Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The Bandit's Way
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"Young Lady Yoo."
"..."
"Young Lady Yoo, please wake up."
"Mm…"
"Ah, what a pain…"
Splash!
"Kyaa!"
"You're awake? You looked so hot, so I was just about to douse you with a bucket of water."
Even after getting splashed, Yu So-myung's eyes were still hazy, like she hadn't fully come to her senses.
"Y-You're the woodcutter…"
"That's right, the woodcutter. I also double as the chief of the bandits here in the Green Forest."
Her eyes widened at those words. She must finally be grasping the situation.
"Th-This! You ruthless, despicable scum!"
"Evil sects are ruthless and despicable—what, you think we're supposed to be fair and square? This is just how we crude bandits do things."
Even after my neat explanation, fury didn't leave her eyes. Well, yeah. I'd be pissed too if someone I'd helped willingly clocked me twice in the neck.
Yu So-myung struggled, probably trying to escape, but we'd already bound her tight.
Realizing she couldn't untie herself, she asked in a trembling voice.
"What are you going to do with me now?"
"Hmm, we're still deciding on that. I just popped in to check on your condition…"
As I said it, I deliberately let my gaze roam over her body with a lecherous glint. Her clothes were soaked, revealing her figure perfectly.
She shrank back, sensing my stare.
Cute. Like a little rabbit.
But I had no intention of violating or touching her. I didn't have a hobby of laying hands on an innocent girl who looked utterly clueless.
"I'm kidding. We have our own rules, so we don't mess around with women like that."
"R-Really?"
"You must've been fooled a lot. Anyway, how's your wound?"
"Wound…? Oh."
She'd gotten slashed on the waist blocking my men's combined attack earlier. It wasn't deep, but leaving it alone could make it fester, so I'd treated it myself.
As Yu So-myung checked the bandaged spot, she suddenly seemed to realize something and asked me.
"Hey, y-you…"
"Yes?"
"…My clothes are different. Did you… change them for me?"
Hmm, she figured it out.
"Yeah, I treated your wound and changed them."
"Y-You…!"
But I was righteous about this one.
"How am I supposed to treat you without taking off your clothes? Were we just gonna let you die, Young Lady?"
"…Th-That's true, but…"
"Hell, I even picked the nicest women's clothes we'd gotten before, worried you might catch a cold. And now you're mad about it."
"..."
"Don't worry. I did my best not to look at your private parts."
"..."
She really had nothing to say to that. Of course. If anything, I was her benefactor. Wait, no—since I caused it, am I really?
Anyway, her flustered expression was cuter than I expected. Suddenly, an uncontrollable mischievous urge welled up inside me.
"By the way, what's with the scar on your cleavage?"
"You! You said you didn't look!"
"I saw your breasts."
"..."
"They were nice and soft. Felt great."
Her face twisted in shock at my words, like if her boyfriend of years suddenly came out of the closet.
"…Hic, sob."
Whoa, she's crying.
Tears started welling up in Yu So-myung's eyes, one by one. Her beautiful, pitiful weeping made her look like a tragic heroine.
I got a bit flustered seeing her cry. Had I teased the naive orthodox girl too much?
"…R-Rather than suffer humiliation from a thug like you…"
Thug, right to my face? Harsh.
"…I'd rather take my own life to have a face to show my ancestors…"
What?
With that, she clenched her jaw and bit down hard on her tongue. Of course, my fist was in her mouth first.
She was dead serious, chomping down like she'd sever my hand. The insane pain made curses spill out.
"Aaah! You crazy bitch, it's a lie! A lie! I was just messing with you a bit—why go this far? For real! Aaah, let go, you psycho!"
But her face was already a tear-soaked mess. She wailed bitterly but wouldn't release my fist.
"Waaah, let… go, you scum! This filthy body… I'll atone for this sin right now! Waaah!"
"Ah, it was a joke. Fuck!"
It took forever to wrench my fist free and gag her to calm things down. But her crying wouldn't stop.
I spent ages soothing her.
****
"Is the young lady conscious now?"
