Chapter 23

• They Have Finally Returned

The threshold of winter; the weather had now become quite chilly with a cold wind blowing. At the beginning of winter, when white breath began to puff out when one exhaled, the leaves that had changed their colors and boasted their beauty had also become fallen leaves, and when walking on the road, the sound of stepping on dry fallen leaves rustled quietly in the ears.

With the blue Poyang Lake, where the sound of water could be heard, behind it, a collection of buildings, huge and intimidating like an impregnable fortress, was gathered. Its scale was much larger and wider than an ordinary village or a small to medium-sized city, looking as if a completely separate city stood apart from the city of Nanchang on Poyang Lake.

The wall surrounding this collection of buildings, which was larger than a small city—no, the expression 'wall' is not accurate. It is unreasonable to describe this stone structure, made of a combination of huge, square rocks with a height of 12 meters and a thickness of 1.5 meters, as a wall. It would be more correct to call it a fortress wall. This fortress wall, which looked to be well over 12 meters high, was reminiscent of a cliff that one could not climb even if one wanted to, an iron wall that could not be penetrated even if one wanted to, and could not be broken even if one wanted to, making it resemble a fortress. Moreover, on top of the fortress wall, a path of the same length was made over the 1.5-meter thickness.

Using this, people go on patrol or stand guard at a designated position. It is a path made to make it easier to do so. In the center of this huge and magnificent fortress wall that surrounded such a large and wide land, a black main gate, with a width of 6 meters and a length that seemed to be a good 9 meters, stood tall. The fortress wall around the main gate was particularly high, because there was a watchtower. Including the roof of the watchtower, its height seemed to be a good 21 meters.

Above the main gate of the fortress wall, which exuded an intimidating presence like a huge fortress, a huge plaque with a golden border and a black background was hung. On the plaque, the words Cheonmu Academy were engraved in gold with a calligraphy style that looked as if it would become a dragon and fly up to the sky at any moment.

A stern presence, a grandeur and majesty felt even without entering. The name of this place, which had something that made humans understand what awe is and also encouraged them to embrace it, was the Cheonmu Academy. Rather than a place of learning, there was a sternness and gravity here as if it were built with numerous battles and combats with enemies in mind. Well, since it was also a symbol of the greatest potential and power of the orthodox path, the above facts might be too natural.

Goyang-si and Baekseok-dong, first-year students of the Cheonmu Academy, were now on guard duty at the main gate. Today was their turn to be on guard duty. The guard duty of the Cheonmu Academy was set up so that two people would form a team and stand guard on a designated date. And the assigned area always changes. Goyang-si and Baekseok-dong were also standing guard like this because today was their turn. The position assigned to them was the outer guard of the academy's main gate. And this was their misfortune.

The outer guard of the main gate was called an outer guard, but in reality, it was no different from a receptionist. Because they stand guard outside the main gate, they have to take on most of the miscellaneous tasks such as checking people trying to enter and leave the academy, contacting people, and writing and recording the guest book. Therefore, it was also a job that was so busy you couldn't even open your eyes. The worst guard post, a place you would never want to be assigned to again, a place you would pray to the heavens with a bowl of clean water not to get, the first place that comes to mind was the outer guard of the academy's main gate.

Goyang-si and Baekseok-dong, who were now standing in that place of so much talk and trouble, had really bad luck today. How bad must it be for a story to circulate within the academy that if you are assigned to the outer guard of the main gate, your bones will break and you will lose your hair? There was even a story that if you were assigned to the outer guard of the main gate once, 'it' wouldn't stand up for a week after that.

Did Nanchang become the number one city in the Jianghu for no reason? Of course not. It was because the Cheonmu Academy was in Nanchang that there is the current Nanchang, the center of the orthodox martial world and the number one city in the Jianghu. Since the Cheonmu Academy occupied such a position, it was impossible for there to be only one or two visitors. The number of academy-related personnel, including the number of students, exceeded several thousand, and even excluding that number, the number of groups visiting in a day easily numbered in the hundreds.

