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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator:Bobt
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“I thought he was dead earlier.”
Jang Geon turned his head at the casual remark from Hwan as he leisurely led Jojo across the distant field. The boy squinted against the sunlight, swaying behind his father on the horse’s back.
“Of course, what kind of horse rolls its tongue out like that while sleeping?”
Jang Geon chuckled. It seemed Hwan had seen Jojo lying on the ground that morning with his mouth wide open. He patted Jojo’s neck and said,
“He is an odd one. He often startles me too. That’s why I’ll sell him someday and get a normal horse.”
Jojo snorted indignantly, as if asking to be sold quickly since he was fed up too. Hwan turned to look at them with puzzled eyes before glancing back at his father.
“Doesn’t this remind you of Grandfather and Gunggun?”
“Gunggun? That ox?”
“Yes. Gunggun acted almost human too, didn’t he? Grandfather used to hit him a lot.”
Lee Yun smiled, impressed by the child’s memory.
“It’s been over five years since your grandfather passed away, and you still remember that?”
“Of course. How could I forget Grandfather and Gunggun? They were so much fun.”
“…Yes, I suppose so.”
It was said that childhood feels particularly long because those brief moments are a child’s entire life, while for adults, they are short. Watching Lee Yun’s wry smile, Jang Geon sensed he wanted to forget his memories from the Central Plains. Perhaps most who had come from there to this new continent felt the same—they wished to forget the pains and disgraces of the past with new memories on fresh soil.
And Jang Geon was no exception.
The boy began recounting anecdotes about the elderly man and the ox as if recalling events from the previous day. Lee Yun lightly played along, trying to distract himself from the lingering pain in his abdomen. Jang Geon kept his gaze on the gentle curves of the distant hills and fields, silently listening to the child’s stories. They were quite amusing.
“…So Gunggun just plopped down and let out a long bellow, as if telling Grandfather to stop already. Grandfather looked ready to whip him then. I was so scared he’d hit Gunggun with that long reed whip. You know how much those hurt, right? But Gunggun and Grandfather kept going at each other without backing down…”
At that moment, Jang Geon pulled on Jojo’s reins and stopped. Lee Yun and Hwan continued forward, unaware he had halted, until Jojo’s loud neigh made them turn around and bring their horses to a stop as well.
Lee Yun asked with a perplexed expression,
“…But we still have a bit further to go before reaching the village. What’s wrong?”
Jang Geon did not answer the question, instead appearing to listen intently for something. Lee Yun felt an indescribable unease creep up and was about to ask again when Jang Geon suddenly dismounted, removed his bamboo hat, and pressed his ear to the ground.
Hwan muttered,
“He’s going to get dirt in his ears…”
Jang Geon stood up swiftly and remounted Jojo, then said curtly,
“A large group is coming this way.”
Before Lee Yun could respond, Jang Geon spurred Jojo towards the hill they had passed earlier. Startled, Lee Yun hurried to follow.
Once they reached the higher vantage point, Jang Geon squinted his eyes and gazed into the distance. Lee Yun sidled up beside him, furrowing his brow as he scanned their surroundings, but his eyes could not discern anything unusual.
“What’s coming…?”
“Over there!”
Still bewildered, Lee Yun followed his son’s outstretched arm and finally spotted the shimmering dots on the horizon.
“Those… What are those… You heard them coming from over there?”
Jang Geon did not respond to Lee Yun’s incredulous question. He simply focused his inner energy into his eyes. His vision became much clearer, revealing people rapidly approaching on horseback.
Their vicious weapons slung across their backs or held in their hands, their unkempt, scowling faces suggested they were not coming with good intentions. Then, Lee Yun’s expression became one of palpable fear.
“Could they be the comrades of those bandits from yesterday? If they weren’t all there…”
Jang Geon considered the possibility. If so, it would mean these bandits, including their fallen comrades, numbered close to forty—a sizable gang that the Murim Alliance would not likely ignore. However, if they were a newly formed group, it was plausible they had slipped under the radar.
Moreover, there was one familiar face among the bandits.
