Chapter 08 …
Foshan Stronghold
“Didn’t the tribute come from Wangak Mountain Stronghold?”
There were twenty-four strongholds that represented the Green Forest. That’s why in the martial world, they were often called the Green Forest, or the Twenty-Four Green Forest Strongholds.
Foshan Stronghold, located in Foshan of Guangdong Province, was one of these twenty-four Green Forest Strongholds and served as the headquarters for bandits operating in Guangdong.
The head of Foshan Stronghold, Ju Byeokdo (Giant Wall Blade) Son Oh, was a renowned martial artist in Guangdong.
Under him were twelve leaders, each managing the Green Forest bands across Guangdong.
“The tribute was due ten days ago, but there’s been no contact from Akjeong of Wangak Mountain Stronghold.”
“So, they’re not saying they’ll give it later because the income is low—they just haven’t contacted us at all?”
“Yes, Lord!”
“These bastards… if you treat them too kindly, they start thinking they can get away with anything.”
Irritation was evident even in his tone.
“So?”
“Huh?”
“So what did you do? If there’s no contact, you should have sent someone, right?”
Son Oh spoke as if everything was displeasing him, and Ogu, the deputy leader reporting to him, hurriedly bowed his head.
“I’ve already sent someone. We should hear from them soon.”
Son Oh twitched his fingers. Ogu flinched for a moment but then stepped closer.
When Son Oh gestured for him to come a bit closer, Ogu went right up to him and bowed.
Bam! Kuda-dadadadad!
He blinked in surprise and found himself rolling on the floor. Stifling the pain, he hurriedly got up and returned to bow before Son Oh.
Although Ogu was a deputy leader, it wasn’t that he was stronger than the others—it was simply easier for Son Oh to manage him in this position.
If someone was too clever, they would schemed around, and managing such subordinates was exhausting, as Son Oh had learned.
A subordinate should be somewhat naive and modest enough to follow orders. In that regard, Ogu was perfect.
“How long did it take you to get here, and only now are you reporting?”
“Well….”
He paused before speaking.
“Well?”
Ogu whispered weakly, “You told me not to look for him while he was with Wolrang…”
Wolrang was practically Son Oh’s concubine, the mistress of Wolaru in Guangzhou. She also acted as an informant, collecting intelligence from Guangdong for Son Oh.
Of course, no one else knew this.
“Oh… is that so?”
Wolrang had rested at the stronghold for a few days before returning to Guangzhou.
A faint smile appeared on Son Oh’s lips, recalling her sweet, playful voice in his ears.
“Ogu!”
“Yes, Lord!”
“Sorry for punching you. You know I’m hot-tempered.”
With that, Ogu’s expression relaxed, revealing him to be a simple-minded man.
Ddadadada!
The sound of someone running from outside echoed inside.
“Lord! Something terrible has happened!”
Before they even arrived, the commotion outside caught Son Oh and Ogu’s attention.
“How do you educate these kids?” Son Oh asked.
“I taught them not to shout, but… apparently, they’re out of control.”
Shrrr!
The door opened, and a person entered.
“Lord! Wangak Mountain Stronghold has been annihilated!”
The room fell silent.
Son Oh questioned, hoping he hadn’t misheard.
“Say that again.”
“Wangak Mountain Stronghold has been annihilated. Akjeong and thirty disciples of the stronghold are all dead.”
The word “annihilated” made Son Oh spring to his feet. He asked the subordinate reporting to him,
“Who dares annihilate Wangak Mountain Stronghold?”
“That has not been confirmed yet.”
Son Oh considered that annihilating Wangak Mountain Stronghold was a direct challenge to his authority. He calmed himself and sat back down.
“The corpses?”
“They were already decaying. However, according to a child who went to Wangak Mountain Stronghold, the corpses had no external wounds.”
“No external wounds?”
“Yes.”
No wounds meant they died from internal injuries.
“Also, there were no signs of a struggle.”
“No signs of fighting?”
Son Oh couldn’t believe that thirty disciples could all be killed by internal damage without any struggle.
“That’s what they said, Lord!”
“Hmm…”
Usually, there are only two possibilities: either the enemy was an extremely powerful martial artist and didn’t need to fight, or it’s a lie.
Would a supreme martial artist have a reason to annihilate Wangak Mountain Stronghold? He thought about it and found no reason.
Of course, a quarrel could have broken out at Wangak Mountain, but usually, for the Green Forest’s reputation, they wouldn’t annihilate; they’d stop at some limit.
So there was only one conclusion.
“A lie? They’re lying to keep my money?”
“Well….”
Even Ogu hadn’t gone there personally, so he couldn’t answer with certainty.
