Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 576

Dong-woong looked at the city gate. It was closed tight.

“Should we break it down?” someone asked.

“This isn’t the mountains,” Dong-woong replied.

In the mountains, the government doesn’t care much about what bandits do. But breaking down a city gate is too much. Even lazy officials would have to do something.

Some problems can be solved with money, but not this one. Dong-woong wanted to stay out of trouble.

He glanced at the city wall. It wasn’t too high. Climbing it would be easy for his men.

“The quieter, the better. We climb the wall!” he ordered.

“Yes!” the bandits replied.

“Don’t kill the soldiers if you can help it! Just grab that rat, Im So-byeong, and get out!”

“Yes!”

The Green Forest bandits crept toward the city wall, blending into the shadows.

Whoosh!

Like the wind, the bandits climbed the wall.

Darkness covered the city wall like a thick blanket. No lamps shone. Only the bandits’ eyes glowed in the black, like wild animals hunting in the mountains. The air smelled of dust and night flowers, but the bandits only smelled danger.

Thud!

Thwack!

The bandits jumped down safely. As they looked around, they heard a shout.

“Who goes there!”

A guard woke up with a start and yelled. He reached for the whistle around his neck, but…

Snikt!

“Gack….”

A saw blade flashed and cut the guard’s neck. He fell to the ground without a sound.

“Tsk,” Dong-woong frowned.

“He could have just knocked him out. I told you to avoid trouble.”

“Sorry.”

Dong-woong didn’t want to argue. He knew their methods were harsh because of him and Chaeju Go Hong.

Dong-woong clicked his tongue. He took a small bottle from his pocket and walked to the body.

He poured the liquid on the guard’s body.

Sssssss!

White smoke rose from the body, and it melted away.

“Using this expensive Bone-Melting Powder here is a waste,” he thought.

Even if they hid the body, everyone would know they were responsible. But suspicion is not the same as proof.

The Bone-Melting Powder was good for hiding the body completely. That’s why it was worth the price.

“Let’s go down,” Dong-woong said.

“Yes!”

Jangsa was a big city, but the walls were not well guarded. Climbing over with so many people was easy.

Dong-woong erased the last of the body. His eyes gleamed.

“The contact?” he asked.

“He’s coming over there.”

A man came out from the houses near the wall. He ran to Dong-woong and bowed quickly.

“I greet the leader!”

“Hmm!” Dong-woong glared at him. “Where is that rat, Im So-byeong, right now?”

“He’s staying at the Yellow Swallow Inn.”

“The Yellow Swallow Inn?”

“Yes! It’s one of the biggest inns in Jangsa.”

“An inn?” Dong-woong sneered. “He’s living the high life. He knows Mount Heng is close, but he stays at an inn?”

Someone behind them spoke up. “Maybe it’s his plan. He thinks we won’t attack him in a busy inn.”

“Still, that rat-like bastard,” Dong-woong growled.

“Where are those young pups from the orthodox sects he brought with him?”

“They’re from the Mount Hua Sect.”

“The Mount Hua Sect?” Dong-woong raised his eyebrows.

“Are you talking about the Mount Hua Sect of Shaanxi? The one that used to be one of the Nine Great Sects?”

“Yes. That’s the Mount Hua Sect.”

“…What is he thinking?” Dong-woong frowned. He bit his lip. The strategist was cunning.

When the strategist showed up with members of an orthodox sect, he must have thought he was safe.

“I’ve heard they did well in the martial arts competition, but aren’t they just a small sect from a village in Shaanxi?”

“Leader, don’t underestimate the Mount Hua Sect. Remember when the Myriad Man Clan attacked Mount Hua and lost?”

“Hmm,” Dong-woong snorted. “They’re just young pups. If I had caught those guys from the Myriad Man Clan, I would have killed them easily.”

No one argued. He was probably right.

Daebyeolchae was a strong mountain stronghold, and Dong-woong was a top fighter. He was as strong as the leaders of the Myriad Man Clan.

“Even a dog eats well in its own yard. This is Jangsa. I’ll make them regret coming here from Mount Hua!”

