Chapter v11c11: Annihilation!

Im Gae and Lee Song Hak waved farewell to the delegation.

“Whew… we almost got screwed…”

Im Gae’s words were true.

The renowned swordsman Binggeom, a member of the Five Great Swordsmen, and Yeomdo, a member of the Five Great Axe Masters—their strength alone was enough to wipe the Black Wolf Stronghold off the map. They couldn’t be sure of victory even against them, and now there were fifty more members of the Mount Hua Sect’s delegation. Just the thought of it sent shivers down their spines.

After the Cheonmu Academy members left, Im Gae wiped his sweaty forehead and let out a sigh of relief. They had recklessly and shamelessly acted as if the Grim Reaper himself hadn’t just been standing before them. It was a miracle their heads were still attached.

If Binggeom and Yeomdo hadn’t been moved by Lee Song Hak’s heartfelt story and granted him some leniency, the bandits would have been condemned to roam the netherworld as ghosts. Im Gae, shaking his head, shouted in a boisterous tone.

“So, this is what they mean by ‘a narrow escape.’ We should do some good deeds tomorrow in celebration.”

“Good deeds, you say?”

Good deeds? It was one of the things most unsuited to bandits. The concept of good deeds was so distant from their lives that they questioned if such a thing even existed. They suspected the leader was going mad.

“Maybe he’s gone a bit crazy from the shock?”

Chang Gyu, the leader of one of the bandit squads, whispered to his comrade, No Gu.

“Is that so? Could be. Otherwise, what the hell kind of ‘good deeds’ would a bandit do? Can’t you see, it’s so cheesy?”

No Gu thrust his arm in front of Chang Gyu’s face. Tap, tap! His skin was covered in goosebumps like plucked chicken feathers. It clearly demonstrated his aversion to the word “good deeds.” Chang Gyu nodded in agreement.

“I understand. I got chills too when I heard those words earlier, ‘good deeds,’ ‘charity.’ I almost threw up.”

They were whispering in hushed tones, fearing the consequences if their conversation reached the leader’s ears.

Whiz!

Suddenly, Im Gae turned his sharp and menacing gaze towards them, making their fragile hearts skip a beat.

“Hey, squad leader!”

Im Gae called out.

“Yes, leader!”

They answered simultaneously.

“When we work tomorrow, shave it off by half!”

His good deed was apparently in this form. Chang Gyu and No Gu’s eyes widened in shock.

“What? So we do those… good deeds?”

They couldn’t believe their ears.

Just then, a low, ominous voice interrupted.

“That won’t be necessary.”

Im Gae’s head whipped around, his eyes narrowing. No one knew how they had gotten there. No one present was skilled enough to sense their presence. But the dark figures were already surrounding them.

“Who are you?”

His instinct, honed by a lifetime in the Green Forest, warned him of imminent danger. His keen sense of smell detected the scent of blood, death, and fear emanating from them.

‘Damn, this isn’t going to be fun…’

It was clear they were extremely dangerous. Im Gae swallowed nervously, battling the instinctive fear rising within him. The corner of the middle-aged man’s mouth, who was leading the group, curled up into a smirk. His name was Red Blood, the leader of this force.

“Who are you? Identify yourselves!”

Im Gae asked in a trembling voice. Red Blood replied in a monotone, devoid of any emotion.

“The Grim Reaper! Your final day will be exactly one year from today.”

He sounded like he belonged in hell. The bandits, accustomed to living by their wit, stood speechless, silenced by the chilling sense of death that pervaded the air. Normally, they would have hurled insults at the least, but they didn’t dare.

“Don’t worry! You won’t be lonely on your journey to the underworld. We’ll send you all together.”

“Damn it! No way! Everyone, attack!”

Im Gae shouted, knowing there was no time for hesitation. There was nothing to gain by prolonging the fight.

“Roar!”

The bandits of the Black Wolf Stronghold charged forward, weapons raised. The Twelve Blood Demon Squad, seeing this, swiftly reacted. It wasn’t a fight; it was a massacre. As the Twelve Blood Demon Squad swung their swords with sinister smiles, the bandits fell, their lives extinguished. Even the name of the Five Overlords of the Green Forest was insignificant before them. They were as easily defeated as children defying adults.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

The entire mountain was painted red, as if autumn had arrived prematurely. The slaughter continued for half an hour.

