Book 7 Chapter 13

The Forest Hero is a very excellent profession.

If the five ghosts of the Underworld had known what happened to the five ghosts of the Soul Hunter, they would have thought it was very satisfying.

But unfortunately, they could not get the news that the five ghosts of the Soul Hunter were fleeced by their old master.

They too were blinded by lust and were busily flying their bodies.

"Third, surely we'll be there before the five ghosts, right?"

Being slower than the five ghosts was unacceptable.

"Of course! But we can't let our guard down. That lustful fellow has already noticed. How dare he covet the woman I've marked… that damned fellow!"

As an expert in the same field of lust, the second ghost of the Underworld, Go Chae, felt competitive towards Gang Yak Yak. He narrowed his thin, slit eyes further, gleaming with greed.

These five, boasting a long history of countless past misdeeds, believed that this misdeed would also be carried out without incident. However, that was a mistake. They would painfully realize through this incident that there exists a variable, an exception, in all things in this world.

"Wait! Stop!"

The appearance of that variable was so unexpected.

"Who are you?"

Sensing a suspicious presence, the first ghost of the Underworld, Myeongyeomdo, Chu Hang, roared.

"Me? I'm a very excellent person. A benefactor wandering the martial arts world, perhaps!"

The five's eyes widened as they saw the figure that suddenly appeared. The person who revealed himself in the forest was undoubtedly a mountain bandit in appearance.

A ridiculously large dao (great sword) in his hand and a leather outfit covering his upper body. The leather outfit, in particular, looked very hot to wear in midsummer. It was the very picture of a typical mountain bandit found in storybooks.

"Are there still people doing business dressed like that these days?"

Unable to suppress his rising curiosity, Myeongyeomdo Chu Hang asked Insaldo Go Chae.

"I don't know? I guess such old-fashioned attire is very rare. And in this hot summer, wearing leather clothes that make you sweat! Hahahaha!"

Leather clothes made from cured animal hides and a crude-looking great sword! Wasn't he a perfect specimen of a mountain bandit! He was so much of a specimen and standard that he was now treated as old-fashioned.

"Uahahahahaha!"

At Go Chae's words, they all burst into laughter. After all, a single mountain bandit was nothing more than a worthless scrap of food to them.

"Be quiet! How dare you laugh so impudently and rudely in front of such an excellent person as I! You've lost your fear. Today, I will show you that there is something more terrifying than plague and smallpox in this world!"

"What? No matter how I look at you, you just look like a mountain bandit. On what grounds do you call yourself excellent? Do you want to die!"

A terrifying killing intent emanated from Chu Hang's entire body. A mere mountain bandit was not even worthy of his attention. With one sword strike, a mountain bandit was destined to be cut into thirty-six pieces.

However, the mountain bandit before them seemed to have no idea how terrifying, cruel, and brutal they were. There was a limit to how poorly one could choose their customers.

"No! Don't you ignorant people still not know how great, excellent, and self-sacrificing Forest Heroes are? Alas! What a lamentable situation this is…"

"What help can you possibly offer us?"

It was an unbelievable story.

"Oh!"

The mountain bandit let out a sigh as if the sky were about to collapse. Then, looking at the five ghosts of the Underworld, he spoke in a persuasive, unexpectedly gentle voice.

"Listen, when you walk on a mountain path on such a hot day, how hot, annoying, and tired your body must be! Do you know why you feel so hot, annoyed, heavy, sweaty, and your steps feel like a thousand pounds?"

Chu Hang, as their representative, shook his head.

"It's because the burdens you carry are too heavy. Among those burdens, the most troublesome ones are money, which is small in size but incredibly heavy. They are very detestable fellows. These fellows cling to your bodies and make them feel heavy as a thousand pounds. We Forest Heroes are the problem solvers who can solve such difficulties with a single stroke. Now that I am here, everyone can be at ease!"

"You madman! What are you telling us to be at ease about?"

Chu Hang was dumbfounded. In short, he was speaking of robbery as if it were a favor! He doubted if he was in his right mind.

