Chapter 56
Green Forest (1)
“So he really went and declared war.”
Through the grapevine, Namgoong Hyuk learned what Im Woobaek had said on the day of the Sado Alliance’s formation ceremony.
He hadn’t expected him to make such a public declaration of war.
Maybe that was why—
The once lively atmosphere inside the Martial Alliance, which had been brimming with energy after the Hero Tournament, had now turned grim and heavy.
‘If things are this bad here, the atmosphere back home must be even worse.’
After that incident, Namgoong Hwang had returned to the Namgoong Clan’s main household in Hefei.
It was obvious that once the Sado Alliance began its campaign in earnest, the Namgoong Clan would be one of its first targets.
‘They’ll probably move within half a year at most.’
The Alliance’s intelligence divisions—like the Beggar Sect—were already scrambling beneath the surface, fighting for scraps of information.
In this tense situation that could explode any moment, Namgoong Hyuk couldn’t help but question himself.
‘Should I have gone back home with the clan leader?’
Like it or not, that was where he had been born and raised.
And besides—someone precious to him, Namgoong Hwarin, was still there.
‘I want to run straight there right now… but I should wait a little longer.’
The war hadn’t even started yet.
And there was a chance the Vermilion Bird Squad might be dispatched as reinforcements to the Namgoong Clan.
There was no need to act rashly.
“I have a mission for you, as the leader of the Vermilion Bird Squad’s 4th unit.”
Yang Miryeong said this when she summoned the restless Namgoong Hyuk to her office.
It was his first mission since being promoted to squad leader.
“What kind of mission is it?” he asked.
“You’re aware that among the forces allied with the Sado Alliance is the Green Forest (Nokrim), right?”
The Green Forest (Nokrim)—
A collective term for the countless bandit groups scattered across the central plains.
Ordinarily, such outlaws should have been eradicated by the authorities.
But over time, many among them learned martial arts, grew stronger, and became one of the major factions of the Unorthodox world.
Yang Miryeong continued,
“It seems there was a conflict of opinion within the Green Forest about joining the Sado Alliance.”
The number-one-ranked mountain stronghold, Tiger King Fortress (Howangchae), opposed joining.
Meanwhile, the number-two-ranked Giant Bear Fortress (Geo-ungchae), advocated for alliance.
Their feud divided the lesser strongholds as well.
“In the end, the two leaders fought to settle it. The Giant Bear side won.”
Following that victory, Hwang Gae, known as the Giant Bear Blade (Geo-ung-do), defeated Madusan of the Tower-Lifting Saber and became the new Grand Chief of the Green Forest.
Under his command, the Green Forest officially joined the Sado Alliance.
Of course, not every stronghold agreed with that decision.
“So our goal is to secretly support the opposition faction—help them overthrow Giant Bear Fortress and pull the Green Forest out of the Sado Alliance.”
“That’s quite a clever strategy,” Namgoong Hyuk remarked.
The many strongholds of the Green Forest were situated along critical routes throughout the central plains.
If they decided to blockade those routes, it would be a major obstacle to any army’s movement.
‘Before the war begins, they’re trying to shake up the Green Forest internally—to at least make them neutral.
Whoever came up with this plan has a sharp mind.’
It wasn’t the sort of strategy one expected from the righteous sects, who usually prized honor and face.
“Who proposed this plan?” he asked.
“The Deputy Strategist of the Military Affairs Bureau,” Yang Miryeong replied.
So it was Je Gal-rin’s idea.
Coming from someone as clear-headed and pragmatic as her, it made perfect sense.
Yang Miryeong gave a self-deprecating smile.
“Given the nature of the mission, it fell to us—not to the other squads.”
“That makes sense. So, which team will accompany me?”
“Eh? What are you talking about?”
Yang Miryeong widened her single eye in surprise.
Namgoong Hyuk blinked.
“Wait… do you mean I’m going alone?”
“Hah! Of course not.” She laughed heartily. “I’m not sending you out by yourself.”
Then who was going with him?
Just then, there was movement outside the door.
“Ah, perfect timing. Come in.”
The door opened, and two people entered.
Namgoong Hyuk’s eyes widened slightly.
“You two…?”
“Haha, long time no see.”
Kim Ji-seok greeted him with an awkward smile.
Beside him stood Tang San, whom Namgoong Hyuk had also faced in the Hero Tournament finals—heir to the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Surprisingly, both of them were wearing Vermilion Bird Squad uniforms.
“You chose to join the Vermilion Bird Squad?”
“Yes,” Kim Ji-seok said, his eyes gleaming. “I heard you were part of this unit, so I joined too.”
Those eliminated in the preliminaries had joined the Martial Alliance as low-ranking warriors,
but those who reached the finals were allowed to enlist under better conditions.
‘Kim Ji-seok, sure… but Tang San?’
Namgoong Hyuk glanced at Tang San, who avoided his gaze with his head half-bowed.
He was the young heir of the Tang Clan—one of the Six Great Houses.
For him to choose the Vermilion Bird Squad instead of the Azure Dragon Division was unexpected.
“These two will be your new teammates,” Yang Miryeong said.
And so, as their leader, Namgoong Hyuk set off on his first mission—with two new subordinates in tow.
* * *
Tianzong Mountain, Henan Province
Located on the route connecting Henan to Anhui and Hubei, the mountain had long been home to the Yellow Deer Fortress (Hwangnokchae).
“What a beautiful mountain,” Kim Ji-seok said, admiring the scenery as he led the way up the trail.
