Chapter 40 : Invest with Certainty

Chapter 40: Invest with Certainty. -01

Neither Jo Yang-hyeok, who had taken the lead, nor any of the stronghold masters showed the slightest hint of shame, as if they had thrown away all martial pride.

They were filled with nothing but murderous intent to kill Ban Hojin.

However, even in the face of the stronghold masters’ combined assault, which was little different from an ambush, Ban Hojin did not panic.

He had been through far too many slaughterfields to panic over something like this.

Chreerk!

A single streak of Sword Force cleaved through the air.

It was an ordinary Sword Force with nothing particularly special about it, yet the result was different.

Jo Yang-hyeok, along with all the stronghold masters, surged toward Ban Hojin while raising their Force Energy, but not a single one managed to block his Sword Force.

No, they could not even receive it.

“Uh…?”

“H-How did this….”

With a single casual slash, not only their Force Energy but also the weapons they held and their bodies were severed all at once.

They were simply split cleanly in two.

Thud! Thud-thud!

Leaving aside blocking or dodging, the stronghold masters, divided into upper and lower halves, spilled onto the ground.

Blood poured from the severed sections, and all of them met instant death.

At that sight, the bandits fell into silence, as if they had never been cheering just moments ago.

“H-How…!”

Those who were shocked were not limited to them; the Green Forest Great Lord, who had lost his left arm, was the same.

He, too, stammered as if he could not believe what he was seeing.

However, as the saying went that humans were creatures of adaptation, the Green Forest Great Lord quickly pulled himself out of the shock.

At the same time, he turned his body around.

Having failed to kill Ban Hojin despite using every method at his disposal, the Green Forest Great Lord chose to flee.

It was humiliating, but it was better than dying.

“How fascinating. How is it that you always make the exact same choice.”

“Hup!”

The Green Forest Great Lord, who had been fleeing in desperate haste without even looking back, as if he had no time to mourn the death of his sworn brother, turned pale as though he had seen a ghost.

Ban Hojin, who had clearly been on the opposite side just moments ago, was now blocking his path.

“I suppose that’s why they say people don’t change easily.”

“S-Spare me! We’re not in a relationship where we absolutely have to kill each other, are we? Conditions—tell me your conditions! I’ll give you whatever you want! So please, just my life….”

“I’m not the type to leave future troubles behind.”

Thud.

Ban Hojin closed the distance in an instant with Golden Light Divine Steps and thrust his sword into the Green Forest Great Lord’s chest.

It pierced straight through his heart.

Even that was not enough, and Ban Hojin went on to sever the Green Forest Great Lord’s neck.

“Uwaaaah!”

“The Green Forest Great Lord is dead!”

“Chief Escort Slayer has fallen!”

Unlike his fearsome reputation that had shaken the world, the Green Forest Great Lord’s end was hollow.

Unable to put up anything resembling resistance, his massive body collapsed to the ground, his neck helplessly severed.

At the same time, Geum Hoyeon finally released the breath he had been holding back all this time.

“Everyone, attack! Retrieve the plundered escort goods!”

“Yes, sir!”

True to his promise, Ban Hojin had taken down the Green Forest Great Lord and Wall-Severing Blade.

Not only that, he had dealt with a considerable number of stronghold masters and deputy stronghold masters as well, so the forces following Geum Hoyeon advanced without hesitation.

With the death of the Green Forest Great Lord, they charged en masse at the bandits, who had shrunk back in fear.

However, not all of them did so.

“We protect Young Master!”

“Charge!”

The escort unit, which could be called Geum Hoyeon’s limbs and personal guard, including the Head of the Escort Unit, did not join the battlefield.

Since Geum Sangryong’s camp still remained, they formed a dense formation with Geum Hoyeon at the center.

It was a precaution in case Geum Sangryong launched an attack.

While doing so, the Head of the Escort Unit kept a close watch on Geum Sangryong’s side.

“A-Attack!”

“Block them!”

Meanwhile, the bandits whose leadership had been crushed scattered in all directions.

Surviving stronghold masters and deputy stronghold masters issued orders to attack, but very few followed.

