women?”

“No, not that. It’s just that you said I can walk around with my head held high…….”

“Oh, why are you looking at me like that?”

After three months of traveling, they had become closer, and Han Chae-yeon was teasing Lee Cheolsan.

Yeonjeokha smiled at the two of them.

Come to think of it, the relationship between Han Chae-yeon and Lee Cheolsan seemed a bit different lately. It was refreshing that Han Chae-yeon wasn’t being annoying, but also a bit disappointing.

Glancing at Hasobae, he saw a lonely face.

Only then did Yeonjeokha realize something and began to observe the Oobongsipkols one by one. The atmosphere among the sworn brothers was different from that of Shim Yanggak, who was a born thief.

Among the sworn brothers, only Ma Hyungdo and Heo Imdal had been thieves before coming to the mountain. The rest became bandits because they couldn’t make a living.

They might want to leave the mountain hideout as their martial arts skills improve, just like Hasobae, who wanted to go to Kaifeng or Zhengzhou to do something else.

Perhaps Lee Cheolsan is the normal one.

‘Am I the odd one out?’

But no matter how hard he tried to think of something else, the end result was always the same.

The warehouse, the stepmother, the half-siblings, and the elders…… He hated them.

Nothing else had any particular meaning. Everything was just troublesome. Perhaps the only thing left for him was ‘unpleasant memories.’

How can he shake this off?

***

Henan Province.

Pingdingshan.

A long line of Baeseo Merchant Guild’s caravan entered the mountain.

The large-scale caravan included twenty-five Baeseo Merchant Guild warriors.

It was their first caravan, but the face of the Green Dragon Team Leader, Yeon Mudoh, who led the front, was calm.

In fact, as a pure-blooded member of the Walong Hall, he looked down on the Green Forest. This was because his cousin, Yan Mudong, the Sword of the Moon, had gained fame in the martial world with the Guchien Sword technique long ago.

The Yans of the Walong Hall knew well that their Guchien Sword technique was on par with the martial arts of the major families. To them, the Green Forest bandits were mere novices.

“Stop!”

More than thirty bandits appeared with a loud noise, blocking the path of the caravan.

Yeon Mudoh moved forward slowly, not in a hurry.

His confident and imposing steps were evident to anyone.

“I am Yeon Mudoh, the leader of the Green Dragon Team, responsible for the protection of the Baeseo Merchant Guild. I have heard of the reputation of the heroes of Pingdingshan. I wish to pass through the mountain without any conflict. Please give me your guidance.”

The leader of the Red Wind Hall, Zhang Hanwei, frowned.

The attitude of the Baeseo Merchant Guild warriors was different from before, which made him feel uneasy. However, he didn’t want to attack recklessly, as the opponent didn’t seem easy to handle.

‘From the way he talks, he wants to fight……’

Yeon Mudoh’s name was new to him, but he seemed quite skilled.

‘If I step forward, it will look bad, but is there anyone I can send instead?’

Looking around, he couldn’t find anyone suitable.

He regretted that there were no Oobongsipkols like those in the Red Wind Hall.

In the end, Zhang Hanwei nudged the deputy leader, the Killer with the Great Saber, Yao Fan.

Yao Fan stepped forward, understanding his intention.

“I am the Killer with the Great Saber, Yao Fan. If you don’t have the courage to fight me, pay one hundred silver taels……”

Before Yao Fan could finish, Yeon Mudoh drew his sword.

“Fine. Let’s see.”

As he spoke, Yeon Mudoh lowered the tip of his sword to the ground.

After nearly forty years of practicing the Guchien Sword technique, he had reached a state of naturalness. The aura of a peak master emanated from Yeon Mudoh.

Yao Fan felt overwhelmed even before the fight began, as if his courage was shrinking. However, he couldn’t draw his sword without losing face in front of his subordinates.

‘Damn, starting a fight! Why not just ask how much we need to pay……’

Yao Fan cursed under his breath as he drew his sword.

It was more like a spear than a sword.

Taking advantage of the weapon’s reach, Yao Fan swung it roughly.

Swoosh. Swoosh.

Yeon Mudoh easily dodged the great saber with a slight movement and stepped forward.

Then, Yeon Mudoh’s sword rose from the ground to the air in a reverse ‘Z’ shape.

This was the first move, the Dragon Ascending to Heaven.

The technique was to “invoke the sword energy,” but Yeon Mudoh was taught to do it with such strength.

Swoosh.

A powerful sword wind arose where the sword passed.

The wind was so strong that Yao Fan’s great saber wobbled.

Before Yao Fan could recover, Yeon Mudoh executed the third move, the Dragon Soaring in the Wind.

The tip of the sword swayed like reeds in the wind, then stopped.

Gulp.

Yao Fan involuntarily swallowed a dry mouth as he felt the tip of Yeon Mudoh’s sword touch his throat.

