Chapter 99: Okcheon Escort Agency (1)

An Escort Agency was, simply put, Murim’s version of a delivery service company with the difference being that they were equipped with armed escorts. Escort Warriors referred to the armed couriers, and the Escort Chief was the leader of these couriers.

In the perilous world of Murim, where public safety was far from ideal, transporting goods or people inevitably meant exposing oneself to countless dangers. Thus, martial power was an absolute necessity in the transportation industry.

In Murim novels, Escort Agencies were portrayed with varying levels of importance—ranging from mere background characters who constantly got robbed and cried out for the protagonist’s help, to institutions so prestigious that even those who passed the imperial examinations might forgo official positions in favor of becoming renowned Escort Warriors.

I originally wanted to become an Escort Warrior or porter myself.

As an avid Murim fan, I once considered working for an Escort Agency after becoming a beggar.

I thought although I likely couldn’t qualify as a sword-wielding Escort Warrior, I was more than strong enough to be hired as a porter—but nooo. They rejected me during the application process just for being a “black-haired barbarian”.

If only they had hired me back then—I would’ve worked my way up, become their ace porter, and eventually left the agency as a legend. I was ready to be their top ace, the one they all obsessed over, but those jerks ruined it.

You all missed your chance.

“It’s an honor to greet the renowned Escort Warriors of Okcheon Escort Agency in a place as humble as this!”

I greeted the man who introduced himself as the Escort Chief with a delighted expression, glancing at the warriors around him who appeared to be Escort Warriors.

“Haha! So, you’ve heard of the Okcheon Escort Agency?”

“Of course. I’ve heard that your Escort Agency prioritizes the safety of its escorted goods above all else and always delivers its goods on time with utmost integrity, facing any danger that might arise head-on. Truly a trustworthy and diligent Escort Agency.”

“You really know your stuff! For even a barbarian to know of our Escort Agency, it seems all our effort hadn’t been in vain!”

“I think so as well, Sir Escort Chief.”

The Escort Chief exchanged satisfied smiles with his men.

In truth, I didn’t know anything about them.

I was simply stating what any decent delivery service ought to do—but I made it sound like high praise.

“I met the famous Okcheon Escort Warriors, but I have to disappoint you as we have run out of medicine,” I spoke to them with the expression of a regretful salesman who had just missed a golden sales opportunity.

“Ah, what a shame. The medicine our porter bought yesterday worked so well that I had planned to give it to the Escort Warriors exhausted from the journey, but the medicine has run out now,” the Escort Chief lamented, sounding genuinely disappointed.

Not so fast. It’s too early to be disappointed.

Sure, the medicine could be made again just by visiting a herbalist, but I intentionally lied about it being unavailable.

This was my strategy: win the favor of the Escort Warriors while ensuring they didn’t achieve their objective.

“If it’s not something you need to consume immediately, I might have a solution,” I offered, hinting at an alternative while maintaining a positive image.

“And what solution might that be?”

“It’s just that the local herbalist has run out of ingredients to make the medicine. If we move to another village, we can prepare the medicine for you there.”

“So you want to accompany us and make the medicine yourself? Hmm…?”

The Escort Chief narrowed his eyes, clearly suspicious of my offer.

Naturally, he’d be wary. This was a critical journey involving important escorted goods, and now a random black-haired barbarian was volunteering to tag along and make medicine? Of course, he’d be skeptical.

The only reason they hadn’t outright refused or drawn their swords to demand my true intentions was because I’d already flattered them from the start, and they were the ones who initially approached me with a request they couldn’t fulfill themselves.

Time to pull out the trump card.

Naturally, I had an ace up my sleeve—a genetic cheat code I’d been reluctant to use until now.

“Haha, me? How can a barbarian like me prepare the medicine? No, no, it’s not me who’ll prepare the medicine, but this young lady here.”

