“Hey, Senior, did you know that there’s the Green Forest Seventy-two Faction in Hyeong Gwi-san?”
“Uh? I’ve heard of it.”
“So, what are you planning to do if you run into bandits?”
“Well, it’s a bit awkward to say, but I guess I’ll have to rely on you. After all, bandits don’t touch experts.”
Why are bandits, well, bandits?
If they get offended, they’ll whip out their knives! In this Martial World, there are even outcast factions running around town flaunting like they own the place. Bandits robbing the pockets of merchants and landlords still stroll about in broad daylight, so what’s the deal with these bandits hiding up in the mountains?
At the core, bandits are just really cowardly.
You might ask how they can be bandits if they’re so chicken, but that’s just the truth.
Whether they’re outcasts or righteous ones, conflict arises when they establish their territory. They’re constantly exposed to territory disputes.
But the mountains, how are they?
Those bandits aren’t nature lovers who enjoy living in the mountains. Living in the mountains inevitably brings discomfort in all aspects of life. They have to buy their food and drinks from afar, it’s cold at night and hot in the day, and boy, are there bugs!
Living in the mountains is far inferior to living in villages or cities, and the reason they endure this hardship is that it’s safer.
If a guest comes and they notice a person with extraordinary aura and intent, the bandits can just observe from a distance and let them go.
Do formidable opponents appear? Then they just flex a bit and squeeze some toll money out of them.
If a traveler looks like an easy mark, they can completely strip them down.
Choice!
That, my friend, is the true reason why one becomes a bandit. Having a territory forces one into unavoidable conflicts, but not for bandits.
Sometimes, it’s said that bandits running into peak experts get wrecked, but that can happen to anyone who strays from the righteous path, not just bandits. In fact, bandits are often sidelined in the conflicts of heroes.
True heroes seeking greatness and fame might hunt bandits, but usually, it’s the bandits being hunted in the first place. Even if they bump into someone while saving a person, it wouldn’t be part of some aimless venture against bandits.
It’s not common for a bandit’s tyranny to escalate to the point where they become notorious in the nearby areas, making the task of hunting bandits anything but easy.
“If I show some impressive moves, they’ll probably run away without a second thought.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Seems like Black Cat also has had her fair share of encounters with bandits during her travels, showing no signs of disagreement with my plan.
And just as our conversation ended—
Rustle. Rustle.
We faced a five-member armed group.
* *
“Phew.”
Miss Yeo Il-ye let out a long sigh. Even to a peak expert’s eyes, the beginning of the mountain only revealed the bandits. The two of them stumbled upon a group of bandits.
Miss Yeo Il-ye bit her lip, deep in thought. If she intervened, it would alert the Geu-wang Faction and if she pretended not to notice, she could vividly picture the travelers suffering.
‘They’ve learned martial arts, so they must be wandering together, but…’
The bandits appearing at the mountain’s entrance are indeed nothing more than lowly scoundrels. If the scoundrels get busted, the elite forces of their Faction usually block the path from the backside of the mountain.
But this time, the situation was different. The bandits aware of the Poison Doctor’s warning weren’t sending low-tier scoundrels; they were deploying real fighters.
“Tsk…”
Miss Yeo Il-ye tightened her grip on the sword.
The lady among them stood an exceptional chance of suffering a fate of unspeakable horror. The bandits, long suppressed by fear, might very well unleash their pent-up desires.
Miss Yeo Il-ye faced a dilemma.
All the Faction’s attention is currently focused on bandits venturing outside. If she saves those travelers at this moment, she would inevitably expose herself to the Geu-wang Faction.
What if the Sect Leader, Maki, was one of the culprits who burned down Yeo-ga Mountain Villa? If she sensed her coming, she might destroy all evidence tied to the villa and escape. Maybe even abandon her entire faction for her own safety.
That’s why Miss Yeo Il-ye chose to endure and wait for the chance to catch Maki off-guard.
Closing her eyes, she thought of her father, mother, and the household at the villa.
They need to be appeased.
But…
‘In the end, if I turn my back on them to seek revenge… can I truly face the souls of the villa in the afterlife?’
Visions of her past flashed through Miss Yeo Il-ye’s mind. Jeomchang Faction.
