Bandit Subjugation

Ryuuho, Kanru, and Yulong’s gazes gathered on me. Ryuuho and Kanru looked calm, but Yulong had an expression that seemed to say, “Why this guy?”

“The bandit hideout is halfway up Mount Iriga. They say there is only one road that leads there, but Taoist practitioners can climb the cliff directly below the hideout and reach it that way.”

Ryuuho nodded.

“I see. We climb using Lightness Skill, then?”

“That’s right. Can the three of you use Lightness Skill?”

“Kanru and I will be fine. But Yulong has not trained in it, so he cannot use it.”

From the beginning, I had not considered Yulong part of our combat strength, so I did not care about him. However, Yulong became displeased.

“Are you planning to leave me out?”

“I don’t intend to, but you can’t use Lightness Skill, right?”

“We should attack openly and honorably without using Lightness Skill.”

“If we go to subjugate them openly and honorably, the bandit lookouts will probably discover us along the way.”

“If the bandits attack us, we just defeat them in return.”

I turned my eyes toward Ryuuho and Kanru.

“If you two were Dumin, what would you do?”

Ryuuho made a stern face.

“There is something that bothers me. If I were Dumin, I would have Toban watched. So he may already know that Taoist practitioners from Gyorei Cave have come.”

I nodded. Seeing that, Kanru tilted his head.

“Senior Brother Ryuuho, even so, there are four Taoist practitioners here. The enemy only has one Taoist practitioner.”

Hearing that, Ryuuho turned his gaze toward me.

“What do you think?”

“If it were me, I would divide the bandits into four groups and have them attack the four of us separately. Then I would finish us off one by one.”

When the three heard that, they fell silent.

“It seems we really would be better off using Lightness Skill and infiltrating the hideout.”

Ryuuho said that. Kanru nodded as well, but Yulong looked dissatisfied. Seeing that, Ryuuho offered a compromise.

“Once I climb the cliff, I will throw a rope down. Use that rope to climb up.”

With those conditions, Yulong agreed as well. He was a troublesome guy. After that, we carefully investigated the terrain of Mount Iriga and decided on the route we would climb.

Once our preparations were complete, we headed for Mount Iriga. I only brought my Serpent-Goat Broadsword, a small pouch containing medicine and other items, and the qi bullet gun in the holster hanging at my waist.

After leaving Toban, we passed through a farming village to the north and arrived at Mount Iriga when the sun had begun to tilt slightly. There were only mountains and fields around us. From this point onward, there was only a narrow path barely wide enough for a single person to pass through.

“There isn’t a single person around here.”

When I said that while looking around, Ryuuho nodded.

“The bandit hideout is nearby. I suppose no one would come close.”

What I had meant was that there were no bandit lookouts, but Ryuuho seemed to think I was talking about villagers.

“This path is probably being watched by the bandits, so let’s start climbing from a little farther east.”

If we climbed quickly, we would probably reach the cliff below the hideout before sunset. After climbing the tree-covered slope for about an hour, we reached the cliff below the hideout.

“Yulong, wait here. Now, let’s climb.”

Ryuuho began climbing the cliff using Lightness Skill. He used the rugged rocks as footholds and climbed as if he were flying. Kanru had a few dangerous moments, but he somehow managed to climb.

I created Floating Yang Qi inside my body, circulated it along my yang meridians, and used Lightness Skill. There was one time when I grabbed a rock with my hand, but for the most part, I climbed the cliff using only my feet.

Ryuuho, who had climbed up first, tied the end of the rope to a rock and threw it down. When I finished climbing and looked down, Yulong was starting to climb while holding the rope.

Once the four of us had finally gathered behind the hideout, we approached in the direction where we sensed people. There were four mountain-hut-like buildings, and the bandits were drinking in front of them.

I wondered how they could drink when a subjugation force might come. But perhaps they had become bandits precisely because they were that kind of people. I searched for someone who looked like a Taoist practitioner, but I could not find one. It seemed Dumin was not there.

Ryuuho looked at the number of bandits and decided to launch a surprise attack. I assembled my Serpent-Goat Broadsword and waited for Ryuuho’s signal. The next instant, Ryuuho burst out as if he had been fired from a bow. Kanru and I followed after him. Then Yulong began running a little late.

The bandits still had not noticed us. When I stepped behind a bandit who was drinking and telling foolish stories, I swept the blade of my Serpent-Goat Broadsword through his neck. At the same timing, three heads flew through the air. Ryuuho, Kanru, and I had lopped off the bandits’ heads.

Then, one beat late, Yulong’s sword tore through a bandit’s back.

“What?”

“Eek, blood!”

“E-enemies!”

Immediately after that, the bandits began causing a huge commotion. Taking advantage of that confusion, we swiftly finished off the bandits like a storm. When I glanced toward Yulong, he was swinging his sword with a pale face. However, it only looked as though he was swinging it around through brute force. If Elder Shanshi saw this, it would be at a level where he might consider expelling him.

In a matter of a dozen or so seconds, we defeated fifteen bandits. At that moment, a man leapt out from inside one of the huts. That man was holding a treasured sword made of Supreme Silver. There was no mistaking him for anyone but Dumin. Dumin had a solid build and was about one hundred eighty centimeters tall. It was undoubtedly a well-trained body.

“I received a report that Taoist practitioners had come to Toban, but Gyorei Cave sent you lot? They must think little of me.”

Dumin said that while looking at Ryuuho and Kanru. Anger appeared on Kanru’s face.

“What do you mean? Are you saying I can’t beat you?”

“Kanru, when I was in Gyorei Cave, did I ever lose to you even once?”

“Don’t think I’m still the same as I was back then.”

Dumin grinned.

“That goes for me too.”