Just as the season was approaching, the old beggar, who saw the sun slowly setting towards the western mountain, muttered to himself.
“That’s strange. “It’s not time for the sun to set yet.”
Other beggars gathered near the bonfire reacted to those words.
“Then does it make sense for the weather to be like this in this season?”
“Right. “It’s not even a day or two.”
“Buntaju, please don’t feel the cold wind there for no reason. Come and warm yourself by the bonfire. “Please also have a bowl of hot soup.”
Well, it’s not wrong.
Because it wasn’t just yesterday or today that the world became a mess.
Manchong, the old beggar, or rather the owner of Seonyeong Bunta, the open Cheonghae Castle, sighed softly and walked towards the bonfire.
Gung Gi-bang, the later emperor, had already returned to Seonyeong for several days, but Gyeong-do, under his command, remained behind with about 30 people to collect information.
“Do you have anything to eat?”
“What an obvious statement. “Aren’t we the ones who fill our bellies somehow even though we have nothing?”
“Did you leave a portion for those who were out scouting?”
“Uh huh. Who do you see as a beggar who does not know business ethics? Don’t worry. “They came back and had enough to stuff themselves with.”
A beggar grinning, showing off his yellow teeth, held out a steaming bowl, and Manchong tasted it without realizing it.
“The scent is amazing.”
“Eat it or eat it. “You’ll find out that it’s not just the scent that’s amazing.”
Indeed, that was true.
Manchong emptied his bowl in a matter of seconds, patting his swollen belly and smiling in satisfaction.
Although it didn’t look like any other chowder, it tasted as good as if it had been made by a top-notch chef, perhaps because it was made with freshly caught fish from Cheonghae Lake.
‘Well, I’m old, so I should have this kind of luxury.’
Manchong, who was feeling drowsy from satiety, picked his teeth with a fish thorn and looked around.
As I watched the water of Cheonghae Lake slowly soaking in the glow of the sunset, I felt as if my worries and concerns were washed away, even if only for a moment.
Of course, the reality was still bleak.
‘What’s the point of having a nice view and a full stomach? ‘I can’t even stretch my legs or sleep until those guys are gone.’
Dark spring. As he thought of those terrifying demons, a shadow appeared on Manchong’s face.
Even after Jin Tae-gyeong and other reinforcements passed through here and joined Seonyeong about four days ago, the situation did not improve at all.
No, it was getting worse day by day, as if my fleeting hopes were being trampled upon.
‘If things continue like this, we will be surrounded from front and back… … Damn it, I got caught with a dragon nose.’
Just thinking about Amcheon’s large army occupying Kunlun Mountain right now sends a chill down my spine, and it is said that from behind, the thieves who have struck the back of the Jungwon Wulin are flocking like a swarm of ants.
In the midst of all this, there is only one good thing.
The main force of Amcheon was not yet making any real movements.
‘But now it’s just a matter of time. They will definitely come in. And that too soon.’
As soon as my thoughts reached that point, the feeling of fullness I felt a moment ago disappeared, and anxiety and fear filled the empty space.
“… … “It’s a disaster.”
Manchong, who quickly became upset, picked up the pebbles that were within reach and threw them away.
Wedge!
Even though his appearance is shabby, he is also a Buntaju level expert with quite a bit of experience in the open field.
The pebbles that left my fingertips were shot toward the endless Cheonghae Lake.
Sigh!
Roughly cracked water surface. Only then did Manchong feel some relief from his frustration and turned around, snorting.
No, I tried to turn around.
Until I saw the ripples caused by the pebbles subside and the river slowly regaining its calm.
‘what?’
And it wasn’t long before Manchong was able to realize the identity of the déjà vu that suddenly came upon him.
‘color. The color of the river… … .’
dark.
No, it was black as if ink had been released.
The water of Cheonghae Lake, which had been colored by the sunset just a moment ago, was no longer beautiful, and the loud conversations in my ears were particularly unpleasant.
“Atta, why is it getting dark so quickly today? Still, it usually takes about a few hours just for the sunset to set.”
“What can we do if we argue? I just have to say it like that. “Let’s eat some more before the scouts come back.”
“Of course I’m fine. Oh, would you like to drink one more drink, Buntaju?”
Manchong did not answer.
I couldn’t answer accurately.
Because at this moment, his instincts were ringing a red alarm in his head.
‘This… … ‘Something is strange.’
Of course, like other openness reactions, it may be nothing special.
What could be more surprising when frost falls before the harvest season and giant monsters with inhuman appearance run rampant?
However, I had an unknown intuition.
The experience he has accumulated since he was over 60 years old, and the instincts that seem to be engraved in his bones as Noh Kang-ho.
“Reconnaissance team, when will the reconnaissance team return?”
“yes? “Why is that suddenly happening?”
“Answer me, quickly!”
At the old Buntaju’s displeased command, the people who had always been good-natured people stuttered, embarrassed.
“Well, he’ll be here soon.”
“Well, actually, it was about half an hour later than usual, but it’s probably right around the corner, so there’s no need for Lord Bunta to worry…” … what?”
One of the openings who was answering opened his eyes wide and looked over Manchong’s shoulder, and everyone’s eyes turned towards that.
A low hill located about 200 miles away.
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Above them, a group of men and horses had just appeared like a small dot, slowly coming down the hill through the hazy darkness.
“They say even tigers will come if you tell them what to do. “I just came at the right time.”
“Well, they’re such lazy bastards. “If I come across a late topic, do I write it?”
“Buntaju, leave it fixed. “I’m going to use this opportunity to scold you.”
At a time when everyone was looking at Manchong’s thoughts and saying a word one by one, he, who was staring at the scouting party with calm eyes, groaned out loud.
“twelve.”
“yes?”
