Book 1 Chapter 22

They have finally returned.

The weather has become quite chilly, with a biting cold wind blowing as winter approaches its threshold. It is the beginning of winter, where white puffs of breath begin to stream out with each exhale. The leaves, which had donned new colors to boast their beauty, have fallen and are scattered like fallen leaves. As one walks along the path, the sound of stepping on dry leaves crunches softly in the ears.

Leaving behind the blue Panyang Lake, where the sound of water could be heard, stood a cluster of buildings, immense and imposing like an impregnable fortress. Their scale was far larger and wider than that of an ordinary village or a small to medium-sized city, giving the impression of a separate city standing entirely apart from Nanchang, the city by Panyang Lake.

Surrounding this collection of buildings, larger than even a small city, was a wall. No, the word "wall" is not accurate. It is a massive combination of square rocks, four jang in height and half a jang in thickness. To call this stonework a mere wall would be an overstatement. It would be more accurate to call it a city wall. This wall, seemingly exceeding four jang in height, resembled a cliff that one could neither ascend nor breach, nor destroy—an impenetrable barrier that evoked the image of a stronghold. Furthermore, atop the wall, on the thickness of half a jang, a path of equal length had been constructed.

This path was for people to patrol or stand guard at designated positions. It was built for ease of movement. In the center of this vast and grand wall, encircling such a large and wide expanse of land, stood a black main gate, two jang wide and easily three jang long. The section of the wall around the main gate was particularly high, as there was a watchtower. Including the roof of the watchtower, its height appeared to be at least seven jang.

Above the main gate of the colossal fortress-like structure, a large plaque with a gold border and a black background hung. On the plaque, the words "Cheonmu Academy" were carved in gold, in a calligraphy that seemed ready to transform into a dragon and soar into the sky.

Its solemn atmosphere, its immensity and grandeur felt even without entering – this place, possessing something that made humans understand and embrace awe, was Cheonmu Academy. Rather than a place of learning, it exuded a solemnity and strictness that suggested it was built with numerous battles and conflicts against enemies in mind. After all, it was also a symbol of the greatest potential and latent power in the Baekdo, so these facts might have been quite natural.

Goyangsi and Baekseokdong, first-year students at Cheonmu Academy, were currently on guard duty at the main gate. Today was their turn to be on duty. Guard duty at Cheonmu Academy was performed in pairs on a scheduled date, and the assigned patrol area changed constantly. Goyangsi and Baekseokdong were on duty today, which was why they were guarding the post. Their assigned location was the outer perimeter of the academy's main gate. And this, for them, was misfortune.

Outer perimeter guard duty, while called outer guard, was practically no different from being a greeter. Since they were posted outside the main gate, they had to oversee people entering and leaving the academy, relay messages, and fill out guest logs – a multitude of tedious tasks. As a result, it was an extremely busy job. The worst guard post, a place they never wanted to be assigned again, a place people prayed to the heavens not to be assigned to, was the outer perimeter guard duty of the academy's main gate.

Goyangsi and Baekseokdong, standing in such a notorious and troublesome spot, were exceptionally unlucky today. How bad was it, that rumors circulated within the academy that outer perimeter guard duty would lead to bone exhaustion and hair loss? There were even stories that after one stint of outer perimeter guard duty, one would be unable to perform certain bodily functions for a week.

Was Nanchang by chance the greatest city in the martial arts world? Certainly not. It was because Cheonmu Academy was located in Nanchang that Nanchang became the current center of the Baekdo martial arts world and the greatest city. Given its location, Cheonmu Academy would undoubtedly have countless visitors. Including students and academy staff, there were over thousands of people. Even excluding them, the number of groups visiting daily easily reached hundreds.

Monitoring and inspecting each and every one of them was no easy task. Of course, there wasn't someone constantly monitoring them, but even without constant individual monitoring, the sheer volume of work made it difficult.

