A memory that flashed through my mind. When I had stolen the elixir from the Geummun Merchant Guild, I had attacked a group of bandits as an excuse for staying out overnight.

At that time, the leader of the bandits, Jo Don-chu, had said this with a tongue twisted from being electrocuted.

Did I know who he was?

Of course, I thought it was a bluff and handed him over to the authorities.

I had inwardly sneered, thinking how many connections a guy who was just a bandit could have.

But.

‘Was that real?’

And on top of that, he was the younger brother of the fortress master of the Green Forest Eighteen Fortresses.

Although it was a group famous for its quantity rather than quality among the unorthodox factions, if it was a fortress master in charge of a district, he was a being comparable to the professor-level power of the academy.

‘Jo Dong-hong.’

Although I didn’t remember him, if he was really aiming for me, the current situation was very dangerous. Because if the fortress master himself had really come, this situation could not be overcome with just four peak masters.

I gathered my mana and sensed the outside.

‘The number of people emitting a sinister momentum is over thirty.’

Although they were excessively emitting their energy for the purpose of showing off their power, it was difficult to reveal this much presence unless they were above a certain level.

In other words, it meant that the number of people who were at least close to the first-rate level was that much. Looking at the situation alone, it was more dangerous than at Mangbeonsa.

‘What should I do?’

Even if we fought together, it was difficult to guarantee victory. Just then, a telepathic message was heard from the ceiling.

– We will buy time. Will you be able to escape?

It was a completely different response from when we had faced the Blood Cult members. To recommend escape rather than protection was serious.

“No.”

It’s difficult to escape in these mountains anyway. Since this area was the main residence of the bandits, and because of the injury I had received from the high-ranking monk of the Blood Cult, it was also difficult to run for a long time.

‘It’s better to fight together with the remaining mana… wait a minute.’

“What is the level of the strongest among the enemies?”

– He seems to be at the peak level. I’ll have to fight him to know for sure, but he’s similar to us or one step above.

“Draw out the information for sure.”

Soon, along with the instruction, the escort’s shout was heard.

“Who is the leader of your side? Are you going to avenge a grudge without even revealing your identity?”

“I am Bae Ho-cheol, the direct disciple of Fortress Master Jo Dong-hong and the leader of the Iron Mace Bandit Gang! I have come all the way here to avenge my master’s teacher!”

‘It’s good news that the fortress master didn’t come this far.’

“Ask about the fortress master’s whereabouts as well.”

As the escort delivered my question as it was, Bae Ho-cheol answered.

“The fortress master is busy! In the first place, there’s no need to use a butcher’s knife to catch a chicken. I am enough.”

With that, the opponent raised his momentum. A sense of pressure at the level of when I had faced Peng Geun-u before.

‘He’s considerable.’

I fumbled with the inside of my bosom with one hand and gathered my mana.

“You have more practical experience, so I’ll ask you coldly. If we go all out now, what are the chances of winning?”

-…It’s close to 0%.

Although I had expected it, I couldn’t help but sigh at the desperate result. To think it would come to this after I had tried so hard to survive until now.

I had overlooked the fact that the background of this world was a trash game. An unreasonable world where you could lose your life in a sudden crisis.

I had been careful and careful, but it had come to this.

‘Damn it.’

But to fight a full-scale battle like this would just be a dog’s death. Before using my last resort, I decided to respond in a standard way.

“First, tell them let’s negotiate. That the Zhuge family will give them anything.”

But the answer came back quickly.

“There are no negotiations!”

On the contrary, the bloodthirsty voice only grew louder.

– I’m sorry.

The escorts apologized with a look of despair. But even so, the feeling of determination that lingered made me feel their will to protect me with their lives until the very end.

‘Is there no choice?’

I finally decided to use my last resort. A gamble where everyone could live if I was lucky, or everyone would die if I wasn’t.

‘The possibility of dying is much higher, but it’s better to at least try.’

“Stop whining. We might be able to live if we do it well. I’ll explain the final plan from now on.”

I explained the plan I had formulated in an instant. The reaction was immediate.

-That’s…!

-No! Rather than letting the young master do such a dangerous thing, it would be better to…!

“Is there any other way?”

At my declaration, the escorts became quiet again.

“Are you saying you can’t trust me? If you’re going to risk your life, risk it for sure. Now is the time to make a choice as a martial artist.”

At the sharp criticism, the escorts maintained their silence and finally gave an answer.

– We will follow.

* * *

“Why aren’t they coming out?! Are they scared?”

Bae Ho-cheol’s shout echoed loudly outside the carriage.

“I thought they had at least a little bit of spirit! All they’re doing is hiding in the carriage! Fine! I’ll go in myself!”

Along with the shout, a killing intent spewed out from all directions.

In a touch-and-go situation where it seemed something would happen at any moment, the escorts who had been standing on the ceiling went into the carriage.

“What is it? Are you thinking of saving your own skin by offering up your master even now?”

Bae Ho-cheol’s mocking voice echoed. Just as he was about to shout an attack order, riding on that momentum.

Creak!

The door of the carriage opened, and the escorts who had rushed out scattered in all directions. As if he had never thought they would come out like this, Bae Ho-cheol, who had been at a loss for words for a moment, soon came to his senses and shouted.

“Catch them!”

The escorts were escaping at a tremendous speed, breaking through the encirclement with something wrapped in clothes on their backs.

“Block them!”

“Damn it! Who are we supposed to catch?!”

Although they had surrounded them, with the level of the ordinary bandits, it was impossible to completely block the escorts who were escaping in a scattered manner.

