Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 29: The Story of Ropreshon

Four years ago.

Far to the west of the Rob Empire lies a vast jungle area called Covelli.

There, a band of outlaws known as White Arrow had their base of operations. They usually targeted the wealth of corrupt nobles and officials, freeing slaves and caring for those with nowhere else to go.

Deep in the forest.

Beyond the vine walls, intricately tangled like a maze, a new forest appeared as if revealing a hidden world.

Among the lush grass and thick trees, large and small log houses were scattered, connected by wooden stairs and bridges, blending seamlessly with nature.

The people were lively. On one side, food was being prepared, and children were being taught, while on the other side, weapons were being maintained, and people were training in physical fitness, swordsmanship, and archery.

At that moment, someone emerged, pushing through the bushes.

With pouches filled with coins slung over both shoulders, there was Shong, a young man with short black hair.

He looked to be in his early twenties with a youthful face.

Just then, someone blocked his way as if waiting for him. It was a female companion with red hair tied back, around the same age as Shong.

“Ropreshon! You went into the forest alone again, didn’t you?”

“Haha! Well, my body was just itching to move.”

Shong scratched his head with an awkward laugh. The redhead raised her index finger and stepped closer to Shong.

“I told you not to act alone! You could expose this place! Are you ready to take responsibility if our band of outlaws is put in danger because of you?”

“Don’t worry. You know my skills. I was really stealthy this time. Come on, let it slide just this once.”

Shong clasped his hands together, pleading. The redhead let out a short sigh, her angry expression softening slightly.

“Ugh. I’d like to let it go too, but not this time. The boss is calling for you. Better go quickly.”

“What? The boss? Does he know I snuck out?”

“Of course. He’s been looking for you since morning, and you’ve been missing until now. He’s bound to know. Hurry before you get into more trouble. He’s probably at the training ground by now.”

Shong ruffled his hair and made a face.

“Ugh, this is bad. Alright, fine. Can you take care of this for me, Berry?”

Shong passed the pouches of coins to the redhead and hurriedly dashed away.

“Hey! Why are you dumping this on me?! Seriously!”

The redhead shouted angrily at his retreating figure, but he had already disappeared in the distance.

“He’s always so fast, without a plan.”

She grumbled, slinging the heavy pouches over her shoulder as she walked away.

Shong was one of the most skilled members of the outlaw group, gaining everyone’s attention by quickly rising through the ranks at a young age.

When he arrived at the training ground, he saw the leader correcting the soldiers’ stances.

The leader was a middle-aged man with a black ponytail and a stubbly beard.

Shong’s face lit up. The person he respected most in the outlaw group was the leader.

He was extremely loyal to the leader, who had treated Shong, an orphan, like his own child.

“Boss!”

Shong shouted as he approached. The leader excused himself from the trainees and walked toward Shong, raising his hand as if about to knock him on the head.

“Shong! Where have you been this time? How many times do I have to tell you before it sinks in? You’re not ready to operate on your own. You’re still not good enough at covering your tracks.”

“Yes, yes. I’m really sorry, boss. I’ve committed a grave sin. I was just so worried that our kids might go hungry, so with the purest of intentions…”

Shong clung to the leader with a pathetic expression, half-jokingly. The leader pushed him off with a heavy sigh.

“Forget it. Come with me for a moment.”

“Huh? Where are we going?”

“Less talking, more walking.”

When Shong asked with a confused look, the leader grabbed him by the ear and dragged him along. Shong flailed helplessly as he clung to the leader’s arm.

“Ow! Boss, that hurts!”

The leader took Shong to a storage room located under a large tree root, a place where regular members were not allowed.

“What’s this…?”

Shong asked in surprise.

At the entrance, some of the group’s higher-ups were already waiting. They opened the door for the two to enter.

This was Shong’s first time inside, and he looked around in awe.

One side of the room was filled with countless weapons and armor. The leader picked up an old, worn-out brown cloak, the most unremarkable item in the room, and handed it to Shong.

“Put it on.”

Shong, who had been full of anticipation, stuck out his tongue, unable to hide his disappointment.

“What’s this? Shouldn’t this be thrown out? If you’re going to give me something, how about that one over there…”

“Stop complaining and put it on.”

Shong grumbled as he pointed to a fancy leather armor but reluctantly accepted the cloak and wrapped it around himself with a displeased expression.

“How do you feel?”

The leader asked nervously. Shong tilted his head in confusion.

“Huh? How do I feel? Honestly, not great. It feels like fleas or maggots might start crawling all over me.”

“Don’t joke around. Do you feel any changes in your body? Dizzy? Overwhelmed with desire or something? You don’t feel anything like that?”

As the leader carefully examined Shong’s body and asked seriously, Shong sensed the unusual tension in the air and nervously replied, slightly flustered.

“I don’t feel anything at all. Why are you doing this to me…?”

“I think it’s time to tell you,” the leader said, placing a gentle hand on Shong’s shoulder, a warm, kind smile on his face.

