Chapter v18c17

A Certain Death

– Cleanup

The man was swiftly ascending the mountain.

His surname was Wang, his given name Pil. A native of Hoeumhyeon, Sichuan Province. He shared the same name as the brilliant scholar Wang Bi of the Wei-Jin era, a proponent of Neo-Taoism who had engaged in heated debates about the nature of existence – whether there was something before nothing, or if there was even nothing before nothing, and if so, what was the nothing of nothing – before dying at the young age of twenty-four. But a name didn’t define a person, and even after tracing his ancestry back fifteen generations, there was no connection to the famous scholar.

Still, this man lived with the pride of actively participating in the rapid transformation of wood into fire, according to the principles of the Five Elements. In other words, he was a woodcutter. Through his hard work and dedication, trees were consumed by fire, sacrificing themselves, or rather, being executed, for the benefit of humanity.

He was on his way up the mountain to continue this vital task. He couldn’t afford to take a day off, as it meant going hungry. He was so accustomed to this mountain that the climb didn’t feel strenuous. His steps were light, as if he were walking on flat ground.

Perhaps that was why he was the first to notice something was amiss. He stopped, his body refusing to move forward. An unsettling silence filled the air. Unlike yesterday, a strange energy permeated the space. The entire mountain seemed to be holding its breath.

‘What’s going on?’

He cautiously continued his ascent. A faint, metallic scent tickled his nose, growing stronger with each step. It was a scent he hadn’t noticed yesterday, a scent of blood. A sense of foreboding washed over him.

‘Should I turn back?’

It was a tempting proposition, but he couldn’t. He might not be a famous scholar or philosopher, but he knew the mother of fear.

If he turned back now, without even a clue as to what had happened, the fear born from ignorance would grow, shackling him. He didn’t have the courage to return to this mountain tomorrow if he left now. That meant another day without food. Besides, the firewood here was of excellent quality. It would be difficult to find a better spot.

Some might scoff at the importance of firewood, but that was ignorance. Firewood accounted for almost half the cost of lodging. It was even more expensive than food.

There was a hierarchy even among firewood. Freshly cut wood wasn’t sold immediately. There was a difference between wet, freshly chopped wood and seasoned firewood that had been dried beforehand. The difference in heat output was significant, and so was the price. It was best to dry the wood in the sun for at least ten days.

He didn’t want to lose his livelihood without knowing why. He was afraid, but he kept climbing. A sense of urgency propelled him forward. He didn’t want to starve. He couldn’t stop. He had to keep moving, for tomorrow’s meal.

Wang Pil closed his eyes and ran up the familiar path, a path he had traversed hundreds, if not thousands, of times. He could navigate it blindfolded.

But then, he stepped on something soft and yielding, almost losing his balance. As he regained his footing, a foul stench assaulted his nostrils.

He was too afraid to open his eyes. He started running blindly, but the sickening, metallic scent only grew stronger. His futile dash ended when he ran out of breath.

He cautiously opened his eyes. And then he saw it.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

His scream echoed through the mountains.

Blood! Blood! Blood! Corpses! Corpses! Corpses!

Blood and corpses. He was standing in the middle of a massacre. Mutilated bodies lay scattered everywhere, some torn limb from limb. There were clear signs of teeth marks, flesh ripped away by sharp fangs.

It looked like the work of a monster. He recognized the markings. Two swords crossed over a tiger. It was the emblem of Tiger Slaughter Fortress, the largest bandit stronghold in the area. There were rumors of man-eating monsters in these deep mountains… Could this be…?

Just then, a massive shadow loomed behind him, a mountain of flesh and fur. A gust of hot air brushed against his neck, sending shivers down his spine. The air was hot, but his body was ice-cold. He turned around, his body stiffening in terror. He had seen it. It was a sight that could rob a man of his senses.

He couldn’t even scream. The mountain had fallen. Mount Tai had crushed him.

And then, darkness.

Wang Pil fainted.

* * *

“I found their trail, Commander Blood Mark!”

Blood Mark punched his subordinate in the stomach.

Thud!

A resounding thud echoed through the air, followed by a gasp of pain.

“Chief. Commander.”

Blood Mark corrected him gently.

“Ugh…”

The subordinate groaned, still clutching his stomach. He couldn’t speak, fearing his insides might spill out.

“Report again!”

Blood Mark finally withdrew his fist.

“Cough, cough! Reporting to Chief Commander Blood Mark! We found traces of the targets!”

“Good. They didn’t get far, as expected. Those brats can only run so far on their little legs.”

Blood Mark nodded, pleased. He was especially delighted that he had found the children before his commander.

“I never thought they would avoid the Emei Sect, though.”

They had assumed the children would head for the Emei Sect and had set up a blockade, only to be completely outwitted. Blood Mark, feeling like a fool, had quickly reorganized his men and resumed the pursuit.

