Green Forest
Next to them, Jo Gwang murmured with a trembling voice.
"The Seventy-Two Strongholds of the Green Forest...!"
"Calm down. We can't even be sure of that yet."
When Tang Yerin reproached him, Jo Gwang fell silent, feeling awkward.
Jeong-un asked,
"Are you certain?"
"No, not at all. Bandits and thieves are everywhere; at first, we just assud soone among them happened to settle down here without knowing any better."
Jeong-un recalled the bandit group he had encountered.
They had disguised themselves as peddlers to scout him out, then instantly surrounded him with rusty spears and swords.
That he'd encountered them on his first trip proved they were truly everywhere, just as stated.
The problem arose when such people wielded martial arts.
The Jeongmu Sect Leader continued.
"Those kinds of people usually run away once they know a sect is present. That's why we assigned three of our disciples to each rchant caravan passing through this area, as a warning. But these people were different. Everyone participating in the caravan, including three of our disciples, was killed. All of them beheaded."
"Madn."
Baek Il-gang muttered.
His voice was so clearly filled with anger that everyone looked at him.
"People skilled in martial arts, reduced to nothing more than banditry?"
He continued.
"They must be out of their minds. If nothing else, they could have worked as security escorts and had no trouble making a living. Yet they chose this instead—that alone ans their minds have been twisted by madness."
His words were a bit harsh, but not wrong.
If you had even decent martial ability, it was enough to settle in a region and make a clan.
Especially if you had no moral qualms about harming others—doing so could even make it easier to satisfy your greed.
You could settle in a village untouched by the authorities or the Murim Alliance, and just suck the lifeblood from the common folk.
Conversely, it also ant: If soone with martial skills still chose banditry, it marked them as the worst kind of villain—unless they were actually driven by the pleasure of killing and robbing.
And a group that gathered such people was none other than the Seventy-Two Strongholds of the Green Forest.
Jeong-un asked,
"We can't be certain yet, can we? Just because a bandit wields martial arts doesn't an they necessarily belong to the Green Forest."
"That's right, just as the young hero says. There's nothing we can be sure of. But since they themselves ntioned the Green Forest Alliance, it's true that we can't act recklessly anymore."
"Is there no way to confirm it?"
The Jeongmu Sect Leader shook his head.
"If only there were. Even the number 'seventy-two' is mostly symbolic—I've heard they've already gathered over a hundred mountain strongholds across the Central Plains. Only those within seem to know each other's affiliations, so outsiders like us have no way of telling."
"......"
Before he knew it, a look of worry washed over the Jeongmu Sect Leader's face.
He didn't show it in front of his disciples, but he was clearly deeply troubled.
"There was a brief bit of rain not long ago, but it's still nowhere near enough to farm. Luckily, so valuable herbs grow in the nearby mountains, and we've survived by gathering and selling those. But with the bandits attacking one caravan after another, the losses are imnse."
"Despicable bastards..."
Jo Gwang muttered, as if astounded by such cruel behavior.
"......"
Jeong-un fell into thought.
Any martial artist with even a shred of sense didn't usually turn to banditry.
That's why, if soone did, it was generally assud they were affiliated with the Green Forest—at least in martial world common sense.
'... Since when was that kind of common sense so reliable?'
But in Jeong-un's view, such a conclusion was rushed.
Even in just a few months, he'd run into all sorts of bizarre people.
Do martial artists need a reason to turn bandit? There were plenty who did it for no reason at all.
In fact, more martial artists ant more people likely to turn to banditry.
Furthermore, Jeong-un was well aware of the martial world's unique madness.
It wasn't just the descendants of the Demonic Cult or the Blood Cult—there were plenty of lunatics who killed for re amusent.
Jeong-un suddenly recalled a man who sold off his neighbor's child for one martial arts mnemonic.
'... All of them.'
He knew he couldn't root out such people from this land entirely. Even so, it didn't matter.
At the very least, he intended to cut down those who appeared before his eyes.
"I understand the situation."
"There's probably nothing more you can do either, but just your presence helps."
"We'll definitely defeat them, so please rest assured."
"That's enough to be grateful for."
It wasn't just words.
He had no intention of rely driving them out of this land.
'I'll cut them all down.'
That was Jeong-un's determination.
* * *
They were shown to the guest Hall of the Jeongmu Sect.
Compared to the Huayeon Gate, it was a bit small, but still a decent place to stay.
They hadn't co expecting hospitality anyway.
"The Sect Leader seems upright. The disciples look steadfast as well."
Tang Yerin spoke.
They'd just unpacked and gathered for discussion.
"Even amidst the chaos, they're focusing on their training. Surely they're grieving their fallen comrades, but they remain composed."
When Baek Il-gang added this, Jeong-un nodded.
He thought so as well.
There were so many martial artists who wasted their abilities just to fill their own hungry stomachs.
