Chapter 46: The Shipped Slacker (4)
"Th-that lunatic, seriously!"
Gok Bihang wanted nothing more than to leap onto the carriage and grab Wi Yeonho by the collar, shaking him until his teeth rattled. But given the situation, he couldn’t put such thoughts into action.
He could only glare furiously at the top of the carriage before turning his body toward the men in green robes, making an appeal.
Beating that lunatic to a pulp would have to wait.
"On the honor of the Swift Dragon Escort Agency, I swear nothing of the sort will ever happen. If even a single rumor spreads after this moment, wouldn’t it be child’s play for the Green Forest to erase our escort agency? So why would we throw our lives away?"
The men in green robes appeared slightly troubled, as if considering his words.
"Moreover, we’ve always maintained a good relationship with the Green Forest. If this delivery fails, our agency is finished! Wouldn’t that also reduce your revenue?"
"Hmm..."
One of the green-robed men nodded.
It wasn’t a lie.
Just as that man seemed about to let the delivery pass—
"That’s not it."
A tongue-clicking sound came from atop the carriage.
Gok Bihang’s eyes widened as he glared up.
Ugh, Mister, you’re seriously frustrating. That’s not how you persuade people. They’re not idiots, you know. Once the rumor spreads, the Paeng Clan will lose it and declare war on the Green Forest. At that point, wiping out one small escort agency won’t solve anything. The fire will already be under your feet. Getting rid of the source of the trouble from the start is much more beneficial in the long run. They’re not fools—it’s not going to work."
The green-robed man hastily nodded.
"Y-yes! We’re not fools! I was thinking the same thing. Really, I was."
At that moment, Gok Bihang fell into deep turmoil.
‘Since it’s come to this anyway, should I just beat the crap out of that brat first?’
They’d all die regardless, but he at least wanted to see that punk go down first. If Gok Bihang died before that happened, he’d never rest easy, even in death.
He wanted nothing more than to jump onto the carriage right this instant, but he squeezed out every last drop of patience and calmed himself.
Now was not the time to escalate matters.
"It seems we really can’t let you live."
Just then, Paeng Dogeuk quietly whispered to Gok Bihang.
"They clearly don’t intend to let you go. So while I hold them off, escape this place."
"But..."
"You don’t need to worry about me. I’m not that weak. I’ll buy you enough time to get away. So once I jump in..."
Again, a voice came from atop the carriage.
"No, no. That won’t do!"
"Shut up!"
Gok Bihang shouted without even realizing it.
That damn brat was about to ruin things again!
Clearly, he had made the wrong decision. Before doing anything else, stuffing that cursed brat’s mouth with a bundle of luggage would be the wisest course of action.
"No. Mister, calm down and just hear me out. Even if you run with the goods, how far do you think you’ll get? You’ll be caught before you even make it down the mountainside. And the guy who couldn’t even handle the situation in the first place—what good will he do blocking them?"
"..."
The problem was, everything that brat said actually sounded pretty convincing.
"And let’s be real, that guy isn’t all that trustworthy either. This whole mess started because he snuck into the escort delivery that was running fine. If he hadn’t shown up, none of this would’ve happened. If we die, it’s because of him, plain and simple."
Stab!
Wi Yeonho’s words pierced Paeng Dogeuk like a dagger.
"And to be blunt, if you’re going to die, die alone. Don’t drag all these people into it and then act like a martyr. It’s like throwing someone off a cliff and then acting like a hero for tossing them a rope afterward."
Stab!
Another dagger sank into Paeng Dogeuk.
"Acting all fearless like he’s playing the role of a hero—but honestly,he’s the worst one here. A man should have a conscience—he really should!"
Stab!
Paeng Dogeuk’s body wavered.
"If that was the plan, he shouldn’t have shown his face at all or asked for help. If he did it knowingly, he’s scum. If he didn’t, he’s a fool. Either way, he’s an idiot."
Staaab!
Paeng Dogeuk collapsed on the spot, pressing his hand against the ground.
Not a single word from Wi Yeonho was wrong.
"I-I didn’t mean for it to turn out like this..."
Paeng Dogeuk looked around.
The eyes of those watching him seemed to have turned cold.
He clenched his teeth.
The words from atop the carriage were entirely true. He had placed all these people in danger.
The enemy’s pursuit had been relentless, and in hoping for a stroke of luck, he had endangered them all. That thought alone made him want to fall flat on his face and bite his tongue.
"T-then I must resolve this myself! I started this, so I will end it. I will hold them off, so from here—"
"Agh, seriously. He’s just hopeless. Why can’t he understand plain words?"
"..."
Gok Bihang and Paeng Dogeuk now dreaded what might come out of that mouth next. Even the green-robed men across the way perked up their ears, clearly curious to hear what else would be said.
‘If you're going to help, just pick a side, you damned bastard!’
Why was he helping both sides at once? Why!?
“Even if you run away from here, you'll get caught before long. And then what? The name Swift Dragon Escort Agency is already out. The escort agency will be wiped out before word even reaches the Paeng Clan.”
Paeng Dogeuk’s shoulders shrank endlessly.
