“Huhhhh.”

“Ehhhhh!”

“Huk! Hukkkk!”

The carriage was moving at a staggering speed.

From the start, the bandits’ abilities were amazing. They were able to use all their power as if they were just employing light footwork techniques, so the group didn’t move slowly.

“Kuaaaak… h-head… I can no….”

“Keep going! Yah, brat! You need to keep going!”

“I-I cannot…”

“Do you want me to ascend to heaven?”

Hearing the words of Bangyo, the others turned their heads. They looked at the figure on the carriage.

The bandits, who had been on the verge of collapsing, flinched at the sight they saw in front of them.

“Achhhhhkkkk!”

“Right! Hold on!”

Bangyo continued to push the cart with tears in his eyes. His legs were shaking, and his mouth felt dry. But he still couldn’t stop.

If he stopped, wouldn’t the devil take him down?

‘No!’

‘Rather than that, him treating me normally would be more problematic!’

Bangyo lifted his head and looked at the carriage.

There were five bandits next to Chung Myung, who were all resting very comfortably.

“I said, lay down. Why do you keep sitting?”

“It is fine.”

“Horses do not sleep nor rest!”

Chung Myung shook his head as he saw the bandits answering loudly.

“Uhu, you are such idiots. Well, just rest if you want.”

“We are really doing okay!”

“It is so comfortable here! Really!”

“It is so comfortable that I can just sleep like this!”

Bangyo looked at the bandit who said that.

‘How can a person be this vicious?’

Shortly after leaving Kunming, Chung Myung put five of the bandits in the carriage.

Since they had a large carriage, there was enough space for five people apart from Chung Myung to rest.

-What are we going to do with 10 people at the same time?

-They can take turns… five of us will move at a time. We will rest in rotation.

It sounded like he was being considerate to him. But in reality, it was so that they could pull the carriage 12 hours a day without a break.

Well, that much was fine.

It was a bit inconvenient to rest after moving the carriage, but what was the point of not having a break?

Those who climbed up the carriage in joy and excitement had no choice but to realize that their resting place was right next to Chung Myung.

‘I won’t go there even if I have to die.’

‘It is better to run and die.’

‘I’d rather go to hell. That bastard is like the younger brother of the King of the Underworld.’

Those who pushed the carriage had sad faces as they looked at their comrades inside the carriage. They were all on their knees. And Chung Myung was lying down next to them, fiddling with hay.

“Are you hungry?”

“No!”

“I am not hungry!”

“Strange. I think you have been starving for a whole day. Isn’t it time to be hungry?”

“No! We are really fine!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! We don’t usually crave food.”

“Tch. I cannot force you to eat… Fine then. Don’t eat. But tell me if you get hungry… I can give you food.”

“Yes!”

As Chung Myung turned over and yawned, the bandits had tears of blood falling from their eyes.

‘This hay Is food? This hay?’

‘I must have sinned in my previous life.’

‘The sins you made were all in this life, you idiot!’

But what could they do now?

They shouldn’t have sinned… they should’ve lived like normal people. However, it was too late to regret it now.

“Anyway, rest well. I told you, if we go twice as fast as we came, you will be released.”

“Yes!”

“We trust you.”

“Instead…”

Chung Myung relaxed his neck to the right and left.

Crack.

“You should think about what would happen if you don’t arrive fast.”

“…”

“You need to run hard.”

“W-we will get there before time!”

“Right. Eat the hay if you get hungry.”

Chung Myung smiled and lay down again.

‘Ah, I have become so kind.’

In the past, he would cut off the necks of such people the moment he came across them. Chung Myung smiled as he saw the tears of the bandits.

“Is there no news yet?”

“No, Lord.”

“Um.”

Jo Pyung frowned.

‘Ummm.’

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop worrying. Wasn’t his son in the dangerous region of Yunnan? And there was no news of him yet.

Although he believed that his child was grown up and was returning in one piece, the heart of a worried parent was different.

“Does this mean that sending a single piece of news is this difficult? It sounds like it was carried out by an indifferent person.”

“You realize that it is difficult to deliver anything from Yunnan to here, right?”

“But still!”