I locked eyes with the Escort Chief, then deliberately his attention to Tang Hwarin, who had been sitting quietly all this time.

“And this young lady is…?”

Purple hair, green eyes, a mysterious air enhanced by the veil covering her face, and most importantly, someone who could prepare medicine.

If the Escort Chief was even slightly informed, there was only one family that would come to mind.

Obviously, I had to take full advantage of this fact.

“This is Lady Tang Hwarin, hailing from the Tang Clan of Sichuan.”

“The Sichuan Tang Clan! It’s an honor to meet you. I am Ok Dae-am, Escort Chief of the Okcheon Escort Agency.”

He had casually used semi-formal language with me, but the moment I mentioned the Sichuan Tang Clan, his tone shifted immediately.

Well, it made sense. The Tang Clan was a top-tier power in Murim—unshakable at that.

In Murim, clans were like regional overlords. There was a reason why only one Clan would dominate a single province.

Of course, their martial arts might be considered a step below the Nine Sects One Union, but their wealth, influence, and connections were beyond imagination.

In modern terms, it was like the daughter of a chaebol family had shown up in front of the manager of a delivery company. Of course, he’d act respectfully.

“…”

Tang Hwarin merely gave a light nod to the Escort Chief without saying a word.

“Haha, Lady Tang Hwarin is quite reserved around strangers,” I added smoothly.

“I understand. Still, my knowledge is limited, so I must admit I don’t think I’ve heard of Lady Tang Hwarin before,” the Escort Chief said, sneaking a glance behind her veil, seeming to come to some conclusion, and then turned back to me with a curious look.

“She’s just now making her debut, so that’s understandable. But perhaps you’ve heard of the Esteemed Tang Geoho, the great hero of the Tang Clan?”

“Ah! Yes, I’ve heard of the Esteemed Tang Geoho of the Tang Clan!”

“Lady Tang Hwarin is his disciple. She was cherished like a jewel within her family but decided to venture into the world to use her studies in medicine for the greater good.”

“Ah, that explains why she sold such effective medicine at such a low price. She truly has a noble heart,” the Escort Chief remarked, clearly impressed.

He bowed lightly to Tang Hwarin, likely thinking of her as a kind-hearted philanthropist.

Tang Hwarin awkwardly accepted his bow, throwing me a subtle yet scathing look that said, “What the hell are you going on about?”

Just stay put.

I’ve paved the way with compliments and wrapped it all up with your prestigious bloodline. This is how we secure the smoothest path forward.

“Lady Tang Hwarin dislikes seeing those who seek her medicine leave empty-handed. Coincidentally, we were planning to depart soon. How about traveling to the next village together?”

What do you think? Traveling together would create even a small connection with the Tang Clan.

It wasn’t something they could easily refuse.

“Lady Tang Hwarin, is this true?”

The Escort Chief cautiously sought her agreement. Tang Hwarin, maintaining the facade of a quiet and elegant lady, simply nodded her head slightly in response.

“Ahaha! If that’s the case, then I will gladly host both of you as honored guests of the Okcheon Escort Agency.”

Perfect. This is why you leverage bloodlines, regions, and connections.

With the Escort Chief’s approval, we were granted passage as guests on their journey to a village near Yichang.

“Are you sure about all this?”

Tang Hwarin sat in the back of the wagon carrying the escorted goods and spoke to me in a bewildered tone.

“What’s wrong with anything of this?”

“Everything you said was…! A lie, no?”

Her voice rose slightly, but she quickly lowered it, whispering so only I could hear, wary of the people around us.

“Didn’t I already explain this to you yesterday? And you still don’t get it?”

I spoke to her like a tutor watching a student make the same mistake on a test despite receiving clear guidance the day before.

“What don’t I get?”

“Did I lie about anything?”

“Um… didn’t you?”

