Chapter 171: Don’t You Think My Skill is Useful?
Second Day
The Demon Warriors were more tense as they awaited Yeon Jeokha than they had been on the first day. After a whole day of provocations, they were certain he would come this time.
However, until the sun set, Yeon Jeokha did not appear. Unable to bear it any longer, Eumsangwi questioned Boss Lee Moojin.
"Are you sure Yeon Jeokha is coming? Could he have gone somewhere else?"
"That old man called Old Shim and the carriage are still in Seoha Village. That means Yeon Jeokha is nearby. He must be watching us from somewhere."
Yang Soran agreed.
"Yes, as long as Old Shim and the carriage are here, Yeon Jeokha hasn’t left. He’s probably hiding, waiting for us to get tired. In this kind of fight, the one who exposes themselves first is the one who loses."
"Then should we just wait?"
"What other option is there? If we fall asleep, our throats will be slit, and if we scatter, we’ll be defeated one by one."
Yang Soran’s sharp observation left the others speechless.
Meanwhile, the sun had set, and the night had grown completely dark.
The Phantom Assassin, Yeon Pagang, was rushing around with his subordinates, lighting fires everywhere.
Lee Moojin sighed at the sight of the pile of firewood. Just thinking about repeating the same routine as the previous night made him feel exhausted. Though his body and mind were tired, he knew that Yeon Jeokha could appear at any moment.
"Come on, let’s stay alert and not disperse. If we lower our guard, we won’t even have time to regret it."
At Lee Moojin’s words, the Demon Warriors refocused their attention.
-----------------
Yeon Jeokha was as frustrated as the Demon Warriors. He had spent the entire day searching Mount Hwang without finding any sign of civilization.
The recent raids by the Daebyeol Stronghold on nearby villages had left the area desolate.
As night fell, Yeon Jeokha looked for a place to camp.
Then, a fat and robust wild boar emerged from the forest.
Hungry, Yeon Jeokha immediately caught it. He had been living off forest fruits for days, and the sight of the boar made his mouth water.
However, once he had it, he didn’t know how to cook it. He remembered what Namgung Cheon had taught him about starting a fire with flint. He gathered dry wood and lit a fire.
Up to that point, he had mimicked Old Shim and Seol Chasu.
The problem came afterward. He knew nothing about cooking, and the boar was too large to handle.
"Bah, whatever!"
He threw the whole boar into the fire without thinking about gutting it.
After about an hour, the aroma of the cooking meat and fat filled the air.
Yeon Jeokha tore off the charred meat and only ate the inner parts. He wasted more than he ate, but he didn’t care. He knew that at dawn, he would have to move to another place.
Although he didn’t have any salt, the meat filled his stomach.
Shortly after, he cut branches with soft leaves and laid them on the ground to sleep.
Looking up at the sky, he thought of Namgung Yeon.
Where would she be now? What would she be doing in Zhengzhou?
After more than six months together, the separation made him feel lonelier than ever.
----------------------
Sik Pavilion, Hamjeong Village
Around 7 PM
Three men and two women were chatting by the window.
After dinner, Namgung Cheon, Namgung Yeon, and Seol Chasu were having tea. Since they had the same destination, the five of them were traveling together.
Looking out the window, Yoo Geunsik commented absentmindedly.
"By now, Young Master Yeon and Senior Shim should be on their way to the Five Peaks, right?"
"Of course. Do you think Young Master Yeon would say anything meaningless?"
At Seol Chasu’s words, Jin Seolha tilted her head slightly.
"But, big brother Seol, the Daebyeol Mountains are vast and deep. Young Master Yeon doesn’t seem to have a good sense of direction. Could he have found the way?"
"A poor sense of direction?"
"Yes, a few months ago in Jangho Village. On his way back from throwing stones into the river, he didn’t seem to know the way back."
"In that small village? Does that make sense?"
"He really did seem lost. I had to guide him."
"Come on, that can’t be! The village doesn’t even have fifty houses. How could anyone get lost there? He must have been messing with you."
Seol Chasu dismissed Jin Seolha’s words.
He couldn’t believe that an expert like Yeon Jeokha would get lost in such a small place.
"Really?"
At Seol Chasu’s firmness, Jin Seolha conceded.
It was hard to believe that someone with Yeon Jeokha’s skills wouldn’t be able to find his way in such a small place.
That night, Namgung Yeon silently got up from her bed.
She was used to meeting Yeon Jeokha at this hour and couldn’t sleep.
Just then, Jin Seolha, who was also awake, spoke to her.
"Can’t sleep?"
"A little."
"Me neither. Shall we have some tea?"
"Good idea."
