After that day, Dongbang Seollin lingered around Gangchan without hesitation.
Gangchan also tried to keep her close, knowing she had nowhere else to be if she wasn’t by his side. As the man and woman spent all day together and looked after one another, there were things they felt even without speaking.
Gangchan began to perceive Dongbang Seollin, who took such good care of him, a little differently than before. He felt the energy of a woman looking at him with shy eyes filled with infinite trust. It was his first time feeling such a thing.
Though unfamiliar, he didn’t dislike the pleasant sensation. Therefore, he didn’t stop her, no matter what she did.
After losing both parents at a young age and having his older brother vanish, Gangchan had to handle everything on his own. Over several years of wandering the Middle Plains, he had only one goal: ‘I must become strong.’ That goal had made Gangchan powerful and sturdy, but conversely, it had slowly erased his human side.
However, now Dongbang Seollin’s shadow was beginning to slowly cast itself over Gangchan’s heart.
It was the fifth night of their return journey.
***
Around the hour of the rat (11:00 PM to 1:00 AM), after the campsite had been settled and everyone had fallen into a deep, exhausted sleep.
Gangchan was lying in his bed, but he opened his eyes quietly when he sensed someone sneaking toward him. At the same time, Du Ilchung, who had been sleeping nearby, moved silently from his spot.
‘Leave it alone.’
Gangchan sent a sound transmission to Du Ilchung, who was about to stand up, and continued to pretend he was asleep.
The moment the dark shadow cast by the moonlight was about one jang (about 3 meters) away from where Gangchan lay, it lunged into his arms like a lightning bolt.
Suddenly, something flashed and stabbed at Gangchan.
*Thud!*
“Ugh!”
A muffled scream broke out as the shadow that had lunged at Gangchan collapsed onto the ground. Gangchan held a vishu in his right hand, and his left fist was buried deep into the shadow’s ribs.
“I’m fairly certain I told you to think carefully.”
Gangchan’s tone was languid, filled with pathetic disappointment. At that sound, the sleeping Dongbang Seollin woke up in surprise.
*Smack!*
Gangchan’s palm struck hard against the back of the shadow’s head as it lay groaning on the ground.
“This is the price for waking Lady Dongbang.”
Perhaps because the sound of the slap was so loud, Dongbang Seollin felt a sudden wave of guilt.
The shadow, which had been sprawled out as if dead, suddenly bolted upright. Then, with a face full of agonizing pain, he hurled curses at Gangchan.
“You crazy bastard! Just kill me! Don’t keep me alive just to torment me, please, just kill me!”
“You’re really noisy.”
Gangchan’s voice was full of irritation. At that sound, Muchideok’s reason completely shattered.
“Aaaargh! Is this the behavior of someone sane, to toy with us like this when you’re going to kill 100 people anyway? Just kill us all!”
Gangchan’s expression changed with terrifying speed as he looked at the screaming Muchideok. Along with it, an ice-cold killing intent began to spread around him.
“Have you only killed those who were guilty all this time?”
“How will you repay the injustice of those who died at your hands?”
“How dare you!!!!”
Gangchan’s voice erupted like thunder echoing through the mountains.
“Do you think your sins are so light that you deserve a peaceful death?”
“The reason I keep you alive is so you don’t find peace in death.”
“You don’t have the right to be at peace.”
“Feel the resentment and pain of the people you killed while you’re still alive and suffer.”
“This is the punishment those who died are bestowing upon you.”
“So, don’t you dare be happy for a single moment while you live.”
“If you feel even a flicker of happiness, I will kill you in the most cruel way in this world.”
*Thump!*
Muchideok was sent flying by Gangchan’s kick and landed roughly where the bandits were gathered. Despite this, all the bandits continued to pretend they were asleep, and not a single one stood up.
Gangchan’s words and actions were incredibly resolute.
Watching this, Dongbang Seollin lay back down. However, her body trembled involuntarily.
‘How much it must have hurt, how hard it must have been, and how scary it must have been…’
As she looked at him emitting cold killing intent, pity and compassion took the place where fear had passed.
‘I can’t do anything for you… but if it’s hard, please lean on me. I’ll hold you warmly.’
Dongbang Seollin looked at Gangchan cautiously.
Indifferent to her gaze, Gangchan strode toward the area where the bandits were gathered. Behind him, all the members of Squad One, who had woken up at some point, stood at his back.
Looking down at Muchideok sprawled on the ground, Gangchan shouted.
“Everyone, get up!!!!”
The startled bandits jumped to their feet.
“I clearly said before we left. If you’re going to kill me, do it properly.”
“But I also said that if you failed, I would kill you one by one.”
At Gangchan’s roar, Muchideok crawled on his knees and clung to Gangchan’s leg.
“Kill me! I’m the one who did it, so kill me!”
An ‘as expected’ expression appeared on Gangchan’s face as he looked down.
Suicide disguised as an assassination attempt. This was Muchideok’s true intention. However, Gangchan had no intention of complying.
“You still don’t know me very well.”
“I never make empty threats.”
“……!”
Muchideok’s lips trembled violently.
“I was wrong! Please, I beg you, forgive me just this once! No, please forgive us, Master!”
However, Gangchan was firm.
“Everyone, turn around.”
The bandits looked at Muchideok, fidgeting in anxiety, but eventually turned their backs. Gangchan took out his Samhonbu and walked slowly among the bandits.
It was the terror of not knowing who would die. Some of the bandits began to sob in fear.
*Swoosh! Thud!*
A head fell to the ground.
The bandits didn’t know, but the one Gangchan killed was one of those who had hidden his true heart just to survive and had blended into Muchideok’s group. He was someone Gangchan had already decided needed to die eventually.