Jo Pyung took a deep breath.

As usual, he was walking around the garden to relieve his heart. But today, no matter how long he walked, he couldn’t calm his heart.

“Lord.”

“I know.”

Jo Pyung sighed.

He couldn’t waste his time here. He was the head of a Merchant Association, and was responsible for the lives of many people under him.

It was the moment he was returning to his duties with heavy footsteps…

Dudududud!

“Uh?”

Jo Pyung shook his head.

From the side of the main road in front of the gate, the loud sound of footsteps could be heard.

‘What is going on?’

Dudududud!

Jo Pyung began to frown.

It was like the sound of an army advancing. And it kept getting louder. It was as if whatever was coming, was coming for him!

“What is it?”

“I-I will go confirm it right now!”

It was the moment when one of his men ran to the gate.

Bang!

The front gate exploded with a roar. The recoil of this caused the poor man who went to check to bounce into the sky.

“Ahhhhh!”

The man screamed as he flew further into the sky until Jo Pyung couldn’t keep track of him. This whole incident was too bizarre for him to immediately comprehend.

With what seemed to be a force that could destroy everything in the world, the bandits who pulled the large carriage slowed down and looked around.

And then they started to make weird sounds.

“Huaaaak! Huaaakk! Huaaaak!”

“I-I’ll live! I can live!”

“Uhhhhhhhhh! Mother! I’ve arrived on time!”

‘What are those people doing?’

Jo Pyung opened his eyes wide to look at the people next to the carriage.

Their clothes had been tattered almost completely, and their bodies were covered in dirt and sweat. If one looked at their appearance alone, they would think that these people were beggars on the street.

But in contrast to their appearance, their faces were full of joy and happiness.

“Uh… I am alive! Alive!”

“Kuaaaak, we did it!”

“Right, right. Everyone worked hard. This leader of yours is thrilled too!”

‘What are they doing?’

Jo Pyung, who had no way of understanding the situation, just stared at them… until someone jumped off the carriage.

“Ah!”

And jumping off, the man clicked his tongue.

“How dare they break the gate? This is the front gate of Jo Gul sahyung’s house!”

“Eik!”

“Kuak!”

Jo Pyung titled his head.

‘Who is that man?’

That man was clearly Chung Myung, Jo Gul’s sajae, and Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon.

‘Then that…?’

“Uh! My back!”

“Ugh. I knew we would reach fast, but it is still nice.”

“Motion sickness!”

“S-samae! Get off the carriage! Don’t puke in there!”

From the carriage, the disciples of Mount Hua kept coming out.

Jo Pyung became shocked as he saw his son.

“Gul! You brat! What happened?”

“Father!”

Jo Gul quickly walked up to his father.

“Yes, what happened was…”

Thud!

But before he could listen to his father’s question, Jo Gul moved. Seeing his son’s eyes on fire, Jo Pyung flinched and took a step back. However, Jo Gul clasped Jo Pyung’s hands tightly, not letting go of his father’s hand.

“Father!”

“Uh…?”

It was his first time seeing his son look this desperate, and he felt bewildered.

“The grains!”

“…”

“We need to buy grains right now! You need to secure all the grain in Chengdu!”

“…uh?”

‘No, as soon as he came back, this idiot is spouting nonsense…’

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Jo Pyung looked at his son intensely. He wanted to know what exactly this situation was.

“Tea!”

“…uh?”

“In exchange for tea!”

They were meaningless words.

But Jo Pyung was a merchant. That too, a competent one. He was quickly able to understand what information Jo Gul was trying to tell him.

“So…”

Thinking about it for a short while, Jo Pyung summarized.

“The tea you’re talking about is the one in Yunnan.”

“Yes!”

“So you… no, the four of you went there for your mission and somehow ended up getting the rights to buy tea from Yunnan.”

“Yes. And we monopolized it.”

“…monopolized it.”

The right to sell the tea of Yunnan…

Jo Pyung tilted his head and mumbled as he suddenly jumped up. His eyes were so wide that it seemed that they would pop out any second.

“I-I-I… you! Monopolized their tea!?”

“Yes!

“We give them grain, and they give us tea?”

