Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Hundred Battles Hundred Defeats (2)

“You, going to Hebei? Stop it! It would be fortunate if you are not completely robbed on the way!”

“If you just cross a few mountains to the north right now there will be plenty of bandits?”

“They are cunning things. If too close to Imcheong County they keep a suitable distance considering that government troops will mobilize.”

Because numerous people staying in Imcheong County such as peddlers, merchants, escort bureaus, merchant groups, and merchant associations were noisy on the topic of bandits, finding their location was not difficult.

“Just do not take the mountain path beyond Bokryong Mountain. That side is so rugged that they say many bandits are hiding there.”

“Where is Bokryong Mountain?”

“That rock mountain visible over there.”

While eavesdropping on the story I confirmed the mountain a certain peddler pointed to.

The high rock mountain whose summit seemed to touch the clouds was composed of sheer cliffs and bizarre rocks, so the ruggedness of the mountain terrain was expected.

‘Well, it is not a particular problem for me.’

Lightly hopping across the mountain path I pass rocks, cliffs, and precipices.

I met people a few times, but because I was so fast their whisper of ‘What was that? Was it a bird?’ was delivered late riding the wind.

『Boss, why are you trying to subdue bandits? They are not strange forces and turbulent spirits.』

“I did not come out into the world to catch strange forces and turbulent spirits?”

『What!? That was not it!?』

“My goal is dog-like things. There are many dog-like ones among strange forces and turbulent spirits so they became the main goal, but I have no intention of letting humans off.”

Looking mainly at clearings in the rough mountain area where people could gather and live, I quickly discovered a mountain stronghold.

“Come over here!”

“What!? Who is it!?”

“Huh!? A person all the way here!?”

The door made by weaving with straw rope burst open and large men poured out.

Their appearance was like that and their clothing was like that—truly men like specimens of bandits.

“Are you the bandits who came over from Hebei?”

“What is this again?”

“The young one speaks short.”

“Haha! Brothers! It seems a childish martial artist heard the rumor and came alone out of heroic spirit!”

The expression looking at me as a greenhorn is quite a sight, but since I am actually a greenhorn I did not particularly say anything.

“A one-day puppy does not know the tiger is scary, and you walked to your death with your own feet.”

“Aigoo, young hero! What shall we do? Shall we let ourselves be captured like this?”

“The martial artists of Imcheong County are all cowards, so you are a fellow from another region?”

Should I break one arm and one leg each and report the location to the government office?

Breaking only the arms and tying with rope to take them to the village entrance would be more convenient, right?

“Wait, brothers! That fellow, doesn’t seem like a man?”

“What? Come to think of it, the face is too fair?”

“For a man the lines are too soft and thin?”

...While pondering what to do they spout nonsense right in front of my face.

“That’s right! A girl was dressed as a man! They say women of the martial world sometimes try to hide their identity by dressing as men, and the rumor was true!”

“I thought there was a woman’s scent from somewhere!”

“Haha! Lady! Even dressed as a man if you are that pretty, one cannot imagine how pretty you would be when dressed in flower-like clothes!”

One bandit sticks out his tongue and reaches a hand toward me.

Since the thought of dealing lightly has disappeared, I roughly grabbed the wrist and twisted, and with the sound of the joint breaking the elbow bent in the opposite direction.

“Kyaaak! M-my arm!”

“Good, I’ve decided.”

Looking at the fellows who do not understand the situation and are bewildered I loosened my fingers.

“You turned my insides upside down so first get beaten until you throw up.”

* * *

3 minutes.

The time it took to subdue the bandits.

“Gyaaak...”

“Uweeeek...”

Even before internal energy formed I am one who fought 10 to 1 against the ruffians of the neighboring neighborhood and won without a single wound.

Now against fellows numbering over 40 and even holding weapons I could knock them down before a single fingertip touched.

“R-run!”

“It’s a monster!”

“Not human!”

After making the fellows trying to flee in all directions throw up once more they obediently knelt and begged for forgiveness.

“Great hero! We failed to recognize you!”

“Sob sob! Please forgive us just once! From now on we will live kindly!”

