Chapter 193 : Retaliation Should Be Decisive. -04
Chapter 193: Retaliation Should Be Decisive. -04
Sama Uiseong glared at Seo Jo-woon with an incredulous expression.
It felt as though he was being painted as far too much of a vulgar materialist.
Of course, he knew it was a joke, but even so, he could not help but bristle.
On the other hand, Seonwu Bang brought up a practical point.
“It may not be large in scale, but I heard it’s a place with some real influence. There should be a decent amount. And this isn’t the end, is it? We’ve still got plenty of places to visit.”
“If we gather it all together, it’ll amount to quite a sum.”
“Even after returning everything to their rightful owners, the extra income will still be substantial.”
Murong Cheok looked at Seonwu Bang and grinned.
Since this was not their first time, he could roughly estimate the outcome just by looking.
Moreover, they were not taking it for free—they were receiving fair compensation for their work—so there was no sense of burden.
“Seems like you’re the ones who’ve gotten a taste for money.”
“Honestly, after doing this much, how could we not? Hahaha!”
“And it’s better that we take it than let bandits spend it. I intend to use it to benefit the world.”
Unlike Murong Cheok, who had begun to enjoy the simple increase of wealth, Jeong Iryong had no intention of using it for himself.
He planned to use it for those commonly referred to as the underprivileged.
That did not mean he would not spend anything on himself at all.
There were necessities in life, and he had no intention of being overly miserly about those.
“Do as you wish.”
“Yes, Brother.”
Jeong Iryong broke into a bright smile at Ban Hojin, who not only gave endlessly but also supported and trusted whatever decisions he made.
Though Ban Hojin claimed he had not done much for them, the thoughts of Jeong Iryong and the rest of the group were quite different.
They had received a grace beyond words, and the thought they all carried in their hearts was the same.
“Alright, time to search!”
“Spread out and find everything they’ve hidden!”
“Tear apart anything suspicious!”
“Technicians, gather on one side! We’re heading to the storehouse with Young Master Sama!”
While Ban Hojin’s group exchanged lighthearted banter, the members of the Hao Sect were already moving swiftly.
There was no need to clear away the corpses in the first place, so they ignored them and dispersed into the buildings.
Since this place was remote, it was highly likely that each bandit kept his wealth stored separately.
There was neither a nearby village nor a battlefield, so most of it would be in physical form—and that was precisely what the Hao Sect was after.
“Thank you, everyone.”
Ban Hojin looked slightly surprised.
It was not even their own matter, yet they were working diligently.
They were not being forced into it—they were sincerely and wholeheartedly putting in effort, and Ban Hojin could not hide his astonishment.
“We’re human too. Just because we’ve lived at rock bottom doesn’t mean we lack chivalry. We just never had the chance to show it. Surely you don’t think only those of the Orthodox Murim can become heroes?”
“Not at all. Anyone can become a hero. It’s not the martial arts one has learned or the faction one belongs to that matters—it’s the heart.”
“This is why I like you, Oppa.”
“Like me, huh.”
“Why? Does it burden you?”
Nan Hui-ju looked at Ban Hojin with a subtle gaze.
She stared at him steadily with alluring eyes.
And at that sight, Baekseol cheered inwardly.
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if it didn’t burden me?”
“Hearing that from someone who has the attention of two among the Three Phoenixes doesn’t sound very convincing.”
“Then there’s nothing I can do. No matter what I say, it won’t matter.”
“Tch! You’re no fun.”
“This isn’t a situation where fun matters. Let’s head to where the people are gathered. Whether they’re wives or those who were dragged here, we don’t know.”
Ban Hojin strode forward.
He had sensed their presence from the moment he entered the mountain stronghold, so there was no hesitation in his steps.
“I’ll open it!”
As Ban Hojin headed toward a single-story wooden pavilion located at the very innermost part of the stronghold, the quick-witted Seo Jo-woon darted ahead.
Unlike the other buildings, the door looked particularly thick.
He grabbed it and tried to open it.
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
“It won’t open.”
“Even with your strength?”
He tried pulling it open from both sides, pushing it, even yanking at it—but the wooden door did not budge.
Seonwu Bang made a baffled expression.
Seo Jo-woon, no longer the scrawny youth he once was and now with both flesh and muscle gained, could not open the door—it was absurd.
“It seems to be locked from the inside.”
“Then there’s a simple solution.”
Crack!
As Seo Jo-woon and Seonwu Bang stood there flustered, Murong Cheok stepped forward.
Before anyone could say a word, he kicked the door.
As if he had never even considered failure, he infused True Energy into the kick, and with the sound of something breaking, the door fell inward.
“Huh!”
“Well? Clean, right?”
It may have been somewhat violent, but the door had certainly been opened.
Grinning, Murong Cheok turned back toward the group.
“You did well, but it was excessive. You should have thought about the people inside.”
“Eek!”
“W-Who are you?”
There were three more doors inside, and from one of them, a young woman cautiously revealed her face.
Anyone could tell at a glance that she had been subjected to violence—her body was covered in bruises.
She appeared to be around the same age as Jeong Iryong and Murong Cheok.
Her hair was disheveled, and bruises marked various parts of her face. The expressions of the group hardened.
“We’ve come to clear out the mountain stronghold. Were you held here by force?”
Though her appearance was far from normal, Ban Hojin asked politely.
Even the smallest gesture could feel threatening to someone cornered psychologically.
Especially if she had been held as a sexual plaything, she would have been exposed to all manner of violence and oppression, so Ban Hojin softened both his expression and tone as much as possible.
