ushernet Chapter 361 : Chapter 361
Chapter 361 : Chapter 361
Vol 2 Chapter 1. Everyone Is Gone (1)
An inn set up deep within the mountains.
The owner yawned long with a bored expression and muttered.
"Tsk, it’s filthy quiet."
He could truly realize what the saying ‘only flies are flying’ meant.
Since he didn't have the money to set up shop in a bustling city center in the first place, he had no choice but to open an inn for travelers in a deep mountain valley.
Still, groups of guests like escort convoys or merchant guilds would visit once in a while, so he made a living off that, but if there were no guests like this, it would be troublesome….
Bang!
It was then.
Someone entered inside along with the sound of the inn’s door being kicked open.
"W… Welcome… Huh?"
The innkeeper, who was hurriedly trying to receive the guest, frowned.
There stood a foreigner with brown hair and blue eyes, whom he was seeing for the first time, and a peerless beauty with black hair and white skin.
Both were wearing outfits different from the style of the Central Plains, and the woman’s outfit, in particular, clung so tightly to her body that it was uncomfortable to look at.
"Welcome. It seems you have come from a faraway place."
However, his experienced innkeeper’s eyes grasped that this foreign man and woman were carrying weapons, and he quickly put on a smile and bowed his head.
‘Jianghu warriors.’
Then, it is best to bow unconditionally.
From the innkeeper’s perspective, the existence of these Jianghu warriors was exactly what he had to be most careful of.
Regardless of their attire or where they came from, if he needlessly offended them, he might end up smelling incense behind a folding screen.
"Please sit this way. Would you like to have a meal first? Or perhaps…."
"Alcohol!"
The brown-haired man said in a solemn voice.
At that, the innkeeper spoke.
"What kind of alcohol would you like?"
"Everything you have."
"Underst…. Yes?"
"I said bring every type of alcohol you have. Can’t you hear?"
"Ah… Yes. But guest. In our house, we have high-quality liquors such as 15-Year-Old Daughter's Red and Golden Goblet Green, including Bamboo Leaf Green and White Dry…."
Ting!
The man flicked a small coin.
The owner, who caught the gold coin shining in gold color, hurriedly received it and reflexively bit it.
‘It’s real gold.’
It was a currency he was seeing for the first time, but it was definitely made of gold. Then….
"Bring all the alcohol, and bring a suitable amount of dishes too."
"Yes. Understood. I will bring them immediately."
The innkeeper went inside quickly, beaming with the thought that he had received a big spender for the first time in a while.
And a short while later….
"Here is Twice-Cooked Pork, Kung Pao Chicken, Dongpo Pork, and for the alcohol, first is Bamboo Leaf Green and Jiannanchun. I will bring out the others in order."
"……."
The man had no words.
He just stared at the liquor table as if entranced.
"E… Enjoy your meal."
The thought that he was a slightly strange human crossed his mind, but he didn't pay it any mind.
After all, the Jianghu was full of strange guys.
And the man poured a cup of alcohol before sleeping(?), and gulped it down straight away….
"Kuhhh…. This is it. This is exactly it. This is the taste I missed so, so much even in my dreams."
It was just ordinary Bamboo Leaf Green, but the man was satisfied to the point of shedding tears.
And the black-haired peerless beauty sitting opposite him….
"Is it that good?"
"Of course. I haven't been able to drink this for over 20 years even though I wanted to. I was so sad and aggrieved…."
"Alright. I get it, so stop crying and drink."
"Kuhhh…. I really missed you. Yeopcheong, Nanchun, have you been well? I wanted to see you guys even in my dreams all this time."
He had rolled in this field for decades since his days as a waiter, but this was the first time he saw a crazy guy talking to alcohol.
I shouldn't pay him any mind.
One should not associate with crazy guys originally.
"Innkeeper, bring the Daughter's Red and Hundred Flower Wine quickly too."
"Yes. Understood."
As long as he made money, that was enough for him.
***
The foreign man’s appetite was phenomenal.
He inhaled the dishes and alcohol endlessly.
It was amazing how all that alcohol and food fit into that ordinary frame.
In comparison, the woman sitting opposite him….
"Why are there eating utensils that are so uncomfortable to eat with?"
Her chopstick skills were clumsy, so she couldn't eat a proper meal.
It seemed she wasn't accustomed to the customs of the Central Plains.
The man picked up some stir-fried vegetables with his chopsticks as if to show off to such a woman and said.