Even so I have no intention of forgiving.

If I bind them like this and take them to the village the constables will handle it themselves.

‘Bandits are usually executed, right?’

At that time, beyond the men’s crying I heard a small and frail sobbing.

Entering the bandits’ hideout and looking inside, at the sight of half-naked children I lost what to say.

“P-please save us.”

Bruised faces.

Scabbed wounds.

Tears flowing from hollow eyes.

“...Were you kidnapped?”

The relatively largest child, looking a couple years older than Yul, slightly nodded.

“Die!”

Turning my body at the voice and presence felt from behind, one bandit is swinging a great sword at me.

Lightly flicking a finger I hit the side of the great sword to break the blade and struck the surprised fellow’s face hard, and the head spun 360 degrees and collapsed as if crumbling.

‘I killed a person.’

A thousand fires boil in my chest.

It is exactly that feeling when watching dog-like news in my previous life and being able to do nothing, and wanting to resolve the stuffy heart I glared at the thieves.

‘Should I just kill them all?’

Even if taken to the government office bandits are executed anyway.

‘But don’t these fellows also reincarnate like me if they die?’

In my previous life I was not a particularly special fellow.

Since even I reincarnated there is no law that bandits do not reincarnate.

They might regain memories the same way, or live a new life in a new world and commit evil deeds.

‘The reason I have not met a person claiming to be a reincarnator might be because there are infinitely many other worlds.’

I saw it on YouTube.

Parallel worlds are infinite?

If infinite people reincarnate in infinite worlds it is natural that they do not meet each other.

‘Ah, is it because of puberty? All sorts of idle thoughts come.’

Chuckling I came out of the mountain stronghold.

Even though they could have fled the bandits lowered their heads and trembled, perhaps fearing me.

‘Let’s kill them.’

Whether they die at the government office.

Or die to me.

It’s the same thing.

“You bastards! Stop your evil deeds right now!”

At that time, something jumped out from the bushes.

The presence was so small I thought it was a small mountain animal, but it was an old man wearing rags.

“Wicked evil thieves! The invincible under heaven Jang Unryong has come!”

The old man raised his sword high and shouted.

“If you do not put down your weapons and surrender right now I will open the killing precept!”

Reflexively muttering at a name I had heard somewhere.

“Hundred Battles Hundred Defeats?”

* * *

The legend that suddenly appeared handled the situation in a swift decisive battle.

“Haa! Having received the news that this body is coming you have already lost fighting spirit! Then I will bind you with rope and take you to the government office! Follow quietly!”

Then he pointed a blade at me and shouted.

“Young hero, calm your killing intent! The children are afraid!”

Belatedly I checked the children.

They were all trembling and could not meet my eyes.

At that sight the poison drained, the thought of dealing with the bandits disappeared, and I simply watched the old man handle it.

“Now, let’s go quickly.”

Taking the bound bandits together with the children we headed to the village.

On the way, the old man cupped his fist toward me.

“Thank you, young hero. Thanks to you the peace of the martial world was protected.”

“Speak comfortably. I am not a martial artist either.”

“Haa! You displayed such martial strength even though not a martial artist! Your martial talent is not ordinary!”

Unlike the rumor, the words and attitude are innately those of a martial artist.

“Good! I must accept you as a disciple! I will transmit to you the Invincible Sword of this invincible under heaven Jang Unryong!”

“No need.”

The old man who arrived at the government office handed over the bandits.

But the constables asked the situation not of the old man but of me.

“Really amazing, young hero! If it is not rude may I ask which great sect you came from?”

“I just stayed still.”

“Aha! It seems you cannot say. Yes, understood!”

“Why do you not believe that the old man did it?”

“Haha! There is no way Hundred Battles Hundred Defeats could subdue as many as forty bandits. More than that we will find the children’s parents and send them back well, so there is no need to worry. More than that take this. It is the bounty.”

Perhaps because bandits were rampant the bounty is heavy.

Coming outside the old man was being teased by children in the alley.

“They say Hundred Battles Hundred Defeats! Hehe! And yet invincible under heaven, Invincible Sword!”

