Episode 13. First mountain hike
As the fight dragged on, Tak Go-myeong glanced at Chae-ju of Pungyeoncho.
Although Cheon Gi-deok is far superior in physical condition, he is unable to do anything to the small and dwarf Yeon Jeok-ha. However, it is not as if Yeon Jeok-ha is winning. No matter how you look at it, it seems like he is just holding on with evil and brute force.
Soon the two of them were entangled and rolling around on the floor.
Poongyeoncho, who had been watching the pitiful little thing closely, opened his mouth.
“Gomyung-ah.”
“yes.”
“I was just taking a quick look at the atmosphere… … .”
The moment they were about to declare one side the winner, the two stopped with a ‘bang’ sound.
After a while, Yeonjeokha sat up straight.
People’s eyes turned to Cheon Gi-deok.
Unfortunately, he hit his head on a protruding rock and lost consciousness.
After assessing the situation, Tak Go-myeong asked Lee Cheol-san and Han Chae-yeon.
“The enemy won this fight. Do you want to challenge him too?”
Then Lee Cheol-san and Han Chae-yeon shook their heads vigorously.
I thought it would be better to just treat him as a superior rather than end up like that.
Finally, Tak Go-myeong spoke as if declaring:
“Cheon Gi-deok was defeated, and the other brothers accepted the defeat, so Yeon Jeok-ha is the seventh. The new members of the family should regard him as their superior and follow him well.”
“yes.”
“yes.”
As soon as the order of the rankings was finished, Chae Joo and Pungyeon Cho came forward.
“Now that Chaeyeon is the youngest, let her prepare lunch in Jeokha’s stead. As for the laundry… … Since there are more people, you can leave it to Gideok. That’s all! Get some rest.”
Only then did the mountain vegetable family members disperse one by one.
Lee Cheol-san lifted his friend Cheon Gi-deok on his back and carried him into the room.
I walked slowly to a place where there were no people standing around.
The excitement of the first fight gradually subsided.
It’s a refreshing yet complicated feeling at the same time, perhaps because it’s the end of a fierce fight that excluded internal energy.
‘Damn it! It shouldn’t have gone this far… … .’
Earlier, when a man named Lee Cheol-san teased me for looking ‘strange’, I suddenly felt a surge of anger. My eyes turned white and I felt a surge of anger. It was my first time experiencing something like that.
“ha!”
As I let out a sigh, a gentle voice was heard from behind me.
“Oh my goodness! He told me to prepare lunch… … Please teach me.”
“… … .”
When Han Chae-yeon, who is like an older sister to me, called him brother, I flinched. However, since the hierarchy has been set like that, I guess I just have to accept it.
Yeonjeokha, who had been hesitating, walked towards the kitchen.
Han Chae-yeon followed behind him and asked.
“Where are you going?”
“kitchen.”
Yeonjeokha’s words were short.
It’s because I’m not used to the hierarchy yet, so I feel uncomfortable speaking informally. Of course, it’s also because it’s my first time talking to a beautiful woman like Han Chae-yeon.
A smile appeared on Han Chae-yeon’s face as she got to know the man through her short time in the studio.
‘Oh my, you’re so cute.’
Who would have thought that there would be such a bright-eyed boy among such a group of thick-faced young men!
He went into the kitchen and taught Han Chae-yeon what he had been doing.
“… … The water has to go down to the valley and float, but it’s hard, so I’ll help you. No, I’ll help you.”
Han Chae-yeon smiled bashfully and answered with a long ‘Yes.’
“Then that’s it.”
I ran out of the kitchen in a hurry without even looking at her face.
As I was crossing the front yard of Sanchae, Takgo-myeong called out.
“Hey, come here.”
“yes!”
As Yeonjeokha approached, Takgo-myeong handed him a shabby knife.
“Your big brother told me to take you. He said he was impressed by the way you guys fought today. He decided to take you on a hike starting tomorrow.”
“I will do my best!”
Yeonjeokha bowed deeply.