“That brat…”
The one with a bandage wrapped around his nose—it was Jin Yangseok, whom Jang Geon had floored back in the previous village. His brother Jin Cheongseok was nowhere to be seen, which was unsurprising given Jin Yangseok’s apparent lack of ability had led to his escape from the village branch leader through a deal.
“Oh, no. Maybe they’re just travelers on the same path as us. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
Lee Yun offered a hopeful observation as he nervously watched the distant figures, his tone suggesting he wanted to think positively about the situation. It was understandable—he had taken a sword wound to the stomach just the day before at the hands of those bandits. Naturally, he would hope for the best.
However, even little Hwan seemed to sense the unease in his father’s trembling voice, looking back and forth between Jang Geon and Lee Yun with anxious eyes.
Jang Geon could not help but chuckle at the child’s wide-eyed expression.
“It doesn’t seem like they’re just fellow travelers, judging by the swords and spears they’re carrying.”
“Then… Then those people are all…!”
Even at a glance, the shimmering dots numbered over thirty. Lee Yun’s face clearly showed his rising panic as he looked at Jang Geon. He already knew Jang Geon had dispatched over a dozen bandits, but the approaching force was three times that size.
“Shouldn’t we head for the village instead…?”
“A group that size could easily overrun any small village.”
“…Then let’s just flee quickly. With this distance, we should be able to outrun them.”
“In your condition? A long ride could reopen your wounds. I couldn’t properly stitch you up without proper needles. If you start bleeding again, you could die.”
Lee Yun’s face fell with despair at Jang Geon’s blunt response. As a master, Jang Geon might survive an encounter with those bandits, but a single stray blade could claim Lee Yun’s or Hwan’s life. A sense of hopelessness welled up inside him.
As Jang Geon observed Lee Yun’s expression, he recalled his initial impression—that his face wore his emotions plainly. Jang Geon smiled faintly before speaking,
“You two go on ahead to the village. I’ll hold them off and catch up slowly.”
“What? Alone?”
“I was alone yesterday too. Go on ahead.”
Lee Yun looked utterly bewildered, unsure how to respond.
“But, isn’t that too dangerous? There are so many of them!”
Was his inability to simply flee from danger a sign that he had only recently arrived from the Central Plains? No, even there, lack of conscience was commonplace. After briefly studying Lee Yun’s face, Jang Geon slightly adjusted his bamboo hat to obscure his features and said,
“Just take the child and go carefully. Find a physician once you reach the village.”
Unable to reply, Lee Yun hesitated before glancing at the child clutched beside him. Seemingly having made up his mind, he tugged on the reins. Likely due to his injury, he slowly drifted away from Jang Geon at a sluggish pace. However, he soon stopped and turned back to ask,
“Why don’t you just flee too? As an unscathed master, you could easily outrun them on horseback.”
Without turning back, Jang Geon replied,
“Didn’t you say there’d be a reward for escorting you? Stop dawdling and go on ahead.”
“…I’ll go on ahead and wait. I’ll prepare lodging and meals, so please come quickly.”
With those parting words, Lee Yun turned and rode off at a brisker pace than before. Hwan peeked his head out from beside his father, gazing at Jang Geon standing atop the hill. Under the azure sky and wispy clouds, Jang Geon cut a solitary yet resolute figure atop his horse. Hwan sensed both loneliness and fortitude in that silhouette.
Once he felt Lee Yun and Hwan had gained enough distance, Jang Geon raised his head slightly. The rapidly approaching bandits were now much closer. The rough-looking men, who had been galloping their horses, spotted Jang Geon on the hill and gradually slowed their pace.
A middle-aged man at the front of the group below the hill stepped forward and called out to Jang Geon,
“Greetings!”
Without responding, Jang Geon simply grasped the reins of the snorting Jojo and looked down at the man. The man shouted again,
“I’m Gam Sangchung! Mind if I ask you something?”
However, he did not actually wait for Jang Geon’s reply.
“We’ve been tracking the trail of the villain who killed my younger brother! The trail leads right to where you’re standing now! How should I take this? If you know anything, it’s best you speak up right away!”
