Chapter 18: I’m thirsty

The bandit leader shouted with excitement.

“What a well-crafted sword this is. And with so much liquor… I like it. Put it all in the storage.”

Thinking it was just ordinary rice wine, the leader drank happily, unaware it would be his last drink.

“You fools! Move quickly!”

The leader grinned broadly, showing his ghastly face, as he patted the vice-leader on the back and laughed heartily.

“To think he would drink it all without suspicion…”

“You’re incredible… but how did you know?”

“Be quiet.”

Bandits of the 녹림 (Roklim) always had a weakness for rice wine. That’s just how they were.

Laugh while you can. There will be no laughing in the underworld.

“Ha ha ha! Offering tribute voluntarily, your village will be specially—”

The leader couldn’t finish his sentence.

The loud sound of a gong was followed by a bandit running in frantically, shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Looks like they’re back at it again.”

At the sound of the gong, the leader grabbed a large sword.

“Leader! Leader!!!”

“What is all this commotion?”

“A bold group of bandits has gathered at the base of the mountain! I think we need to handle them immediately!”

The leader shot us a glance before bellowing loudly.

“Those bastards! Everyone, follow me! Today, we will cut down those insolent thieves! Vice-leader, stay behind with the defense team and guard the base!”

“You’re taking everyone except the defense team? Isn’t that dangerous, Leader?”

“What? Do you expect me to cower in hiding from such scum?”

“…No, of course not. Be cautious.”

The leader and his men disappeared in an instant, charging down the mountain.

Abandoning the strategic advantage of the mountain to descend like that was clearly a matter of pride.

As a warrior, he was a 100-point example. But as a leader, he scored a zero.

Until now, the bandits had avoided direct confrontations, relying on night raids and guerrilla tactics. But this time, they boldly sought a head-on fight.

It was clear they had already prepared for the leader.

“Fool…”

There’s a reason 녹림 is mocked as the town’s punching bag.

Having drunk the drugged liquor, the leader and his men were unlikely to return.

It’s their fault for blindly consuming what was offered.

Their complacency had brought about their downfall.

With things as they were, there was no need to wait for nightfall.

“Hey, you idiots! Move this stuff quick—”

A fountain of blood erupted.

Swoosh.

Unfortunately, the vice-leader couldn’t finish his sentence.

“W-what are you doing…?”

“The vice-leader!!!”

His head and body had parted ways.

Screech.

Shing.

Despite their shock at the vice-leader’s death, the 녹림 members quickly drew their swords, showing their skill as bandits. But…

It didn’t matter.

There was no one in the mountain stronghold who could stop me now.

All that mattered was safely rescuing the granddaughter, no matter the method.

A smirk crept across my face.

Whether I collected extra compensation was entirely up to me.

“Hand over everything you’ve got.”

“Sob… sob…”

The pitch-dark room, with not a ray of light, was filled with sorrowful sobbing.

“Why… why do I have to go through this…”

A young woman wept bitterly.

Looking at someone shedding such sad tears, you might expect someone to comfort her.

But everyone else just watched indifferently.

In fact, they’d be considered kind if they didn’t lash out at her for being noisy.

The filth scattered around and the foul stench gave a clear picture of their circumstances.

“Make her shut up!”

“Yes, sister…”

Even in this disgusting, filthy room, a hierarchy seemed to exist, as a few frail women stood up, fists clenched.

In a place like this, violence often worked better than words.

“Stop it. At least let her cry.”

However, blocking their way stood a golden-haired girl.

“How arrogant. She still doesn’t understand the situation.”

I didn’t like the defiance in her still-lively eyes.

She had only been here for a day, which was why she could say something like that.

After being turned into a toy for the bandits even once, she wouldn’t be able to utter such naive words.

Let’s see what she has to say by tonight or tomorrow night.

“This isn’t the time for this. Think about how we can escape together.”

“What nonsense.”

Hearing the golden-haired girl’s calm words, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Not just me—others, the frail women nearby, also let out bursts of laughter.

Her words were so far from reality.

How could they escape from the heart of this mountain, the very stronghold of the 녹림 (Roklim)?

The mountain stronghold alone housed over a hundred bandits.

Even if, by some miracle, they managed to escape, the leader was a martial arts master.

If he decided to pursue, it would only be a matter of time before they were caught.

“Stupid girl.”

She annoyed me.

Not just because of her looks, but her personality grated on my nerves too.

“Don’t talk nonsense, you crazy girl. How do you think we’re going to get out of here?”

“Someone might come to rescue us! Don’t lose hope!”

“Pfft!”

“Hahaha!”

“Are you… serious?”

Unable to hold it in, I burst into laughter again.

It wasn’t strange.

After all, even I once held on to the hope that someone would come to save me.

“That’s not nonsense…!!”

Of course, that hope was never realized.

And it never will be…

Smack!