Cheonmu Academy, being a place of martial arts learning, operated under the academy's policy that those who possess strength must protect their own domain without relying on others. Therefore, patrolling the academy grounds, standing guard, monitoring groups, enforcing public morals, and handling fights or other incidents were all tasks that Cheonmu Academy students themselves allocated and handled with their own strength.

Protecting one's place of learning with one's own strength, without borrowing the power of others, was the spirit of Cheonmu Academy. However, to date, no force had ever dared to intrude upon Cheonmu Academy. There was no benefit to be gained by provoking Cheonmu Academy, which possessed the greatest potential and latent power in the martial arts world. Rather, the possibility of ruin was so high that no sect even dared to pick a fight. Because of this, the academy's guard status was not characterized by a large number of personnel standing watch. Only a few assigned guards rotated their shifts.

During the day, it was as if there were no guards, and at night, there wasn't much difference. There were guards patrolling the city walls and students patrolling within the academy. However, to think that one could idle away their time during the day would be a grave mistake and misjudgment. This was especially true for the outer perimeter guard duty, as they had to manage the visitors coming to the academy. And the problem was that their numbers were simply too great.

Goyangsi and Baekseokdong were not in a particularly good mood. The fact that they, as promising young talents, had to perform tasks that should have been handled by lower-ranking warriors elsewhere, made them displeased. In the martial arts world, simply passing the entrance exam for Cheonmu Academy and being admitted was practically equivalent to having one's abilities recognized by the entire world. For such individuals to be assigned guard duty, tasks akin to receptionists, and to toil endlessly, it was only natural for them to be dissatisfied.

Baekseokdong was a promising beggar from the Beggar's Sect, and Goyangsi was a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect who had received direct tutelage from the sect leader, a talented individual who wielded Qingcheng swordsmanship proficiently. To be considered first-class simply by entering Cheonmu Academy, they were by no means ordinary individuals. Well, that was when they were outside; inside Cheonmu Academy, such talk was worthless. Inside the academy, their statuses meant nothing. It was a place that gathered the cream of the crop, the dragons and phoenixes among men, so ordinary skills would not be recognized. Especially for first-year students like them, it was out of the question. First-year students were merely food and playthings for their senior disciples.

Among the guard duties, the inner perimeter guard in the watchtower above the main gate was a comfortable position. The roof provided shade from the sun, and sometimes they could even sit and stretch their legs. And patrolling the academy grounds, armed with swords, was also a relatively easy task.

However, all those comfortable positions were naturally occupied by senior disciples first, leaving the most difficult tasks, like the ones assigned to first-year students like Goyangsi and Baekseokdong, to fall like chaff. This was tradition and custom. This would likely be the case everywhere. As expected, Goyangsi and Baekseokdong were as busy as ever. From the morning, people had been constantly coming and going, starting from the Myao time when the previous shift changed, as if there were so many urgent matters. Visitors were allowed into the academy from the beginning of the Myao hour (around 8 AM).

However, as noon approached and the sun hung in the middle of the sky, everyone seemed to have gone for lunch, and the flow of people became sparse. Goyangsi and Baekseokdong could finally catch their breath. The work they had handled all morning had already left them utterly exhausted. They offered sincere condolences to the next shift, who would take over their duties, and enjoyed a sweet rest. There was still about half a shichen left until the shift change.

A moment later…

Baekseokdong, having finally caught his breath, looked at Goyangsi with a relaxed expression and spoke. The topic of conversation was the matter that was currently the most pressing concern at Cheonmu Academy: a group of people.

"Goyangsi, have you heard about the Vermillion Bird Squad lately? The entire academy is buzzing about it."

"Of course, Baekseokdong. Isn't it the hottest topic in the academy these days? Even the elders are said to be worried about it."

Goyangsi spoke as if he knew something profound.

"It's natural. The Azure Dragon Squad, White Tiger Squad, and Black Tortoise Squad all returned two months ago and are engrossed in training. But the Vermillion Bird Squad only sent a single letter and has been out of contact for two months, so their worries must be immense."

