My Dad Is the Strongest Under Heaven
Chapter 37
Chapter 37
- Bandit Subjugation
“Is it here?”
The place they arrived at was a village nestled deep within the mountains.
Yet for some reason, the lush greenery of the mountain was nowhere to be found, leaving behind a place better described as barren and desolate.
The atmosphere in the village was bleak.
Every single person looked utterly exhausted, their faces etched with deep despair.
Just what on earth had happened here?
Even though the White Wolf Troop had just arrived, they did not seem to muster the faintest glimmer of hope.
Shortly after their arrival, the village chief came out to greet them.
He promptly explained everything that had transpired to Oh Chae-mu in detail.
Normally, this was a briefing that Yeo Woonhwi, as the Captain of the White Wolf Troop, should have received. However, since the agreement was for the troop to proceed just as they always had while Woonhwi merely observed, matters were being handled no differently than before.
Finishing his conversation with the chief, Oh Chae-mu returned with a grim, hardened expression.
“They say there is a bandit stronghold nearby.”
Everyone listened closely to his words.
The beginning of the story was no different from any other village tormented by bandits.
The real problem had started a few months ago, when those already vile bastards suddenly doubled the tribute they extorted from the village.
Squeezed dry to their very limits, the villagers could endure no more and begged the local magistrate for help, but received no response. In the end, treating it as their final hope, they had appealed to the Paeng Clan.
Though they knew none of them would survive if the bandits found out, they had gathered their courage because dying this way or that was all the same now.
Yet since even the government officials had no intention of aiding a village tucked away in such a remote corner, they hadn’t truly expected the Paeng Clan to help either. Worn down to the bone, their faces had naturally been clouded with despair.
“Hmm. Doubled the tribute all of a sudden, did they?”
Having listened to the whole story, Yeo Woonhwi stroked his chin.
At that, Oh Chae-mu voiced his thoughts.
“The reason for raising the tribute is obvious. They intend to abandon this place soon. That is surely why they doubled the amount.”
But Yeo Woonhwi looked unconvinced.
“Is that really so?”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
“It just raises a few questions. Could there not be other possibilities?”
When Yeo Woonhwi questioned him, Oh Chae-mu’s brow twitched upward.
He found it absurd that a man who had never experienced such things was spouting off as if he knew anything.
Still, he had to at least pretend to listen, so Oh Chae-mu asked out of courtesy.
“What sort of possibilities are you referring to?”
Just as Yeo Woonhwi was about to share his thoughts at Oh Chae-mu’s inquiry—
Right at that moment,
“Well, look at what we have here?”
A considerable number of bandits appeared at the entrance of the village.
It seemed they had come to extort tribute once again.
To run into them like this, as if by appointment.
In many ways, their arrival could not have been timed more impeccably.
Seeing armed strangers they had never seen before in the village, the bandits’ demeanor grew fiercely aggressive.
Yet the fact that they showed no intention of fleeing proved their audacity had grown beyond measure.
Or perhaps they were just that confident.
“What kind of trick are you bastards trying to pull here, eh?”
“Yeah, no kidding. Who the hell are you lot?”
The bandits drew their weapons in unison, growling viciously.
“We are from the Paeng Clan.”
At Oh Chae-mu’s calm declaration, the bandits flinched momentarily.
However, their ferocious momentum did not diminish in the slightest.
Though startled, they acted as if they held no fear of the Paeng Clan’s name.
Although their reaction was unexpected, the White Wolf Troop was not particularly flustered.
Wherever one went, there were always lunatics ignorant of the world whose boldness knew no bounds.
And for such bastards, a beating was the only cure.
“I don’t know whether you’re acting tough trusting in your numbers or relying on something else, but you’ll soon regret not dropping to your knees and begging right away.”
Gu Tae-san drew his massive greatsword and strode forward with heavy, purposeful steps.
The members of the White Wolf Troop slowly fell in behind him.
However—
“Bullshit! In this mountain, we are kings! Get them, boys! Attack!”
The bandits did not back down easily either, shouting at the top of their lungs as they charged forward.
And so, the battle commenced.
“Is it fine for you not to step in?”
Amidst the clashing of steel, roars, and agonizing screams, Yeo Woonhwi asked Oh Chae-mu.
Oh Chae-mu and a few warriors were guarding Yeo Woonhwi’s side, casually observing the unfolding clash.
“You mean us?”
At Woonhwi’s words, Oh Chae-mu smirked.
“Captain, you might not know it well yet, but our White Wolf Troop is strong. Strong enough that not all of us need to step forward for trash like that.”
“Oho.”
As if proving Oh Chae-mu’s confident claim, dozens of bandits were indeed collapsing beneath the blades of the White Wolf Troop in the blink of an eye.
Every single warrior possessed extraordinary movement.
Among them, the twin brothers Gi-su and Gi-sang, the archer Do-gyeong, and Gu Tae-san displayed exceptional prowess.
“Guh-urk!”
“Aaaargh!”
The White Wolf Troop showed not a shred of mercy in their strikes.
Bandits are not left alive.
That was the will of Peng Mugang, the Patriarch of the Paeng Clan.
Thus, the swords of the White Wolf Troop mercilessly severed the necks of the bandits who had returned to this village.
And leaving a few alive at the very end was for a clear reason.
Oh Chae-mu approached the surviving bandits, who were now drenched in blood, bound tight, and forced to their knees.
“Now then, guide us to your stronghold.”
“Fat chance. You think we’d talk?”
When one of them shook his head adamantly and spat back, the remaining bandits wore expressions showing they intended to follow suit.
But—
A flash of cold light.
