Chapter 101: Okcheon Escort Agency (3)

It had already been two days since the Okcheon Escort Agency failed to break through the Black Tiger Fortress’ toll gate.

“Just because we refused to pay five times the toll, you drew your swords?! Where does such a thing happen?!”

“Shut it, you Dochuk Escort Agency! You lot are going in too!”

With each passing day, our numbers grew.

“Oh? Looks like we’re not the only ones who got dragged in. Escort Chief Ha, isn’t that Escort Chief Ok from the Okcheon Escort Agency?”

“Seems like it.”

“Escort Chief Ok! You got captured too?”

“…”

A man who appeared to be from Dochuk Escort Agency called out to him, but Escort Chief Ok simply ignored his words with a scowl.

Seeing this, the Escort Chief of Dochuk Escort Agency raised a hand and greeted him with a smirk.

“Well, if it isn’t Okcheon Hollow Man himself.”

“And you must be Ha the Abnormal Delivery?”

…Was this one of those exchanges where even a graze was a critical blow?

They’d barely said a word, yet the air between them turned instantly hostile.

“You bastard!”

“How dare you call your senior Okcheon Hollow Man?!”

“Who’s my senior? We’re practically the same age!”

Just how bad was their reputation if their nicknames were this awful?

Everyone looked like a mess, yet even in a place like this, rival agencies still found time to fight.

Come to think of it, do escort agencies and the Green Forest Bandit clash this often?

Is it just me, or are way too many of them getting caught?

“Hey, aren’t we capturing way too many of these guys?”

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one having such thoughts. Even one of the Green Forest Bandits voiced his concerns to another, watching the situation unfold with unease.

“What can we do? The Deputy Chief stabbed the Chief and sent him into an early retirement in the afterlife. The whole fortress leadership got reshuffled, and now there are a ton of expenses to cover. We wouldn’t be doing this if that weren’t the case.”

…Ah, so that’s what happened.

Eavesdropping on the bandits’ conversation, I finally pieced together the situation.

Originally, Black Tiger Fortress was run by one Chief and two Deputy Chiefs.

The Fortress Chief was a highly skilled martial artist. One deputy chief was also skilled but impulsive, while the other was intelligent and silver-tongued. Together, the three had been running Black Tiger Fortress effectively.

One day, the Fortress Chief decided he had made enough money and wanted to retire. Given his age and the wealth he had amassed, it was understandable—who wouldn’t want a comfortable retirement? The real issued lied in the succession.

Without consulting anyone, the Fortress Chief handed his position over to the intelligent Deputy Chief. While it was understandable to put the smart one in charge if he wanted operations to run smoothly, this was no mere business—it was a criminal syndicate.

The other Deputy Chief didn’t take the news well. He immediately staged a coup and pushed out the Chief’s faction and the forces loyal to the other Deputy Chief.

In the process, they suffered massive casualties, lost key personnel, and burned through their funds—hence the reckless extortion happening now.

In the end, this whole fiasco wasn’t because the escort agencies had been reckless. It was all one massive farce caused by the Black Tiger Fortress’ financial crisis.

“You’ve been trading with us just fine for ten years! How can you suddenly pull this!?”

“Wonsam Escort Agency! You’re going in too!”

As the days passed, the number of captured escort agencies kept increasing.

As expected, bandits were bandits. Even if all the escort groups they captured were blacklisted ones, they still managed to subdue and drag them in with surprising efficiency.

“Hey! Aren’t we running out of space to keep them?”

“Just leave it for now. Once it gets too full, we can do some ‘cleaning’. Heh heh heh.”

The bandits tossed the escorts into the holding cells, chuckling ominously as they left.

So, once they have too many hostages, they’ll start culling the unnecessary ones.

This was turning into a serious problem. The holding cell was already so cramped that sitting properly was difficult, let alone lying down.

If this kept up and they couldn’t squeeze in any more prisoners, those deemed expendable would likely be executed.

The first to go will obviously be the black-haired barbarian with no ties to any escort agency and no ransom to be paid.

I couldn’t talk to Tang Hwarin since she was too far away, but she seemed to be receiving preferential treatment. While the rest of us were stuck on bare dirt, she was lying on a mat and even receiving medical care.

The real problem was me.

To them, I was just a black-haired foreigner with no ransom money coming his way. Once this place reached capacity, my chances of being sent straight to the afterlife were dangerously high.

Before figuring out an escape plan, I need to figure out how to survive.

Whether it was until the Okcheon Escort Agency sent negotiators or until I found a way to escape, I needed a plan to stay alive.

A few days later.

From the holding cell where the escorts were imprisoned, I could see an open clearing where The Black Tiger Fortress was throwing a feast.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard these past few days! Once we deal with those bastards, I’ll make sure each of you gets a pouch of silver! So tonight—eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves to your heart’s content!”

From the platform set up for the occasion, the Chief raised his cup high, officially kicking off the feast for his subordinates.