After a moment of thought, Baekseokdong added,

"The one-page letter they sent only said, 'We will not return until we see it through. - Members of the Vermillion Bird Squad.' The frequent meetings within the academy lately are likely related to this matter."

As expected of a disciple of the Beggar's Sect, he knew the contents of the letter verbatim. This was truly befitting a disciple of the Beggar's Sect, the largest sect in the martial arts world, which handled all information in the martial arts world.

"The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise squads are also on high alert. After all, they've been secluded in the mountains for an extra two months beyond their scheduled training, with no intention of coming out. It must be frustrating, wouldn't you agree, Goyangsi?"

"Yes, they seem to be preparing for something significant. We'll need to be alert if we don't want to lose our positions."

Currently, or rather, before the summer arrived, the Vermillion Bird Squad was at the bottom of the four elite groups specially selected individuals belonged to. This remained unchanged even when they left for their joint training. And everyone thought this fact would remain unchanged even after their return from joint training. However, the unexpected delay of the Vermillion Bird Squad, their extended training that even encroached upon the latter half of the semester, forced the other three squads into a state of heightened tension.

"My senior disciple, Nohak, who used to tease me often, was also part of the Vermillion Bird Squad…"

Given their continued silence, Baekseokdong wondered if Nohak was truly a disciple of the Beggar's Sect. He recalled his senior disciple, Nohak, who was only a year his senior, but constantly bragged about his seniority based on his years of experience begging for food. The mere thought of it made him feel unpleasant. It was strange and peculiar that a disciple of the Beggar's Sect would send no news for two months.

The information referred to here was not what was sent to Cheonmu Academy, but to the headquarters of the Beggar's Sect. If they were two months late, there must have been some reason. If so, they should have found a way to send information to headquarters. That was the proper attitude for someone belonging to the Beggar's Sect. Yet, instead of the expected information, only a single letter arrived at the academy, containing only a dubious story about not having learned enough and wanting to learn more…

Baekseokdong fell into deep thought. What kind of people were they, to send a letter saying they hadn't learned enough and would return after learning everything? They were members of the Four Divine Squads, an elite group that any newcomer to Cheonmu Academy would aspire to join. Yet, for them to feel a lack or deficiency… and not for something that wasn't taught, but for something that was taught, his doubts grew exponentially.

"Huh?"

Just then, as the short shadows of noon stretched below, a group of people was approaching the academy, their steps heavy. The group was mixed in gender, all with disheveled hair, unkempt appearances, and torn clothes in places, each carrying their respective weapons at their waists. However, despite their messy appearance, the aura emanating from them was chilling, making it impossible not to feel tense.

Furthermore, they were all wearing red clothing, with black stains in places, giving the impression of dried blood.

They approached the immediate vicinity of Cheonmu Academy. Goyangsi and Baekseokdong simultaneously drew their swords and shouted.

"Who are you?!"

"Punk."

Stars seemed to twinkle in Baekseokdong's eyes.

"How dare you speak so rudely!"

As soon as the shout of "Who are you?" was uttered, one of them, particularly the one wearing the dirtiest clothes and with an even dirtier face, rushed forward and struck Baekseokdong squarely on the head. The force of the blow was not to be underestimated. The dirty man, intending to discipline Baekseokdong for his insolent mouth and tongue, delivered a blow to Baekseokdong's rock-hard head. Notably, the clothes the man wore were rags fit for a beggar, but remarkably, like the rest of his companions, they were predominantly red, with black stains scattered here and there.

On his waist, a knot indicated his status as a disciple of the Beggar's Sect; there were eight such knots. An eight-knot disciple of the Beggar's Sect, holding a high position just below an elder. Baekseokdong himself had seven knots, so it couldn't be considered low, but it was certain that this person was of a higher position and age than him. Among those with seven knots or more, there was no one younger than him.

This pain, this infernal voice, this damned behavior – all of it was a feeling Baekseokdong was intimately familiar with, which surprised him.