“Huff, huff, huff!”

Im Gae gasped for breath, his eyes wide with fury as he looked around. He was the only one left standing amongst the piles of corpses, having been the last to resist. His face was covered in gore, most of it from his fallen comrades.

“Hey, Bookworm! Bookworm! Lee Song!”

But there was no answer. None of his men were still alive. Covered in blood from his wounds, Im Gae stared at Red Blood, the leader of the Twelve Blood Demon Squad. Madness gleamed in his eyes, but his axe was now a tattered, useless scrap of metal. It had sustained countless wounds as he tried to defend himself from the ruthless Twelve Blood Demon Squad’s swords.

His right thigh was numb. His left arm was mangled, a useless appendage. The stabs in his side and abdomen told him he hadn’t been hit by one or two swords.

‘Damn it! Is this the end?’

He had only enough strength left for one final swing. He wouldn’t go down alone! Im Gae gathered the last remnants of his internal energy from the depths of his core. He would take as many as he could with him! The more companions on the journey to the underworld, the better.

“Raaar! Die!”

Boom!

A bloodcurdling shriek, followed by a violent explosion of internal energy!

It was his final act, his lasting mark on the world. The unfortunate Gungung Mountain was forced to consume countless gallons of blood that day.

“Casualties?”

Red Blood asked emotionlessly from amidst the grim mountain of corpses.

“Two dead! Three seriously injured! Seven lightly injured.”

Xue Jian, who served as the first squad leader and deputy leader, reported after counting the casualties. Red Blood’s face hardened.

“Are you all losing your minds? Two deaths fighting with mere bandits? What kind of nonsense is that? Ten injuries? What kind of training have you been receiving? What is this pathetic show?”

Red Blood roared. For a group like them, the elite assassins of the organization, suffering such casualties against a bunch of bandits was a blow to his pride.

“Which squads lost members?”

“The 9th and 11th squads. The Black Wolf Axe Im Gae’s axe seems to be remarkably sharp. The title of the Five Overlords of the Green Forest is no joke.”

“Even the leader of the Five Overlords is just a bandit. Tell the 9th and 11th squad leaders to expect reprimands upon their return. The severely injured will undergo the special Hellfire Training for three months! The lightly injured will be there for a month. Of course, this is assuming they survive until this mission ends!”

Xue Jian’s face turned pale at the mention of Hellfire Training.

‘Poor bastards!’

But it was a deserved consequence. Mercy for the weak had no place here.

“Yes, understood.”

“How can you lose two members to thugs like those? Useless fools!”

“There was another skilled warrior among them, a swordsman.”

“A bandit swordsman…?”

Such a weapon was a mismatch for their profession.

“Based on his swordsmanship, it seems he was the Gentleman’s Wandering Sword, Lee Song Hak.”

The Twelve Blood Demon Squad wasn’t just a mindless group focused only on brute force.

“The Gentleman’s Wandering Sword, Lee Song Hak, a man with an encyclopedic knowledge of the martial arts, a bandit?”

Even Red Blood was surprised. However, his moment of indulgence quickly passed.

“That man?”

Xue Jian momentarily lost his words. There was nothing he could say.

“I… I apologize. We lost him.”

The objective of this mission was to eliminate all survivors. Xue Jian felt a menacing glare pierce through him. His body trembled.

“I’ll deal with the consequences later. Now, where is he?”

His tone was like a biting wind.

“The 8th squad is on his trail.”

“Is that so?”

Red Blood’s face, frozen in a mask of ice, softened slightly. The 8th squad specialized in tracking. They had never lost their prey.

“Search every inch of the land, even beyond the horizon, and eliminate him. If you fail, you’ll pay for it with your life. We never leave any trace. You must erase him completely. Reorganize your units now. Go!”

“Yes, understood.”

“Repurpose as soon as you’re ready. And release the bait! Let the Green Forest King take the bait. Use the seriously injured ones. Fortunately, this worked out well. No need to injure them deliberately. And make sure you eliminate the escaped man. That’s all.”

These orders were as cold as ice.

“Understood.”

One of the members, who had been severely injured but could still move around, quickly changed into the clothes of a dead bandit and adjusted his appearance. Since the wounds were already real, they were still bleeding through the bandages. He looked like a perfect remnant of a defeated force.