Hyeok Gi-rin, her senior. Taoist Master Cheongheo, her teacher. Faces of her senior brother, Master, and fellow disciples appeared.
‘Alright… I understand.’
Her years spent growing up in Jeomchang nudged her forward.
Miss Yeo Il-ye sighed heavily and dashed down the slope. Ultimately, she chose to save the traveler.
‘I wonder if it’s the right timing…’
Going from the peak to the entrance of the mountain. Employing the Gallant Flying Technique, she powered down her legs. Ignoring the treacherous terrain, her goal was to arrive before anything unpleasant befell the woman at the entrance.
Swish!
Miss Yeo Il-ye’s form shot forward at incredible speed towards the mountain’s entrance.
* *
“Hey, where are you guys headed?”
With swaggering movements, disheveled steps, and weapons waved around carelessly, five distinctly mountain-hardened ruffians appeared.
“Older Brother, this feels a tad suspicious.”
I found myself agreeing with Black Cat’s whisper.
Normally, bandits only send out the most pathetic, low-level scoundrels to the entrance of the mountain. From a bandit’s perspective, they wouldn’t shed a tear over the loss of a handful of these expendables.
They send these weaklings to test the waters. Regardless of how pathetic they are, commoners can still be robbed.
Moreover, they’d gain justification. What happens if bandits beat down a bunch of low-tier scoundrels? The bandits acquire justification for revenge on those who touched their crew, then they swarm the road out from the mountain and rob as they please.
It’s safer to have some justification for robbing than simply doing so with no reason. Even though no one is truly oblivious to that charade, justification is still crucial.
In any case, the bandits at the mountain’s entrance should only be low-level scoundrels, but…
The skills of my opponents are no joke.
All five of them exhibit strengths close to top-tier talents. The distinction between first-class and second-class may seem negligible, but considering they’re bandits, they qualify as elite troops.
“I’m a traveler named Geum Busan. Who might you be?”
“Oh, us? We’re outcasts looking for the bounty on Hyeong Gwi-san’s bandits!”
“Right! We’re the heroes here to hunt down the bandits! But… why is that girl with her face suspiciously covered? Could she be in league with the bandits?”
“Suspicious! Show us your face immediately!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Bandits claiming to be outcasts while bullying passing travelers is rich.
But what’s hilarious is that apart from the fact they look every bit like bandits, there’s nothing especially weird about them.
An “outcast” wouldn’t be surprising if they morphed into a band of robbers in a remote place like this.
Real outcasts who earn a living with their talents don’t even make up ten percent of those claiming to be outcasts; over ninety percent are just criminals playing dress-up. They deck themselves out with weapons to do their shameful deeds while coming up with excuses that they’re just outcasts.
Outcasts don’t need licenses; they just claim they’re outcasts, and that has to suffice.
“Even in such a desolate place, you’re hiding your face with a mask?”
“Heh heh heh, let’s check every nook and cranny.”
“Hmmm. Older Brother, are these fellows truly outcasts?”
“Of course not.”
“In that case, let’s just take them down. Something’s definitely going on in the mountains.”
I nodded and drew my sword.
As I casually drew my sword, the bandits flinched.
They couldn’t read Black Cat’s level, so they could only gauge me. They figured they could handle me alone, but the moment they sensed a fight, they resorted to crude jokes.
However, my no-nonsense decision to fight must’ve sent alarms ringing in their heads.
“I’ll take out one of them!”
“Got it.”
With these bandits’ skill level, I felt like I could manage around two, but honestly, Black Cat could easily subdue all five of this ragtag crew on her own.
So, the main concern was making sure to take down every single one without leaving anyone behind.
From the get-go, I had something that concerned me — they weren’t even trying to surround us despite overwhelming odds, and one of them was keeping their distance, ready to slip away at any moment.
“Hey!”
Had one of them made a pact to run away? As I rushed to chase down one bandit, another stepped up to block my path.
BAM!
“Ugh!”
But Black Cat was already on the move. She dealt with the bandit trying to corner me and dashed after my target.
With a single kick, the bandit went flying away, leaving the remaining three startled.
I charged after the fleeing bandit.
Thud thud!