“There are twelve. “Unless my eyes are wrong.”
“What is that… … .”
Someone who was questioning the sudden statement suddenly lost his or her voice.
About two o’clock ago, the scouting party that left to look around the area had a total of ten people.
“Well, that’s right.”
“It’s probably one of two things. “I saved the survivors by luck.”
Manchong quietly added, taking the dirty iron gun from his waist.
“Some bastards who wouldn’t mind being chewed alive are pretending to be scouts.”
“… … !”
“Go to the ship right now. “First, we will raise anchor, increase the distance, and then observe the situation.”
“I obey your orders!”
Only then did they realize the seriousness of the situation and moved in perfect order as if they had never done so before.
And by the time the gangsters boarded the boat anchored on the river and rowed quickly to gain a sufficient distance, an unidentified group of people who could not tell whether they were enemies or allies had arrived near the bonfire they had lit.
“Seoksam, is Seoksam there!”
To the shout of Manchong, which suddenly rang out, an answer was heard from beyond the darkness that had already thickened.
“I am here! “What’s going on?”
At that moment, Manchong’s face hardened.
No, it was the same for all openness, including his.
Among those who stayed at Cheonghae Lake, there was not a single one who was open enough to treat Manchong, the eldest and the head of Bunta.
But what shocked them more than anything else was that the voice coming from beyond the thick darkness was the same as the one they knew from Seoksam.
“Boo, Buntaju.”
Manchong shouted again, gritting his teeth, leaving behind the members who had pale faces as if they had seen a ghost.
“Who are you guys!”
There was silence for a moment.
The silence was only a moment, but it was longer than ever, and felt like eternity.
And then an unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out, instantly breaking the suffocating silence.
“this. “Maybe because they are beggars, they are quick to notice.”
With an excited voice that even had a hint of laughter in it, a figure that had only been seen as an outline appeared towards the bonfire that had not yet been extinguished.
Cracking.
Manchong’s eyes widened as he witnessed a pair of horses crossing the gravel field without making any noise amidst sparks rising in the air.
“What is this… … !”
He was speechless for a moment.
Not only was it because of the sight of the skeletal horse with its pure white bones clearly exposed, but it was also because I felt a fear I had never experienced before from the man sitting calmly on top of it.
Smirk.
Pure white teeth that look foreign appear, and sharp fangs like those of a wild beast are revealed.
Is that all?
The sight of blood-red eyes that flashed clearly even from a distance seemed to entangle my mind and body.
“Yes, you.”
The man shrugged his shoulders at Manchong, who was shaking his head.
“Well, you know roughly. “Who is it?”
A naturally virtuous attitude that arouses even greater fear.
However, Manchong managed to hold his voice together.
“The scouting party… … “What happened to them?”
“nice. That’s touching. “Do you think the affection you built while begging is considerable?”
“bloke! “Why can’t I answer the question?”
“I’m so scared that I’m not sure if I can do this properly. “I understand, I understand, so don’t get too excited.”
The man who waved his hand as if to calm down licked his lips.
“To put it simply, everyone went to a good place. “It didn’t taste very good.”
“W-what?”
The man frowned at the sight of Manchong frozen with an assumption that he could not even dare to put into words.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. Maybe it’s because they’re dirty beggars, but their bodies aren’t great either. “I just sucked a little blood for fun.”
“… … !”
“Why, didn’t you think it was very good? Still, the voice must have been quite mellow.”
Wow.
The fishy scent of blood that colors your mouth in an instant.
Nevertheless, Manchong gritted his teeth with all his might.
It’s not just because of the anger that comes from losing a subordinate who was like a brother.
I thought that only then, at least by doing this, would I be able to withstand, at least a little, the fear that was squeezing my heart even more strongly at this very moment.
Witchcraft (邪術).
Those two letters have never seemed so eerie.
I also got the feeling that the other person, who was about a hundred pages away, was going to kill me at any moment.
“It’s you. “That monster I only heard about.”
“Well, let’s just say that for now. “For now, I have been entrusted with everything to him here.”
The man, or rather the blood master, looked at Manchong with a smiling face.
And as he slowly scanned the open space of the twenty people around him who were as frozen as stone statues without even reacting, he suddenly parted his lips.
“Anyway, who would you like?”
“what?”
“I plan to save at least one person. It’s good that at least one of you is alive, and I need someone to spread the word to. “Isn’t it good to be good to each other?”
“… … !”
“The facial expressions are worth seeing. Why did you think you could run away like this?”
A hundred pages away, Hyeolju, who was smiling while looking at their hardened faces, suddenly looked back.
“Let’s get out soon, right? “It has to be done anyway.”
At that word, one of the figures who had been staying in the dark stepped forward.
Sreuk.
The long hem of the dress brushes the gravel. As if it wasn’t worth replying, the great magician passed by the blood vessel and reached the river’s edge and stretched out his hand.
“Cool north wind.”
Wooooow.
The trembling air and the huge cold air rushing through the surface of Cheonghae Lake.
And the next moment, I saw it.
“Freeze.”
Crash!
Cheonghae Lake has turned pure white with freezing water.
“… … !”
“… … !”
Manchong, or even the twenty members of the group, all widened their eyes.
A miracle that neither exists nor can exist.
Standing in the face of this incredible reality, they could do nothing.
Even though the terrible stench of monsters began to waft from far away, beyond the thick darkness.
And when Hyeolju walked across the ice like a walk and stood on the bow and looked down at them.
“Whoever survives, go and tell them. I. “Hyeolju is going.”
At that moment, Manchong squeezed out his voice with all his might.
“You can never win… … .”
Flutter!
Bright red blood was splattered on the frozen white lake.
“So, have you decided who will survive?”
In the cold, deep night, the blood-red eyes of Hyeolju were sparkling.