"Nohak… Senior Disciple?"

His question, seeking confirmation of his memory, was met with an immediate reply.

"That's right, you punk!"

Fortunately, Baekseokdong's memory and judgment were proven not to be bad, which was cause for celebration, but he felt no joy. Why would he be happy about the return of a sworn enemy with a foul temper? Perhaps if a junior disciple he could boss around had returned. However, the return of Senior Disciple Nohak, and his presence with sixteen others, indicated one fact.

"Sixteen members of the Vermillion Bird Squad have safely returned to Cheonmu Academy. Please inform them."

Namgung Sang, the leader of the Vermillion Bird Squad, stepped forward and spoke. Without Baekseokdong gesturing, Goyangsi quickly ran inside to deliver the message. This was an urgent matter.

Finally, the Vermillion Bird Squad had returned to Cheonmu Academy. They returned clad in blood-red robes, casting short shadows of noon upon the ground. When they parted ways with Biryun at the front of Jungyang Courier Service below Amisan, their clothes, though somewhat dirty, had been white. The fact that they were now a vivid blood-red spoke volumes about the journey they had undertaken. It had been seven months since they left Cheonmu Academy.

Baekseokdong was naturally curious and full of questions. He had many doubts, even about the same stories. This was a common trait among most beggars who belonged to the Beggar's Sect. For the Beggar's Sect, for whom information was life, this was perhaps inevitable.

How could they easily pilfer for a living without knowing detailed information such as "Yesterday there was a son's wedding at Master Zhang's house, today there is a 60th birthday celebration for Master Jin, and tomorrow there will be a funeral at Master Kang's house, and the day after tomorrow, there will be a grandchild's first birthday party at Master Jo's house"? Starting with these basic facts, and going as far as knowing what color underwear the daughter of the current second-year student and leader of the Changseong Sect, Miss Jang, wore today, how many days she had worn it, how many times a week she changed it, and even her menstrual cycle – this was the kind of information gathered by the Beggar's Sect.

Going even further, they knew how ample her breasts were, how slender her waist was, how firm her hips were, and the measurements of her bust, waist, and hips – these were the depths of the Beggar's Sect's information network. Many beggars collected such information as leisure activities, with keen interest. Baekseokdong here was one such beggar. Such information, concerning personal privacy, especially that of women, was treated as top-secret.

To give you a little more taste, they knew how many months pregnant the first daughter-in-law of the current Qingcheng Sect leader was, or whether the child in her womb was a boy or a girl, or both. If they went to the extreme, they even knew if the child in her womb was truly the father's. This demonstrated the immense capabilities of the Beggar's Sect.

As this information-gathering capability grew excessively large, some in the martial arts world cursed the Beggar's Sect, calling them "donkeys with empty ears," and the leader of the Beggar's Sect, "donkey-eared." The Beggar's Sect, with nothing left but heads and broken bowls once information was removed, might naturally possess endless curiosity and a craving for information.

Therefore, Baekseokdong was driven mad by curiosity about the surprising fact he had just learned. So he asked. Even with a long line of senior disciples and a sworn enemy of a senior disciple among them, succumbing to such matters was unthinkable. Others might not, but Nohak would answer. Even if his temper was as foul as hell, he would not violate the sect rules, or rather, the gang rules. As a seventh-knot disciple of the Beggar's Sect, he had access to all but top-secret information, so he had the right to demand and receive information from Nohak, as long as it wasn't top-secret.

What Baekseokdong was first amazed by was the fact that the clothes they were wearing were not originally red. But when he learned that the red dye was human blood, he was even more astonished. The black stains on the Vermillion Bird squad members' clothes were marks left by dried blood. Baekseokdong's gaze, fixed on them wearing blood-soaked clothes that exuded the scent of blood, was peculiar. The words "curiosity" were deeply etched into his eyeballs.

"Senior Disciples, what happened to your clothes?"

