Chapter 72: Intertwined Branches (1)
Sichuan Province.
In the Chuan-Shan Four Circuits, which was an administrative region of the Song Dynasty, a province formed through the Yuan Dynasty was situated.
As it was the place where the Yangtze River, Min River, Tuo River, and Jialing River originated, it was a commercial district where numerous merchants gathered.
However, the fact that there were many rivers and active commerce meant that there were just as many water bandits.
Because of this, among the farmers and fishermen, there were many who fled from the water bandits to go up to rugged mountain peaks and live by cultivating slash-and-burn fields.
The father and daughter Son Gang and Son Hwa here were precisely such a case.
“I hope there is a lot of good iron today.”
“We are running out of firewood to burn in the furnace, Father.”
Son Gang was a blacksmith, and Son Hwa was Son Gang’s only daughter.
The father and daughter ran a blacksmith shop on a remote mountainside and made a living by selling agricultural tools to the farmers at the foot of the mountain.
Having lived on this mountain for a long time, Son Gang knew well where high-quality iron could be found, and he was mining and storing it in advance to prepare for the upcoming busy farming season next year.
But that brought disaster.
The water bandits of the Yangtze River came to plunder Son Gang’s blacksmith shop.
…Bang!
A water bandit who broke down the door and entered immediately kicked Son Gang’s chest, and soon after, grabbed Son Hwa’s hair.
“Kyaah!?”
At his daughter’s scream, Son Gang coughed and shouted.
“What are you doing!”
At Son Gang’s anger-filled shout, the water bandits giggled.
“We are requisitioning all the iron in this thatched cottage. Bring it all and load it onto this cart. Then pull it down to the riverbank at the foot of the mountain.”
“…….”
There were as many as five sturdy men who came carrying swords.
Since they were all likely fiends accustomed to murder, resisting was meaningless.
Having no choice, Son Gang could only grit his teeth and nod.
Since his only daughter was held captive by the water bandits, there was nothing he could do.
“Father……”
Son Hwa sobbed while held by the water bandits.
The water bandits dragged Son Hwa over and sat her down on a wooden bench.
Then, they spoke to Son Gang in a triumphant manner.
“I will give you half a day. Load all the iron onto the boat within that time. Otherwise, your daughter will be chopped to pieces today to feed the fish.”
“……I understand. I will do as you order, so please just do not touch my daughter.”
Son Gang sweated profusely as he carried iron ore to load onto the cart.
Meanwhile, the water bandits took out tea, rice cakes, dried fish, and other things from inside the thatched cottage and began to eat them as they pleased.
Just then, one water bandit spoke.
“Come to think of it, this girl has a pretty decent face, doesn’t she?”
“What? Bah! How can a girl this dirty be decent?”
“No. It is just because her face is covered in soot, but if she washes it off, it will be quite a sight to see.”
The water bandit yanked Son Hwa’s hair up.
Since black soot was thickly smeared on Son Hwa’s face, at first glance, her appearance could not be distinguished at all.
The water bandit said.
“You, wash your face at the well here.”
“…….”
Son Hwa squeezed her eyes shut.
And she scooped a bit of water from the bucket set before the well and rubbed her face.
At that, the water bandit slapped her cheek.
“Won’t you wash it properly? If even a bit of soot remains on your face, I will pull out your father’s intestines to wipe it off! Understood!?”
At the threat of the men holding swords, Son Hwa washed her face while trembling from head to toe.
The water bandits giggled in front of her and brandished their swords.
“If you are ugly after washing off the soot, we will kill you right away.”
“Ah, I cannot tolerate ugly ones. I will kill that girl’s father right away, too.”
“You heard that, you wench? You had better be pretty. Otherwise, well, the father and daughter die together.”
“Wash up quickly, do not just stand there shivering. Huh?”
“Let’s see. Oh? Her skin is quite fair. Here, wash some more.”
Eventually, Son Hwa finished washing her face.
At that, the water bandits admired.
“Wow. She really is pretty.”
