The Martial God with Psychic Powers

The First Green Forest Emperor, Lee Segang.
He called all the bandits his brothers.

To prevent the brothers from fighting amongst themselves, he created the Cheongnok Daejeon, the Green Forest Code of Laws, to govern them.
Among those laws, the highest decree was simple: “You shall obey the orders of the Green Forest Emperor, Master of the Green Forest Stronghold.”
If any nearby mountain stronghold fell into crisis, every other stronghold in the area had to unite and hold out until the martial elites of the Green Forest Eighteen Strongholds arrived.

To ensure information flowed quickly, the Green Forest established its central base at Guihwa Mountain, right at the heart of the Central Plains.
Guihwa Mountain was located in Chongqing, and since there were no major sects claiming territory nearby, securing the area had been easy.
Ironically, ever since the Green Forest’s headquarters settled at Guihwa Mountain, security in the region had actually improved.

It was because the bandits themselves didn’t want trouble happening near their headquarters, so they kept the peace themselves.
There were six strongholds stationed on Guihwa Mountain, each with its own responsibilities.
Some handled intelligence, others managed finances, others enforced discipline.
But they all shared one common duty:

Guarding the headquarters.
The Green Forest’s affiliated strongholds across the Central Plains took turns acting as gatekeepers for three years at a time.
The reason was simple: to ensure every stronghold experienced the prestige and authority of the headquarters firsthand.

But what happened to a stronghold’s territory when its members were stationed at the headquarters?
Naturally, the headquarters dispatched men to guard it in their absence.
Currently, that position belonged to Lee Hwaun, the Fifth Green Forest Emperor.

He hadn’t intended to inherit the title, but being of the Green Forest Emperor’s bloodline, he received more support than others and naturally grew stronger.
And over time, it simply became an unspoken rule: the Lee family ruled the Green Forest.
Lee Hwaun, supreme ruler of all bandits, the Green Forest Emperor—

—was now listening to his subordinate’s report, wearing a dumbfounded expression.
“What the hell did you just say? A pyo-guk boldly marching through Guihwa Mountain? Where the hell are the gatekeepers?”
“It’s not just the gate. They’ve already advanced close to headquarters.”

“What? Already nearby? But they’d have to pass through at least two strongholds to get this far?”
“It seems those strongholds have already been… dealt with.”
“Dealt with?”

“Yes, sir.”
“Tch…”
Lee Hwaun stared at his subordinate in disbelief.

“What the hell is going on here? So you’re telling me… it’s not the Martial Alliance, not Mushincheon… just some random pyo-guk boldly pushing through here?”
“I can’t say they’re attacking, but they’re moving through confidently.”
“Isn’t that the same damn thing?”
Just what kind of people were they?

No, more importantly, what were the other strongholds doing to let some mere pyo-guk beat them?
“Was it a large-scale escort group?”
“No, sir. It’s called Shincheon Pyo-guk… I’ve never even heard of them.”

“Shincheon? Never heard the name myself.”
Lee Hwaun stroked his chin in thought.
“I’ll see for myself. Where are they now?”

“Sir? You’re… going personally?”
“Yes. It could be a rival force disguised as a pyo-guk.”
“They’ve just crossed Fox Ridge, sir.”

“They’re practically on our doorstep… Call every available Guardian Escort. I’ll confront them directly.”
“Understood.”
 

****
Watching from a distance as the Shincheon Pyo-guk approached, Lee Hwaun narrowed his eyes.
“What the hell? They’re all kids.”

Hearing that, the subordinates beside him peered closer.
“He’s right… They all look barely in their twenties.”
“Those pulling the carts… they’re ours.”

“This is beyond humiliating… to be disgraced right at Guihwa Mountain, headquarters of the Green Forest.”
“There’s no way they’d send only kids. The real fighters must be hiding nearby.”
“You think the youngsters are bait, sir?”

“Doesn’t that make the most sense?”
Lee Hwaun’s instincts were correct.
An escort group made entirely of young men barely of age? Unheard of.

It had to be a ploy to lower their guard.
“We’ll go and see what trick they’re pulling.”
At Lee Hwaun’s nod, the elite of the elite—the Green Forest Thirty-Two Guardian Escorts—stepped forward.

As the name suggested, there were thirty-two Guardian Escorts, but with most dispatched to oversee various strongholds, only ten were present now.
All ten were Hwagyeong-level experts.
“No need for all of us to go. Just a few will do.”

“Exactly. We’d look ridiculous sending everyone to deal with one pyo-guk.”
“I’ll go with Baek Yakwon.”
The two men exchanged glances, nodded, and leapt toward the Shincheon Pyo-guk caravan.

Fwoosh—
They sliced through the air, landing ahead of the escort group’s path.
The emblem on their foreheads read Guardian, marking them unmistakably as Green Forest Guardian Escorts.

The escort warriors tensed.
Meanwhile, the defeated bandits trailing behind visibly brightened.
“It’s the headquarters’ Guardian Escorts!”

The bandits’ cheers annoyed the two escorts.
“Shut it. You’re embarrassing us.”
The crowd instantly fell silent.

That alone showed how terrifyingly strong these two were in the eyes of the bandits.
“Who are you people?”
At the question, Yeon Woo Jin stepped forward.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s written on our flag—Shincheon Pyo-guk.”
One of the Guardian Escorts curled his lip.
“Which is why I’m asking. Do you brats even know where you are?”

“Of course. Isn’t this Guihwa Mountain, headquarters of the Green Forest?”
“You know that… yet you dared to pass through, capturing our men along the way?”
“We didn’t try to capture them. But they kept getting in our way, so we had no choice.”

