LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 27 - The Truly Terrifying Thing
Chapter 27: The Truly Terrifying Thing
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“Ha! Look at these crazy bastards!”
Zhongli Sang, the leader of the Flying Tiger Squad, one of the main martial squads of the Zhongli Clan, wore an incredulous expression at the news his subordinate had brought.
Though part of the Zhongli Clan’s forces, the Flying Tiger Squad had recently taken on the task of managing a nearby Unorthodox Faction, collecting tribute from them.
After facing near ruin at the hands of the Heavenly Demon, the clan had no choice but to resort to such methods to secure funds.
Surprisingly, this approach proved to be quite profitable.
There wasn’t much risk of being discovered by outsiders.
As long as the Unorthodox Faction didn’t cross any major lines, all they had to do was turn a blind eye to their activities.
There wasn’t much to worry about afterward, either.
As long as no one found out about the money exchanging hands, everything would be fine.
Even righteous martial families didn’t always clean up Unorthodox forces in their territories.
More often than not, they simply didn’t care.
In cases where Unorthodox factions grew larger, the righteous groups would sometimes draw a line and compromise.
So, there wasn’t much of an issue in draining these Unorthodox Factions dry.
At least, that’s how it had been until now.
But today, a problem suddenly arose.
It was laughable.
“They refused to pay tribute?”
“Yes, they said they couldn’t give it.”
“And you just said, ‘Fine,’ and came back like a fool?”
“What could I have done alone? They were overly confident. They clearly have something to rely on.”
Zhongli Sang smirked.
“Something to rely on? Did they hire some expert to back them? Hasn’t something like this happened before?”
“Yes, about five years ago. The expert they hired back then… I don’t quite remember.”
“Neither do I. Didn’t I cut off the arm of the Blood Axe Faction’s leader back then? Or was it the wrist?”
“You cut off all his limbs. The current leader was the vice leader at that time.”
“Ah, right, that happened. And now they’re pulling the same stunt?”
“Well, the expert they’ve hired this time must be stronger than the last.”
“So, you tucked your tail and came back because you were afraid of getting beaten up by that expert?”
“I had a really bad feeling about it.”
The subordinate stood firm.
Zhongli Sang chuckled and rose to his feet.
“Let’s go. It’s about time we reminded them who we are. Painful memories tend to fade without regular reinforcement.”
Just as he was about to set off, another subordinate came rushing in from outside.
Zhongli Sang’s expression hardened.
That man had also gone to collect tribute from a Unorthodox Faction.
“Leader, they said they couldn’t pay the tribute.”
“And you, too, were so scared you just came crawling back like a coward?”
“Oh? How did you know? They clearly have something backing them. They were far too confident.”
Before Zhongli Sang could respond, yet another subordinate rushed in, looking just as anxious.
At that moment, he realized the situation wasn’t normal.
“Have these crazy bastards all been taking the same drug or something?”
* * *
“Young Master, are you sure this is okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“If we spread the weaknesses of the Zhongli Clan’s martial arts so widely, it’s bound to cause problems later.”
Byeok Taesan smirked.
“Problems? What problems?”
“Do you think the Zhongli Clan will let this slide if they find out?”
“How would they know it was us?”
“Excuse me? But, Young Master, you and I—”
“That’s why we wore masks.”
Cheon Kyungwan was baffled.
This was just like trying to cover the sun with a sieve.
“But something like this can easily be figured out. If they find out we were here, they can easily deduce it was us.”
“They won’t have the capacity for that.”
Cheon Kyungwan shook his head.
From his perspective, Byeok Taesan was being far too optimistic.
“Young Master, just a few Unorthodox Factions causing trouble won’t be enough to truly threaten the Zhongli Clan. Sure, it’ll be a hassle, but they’ll eventually clean it up.”
That was the power of an elite clan.
Even though the Zhongli Clan had nearly been destroyed by the Heavenly Demon, they had managed to rebuild to this point.
“Don’t you understand what it means for a prestigious clan to rely on Unorthodox forces?”
“Huh? What does it mean?”
“It means they’re strapped for cash. They’ll probably stumble a bit.”
“But that’s all. They’ll ultimately resolve it.”
Honestly, even if the Unorthodox knew the weaknesses of the Zhongli Clan’s martial arts, it was unlikely they could truly oppose their warriors.
“The advantage of the Unorthodox is their numbers. If they all rise up at once, the Zhongli Clan will have to split their forces, and that’s where they’ll make their mistake.”
Of course, that alone wouldn’t be enough.
Even with knowledge of weaknesses, if there was an overwhelming gap in skill, it would barely matter.
