Chapter 780: Life Is Always Full of Suffering (4)

 

"Your hands are idle, you bunch of bandits!"

The loud roar echoed across the island.

The same scene that Hyun Jong witnessed was unfolding on the opposite side of the island. The only difference? Chung Myung was there.

You might think it was a small difference, but the results of that small difference were enormous.

"Ugh…."

"My hands have no strength left."

Some of the people who had been clinging to the ships, struggling, slowly edged toward where Chung Myung stood, firmly planted by the shore.

"What’s this?"

Chung Myung glared at them, and the bandits immediately dropped to the ground, prostrating themselves.

"Master! We’re going to die at this rate!"

"Over thirty people have already been swept away by the water just this morning!"

"Everyone’s too exhausted! Holding onto the drifting boats is way harder than we imagined!"

Chung Myung tilted his head in confusion as the complaints continued.

"And?"

"…What?"

"And?"

"……."

The language was understood, but the meaning was not. After all, language only has meaning when both parties understand each other’s intentions. Unfortunately, though words were spoken, there was no one who could comprehend them.

The bandits, who had been trying to suggest, "Maybe we should give up on this task," quietly changed their words upon seeing Chung Myung’s genuinely puzzled expression.

"W-We just need a little rest…."

"Rest?"

"Some r-rest…."

"Reeessst?"

Sparks flew from Chung Myung’s eyes.

"What, did you leave your common sense up in the mountains along with your bodies? How do you expect to take a rest when you're still able-bodied in broad daylight?"

Um… normally, it’s monks who spend their days in the mountains, isn’t it? If the Hua Sect master calls us lazy for enjoying mountain leisure…?

And we’ve been working nonstop since last night…

"Master, everyone’s completely worn out…."

"Worn out?"

Chung Myung’s head tilted slightly, displeased.

"You’ve been running up and down mountains just fine, but now you’re exhausted from a little work? No wonder Green Forest is such a mess! Want me to show you what real exhaustion is?"

"N-No, that’s not what we meant…."

"You all have no grit, no determination! Is that why you turned to banditry? Alright then, I’ll fix that attitude of yours right now! Get back to your posts, or else!"

"Hiiieeee!"

As Chung Myung glared and kicked the bandits back to their work, Elder Il Jang slowly spoke to Im So-Byeong, the leader of the Green Forest Bandits.

"Um… Green Forest King."

"Hm?"

Im So-Byeong, who was lounging in the watchtower, enjoying the scenery and leisurely sipping tea, looked at Il Jang curiously.

"Aren’t you going to intervene?"

"Why?"

"His words are a bit harsh…."

"Ah, those words?"

Im So-Byeong set down his teacup gracefully and smiled.

"Well, he’s not wrong, is he?"

"……."

"Truth is bitter, after all. Perhaps it’s time you accepted some harsh words too, Elder Il Jang."

Il Jang was left speechless, his nose tingling with frustration.

The fact that such a person was considered the future greatest under the heavens was a huge problem for the martial world. But for Green Forest, the bigger issue was that this man was their leader.

‘What is happening to the world?’

The boat, cutting through the current, quickly approached the shore, and a group of people leaped out.

"Masterrrr!"

"Hm?"

Their cheerful voices echoed as they ran toward Chung Myung with excitement.

"We’ve retrieved all six of the White Thunder Cannons!"

"It was so hard!"

"We nearly died taking them from those pirates. Somehow, though, we managed to get them all!"

"Oh?"

For the first time in a while, Chung Myung’s face softened.

"You got them all?"

"Yes, Master! It was incredibly tough. The chains were so short we had to dive into the water ourselves to retrieve them…."

"Yeah, yeah, you did well."

Chung Myung half-listened to their tale of hardship, smiling in satisfaction. Then he suddenly asked again.

"But how many did you say?"

"Six cannons, sir."

"Ah, right?"

In the next moment, Chung Myung flew forward and kicked one of the bandits.

"Kuweeeek!"

With a screech like a pig being slaughtered, the bandit rolled across the ground.

"Do you think I’m blind? What? Six cannons? I clearly saw how many were on those ships when I fought! Six? Six, my ass!"

The bandit’s body trembled.

This crazy bastard… he counted the cannons during that chaotic battle?

"What? Can’t count because you’re a dumb bandit? Fine! I’ll teach you how to count the hard way!"

Chung Myung leaped on top of the bandit and began punching him like a windmill.

"One! Two! Five! Ten! Count, you bastard! If you mess up, I’ll start over!"

"Aaah! Please, Master! I’m sorry! I misspoke because I was so exhausted!"

"Tired? You won’t be tired once you’re dead, you bastard! Just die already!"

The bandits and pirates watching all turned pale.

Bandits don’t stand a chance against someone strong.

It’s not because they adhere to any law of survival of the fittest, but because, as outlaws, they have no moral compass or legal authority to turn to. The only thing they understand is brute force.

What could they do?

Can bandits argue about morality with someone stronger? Or go to the authorities and report the abuse?

In this sense, Chung Myung was their ultimate predator.

And not just because he was an orthodox martial artist, but because he was overwhelmingly strong and had justification on his side. With his eyes gleaming with cruelty, there was no way to resist him.

