Chapter 58

58. It means you can do as you please.

The face of Chief Jeong Un-gwan turned dark with despair.

Having killed five of the heroes of Mount Oebong, it was difficult to estimate how much the reward money would amount to.

The lone wanderer Huang Yaoming shouted at the dazed Jeong Un-gwan.

"Let them go, brat!"

"A, yes, yes, that’s right. Oh my! Heroes, how much you must have suffered!"

With Jeong Un-gwan’s fuss, the time that had stopped began to flow again.

They had captured the Five Heroes of Luoyang and driven away the Huayang Merchant Guild.

Even the leader of the Divine Righteousness Corps, Feng Tiandao, had begged on his knees, performing the kowtow (knocking his head on the ground three times while touching the floor with his hands) to secure the release of the Five Heroes of Luoyang, but it was in vain.

Before leaving, Chief Jeong Un-gwan offered Feng Yanchao five hundred taels as an apology, paying one hundred taels for each of the deceased bandits.

Feng Yanchao entrusted the management and supervision of the Five Heroes of Luoyang to the lone wanderer Huang Yaoming. In fact, no one was better suited for the task than Huang Yaoming, whose nickname included the word "cunning."

Ultimately, Feng Yanchao’s choice was correct.

Huang Yaoming made the Five Heroes of Luoyang drink water laced with a paralyzing powder and then sealed their acupoints, forcing them into their quarters. It was a ruthless but effective method.

There was a brief discussion among the bandits about whether it was acceptable to keep the Five Heroes of Luoyang, but it soon subsided. The bandits of Mount Oebong did not want to defy the will of Lian Jieha.

The bandits of Mount Oebong revered Lian Jieha, whom they lived with, more than the unseen Gentleman Sword, and some even said that the Gentleman Sword was no match for Lian Jieha.

At dusk.

Feng Yanchao went to the highest peak of Mount Oebong to find Lian Jieha.

Lian Jieha was sitting cross-legged at the end of the mountain peak. His appearance was so desolate that Feng Yanchao could not approach him and had to watch for a long time.

After a while, Lian Jieha opened his eyes and turned his head.

"Brother, I think I’m getting old. I feel like I understand the meaning of emptiness now. Today, my practice of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Technique went better than usual."

Feng Yanchao, seeing the melancholy expression on Lian Jieha’s face, was momentarily speechless.

He sat down next to Lian Jieha and gazed at the setting sun together.

"My father named me 'Red Afterglow [赤霞].' That’s why I think of him when I see the sunset. But it’s funny, I can’t remember his face."

"You were probably too young when you saw him."

"But what’s going on? Did you come to call me for dinner?"

"That’s part of it…"

Feng Yanchao trailed off.

He had come to ask how long they would keep the Five Heroes of Luoyang, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it out of guilt.

The two remained silent for a while.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Feng Yanchao asked.

"There’s a young lady with the surname Lian from the Wulong Hall. Her sword skills are impressive… Is she related to you?"

Lian Jieha replied with a nonchalant expression.

"She’s my half-sister."

"Oh, I see."

Only then did Feng Yanchao understand why Lian Jieha had been so angry.

"Lian, in the green forest, you get cursed for doing bad things and cursed for doing good things. Do you understand? It means you can do as you please."

"Haha!"

Lian Jieha laughed, his shoulders shaking.

It’s true.

People would call them heroes to their face but curse them as bandits behind their backs. Whether it was the notorious Three Evils of Xiaotangjin or the bandits of Mount Oebong, they would be cursed either way.

That evening.

Lian Jieha brought the Five Heroes of Luoyang to the front yard.

He sat on a bench and looked down at the Five Heroes of Luoyang, who were huddled on the ground.

"Hey, brats. Do you know where you are? Do you think the green forest is a joke?"

Li Xiaomin cautiously spoke up.

"Um, how about letting us go now? You’ve already returned the Huayang Merchant Guild."

"They paid five hundred taels as compensation. You also need to pay. Then I’ll let you go."

"Pay, pay now? You want us to pay now?"

Li Xiaomin, along with the Five Heroes of Luoyang, widened their eyes.

Young martial artists from the righteous sects, captured by bandits and forced to pay compensation? If that happened, they would have to give up their dreams of being knights for the rest of their lives.

The second, Wu Zhongshan, jumped up.

"What nonsense! I’ve never heard of such a case in the world!"

The first, Huang Dongye, pleaded.

"Little brother, please don’t. We came to the martial world despite our families’ opposition. As a result, we don’t have much money. If you want us to give everything we have, we will. But that’s the limit. No, it’s impossible."

Lian Jieha sneered.

"Hmph! Don’t worry. We’ll collect the money from your families. We just need the money; it doesn’t matter whose pocket it comes from."

"Damn! That’s like jumping into a fire with a torch. I’m just from a minor sect, but this young lady is the daughter of the Yitian Sect’s leader. Little brother, you must have heard of the Yitian Sect. If this gets to the ears of the Gentleman Sword, you won’t be safe."

"Sure, I’m not afraid. Whether it’s the Gentleman Sword or the Petty Sword, I’m not scared. If things get tough, I’ll run. But before I run, I’ll cut off your heads."

"Will Mount Oebong be safe even after that?"

"We can move to another region. There’s more to the world than Mount Oebong."

Although it was a somewhat forced argument, Huang Dongye couldn’t refute it.

There was a more important issue.

The fact that they would kill them before running away.

The other members of the Five Heroes of Luoyang also looked serious, realizing that they might die before their families could rescue them.

Lian Jieha smiled and said.

"Alright, now tell me how much you’re worth. You first."

