episode_0033

At that moment, amidst the commotion outside, the door swung open.

A familiar face from Cheongdo stood at the entrance.

“That deceitful scoundrel who pretended to understand and trapped me here!”

Cheong’s guard was on high alert.

I trusted him because he seemed friendly, but this is what I get.

Regardless of Cheong’s thoughts, with a stern expression resembling the Jang River, he spoke.

“Soldier Eon, I apologize, but could you please help me?”

“In the end, things turned out this way. Didn’t I clearly warn you?”

“If this proposal from before is still valid, then…”

“For now, let’s go.”

Cheong’s eyes flickered.

Taking that crazy woman away, he thought.

This was truly a golden opportunity to escape this dreadful prison.

Hurry up and leave. I need to find my freedom.

But the deranged antisocial master killer was not to be underestimated.

“And would it be okay if Soldier Seomun came along as well?”

“No, why? I’ll just stay here. You two go and have a good time. I’ll watch the house, right.”

“Then, can’t I write it down? It should be fine, right?”

“If Soldier Eon insists, then I suppose I can’t refuse. But why?”

“Well, personally?”

Eon grabbed Cheong’s arm and linked theirs together.

Cheong’s expression soured.

With one arm held hostage, Cheong was reluctantly dragged onto the deck.

And, to top it off!

The deck was covered in a sea of blood.

Torn arms and legs were scattered everywhere.

Various elements from inside the bodies were also scattered individually, on display.

Everyone had a feast except for me.

Vicious bastards.

I know how to tear off limbs too.

I want to show off my skills too!

Cheong suddenly realized.

“Oh my, Soldier Seomun. Are you angry? After mastering such brutal martial arts, were you unexpectedly a just warrior? Oh my…”

“What are you saying.”

Eon misunderstood, but Cheong was too disgusted to respond. What are you saying.

In an instant, as the hand pulling on his arm, Cheong’s waist involuntarily leaned in. From a distance where not even a hair’s breadth was lost, the mad woman’s whisper pierced through.

“Come to think of it, how did you know I was a bad person? That was a secret, wasn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

“You’re so cruel…”

Eon trailed off as if disappointed.

Cheong was confident that this villain was not even slightly upset, staking his entire fortune on it, even his limbs.

Cheong’s steps halted in the middle of the deck.

People were gathered around something, but as Parbonmu appeared, they subtly made way for him to enter.

And in the center, there was a young man tightly bound.

He was bound so meticulously that only his head stuck out from the thick ship rope.

The young man seemed to be trying to say something, but his mouth was firmly gagged with a thick muzzle, making muffled sounds as he struggled.

“It’s a neck injury.”

“Is treatment possible?”

“Unfortunately, more than half of the vertebrae are damaged. Even if we break the vertebrae and release the pressure, his remaining lifespan will be around twenty years.”

“Is there really no other way?”

Instead of answering, Eon silently looked at Bokhaun.

Bokhaun, with a pained expression, replied.

“If what the veterinarian says is true, then that may be the only way. Do you have the necessary items?”

“Fortunately, I have most of them. My belongings, two fresh hens, and a dozen eggs… And will you prepare the food for me?”

Eon leaned in close to the bound ropes.

Placing his index and middle fingers on the young man’s forehead, he recited incantations under his breath.

Surprisingly, he looked like a plausible master.

Seizing the opportunity, Cheong asked Fabonmu, “Who is that woman, really?”

“Haven’t you heard? She’s the So-gaju of the Jinju clan.”

“I heard, but so what? What kind of family is Jinju that such a person comes out? She’s a crazy woman.”

“Soju. It’s just a term of endearment because she’s like my daughter. Even if she’s from a prestigious family of the Jinju clan, calling her the Great Patroller of the Mureummaeng… well, that’s not something we should be discussing right now. I never expected it to turn out like this…”

Fabonmu’s expression was complicated.

What’s with offering people to a crazy murderer?

Ignoring Cheong, he continued, “So, what’s the deal?”

“Jinju clan…”

The Jinju clan are the foremost funeral monks in Jungwon.

Funeral monks are those who care for and pray for the deceased, ensuring their peace.

While monks and priests also perform these duties, funeral monks possess a unique skill that only they can perform.

It is a strange skill that can make a corpse move on its own by manipulating the timing of the body.

A moving corpse like this is called a “gangsi.”

“What, gangsi?”

“Gangsi is something you should know.”

“Like this, hopping around.”

Cheong extended her arms and imitated a gangsi.

Fabonmu clicked his tongue.

“Tsk tsk. That’s just a story for kids to believe in.”

“Then just think of me as a kid, okay? So what? What’s all this about? What’s a Great Patroller? And what’s Mureummaeng? Is that woman from Mureummaeng?”

If she’s from Mureummaeng, it’s a gathering of orthodox factions. Why is someone like that here?

Cheong glanced briefly at Un Yeong, who was writing with chicken blood.

Looks like the evil deeds have increased again.

Did I misunderstand something?

Is the gangsi the problem? Playing with dead people?

No, there should be a limit.

And she confessed with her own mouth that she’s a bad woman.

As Cheong was pondering, Fabonmu began to explain. This man surprisingly talks a lot.

Fabonmu felt unjust if he knew.

Since he already considered Cheong as a runaway girl from a prestigious orthodox family, he simply told her the facts she would inevitably find out.

