Chapter 352
"What?! You must have lost your mind at a young age! What about our Green Forest King, what about him?"
The big man who was called the Lord of Jinmi Fortress shouted and drew the huge sword he had at his waist.
"Ho-oh. You seem to have some loyalty, don't you?"
"Shut up!"
"Stop it. If you swing that sword at me, you will die. You don't want to end your life here because of a bastard like Ma Cheon-deuk, do you?"
"You crazy bastard!"
The bastard swung his sword wide. The way he held the sword and the way he used the weight of the sword when he swung it.
And judging from his more outstanding internal energy than I thought, he seems to be a person who knows how to use martial arts quite well.
Perhaps because the energy I felt was similar to that of Ma Cheon-deuk, it seems he learned martial arts from him.
Come to think of it, Ma Cheon-deuk probably didn't just scare the mountain bandits to unite them.
Just as there must be a carrot when there is a whip, he must have taught them martial arts along with fear.
'I don't want to see blood here either, but.'
The neck of the Lord of Jinmi Fortress flew off from my lightly swung sword.
With such clumsy martial arts, he couldn't block or dodge my sword, so in a way, it was a natural result.
The body that had lost its neck staggered for a moment, and then fell with a kwadang, spilling blood.
It's always like this. The one who has no power but has loyalty dies first.
"......!"
"......!"
The other mountain bandit leaders who were here looked at me with surprised expressions.
Perhaps the Lord of Jinmi Fortress was not a weakling among them.
Because they are looking at me with a face as if they have seen a ghost.
"Is there anyone else who is loyal to Ma Cheon-deuk?"
At my question, everyone became like dumb people who had eaten honey.
Although that's what the mountain bandit tribe is like, these bastards really have no loyalty.
It's to the point where the shabby evil faction bastards seem more loyal.
"Did you come alone?"
Then the one who was called the Lord of Dabie Fortress asked me with a polite attitude.
Since he was acting as a mediator a little while ago, he seems to be a person whose head works to some extent.
Come to think of it, that's why he must be living as a mountain bandit here, not far from Kaifeng, where the Martial Alliance and the Beggars' Sect are.
"No way. My senior brothers are waiting right in front of this place."
"I... see."
"Why? Were you thinking of doing something if I were alone?"
"Absolutely not. I didn't even think of such a thing."
"Then why did you ask?"
"That... I need to know how many guests there are so I can serve you..."
I, giving a sneer, said, "I don't want to be served with money stolen from innocent and good people. Right now, I want to wipe you all out, but I'm just leaving you alone for now because I can't get a sense of where to start and where to end."
"Ah, yes..."
The Lord of Dabie Fortress, being quick-witted, did not argue with my words.
Because there was no need to make a fuss by asking why he was being spared when he was being spared for whatever reason.
"Alright. I was originally going to disband the Green Forest Alliance, but I don't think I need to."
"Th-then perhaps the great hero...?"
"No? Do you think I'm crazy enough to be a mountain bandit leader? From now on, the new Green Forest King is you."
"Me?"
The Lord of Dabie Fortress pointed at himself with a dumbfounded expression.
"Yes. From now on, you are the Green Forest King. You. What's your name?"
"I-I am called Geum Gang-ji."
"Alright. Not the Lord of Dabie Fortress, Geum Gang-ji, but the Green Forest King, Geum Gang-ji. How cool is that?"
"G-great hero! I don't know what you mean."
"You don't know what I mean? It's literal. You are the Green Forest King from now on. Ah! The one I just killed, was he the Lord of Jinmi Fortress? Since Jinmi Fortress has a vacant position for a lord, you can appoint a suitable person as the new lord."
As I said this, Geum Gang-ji, as if he now understood, said in a voice, "Ah! I understand. Then where should I send the monthly tribute?"
"Tribute? You don't need to do that."
"You mean you don't need a tribute?"
"I just told you I'm a Wudang Sect Taoist, and you're talking about tribute?"
"Ah! I'm sorry, Taoist!"
I, looking around at all the mountain fortress lords here, said, "You don't have to pay tribute to anyone from now on, and you don't have to be ruled by anyone. But, let's just promise one thing from now on."
"What promise do you mean?"
"From now on, don't rob or plunder the money of merchants or passing travelers."
"Yes...?"
Everyone, including the Lord of Dabie Fortress, looked at me with dumbfounded eyes.
"I feel like I'm making you say things twice since a while ago... I'm not a very patient person. If you keep making me say things twice, I'll just get rid of you and appoint another bastard as the Green Forest King."
"N-no. From now on, I will understand at once."
"Alright. You were about to ask this next, right? If a mountain bandit doesn't rob the money of merchants and travelers, how can he make a living? In the end, aren't you telling us to quit being mountain bandits?"
"That's... right."
"Of course, I'm not telling you to quit being mountain bandits, or to starve to death. From now on, the Green Forest will change its business method."
At the words 'change its business method', everyone had a dumbfounded expression.
