◈ Episode 21. Pajunghyeon
Jeon-soi, who had been looking Jeon-yu up and down, took a step back and spoke cautiously.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were a monk······.”
Jeon-yu, who had been crying, calmed down and asked calmly.
“Let me ask you something.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Are there really this few people in the village?”
“That’s not it, but there’s been some bad news in the village recently, so everyone goes home before the sun sets.”
“What do you mean by a bad incident?”
“For the past few days, whenever I wake up, a body is found somewhere in the village.”
“A corpse? Are you saying that a villager died?”
“There are no dead people among the villagers. They are all the bodies of the Jeong family members who went missing a while ago. They are all scared, so they lock themselves in their rooms every evening and do not come out.”
“hmm.”
Jeon Yu, who habitually rubbed his scalp, bowed politely.
“Thank you. I’ll be going now.”
“Go ahead and check it out. Night will come soon, so if you have no place to stay, come to the inn.”
“I will do so.”
Jeon-yu immediately returned to Jin-mu-rip and explained everything he had heard from Jeom-so-i.
“The body of the head of the household was found?”
“Yes. They say they are all scared and can’t come out of their houses at night.”
“Thank you for your hard work. Let’s go to the main store first.”
The Gwangryongdae began to move along the outskirts of the village.
Huyeong, who was following Jinmu Rip, spoke to Jucho.
“Isn’t it true that the Faceless Mountain King is behind this? But isn’t it strange? Why did Sangcheon reach out to this remote area of Sacheon? And his actions are so different from what he has shown so far? Or is it a prank by the mad horse? Answer me, brat. Did you weave a spider web in your beak?”
“······.”
Joo-cho, who was always quiet, seemed accustomed to Hoo-young’s swearing and did not open his mouth.
Huyoung’s head quickly turned to Hankyung.
“You don’t interfere.”
Hankyung’s eyes widened as he was struck by lightning while laughing heartily.
“I?”
Although his subordinates were making a lot of noise behind him, Jinmu Rip’s expression was very serious.
‘The King of the Faceless Mountains?’
There are no landmarks worth mentioning around here.
But since he was entangled in it, he couldn’t help but be concerned.
Gwangryongdae arrived in front of Jeonggajang’s office with complicated thoughts.
The water gate guard, who had noticed the mark of Madorim on the uniform, bowed respectfully.
“Are you from Chongqing?”
The reason I ask again even after checking the sign is because the golden collar of the Gwangryongdae is unfamiliar.
Yoo Dae-ha, who knew Jin Mu-rip’s speech well, stepped forward first.
“Yes. We are Gwangryongdae, here on the orders of Lord Rim.”
Madorim was in-law to Jeong Ga-jang. Naturally, he knew the news that they had destroyed the Great Swordsman and regained control of Junggyeong.
The water gatekeeper’s dark expression brightened in an instant.
“I will take you inside. Please wait a moment.”
After waiting for a moment, the servants who came out led the horses to the stables and guided Gwangryongdae to the lodgings.
I followed the water gate guard who was with Jinmu Rip and headed to the inner palace.
“As you may know, the young lady is now filling the vacant position of the lord.”
This was the reason why Cho Moo-gang’s wife, Jeong In-ryeong, could not return to Madorim.
As I crossed the fence of the inner courtyard, I felt heavy gazes from all sides.
In a situation where Jangju and Sojangju are missing, if Jeong Inryeong also suffers a loss, it would be no different from the collapse of the Jeong family.
The three people who arrived at the central pavilion of the inner palace, the monk opened his mouth respectfully.
“Miss. I have brought you the Gwangryongdaeju of Madorim.”
“Please come in.”
As the door opened, a middle-aged woman with a graceful appearance greeted Jinmu-rip with a welcoming smile.
“According to the letter from the Commerce Department, it would take ten days, but it came sooner than expected.”
Jinmu Rip was so polite that even Yudae was surprised.
“Jin Mu-rip, the talented one, sends greetings to his aunt.”
The Jews also followed suit.
“Gwangryongdae Deputy Commander Yoo Dae-ha meets with the Grand Lady.”
“Welcome. I heard that you made a great contribution in the battle against the Great Swordsman. I was curious about what kind of person you were, and I found out that you were such a devoted general.”
Jinmu-rip smiled faintly.
“no.”
“It was a long journey. Please sit down.”
