In an instant, more than forty corpses littered the scene. Bodies split cleanly in two, bearing scorch marks as if struck by fire.
Hyeong Pyo stared in shock, his mouth hanging wide open.
"H-How could dozens be taken down in a single moment…"
Not only Hyeong Pyo, but the porters as well looked at Dan Hyung-u in stunned disbelief. Yet the person in question stood there calmly, his expression utterly indifferent.
"Urgh!"
In the meantime, Ma Yuk staggered, having taken a deep wound to his shoulder. All the other Green Forest bandits were dead, yet the five who had been attacking Ma Yuk were unharmed.
Even though they had been within Dan Hyung-u's attack range.
"H-Hey. Why are you just standing there? Th-That man is…"
Hyeong Pyo spoke urgently to Dan Hyung-u, but Dan Hyung-u merely looked at him with indifferent eyes.
"Why?"
"Why—why are you asking why… He's our comrade, isn't he?"
At Hyeong Pyo's words, Dan Hyung-u tilted his head slightly.
"A comrade?"
Dan Hyung-u murmured softly, watching without emotion as Ma Yuk bled profusely from his thigh.
"Well. I don't really know, but since you're asking, I'll do it."
After answering, Dan Hyung-u took a single step. Just one step—yet he was suddenly standing beside Ma Yuk.
And then, lightning fell.
"H-Huff… huff…"
Ma Yuk gasped for breath, staring at Dan Hyung-u with eyes full of disbelief.
He wanted to ask what in the world Dan Hyung-u was, but he was too out of breath to speak. Or perhaps, he didn't truly want to ask.
"Are you all right, Head Escort Ma?"
As Ma Yuk struggled to steady his breathing, Hyeong Pyo approached and asked.
"I-I'm fine. The others…"
Ma Yuk began to ask about the others' safety, then fell silent. In the chaos, he hadn't noticed, but now that he looked, Hyeong Pyo was the only escort still standing.
"Damn it."
Ma Yuk muttered softly and turned his head away. He didn't want to look any longer at the pile of his comrades' corpses. As he turned, his eyes landed on the Tang Clan members.
The Tang Clan warriors were somehow holding on amid desperate fighting. The skill of the black-clad men attacking them was formidable.
However, because the Tang Clan warriors focused on defense and cooperated seamlessly with one another, they could not be subdued easily.
Unlike the Tang Clan warriors, the black-clad men attacked without any regard for the movements around them. As a result, they repeatedly missed decisive moments.
Watching this, Ma Yuk frowned in confusion. Among the black-clad men, there was still one who had not yet joined the fight—and he looked the strongest of them all.
Ma Yuk turned his head and looked at Dan Hyung-u. Dan Hyung-u was also watching the battle between the Tang Clan warriors and the black-clad men.
"Why are you just standing there?"
Ma Yuk asked. But Dan Hyung-u did not answer—he did not even turn his head. Ma Yuk bristled internally, but forced himself to endure it. Without knowing Dan Hyung-u's true identity, he could not act rashly.
In Ma Yuk's mind, Dan Hyung-u was absolutely not an ordinary porter. And considering how the Agency Head had forcibly inserted him into this escort mission, he might have been a hidden expert recruited in anticipation of something like this.
"You must help them. It's urgent."
At Ma Yuk's words, Dan Hyung-u glanced at him briefly. That was all. Dan Hyung-u continued to merely observe.
Unable to bear it any longer, Hyeong Pyo stepped forward.
"Uh… hey. W-Would you mind helping a little?"
At Hyeong Pyo's words, Dan Hyung-u's brow creased ever so slightly. Of course, no one else noticed.
Dan Hyung-u pondered inwardly for a moment. The reason he had first swung his sword was because he did not want Hyeong Pyo to die.
The reason he continued swinging it afterward was also because he did not want Jong-chil or the other porters to die.
Hyeong Pyo was someone rather special to Dan Hyung-u. And Jong-chil and the other porters had treated Dan Hyung-u extremely well.
Of course, it was because they were intimidated by his strength—but that didn't matter. What mattered most was that Dan Hyung-u did not want them to die.
But saving Ma Yuk was a slightly different matter. Whether Ma Yuk lived or died made no difference to him. In fact, Dan Hyung-u had only met Ma Yuk for the first time when this escort mission began.
If the person being beaten had been someone like Sama Cheol instead, he would have helped without much hesitation or resistance.
Still, because of Hyeong Pyo's earnest request, he helped. In truth, it wasn't particularly difficult.
And then Hyeong Pyo made another request.
After a brief moment of thought, Dan Hyung-u drew his sword. Then he took a single step. The Tang Clan warriors were still over ten jang away.
Yet with that single step, the distance vanished instantly. To those watching from behind, it looked as if Dan Hyung-u had been standing there all along.
Then lightning struck again and again.
Tang Ho-gwan was shocked. In the instant his vision flashed white, all of the black-clad men collapsed to the ground. All Tang Ho-gwan saw were bolts of lightning and faint afterimages of a human figure.