A slight movement of his upper body would result in a fatal wound.

Hesitantly, Yao Fan lowered his great saber.

Only then did Yeon Mudoh sheathe his sword and step back.

Seeing Yeon Mudoh’s composed demeanor, Zhang Hanwei inwardly marveled.

‘Wow! A master of this level should be well-known……’

He was glad he didn’t step forward.

Given the poor compatibility between axes and swords, he would have made a fool of himself.

Zhang Hanwei pretended to be magnanimous and laughed.

“Yeon Mudoh, is it? Truly an excellent sword technique. Since you’ve shown such skill, I’ll let you pass. Boys! Let’s go!”

Zhang Hanwei turned and disappeared into the forest, pretending to be a hero.

The caravan leader, Wang Yijiang, approached Yeon Mudoh and praised him.

“Leader Yeon, you’re truly remarkable. It feels like a ten-year-old burden has been lifted. I thought paying fifty silver taels would be a good deal, but to pass for free is unbelievable.”

“I merely did what I had to do.”

Yeon Mudoh sheathed his sword gracefully and walked forward.

The Green Dragon Team warriors followed, their shoulders tense.

***

Two days later, Oubong Mountain.

A large caravan of about eighty people appeared at Oubong Mountain.

It was the Baeseo Merchant Guild heading to Wuhan.

Twenty-five Green Dragon Team warriors were on guard, but they weren’t particularly tense. They had heard that the Red Wind Hall was relatively gentle.

After the Baeseo Merchant Guild entered Oubong Mountain and about an hour had passed,

A long spear with a green flag flew and landed in the middle of the road.

Then, more than twenty bandits slowly emerged from the forest.

The temporary leader of the mountain hideout, the Mind Reader, Huang Yaoming, taunted,

“Hmph! Climbing Oubong Mountain without permission! Are you not afraid of the Red Wind Hall?”

The Green Dragon Team Leader, Yeon Mudoh, stepped forward.

“We are the Baeseo Merchant Guild. We have heard of the reputation of the Red Wind Hall. There are twenty merchants, so we will pay twenty silver taels.”

Yeon Mudoh didn’t intend to push, remembering the saying, “Even the Wu Tang Sect couldn’t handle the Baeseo Merchant Guild.” Saving money is good, but life is more precious.

Huang Yaoming frowned.

A quick count showed there were more than thirty merchants, so twenty was ridiculous.

“How can there be only twenty merchants? What are the others?”

“They are just porters.”

Huang Yaoming looked at the porters with suspicion.

After collecting tolls for a long time, one develops a keen eye. He could tell at a glance whether someone was a laborer, a porter, a boatman, or a servant.

‘Look at this guy. There must be at least thirty-five merchants, not twenty.’

If he said thirty, he could pretend not to notice and let it go.

But twenty?

His anger rose, but he suppressed it.

The number of Baeseo Merchant Guild warriors was too large.

If the Oubongsipkols were here, they could have overturned the situation, but with the current strength, it was impossible.

‘Damn, the Baeseo Merchant Guild. Fine, we’ll see. You’re a shameless fraud.’

Huang Yaoming gritted his teeth and extended his hand.

Yeon Mudoh’s lips curled up slightly.

With forty merchants, paying half the toll was a great success.

Yeon Mudoh handed over a bag containing twenty silver taels and bowed slightly.

“Thank you. I’m glad we could establish a good relationship with the Red Wind Hall. I hope for your cooperation in the future.”

“Sure.”

Huang Yaoming replied coldly and turned away.

He would bide his time and take revenge when the Oubongsipkols returned.

***

Tapha.

Tapha is a city about four days away from Oubong Mountain. Perhaps because of this, the Oubongsipkols no longer mentioned the name of the Biryong Gate.

As the Oubongsipkols became more composed, Shim Yanggak looked increasingly excited. He kept touching his Yuyeodo, showing that he was eager to steal.

Yeonjeokha inwardly sighed.

He suddenly remembered what a man from the Justice Alliance had said in a spot in Buyang.

- If you plant a tangerine tree south of the Huai River, it will bear tangerines, but if you plant it north of the Huai River, it will bear trifoliate oranges.

He must have known that Shim Yanggak was originally Fang Tong.

The reference to tangerines and trifoliate oranges must have been for this reason.

‘Tsk! This old man is always a trifoliate orange, whether south or north of the Huai River. He’s just born that way.’

The Oubongsipkols had forgotten they were bandits after leaving Oubong Mountain. Perhaps for them, Oubong Mountain was north of the Huai River.

The closer they got to Oubong Mountain, the more wistful their expressions became. This was the difference between a born thief and someone who became a thief to survive.

But even this made Yeonjeokha envious.

It meant they had clear likes and dislikes.

He felt like a wick of a lamp that had burned out, feeling nothing for anything.

Tsk, what does he know about tangerines and trifoliate oranges?