“Yes, Deputy Chief!”

“It’s Chief now, you idiots!”

“Hahaha! Yes, Chief!”

The atmosphere of Black Tiger Fortress’ feast was one of wild revelry, as if they were trying to wash away the hardships of the past few days.

It was like a bunch of high school boys cutting loose on a school trip after exams—

—or so I thought, until I actually looked at them.

“T-that wench, I tell ya—kept swaying her hips back and forth like this!”

“Heh heh. Like this?”

Correction. Watching a bunch of bearded men imitate young women, wiggling their hips as they danced, was far from the youthful energy of high school boys—it was just plain grotesque.

“Damn, that smells amazing.”

“I’m starving…”

It had been three days since the captured Escort Warriors had last received food. All they could do was stare blankly, swallowing their saliva as they watched the bandits feast.

I was getting pretty hungry myself.

As I absentmindedly watched the banquet unfold, the Black Tiger Fortress Chief suddenly rose from his seat.

Drunk off his ass, the Fortress Chief bellowed toward his men, “Where’s that rat bastard? A feast ain’t complete without a Maedamja! Get out here and tell us something entertaining!”

It seems Black Tiger Fortress has its own designated Maedamja.

“Chief, that sniveling bastard was with the former Deputy Chief’s faction. Hahaha.”

“Oh, shit, was he? Damn rat must’ve hitched himself to the wrong side and croaked. Ain’t there another rat bastard around? If I like what he’s got, I’ll give him a reward!”

The fortress chief pulled out a pouch of money from his sleeve and scattered its contents across the table in front of him.

“Alright then, I’ll give it a shot…”

“But if I don’t like it, I’m smashing your skull in!”

“…I’ll just pour you another drink instead.”

A green-haired officer standing nearby immediately changed course, hastily filling the chief’s cup.

“Come on! Someone step up! Is there really no one?!”

The fortress chief, now visibly irritated, took another swig of alcohol before stomping around the banquet hall, searching for someone willing to entertain him. But the bandits were all busy avoiding his gaze, desperate to keep their skulls intact.

“Goddamn it! Just the mention of a cracked skull has you all cowering like eunuchs?! You dumbasses! Your whole damn lives revolve around either splitting heads or getting yours split! And you’re scared of this?! Huh?!”

That… feels like a bit of a stretch.

Sure, risking their lives was probably in their job description when they signed up for the bandit life, but nowhere in their employment contract did it say they had to gamble their lives at a company dinner.

It seemed whether it was in the Central Plains or Joseon, toxic workplace drinking culture was a universal issue.

The fortress chief looked down at his subordinates with the same disdainful gaze a middle-aged manager might give his junior employees, complaining, “Kids these days have no guts. Back in my day, we worked six days a week, and on Sundays, we still had to go hiking with the department heads! You hear me?!”

“Fucking hell! All the ones I liked were stuck to that damn dead deputy chief, and now I’m left with nothing but these scraps!”

The fortress chief, seething with rage, grabbed a nearby bottle of liquor and hurled it across the room.

The once-lively banquet hall instantly froze over—much like a company dinner where a middle-aged manager, after drinking and laughing with his team, suddenly dropped the bombshell, “Our department’s performance has been terrible, and I’m getting chewed out from above. Enjoy yourself while you can tonight, because starting tomorrow, expect nonstop overtime.”

If the department head—no chief disappeared now, the bandits would surely start badmouthing him behind his back.

Even now, they were throwing him looks of quiet resentment, careful not to make it obvious.

But in situations like this, there was always an opportunity for someone.

“I’ll give it a try!”

I projected my voice, amplifying it with Sohyun Pure Simsang, ensuring it cut through the tense atmosphere and reached the fortress chief.

At my words, every bandit in the banquet hall turned their gaze toward me.

This is it. I need to prove my worth.

If I wanted to survive, all I needed to do was give them a reason to keep me around.

If I could catch the fortress chief’s interest, not only might I survive, but I could also find a chance to escape.

“And who the hell are you?!”

“A traveling Maedamja!”   I declared boldly, unfazed by the weight of their stares.

“What…? A Maedamja?”

“A feast without a Maedamja just won’t do! If you let me out of here, I promise to spin you a tale so gripping, you’ll forget your anger in an instant.”

Come on, Fortress Chief. You need me. Let me out already.

“Hey, barbarian! Can’t you see the chief’s in a bad mood? Are you asking to die?”

“What kind of nonsense is this? A barbarian claiming to be a Maedamja?”

“Chief! This bastard must’ve lost his mind from hunger!”

“What kind of entertaining story could a barbarian possibly have?!”

Well they, why don’t you tell the story yourselves?

Sensing that the tense atmosphere needed a scapegoat, the bandits latched onto me, hurling insults my way.

“Silence!” the fortress chief’s voice cut through the noise like a blade. “Barbarian, are you truly a Maedamja?”

Once again, the entire banquet hall fell into silence.

