Unreasonable Demands (1)
The doors of Juhae Escort Agency, which were always left wide open, were now tightly shut.
In a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, the senior leaders of the escort agency gathered one after another in the conference hall.
Gukju Bang Seo-hong, who had been guarding the room with bloodshot eyes, lightly rapped the table, silencing the noisy tension.
"Just a moment ago, their demands arrived."
"How much are those bastards demanding—no, more importantly, who the hell are they to pull something like this?"
Chief Escort Bang Chuk asked angrily.
Bang Chuk, Bang Seo-hong's younger brother, was nearly sixty yet still active in the field. With a fiery temperament to match his formidable skills, he was a well-known figure in escort circles.
"Geumho Stronghold."
"Geumho Stronghold? Weren't they wiped out not long ago? I heard they were completely razed."
Bang Chuk asked, looking incredulous.
"It seems the stronghold master who had been away has returned. Looks like he intends to rebuild the ruined fortress."
"Hah! Isn't that guy completely insane?"
"Say no more. See for yourself."
Bang Seo-hong handed over a letter so crumpled it looked as though it had been folded and unfolded countless times.
As Bang Chuk skimmed through it, his expression changed repeatedly.
"That son of a bitch! Not a small sum—this much money?!"
Already badly creased, the letter was finally torn to shreds in Bang Chuk's rage.
"Just how much are they demanding for you to be this furious?"
Unlike Bang Chuk, Bang Gon—who had already retired and was spending his final years in peace—asked calmly, glancing at the torn scraps of paper scattered on the floor.
Bang Seo-hong answered in place of Bang Chuk, who was still fuming.
"One hundred taels of gold."
In an instant, the entire room froze.
"Hah! That's basically telling us to die."
Bang Gon let out a hollow laugh.
Juhae Escort Agency didn't even earn thirty taels of gold a month. After deducting operating expenses, the net profit was far less. One hundred taels of gold was a massive sum that would take years to accumulate.
"But the problem is, we can't simply ignore them," Bang Seo-hong said. "Not only have they taken our cargo, but our people's lives are at stake."
Perhaps from sheer stress, Bang Seo-hong's face looked dark and haggard.
"How many captives are there?"
At Bang Gon's question, Vice Gukju Bang Ilsam, seated opposite him, spoke up.
"Two chief escorts, thirteen escorts, and twenty porters, Uncle."
"That's a sizable escort mission. The cargo must be worth quite a bit."
"Yes. It was consigned by the Su-ryong Trading Company's Shaoxing branch."
"Su-ryong Trading Company? Don't they have the Su-ryong Escort Agency? Why us…?"
Bang Gon looked startled.
"The company has expanded significantly in recent years. It's beyond what Su-ryong Escort Agency alone can handle, so they've started doing business with us as well."
"I see. No wonder those bastards are bold enough to demand such a sum."
"I'm worried. Frankly, one hundred taels of gold is beyond what we can bear."
"But we must do it. Even if we lose the cargo, we have to save our people."
Bang Seohong's resolute stance made Bang Ilsam sigh inwardly.
They could scrape together a hundred taels by exhausting all the agency's resources—but no one could guess how long they would be buried under debt afterward.
"Elder Brother is right," Bang Gon said. "Cargo can be compensated somehow, but a human life cannot be reclaimed. If we don't save the people who worked for Juhae Escort Agency, who would ever work with us again? Lose people, and you lose everything. Naturally, we must save them. As long as they survive, we can always seek a chance to recover."
Everyone in the room nodded firmly in agreement.
"Why are you so quiet?" Bang Seohong asked Bang Chuk.
Given his temperament, Bang Chuk should have been the loudest voice, yet he remained silent.
"Do we really have to negotiate?" Bang Chuk growled.
"What do you mean?"
"Negotiation has limits. This isn't negotiation—it's telling us to surrender everything."
"Our people are being held hostage, so we have no choice—"
"Let's rescue them."
"What? You're suggesting we attack them?"
Bang Seohong asked in alarm.
"Hmph. Why not?"
"No. Think about how furious that Geumho stronghold master must be after seeing his fortress destroyed. One wrong move, and everyone's lives could be in danger. Even if we succeed, who knows how many would die in the process?"
"Saving our people is only natural," Bang Chuk retorted. "But think about it, Brother. If we let bandits look down on us like this, how do you expect to run the escort agency going forward? This world devours the weak. Even if we take some losses, we must show them we're not to be taken lightly."
"But—"
Bang Seohong tried to object but found himself unable to speak.
Having led the agency through countless trials, he knew Bang Chuk wasn't entirely wrong.
After a moment of silence, Bang Seohong asked the others,
"What do you all think of Chief Escort's proposal?"
The leaders exchanged glances, then began voicing their opinions at once.
Many ideas were raised, but the consensus was to proceed with negotiations while also seeking an opportunity to rescue the captives. However, considering the formidable strength of Geumho Stronghold's master, No Geuk—one of the most notorious figures in the bandit world—they decided to seek assistance from nearby martial sects or clans. If no help could be obtained, the rescue operation would be abandoned entirely.
Although Bang Chuk insisted he could handle it, his opinion was ultimately rejected.