Fortunately, since no one asked me to repeat my words this time, I immediately continued, "You have a lot of strong men, and you train to some extent, right? Don't use that strength to harass others, but use it in a way that helps others. There are mountains between the cities of the Central Plains, and the merchants and travelers you have been harassing until now have all had to travel on inconvenient mountain paths. You must have aimed for that and ambushed people on the mountain paths. Right?"
A few fortress lords reflexively nodded their heads and then, with a look of 'oops', glanced at me.
I decided to just let such things slide.
"So from now on, you will pave the mountain paths. So that people and carriages can pass easily. Like the wide and clean official roads paved by the government."
At my words, everyone couldn't hide their dumbfounded expressions.
Come to think of it, it might be a natural thing.
Because I had told the bastards who ruled and commanded the mountains to just pave the mountain paths now.
The Lord of Dabie Fortress, after glancing at me, raised his hand and said, "Taoist. May I ask a question?"
"A question? Sure."
"Are you perhaps telling us to atone for the bad things we have done so far in that way? Just our Dabie Fortress has a lot of family members. If everyone can't do business and just paves the roads... everyone will starve."
"That was a very good question. Let's all give him a round of applause."
The Lord of Dabie Fortress, who had been asking with a very nervous expression, had a slightly relaxed expression at the sound of the applause.
"If I were just telling you to pave the roads with the money you have earned so far, I wouldn't have had to talk so much. I could have just dissolved all of you, taken the wealth piled up in the mountain fortresses, and hired laborers to pave the roads with that money."
Gulp—
I can hear the sound of the fortress lords swallowing their saliva from here.
Perhaps the bastards also know well that it would not be an easy task to rob all the mountain fortresses, even if I said it so easily.
But the reason they are so nervous is because they know well that even if the mountain fortresses are not robbed, they, who are sitting in this place, will surely die.
As I explained at the beginning, mountain bandits prioritize their own lives.
So they are all just sitting there like well-behaved dogs, unable to even attack me.
I turned my head and made eye contact with each and every one of the bastards.
Since I had given them the stick until now, it was now time to give them the carrot.
"Instead. You will receive a legitimate toll."
"A toll... you mean?"
"Yes. Pave the roads well, and receive a toll from the people who pass by. The strength you have is to be used to stop those who try to force their way through without paying the toll."
"Who in the world... would pay money to pass through a road?"
"That's why you have to make the road that well. Leave the original winding mountain path as it is, and you guys, even if it's a little hard, make a road that can be crossed as straight as possible. If you pay money, you can go on that road, and if you don't pay money, you have to go on the original road. But think about it carefully. In the end, most of the people who travel between cities are merchants. Merchants are people who will do anything if it makes money. If you pave a road that is big enough for carriages to travel on... wouldn't the merchants do their trade between cities not with bundles, but with carriages?"
Not a single one of the fortress lords answered.
But, from their expressions, it seemed they had gained a great enlightenment.
"Now, I think you have all understood my words. So those who agree with my words, go back to your respective mountain fortresses and pave the roads as I said. If there is anyone who continues to rob people of their money like now... that place will be destroyed by our Wudang Sect, no matter what it takes, so know that."
"Y-yes, great hero!"
"And the Green Forest King."
The Lord of Dabie Fortress, Geum Gang-ji, did not understand at once that he was being called, and then, surprised, answered, "Y-yes, great hero!"
"Tell the other mountain bandits who are not here clearly. If you do the same thing as before... I will come for you first. And I'll just appoint a new Green Forest King."
Although I said it casually, the face of the Lord of Dabie Fortress turned pale.
"I will do my best!"
"Yes. All of you here must remember that. Although I can't catch and kill all the members of the Green Forest... I can chase you who are here to the end of the Central Plains and kill you somehow. You all understand, right?"
"Y-yes, great hero!"
The bastards answered loudly, and I, giving them a bright smile, got up from my seat.
And, unlike when I had entered secretly, this time I went out through the main gate with dignity and left them with my last words.
"Think of this as your only chance to coexist with people. Because even if it weren't for me, the government troops were looking for an opportunity to wipe you all out within a few years. It means that you should act from now on so that the government troops don't think of wiping you out in the future. Then I think you have all understood my words, so I will go now. If you have any complaints, or if you have anything to say to me, you can always come to the Wudang Sect. Got it?"
I, after finishing what I had to say, came out without even listening to their answer.
Since the other mountain bandits in Dabie Fortress didn't even think of touching me, I was able to get out of there leisurely.
'At this point, the Evil Faction Alliance Leader will surely think that Ma Cheon-deuk is dead.'
The reason I deliberately revealed my face and name here was because I wanted to convey two things to the lackey of the Evil Faction Alliance Leader, who I don't know who he is, but who is surely there.
The first is to make him think that Ma Cheon-deuk is surely dead at my hands.
Because only then will he stop his pursuit.
And the second is to let him know that I have dealt with three of the five disciples of the Evil Faction Alliance Leader, including the Green Snake, Go Mun-tak, and Ma Cheon-deuk.
'The Evil Faction Alliance Leader will not come forward himself yet. Then the next order... is highly likely to be Dokgo Ju-gwak.'
I was thinking of making the next target approach me on his own, just as Ma Cheon-deuk had.
(End of Chapter)