Chapter 145 : Chapter 145

Chapter 145. Fighting Ghost (3)

Pretending to know nothing, I asked Hwangbo Ak.

“Who is Mrs. Jo?”

“She is the new wife of my foster father, the Fortress Leader.”

The Tang Clan guy, who genuinely knew nothing, let out a faint exclamation of admiration.

“Heo. If she is the Fortress Leader's wife, she must be the second most powerful person in the Nine Dragons Fortress.”

At this, Hwangbo Ak snorted loudly.

“Hmph. What nonsense is that. The Nine Dragons Fortress is a place built by our mountain brothers together. No matter how much Mrs. Jo is my foster father's wife, how can she be the second?”

An interesting reaction.

The Green Forest Fighting King hated Jo Ryeong in the future, but it seemed their relationship was not so good at this time either.

In fact, I didn't know much about Jo Ryeong.

All I had heard were a few rumors related to the Green Forest Fighting King.

The reason the Nine Dragons Fortress fell was due to internal strife.

However, it wasn't that the Green Forest Fighting King was kicked out in the process and formed a new fortress.

Absurdly, the Green Forest Fighting King had been kicked out of the Nine Dragons Fortress a few months before that rebellion broke out.

I don't know the specifics, but it was said that he was framed for something within the Nine Dragons Fortress and was on the verge of death.

He broke through with force and escaped, and it was known that he later formed a fortress called the Fighting Tiger Fortress.

And there was a phrase that Hwangbo Ak, who would later be called the Fighting Demon or the Green Forest Fighting King, used to say like a habit.

- Where are these Jo Ryeong-like bastards trying to be clever.

To the Fighting Demon Hwangbo Ak, a strategist was synonymous with Jo Ryeong.

Also, the Fighting Demon Hwangbo Ak extremely despised strategists.

No. Beyond strategists, he despised anyone who seemed to be even a little bit smart.

- You Jo Ryeong-like bastard! I can hear your clever thoughts from here!

There was a grim rumor that if you recited a difficult phrase or showed signs of being clever in front of the Green Forest Fighting King, your head would explode on the spot.

And that was all I knew.

I didn't know the specifics of what Hwangbo Ak was framed for, or why his relationship with Jo Ryeong had soured and when.

Whether it was the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader or Jo Ryeong, they were already dead trash, so there was no reason to look into them further.

But now was an era where they were all alive.

Therefore, it seemed necessary to find out a little more about Jo Ryeong.

The internal strife that occurred in the Nine Dragons Fortress. It seemed Jo Ryeong was at the center of that strife.

“But didn't you say earlier, Brother Hwangbo? That the grand lady's thoughts are different. Did the grand lady come up with some kind of plan?”

“It’s not the grand lady, it’s Mrs. Jo.”

I didn't know what he was framed for or what Jo Ryeong had done, but I thought I knew why he was framed.

In front of us, whom he had just met yesterday, he was openly showing his dislike for Jo Ryeong.

He seemed to be the type who couldn't lie to save his life.

“Alright. Then what is the plan that Mrs. Jo came up with?”

When I asked again, Hwangbo Ak replied with a displeased expression.

“She said she would make some kind of deal.”

“A deal?”

“That’s right. After taking control of this whole area, we just have to pay tribute to the government? She mentioned some strange old story and said so.”

At first, I wondered what kind of crazy talk this was.

Then, at the mention of a strange old story, a thought occurred to me.

“Like in the old Spring and Autumn period?”

“Oh! It seems you are smarter than you look, Brother Jin. Come to think of it, I think she did say the Spring and Autumn period.”

The Spring and Autumn period.

An era where the Zhou Dynasty claimed to be the masters of the Central Plains, but in reality, it was ruled not by the emperor but by powerful feudal lords, the Hegemons.

An era where the feudal lords ruled their territories independently in exchange for paying tribute to the nominal imperial court.

In other words, Jo Ryeong’s scheme was to raise the Nine Dragons Fortress to a kind of Hegemon or feudal lord.