It was no easy task to monitor and inspect them one by one. Of course, there was no one who monitored them one by one, but even without monitoring them one by one, it was just as difficult because there was so much work.

Since the Cheonmu Academy is a place for learning martial arts, the academy's policy was that if one had power, one should protect the place one belonged to by oneself, without relying on others. Therefore, the students of the Cheonmu Academy themselves distribute the tasks and handle everything with their own strength, such as patrolling within the academy, standing guard, monitoring groups, enforcing discipline, and handling fights or other matters.

The spirit of the Cheonmu Academy was to protect one's own place of learning with one's own strength, without borrowing the power of others. However, so far, no force had ever dared to invade the Cheonmu Academy. This was because there was no benefit to be gained from messing with the Cheonmu Academy, which had the strongest potential and power in the Jianghu. No, rather, because the possibility of ruin was so high, there was not even a sect that picked a fight. Perhaps because of that, the state of the academy's security did not have a sternness using a large number of personnel. Only a few guards on duty took turns.

It was as if it didn't exist during the day, and it didn't change much at night either. There were only people who stood guard while circling the fortress wall road and students who stood guard while circling within the academy. However, if you thought that the guards could idle around during the day with nothing to do, that would be a big misunderstanding and misjudgment. This was especially true for the outer guard of the main gate, because they had to manage the visitors who came to the academy. And the problem was that their number was too large.

Goyang-si and Baekseok-dong were not in a very good mood. The fact that promising rising stars like themselves had to do jobs that low-ranking warriors should be doing made them displeased. In the Jianghu, once you passed the Cheonmu Academy exam and were admitted, it was as good as having your skills publicly recognized by the whole world. For them to be in charge of guard duty, which low-ranking warriors should be doing, and to have to work their bones off doing jobs like a receptionist, they couldn't help but be displeased.

Baekseok-dong was a promising beggar of the Beggars' Sect, and Goyang-si was a disciple who had received direct instruction from the sect leader in the Qingcheng Sect and was a talent who could excellently wield the Qingcheng sword techniques. Considering that they were evaluated as first-rate just by entering the Cheonmu Academy, they were by no means soft beings. Well, but that was a story for when they went outside; inside the Cheonmu Academy, it was not even worth a penny. It didn't work inside the academy. Since it was a place where talents who were said to be flying and crawling, dragons and phoenixes among men, were gathered, one could not be recognized with just any skill. Especially for first-year students like them, it was out of the question. First-year students were just food and toys for their upperclassmen.

Among the guard duties, the person in charge of the inner guard watchtower at the main gate, who monitored from the watchtower above the main gate, was a comfortable position where there was shade to avoid the sunlight due to the roof, and sometimes one could even sit down and stretch one's legs. And even just patrolling inside the academy was a relatively comfortable job where you just had to walk around with a sword.

However, such comfortable positions all went to the upperclassmen first, and it was inevitable that the most difficult jobs, which were left over like chaff, were assigned to first-year students like Goyang-si and Baekseok-dong. That was the tradition and custom. This would be the same anywhere. Just in case, but as expected, Goyang-si and Baekseok-dong were so busy they couldn't even open their eyes. For some reason, there was so much urgent business from the morning, and people started coming and going without rest from the hour of the rabbit, when they took over from the previous team. The time when outsiders were allowed to enter the academy was from the beginning of the hour of the rabbit (around 8 AM).

But for some reason, as noon approached and the sun hung in the middle of the vast sky, as if everyone had gone to eat lunch, the foot traffic thinned, and Goyang-si and Baekseok-dong could finally catch their breath. They were already sufficiently exhausted just from the work they had handled in the morning. They took a sweet break, sincerely expressing their condolences to the team that would take over their duties next. There was about one hour left until the shift change.

A moment later...

Baekseok-dong, who had caught his breath first, looked at Goyang-si with a relaxed expression and started a conversation. The topic of the conversation was about a group of people who were the hottest topic of interest at the Cheonmu Academy these days.

