< Episode 57 Water Ghost (2) >
-Shoot!
The rain was still heavy.
The name of this village near the river was Sohachon (小河村).
Although it is called a village, as it is a place with a ferry port, it is a fairly large village nearby, with about 150 boatmen and fishermen living there.
The village itself operated a ferry port, so it was adjacent to the river.
“If the river rises further, several houses will be swept away.”
On the way to the village, Nyeopchun clicked his tongue and said.
As he said, a dam was built with dirt to block it, but looking at the rushing water, it wouldn’t be surprising if it collapsed at any time.
Unlike Nie Chun, who looked worried at this, Mo Qingyun and Meng Wuyue showed no interest.
There was nothing else on Meng Wuyue’s mind other than finding the owner of the large ship, and Mu Qingyun had no interest in other people’s affairs unless they were related to him.
However, there was one thing that caught Mok Kyung-un’s attention.
‘hmm.’
It showed a gray-haired old man wearing a bamboo robe sitting on one side of an anxious-looking embankment.
I saw that place with a strange sense of foreignness, but it made me wonder.
Due to the heavy rain, the current is strong and it looks dangerous as if the embankment will collapse at any moment. What on earth is that old man doing?
Looking closely, I saw a bent bamboo stick in front of the old man.
Mok Kyung-un saw this and tilted his head.
‘fishing?’
Is it really possible to go fishing in this heavy rain?
I couldn’t understand it at all.
Mok Gyeong-un, who was puzzled, soon lost interest and tried to head towards the village.
But Mok Gyeong-un, who was just about to go, stopped.
‘······what?’
For a moment, I tried to pass by without thinking anything, but something was strange.
No matter how heavy the rain was, he was more sensitive to the atmosphere than anyone else.
But just now, I couldn’t feel any energy from the old man.
It was as if he had assimilated into the things around him.
-Sigh!
Mo Gyeong-un turned his head and looked toward the bank again.
however,
‘!?’
The old man who was there just a moment ago suddenly disappeared.
I looked around just in case, but there was no sign of the old man, as if he had never existed from the beginning.
Mok Gyeong-un, who felt strange, asked in a loud voice.
-Cheongnyeong. Did you just see that old man?
-old man? Why are you talking about an old man?
-An old man who used to sit on the bank and do things like fishing.
-An old man fishing? What kind of fishing are you doing in this weather?
-······.
-Did you see anything?
-······no. I guess I was mistaken.
I couldn’t even see the clear blue sky.
Did I really see something wrong?
“Master?”
Seopchun looked puzzled and called out to Mok Gyeong-un, who had stopped like that.
“Why are you doing that?”
“It’s no big deal.”
With those words, he shrugged his shoulders and quickly resumed his steps.
The three passed the village monument that said Sohachon and entered the village.
-Shoot!
Because it was a dark evening with heavy rain, there were no people on the streets.
Meng Wuyak looked around and said.
“Anyone who owns a boat that big must be a wealthy person or noble family who lives quite well in this village.”
“It’s obvious.”
Seopchun sarcastically responded to those words.
Then, Meng Wuyak glared at him and showed his discomfort.
Mok Gyeong-un nodded and said to the two people who were growling at each other.
“There’s a guest cup over there.”
“ah!”
Coincidentally, there was a guest house not far from the entrance to the village.
It seemed like it would be quicker to go to the guest house and find out rather than going into any house and asking.
So the three of them crossed the bar and entered the guesthouse.
As I entered the guesthouse with wet, soggy leather shoes, the interior was revealed to be older and more shabby than expected.
However, unlike the old interior, there were quite a few guests inside.
It seemed like they were outsiders who were stranded, perhaps because of the heavy rain that continued for several days.
-Jump, jump, jump!
As we entered, the eyes of the guests naturally turned to Mok Gyeong-un and his companions for a moment.
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Although they are said to be wearing bamboo robes, it was a natural reaction since they were carrying weapons such as swords on their waists and backs.
But it wasn’t just the guests who reacted this way.
Nie Chun and Meng Wuyak, who only wanted to find out who owned the boat, also turned their gaze to some of the passengers.
That’s right,
‘Murimin.’
