LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 175
Chapter 175
Vanquishing Demons and Evil
“Ho.”
“How is it?”
“It’s a fine ruby. It’s top quality.”
“As expected, you recognized it.”
“Two sacks of top-quality rubies… You’ve really put in some effort this time.”
“Haha, I walked quite a bit for them.”
A middle-aged man rubbed his palms together and bowed his head as he spoke, his demeanor dripping with humility. Above him, Hang Chun looked down with a sneer.
With a voice that belied his expression, Hang Chun said, “The leader will be very pleased. Wait here a moment. I’ll show him the goods and return.”
“Of course.”
Hang Chun entered the tent.
Shortly after.
Flap!
The huge tent entrance opened, revealing a giant man. Fear crept into the middle-aged man’s face.
The man, who emerged naked, was a massive figure covered in rippling muscles. Every time he moved slowly, his muscles twisted dynamically.
It was quite a spectacle, but the problem was the blood on his body.
The blood, fresh enough to still trickle down his shoulders and collarbones, glittered in the sunlight, instilling a chilling sense of dread in those who saw him.
Moreover, the man was not from Jungwon. With a mixed bloodline that seemed to include the West, he had exotic features and blue eyes.
The middle-aged man unconsciously swallowed.
‘Is that the leader of the Gray Wolf Gang?!’
The massive man, Pasaruk, cracked his neck to the sides.
Crunch! Crack!
The sound was so loud it made one worry about his bones dislocating. The middle-aged man’s face grew increasingly pale.
“Ugh! I’m already feeling stiff.”
Hang Chun spoke respectfully.
“Leader, this is him.”
“Hmm?”
Pasaruk looked down at the middle-aged man with languid eyes.
The middle-aged man hurriedly bowed his head. He couldn’t dare meet those eyes.
Pasaruk’s lips twitched.
“Rubies?”
Hang Chun continued, “And he’s the one who brought the women.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Pasaruk laughed heartily.
His laughter was as loud as a whale’s. The deep, heavy laughter had a mesmerizing quality that left people dazed.
“I was very satisfied. Though I can’t use them anymore.”
The middle-aged man realized the blood on Pasaruk was from the women he had offered yesterday.
His body began to tremble.
Thud!
Pasaruk sat down heavily on the ground.
“Is this the first time we meet?”
“Y-Yes.”
“You look better than I thought. I expected you to look like a rat since you rob your own kin’s caravan.”
Pasaruk burst out laughing again.
It was a provoking remark, but the middle-aged man couldn’t express his anger.
A subtle, invisible pressure seemed to bind his limbs.
He couldn’t move an inch. He was like a fawn facing a predator for the first time, frozen in both body and mind.
His thoughts came to a halt. The intense fear and the unknown pressure made his vision blur.
Pasaruk, observing him with curious eyes, asked Hang Chun, “How much have we given him so far?”
“Two-tenths.”
“Two-tenths?”
“Yes.”
Pasaruk whistled softly.
“That’s a lot. The average is usually one-tenth, isn’t it? But you gave him two-tenths?”
“The items he brings are quite good. So we valued them at two-tenths.”
“Did I allow that?”
“Yes.”
“Was I drunk? I don’t remember.”
Hang Chun smiled.
“Shall I bring back half of what he has received so far?”
A chilling remark.
Pasaruk laughed loudly.
“That would be a bit too much. It’s unseemly to take back what we’ve already given.”
After laughing for a while, he spoke to the man.
“Lift your head.”
The middle-aged man trembled as he raised his head.
Blink!
‘Gasp!’
Seeing Pasaruk’s blue eyes, his heart sank. He instinctively closed his eyes tightly.
Pasaruk asked, “You have quite the knack for this.”
“T-Thank you!”
“No need for thanks. We should be grateful to you. You’ve been taking a ten percent commission.”
“It’s an honor…”
“Enough. I have one question.”
“Y-Yes?”
Pasaruk’s face grew sinister as he asked, “Did you get these rubies from your brother’s caravan again?”
“…Yes.”
“What’s the name of the caravan?”
Hang Chun answered, “It’s called the Haeryong Caravan. It’s one of the top caravans in Shandong Province. It’s a renowned caravan that’s been passed down for five generations.”
“Five generations? Impressive. It’s on a different level from our bandit gang.”
Pasaruk laughed, and Hang Chun followed suit.
But the middle-aged man couldn’t laugh.
“What’s your name again?”
“Yeong Go-wi.”
“Yeong Go-wi.”
Swish.
Yeong Go-wi flinched.
A hand as big as a pot lid rested on his shoulder. It felt like it could crush his shoulder and collarbone at any moment.
“Aren’t you tired of sneaking things out every time?”
“…Pardon?”
“We need to stay in Shandong for about a month. We can’t earn money or conduct rituals. We need to keep a low profile.”
Pasaruk’s eyes glinted with a murderous intent.
“Before that, we’d like to have some fun. How about guiding us to this Haeryong Caravan?”
“…!!”
Yeong Go-wi’s face turned pale.
“The Ha-Haeryong Caravan?”
“Yes. The caravan run by your brothers.”
He didn’t need to ask the reason.
These people intended to dismantle the Haeryong Caravan completely. They planned to seize all the wealth.