"Goyang-si, have you heard the talk about the Vermilion Bird group these days? The whole academy is buzzing."

"Of course, Baekseok-dong. Isn't it the hottest topic of interest in the academy these days? I hear the Old Masters are also worrying a lot about it."

Goyang-si said, as if he knew something great.

"It's a natural thing. The Azure Dragon group, the White Tiger group, and the Black Tortoise group have already returned two months ago and are engrossed in their training, but the Vermilion Bird group sent just one letter and there has been no news for two months, so they must be worried sick."

After thinking for a moment, Baekseok-dong added one more thing.

"The one letter they sent had only one line written on it, 'We will not return until we see the end. - All members of the Vermilion Bird group.' The frequent meetings in the academy these days are probably not unrelated to that."

As expected of a disciple of the Beggars' Sect, knowing the content of the letter without a single word being wrong was indeed befitting of a disciple of the Beggars' Sect, the largest sect in the Jianghu that deals with all information in the Jianghu.

"I hear the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise three groups are also on high alert now. Well, since they're holed up in the mountains, doing unscheduled training for two more months, and show no sign of coming out, it's understandable that they're anxious. Isn't that right, Goyang-si?"

"Yes, it seems they're preparing something great, so they'll have to be on high alert not to lose their spot."

Currently, no, until summer came, the Vermilion Bird group occupied the last seat among the four groups, the super-elite group composed of specially selected people. That had not changed until they left for the training camp. And everyone thought that there would be no change in that fact even when they returned from the training camp. But the sudden, unscheduled delay of the Vermilion Bird group, the extended training of the Vermilion Bird group, even skipping the second-half classes, had forced the other three groups to be on high alert.

"Senior No Hak, who used to bully me often, also went with the Vermilion Bird group..."

Baekseok-dong wondered if No Hak was really a disciple of the Beggars' Sect, since there was still no news. He recalled his senior, No Hak, who was only one year older than him but always boasted that the number of years he had spent begging was different. Just imagining it seemed to make him feel bad. It was a strange and odd thing that a person who was a disciple of the Beggars' Sect had not sent any news for two months.

The information mentioned here was not information sent to the Cheonmu Academy, but information sent to the Beggars' Sect headquarters. If it was delayed by two months, there must be some reason, and if so, he should have sent information to the headquarters by any means necessary. That was the correct attitude for a person belonging to the Beggars' Sect. But the information that should have come did not come, and only one letter came to the academy, and that, with only one suspicious story written on it, that they were learning more because they hadn't learned everything...

Baekseok-dong couldn't help but be lost in thought. What kind of people were they to send a letter saying they would come after learning everything because they hadn't learned everything yet? They were members of the Four Divine Groups, the super-elite group that he, no, any newcomer who had entered the Cheonmu Academy, longed to be a member of. But for them to feel a lack and insufficiency... And that, not because they weren't being taught, but because they couldn't master what was being taught; the suspicion could only deepen, with one tail leading to another.

"Huh?"

At that moment, a group of people, walking towards the academy with the short shadow of noon under them, came into the sight of Goyang-si and Baekseok-dong. The group was a mixed group of men and women, all with disheveled hair and untidy appearances, wearing torn clothes here and there, and carrying their respective weapons at their waists. But contrary to their messy appearance, the presence emanating from them was chilling, so they couldn't help but be tense.

Also, they were all wearing red clothes, which were stained with black spots here and there, giving the feeling that they were covered in blood.

They came right up to the nose of the Cheonmu Academy. Goyang-si and Baekseok-dong simultaneously drew their swords and shouted.

"Who are you?"

"Thwack."

Starlight sparkled in Baekseok-dong's eyes.

"Who do you think you are, speaking informally!"