“In Chilgok County, you’d be called an outsider if you’ve never heard of the Black-Haired Maedamja!”

I spoke with unwavering confidence, exuding an air of absolute certainty, “…Chilgok County? Black-Haired Maedamja? Hey, isn’t this bastard Kang Mo?”

“Kang Mo? Who’s that?”

“Kang Mo? You mean the one who told the story about Young Master Hamurin or the Sung Family?”

“Oh! I’ve heard of him! They say if you visit Chilgok County, you must listen to the Black-Haired Maedamja’s tales!”

Luckily, someone here recognized my name.

Well, it made sense. My reputation had spread even to Daeheung County, where the Sung Family story originated. Since Chilgok County wasn’t too far from Black Tiger Fortress, it wasn’t surprising that a few people here had heard of me.

“Bring that Maedamja out!”

At the order, I was led out of the cage and into the center of the banquet hall.

“Are you really Kang Mo?”

“I heard rumors that he was living as a guest in some wealthy household.”

“So, was that a lie?”

“Hey, are you really that Maedamja they’re talking about?”

Standing before the fortress chief, I met his skeptical gaze head-on.

“Yes, I am indeed the Maedamja from Chilgok County, and while it’s true that I was once invited as a guest for the Sung Family, I prefer traveling across the Nine Provinces, sharing tales rather than being tied down to a single place.”

“Hah. Is that so?” the fortress chief chuckled, but his eyes remained sharp. “You walked in so confidently, saying you’d tell a story. That means you’re prepared to have your skull cracked open if it’s not entertaining, right?”

The fortress chief, his face flushed from drinking, looked at me with amusement as he idly stroked the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Don’t be scared.

I’m dead if I stay quiet anyway.

“Haha, that won’t be necessary. In fact, once you hear my story, you’ll be gripping your heads in excitement. So be careful—your own skulls might crack from how thrilling it is.”

I let out a confident chuckle, casually deflecting the fortress chief’s menace before shifting my gaze to the gathered bandits.

“Heh. You’re a lot like that dead rat… You do seem to have the makings of a Maedamja. Fine! Start the tale right away!”

“I can’t do that.”

I refused his order without hesitation.

“What? Are you messing with me?”

The fortress chief scowled, his displeasure obvious.

Backing down now would make me a fool.

If I simply obeyed, in his eyes, I’d be nothing more than a captured prisoner who happened to tell stories well. That wasn’t enough.

I needed to defy his expectations—to carve my presence into his mind.

I had to make him accept my terms, to establish my position.

If I played this right, I might even win his favor.

“Fortress Chief! You always carry your sword when you go out on business, don’t you? Likewise, as a Maedamja, I use a black bamboo hat and a folding fan when I work. But right now, they’re not in my hands, are they?”

I spread my empty palms wide, emphasizing that I couldn’t perform properly without them.

“Heh heh heh. You’ve got some nerve. You’re asking for your hat and fan back? You’re not afraid of having your skull crushed?”

“A bandit wouldn’t meet an incoming escort agency completely unarmed, would they?”

“Kuhaha! You make a fair point, ya bastard. I like you better than those cowards whose balls have shriveled up in fear! Hey, you lot, stop standing around like idiots. Go fetch this bastard’s equipment!”

“Y-yes, understood!”

It worked.

I calmed my racing heart and waited for my tools to be returned.

“Here it is!”

I climbed onto the platform, donned in the black bamboo hat with my folding fan in hand—returned to me by the bandits.

“Heh heh. I’ve even prepared the props. If this isn’t entertaining, know that you’ll be split from skull to testicles,” the fortress chief spoke as he watched me climb onto the platform.

“You can look forward to it.”

Unlike Hwa-rin-ho, my body couldn’t separate and reassemble, so I had to make sure to give it my all.

“Greetings everyone. I am Kang Mo. A Maedamja hailing from Joseon.”

Snap!

As always, I introduced myself while unfurling my fan before the bandits.

“Barbarian Maedamja! What kind of story are you going to tell?”

“Even if you’re well-known in Chilgok County, you’re still a barbarian! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

“If it’s boring, I know exactly where to stick a dagger in you!”

I surveyed the bandits—men steeped in murder, violence, and alcohol.

What story should I tell?

No matter how interesting a tale, it had to fit the moment and the audience.

The air was tense but expectant.

In situations like this, I had to match their energy.

The perfect story for the Black Tiger Fortress bandits—something they could relate to.

There was only one story that would work here.

“The tale I shall tell is of a legendary figure from Joseon!”

A story passed down through the centuries, still widely known in Korea today.

“A bandit who stole from the kingdom! A righteous thief who became a hero to the people! A man who opened the door to a new world!”

A man who overcame the trials of his time and ushered in a new era.

Loved by commoners and feared by the nobility of Joseon, and even now, revered by the people of modern-day Korea.

Today, the story I’ll tell is…

“The Tale of Hong Gil-dong!!!”