Chapter 66: I Will Turn It into a Good Memory

Sahae-ru.

A famous restaurant in Hagacun, frequented not only by ordinary customers but also by the outlaws of the Green Forest.

The old man and the young lady entered Sahae-ru a little early for dinner. They were Yi Jeong, the Grandmaster of Euijeon School, and his granddaughter, Yi So-min.

The waiter, who had been dozing off, hurriedly ran over to guide them to an empty seat.

After ordering some food, the two of them silently drank tea.

Yi So-min lowered her eyes and drank her tea.

At first, she had followed to see the thief get a good beating.

But when they actually arrived in Hagacun, her heart pounded and she felt dizzy.

For a moment, she blamed herself for coming along for nothing.

Yi Jeong, who had been quietly observing her, smiled faintly and said, "You seem troubled."

"…Yes."

Yi So-min did not hide her feelings.

If it was her grandfather, the person she trusted and relied on the most in the world, he would understand her.

"I also had a rough time when I was young, traveling through the Jianghu. I was badly beaten in Nanjing and didn't go there again for a long time because I was so upset."

"Really?"

"Yes. This old man wasn't always strong."

"What did you do then?"

"After about ten years, I went to Nanjing and took my revenge. Since then, Nanjing has become a good memory."

"Hehe!"

Yi So-min burst out laughing at the words "became a good memory."

"You must be uncomfortable here now. It's natural, given the unpleasant memories. I will turn it into a good memory for you. I don't think I'll be around for ten years."

"No, Grandfather. I'm fine even if it's ten years later. By then, the thief will have become even more skilled, and you can take your revenge."

"Ah, I don't have the patience to wait for ten years. I need to settle this now."

"Tsk! You can't even wait ten years for your beloved granddaughter?"

"Hehehe! Then, shall I do that?"

As the two of them exchanged light banter, three men roughly opened the door of Sahae-ru and entered.

The waiter immediately welcomed them with a fuss.

"Ah! Heroes, you've come! There's a good seat by the window. Please go there."

In Hagacun, the only ones called heroes are the bandits of Oebongsanche. Since they don't eat for free, it's not surprising that the waiter welcomed them.

After guiding the three men to their seats and taking their orders, the waiter hurried back.

One of the bandits from Oebongsanche, Gado, glanced around Sahae-ru and his eyes met Yi So-min's.

"Hmm?"

Gado tilted his head.

She was a familiar beauty.

In fact, a beauty like Yi So-min is rare and hard to forget. However, with her elegant attire and light makeup, she was not easily recognizable at first glance.

Gado nudged O-sam, who was sitting next to him.

"Why?"

"Isn't that the Luoyang Five Heroes?"

At the mention of the Luoyang Five Heroes, O-sam turned around with a surprised look.

The bandits of Oebongsanche also had their ears to the ground and knew what was happening in the world.

They rejoiced when they heard that the Luoyang Five Heroes' family had been defeated by the famous sect. No one welcomed the sudden emergence of the famous sect like the bandits of Oebongsanche.

They were also happy that the Euijeon School's Gentleman Sword would not be able to pay attention to Oebongsanche for a while. So why were the Luoyang Five Heroes wandering around Hagacun?

O-sam, who had been glancing at the woman, felt a chill run down his spine.

The beautiful woman sitting with a dignified expression was Yi So-min, the daughter of the Euijeon School's master.

"Damn! I was relieved to hear that the Gentleman Sword's arm was cut off. But who is that old man?"

He couldn't connect the old man with Yi Jeong, the Euijeon Sword Master. To the bandits of the Green Forest, the Ten Great Masters of the World were legendary figures.

Still, O-sam's mouth was dry.

Except for the Ten Heroes of Oebongsanche, the only skilled person among the bandits was the mind-reading wanderer, Huang Yaoming.

The rest were merely window dressing.

Leaving the old man aside, if Yi So-min drew her sword, the three men would be finished.