“Haa! Sparring has a strong nature of friendship! This body’s Invincible Sword is practical-oriented so it could not display its full power!”

“Hahaha! Looks like a fool!”

“Invincible Sword, invincible under heaven, completely childish!”

“Hoho! A sparrow does not know the will of a phoenix! When you grow a bit more you will realize the profound meaning of the Invincible Sword.”

These rude bastards.

Quickly approaching and flicking their foreheads, they all cried and fled.

“Waaah! I’ll tell Mom!”

“Do as you like. While going eat more of Mom’s milk.”

“Haa! Why react so much to words children say without knowing anything!”

“Things that eat etiquette with rice need to be hit a bit.”

“Then is this fellow who talks back to an adult one with etiquette!”

No, even when helping he says something.

“More than that have you eaten? The bounty is large, so how about eating a meal at some inn?”

“Looking again there is etiquette!”

Ordering food at the inn, it disappears like a crab hiding its eyes.

“It’s Hundred Battles Hundred Defeats? Who is that person in front?”

“I heard there is a person who cleaned up one mountain stronghold today, isn’t it that person?”

“It was a young hero. At that age if at a level to clean up a mountain stronghold alone he must be from a great sect.”

Rumors are fast once.

Among them several people wearing martial clothes came to our table, cupped their fists, and greeted politely.

“Hello? I am Geumjeong of the Eight Extremes Gate. Excuse me but who is the young hero?”

“I am Lee Shin. I am not a martial artist, just wandering.”

“Haa, so that is it.”

I wondered what that was, but surrounding whispers are heard.

“It seems a young hero from a great sect is hiding his identity lest he cause trouble to the surroundings with the sect’s prestige.”

“So he is not wearing martial clothes and in ordinary attire.”

“Hmm, it seems a female hero dressed as a man?”

I pointed behind with a finger.

“What is that?”

“Yes?”

While people’s gazes gathered, I flicked one bean in the food and matched it to the eye of the fellow who said something about female hero.

“Kyaaak! My eye!”

“W-why suddenly!”

“It seems I saw wrong. Anyway, I am not a martial artist so do not misunderstand.”

“Ahem, understood. But I am worried whether Hundred Battles Hundred Defeats said some nonsense again and drew the young hero’s attention.”

They ignore the old man right in front of his face.

The old man also concentrated on the meal without particularly saying anything.

“Because of one old man who is not in his right mind the martial artists of Imcheong County cannot all be treated the same. So young hero, please ignore the old man’s nonsense.”

“Yes, I will.”

“And our Eight Extremes Gate always has the door open to heroes like the young hero, so you may come anytime.”

The martial artist who informed the location of the Eight Extremes Gate left with his colleagues.

“Grandpa, being ignored right in front of your face are you not resentful?”

“Ignore? What are you saying?”

“Didn’t the kids earlier and the martial artists also ignore?”

“If trash is not received that is enough, what is there to be resentful about?”

It seems to be the old man’s own method of mental victory.

“More than that you must become my disciple! That outstanding martial talent must not be wasted!”

“I have no intention of becoming a martial artist.”

“Why? You have talent that can rise higher than anyone!?”

“Just because, there is no reason to become one.”

While politely refusing by beating around the bush he is persistent.

『Boss, listen to this seat’s words.』

I slightly nodded meaning I am listening.

『Extremely faint and secret so I only now found out, but from that old man a trace of a strange force and turbulent spirit is felt.』

To me he only felt like an old man with a faint presence.

『One of two. A strange force and turbulent spirit has been lurking around that old man for a long time, or that old man is a strange force and turbulent spirit.』

Suddenly, the old man’s legend comes to mind.

Once a promising genius, now treated as a loafer and a pathetic person chasing a vain dream, and now revealed as a figure entangled with a strange force and turbulent spirit.

‘Is he really nothing more than an ordinary old man?’

There is only one way to find that out.

“I cannot become a disciple right away, but I want to try the experience.”

“That’s right! Good! I will let you experience as much as you want!”

There is no choice but to confirm closely.