Episode 275: Bloodstained

Following the path the old man had shown them, Dang Mujin and his companions ventured deeper into Mount Giryeon.

Jinhae, trailing at the back, mulled over what Namgung Myung had said before they entered the mountain.

“A path stained with blood?”

It was as if he was on the verge of understanding, yet the meaning eluded him no matter how hard he thought.

Finally, Jinhae approached Namgung Myung to ask.

“Namgung, what did you mean by what you said earlier?”

Instead of answering, Namgung Myung posed a question of his own.

“Jinhae, do you consider yourself a martial artist?”

It wasn’t something Jinhae had ever really pondered. Not because it was difficult or because he was short-sighted, but because it seemed unnecessary to think about.

“Of course.”

“Really? Then when did you become a martial artist? From birth?”

If he was asking about talent, then yes, from birth. But that didn’t seem like the right answer. Having talent doesn’t make you a martial artist if you haven’t trained in martial arts.

So Jinhae adjusted his answer slightly.

“No, it was from the day I joined the Cheongseong Sect.”

“And why do you think you became a martial artist then? Wouldn’t joining the Cheongseong Sect make you a Taoist instead?”

“I’m both a Taoist and a martial artist. I started learning martial arts.”

Jinhae thought his answer was logical, but Namgung Myung had a different perspective.

“Not everyone who learns martial arts becomes a martial artist. Martial arts are just a skill, like medicine or cooking. In a Taoist sect like Cheongseong, it’s a means to become an immortal.”

Jinhae nodded, choosing not to argue. Such matters were subjective, and it wasn’t strange for Namgung Myung to have his own views.

“Then, when do you think I became a martial artist, Namgung?”

“Let’s think differently. You don’t know when you became a martial artist, do you?”

“That’s right.”

“If you don’t even know yourself, then perhaps you’re not a martial artist yet.”

A strange riddle.

Namgung Myung wasn’t much older than Jinhae. Jinhae found it a bit arrogant for Namgung Myung to speak to him like this.

So Jinhae turned the question back on him.

“Then, do you consider yourself a martial artist, Namgung?”

“Certainly.”

“When did you become one? From birth?”

“Of course not. I started learning the sword twenty years ago, but it was only about five or six years ago that I truly became a martial artist.”

Five or six years ago. Jinhae tried to recall what had happened around that time. He remembered hearing that Namgung Myung had surpassed the pinnacle around then, when he was about twenty-two.

“Do you have to surpass the pinnacle to be a martial artist?”

It seemed like a childish notion, and Jinhae couldn’t help but scoff inwardly.

Until now, Jinhae had admired Dang Mujin and his companions, including Namgung Myung. But now he wondered if Namgung Myung might be a bit foolish.

“Namgung, as you know, I recently surpassed the pinnacle myself.”

Namgung Myung waved his hand dismissively.

“The pinnacle? That’s not what I meant. Surpassing the pinnacle just means you’re a bit better with a sword, a bit more skilled at killing. It doesn’t really matter when it comes to being a martial artist. The pinnacle isn’t some special or grand state.”

At that moment, Hong Geolgae, who was walking ahead, turned to glare at Namgung Myung.

After all, Namgung Myung had teased him for four years for not surpassing the pinnacle first, and now he was saying it wasn’t a big deal?

Hong Geolgae hadn’t forgotten the humiliation of that time.

Namgung Myung had even acted as if surpassing the pinnacle was akin to becoming a celestial being.

Of course, Jinhae was unaware of this backstory.

“Then when do you think someone becomes a martial artist, Namgung?”

“It’s not something that can be easily explained. But you’ll understand someday.”

Just as Namgung Myung finished speaking, Hyeon Gong, who was leading the group, shouted.

“There’s a village!”

Dang Mujin and Hong Geolgae sighed in relief.

Contrary to the old man’s story at the foot of Mount Giryeon, finding a path within the mountain was no easy task.

“Finding water and food will naturally lead you to a path,” was another way of saying, “You’ll have to endlessly search for water and food while wandering.”

But now that they had found a village, they could relax a bit.

People wouldn’t settle in a place without water and food. It was a sure sign they were on the right track.

Dang Mujin’s group approached the village to see if they could find any trace of the rogue martial artists.

