The situation ended in an instant. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The water bandits, the assassins trapped in their encirclement, and Nam Gwangro, who had been stomped on, and Kyusu, who had been stomped on, stared blankly.

Nam Gwangro, feeling everyone's gaze on him, wore a proud expression, but Lee Gon approached and examined the condition of Kyusu, who was being stomped on by his foot.

"...Chief."

"Huh?"

"Your foot..."

"Ah!"

Nam Gwangro slightly lowered his foot at Lee Gon's words.

"This... I think he's dead."

"Huh?"

"His breath has stopped."

Nam Gwangro blinked his eyes and looked at Kyusu at Lee Gon's words.

Eyes, nose, mouth, ears.

The seven orifices.

When a person vomits blood through those places, it is called seven-orifice bleeding. Usually, a person who shows such a sight dies.

Kyusu's appearance was like that.

In a state where his internal energy was scattered by the shock of being slammed into the ground and he could not protect his body, the moment Nam Gwangro stomped on him with determination, his spine broke and all his internal organs burst, killing him instantly.

"This shouldn't have happened... I needed to find out what kind of internal energy he had."

As Lee Gon stared with a pouting mouth, Nam Gwangro avoided his gaze and coughed.

"Ahem, what does it matter? There are still punks left..."

"Dammit! It's poison! They took the poison!"

"..."

Before Nam Gwangro's words could end, the four assassins trapped in the encirclement simultaneously chewed the poison and died, vomiting blood.

It was suicide.

Since all five intruders had died, it was impossible to find out their identity.

"Chief? What should we do?"

"..."

"Chief?"

As Lee Gon asked as if blaming him, Nam Gwangro waved his hands and shouted.

"W-we've stopped the attack! Our Gunsan Stronghold has killed all the enemies!"

"Pardon?"

"What are you doing, you punk? It's a feast, a feast! How can there not be a feast on this joyous day?"

"A f-feast?"

"Bring the wine! Wine! The kids have had a hard time, so feed them a lot! Hurry!"

Nam Gwangro, who had shown his terrifying martial arts, had returned to his original self.

Light, irresponsible...

What more could be said here?

He was originally that kind of person, that kind of chief, and their leader.

"Hah, I understand."

Lee Gon, who had let out a deep sigh, gives an order to his subordinates nearby.

"You heard the chief, right? Collect the dead, go to the mainland and call the physicians to treat the injured! Go and bring out all the wine in the warehouse! Hurry!"

"Yes!"

While an untimely dawn banquet was being prepared, Seong Ilgwang approached.

"Hmm, what kind of bastards do you think they are?"

"Well."

"I searched their pockets, and there were flying needles and poison... they're definitely assassins. I don't know what business they had with our Gunsan Stronghold."

"I know, right. Their skills weren't bad... huh? By any chance, did a punk who has a grudge against me send them?"

"Well, if it's an assassin punk with that level of skill, he could have been sent to aim for you, Chief."

It was a plausible inference.

Water bandits. A profession that considers the rivers of the world as their home and empties the pockets of those who come and go.

Usually, they let them pass after receiving a toll, but there were not a few fights, and each time, there were casualties without fail.

"Hmm... have we gone out for business recently?"

"Well. The last time the main ship went out for business was..."

Seong Ilgwang, who had been thinking for a moment, shouted at a sudden thought.

"Those smuggler punks?"

"Huh?"

Nam Gwangro flinched at Seong Ilgwang's words.

"You said it a while ago when you were drinking, right? You met some smugglers while taking a walk at night and gave them a good scolding."

"Ah, th-that's right. Haha."

"It seems so. But these bastards, they send assassins just because they got a little scolding? How about we dig into their background?"

"The smugglers' background?"

"Yes. To dare to aim for the chief's life. It's clear that these punks did it out of resentment. I'm sure of it."

Such an incident had happened a few months ago.

But even if those punks had held a grudge and sent assassins to aim for his life, it was troublesome to dig into their background.

Because it would be troublesome if the money he had taken from the smugglers and hidden was discovered.

Since it was income earned from personal activities and not the official business of the stronghold, there was no need to share it...

But there was the chief's dignity.