With an expression of utter bewilderment, Baekseokdong asked cautiously. His face clearly conveyed his desperate need for an explanation. With a smirk, Hyunwoon glanced at his friend Namgung Sang, who stood beside him. He must have had something to say, judging by the look.

"It was truly incredible, wasn't it?!"

To Hyunwoon's seemingly meaningless statement, Namgung Sang nodded his head in agreement and replied.

"It was a close call, indeed."

"Right. I thought I was going to die!" Nohak chimed in boastfully.

"At that time, the King's utterly pale face…"

Recalling Jangwooyang's complexion and expression, Geumyeongho smirked.

"I was also at a loss. Suddenly, nearly 500 people appeared…"

Jinryeong also spoke cautiously, recalling the event, as if it didn't bring him good memories.

"Yes, it seems they knew and were waiting at the pass."

It was Dangcheolyeong. His hands had taken the lives of countless individuals. They should consider themselves fortunate that he hadn't taken lives carelessly (?).

"But that guy who looked like the leader of that first group that charged out looked quite strange."

Nohak said. He was truly curious why the leader of a bandit group, capable of robbing a treasure of Jungyang Courier Service, one of the top ten courier services, would have such a peculiar appearance.

"That was odd too. The leader of that mountain bandit group, the one who came charging out to loot everything, the one called Hogolchae, had one eye blackened and a torn lip that hadn't even scabbed over yet, making him look quite pathetic."

Geumyeongho seemed to agree entirely with Nohak's statement. Although Geumyeongho spoke lightly, as if it were amusing, it was by no means light for Baekseokdong, who was listening.

"Hogolchae? Aren't they one of the seventy-two mountain strongholds of Nokrim?"

Baekseokdong exclaimed in surprise, his mouth agape.

"Yes, one of the seventy-two mountain strongholds of Nokrim. Even if it's at the bottom of the list."

Nohak nodded at his exclamation. In fact, others didn't know that Hogolchae held a position among the seventy-two mountain strongholds of Nokrim. If Nohak hadn't told them, they would never have known. Nokrim seventy-two strongholds, as the name suggests, there are seventy-two mountain strongholds. But who would bother memorizing all of them? People only knew a few famous mountain strongholds among the seventy-two, and not who sat where at the bottom of the table. Nohak knew. Naturally. He was a proud eighth-knot disciple of the Beggar's Sect.

"In any case, it was a big fight. They weren't that strong, but they had numbers. They charged in relying solely on their numbers. Well, the name 'Nokrim seventy-two strongholds' probably played a part too. The fact that the courier service had no fatalities, though there were injuries, was a stroke of luck. We crippled many of them and sent them packing…"

Nohak added.

"As soon as I cut down the leader with a single stroke, they scattered."

Jo Cheonwoo of Hwasan, who lived for the occasional line of dialogue, did not miss the opportunity to interject. Without this meager pleasure, his existence would have no value. At least, for now.

"A single stroke? You cut him down in two."

Lee Jaryong of Kunlun, in a similar position to his own, quickly seized upon the detail and added.

"What do you mean, 'too much'?"

"It wasn't too much. If you cut off the right arm and the right leg simultaneously, how could that person live even with crutches? If they used their left arm for crutches, their stepping leg should be the right leg. How could they use their left arm for crutches and extend their left leg? If you cut off the right arm, you should have cut off the opposite left leg. That would have balanced it. Cutting off the same side simultaneously – isn't that the same as saying they'd be bedridden for life? You should have thought before cutting, tsk tsk tsk."

"What?"

Looking at Lee Jaryong, who spoke with pity for the one who suffered, Jo Cheonwoo bristled. He seemed on the verge of exploding with anger. To quell his surging anger, Namgung Sang stepped in to mediate.

"Please, gentlemen, don't fight. Calm down. What good will come from fighting amongst ourselves?"

Namgung Sang separated the two, but Jo Cheonwoo still seemed unappeased, huffing, while Lee Jaryong flicked his tongue. One way or another, the two of them, in their back-and-forth banter, managed to extend their assigned lines.