Drip.
At his words, the woman suddenly began to cry.
It was not only his warm tone, but the relief she felt at hearing that they had come to clear out the stronghold.
“W-What do you mean by that?”
“What did you say?”
“…!”
As though even crying aloud had not been permitted, the woman covered her mouth with both hands as she wept. In front of her, two small heads suddenly popped out.
The first woman seemed to be the eldest; the two pairs of eyes trembled greatly with anxiety.
And at the sight of the extremely young girls, the group could not suppress their fury.
“The bandits are all dead. The Stronghold Master and Deputy Stronghold Master as well. So you can rest assured now.”
“R-Really?”
“Didn’t you hear the noise outside?”
“We heard it, but……”
When no one stepped forward immediately, Nan Hui-ju took a bold step ahead.
Baekseol was already pressed close beside her.
When the two women gently took their hands, their eyes brimming with tears, the trembling of the girls gradually subsided.
“They’re all dead. There are no more bandits to torment you.”
“Sniff!”
“So you can put your minds at ease now. It’s all over.”
“Sob!”
Perhaps it was Nan Hui-ju’s warm voice that melted the walls around their hearts.
The women began to cry loudly.
And it seemed there were more than just the three in this room, for from deeper inside came the sound of wailing.
At that sound, Nan Hui-ju signaled to Ban Hojin with her eyes.
“The men should leave. I don’t think our presence will help.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Understood.”
Though no Voice Transmission was used, Ban Hojin instantly understood her signal and led his group and the Hao Sect members outside.
Leaving only the women behind.
This place could be entrusted to Nan Hui-ju, so Ban Hojin led Sama Uiseong toward the Stronghold Master’s quarters.
“It’s unexpected. I didn’t think Young Lady Nan had that side to her.”
“She’s a woman too.”
“I thought she was just a fox.”
“She’s probably seen cases like this often. Wherever you go, women are bound to be the weaker side. Especially trash like these men—they torment those weaker than themselves to feel superior.”
There was a reason Ban Hojin disposed of bandits whenever he saw them.
Creatures that served no benefit to the world even if left alive—that was what bandits were.
A good bandit was a dead bandit.
That had been his belief in his previous life as well, and he had never shown mercy.
“You’re right. They’re not even people—they’re trash. At first, I felt uneasy, but now I’m glad we joined you. The Hao Sect will surely be of great help in finding their homes and sending them back.”
“The problem is if they don’t wish to return to their hometowns.”
“Ah……”
Seo Jo-woon blinked.
Now that he thought about it, that could indeed be the case.
“For now, rescue comes first. Later, we can talk things over. Uiseong.”
“Leave it to me from here.”
“Alright. I trust you.”
“Yes!”
At the trust in Ban Hojin’s voice, Sama Uiseong’s expression turned solemn.
It was his first mountain stronghold, and he was tense without realizing it.
The level might not be high, but what mattered was not success—it was avoiding mistakes.
Not wanting to show Ban Hojin an incompetent side of himself, Sama Uiseong began to thoroughly search the pavilion where the Stronghold Master resided.
Step, step.
Ban Hojin slowly crossed through the dense forest where there was no discernible path.
There were no traces of people, and it was difficult even to get one’s bearings due to the thick growth of trees and grass—but there was no hesitation in his steps.
Though it was his first time here, his destination was clear, so there was no worry of losing his way.
He might not know the road, but he clearly sensed the presence of bandits, and so he strode toward the mountain stronghold nestled deep within the forest.
“They really are doing their work properly. If possible, I hope word doesn’t spread until we’ve swept them all away.”
With his hands clasped behind his back, Ban Hojin slowly moved through grass that reached up to his waist.
Before his eyes stood an old wooden fence wrapped thickly in vines—and a sentry dozing off.
Judging by the fence alone, it was clear this stronghold had not been attacked for quite some time. The boundary between forest and stronghold was indistinguishable.
It blended seamlessly with its surroundings.
“Tsk, tsk.”
Ban Hojin could not even tell whether the man was truly standing guard or had simply come out to nap.
Even though sentries were usually posted in pairs, there was only one bandit here.
And he was openly asleep.
“Mm?”
Perhaps he was a light sleeper despite dozing, for at the sound of Ban Hojin clicking his tongue, he opened his eyes.
Still half-asleep, he rubbed them repeatedly.
Then he noticed Ban Hojin and suddenly widened them in shock.
“Seems you know who I am.”
“W-What?!”
The sleepy-looking man’s eyes bulged at Ban Hojin’s words.
He rubbed them roughly with both hands.
Perhaps he thought he had not yet woken from a dream.
But no matter how much he rubbed, Ban Hojin did not disappear.
“What you’re seeing is real.”
“H-How did you get here…?!”
“How? I climbed the mountain myself. Because of you bastards, I had to come in person.”
“Gasp!”
The man sucked in a breath.
Even after exchanging words, he still could not believe it.
At the same time, goosebumps spread over his body.
If Ban Hojin, who should have been at Songshan, had come here, then there was only one reason.
In a panic, he reached toward the small bell hanging from the crude watch post.
“Oh? And who gave you permission to ruin the mood? For your information, I hate loud noises.”
Thud.
The man froze.
Just a palm’s width away from the bell.
If he stretched just a little more, he could ring it—but he could not.
The dagger that had been hanging at his waist had drawn itself and plunged into his heart.
All he could do was stare at Ban Hojin with an expression of disbelief.
“D-Damn it…!”