Book 6 Chapter 22

Ryu-yeon Bi's unexpected hostage situation

"Everyone thinks this guy's life is worth

If it's not worth it, throw the weapon away.

And just in case

If you want him alive, bring the ransom.

It's a very legitimate requirement."

Mo Yonghui, Qingfeng, Hyorong, and Jang Hong could only stare in disbelief. A scene that even their brilliant minds could not comprehend was shamelessly unfolding before their eyes in broad daylight.

"What is that guy doing right now?

Na Yerin didn't understand what was happening to them either. His behavior was always outside of her expectations. Which made it all the more baffling.

The face of Zhang Gang Jiajie, the leader of the group, was so deadly that it was almost pitiful to look at.

'I've done a lot of work…….'

There was one common thought running through everyone's minds. There was no doubt about it.

Hostage!

What is a hostage-taking? Many people may not be familiar with this difficult concept, so let's get it out of the way. This brings us to the second question: what is the answer to the profound and arcane question of whether or not Bi Ryuyeon's behavior is a hostage-taking?

According to the dictionary definition of hostage-taking, which is a rampage in which an innocent person is held hostage by threatening them with a weapon or weapons and demanding something in return, Bi Ryuyeon's behavior was not a hostage-taking. There is no such thing as a hostage-taking in the first place.

Why?

The person Bi Ryuyeon was holding hostage now was by no means legally innocent. It would be even more strange if the owner of the seventy-seven houses of the Red Wing House in the Green Forest, whose business is banditry, were innocent. In that case, it's worth checking if the world is running backwards.

Hostage situations don't happen as often as extortion raids on mountain passes deep in the mountains, but they still happen every once in a while. But the reason this one has everyone's heads spinning is because it's a different kind of hostage-taking. Instead of the throat of an innocent person who had been decapitated by the blade, as was so often the case, it was the throat of a pig that looked like a bandit leader at first glance. And it was Bi Ryuyeon who was holding his mournful Red Kuma sword to the throat of the Red Kuma Mountain Sword foe who had once been a Red Kuma vegetable grower.

Bi Ryuyeon's expression was relaxed as he played with the life of a man with a single blade. The eighty bandits that surrounded them had a nonchalant demeanor, as if they didn't care.

'How did things come to this…….'

The Sujiang Sea felt like the sky had grabbed me, and within a day it was falling apart.

This was not part of the plan when we first launched. Who would have thought this would happen?

No realm was foolish enough to confront the bandits of the Seventy-seven Green Forests while traveling. It's much more profitable to pay the faction passage fee, also known as the toll.

This is because you can never win a fight with these guys unscathed. Considering the cost of marksmanship training, the amount of money paid out in bounties, and the amount of credit that would be lost, it was a much more profitable business.

No one would be foolish enough to go toe-to-toe with a giant mountain lion, no matter how big it was.

Once again, Su Zhanghai had a settlement in his back pocket for the passage. It had been useless on the Yangtze before, but this time it would be useful.

One stroke of the Yangtze was enough for Satan.

"Hmph, wait, don't you have to pay the toll when you go?"

Su Zhanghai was unperturbed when Red Wing Chai Zhu showed up with a bullhorn and a sales pitch.

He had been down this road once or twice before.

They knew it was coming, and that's why the ticket takers were so relieved. They were going to pay the toll and pass this way anyway. Only the newcomers were trembling with fear, but the expressions on the faces of the veterans were unmoved. On the contrary, they were relieved to see the bandits because they were familiar with their faces.

The only people who were even slightly flustered were Bi Ryuyeon, Mo Yonghui, and the other members of the Heavenly Martial Academy's Heavenly Sword Academy.

But like the handpicked and chosen ones they were, a terrifying momentum began to emanate from their entire bodies. It was a sign that they would move with all their might.

"Gulp! What…what are those?"

The ferocious momentum that quickly engulfed the intestines left even the enemy, Wongsan, stunned. This was definitely not the kind of momentum that minions could exude. Based on his accumulated experience, he had a bad feeling about this.

"No, how is it that each and every one of those children can exude an aura more terrifying than that of the head of the Namchangjikukju? Am I dreaming, or am I seeing things in vain because I'm too weak from last night's late night?

He rubbed his eyes a couple of times, but the sensation, which seeped into his skin instead of his eyes, was not a lie: he was one of the seventy-seven vegetable farmers in charge of the seventy-seven greenhouses, and he had heard the sound of coriander.

But just as they were about to reach an agreement, the leader of the Red Woongchae, Red Woong San, stepped forward, smiling as always, and exchanged some grave words.

For a moment, they thought a gust of wind had passed by them.

"Bam! Bam! Kek!"