Even that was only because it was Tang Ho-gwan. The other Tang Clan warriors—Tang Cheol-gi included—saw nothing more than the black-clad men being struck dead by lightning.
"W-What in the world is this…"
Tang Cheol-gi muttered in confusion. He and the Tang Clan warriors looked around blankly, but found nothing. All they could see were the porters standing some ten jang away.
"For now, collect the bodies."
At Tang Ho-gwan's order, Tang Cheol-gi bowed his head and replied,
"Yes."
Tang Cheol-gi hurriedly directed the warriors. Though they had minimized casualties by focusing on defense and moving in coordination, the losses were still severe.
Thirty had come together, yet only twenty survived. Ten had died in this attack. Even so, they were fortunate—the enemies had all been struck dead by lightning.
While Tang Cheol-gi was overseeing the recovery of the bodies, Tang Ho-gwan stared intently toward where the porters stood. It was too dark to see clearly, but he could unmistakably tell they were wearing porter attire.
All Tang Clan warriors wore black clothing, so that poison or concealed weapons would not be easily visible.
And all Hanam Escort Agency escorts wore blue robes embroidered with the character Ha (河) on the chest and back. The porters wore dark gray garments.
What Tang Ho-gwan had seen was that gray attire.
Tang Ho-gwan felt a flicker of unease. The Green Forest bandits were all lying on the ground as well, most of them split in half. And while nearly all the escorts lay fallen, not a single porter had died.
Tang Ho-gwan slowly walked toward the porters and examined them one by one.
At that moment, a strange light flickered in his eyes. One porter stood out—one with a sword hanging at his waist.
"Was it you?"
Tang Ho-gwan asked bluntly. But Dan Hyung-u had no intention of answering and simply stood there silently. A crease formed on Tang Ho-gwan's forehead.
"Did you not hear what I said?"
"H-Hey, what are you doing? The elder is asking you."
Hyeong Pyo hurriedly urged him from the side. Tang Ho-gwan was not someone to be treated lightly—he was, after all, an elder of the Tang Clan. Yet Dan Hyung-u did not even look at Tang Ho-gwan.
Growing desperate, Hyeong Pyo hurriedly opened his mouth.
"That's right. This friend saved us."
At Hyeong Pyo's answer, Tang Ho-gwan looked at him. It felt somewhat disrespectful, as if he were being ignored, which irritated him, but since he had obtained an answer, he let it pass for the moment.
"Where is your sect?"
At Tang Ho-gwan's question, Hyeong Pyo looked at Dan Hyung-u with startled eyes. Come to think of it, someone who had mastered such formidable martial arts would naturally have a master. And it was certain that it would be no ordinary sect.
Dan Hyung-u looked at Tang Ho-gwan. It was the first time he had shown any reaction toward him.
At the mention of a sect, Cheon Gi-ja suddenly came to mind. Dan Hyung-u could say that his master was Cheon Gi-ja—but at the same time, he could not.
The martial arts Dan Hyung-u possessed might have originated from Cheon Gi-ja, but they were not that martial art. They were techniques that belonged solely to him, forged through fierce battles on the boundary between life and death over a long span of time.
"I don't have one."
At Dan Hyung-u's curt reply, Tang Ho-gwan's eyebrow twitched. He found it increasingly displeasing. The attitude that seemed to ignore him, and the tone utterly lacking in respect, both grated on his nerves.
"E-Elder. This friend has lived only in the mountains and is ignorant of worldly matters and etiquette. Please, I beg you to understand."
At Hyeong Pyo's words, Tang Ho-gwan calmed himself. If that were the case, it was understandable.
Still, why would a place like the Hanam Escort Agency employ such a rude fellow as a porter? And one with such formidable martial arts at that.
"There are far too many suspicious points. Fine. I'll let it go for now. Very well. I'll believe, for the moment, that you have no sect. Then what is the name of your martial art?"
Tang Ho-gwan now spoke entirely condescendingly. There was no reason left to show even a shred of respect.
"I-It's… the Samjae Sword Technique."
Knowing that Dan Hyung-u would not answer, Hyeong Pyo hurriedly spoke up instead. But upon hearing this, Tang Ho-gwan's expression twisted severely.
"Are you trying to make a fool of me right now?"
Tang Ho-gwan had asked for the name of the martial art to infer Dan Hyung-u's identity from it.
But the Samjae Sword Technique? Unless he was being mocked, how could anyone possibly give such an answer?
"N-No, that's not it. He truly did learn the Samjae Sword Technique. It's just that it's different from the commonly known Samjae Sword Technique."
At Hyeong Pyo's additional explanation, Tang Ho-gwan let out a sigh.
"Hmph. How troublesome."
After pausing for a moment, Tang Ho-gwan looked at Hyeong Pyo and asked,
"And how is it that you know so much?"
"We spent a few days together. And to be honest, I don't know that much. I only know that he's still unfamiliar with the ways of the world, that he learned the Samjae Sword Technique, and that the technique he showed today is called Heavenly Thunder."
