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Episode 33: Someone Has Come from Afar
The day dawned.
The Ten Heroes of Five Peaks Mountain had a quiet breakfast with their provisions and resumed their journey. They had been walking along the river all day and arrived at a small village called Osipo by dusk.
Shim Yanggak, the Immortal Sword Demon, looked alternately at the village and the road with an indecisive expression.
“Brother Shim, why did you stop?”
At Pung Yeoncho's question, Shim Yanggak pointed to the village and replied.
“It seems the village is too small for our group to stay overnight. I think it would be better to move on and find a suitable place to camp.”
Pung Yeoncho, who was observing the village, nodded.
It was true, the village was too small. In such cases, it was better to follow the advice of the experienced Shim Yanggak. Insisting on staying could result in spending money and suffering discomfort.
“You're right. Let's move on. The weather is good for camping outdoors these days. Who knows? Maybe we'll find a shrine or a hermitage.”
The Ten Heroes of Five Peaks Mountain left the village without further ado.
After moving a bit further, the road suddenly became dark, flanked by a dense forest.
Ha Sobaek, the youngest, approached Han Chaeyeon with unease.
“The sun is still up... but this feels strange.”
“Yes, it feels like a tiger might jump out at any moment.”
Han Chaeyeon also looked around with cautious eyes.
Then, Lee Cheolsan, hitting his chest with his fist, spoke arrogantly.
“Don’t worry. If a tiger appears, I’ll take care of it. Trust me.”
“Really? Then we’ll trust you, brother.”
Han Chaeyeon's response made Lee Cheolsan's smile widen.
But at that moment, Shim Yanggak, who was at the front, began to slow his pace until he came to a complete stop.
Shim Yanggak turned and looked directly at Yeon Jeokha.
Yeon Jeokha nodded slightly, knowing what Shim Yanggak meant.
Pung Yeoncho, with a puzzled expression, asked.
“Brother Shim, don’t tell me you want to camp here. Although it’s a bit dark because of the trees, there’s still some time before sunset.”
“It seems there’s a big fight ahead. I heard faint sounds of weapons.”
“Fight?”
Pung Yeoncho looked at Yeon Jeokha for confirmation. His expression asked if it was true.
“Yes, it’s true. I heard the sound a while ago.”
“What kind of fight on such a narrow road? Weren’t there better places for that?”
Tak Gomyung shook his head, not understanding.
Heo Imdal (Hu Yimdal), the most perceptive of the Ten Heroes of Five Peaks Mountain, commented casually.
“Could it be those we saw earlier?”
“Who?”
Tak Gomyung seemed to have no recollection.
“You know, the ones we met at the inn at noon, the operations leader of Suwol Chambers of Commerce, who offered us a reward if we accompanied them, but the elder brother refused.”
“Oh!”
Tak Gomyung suddenly remembered the face of the operations leader who complained about the lack of guards.
Then, Shim Yanggak looked at Tak Gomyung and Yeon Jeokha and asked.
“What should we do? Do we go forward? Or do we turn back to avoid getting involved in the fight?”
“What would you suggest, Brother Shim?”
“I think it’s worth taking a look. We might gain something valuable.”
Shim Yanggak saw this as an opportunity to gain some wealth.
After thinking for a moment, Pung Yeoncho decided.
“Let’s take a look. We can’t back down without knowing what’s going on, right?”
At Pung Yeoncho’s brave words, the Ten Heroes of Five Peaks Mountain did not object. Although they felt a bit uneasy, they trusted Yeon Jeokha and moved forward.
The path in the dark forest.
About twenty warriors dressed in black were killing merchants and porters. There were already dozens of corpses scattered on the ground. In a corner, five guards from the Chamber of Commerce were fighting, but it was clear their efforts were in vain.
Jang Han-yeong, the operations leader of Suwol Chambers of Commerce, stood in front of his daughter, Jang Haseon, and spoke to her in a low voice.
“There’s nothing more we can do. You must at least escape.”
“Only me?”
“These men are not just after wealth. They’re killing everyone. Quick, go!”
Jang Han-yeong’s face was filled with despair.
Of the fifteen guards from Suwol Chambers of Commerce, only five remained. In less than fifteen minutes, they had lost ten men.
The twenty warriors in black attacked with lethal techniques. They not only killed the guards but also the merchants, drivers, and porters. It seemed they wanted to exterminate everyone.
“Ahhh!”
“Ugh!”
With cries of agony, two more guards fell.
Jang Han-yeong forcefully pushed his daughter towards the forest.
Fortunately, this time Jang Haseon did not hesitate and ran among the trees.
When his daughter disappeared into the dense forest, Jang Han-yeong sighed in relief.
But he was soon startled by the silence around him and turned.
Extermination. No one from Suwol Chambers of Commerce was left alive.
Jang Han-yeong couldn’t understand why this was happening.
A man in his fifties, who seemed to be the leader, approached Jang Han-yeong. It was Ung Jaegwi, the Demon of Illusion.
“Old man, where is the merchandise entrusted to you by Bangju (leader) Jang Woobo?”
At that moment, Jang Han-yeong felt as if he had been hit in the back of the head.
Jang Woobo was the leader of Suwol Chambers of Commerce.
How did they know about the merchandise the leader had secretly entrusted to him?
Jang Han-yeong looked at the man with defiant eyes.
“You’ve killed so many people just for that!”
“Heh heh. You say ‘just’. Some have come from thousands of miles for this. It’s more valuable than all your lives combined. Hand it over, and I’ll let you live.”
“Hmph! Just kill me! Do you think I’ll give it to you?”
