There were a few things people naturally thought of when they heard the words escort run.
As for me, I did not have much information about them.
I understood the basic concepts of an escort agency and escort guards. Beyond that, I had never bothered to learn.
I thought it had nothing to do with me.
It was not as though I would ever set out on an escort run, and I had never once thought I would do an escort guard’s work.
“Keep the formation aligned.”
At the escort guard’s words, the personnel formed a line around the carriages. I placed a hand on my sword hilt and slowed my pace. I had not known this, but an escort run itself proceeded quite slowly.
Since we had to move while protecting the shipment, the speed was far slower than average. Slower than I had expected.
They move at this speed?
It was strange enough to be fascinating. Was this how they normally did it?
I did hear they used to be even more cautious.
In the past, when the Green Forest ran rampant, I heard it had been worse than this. Or else, there were cases where they simply handed money to the Green Forest bandits and negotiated safe passage.
Compared to fighting.
Paying and passing through must have been better. It was a fairly rational choice.
Now—
It did not seem like that was a thing anymore. Most of the Green Forest had been destroyed. It was an age where those worries had lessened somewhat. It would be a pity to call it an age of peace, but it was roughly similar.
Of course.
Considering the Green Forest bandits who would soon appear, that was not entirely a good thing.
“Stop.”
The escort guard, who had been walking along smoothly, raised his hand. At that signal, everyone stopped.
“We stop here.”
At his words, the escort run halted for a while. I looked around.
Are they trying to use the time and terrain?
It was a little late. If we kept moving from here, the sun would set. On top of that, the terrain itself was high and difficult for horses to move through.
In other words, it meant we would have difficulty moving, but enemies would have difficulty coming at us as well. It was not a bad judgment. It seemed like the best choice.
“We will camp here tonight. Patrol the surroundings and set up camp.”
“Understood.”
As though they were used to this, the people scattered around.
It seemed they were checking whether there were any problems.
Watching that, I asked the person in charge,
“Excuse me, escort guard. What should we do?”
In name, we were martial artists sent by the Mo Yong Family, but the one ultimately responsible for the escort run’s safety was that escort guard. It was right to receive his permission.
When I asked with that in mind, he looked at me with a rather reluctant gaze and said,
“Do as you please. We will handle this side, so you may relax.”
“Ah, understood.”
Look at these people.
This was an utterly pointless contest of nerves.
Looks like I rubbed them the wrong way somehow.
Seeing them act like this made a hollow laugh come out. But it did not matter.
They’re telling me to rest comfortably.
That was better for me. If I did not have to work, all the better. And—
Thanks to that, I have room to look around.
I had gained an excuse to move instead of sitting still. I left the escort guards behind and quietly put some distance between us. Then—
WHOOSH—!!
Once I sensed there was no human presence nearby, I rose into the air.
I moved to what looked like the highest point in the forest and looked around.
Nothing could be seen. Only the night that had arrived was making silence settle over everything. As I looked at it, I focused my power.
Ssssk—!!!
Light seeped into my blue-glowing eyes. I opened Moon Eye and used it to look farther away. There had to be something. Thinking that, I swept my gaze over the surroundings.
That was when—
There.
I saw something. People. The distance between them was more than a certain amount, but their positions were quite calculated.
Which meant they were a group, and they were bastards aiming for something.
“Green Forest bandits?”
The possibility was high.
What should I do?
Should I go over now and eliminate them in advance? That was possible. I held my sword and considered it for a moment, but—
Not yet.
I decided to put it off for now. I did not know their plan or their traps. Acting rashly could cause problems.
Sss.
I returned to the campsite. At this pace, probably—
After noon tomorrow.
There was a high chance we would encounter the Green Forest bandits around then.
When I returned to camp, I spoke to the Hao Clan people.
“We’ll probably meet them around noon.”
“You mean the Green Forest bandits?”
“Yes.”
“......They are already setting up around us.”
“It seems so.”
It was planned. I had assumed mountain bandits would not have much to them, but they seemed to have prepared more thoroughly than expected.
Their numbers too.
Fifty?
At least fifty. That was quite a large number of people to place in the forest.
It meant they had prepared that thoroughly.
“Do you intend to inform the other side?”
He was asking whether I would tell the escort agency. At that, I shook my head.
“I don’t think there’s any need.”
Even if I told them, they probably would not believe me. It seemed better to let them see it directly tomorrow.
At this point, I’m just curious.
What exactly was loaded into the carriages that made those Green Forest bastards who had been hiding away appear with that many people?
*****
Dawn. We began climbing the mountain again. We roughly took turns standing watch, and those damned bastards just had to put me in the middle. Wow. That was something I had experienced at the Murim Alliance, but it had been a while since I felt this way.
Perhaps because my realm had risen, something like that was not enough to make me tired, but I disliked the sour feeling it left behind.
“From here on is the middle section. Stay focused.”
The warning came, but everyone looked somewhat relaxed. When I asked, they said this was apparently how it usually felt around the halfway point.
Was it because we had entered a stable section?
While I was feeling that—
Sssss.
......They’re here.
The air changed.
This faintly seeping killing intent made breathing feel slightly tight.
I wondered when these people would notice. Just as I was thinking that—
“......Stop......”
The escort guard spoke in a changed voice.
“......Who are you?”
He spoke toward the front with sharp eyes. At those words, the bushes rustled.
“Kekekekeke.”
Soon after, several people emerged.
“Good to meet you.”
“State your identity.”
Shing. Swords were drawn. The escort guard asked with a tense expression. It was because, no matter how one looked, they were not allies.