If it was discovered that he had embezzled money, the disappointment of his subordinates would be immense.

"Chief, leave it to me. These damn bastards! I'll skin them alive this time."

Nam Gwangro hastily waved his hands as Seong Ilgwang showed his anger.

"No, why go that far. I'm fine."

"No! I can't just stand by! If we leave them alone, how much will they look down on our Gunsan Stronghold?"

"Ahem! I said I'm fine."

"Don't worry, Chief."

I'm worried.

That you'll find out that I pocketed the money I took from the smugglers.

Just as the two were bickering about whether to prepare a drinking party or not, and whether to do it or not.

"Chief! Chief!"

"Huh?"

A messenger from the stronghold came running, out of breath.

"What is it!"

"A carrier pigeon has arrived."

"What, a carrier pigeon? Where is it from? If it arrived at this dawn, it must be an urgent matter! Give it to me quickly!"

Nam Gwangro, who wanted to change the subject, made a fuss and snatched the letter he was holding.

"It's from the Tang Family's estate."

"The Tang Family's estate?"

"Yes."

"Hoh! So that punk sent me a letter?"

Nam Gwangro, who had recalled his pleasant memory of Cheonyeong, smiles from ear to ear.

Lord of the Xiang River, Chief Nam Gwangro, greetings.

The letter, which began with a simple greeting, contained a proposal for a new business.

"Hoh? The Tang Family Security Escort Service, you say?"

"The Tang Family Security Escort Service?"

"Yes. It seems the Tang Family Head has created a security escort service this time. So, he's asking for our cooperation."

"Cooperation?"

"Here, look."

Seong Ilgwang, who had read the letter that Nam Gwangro held out, frowned.

The Tang family's business proposal. But the content was a little strange.

Usually, if there was a business matter to discuss, there should be a process of visiting, negotiating, and compromising on each other's opinions, but just a letter?

And he said he would pay the toll in a lump sum at the end of the year, in arrears?

"This is..."

"Let's implement it immediately."

"Pardon?"

"Since the Tang Family's estate has made such a good proposal, we should give them an answer quickly."

"Pardon? A g-good proposal?"

"Yeah."

"But, if it's in arrears, it's no different from a promissory note... what credit have we built with the Tang Family's estate to proceed? Moreover, since it's a newly established place, we don't know when it might disappear."

"Ahem, you've already met the Tang Family Head."

"Even so... this is not how things are done.

"You said he went to Yunnan. Yunnan! He said he would visit after he came back."

"The Tang Family's estate doesn't just have the family head, does it? He could have sent someone else."

"Hey! You punk, why are you being so strict? Huh?"

"..."

"I know! He's not a punk who would betray people and run away with money. Of course, that's right. I have a good eye for people. It's like an insight."

Seong Ilgwang's eyes narrow at Nam Gwangro's words.

Who?

People...

Insight... what?

Something was suspicious. Usually, he would have turned Dongting Lake upside down just by the fact that an assassin had aimed for his life.

The way he kept changing the subject, and the way he told him not to investigate.

And he's making a business contract with just one letter?

"Chief."

"Huh?"

"By any chance, are you hiding something?"

"Hiding? Me? Not at all!"

"If not, the way things are being handled right now is too haphazard..."

"Ahem! Haphazard! This punk, who do you think you're looking down on?"

"No, that's not it."

"Shut up. I have ordered it to be implemented immediately. As the Tang family has proposed, hurry and convey my intentions to the strongholds on the western waterway."

"..."

"From now on, for the merchant ships with the Tang family's flag, just check them and let them pass safely! I, the Lord of the Xiang River, Nam Gwangro, will guarantee it! Got it?"

"You'll even guarantee it?"

"That's trust."

"What trust?"

"Deputy Chief!"

"...Yes."

"Where is the time for this? Move quickly! From now on, you must do your best to ensure that the business with the Tang family operates normally! Do you understand?"

"Yes... I understand."

Seong Ilgwang had no choice but to answer yes to the dignified command.

There's definitely something...

Since he's so firm, I can't ask.

"Then, for now, I will prepare a letter to be sent to the western strongholds based on the Tang Family's estate's proposal."

"Go quickly. Quickly!"

