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C35. Don’t They Say to Keep Your Enemies Close?
While contemplating a rather high mountain, Pung Yeoncho nodded and asked.
“Brother Shim, do you know anything about the Red Blood Boss?”
“I don’t know much, but I’ve heard the name of the Boss, his name is Hyeok Ryeonhu, the Bloody Sky Ax.”
“Wow! He must be pretty good with the ax if they say he has touched the sky.”
As Pung Yeoncho nodded, a group of people approached slowly from behind. They seemed to be an escort, judging by the flags on the carriages.
Could I be wrong?
A man in his late forties, with a valiant appearance, quickly approached them and spoke.
“Hello! I am Lee Munyeop, the leader of the Phoenix Group escort. My friends in the Murim call me Yu Unbyeolgum.”
Lee Munyeop examined the members of the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain.
Meeting a dozen unknown warriors in the middle of his mission made him nervous. So, he stepped forward to greet them first.
Seeing the dozen men's eyes shine brightly, he sighed in relief. From experience, he was sure they were warriors of a just faction.
The fourth member, Heo Imdal, responded calmly.
“So it’s you. We are disciples of the Ascending Dragon Clan. We are heading to the Ascension Clan in the Namjikryeseong Fortress.”
“To the Ascension Clan?”
Lee Munyeop looked at the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain with surprised eyes.
Though he felt somewhat uneasy about Lee Munyeop’s enthusiastic reaction, Heo Imdal nodded.
“Yes.”
Then, with bright eyes, Lee Munyeop asked.
“Is something happening at the Ascension Clan?”
“Ah, that…”
Heo Imdal, who spoke confidently, was at a loss for words. Until now, no one had shown so much interest.
Tack Gomyung intervened for the hesitant Heo Imdal.
“That is a matter for our sect, we cannot share it.”
Lee Munyeop realized his mistake and blushed.
“I’m sorry, I just got excited hearing that the Ascension Clan is in my mother-in-law’s area.”
Although he didn’t remember well, the Ascension Clan was not an evil faction. If they were, he would remember it clearly.
Tack Gomyung smiled and nodded.
“Ha, ha, I see. We are heading there because they asked for our help. Our sect and the Ascension Clan are like family.”
Lee Munyeop’s face relaxed upon hearing “like family.”
“I see. Are you also crossing Palgong Mountain today?”
“That’s our plan.”
“Ah! Then how about we go together? Recently, the bandits of Palgong Mountain have been very active. We are well-prepared, but the more we are, the better.”
“I’ll ask our leader.”
“Ah, yes, I hope we can go together. Thank you very much.”
Tack Gomyung left Lee Munyeop making a bow and went to Pung Yeoncho.
“Brother, did you hear? The Phoenix Group escort leader wants to cross the mountain with us, what do we do?”
Pung Yeoncho’s gaze turned to Shim Yanggak, seeking his advice.
Shim Yanggak, a thief to the core, responded without hesitation.
“This is like finding a pumpkin rolling down the hill. If the Red Blood Boss appears, we attack from behind depending on the situation, and if nothing happens, we cross the mountain quietly.”
Heo Imdal, the shrewdest, opposed.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. The people from Dae Byeol Fortress told us not to patrol other gangs’ territories. If this is the Red Blood Boss’s area, we could get into trouble.”
Pung Yeoncho couldn’t decide quickly since Heo Imdal had a point.
The “good deed” would be helping the Red Blood Boss attack the escort, but if the Red Blood Boss refused to share the loot, they could end up badly.
As the discussion prolonged, Ma Hyeongdo intervened.
“Brother, aren’t there more than twenty escort warriors? With us, we are more than thirty. Would the Red Blood Boss really dare to face us? If we don’t seek the Red Blood Boss and are low on supplies, we could go together…”
At the mention of food, the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain began to talk.
“If we go with the escort, will they share their food?”
“They say they eat well.”
“Yes, but until the chef cooks, it’s the same.”
“No, they have variety. They travel a lot.”
“You’re right. Better than us, who only eat dried meat.”
Losing interest in the loot, the conversation shifted to food. Most of the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain thought the escort’s food would be better.
Pung Yeoncho looked at Yeon Jeokha, who was also smiling, focused on the food.
Seeing this, Pung Yeoncho lost the desire to refuse the offer.
If they weren’t going to see the Red Blood Boss, crossing the mountain with the escort seemed like a good option. Besides, they were worried about running out of supplies, as Ma Hyeongdo mentioned.
“Second, go ask if they can share food during the journey. If they do, we will go with them; if not, they can continue without us.”
“Understood.”
Tack Gomyung went back to Lee Munyeop.
A while later, Tack Gomyung, looking expectantly at Lee Munyeop, spoke with an awkward smile.
“We are running out of supplies. If the escort can share food during the journey, we will go with you. If not, we will look for a nearby village.”
Lee Munyeop nodded, understanding.
“Ah! In that case, we will provide food during the journey.”
Lee Munyeop added the condition “during the journey.”
He wasn’t sure he could continuously feed eleven more people.
The escort leader, Lee Munyeop, immediately returned to the Phoenix Group to inform them about joining with the Ascending Dragon Clan.
One of the escort leaders, looking at the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain with incredulous eyes, spoke.