Anger seemed to lace the man’s rapid words. As he watched him, Jang Geon suddenly shouted,
“Was your brother’s name Gam Shunduk?”
Gam Sangchung’s eyes flew wide open. The bandits behind him immediately drew their swords and spears, glaring menacingly at Jang Geon.
“…How did you know my brother’s name?”
Jang Geon untied Gam Shunduk’s head from Jojo’s saddle and rolled it down the hill towards Gam Sangchung. The head, tightly wrapped in layers of cloth, tumbled and stopped right in front of the astonished man. Gam Sangchung stared at it with bulging eyes before leaping off his horse. Carefully unwrapping the bundle of cloth, he froze when the discolored face was revealed.
For a moment, he stood there in silence. The bandits behind him, who had been glaring at Jang Geon, shifted their gazes to their dumbfounded leader. One man cautiously approached and said to Gam Sangchung,
“…Brother. It looks like it’s Shunduk. What should we do?”
Gam Sangchung said nothing, simply staring at his younger brother’s face. Then, the bandit with his nose bandaged sidled up and remarked,
“Hey, brothers. That’s the guy who ambushed my brother, it seems. The one who took down Brother Cheongseok.”
The man who had addressed Gam Sangchung turned his attention to Jang Geon.
“So he’s the one who defeated Cheongseok in a single move?”
“Well, if it wasn’t an ambush, Brother Cheongseok wouldn’t have gone down so easily. That guy was a coward who attacked by surprise…”
“A loss is a loss. Your brother just wasn’t up to par.”
“Ah, yes. I suppose so.”
Jin Yangseok fell meekly silent. He had only managed to escape the village branch thanks to his brother Jin Cheongseok’s deal with the Alliance inspector. Afterwards, seeking revenge against Jang Geon and to overthrow the Alliance branch, he had called upon the Jeogsadan Bandit Clan he had been cultivating connections with. The Jeogsadan had rapidly assembled, faster than usual, to handle his request—which led to their swift discovery of Gam Shunduk’s death.
Gam Sangchung carefully rewrapped the cloth bundle containing his brother’s head. Cradling it against his chest, he said,
“Second Leader.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Don’t kill that bastard. Bring him before me. I want to interrogate him before executing him myself.”
With a grim nod, the man called the Second Leader drew his sword and shouted,
“Men! Let’s go! Avenge our fallen Third Leader and fallen brothers!”
“Arrrghh!”
The bandits immediately spurred their horses forward with guttural roars, waving their blades wildly. The Second Leader took the vanguard, his longsword horizontally outstretched as he cleaved through the air, the blade flickering blue with his channeled inner energy.
Watching from atop the hill, Jang Geon slowly drew his own sword. Then, pulling on the reins, he signaled Jojo to rear up on his hind legs with a mighty neigh before charging down the slope. Combined with Jojo’s innate swiftness and the downward momentum, they shot towards the bandits like a cannonball about to shatter the earth.
The Second Leader, leading the charge, sneered as he saw Jang Geon bearing down on him. This arrogant fool thought he could rush in after taking down the weakest of the Three Leaders, whose martial arts prowess and talent lagged behind the other two.
A crimson gleam shone in the Second Leader’s eyes as he swung his sword and roared,
“Foolish bastard!”
The moment the two passed each other, there was a loud clang. Jang Geon’s dislodged bamboo hat and the Second Leader’s severed head soared into the air.
The charging bandits’ eyes flew wide open. Their pupils reflected the sight of Jang Geon riding on with only a small cut above his brow, while the Second Leader’s decapitated body crumpled limply to the ground. Before they could even react, Jang Geon had already passed through their ranks and emerged on the other side.
“…Wha? What?”
“Where’d that bastard go?”
Bewildered that Jang Geon had simply charged through and kept going, the bandits came to an uncertain halt. Gam Sangchung, still cradling his brother’s severed head, gaped in shock at the fallen Second Leader before bellowing furiously at his dumbfounded men,
“You idiots! After him!”
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