The village was tiny, with only four houses. It was so small it was almost embarrassing to call it a village.

“Is anyone here?”

They called out as they peered into the village, but there wasn’t a soul in sight.

“Maybe they’re all out working?”

Hong Geolgae muttered, but Dang Mujin shook his head.

“Even if the men went out to work, the women should have stayed behind.”

In these mountain villages, there’s plenty of work outside, but there’s also a lot to do at home. They have to make all the little things they need at home.

“This feels a bit ominous.”

A creeping sense of unease began to settle in.

Dang Mujin entered one of the houses to look around.

It seemed as if someone had been in the middle of braiding straw ropes when they disappeared, with kudzu vines scattered around the house.

And there was a faint chill in the air. It didn’t seem like anyone had stayed there the night before.

The other houses were much the same. It was as if the people had vanished without a trace in the middle of their daily lives.

“There’s no one here.”

“And no food either.”

Even Jinhae, who wasn’t very worldly, could guess what had happened.

While it was possible to find food in Mount Giryeon, it wasn’t abundant.

There was no reason for passing rogue martial artists not to take the villagers’ food.

The question was whether the rogue martial artists had killed the villagers.

If this were an ordinary village near Sichuan or Luoyang, the rogue martial artists might not have harmed the people.

The unspoken rule of not harming ordinary people only applies when they aren’t harmed.

But Mount Giryeon was different.

It was so remote that there wasn’t even a government office nearby, and no officials would come.

If a small village disappeared, there was no way for the authorities to know, nor any way to find out who did it.

Not all rogue martial artists are bloodthirsty maniacs, but it’s overly optimistic to think that among dozens of them, there wouldn’t be even one who enjoys killing.

Just as Dang Mujin was about to leave the village, Namgung Myung began searching it thoroughly.

“What are you doing?”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and find some leftover food.”

Dang Mujin’s group was also running low on food. They had enough for maybe three days. After that, they’d have to rely on what they could find in Mount Giryeon.

But after a short search, what Namgung Myung found wasn’t food.

He discovered two children hiding under a dusty floor.

A brother and sister, no older than five or six.

Hyeon Gong reached under the floor and pulled them out, and the children didn’t resist.

They didn’t seem tired or hungry. They were holding dried fruits and nuts.

Children this age grow quickly, but the two were about the same size. They were likely twins.

Hyeon Gong lifted the children and spoke.

“You’re not even crying. What are your names?”

The girl answered in a clear voice.

“I’m Yaryul Lan, and this is Yaryul Hwan.”

Dang Mujin’s group thought of Yaryul Dalum, but it was unlikely these children were related. The surname Yaryul was quite common in the north.

“Where are your parents?”

“I don’t know. They told us to wait quietly under the floor until someone came to get us.”

“And how many days ago was that?”

“About three days, I think?”

Hyeon Gong paused for a moment, then smiled mischievously.

“Hmm. You waited under the floor for three days? That’s impressive. You’ll grow up to be someone great.”

“I hear that a lot.”

“Quite the confident one. I could wait five days.”

“But you’re an adult.”

Yaryul Lan retorted, her tone cheeky.

She seemed to think she’d won the argument, a self-satisfied smile on her face.

But she didn’t seem to understand what it meant that her parents had hidden them under the floor and hadn’t returned for days.

The boy, Yaryul Hwan, was the same. At least that was a small comfort.

Jinhae stood a little apart, observing how Dang Mujin’s group handled the situation.

It wasn’t because he saw himself as an outsider. When a new person joins a group of four, it’s natural for such a dynamic to form.

Dang Mujin’s group exchanged glances and then sat down on the floor with a relaxed demeanor.

Hyeon Gong spoke to the children.

“Lan, Hwan, we need a place to stay for the night. Can we stay at your house?”

Jinhae glanced up at the sun to check the time. It was only mid-afternoon, too early to be looking for a place to stay.

Yaryul Hwan seemed shy, glancing around without speaking.

So Yaryul Lan answered for him.

“You should ask Dad about that.”

“Well, since Dad’s not here, I’m asking you. You’re the one in charge when he’s away, right?”

Yayul-lan hesitated for a moment, then gave in.

