Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 287

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 287

Whoosh.

The fire inside the large bronze brazier blazes high.

Zhuge Munhyeon standing before the mountain inn, along with Mujin and Dan Yeonhwa.

And in front of them were people holding clubs with fierce expressions and those kneeling with their heads bowed down.

But the numbers had decreased significantly from the beginning.

Less than half of the hundreds of people had survived.

‘I suppose I’ll need to make some adjustments to the Gwanghon Technique.’

Although he was gradually converting the sealed demonic energy into the power of Honyeon, so there was no risk of being consumed by demonic nature if he didn’t overdo it, the violence didn’t disappear.

Since it was a martial art that amplified internal energy by pushing anger to the extreme, it mercilessly took the lives of those considered enemies.

A hero and a killing demon are ultimately separated by a paper-thin line.

No matter how good his intentions, if he went too far, people might evaluate him as a killing demon. With his eyes in such a state due to the side effects of demonic nature…

Well, that was a problem for later.

Right now, resolving matters related to the Daebyeolsan gang came first.

Zhuge Munhyeon quietly observed those kneeling.

Green Forest.

They had grown larger than expected.

In the era he had lived in, they were the public purse for late-stage masters, or a means of earning pocket money for passing righteous wanderers.

At some point in his previous life, he too used to search the mountains when he ran out of money.

But look at this.

The so-called successor had reached the level of Gang Qi, and even a mere bandit leader had become impressive enough to use Wei Gang.

Not everyone would be the same, and the Daebyeolsan leader might be exceptionally outstanding, but considering that the number of mountain inns under the main bandit leader exceeded seventy, it was tremendous power as a single force.

‘These bandits have worked quite hard while I wasn’t watching.’

Such were the times.

Warlord era.

Forces everywhere were scattered and busy securing their own rice bowls, so who would step forward to subjugate the bandits?

Rather than becoming complacent in such a safe environment, they must have worked desperately hard.

‘Hmm, the current main bandit leader must be quite capable.’

Come to think of it, just as each sect and family of the orthodox factions represented one voice, it wasn’t particularly surprising that the forces of the unorthodox factions would possess comparable power.

It has always been said that forces have their rise and fall.

There was no law saying the Green Forest couldn’t have its era of strength.

“My lord, shall we begin?”

While he was lost in such thoughts, Han Bulhae, who was standing guard over the Daebyeolsan gang, asked with a deliberately serious attitude.

How absurd…

What kind of role-playing are you doing?

Meanwhile, someone who normally couldn’t even make eye contact with Deng Fei was now acting like a fox borrowing the tiger’s authority—there was no better example of it.

“Who’s calling me lord?”

“Ah, it just felt like the right atmosphere to call you that. Haha!”

Han Bulhae, having been scolded, laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.

“Step aside, don’t do unnecessary things.”

“Yes!”

Having dismissed Han Bulhae, Zhuge Munhyeon approached Deng Fei, who was kneeling at the very front.

That guy Mujin really beat him thoroughly.

Just subduing him would have been enough.

“Deng Fei.”

“…Speak.”

“I heard you had the small outposts kidnap people… What’s the reason? Was it perhaps the main leader’s order? Has the Green Forest changed its policy to kidnapping and selling people?”

“That, that is…”

“Tell me, there’s no need to endure and get beaten more.”

Deng Fei seemed to contemplate for a moment.

But making a decision was faster than expected.

The Daebyeolsan faction had already collapsed.

Even Jin Yalim, the Heavenly Gang Star he had trusted, was lying on a bed, beaten to a pulp.

There was no point in holding out any longer.

Above all, weren’t the three before him unimaginably skilled masters?

“If I tell you… will you spare the remaining ones?”

“Hmm.”

At Deng Fei’s words, this time Zhuge Munhyeon stroked his chin as if contemplating.

Look at this?

Trying to find a way to live?

If so, it meant it wasn’t an order from the main leader.

The moment he spoke, they would inevitably be cast out from the roots of the Green Forest.

But this was puzzling.

Since bandits and water bandits throughout the Central Plains were currently committing similar acts, he had thought there might be such a possibility.

‘Then it means other guys are involved, but what to do about this…’

He couldn’t just pretend the kidnapping and destruction of people’s lives never happened.

“Fine, let’s do this.”

“…?”

“I won’t tell you to stop being bandits. Everyone has their own way of living. But you’re going to return the people you kidnapped to their original places. You’ll naturally have to provide compensation too, right?”

“Return them to their original places?”