It was over in an instant. An overly swift punch flew toward the dazed foe's face, and the moment his head snapped back with a loud crack, Bi Ryuyeon had already twisted the foe's arm, drawn a blood point, and drawn his sword, holding it to the corner of his throat as if to protest, "When will you drop your skull?

Indeed, the barbarian was a good bandit who didn't neglect his sales tools, and his blade was spewing out crisp foreshadowing.

If this were business as usual, the eerie creature would be an endless threat to its prey, but with a leash aimed at its own neck, it's only a matter of time before it gets the shit kicked out of it.

I touched it lightly and it was already bleeding from the cut.

"Wow, you've got one hell of a sharp knife for a bandit, I bet you could sell it for a pretty penny!"

Seeing the sharpness of Red Woongdo, Bi Ryuyeon said with a pleased expression. She had always associated everything with money.

In any case, this led to a strange confrontation between the marksmen of the Zhongyang Mark Bureau and the rugged, sturdy bandits of the Red Woongchae.

A strange relationship had been established, one that could not be passed, nor could it be stopped openly. It was no wonder that Sudokge, who had been sneaking up behind them, was able to wrap his arms around the goal.

"Greatly, greatly……. How has this happened, O heavens!"

Zhang Gang Jiaolong, the head of the family, who hadn't shown tears when his father died, suddenly had a hard time suppressing the urge to cry.

I've never felt like this before.

It was a name that was recognized by the forest salesmen on this side of the mountain, or on the Green Forest Road, where bandits were called bandits. He had lived his life without much fear.

He didn't touch the risky ones who looked like masters. The last thing he wanted to do was make a mistake and have a quick exit. His salespeople were always less powerful than him, so he never felt the emotion of fear.

But now the enemy was having the rare experience of being a hostage while still alive and a vegetable. But his gaunt, rugged face and massive frame don't quite fit the description of a vulnerable, fearful creature held hostage. He didn't feel like a hostage at all.

Moreover, it is hard to pity the existence of Red Woongchae, one of the seventy-seven houses of the Green Forest, who have been plundering thousands of good people (though they claim to be doing so for the good of the community).

His breath was now in someone else's hands, and he could only roll his eyes at the absurdity of the situation.

I'm like, "Hmmm, that means I might actually like this job!

The endless troubles of Danmado Bangchun, a debtor, began at the moment when the enemy of Red Woongchae, Red Woong Sando, was taken hostage.

If this was just a small or medium-sized mountain village, Fang Chen would have been proud to say the following from the moment Chaiju was caught.

"Chazu has died under the blade of the equator. Let us avenge his death! From now on, I am Chaeju!"

From that moment on, it didn't matter whether the enemy was alive or dead, and he would have raised his sword in the air. This kind of exaggerated behavior is quite effective in inciting people.

No matter how much she begged him to save her, he pretended not to hear her and treated her as if she didn't exist. She was going to die, and it was none of his business.

The problem was that this was one of the seventy-seven historic Green Forest Houses. According to the rules of the Green Forest Alliance, there could be no private substitutions, as it would risk disrupting the order. Also, since the master was chosen from the seventy-seven houses of Nokryom, it was not easy to replace him.

That's why Fang Chen can't do anything but drag his feet.

"Guys!"

"Yes!"

"Let us avenge the enmity of the Great Oxidizer! Let us make the name of the Greenwood Blades known throughout the land. Will you follow me?"

"Bokmyeong! Waaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

How nice it would be to see ……, but that's just wishful thinking. Fang Chen's delusion didn't last long. He couldn't help but notice the pitiful expression on his enemy's face.

"Chaeju, shame on you."

"Pretend you didn't see……."

With his face flushed with shame, he replied in a voice the size of a mosquito.

"There's too much snow around for that."

In fact, Chaeju Makjak and Fanju Bangchun were burning with their faces raw. How could a man of their stature be held hostage by a child's trick?" ……. Even if he survives today, he will not escape punishment for dishonoring the Green Forest Clan. But until they were punished and disfellowshipped, it was clear that they were Chazhu.

"Yes!!"

I had a bad feeling about it from the start.

Jujakdan didn't seem fazed by the sudden appearance of Red Woongchae.

It wasn't that Red Woongchae was weak.

Two hundred people! That's a lot of people for a commoner. However, two hundred was a very small number in the face of twenty-six martial arts instructors and a single salt.

Originally, these two hundred people were brought out because the weather was nice and we were practicing maneuver ambushes. Normally, about 50 people would be a good number.

Moreover, it was not as if we were strangers to Zhongyang Pekguk, so honestly, this number of people was overkill. However, the other side's reaction was even more surprising.

