Chapter 402
Gu Jeolyub will not be participating in this Sacheon trip.
After hearing about him, what came to my mind was,
‘I guess so.’
As I recall from last time, it must be because there was a problem with the old gate.
‘Is it a problem with Muyeon?’
Including Ilgeomdaeju, it was decided in Gu Sunmoon to fully support Muyeon.
After hearing that, Gu Jeolyub seemed to have decided to return home immediately.
As if he understood my implication, the elder let out a slight sigh and said,
“It is what I wanted. The head of the household also said so.”
“Is that so?”
It seemed my father didn’t really care what Gu Jeolyub chose.
I just felt a little sorry.
‘If I go back to my family house,’
The question was whether that was the right thing to do for Gu Jeolyub.
Of course, even if he chased after me, I didn’t think that would be a better choice than this.
‘I just feel a little uneasy.’
I was concerned about the uncomfortable feeling lingering.
That damn dark expression too.
I turned my gaze from Gu Jeolyub’s face.
‘If that’s your choice, I won’t interfere.’
For now, returning to Gu Sunmoon appears to be right, and that’s the conclusion Gu Jeolyub seems to have reached. In that case, I won’t say anything more about it.
Had he come over and asked me what to do, I might have given a different answer.
But Gu Jeolyub didn’t do that.
I suppose he truly believed it was the right time to go now.
Seeing that, I can’t help but hope that even a flicker of affection might bring a wish.
Later.
I simply wished that when Gu Jeolyub remembered this choice, he wouldn’t have any regrets.
After completing all the greetings, I boarded the carriage.
The carriage was provided by the Gu Clan, and I didn’t call any servants.
Since it seems the most crucial purpose for the Tang Clan is evacuation, increasing the number of people can become quite inconvenient.
In the case of Paega, it appeared they reached an agreement with the Tang Clan to strengthen their escort.
‘As for the other parts…’
I cast my gaze over to Paega’s carriage.
Cheol Ji-seon would likely be sitting with Paewoocheol now.
I had to find out a bit more about that guy too.
‘Due to the evacuation, heading to the Tang Clan is slightly delayed.’
Since the route to Sacheon had been slightly altered for safe evacuation, I also needed to check if any issues were arising from that change.
There’s still so much to think about.
Even after organizing and re-organizing, this is still the case.
I feel a headache returning that had calmed down a bit recently.
As I let out a slightly heated breath as if exhausted,
Out of nowhere, a cold hand wraps around my forehead.
The owner of the hand was Namgung Bi-ah.
When I slightly opened my eyes and looked at her face,
I could see her blue eyes filled with concern.
She looked at me and asked,
“…Are you okay?”
Are you okay?
What does she mean, am I okay?
I smiled slightly at her and answered,
“It’s okay. It’s nothing.”
“…”
“I probably smell a bit now, so stay away.”
That meant I got into the carriage in a mess without having washed up properly.
I was thinking about just walking outside, but Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah insisted on stopping me, claiming I couldn’t do that.
I could just go, you know.
Anyway, at that moment when I pushed Namgung Bi-ah away saying not to touch the messy mess,
Instead, Namgung Bi-ah outstretched her arm and grabbed my head, leading me.
Then I felt a soft, fluffy sensation.
As I turned to see what it was, it turned out to be Namgung Bi-ah’s knee.
Just as I was about to get up from that sudden situation,
“…I’m… tired. It’s okay to sleep…”
I subconsciously relaxed my body at Namgung Bi-ah’s voice.
‘How did you know I was tired?’
I had been adjusting it so that my body, which had reached its limit, wouldn’t show any signs of weakness.
I was controlling my breathing to keep it steady.
Perhaps because of my disheveled appearance, Namgung Bi-ah seemed to have picked up on this.
‘… This is tricky.’
As I lay down on Namgung Bi-ah’s lap, a sense of comfort washed over me.
After that, it felt wasteful to go through with it.