“That’s right. Being bandits is your freedom, but laying hands on villages crossed the line too severely. That’s not the way of the Green Forest. Isn’t that right?”

Originally, kidnapping wasn’t the main focus of bandits, and even when they did it, they only targeted people from merchant families, escort agencies, or martial families.

No matter how much bandits were a tribe that committed evil acts, touching those in difficulty was like breaking the taboos of Murim.

Unknown bandits or rogue gangs wandering back alleys might be different.

This was something that could earn the public anger of all Murim.

When the dilemma was passed back to him, Deng Fei, who had been frowning, soon nodded his head.

“Fine. Let’s do that.”

That was the only way to survive anyway.

If Zhuge Munhyeon wanted to kill them, the Daebyeolsan gang would be completely annihilated that very moment.

“I don’t know about other gangs, but we received a commission.”

“A commission?”

“That’s right. If we kidnapped people, whoever they were, we were promised one tael of silver per head.”

At Deng Fei’s words, Han Bulhae, who had stepped back, opened his eyes wide and shouted.

“O, one tael of silver?! Per head?”

He looked very indignant.

Well, even though they were the ones who actually carried out the kidnapping, they had said they received ten iron coins.

Of course, there was the Gyegong Mountain faction led by Jang Kwae between the main building and them, but… they had taken way too much of the cut.

This was the problem with distribution margins.

Well, that was their problem, so let’s move on.

“Who made such a commission?”

“I don’t know about that either. We just handed over the kidnapped people to the promised location and received money.”

“I see. How many have you kidnapped and handed over so far?”

“A little over two hundred in the past year.”

“Two hundred?”

“That’s right.”

“Ha! Impressive. With that many people kidnapped, the authorities and Murim forces showed no reaction?”

He couldn’t help but be amazed not only by the numbers but also by the fact that it had been going on for a year.

It was only recently that he had learned kidnapping was rampant.

“The thing is… the condition was to only kidnap those who wouldn’t draw attention from authorities or Murim forces. Vagrants, slash-and-burn farmers, ginseng diggers, and hunters.”

“Damn, so that’s how it was.”

His head nodded involuntarily.

They had targeted only the outcasts, avoiding the attention of the world.

No one cares about vagrants wandering the streets.

Sometimes they freeze to death, sometimes they die fighting among themselves… People have no interest in how many die this way.

Long ago, when he himself was kidnapped by the Demonic Sect and raised as a Martial Artist, no one would have searched for him either.

The same goes for slash-and-burn farmers.

Most of them were either hiding in the mountains to escape the landowners’ ruthless taxes, or were criminals.

But why?

Who, and for what purpose, had commissioned the kidnapping of such people?

“But moving two hundred people wouldn’t have been easy, right? Even with a full year to do it.”

“Of course it wasn’t. So they told us to bring ten at a time.”

“Ten?”

“That’s right. When results were good, we sometimes handed them over daily, but since we couldn’t always succeed, sometimes we’d hand them over once every month. Above all, since we knew the mountain paths best, we never caught anyone’s attention.”

“So you avoided suspicion.”

“Exactly. The handover location wasn’t fixed either. When we sent word, they’d designate a different place each time.”

Cunning bastards.

Not only did they not reveal their identities, but they changed the handover locations for the kidnapped people every time.

So what now?

There must be people somewhere watching the transaction sites.

If they judged it dangerous, they probably wouldn’t show themselves.

In the end, to catch them, disguise would be necessary…

Something that wouldn’t make them suspicious…

Zhuge Munhyeon’s gaze, lost in thought, stopped on Han Bulhae and his subordinates.

‘Ah, those guys were here, weren’t they?’

Han Bulhae and his gang.

They belonged to the lowest tier among bandits.

There were plenty who had recklessly learned only sword techniques without cultivating internal energy.

In other words, they wouldn’t be suspected.

“Y-Young Master. Why are you suddenly looking at us with those eyes…”

“You guys, have you ever been kidnapped?”

“Pardon?”

“Try getting kidnapped this time.”

“…”

“You said you wanted to do good deeds, right? Now’s your chance.”

At the sight of Zhuge Munhyeon’s grinning face, Han Bulhae felt goosebumps for some reason.

“Deng Fei.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Send word to them. We move as soon as the reply comes.”

“…Understood.”

“Ah, and before that.”

“Yes?”

Zhuge Munhyeon’s grinning hand brushed several of Deng Fei’s pressure points.

“Why…?”

“Safety measure.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s called the Blood Explosion Technique. If I don’t release it within five days, your blood vessels will burst and you’ll die.”