He didn’t falter for a second, answering every word directly.
“Are you fearless… or do you have hidden reinforcements? You’re all too young to be the real force. Where are the others? Stop wasting time—bring them out.”
“We are all there is. I am the master of Shincheon Pyo-guk.”

Yeon Woo Jin’s declaration made the escort glance back at the bandits.
The bandits all nodded.
Meaning, it was true.

He couldn’t believe it. He had to confirm directly.
“You seriously got beaten by… these kids?”
“Y-Yes, sir.”

“Pathetic…”
His disbelief only deepened.
“How old are they?”

“Just over twenty, sir.”
“…Utter disgrace.”
“Seems we’ve been letting these pups slack off too much. After today, I’ll whip them back into shape.”

“Seriously… how are we supposed to show our faces in the Central Plains after this?”
“For now, let’s capture those brats.”
The Guardian Escorts stretched and loosened their bodies.

“I’ll give you one last offer. Surrender now, and we won’t kill you. We’ll take some compensation and let you go.”
But the reply was even more outrageous.
“Prepare to fight to the death. Understood?”

Fight to the death?
He was ordering his own people to risk their lives.
Clearly still young—so full of bravado.

Watching two of the youngsters step forward, the Guardian Escorts couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
“Unbelievable…”
“Because of them, everyone’s going to think the Green Forest is weak.”

“Clean this up. Be prepared. You’ll undergo brutal training after this.”
The two youngsters, Jang Woon and Sunwoo Baek, stepped forward and respectfully cupped their fists.
“I am Jang Woon.”

“I am Sunwoo Baek.”
Facing opponents this young… the Guardian Escorts sighed.
“I am Baek Yakwon, Jeong Woryong.”

“I am Hong Gwanggeom, Du Chilseong.”
Judging by the situation, these two were likely the strongest of the escort group.
They planned to crush them quickly, teach them how foolish their actions were.

Still, they were juniors—best to give them the first move.
“Come at us first.”
“Thank you. We won’t hold back.”

Fwoosh—
Fwoosh—
Before the words even finished, Jang Woon and Sunwoo Baek shot toward Jeong Woryong and Du Chilseong like arrows.

“Ugh!”
“W-What the—?!”
They hadn’t expected such speed—the two scrambled to evade.

Pop-pop-pop!
The air exploded with shockwaves.
These weren’t ordinary brats.

Without giving them a moment to breathe, the two young warriors pressed the assault.
Underestimating them because of their age had been a mistake.

“Such ferocity at their °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° age… impressive!”
The Guardian Escorts retaliated.
They’d thought a single blow would end it—

“Wha—?!”
—but the youngsters effortlessly dodged and countered.
Jang Woon slid beneath Jeong Woryong, spinning upward like a coiling serpent.

Lightning Ascending Kick!
Crackle—
Lightning burst from Jang Woon’s foot, crackling along his entire body.

He looked like a thunder dragon soaring into the heavens.
“Damn it!”
Jeong Woryong barely evaded.

Staring at Jang Woon with wide eyes.
“T-That’s the Lightning Divine Art?!”
Jang Woon nodded.

“No wonder you’re so strong… I see now. I’ll treat you as a true opponent.”
“Thank you.”
Thank you?

His eyes gleamed with challenge.
Heh—
Laughter escaped.

His blood boiled.
How long had it been since a fight made him feel alive?
“How amusing… Shall we get serious?”

Crack—
Jeong Woryong’s aura surged as he gathered his power and fired it at Jang Woon.
Boom—

The ground erupted, shrouding the area in dust.
Jeong Woryong lunged through the haze, fist brimming with energy.
“Try dodging this! Baekya Yeolgwang Fist!”

Boom-boom-boom!
White Qi blasts bombarded Jang Woon’s position.
Kaboom—

The area exploded in a deafening roar.
As the dust cleared, no one was there.
Searching frantically, Jeong Woryong’s instincts screamed danger.

Crack—
Too late.
A fierce strike slammed into his side.

But Jeong Woryong wasn’t easy prey.
He grabbed the attacking leg, preventing retreat, and retaliated.
Smash—

“Guh!”
Jang Woon grunted in pain, hurled backward by the blow.
To think he could counter so swiftly.

This was why real combat mattered.
You couldn’t learn this sparring fellow students.
Both fighters paused to recover.

Jeong Woryong spoke.
“Amazing… What’s your cultivation level?”
“Hwagyeong-level, Second Stage.”

“Hwagyeong? At your age?”
Unbelievable.
“Hmph… I should’ve gone all out from the start.”

Jeong Woryong pointed upward.
“Stronger warriors await above. Even if you defeat me, you’ll fall. Your talent’s wasted here—surrender.”
“I can’t. The Pyo-guk Master ordered victory. I follow that command.”

Talented, loyal—he belonged in the Green Forest.
Jeong Woryong raised his voice so Lee Hwaun could hear.
If the Emperor personally stepped in, they might recruit him.

His bet paid off.
“Enough.”
Lee Hwaun descended.

He’d been watching everything.
Jang Woon’s talent. Sunwoo Baek’s skill.
Both already Hwagyeong-level.

Jeong Woryong and Du Chilseong knelt at his command.
Lee Hwaun was shocked.
To pressure his escorts this much…

Eyes gleaming with desire, Lee Hwaun addressed them.
“Your talents are wasted elsewhere. Serve me—I’ll take you as personal disciples. The Green Forest will be yours.”