Exactly ten days had passed since No Geuk returned to Geumho Stronghold.
When contact with the stronghold was lost and he learned of its fate through subordinates, his rage and sense of loss were beyond words.
Even so, he couldn't return immediately. The struggle over the vacant position of Supreme Stronghold Master of the Eighteen Greenwood Strongholds had thrown everything into chaos.
No Geuk had ambitions: to support the powerful Oryong Stronghold in securing the supreme position, and at the same time elevate Geumho Stronghold as one of the Eighteen.
When his stronghold was reduced to ashes, those plans collapsed—no, it became a matter of survival.
Having lost everything, No Geuk knelt before Oryong Stronghold and offered himself as a subordinate. He also played a significant role in helping its master, Neungcheonggang, ascend as the supreme leader of the Greenwood.
Rewarded with the position of Protector and securing a foothold, No Geuk obtained permission to briefly return to Geumho Stronghold. Though it was already devastated, he wanted to learn why it happened and who was responsible—so he could exact bloody revenge.
Upon returning, No Geuk immediately sent his men to uncover the truth.
Since many captives had survived, gathering information wasn't too difficult.
The problem was that even the survivors had no idea who their saviors—or attackers—were. All they knew was that two men had assaulted Geumho Stronghold, one of them extraordinarily large, with a particularly ugly face.
"Hoo…"
A sigh escaped No Geuk's lips.
Seated in a crude shelter patched together from cloth and woven brushwood atop the ruins of a small hall, his figure looked utterly miserable.
"Stronghold Master."
At the cautious call, No Geuk turned from gazing at the ashes.
"Have you found them?"
"I'm sorry. We're searching desperately, but we haven't found any real leads."
Guard Captain Gwak Jeung-san bowed his head in shame.
"Damn it! There isn't much time left…"
Counting the days, No Geuk realized that only a few of the days granted by Neung Cheonggang remained. He clenched his teeth.
"What about Juhae Escort Agency? Was the message delivered properly?"
"Yes. We received confirmation that it was delivered exactly as instructed."
"Hmph! By now, they must be panicking, wondering how to put out the fire at their feet."
Sneering, No Geuk glanced at a box set to one side.
The previous night, he had received goods and ransom money for captured merchants from Il-seong Trading Company, whom he had targeted before Juhae Escort Agency. Though it didn't match the amount demanded from Juhae, it was more than satisfactory.
In truth, the Greenwood bandits, escort agencies, and trading companies existed in a kind of symbiosis.
They clashed violently at times, but usually observed certain boundaries to avoid total ruin. Now, however—with Geumho Stronghold destroyed and Oryong Stronghold firmly in control—such balance no longer mattered. All that was left was to strike hard and disappear.
"Don't wait," No Geuk ordered coldly. "Send them an eyeball or an ear every four shijin. Squeeze them hard enough that they don't even think about resisting."
Noguk smiled coldly.
It was the same method he had used on the Yeomhwa Bureau, which had been the first to get caught in his trap.
The Yeomhwa Bureau hadn't even been able to respond properly—they had simply handed over the money Noguk demanded.
The Il-seong Gang had been the same, and now the Juhae Bureau would have to be treated the same way. After all, there were only a few days left that they could stay in the mountain stronghold, so dragging things out would serve no purpose.
"In the worst case, they might send a rescue team. Well, it wouldn't make much difference anyway."
Noguk knew that the Juhye Bureau might not comply with his demands so easily.
He didn't rule out the possibility that they would refuse to negotiate—or that they might secretly send a rescue team.
There was nothing to worry about. It might be risky with just him and his guards, but they were not the only ones present here.
Noguk's gaze shifted toward the entrance of the mountain stronghold.
At that moment, a man with a thick beard, accompanied by three elderly men and more than twenty others, was walking through the collapsed main gate.
Noguk rose slowly from his seat.
Though he had gained the title of Defender as a reward for submission, he could not simply sit there and welcome the eldest son of Neungcheonggang, the head of the Nokrim, as the new Supreme Patrol of Nokrim.
"...This is the current situation. Please trust this bureau and wait just a little longer. We will make sure that all of them return safely."
Vice Bureau Chief Bang Il-sam bowed respectfully to the household members who had rushed in after hearing of the disaster.
The families, consumed by fear and the possibility of losing their loved ones, fired question after question at him.
Bang Il-sam replied cautiously, repeating only the basic assurance that he would do his best.
Gradually, dissatisfaction began to build in the expressions and attitudes of the families. Yet no one dared raise their voice to complain—worried that it might negatively affect the rescue of their captured relatives, or thinking about the relationships afterward.
"Are you perhaps considering other options? For instance, sending a rescue team?"
Sima Ho, who had been listening with a stern expression, finally could not hold back and asked.
Bang Il-sam's brow furrowed slightly at Sima Ho's question.
In a situation where spies from Geumhochae might be lurking, he could not explain every detail of the plan. After a moment of troubled thought, he spoke slowly.
"That could be one method, but for now, we intend to resolve the situation through maximum negotiation with them."
Bang Il-sam thought he had given a straightforward answer, but a flicker of doubt appeared in his eyes.
"May I ask who you are?"
Suspicion was evident in both Bang Il-sam's gaze and his tone.