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Chapter 58: Do Whatever You Want
The face of Manager Jeon Woongwan darkened with despair.
He had killed five of the bandits here, and it was difficult to estimate how much compensation would cost.
The Poisonous Wanderer, Hwang Yomyung, shouted at the stunned Jeon Woongwan.
“Release the prisoners!”
“Oh, yes, yes, of course. Oh, heroes, how you have suffered!”
With Jeon Woongwan’s exaggerated exclamation, time, which had seemed to stand still, began to flow again.
Yeon Jeokha captured the Five Heroes of Luoyang and expelled the Chamber of Commerce.
Yang Mugi, the Divine Division Leader of the Hwayang Chamber of Commerce, knelt and begged for the release of the Five Heroes of Luoyang, but it was in vain.
Before leaving, Jeon Woongwan gave five hundred silver pieces as compensation to Pung Yeoncho—one hundred pieces for each bandit killed.
Pung Yeoncho, the Boss, assigned Hwang Yomyung the task of guarding and supervising the Five Heroes of Luoyang. Indeed, there was no one better suited for that task than Hwang Yomyung.
Time proved that Pung Yeoncho had made the right decision.
Hwang Yomyung made the Five Heroes of Luoyang drink water mixed with paralyzing powder and then sealed their acupuncture points, locking them in their cells. It was a ruthless but effective measure.
There was a brief murmur among the bandits about whether to keep the Five Heroes of Luoyang prisoners, but it soon subsided. The bandits of Five Peaks Mountain did not challenge the will of Yeon Jeokha.
They respected Yeon Jeokha, with whom they lived, more than the Virtue Swordsman, whom they had never seen. Some even said that not even the Virtue Swordsman could face Yeon Jeokha.
At sunset.
Pung Yeoncho went to the highest peak of Five Peaks Mountain to meet Yeon Jeokha.
Yeon Jeokha was sitting in a lotus position at the top of the mountain. His appearance was so desolate that Pung Yeoncho did not dare to approach and watched him for a while.
Finally, Yeon Jeokha opened his eyes and turned his head.
“Brother, I think I am aging. Today, I feel like I understand what futility is. Today, my training in the True Classic of the Nine Heavens as One has gone better than ever.”
Pung Yeoncho couldn’t say anything upon seeing Yeon Jeokha’s melancholic expression.
He dropped down beside him, and they both looked at the setting sun.
“My father named me ‘Red Sunset [Jeokha].’ Perhaps that’s why I always think of him when I see the sunset. But it’s funny, I can’t remember his face.”
“It’s possible if you were very young when you saw him.”
“But why have you come? Is it to call me to dinner?”
“That too...”
Pung Yeoncho hesitated.
He had come to ask how long they planned to keep the Five Heroes of Luoyang prisoners, but he felt guilty mentioning it.
They both remained silent for a while.
Suddenly, Pung Yeoncho remembered something and asked.
“The girl with the surname Yeon from Waryong Manor. Her swordsmanship seemed familiar... Does she have anything to do with you?”
Yeon Jeokha replied indifferently.
“She is my half-sister.”
“Ah, I see.”
Pung Yeoncho then understood why Yeon Jeokha was so enraged.
“Yeon, the world of Murim is like this. They curse you no matter what you do, whether it’s good or bad. Do you understand what I’m saying? Basically, you can do whatever you want.”
“Hahaha!”
Yeon Jeokha laughed with his shoulders shaking.
He was right.
People called them heroes to their faces but cursed them as bandits behind their backs. Whether it was the infamous Samakchae or Five Peaks Mountain, the curses were the same.
That night.
Yeon Jeokha brought the Five Heroes of Luoyang to the front yard.
Sitting on a bench, he looked down at the Five Heroes of Luoyang, who were crouched on the ground.
“Hey, brats. Did you know where you were coming when you entered here? Do you think Nokrim is a joke?”
Lee Somin spoke cautiously.
“How about letting us go now? You’ve already released the Chamber of Commerce.”
“They paid a compensation of five hundred silver pieces. You must also pay. Then I will release you.”
“You want us to pay now?”
Lee Somin and the other Five Heroes of Luoyang widened their eyes.
The new masters of the orthodox sects on a mission of justice in Murim paying compensation to the bandits of Nokrim? If that happened, they would have to abandon their dream of becoming heroes.
Oh Jungsan, the second in line, jumped up indignantly.
“That’s absurd! I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
Hwang Dongyeop, the first, spoke in a pleading tone.
“Younger brother, please don’t do this. To be honest, we went out to Murim against our families’ opposition. We don’t have much money. If you ask us to give everything we have, we will. But more than that is impossible.”
Yeon Jeokha sneered.
“Hmph! Don’t worry. I plan to ask your families. We only need the money. It doesn’t matter from whom.”
“That would be like throwing yourself into the fire with kindling! I am from a small sect, but this young lady is the daughter of the Virtue Swordsman of the Uicheon Sect. Have you heard of Uicheon Sect? If the Virtue Swordsman finds out, you won’t be safe either.”
“That’s fine. I’m not afraid of the Virtue Swordsman or anyone. If necessary, we’ll flee. But before we go, I’ll cut off your heads.”
“And do you think Five Peaks Mountain will remain safe after that?”
“We can move to another region. Five Peaks Mountain is not the only place in the world, right?”
Although it was a forced argument, Hwang Dongyeop couldn’t refute it.
There was something more important.
Before fleeing, they planned to kill them.
The other Five Heroes of Luoyang also understood this, and their expressions turned serious. They finally realized that they might die before their families came to rescue them.
Yeon Jeokha smiled and said.
“Now, tell me your price. Starting with you.”
He pointed to Hwang Dongyeop.
