Im, who had not slept a wink, rose as soon as dawn broke.
His wife lay asleep beside him, unaware of the world.
With cautious hope, Im quietly got up, retrieved the stone hidden in the wardrobe, tucked it into his bosom, and slipped outside.
The sun had yet to rise, and darkness enveloped everything.
Without a soul knowing, Im left the house and sought out Old Choi at the herbalist’s shop where he usually traded herbs.
Though it was early, Old Choi sat on the bench spread out in the yard, sorting through herbs.
Spotting Im entering the shop, Old Choi greeted him warmly.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
Ignoring the greeting, Im hurried up to him.
“Um… I need you to take a look at something.”
He handed over the stone to Old Choi.
“What’s this? Let me see. Im, this looks like gold… Could it be?”
Im waved his hands nervously, glancing around.
“Sir! It’s not stolen. I found it in the mountains yesterday.”
“You say you found gold?”
“Yes. But is it really gold?”
“From what I see, it seems like it. But where exactly did you find it?”
Im recounted the story in some detail—careful not to reveal the exact location.
Old Choi could hardly contain his surprise.
If gold was already showing on the surface, who could imagine how much lay buried beneath.
But gold belonged to the state.
No matter how weak the state’s power in this region, this was still their land.
It was not something a private individual could claim at will.
Besides, the amount was too large to simply pocket quietly.
If mishandled, the whole village could face grave consequences.
“You may not know this, but gold belongs to the kingdom. Mishandle it, and you’ll lose your life.”
“But…”
“Go report this to the authorities at once. No treasure is worth your life.”
“But I found it. Why would it belong to the state? Then are the herbs I pick from the mountain also theirs?”
It was a ridiculous argument.
No matter how simple Im was, he could not be so ignorant.
But gold had robbed him of reason.
Flaring with anger, Im clutched the stone tightly and stormed out of the herbalist’s.
“Where are you going?”
Old Choi, startled, tried to stop him but failed.
“This is bad.”
Walking through the market street, Im tried to organize his thoughts.
‘Where should I sell this? Jo the general trader? Man the cloth merchant? Or maybe Yuk the blacksmith?’
Yuk ran the only blacksmith shop in Baekseong—the Yuk Blacksmith—buying and selling metals regularly.
‘Maybe he could handle gold too.’
Im entered the Yuk Blacksmith.
After some time, Im finally left the shop.
His face no longer held the anxiety it had when he arrived.
Even though it was still early, before sunset, Im stopped at the priciest courtesan house in the village, Chuwollu (Autumn Moon Pavilion).
That night, Im indulged in expensive liquor and food with two courtesans, spending the night in Chuwollu’s annex.
***
At midday, “Ah, my head. They say good liquor doesn’t get you drunk or give a hangover, but that’s all lies.”
Grasping his aching head, Im got up from his seat.
He gulped down the water prepared on the table and hurried out of Chuwollu, heading back to the blacksmith.
Yuk’s Son seemed to have already settled the bill, as no one stopped Im when he left.
Inside the blacksmith, Im didn’t notice the sudden change.
The usual sounds of hammering were gone.
The stifling heat from the forge was absent too.
“Yuk’s Son, are you here?”
No answer.
Silence reigned in the shop like a grave.
As Im opened the door to the backyard where Yuk’s Son’s room was, lightning struck his head.
Thud!
A searing pain split his skull, and he struggled to open his eyes.
A buzzing sound followed shortly.
“I know you’re awake. Hurry up and open your eyes, or I’ll make sure you never do.”
Fear overtook him, forcing his eyes open.
Before him lay a grisly scene.
Yuk’s Son and his father were sprawled like minced meat, drenched in blood.
Im thought it was a nightmare.
He tried desperately to escape, but his body wouldn’t move.
Then someone grabbed his hair and yanked his head back.
“Don’t waste time. Just tell me where you found this.”
The man held in his hand the very stone Im had given Yuk’s Son.
Terrified, Im begged profusely, explaining the location in detail.
“Please spare me. I won’t tell anyone. I never even saw the gold.”
The leader among them, a fierce-looking man, placed his hand on Im’s head and spoke quietly.
“I want to spare you, but if you live, more will die. It’s better for everyone if it ends with you. I’ll make it painless.”
As the man’s open palm covered Im’s head and then withdrew, Im fell lifeless.
“Report the situation to the leader. Jjaggwi, take the others and search the place he mentioned. Taebok, move quickly!”
The burly man in his thirties was Muchideok, Deputy Leader of the Blood Wolf Band—outlaws who roamed the steppe.
Muchideok’s deadly skill was Pyehyeolsu (Severing Blood Technique), a fearsome martial art once used by Mongol generals that instantly blocked vital blood points.
