Chapter v11c8

Goyakhan asked tersely.

“Oh, it’s simple. Our leader, despite his age, is trying to do something rather foolish. I’m sorry, but I’d appreciate it if you could cooperate with him. I don’t really want to be doing this, but my position forces me to. It’s quite embarrassing, really… tsk tsk!”

Lee Song clicked his tongue in a show of pity. At that moment, a loud voice interrupted.

“Hey, you bookworm! Who are you calling foolish? Have you ever contributed to my old age?”

The delegation turned to see who had spoken, and they all seemed to have the same thought. ‘Bookworm’ was apparently a nickname for the man who had introduced himself as Lee Song. Of course, not everyone had the same thought. Yeomdo had guessed that his nickname might be ‘Chatterbox’ or ‘Blabbermouth,’ but he had been wrong.

‘Now that’s more like it!’

The man who had spoken had a stiff, black beard like iron spikes, a thick scar running across his right eye, piercing eyes, bushy eyebrows like caterpillars, and a menacing black axe strapped to his broad back.

In every way, he looked like a proper mountain bandit. He was a stark contrast to the clean and polite deputy leader, making him appear even more like a true bandit.

“And who are you?”

Neok Gi Han’s question was unnecessary. There was only one person who could look so menacing and be above the deputy leader. It was clear that he was the leader of the bandits.

“Then let’s hear what you have to say.”

The delegation, including Neok Gi Han, hadn’t heard the rest of Lee Song’s message due to the sudden appearance of the bandit leader. The bandit leader’s face turned red.

‘Is he blushing? How can he be so shameless…’

An incredulous thought briefly crossed their minds. The bandit leader, his face flushed, nudged Lee Song with his elbow.

‘Stop it!’

Everyone silently screamed as they felt waves of revulsion. The other bandits looked equally uncomfortable.

‘How embarrassing it must be to witness such disgraceful behavior from their leader.’

The delegation suddenly felt a surge of pity for the bandits. The leader’s bizarre behavior had crossed the line into the realm of fear. They were even more afraid to hear what he had to say.

“What did you say?”

Yeomdo’s mouth hung open. His eyes were wide with disbelief. He turned to Nohak and shouted.

“Hey, Nohak! Did I hear that right?”

Nohak’s expression was equally incredulous. His face showed that he wasn’t the only one with hearing issues. Whirlwind Sword Dragon Wi Ji Cheon was fuming, and the female disciples looked as if they had seen a bug. They were furious that one of their dreams had been invaded by bandits.

“Are you saying you want that girl to be your leader’s wife?”

Goyakhan’s finger trembled visibly as he asked. It was uncharacteristic of him to show such emotion. It was unclear whether his trembling was due to shock or anger.

“Unfortunately, there’s not a single mistake in what you said.”

Lee Song’s face was filled with embarrassment and shame. He knew how ridiculous and inappropriate the request was. At least he still had some conscience left. For a bandit, he was a decent person. Lee Song glanced at where Goyakhan’s finger was pointing and blushed.

‘I’ve lived for fifty years, but I’ve never seen such mystical beauty. It’s enough to make my withered heart race… No wonder the leader made such a foolish request.’

But the leader’s request felt like an insult to that beauty. Neok Gi Han was pointing at Na Yerin, who stood there with an expressionless face, her white robes as pure as snow. She didn’t show any emotion despite the absurd situation.

Her sister, Dok Go Ryeong, was radiating anger and killing intent. She looked ready to draw her sword and cut the madman in half.

“Are you insane?”

Goyakhan summed up the situation in one simple sentence. Lee Song shook his head.

“Sigh, I wish that were the case. But what can we do? Reality is what it is. I did suspect the leader had gone mad, but as a subordinate, I can’t disobey his orders. Please understand.”

“What? Who’s mad? I’m perfectly sane!”

The bandit leader, who had been listening quietly, shouted in anger.

“As you can see, he claims to be sane.”

Lee Song shrugged. His attitude suggested that he thought the leader was indeed mad, but he had to relay the message as it was.

“Impossible!”

A low but powerful voice resonated through the group. It was Bi Ryu Yeon.

“Who are you?”

The bandit leader, Im Gae (TLN: I dont think he is), growled. He was clearly displeased with the unexpected intruder.

“I don’t have a name worth telling a madman.”

Bi Ryu Yeon replied with a sneer. How could he not be angry when someone was demanding something that wasn’t theirs?

“What did you say? You insolent brat! When elders are speaking, children should stay quiet!”

Im Gae, unaware of how dangerous Bi Ryu Yeon could be when he smiled, continued to hurl insults. Bi Ryu Yeon’s smile widened, causing the Jujakdan, Yeomdo, and Binggeom to flinch. They knew that playing with fire next to a powder keg was dangerous, and they were worried about the fallout.

“Haha, not only are you mad, but you’re also blind. You look healthy, but it’s a pity.”

“You insolent brat! How dare you speak like that? I’ll teach you a lesson myself!”

The Jujakdan and Yeomdo wanted to shut the bandit leader’s mouth as quickly as possible. They feared the situation would spiral out of control.

“This trip is turning out to be quite interesting. Good times! Haha!”

Bi Ryu Yeon’s laughter made the Jujakdan members’ faces turn pale.

‘He’s angry! He’s angry!’

‘What do we do? What do we do?’

‘I don’t know! I don’t know!’

They were thrown into collective panic by Bi Ryu Yeon’s laughter. Their top priority was to defuse the situation and stop Bi Ryu Yeon’s dangerous and terrifying laughter. Otherwise, there was no way to quell their fear.

“What are you waiting for? Are you all talk? Come at me!”

Im Gae, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, shouted.