Jang Han-yeong did not believe the man’s words that he would be spared.
These men had killed everyone, even the drivers and porters. There was no way they would leave him alive.
Ung Jaegwi smiled and waved his hand slightly.
Suddenly, more warriors in black appeared from the forest, dragging Jang Haseon.
Jang Han-yeong couldn’t look his daughter in the eyes.
Ung Jaegwi spoke to Jang Han-yeong, who was trying to look away.
Forcing Jang Han-yeong to look, Ung Jaegwi spoke.
"Heh heh, I’d bet my life that you’ll give it to me. Listen well, I’ll now tell my men to enjoy your daughter. There are exactly twenty-five of them. Let’s see how long your stubbornness lasts. Begin!"
As if they had been waiting for the order, the men threw Jang Haseon to the ground.
“Aah!”
Four men held her by her arms and legs, immobilizing her.
Immediately, one of the men pounced on Jang Haseon, tearing her clothes roughly.
“Ahhh! Stop! Dad!”
With Jang Haseon’s continuous screams, Jang Han-yeong shouted desperately.
“Stop!”
As if he had been waiting, Ung Jaegwi spoke.
“Good decision. Where is the item?”
Trembling, Jang Han-yeong staggered to a cart and took a leather bag from a secret compartment under the driver’s seat, handing it to Ung Jaegwi.
Ung Jaegwi opened the bag and smiled with satisfaction as he checked its contents. Then he looked at the men holding Jang Haseon.
“Heh heh, finish enjoying, but make sure to clean up well afterwards.”
“Yes!”
The man on top of Jang Haseon began moving again.
“Agh!”
“Damn you! Didn’t I give you what you wanted?”
At Jang Han-yeong’s desperate cry, Ung Jaegwi laughed heartily.
“Ha! I’m just making sure your daughter has some fun before she dies. That way, she won’t feel so resentful, don’t you think?”
“You wear human skin, but you speak like a demon! Aren’t you afraid of heaven?”
“Heh heh, I am heaven! And now it’s your turn to...”.
Ung Jaegwi suddenly stopped talking and turned his head sharply.
From the dark forest, a group of people appeared in the distance.
Although the ground was full of corpses, they did not seem disturbed.
‘Do they know what’s happening and dare to come here?’
Ung Jaegwi frowned, annoyed at the possibility of having to deal with more corpses.
The men in black began to slowly gather around Ung Jaegwi. The man who was on top of Jang Haseon quickly joined them.
Jang Haseon, finally freed, staggered towards her father.
Jang Han-yeong quickly covered his daughter’s body with his jacket and stared ahead.
Shim Yanggak looked around and murmured.
“Wow, they’ve killed so many. Merchants, drivers, porters... all dead. Who in Hanyang could be so ruthless? It doesn’t seem to be the Band of Daebyeol Mountain...”.
Recognizing the Ten Heroes of Five Peaks Mountain, Jang Han-yeong cried out desperately.
“Heroes, please save us! These men have killed everyone from Suwol Chambers of Commerce!”
Faced with the bloody scene, the Ten Heroes of Five Peaks Mountain frowned.
Although they were bandits, they had never seen so many corpses together.
Ung Jaegwi was about to order the killing of the newcomers, but decided to postpone it. He was curious to know who these intruders were.
Ung Jaegwi gestured to Sa Doyeong, the leader of the men in black, indicating that he should find out who they were.
Sa Doyeong quickly advanced towards the newcomers.
“Who are you? Have you gone mad interfering in our affairs? Do you want to die?”
Seeing Sa Doyeong's ferocity up close, Shim Yanggak slowly retreated. From afar, he didn’t seem so formidable, but up close, Shim Yanggak realized he couldn’t handle this man.
‘Where did these guys come from?’
Despite being someone with a certain reputation in Nokrim, Shim Yanggak felt his legs tremble with fear.
Pung Yeoncho, seeing Shim Yanggak’s expression, didn’t dare intervene and glanced sideways at Yeon Jeokha. With his martial arts training, Pung Yeoncho had learned to recognize when to get involved and when not to.
Yeon Jeokha also knew that the men in black were not ordinary warriors and stepped forward.
“We are from the Ascending Dragon Clan. Who are you to speak to us like this?”
Yeon Jeokha briefly glanced at the Ten Heroes of Five Peaks Mountain, hesitating whether to mention their affiliation with the mountain or the sect.
Sa Doyeong, surprised by the young man’s response, remained silent for a moment. Although the Yoomyung Cult had been hidden for twenty years, someone should remember at least the group’s reputation.
Ung Jaegwi also felt disappointed. He had hoped for a worthy challenge, but this was not up to par. It wasn’t worth wasting more time.
With a gesture of disapproval, Ung Jaegwi ordered in a low voice.
“Kill them.”
As he spoke, Ung Jaegwi turned around.
‘Twenty years ago, people fled at the sight of black robes...’
A feeling of nostalgia washed over him.
As Ung Jaegwi turned around, Sa Doyeong lunged at Yeon Jeokha.
Swish.
Sa Doyeong didn’t draw his sword, instead he tried to grab the young man’s head with the intention of tearing it off and tossing it to the older man retreating.
Thwack.
‘What?’
The young man’s hand easily deflected Sa Doyeong’s lethal attack.
And then, the young man’s palm grew larger in his vision.
Crack.
Sa Doyeong was thrown back like a leaf in the wind.
Though he was an expert, Sa Doyeong managed to regain his balance in the air and land smoothly.
Thud.
Despite avoiding crashing to the ground, blood began to drip from his nostrils.