The swift movements of the bandits erased any lingering doubts in my mind about them being outcasts. There’s no way someone could dash like that without knowing the lay of the land.
The distance widened but not too much. Even if this running bandit were a top-tier, my strength and footwork could keep pace, but overcoming the terrain knowledge of a mountain bandit was tough.
Seeing that I might be gaining ground, the bandit looked back, grinning with exaggerated confidence.
And what did the bandit see?
Me reaching into my pocket.
I wasn’t going to chase down a bandit in a pure footrace. I was just waiting for the right terrain to throw some hidden weapons.
Snagged a few quality throwing knives from the Tang Clan. It wasn’t exactly a reward; rather, during the Tang Clan’s Bat-Leaping Tiger Method research, I somehow wound up with a few during my practice.
Swoosh!
The knife sought the bandit. He spotted it, his eyes wide as he tried to roll away.
“Aaaah!”
But the moment I threw two knives, he never realized the hidden trap of the second aimed for his legs.
The first knife struck his thigh with perfect accuracy, rendering him unable to flee.
“You little brat!”
The bandit fumbled for his sword and swung wildly at me, trying to seem threatening, but then quickly halted after witnessing my knife.
He knew better now, assessing my skill level. There was no healing his pride after being taken down before even rising to his feet.
“Drop your weapon.”
“Y-you brat! I’m one of the bandits from the Green Forest Seventy-two! Our faction leader, Maki, is an expert! If you lay a finger on me, the other bandits won’t let it slide!”
“Yeah, got it. I figured you were a bandit the moment I laid eyes on you. So hurry up and toss that weapon before I throw the knife again.”
“Grr, grr…”
Once I confirmed he dropped his weapon, I commanded him to kneel and aimed my sword at his throat. It was a dishonorable moment for him, but blood-spraying techniques start becoming accessible from the first-tier level.
Pulling out some rope from my pack, I proceeded to bind his hands.
“Damn it… To be treated this way by a second-rate…”
Smack!
He underestimated me, and it got under my skin, so I slapped the back of his head. Those who’ve learned martial arts can be problematic. They think they’re above everyone just because of their level! Sure, higher tier means stronger, but there are plenty of circumstances that can overcome that.
Generally speaking, higher levels are indeed stronger, but exceptions certainly exist.
Without denial, many factors can help one overcome that level gap.
I adjusted the rope to ensure it tightened around his neck, pulling it towards me.
“Get up and walk.”
“Y-you… The Sect Leader will soon be here! Release me now, or… urgh!”
He was screaming so much I couldn’t resist giving him another kick. He tumbled away, rolling three times, quieting down with a groan. No need to raise alarms; it would be a disaster if the bandit faction showed up for real.
Then—
Whooooosh!
I suddenly sensed a massive aura flowing towards me, something akin to a hurricane of energy.
“What the hell…”
Just the sheer presence weighed down on my chest. If this overwhelming aura utilized even ten percent of its power, someone like me would be crushed in mere seconds.
The issue was this enormous aura was rushing toward us at breakneck speed.
As I lifted my face, the bandit noticed my sudden change in expression and began to smile, clearly sensing the gigantic aura himself.
Of course, judging by the fact that it didn’t emanate from the Tang Clan, this aura was most likely from a bandit—hence his exhilaration.
I bit my lip and hid the retrieved throwing knife under my palm. With Black Cat still a fair distance away, even she would have a hard time against this overwhelming presence.
Would I even withstand a single attack?
“Hahaha! Looks like the Sect Leader is personally arriving! You little brat! You dare give me humiliation as a mere second-rate martial artist!? I’ll be boiling your thighs to feed my dogs! At least a hundred boils before you scream in agony!”
The bandit’s exultation echoed, and the colossal aura suddenly shifted directly our way.
Boom!
With a deafening sound, an energy burst propelled into the sky, as if to locate the source of the noise.
“Sect Leader! Over here! That Maki over there! Hahaha! Just look at the dignified majesty… wait…”
His words rapidly faded.
Because the other figure soaring gracefully through the air possessed the silhouette of a woman. Eyes widened, I strained to recognize the form flying at such high speed.
It was indeed, Miss Yeo Il-ye.