If they had tried to break through one point by gathering their personnel in a standard way or had tried to resist, they would not have been able to shake off this many.

Thanks to the advantage of being a small elite group and dispersing their personnel, they were able to break through the encirclement.

“Chase them!”

Of course, shaking off the bandits’ pursuit after that was another matter. But what was important was that a slight possibility of overcoming this moment had been created.

Bae Ho-cheol kicked off the ground to madly chase one of the escorts.

But just then, a voice heard from behind him momentarily held his feet.

“Then what should we do with the carriage?”

“Check inside!”

At Bae Ho-cheol’s urging, a bandit opened the door of the carriage, quickly checked the inside, and then shouted.

“There’s no one!”

“Then leave the minimum number of people to collect the spoils and chase them all! We must not let them get away!”

Time was of the essence. Along with the command, Bae Ho-cheol began to run, chasing one of the directions where the escort had disappeared.

The bandits who had disappeared in an instant, chasing the escorts. Now, the number of bandits left around the carriage was only about five.

“We’re lucky. Those guys are fast. We almost had to search the whole mountain like a hunting dog.”

“Kehehe! You’re right. It looks expensive, let’s hurry up and transport it.”

The bandits began to drive the carriage towards the mountain fortress. The carriage that was rolling peacefully, as if the commotion just now had been a lie.

And inside it, I was still sitting.

‘I can’t believe this worked.’

A laugh escaped me without me knowing.

I was hiding in the carriage right now. In a stealth formation that had been spread in a corner.

In fact, it was a gamble. If I had been careless, I would have been surrounded by the bandits on the spot and would have been slaughtered.

No matter how hard I had prepared the stealth formation, it was difficult to avoid the qi sense of a peak-level master like Bae Ho-cheol.

But if I activated the stealth formation to its limit and added the unique presence-killing of the Spirit God Steps, I could barely deceive him as long as a master didn’t come and check the inside of the carriage himself.

Then how could I avoid the master’s gaze?

Checking the carriage is unavoidable. However, I can induce who will see it.

‘In the end, it was a matter of creating a situation where a subordinate bandit would check the inside of the carriage.’

It was the result of predicting Bae Ho-cheol’s reaction after creating a crisis with the escorts.

‘Since the first strategy worked. Now the problem is escaping.’

It’s not difficult to kill the five bandits who are outside the carriage right now. But the real problem is after that.

‘This place is the bandits’ territory and den. In a situation where an encirclement has already been spread, can I escape alone?’

Since this mountain range was my first time, I wasn’t sure. Because unlike at the Geummun Merchant Guild, I hadn’t completely analyzed the terrain and escape routes.

‘There’s a limit to threatening a bandit and making them guide the way.’

My physical aspect was also a problem because of the body that had been injured from fighting the Blood Cult members, and it would take at least four days to get out of this mountain range and reach a safe city.

And most of all, if the subordinate bandits disappeared and Bae Ho-cheol came out in pursuit, it would be really dangerous then.

So the first method of escaping right away is a pass.

In the end, what’s left is the second method.

‘A carriage is treated as property. It’s stored in a warehouse until it’s sold. The possibility of a peak master or higher coming to the warehouse and checking the inside of the carriage is low.’

It was to wait it out. To quietly infiltrate the bandits’ den and wait until it was sold.

Although most people would think it was absurd, sometimes a method that is thought to be crazy is the right answer.

‘Because the bandits would never dream that their target had come straight into their den.’

Of course, I wasn’t just going to wait it out until it was sold without a plan. Because I had said that if even one of the escorts who had at least learned the geography of this place succeeded in escaping, they would bring the elite forces of the Zhuge family.

‘Considering the distance from the Zhuge family, the support will come in four days at the longest. It’s worth enduring.’

I put my hand in my bosom, counted the wall-grain pills I had received from the escort in advance, and buried myself in the stealth formation.

“Oh, what’s that?”

“This time’s spoils. The leader told me to take care of it.”

Another bandit’s voice was heard from outside the carriage. It seemed we had arrived at the bandits’ mountain fortress before I knew it.

I activated the stealth formation to its maximum with mana and held my breath.

“The carriage is quite big. It won’t fit in the treasury.”

“Then leave it under the tree. We’re going to sell it soon anyway.”

Soon, the carriage stopped, and the bandits tied the horse and carriage to a tree and then disappeared into the distance.

How much time had passed? As the surroundings began to get dark, I spread my qi sense, confirmed that there was no one around, and then opened the door of the carriage.

‘There’s no one.’

I cautiously stepped on the Spirit God Steps and moved away from the carriage. And then I crossed the wooden fence at the boundary of the mountain fortress and climbed up a remote tree that overlooked the mountain fortress.

‘Is this Bae Ho-cheol’s mountain fortress?’

The entire area of the mountain fortress, which was quite large, could be seen. It was a mountain base where at least several tens to a hundred bandits could reside.

Since I had come this far without being caught, I could now avoid Bae Ho-cheol’s suspicion and direct pursuit. But since I didn’t know how the bandits’ pursuit was laid out, it was also necessary to be careful.

‘Time is on my side anyway.’

If the escort escaped and requested support from the Zhuge family, that would be a gain, and even if they all failed, only the bandits who had to search this huge mountain range would suffer.

‘I’ll just have to endure for a few days like this.’

Since I didn’t know the surrounding terrain anyway, rather than running away recklessly, I was planning to watch the mountain fortress from here and escape, following the carriage that would be sold at an appropriate time.

‘Then for the time being, it’s sleeping in the open.’

I set up a stealth formation around the tree and sat leaning against the tree trunk.

And so, my secret life with the bandits began.

(End of Chapter)

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