The guests at the innermost table and those at the far right table were martial arts people.
What’s really strange here is that the six on the right looked like ronin or warriors of the Sapa family, judging by their clothes and rough appearance.
On the other hand, the clothes of those sitting in the innermost part were quite neat and tidy.
Considering that their clothes were almost uniform, they looked like guard warriors.
Of course, the person they were guarding seemed to be the woman in the middle with her face covered with cotton thread.
He was wearing a blue silk robe with a butterfly pattern embroidered on it, and just by looking at it, he seemed quite elegant, so it was assumed that he was of noble status.
“My lord.”
Nie Chun called Mo Gyeong-un.
The reason was the beardless old man sitting next to the woman.
He had a bright smile on his face and was helping the woman with utmost sincerity, but unlike the others, his energy was so low that it was difficult to guess his inaction.
Nie Chun was not the only one who felt this.
‘What on earth is that old man?’
No matter how much I concentrated on the feeling, I could not grasp that state.
It meant that he was an expert who had reached a level of perfection and transcendence that he could not understand.
Mok Gyeong-un laughed and said about their wariness.
“Pay attention. “I came to save the boat.”
However, Mo Gyeong-un did not mind this at all.
I didn’t think there was any reason to worry about them since I didn’t know them or have any conflict with them anyway.
“All right.”
So, Seopchun went to the guesthouse kitchen and called Jeomsoi.
Meanwhile, the woman in the cotton cloth looked at Mok Gyeong-un with interest and spoke quietly.
“While I was feeling frustrated and trapped in this village, a treasure came into my own.”
At her words, the old man who had been chatting with her about various things and trying to please her frowned slightly.
Then he spoke carefully.
“Kun… no, lady.”
“okay.”
“Are you doing this because of that handsome young man who just came in?”
To this question, the woman in the cotton cloth nodded slightly.
She, who had been trapped in a village guesthouse for three days due to continuous heavy rain, turned to one of the new guests who had entered the guesthouse.
As expected, her hair was wet with water and her face was so beautiful.
It was difficult to see a face like that even in that place.
“Gong(公). “It will take a few more days for the rain to stop, but I would like to be entertained by that handsome man.”
“miss. “I’m sorry, but they…”
“You’re a martial artist, right?”
“That’s right.”
“You can tell that much just by looking at those weapons.”
“Yes, you have great insight. “Do you remember what Soin Haonde told you in advance?”
“Are you saying that we shouldn’t get involved with the martial arts people for no reason?”
“yes yes. I’ll buy it back. Please…”
“ball. “Isn’t there something the Duke said before escorting this woman?”
“······.”
“I’m saying there aren’t that many masters at martial arts level in martial arts.”
“That’s true…”
“Does that mean you can’t grant me this favor to relieve my wife’s boredom and frustration?”
‘Huh.’
The beardless old man could not help but be embarrassed by the cotton woman’s words.
From the moment he entered the guesthouse, he sensed through his sense of energy that the inaction of the guests was not ordinary people.
The men who appeared to be in their mid to late twenties were masters of the highest caliber.
‘If he has reached such great heights at such an age, there is a high probability that he is a descendant of a prestigious family in martial arts or a disciple of the Daemun faction.’
The child who appeared to be around 17 or 18 that the woman from the cotton shop had also not yet reached the age of maturity, but he seemed to be at the peak of his maturity and had outstanding qualities.
The old man looked at them with perplexed eyes.
‘What is it?’
If you eat the wrong food, you will get very sick.
This was exactly the situation now.
It wouldn’t be a problem to touch the insignificant ronin or naburaengi on the other side, but people like that were different.
If you touch it wrongly, you could get tired, and getting caught up in gossip while going secretly wasn’t a good idea.
but,
‘If you keep pressing it, it will definitely explode.’
The woman in the cotton cloth was raised so noble that she had to achieve what she wanted in order to be satisfied with her true nature.
How many things happened on the way to and from Gwangju Castle?
I barely managed to console him and come this far.
‘It just piled up.’
Having been trapped in this humid, shabby cabin for three days due to the heavy rain that continued day after day, her mood was at its worst.