For a clueless fool like her, a slap was the best medicine.

Smack!

Smack!

She would eventually understand naturally, but I didn’t have the patience to wait until then.

Her cheeks were swollen and red.

“Shut your mouth.”

“Ugh… So, are you planning to live here forever?!”

“Quiet! Do you want to keep running your mouth and see what happens?!”

Even if the blonde got used to being hit, it didn’t matter. Right now, I just needed someone to vent my anger on.

“Stupid girl…”

She was someone you couldn’t reason with.

The moment I raised my hand again,

Clatter, clatter.

Creak.

Thud.

The sound of locks being undone echoed, and the door began to move.

The unfamiliar noise silenced the sobbing woman.

Everyone else froze as well.

It couldn’t be one of the bandits. It hadn’t been long since lunch was served.

Besides, given the stronghold leader’s personality, anyone caught sneaking into this room would face the harshest punishment. Without his permission, no one dared enter.

“……”

Gulp.

Swallowing sounds came from here and there as the door slowly opened, revealing a figure.

“Is Miss Peng Jiayeon here?”

Standing before us was an incredibly handsome man, unlike anyone I’d ever seen.

He seemed to be looking for someone.

“…Ugh, I-I’m here.”

The one who answered the handsome man’s question was none other than the blonde girl who had just been slapped.

Sweat trickled down the back of my neck.

“Are there any other survivors?”

She shook her head slowly.

“There’s no one else here. Miss Peng Jiayeon, please come with me. We need to leave the stronghold immediately. Can you walk?”

Her body was bruised and battered, likely from both restraint and repeated beatings, and she limped slightly.

“This much is nothing,” she replied.

A woman, her face stained with tears, now glowing with hope, asked hesitantly,

“A-Are you here to save us?”

The room was filled with women wearing tattered rags, their faces pale and exhausted.

The blonde girl with waist-length hair and bright, fiery eyes stared at him intently.

‘This is going to be a hassle.’

I had only planned to rescue Peng Jiayeon.

But here was a man willing to forgive the woman who had just been beating Peng Jiayeon and seemingly intent on saving the other captives.

Even if I took only her with me, I doubted she would agree without a fight.

Quickly, she finished her thoughts. There was no time to hesitate—escape was the priority.

She nodded slowly.

“Yes, that’s right. There’s no time. Follow me quickly.”

***

Northern Ningxia, north of Shanxi.

Splat!

A fountain of blood erupted.

“Guh… Guhhh…”

With a thud, the last of the fleeing spies fell to the ground, lifeless.

They would commit suicide the moment they were captured, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Hah… They were nothing after all.”

“These bastards… How dare they give me so much trouble!”

Namgungjin viciously kicked the corpse multiple times, even though it had already stopped breathing.

‘What an utterly undignified man,’ she thought with a sigh, quietly shaking off the blood from her sword.

Then, she reached into the corpse’s clothing and retrieved a scroll bearing the seal of “Blood (血).”

“Here it is. I found it.”

At last, her first mission was completed without incident.

“Phew… It’s over.”

“Man, I really thought I was going to die back there.”

All around her, Namgungjin and the other team members lay sprawled on the ground, resting.

‘Getting exhausted from something like this… What a pitiful sight.’

To her, they were laughably weak.

Still, she consoled herself by thinking it was better than her time with the Jincheon Corps.

Dang Soyeong needed strength.

The kind of strength that would make her a worthy successor to the Dang Clan.

Looking at Namgungjin, who lay there like a fool, Dang Soyeong smirked.

At that moment, a man’s face suddenly flashed through her mind.

‘Come to think of it, Cheon Sojin was so impressive back then…’

A violent demeanor that made him seem like a completely different person.

Could it be that he had finally mastered the Jinblood Great Sword Technique (진혈대검법) and Ascending Qi Dao Technique (진기도일법)?

If that were the case, then I…

She shook her head.

‘No, that’s impossible. It doesn’t make any sense.’

He was weak. That was why he had been expelled from the Cheon family—a foolish man.

She gently brushed her forehead.

Grind

‘How dare he treat me like that… I’ll make him regret it!’

Having known him for so long, Dang Soyeong believed she understood Cheon Sojin well.

He was a kind and foolish man who only chased after ideals.

Weak and spineless—a truly pathetic individual.

If he had beaten Namgungjin, it must have been pure luck.

That idiot probably tripped over himself.

She felt a thirst well up from the exertion. Turning to Namgungjin, she spoke.

“I’m thirsty. Go and make some tea.”

“Miss Dang, to whom are you speaking?”

“Who else? Stop joking and hurry up.”

She could feel the gazes of those around her.

How could someone fail at such a simple task? Utterly useless.

Looking at Namgungjin’s dumbfounded expression as he stood there with his mouth agape, her irritation grew.

“What are you doing? Are you deaf? I said I’m thirsty.”