“Right! We don’t have time for this!”

Jo Pyung’s eyes began to roll back.

The rights to Yunnan’s tea… if they gave grain, they would get tea in exchange…

There were so many things he wanted to ask his son but didn’t. He had to make preparations first.

“Assistant! Where is the assistant?”

“Uhhhhh…. My Lord. I am here…”

It was the man who had gone flying before. He seemed to have fallen into the pond and had a sad expression as he crawled out.

“Buy all the grains in Chengdu right now! No! Buy all the grain in Sichuan! Double the price! No! Triple is fine too! Move!”

“Yes!

“At the same time, prepare a group to move to Yunnan! It seems like the timing is urgent, so get a group as soon as possible. We will have to carry the grain for quite a distance, so we need enough carriages and horses.”

“Yes!”

Seeing Jo Pyung’s expression, the man rushed outside right away to make sure everything was arranged.

As soon as he finished giving out orders, Jo Pyung glanced at his son again and said,

“I have done what you said. Now explain what is going on.”

“Yes. So…”

Jo Gul, along with Yoon Jong, began to explain the situation.

Chung Myung looked at them and turned around. Explaining things was something these people were good at, and Chung Myung had other things to do.

“Kuaaak….”

“M-My legs are gone…”

“I don’t even have the strength to drink water.”

The bandits were all groaning as they rubbed their legs. Seeing the scene, Chung Myung smiled.

“Everyone has worked hard.”

“No!”

“It is all because of the disciples!”

“Right, right.”

Chung Myung had a satisfied face. Thanks to them running without caring about the difference between day and night, they were able to return to Sichuan twice as fast.

“Yes, but disciple…”

“Uh?”

“…you will forgive us, right?”

Bangyo asked.

Of course, he was expecting a positive answer.

‘You will release us, right?’

That was the question he wanted to ask, but he didn’t have the courage to ask that.

“Where will I take you?”

“…then, then.”

“Don’t worry, I will set you free.”

“T-thank you! Thank you so much!”

Chung Myung nodded his head with a smile.

And that moment.

Tatata!

Chung Myung’s hand flew to the abdomen of the bandits and touched their dantians rapidly.

“Kuak!”

“Ack!”

The bandits grabbed their stomachs.

And then, realizing that the internal qi in their bodies wasn’t released yet, they asked.

“Di-disciple?”

“What is this…?”

But Chung Myung calmly said,

“Eh, I am not lying. I will release you.”

“…Uh?”

The next moment, they could hear a commotion behind them, and Baek Cheon walked through the broken gate.

“Chung Myung, I brought them here.”

“Uh, great job, Sasuk.”

‘Brought?’

‘Whom?’

Bangyo and the others turned their heads with anxious eyes.

‘What was this ominous feeling?’

There were Officials following Baek Cheon.

“…”

The Officials who came through the gate, looked at the bandits in doubt.

“These people? These are the notorious bandits?”

“…”

The bandits looked at Chung Myung with shocked eyes.

‘Yah.’

‘No…’

And Chung Myung didn’t betray their thoughts.

“Yes. These are the ones. Catch them.”

“You…”

“…fucking dog.”

Before they could even fight back, the officials rushed in and tied them with ropes.

“You bastards! You have been running wild for far too long!”

“You need to be beheaded! Do you think that it was just one or two people who died by your hands!”

“Take them away!”

As the bandits were dragged away, they all turned towards Chung Myung.

“Ahhhh! Even a dog won’t act like this!”

“You fucking dog! Are you even human!”

“You will fall into the fire of hell!”

There seemed to be a lot of resentment against Chung Myung. However, Chung Myung didn’t respond. He just stood there nonchalantly, picking his ears.

“Where are these dogs barking from?”

In the end, the bandits got dragged away. Baek Cheon, who saw the entire scene, asked.

“…is this fine?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Regardless of everything, they did work hard.”

“Right. But they are bandits. And I did keep my promise. I let them go. But what should I do about them getting caught here?”

“…”

“It is a bit sad, though. Maybe we should have given them some hay?”

‘Oh my, our Chung Myung.’

‘You have a pretty heart.’

‘But my heart goes out to them.’