“Escort leader, are you sure it’s okay to travel with these people we found on the road?”
“You know well what I mean. But think about this: if we consider them suspicious and keep them behind, wouldn’t we be more anxious? You can deceive with many things, but not with the eyes. If you look into their eyes, you’ll know it’s a good idea to travel together.”
“I understand…”
Gwak Wonin had no further objections after listening to the escort leader.
Since they had decided to travel together, they now had to trust the experience and judgment of the escort leader. Besides, having those warriors behind them in the mountain was also worrisome.
“Don’t they say it’s better to keep your enemies close? It’s better to watch them closely. Better than being betrayed unknowingly.”
“I think you’re right. I will watch them closely.”
Finally, Gwak Wonin’s expression relaxed.
--------
The Red Blood Boss Gang at Palgong Mountain.
A bandit, panting, ran to the cabin of Boss Hyeok Ryeonhu.
“Boss, we have news that the Phoenix Group is climbing the mountain.”
“Hehe, really? Then we must prepare.”
Hyeok Ryeonhu stood up with his imposing figure while the bandit continued.
“But it seems there are many armed people.”
“How many are they?”
“More than thirty.”
Hyeok Ryeonhu frowned.
He planned to make a big hit and join the Nokrim meeting, but the escort was so large it annoyed him.
No Yangjin, the sub-boss known as the Lion Slayer, commented.
“If there are so many escorts, the cargo must be quite valuable. Should we try?”
“Right? It’s tempting to know there are so many escorts.”
Hyeok Ryeonhu’s eyes shone with greed.
“If we let them go, they might think we are afraid of them. We have many more men than they do.”
At No Yangjin’s provocation, Hyeok Ryeonhu roared.
“Damn it! Who dares to underestimate the Red Blood Gang? Gather everyone!”
“Yes!”
The bandit went out and lightly hit the bell hanging on the cabin.
Dong, dong, dong.
The sound resonated around the camp.
Soon, the bandits gathered in front of Hyeok Ryeonhu’s cabin, numbering about sixty.
As always, No Yangjin was the first to stir up the mood.
“The Phoenix Group is going to cross Palgong Mountain. They say there are about thirty escorts, but we can’t let them pass. We are not blind. Am I right?”
“Yes!”
The subordinates responded, and a sly smile appeared on No Yangjin’s face.
“Who is the owner of Palgong Mountain?”
“The Red Blood Gang!”
“Correct, today we will show them who the real owner of Palgong Mountain is.”
“Yes!”
The bandits cheered, waving their weapons.
When the atmosphere was sufficiently heated, No Yangjin retreated silently.
Hyeok Ryeonhu, with a large ax in hand, led sixty bandits forward.
A Phoenix Group carriage entered Palgong Mountain.
About thirty armed warriors walked, forming a line.
The Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain were walking at the front with the escort leader, Lee Munyeop. It was Lee Munyeop’s intention, although the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain didn’t know it.
Shim Yanggak looked at Lee Munyeop with disdain but did nothing more. They didn’t plan to attack the escort, so they pretended not to know anything.
After walking through the mountain for about two hours...
Rumble.
A log fell onto the path where the carriage was heading.
Shortly after, a spear was stuck into the path.
A green cloth, faded by time, hung from the spear.
Anyone could recognize it as the symbol of Nokrim, with its long history and tradition.
Lee Munyeop’s face tensed with worry.
Pung Yeoncho looked at the ten with a complicated expression. Not only had they invaded another gang’s territory, but they were also traveling with an escort, making it hard to know what to do.
Woosh~
Bandits with fierce faces appeared from all directions.
Lee Munyeop, bowing to the bandits, spoke.
“I am Lee Munyeop, leader of the Phoenix Group escort. In the Murim, they call me Yu Unbyeolgum. It is an honor to meet the heroes of Palgong Mountain. We should have asked for permission to pass, but we didn’t. Please show us mercy.”
Hyeok Ryeonhu walked out slowly among the bandits.
“Hehe, Lee Munyeop. You have a lot of courage. Did you think you could pass without problems just because you have many escorts?”
“Not at all. I brought a gift for you, great hero Hyeok.”
Lee Munyeop showed a leather pouch.
“How much is there?”
“One hundred taels of silver.”
Hyeok Ryeonhu looked at the pouch and at Lee Munyeop with an ambiguous expression. Although it was a generous sum for a single pass, it was still insufficient for the Nokrim meeting.
No Yangjin abruptly intervened.
“We have a big event at Nokrim, we need more money. So, either give a hundred taels more, or leave the carriages and go.”
Lee Munyeop frowned at the demand.
One hundred taels was already a large amount.
Moreover, there was no guarantee they would retreat if he paid more. Nokrim bandits usually changed their demands according to their mood.
It seemed they needed to show they wouldn’t be easily intimidated. For that, they needed the cooperation of the Ascending Dragon Clan.
Reflecting, Lee Munyeop decided to consult Pung Yeoncho.
“Great hero Pung, they are asking for a hundred taels more. If we give in now, they might keep asking for more. What do you think?”
Pung Yeoncho, with a worried expression, stroked his beard.
It seemed Lee Munyeop had no intention of handing over the additional hundred taels.
They wanted to avoid conflicts, but now they were negotiating in foreign territory.