“I was surprised when we returned to the manor.”

He had been shocked to discover that the men he had left behind to clean up had been wiped out. He couldn’t understand how it had happened, who had done it, or why. But his thoughts quickly shifted to a different matter. The responsibility for a failed mission ultimately fell on the commander. He was the Chief Commander, second in command, so he wasn’t directly responsible. If this incident led to the commander’s downfall, he would be the next in line. It was good news. If he could seize this opportunity and achieve a significant victory, the position would be his. Therefore, he had to succeed where his commander had failed. That was why he had acted with uncharacteristic swiftness, reorganizing his men and resuming the pursuit.

They found the secret passage three hundred zhang away from the Blue Dragon Manor. But perhaps due to their young age, the children had left behind a trail of clues. And they were experts in tracking. Capture was inevitable.

“Good! Commence pursuit!”

“Yes, sir!”

Thud!

Another resounding thud echoed through the air, followed by a familiar sound.

* * *

A Flash of White Lightning

– Roadblock

Whether a path was physical or metaphorical, once you decided to walk it, you had to be prepared for the challenges that lay ahead. If you weren’t prepared, it was better to abandon the path altogether. Those who turned back or gave up midway often lacked the necessary resolve.

The path the Middle Heaven Merchant Guild was currently traversing was a narrow mountain road, flanked by dense forest. It was arduous to travel through the mountains with a heavy load, but it was the most convenient route. It was the widest, most level, and best-maintained path in the area.

Some claimed that the reason why this mountain road was so well-maintained, compared to other paths, was because the bandits who lived in the surrounding mountains had secretly been working on it, despite the fact that the government officials responsible for road maintenance were notoriously lazy and inefficient. The officials denied these claims, but they were mostly true. So why would bandits, known for their cruelty and brutality, engage in such seemingly benevolent acts?

Some argued that there was no effect without a cause, vehemently proclaiming the absolute nature of causality. But there were indeed effects without causes.

However, those were exceptions. In ordinary, mundane situations, causality generally applied. Therefore, there had to be a reason, a cause, for the bandits to engage in such uncharacteristic behavior. It wasn’t because they had suddenly decided to turn over a new leaf, overcome by an irresistible urge to perform good deeds in secret. Nor was it because they had been inspired by the saying, “Let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” They were aware of the saying, of course, but they interpreted it as a reminder to cover their tracks when committing crimes.

For these bandits, maintaining the mountain road was a business strategy. It was a valuable asset, and to attract more customers, they needed something that set them apart from other bandit gangs. So they chose road maintenance as their marketing strategy.

The mountains here were lower than others, thanks to nature. But it was humans who had recognized the potential of this location, establishing their stronghold here, seeing the potential for a “transportation hub.” And to attract even more customers, they had improved the road. They had even resorted to underhanded tactics, blocking other mountain paths by felling trees. After all, they were bandits, and such tactics were perfectly aligned with their profession. Their strategy had been surprisingly successful, and more and more people were using this road. Their ingenuity didn’t end there. They didn’t start collecting tolls immediately. If they had, people would have avoided the road, and their customer base would have dwindled. They waited until the road became popular, until people became accustomed to using it, and then they started collecting tolls from merchants and escort agencies. They even had a plausible justification.

– We built this road, so anyone who uses it has to pay a toll.

The merchants and escort agencies were initially surprised, but they were professionals too. They encountered bandits on a regular basis, and they knew that fighting only resulted in losses. It was better to negotiate. If they fought every bandit gang they encountered, they would suffer heavy losses, and those losses would ultimately be passed on to their customers. Besides, these bandits were relatively reasonable, considering they had even built a road. So, despite the presence of bandits, this road remained popular.

The Middle Heaven Merchant Guild had been prepared to pay the toll, but today, something was different.

“Guild Leader! Guild Leader! Something’s wrong!”

“I agree, Chief Escort Kang. But…”

Jang Woo-Yang hesitated.

“Please don’t call me twice. My ears are still working fine. I can hear you just fine. Alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now tell me what you find strange.”

“As you’ve probably noticed, Guild Leader, it’s too quiet. Nothing has happened. Not once!”

“I know, right? This is the third time. Nothing has happened. I’m not sure if I should be happy or worried.”

The Guild Leader sighed, and Chief Escort Kang, the de facto leader of the escort, nodded in agreement.

“Maybe it’s their day off?”

Even bandits needed to rest sometimes to improve their efficiency. Perhaps the Green Forest bandit gangs had decided to improve their working conditions. It was a possibility. But Jang Woo-Yang disagreed.

“I’ve never heard of bandits taking days off. And we’ve already passed three potential ambush points. Without incident. I doubt they’re having a company retreat.”

He was worried about the lack of activity.