The surviving bandits covered their mouths with their hands and stifled their cries. Their shoulders were shaking silently.
Muchideok was in a state of immense shock. He hadn’t expected Gangchan to kill so decisively.
Gangchan ordered his squad members to clear away the dead bandit’s body. Then, as if nothing had happened, he returned to his spot and lay down.
At that moment, Dongbang Seollin quietly approached Gangchan from behind and hugged him softly. She didn’t know where she had found the courage. She just felt that if she didn’t do this, Gangchan would find it too difficult to bear.
After that day, both the bandits and Dongbang Seollin remained silent.
Several more days passed.
***
The weather was turning cold rapidly, as if winter were clearly approaching.
The bandits realized there was no longer any hope, and some of them truly began to regret their past actions.
Gangchan never gave them a single glance. Seeing this, even Dongbang Seollin began to walk on eggshells around him.
One night, when the end of the return journey was not far off.
As Gangchan was about to go to bed, Muchideok approached him.
*Thump!*
Muchideok fell to his knees. Then, he wailed while shedding tears.
“We had to do anything just to survive from the moment we were born. Those who can remember their parents are among the lucky ones. Most of us don’t know our parents’ faces or names. There are those who remember them, but even they were sold for a few coins.”
“Who do you think sold them? Even so, none of them resent their parents. Because if it wasn’t them, one of their siblings would have been sold in their place.”
“Sometimes we had to live worse than beasts. We’ve come this far with the single thought that we had to live like that… like beasts. No one ever told us how a person should live. We lived killing if told to kill, eating if told to eat, and stealing if told to steal. If we died by a blind blade, that was just the end of it.”
“You may or may not know, but among those here, only ten have any connection to Guihon Village. Even those ten only transported the carriage filled with gold; they never harmed anyone in Guihon Village. The rest have nothing to do with Guihon Village. Isn’t that why… you killed the Danju with a single strike but didn’t kill us?”
“If death is a luxury for us, as you said… if we must live and suffer… then please, let us die as humans, even if we lived as beasts. If you do that, I will do whatever you ask!”
Muchideok’s desperate cry.
Watching this, Dongbang Seollin turned away and wept. These were the people who had killed the servants of the Noble Families and stolen the Escort Goods. However… she felt that they might also be victims of this world in another way.
Gangchan said nothing for a long while. Then, he spoke with a cold expression.
“In a short while, we will arrive at the entrance of Guihon Village, our final destination.”
“Pick out those who are qualified to die as humans. I will save only them. It doesn’t matter how many are left. Those who are chosen are your responsibility. I will treat everyone as one. However, if even one person becomes a beast again… they will die a miserable death along with you. So, do not save anyone out of petty mercy. The mercy that saves one person could become a murder that kills everyone.”
Muchideok stood up quietly and disappeared toward where the bandits were gathered.
After that day, the number of bandits following the return path gradually decreased.
The month-long return journey was coming to an end.
The boundary between Jilin Province and the Plains.
Once they crossed the mountain blocking their path and traveled for about 2 hours… Guihon Village would appear.
On the wide plains at the foot of the mountain, about seventy men were setting up temporary tents.
“Master, should we set up a residence here?”
“No. For now, just prepare it so we can stay temporarily.”
“I will go to Cheongangmun, speak to my brother about the situation, and wrap up your issues before I return.”
With that, Gangchan left the seventy men and his squad members behind and headed toward Guihon Village with Dongbang Seollin.
The last hill leading to Cheongangmun. Gangchan and Dongbang Seollin were crossing that hill.
“Lady Dongbang, if it’s a burden for you…”
“I can go meet my brother alone.”
“No.”
Dongbang Seollin smiled faintly and said, “My appearance is a mess, but it’s only right that I pay my respects to Hall Master Gang’s brother.”
“If you say so…”
“But… are you perhaps ashamed of me?”
“What?”
Gangchan was momentarily flustered.
‘Ah, this woman is no joke either…’
As the two approached Cheongangmun, Sawu and Yedowi appeared from the roof like lightning and opened the gate.
“We greet the Hall Master!”
Gangchan dismounted from his Mongma and welcomed them.
“Good work. Has anything happened?”
“If you can call it a problem, the problem was that it was too peaceful.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Let’s go inside. Oh, this is Lady Dongbang of the Dongbang Clan.”
Dongbang Seollin, having dismounted, greeted them calmly.
“I am Dongbang Seollin.”
“I am Sawu of the Heavenly Mandate Hall.”
“I am Yedowi of the Heavenly Mandate Hall.”
After finishing their greetings, the gazes of the two men didn’t easily move away from Dongbang Seollin. Noticing this, Gangchan cleared his throat and spoke.
“Ahem. Why don’t you head inside?”
Inside the office of Cheongangmun.
Gangcheol and Old Man Kang smiled as they looked at Dongbang Seollin.
“I am quite curious as to how the daughter of the Dongbang Clan ended up coming to such a humble place with our Chan.”
Gangchan, feeling uncomfortable with the strange atmosphere, cut him off.
“Brother, there is an important matter we need to resolve first.”
“I don’t know what matter it is, but I’m more curious about Lady Dongbang for now. Can’t we hear that story a bit later?”
“Brother! Lady Dongbang, I’m sorry. Since you’ve greeted them, could you step out for a moment?”
“I understand.”
As Dongbang Seollin left with a smile, Old Man Kang guided her out with a joyful expression. Gangcheol watched Old Man Kang with an envious look. Then, Gangcheol soon turned his gaze toward his younger brother.