Episode 158
A thick cloud of dust rose.
I stepped back with an embroidery tree by my side, frowned, and waved my left hand.
Whoops!
An arrow flew through the dust and hit the back of my hand, making an unpleasant collision sound.
The experience loaded on arrows was considerable.
“······.”
I released my energy and looked around, but I could not detect any signs of humans.
It seemed like they withdrew immediately after shooting the arrow.
“this.”
Bangcheoksam muttered with a stern expression.
Two deaths and three minor injuries.
Except for the pilot who was initially hit by an arrow and the one who was unable to avoid the rock, everyone was safe.
It could be said that the casualties were not that great compared to the size of the ship.
The problem was that all the horses and carriages were buried.
Because the situation was so urgent, I did not have time to pack my luggage.
It was fortunate that I had kept the most important birthday present in my arms.
‘That’s a pain in the ass.’
I scratched the back of my head and cursed.
I suffered an unexpected change.
I never thought I would lose all my horses and carriages in the deserted mountains.
As I thought about walking to the next village, I already felt at a loss.
I wasn’t the only one who was confused.
The delegates argued over what to do next.
“Shouldn’t we first dig up the wreckage and take what we can?”
“What if the bandits attack again in the meantime?”
“At least we need to secure water and food. “Isn’t it impossible to move while starving?”
“How about finding a living vegetable and taking revenge?”
“plural?”
“There are several experts here. “I don’t think it would be difficult to take down at least one living creature.”
I sat down on a nearby rock and watched their conversation for a while.
I felt a figure approaching the seat next to me and turned my head.
“Something is strange.”
Damun spoke to me with a stern expression.
I tilted my head and asked back.
“What do you mean, strange?”
“I don’t understand the principle of action.”
“······?”
“Those who showed up just now are probably not bandits. “If they were bandits, they wouldn’t have attacked us willingly.”
“Tell me a little more detail.”
“What kind of bandit in the world would bury the entire load that was supposed to be taken away? “What is the benefit of doing something like that?”
“······!”
I felt like I knew what Damun was trying to say.
In the end, there was only one reason why bandits blocked the path of passers-by.
plunder.
Either kill the target and take everything they have, or collect the toll.
The reason they committed illegal acts was to gain financial gain.
In that sense, there were many things I didn’t understand about the bandits’ appearance just now.
‘It’s the same for using tactics that would only be used in a power struggle between bandits against the bandits, and the other for attacking them without prior negotiation and without any questions or answers.’
Moreover, the skill of the person who shot the arrow last was extraordinary.
I thought he was an expert belonging to Green Forest, but then I realized that maybe that wasn’t the case.
“······Perhaps demons sent from the Demonic Cult are secretly operating here.”
I crossed my arms and clicked my tongue.
If the opponent’s goal was annihilation rather than plunder, the identity of the person behind the order was obvious.
“Sacheon, especially Chengdu, is not a good area for demon cultists to operate.”
“So, you’re saying that you were waiting for the moment when the branch leader went on a trip to a foreign land.”
“That’s right.”
I nodded and got up from my seat.
If the organization I knew existed here, there would be no time to waste time like this.
We had to chase them down right away.
“I need to find wild vegetables.”
* * *
“Hey, this is no different from the promise!”
The giant wearing thick leather clothes let out a heartbreaking cry and took a step back.
His physical condition was a mess.
The shoulders and knees where the thin see-through needles had been stained blue by the poison, and there was a deep stab wound on the abdomen.
Blood was constantly pouring out from the affected area.
It was a serious injury that would soon kill him if left alone.
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The masked person standing across from me spoke in a voice devoid of emotion.
“There is no time. “Get it done quickly.”
“yes.”
Another masked man silently approached the giant’s back and plunged a dagger into his neck.
A giant who lets out a helpless moan and tears down the new model.
The masked man wiped off the blood from his dagger, looked around, and said.
“Are you going to move to the next location right away?”
“You are asking the obvious.”
“I don’t know how long it’s been since I went on a mission outside like this. “The target is even a 100-year-old expert.”
“Six numbers.”
“yes. “Captain.”
“talk too much.”
“I may be a bit talkative.”
“If you have time to talk nonsense, get moving.”
“yep!”
The man called Yukho answered in a powerful voice.
He gave an exaggerated hand salute and quickly ran out of the hut.
Wow!
Ouch!
Screams echoed throughout the mountain complex.
The masked man, Ilho, who was silently looking down at Chaeju’s body, sighed slightly and threw away the gourd in his hand.
Sigh!
The next moment, a sword came out like a thunderbolt and split the gourd lengthwise.
The spilled contents soaked the floor.
Returning the sword to its scabbard, Ilho picked up the lantern hanging on the wall and dropped it on the floor.
Grumble!
Not long after the oil and embers came into contact, a fire demon engulfed the cabin.