The re fact that the sect had assigned disciples to escort rchant caravans without paynt was enough to mark them as good people.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
When Baek Il-gang asked, Jeong-un answered,
"First, we must confront those people."
"And after that?"
"We'll have to verify if they're truly mbers of the Green Forest Alliance."
Jo Gwang asked,
"What if they're just impersonating the Green Forest na?"
"We'll kill them all."
Jeong-un replied plainly.
There was no hesitancy to the question.
They had already taken countless lives; there was no reason to spare them.
"And if they really are Green Forest?"
"It's the sa. We'll kill them all. Figuring out their affiliation is just information for our report."
Jeong-un dismissed it. It was laughable that Evil Faction mbers would get cocky about so fancy affiliation.
Baek Il-gang let out a boisterous laugh, as if he'd expected this answer—a response that pleased him greatly.
"Whatever we do, we'll have to start by finding them."
Tang Yerin said.
"Hogye Mountain is surrounded by an extensive range. The forest is thick. Searching every inch is practically impossible."
"That's true."
Jeong-un nodded in agreent.
"We should focus on tracking their traces first. Patrol the outskirts of the village and watch for anyone who might be observing us. There's no need to hide yourselves, either. When strangers appear, we'll see how these people react."
After all, the mission assigned to them was to show that Jeongmu Sect was under the Murim Alliance.
The simple calculation was that this would make the bandits leave.
'But that's not enough.'
From what he'd heard, these were terrible people.
Even if the nas of the Murim Alliance and Heavenly Martial Hall scared them off for a while, the mont the martial artists left, they'd inevitably return.
Calling that a successful mission would be nonsense.
'And I need to fully understand them.'
Right now, Jeong-un saw every experience in the martial world as valuable.
If these people really were Green Forest, he needed to analyze their ecosystem.
'I don't really know the martial world.'
It was a problem he'd co to feel recently.
He realized he needed to understand its ways better.
He'd thought a swordsman only needed to swing a sword well, but experience on the ground had taught him otherwise.
Before being martial artists, they were still people.
In the end, it was a society of humans living and interacting together.
Just because they'd learned martial arts, it was easy to split the world into martial artists and commoners, but in reality, there was no real difference.
Strength and weakness appeared among martial artists, and among the common folk as well.
'It must be just as desperate for them.'
In the midst of hardship, the news of support from Heavenly Martial Hall was probably awaited with bated breath.
Having co all this way and learned the circumstances, just scaring them off and leaving wasn't his style.
He intended to uproot the threat completely.
When his thoughts ended, Jeong-un spoke again.
"Our goal for this mission is total extermination. As I instructed, patrol the village periter, pay attention to the situation, and report every day."
At Jeong-un's words, everyone nodded.
* * *
For over two weeks, nothing happened.
Commoners and Jeongmu Sect martial artists completed several rchant trips without a hitch.
"It seems our presence is making an impact."
Jo Gwang said brightly.
According to the Jeongmu Sect Leader, he was right.
Since Jeong-un's party had arrived, no more caravans had been attacked.
'But that's not necessarily a good sign.'
Still, Jeong-un didn't see this as very positive.
No more losses for now was good, but in the bigger picture, it might an the enemy was acting slyly and regrouping.
"I'm not so sure."
Tang Yerin seed to feel the sa way.
"It ans they've realized who we are and are deliberately hiding. So, they must have a smart leader."
"Isn't that good? Maybe they just ran away on their own."
"But we can't be sure they've run off scared. Besides, these people claid Green Forest affiliation—I doubt they'd just tuck their tails and flee that easily."
"They may know martial arts, but they're still just bandits. Maybe they're not that bright. Maybe they're not even here anymore—we might never even have to draw our swords."
At Jo Gwang's words, Tang Yerin smiled faintly.
She had read the hope hidden in his words.
He was simply hoping for an easy mission.
That attitude often ca through in his usual behavior.
'Didn't he say he ca here chasing fa?'
He'd said he joined the Heavenly Martial Hall looking to gain renown.
It was certainly true that his skill level was impressive for his age.
Simply being admitted and wearing the black uniform was proof enough.
His character wasn't bad.
In fact, he was a kind person, soone whose thoughts were as clear as glass.
'His only fault is not having high ambitions.'
He probably just wanted to gain so decent achievents, make his na, and leave safely without injury.
That was nothing to reproach him for.
Everyone has different goals and ways of thinking.
Jeong-un spoke softly.
"For now, let's just keep watch and see what happens. Their resources in the mountains are limited, so they can't hold out forever. Sooner or later, they're bound to make a move."
A few more days passed like that.
Their search made little progress, and the uneasy peace continued.
And finally,
A change occurred in the enemy's movents.
"The commoners who left carrying herbs haven't returned. Not even the disciples who went as guards."
The Jeongmu Sect Leader spoke with anxious eyes.
"It's been long past the ti they were supposed to return. This is..."
"Tell the route they took. I'll go myself."
Jeong-un answered, his face firm.
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