‘This… cannot happen!’
It must not happen.
The Haeryong Caravan is large. That’s why he could sneak out items. Since his brothers managed it, they had a degree of trust in him.
But destroying the Haeryong Caravan was an entirely different matter.
No matter how much he hated them, it was a foundation built by his blood brothers. Bringing the Gray Wolf Gang, the top bandit group from the Western Region, into it was an unmistakable betrayal.
‘…!!’
But Yeong Go-wi couldn’t say no.
Drip, drip.
His body was soaked in cold sweat.
Pasaruk’s eyes, filled with fierce murderous intent despite his smile, exuded a more terrifying fear than any martial artist.
“…I will guide you.”
Pasaruk laughed heartily.
“Good. Very good! Sub-leader Hang, didn’t I say he would be useful?”
“Indeed, your insight is unparalleled.”
“Haha! I’m glad to have met someone who understands. I like him. When we destroy the Haeryong Caravan, a tenth of its wealth will be yours.”
The wealth owned by the Haeryong Caravan was enormous.
Even a tenth would be enough to live comfortably for generations.
Greed flickered in Yeong Go-wi’s eyes, despite his fear.
“Th-Thank you! Thank you!”
Pasaruk smiled wickedly.
His yellow fangs were sharp like a beast’s.
“Let’s eat and set off immediately.”
* * *
“The Gray Wolf Gang, huh.”
Moyong Woo spoke in a cold voice.
“They are said to plunder from Northern Tibet, Northern Qinghai, and Northern Gansu.”
“Their range is enormous.”
“Indeed.”
Yeon Hojeong frowned.
“How strong are they? Since they’re a bandit gang, I assume their simple strength isn’t significant. They wouldn’t form an alliance just to deal with one such group.”
Moyong Woo blinked.
His innocent eyes resembled those of a deer.
“But haven’t you heard of the Gray Wolf Gang?”
“No. Besides, the key points of this operation were only reported to you, the leader.”
“Of course… But didn’t the clan head tell you anything?”
Yeon Hojeong licked his lips.
“He strictly adheres to principles. He never speaks of matters that shouldn’t be discussed with you.”
Moyong Woo shook his head.
He had heard much about it, but it seemed the rumors of his strict personality were true. No wonder people called him the Judge’s Sword.
“Tell me. Are the Gray Wolf Gang that formidable?”
“They are. First, their leader is no ordinary person.”
“Who is he?”
“His name is Pasaruk. His nickname is the Iron Bone Evil Buddha.”
“That’s an absurd nickname.”
“His nickname may be absurd, but his martial arts are not.”
“How strong is he?”
“Though I don’t know exactly, he’s not much weaker than me.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes widened.
“The leader of a bandit gang is that strong?”
“When he was active in Gansu, he fought the Seven Heroes of Yumen. All seven were top masters, renowned for their remarkable skills in Northern Gansu.”
“No way.”
“Yes. Pasaruk fought them head-on and killed them all.”
Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.
“That’s strange. Even with such martial skills, he’s merely leading a bandit gang?”
The world has all kinds of people. Even Tang Sang-ah had followed Moyong Woo out of boredom in the Murim Alliance.
One could master the greatest martial arts but still end up as a bandit if their nature was twisted.
Of course, such people were rare.
“That’s not all. The Gray Wolf Gang has about a thousand members.”
“A thousand?”
“Their members are diverse in race and age. No wonder they’re called the top bandit gang of the Western Region. Most of them are said to
have considerable martial skills.”
Yeon Hojeong clicked his tongue.
“They’re almost a sect, not a bandit gang.”
“They act like a typical bandit gang, but their power cannot be ignored.”
“But why does that guy… His name is Pa… Hmm.”
“Pasaruk.”
“Right, Pasaruk. Why does his nickname include ‘Evil Buddha’? I’m curious.”
Though Yeon Hojeong asked as a joke to lighten the mood, Moyong Woo unexpectedly knew the answer.
“It’s because of the martial arts he learned.”
“Martial arts?”
“Pasaruk is from Xiao Lei Yin Temple in Tibet.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes lit up.
‘Xiao Lei Yin Temple?’
Xiao Lei Yin Temple is one of the absolute powerhouses in the outer martial world.
‘Outer… Outer region.’
Why?
When he heard it was a bandit gang from the outer region, he felt nothing, but now, knowing their leader came from Xiao Lei Yin Temple, he suddenly thought of the Three Teachings of Madness.
‘Hu Gae said there was nothing unusual in the outer region, right?’
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes deepened.
‘Could he be connected to them?’
After a brief moment of thought, he shook his head.
It was an overreaction. While it was possible, considering it now was unnecessary.
However…
‘Before the mad dogs of the Three Teachings invaded, some outer forces did stir up Jungwon.’
Yeon Hojeong stood up.
“That’s enough information. When will we depart?”
“Are you asking me?”
“You’re the leader.”
Moyong Woo chuckled.
“When do you think we should leave?”
“Whenever you want. We’re just following orders anyway.”
“We’ll depart in half a day.”
“Fine.”
“By the way, why don’t you call me hyung?”
Yeon Hojeong turned away coldly.
“See you in half a day, hyung.”