Simultaneously with the shout of 'Who are you?', a man with particularly messy clothes and an even messier face among them rushed out and slammed Baekseok-dong's head. And its power was not to be ignored. The messy man had delivered a blow to Baekseok-dong's stone-like head in the sense of disciplining his rude mouth and tongue. In particular, the clothes the man was wearing were the rags of a beggar, but what was noteworthy was that despite being a beggar's rags, they were red all over like the rest of the group, and were stained with black spots here and there.

At his waist was a knot that signified he was a disciple of the Beggars' Sect, and its number was eight. An 8-knot disciple of the Beggars' Sect, a high position right below the elder level. Baekseok-dong's own knot was 7-knot, so it couldn't be said to be low, but it was certain that he was a person of a higher rank and age than him. This was because there was not a single person younger than him above the 7-knot level.

This pain, this damn voice, this shitty action; all of this was a feeling he knew well, so it actually surprised Baekseok-dong.

"Senior... No Hak?"

A reply came back immediately to his question confirming his memory.

"Yeah, you brat!"

Fortunately, it was a celebratory event that proved Baekseok-dong's memory and judgment were not so bad, but he was not happy at all. What was there to be happy about when his enemy-like senior with a foul temper had returned? It might be different if a junior who was good to boss around had returned. But the fact that senior No Hak had returned, and that he had returned with 16 people, told one thing.

"The 16 members of the Vermilion Bird group have now safely returned to the Cheonmu Academy. Please inform them inside."

Namgung Sang, the leader of the Vermilion Bird group, stepped forward and said. Even without Baekseok-dong's gesture, Goyang-si hurriedly ran in to deliver the message. This matter was urgent.

The Vermilion Bird group had finally returned to the Cheonmu Academy. They had returned, wearing blood-red clothes, with the short shadow of noon on the ground. The fact that the clothes, which were definitely a bit dirty but white when they parted with Bi Ryu-yeon in front of the Jungyang Escort Bureau under Mount Emei, had turned into blood-red clothes, silently told that there were many stories in their journey. It had been seven months since they had left the Cheonmu Academy.

Baekseok-dong was very curious. He had many questions. It was the same thing, but he had many doubts. That was also a common characteristic that most beggars of the Beggars' Sect, where he belonged, had. For the Beggars' Sect, where information is life, it might be a natural thing.

Wouldn't it be useful for begging to know in detail information such as that yesterday there was a son's wedding at the rich Jang family's house, today there is a 60th birthday celebration for Master Jin at the Jin family's house, tomorrow there will be a funeral (?) at the rich Gang family's house, and the day after tomorrow there will be a grandson's first birthday party at the Jo family's house? Starting from such basic things, to a larger extent, the Beggars' Sect was a place that collected information such as what color underwear the daughter of the Cheongseong Sect leader, a second-year student at the Cheonmu Academy, was wearing today, how many days she had been wearing it, how many times a week she washed it, and even what her menstrual cycle was.

If you go further from here, they are said to know how many months pregnant the first daughter-in-law of the current Qingcheng Sect leader is, or whether the baby in her belly is a boy or a girl, or both, and if you go all the way, they are even said to know if the baby in her belly is really the father's baby, so you can easily see how amazing their ability is.

Because this power of information gathering had become too great, some people in the Jianghu would curse the Beggars' Sect, saying they were guys with empty ears, the Beggars' Sect leader's ears are donkey ears. Since the Beggars' Sect was a place where if you took away the information, all that was left was the number of heads and a broken gourd, it might be extremely natural for them to have an endless curiosity and desire for information.

So, Baekseok-dong was dying of curiosity about the fact that he was surprised. So he asked. There were seniors lined up like the sky, and even a senior with a dog-like temper was among them, but to succumb to such a thing was absurd. Even if others didn't, No Hak would answer. Even if his temper was like shit, he was not a person who would violate the sect rules, no, the gang rules. Since he, a 7-knot disciple of the Beggars' Sect, was a person whose access was permitted up to first-class secrets, excluding special-class, he had the right to request and hear information from No Hak. As long as that information was not special-class.

