Chapter 423: Corpses, Looters (2)

A head refers to the leader of a group.

The leader of a bandit gang is also called a Fort Leader

This is because they form groups named things like Ghost Emperor Fort or Yeomra1 Fort.

In fact, not just anyone could use these names.

Although not exclusive to the Thirty-Six Forts Of Green Forest, at least only those affiliated with the Green Forest Alliance could call themselves Fort Leader.

Those staying at the edge of the Kunlun Mountain Range here were also bandits.

According to their own claims, they were quite renowned.

They claimed to be the Three Wheel Fort, one of the strongest of the thirty six forts in the Green Forest Alliance.

Yeom Gwang, who claimed to be the Three Wheel Fort Leader, was born to be a bandit.

Given the times, his build was not robust, but his natural frame was large.

Above all, his sharp eyes and scruffy beard were striking.

Ordinary villagers would tremble in their legs just from Yeom Gwang’s glare.

The same went for martial artists.

The merchants they dealt with always hired bodyguards.

It was a shady business selling loot from corpses, so it was natural.

But even the most skilled bodyguards had to lower their spirits when facing Yeom Gwang and his subordinates.

He was the master of this mountain foothill.

Compared to when he was in the Central Plains, his situation now was even more…

“Fort, Fort Leader!”

At that moment, Yeom Gwang, who was leisurely relaxing, heard Jang Pal’s voice.

Jang Pal was waving his hand and coming up from below the hill.

He was a loafer living in this village whom Yeom Gwang had taken in.

He had surely been sent out to scout…

“I’m back!”

Behind Jang Pal shouting that, three young men followed.

Their clothes were dirty with dust and bloodstains.

But each of them carried a weapon.

Yeom Gwang knew much more than Jang Pal.

They were martial artists. Though their strength was unknown, wandering here meant they were no ordinary men.

Perhaps they were martial artists from their own sect who came looking after their deaths here.

No matter how much Yeom Gwang thought, he could not imagine Yi-gang and his group had escaped from Crouching Dragon Basin.

“Guys.”

When Yeom Gwang gave a low command, his loyal subordinates quickly stood up.

The underlings nocked arrows, and Yeom Gwang and the big men drew their weapons.

Yeom Gwang’s weapon was a large club.

It was a Wolf Fang Club, a metal club with spikes protruding from the head.

Yeom Gwang, resting that threatening weapon on his shoulder, shouted.

“Who the hell bullied our youngest!”

Though he cared nothing for Jang Pal, he barked at him like that.

A fight is about momentum.

This was true even against martial artists.

“Reveal yourselves! If you surrender peacefully, I’ll spare your lives!”

Yeom Gwang shouted and locked eyes with Jang Pal.

He expected the fool to be impressed, but Jang Pal’s expression was strange.

His face mixed anxiety and anticipation, as if wondering if this was okay.

“What is this…?”

Yeom Gwang felt a chill down his spine.

He had lived by intuition in the martial world.

Those youths were not shaken at all despite facing the numerically and physically superior Three Wheel Fort members.

“These bastards…!”

But he could not back down here.

The subordinates hidden in the bushes aimed their bows.

Given the times, their arrowheads were coated with potent poison.

“If you don’t stop and lower your weapons by the count of three, you’ll suffer badly!”

They still did not stop.

Yeom Gwang frowned and began counting to three.

The word “one” was the signal to shoot arrows.

A treacherous surprise attack catching them off guard.

Titi-tititit-ing—

Even skilled masters were helpless against this ambush.

Jang Pal, within the arrow’s attack radius, screamed sharply.

However, the young man standing silently behind him.

Ha-jun moved his body.

Yeom Gwang had never seen anything like it in his life.

Though he was now claiming to be Three Wheel Fort Leader, he had once attended the Green Forest Alliance Gathering as a lackey.

Even the most outstanding masters had never shown such a divine skill.

Incredible, arms multiplying to catch flying arrows.

Using the Asura Sky-Breaking Dance, Ha-jun scattered the caught arrows in all directions.

Papapak!

Those who shot arrows from the bushes were hit and screamed.

Startled, Yeom Gwang had no time to respond.

Looking ahead, Yi-gang was right in front of him.

“Are you the Three Wheel Fort Leader?”

Yeom Gwang nodded unconsciously.

“For that, you look too weak.”

A shock followed as if he was struck on the chin with a fire poker.

The sky entered Yeom Gwang’s vision.

Yi-gang had struck his chin like lightning.

The Fort Leader tumbled with a single blow.

Yi-gang looked at the bandits without any hint of pride.

“Lower all your weapons and kneel until I count to one. One.”

As if rehearsed, all the Three Wheel Fort bandits knelt.

Yi-gang nodded with satisfaction.

“So, you belong to the Three Wheel Fort among the Thirty Six Forts.”

“Yes, that’s right, Great Hero.”

“Great Hero? Do I look like I’m old enough to be called that?”

“No, not at all. You seem like a young hero with a bright future ahead.”

“You’re good at flattery. Is that the spirit of the Green Forest?”

Yeom Gwang’s face, kneeling, turned bright red.

Yi-gang spoke without caring.

“Then why is a member of the Thirty Six Forts looting corpses in such a remote area?”