Lian Jieha’s hand pointed at Huang Dongye.

"Ah! Our Eight Immortals Sect isn’t rich. Honestly, five hundred taels is a stretch."

"Got it. Five hundred taels. Next."

The second, the eldest disciple of the Great Yan Sect, Wu Zhongshan, called out "three hundred taels."

Lian Jieha readily accepted it.

"Next."

Sun Shangji of the Seven Yang Sect, who had been watching, spoke in a low voice.

"…Two hundred taels?"

Lian Jieha nodded in agreement.

When it was Li Xiaomin’s turn, she frowned as if she was about to cry.

"Hey, if they find out I’m captured, it will be a big problem. So just let me go."

"How much?"

Lian Jieha’s casual question made Li Xiaomin sigh deeply.

"Ah! Fine. Do as you please. I’ll pay one hundred taels."

It was a random amount she blurted out in a fit of anger.

The Five Heroes of Luoyang’s gazes turned to Lian Jieha’s mouth.

The disciple of the Eight Immortals Sect was worth five hundred taels, but the daughter of the Yitian Sect’s leader called out one hundred taels.

Would this bandit let it go this time?

Or would he demand a higher amount?

"Got it, one hundred taels."

Lian Jieha’s expression was indifferent.

Huang Dongye interjected, looking aggrieved.

"Little brother! I said five hundred taels is a stretch for me. Can you lower the amount?"

"How much do you want?"

After much thought, Huang Dongye replied.

"Me too, one hundred taels?"

"Sure, that’s fine."

Lian Jieha didn’t haggle over the amount.

Only then did the Five Heroes of Luoyang realize that the bandit’s goal wasn’t the money.

Then what was it?

For a moment, Huang Dongye clutched his throat in shock.

Was the compensation just an excuse?

Perhaps they would kill them before the Five Heroes of Luoyang’s families could attack.

After careful thought, it seemed that was the case.

In fact, capturing the Five Heroes of Luoyang as hostages was already a sign that Mount Oebong had given up.

The families of the Five Heroes of Luoyang, who valued honor, would never simply pay money to resolve the issue.

At that moment, Lian Jieha turned to Lian Shuzhu.

"Last one. How much?"

"Ah! Me too, one hundred taels."

Lian Jieha shook his head.

"That won’t do. You slashed me, so you need to pay more."

"Um, how much do you want?"

Lian Shuzhu’s voice trembled.

He had thought Lian Jieha was a simpleton with no greed for wealth, but it seemed he was wrong.

The Wulong Hall’s situation was much worse than it appeared from the outside. His mother kept the accounts all day because of this. The Wulong Hall could fall into ruin with a single misstep. Knowing this, Lian Shuzhu was burning with anxiety.

'If I had known this would happen, I would have stayed home…'

But it was too late.

"Ten thousand taels."

"Are you crazy! No way! I don’t have that kind of money! The Yitian Sect only paid one hundred taels, why do I have to pay ten thousand?"

Lian Shuzhu shouted without realizing it.

While Lian Shuzhu’s face was pale, a hint of color returned to Huang Dongye’s face. He thought, 'Maybe he really wants the money.'

"I told you, you slashed me. If you can’t pay, you’ll have to stay at Mount Oebong. Since you’re of marriageable age, I can introduce you to a useful bandit."

"What kind of nonsense! Little brother, no, young knight! Please don’t. The Wulong Hall doesn’t have that kind of money."

"Then you’ll have to share a room with him."

Lian Jieha pointed at Huang Yaoming.

Huang Yaoming opened his mouth wide and shouted.

"Me? Thank you! Brother!"

Lian Shuzhu looked back and forth between the two bandits, her eyes wide with shock.

Seeing the cold expression of the young bandit, she realized he wasn’t joking.

The thought of being violated here made her feel dizzy.

Li Xiaomin said to the teary-eyed Lian Shuzhu.

"Lian, don’t worry too much. I’ll ask the Yitian Sect for help. It will be fine."

Lian Shuzhu couldn’t believe the current situation.

Initially, they were optimistic that the families of the Five Heroes of Luoyang would come to attack Mount Oebong. But everything changed with the words, "We’ll cut off your heads and run."

Now, everyone was trying to pay the compensation and escape this hell. The real revenge would come later.

In the end, they had to somehow come up with ten thousand taels.

Thinking about the devastating news that would reach her mother, she wanted to commit suicide. But she couldn’t, for the sake of her family.

Tears streamed down Lian Shuzhu’s face as she bowed her head.

Later, the Five Heroes of Luoyang were sent back to their quarters and spent the night writing letters to their families.

Their desperate situation produced heart-wrenching letters that would make their families tear their hair out.

The letters also emphasized the danger of the unpredictable Oebong Ten Heroes.

One excerpt from Huang Dongye’s letter read:

"If we provoke them rashly, we will be killed first. The Oebong Ten Heroes are even more ruthless. A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years, so please send the compensation first. Please."

The next day, Lian Jieha entrusted the delivery of the Five Heroes of Luoyang’s letters to five swift bandits.

***

Luoyang.

At dusk, a middle-aged swordsman entered the city with a weary face.

Yang Wujun, the leader of the Divine Righteousness Corps of the Huayang Merchant Guild.

As soon as he descended from Mount Oebong, he sought Jeong Un-gwan’s understanding and left the guild. He was going to deliver the dishonorable news to the families of the Five Heroes of Luoyang.

He was so exhausted that his mouth tasted of metal, but he couldn’t rest and headed straight to the Yitian Sect. The thought of meeting the sect leader, the Gentleman Sword, made his heart heavy.