What surprised Baekseok-dong at first was the fact that the clothes they were wearing were not originally red. But when he found out that the red dye was human blood, he couldn't help but be even more surprised. The black spots on the clothes of the Vermilion Bird members were the marks left by dried blood. Baekseok-dong's gaze, looking at them wearing clothes stained with blood and exuding a bloody scent, could only be strange. In his watching eyes, the three characters of 'curiosity' were deeply engraved in his eyeballs.

"Seniors, what on earth happened to those clothes?"

Baekseok-dong asked cautiously with a face that said he couldn't understand at all. It was also a face that said, 'I'm dying of curiosity, so please explain quickly.' Pfft, at his question, Hyeonun grinned and looked at his friend Namgung Sang standing next to him. He must have looked at him because he had something to say.

"It was really amazing, wasn't it?!"

At Hyeonun's out-of-the-blue words, Namgung Sang answered, nodding his head quietly as if to express his agreement.

"It was almost a huge disaster."

"That's right. I thought I was going to die, you know?"

No Hak chimed in, acting up.

"At that time, the Bureau Chief's pale face..."

Geum Yeong-ho chuckled, recalling Jang U-yang's face color and expression.

"I was also at a loss. Suddenly, nearly 500 people popped out..."

Jin Ryeong also carefully brought up her words, as if remembering that event did not bring her good feelings.

"Yes, it seemed they were waiting at the crossroads, as if they knew how."

It was Tang Cheol-yeong. His hands were hands that had taken the lives of many. They should be thankful that he had not carelessly taken lives (?).

"But, that guy who looked like the leader of the gang that rushed out at the very beginning looked a bit strange."

No Hak said. He was really curious why the leader of a fortress, and that, the leader of bandits with the guts to rob the goods of a top-ten escort bureau like the Jungyang Escort Bureau, had such an appearance.

"That was also true. The leader of that what-was-it, yes, that Hogolchae mountain bandit group, who rushed out saying he would attack and rob everything, had one eye bruised blue and his lips were torn with the scab not even having fallen off, so he even looked a bit pathetic."

Geum Yeong-ho also seemed to fully agree with No Hak's words. Geum Yeong-ho spoke lightly as if it were a bit funny, but to the listening Baekseok-dong, it was by no means light.

"Hogolchae? Aren't they one of the 72 Fortresses of the Green Forest?"

Baekseok-dong exclaimed in surprise, his mouth wide open.

"Yes, one of the 72 Fortresses of the Green Forest. Even if that spot is the last seat."

No Hak nodded at his exclamation. In fact, the others did not know that Hogolchae occupied a spot among the 72 Fortresses of the Green Forest. If No Hak hadn't told them, they would never have known. The 72 Fortresses of the Green Forest, as you can tell from the name, there are 72 mountain fortresses. But who would memorize all of them, all 72 of them, when it's so troublesome? That's why the others only know a few famous mountain fortresses among the 72 Fortresses of the Green Forest, and when you go down to the very end of the table, they don't know who is sitting in which seat. No Hak knew. It was natural. He was a proud 8-knot disciple of the Beggars' Sect.

"Anyway, it was a big fight. They weren't very strong, but they had the numbers. They just rushed in recklessly, relying on their numbers. Well, the name '72 Fortresses of the Green Forest' must have played a part in it. We didn't know, but it was a heavenly fortune that there were no casualties among the escort bureau people, even though there were injured. We made the guys half-crippled and chased them away..."

No Hak added.

"When I cut down the leader in a single blow, they scattered on their own."

Jo Cheon-u of Mount Hua, who lived for the pleasure of being given a line once in a while, did not miss the opportunity and said a word. If he didn't even have this pleasure, his value of existence would disappear. For now.

"What single blow? You cut him in two."

Lee Jaryong of Kunlun, who was in a situation not much different from Jo Cheon-u's, quickly picked on him and said a word. It was an action to let the world know of their existence and not to forget it, so there was no negligence.

"..."

Ilgong had no lines until the end.

"Two?"