"Heavenly Thunder…"
Tang Ho-gwan thought it was a truly fitting name. Even to his own eyes, it had clearly looked as if lightning were striking down from the heavens. If that wasn't Heavenly Thunder, then what else could be called so? As Tang Ho-gwan nodded thoughtfully, he suddenly looked at Hyeong Pyo.
"You are no ordinary man."
At Tang Ho-gwan's words, Hyeong Pyo was greatly flustered.
"M-Me? You mean me?"
Tang Ho-gwan nodded without hesitation.
"Far from ordinary. In any case, what will you do now? I would like the escort mission to continue to its conclusion."
At Tang Ho-gwan's question, Hyeong Pyo's gaze naturally shifted toward Ma Yuk. Ma Yuk had heard the exchange as well. And at present, the one with overall responsibility here was the escort leader, Ma Yuk.
Ma Yuk was still sitting on the ground.
His internal and external injuries were severe, forcing him to circulate his energy to regulate his breathing for a moment. Doing so in a situation like this was practically suicidal, but he had no choice.
If he hadn't, his internal injuries might have worsened beyond recovery.
"Ghh…"
Ma Yuk forced himself to his feet. He had extinguished the immediate danger through energy circulation, but it would be difficult for him to continue the escort mission any further. He glanced briefly at Dan Hyung-u.
If Dan Hyung-u had helped just a little earlier, he would not have ended up in such a state. Of course, he owed his life to Dan Hyung-u—but that was that, and this was this. No matter what, he couldn't help feeling resentful.
"Hoo… I don't think I can continue. I'd only become a hindrance if I stayed."
At Ma Yuk's words, Hyeong Pyo looked puzzled. Regardless, the escort mission still had to go on.
The Tang Clan warriors would handle the protection anyway. All the Hanam Escort Agency needed were the porters. There would be no problem continuing the escort.
"Then will you abandon the escort?"
When Tang Ho-gwan asked again, Ma Yuk shook his head.
"From this point on, Escort Hyeong will take charge of the mission. Of course, that will only be possible if you grant permission, Elder."
At Ma Yuk's words, Tang Ho-gwan nodded firmly.
"I have no objections."
Not only was it acceptable—it was far better. Tang Ho-gwan could tell at a glance what condition Ma Yuk was in.
If he accompanied them, there was a chance the escort would be delayed. What the Tang Clan needed were the escort agency's porters, not its escorts.
"Thank you for your understanding."
"Think nothing of it. Then what will you do?"
At Tang Ho-gwan's question, Ma Yuk replied with a bitter expression.
"I plan to return to the escort agency."
Tang Ho-gwan nodded. It was a natural question and a natural answer. He would need to report what had happened during the escort mission.
Nearly thirty escorts had died. For the escort agency, this was no small matter—it could shake its very foundation.
"Do so. It seems difficult to move any further today anyway, so it would be best to depart tomorrow. You don't look well—let me take a look at you."
After speaking, Tang Ho-gwan headed toward where the Tang Clan warriors were. Ma Yuk respectfully cupped his fists toward him.
The Tang Clan's medical arts were as famous and formidable as their poison arts. With Tang Ho-gwan himself offering treatment, it would be a great help.
Once Tang Ho-gwan left, Hyeong Pyo let out a sigh of relief. At least nothing else had gone wrong. Now they needed to find a place to rest for the night. He first had the porters tidy up the surroundings.
The enemy corpses were placed into pits and burned, while the escorts' bodies were buried in a sunlit area for the time being. They were being left like this for now, but once Ma Yuk returned to the agency and made his report, proper arrangements would be made.
As for the ten corpses from the Tang Clan, Tang Cheol-gi took care of them in some way before dividing them among the wagons carrying the cargo. He said there was no need to worry about decay.
After roughly finishing the cleanup, a long time had passed since sunset. The current spot was not terrible for camping, but with corpses buried there and the air thick with the smell of blood, it was impossible to rest.
Hyeong Pyo quickly found a suitable place nearby.
It was a clearing slightly deeper into the mountains—wide enough for everyone present to rest, with water close by as well.
With the wagons carrying the cargo at the center, the Tang Clan warriors and the porters lay down here and there. With no escorts left, night watch fell solely to the Tang Clan warriors. It made no difference anyway, since they wouldn't trust the escorts even if they were present.
Although ten Tang Clan warriors had died, the survivors were not seriously injured. They had only suffered minor internal injuries from overexertion, most of which were healed by consuming the Tang Clan's secret pills.
Using the power of those pills, Ma Yuk was treated as well, but his condition was so poor that it would be difficult for him to recover in a short time.
In any case, the fiercely intense day finally came to an end.
"Failed?"
At the chilling voice that seeped out from within the tent, the man who had been prostrating himself so deeply that his nose nearly touched the ground trembled.
"P-Please kill me."
"There's no need to tremble like that. You may have devised the plan, but I was the one who approved it. Why would I kill you?"
At those words, the expression of the prostrated man slowly returned to life. He then bowed deeply once more.