Chapter 36: Unrivaled. -01
Worried that he might be thinking too optimistically, Ban Hojin went over the key point once more.
However, even at those words, Seo Joun’s gaze and expression did not change.
“I know. If I follow you, Hyung-nim, I know that I’ll have to fight not only Chief Escort Slayer, but all of the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds.”
“And even so, you’re saying you’ll go?”
“Yes. Isn’t this the reason you saved me? Protecting the Central Plains. Bandits are beings that bring harm not only to Murim but also to ordinary civilians. There’s a term called ‘necessary evil,’ but if possible, isn’t it better if they don’t exist at all?”
Seo Joun’s eyes sparkled.
Now, of all times, why was he being left out?
If one sharpened a blade, one had to use it.
“Real combat is different from sparring. In sparring, it’s just a matter of superiority, but in real combat, life and death are decided. A single mistake leads straight to death.”
“But if I use that as nourishment, won’t I grow incredibly fast? The heavier the burden, the greater the gains, right?”
“Good grief.”
As if he had already made his decision, Seo Joun did not waver.
And he had confidence.
Facing top-tier experts among the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds such as the Green Forest Great Lord or Wall-Severing Blade would be overwhelming, but he thought those below them were manageable.
Perhaps, by experiencing real combat and rapidly growing stronger, he might even be able to face the stronghold lords of the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds.
‘Besides, there’s no way Hyung-nim would go somewhere he’d die.’
Ban Hojin seemed to live carelessly, but he was someone who made extremely cold and calculated judgments.
Seo Joun had seen proof of that in the Northern Sea.
Given Ban Hojin’s realm, it would have been possible for him to quietly wreak havoc.
But Ban Hojin had not done so.
‘He was wary of striking the grass and startling the snake. He was thinking of a much bigger board than now.’
Though only twenty years old, Ban Hojin possessed a mentality and judgment that made it hard to see him as merely twenty.
Seo Joun also thought of himself as smarter than most, but he had no confidence when it came to Ban Hojin.
From the start, their field of vision itself was different.
And that vision and insight were not something one could gain through intelligence and talent alone.
“Hyung-nim, you’re confident, aren’t you? Confident that you can take down the Green Forest Great Lord.”
“I told you you’re smart.”
“There’s that, and I also know you well, Hyung-nim. There’s probably no one here who knows you better than I do, right? We even traveled together to the Northern Sea.”
“Well, this experience will certainly be special. For your growth. It’s not something you can easily go through.”
“And besides, it’s not like it’ll just be the two of us fighting, right? Young Master Geum is staking his life on this—he’ll gather every ounce of strength he has. Then the answer is obvious. It means we only need to deal with the core forces, starting with the Green Forest Great Lord.”
Seo Joun spoke boldly, as if everything had already fallen neatly into place.
However, Ban Hojin snorted at the sight.
“‘We’?”
“Ah, more precisely, you, Hyung-nim. I still have a long way to go. Still, I can handle up to some half-baked peak masters. My experience may be shallow, but don’t I have an abundance of Extreme Yang Energy! Even my stamina isn’t that far behind Brother Bang anymore.”
Seo Joun wore a confident expression.
Objectively speaking, aside from experience, he thought he was a fairly considerable fighting force himself.
“You’re just a brat overflowing with strength. Real combat is completely different when you fight one-on-one versus fighting many at once.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“You’ll know once you experience it.”
“Then you’re taking me with you!”
Seo Joun sprang to his feet.
From those words, he could tell permission had been granted.
“You’ll move with me, but you still have to take care of your own life yourself. Don’t worry about others—focus only on yourself. Just doing that will earn you a lot.”
“Thank you!”
“I should be the one thanking you. Still, how am I supposed to explain this to the Seo Family Sect Leader?”
Ban Hojin scratched his forehead with his index finger.
If he said he was taking someone entrusted to him into a large-scale war, the man would surely be sick with worry.
“Couldn’t you just tell him after everything’s over?”
“You should leave a will in advance. That way, no regrets will linger.”
“Hy-Hyung-nim!”