“If she is like this without makeup, she is better than Chun-wol from Taiai County over there.”
“Didn’t I tell you? My eyes for looking at women are accurate.”
“This will not do. I should satisfy my desires right here before leaving.”
“Let’s decide the order. How about drawing lots?”
Son Hwa began to shiver.
Her suffering had not ended yet.
Just then, Son Gang, who was carrying iron ore, came running.
“W-What are you doing! I said I would give you the iron, so why are you doing this!”
“Who said we are killing her? We are just going to play with her for a bit.”
“Please! Please do not do this! I will give you everything, even what is hidden in the mine, so please, just my daughter……!”
One water bandit furrowed his brow in annoyance.
Then, reaching out with a large hand, he grabbed Son Gang by the collar.
He dragged Son Gang toward the blacksmith shop.
There was molten iron bubbling inside a large pot there.
The water bandit smiled, revealing his yellow teeth.
“I heard that molten iron that has consumed a human hardens even firmer, so shall we see if that is true?”
He tried to grab Son Gang’s hair and put it into the molten iron.
At that, Son Hwa, who was behind, cried out in urgency.
“Do not harm my father! I-I will do whatever you order, so……!”
At those words, the water bandits burst into laughter.
“Amusing creatures. Shall we stay here for about a week? Making this girl do this and that.”
“Stop it. We have a long way to go. We must set sail by tomorrow dawn at the latest.”
“Not that long. We are on our way to join the Yangtze River Water Bandit Union anyway. I heard there is a mountain fortress of someone called Dog Butcher Gyeon Sul nearby. Wouldn’t it be quick if we go there?”
“Tsk, you fellow! If we are going to submit ourselves, we should latch onto the influential one. If you go a little further from here, there is the mountain fortress of the one called Human Butcher Ga Jeong-maeng.”
“Human Butcher. Is his influence larger?”
“Need I say it? Rumors are rife that he will become the next Union Master of the Yangtze River Water Bandit Union. And they say that when he accepts subordinates, he does not look at status, origin, or personality at all. He treats them solely based on their skill.”
“Hehehe- it is perfect for skilled ones like us.”
“Oh. Just to be safe, you should not go around saying Human Butcher, Human Butcher there. Do not forget to politely call him Thousand-Head In.”
“You fellow. Am I crazy? To call him butcher, butcher even after going there. I will handle it well on my own, so do not worry.”
The water bandits chuckled, exchanging banter with each other.
Right at that moment.
“Who did you say is the next Union Master?”
A voice came from behind the water bandits.
At the place where they turned their heads, a woman with a pale complexion was seen standing.
The water bandits laughed.
“Oh, there was one more girl?”
“This side is prettier.”
“Tsk, but she has a blade scar on her face.”
“I do not mind. I will just carve one more for her.”
“Hey- you also come here and try to sit down……”
The last water bandit’s words were cut off in the middle.
Because his head was cut off in the middle.
Split!
A hand axe, used only for splitting firewood, flew and severed the water bandit’s face.
…Thud!
Blood splattered, and the well area was damply soaked.
“!?”
The water bandits hurriedly drew their swords.
“You bitch!”
One water bandit swung his sword.
The scarred woman just stood there staggering, as if she did not even have the strength to avoid the sword.
Just then.
Clang!
A black staff that sprang out from behind her deflected the water bandit’s sword.
“……Argh!?”
The broken sword blade pierced the water bandit’s throat and stuck out from the back of his neck.
At the same time, the young-looking boy retrieved the staff.
Thud, thud!
Quick successive thrusts smashed the heads of two other water bandits one after another.
Chui and Hae Baek-jeong.
They killed four water bandits in the blink of an eye and entered the yard.
Step- step- step-
The single surviving water bandit, knocked backward, crawled away.
Chui walked up in front of him.
“I heard that molten iron that has consumed a human hardens even firmer.”
“……?”
“Shall we see if that is true?”
“……!”
The water bandit who received back the exact words he had uttered just moments ago.
