Chapter 23

The next day after passing Jangsa Gok Valley, the delivery team arrived in Yangju, their first destination.

After handing over the silk of the five carriages to the merchant guild, only nine pieces of the corpse were left to deliver to Mt. Gamak.

Strong demand from Namgoong So-so, the whole team stayed in the guest house for the first time.

The next morning, a merchant commissioned us to transport grain to Mt. Gamak because they heard that our final destination was there.

Since the Cheonryong Pyoguk was highly reputed, people just saw the flag and asked for delivery. It was referred to as ‘hitchhike delivery’.

So we marched again with six carriages of grain and nine corpses.

From that time on, Namgoong So-so took the lead, followed by Ga Bul-yeom and me.

Jang Liang-gi came up and asked.

“How was it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You said you had something to do, so didn’t you skip the noodles for breakfast and go somewhere with Poong Jin-yang and Ga Bul-yeom…….”

“It was good.”

“Your clothes smell chicken.”

“……!”

Today, the last day of my mandate as a leader, I had called all the messengers.

“How’s the guard?”

First, I asked Ga Bul-yeom.

“I’ve looked around a hundred meters, but there’s no sign of doubt. We’ve decided to make a team of two and three, and we’re going to make a half-hour turn.”

“You’ve told everyone that if anyone smokes a torch, a bonfire, and even small embers, you’ll be punished?”

“Of course.”

Namgoong So-so, who was listening to the story, suddenly stepped in.

“I’ve told you so many times, but when the believers show up, I can deal with them unconditionally. Why don’t you let us light a fire?”

“We don’t have to go on a quiet road loudly, do we? Besides, there’s no big problem looking ahead under the full moon.”

I wanted to pass through this forest as quietly and secretly as possible without leaving any trace.

Especially I didn’t want to make witnesses. There was nowhere more suitable than this forest.

“It’s too cold to spend the night without fire.”

“Be patient for one day, and so are the others.”

I said again to Ga Bul-yeom.

“Increase the number of guard team to four, look in all directions, east, west, south, north, south. I’ll take the first shift with you.”

Faithful Ga Bul-yeom did not nitpick.

Judging from the fact, he might think any question to me could undermine my authority.

It was a really good attitude to consider the dignity of the man he was protecting. I must make him my man.

“Was the porters’ horseback riding paid off?”

I asked the old porter, Wang Sam-bo. Today I had called him especially on behalf of the porters.

“Everyone’s riding horse very well now.”

“In just three days?”

“It’s only three days, but we’ve been riding horses all day, starting at sunrise till the evening, and it’s better than the people who’ve been practicing for a month.”

“Good thing.”

“I was thinking I should learn to ride a horse. But I couldn’t make up my mind at the expense and time. I appreciate you for giving me this opportunity.”

Dogs follow men who feed, and men do who know their worth.

In just ten days, all the porters were on my side.

The more the porters like, the more distorted the faces of the messengers were.

Because messengers had to suffer as much as porters felt comfortable.

“You have to messengers instead of me. You must not forget the consideration of the seven messengers in the last three days.”

“Thank you, dear messengers, too.”

Wang Sam-bo rose from his seat and politely bowed to messengers.

I quickly joined, too.

“So do I. Thank you for following a stupid messenger’s orders over the last three days without any complaints. I’ll pay you back one day for sure, especially…….”

I spoke, looking back at Jang Liang-gi.

“I apologize for my rudeness. It’s all because of my bad temper.”

“……?”

“As promised, please be the leader again from tomorrow, and lead the messengers and the porters well and take them back to Pyoguk safely to the end.”

Jang Liang-gi looked puzzled at my suddenly polite attitude.

But it was not a bad word, so he was just embarrassed, but he didn’t ask why.

The atmosphere had become much softer. I asked Jang Liang-gi quietly.

“By the way, the battle between martial artists in Sunha Pass. The reason for the nine corpses we’re carrying now.”

“Please go on.”

“Do you know anything about it? As far as I know, heads of messengers are provided with high-level information.”

It was believed that the Gaebang group and Haohmun group were the fast pipelines.

People in Gangho referred to the Moorimmun faction, which has excellent information, as the two walls.

In terms of information amount, no other group could be matched for them.

However, the accuracy alone made a different story.

The information of Pyoguk, which was collected from messengers traveling throughout the country, was often more accurate than those two groups.

“Suddenly, why do you……?”

“I overheard what swordsmen were talking in the guest house this morning. The massacre was not only occurred for killing the devil fighter in Sunha Pass.”

Jang Liang-gi paused and looked around.

Not only me, but all the other messengers seemed to have heard the same thing.

There was no reason to hide the open secret.

“It was told that there lives a thousand-year-old mystical worm, called named Cheonjiryeong in Mount Wuzhi.”

“A worm?”

“During the day, it sleeps deep in the ground, and at night it comes out to enjoy the moonlight. Because it condensed enormous energy, if someone eats it, he can achieve 100 years of elaboration.”

“Does that really exist?”

“I’m sure there are many more amazing and spiritual creatures in existence. The problem is that someone took it.”

“It’s a once-in-50-years event. If it is taken by a top swordsman, it will be a huge event like changing the list of top 10 swordsmen.”

100 years of elaboration and top 10 swordsmen…….

At the astonishing words, people were surprised.

“But what is the relationship with the case in Sunha Pass?”