“You’re a member of the Tang Clan of Sichuan, right? It’s true Tang Geo-ho is your master, true you were raised as the cherished jewel of a prestigious family, and true you’re doing something beneficial for the world. Selling the Tang Clan’s rare recovery elixir at such a low price—that counts as a good deed, doesn’t it?”

“Well… that’s true. But I’m not an official member of the Tang Clan.”

“Spare me the noble talk.”

“What?”

Tang Hwarin glared at me with a hint of annoyance at my rebuke.

“Those Tang Clan bastards are the reason you ended up like this. What’s wrong with using their name a little? If it were up to me, I’d storm into the Tang Clan and shout, ‘Bring out every last person who treated Tang Hwarin like this!’ and demand answers.”

“Bullshit. You don’t mean any of that.”

How did she know?

“You think I’m lying?”

In situations like this, confidence was key. I shamelessly looked her in the eye with a serious expression and asked.

“Uh… are you for real? Is that really how you feel?”

When I didn’t reply immediately, Tang Hwarin’s eyes trembled, and she suddenly broke eye contact, lowering her head.

Oh, you’re touched, huh? Well, I’m grateful too, since your bloodline got us this wagon ride.

“Anyway, all I did earlier was promote you, just like with the medicine yesterday. That’s not a crime, right? Right?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

If you’re going to agree, look me in the eye while you say it. Why avoid my gaze? Well, at least you seem to get it now. That’s what matters.

With Tang Hwarin’s complaints out of the way, our journey became much more pleasant.

“Stop! Stop!”

It had been two days since we began traveling with the Okcheon Escort Agency. Suddenly, a loud voice echoed from the front.

What’s going on? A landslide blocking the road, maybe?

“Hey, Kang Yunho. Be careful,” Tang Hwarin, her demeanor cautious, scanned the surroundings and warned me.

“What’s happening?”

“Hahaha! I was wondering who was carrying the escorted goods. So it’s the Okcheon Escort Agency!”

A booming voice, loud enough to shake the mountain, came from the front of the caravan. As if on cue, armed men emerged from behind the caravan, blocking the path.

Bandits, huh?

I stood up in the wagon to get a better view of what was happening up front.

Huh? That hair color… no way.

“If they get any closer, I’ll throw my remaining hidden weapons, so stay put.”

Tang Hwarin, looking tense, pulled out her last few hidden weapons and readied herself.

It’s not a situation that warrants such nerves, though.

“Put down your weapons and stay still.”

I waved her off nonchalantly, trying to calm her down.

“They’re bandits! Why would I stay still?”

“Look at the Escort Warriors up front. Have they drawn their swords?”

I pointed to the Escort Warriors standing ahead, directing Tang Hwarin’s attention. The Escort Warriors were visibly on edge, their hands resting on their hilts, but none of them had drawn their swords yet.

“Right. Why aren’t they drawing their swords?”

“Look at the bandit leader at the front. Check their hair color.”

“Hair color? It’s… green. Wait, green means…”

A few individuals with unkempt green hair, likely from not washing for ages, were positioned both at the front and rear of the caravan.

As ridiculous as this setup sounds, in this world, green-haired bandits appearing in the mountains could only mean one thing.

“Yeah, they are Green Forest Bandits.”

Green Forest Bandits.

While the bandits I’d encountered before were more like survival-driven thieves, these guys were closer to a corporate-level armed organization.

They establish mountain bases in areas with heavy traffic, maintain the roads, and wait all day for merchants or Escort Agency caravans to pass through.

Even though people feared the Green Forest Bandits, they reluctantly paid the toll because the alternative routes were far worse.

Green Forest Bandits usually avoid unnecessary bloodshed; as long as their targets didn’t resist that was—if there was no resistance to be found, they’d simply collect the toll and let them go.

That was why they were nicknamed the “Toll Road Gang”, the tollgate of Murim.

“Ah, isn’t this the deputy of Black Tiger Fortress? It’s been a while! How have you been?”