His expression began to turn deathly dark.
Chui tightly grabbed the handle of the red-hot pot with his bare hand.
Bubble bubble bubble…
Then, he poured the molten iron inside the pot over the water bandit’s head.
Hiss-
Along with the sound of burning flesh, a pungent smell of burning fat spread.
“……! ……! ……!”
The water bandit struggled without even being able to scream.
Then, he died trapped in the cooled iron.
“…….”
The father and daughter Son Gang and Son Hwa were trembling while embracing each other.
This was because, although the water bandits were scary, the man and woman who had just appeared felt far more terrifying.
Just then.
Hae Baek-jeong walked up in front of the father and daughter Son Gang and Son Hwa.
She spoke in a trembling voice as if she would collapse at any moment.
“Bedding.”
“…….”
“And lend me your furnace.”
“…….”
How could they dare to disobey in front of such presence?
* * *
Even while lying on the hot floor under the blanket, Hae Baek-jeong trembled like an aspen leaf.
“Cold…… Cold……”
Having her body pierced by a sharp branch was a minor matter.
She had been struck by swords twice in her waist and thighs, and seven arrowheads were embedded in her back.
The bones that crashed into underwater rocks were broken into pieces, and in the midst of that, the parts struck several times by Chui’s staff were bruised dark blue and swollen.
…Clink!
Chui sat next to Hae Baek-jeong and pulled out the sword fragments or arrowheads that had dug into various parts of her body.
“Tsk.”
Chui lightly clicked his tongue.
Since he was treating the enemy he had intended to make into a spear ghost instead of killing her, it was indeed absurd.
“If you cannot forge the weapon, you will die.”
“Cold…… C-Cold……”
Hae Baek-jeong groaned in high fever, having lost consciousness.
Throwing the axe earlier was also merely an unconscious reaction to the words ‘Human Butcher’ or ‘Union Master’.
Chui stripped off all of Hae Baek-jeong’s clothes, removed all the metal fragments and wood splinters that had pierced her body, and covered her with the blanket again.
Then, opening the paper sliding door, he spoke to Son Hwa, who was waiting on the wooden veranda.
“Give me hot water and clean cloth. And fetch some medicinal herbs as well.”
“Yes, I will. But……”
“?”
Son Hwa trailed off, reading Chui’s expression.
Then she blushed and asked.
“Is the woman who came with you…… perhaps your wife?”
“No.”
“Then is she your lover?”
“No.”
“Then what kind of relationship is it……”
Hearing Chui’s reply, a mysterious expectation appeared on Son Hwa’s expression.
On the other hand, Chui furrowed his brow, not knowing why she was asking such a thing.
“She is a prisoner.”
“?”
“Just fetch what I asked for quickly. If you do not want to, I will go to another house.”
“No! No! Please stay here! I will fetch them quickly!”
Son Hwa ran toward the twig gate with a brightened face.
Chui placed his hand on Hae Baek-jeong’s forehead.
The fever was boiling so hotly that it felt as if one could melt iron on it.
Just then.
“Do you intend to use the furnace?”
Son Gang’s voice came from across the veranda.
Chui closed the door to the room where Hae Baek-jeong was and went out to the veranda.
Son Gang stood in a polite posture and bowed his head to Chui.
“I have prepared it so you can use it anytime.”
“Can you join these together there?”
Chui, with a sliver of hope, showed him the Dark Bamboo Staff and the Plum Blossom Sword.
Son Gang inspected the two weapons with a sharp gaze and soon shook his head.
“These rare items cannot be handled by the skills of an ordinary blacksmith. With my humble ability, even sharpening the blade would be difficult.”
“Do you not know of a blacksmith who can do it?”
“As far as I know, there is none nearby. Perhaps if you go out to Chengdu over there……”
“…….”
Chui nodded his head.
In the end, he had no choice but to wait for Hae Baek-jeong to wake up.
If she had spat out a cheap lie to escape the situation…… she would surely pay the corresponding price.
Unrivaled Spear Ghost