"Oh, you frustrating friend! Don't you still understand my kind heart? I will take care of all the detestable silver coins that make your bodies heavy. Please do not refuse my sincere helping hand!"

"Say it simply!"

Chu Hang said irritably. Beating around the bush did not suit his temperament.

"Hand over the money!"

It was the mountain bandit's simple, concise statement.

From broad daylight, the five ghosts of the Underworld were subjected to an absurd situation. How dare a mere bandit block the path of the five top experts, the grim reapers of the Underworld? They were naturally dumbfounded.

"What?"

Chu Hang retorted with amusement.

"I said, hand over the money! Hand over everything you have!"

"Cook! Puhahahaha! Uhahahahaha!"

A roar that shook the mountains erupted simultaneously from the mouths of the five. Their laughter, filled with disdain, was understandable. However, the mountain bandit did not flinch at their laughter.

"Haha! My goodness! I've seen everything in my life!"

It was true. They had plundered, raped, and burned, but they had never been on the receiving end. They were always the strong. As long as the name of the Heavenly Twin Executioners shone brightly like a halo above and behind their heads, their position would be eternal, or so they believed.

The three thick sword marks on Chu Hang's face writhed as if alive. The more they listened, the more absurd the stories became. Who did this guy think he was, trying to rob them?

Who were they? The embodiment of fear, the god of slaughter, the five best swordsmen under the command of the Underworld King's Army, the five ghosts of the Underworld!

Such a mountain bandit was not even worth a puff of their breath.

"Isn't the thing on your neck heavy? I will lighten it for you as a special service!"

Empty talk was enough once. No matter how unique an experience, it becomes tiresome if it happens too often.

"Kill him!"

They were not leisurely, benevolent, righteous people willing to bother with persuasion and rehabilitation.

Chu Hang raised his hand and signaled, and the fifth ghost of the Underworld, Hyeolmyeongdo, Ga Huyeok, moved like a blur to take the head of the self-proclaimed Forest Hero. Even without exerting full strength, such a movement was effortless.

"Kuaaahhh!"

A desperate scream that echoed throughout the mountains rang out mournfully. Startled by the sudden scream, birds fluttered and took to the sky.

"N-no, this can't be!"

The remaining four, excluding Hyeolmyeongdo Ga Huyeok who was lying face down on the ground with his arm twisted behind him, were shocked beyond belief at the sight.

"I-impossible!"

The desired outcome did not occur. Normally, their heads should have been separated from their bodies, and blood should have gushed like a fountain from their severed carotid arteries. With the Underworld's dao drawn, a rain of blood and a sea of blood were the natural order of things.

But the sky was clear, and there was no sign of a blood rain. More importantly, the opponent's head and body, which should have been cleanly separated, were attached like sticky friends.

There was only one conclusion. Hyeolmyeongdo Ga Huyeok's attack was in vain. Even though he was face down on the ground, they had clearly seen his blade cut through the opponent with their own eyes. It had clearly cut through, yet it hadn't cut. That meant he had cut a phantom!

"S-surely, this is Isanghwangwigyeong (移形換位)!"

The highest level of martial arts where one moves leaving behind afterimages! It moves so fast that it creates the illusion of having cut the real body.

"W-who are you?"

Chu Hang roared, as if shaking off his fear.

Who was Hyeolmyeongdo Ga Huyeok! Although he was only the fifth among the five ghosts of the Underworld, he was skilled enough that even five or six members of the Underworld King's Army, who could even catch ghosts, would not be able to shake him. Yet, he was hit by this unknown mountain bandit and was face-planted on the ground. It was no wonder their eyes bulged out.

Only then did they realize that the mountain bandit standing there with a grin was no ordinary fellow. It was a bit late.

"Me? I told you earlier, didn't I? I said I was a kind benefactor passing by."

He still seemed unwilling to retract his claim of being a Forest Hero.

Flap!

