Wei Jeong-han frowned upon hearing the laughter.
He judged that the internal energy contained in the sound was not something to be taken lightly. One of those surrounding them was using their internal energy through sound to pressure them.
"Wei Jeong-han, can you still hold your head so stiffly in front of me?"
Wei Jeong-han frowned when he saw the person emerging through the bushes.
"Aho?"
"It's Daeho-gun!"
"Oh, Aho! It's been a while."
"I said it's Daeho-gun, you damn bastard!"
"Sure, Aho."
Looking at the trembling Daeho-gun, Jang-il tsk-tsked.
'I feel like I've seen this scene somewhere before…'
He seemed to understand where Wei Yan-ho's teasing nature came from. He thought it was innate, but who would have thought it was something learned and put to use.
'So that's why they say "like father, like son."'
While everyone was having similar thoughts, Wei Jeong-han, oblivious to this, looked at Daeho-gun and grinned.
"How long has it been? Hahaha, it feels like yesterday when you ran away like crazy after my sword pierced your buttocks, but when I think about it, a lot of time has really passed. Come to think of it… you've aged a lot too."
"Don't act friendly!"
"Oh, come on. We're not just acquaintances of a year or two."
"Grrrr."
Daeho-gun shook his head back and forth.
'Wait. Daeho-gun?'
Jang-il's face hardened.
Daeho-gun—wasn't that the right-hand man of the Green Forest King and the one called the actual second-in-command of Green Forest?
'No, what exactly is going on in this neighborhood?'
He wasn't at the level of the Green Forest King, but Daeho-gun was also a big shot not easily encountered. Yet being next to Wei Yan-ho, it felt like big shots like Daeho-gun were just getting caught underfoot.
Moreover, how should he put it…
After recently seeing Gwangmu-ryang and then Plum Blossom Sword Saint and Taiji Sword Immortal, and even Shadow King and Blade Extreme…
'Somehow he looks like a small fry?'
He shouldn't think this way, but such thoughts kept occurring to him. In fact, if Jang-il had met Daeho-gun personally without being part of this group, he would have had to worry about whether he would die right here or be dragged away alive to be beaten to death first.
Jang-il glanced up at Wei Yan-ho rolling around on the cart.
'It's because of that bastard.'
With Wei Yan-ho there, propping his chin and looking down from the cart, he wasn't worried at all. Even if not just Daeho-gun but the Green Forest King himself appeared, there was a monster here who could send them flying to distant mountains in one blow, so what was there to worry about?
Thanks to this, Jang-il could comfortably watch the conversation between Wei Jeong-han and Daeho-gun.
"While I'm very glad to meet you, it doesn't seem like you and I are close enough for such warm conversation?"
"Weren't you the one acting friendly!"
"How could I show a cold attitude to someone who came all this way to welcome me so warmly? That wouldn't be what a gentleman does."
"Grr."
Just as Daeho-gun, thinking he couldn't win with words, was about to open his mouth, a rough voice was heard.
"Do you plan to keep listening to that sly bastard's words?"
"Hmm…"
Instantly, Wei Jeong-han's eyes showed interest.
'So there's more than one or two?'
Of course, he already knew that there were quite a few people around. However, what surprised Wei Jeong-han wasn't their numbers but that each of those making up the numbers was extraordinary.
"Well, well, the stronghold leaders have appeared as a group."
Wei Jeong-han chuckled seeing those who revealed themselves from the bushes. Quite a few of the leaders who managed Green Forest's seventy-two strongholds had gathered. At a glance, there were over ten.
Gwangung-gun, his scarred face twitching, spoke.
"There's no need to exchange words with that sly bastard. Since when have we fought with words?"
"Be quiet."
"What did I say wrong?"
"This fellow?"
When Daeho-gun got angry, Gwangung-gun grumbled but stepped back.
Wei Jeong-han shrugged and said.
"For the distinguished stronghold leaders of Green Forest to hide in bushes and ambush people like petty thugs—isn't this a bit embarrassing?"
"If bandits are embarrassed about doing bandit things, they shouldn't be bandits."
At those words, Wei Yan-ho nodded vigorously and said.
"Listen well, beggar."
"Grr."
Jang-il grimaced at Wei Yan-ho's sudden jab from the side. That bastard seemed to think about tormenting him all day long.
"So are you saying you'll do some bandit work now?"
"Hehe, what would you do if we did? You bastard…"
At that moment, Wei Yan-ho suddenly stood up on the cart.
"Ah, seriously!"
Wei Yan-ho shouted with an irritated face.
"Geez, if these bandit bastards are going to work, do it quickly, or if not, get going. What is this, some kind of matchmaking meeting? Where are you yapping? Everyone come out. I'll gather you all up and beat you to a pulp."
"W-wait a moment!"
Daeho-gun turned pale and waved his hands.
This was a completely different reaction from what he'd shown Wei Jeong-han until now.
"W-we didn't come to fight, Great Hero!"
"Great Hero?"
"Great Hero?"
"Great Heeeeroooo?"
The simultaneous exclamations of Wei Jeong-han, Wei San-ho, and Jang-il could be heard.
"Huh?"
And puzzlement appeared in Wei Yan-ho's eyes too.
What were those things talking about right now?
"Huh? This shouldn't be happening?"
Usually in cases like this, the bastards who didn't know who Wei Yan-ho was would rush at him happily, only to get completely sliced up by Wei Yan-ho, right?