"Still, it's a great relief that there were no fatalities."

Namgung Sansan said quietly. Even she considered this a fortunate outcome.

"But there was a lot of blood."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Geumyeongho's words. They had indeed seen a lot of blood. They had cut off one limb from each of the attackers who had charged in relying solely on their numbers. Not killing them didn't mean they saw less blood. Cutting off a limb naturally resulted in blood spurting from the severed end, and they had to endure being splattered with it during the chaotic battle. Listening to their incomprehensible conversation, all Baekseokdong could do was listen silently with a bewildered expression.

The full account of the incident experienced by the Vermillion Bird members was as follows.

As they were escorting Jungyang Courier Service's shipment towards Nanchang, in the mountains bordering Sichuan, approximately 500 mountain bandits, somehow aware of their route, lay in ambush. The Nokrim bandits were well aware that Amipai was behind Jungyang Courier Service. How could they engage in banditry without knowing about the ten great courier services of the Central Plains? The fact that they attacked despite knowing this meant they were fully prepared. Somehow, the mountain bandits had learned of their destination and were waiting in ambush.

They attacked like madmen to seize the goods, and while the Vermillion Bird members held them back, the carriers organized their ranks to protect the shipment. However, none could break through the defensive line of the sixteen members of the Vermillion Bird Squad. Instead, they retreated after losing a limb. After incapacitating nearly half of them, a figure who appeared to be their leader stepped forward. However, it was laughable; the leader of a bandit group, who intended to rob one of the ten great courier services, had a bruised right eye and a conspicuously red and dirty lip covered in scabs, making them unable to suppress their laughter.

Perhaps mistaking their laughter for mockery, the mountain bandit leader, provoked, charged forward, and Jo Cheonwoo of Hwasan stepped forward to confront him. With two light sword strikes from Jo Cheonwoo, the leader lost his right arm and right leg and was carried away by his subordinates. The demoralized bandits lost their momentum and retreated. The Vermillion Bird Squad members suffered no casualties. Only a few carriers sustained minor injuries.

"Fortunately, you are all safe. It is truly a blessing from heaven. (Except for Senior Disciple Nohak…)"

"A blessing? It's all skill."

Nohak, speaking annoyingly, poured cold water on Simryeo's words. Baekseokdong thought to himself that this was why he was not respected.

"However, the second incident was more problematic."

Hyunwoon said with a faint smile, looking at Namgung Sang. His eyes conveyed the question, "Right?" Namgung Sang nodded his head quietly once more, and at the same time, all the members of the Vermillion Bird Squad nodded in agreement, signifying "That's right."

"Yes, the second incident?"

To Hyunwoon's sudden remark, Baekseokdong drew countless question marks in his mind, but as he was not a direct participant in the event, there was nothing he could do but listen silently to what the participants had to say. The longing for information and his endless curiosity and questions proved that he was indeed a disciple of the Beggar's Sect.

"There was one more ambush."

Geumyeongho trailed off, looking up at the sky. The weather that day, like today, was remarkably clear.

"There was one more ambush. This time, it was also an ambush. We were just puzzled as to how they knew. And an even bigger problem was that this time, there were nearly twice as many attackers as the previous time with Hogolchae, a total of 1000 people swarming us. It's true that I felt a sense of desperation at that time. As they surged forward like a swarm of ants, wouldn't you feel the same? But we just smirked again. Why? Because it was too funny.

This time, you see, the one who looked like the leader was fine, but the one next to him, whose appearance and demeanor clearly indicated 'I am the second-in-command,' looked exactly like Paeho (覇虎), the leader of Hogolchae, whom we met last time. A blackened eye and a scabbed, red lip. There was no difference. It was as if he had been attacked by the same person. His blackened eye told that story. Considering the location, size, and color, everything indicated that he had been attacked by the same person at the same time. Huh? But that's impossible, right? If he was attacked by the same person at the same time, shouldn't the bruise have faded? A bruise that lasts for over a month, where can you find that?