The bandits understood the situation as well.

Thus, even when their leaders gave commands, they scattered on their own to find ways to survive.

“Haaah!”

“Chahap!”

The forces Geum Hoyeon had brought swept through the bandits like a surging tide.

With morale soaring, they pushed the bandits back relentlessly.

Yet among them, the most outstanding performances were unquestionably by Seo Joun and Seonwu Bang.

Perhaps spurred on by Ban Hojin’s exploits, both were brimming with momentum.

Fwoooosh!

In particular, Seo Joun, despite it being his first large-scale battle, displayed his full abilities without the slightest tension.

He showcased the advantages of Extreme Yang Energy to the fullest, slaughtering the bandits.

Beside him, Seonwu Bang used his characteristically solid sword forms to mow down everyone who charged at him.

They fought multiple opponents while covering each other’s openings.

However, not every battlefield was favorable.

“Khuk!”

“Kgh!”

The bandits gathered here were carefully selected elites even among the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds.

As a result, the warriors Geum Hoyeon had brought also suffered significant casualties.

Though the bandits’ momentum had been broken by the Green Forest Great Lord’s death, their accumulated skills did not simply vanish.

Even so, despite the growing losses, Ban Hojin’s gaze was fixed only on Seonwu Bang and Seo Joun.

“If you use your cultivation so thoughtlessly, you’ll run out of steam before long.”

“Yes!”

“What happened to all the basic training you’ve done so far? How many fights have you even had for the tip of your sword to already be shaking? Are your legs giving out?”

“I’ll correct it!”

He was wielding Sword Energy that flickered like flames, driven by overwhelming Extreme Yang Energy, in a ferocious manner, yet even that sight looked crude to Ban Hojin.

Of course, considering it was his first real battle, there was no doubt he was performing exceptionally well.

However, Ban Hojin could not be satisfied with merely that.

Given the talent Seo Joun possessed, that level of performance was the bare minimum.

“Hup!”

Kagagakang!

Even so, Ban Hojin was also intermittently observing Seonwu Bang’s combat.

Seonwu Bang’s fundamentals were so solid that there was nothing Ban Hojin needed to advise.

He only needed to let him accumulate experience.

Then it was clear they would grow well on their own.

“This side seems to be more or less getting sorted out. The problem must be over there.”

With his hands clasped behind his back, Ban Hojin turned his head as he stood there like a mere spectator.

Yet not a single person charged toward Ban Hojin.

There was no one bold enough to pick a fight with Ban Hojin, who had brought down the Green Forest Great Lord.

Thus, Ban Hojin was able to leisurely survey the battlefield.

“You worked hard, Ban Daehyeop.”

“You must have been on edge, right?”

“Not at all. I trusted Ban Daehyeop.”

Geum Hoyeon approached Ban Hojin, leading the escort unit.

Then he looked at Ban Hojin again with eyes full of wonder.

Geum Hoyeon had judged that Ban Hojin could win, and he had placed his bet on that judgment.

However, he had never imagined that the Green Forest Great Lord would be defeated this easily.

Gulp!

Perhaps because of that, Geum Hoyeon continued to stare at the Green Forest Great Lord’s corpse with astonished eyes.

Seeing the Green Forest Great Lord—who had shaken the world with his evil reputation, whom even the Wolf King had looked up to from below—turned into a cold corpse, Geum Hoyeon found it hard to believe even as he watched.

At the same time, he realized just how lightly everyone had regarded the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds.

‘To think that even the elders of the Gongdong Sect and the Peng Family of Hebei couldn’t deal with them easily.’

Of course, it had not been a fair and square duel.

But looking for fairness in war was about as foolish as it got.

In war, anything could happen, and what mattered was not the process but the result.

Because war was one where the victor took everything, what mattered was winning.

“I’ve kept my promise.”

“Thank you. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“How do you plan to proceed?”

“It’s already enough, but I intend to show it more definitively.”

“So you don’t intend to fight here.”

Ban Hojin wore an expression that said ‘as expected.’

With that answer, he was once again reminded that Geum Hoyeon was no ordinary man.