Time is a waste.
This is the time to sleep.
At this moment, I should be using this time for something else.
I wondered if it was alright to go to sleep like this.
‘Come to think of it, Mo Yong-hee…’
Fortunately, Mo Yong-hee, who hadn’t contacted us recently, sent word saying she would participate in the Sacheon trip a bit late due to circumstances.
I think she mentioned she’d be joining us in a few days after departing.
As I recalled this, I suddenly felt something odd.
‘Thank goodness…?’
Why the heck did I feel relieved when I heard Mo Yong-hee would be joining the Sacheon trip?
Am I losing my mind because I’m tired?
‘… Right now, I need to think more about what’s going on in Sacheon.’
I forced myself to push it aside and think of something else.
There were many reasons why I chose Sacheon.
Even among those, right now, aside from Baekma Seok and Yeon Ga, one thing particularly caught my attention.
‘Just in time, there he is.’
When that future bloody disaster I kept worrying about happens, my own force to stop it.
One of the individuals I was planning to include happened to be based in Sacheon.
He would likely have emerged in one or two years under normal circumstances.
I was considering visiting him a bit earlier than that.
‘If my guess is correct, finding him shouldn’t be too hard.’
If the information I received in my previous life is still valid,
He’s probably hiding out in the highest mountain of Sacheon.
The first step in establishing my power was him.
He was a mine in my past life, and even in this life, he wouldn’t feel a thing if I corrupted him into a mine.
As I thought of that guy’s face,
Suddenly, I felt a gentle hand stroking my hair.
Could it be Namgung Bi-ah?
If not, maybe it was Wi Seol-ah sitting next to me?
I wasn’t sure.
But the thought struck me.
How this light touch brings peace to my tired head is quite fascinating.
Even while thinking I should get up,
My tired body didn’t seem to permit that, so I ultimately decided to take a short nap.
I just need to sleep for a little while and then wake up.
That was the feeling.
Gwimunsan (Ghost Mountain) in Sacheon.
It is one of the towering mountains in Taishan and the name of the largest mountain in Sacheon.
Not only due to its size but also its eerie atmosphere and particularly cold air, people refer to it as a haunted mountain.
Given this appearance, the rumors circulating around the mountain are quite terrifying.
They say if you climb Mt. Taesan at night, a ghost will appear.
Or if you venture to the mountain alone, you won’t return alive.
The scary rumors about Gwimunsan were notoriously famous.
There were also many ludicrous rumors surrounding the mountain.
However, there was one thing these people didn’t know.
In truth, there are no ghosts on Mt. Gwimun.
Of course, ghosts may exist.
The rumor about ghosts appearing at night was merely a fabrication spread by those who reside on Gwimunsan.
It is indeed true that if you trespass into the mountains, you might not come back alive.
But that isn’t due to ghosts; it’s due to people.
They set up shop on Taishan without anyone knowing.
Spreading rumors to prevent people from approaching and blocking their access.
When I spotted them in the Central Plains, I called them ‘Green Forest.’
In the past, when the magical scripture appeared, monsters began to emerge everywhere—in mountains, seas, and all around.
By now, the number of green forests had considerably diminished.
Looking at this, it was remarked somewhere that the seeds of banditry had dried up.
That isn’t an incorrect statement.
In reality, reports of bandit sightings throughout the Central Plains are practically nonexistent.
With the situation getting more serious, the frequency of troops being mobilized for guarding against monsters has increased.
Consequently, the area where the green forest can operate has significantly shrunk.
Given that circumstance,
Calling those who have settled in Gwimunsan the ‘last green forest’ wouldn’t be strange at all.
In a spooky abode halfway up the mountain.
Drip drip drip—.
Inside, a room nearly in disarray, with wine bottles rolling around.
Bottles were strewn everywhere, and food that seemed untouched had flies buzzing about.
Amidst the filth, a bunch of men who looked like they hadn’t bathed in days were huddled together, snoring.