Jeong In-ryeong offered me a seat with a kind smile.
“I would like to treat you to some good tea, but the situation is not favorable due to the long-term suspension of trade. Would Samyeopcha (三葉茶) be okay?”
Samyeopcha was a tea used as an after-meal refreshment at the market stalls or inns. Jinmu-rip smiled broadly.
“I don’t mind if it’s just water.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
As soon as her hand touched the bottle, the water heated up and white steam rose up.
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When the teacups were finally filled, Jinmu-rip asked.
“I passed through a village on my way here. They said that the bodies of the missing drones were found.”
Her expression darkened.
“that’s right.”
“I want to hear more details.”
Jeong In-ryeong nodded and walked towards the door.
“Everyone, get out of here.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Soon after the noise faded away, she sat down again.
“It’s been two months since my father and younger brother went missing. It must have been a few days before the little prince arrived in Madorim.”
“yes.”
“I was on my way to and from Seongdo on an important mission. Fifty li west of here in Pajung is a valley called Baekyeon Valley. That’s where the upper group went missing.”
“Have you searched for Baekyeongok?”
“Of course, but I came back without getting anything.”
‘hmm.’
Jin Mu-rip, who had been thinking while rubbing his chin, asked again.
“How many people were kidnapped in total?”
“My father, my younger brother, and twenty elite warriors were with me. Since my younger brother was still young, my father sometimes took him with him and taught him the ropes.”
Jeong In-ryeong tried to speak calmly, but Jin Mu-rip could not have ignored the trembling in her voice.
Jinmu Rip’s questions continued.
“There must be a reason for leaving a corpse as a warning. Did he send any demands to the head of the household?”
She nodded.
“It’s exactly as the little prince said. In fact, until recently, we had half given up on their return. That was until a few days ago when the culprit sent a letter with the bodies.”
After much deliberation, Jinmu-rip arrived just before contacting Madorim.
“What are the requirements?”
“They demanded three million silver coins in the form of a voucher.”
She handed Jinmu-rip the letter the evil spirit had sent.
Although the handwriting was rough, the lines were powerful, and it seemed that if he had learned martial arts, he would have reached a fairly high level.
The content is that after raising money, he will contact them again if he hangs a white flag at the main gate of the store.
Jinmu-rip tilted his head.
“Was Jeong Ga-jang really that rich?”
Jeong In-ryeong shook her head.
“Three million won is the budget of the Jeong family for ten years. It is even more frustrating because he has made demands that we cannot give. He said that he will kill one person every day and send us the body until we give in to his demands. Five bodies have already been returned, so it is difficult to delay any longer.”
The pillar of the house has disappeared. She was a strong person who tried to become a pillar in place of her father and younger brother.
Jinmu-rip smiled reassuringly at her.
“I’m the one who erased the Great Checkpoint overnight. I’ll definitely bring them back, so don’t worry too much.”
Jeong In-ryeong also smiled and said.
“Thank you for your kind words. If you need anything else, please let me know.”
“If you have a map of the area, please give me one.”
Jeong In-ryeong opened the drawer and immediately handed over a map.
Jinmu Rip, who had received the map, politely left the room.
‘He must know that a shaman of the same size as Jeonggajang doesn’t have three million silver coins. If that’s the case, then we have to assume that he’s after Madorim’s wealth as well······.’
The number of hermits that Madorim took after destroying the Great Sword Gate coincidentally amounts to three million.
However, the day the letter arrived was before the Grand Inspectorate was closed.
Considering the timing, it seems unlikely that the thief was after the money, but it seems certain that he was after the wealth of Madorim, his relative.
Because the head of the household alone can’t raise that kind of money.
But another question remains.
Why didn’t you contact me right after the kidnapping, but instead contacted me so late?
Jinmu Rip, troubled by his lack of answers, decided to think about rescuing the hostages first.
“Well, three million.”
He glanced at Jinmu-rip, who was lost in thought while following him.
‘What are you thinking?’
Every time I made that kind of expression, a change occurred without fail, so I felt a strange sense of anticipation.
Jinmu Lip said.
“Go first and gather the leaders.”
“All right.”
Judea hurriedly ran to the lodging.
It was when Jinmu-rip, lost in thought, arrived at the main gate of Naewon with slow steps.
A little girl ran in from outside and bumped into Jinmu-rip, causing him to fall backwards.
“Ouch!”