"Tsk tsk tsk, for a disciple of the Great Twin Dragon Sect to not even be able to use chopsticks…."
"What does this have to do with the Twin Dragon Sect?"
"It has to do with it. Even if it seems like it doesn't, it all does."
"……."
The black-haired woman pouted her lips.
However, even that appearance was beautiful enough to make a man's heart pound; she was a peerless beauty.
‘If he travels around with such a beautiful woman, it will likely become a source of various problems.’
Just as the innkeeper was thinking that….
"Oho. There was an operating inn here?"
"I know, right? Who did they get permission from to dare operate in our territory?"
"We should find out step by step from now on. Don't you think?"
The innkeeper’s expression crumpled instantly.
This time, it was real.
The figures who entered wearing leopard-print leather clothes and holding threatening jagged sabers and spears were bandits no matter who looked at them.
They entered the inn threateningly, scanned the surroundings, and then….
"Hoh, there are guests too?"
"On a mountain path like this…. Wow. What is this?"
"Oho…. This is the first time I've seen such beauty."
They looked at the two men and women sitting as guests.
To be precise, looking at the woman's side, their eyes went wide with admiration.
A peerless beauty, eye-opening enough that one couldn't see such a sight in these mountains, was right in front of their eyes.
The bandits approached stealthily.
As if wild animals were testing the waters to see if they could hunt a creature they encountered for the first time.
‘Two of them…. One man and one woman.’
‘They are holding weapons for now.’
‘It’s rare to see a foreigner in this region, not the Western Regions. If we catch him, won't we be able to sell him for a high price?’
After scanning the mood stealthily like that, one of them spoke.
"Ahem, we are the heroes of the Black Snake Stronghold who manage this mountain. Who might you be, coming from where?"
At the bandit's words trying to probe their background, the foreign man glanced at them and….
"Go. I'm in a good mood, so I'll let you off once."
And he focused on eating the duck skin in front of him by wrapping it in a spring roll wrapper along with stir-fried vegetables. And the woman….
"Master. What are these?"
"Bandits."
"They say they are administrators managing this mountain?"
"Do you believe that? It's just bullshit spouted by thieves."
"Ahhh…. I see. Are there many kids like this in this neighborhood?"
"There are so many it’s damn annoying. Tsk tsk, somehow these things don't get exterminated no matter how much you catch them, like cockroaches."
When they heard the conversation of the man and woman who didn't even care about them, the bandits were certain.
These two were Jianghu warriors.
At least, if they were someone without the ability to protect themselves, they wouldn't be able to act so leisurely in front of them.
3 against 2.
They had the numerical advantage, but if asked if they could crash into them….
‘Hmm…. I can't gauge them.’
‘If just one of the two is a master, we have no chance of winning.’
‘Ah, but it's too wasteful. How much money would it be if we just took that woman and sold her to a brothel?’
The bandits exchanged glances with each other and were just reading the room.
And among them, one spoke.
"Ahem, the paths in the mountains may be dangerous, so be careful. We came to convey those words."
Saying that, he signaled his colleagues with his eyes.
It meant to retreat.
A peerless beauty was good, and a foreign slave would sell for a high price, but nothing was more precious than their lives.
The other two colleagues also agreed to retreat for now as if it couldn't be helped. But then….
"You bastard Oh Ju! Why are you stalling like this?"
Along with a booming voice, ten or so men additionally entered the inn.
At that moment, the innkeeper’s complexion turned pale.
‘Oh my, I die today. Today was my memorial day.’
Since he caught the eyes of dozens of vicious bandits, it should be considered that living was now out of the question.
Among them, a bandit whose physique was superior to the others spoke.
"You bastard! I told you to rob it quickly and come out, so why are you dawdling?"
"Oh my, Vice Stronghold Leader. That is actually…."
The bandit called Oh Ju approached the Vice Stronghold Leader and spoke carefully.
"Over there…."
"Hoh…."
"So actually…."
"Hmm…."
The Vice Stronghold Leader, who heard all the explanation, twitched the corner of his mouth and said.
"So, you mean you entered the inn and there was a man and woman, and after testing the waters, they seemed like Jianghu warriors, so you retreated for now. Is that it?"
"That is correct. Vice Stronghold Leader… Gack!"
Bang!
The Vice Stronghold Leader’s fist, like an iron hammer, landed on the head of the man who was speaking.
"Stupid bastard. Are you a hero of the Great Black Snake Stronghold acting like that?"
"Ughhh…."
"Pathetic bastard. Watch what I do."