“…”

“I have no choice, right? How can I trust someone based on words alone? I need to take some precautions too.”

At his words as he patted Deng Fei’s shoulder with a smile, Deng Fei’s face contorted.

“Ah, don’t try to test it. You’ll really die if you do. Very painfully.”

“…”

This damn bastard…

After he’d told him everything he knew.

But Zhuge Munhyeon, unconcerned with Deng Fei’s expression, turned his head and called Mujin.

“Mujin.”

“Yes?”

“Go with Yeonhwa and wake up Jin Yalim.”

“Understood.”

After Mujin and Dan Yeonhwa entered the mountain inn without complaint, a sharp slapping sound was heard.

What a crisp sound.

Indeed, the blood of someone who used to claw at things alongside beasts doesn’t just disappear.

It would probably be better to teach her the Small Heavenly Star Technique converted to hand techniques.

* * *

Namso, adjacent to the northern foothills of Daebyeolsan.

A place with only one dilapidated inn where travelers passing through the main road heading north could briefly rest.

It was over a hundred li away from nearby villages, had no stationed government troops, and travelers passed by only once every few days at most.

Gwak the Elder, who guarded the only building and inn in that place, was dozing off as usual during the leisurely afternoon.

“Inn Owner, sir.”

“Hm? Is that you, Wang Sam?”

At the sturdy shopkeeper who approached and spoke to him, Gwak the Elder rubbed his eyes and stretched.

“Food supplies have arrived from Daebyeolsan.”

“Is that so?”

“Ten bundles as usual. This time the owner of Daebyeolsan is coming personally.”

“Personally?”

“Yes. It seems he wants to negotiate prices. He was complaining quite a bit last time too.”

“Tsk tsk, they say the goods from Daebyeolsan are always poor quality… Always so greedy. Well, are the preparations for receiving them complete?”

“We’ve set Yusangol as the handover location, and we’re currently surveying the entire area.”

“Since the owner of Daebyeolsan is coming personally, extend the surveillance distance more than usual. It wouldn’t be good to be discovered.”

“Yes.”

“What’s the arrival time?”

“About thirty minutes from now, so if we leave now, we should have plenty of time.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Yes.”

When Gwak the Elder picked up the staff leaning against the wall and stood up, Wang Sam followed behind him.

The distance from Namso to Yusangol was a long twenty li, so it would be difficult for an old man with a staff to arrive in thirty minutes.

But the moment they left the main road and entered the forest path, Gwak the Elder’s movements became swift.

Even while using his staff and taking three-legged steps, he slid forward several zhang at once.

What was remarkable was that Wang Sam, despite following slowly, didn’t fall behind at all.

Even while passing through dense forests and crossing valleys, neither slowed their pace, and before long they arrived at the entrance to Yusangol.

“Have you arrived?”

As they arrived, a masked man suddenly appeared from what seemed like an empty roadside and bowed.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“I’ve prepared tea in the hut. From what I’ve observed, they’ve entered Angol, so if you wait just a moment, it should be fine.”

“Mm, they’re right on time.”

Angol was the entrance to Yusangol.

If they waited while drinking the prepared tea, they would be able to meet soon.

“Here are a mask and bamboo hat. I’ll notify you when the food supplies arrive.”

“Alright.”

It was to conceal their identities.

Gwak the Elder took the cloth offered by the masked man and entered the hut without a word.

And shortly after, Deng Fei arrived with the bandits, dragging hostages with wrapping cloths covering their heads.

“Welcome.”

Deng Fei showed a displeased expression at the masked man’s greeting, the same one who had welcomed Gwak the Elder.

“I thought we’d been doing business for quite a while, but is this all the trust we have?”

“What do you mean?”

“You had watchers stationed along the road.”

“…I apologize. Please understand generously that it was a precautionary measure.”

Though he hesitated briefly, the masked man answered without much disturbance.

“He’s waiting inside. Please hand over the goods to me and…”

“Absolutely not!”

“…”

“I need to do some negotiating today. Until then, I absolutely cannot hand them over.”

Deng Fei shouted irritably and spoke to his subordinates who were holding the hostages.

“Don’t hand over the goods until I give the order. Understood?”

“Yes.”

After Deng Fei entered the hut, the bandits gathered the hostages in one place.

And.

‘These bastards… they’re assassins?’

Zhuge Munhyeon, who was disguised as a kidnapped person along with Han Bulhae’s subordinates, immediately grasped the masked man’s aura.

But why assassins?

The kidnapped people aren’t material worth nurturing for the future, so why kidnap people?

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————