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Chapter 24: A Turning Point in Life
It took the two women three full days to learn the first movement of the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship. For novices in martial arts, their progress was incredibly fast.
Yeon Jeokha, excited, attempted to teach them the first movement of the Nine Heavens Supreme Swordsmanship, "Descent of the Mysterious Woman." However, an unexpected problem arose. No matter how detailed his explanations were, the women couldn’t master it.
Finally, Yeon Jeokha realized that it was necessary to master the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship before advancing to the Nine Heavens Supreme Swordsmanship.
So, in the end, Yeon Jeokha confined himself to teaching them the first movement of the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship. Although he was concerned about Waryong Mansion, he didn't want to teach such advanced techniques to bandits.
Unaware of these details, Han Chaeyeon and Ha Sobaek were more than grateful for the "Hundred Characters of the True Classic," the exorcism technique, and a single movement.
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May, the month of flowers, arrived.
During this time, life at the Five Peaks Mountain camp became more prosperous. The number of merchants crossing the mountain increased.
Although there was a bandit camp at Five Peaks Mountain, the number of merchants grew for a reason.
Other bandits not only stole all the wealth but sometimes killed for fun.
Compared to those demons, the Five Peaks Mountain camp was a sanctuary. They only charged a silver coin to each merchant, regardless of the amount of their cargo.
Merchants from the southern province of Hanan preferred to pass through the safe and economical route of Five Peaks Mountain.
Of course, the Suju Chamber of Commerce was the exception.
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Suju Chamber of Commerce
The Sage of Heaven and Earth did nothing for seven days after arriving at the Chamber of Commerce. Roaring Wind Swordsman, Sang Mucheon, insisted he rest first.
Bangju Gwak Jayi only dedicated himself to attending to him diligently, without mentioning the expedition to destroy the Five Peaks Mountain camp. From the day he met the Sage of Heaven and Earth, he believed the expedition was already won.
On the eighth day, May 5th, early in the morning, the Sage of Heaven and Earth left his room after proclaiming the augury was favorable.
Shortly after, a group of men and horses left through the main gate of the Chamber of Commerce. Finally, the Sage of Heaven and Earth and about seventy warriors from the Chamber of Commerce set out on the expedition.
The warriors of the Chamber of Commerce walked with their necks stretched as if they were disciples of the Wudang Sect. Said favorably, they looked majestic; unfavorably, they were like foxes borrowing the authority of a tiger.
The movement of the Chamber of Commerce quickly spread through witnesses.
"The Chamber of Commerce has set out to destroy the Five Peaks Mountain camp!"
"The Great Daeju, Roaring Wind Swordsman Sang Mucheon, has brought his master, the Sage of Heaven and Earth!"
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The rumor reached the Five Peaks Mountain camp in a single day.
The bandits slowly gathered at the Pavilion of Harmony and Peace, which had recently been completed. Their faces looked doomed, like sheep being led to slaughter, nervously looking around.
The Boss, Pung Yeoncho, spoke from his main seat.
"Brothers, the Chamber of Commerce is coming to attack us. It seems those bastards even brought the Sage of Heaven and Earth from the Wudang Sect. What should we do?"
At the mention of the Sage of Heaven and Earth, the bandits only sighed without saying a word.
The fourth brother, Heo Imdal, spoke cautiously.
"Boss, the men of the Chamber of Commerce will arrive tomorrow. How about we escape to another place?"
But Pung Yeoncho did not respond either in favor or against.
The Pavilion of Harmony and Peace fell into a heavy silence.
Pung Yeoncho, scratching his head, glanced sideways at Shim Yanggak, the Immortal Sword Demon.
Did he have any idea like the last time the southern Chamber of Commerce attacked them?
"Old Shim, if you have any good idea, share it."
Before he finished speaking, Shim Yanggak laughed scornfully.
"Bah! Do you think we can face an old fox like the Sage of Heaven and Earth with cheap tricks? Ridiculous."
The sub-boss, Tak Gomyung, became enraged.
