episode_0215

There has been a strange rumor going around recently.

The story was that people were becoming violent.

In particular, people are becoming increasingly violent around the former border, where control has been lifted and people are coming and going more frequently.

In the past, they would have followed the government’s control without much burden, but recently, there has been an increase in the number of people who are fiercely resisting not only the government’s control but also the cries of the martial arts people.

“What is that? We are not slaves. What was that about?”

“That’s fascinating.”

“As the control of the North was lifted, people came and went more frequently. As a result, there are a lot of stations and things like that being installed in that area, so there is some friction… but they say it’s a bit harsh.”

There was nothing particularly strange. Regardless of whether they reach the top or at least the martial artists take over, they will feel that what is theirs is being taken away.

“Even if I offered a more than reasonable price and provided a place to move to, he said he didn’t want it. They say they resist as if they are opposing for the sake of opposing.”

“Is this also true for events at the pavilion?”

“Hmm. exactly. Even though I went out of the hall to mediate, they said they were being rude and violent.”

I poured a drink for a warrior who came down from the north not long ago.

He said he had lived his entire life hunting monsters in the north, but many of the monsters there had disappeared, so he came down to the south. He sipped his drink while telling me what he saw on his way there.

“Oh. This is delicious.”

“Please eat more. This is what I live for.”

“Hehehe. People tell me to go to Seomhwachon. It’s definitely good.”

“Is that so?”

“He said that if you are going to hunt monsters, you should definitely meet Teacher Yu.”

With a satisfied smile on his grim face, he took the paper I gave him.

What he was asking about was the method of dealing with a large, bull-headed monster called Ugwi.

I heard that there was a woo-gwi in the village I stopped at on my way down from the north. He, who came down after hearing a rumor that several monster hunters had already been harmed, got up from his seat, feeling very drunk.

“Hehe. Then let’s go.”

“Thank you for the information. If you need anything else, come back later.”

He gets up and leaves, holding the bottle of alcohol on the table. Although he walked with unsteady steps, as if he was quite an expert, he was seen leisurely leaving the guesthouse without bumping into anything.

As I was watching this, the Sword Saint came up next to me.

“The people in the north must be fierce.”

“That won’t be the case.”

“Really?”

When Sayun, who had been learning the theory and swordsmanship from the Sword Saint little by little, and who had come down on the day the Sword Saint was escorting me, asked, I thought for a moment and then opened my mouth.

“It must have been influenced by Dool.”

It is said that Do-ol is arrogant, arrogant, and stubborn, and in addition to being very ferocious, he does not listen to other people’s opinions or words at all, so he is even nicknamed Nan-hoon.

Therefore, there was a high possibility that people who were influenced by that person would become violent and not listen to the mediation or words of others.

“Can humans be influenced by monsters?”

“It’s not called the Four Evils for nothing.”

At the Cheonsangmyeongwol Gallery, it is the evil evil that is treated as a neighborhood drum, but it is no exaggeration to say that the evil evil is marijuana based on the setting.

Unlike simple monsters, their reason is stronger than their instincts and they are even clever, and once they start running rampant, the damage is not easy.

“Isn’t the fact that people influenced by Dool have begun to appear… the same as saying that the Iron Blood Tree has begun to move?”

“Well… it would be similar.”

Although it was said that Cheolhyeolmokje and Dool joined hands, there was no guarantee that they would move together.

“But you don’t listen to others at all, so why do you follow the Sangvis’s words?”

“There may be many reasons, but in general, evil spirits tend to be friendly with evildoers. Also, if he was released from the seal and increased his power through them… Dool might think of them as his subordinates.”

From the Iron Blood Tree’s point of view, he would not care much even if he was treated as a subordinate. His goal is to unleash Hongseongsan’s spiritual energy, and if he accepts that spiritual energy, he can become much stronger than Dool.

At that time, he would either capture Do-ol or make him his subordinate.

“That’s right.”

Geomseong heard my thoughts and smiled bitterly. Then he slowly wiped the smile off his face and muttered softly.

“Look at how ridiculous I look.”

“Well, Geomseong’s joke is funny, but not to the point where it seems funny.”

Geomseong smiled brightly, perhaps because his joke was praised, and Sayun smiled awkwardly.

Well, no matter how precious a teacher he is, it seems that Sayun does not yet have the sensibility to accept Geomseong’s jokes.

It’s not the content of the joke, but the reaction that’s funny.

“More than that. Have you finished eating?”