“I don’t want to dirty my hands with someone as insignificant as you. These people and their friends will deal with you.”

Bi Ryu Yeon pointed to Namgung Sang.

[Senior brother!]

Namgung Sang called out in a panic, using internal voice transmission to avoid being overheard.

[What?]

Bi Ryu Yeon responded, looking puzzled.

Namgung Sang couldn’t find the words to speak.

[Namgung Sang!]

Bi Ryu Yeon called out in a gentle voice.

[Yes, senior brother!]

[Do I have to step in for such a trivial matter?]

Namgung Sang flinched. He knew from experience that Bi Ryu Yeon used that tone when he was displeased. If he delayed any longer, he would face severe consequences.

[No, we’ll handle it ourselves.]

[It’s perfect for a pre-meal exercise.]

[Yes, it is.]

Sweat trickled down Namgung Sang’s face.

[Namgung Sang! Remember what I said earlier? Lessons are meant to be applied in reality. Unfortunately, sometimes examples are necessary.]

Namgung Sang, terrified by the mention of examples, hurriedly replied.

[I understand. Don’t worry, senior brother!]

[You’re getting quicker at picking up on things. I’m relieved you won’t be called clueless anymore.]

[It’s all thanks to you, senior brother.]

Namgung Sang replied with a nervous smile. In truth, there was only one person in the world who would treat him that way, and that was Bi Ryu Yeon.

“Then go on!”

Namgung Sang had no right to refuse.

After his private conversation with Bi Ryu Yeon, Namgung Sang first approached Yeomdo. To engage in a fight with these bandits, he needed Yeomdo’s permission. It was unthinkable for the Cheonmu Academy delegation to hand over the academy’s top beauty to bandits as a toll. It was an absurd idea. Yeomdo nodded without much thought.

“Take care of it. And… I’m hungry.”

Yeomdo’s remark suggested that they should handle the situation quickly. After getting Yeomdo’s permission, Namgung Sang then approached Binggeom. It wouldn’t be proper to get approval from just one leader.

‘What a complicated procedure,’ Bi Ryu Yeon thought to himself. While Namgung Sang busied himself running around, the bandits could only watch in bewilderment. They had never encountered such nonchalant opponents before. An inexplicable sense of unease crept up Im Gae’s neck. It was an extremely unpleasant feeling.

“Hey, Bookworm! What’s all this nonsense?”

Im Gae asked in a voice full of discontent. ‘Bookworm’ was the nickname for Lee Song, the deputy leader of the bandit stronghold.

“Well, it seems they’re going through some formal procedures.”

Lee Song, who had a surprisingly scholarly demeanor for a bandit, replied. Im Gae didn’t like him much. There was no need to make things complicated with fancy words. Sometimes, when Lee Song used words he didn’t understand and then chided him for not knowing them, Im Gae often felt the urge to strangle him so he’d never speak again.

‘You’re lucky to have a merciful leader like me!’

However, without Lee Song, there would be no one to handle the administrative tasks, which would paralyze the stronghold’s operations. The Black Wolf Stronghold was larger than other strongholds, so they needed someone to manage the administrative work. Lee Song’s ability to keep talking was more due to the administrative necessity than Im Gae’s overflowing mercy.

The 500 bandits of the Black Wolf Stronghold had to endure the tedious wait as Namgung Sang went from Yeomdo to Binggeom, then to Goyakhan, and finally to Neok Gi Han.

“Yawn… Are you done?”

Im Gae yawned and asked Namgung Sang, who had stepped forward to stand between the bandits and the delegation. Behind Namgung Sang, fifteen members of the Jujakdan stood in formation.

“We’re done.”

Namgung Sang nodded indifferently. The nervousness he had shown in front of Bi Ryu Yeon had vanished, replaced by a sharpness akin to a well-honed blade.

Something felt off.

‘Did we poke the wrong hornet’s nest?’

Im Gae noticed that the six women among the fifteen were all beauties, but their calm demeanor, even in the face of the bandits, planted a seed of doubt in his mind. However, once they had started, there was no turning back.

‘Wait, this isn’t a toll; it’s a proposal! Old habits die hard… But why are these people so calm?’

No matter how he looked, there wasn’t a single person who seemed nervous or flustered. This realization dealt a significant blow to his pride. Some members of the delegation had even sat down and started chatting, preparing to watch the show. As Namgung Sang had declared, only the Jujakdan members were involved in this matter.

Namgung Sang spoke first.

“First, I must commend your ignorance, recklessness, and courage for blocking our path. Now, you will pay the price.”

“What? You insolent brats!”

Im Gae immediately flared up at Namgung Sang’s polite yet provocative words. Patience had never been his strong suit.

“Leader, don’t fall for their provocation. Stay calm.”

Deputy Leader Lee Song advised in a low voice.

“What? What did you say?”

“Just don’t get angry at their provocation.”

Lee Song simplified his advice. But Im Gae repaid his kindness with hostility.

“Did you just laugh at me?”

“What? No, what do you mean?”

Lee Song shrugged, feigning ignorance.

“You wretched fool! Why use complicated words when simple ones will do?”

Im Gae seemed incapable of recognizing gratitude. Lee Song’s efforts to educate him were always in vain.

“Let’s introduce ourselves first, shall we?”

Namgung Sang found the internal strife between the leader and deputy leader amusing but decided to proceed quickly. Someone was impatiently waiting for their meal, and Bi Ryu Yeon was visibly displeased. Delaying any longer might result in trouble for them.

He was no longer a novice in such matters.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself formally. I am Lee Song, the deputy leader in charge of administration for the Black Wolf Stronghold. And this is our leader.”

Im Gae stepped forward with a swagger.