***
As the door slammed shut roughly and the presences of Sima Geon and Cheol U completely vanished, a long sigh escaped Gwan Hyo's lips.
“Ha! So it’s come to this!”
“Are you really going to let those bastards go just like that?”
Gwan Pae asked in a rough voice.
“And if I don’t? Their hearts are already gone. Besides, that guy kept his promise perfectly. He subjugated all of the Ten Great Demon Powers, and thanks to him, our family has achieved the great undertaking of unifying the demonic path once more.”
“But letting him go like this is too much of a waste. For the sake of our future grand plans, we can’t let him leave.”
Before Gwan Pae could finish, his second brother Gwan Jong shook his head.
“Even if it’s a waste, we can’t take the risk.”
“Risk?”
Gwan Pae furrowed his brow.
“Hmph! Even if he has some grudges, surely he wouldn’t...”
Gwan Pae was absolutely certain that Sima Geon would never point his sword at them.
Gwan Jong shouted with a frustrated expression.
“He brought his sword. The sword he was permitted to wear anywhere, in front of anyone, but had never carried until now. Do you not understand what that means? It means he’s ready to swing it if necessary to see his will through. He already made that clear by cutting down the Lake Heaven Division without hesitation when they blocked his path.”
“Hmph! Even if that’s true, you and I are here protecting Father. The Lake Heaven Division will join us immediately too. No matter how strong he is, he can’t take us all down.”
Gwan Jong pressed his temples firmly at his confident brother’s words and asked,
“Are you sure of that?”
“What?”
“While you were comfortably staying here, I watched how he dismantled the Ten Great Demon Powers. I saw with my own eyes how he utterly crushed the North Heaven Sword Demon, the greatest master in the demonic path since the Heavenly Demon ancestor. You had to see the North Heaven Sword Demon barely clinging to life as he fled. If that guy really wanted to...”
Gwan Jong couldn’t continue. It was too bitter to even put into words.
Gwan Pae flinched at his brother’s furious expression but then raised his voice as something occurred to him.
“P-Poison Blood Gu! We planted the Poison Blood Gu in him from Black Dragon Valley, didn’t we? No matter how strong he is, he couldn’t have dealt with the one inside his body. With the Poison Blood Gu, we could control him like a puppet... Agh!”
Gwan Pae, chattering excitedly, clutched his forehead and screamed. Red blood trickled down between his fingers.
“You pathetic fool!”
Gwan Hyo roared in anger after hurling a liquor bottle that shattered against Gwan Pae’s forehead.
“Three years ago, this seat promised him that if he crushed the Ten Great Demon Powers, I’d release him as a free man. Do you really not remember what he pulled out with a smile back then? The withered Poison Blood Gu. And you saw it right there beside me?”
“Ah!”
A sharp groan finally escaped Gwan Pae as the memory resurfaced.
“Our ties with him end here. Don’t even think about doing anything foolish. Especially you, Gwan Pae—keep that in mind.”
Gwan Hyo warned sternly, worried that Gwan Pae might stir up trouble. Though Gwan Pae wore a deeply dissatisfied expression, he nodded.
“What do you think will happen to the Divine Demon Division?”
After a moment’s thought at Gwan Hyo’s question, Gwan Jong replied bitterly,
“It’ll probably disband. They’ll want to follow him back to their homeland.”
“Try to stop them as much as possible. Even if they leave, the Divine Demon Division is still the Divine Demon Division. Their experience and strength are vital forces we desperately need.”
“Understood.”
He gave the inevitable answer, but Gwan Jong’s voice lacked strength.
***
“These seem to be porcelain wares made in Gyeongdeokjin—thirty pieces—and there’s silk too. Moreover...”
“Shut it.”
Gold Tiger Stronghold Vice Leader No Yang, who had been picking his nose, cut off Yuk Geum’s diligent report.
“So, how much are we talking?”
“At least twenty gold taels’ worth, I’d say.”
At the mention of over twenty gold taels, No Yang—who had been lounging sideways—bolted upright. The flab hanging to his chin jiggled.
“Tw-twenty gold taels? Kuhahaha! We’ve finally hit a real jackpot after so long. Good work.”
No Yang’s grinning face gleamed with greed.