If you just say no, the anger will eventually come to you.
Then,
‘Nobu’s future will be difficult.’
It wasn’t a big problem for the woman in the cotton cloth to get angry.
If it were to fall into ‘that person’s’ ears and be reported incorrectly, the future could become difficult.
Therefore, although it was somewhat cumbersome, some compromise seemed necessary.
The old man spoke carefully to the woman in the cotton cloth.
“How about doing something like this?”
When the old man shared what he had been thinking, the woman in the cotton cloth seemed to be dissatisfied with something, but she soon reluctantly nodded and agreed.
* * *
-Shoot!
The back of the guesthouse.
Mok Gyeong-un and his companions followed the old woman, who was also the owner and housekeeper, through the kitchen and out to the back of the guest house.
The old woman who came out from behind looked around and said.
“no. “Why are you young people so urgently looking for that boat?”
Nie Chun politely answered the old woman’s question.
“Elder. “Because we are in an urgent situation, we have to cross the river right away.”
“I understand what you said earlier, but if you launch the boat incorrectly in this weather and such turbulent waves, you could be in big trouble.”
“I know, but we also have circumstances.”
At Nie Chun’s words, the old woman shook her head and clicked her tongue.
Then he immediately pointed somewhere with his hand.
It was on the farthest hill northwest of town.
The rain was so heavy that I didn’t realize it, but I saw what looked like a fairly large manor over there.
As expected, he seemed to be a fairly wealthy man in the village.
however,
“If you go to that boat, the owner of the boat will live there, but going there will be no use.”
“Thank you for teaching me.”
“They say it’s no use to go, but are you listening to me?”
“yes?”
“The owner of the boat who lives there… So, the adult in that family is dying because he was punished for doing something bad.”
Nie Chun frowned at those words.
What does it mean to be punished by heaven?
“What do you mean by that?”
“I told you. “The adult in that house is dying.”
“Is that adult, by any chance, the boatman?”
“I see.”
“But he’s dying?”
“Didn’t you say so? It’s no wonder that nobleman was caught by a water spirit. “If you go for no reason, you might get scammed too, so just wait for the rain to stop.”
Nie Chun looked like he couldn’t understand the old woman’s words.
I thought I might have gotten sick, but what does this mean?
I was puzzled, but Mok Kyung-un smiled and said.
“Let’s go first.”
The old woman shook her head in an attitude of not caring at all.
“They don’t believe me when I tell them this because I’m afraid they might get angry because I’m a foreigner. “Well, if you want to die for being so unfair, then do as you please.”
With those words, the old woman got up and went into the guesthouse.
Seeing this, Nie Chun muttered in an uncomfortable voice.
“Your old man will have no luck. “Wow.”
Aren’t things like heavenly punishment and water ghosts just ghost stories?
I don’t know why you’re saying this.
Then Mok Gyeong-un said.
“Anyway, now that I know who owns the boat, I’ll find out when I go.”
“Well, what you’re saying is correct.”
So they tried to head straight to the manor where the boat owner was located.
But before they had even walked a few steps, someone called them.
“Look here. “Small cooperatives.”
-Startle!
At that call, Nie Chun and Meng Wuyue instantly turned with wary eyes.
That’s because no matter how heavy the rain was, it was possible to feel the presence at a distance where the voice was heard, but it was not detected.
As they turned around, a strange look appeared in their eyes.
‘Who is this person?’
The person who called them was none other than the beardless old man in the guesthouse.
They had already been cautious since they had not been able to grasp the situation by sense from the first time they saw it, so why on earth did that old man call them?
While I was puzzled, the old man put his hands together and made a bow and said.
“I apologize for calling you on the way. “Nobu says it’s a beetle.”
Hearing the old man’s words, Meng Wuyak spoke in a voice mixed with caution.
“What did you call us for?”
“iced coffee. Small cooperatives. You don’t have to be so careful. “Nobu didn’t call you here to harm you.”
A beardless old man who called himself Beommo probably noticed their wariness and said with a smile on his face.
Meng Wuyak asked again.
“But may I ask if you called me for a reason?”
“Hehehe. “It looks like the young Sohyeop is in a lot of hurry.”