Namgoong Hyuk gave him a skeptical look.
“You’re sure you can actually find the fortress?”
“Of course! I’ve hunted through almost every mountain range along the Baekdu-Daegan.”
Kim Ji-seok answered with confidence.
He’d once hunted with his father before meeting the mysterious hermit who taught him martial arts.
Without his tracking skills, it would have been nearly impossible to locate the hidden fortress in this vast mountain.
‘Is he following properly?’
Namgoong Hyuk glanced back.
Tang San was walking behind them at a calm pace.
Even under the bright sunlight, there seemed to be a strangely dark aura hanging around him—perhaps it was just Namgoong Hyuk’s imagination.
‘Can I really complete this mission with these two?’
He didn’t doubt their martial skills; both could easily protect themselves.
But whether they could follow his commands properly in a real mission—that was another matter.
‘Ji-seok admires me and listens well enough,
but he’s never worked in a group before—he tends to act on his own initiative.’
So Namgoong Hyuk would need to keep a close eye on him.
As for Tang San—
‘If I don’t speak first, I can go all day without hearing a single word from him.’
Even during their match, Tang San had struck him as incredibly withdrawn—hardly the personality one expected from the heir of the Tang Clan.
That made him hard to read and difficult to communicate with.
‘Honestly, this mission might have been easier alone.’
He could have infiltrated a bandit hideout by himself without much trouble.
With his current skill level, even a small army of bandits wouldn’t be a real threat.
But this time, the mission wasn’t to fight—it was to persuade Jo Uchi, the fortress lord of Yellow Deer Fortress, known as the Black Wolf Blade (Heuknang-do).
It would require words, not weapons—something Namgoong Hyuk wasn’t especially confident in.
“Wait!”
Kim Ji-seok suddenly stopped, spotting something.
Namgoong Hyuk cleared his thoughts and moved closer.
“Did you find something?”
“Yes. There are clear signs of people coming and going here.”
Branches were broken, and the ground was worn bare of grass—
evidence of frequent passage.
“If we follow this trail, it should lead straight to the fortress.”
“Well done.”
They followed the tracks—crossing ridges and valleys—until they finally encountered the bandits of Yellow Deer Fortress.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
They were “greeted” by a volley of arrows.
Namgoong Hyuk didn’t even draw his sword.
He simply waved his hand lightly—
A blast of wind born from his internal energy knocked every arrow out of the air.
“H-He’s a master!”
“Damn it! Alert the fortress—!”
Voices shouted from the trees.
As Kim Ji-seok reached for his bow, Namgoong Hyuk stopped him with a hand and darted forward, unleashing his movement art.
It was clearly Heavenly Wind Steps (Cheonpung Shinhap), but faster and sharper than before.
‘Guess that extra training paid off.’
His weakest point had always been light footwork.
But after the Hero Tournament, he’d studied the Kunlun Sect’s Cloud Dragon Eight Forms and Shaolin’s Nine-Linked Circles,
and trained intensively in the “Room.”
His movement skills had improved dramatically.
Whoosh!
He raced through the trees without disturbing a single branch, then stopped amid camouflaged bandits hidden in the foliage.
“I am Namgoong Hyuk, from the Martial Alliance.”
He introduced himself first—
Only to be met with a chorus of shouts.
“Waaah!”
“Kill him!”
The bandits charged in blindly, not recognizing who they were facing.
Thud! Crack! Thump!
By the time Kim Ji-seok and Tang San caught up, the fight was already over.
“Ugh… uuurgh…”
The bandits groaned on the ground, all subdued by Namgoong Hyuk’s fists.
He realized belatedly what he’d done.
‘Ah… I didn’t mean to hit them that hard. But they did attack first.’
Thankfully, none were dead—so it shouldn’t be an issue.
Namgoong Hyuk nudged one of the fallen bandits with his foot.
The man immediately flattened himself to the ground, trembling.
“M-Master! Forgive us! We didn’t know you were such a high master!”
“You’re with Yellow Deer Fortress, right?”
“Y-Yes! That’s right!”
“As I said, we’re from the Martial Alliance. We came to meet your fortress lord, Jo Uchi.”
The bandit’s head jerked up, eyes wide.
Understandably so—what kind of righteous warriors came to meet a bandit chief?
“So lead us to your fortress.”
“….”
The bandit hesitated, clearly suspicious.
If he brought them there and they suddenly attacked, it would be his neck.
Sensing his doubt, Namgoong Hyuk said calmly,
“We came to talk. I give you my word, in the name of the Martial Alliance, that no harm will come to your fortress.”
Even so, the bandits hesitated, glancing nervously at each other.
Then Tang San stepped forward, speaking quietly.
“We could… poison them, then promise the antidote in exchange for guidance.”
“What?”
Namgoong Hyuk blinked, startled.
That was a brutally pragmatic solution—unthinkable for most righteous sects.
‘But coming from the Tang Clan… it makes sense.’
The Tang Clan’s ruthless use of poison was famous; for them, ends always justified the means.
Even someone as introverted as Tang San was still a Tang, after all.
Namgoong Hyuk looked between Tang San and the trembling bandits—then smiled faintly.
“That’s not a bad idea. Make sure it’s a poison that causes excruciating pain unless treated quickly.”
Tang San nodded solemnly.
The bandits, having overheard every word, went pale as ash.
“I’ll lead you! I’ll take you there myself!”
“Please, just spare our lives!”
And just like that, Namgoong Hyuk’s group secured their cooperation—
and made their way easily toward Yellow Deer Fortress.