What did those bandit bastards eat wrong? Great Hero?
"You're talking to me?"
"That's right."
"Do you know me?"
Daeho-gun smiled in a way that could be described as… yes, sycophantic.
"Of course I know. How could I not know? How could we do bandit work without knowing the name of Great Hero Wei Yan-ho, the Mad Sword, whose name resounds throughout the realm?"
"…Mad Sword?"
Wei Yan-ho's face began to turn pale.
"You don't mean… you're talking about me?"
"That's right! Based on the numerous exploits Great Hero Wei Yan-ho showed at Mount Hua, gossips are already calling Great Hero Wei Yan-ho the Mad Sword. Hehehe."
"…Good Lord."
Wei Yan-ho collapsed right there.
Mad Sword.
Good heavens, Mad Sword.
He'd rather be called Asura or the old nickname Lazy Turtle. Mad Sword—wasn't that Baek Mu-han's former epithet?
Wei Yan-ho, who had made it his life goal to never live like his master, shuddered at the feeling that his life was becoming more and more similar to Baek Mu-han's as time went on.
"No, it can't be."
Wei Yan-ho began groaning while clutching the cart's canopy. No one could understand why he was acting this way, but wasn't Wei Yan-ho doing strange things nothing new?
Wei Jeong-han, taking it in stride, picked up where Wei Yan-ho left off and continued the conversation.
"You came looking for Yan-ho?"
"That's right."
Instantly, veins bulged on Wei Jeong-han's forehead.
No matter how messed up the world had become, what was going on in the head of this bastard who spoke respectfully to his son, calling him Great Hero, while spitting out informal speech to him, the father?
"For what reason?"
"That's none of your business."
Excuse me.
I'm that bastard's father.
'Ignorant bandit bastards.'
That's why people born without brains just do bandit work with nothing better to do.
Seeing Wei Jeong-han about to spout curses, Daeho-gun grinned.
"I need to have a talk with your esteemed son, so you scram. I have nothing to say to you."
A new coined term, "your esteemed son," was being born right here.
"…A bastard who'll even ruin genealogy."
He had plenty to say, but words only have value when spoken to someone who can understand them. Wei Jeong-han wasn't confident he could explain to Daeho-gun what was wrong with what he was currently saying.
Even if he explained, the bastard wouldn't understand, so he had no confidence in winning either.
"Fine, do as you please. Your esteemed son is over there."
As Wei Jeong-han sighed and stepped back, Daeho-gun returned to his earlier sycophantic expression and called to Wei Yan-ho.
"Hehe, Great Hero."
"…What?"
Wei Yan-ho answered with a dejected expression, not even turning his head.
Some bandits weren't the problem right now.
Good heavens, Mad Sword.
That epithet that made his internal organs turn and gave him goosebumps just by hearing it was now attached to his name. If there were some kind of martial world epithet compilation committee, he wanted to storm in and cause havoc.
"We came here for no other reason…"
"Yes."
"We came because we have a favor to ask."
"A favor?"
"Yes. Hehe."
"A favor?"
"That's right. We know it's shameless, but the matter is so urgent and pressing that we must shamelessly ask a favor of Great Hero. If you help us just this once, our Green Forest will remember the Wei family as friends for generations…"
"Friends?"
Wei Yan-ho's eyebrows twitched.
Realizing his mistake instantly, Daeho-gun immediately changed his words.
"Hehe, I misspoke. Not friends, but as benefactors we'll remember, so just this once…"
"Benefactors?"
Wei Yan-ho's brow began trembling.
'What went wrong?'
It didn't seem like he'd made any particular slip of the tongue, but that bastard's reaction was rather unpleasant.
"Come here, come here."
"Yes?"
Wei Yan-ho beckoned with his finger.
Though Daeho-gun felt slightly ominous, being in the position of asking a favor, he couldn't disobey Wei Yan-ho's words.
As he approached the cart in an awkward posture, Wei Yan-ho continued beckoning.
"Come closer."
"…"
Daeho-gun stealthily pressed against the cart wall and poked his head up toward the canopy.
At that moment.
WHAAACK!
Wei Yan-ho's sword, still in its sheath, swung fiercely and struck the head of Daeho-gun, who had come up.
"…"
Quiet silence swept the surroundings.
Thud.
Daeho-gun showed no particular reaction.
Ah, if there was a reaction, there was one. Daeho-gun, who had been pressed against the cart wall, dropped to the ground with a thud, then grabbed his head.
And then…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
A scream that shook the mountain burst forth.
Watching this scene, Wei Yan-ho shot up.
"What? Friends? Benefactors? Do these bandit bastards think I'm some mountain spirit? How dare social evils like you grab people and ask favors? I'm already in a shitty mood as it is!"
Jang-il instantly realized that the last words were the core of that reaction.
"Fine. Since you treat me like a mountain spirit, I'll give you an opportunity."
Wei Yan-ho suddenly stuck his hand into his chest and pulled out a brilliant golden sword.
N-no way?
"Is this golden sword your sword?"
Who are you asking, you crazy bastard!
"Or this…"
Wei Yan-ho's face twisted horribly.
"There's no silver sword! What about the silver sword?"
Why are you asking us that?
The bandits could finally sense it intuitively.
They'd messed with the wrong person.
No matter how you looked at it, that bastard wasn't in his right mind.
"Let's get beaten until a silver sword comes out!"
And at that moment, Wei Yan-ho jumped down from the cart and charged toward the bandits.