Even though he knew it was a joke, Seo Joun momentarily felt his breath catch.
For some reason, it sounded almost like the truth.
“There’s no harm in leaving one behind. I’m going to write one too.”
“You too, Hyung-nim?”
“Yeah. If we come back alive, we can just burn them, right?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Seo Joun made a slightly dazed expression.
Hearing it put that way, it did make sense.
Just then, a guest came to Seo Joun’s room.
“Ahem! I thought Joun would be alone, but you’re here too?”
“Please, come in!”
Outside the door, Seonwu Bang spoke up after clearing his throat.
At the sound of his voice, Seo Joun stood up and opened the door.
“I’ve finished talking with Young Master Geum.”
“So what did you decide?”
“I figured it wouldn’t be so bad to make him the Geum Family Head with my own hands.”
“……You’re really going through with it?”
Seonwu Bang’s eyes widened.
It wasn’t entirely unexpected, but he hadn’t thought Ban Hojin would say it so plainly.
And that was when Geum Hoyeon hadn’t even secured other experts yet.
From what Seonwu Bang had personally looked into, Geum Hoyeon had only met Ban Hojin.
“Why? Does it seem reckless?”
“Realistically speaking—no, to anyone—it probably would, wouldn’t it?”
“Then why do you think Young Master Geum came to find me?”
“……That’s exactly why I came to find Joun. I couldn’t solve that question, so I wondered if Joun might know something.”
Despite possibly having to face Chief Escort Slayer and all of the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds, Ban Hojin was so relaxed it was almost absurd.
It was as if he were simply stepping out for a stroll.
“I don’t know Hyung-nim’s exact realm either. I just believe in what you’ve shown so far. If we really dig deep, you’re the one who saved my life, so even if I die together with you, I won’t have regrets.”
“This kid really can say anything.”
“At seventeen, I’m already all grown up.”
“That’s nonsense.”
Ban Hojin snorted.
He might think he was all grown up, but in Ban Hojin’s eyes, he wasn’t.
He had only filled out in years; having grown up sheltered at home, everything about him was still immature.
“Are you confident?”
“We’ll know when we see the results. Whether a braggart rising junior will fall flat on his face, or whether he’ll devour the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds.”
“I’m going too.”
“Huh?”
At the sudden announcement, not only Ban Hojin but Seo Joun was also startled.
It was abrupt to an excessive degree.
However, Seonwu Bang was resolute.
“Knowing that a friend is heading into a dead end, I can’t just stand by and watch. If I go along, then at least the three of us might somehow make it out alive, right?”
“The chances of dying would be higher than that.”
“Even so, I can’t just pretend it has nothing to do with me. That’s not my nature. And if I die, won’t Shaolin take care of a few things for me?”
“You’re not saying you trust me to the end?”
“I haven’t seen it yet.”
Seonwu Bang grinned.
He knew that his friend Ban Hojin was strong.
But as Seo Joun had said, he did not know just how strong Ban Hojin truly was.
“Then I suppose I’ll get to see it this time. How the visible Jianghu differs from the invisible Jianghu.”
Despite leading as many as five hundred men, a trace of anxiety lingered on Geum Hoyeon’s face.
He had hurried as much as possible, but he had departed later than the First Young Lord.
On top of that, there was a significant difference in numbers.
While Geum Hoyeon had barely managed to gather around five hundred men, the First Young Lord had mobilized seven hundred martial artists.
“Shouldn’t we hurry a bit more?”
“Didn’t you say the time difference was about half a shijin?”
“Yes. If we hurry, we can catch up easily.”
Unlike the restless Geum Hoyeon, Ban Hojin, who was walking at the front, was relaxed.
To an onlooker, it would have looked as though he had simply come out for a stroll.
Meanwhile, the escort unit and the warriors of the Geum Family Estate following behind him were all visibly tense.
“Do you think the First Young Lord will win?”
“I think there’s more than enough possibility. Not only does he have half again as many men as we do, but he brought elders from the Gongdong Sect and the Peng Family of Hebei. On top of that, there’s even one of the Wolf Kings, the Red King.”