“We didn’t want to do this either… but the world has fallen apart.”

In four and a half years, the world roughly collapsed.

Yeom Gwang definitely knew more than Jang Pal.

He said he and Three Wheel Fort fled here from the Central Plains a few years ago.

“The emperor died, and the imperial family changed the country’s name.”

From Great Ming to Shang.

The Ming dynasty became the Shang dynasty.

“Did a rebellion break out?”

“We were holed up in the mountains, so we don’t know well, but it seems so. I heard half of those in the Forbidden City died.”

The crown prince Yi-gang last saw had succeeded the throne.

There were rumors he was murdered and one of his children was made a puppet emperor.

“Shang… the name of that ancient empire.”

The ancient Yuan Dynasty era, when human sacrifices were rampant.

During that time, the official name during the Yuan dynasty was Shang.

“The new imperial family declared the Evil Cult as the state religion.”

This would normally be impossible.

It seemed clear the rebellion and its process were led by the Evil Cult.

They expected the Evil Cult to appear from below, but never imagined it would revive through the imperial family…

They roughly guessed what had happened.

“The government began persecuting the martial world after that. They stopped tax exemptions for Taoist and Shaolin temples, inspected armed people at city gates, and the army decimated those of the unorthodox factions.”

“…There must have been a strong resistance.”

“Because of the Great Kunlun War, all the strongest martial artists disappeared, didn’t they?”

Yeom Gwang said that while looking at Yi-gang suspiciously.

He wondered why Yi-gang asked such obvious facts.

Then Yi-gang asked back.

“This bandit knows quite a lot, huh.”

“Huh? N-no.”

“How about Xi’an?”

“…You mean Xi’an?”

Qinghai Province was actually less influenced by the government.

That’s why Yeom Gwang and the Three Wheel Fort bandits fled here.

The largest city under Ming, or rather Shang, influence was Xi’an in Shaanxi Province.

It was Yi-gang’s hometown and the location of the Baek Family.

Yeom Gwang muttered cautiously.

“The merchant I deal with is from Xi’an. So I heard something.”

“…Tell me.”

“That place isn’t normal either.”

Yi-gang pressed for details, but Yeom Gwang didn’t know much.

Only that Xi’an’s order had completely collapsed.

Perhaps even the Baek Family, who was once the best in Xi’an and now the best in the martial world, was now…

“…I have to go take a look.”

He had to stop by Xi’an anyway to go to Azure Forest.

Then Yeom Gwang’s face brightened.

Because Yi-gang and his group seemed ready to leave.

To Yeom Gwang, who ruled here, they were like a natural disaster.

“Let’s leave!”

Yi-gang was blunt, as if there was no time to waste.

Yeom Gwang smiled slyly.

“Thank goodness, thank goodness.”

He could not guess Yi-gang and his group’s true identity.

Yeom Gwang was not actually Three Wheel Fort Leader but a second-rate martial artist.

He couldn’t imagine how strong Yi-gang was.

Therefore, he feared the Evil Cult followers guarding the Crouching Dragon Basin more than Yi-gang’s group.

Those black hat wearing monsters.

They command monsters and are stronger than the monsters themselves.

They had slain three monsters on their way, so surely they would be tracked.

‘Just get lost quickly. You’ll surely be killed silently on the way.’

How many masters had come to Crouching Dragon Basin?

Even the famous ones could not escape death.

Yeom Gwang, who was laughing so slyly, suddenly froze.

Because Yi-gang was flicking his finger.

“You all are coming too.”

“…Us?”

“How do I know if what you said contains lies? I’ll use you as guides to Xi’an.”

“Th-that…”

Just as they tried to refuse by waving their hands.

Yi-gang placed his hand on his sword.

“If you don’t want that, you’ll have to pay the price.”

“…”

“Among the corpses you looted are also the sects of my friends.”

Touching the belongings of the dead was a grave offense regardless of justice.

Even if not Yi-gang, the sects of those corpses would not stay silent if they found out about the Three Wheel Fort.

Yeom Gwang realized he was cornered.

And there was only one choice.

“…I will serve you wholeheartedly.”

The number of the Three Wheel Fort members were not many.

It was at most a little over thirty.

There were no strong ones, nor any wives or children.

The mountain stronghold was actually just empty villagers’ huts, so they packed light and left.

And about six hours after the stronghold was empty.

Those wearing black hats appeared there.

They controlled dog-like monsters called Snake Blind Hounds on leashes.

The blood spilled by the Snake Blind Hounds gave off a unique smell.

Three Snake Blind Hounds patrolling near Crouching Dragon Basin were all cut to pieces and killed.

The Evil Cultists who found the traces began tracking.

And they arrived at this Three Wheel Fort.

A man wearing a black hat with a red tassel examined the ground.

“No particular fight even happened here.”

The Three Wheel Fort.

The Evil Cult actually tolerated their existence.

They were like cleaning bugs who stole and disposed of the dead’s belongings.

But they left this place without a word.

Moreover, they were with the unknown people who killed the Snake Blind Hounds.

“Track them down and eliminate them.”

The man with the red tassel gave the order.

The cultists nodded.

Whoever they were, they could not escape the pursuit.

1. TL/N: Yeomra is the name of the king of hell ️

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