Senior Sister Baek Hyang, who was listening quietly, carefully opened her mouth.

“I am not well-versed in my studies, so I don't know much about the Spring and Autumn period, but it seems a little strange. I wonder if the government will agree to that deal.”

I almost nodded without realizing it.

Honestly, even after hearing it, I wondered if she was in her right mind.

The era was different now.

But something was strange.

There was no rumor that the Nine Dragons Fortress had been subjugated by the government.

That meant either the government didn't step in at all, or they had agreed to the deal.

Perhaps because I knew a little about the future.

Suddenly, a possibility came to mind.

What if the government just accepted them, treating them as useful dogs?

In the first place, looking at the government’s actions so far, they had almost no interest in the people's livelihood.

Since they would collect taxes and pay tribute on behalf of the government, it was possible that they had just been left alone.

Well, it was also possible that they had generously bribed the officials in the middle.

For some reason, I was reminded of Brother Sama’s story.

The story of how he failed the civil service exam because he couldn't pay a bribe.

With a government as corrupt as it was, it seemed entirely possible.

While I was thinking about the government’s movements, Hwangbo Ak's ridiculously loud voice pierced my eardrums.

“Hehehehe. I'd rather that happen! If the government refuses the deal, a fight will break out, won't it! Hahahaha!”

Hwangbo Ak, who had shouted that, was looking at me for some reason.

“Thinking about fighting reminds me, just walking like this is boring. How about a duel while we're on the move? Brother Jin.”

As if he was sick of boring strategy talks, he asks with a face full of belligerence.

He was truly a guy crazy about fighting.

I had no idea why all my companions were also staring at me.

***

A few days later, we arrived at Nine Dragons Mountain.

On the way up the mountain path.

We occasionally encountered heavily armed bandits.

“We greet the Third Dragon Leader!”

Perhaps because they were forming a warlord faction, the bandits on Nine Dragons Mountain were at least a little disciplined.

“Hahahaha. It’s been a while. Are you all doing well?”

Hwangbo Ak laughed heartily as if he had met his real family and would pat them on the shoulder.

Thwack! Thwack!

“Ugh. We, we are doing well.”

Perhaps because of his brutish strength, the bandits all looked miserable at his light greeting.

“B, but what brings you to the fortress?”

“Hahahaha. There are new brothers who want to join our Nine Dragons Mountain, so I came to pay my respects to my foster father.”

At Hwangbo Ak's greeting, the bandits grinned and looked at us.

It was a smile that made me want to draw the Master’s Blade and cut off all their necks.

After climbing the mountain for a while, exercising extreme patience.

We finally reached a place surrounded by a huge wooden fence.

It was obvious that this place was also swarming with bandits.

They must have lived in luxury here, coveting the wealth of innocent passersby and killing people for fun.

My killing intent kept soaring, so I inwardly recited the character for patience over and over again.

Just a few more days. I just have to endure for a few more days.

No. Since I’m supposed to greet the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader today, should I just kill him on the spot?

After walking for a while, fighting with myself and following Hwangbo Ak.

We were now in front of a crude wooden house.

“Hahaha. This is where I originally lived.”

For a place where the third-ranked person in the fortress lived, it was a truly humble house.

I thought that all the wooden houses where bandits lived would be more or less the same, but it wasn't so.

Although I had walked absentmindedly, there were some quite grandly built houses here and there.

Only this guy was living in a crude place compared to his rank.

“……It looks like the house of an upright official.”

The Tang Clan guy uttered some crazy talk with a bewildered expression.

Calling a bandit an upright official.

At this, Hwangbo Ak laughed heartily again.

“Hahahaha! A house is just a place to shelter from the rain and lean your back, isn’t it!”

As his loud voice echoed in the crude house, it felt like the house would collapse right then and there.

“Ahem. Well, with six people coming in, it is a little cramped.”

What Hwangbo Ak said was true.

It was so small we couldn't even lie down. We were so close that our skin would touch even if we each squatted.