“We also captured some of the laborers from the merchant group and a few from the Shang Hua Escort Agency.”
“Prisoners? What a hassle. Why bother with prisoners? Just kill them.”
No Yang waved his hand irritably.
“I picked only the young and vigorous ones, so if we get a good price, we can make a tidy profit.”
“Oh? Nice, very nice.”
As if the irritation had never been there, No Yang grinned broadly and nodded repeatedly before asking slyly,
“Any women among them?”
“None.”
“Tch, oh well. Anyway, let’s swap out the women here at the stronghold. Sell off the ones we have and bring in some fresh ones. I’m sick to death of seeing the same faces every day.”
“Understood.”
Yuk Geum bowed his head, hiding the contempt in his eyes.
“Oh, and dispose of today’s haul as quickly as possible. Brother—no, the stronghold leader—sent word again that funds are short.”
“Selling in a rush might mean taking a loss.”
“Doesn’t matter. This is a critical moment deciding whether we claim a seat among the Eighteen Bandit Strongholds or not. We can’t let a lack of money ruin things. Sell fast, even if it costs us a bit.”
Yuk Geum hesitated briefly at No Yang’s order but nodded.
“Understood.”
“Anyone outside?”
“Yes, Vice Leader.”
The door opened, and a disheveled-haired man rushed in.
“Set up a liquor spread. Bring every woman in the stronghold too. They’re all getting sold soon, so let’s give them one last good time.”
“Yes, Vice Leader.”
The man vanished like the wind after receiving the order.
“You’re dismissed too. Oh, drop by if you feel like a drink.”
No Yang shooed Yuk Geum away like a fly.
“I take my leave.”
Yuk Geum bowed politely and exited. Watching him go, No Yang’s eyes were filled with mockery.
He’d always hated how Yuk Geum strutted around just because he could read for the stronghold leader. But now, being able to boss him around with a flick of a finger felt immensely satisfying.
“Kekeke! Remember this is your place and mine.”
At the mocking laugh from the room, Yuk Geum unconsciously clenched his fist.
‘Damn pig bastard!’
It was frustrating that the leader had left the stronghold in the hands of No Yang, who was as greedy and incompetent as they come.
‘Just wait a little longer. Bloodline or not, I’ll crush you flat...’
As Yuk Geum ground his teeth with venomous eyes,
A heavy shock suddenly rocked the stronghold.
The windows rattled, and dust rained down from the ceiling.
“Wh-what’s going on?”
No Yang flung open the door with a speed unfit for his massive bulk.
“Feels like an earthquake.”
“E-earthquake? Then we can’t stay here.”
Thinking the building might collapse, No Yang emerged pale-faced and bolted away.
It didn’t quite feel like an earthquake, but nothing else explained it, so Yuk Geum hurried after him.
With a single punch from Cheol U, the stronghold’s main gate shattered to pieces, and a follow-up kick brought down the massive stone wall with a thunderous crash.
A few bandits on guard failed to dodge the falling rocks and were crushed. The sudden quake sent others rushing out in alarm, and they flew into a rage at the sight of their comrades collapsing with dying screams.
“Who the hell are you?”
Black King, a mid-level leader in the stronghold, appeared with his subordinates.
Black King was the largest and ugliest in Gold Tiger Stronghold. The facial wound from this morning’s raid on the Shang Hua Escort Agency made his already foul features even more ferocious.
“He’s big. Didn’t expect someone your size here,”
Sima Geon remarked, surprised at the man rivaling Cheol U’s build. Cheol U laughed derisively.
“Boss, that’s an insult to me. That’s just a fat pig.”
“You filthy vermin!”
Overhearing them, Black King charged with a massive sword befitting his size.
Cheol U didn’t dodge. He thrust his fist toward the blade aimed at his neck.
A colossal sword clashing with a fist. It looked utterly insane to anyone watching.
Black King swinging the blade was incredulous. It was almost embarrassing to use a sword on such a fool.
“You bastard! I’ll tear you apart!”
He abandoned the quick neck strike.
He’d smash that arrogant fist first, then hack the body to bits for pig feed.
As Black King gripped his sword tighter,
A heavy thud rang out, and an unexpected shock jolted his sword hand.
“Kuhk!”
Black King groaned in shock.
