Chapter 92. Taielbilok (3)

The next day, we left Gosaeng Village and headed for Musan Village. Musan Village was a small village just a day's journey from Aksan County, where the Ami Sect was located.

'The schedule is fine.'

Although we were slightly delayed due to the events in Ogon Village, we managed to keep up with the plan thanks to our speed.

I looked at the boundary stone marked "Musan Village" and the willow tree at the entrance of the village, then spoke to Bunchunbaek.

"Now that we're really here, we just need to work hard tomorrow."

"R-really? It seems a bit early, though."

As we got closer to the Ami Sect, Bunchunbaek's anxiety became more apparent, and now he was even trembling as he spoke. I could understand why he was acting this way.

'It's time for him to confess.'

He looked so gaunt, as if he hadn't slept well the night before. His already unremarkable appearance had become even worse.

'I can understand his feelings, but... sigh...'

How much courage does it take to confess to someone who has already rejected you? I couldn't even imagine it.

For reference, I had been rejected before, and the next day I took a leave of absence and joined the military. I really couldn't bear to see that person's face.

'I tore up all the pages of that sketchbook. I still can't understand why I followed that movie.'

Thinking about it now, it was definitely the influence of that movie.

Recalling those terrible memories, I shook my head and then spoke to Bunchunbaek, who was still trembling with fear.

"Bunchunbaek."

"Y-yes?"

I pointed to the inn in the middle of the village and said to Bunchunbaek.

"Why don't we have a drink tonight?"

A drink and some lively shoulder-patting might help ease the tension. I couldn't drink much during the journey, but Bunchunbaek had no particular reason to abstain.

We had been treated to drinks in Ogon Village, but let's just let that slide.

When I suggested having a drink, Bunchunbaek's expression relaxed a bit, and he asked.

"R-really?"

"Yes, let's do it."

When I suggested it again, Bunchunbaek soon gathered his courage and nodded.

"Alright, let's go then."

***

Musan Village wasn't a large village, so there was only one inn. When I opened the door, I was momentarily taken aback by the crowd of customers.

'Is there a village festival or something?'

There were so many people.

It didn't seem like a village big enough to attract this many people. We cautiously looked around and slowly found a seat in the corner.

"Would you like some braised pork and noodles? And let's have some white liquor."

"Um, sounds good."

After deciding on the menu, I turned to look for a waiter and noticed a man in black sitting a bit away from us, wearing a conical hat and eating.

His face was hidden by the hat, but the sword at his waist and the aura he exuded made him look like a martial artist.

'Why is he wearing a conical hat while eating?'

Throughout history, it was considered polite to remove one's hat when eating. I wondered if he was a wanted criminal, but I couldn't see his face because of the hat.

"..."

I turned my head and placed our order, then waited for the food to arrive.

However, it felt like everyone in the inn was watching us.

They were watching us very closely.

'What's going on?'

I could feel their eyes on us, as if they were monitoring our every move. I whispered to Bunchunbaek.

"Bunchunbaek, everyone seems to be watching us."

Then I heard Bunchunbaek's voice in my ear.

[Keep quiet. There are quite a few experts here. I don't know what's going on, but don't let your guard down.]

Bunchunbaek's face was as tense as mine. I couldn't understand what was happening in this rural village inn.

'Should we leave now?'

At that moment,

─Bang!

The door of the inn burst open, and a group of people rushed in.

***

The martial artist at the forefront of the group smiled coldly and looked at us.

"There you are, Igeoncheok."

No, I'm not that kind of person.

As I wondered what was happening, the sound of swords being drawn echoed through the wooden walls of the inn.

─Clang!

The man who drew his sword was sitting diagonally across from us. The clear sound of the sword being drawn was followed by a smirk.

"Since we saw you, Nine Dragon Gang, it's clear that this is Igeoncheok. It was worth setting the trap and waiting."

Who is Igeoncheok, anyway?

I looked at him, bewildered, and then a man sitting opposite us stood up, sneering and drawing his sword.

"What, you guys from Salt Smugglers Gang are here too? You really have a good nose, like dogs."

"Ho, you guys from Four Seas Gang are here too? Well, you always stick your noses in wherever there's food, like pigs."

In an instant, the inn was filled with a tense atmosphere, and it felt like a battlefield before a war. It seemed they weren't alone but had brought their subordinates.

'What's going on here?'

I came here for a drink, but now I have no idea what's happening.