“Ah, now. We came to greet you, but I did not expect you to come out so aggressively.”
“We are in the middle of an escort run for the Mo Yong Family. I assume you understand what you are trying to do right now?”
He spoke while pointing at the Mo Yong Family flag set on the carriage. It was an escort run of one of the Five Great Families. That alone should have been enough to intimidate them.
“Of course I know. Who in the Central Plains would not know that flag?”
Clank. The man gripping an axe spoke as though he was not afraid.
“If anyone ought to be afraid, should you not be the ones afraid of us?”
“......You bastards......!”
“We are the supreme heirs of the Green Forest. Hand over everything you have, and we will at least spare your lives.”
“......The Green Forest!”
At those words, the escort guards and those in the mountain procession widened their eyes. The Green Forest bandits, who had supposedly vanished long ago, had named themselves.
That alone was shocking.
“......The Green Forest hasn’t been active in a long time. Why?”
“We rested too long, and now we’re itching for action. We thought we might begin moving again starting now. What do you think?”
Thud.
A massive axe pointed at the escort guard.
“Would you like to become the sacrifice for our new beginning?”
“You bastard......!!”
Kiiiiing—!!!
Sword force seeped into the blade. Fighting spirit rose on the escort guard’s face as well.
“Prepare for battle!”
“Ahhh, and here I wanted to do this peacefully...... You aren’t helping me at all.”
At the man’s words, the forest moved. Shaaaak—! The Green Forest bandits who had been encircling us all appeared.
As everyone’s eyes widened at the considerable number of people—
Mm.
I was looking at them while having a strange thought. Their number was exactly what I had confirmed yesterday.
Something.
Something felt strange. I had an unpleasant feeling.
“Everyone, protect the shipment!”
With the escort guard’s words, the battle began.
Craaaack—!!!
An axe flew in. Seeing it, the escort guard hurriedly swung his sword. CLANG—! The escort guard staggered under the Green Forest bandit’s attack. Sword force collided with sword force, and an impact burst out.
Let’s see.
In the middle of the fight that had begun, I examined the surroundings.
Crackle.
It was not Moonbolt. I merely wrapped inner qi around myself. I raised only my body’s speed a little, then moved toward the bastards.
Slice—!
“Kuh!?”
I cleaned up the Green Forest bandits one by one. To avoid standing ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) out, I only helped at an appropriate level.
As I repeated that, the battle quickly tilted in our favor. The escort guards also grew heated at the situation, somehow winning with ease.
“Push them back!”
“Kill them!”
I could see the Green Forest bandits growing flustered.
“What is this? These bastards’ level is somehow......!”
Their confusion was obvious. Amid that, my gaze was fixed on one of the Green Forest’s people.
It should be about time for him to move.
The bastard watching this from the corner.
“Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue and swung a massive blunt weapon.
Kwaaaaaang—!!!
It struck the ground. With an enormous boom, the earth shook. The vibration made everyone stop moving.
“Foolish bastards. I thought you would handle it on your own, but you cannot even manage this?”
“Kuh....... V-vice chief.”
The Green Forest bandits were flustered, and fear surged into our group’s eyes at that attack. The reason was simple.
“Hard...... hard aura......”
“He’s a master......!”
It was because firm hard aura had appeared around the blunt weapon of the man they called vice chief.
It meant he had surpassed peak realm.
It was the point at which one was called a master in the Central Plains.
“Wh-why is a peak master......!”
“Damn it....... This can’t be happening......!”
“Ha.”
At the frightened voices, a smile appeared on the vice chief’s face.
“You pathetic orthodox faction bastards. I suppose you thought the world would remain yours forever. You do not even know your place.”
“Damn......!”
One escort guard moved in a hurry. It was not toward the shipment. It was none other than where Mo Yong Yeongsun was.
“Lady Mo Yong! You must evacuate first......!”
When he spoke, Mo Yong Yeongsun came out of the carriage. Her clothing had changed considerably from before.
As though she had prepared for battle, she was no longer wearing fine silk clothes but a martial uniform. At her waist, I could see a white sword.
“Lady Mo Yong......?”
“I was late because I was preparing.”
Clack. Seeing her grip her sword, my eyes widened.
“I am the eldest daughter of the Mo Yong Family and the person responsible for this escort run. May I ask your honorable name?”
Mo Yong Yeongsun spoke in an unwavering voice.
At those words, the vice chief grinned.
“Ahhh. So you are the famous greatest beauty in Liaoning. You are every bit as beautiful as they say.”
“Thank you for the compliment. I introduced myself, so may I hear your name?”
“My name? I can tell you as much as you like. I am—”
That was when it happened.
Chill—!
What is it?
Goosebumps rose over my entire body. Something was coming.
“The vice chief of the Green Forest—”
Crunch.
“......Huh?”
“What?”
Words vanished. Something blunt that had flown in from somewhere crushed the vice chief’s upper body.
“Kahahahaha—!!!”
A great burst of laughter covered the mountain.
Thud—!!!
Kwaaaaaaa—!!!
A heavy object that had appeared from the air collided with the ground. The impact could not even be compared to the blunt weapon smashing the earth earlier.
Fssssss—!!!
As a storm of dust scattered, something spoke.
“Good. Very good. I was right to come.”
Sssss.
As the dirt cloud disappeared, the owner of the voice revealed himself.
A giant man with a build larger than anyone I had ever seen.
“Hey, girl.”
And—
“From this moment on, you are mine.”
He was a true master, incomparable to the vice chief who had been spouting nonsense just moments ago.