Wang Qing, who had belatedly realized the situation, also shrank back.

The reason the strong female martial artist from a righteous sect had come back was obvious: revenge.

The three men exchanged glances and slowly got up from their seats.

At that moment, Yi Jeong's lips parted.

"Sit down."

At the same time, a sticky killing intent pressed down on the three bandits.

The power created by the realm of killing intent made the three bandits collapse. They clutched their throats and struggled to breathe.

In the end, Gado and Wang Qing foamed at the mouth and fell.

O-sam gritted his teeth and held on.

After a while, the pressure that had been choking them disappeared.

"Please, spare us!"

O-sam, who had jumped up from his seat, bowed his head to the ground.

Yi Jeong's low voice penetrated O-sam's ears.

"Where is the highest point on Oebongsan?"

"O, Oebongsan's peak."

"Go and tell the Ten Heroes of Oebongsanche. The Euijeon Sword Master will be at Oebongsan's peak by tomorrow morning. If even one of them runs away, I will take the lives of these two bandits first and then hunt down the rest."

At the mention of the Euijeon Sword Master, O-sam trembled.

The Ten Great Masters of the World are living legends and the heavens of the martial world, so it's natural.

"Yes, yes, I will tell them!"

O-sam involuntarily bowed his head to the ground.

The aura of Mount Tai emanating from Yi Jeong's entire body made it impossible for him to lift his head.

As Yi Jeong waved his hand, the two unconscious bandits were pushed to one corner.

O-sam took small steps backward and slipped out of Sahae-ru.

The customers in Sahae-ru dared not even breathe heavily and only watched carefully.

However, Yi Jeong and Yi So-min, once the food arrived, started eating as if nothing had happened.

***

Bofeng County.

Oebongsanche.

O-sam, who had rushed up the mountain, met Feng Yanchao in the courtyard and relayed the message from the Euijeon Sword Master.

A short while later, the Ten Heroes of Oebongsanche gathered at the Shanghua Pavilion.

Feng Yanchao looked perplexed as he looked around at Yan Jieha, the Ten Heroes of Oebongsanche.

"Ah! You all probably heard on the way. The Euijeon Sword Master has taken Gado and Wang Qing as hostages. If we don't appear at Oebongsan's peak by tomorrow morning, he will kill them and hunt down the rest of us. What should we do?"

The Ten Heroes of Oebongsanche all looked at Yan Jieha.

Yan Jieha, scratching the back of his head with a troubled expression, spoke.

"Since he wants me, I'll go alone."

"Brother, you said the Ten Great Masters of the World are dangerous. Can't we just run away?"

At Xiaosu Bai's words, Sim Yangge spoke.

"If he's in a position like that, he will keep his word for the sake of his reputation. He will find and kill the people of Oebongsanche one by one. Of course, he won't be able to kill all of us, but many will die."

The Ten Heroes of Oebongsanche fell silent at his words.

Honestly, no one had expected such a conclusion.

"Alright. I'll go and resolve it. He came to take revenge on me. If I go, he won't kill the others."

"But what if something happens to you, Brother?"

Xiaosu Bai, looking as if she was about to cry, made Yan Jieha chuckle.

"Am I going to die? Even a Ten Great Master would find it hard to kill me. If it gets too bad, I'll run away."

Han Chae-yeon spoke cautiously.

"Then, if the Euijeon Sword Master gets angry and tries to kill others, we should run away before that happens?"

At that moment, Sim Yangge interjected.

"That won't happen. After fighting with Young Master Yan, he will have to worry about his family. Once he realizes that Young Master Yan is not an easy opponent, Oebongsanche will be safe. That's how the Jianghu works."

"Is that really true?"

"Of course. The more you have to protect, the less likely you are to kill recklessly. Especially if your enemy is strong. It's hard to bear the consequences. Isn't one life of the Green Forest more precious than ten lives of bandits?"

"Ah!"

A gasp escaped Han Chae-yeon's lips.