A blade of the White Wolf Troop slashed straight through the neck of the bandit who had just spoken with such conviction.
The severed head hit the ground and rolled without even having closed its eyes, coming to a halt facing the surviving bandits.
“Hiiiik!”
The minds of the other bandits, who had just mustered all their bravado, went completely blank in that instant.
“Ah, I forgot to mention beforehand—one guide is plenty. And now there are three of you left.”
The bandits swiftly realized that this was no time for pointless stubbornness.
And so—
“I—I know the way!”
“N-no, I will lead you!”
Leaving only the single bandit who had scrambled fastest to survive, the heads of the rest fell squarely to the ground.
“Quite merciless, aren’t you?”
Yeo Woonhwi remarked, clicking his tongue.
Rather, he merely pretended to.
At that, Oh Chae-mu spoke without concealing his true thoughts for once.
“I have no desire to grant leeway to irredeemable scoundrels like them. It is far better to save even one more innocent, good person in the time wasted on such useless indulgence.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Oh Chae-mu answered with resolute certainty on his face.
Woonhwi liked it.
For Yeo Woonhwi agreed with those words more than anyone else.
“I hope that mindset of yours never wavers in the future.”
“Pardon?”
“I agree with your sentiment. Quite deeply, in fact.”
Oh Chae-mu had expected him to spout some platitudes about how even villains deserved a chance, so to hear him wholeheartedly agree was bewildering in its own right.
Soon after, Yeo Woonhwi and the White Wolf Troop headed toward the stronghold, pushing the self-appointed bandit guide ahead of them.
Before long, they arrived in front of their intended target.
The bandit stronghold was surprisingly not far at all.
“Wh-who the hell are you people?!”
One of the bandits guarding the entrance shouted in shock.
They were not fools either.
Seeing only one of their comrades who had left for the village returning with a suspicious group of warriors, such a reaction was only natural.
The gatekeepers immediately rushed inside to bar the heavy gates shut.
But the White Wolf Troop had openly revealed themselves from the start because they possessed the confidence to back it up.
“Gi-su, Gi-sang.”
“Leave it to us!”
As Oh Chae-mu called out their names, the twin brothers shot forward like arrows.
In a flash, they stepped firmly onto the clasped hands of Gu Tae-san, who had already stepped out ahead and braced himself.
“Hwooooh!”
In an instant, Gu Tae-san’s forearms—already as thick as a grown man’s head—swelled to bursting.
With a mighty heave, Gu Tae-san launched the two White Wolf warriors high into the air.
Truly monstrous strength.
The two figures soared gracefully through the air, spun mid-flight, and plummeted right into the stronghold grounds.
“Wh-what the hell are these bastards?! Aaaagh!”
Commotion erupted from within immediately.
Before the sentries could even bar the gates or report inside, they were cut down by Gi-su and Gi-sang.
A frantic clanging echoed as other bandits urgently rang the alarm bell to signal the uninvited intruders, but—
It was already too late.
The twin brothers had accomplished their task.
The closed gates of the stronghold swung open.
“You bastards!”
Belatedly noticing this, bandits charged toward Gi-su and Gi-sang.
Just then—
A sharp whistling pierced the air.
Arrows loosed by Do-gyeong pierced cleanly through every single bandit’s skull.
As Oh Chae-mu raised his hand and pointed forward, the White Wolf Troop leaped into the stronghold, their drawn blades gleaming.
“How the hell did these bastards get in here?!”
“Keu-aaargh!”
“Aaargh! Sp-spare me!”
“H-hold them off! Block them!”
Utterly unprepared, the bandits fell helplessly beneath the White Wolf Troop’s assault.
’Oho.’
Yeo Woonhwi uttered a faint murmur of admiration.
It was an exceptionally fluid and swift coordination.
Though in appearance they resembled a band of masterless wanderers rather than the martial squad of a prestigious clan, their skills were undeniably the real deal.
For Yeo Woonhwi, who had always fought alone, the seamless teamwork and flowing movements of the White Wolf Troop were simply fascinating to watch.
It reeked of countless hours spent honing their synchronization together over a very long time.
And so, Yeo Woonhwi stroked his chin with genuine intrigue as he observed the battle before him.
Meanwhile, Oh Chae-mu was thoroughly bewildered.
He had clearly heard that this man was a scholar who had done nothing but study his whole life.
Someone who had never properly learned martial arts.
A matrilocal son-in-law whose fortune had turned overnight solely by marrying Lady Peng Seoyeon.
Such a man ought to be scared out of his wits just watching human heads being severed before his very eyes.
Because he couldn’t possibly have witnessed people being slaughtered like this before.
Yet far from panicking, what was with this man nodding in interest and examining the carnage?
As if such sights were second nature to him.
That couldn’t be. No, then how could he…?
Above all, showing such a calm reaction amidst this bloodbath—which was practically indistinguishable from actual warfare—meant a major wrench had been thrown into Oh Chae-mu’s plans.
‘Ha. Good grief. Just what kind of fellow is he…?’
Somehow, he had a feeling that this operation was destined to fail.
A premonition crept in that he would have to return and devise an entirely different scheme.
But before that, he had to see this matter through to the end.
Fortunately, securing the stronghold was proving far easier than anticipated.
It was at that moment.
A colossal killing intent suddenly burst forth.
“You bastards! How dare you run rampant in my stronghold?!”
Along with a voice laden with inner force, a colossal battleaxe crashed down onto the ground.
With a deafening roar, the earth splintered and shattered violently.
At that ferocious strike, the White Wolf warriors halted their assault and sprang back.
It was the exact moment the one-sided momentum of the battle began to shift.