“······.”
“Good, I will say it bluntly. Earlier, Nobu unintentionally heard about your situation. “I think he was looking for a big boat to cross the river, didn’t he?”
Hearing Old Man Pan’s words like this, Meng Wuyao frowned.
They said it was unintentional, but doesn’t it mean that they overheard their conversation with the old woman?
I was about to feel uncomfortable when Old Man Beom spoke.
“Actually, I went to visit the owner of the boat with the torch of the young lady who was also serving the old man.”
“You mean you went to see the owner of the boat?”
“I see. But if you see me waiting for the rain to stop here in the guesthouse, you can guess what’s going on, don’t you?”
This time, Seopchun was puzzled by his words and asked.
“Couldn’t you rent a boat?”
“That’s right. “Nobu also met with the owner of the boat, but he was already busy today and was in no condition to operate the boat.”
Does doing tomorrow today mean that your life is in danger?
Hearing Old Man Pan’s words like this, Nie Chun looked at Meng Wuyao with an expression asking what he was going to do about it.
If the life of the boatman who could steer the ship was at stake, whether it was pay or threats had no meaning.
That said,
“Thank you for your words. But I don’t think you called us to tell us that.”
Mok Gyeong-un said to Old Man Beom.
Then Old Man Pan smiled and answered.
“That’s right. So, the lady I serve wants to get to know the small cooperatives while waiting for the sun to clear. If it’s okay, could you make some time for her?”
“Affiliation?”
“I see. Since we are waiting for each other, there is nothing to do. And since the young lady showed so much interest in you, the old lady asked me this.”
With those words, Old Man Beom gave the salute once again.
He spoke in such a polite manner that Meng Wuyue and Nie Chun exchanged embarrassed looks.
In fact, since they were on a classified mission, they were not in a situation where they could come into contact with anyone else.
Even if you have to wait for the rain to stop.
In response, Nie Chun politely bowed and said,
“Thank you for your recommendation, but since we are in such an urgent situation, please tell the person you are attending that you are sorry.”
“Huh.”
Old Man Beom clicked his tongue at these words of Seopchun.
Then he said with a troubled expression.
“This is really embarrassing. “I can’t cross the river right away anyway, so why bother putting so much effort into it?”
“The situation cannot be helped.”
“Huh. “This is it.”
“If you say so, elders, let’s go now…”
That was before the words were even finished.
-Startle!
At that moment, Nie Chun and Meng Wuyue’s expressions hardened at the same time.
It was because of the strong energy radiating from the old man.
Although they had their backs, the old man’s force was pressing on them, as if reminiscent of a sharp sword.
‘Extreme(極)······. It is a drama of transcendence.’
I guessed it to some extent, but Old Man Beom was a great expert.
The difference was already clearly visible just from the momentum alone.
In terms of Cheonjihoe, it was comparable to the level of an executive.
Old Man Pan showed his fierce spirit like this and said with a smile.
“Look. Small cooperatives. Isn’t Nobu asking for this? “For the sake of Nobu’s reputation, I hope you build a relationship with the young lady.”
The words were polite, but almost semi-threatening.
Nie Chun said, unable to bear his discomfort.
“Are you threatening us now?”
“Hehehe. How can that be a threat?”
Old Man Pan had no intention of actually harming them.
After informing her of the gap, I planned to let her get the seat she wanted.
At the very least, it was to show that he had followed the young lady’s orders sincerely.
“You can think of it as cooperation, not a threat. “It’s not that difficult, so can you do that?”
In this way, Old Man Pan increased his energy and tried to put pressure on them.
It was right then.
A low voice came from behind the old man’s ears.
“Elder.”
-Startle!
At that moment, the old man’s eyes widened.
This voice belonged to the youngest young man whom the young lady had pointed out.
‘when?’
Apparently, the three of them were standing side by side, but before I knew it, they had disappeared.
Old Man Beom couldn’t help but be embarrassed by this.
Then, a soft voice rang in my ears.
“You don’t seem to know what a threat is. Shall I tell you?”
< Episode 57: Water Ghost (2) > End
ⓒ Hanzhongwolya
martial arts,