In an instant, he transformed into an injured bandit grunt. His murderous aura was now carefully concealed. It was a necessity for their profession, for they were all inherently fierce, but losing control of their aura could cost them their livelihood.

“If you handle this right, I’ll cut your Hellfire Training in half.”

The member looked grateful. Hellfire Training was a difficult ordeal, even for them, who had trained hard. Underestimating the Black Wolf Axe Im Gae had been a grave mistake.

“Go.”

“Understood.”

As soon as Red Blood gave the order, the member vanished with incredible speed, heading in the direction of the seventy-two strongholds of the Green Forest King.

“Retreat!”

Following Red Blood’s command, the men disappeared as if swallowed by the earth. The only thing left behind was the chilling silence of death, along with the thick scent of blood.

Thump, thump, thump!

The sound of hooves pounding the earth.

“Whoa!”

A carriage pulled by four horses came to a halt as the driver reined them in. The sudden stop caused the horses to react skittishly. The black carriage, pulled by four horses, stopped right at the scene of the massacre, where the bandits of the Black Wolf Stronghold had been slaughtered.

Creak!

The carriage door opened, revealing a woman of breathtaking beauty.

She immediately used a handkerchief to cover her nose, overwhelmed by the scent of blood.

“It’s horrifying.”

Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly. Disgust glinted in her watery eyes.

“Whose doing do you think this is?”

The old driver, sitting on the driver’s seat, answered:

“From the marks on the corpses, it seems it was the Black Wolf Stronghold, one of the Five Overlords of the Green Forest. They’re well-trained, unlike other bandit groups. They didn’t even manage to fight back. Their wounds are all clean. The marks suggest the work of professionals. They’re skilled.”

“In that case…”

At that moment, the driver quickly put a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. She immediately lifted her hand to cover her red lips. The driver’s sharp eyes and perked-up ears scanned the surroundings.

Zap!

The driver’s eyes narrowed, and his hand moved faster than the wind, disappearing into the undergrowth.

Rustle!

The sound of rustling leaves tickled her ears.

“Did you miss him?”

“I’m sorry. There was a reaction, but I missed him. A very quick little rat.”

“It’s alright. Let’s leave quickly. I’m worried something might happen to them.”

“Yes, milady.”

It was ironic that she was concerned for their safety, given her background and affiliations. However, she found it perfectly natural.

“Go!”

Swoosh!

The driver’s whip cracked through the air, and the carriage wheels began to roll again.

Red Blood was in a foul mood. It was understandable. One of his men, who had stayed behind to clean up the mess, had returned awkwardly, having been struck by an arrow in his shoulder. The untrustworthy, clumsy bandit, clutched his right shoulder with his left hand and prostrated himself, looking ashamed.

‘Since when did I become the leader of such pathetic fools?’

He was barely able to contain his anger. How could he face his master? His shame burned his cheeks.

‘I have to put him through another round of intense training!’

According to the iron laws forged over a hundred years, there was no room for the weak amongst the Heavenly Tribulation’s shadow.

“Those were remarkable skills.”

Deputy Leader Xue Jian examined the subordinate’s wound and commented. The dart that had pierced his shoulder was ordinary, something anyone could acquire, so it couldn’t reveal the assassin’s identity. More information was needed.

“It wasn’t the skill of a common driver. I was sure I had concealed my presence completely…”

Number 512, the injured bandit, responded. 512 meant the 12th member of the 5th squad. They had no names beyond the leader and the squad leaders. 512 seemed desperate to excuse himself.

“It was definitely the work of a master. If he hadn’t moved, it would have gone straight through his heart.”

Xue Jian was probably right. He hadn’t been wrong in these judgments before.

“And…”

Number 512 seemed like he had something else to say.

“You’re still talking despite running away?”

Red Blood asked with a sharp, accusatory gaze.

“I apologize. But the person in the carriage was…”

“What?”

Red Blood nearly grabbed his collar.

“Can you answer for that? Are you sure?”

“I stake my life on it. It was Silver Fox.”

“Why didn’t you say that before? You fool!”

Red Blood yelled in anger. Now, the man was not only weak but moronic. Number 512 was filled with despair.

“Send a message to high command through the rapid courier. We need to come up with a plan. Also, investigate the driver! He must be someone significant.”

“Understood.”

The Twelve Blood Demon Squad went into action, and a hawk took flight, soaring into the sky.