The Nine Dragon Gang, Salt Smugglers Gang, and Four Seas Gang. They were all major forces, not small groups. The Nine Dragon Gang were like a mafia, and the Salt Smugglers Gang were a large group of salt smugglers, which was a dangerous business in the Central Plains where the monopoly law was enforced.

It wasn't just a metaphor; if caught, the penalty was death, so many people risked their lives. Even major sects had to be cautious of them.

In a sense, they were like a drug cartel, but they dealt with salt, so they seemed less noticeable. However, their actions and scale were on par with a cartel.

'The Four Seas Gang isn't small either.'

The Four Seas Gang engaged in illegal trade with the Japanese, and the penalty was death if caught, so they were not ordinary people. They pretended to be a regular sect, but rumors suggested they had strong connections with the bandits of the Yangtze River.

In short, they were like real yakuza.

'Mafia, cartel, and yakuza. What's going on here?'

And who is Igeoncheok?

It was a chaotic scene, something I hadn't experienced in a long time. I quickly placed my hand on my sword and spoke to Bunchunbaek.

"Bunchunbaek, we need to get out of here now. If we stay, we'll... "

As I was about to say that we would be in trouble, the man in black sitting behind us took off his conical hat, smiled coldly, and said.

"You're noisy."

"Huhuhu. I knew you were here, Igeoncheok!"

The martial artist from the Nine Dragon Gang shouted, as if he had finally found his target.

'So, he's Igeoncheok.'

One of my questions was answered. I now knew who Igeoncheok was, even if I didn't know what he did.

The martial artist from the Nine Dragon Gang continued.

"Hand over the Moonlight Jade Record you stole! It's truly audacious of you to steal the Moonlight Jade Record we found with great effort at Gugok Fort! Do you think we wouldn't know?"

Igeoncheok's face, marked with a large scar, twisted in a mix of mockery and self-mockery.

"Truly, the people of the Nine Dragon Gang have no shame or honor. The Moonlight Jade Record is not yours but ours, the Yi Family."

Saying this, Igeoncheok threw his conical hat to the ground, stood up quietly, and drew his sword. He looked around at everyone with a condescending gaze and said.

"Moreover, the Four Seas Gang and the Salt Smugglers Gang. What a grand gathering. What, did you all covet the Moonlight Jade Record of our family so much?"

The man from the Four Seas Gang pointed his sword at Igeoncheok and said.

"Huhuhu. Don't you know that treasures have no owners and swords have no eyes? Igeoncheok, if you hand over the Moonlight Jade Record now, we'll spare your life, but if you refuse, you'll die!"

Igeoncheok responded with a loud laugh.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

He laughed so loudly that the inn seemed to shake. Pointing his sword, he said.

"Would I beg for my life from the likes of you? Do you think the descendant of the Taiel Sword Master would beg for his life from the likes of you?"

"Even a rotten fish can be a fish, indeed! You are worthy of being the descendant of the Taiel Sword Master. Then, so be it!"

The martial artists from the Nine Dragon Gang, who were holding their swords, raised them in unison. Their training and discipline were evident.

The Four Seas Gang and the Salt Smugglers Gang were no different. They quickly drew their swords, and the reflected light from the swords made the inn almost blinding.

'This is not good.'

I was about to be caught in a conflict between major forces. I was extremely tense and prepared to run when the Nine Dragon Gang gave the signal to start the battle.

"Kill them all! Don't leave a single one alive!"

"What, are you crazy?"

Kill everyone?

Spare the civilians.

***

The inn quickly turned into chaos. As the Nine Dragon Gang started the attack, the Four Seas Gang and the Salt Smugglers Gang drew their swords and joined the fray, causing the inn to be completely destroyed.

I lowered my stance and tried to find a way out amidst the flashing swords.

─Swish!

"Ah!"

I felt a bad vibe, and someone was trying to stab me. Thanks to the training with Bunchunbaek, I managed to dodge just in time.

"Damn!"

I immediately kicked the table, sending the dishes flying at the attacker. The hot noodle soup splashed onto his face.

The attacker, drenched in soup, started to cough and tried to remove the noodle strands from his face. I didn't wait for him to finish and kicked him away.

'If I do this, he's dead for sure!'

I was about to die in an unrelated conflict, struck by a blind sword. Everyone was swinging their swords wildly, and it was easy to get hit by a stray blade.

I tried to find Bunchunbaek amidst the chaos.

'Where is he?'

Fortunately, Bunchunbaek was not far away. He saw me and shouted.

