Episode 101: The People on the Cliff

The most seasoned men of the village gathered at the edge of the cliff. Even the youngest among them was over forty.

Younger men had offered to help, but the elders turned them down. They believed that those who had never built a bridge, let alone a simple footpath, would only get in the way and be of little help.

Of course, the real reason was different. They simply didn’t want to burden the younger generation with such dangerous and arduous tasks.

Among the men on the cliff, the oldest was Elder Bang.

He gazed across the chasm and muttered to himself, “I never thought I’d find myself here again.”

It had been a long time since Elder Bang had set foot on this cliff. Each visit brought back memories he would rather forget.

He had been involved in two attempts to build a bridge here, both of which ended in failure.

Yet, Elder Bang still remembered the distance between the cliffs.

Fifty zhang. On flat ground, even a child could cover it quickly, but here, it would take hours to navigate the winding paths.

Crossing those fifty zhang would lead not just to the opposite cliff, but to the world beyond, a world only spoken of in stories, the homeland where their ancestors once lived.

That’s why people risked their lives for the bridge. All they had were thick ropes made from hemp, a few sturdy planks, and some iron stakes.

They had nothing more, but they needed nothing more. If only there hadn’t been any interference, they might have succeeded.

But both attempts ended in violence, and the villagers abandoned their dream.

Elder Bang was not yet forty at the time.

Some people never grow old, even with white hair, while others become old without a single gray hair.

Elder Bang felt he became an old man the day he gave up on that dream.

He overheard the murmurs of others.

“I still don’t get it. Is this really the right thing to do?”

“Why not?”

“Life’s been pretty good lately. We’re well-fed, and the kids have greasy smiles. What if we stir things up and ruin it all?”

Elder Bang stroked his sparse beard. Was this really a good time?

“And those two young men, they have nothing to gain. Why are they leading this effort? Do they have some hidden agenda?”

“As you said, we have nothing to offer. What kind of scheme could they possibly have? Schemes are for those with something to lose.”

“True, but it still feels odd…”

Just then, two young men appeared: Tang Yiwen and Ming Xiaoxiao.

Unexpectedly, Tang Yiwen seemed to have taken the lead among the five, as he approached Elder Bang.

“I heard you’re the one who knows the most about this.”

“I’m no expert. Building a bridge isn’t complicated, just dangerous. You set up sturdy pillars on both sides, string the thick ropes, and lay the planks one by one. It’s not complex, just risky.”

“Drilling holes in the rock for the pillars must be quite a task.”

“Don’t worry about that. The old holes are still there.”

Elder Bang pointed to a spot nearly five zhang away from the cliff.

It was the most solid ground on the cliff, with firm rock and a large tree nearby. Tying the tree and iron stakes together would greatly help secure the bridge.

Tang Yiwen checked the holes Elder Bang pointed out. They were impressively deep, though dust had settled over time. It would just take some careful clearing.

Elder Bang continued, “Anyway, the first step is the pillars.”

A clattering sound came from the path leading up the cliff. The men who had gone to the village returned, bringing all the iron they could find for the pillars.

The pieces were of various shapes and sizes. There was no iron mine in Nogunsan, and no blacksmith either. They had to use whatever iron rods had found their way there over time.

Many were rusted, too long, or too short. Elder Bang picked out the two thickest and sturdiest-looking pieces and instructed the men.

“Set these in the ground. Fill the gaps between the hole and the pillar with oak wedges, then cover it all with dirt and sand.”

“Understood, Elder.”

As one of the men was about to take the iron rods, Tang Yiwen asked, “Is there a particular reason you chose those two rods?”

“They’re the thickest and seem in the best condition. Do I need another reason?”

Tang Yiwen tilted his head slightly.

“Wait. Let me see those rods.”

The man hesitated, glancing at Elder Bang, then handed the rods to Tang Yiwen.

Tang Yiwen examined them, tapping them lightly with his eyes closed. A dull, ticking sound echoed.

He seemed to be listening to the sound or feeling the vibration.

Tang Yiwen shook his head slightly and placed the two rods back on the cart.

“Don’t use these.”

He then tapped each rod on the cart, a sight that puzzled the onlookers.

After checking all the rods, Tang Yiwen selected a few.

“These would be better for the pillars.”

The man took the rods Tang Yiwen handed him but hesitated.

The rods Tang Yiwen chose seemed unimpressive. They weren’t particularly long, and their thickness was about two inches.

That was fairly thick, but there were thicker rods. Elder Bang’s choices seemed sturdier.

The villagers respected Tang Yiwen, but his skills in medicine and carpentry were different from working with iron.

Elder Bang reluctantly intervened.

“If the pillars are weak, it doesn’t matter how strong the rest is. The pillars must be the strongest.”

“I understand. That’s why I chose the sturdiest rods.”

The villagers were skeptical. Tang Yiwen decided to demonstrate.

“These rods are quite thick, so breaking them would be difficult. Let me show you with a thinner rod.”

“What are you trying to show?”

“The nature of the iron, and how to tell good from bad.”

Tang Yiwen picked up two rods about an inch thick and lightly tapped them together. He could sense the quality of the iron through his fingertips.

“What do you think will happen if we strike them hard?”

“The thinner one will bend.”