He staggered back, staring in disbelief at his broken wrist.
“Th-this can’t...”
The shock in his sword hand came from clashing with Cheol U’s fist.
Yet the blade that struck down on the enemy’s fist had snapped in half instead. Before the stunned Black King could finish speaking, Cheol U’s brutish fist smashed into his face.
No scream.
His face caved in, and his body soared nearly three zhang through the air before crashing down. He was already dead on impact—no movement at all.
“Next.”
Having ended Black King with one blow, Cheol U went berserk.
No particular form—just wild swings of arms and kicks, brutalizing the foes. It looked like a street thug’s brawl at a glance, but the overwhelming power left even the battle-hardened Gold Tiger Stronghold bandits at a loss.
When Cheol U finally stopped, over twenty bandit corpses littered the ground around him.
Not a single exception—all throats crushed. He hadn’t broken a sweat, nor was his breathing ragged.
“This is ridiculous. With such trash-tier skills.”
Having fought grueling battles daily while unifying the scattered cult, Cheol U couldn’t help sneering at bandits who strutted around invoking the “forest” this and that, unable to withstand even one hit.
“There should be some decent opponents deeper inside.”
Sima Geon patted Cheol U’s shoulder lightly and headed inward. As Cheol U moved to lead, thinking he hadn’t properly warmed up, Sima Geon blocked him.
“That’s far enough. I waited twelve years to settle this debt. From here on, it’s mine.”
A red glint flickered deep in his eyes. Knowing better than anyone that he should back down now, Cheol U halted without protest.
“Stop them!”
Beon Gak—one of Gold Tiger Stronghold’s pillars alongside Black King—shouted to his men.
Over thirty charged at Sima Geon in unison. Beon Gak’s expression watching them wasn’t good.
For intruders to reach this deep meant Black King had fallen.
Black King was among the stronghold’s top five experts, a powerhouse not inferior to Beon Gak himself.
‘Damn it, of all times for the leader to be away.’
Gold Tiger Stronghold Leader No Geuk was a renowned master even among the forests. Though lacking numbers to join the Eighteen Bandit Strongholds, his personal skill was unmatched.
His personal guard unit was elite far beyond these screaming subordinates. The problem? Neither the leader nor his guards were here.
“Beon hyuk, intruders? What crazy bastards dare raid our stronghold?”
No Sa Mun arrived late with a few men, swaggering as he asked.
“Don’t know yet, Young Master.”
Beon Gak shook his head, face flushing.
Seeing No Sa Mun—disheveled clothes, flushed face, likely from some woman—irritation boiled over.
‘Filthy vermin.’
If not the leader’s son, he’d have severed his head on the spot.
“Those guys?”
No Sa Mun pointed at Sima Geon and Cheol U.
He hadn’t even noticed the heads flying. Still utterly nonchalant.
Beon Gak finally realized from No Sa Mun’s glazed eyes that he was opium-high.
‘A tiger father with a dog son. No, worse than a mongrel.’
No Sa Mun charged Sima Geon without giving Beon Gak a chance to stop him.
His accompanying men followed, cackling wildly. Clearly opium users too.
Sima Geon, emotionlessly decapitating bandits, twisted his lips at No Sa Mun charging with drooling mouth and mad eyes.
A fragment of the past materialized before him.
He could never forget No Sa Mun’s face mocking him through the bars, splashing urine.
As Sima Geon moved his sword, one arm flew into the air.
Excruciating pain, yet No Sa Mun didn’t care. He screeched and thrashed like a lunatic.
Confirming No Sa Mun’s unnatural state, Sima Geon grimaced and swung mercilessly.
The remaining arm and both legs severed nearly simultaneously.
Each flop of the limply fallen No Sa Mun sprayed blood everywhere.
“Seems drugged. Stop the bleeding and sober him up. Too wasteful to just kill.”
Sima Geon handed No Sa Mun’s fate to Cheol U, who eyed him with disgust, then swung his sword again.
The heads of No Sa Mun’s followers soared simultaneously. Decapitated bodies staggered a few more steps before collapsing.
Sima Geon’s gaze turned to Beon Gak.
His eyes gleamed coldly.
Despite the deep grudge, he hadn’t fixated on No Sa Mun because of Beon Gak’s existence.