"Damn it!"

Chung Myung finally looked away from the beaten bandit and glared at the others.

Everyone who met his gaze flinched and lowered their eyes.

"Since when do thieves expect to be treated like people? You’re useless! I should just throw you all into the river!"

The man leading the bandits was cursing and ranting about the very bandits he was working with.

"No one eats until all the White Thunder Cannons are recovered!"

"Then… what do we eat?"

"Catch fish or something! The river’s full of them!"

"……."

"And don’t even think about sleeping until all the boats are mended!"

"……."

"Don’t straighten your backs! Keep working until it’s done! If you rest halfway through, it’ll be even harder! Push through until the end, and you can rest later! With that mindset, there’s nothing you can’t do!"

The constant nagging was unbearable.

‘I miss the mountains.’

‘I’d rather be scolded by the leader.’

But unfortunately, this was an island.

The bandits couldn’t escape Chung Myung or Im So-Byeong, and the pirates were shackled. Even if they were skilled at water combat, escaping from Chung Myung while chained was a fantasy.

‘What’s the difference between this and slavery? This is slavery.’

‘Oh, my unlucky life….’

The bandits—no, slaves—looked like they were already dead inside.

Chung Myung wasn’t known for showing mercy to ordinary people, and he certainly didn’t see any reason to treat bandits with kindness. He was born to tear people like them apart.

Even though he was technically restraining himself, as part of the Hua Sect, there was no way he’d tolerate thieves flaunting their lives before him.

"These bastards won’t learn until they’ve been beaten more!"

"Chung Myung."

"What, you littl—."

Huh?

Chung Myung stopped mid-curse and slowly turned around.

"Huh?"

Why was that face here?

Tilting his head in confusion, Chung Myung awkwardly softened his expression.

"Uh… when did you arrive, Sect Leader?"

"Just now."

"Oh… I would’ve come to greet you if I’d known…."

No, wait. He probably sent word.

How else could they have found their way here?

Chung Myung glanced sideways and saw Baek Cheon hiding behind Hyun Jong.

"…I call that my senior?"

"Ahem."

Grinding his teeth, Chung Myung changed his expression into a wide grin, turning back to Hyun Jong.

"Sect Leader! You must be tired from your long journey. Please come and—Ah! My ear! My ear, Sect Leader!"

"Come here."

"My ear! It’s going to tear off! Owww!"

Despite Chung Myung’s whining, Hyun Jong smiled as he tugged on his ear even harder.

"I sent you to stop civilians from being sold into slavery, and you’ve turned the bandits and pirates into your slaves instead? Let’s go talk about this in detail."

The 'tyrant' was dragged along the sand, leaving long footprints in his wake. Even as he was pulled away, Chung Myung glared venomously at Baek Cheon, but Baek Cheon simply turned his head, avoiding eye contact.

"Aaah! Baek Cheooon! Senior Joong! How could you bring him here without telling me? Agh! My ear! It’s really going to rip off this time!"

"Shut up and follow me! You’re embarrassing me!"

"Sect Leadeeeer!"

The pitiful screams of the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua echoed across the beach as he was dragged away by Hyun Jong.

The bandits, watching this absurd scene unfold, were left staring in disbelief.

"...Is the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua really being dragged away?"

"By his ear, no less?"

These men had witnessed with their own eyes how Chung Myung split the leader of Daekyeongchae in two with a single strike and how he ran across the water, slicing ships in half with his sword. Now, seeing that same fearsome man being dragged off while screaming in pain was beyond surreal.

"...Is that really the Sect Leader of Mount Hua?"

"How strong must he be to subdue a monster like that so easily?"

"Ahem."

Baek Cheon cleared his throat quietly.

The misunderstanding was growing, but... there was no real need to correct it.

"That guy won't be out for a while, so everyone, take this time to rest."

"Thank you, Master!"

"Finally, we can rest!"

"Long live the Sect Leader! Long live!"

The bandits, who were supposed to be enemies of orthodox martial artists, were now cheering for the Sect Leader of Mount Hua as if they were his disciples. From an outsider's perspective, it might look like some historical moment of unity between sects, but the reality was far more pitiful and tearful.

"Why did the Sect Leader come all the way out here?"

"Who knows? But it looks like he brought more people from Mount Hua."

"Maybe he foresaw this situation and came to take over the island?"

"Come on, that's impossible. No one has clairvoyance like that."

"Actually, when you think about it, that makes sense. The Divine Dragon may be one of the greatest martial artists of our time, but he's still a third-generation disciple, right? There's no way he could make decisions like taking over an island on his own."

"You know, when you put it like that…."

The bandits exchanged looks, slowly coming to a consensus.

"Then the Sect Leader must have planned this from the beginning…."

"As expected from someone with such deep wisdom. They say Taoist masters can foresee heavenly matters. It's incredible."

"Maybe I should start believing in Taoism…."

"Primordial Lord of Heaven."

"Amitabha Buddha!"

Baek Cheon closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

'I'm sorry.'

He didn't have the courage to correct them. Nor did he really want to.

Besides… in the end, everything turned out well, right?

"Primordial Lord of Heaven…."

A weak chant escaped from Baek Cheon's lips.