"Stay behind me!"

"Understood!"

I quickly moved behind Bunchunbaek, and we formed a defensive position.

The space and situation were not suitable for drawing and swinging swords, so I drew my Blood Shadow Blade. Feeling the familiar grip, I shouted to Bunchunbaek.

"Let's get out of here quickly."

"Um, this way!"

We moved to a corner of the inn. Fortunately, the attention of the three groups was focused on Igeoncheok, so they didn't pay much attention to us.

"Ah!"

─Bang!

Bunchunbaek punched a large hole in the wall and widened it with a few more swings. He turned to me and said.

"Get out this way!"

"Okay!"

As I was about to escape through the hole, a swordsman from the Salt Smugglers Gang rushed at me. From his attire, he seemed to be from the Salt Smugglers Gang. His sword technique was sloppy, indicating he was a low-ranking member.

"Who are you to run? Take my sword!"

"35th Regiment, 5th Division, punk!"

Seeing an opportunity, I charged and punched him. The Salt Smugglers Gang member, caught off guard, fell with a strange cry.

'Phew.'

I quickly moved towards the hole to escape, but unfortunately, someone saw me knock him down and shouted.

"There's someone trying to escape!"

"Chase them!"

The attention of everyone in the inn turned towards us. I quickly escaped through the hole and urged Bunchunbaek, who was still inside.

"Quick, let's go. Bunchunbaek!"

Bunchunbaek shook his head.

"No, the position is good, and I'll hold them off. You go and escape!"

I felt a lump in my chest.

Is this the 'I'll hold them off, you escape' sentiment from the manga?

The difference is that Bunchunbaek, unlike a manga character, is not popular and is just a tough guy.

Honestly, Bunchunbaek, being a high-level expert, could probably defeat all the people in there. The problem was the blind swords in a chaotic battle.

But if he fought with his back to the wall, that wouldn't be a problem. Understanding his plan, I nodded.

"Then I wish you good luck. Meet at the willow tree when it's over!"

"Alright, I understand!"

After wishing him luck, I used my lightness skill to put as much distance between us and the pursuers as possible. I could hear the shouts of those chasing us from behind.

'I need to run as far as I can and then circle back to the willow tree.'

To avoid being tracked, this seemed like the best option. The Nine Dragon Gang, Salt Smugglers Gang, and Four Seas Gang were all from the underworld and were likely skilled in tracking.

I ran as fast as I could, leaving a trail, and when I reached a corner of the village, I backtracked to confuse them.

After creating confusion, I quickly took off my shoes and climbed onto the rooftops to completely lose my trail.

'Even a hunter couldn't find me now.'

After jumping over several rooftops and putting a considerable distance between us, I finally leaned against a stranger's wall and exhaled.

It seemed I had successfully evaded them.

***

I hid for a while and then headed to the willow tree at the entrance of the village. Bunchunbaek hadn't arrived yet.

It had been about an hour since the fight. I hid near the willow tree and watched as the sun began to set.

I felt quite anxious.

'Bunchunbaek is late.'

If I wait any longer, I'll turn into an old man.

I wondered if something had happened, but I shook my head to dispel such thoughts. Bunchunbaek, being a high-level expert, wouldn't be defeated.

'But you never know with people.'

After waiting anxiously for a long time, I saw someone approaching from a distance. I tensed up and focused my inner strength to see who it was.

It was Bunchunbaek.

"Bunchunbaek!"

"Hey."

He was covered in blood and raised his hand to me, then spat.

He was walking towards me with the sunset behind him, creating a somewhat grand scene.

"You're safe."

"I'm fine, but..."

Bunchunbaek grumbled. I noticed he was carrying someone on his back.

"Give him to me."

"Um."

I took the person from Bunchunbaek and placed him on the ground. He was severely injured, his clothes soaked in blood, and his face unrecognizable from the wounds and blood.

I put my hand to his nose and felt a faint breath.

'He's still alive, but...'

However, he had a large hole in his stomach, and it wouldn't be surprising if he died soon. I shook my head, feeling that there was no hope for him.

The multiple stab wounds on his stomach made it clear that even a trip to the emergency room would be difficult, let alone in the martial world.

Bunchunbaek had stopped the bleeding, but the amount of blood already lost was fatal.

"Who is this person...?"

I asked Bunchunbaek cautiously. Bunchunbaek wiped the blood from his face with a bitter expression and said.

"He's Igeoncheok, the head of the Yi Family."