“Yes. For now, they follow the First Young Lord, but they too are retainers of the Geum Family Estate. I can’t have them devouring themselves.”

“And if they attack?”

“Then we’ll have to fight. I can’t just hand over my head for free. Still, I don’t think they’ll come at us like that. From the looks of it, Ban Daehyeop and Young Master Seo may not recognize him, but Young Hero Seonwu seems to have figured it out. And even if they didn’t recognize Ban Daehyeop, they saw you beat the Green Forest Great Lord to death—I don’t think they’d rush in first.”

“If they have any shame, they shouldn’t.”

“Exactly.”

Geum Hoyeon agreed readily.

They were rivals, and it would be a stretch to call them comrades, but they were not enemies either.

Moreover, in a way, Ban Hojin had practically saved them from death, so pointing blades at him would have been truly shameless.

“It looks like things are settling down. Shall we first look for the stolen escort goods?”

“Will you move together with us?”

“Yes. The war isn’t over yet. The moment you think it’s over is when you’re most likely to get stabbed in the back.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s go.”

Ban Hojin approached Seo Joun and Seonwu Bang, who were both panting heavily.

Behind him followed Geum Hoyeon and the escort unit.

Perhaps because it was truly a triumphant return, Ban Hojin received treatment completely different from when he had departed once he returned to the Geum Family Estate.

He was assigned, in its entirety, the most luxurious detached annex in the estate.

Yet Ban Hojin himself did not seem particularly pleased by such treatment.

He thought it was only natural.

“I still can’t get used to this.”

“Because it’s too luxurious?”

“That too, but I can’t get used to everyone treating us with such deference.”

Seo Joun looked around the room with a face still full of admiration.

His room had a different layout from the one Ban Hojin was assigned, but it was just as lavish.

“There’s no need to feel burdened. You’re just receiving what you’re worth for the help you gave. They’re merchants, after all. They’re only doing this because they judged on their own that you deserved this level of treatment.”

“You look really used to it, big brother. In fact, you should be the one who finds this the most unfamiliar.”

“It’s easier if you think of it as coming empty-handed and leaving empty-handed.”

“That’s surprisingly fitting.”

Seo Joun blinked.

In the end, everyone died the same.

Whether one died here or met a violent end screaming in the mountains, returning to the earth was all the same, so Seo Joun soon nodded in agreement.

“But still, I do find it amazing. How do you maintain your composure like that?”

“That’s probably how you managed to take down the Green Forest Great Lord, right?”

“I still can’t believe it. Are you really my friend?”

“I am. That’s why I’m standing right in front of you.”

Perhaps recalling what had happened at Taeho Stronghold, Seonwu Bang’s focus momentarily blurred.

But he soon returned to himself and looked at Ban Hojin.

“Hah, to eliminate the Green Forest Great Lord at the age of twenty.”

“There must be a real genius somewhere else. There’s a saying about there always being someone beyond even the extraordinary.”

Seo Joun looked at Ban Hojin with eyes full of respect.

He had thought himself a genius, but Ban Hojin was on an entirely different level.

Through this incident, Seo Joun once again realized that there were ranks even among geniuses.

Yet Ban Hojin gave a wry smile at Seo Joun’s gaze.

“There’s no such thing. I’m just a different case.”

“What kind of case?”

“That’s as far as I can tell you. More importantly, have you two thought about it?”

“But no matter how I think about it, it feels like too much for my share. Honestly, I didn’t really play a major role in determining the outcome of the battle.”

“Me too. I don’t think I had a significant impact on the direction of the fight. If anything, it feels like I just put my spoon into an already finished dish.”

After Seonwu Bang, Seo Joun spoke candidly.

Of course, that didn’t mean the two of them had fought carelessly.

Both had risked their lives and fought together.

The problem was that the compensation felt far too large.

“It sounds like both of you are undervaluing your own worth. And it’s not like you fought half-heartedly, is it? You risked your lives by joining in, so you should receive compensation commensurate with that.”

“When you put it that way, it’s not exactly wrong.”

“Paying a high price is also an investment. It’s a way of saying ‘take good care of me.’ It’s also an investment for improving future relations.”