It was Dong-ryong. The rest of my Green Forest crew, minus me, sat in a circle around a bonfire in the center.
"Yeah, she woke up. Kicked up a huge fuss, crying and screaming."
I showed them my bloody fist, and they burst out laughing. But the mood soon turned solemn. Truth was, this wasn't a time to laugh carefree.
"Chief, so what's the plan now?"
"With what."
"We messed with the Shanxi Yu Clan's golden bough and jade leaf."
"I don't know, fuck. I'm thinking about it."
Shanxi Yu Clan's Virtuous Sword Princess, Yu So-myung.
I figured she was just some merchant's daughter and went for it, but I hooked a massive fish.
In the original story, she's a key sub-heroine. From what I remember, the protagonist met her by chance while wandering the world… Anyway, she provides huge support with her skills during the war against the Demonic Cult.
She's not fully grown yet, so she got caught this sloppily, but give her time, and she wouldn't fall to us like this.
Anyway, the real issue now was Yu So-myung's background.
The Shanxi Yu Clan.
A prestigious family wielding massive influence over Shanxi lands. Especially how much her family doted on her. And we kidnapped their precious golden bough and jade leaf.
Ah, thinking about it again drives me nuts. From now on, the Yu Clan warriors will hunt us with fire in their eyes, turning it into a deadly game of hide-and-seek. Thrilling, really.
The others were probably thinking the same.
Number three in rank, Bang Sam-i, hesitantly spoke up.
"Uh… It's not our way, but… how about we kill her and silence her?"
Kill and silence.
At the suggestion, the men's mouths froze shut. Tough-looking, but soft-hearted bunch.
Number four, Bong Chwi-i, spoke.
"How about… we return the young lady safely to the Shanxi Yu Clan? With sincere apologies."
"You idiot, you think they'll let us live? They'd say, 'Nice of you to turn yourselves in—we'll kill you quick,' and lop off our heads."
Fair point. Feels like we've crossed the river with no way back for forgiveness now.
"Then what? You really wanna kill and silence? Kill a fresh young girl like that, and she'll haunt us as a virgin ghost forever."
"Isn't a few hundred Yu Clan warriors chasing us scarier than one virgin ghost?"
"…True that."
"…Chief's gotta decide this one."
"…Yeah."
Release Yu So-myung or kill her.
Tough call. Helpfully, some leftover bamboo leaf liquor from lunch sat in front of me.
Gulp.
"Alright, decided."
I downed the cup and picked up Yu So-myung's sword from in front of me.
Then headed inside.
**
The Shanxi Yu Clan, masters of Shanxi lands.
Their estate matched their grandeur—majestic. Yet serene and plain. Like the clan's style itself: always quiet and peaceful, sturdy as a willow tree.
Usually, no loud noises echoed through the Shanxi Yu Clan. Especially at night. They saw it as improper.
But tonight was different.
From the clan leader's quarters—the quietest spot in the main house—another anxious voice spilled out.
"…Has So-myung not arrived yet?"
The speaker was Yu Jin-myeong, the young clan leader of the Shanxi Yu Clan.
With the clan leader away for months, he—the acting head—grew uneasy over his only sister's delay.
"No, the young lady hasn't arrived."
"What's going on…? We got word she'd arrive by today…"
"Heh heh, Young Clan Leader. Don't worry too much. She's a proper martial artist now."
Wi Yong-myeong, the elder who'd helped the still-inexperienced young leader with duties till now, patted his shoulder reassuringly, like a kindly grandfather.
Yu Jin-myeong nodded at the caring gesture.
"Phew… I know So-myung can take care of herself, but with Father away, I'm extra worried."
"I'll send men to check. Nothing's wrong, so don't fret, Young Clan Leader."
"Thank you… I couldn't stand in for Father without Elder Wi's help."
Yu Jin-myeong bowed deeply to the longtime loyal retainer of the Shanxi Yu Clan.
But…
"…No need. What's an old man like me done?"
Elder Wi's eyes gleamed with unnatural sharpness unfit for an orthodox warrior as he greedily gazed down at the bowing Yu Jin-myeong.