"So, what do you suggest?"
"Don’t you really know? The Five Peaks Mountain camp is finished."
Shim Yanggak, seeing he had nothing to lose, did not hold back his words.
Hearing someone like Shim Yanggak declare the end, the bandits began to murmur.
"What do we do now?"
"We have to escape."
"Where?"
"It doesn’t matter, we just have to leave."
The bandits' voices grew louder over time. Some even started recruiting companions to escape together. When the chaos intensified, Pung Yeoncho shouted.
"Calm down! Calm down!"
Gradually, the bandits closed their mouths.
Despite everything, Pung Yeoncho was still their leader, and they had to follow his orders.
"What do you think, Yeon Jeokha?"
All eyes turned to Yeon Jeokha.
They were willing to follow Yeon Jeokha wherever he went. If they were with him, they knew they wouldn’t face great difficulties.
"I don’t know."
Yeon Jeokha, young and inexperienced in life, had no ingenious solution.
However, hearing such disappointing words caused the bandits to sigh.
When the disappointed bandits began to murmur again, Phantom Fist Baek Kyo, who had been waiting for his opportunity, spoke with his fan in hand.
"Hehe, Boss Pung, let’s stop wasting time with obvious answers. We must decide whether to move the camp to another place or split up and flee separately."
Tak Gomyung responded angrily.
"What if we move the camp and the Sage of Heaven and Earth finds us again?"
"Bah! Are you new to banditry? If they find us, we just move again."
"Damn it! So we should flee eternally from the Sage of Heaven and Earth? Is that how other Nokrim camps do it?"
Tak Gomyung, furious, couldn’t hold back anymore and cursed.
Baek Kyo, with a murderous look, couldn’t help but glare at him with hatred. If it weren’t for Yeon Jeokha, he would have jumped to tear his mouth apart.
"Tsk tsk, even though we’re bandits, the most famous camps are not touched. If they seek revenge, things get complicated. But we have no power for revenge or a camp to back us. That’s why the Sage of Heaven and Earth got involved. If we don’t know our place, we will die horribly."
This time, Tak Gomyung only snorted in frustration without being able to refute.
It was painful, but Baek Kyo was right.
"Damn it! If we only had one more year, we wouldn’t be so cornered."
The problem was that the camp had been established recently and didn’t have enough powerful warriors. Even if they had only attended the Nokrim meeting and established relations with nearby camps...
While watching the discussion, Pung Yeoncho’s face constantly changed. He wanted to stay for the newly built houses and buildings, but he knew that staying meant certain death.
His feelings matched those of Tak Gomyung, but reality pointed to a certain death as Baek Kyo said.
Should they flee? Or resist?
Hundreds of thoughts crossed Pung Yeoncho’s mind.
Watching his dilemma, Hwang Yomyung, the Poisonous Wanderer, spoke bluntly.
"Wow! What’s there to think about? Brother Baek is right about everything. If the Sage of Heaven and Earth is coming, why so much delay?"
Hwang Yomyung’s words became shorter.
Although it seemed like he was talking alone, none of the bandits dared to confront him.
At that moment, Ma Hyeongdo, the third brother, supported Tak Gomyung.
"Boss! Let’s block the entrance like last time and face the Sage of Heaven and Earth. It would be too unfair to abandon the camp just because of rumors."
Hwang Yomyung immediately intervened.
"Don’t talk nonsense. What if the Sage of Heaven and Earth really shows up? Do you think we, mere bandits, could escape from him?"
Faced with Hwang Yomyung’s sharp observation, the bandits nodded in agreement.
But Pung Yeoncho, sitting in the main seat, was the exception.
He didn’t want to abandon the camp just because of rumors. He had invested too much in Five Peaks Mountain. What if they fled and the Sage of Heaven and Earth didn’t show up? They would be the laughingstock of everyone.
Pung Yeoncho looked at Yeon Jeokha without realizing it.
Could Yeon Jeokha stop the Sage of Heaven and Earth even for a moment? That would give them time to escape.
