Into the Summer (1)
In preparation for our field training, Gong Su-chan proposed an idea.
“We have a potential escort job. Recently, the Taizhou Trading Group from Jiangsu Province had a falling out with the Tai’an Escort Agency they usually deal with. They’re in a rush to find another agency but haven’t had much luck.”
“Are there no other agencies nearby?”
“Escort agencies often fight like enemies but band together like brothers when needed.”
“So, they’re siding with Tai’an?”
“Yes, it seems that way. Anyway, the urgency has made this escort job quite lucrative.”
“How much are we talking?”
“Two thousand taels.”
The cargo must be quite valuable.
“That means it could be a bit dangerous.”
If it were just the guards going, I would have turned it down. But since this is our first real mission, I plan to go along.
“Alright, let’s take it.”
I went straight to the armory and bought twenty throwing knives for emergencies. I have some skill in knife-throwing, and nothing beats a knife when things get tight.
I didn’t show it, but I was just as tense.
The next day, we took possession of the Taizhou Trading Group’s cargo.
It required three wagons.
We didn’t hire any extra laborers. The load wasn’t too heavy, and one of our guards had experience working with escort agencies, so we decided to handle it ourselves.
As we were preparing to depart, a merchant from the Taizhou side approached me.
“I heard you’re not the official Byeok Clan escort team, but a smaller group.”
We had made it clear in advance that we were a smaller team from the Byeok Clan.
“That’s correct.”
“This is precious cargo. Please take good care of it.”
They chose us out of necessity due to time constraints, but they still seemed uneasy.
“Don’t worry. The goods will arrive safely.”
“Then, I leave it in your hands.”
His concern couldn’t compare to that of my parents. They were truly worried sick.
I calmly reassured them with the two arguments that always worked: I didn’t want to live like a frog in a well, and I couldn’t be raised like a hothouse flower.
In truth, that was how I felt about the guards as well.
We can’t keep them sheltered forever. One real experience is more valuable than a hundred days of training alone. They need to withstand the storms outside the greenhouse.
Our destination was Xuzhou in Jiangsu Province. We just needed to deliver the goods to the Taizhou Trading Group there. The journey was expected to take ten days.
We set off smoothly.
We assigned five people to each of the three wagons, with the remaining five guarding the front and rear.
Of course, I brought along Gwangdu. Since he couldn’t ride a horse yet, I drove the first wagon with him sitting beside me.
“Am I really allowed to come along?”
Gwangdu asked cautiously, feeling a bit out of place among the guards.
“Of course. You’re my right-hand man, aren’t you?”
“Right?”
His tense expression relaxed at the mention of being my right-hand man. Lately, Gwangdu had been concerned about Gwanhui.
Gwanhui was leading the guards with precision. The guards were well-disciplined.
Watching this, Gwangdu whispered to me.
“He seems like an older brother, even though he’s two years younger.”
“I agree.”
“Hey, even you shouldn’t say that. I only act immature for your amusement.”
“Haha.”
Yes, I have to admit, you do bring me joy.
In truth, Gwanhui was also aware of Gwangdu. Naturally, he responded to Gwangdu’s awareness, and he likely wanted to earn my trust as well.
Perhaps Gwangdu’s presence made Gwanhui more cautious, avoiding mistakes.
This kind of healthy competition was exactly what I wanted.
For several days, nothing happened.
We mostly camped in the woods.
At night, we took turns standing watch in groups of four, setting a schedule and time.
I believe this entire process will serve as the foundation for the growth of our guard team.
Inner strength can be increased with elixirs all at once.
But experiences like these can’t be achieved in a single moment. Hearing about something and experiencing it firsthand are worlds apart. Even lighting a campfire becomes truly yours only when you’ve done it yourself.
Just as the tension of the journey began to ease, we were confronted by a group blocking our path.
About thirty masked men appeared.
The one who seemed to be their leader spoke coldly.
“Hand over the goods and leave, and we’ll spare your lives.”