"Yes."

As Seong Ilgwang walks away, tilting his head, Nam Gwangro finally strokes his chest and is relieved.

That persistent bastard.

Fortunately, the letter from the Tang family arrived just in time, and he succeeded in cutting off his interest in the smugglers and assassins.

What a relief.

Family Head Tang, this punk I like.

By the way.

"I kind of miss him. That punk..."

Wasn't he so bold?

When he had said that it would be better to choose one side, Orthodox or Unorthodox, had he answered that a small tree cannot grow tall under a big tree?

"A bold punk. That's why I'm looking forward to his future."

Nam Gwangro smiled, thinking of Cheonyeong.

"Yunnan... it will take about three or four months. I should prepare some good wine in the meantime."

* * *

Yunnan Province, which borders the southwestern tip of the Central Plains.

High mountains, deep valleys, complex terrain.

Yunnan was a place with truly diverse characteristics.

'One mountain has four seasons, and the sky is different every ten li.'

He didn't know who said it, but it best expressed the climate and terrain of Yunnan.

"Dammit..."

"What's wrong?"

Baekta asks with a puzzled face as Cheonyeong suddenly gets annoyed.

"I don't know if someone is cursing me, but my ears are so itchy."

"That can't be."

"No, it can. I even made a plan for those punks to train hard. They're probably slacking off and cursing me for being hard on them."

Cheonyeong grumbled, thinking of the family members left at the Tang Family's estate.

It had already been about a month since he had left Ganyang, disguised as a porter with Yongcheon carrying a lot of luggage.

The Cheonyeong party had been able to reach a place called Yeongin, which bordered the southern tip of Sicheon.

"Hah, hah... it's so hot... where on earth is the village?"

Yongcheon, who was carrying a lot of luggage, was sweating profusely.

Although Sanghui was fanning him from the side, there was no way the sweat, which was gushing out like a spring, would dry, and his clothes had long been soaked as if he had been caught in the rain.

"It'll be out soon."

"When? When on earth will it be out! You've already said 'soon' tens of thousands of times."

Tens of thousands of times? It was three times.

Baekta said as if protesting at Yongcheon's annoyance.

"Tsk tsk, that's why you shouldn't have packed so much useless luggage."

Baekta clicks his tongue, looking at Yongcheon who is struggling with the heat.

"It's because he has a lot of heat."

"...Pardon?"

"I'm saying his body is naturally hot. It's not because he's tired."

"Ah... yes."

Baekta wears an awkward expression at the sight of Sanghui defending Yongcheon with a sullen face.

In the past month, Baekta had been able to understand their relationship.

The Inner Hall Master's one-sided love?

Something like that...

He didn't understand.

Although her personality was eccentric, why did the Inner Hall Master, who had a beauty that would not be inferior anywhere, like that dull bear-like punk?

When he had secretly asked Cheonyeong...

He had said not to understand. That there were many such mysterious things in the world that could not be explained with words.

"So? Where is the village? What are you going to do if Yongcheon collapses from exhaustion? You shouldn't have made him follow you."

Sanghui said in a cold tone.

Who made him follow? You guys followed on your own!

And, a martial artist collapsing from exhaustion... I've never heard such a thing in my life.

Even if he hadn't achieved heat and cold invulnerability, what do you mean a martial artist collapsing from exhaustion? At least this isn't a desert.

And do you know how many bottles of water that fat punk drank by himself?

I thought he was a water buffalo, not a person.

But the words only swirled in his mouth, and he couldn't bring himself to snap at Sanghui.

"Over there."

Baekta points to the bottom of the mountain. And at the tip of his finger, houses that seemed to be woven from leaves could be seen.

"From here, it's Yunnan. Please be careful..."

Dadadadada!

Before Baekta could give a warning, Yongcheon and Sanghui were already running towards the village.

"Here, Y-Yunnan, Yunnan... hey, damn it!"

They were not punks who would listen to him.

"Just get used to it."

Cheonyeong smirks and follows them.

That punk is the same.

I must be crazy.

Baekta thought that he shouldn't have brought those damn things on a road he could have come on alone.

The sun is at its zenith... for some reason, the road ahead is dark.

(End of Chapter)