“Correct. But the thicker one will crack. It’s more convincing if someone else does it.”

Tang Yiwen handed the rods to a nearby man.

The man wedged one rod between rocks and struck it with the other.

As they clashed, the thinner rod bent slightly, but as Tang Yiwen predicted, the thicker rod cracked.

It was a curious sight. Iron usually bends rather than cracks.

Tang Yiwen picked up another rod, tapped it, and showed it to the villagers.

“This one looks ordinary, but it’s deeply rusted. It’s unusable.”

All the rods here were rusted. The one Tang Yiwen held seemed less so.

But Tang Yiwen struck it hard against a rock. If it didn’t break, his hand would be injured. Yet, his eyes showed no hesitation or worry.

The rod broke as expected, revealing deep red rust inside.

Tang Yiwen calmly dusted off his hands.

“Not all iron is the same. Some are poorly made and brittle, some are too soft and bend easily, and others, like this, are deeply rusted.”

“Hmm.”

“If you use the rods you first showed, the pillars will bend soon. You could try various fixes, but it’s better to start with strong ones.”

Elder Bang nodded, and the onlookers murmured.

“Doctors must learn to see without looking. The last doctor was like that, and so is Tang Yiwen.”

“Maybe with people, but how can a doctor see inside iron?”

“Why not? Seeing inside iron seems easier than seeing inside people.”

“True.”

The villagers were amazed.

Elder Bang, satisfied with Tang Yiwen’s explanation, felt a bit awkward and barked orders.

“Are you all just going to stand around? Get moving!”

The men scattered at Elder Bang’s command.

The work of setting the pillars for the bridge was completed in just three days.

Dang Mujin moved back and forth along the cliff, testing the iron stakes with all his might. If they were going to give way, better they did so now, he thought. But the stakes didn’t budge an inch.

Watching him, the old man Bang chuckled with satisfaction.

“If those stakes were loose, we’d be the first to go. Do you think I’d have set them poorly?”

“True enough,” Mujin conceded.

While work continued atop the cliff, a group of young men and women gathered to twist ropes together. They soaked thinly shredded hemp in water, crafting ropes as thick as a finger. These ropes were strong enough to hold a person all day, but the villagers didn’t stop there. They twisted several strands together, then combined those into even thicker ropes. Everyone knew that if the ropes failed, everything would fall apart. Mistakes could mean the death of their family or neighbors, so no one worked carelessly.

Despite many hands at work, the ropes grew slowly. They were as thick as a wrist and seemingly endless in length.

One day, as the massive ropes were being made, Dang Mujin and Pyo Chung climbed up to inspect the bridge site. There, they spotted a familiar face.

“Isn’t that one of the Noklimdo?” Mujin asked.

“Indeed,” Pyo Chung replied.

The man’s attire was different, but his face was unmistakable. He was one of the Noklimdo they had encountered before, fighting against the Nogunsam Sword Sect. Now, he sat calmly on the opposite cliff, seemingly waiting for Pyo Chung.

Rising to his feet, the man called out in a gruff voice, “Elder! I trust you know why I’m here.”

“I do,” Pyo Chung replied.

The man was a watcher, placed by the Taeui Sword Sect and the villagers, and by extension, the Nogunsan. Though they should have been adversaries, there was no hostility in their voices. In fact, the man with the large sword spoke with a surprising degree of respect, despite his rough tone.

“Judging by these iron stakes, it seems the villagers are up to something significant. Surely, you must be aware.”

Pyo Chung simply nodded, arms crossed, acknowledging the statement.

“Then you know what’s coming next.”

“A third time, just like the last two,” Pyo Chung said.

“Elder, I don’t know what’s driving you to do this, but can’t we just let it go? The Taeui Sword Sect will scour Nogunsan to find and kill you. We may not have met under the best circumstances, but even a grudging bond is still a bond. Please, consider my words.”

The concern in the man’s voice was evident, but Pyo Chung remained calm.

“Right now, it’s a grudging bond, but if you turn a blind eye, it might become a true one.”

“Perhaps, but the Taeui Sword Sect will have my head. I may not have a family, but my life is still precious. Besides, my subordinates will soon see this, and they won’t keep quiet.”

Pyo Chung chuckled at this.

“You look fierce, and your weapon is intimidating, yet you can’t even keep your subordinates in line? What a waste of a face.”

“If they were truly mine, I’d tie them up with ropes and beat them into silence. But are they really mine? They’re the Taeui Sword Sect’s men.”

The man planted his large sword into the ground like a staff.

“Elder, you’ve saved my life dozens, maybe hundreds of times. That’s why I’m giving you this one warning. But I’m not brave enough to keep turning a blind eye.”

He paused, taking a breath before continuing.

“I won’t stop my men from coming here, nor will I prevent them from reporting to the Taeui Sword Sect. Do you understand?”

Pyo Chung laughed again.

“When we first met, you seemed utterly useless. But now, with some age, you’ve become quite the man.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“If you don’t understand, just live without knowing.”

With that, Pyo Chung turned to leave. The man with the large sword called after him several times.

“Elder Pyo! Elder Pyo Chung!”

The voice lingered in Dang Mujin’s ears, causing him to glance back repeatedly. But Pyo Chung never looked back.