“Ah! Our Palseon Sect is not rich. Honestly, five hundred silver pieces is already too much.”
“Alright. Five hundred pieces. Next.”
The second, the principal disciple of the Daeyeon Sect, Oh Jungsan, offered three hundred silver pieces.
Yeon Jeokha accepted it easily.
“Next.”
Son Sanggeuk of the Chilyang Sect, looking around cautiously, spoke with a trembling voice.
“...Two hundred silver pieces?”
Yeon Jeokha nodded without any problems.
When it was her turn, Lee Somin made a face as if she was about to cry.
“Hey, if they find out I’m here, it’ll be a big problem. So just let me go.”
“How much?”
Yeon Jeokha ignored her and continued speaking.
“Haa! Fine. Do what you want. One hundred silver pieces.”
It was an amount said in a fit of anger.
Immediately, the eyes of the Five Heroes of Luoyang focused on Yeon Jeokha’s lips.
The disciple of Palseon had offered five hundred pieces, but the daughter of the Uicheon Sect Leader offered one hundred.
Would the bandit let this one slide too?
Or would he demand more?
“Alright, one hundred pieces.”
Yeon Jeokha maintained an indifferent expression.
Then Hwang Dongyeop intervened with a complaining tone.
“Brother! Didn’t I tell you that five hundred pieces were too much? Lower the amount a bit.”
“How much do you want to pay?”
Hwang Dongyeop thought for a moment and answered.
“One hundred pieces too?”
“Alright.”
Yeon Jeokha didn’t haggle over the amounts.
Only then did the Five Heroes of Luoyang realize that the bandit’s goal was not money.
Then, what did he want?
Suddenly, Hwang Dongyeop, with a scared face, grabbed his neck.
Could it be that the compensation was just an excuse?
Maybe he planned to kill them before the families of the Five Heroes of Luoyang came to rescue them.
Thinking about it, that made sense.
The fact that they had taken the Five Heroes of Luoyang as hostages already meant they had abandoned Five Peaks Mountain.
The families of the Five Heroes of Luoyang, who valued honor, would never pay money to resolve this peacefully.
At that moment, Yeon Jeokha directed his gaze to Yeon Seolju.
“Now only you remain. How much will you pay?”
“Haa! One hundred pieces too.”
Yeon Jeokha shook his head.
“That won’t be enough. You tried to cut me with your sword, so you’ll have to pay more.”
“How much do you want?”
Yeon Seolju’s voice trembled.
Despite his great martial arts skills, she always thought he had no ambition for money, but it seems she was wrong.
The circumstances of Waryong Manor were worse than they seemed from the outside. Her mother was constantly checking the books for a reason. If Waryong Manor made a mistake, they would fall into ruin. Yeon Seolju knew this well, and it consumed her inside.
'If I had known this would happen, I would have stayed home...'
But it was too late.
“A thousand silver pieces.”
“You’re crazy! There’s no way to get that much money! Why do I have to pay a thousand pieces when Uicheon Sect only paid one hundred?”
Yeon Seolju screamed without realizing it.
While she turned pale, Hwang Dongyeop’s face regained some color. 'Maybe he really wants money,' he thought.
“I told you. It’s the price for trying to cut me. If you can’t pay, you’ll have to stay at Five Peaks Mountain. It looks like you’re of marrying age, so I could introduce you to a suitable bandit.”
“Nonsense! Brother, please, don’t do this. Waryong Manor doesn’t have that kind of money.”
“Then you’ll have to marry that guy.”
Yeon Jeokha pointed to Hwang Yomyung as he spoke.
Hwang Yomyung grinned from ear to ear and shouted.
“Me? Thank you, brother-nim!”
Yeon Seolju looked at the two bandits with frightened eyes.
The cold expression of the young bandit didn’t seem like a joke.
The thought of being dishonored in this place made her dizzy.
With tears in her eyes, Yeon Seolju was comforted by Lee Somin.
“Yeon, don’t worry. I’ll ask for help from Uicheon Sect. Everything will be fine.”
Yeon Seolju couldn’t believe what was happening.
At first, the Five Heroes of Luoyang thought their families would come to rescue them and destroy Five Peaks Mountain. But a single phrase, 'Then we’ll cut off your head and escape,' changed everything.
Now everyone was looking for a way to pay the compensation and leave this hellish place. The real revenge would come later.
Now it was about getting those thousand silver pieces somehow.
The thought of the news reaching her mother was like a thunderbolt. She wanted to bite her tongue and die, but she couldn’t leave her family like that.
Tears fell from Yeon Seolju’s eyes as she lowered her head.
That night, the Five Heroes of Luoyang were returned to their quarters and spent the night writing letters to their families. Their desperate letters would be so moving that their families would be heartbroken reading them.
In their letters, they also emphasized the danger of the Ten Heroes of Five Peaks Mountain, who might do anything.
A line from Hwang Dongyeop’s letter read:
[If we provoke them recklessly, they will kill us first. The Ten Heroes of Five Peaks Mountain are evil enough to do it. Revenge can wait ten years, so please, send the compensation. Please.]
At dawn, Yeon Jeokha entrusted the letters from the Five Heroes of Luoyang to five swift bandits.
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Luoyang.
At sunset, a swordsman in his thirties entered the city with a tired face.
It was Yang Mugo, the Divine Division Leader of the Hwayang Chamber of Commerce.
As soon as he left Five Peaks Mountain, he apologized to Jeon Woongwan and left the caravan to inform the families of the Five Heroes of Luoyang about the situation.
Although he was exhausted, he headed directly to Uicheon Sect without resting. Just thinking about meeting the Virtue Swordsman, the Uicheon Sect Leader, made his heart feel heavy.