Their confidence was evident. They weren’t just a ragtag group of bandits.
Their boldness in confronting us in broad daylight, rather than ambushing us at night, was fortunate for us.
“Form up as we’ve trained!”
At my command, the guards moved swiftly. Our training included strategies for dealing with various types of enemies. When faced with a frontal assault like this, we formed a human-shaped formation. The strongest stood at the front, with the second and third strongest on either side, and the rest arranged by skill level.
The masked leader gave the attack order without hesitation.
“Attack!”
The masked men charged.
Normally, I would have let the guards handle it, but this time, the enemy’s numbers and skill matched our own.
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!
I threw my knives in a surprise attack, taking down five masked men.
The aim was to reduce their numbers, but more importantly, to break their momentum.
Sure enough, the following masked men hesitated.
I seized the moment to shout.
“Attack!”
Though it happened in an instant, our morale soared.
“Gwanhui, take the left! Gwangdu, cover the right! Just like we practiced!”
I then faced the leader of the enemy.
I didn’t use the Chuhon Sura Sword Technique. Instead, I engaged him with my family’s Baekwol Sword Technique.
Swish!
I dodged his incoming sword and angled my own upward. I intended to end this quickly.
The speed caught him off guard, and he twisted his body in surprise.
As I anticipated, my second strike was a decisive blow.
Swish!
Slash!
His side was deeply cut, blood spraying.
As he fell to the side, he threw a hidden weapon.
Clang!
I deflected it and charged forward.
Thud!
My sword pierced his heart. His eyes widened in disbelief at his swift defeat, and he died.
I withdrew my sword and turned around.
The battle scene unfolded before me. I’ve spent my life on battlefields, experiencing all kinds of chaos.
I quickly assessed who was in the most danger.
Swish!
A knife flew from my hand.
Thud!
It struck the back of a man about to stab one of our guards.
I leaped toward the next urgent situation.
One of the two men pressing a guard turned to face me.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
He swung his sword viciously.
Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
I twisted slightly, dodging his incoming sword. It grazed past my ear. But my sword was different.
Thud!
My sword pierced his heart in one swift motion.
At the same time, I shouted with inner strength.
“Get a grip!”
The guard under attack snapped back to his senses and quickly moved to help another comrade.
I surveyed the battlefield again.
Gwangdu had already taken down three, and Gwanhui had defeated two. The rest were still engaged in combat.
Thanks to Gwangdu and Gwanhui’s efforts, we had the upper hand.
I began to calmly assess the battlefield, cutting down enemies as I went.
I left the winnable fights alone and intervened in the more precarious ones.
As I started to orchestrate the battle, the balance quickly tipped in our favor.
Every time I swung my sword, an enemy fell. The Baekwol Sword Technique was showing its full power.
The last enemy was taken down by Gwangdu.
Thud!
It was his fourth kill. It must have been his first time taking a life, yet he had killed four. Despite lacking proper inner strength, he achieved this through the power of the Namhae Seven Techniques. Gwangdu’s hand, holding the blood-stained sword, trembled.
I checked on the guards first.
“Is anyone hurt?”
A few had cuts on their arms and legs. Fortunately, they were just flesh wounds, not life-threatening injuries. My quick intervention had made the difference.
“Treat your wounds with the golden wound medicine. Those uninjured, keep watch!”
At my command, everyone moved swiftly. They were all in a daze. Some had experience with large-scale battles, but more than half were first-timers. Many, like Gwangdu, had never killed before. Even Gwanhui, who had performed well, had taken a life for the first time today.
After treating the injuries, I gathered them.
“Is everyone alright?”
“Yes.”
I approached Gwangdu first.
“Was it your first time?”
“Yes.”
Gwangdu’s voice trembled. His hands and clothes were stained with blood. In his shocked state, even enduring the smell of blood was no small feat for most people.
“Gwangdu.”
“Yes.”
“Look behind you.”
Gwangdu turned around.