"Yeon-ah, do you think... no, never mind."
Pung Yeoncho shook his head.
Even Yeon Jeokha couldn’t face the Sage of Heaven and Earth. He didn’t want to endanger Yeon Jeokha, who had a promising future.
"What’s up?"
Interested, Yeon Jeokha made Pung Yeoncho yield to temptation.
"I was thinking that if we confirm the Sage of Heaven and Earth’s arrival, we could flee. Could you stop him for a moment? Don’t take too much risk."
Yeon Jeokha thought for a moment and asked.
"Can that Sage of Heaven and Earth cut someone with a blade of grass?"
He was asking if he was a master.
But Pung Yeoncho took the question literally.
"As far as I know, he can’t. Why?"
Although the Sage of Heaven and Earth was famous, it wasn’t said that he could cut with a blade of grass.
"Then, I can stop him for a moment."
"Really?"
Pung Yeoncho’s face lit up.
If Yeon Jeokha could buy them time, they would have more options.
Shim Yanggak, the Immortal Sword Demon, poured a jug of cold water on Pung Yeoncho’s enthusiasm.
"Boss Pung! Although his skill is impressive, he won’t be able to resist long enough for us to escape. Are you going to risk your life for a small hope?"
Phantom Fist Baek Kyo also laughed scornfully.
"Ha! If he resists for half a fraction of time, it would be a miracle. If we manage to escape, I’ll be a dog."
But Pung Yeoncho, determined, was not influenced.
"Brothers, I’m not going to abandon the camp just because of rumors. I’ll stay until I see the enemy. I won’t force you. Those who want to stay, stay. Those who want to leave, leave."
Faced with Pung Yeoncho’s declaration, the Pavilion of Harmony and Peace became agitated.
"They’ll kill us if we stay! Let’s go."
"We have to leave. The Wudang Sect is not like any other group."
"Damn it, someone stop the boss."
"I don’t care, I’m leaving."
As time passed, the bandits naturally divided into two groups.
More bandits aligned with Shim Yanggak and Baek Kyo, who wanted to leave, than with Pung Yeoncho, who wanted to stay.
Shim Yanggak looked at the Five Peaks Mountain flag fluttering next to Pung Yeoncho. He desired that flag, but knew Pung Yeoncho wouldn’t give it up.
"Tsk! If we want to claim to be the main ones of Five Peaks Mountain, we need that flag..."
It seemed they would have to return for the flag later.
Shim Yanggak thought that Pung Yeoncho and his group wouldn’t survive the expedition. The masters of the Wudang Sect were eager to eliminate followers of the Evil Faction.
When the groups were completely divided, Hwang Yomyung bowed to Shim Yanggak and Baek Kyo.
"Brothers, let’s go."
Shim Yanggak and Baek Kyo, followed by about twenty bandits, began to leave the Pavilion of Harmony and Peace.
Cheon Gideok touched his friend Lee Cheolsan’s arm.
"Let’s go."
"......"
But Lee Cheolsan didn’t move.
"What are you doing? Aren’t you going?"
"......"
"What are you saying? If we don’t go, we’ll die. Look at the ones staying. Except for Brother Yeon, there’s no one else outstanding. It’s not the time to hesitate."
But Lee Cheolsan didn’t move.
His eyes were fixed on Han Chaeyeon.
Then, Cheon Gideok realized that Lee Cheolsan wanted to stay because of Han Chaeyeon.
"Are you...?"
"Don’t worry. If I see danger, I’ll flee immediately. I don’t intend to resist or fight."
"Damn it! You’re crazy for a woman. I’m leaving. You decide."
Cheon Gideok shook his head and left.
After hesitating for a moment, Lee Cheolsan headed towards Han Chaeyeon.
Blinded by his love, Lee Cheolsan didn’t realize that his choice at that moment would determine his destiny. The turning point in the life of the bandit Lee Cheolsan had arrived, but his eyes only saw Han Chaeyeon.