* * *
“······It’s late.”
I clicked my tongue as I looked at the burning wild plants.
Although I was in a hurry, I couldn’t make it on time in the end.
Yeongeumdae had already erased his traces and fled.
Damun, who arrived late, narrowed his eyes and said.
“It looks like the bandits were used and abandoned by the bandits.”
“It’s obvious. “They must have read our movement route, negotiated with the lenders here in advance, and prepared a trap.”
“Do you know anything about them?”
“Movie College. “It is an assassination group raised directly by the cult leader.”
“It’s an organization name I’ve never heard of.”
“I guess so. Because they rarely go out for outdoor activities. “We are usually mobilized to handle incidents and accidents that occur on campus.”
“It means that there are not many missions to other places.”
“But that doesn’t mean we should look down on it. It is not anywhere else but the internal inspection organization of the Demonic Cult. “The people who have been carrying out all kinds of dangerous missions in the Demonic Cult’s inner temple, which is reminiscent of the Demon Temple, are the Yeongeumdae.”
To compare it to the Murim League, it was an organization with similar characteristics to the Black Night Army.
In the past, I had joined forces with them in the process of digging into the corruption of Eumsalgwima.
‘It reminds me of the old days.’
At the time, when I was just a young chick, I was greatly shocked when I saw the members of the film corps.
Even the lowest level operators had similar skills to me.
I was able to guess how much effort the religious leader put into raising them.
“The total number of people is sixty. There are five groups of twelve people each. “Probably one or two groups were sent here.”
“Wouldn’t at least two groups have been dispatched? “I don’t think they can do anything with us with just twelve people.”
“I said it just now, but you shouldn’t look down on the Young Music University. “Each one is an expert who has reached at least the peak, and among the five captains there are also two experts in the art of fireworks.”
“Are you saying that a single assassination organization includes a master of the Flower Guard?”
“It’s not that surprising. “If we don’t reach that level, we cannot function as an inspection organization within the school.”
“······.”
“It’s not just about the high level of our members. Their true fear lies in their willingness to use any means possible. “You’ve experienced it yourself, so you probably know it.”
Damun’s expression hardened.
I felt like I finally understood the seriousness of the situation.
“What would you like to do?”
“I think we need to discuss it with the rest of the group first.”
“The problem starts tonight. “You never know when and how they might attack…”
I nodded and sighed.
It seemed that the smooth trip was wrong.
* * *
Crack! Crash!
A blazing bonfire in the middle of a large open space.
My group and I sat around the bonfire and discussed our future plans.
“Are you saying that the assassins sent by the Demon Cult Lord are aiming for your head?”
“At least that’s how I see it.”
“What is the basis for that judgment?”
“We confirmed that the bandits we encountered during the day were massacred. “In all likelihood, they moved away after erasing their traces.”
“The bandits were massacred?”
“yes. “From the beginning, they were probably just bait to get our attention.”
A furrow was carved between Bangcheoksam’s eyebrows.
The other party members also all had serious expressions.
The assassination group dispatched by the Demon Cultist was behind manipulating the bandits.
It was not an issue that could be taken lightly.
“First of all, I think the contract with Haeulpyo should end here.”
The eyes of Zhang Liang-guk, the leader of the party, rose sharply.
He placed his hands on the floor and asked me harshly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it literally. Those of you who are leaders of Haeulpyoguk, please return to Seongdo. “You can rest assured that we have no intention of getting your request money back.”
“That can’t be possible. “Where in the world is there a group of criminals who abandon their clients and run away?”
“I am grateful, but it is better for both parties if we break up at this point.”
“It is common for life-threatening situations to arise while traveling. “I am fully prepared.”
“It’s not something that can be done through determination alone. “What do you guys plan to do?”
“······.”
“We have lost our horses and carriages, so we must move forward with a light attack. You need to move as quickly as possible to minimize the number of times you are attacked by assassins. “There is no time to move in sync with skilled fighters whose martial arts skills are relatively inferior.”
“······.”
I feel sorry for Zhang Liang-guk, who dreams of revenge, but now the number of people has to be reduced.
In order not to hurt his pride, he only singled out the skilled practitioners, but in fact, the poor masters were also the same as those who lacked the level of skill.
“We ask for your understanding.”
“······All right.”
Zhang Liangguo reluctantly nodded.
I sighed softly and looked to the side.
Damun, who had gone to set up a camp under the escort of Yeo So-ok, made his way through the grass and appeared in a clearing.
“Has the installation of Jinbeop been completed?”
“yes. “I lost most of the castings I had, so I could only make crude ones…”
“But it’s still better than nothing.”
After inviting Damun and Yeo So-ok to sit down.
I looked around the group and spoke as if making a declaration.
“I plan to use this opportunity to wipe out the swarm of assassins.”
martial arts,