The next day, news of the deaths of Im, Yuk, and Yuk’s Son spread throughout the village.
Rumors quietly emerged that the killings were linked to the gold stone.
In truth, Yuk had been grateful when Im came to sell gold.
Yuk’s only son was addicted to gambling, unmarried, and constantly stealing family wealth to feed his habit.
His debts grew so large that thugs from the back alleys came daily, threatening to seize the blacksmith shop if debts weren’t paid.
Yuk demanded a 30% commission from Im, who, having no better options, agreed readily.
Unbeknownst to Yuk, his son secretly stole the stone and brought it to the gambling den.
The Blood Wolf Band, operating on the steppes, occasionally sent small groups into the city to gather intelligence and acquire supplies.
By chance, Muchideok and a few captains visiting Changchun witnessed this scene in the Baekseong gambling den.
Without hesitation, Taebok, one of the sub-leaders, lured and kidnapped Yuk’s Son.
Thus, the whereabouts of the stone became known to the bandits.
Three days after the bloodbath at Yuk Blacksmith.
On a dark mountain peak, five men surveyed the village below, discussing their plan.
“Jjaggwi, the quickest way to move the gold to our hideout is through that village, right?”
“Yes, Deputy Leader. If we cross the village and the northwest mountain, we can reach the steppe within three days.”
“What if we avoid the village?”
“We’d have to detour south toward Changchun and go around the mountains. It’d take over ten days. And if word got out, countless enemies would swarm us. Even if the leader handles the scouts, the real problem is the government army. Once they know, reaching the steppe won’t be easy.”
“Hmm…”
Muchideok was no fool.
At least ten people saw Yuk’s Son carrying the stone in the gambling den.
Some must have informed the authorities.
Once Im, Yuk, and his son were dead, the government army stationed in Changchun would surely investigate.
Calculating roughly, it would take about a week to ten days to send news from here to Changchun, and another ten days for the army to arrive.
Add a day or two for preparation, and they had roughly twenty days.
Three days had already passed confirming the gold mine.
That left about ten days or so.
“When will the leader arrive?”
“If fifty men from our group reach the mine tomorrow, he should arrive the day after.”
“So we must pass through that village… What do we know about it?”
“Not much. About five hundred villagers. A small sect called Cheongangmun, with roughly one hundred disciples. The sect leader is mid-level.”
“We’ll enter the village. The rest can prepare carts to carry goods from the mine.”
Jjaggwi nodded in agreement.
“Understood.”
The three men vanished into the darkness.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Deputy Leader.”
Entering the village, Jjaggwi and Muchideok sought out the Village Head.
Muchideok ordered Jjaggwi to do nothing until given further instructions.
Village Head Jang looked at the two men and felt a bad omen, though he tried not to show it.
“What is your business here?”
“You’ll learn when the Cheongangmun leader is here with us.”
His tone was harsh.
Jang’s fear deepened.
“Please wait a moment.”
With anxiety and fear, Jang ran straight to Cheongangmun.
Shortly after, Jang returned with Ganghwan, the sect leader, to his yard.
Ganghwan tensed upon seeing the two men waiting in the yard.
The men’s appearance marked them as bandits, though their true rank was unclear.
One of them gave off a strange, unfeeling aura unlike anything common in these mountains.
Recognizing the danger, Ganghwan bowed first.
“I am Ganghwan, humble leader of Cheongangmun.”
But the cold reply was sharp and unforgiving.
“We’re not here to exchange pleasantries. Let’s keep it brief.”
The atmosphere froze.
“We won’t cause trouble. We just need to pass through your village to transport goods. Please keep this quiet.”
Ganghwan spoke cautiously.
“What kind of goods?”
“Do you think you can handle knowing? Sometimes ignorance is bliss.”
“When do you plan to pass through?”
“Ten days from now. Nothing will happen after we leave.”
“Can we trust you?”
“What will you do if you don’t?”
Another man barked angrily.
Muchideok paid no mind to Jjaggwi.
“From now until we leave, we control this village. Anyone who breaks the rules will die. But if you comply quietly, no one will get hurt. I guarantee that. Also, prepare meals for 150 people, three times a day. We’ll provide the food, you just cook. Of course, we’ll pay generously when we leave.”
Jang looked apologetic.
“I understand what you mean, but we barely have enough hands to prepare that much food…”
Without listening, Muchideok raised his right hand and struck the nearby wall.
Boom.
A head-sized hole formed with the impact.
Pale-faced, Jang bowed his head.
“Understood. Please only keep your promise not to harm the villagers.”
Ganghwan bowed carefully.
“I will inform the villagers of your wishes. We’ll take our leave now.”
Ganghwan led Jang and a few close kin back to Cheongangmun.
Inside, Ganghwan gathered his family and all the villagers.