“So, are we attacking the inn?”

“We have to. Even if there are problems, we’ll attack fast and leave,” Dong-woong said.

“Yes!”

“Let’s go!”

“I’ll guide you!” The man led the way.

They avoided the main street, but it was hard to hide two hundred people. People noticed them.

“W-what is that?”

“They look like bandits?”

“B-Bandits? Why are there bandits here!”

People ran into alleys or locked their doors.

“Mom….”

“Shh! Be quiet!”

Everyone held their breath, but the bandits ignored them.

People peeked through their windows and watched the bandits go.

“What’s happening… Bandits in the city,” one person whispered.

“What are the soldiers doing…?”

The bandits of Daebyeolchae stopped in front of a large building.

“Is this it?” Dong-woong asked.

“Yes! This is the Yellow Swallow Inn!”

Dong-woong looked at the inn. Lights were on, but it was quiet.

He could hear people inside.

“Surround it!” he ordered.

“Yes!”

The Green Forest bandits surrounded the inn.

They glared at the inn.

“Should we break in? They rented the whole inn. Should we kill them all?”

“Hmm,” Dong-woong looked at the inn. “You said over a hundred people came with him, right?”

“Yes. That’s what I heard.”

“A hundred…” If they killed that many people, things would get messy.

‘It would be easier to kill them all,’ Dong-woong thought.

Dong-woong knew this was not the mountains. He tried to be patient, but it was hard.

“Go inside,” he said.

“Leader?”

Dong-woong looked at his subordinate. “Tell them Daebyeolchae heroes are here! Tell them to give us Im So-byeong now! If they do, maybe they live.”

“Do you think they’ll listen?”

“They have to,” Dong-woong said.

“Everyone, draw your weapons! Make them fear us!”

“Yes, Leader!”

The Green Forest bandits drew their weapons. Their killing intent filled the air.

Dong-woong nodded. “Go tell them. Tell them to choose: hand him over or die.”

“Yes!” The man ran into the inn.

“Hmm,” Dong-woong crossed his arms and looked at the inn.

‘Anyone can be reckless,’ he thought.

He didn’t know what Im So-byeong had said to trick them. But they would soon realize who they were dealing with.

The orthodox sect members wouldn’t risk their lives for Im So-byeong. They would hand him over.

But….

A while passed. No one came out of the inn.

Dong-woong frowned. “What’s taking so long?”

“W-Well, I don’t know.”

Dong-woong was not as patient as Go Hong. Would a patient person become a bandit?

Dong-woong glared at the inn. “These bastards! How dare they make me wait? I was going to be nice!”

Dong-woong was angry. “Someone go inside and see what’s going on!”

“Yes!” The men rushed into the inn.

‘If we were in the mountains, I would have killed them all!’ Dong-woong thought.

Trying to be calm was making him angry.

They were bandits, but they had to avoid trouble in the city….

KABOOOOOOOM!

The inn door exploded.

“Ugh?” Dong-woong’s eyes widened.

The loud noise made everyone jump.

“W-What’s going on!”

“Is that a cannon!”

“What is happening!”

Lights turned on in the city, and people ran out in fear.

Dong-woong was shocked.

“Quietly… handle it…,” he muttered.

Whoosh!

Thud!

Something flew out of the inn and hit the ground.

“Gasp!”

“Song-cho!”

“Oh, my god!”

The bandits ran to the fallen man.

“Ugh… Ughhhh….”

The bandits stared at him.

“W-What happened to him?”

“How can his face be like that…?”

Song-cho’s face was swollen and unrecognizable. The bandits shuddered.

How could they beat someone so badly in such a short time?

“Y-You bastards!”

A person walked out of the dark inn.

Clink. Clink.

‘Alcohol?’ Dong-woong saw a bottle in the person’s hand. He stared in disbelief.

A young boy, barely twenty, with soft hair, staggered out. His face was flushed.

He looked at the Green Forest bandits and frowned.

“Hey!”

“Are these bandit bastards crazy? What do you think you’re doing, barging in here and drawing your swords? You all want to die!”

Dong-woong was speechless.