Moreover, the huge builds of Hwangbo Ak and Nam Geon took up more than half the space.

“S, sorry. I, I should have skipped breakfast this morning.”

Although skipping one meal wouldn't reduce that huge build, Nam Geon muttered with an awkward expression.

On the other hand, Hwangbo Ak was confident.

“Please wait a little. I’ve told my younger brothers, so my foster father will call for you soon.”

According to Hwangbo Ak, when a new mountain brother was brought in, the fortress executives would decide whether to accept them or not.

After waiting like that, squeezed together for a while, the bandits finally came for us.

Following that guy, we arrived in front of the grandest wooden house in the fortress.

After entering the house and going a little further, it was a surprisingly spacious area that was hard to believe was built of wood.

Eight fierce-looking men were seated there.

Four on the left, three on the right.

And in the center, a middle-aged man with a build as sturdy as Hwangbo Ak's was seated.

Just by looking at their seating arrangement, I could tell. That guy was the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader.

My eyes fell on the two giant axes stuck on the left and right sides of the man's seat.

They were undoubtedly the Twin Axes crafted by Mr. Yeo, the blacksmith.

But there were no women at the meeting.

Was Jo Ryeong not attending the meeting? Just as I was thinking that, Hwangbo Ak shouted loudly and knelt.

“Hwangbo Ak greets the Fortress Leader!!”

For now, to fit the mood, I and my companions paid our respects to the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader.

“We greet the Fortress Leader.”

At that, the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader laughed heartily and opened his mouth.

“Uahahaha. You must have had a hard time in Guju. Thanks to you, the brothers won’t have to worry about starving.”

“Not at all. I only did what I had to do.”

“Hahahaha. You are as consistent as ever. So, are those the new brothers you mentioned?”

“That’s right, Fortress Leader!”

While the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader and Hwangbo Ak were conversing, I stealthily raised my head to observe the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader.

Naturally, my eyes met with the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader’s.

A beard that looked grayish with a mix of black and white hair.

As I met his fierce eyes and strong features, I was reminded of Mr. Yeo's words.

The edge of the peak. He was called the Number One Demon of Zhejiang, and he was certainly a formidable master.

Even if I fought with all my might, I couldn't guarantee victory.

I knew it instinctively.

Attacking him now was a bad move.

In the middle of the enemy camp, charging head-on was an act that would get all my companions killed.

As I was organizing my thoughts, thinking that I should induce a rebellion or aim for an assassination, the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader smirked at me.

A smile that revealed yellow teeth. But it wasn't funny.

It felt like seeing the yellow teeth of a ferocious beast.

Hwangbo Ak felt like a ferocious but simple-minded bear, while that guy felt like a battle-hardened tiger.

That old tiger looked at me and asked.

“You want to join our fortress?”

“That’s right, Fortress Leader.”

“Strange. A guy with such skills at that age wants to become a bandit on his own accord.”

It seemed they were also gauging my skills.

Before I could answer anything, the Nine Dragons Fortress Leader turned his head and looked at Hwangbo Ak again.

“Ak.”

“Yes, Fortress Leader!”

“Do you know the extent of his skills?”

“Hahaha. I already know that Brother Jin’s skills are superior to mine!”

The executives who were watching silently from the side showed various reactions.

Some groaned, while others looked at us with eyes full of suspicion.

“Hahaha. This is surprising. I felt he was outstanding, but I never thought he would be superior to Ak.”

The Nine Dragons Fortress Leader, who said that, turned his head and looked at me again.

“But with those outstanding skills, why did you come here?”

The tiger was pressing its jaws against my neck, exuding a strong, gamey scent.

I looked into the leader’s eyes for a moment and organized my thoughts.

I thought about just flattering him, but it didn't seem like a good method.

After all, there would be plenty of people flattering him.

“If the Nine Dragons Fortress had remained as just bandits, we would not have come here. We trained in martial arts with great ambition, how could we be satisfied with being mere bandits?”