“Can those three handle the Green Forest Great Lord and the stronghold lords?”
“Ah, Great Hero Ban, do you think it’ll be difficult?”
Geum Hoyeon blinked.
At the same time, he recalled everything Ban Hojin had shown so far.
He was in a hurry, yet there was not the slightest hint of urgency in him.
That was when Geum Hoyeon realized it belatedly.
“I may not know much about Wall-Severing Blade, but I know a fair bit about the Green Forest Great Lord, the Gongdong Sect, and the elders of the Peng Family of Hebei. If anything, arriving a little late would be advantageous rather than a disadvantage.”
“Hmm!”
“The important one is the Green Forest Great Lord. Everything coming to this point is because of him.”
“That’s right. If we catch the Green Forest Great Lord, you could say the fight is essentially over. Whether it’s us or the First Young Lord, we’re short on absolute masters, but as for the rest of our strength, even against the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds, we’re not lacking.”
Geum Hoyeon spoke confidently.
Unfortunately, he did not know what was happening at the rear.
“A difference of half a shijin isn’t as big as you might think. Unless the First Young Lord meets the conditions the Green Forest Great Lord wants, bringing seven hundred men means he’s going to fight, not negotiate. So by the time we arrive, they’ll likely be locked in a heated battle.”
“Indeed, that possibility is quite high. And if it turns into mutual destruction…”
Geum Hoyeon’s eyes sparkled.
If things went well, he might be able to reap the fisherman’s gain.
“That won’t go that far.”
“Pardon?”
“Just go and see.”
“Aren’t you being way too relaxed?”
Seonwu Bang, who was walking alongside him, asked quietly.
With many ears listening, he had lowered his voice as much as possible.
“You’ll know once we get there. So hold onto your curiosity a little longer.”
“Joun, why are you so calm?”
“There must be a reason Hyung-nim is so relaxed. I trust Hyung-nim completely.”
Seonwu Bang let out a hollow laugh.
It felt like he was the only one feeling tense.
“Hey, hey, is this really going to be okay?”
“Aren’t we all going to get wiped out if we go on like this? I heard the First Young Lord brought elders from the Gongdong Sect and the Peng Family of Hebei. On top of that, there’s even a Wolf King. But we only have those three, right?”
“What can we do? If they tell us to charge, we charge. At least we’re at the rear. Let’s watch for a bit, and if things look bad, we pull out.”
“Will that even be possible?”
The anxiety that had spread from Geum Hoyeon instantly permeated the entire group.
Especially the further back one went, the greater the fear and unease grew.
The three the First Young Lord had brought and the three currently walking beside Geum Hoyeon were simply too different.
Not only were they not on the same level, they couldn’t even be compared as nobodies, and the warriors of the Geum Family Estate looked at them with skeptical eyes.
“What on earth is the Second Young Lord thinking…!”
“It’s not too late even now. Keep your wits about you, and if it looks like we’re getting pushed back, we bolt immediately. The First Young Lord’s side will be fighting anyway, so no one will even notice a few people slipping away from the rear.”
“What if the First Young Lord’s side gains the upper hand? Honestly, aside from the Green Forest Great Lord, they’re all about the same, right? Just bandit riffraff with numbers. It might actually be better to go over to the First Young Lord’s camp.”
“You idiot, do you think they’d take us in? It’s already too late. Unless we’re routed remnants, quietly slipping away is the best option.”
They were following orders, but strictly speaking, it was hard to say they were firmly Geum Hoyeon’s men.
That was especially true of those who had been won over from the collapsed Third Young Lord’s camp.
Perhaps because of that, unsettling murmurs were leaking out here and there.
“They’re really coming with just three rising juniors?”
“Yes.”
Geum Sangryong, the First Young Lord of the Geum Family Estate, snorted with an incredulous expression.
He couldn’t believe it even after hearing it.
“Any chance they’ll join up later?”
“They’re half a shijin away. And considering the destination, even if they were going to join up, they should have done so long ago.”
“Then that really means those three are all there is. Heading to meet the Green Forest Great Lord with just three rising juniors? Are they expecting mutual destruction?”