The girl who had been rubbing her butt with a frown on her face got up with a sinister smile.
“Hoo hoo hoo.”
The smile of the girl, who was about ten years old and missing one of her front teeth, was like that of a mischievous child.
“You’re really using a ten-thousand-dollar bill in front of my wife. That’s quite something.”
“When did I get to······.”
Jinmu-rip looked at the girl who was spouting out nonsense.
“What are you?”
The girl put both hands on her waist.
“Haha. Since you don’t know me, you must be an unknown person. The name of the woman who will soon shake the world is Cho Yu-rim.”
The reckless child in front of them was Cho Yu-rim, the daughter of Rim Ju Cho Mu-gang and the cousin of Jin Mu-rip.
Jinmu-rip’s expression turned pale.
‘How did such a person come from such respectable parents?’
Jinmu-rip, who was staring blankly at Cho Yu-rim, asked.
“Yeah. Where did you sell your front teeth?”
Cho Yu-rim chuckled.
“I tried to trade it for candy, but I failed. Hehe.”
It’s a little different from the average child.
Cho Yu-rim, who was looking around Jinmu-rip, asked.
“I’ve never seen your face before. There’s no one as handsome as you in the whole market. Where did you come from?”
While Jinmu-rip was thinking about an answer, Cho Yu-rim’s eyes grew wide as if they were going to tear.
“W, no way. Are you saying that my fiancé has already been decided?”
Jinmu-rip’s face was distorted terribly.
“Should I have my last front tooth pulled out too?”
Cho Yu-rim smiled brightly.
“Hehehe. Just kidding.”
“Do you want to joke in these times?”
“Would it make a difference if I was depressed? If I were quiet, even the people in the Jeong family would look depressed.”
Jinmu-rip looked at him with surprise, as if he was thinking deeply despite his appearance.
Cho Yu-rim continued speaking.
“Judging from your clothes, you are the young master from Chongqing, right? Oh, I shouldn’t call you ‘you’. Should I call you ‘brother’?”
Jinmu-rip turned around, smiling.
“Call me hyung.”
A cheerful voice was heard from Jinmu-rip’s back as he left the room.
“Brother! See you later!”
***
Jin Mu-rip, who returned to his quarters, immediately summoned the leaders.
“Move after one hour.”
Judae’s eyes widened.
“Have you figured something out already?”
“I have to find out now.”
Jinmu-rip’s eyes narrowed.
‘With so many hostages, at least they’re not hiding in the middle of nowhere.’
If there is a hideout in the middle of a battle, and the hostage escapes for unavoidable reasons, the hideout will be exposed right away.
Jinmu Rip didn’t think his opponent would take such a risk.
Jinmu Rip spread out a map on the table and calculated the distances to nearby villages with Baekyeon Valley as the center.
“Iljo, take two members of each group to Pungchon, Ijo to Samgangchon, Samjo to Baekhachon, Sajo to Yongsanchon, and Ojo to Banginchon. You will have to move secretly. The person in charge is the deputy commander.”
These are the five villages closest to Baekyeon Valley.
Judae asked.
“What should I go and do?”
“Check to see if anyone you haven’t seen recently has come to buy groceries. Don’t rule out the possibility that they stole them.”
“Oh, I see. Since we have hostages, we have to eat to survive.”
“yes.”
If the beast appears in Pajunghyeon, there is a way to ambush and capture it, but if it fails, the hostage will be in danger.
In this case, rescuing the Jangju family was the priority.
Jinmu Lip added an explanation.
“Don’t forget to meet with the village hunters. You should also check carefully to see if there have been any recent sightings of abandoned animal bones in the mountains or missing animals caught in traps.”
At times like this, he really seems like a different person than usual.
The group leaders, secretly impressed by the smooth explanation, all bowed their heads.
“All right.”
“Remember, rescuing the hostages is more important than killing the villain. The meeting is over.”
Jinmu-rip, who was about to go out, stopped for a moment.
“Who is guarding the village entrance now?”
Samjojang Han Kyung raised his hand.
“My three subordinates are guarding it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone knocked on the door.
“Two women arrived in the village a little while ago. Bu-ryung and Chung-hyeon are following them.”
These are women who strangely seem to be concerned.
Jinmu-rip opened the door and spoke to the leaders.
“I have to meet you. I’ll be back soon, so get some rest before we leave.”