Indeed, if Yan Jieha came forward to take revenge, the Euijeon Sword Master would have a headache.

"Regardless of the outcome, as long as Brother Yan survives, we will be safe."

"That's right. Even if Young Master loses, if he can escape, it's as good as winning. In fact, for someone of his age, just escaping from the Euijeon Sword Master is a great feat. The Euijeon Sword Master will also recognize this."

Xiaosu Bai clenched her fist at Yan Jieha.

"Brother! Did you hear that? Don't overdo it and run away well! Don't worry about us."

Yan Jieha looked at Sim Yangge with renewed respect.

"Wow! Old Man Sim, you're really something. How did you think of that?"

"Hehe. It's nothing. You naturally learn these things after spending a long time in the Jianghu. It's a survival wisdom, you could say."

Sim Yangge's boasting made Feng Yanchao mutter.

"Tsk! Calling it wisdom. Isn't that right, Gao Ming?"

But the fan owner, Zhuo Gao Ming, didn't agree.

In fact, he was deeply moved by Sim Yangge's words amidst the gloom.

"Brother, let's admit it. Old Man Sim's mind is on a different level from ours."

"Damn. Now it's about the mind?"

Feng Yanchao shook his head.

It was like trying to remove a boil and ending up with a bigger one.

When dinner time came, the bandits only watched the Ten Heroes of Oebongsanche, ready to run away if they did.

However, the Ten Heroes of Oebongsanche lived as usual.

Only then did the bandits, who had been rolling their eyes, gradually return to their normal selves.

The night passed amidst worry and sighs.

The bandits of Oebongsanche gathered at the Shanghua Pavilion as soon as they finished their meal, even though they weren't called.

The Ten Heroes of Oebongsanche, who were outside, didn't bother to dismiss them.

After exchanging greetings with the Ten Heroes of Oebongsanche, Yan Jieha slowly climbed up to Oebongsan's peak.

It was a mountain he always climbed, but today it felt unfamiliar.

Perhaps because he was about to face one of the Ten Great Masters of the World, the sword at his waist felt heavy.

It was a different feeling from when he faced the Heaven-Shattering Demon Army, Shi Wu Hai.

This must be the difference between a friendly match and a duel.

Yan Jieha recalled his friendly match with the Heaven-Shattering Demon Army, step by step. This made his heart feel a bit lighter.

Honestly, he wasn't afraid of the Euijeon Sword Master.

'Thinking I might lose' and 'thinking I might lose my life' are fundamentally different.

Even 'thinking I might lose' varies depending on the margin of defeat. He didn't think his life was in danger.

By the time he had convinced himself of this, he was already at Oebongsan's peak.

He saw Gado and Wang Qing kneeling at the edge of the forest.

The two men, upon seeing Yan Jieha, bowed their heads repeatedly, looking as if they had seen a bodhisattva in hell.

A little higher up, an old man with a fresh breeze beard and a beautiful young lady were standing.

They were the Euijeon Sword Master and Yi So-min.

Yi So-min, dressed in a fine outfit for an outing, looked even more feminine.

Yi Jeong turned his gaze to Yan Jieha.

For a moment, his eyes sparkled.

At his level, he could see much more than ordinary people.

For example, the clear aura emanating from Yan Jieha's entire body, his steady gait, and his calm, fearless eyes.

'Wow! He's not just a bandit…'

He had thought that the realm of the Three Respects of the Green Forest meant a skilled minor leader. But upon meeting him, it felt like seeing his younger self.

Yi Jeong had spent a long time in meditation at the Jinzhen Sect after leaving Shaolin Temple. The reason the Euijeon School's cultivation method is called 'Xiantian Bajiji' is because of this.

A Daoist master like Yi Jeong feels a sense of rejection when meeting a martial arts master. However, when meeting another Daoist, he feels a sense of satisfaction and willingness.

All of this is a prejudice, but what can he do? His body reacts that way.