“If you hadn’t killed those four, four of our people wouldn’t be here now.”
Everyone looked at Gwangdu with newfound respect. They had thought of him as a jokester, but he had shown remarkable skill. Their grateful gazes made Gwangdu’s eyes waver.
“Yes, I know it’s not easy. But becoming a true martial artist means being willing to stain your hands with blood for righteousness and for your comrades. Not everyone who carries a sword is a true martial artist. Only those who are prepared for this difficult task are. Those who overcome it. Gwangdu, do you want to become a true martial artist?”
Gwangdu took a deep breath and replied loudly.
“Yes, I truly want to become a master of the martial arts.”
“You fought well today. Thank you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
How could Gwangdu not understand? He was being considerate, worried that the act of killing might have left a scar on my heart.
I called out to Gwanhui.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes.”
Having already heard Gwangdu’s words, Gwanhui’s eyes were full of life.
“This is something you must face once, and you will have to overcome it many times in the future. Now, everyone, take a look at the person next to you.”
The sword squad members turned to their comrades beside them.
“You fought bravely. Because of your valiant efforts, you were able to protect the lives of your fellow warriors. Take a moment to thank each other for your hard work.”
The squad members exchanged words of gratitude.
Finally, I spoke.
“Thank you for finishing the fight without losing anyone. I am proud of you all.”
Everyone’s faces lit up with emotion. They had witnessed my efforts, and they knew that without me, it could have been us who were wiped out. Their gazes towards me had changed.
“Thank you, leader!”
“Long live the Sword Squad!”
This was the moment of our first victory, and it was also when their respect for me solidified.
Once the area was cleared, the squad members began removing the masks from the bodies, checking for any recognizable faces.
An older member of the squad shouted, “These are the Wild Beast Gang!”
“The Wild Beast Gang?”
“Yes, they’re a notorious band of thieves known for targeting only the most valuable goods. They’re quite infamous in Shandong.”
The other squad members were taken aback.
“Are you saying the ones we defeated were the Wild Beast Gang?”
“My goodness! That’s unbelievable.”
The Wild Beast Gang was notorious, and many escorts had lost their lives because of them.
“I believe there’s a bounty on them from the Martial Alliance.”
“How much?”
“I heard it’s several thousand nyang.”
“Ha, then we’ve hit the jackpot.”
After the Wild Beast Gang’s attack, there were no more assaults. We safely delivered the goods and received our payment—a hefty sum of two thousand nyang.
We handed over their bodies to the local branch of the Martial Alliance in Jiangsu. With the leader and all thirty members accounted for, the verification process didn’t take long.
The bounty on them was a staggering seven thousand nyang—five thousand for the leader and two thousand for the rest.
We set out to earn two thousand nyang and ended up with an additional seven thousand. It was like a windfall.
From a single mission, we earned nine thousand nyang.
I gave everyone an extra thirty nyang on top of their mission pay. For Gwangdu and Gwanhui, who had been particularly outstanding, I gave fifty nyang each. Everyone was overjoyed.
While money is important, people are still the greatest asset.
Successfully completing our first mission elevated the status of the Sword Squad. The revelation that our attackers were the infamous Wild Beast Gang was so astonishing that some couldn’t believe it. My parents were overjoyed, needless to say.
I set aside a few hundred nyang and handed the rest to Gongsuchan.
“Here’s eight thousand nyang. Use it to grow our funds.”
Gongsuchan stared at the large sum for a moment before asking, “Why do you trust me so much? Is it just because of your master?”
“At first, yes. But not anymore.”
“What do you trust now?”
“My fate. I believe my destiny wouldn’t allow a manager to run off with my money.”
“I see. I’ll manage it well.”
“Thank you.”
As Gongsuchan walked away, he paused.
“Next time, I’ll ask again. And then, I hope you’ll say you trust me because of me.”
I smiled at him.
As Gongsuchan walked away, a heat haze shimmered around him.
The sun was blazing.
It was the first summer since my rebirth.