Namgung Yeon and Jin Seolha went down to the dining area.
The moonlight illuminated the place, so they didn’t light any lamps.
Instead of tea, they took out a bottle of liquor from the kitchen and poured each other a drink.
Jin Seolha was the first to speak.
"Are you worried about Young Master Yeon?"
"A little."
"He’ll be fine. You know that."
"Yes, I trust him."
"Miss."
Suddenly, Jin Seolha looked at Namgung Yeon.
"Yes?"
"You like Young Master Yeon, don’t you?"
"..."
Namgung Yeon didn’t respond.
Of course, she liked him.
But for some reason, she couldn’t say it so easily.
Seeing the look in Namgung Yeon’s eyes, Jin Seolha spoke frankly.
"Someone once said that a cough and love can’t be hidden."
"Really?"
"When Young Master Yeon rejected Eun Wol, I noticed that you were happy. That’s when I knew that you weren’t just friends."
Namgung Yeon stiffened.
She was surprised that someone thought she was happy.
After everything that had happened, how could she be happy?
Seeing Namgung Yeon’s reaction, Jin Seolha quickly apologized.
"I’m sorry if I offended you. I was just sharing my thoughts."
"No, if it looked that way, it’s because I didn’t behave properly."
Namgung Yeon spoke sincerely.
She believed that this wasn’t the time to seek happiness.
Jin Seolha lowered her head, feeling embarrassed for having misunderstood things.
-------------------
Mount Hwang, Daebyeol Stronghold
Third Day
At dawn, the Demon Warriors began to curse.
"That damned bastard!"
"Damn you! Where are you? Come out already!"
"We know you’re hiding. If you’re a man, come out and fight!"
"Come out, damn you!"
The Demon Warriors, used to underhanded tactics, were no longer ashamed. After two days of constant tension, they were at their breaking point.
With a headache, Lee Moojin pressed his temples.
They couldn’t back down now.
As the saying goes, once you ride the tiger, you can’t dismount.
If they stopped now, Yeon Jeokha would devour them.
The thought of Yeon Jeokha waiting outside made him shudder.
The other Demon Warriors were also tense, their eyes filled with fury and madness.
Yang Soran, with a haggard face, muttered.
"He’s a real demon. We know we shouldn’t exhaust our strength, but we can’t do anything."
Though they were exhausted, they couldn’t sleep.
At any moment, Yeon Jeokha could appear and slit their throats.
----------------------
On the third day, around noon, Yeon Jeokha finally found a village.
He recognized the entrance to the village.
As he walked down the main street, his eyes widened.
"What’s that doing here?"
In front of him was the sign for the Muhak Inn.
He had wandered around and ended up back in Seoha Village.
He entered the inn, and the owner greeted him with a smile.
"Welcome back. I thought you’d return soon. Did you have many affairs?"
"Well, a few."
Yeon Jeokha hesitated but then ordered the meal he hadn’t been able to eat and sat down.
Just then, Old Shim, who was eating, saw him and hurried over.
"Well, Young Master! What took you so long?"
Old Shim looked him over from head to toe, checking for injuries.
"Eh, just… things happen."
"And those soot stains on your face?"
Yeon Jeokha rubbed his face, but his dirty hands only made it worse.
Seeing this, Old Shim quickly changed the subject.
"So, what happened with Lee Moojin?"
"I haven’t found him yet."
"What? And the other Demon Warriors?"
"Not them either. I didn’t find Mount Hwang."
"You didn’t find Mount Hwang? It’s just northeast of here, only half an hour away. How could you not find it?"
"I went, and there were many mountains. If you went, you wouldn’t find it either."
"Why didn’t you come back to ask for directions?"
"The mountains look different going up and down. But look at it this way, at least I made it back to Seoha without getting completely lost. Don’t you think that shows some skill?"
"Skill? Anyone would have been back in an hour. I was worried, but I suppose at least you’re alright. What do you plan to do now? Should we leave and head to the Five Peaks?"
"No, I have to keep my promise. I’ll hire someone from the village to guide me back."
"I think it would be better not to go. No one will blame you."
"A promise is a promise. It’s not that hard."
"Three days of struggle for nothing sounds pretty hard."
"It wasn’t a meaningless struggle. It was an adventure to strengthen my spirit."
As they discussed, the waiter brought the food.
After three days without a decent meal, Yeon Jeokha devoured the food like a madman.
Old Shim tried to persuade him not to go to Daebyeol, knowing that the Demon Warriors would be waiting. But Yeon Jeokha didn’t budge. He would rather face the Warriors than be bothered by having gotten lost.
Tags:
HIS (Novel)