“Shong, listen carefully. This cloak is no ordinary garment. It’s a special item that has absorbed a demon’s orb. While wearing it, you can erase your presence and easily withstand most attacks. Once you get used to using it, you can control the abilities at will. The reason our White Arrow band gained fame in the early days was entirely because of the power of this cloak.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

“If you’re wearing the cloak and feel nothing, that means…”

At that moment, the leader suddenly turned his head sharply to the side, and a shiver ran down his spine.

Something felt wrong. He could sense a powerful aura—an overwhelming presence that was beyond anything they could handle.

“Leader?”

“This is…”

Just then, the underground door swung open, and one of the higher-ups rushed down, holding a sword.

“Leader! We have a major problem! We’re under attack by unknown assailants!”

“What?! Damn it!”

The leader hurriedly fastened the cloak around Shong and issued a serious command.

“Shong! Listen to me carefully. No matter what happens, do not take off this cloak. Stay hidden at all costs. Whatever happens, do not reveal yourself. Keep the cloak on until it’s safe. Got it?”

“B-But, Leader!”

Without further explanation, the leader grabbed Shong’s hand and rushed him outside. He quickly hoisted Shong up into a tree before joining the higher-ups to fend off the attackers.

The leader sternly reminded Shong several times not to come down from the tree.

Tap-tap-

With agile movements, Shong climbed up to near the top of the massive tree.

He concealed himself among the branches and looked down.

A massacre was unfolding at the base of the outlaw group’s hideout.

The attackers, cloaked in black robes, moved with ghostly speed, slaughtering men, women, and children without distinction, massacring the resisting members of the outlaw group.

All Shong could do was watch, covering his mouth to stifle his cries.

His limbs trembled, and he was paralyzed with fear, unable to move.

The overwhelming murderous intent radiating from the attackers left his mind blank.

The last one standing among the outlaws was the leader.

“How did you…?”

Kneeling on the ground with one arm severed, the leader muttered with great difficulty as one of the black-robed figures sneered.

“A stupid little rat took the bait, leading us right to you. Heh. I’ll ask you one last time. Where have you hidden the demon’s item? Don’t bother lying—we already know everything.”

At that moment, Shong realized that the attackers had tracked them down by following his trail.

“I’ll never hand it over to scum like you! You filthy worms!”

“Fool! You’ve chosen your death!”

Before the leader’s desperate cry even finished, the attacker’s sword sliced through his neck.

“Huh!”

Shong pressed his hands tightly over his mouth, holding his breath. Tears streamed from his eyes, falling to the ground below.

The attackers, after killing everyone, began ransacking the outlaw group’s hideout, searching every corner.

However, none of them sensed Shong’s presence hidden up in the tree.

Even the highly skilled trackers who had pursued them to the hideout didn’t approach Shong’s location.

Shong remained motionless, hidden in the tree, until dawn, waiting in silence until the attackers finally left.

From that day on, for the next four years, Shong began gathering information about the demon’s orb and pursuing the attackers, eventually getting close to uncovering their identities.

It was during this pursuit that he met Karon.

* * *

By the time Shong finished telling his story, large teardrops were streaming from his eyes.

He had to stop talking for about ten minutes when he reached the part where the outlaw group was slaughtered, overwhelmed with emotion.

Karon, who had been listening with his arms crossed, spoke in a cold tone.

“You expect me to believe that?”

Wiping his tears with the back of his hand, Shong angrily burst out.

“Wow! I wasn’t expecting much from you, but how can you say something like that after seeing my genuine tears?! How can someone be so emotionally dead?! I seriously want to ask you that.”

Karon turned away, seemingly annoyed by Shong’s outburst.

It was a silent acknowledgment. Knowing Karon’s personality well, Shong could tell that Karon wouldn’t press him further.

So, he smoothly changed the subject.

“Anyway, what are you going to do now? Run?”

Shong pointed to the north and asked, and Karon closed his eyes in thought for a moment before slowly speaking.

“By tomorrow, the city will be in chaos.”

“Of course. You’ve stirred up both sides so thoroughly. But no one knows that. A war will break out between the two rival gangs because of the misunderstanding.”

“In the chaos, I’ll meet with Megamon. I need to find out why those black-robed figures were supporting them.”

Hearing Karon’s plan, Shong clapped his fist into his palm.

“Right. That makes sense. That’s a good plan. I’ll wait outside the city, then. Come find me when it’s over. I’ll make sure your words are safe.”

As Shong was about to leave, Karon grabbed him by the collar.

“You’ve got a job to do too.”

“Huh? Me? Why?”

Shong widened his eyes and tilted his head, implying it had nothing to do with him. Karon looked at him with disdain and asked calmly.

“Don’t you need to get revenge on them?”

“Oh! Of course, I do. But I’ll do it my way. This… this isn’t really my style.”

Just as Shong was about to step out the door again, Karon pulled out a jingling pouch of gold coins from his coat.

“Five gold coins…”

“I’ll do it. Whatever you need. Just to clarify, I’m not doing it for the gold.”

Turning back in an instant, Shong grabbed Karon’s hand, his eyes burning with determination.

Karon thought once again that perhaps it was necessary to reconsider Shong’s story about the outlaw group.

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