“He’s worse than a drowning ghost. At least those don’t drag multiple people down with them. What the hell do you even call someone like this?”
Tears welled up in Paeng Dogeuk’s eyes.
Gok Bihang, who had now given up completely, sighed and looked up at the carriage.
“Then what should we do?”
Annoyed, furious, resentful—he wanted to beat the brat to death. But it was painfully clear that Wi Yeonho was the only one seeing the situation with any semblance of calm.
That’s why Gok Bihang had asked him for advice.
“What do you mean ‘what’? We fight, of course.”
“With them?”
“If we run, we’ll be fighting with only the escort crew. But if we fight here, we’ve got that drowning ghost on our side. That gives us the best chance.”
“I see.”
Wi Yeonho’s logic made sense. If they were going to die anyway, it would be cleaner to fight and die here than to be stabbed in the back while running away.
And there was also a faintly higher chance of surviving.
Gok Bihang turned to face the green-robed men.
“So you really have no intention of letting us go?”
“No need to repeat yourself.”
Hearing that, Wi Yeonho let out a sigh.
“This is where you pretend to let them go, kill the drowning ghost first, then go after the escort crew. But no, look at them. No wonder they're stuck living like mountain bandits. Ugh.”
The green-robed man’s face flushed red.
Why was it that this brat only ever said what was true—but always managed to make it sound incredibly offensive?
Gok Bihang and the green-robed man’s eyes met in the air.
In that instant, their eyes exchanged a silent agreement: maybe the best thing to do was to join forces just long enough to kill that lunatic first.
But Gok Bihang looked away out of a sense of duty—he was the head escort, and couldn’t harm someone entrusted to his care. The green-robed man ground his teeth in frustration.
Grit.
“You bastards... You won’t die an easy death.”
Gok Bihang now looked up at the carriage with a face that had transcended all worldly concerns.
‘If I could just land one clean stab before I die, maybe it wouldn't feel quite so unfair.’
He now realized there was no room left for negotiation.
Which meant there was only one option left—fight.
The escort guards, having grasped the situation, quietly filled in the positions around Gok Bihang.
They knew they couldn’t guarantee their survival, but they also understood that their only chance at life was to fight.
‘What if we all scattered and ran?’
Gok Bihang shook his head.
Maybe someone would survive, but even if they did, there’d be no future. The escort agency would be destroyed regardless.
“Prepare yourselves.”
At his command, the members of the escort agency began forming up.
Paeng Dogeuk stood at the very front.
Knowing he was the strongest among them, he stood in the most dangerous position.
But even his martial arts weren’t enough to handle two of the green-robed men at once.
The remaining eight would have to be dealt with by the escort guards.
‘Can they even stand a chance?’
From Paeng Dogeuk’s perspective, absolutely not.
Just three of the green-robed men would be enough to wipe out the escort guards in an instant.
But there was no time to hesitate. As the formation barely started to take shape, two martial artists from the Green Forest dashed forward, giving them no time to come up with a plan.
“Kh!”
Paeng Dogeuk drew his saber and blocked the incoming sword.
Clang!
The sound of clashing steel rang out sharply.
That was the signal.
While Paeng Dogeuk couldn’t take his eyes off the green-robed man before him, the sound of weapons echoed from all directions.
A massive force pressed down on Paeng Dogeuk’s saber, and he grimaced involuntarily.
He had trained since childhood with the best spiritual medicine, top-tier martial arts, and under the guidance of the greatest masters—but even he was struggling to handle two of the green-robed men at once.
‘So this is how vast the world of the rivers and lakes truly is...’
Regret filled Paeng Dogeuk’s chest.
If he’d known the world was this wide and dangerous, he would never have gotten involved in this affair. He had only ever fought his peers and had forgotten how terrifying the world of martial arts could be.
He had heard it said countless times as a child—hammered into his ears over and over—that a moment’s carelessness could cost him his life. And yet, how could he have looked down on the enemy?
That carelessness had snuck into his heart unnoticed ever since people began praising him as a promising prodigy.
Like poison.
‘It’s too late for regrets.’
Now wasn’t the time to regret. It was the time to fight with everything he had.
He could reflect later, once he escaped this place.
At that moment, the green-robed man’s sword stabbed toward Paeng Dogeuk’s throat.
“Ugh!”
Paeng Dogeuk rolled his body backward to get out of range. But the sword gave him no reprieve.
“Keuk!”
The blade slashed at him mercilessly as he retreated. His face darkened.
Two enemies?
That was arrogance in itself. Despite all the effort the Paeng Clan of Hubei had put into training him, Paeng Dogeuk couldn’t even handle two of the Green Forest’s elite warriors.
His limbs were flailing wildly.
“This is the end, brat.”
A sword he couldn’t block came thrusting toward his throat.
Paeng Dogeuk could feel death looming. If only his own death were all that was at stake, he might have accepted it willingly. But his death would also mean the end for everyone else.
‘This is my fault.’
Despair flooded Paeng Dogeuk’s eyes.
And then it happened.
“How many ways can one guy be a pain?”
A blunt, emotionless, and irritated voice, slow and dragging, rang out.