I can't believe they didn't raise an eyebrow in front of the 200 people I brought out to train and sell……. The polite thing to do would have been to look surprised.

It's no wonder the enemy and his men were so surprised to see him so casual, as if he'd just gone for a walk.

On top of that, they were a bunch of assholes who couldn't communicate.

"Are you not afraid of our seventy-seven greenhouses? If you let them go now, we will do as we did before."

Still holding the blade to Fang Chen's throat, Bi Ryuyeon didn't even pretend to listen. Fang Chen had picked the wrong person to talk to now.

"Archer, how about we try our hand at combat? It's been a while since we last fought bandits, and I'm sure you're hardened, so it's good to refresh your senses before you lose them. This might be a good opportunity."

Fang Chen was furious at Bi Ryuyeon's words. This was too disrespectful of them.

"Don't you think that's a little too frenzied, and don't you fear the shadow of the Greenwood Blind?"

"Gung Sang, are you scared?"

Bi Ryuyeon asked, flicking the blade across the carotid artery of his enemy.

"Haha, no way, we've fended off hobgoblins and keelstaffs, and we're barely discussing fear with this many people."

Fang Chen's eyes grew as wide as a fire lantern as he laughed.

"So… you're saying that you're the Heavenly Martial Sect, the group responsible for the annihilation of the Dragonbane?"

Fang Chen's words trembled violently with fear, and his tongue seemed to have become rigid.

"Annihilate the keelboat? What is that?"

Then, as if remembering the statue of Namgung next to him, he said.

"Ah! That's right, it was the Bone and Dragon Bones that attacked us on our way back to Tianmu Hall. Rumor has it that they were after the astronomically priced Goryeo auricles stuck in the trophies. I remember having a hard time with them."

The words of the Namgung Sang were like those of a poet.

"Wow, you guys are getting pretty famous, even Mr. Sandoval recognized you."

Bi Ryuyeon said in surprise.

"That's right."

Something was wrong. Makjik and Fang Chen felt it in their gut.

I should have known from the start. There's no way they could have been from Korea, and they were willing to do things that no one in the industry would ever do.

The Tianmu Jiujia, the group rumored to be responsible for the destruction of two forest trees by a mere 16 people, had been ordered to leave the Tianmu Hall untouched ever since.

From that day forward, the hogol and dragon bone houses had to take down their signs and send people from the new green forest to rebuild them. As is customary, the names of the destroyed houses were renamed to reflect their inauspiciousness. In particular, the hogolchae had only the owner replaced, while the keelchae had very few survivors, so everything had to be rebuilt.

It was a major case of a Greenwood Alliance member completely disappearing from the face of the earth.

It's no wonder Fang Chen and the Zhou were so frightened. The enemy's strength was only slightly lower than that of Yongle, whose power had faded after the attack.

Fang Chen's mouth dropped open.

"I…damn it, where's the son of a bitch that went scouting?

Suddenly, Fang Chen felt like crying. He had touched one of the places that should never be touched. The Heavenly Martial Hall, a mass cultivation center where each and every one of its members possessed skills comparable to those of a peak master, was a place that even they didn't dare to touch.

As much as I would have loved to catch the man who had just returned from a scouting trip and twist his head off, the circumstances of the situation prevented me from realizing my dream.

He just glanced at me with a quizzical look.

"Let's go back and see!

Fang Chen's flesh-crushing gaze made the scouting bandit Gui Yi cower like a little frog in a puddle.

"We've become famous without even realizing it."

Namgung Sang looked surprised. This was the first time he had realized why they were so famous in the bandit world. Fang Chen's face became even more contemplative as he listened. His words were like a confirmation of his own question.

'Oh, no, not the infamous Zhu Jiaxuan, damn it……! Hags of the Sunflower Gourd, have mercy on us!'

The masterminds' reputations in the industry were anything but prestigious; they were part of the elite class of people who should be avoided at all costs.

But I never thought I'd see you in this place! Apparently, today was just a bad day for luck.

I felt like turning around and running away.

"Hyo-ryong, go get him."

Sensing something was amiss, Bi Ryuyeon pointed to Fang Chen and said a word. He immediately granted her request.

"Ping!"

His movements were as swift as an arrow's flight. It wasn't a level of study that a mere witch doctor could ever hope to defend against.

Fang Chen was also dragged into Hyorong's hands, looking not unlike his enemy. The number of hostages has now increased from one to two.

The bandits of Red Woongchae watched helplessly as their vice-captain was dragged away with two blows to the stomach and one to the face. Hyo-Ryong's skill was too high for them to stop.

Mo Yonghui and Qinghun were amazed at Hyo-ryong's neat and clean skills. From the first moment they saw him, they knew he wasn't normal, but they honestly didn't expect him to be this good.