“Staying the night is fine, but I can’t offer you any food.”

“Food? Don’t worry about that. We’ll bring enough for everyone, including you.”

As Hyun-gong spoke, he began unpacking his bag, and the eyes of the two children widened in amazement.

Out of Hyun-gong’s bag came an array of foods: sweet dried persimmons, crispy fried noodles, and steamed, dried rice cakes. These were long-lasting foods, rare treats in their mountain village.

“How about this? Is this enough?”

Hyun-gong handed each child a persimmon, and their faces lit up with delight.

Living in the mountains, they rarely tasted anything sweet. The overwhelming sweetness of the persimmons made them momentarily forget their parents’ absence.

Starting with the persimmons, Hyun-gong offered the children various foods. But since most of it was dry, the children soon began to look for water.

“Hmm, there’s no water set aside…”

They seemed ready to head to the stream when Hong-geolgae stepped in, offering a flask.

“Want to try this instead of water?”

The children, expecting another treat, took a sip from the flask, only to make a curious face.

“It tastes strange.”

“It’s called rice wine. The taste might be odd, but doesn’t it have a nice aroma?”

“Hmm.”

The children swallowed the rice wine Hong-geolgae gave them. The fiery sensation traveled from their throats to their stomachs.

The unfamiliar yet intense taste and aroma made them gag a little.

Despite that, the children found the rice wine intriguing.

Children are naturally drawn to new experiences. They bravely took a few more sips.

Before long, their eyes grew a bit unfocused.

And that wasn’t the end of it. Finally, Dang-mujin began to play with the children.

He tossed a hoop to catch their attention, then quickly carved a wooden disc for them to play with.

The children threw and caught the disc, playing energetically. Even as they stumbled from the strange dizziness, they didn’t stop, as if making up for the three days they’d spent quietly hiding.

Jin-hae watched them with a slight sense of unease. They didn’t have much time or food to spare.

“Namgung, shouldn’t we be moving instead of relaxing like this?”

“There’s a time and order for everything. Just wait a bit.”

In the mountain village, night falls quickly.

As the surroundings grew dim, Yayul-lan and Yayul-hwan fell into a deep sleep, sitting up where they were.

Dang-mujin waved a hand in front of their faces to ensure they were truly asleep.

“They’re out.”

With that single word, the expressions of Dang-mujin’s group turned serious, as if they’d never been laughing and playing with the children.

Dang-mujin spoke.

“Jin-hae, get ready.”

“We don’t have any bedding to prepare. The bandits took everything.”

“I’m not talking about bedding. Get ready to move.”

Dang-mujin looked in the direction they needed to go.

“Before the children wake up, we need to gather the villagers’ bodies and catch up with the bandits to make them pay.”

Only then did Jin-hae understand why they had played so energetically with the children.

Some things are better done while children sleep.

Like gathering the bodies of their tragically deceased parents or engaging in a bloody fight.

Jin-hae asked Dang-mujin, “Can we catch up with them today? They left three days ago.”

“No need to worry. We’ll run until we catch them.”

Jin-hae was at a loss for words. Dang-mujin’s plan was bold and left no room for retreat.

Could they cover in one night the distance others had traveled in three days? Especially while gathering the bodies of the villagers?

And that wasn’t all. After running themselves ragged, they would have to fight the bandits. There would likely be no time to rest.

“This is a terrible choice. Wouldn’t it be better to rest today, conserve our strength, and catch up slowly?”

Jin-hae looked around, expecting Hong-geolgae, Namgung-myeong, and Hyun-gong to agree with him.

But he was wrong.

Namgung-myeong was already carrying Yayul-lan, and Hyun-gong had Yayul-hwan on his back.

Jin-hae let out a small laugh.

Dang-mujin spoke softly.

“Let’s go.”

The group began sprinting through the night paths of Mount Giryeon. Jin-hae hurried to follow.

It wasn’t easy. Jin-hae had to stop twice to vomit what he’d eaten.

Before dawn, they found the eight bandits.

Dang-mujin said, “Jin-hae, take the children and wait. Stay a bit away so they don’t wake up.”

“Are you going to fight right away? At least catch your breath.”

But Dang-mujin answered by swiftly launching two discs from his sleeve.