I saw the bowl placed in front of Geomseong and Sayun.

The bowl of somen and the plate containing Dongseo and pork placed in front of Geomseong and Sayun were empty.

“Ah. hmm. Well done. The value is…”

“It’s okay. Wouldn’t it be nice to have cherry blossoms for dessert?”

“Ugh. hmm. That’s right.”

I brought out a type of pound cake made with plenty of fruit juice that had been sold at a store some time ago.

When a cherry apple containing the scent of green apples and nuts was placed in front of them, the two quietly chewed on it.

“Um… guest owner.”

At that time, a woman in white came out from inside. She was a maid of the Jeok family who was staying in Huwon. Her face was covered with cotton, so you wouldn’t know it unless you looked closely, but she was Yang Joo-hee, the eldest of the maids who served the young lady of the Jeok family.

“I’m sorry for ordering when the store was closed… Do you have any cherry blossoms left?”

“There are still some left.”

As she said, the store is closed, but I am the owner, so what is it?

I brought a cherry tree, and Yang Ju-hee sighed after receiving it.

“Thank you.”

“Special words.”

The reason she didn’t know what to do was because of something that happened a few days ago.

The lady seemed to like the snacks sold at the store so much that she constantly asked for them.

Even at night when the guesthouse business was over.

Fortunately, I wasn’t sleeping, so if it wasn’t for that, I probably would have suffered all night long.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

When Geomseong said a word, Yang Joo-hee lowered her head, not knowing what to do. But what can I do?

As she carried it away, Geomseong looked at me.

“Why are you doing that?”

“No. Are precious guests like that?”

Since that doesn’t even belong to the axis of truth, I nodded and Geomseong briefly clicked his tongue.

“If someone tries to be rude to you, tell them without delay.”

Whether it’s a precious gem or something else, it’s just…

I chuckled at her muttering softly.

“By the way, I heard that she was around Sayoon’s age…”

“Did you hear that too?”

“I heard it from that boss earlier. Tsk.”

Geomseong glanced at Sayun. Sayoon, who was smiling brightly while putting a small piece of prunus fruit in her mouth, tilted her head and Geomseong stroked her head.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Okay. It would be better like this.”

haha. Was it a shame that Sayoon couldn’t come closer to me?

The Sword Saint’s voice contained a little bitterness.

After finishing the business, I went back to my office and organized the books I had brought in earlier in the evening.

The letter sent by Hao-mun and Cheon Il-hwa contained a similar story to what the warrior had said earlier.

I opened the map, thinking about the places they mentioned.

Starting from the place where people first became violent, I slowly connected other areas with a line, and I was able to confirm that the change was gradually heading south.

“……”

“What are you looking at so badly?”

“Because of the story I heard earlier.”

Although there were a few places between regions, there were places where spiritual energy gathered.

The Iron Blood Wood Emperor must have come down from there after expelling spiritual energy from there.

“If the spiritual energy is shaken, confusion will occur, and through that confusion, monsters will gather, which can be used as food for Dool… Isn’t this really an easy strategy for them?”

Iron Blood Mokje and Dool have not yet made their proper appearance. In other words, they were saying that they were moving in secret without using their own power.

“Are you worried?”

“I can’t say no.”

I was thinking that this attack would probably be on a different level from the last attack.

That’s why I was serious, and Geomsung gently hugged me by the arm.

“Don’t forget that the Sword Saint is by your side.”

“Haha… Yes. Thank you.”

“And… um. It’s clumsy, but there’s a connection. There is also Chaejin. Also, everyone in Hongseongmun will trust and follow you… so you don’t have to worry.”

Geomseong slowly stretched out his hand and hugged me.

Normally, he was the master of Hongseongmun and held the weight as a swordsman, but when the two of them were together like this, he was a swordsman who was strangely pampered and clingy.

She rubbed her face against my chest affectionately and then looked up at me.

“Do what you must.”

“Haha. That feeling…”

“Master…”

At the sound of the voice I heard at that time, Geomseong hurriedly fell from my side. While she sat down and smiled awkwardly, Sayun came out rubbing her eyes and looked at me and Geomseong alternately.

“Are you not sleeping…?”

“I need to sleep now. Ahaha…”

With a slightly sullen face, Geomseong spoke to Sayun and slightly stared at me before entering the room with her.

I looked there and continued thinking.

It’s what I have to do…

okay. I have a lot of work to do, but I can’t stay like this.