“About ten days ago, at that time…”

The Mureummaeng Chief Patroller visited Jang Gangsu’s estate.

And out of the blue, he said that a blood gangsi was found in a nearby secret blood pool.

The number of lives sacrificed to create a blood gangsi was nearly a hundred.

The Maeng assumed that they were missing people from the East Sea, and concluded that they had been moved to Dongjeong Lake along the sea route.

And there was only one group capable of executing such a wicked smuggling operation in Jang River.

It was Jang Gangsu’s estate.

However, due to the benevolent nature of the Mureummaeng, they believed that he was not the person who would commit such an act.

And in fact, he wasn’t.

Therefore, they suspected that there might be another conspiracy, so they sent the Chief Patroller to inform and investigate the truth.

“The story is different. Locking her up in a solitary cell…”

“That couldn’t be helped.”

Fabonmu closed his mouth.

From here on, it was Jang Gangsu’s situation.

—-

Jang Gangsu’s estate had changed.

Having escaped from the pirate life on the water, it now resembled a respectable faction with a solid business.

Toll fees?

Originally, even the Mureum factions received protection fees in their territories.

Compared to them, the tolls collected by the guards protecting the Jang River were relatively modest.

However, not everyone was satisfied with this change.

First of all, there was resentment.

As the Jang River and the Mureummaeng had long been considered strong rivals, the evolution of the Jang River was not well received.

So the bandits continued to speak ill.

Shameless brats who don’t know their place.

How dare they call themselves guards, becoming dogs of the officials who eat and live off others.

If it were me, I’d rather become a beggar cutting peppers and carrying a bamboo basket, and so on…

From the perspective of Bok Ha-woon, whatever the bandits muttered was irrelevant.

The problem was that those belonging to the Su-ro-jae faction were agreeing with and joining in on that statement.

The main force of the Jeon-dae’s mines, known as the traditional faction.

Humans who couldn’t forget the taste of plunder, rape, and cannibalism, the trash of mankind. And the prospective trash aspirants who entered Su-ro-jae hoping for that. They gained power.

And recently, there were clear signs that they were plotting something, so when they heard the word “bloodbath,” their minds went blank.

The traditional faction did not usually plot conspiracies.

If done wrong, the entire Su-ro-jae could be destroyed.

This had to be handled without outside help!

At a time when they needed to show that they had prevented such a thing from happening.

It was the reason they ‘protected’ the Great Patrol of the Mu-rim-maeng.

Su-ro-jae’s lord, Bok Ha-woon, looked at his son.

‘But, even if we had to prepare for further interference, we might have had to accept the help of the Mu-rim-maeng. If we had, then that child……’

That was when.

“Hoo……”

Eon Yeon-young breathed out heavily, wiping away sweat.

“What happened? Is the child…?”

“Fortunately, everything turned out well. He will regain consciousness soon.”

Bok Ha-woon breathed a deep sigh.

Even though his lifespan had decreased, it was better than dying.

“About twenty years, you said?”

“Since the treatment went well, it should be a bit longer than that.”

That should be enough, Bok Ha-woon thought.

Now, they just needed to quickly arrange the marriage, he thought.

Bok Ha-woon sincerely clasped his hands together in gratitude.

“I thank you for saving my son.”

“I am not your benefactor. It’s not true.”

“No. Where else could there be a greater benefactor than someone who saved my child’s life?”

“Really. That’s not true……”

Eon Yeon-young replied with a strange smile.

It was clearly a smile that seemed uncertain.

But Bok Ha-woon was in a desperate situation.

And if he didn’t shake it off, it would be a spark that would spread throughout his body.

In his urgency, Bok Ha-woon revealed his true intentions.

He had saved his son for now.

But the situation was not just serious.

The arm of the Chief Patrol Officer had been cut off, and that flood was Bok Heum-chuk, the son of Su-ro-jae’s lord.

Moreover, the attack was carried out under Bok Ha-woon’s orders. Among the officials who fled while carrying the Chief Patrol Officer, there was no one who did not hear that.

‘What should I do about this……’

That was when Bok Heum-chuk woke up.

“Ugh…… My head……”

Bok Heum-chuk suddenly shook his body, which had been pressing down on his head.

Looking around with a surprised expression, Bok Heum-chuk urgently shouted towards his father.

“Father! It’s a big problem, a big problem! Those cursed monsters have spread out in the main house! Su-ro-jae’s family!”

Cheong was staring blankly at the scene.

It seemed serious.

She started running around, saying to turn the ship around immediately and go to rescue the main house.

In the midst of all the busyness, Cheong stood alone.

Then suddenly she came to her senses.

This is not the time for me to watch.

I need to escape before that woman sticks to me.

“Oh my. Where are you going?”

For a moment, chills ran down her spine.

Eon Yeon-young was suddenly next to her.

Damn it, she’s like a bitch, a damn bitch.

Cheong frowned in irritation.

Whether Cheong said anything or not, Eon Yeon-young pushed her head close to her ear.

In a soft voice, she whispered.

“It’s going to start soon. But if you just relax, everything will be fine. I’ll protect you. The soldiers at the gate are too weak and insignificant.”

Cheong scowled.

The words that the lowly high-level said you’re weak were not because of wounded pride.

Compared to that monster, it was true that she was weak.

It just reminded her of another unpleasant mission.

Really, damn. Seriously damn damn damn.