But it existed. It might not have been at the same time, but it could have been by the same person… Well, people have legs to walk around. But it was definitely at the same time. The one we caught and beat up told us. A subordinate who went somewhere a month and a half ago returned with a blackened eye and a ruptured lip and planned this ambush. So it was definitely the same time. A bruise that doesn't disappear after a month and a half? The perpetrator must have used some extraordinary technique. Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible.

In any case, let's assume the second-in-command was like that. The leader, the head of Yonggolchae (龍骨寨), seemed like no ordinary fellow. He was a guy named Uak, with the nickname Paeryong (覇龍). For a mountain bandit to use the character 'Dragon' in his name was audacious. Still, as you know, he was quite strong, leading Yonggolchae, which is considered middle-tier among the seventy-two mountain strongholds of Nokrim. Well, that's compared to last time, of course.

But, that guy was no exception either. Paeryong, who wielded his Gui Dao sword and charged fearlessly, was sent to the next world by three pebbles thrown by Dangsam. He was pierced through the Tian, Di, and Ren dantian simultaneously. It was natural for him to die.

But this time, these mountain bandits attacked even after their leader was cut down. We were a bit taken aback. We thought they would all retreat once their leader was dealt with. But even after their leader was cut down, they attacked in retaliation… So we had to stop them again. However, although our defensive line held, there were still attackers coming around to target the shipment. There was nothing we could do about them. We were already struggling to fend off the ones charging head-on. They swarmed us… It was difficult just to maintain the defensive line. It was a narrow mountain path, so we barely managed to hold them off. If they had attacked us in an open field, it would have been dangerous even for us. In that case, the shipment and the carriers would have had a hard time surviving, even if we could have managed.

Well, still, it showed that the name 'Ten Great Courier Services of the Central Plains' was not in vain. The King, Jangwooyang, swung his sword as if releasing all his pent-up frustrations. He must have had a lot of grievances accumulated. Even ordinary carriers, fighting in pairs, were not expected to die from a mere bandit's knife. Yet, they kept attacking, relying on their numbers. When the carriers occasionally got into danger, Dangsam would throw projectiles to save them. Otherwise, the damage would have been considerable. As he went around saving people, Dangsam ran out of projectiles and started throwing stones he found on the ground. Even so, one stone was enough to make them fall like dominoes. Well, even without projectiles, they collapsed without a whimper when struck with bare hands.

What? Why do I keep mentioning Dangsam, Dangsam? Ah, Dangsam is Dangcheolyeong's nickname. We all call him Dangsam. However, even if you think of it, never, ever call Cheolyeong Dangsam. You might find yourself on a trip to the next world without anyone noticing. We focused on taking down the leaders. That second-in-command with the blue around his eyes did not escape unscathed either. After cutting him down by about half, leaving him half-crippled, they finally began to retreat.

It was a persistent bunch. It was quite a difficult fight. There were many injured among the carriers. But the fact that there were absolutely no fatalities among the carriers was truly a miracle."

With the word "miracle," Geumyeongho ended his long story.

"I felt a chill down my spine then."

Hyunwoon said playfully, with an exaggerated expression.

"They kept attacking despite falling one after another, relying solely on their numbers."

Nohak said, slightly frowning.

"Many carriers were injured. The courier service took a heavy blow."

"These clothes were also dyed then."

Moyongchwi said, with a smile like moonlight. It was her first significant line.

"Even though we ran out of projectiles, we threw stones, but for guys like that, one stone is enough."

Dangcheolyeong said. He was also one of the people who played a significant role at that time. If he hadn't been there, the Jungyang Courier Service would likely have suffered a considerable number of casualties.

"Half were cut down, and half ran away. About 500 each."

Hyunwoon said, as if he had counted them one by one. The more Baekseokdong heard, the more astonished he became. If he weren't astonished now, it would be a failure to meet their expectations. Fortunately, he didn't disappoint them, and so Baekseokdong was sufficiently astonished at this moment. As proof, his mouth was wide open, as if his jaw had dropped.