Exploiting weaknesses also required skill.
“At first, they might manage a brief victory, but it will get difficult after that.”
“That’s true.”
When Byeok Taesan agreed so nonchalantly, Cheon Kyungwan looked at him with a bewildered expression.
“Then isn’t that a big problem?”
“What problem? We’re going there precisely to avoid a mere brief victory.”
As Byeok Taesan gestured with his chin toward a direction, Cheon Kyungwan’s eyes widened.
“The Dongho Escort Agency?”
“You’ve heard of it?”
“This is my first time hearing the name.”
“Doesn’t sound like a well-known agency, then.”
“Yes, but why exactly are we going there…?”
“They’re about to fight the Zhongli Clan.”
“What? That escort agency? Why would they fight the Zhongli Clan? And even if they do, could they possibly stand a chance?”
“They can.”
Byeok Taesan began striding confidently toward the Dongho Escort Agency.
Cheon Kyungwan stood there dumbfounded, staring at Byeok Taesan’s back, before snapping back to reality and quickly following him.
He trusted Byeok Taesan and acknowledged his genius, but this time it seemed absolutely out of the question.
Still, what choice did he have? He had to trust him until the end.
Honestly, he hadn’t expected even the Unorthodox factions to follow Byeok Taesan’s orders so obediently.
It was completely absurd, but Byeok Taesan kept making the absurd possible.
“What brings you here?”
A guard at the main gate of the escort agency cautiously asked.
Byeok Taesan replied with a calm expression.
“I’ve come to meet the Chief.”
“The Chief? Are you referring to the head of the agency?”
Byeok Taesan gestured with his chin.
“Lead the way.”
Without realizing it, the guard instinctively started leading Byeok Taesan inside.
“Uh… this way, please.”
The guard’s colleague watched the scene unfold as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It wasn’t until they were nearly at the Chief’s office that the two guards began to think something was amiss.
“The Chief’s office is over there, but… may I ask who I should announce?”
Byeok Taesan raised a hand, stopping the guard mid-sentence.
“Hold on. I haven’t remembered everything yet.”
“Sorry, what?”
The guard glanced between Byeok Taesan and Cheon Kyungwan with a confused look.
Cheon Kyungwan, looking restless, glanced nervously between Byeok Taesan and the guard as well.
When his eyes met the guard’s, Cheon Kyungwan quickly looked away.
At that moment, suspicion finally crept into the guard’s mind, and his expression turned cold.
Just then, Byeok Taesan clapped his hands.
“Ah, I remember now.”
The clap startled both the guard and Cheon Kyungwan, who instinctively turned to look at Byeok Taesan.
It was such perfect timing that both seemed momentarily breathless.
“Tell him we need to send something to Hyunwol.”
The guard tilted his head in confusion.
No matter how much he thought about it, he had no idea what “Hyunwol” referred to.
“Is that all I need to say?”
Byeok Taesan waved dismissively as if too bothered to explain further.
The guard quickly entered the Chief’s office.
Moments later, a middle-aged man, presumably the Chief, burst through the door as if he were about to break it down and rushed toward Byeok Taesan.
The Chief bowed deeply, almost groveling, while extending both arms toward his office.
“It is an honor to meet you, esteemed guest. Please, come inside, come inside!”
Byeok Taesan walked into the office leisurely, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The Chief remained bent at the waist the entire time.
Cheon Kyungwan stood to the side, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the scene.
He was so shocked that he couldn’t even manage to control his expression.
* * *
Zhongli Sang wanted to handle this matter on his own terms.
The Flying Tiger Corps was the lowest-ranking of the three main martial corps under the Zhongli Clan.
This fact had always been a source of dissatisfaction for Zhongli Sang.
To him, the skills of the three corps were comparable.
At least, that’s what he believed.
Yet, the Flying Tiger Corps was ranked the lowest due to its lack of history and achievements.
The corps had been formed after the Heavenly Demon Incident.
The other two main martial corps had become solid pillars during the incident, preventing the Zhongli Clan from being completely destroyed.
Such contributions were undeniable.
Thus, Zhongli Sang and the Flying Tiger Corps were often relegated to menial tasks.
One such task was extorting the underworld factions to secure funds.
In addition, they handled countless other unsavory activities that needed to be done discreetly.
So failing to resolve a mere rebellion by an underworld faction on his own was out of the question.
Not if Zhongli Sang ever wanted to move beyond his current position.
“How many Unorthodox factions are under our control again? Thirteen?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The thirteen Unorthodox factions were managing the rest of the Unorthodox groups on their own, keeping them under control.