Unlike the quiet forest, the ruckus from their snoring made me worry that the mountain might shake.
Suddenly the door of the abode swings open, and someone rushes in.
Bang—!
“Chaeju!”
A bearded man kicked open the door and bellowed.
In response to that sound, the humans who had been snoring just moments ago groaned and stirred.
“Ugh… My head hurts…”
“Water…!”
“Whoooosh—!”
“Ugh! Hey, you little brat…! Don’t throw up in here!”
“Grab that brat and toss him out!”
In the chaos, the first person to shout frantically looks around and speaks.
“Where’s Chaeju? Where’s Chaeju?”
“What, you’re the youngest?”
“Hey, youngest… Bring some water first.”
Despite the urgency in the man’s voice, the others seemed to ignore him and were busy shouting at each other.
Just how much did they drink the day before? The room was saturated with the smell of alcohol.
The man kept asking about Chaeju, but no one answered him.
Was that why?
“No! You guys! Where is Chaeju?!”
The man screamed in a fury.
Suddenly,
In an instant, the noisy atmosphere in the room fell silent.
Feeling that, the man shivered.
Since the gazes directed at him felt ominous.
“… Hey, look at this brat?”
“What did the youngest eat wrong? His voice is remarkably loud. Did that brat just yell at us?”
“Phew.”
Knock knock.
Those who had been sprawled out, seemingly dead from hangovers, slowly got up.
When they were lying down, it hadn’t dawned on me, but now that they stood, each one was quite large.
Their heads were barely fitting under the ceiling of the abode.
The man flinched and backed away, not only from their size but also from the discernible pressure emanating from them.
“No… Your Highness… That’s not it…”
“No? Seems like you lost your sense of decorum from lacking training for a while.”
“It’s been a while since we last took care of you.”
Thick fingers reached out toward the man.
Seeing that, the man shut his eyes tightly.
He expected to feel the pain in his body soon after.
Strangely, the pain he anticipated didn’t come.
As the man slightly opened his eyes, pondering what was odd,
“…Huh?”
The others who had been moving toward him stood straight, as if nothing had occurred.
Seeing this, the man frowned in confusion, wondering what had caused that.
“…So.”
His body froze at the voice he heard from behind him.
Hearing that voice, the man struggled to turn his stiff neck and looked behind.
There stood the ‘real deal’—a head taller than the giants in front of him.
His bare upper body was filled with solid muscles.
His body was marked with deep scars, to the point it projected an overwhelming presence.
Amidst the disheveled long hair, the dark glint in his eyes seemed to instill fear simply by being looked upon.
Meeting that gaze, the man trembled as he addressed him.
“Chae, Chaeju… Ugh!?”
The man known as Chaeju suddenly grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him up.
Seeing an adult male being lifted up by a giant hand was a sight that seemed inconceivable.
“What is it that’s bothering me so early in the morning?”
“…That…uh… Ugh…”
“If what you’re saying doesn’t satisfy me, you’ll die like this. Understand?”
Murderous intent intermingled in his voice began to envelop the man’s entire being.
The way he grinned with raised corners of his mouth was terrifying.
The man managed to stammer out a few words while gazing at Chaeju.
“…Party… Tang Clan…”
Chaeju’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing the man’s halting words.
Followed by,
Thud—!
“Cough!”
The man who had been held suddenly tumbled to the floor.
The grip around his throat had been so strong that the fallen man was forced to gasp for air.
“Haak… haak…!”
He could barely catch his breath, but that moment was fleeting.
Guddeuk—
Chaeju knelt down, facing the man lying face down, and asked.
“What is the Tang Clan? Tell me.”
The man’s shoulders trembled upon seeing Chaeju’s smiling face as he posed the question.
The identity of the individual known as Chaeju, exuding such overwhelming aura,
He is the last remaining lord of the green forest at Gwimunsan.
In the distant future, he would serve under Cheonma and become known as the Green King.
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