"You mean you defeated 1,000 people? With just 16 of you…"

"What 1,000? It was 500. The ones we defeated. And it wasn't 16 people. There were over 100 people from the courier service as well."

Geumyeongho said as if it were no big deal.

"But what gave them the confidence to attack like that? What about the consequences? Even if things turn out alright for now, what about later? For them, the seventy-two mountain strongholds of Nokrim, wouldn't antagonizing Amipai be an unfavorable situation?"

This was a natural doubt that arose for Baekseokdong. Even with the strength of the seventy-two mountain strongholds of Nokrim, it seemed insufficient to confront Amipai. To confront Amipai meant not just confronting a single sect, but a battle against Amipai and all the forces that sided with it.

"Ah, regarding that, they said it was a unilateral action by Hogolchae and Yonggolchae. We interrogated a few of them."

Nohak interjected. He was the one who had interrogated the few they had caught and beaten up. Once they were handled appropriately, the other party readily spilled the beans. However, the standard for "appropriately" was rather ambiguous…

"What? Then it makes even less sense. Or rather, have they eaten tiger livers? How could they even consider confronting Jungyang Courier Service, one of the ten great courier services of the Central Plains, and Amipai, who is firmly behind them? Without the backing of the seventy-two mountain strongholds of Nokrim, just a single mountain stronghold? It's as clear as day that they would clash with Amipai. If they wanted to die, they chose a very dirty way to do it."

"Ah, for them, that was meant to be their last act."

Geumyeongho explained.

"Yes?"

"They said they were going to quit being bandits after that. After looting the shipment, they planned to disappear. This particular job was so massive that if this one succeeded, they could guarantee a lifetime of comfort. That's why they brought all their members. Even those who guarded the mountain stronghold."

"How is that possible? Was the item being transported that significant? Enough to risk the fate of a mountain stronghold?"

"Yes, I heard later… what was it called… ah, yes, Goryeo celadon, brought from the easternmost end. It was originally called Goryeo inlaid celadon, but they shortened it to Goryeo celadon. They were transporting three of them. I heard that selling just one of them was worth enough to buy a castle. Especially the ones transported this time were the highest quality among those Goryeo celadons. It was worth risking their lives for. If they could obtain it, they could live a life of leisure forever."

"Splat."

Baekseokdong's mouth fell open. The value of a single piece of pottery, which he had only thought of as a container for alcohol or a mere decorative item, being worth enough to buy a castle? As a beggar, had he ever seen such a thing, or even heard of it? He could only be amazed.

"Hey, your mouth is going to rip open. And close your mouth, your breath stinks."

Nohak chided Baekseokdong, who stood with his mouth agape, exposing his dental hygiene to the world. Geumyeongho continued.

"That's the problem. An ambush like that is nothing compared to this. The problem is, why did they lead their entire force to lie in ambush? Their entire force… without even leaving anyone to guard the mountain stronghold. They knew what we, or rather, Jungyang Courier Service, were transporting. They knew what even we didn't know. That's why they thought of using all their forces and risking everything at the mountain stronghold. And not just one, but two groups."

Geumyeongho fell into thought, looking utterly bewildered, but he vaguely sensed that there was something more, though it remained very hazy and faint.

"The King must have been pursuing this matter in strict secrecy. Yet, they found out and risked the fate of their mountain stronghold to attack…"

Geumyeongho was still completely baffled.

"How did they find out?"

Seeing Baekseokdong staring at him with extreme curiosity, Geumyeongho smiled.

"I'd like to know that too."

Geumyeongho quietly looked up at the sky. The sky was endlessly vast with a blue hue, as if blessing their return. The sun, shining down from the clear, cloudless sky, felt unusually warm today. Inside the main gate, a commotion arose, and hundreds of people rushed out to see them. Seeing these people, they truly realized that they had returned. To this Cheonmu Academy… It was truly a miracle.