“Okay, just do it like you did when you fought with Gideok today. Then you too can become a hero.”
“Hehehe! Yes.”
Tak Go-myeong, who was looking at Yeon-jeok-ha’s bruised face, clicked his tongue and said, “Tsk tsk.”
“Ahem! I will teach you my anti-demon technique especially. If you don’t want to die from a blind sword, you should practice whenever you have time.”
“Anti-Magic Law?”
“Yeah, you know I ate temple food when I was little?”
“yes.”
“I learned it back then. I’ve never taught it to anyone until now, but I’m teaching it to you because I feel bad for your life. Don’t die. You, Inma, are only able to do that with your bare hands. If it had been a sword fight, you would have died twelve times more.”
He scratched his head with an embarrassed expression.
‘If it was a sword, I could have won with my eyes closed… … .’
“Watch carefully. It only takes three seconds to do everything, so you’ll be able to learn it quickly.”
After a while, Tak Go-myeong slowly unfolded the Samcho-sik Anti-Maddo method.
“Are you having trouble? Everyone does it at first, so don’t give up. Should I show you again?”
At Takgo-myeong’s words, Yeon-jeok-ha blinked and said.
“Did you memorize it all?”
“Huh? You saw it once and memorized it all? Really?”
“yes.”
“try.”
He moved his sword, which was in harmony with Takgo’s words.
The magic of the sword is relatively simple, consisting of three movements: striking from above like a thunderbolt, slashing upward from below, and stabbing the head from the east or west.
Compared to the ‘Gucheon Gugeom’ he learned, this is like drinking water while lying down.
Shh. Shh. Shh. Shh. Shh. Shh.
The light from the autumn sunlight dazzled the sky.
He is a person who has mastered the art of ascending through the practice of ‘Gucheon Sebeop’ and ‘Gucheon Gugeom’ for ten years.
When he unleashed his magic, the simple three-step method was no longer simple.
An exclamation escaped from Tak Go-myeong’s mouth, who had been blankly staring.
“Wow! It’s a thousand years old!”
“lol.”
Even though I finished the three-step anti-magic technique, my breathing was still undisturbed.
“Hmm, don’t be proud of just learning that one thing, and keep practicing. Got it?”
“yes.”
He held the sword he was holding up to eye level and bowed his head.
I unconsciously imitated the actions of the Waryongjang warriors I saw as a child.
A pleased smile appeared on Tak Go-myeong’s face.
“Oh! This guy! You’re showing off your skills? So we’re like a traditional mountain vegetable! Puhahaha!”
“Hehehe!”
The two people looked at each other and laughed for a long time.
“By the way, second eldest brother, what martial arts did you learn?”
I asked because the usual Pungyeoncho magic was so unique.
“I heard that my older brother learned the method of Cheonjido from an old man selling medicine in the market.”
“The law of heaven and earth?”
“It is a widely known magic method, but the eldest brother’s divine power is so great that no one in this area can match him.”
“Wow!”
The man pretended to be a little overly surprised.
It was because he wanted to show his respect for his older brother in that way. In fact, Poongyeoncho and Takgomyeong were his saviors, and to Yeonjeokha, they were as precious as his own blood relatives.
Cheon Gi-deok, who had fainted, woke up in the early evening.
Still, Cheon Gi-deok, being a man, bowed when his eyes met with Yeon Jeok-ha’s.
But he grumbled as if he hadn’t completely given in.
“Brother Yeon, let’s have a proper fight with a sword later.”
“Or so.”
A knife was more convenient than bare hands.
Most people who have practiced swordsmanship or sorcery will be like that.
After dinner, Poongyeoncho called the Sanchae family together.
“Hmm, hmm. There is a merchant gang that goes from Nanyang County to Jugu County. It is called Nanyang Merchant Gang, and its headquarters is in Nanyang. They have seven escorts.”
Thirdly, Ma Hyeong-do spoke in a uncertain voice.
“Big brother, isn’t seven a bit too much?”