The Escort Chief at the front greeted the deputy as if meeting an old acquaintance.

“I’ve been doing well, of course. You seem busy these days. I don’t get to see your face as often, haha!”

“Aren’t they being too friendly?”

Tang Hwarin frowned at their conversation, her tone filled with disapproval.

“They have a mutually antagonistic yet symbiotic relationship.”

“Mutually antagonistic symbiosis?”

“The more Green Forest Bandits there are, the more people request services from Escort Agencies. The Escort Agency then uses that money to build good relations with Green Forest Bandits so they can pay cheaper tolls.”

“It’s hard to accept the idea of giving money to bandit scum.”

“Well, that’s just how the world works.”

Even as I said it, I couldn’t help but find some things hard to accept.

Like, why does every high-ranking Green Forest Bandit member have green hair in this world?

Sure, it was said that martial arts could sometimes affect the color of one’s hair, but this was over the top.

It wasn’t like these bandits all graduated from the same academy and decided to pursue careers in banditry. Did they all evolve the same way to blend into the forests or something?

“Just sit tight. The road will open soon enough.”

I didn’t have to pay the toll myself, nor did I need to prepare the coins. Relaxing, I leaned back comfortably in the wagon.

“Raising the toll tenfold?! How dare you! Okcheon Escort Agency, draw your swords!”

Well, we’re screwed.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

“Kang Yunho! Stay behind me!”

Tang Hwarin, flustered, moved to stand protectively in front of me.

“Barbarian shield!”

I gritted my teeth, relying on the Jade Skin Art to block the onslaught of spears and swords flying our way.

But then—

“Argh!”

A spear came flying out of nowhere, striking Tang Hwarin in the thigh. Blood began pouring out.

“Heh heh heh. A woman, huh?”

A green-haired lieutenant of the Green Forest Bandits sneered as he raised his blade to strike her.

“Barbarian punch!”

“Graaah!”

Using the footwork I’d been tirelessly practicing, I channeled my Qi into the Yongquan Acupoint on the sole of my foot. Accelerating toward him, I threw a solid punch that sent his jaw flying before he even realized what was happening.

“Tang Hwarin! Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine…”

All around us, chaos erupted.

“Save the Porters!”

“The Chief Escort has been stabbed! Help him!”

“Nooo!”

It was over.

The Escort Chief of the Okcheon Escort Agency had made the worst possible decision. His call to action had triggered an ambush. Green Forest Bandits, hidden throughout the forest, swarmed the caravan, overwhelming it with ease. Porters, Escort Warriors, and even the Escort Chief himself were subdued one by one.

“Hey! Get on my back!”

Doing my best to stay composed, I tied a strip of cloth around Tang Hwarin’s thigh to slow the bleeding, then crouched and offered her my back.

“What the hell?! What’s the plan?!”

“I’ll run toward the side with fewer bandits. You throw every last one of your hidden weapons at them!”

“Got it!”

Tang Hwarin climbed onto my back, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck.

Wow. What is this feeling?

The sudden overwhelming presence pressing against my back short-circuited my brain for a brief moment.

No. This isn’t the time.

Get a grip, Yunho. Run.

“Fusion complete! Let’s go, Hwa-rin-ho!”

Tang Hwarin and Kang Yunho had merged into one—thus, the mighty Hwa-rin-ho was born.

“What the hell are you even saying? Seriously,” she muttered in disbelief, but I didn’t care.

The legs of Kang Yunho—adapted to the Murim world!

The hands of Tang Hwarin—now a mobile turret!

The mind of Kang Yunho—calculating the optimal escape route!

And the airbag-like softness of Tang Hwarin’s chest—providing injury mitigation in case of a crash!

It was the ultimate combination—a form straight out of the final episodes of an old-school mecha anime.

“Let’s gooooo!”

We dashed toward the path with the fewest bandits.

“Catch those bastards!”

“Yes, sir!”

And we were immediately caught.