And the Vice Stronghold Leader walked confidently toward where the foreign man and woman were. And then….
"Hoh, indeed, seeing you up close, you are even more of a beauty. Like a single flower blooming in the moonlit night."
However, the woman said.
"Master."
"Why?"
"For a bandit, he has quite the eye, doesn't he?"
"So, you like it?"
"Huhu. Rather than liking it, I mean it seems his eyes are attached properly."
Twisting her hair round and round with her finger and twitching the corners of her lips, she seemed quite pleased.
However, for the bandit, he didn't like the two bitches and bastards ignoring him.
"Do you bastards think you will live after daring to ignore the Destructive Power Great Saber Goe Chung of the Black Snake Stronghold?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
The two answered simultaneously and focused on their meal again.
At that, whether he was Goe Chung (Monster Insect) or a monster beast, he became awkward for a moment. And then….
"These bitches and bastards dare!"
To punish the two who totally ignored him, he lifted his giant saber and struck down on the table full of dishes and alcohol.
No, he tried to strike.
Crack! Bang!
However, at the same time his face spun around, he flew far away into the wall of the inn, made a human-shaped hole, and flew outside.
With a single move that no one could even tell how it was done, the Vice Stronghold Leader was smashed.
"Tsk, daring to try and cut into a sacred liquor table. Raising dust when drinking alcohol is the thirty-fifth thing I hate the most. Huh?"
At that moment, the bandits thought.
‘Why does he hate so many things?’
‘Why does he hate so many things?’
***
‘Damn it.’
‘Fucking hell….’
‘Goddammit.’
Traditionally, the Jianghu is a place where one cannot gauge its depth and width.
One can never gauge when, where, and in what form the breed called masters will appear.
Therefore, to work in the bandit industry and keep one's life, one must be good at reading the room, commonly known as testing the waters.
If that fails, this is what happens.
"Oh? Your butts are lowering, aren't they? Huh?"
Including the bastard called Vice Stronghold Leader who had flown outside, a dozen or so bandits were planting their heads on the ground while sweating profusely.
Patrick sipped his alcohol cup in front of them and said.
"Black Snake Stronghold…. Are you guys Green Forest?"
"That is… correct. We are Green Forest’s… Kueck!"
Thwack!
One nameless bandit who was answering got hit in the head and collapsed.
And to the bandit who was puffing smoke from his head, Patrick said.
"You guys are what? Green Forest Do (Tao/Way). Are you Taoists? You bastards. Bastards who block roads and steal people's money are talking about the Tao. What Tao?"
Common sense of the Jianghu number one.
If members of the Unorthodox Faction talk as if they are something in front of Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon, they get beaten up.
In the past, it really was common sense.
Seeing that such common sense had faded like this….
"It seems a really lot of time has passed."
Patrick sighed in regret and poured the remaining Jiannanchun into his cup.
Then he spoke towards the bandits in front of his eyes.
"Rise."
The bandits hesitated and stood up.
Excluding the guy who got hit and collapsed a moment ago.
And Patrick said.
"First of all, since your affiliation is Green Forest, you must know the circumstances of the Jianghu roughly, right?"
"Yes. Of course."
"We know it well."
At the desirable attitude of the bandits asking him to ask anything, Patrick nodded and said.
"Good. I returned to the Central Plains after a long time, so I don't know the situation well. So, I hope you answer faithfully to the questions I ask from now on."
The bandits nodded, and Patrick paused for a moment before asking.
"Do you guys know the Twin Dragon Sect?"
At that, the bandits exchanged glances with each other.
And they spoke cautiously….
"It is a sect we are hearing of for the first time…."
"What about Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon?"
"…We do not know."
"The Ugly Dragon Scholar Jaegal Hyeon, Iron-Blooded Saber Dragon Peng Mujong, Divine Doctor Saintess Dang Suryeon, Iron Dragon Swordsman Namgung Cheon."
"……."
"Anyone know them?"
Then the Green Forest bandits looked at each other blankly and spoke cautiously.
"Um, aren't the people you mentioned, Jaegal Hyeon and Namgung Cheon, figures from 200 years ago? And the titles you just mentioned are known to be the ones they used in their youth…."
"…200 years, huh."
"Yes. As far as I know, they are known as those who were active during the war with the Blood Demon Cult."
"…200 years, huh."
Patrick didn't say anything else.
He just ruminated on the time of 200 years with a desolate expression.
Right. So that's how it is.
"…Everyone is gone."