“That’s what happens when you fight. If you put the green forest first, they won’t fight either.”
“Is that so… … .”
The horse figure is wrinkled.
“In case of emergency, you can just shoot one or two arrows at them. If you reduce the number to five, it’s a fight you’ll definitely win.”
“But who shoots the bow?”
Fourthly, at Heo Im-dal’s question, Poongyeon-cho looked at Cheon Gi-deok and Han Chae-yeon.
“I plan to leave it to Gideok and Chaeyeon since they know how to shoot arrows.”
“ah!”
The Sanchae family glanced at Cheon Gi-deok and Han Chae-yeon with new eyes.
“And the enemy should stay away from the second one and stay next to him. The enemy and the new recruits should go into tomorrow with the mindset of ‘learning’. Do you understand?”
“yes.”
Four people answered in unison.
“If Namyangsangbang pays the toll, other merchants will follow suit. Then we can spend the winter warmly. Everyone, be alert and don’t make any mistakes. Do you understand?”
“yes!”
“Don’t worry.”
Poongyeoncho looked around at her family with pleased eyes.
The opponent is a small but well-known company called Namyang Sangbang.
They crossed Mt. Obong once every three months, but they have never paid a toll.
I’m tired of indiscriminate banditry.
Now that I’ve joined the Green Forest and my family has grown, I’m thinking of starting to collect tolls.
However, unlike other merchants, they do not want to make a lot of money. Their goal is to collect a small toll without fighting. If Namyang Sangbang bowed their heads, other merchants would do the same.
***
The next morning.
About thirty merchants entered the entrance of Mt. Obong.
They are the merchants of Nanyangsangbang and the peddlers who try to cross the mountain by clinging to them.
Seven escort warriors belonging to Nanyang Sangbang took the lead.
An exclamation escaped from the mouth of Wang In-geol, the leader of the Pungun Daeju, who was walking while appreciating the surrounding scenery.
“Haa! As I climb the steep rocky path on a distant mountain, there is a house where white clouds gather.”
This is a phrase from Du Mu’s poem, “Hiking in the Mountains.”
Im Oh-gun, who was walking next to him, answered the question.
“Haha! Wang So-hyeop, shall we stop the carriage and enjoy the scenery for a while?”
“I’d like to, but if I do, other merchants will try to eat me. I have to get over the mountain quickly… … .”
Whirlirik. Boom.
Before Wang In-geol could even finish speaking, a spear flew in and struck him in front.
Im-O-Gun Haeng-Su stepped back behind Wang In-Geol, the commander of the Wind and Cloud Commandery, with a surprised expression on his face.
Wang In-geol looked at the window with sharp eyes.
A green flag was fluttering on an ordinary-looking wooden pole.
Wang In-geol’s face hardened in surprise.
In Gangho, the green flag is a symbol of green forest.
‘What? There are no green forests on Mt. Obong… … .’
As I looked around hurriedly, bandits poured out of the thick forest.
Chae Ju-in, Pung Yeon-cho, took a few steps forward, carrying the sword on his shoulder.
“You guys! You wouldn’t be thinking of just leaving without saying hello to the owner of Mt. Obong!”
Instead of answering, Wang In-geol looked at the bandits carefully.
There are eight opponents in total.
He has a rough face and is holding a sword and an axe, but he looks a little clumsy.
Wang In-geol, who had regained some composure, spoke calmly.
“I am the king of the Pungun-dae belonging to the Nanyang Sangbang. What is the name of the person who is said to be the owner of Mt. Obong?”
“I am Poongyeoncho, the owner of Obongsanchae.”
At that moment, the corners of Wang In-geol’s mouth went up slightly.
Because the name Pungyeoncho sounds familiar.
‘You said he was the leader of a small bandit gang in Mt. Obong?’
At that moment, an arrow suddenly flew from the forest.
Hiss. Thud.
The arrow narrowly missed the king’s face and lodged itself in the large tree behind him.
‘Huh? What is this? Are you trying to see blood?’
Wuxia,