As a result, the Zhongli Clan essentially had every Unorthodox group in the area in its grasp.
But now, those thirteen factions have risen in rebellion.
If this situation were left unchecked, the Zhongli Clan would lose the hold it had worked so hard to secure.
“I’ll deal with the Blood Axe Faction myself… the rest, distribute the tasks as needed. How many people do you need?”
“Well… I think five would be sufficient.”
“Our Vanguard Corps numbers sixty in total. If you take five for yourself, what about the rest?”
“Then… four, but that’s the bare minimum. If the Clan Head had seen the look in those bastards’ eyes earlier, he would have said even five isn’t enough.”
“Fine. I’ll take just two with me. Distribute the others accordingly. Remember, this needs to be resolved swiftly. If we fail to punish them properly, they’ll grow bold in no time.”
“We’ve been in this business long enough, haven’t we? Sometimes, I can’t even tell if we’re part of the righteous factions or the Unorthodox. But don’t worry; we’ll handle it the Unorthodox Path way.”
Zhongli Sang waved his hand dismissively and began to move.
It was time to punish those insolent fools.
“Rebellion, huh? I spared them, and they don’t even know gratitude.”
With every step Zhongli Sang took toward the Blood Axe Faction, his fury mounted.
By the time he arrived, that fury radiated from his entire being.
Standing before the headquarters of the Blood Axe Faction, Zhongli Sang’s intense aura spread wildly, causing chaos within the faction’s hall.
He simply stood still, watching as the commotion inside the Blood Axe Faction’s base grew louder.
There was no need to go in.
Soon enough, the leader of the faction would show himself.
As expected, Blood Axe Faction leader Chu Jun-wang came rushing out in a fluster.
Behind him, his subordinates spilled out, each armed with an axe in hand.
“Cut off an arm of your own accord and kneel. Do that, and I’ll spare your lives.”
Zhongli Sang’s voice carried murderous intent.
But no one from the Blood Axe Faction answered. Instead, they surrounded Zhongli Sang and his men.
Seeing this, Zhongli Sang scoffed.
“Are you insane? Do you think you have even the faintest chance of beating us?”
“Shut the hell up!”
Chu Jun-wang’s roar left Zhongli Sang momentarily speechless.
The sheer absurdity of the situation was overwhelming.
“Are you seriously out of your mind?”
“Crazy? You think I’m crazy? I’m doing this to keep from going insane! Dying to you here today is far better than shitting myself in terror before someone else!”
Zhongli Sang’s face hardened.
Those words made one thing clear—someone else was behind this rebellion.
Though furious, Zhongli Sang realized this wasn’t the time to let anger get the better of him.
“Hah… Calmly explain. Who’s behind you? We’ll take care of them. The Zhongli Clan will handle this completely, so tell me what’s going on.”
“Shut up! You clueless idiot, just shut up! What are you waiting for? Do you want to end up like them?!”
At Chu Jun-wang’s shout, the faction members surged forward.
Their eyes were filled with desperation and venom.
Zhongli Sang, momentarily startled, soon ignited his body with rage and swung his sword.
Shik-shik-shik!
Several members of the Blood Axe Faction were sent flying, blood spraying everywhere. Yet, none of them died.
Seeing this, the faction members grew even bolder and charged with renewed vigor.
What happened next was truly shocking.
In the brief chaos, the two warriors Zhongli Sang had brought along fell.
It was an unthinkable outcome.
The primary reason had to be carelessness.
Still, no matter how off guard they had been, it made no sense for such capable warriors to fall to these mere thugs.
Grinding his teeth, Zhongli Sang swung his sword with fury.
The Blood Axe Faction members were no match for him.
Even if they understood the weaknesses of the Zhongli Clan’s martial arts, it didn’t matter.
But it wasn’t the faction members who were Zhongli Sang’s true enemies.
•••
A caravan leader from the Eastern Tiger Escort Agency, disguised as one of the faction members, exploited a critical opening in Zhongli Sang’s defenses.
Shunk!
Zhongli Sang staggered, his eyes widening in shock.
“Get him!”
At Chu Jun-wang’s command, axes rained down on Zhongli Sang.
The faction members weren’t aiming to kill; they struck him with the flat side of their axes, delivering relentless blows.
Bam-bam-bam-bam!
Unable to move properly due to the wound on his side, Zhongli Sang was utterly beaten.
No matter how strong he was, he couldn’t endure such relentless assault.
His vision blurred before he collapsed, unconscious.
Similar incidents were unfolding simultaneously at thirteen Dark Path faction bases.