As soon as the mountain bandit finished speaking, a hawk with rare blue feathers landed on his shoulder. It was a hawk with blue feathers that seemed to carry the nobility of a king of the sky. The hawk's name was Urae Mae, and its owner was, of course, a disguised Biryu Yeon.

These guys, although not specifically targeted, were just unlucky enough to run into him. Of course, he was also thoroughly disguised with a human skin mask.

A sense of foreboding swept through the spines of the remaining four simultaneously.

It felt ominous. It seemed unlikely that things would end well.

Perhaps if they had swallowed their pride here, they could have avoided the worst possible outcome and the predicted catastrophe. However, these four—excluding the one already incapacitated—seemed to have placed too much hope in their numbers.

The most dangerous thought, that they might be able to overpower them with numbers, was a temptation the five ghosts of the Underworld succumbed to. They made the same mistake as the five ghosts of the Soul Hunter.

They dreamed of resistance. Of course, the price was brutal.

"Die!"

They had already exchanged glances and made a firm decision.

The light of the sword flashed in the air. It was a swift and powerful sword strike, befitting a subordinate of the Slaughtering Underworld King. In the net of killing intent that entered without a gap, an ordinary master would have been torn to shreds. However, the problem was that Biryu Yeon was by no means an ordinary master.

What happened to them that day?

Biryu Yeon succumbed to a sudden desire to test how hard the bones of these five were and how tough their skin was. So, he executed it. Naturally, they were chosen as the victims. The five ghosts of the Underworld had no choice but to be at their mercy.

Thwack! Pow! Bang! Bang! Thud! Thud!

Biryu Yeon's personal technique:

One Punch

Three Summer Beatdown Fist

Part Two

Middle Ambush

Multi-Stage Multi-Beatdown

Clatter! Clatter!

"Kuhk! Kuaaak! Heok-heok! Kiiyao…"

Various screams continuously erupted from the center of the violence. That day, they had to scream with all their might and endure a tremendous beating. The martial art that beat them like dogs was a fist technique with the rather suspicious name of 'Three Summer Beatdown Fist.' These five were given the precious opportunity to witness a martial art that boasted unprecedented ignorance in martial arts history, the Three Summer Beatdown Fist.

Why didn't the dao taste blood as usual? Why did their sword strikes end in vain? Why were they struggling in such pain? The five ghosts of the Underworld could not find an answer to the overwhelming shock. They were merely sacrificed futilely in unilateral violence.

The situation ended in an instant. In the time it took for lightning to flash and beans to roast in that light, the ones lying side-by-side on the ground with bruised faces were the five ghosts of the Underworld.

They, who were considered the best of the Underworld King's Army, who inwardly believed themselves superior to the five ghosts of the Soul Hunter, were beaten to a pulp by a mere mountain bandit and had their heads buried in the dirt. It was too absurd to be reality, and too tragic to be a dream. And it was too vivid.

Aching! Throbbing!

This vivid and exhilarating feeling of aching bones told them that the five of them were definitely not having a nightmare simultaneously.

Something had gone wrong.

They had to blame their own foolishness for not considering why there was a mere bandit in the territory of Mount Wudang, or if it was even possible for one to be there. Like the five ghosts of the Soul Hunter, they were forced to hand over all their possessions to Biryu Yeon.

Since they were currently unable to move a finger, Biryu Yeon had to go to some trouble to collect the payment.

"Hehehe!"

Biryu Yeon smiled a chilling smile.

These five were pitifully stripped bare. They who tried to strip women were themselves stripped. It was karma. This was the best way to prevent them from hoarding money. With this day, the number of people stripped by Biryu Yeon reached ten.

After this incident, they couldn't ridicule the sight of the five ghosts of the Soul Hunter returning naked. Even if they kept the fact that they were completely naked a secret, their bruised faces were also suitable conditions for ridicule.

A dog covered in dirt trying to scold a dog covered in bran is merely comparing short poles. In this miserable reality, lust for women could not ignite. All ten of them failed to achieve their intended goal. It was a monumentally great failure.