Son Oh twitched his fingers. As he stepped forward, he immediately threw a punch.
Kudadadadad…
“Bring the ones who went there!”
“Don’t worry! He’ll get to Guangzhou safely.”
Jin Aseol was worried about her father, Jin Seol, who had gone to Wangak Mountain Stronghold to collect the tribute and bring it to Guangzhou. She asked Geomryeong about it from time to time.
Each time, Geomryeong reassured her that it would be fine.
“Let’s see… the distance from here to Wangak Mountain Stronghold…”
Geomryeong pretended to calculate the distance and time, then said to Jin Aseol,
“He should be arriving soon. By now, he should be entering the market street.”
“Liar again!”
“She always says I lie whenever I open my mouth. Look! It’s two days from here to Wangak Mountain Stronghold. To Guangzhou…”
Jin Aseol tilted her head as she watched Geomryeong logically explain his calculations.
“Was he always this smart?”
Geomryeong gave a helpless look and lowered his head.
“Aseol!”
“Hmm?”
“When someone talks, you should listen. How can you think of other things? I calculated this for you with effort…”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it’s really true.”
“I swear it is. Shall we go to the market street to see if he comes?”
When Geomryeong spoke firmly, Jin Aseol opened her eyes wide and glared slightly.
“So if it’s half past ten, Dad will arrive?”
“Of course. There might be a slight delay because of the crowd, but roughly, yes.”
Jin Aseol nodded.
“Alright! This time I’ll believe you.”
“I swear it.”
“Okay, I trust you now.”
Geomryeong smiled faintly at her adorable insistence.
“Aseol! Shall we go to the market street for sweets?”
“I want to eat Hangwa.”
“Hangwa? What’s that?”
“It exists. So, Geomryeong, have you only been eating ice cream and sugar snacks until now?”
“Yes! Aren’t those the best?”
Jin Aseol shook her head.
“I’ll show you how delicious Hangwa is. Let’s go buy some!”
“It’s not expensive, right?”
“A little! But it’s more savory and tastier than sugar snacks.”
“Alright, let’s go get Hangwa.”
Geomryeong took Jin Aseol to the market street, which was bustling with people.
“Come! Cheap! Cheap!”
Merchants were calling out and bargaining with passersby.
Geomryeong found it pleasant to see such lively scenes. Back in Heukamdo, there were only four people, so it had always been quiet. That might be why a faint smile always appeared on his face whenever he went to the market or streets.
Some people misunderstood and thought he was smiling at them and liked him for it, which didn’t bother him.
“Where do they sell Hangwa?” Geomryeong asked. He hadn’t seen it in the month he’d been here.
“Just a little further,” Jin Aseol said, leading him to a small stall run by an elderly woman.
“Grandmother!”
“Aseol, is that you?”
They greeted warmly, as if they were grandmother and granddaughter. If someone unaware had seen them, they might have thought so. But Geomryeong’s expression was the opposite, seemingly displeased.
The elderly woman looked at Geomryeong with eyes like she had discovered a precious gem.
“And who is this young man?” she asked Jin Aseol.
“This is Geomryeong, who works as a traveler in our tribute agency. He boasts that he’s the greatest martial artist in the world.”
Jin Aseol introduced Geomryeong as the world’s greatest martial artist.
“Really, I am the greatest martial artist. And I told her to call me oppa,” Geomryeong added, his eyes reflecting a similar intensity to Aseol’s.
“Hmph, lying even in front of a grandmother.”
“I’m serious. I really am the greatest martial artist.”
No one believed him, no matter what he said.
“Ugh, grandmother, give me some Hangwa.”
Jin Aseol, not wanting to embarrass the grandmother with their chatter, requested the Hangwa.
“Okay, wait a moment.”
The grandmother put several pieces of Hangwa into a paper bag and handed it to Jin Aseol.
“Since you brought him along, I’ll give a little extra today.”
“Wow! Grandma, you’re the best!”
Jin Aseol smiled brightly at the extra treat.
“He’s not mine,” Geomryeong muttered, dissatisfied, but Jin Aseol interrupted.
“You need to pay the grandmother, mister.”
“How much?”
Not wanting to argue about being the greatest martial artist, he paid for the Hangwa.
“Try this, mister,” Jin Aseol said, giving him the largest piece.
Geomryeong took a bite.
“Wow! Savory.”
Chewing the large piece, he said gruffly to Jin Aseol,
“You should’ve told me about something this delicious sooner!”
Jin Aseol didn’t let him provoke her.
“I did tell you!”
“You were keeping this delicious stuff all to yourself, weren’t you?”
The grandmother watched their conversation with a faint smile, her gaze fixed on Geomryeong as if she had discovered a rare jewel.
