Chapter 44

After sending the prisoners back to the mine shaft, Mang-ryo meticulously adjusted everything from guard post positions to patrol times and movement routes.

“Ah, one more thing.”

The guards turned their attention to Mang-ryo.

“From now on, have three or four children from Tuanshan Village brought here to prepare the prisoners’ meals.”

“What?”

It was an unexpected order.

“We could do it ourselves, or even have the prisoners do it…”

“Bring them in the morning to cook the rice, have them serve lunch, then send them back.”

An older guard asked:

“Every day, sir?”

“Every day.”

The guards were visibly displeased. Why would he order such a troublesome thing?

They could simply throw a lump of rice to each prisoner at mealtimes. Why go through the trouble of bringing children from Tuanshan Village at the foot of the mountain?

And every day at that.

Bring them every day to serve food and then take them back?

Moreover, keeping prisoners in the mine was officially a secret. If they brought children from Tuanshan Village, wouldn’t everything be exposed to the outside world—the location, the presence of prisoners, everything!

“If it becomes known that medicinal sect prisoners are here…”

In response to the guards’ concerns, Mang-ryo frowned.

“Who would know they’re medicinal sect prisoners rather than ordinary criminals unless someone specifically told them?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“And what could those country bumpkins do even if they found out?”

It was literally like covering one’s eyes and saying “you can’t see me.” There was absolutely no guarantee the secret wouldn’t leak.

But Mang-ryo had anticipated the guards’ complaints. He took out a silver ingot and tossed it to them.

The palm-sized silver ingot rolled on the floor.

“I’ll give you one every fortnight. Divide it among yourselves.”

The older guard picked up the silver ingot. It was extra money just for bringing children and keeping their mouths shut, despite the inconvenience. There was no reason to refuse.

“What kind of children do you want?”

“Around ten years old. Mostly boys.”

The guards’ expressions became strange. They apparently thought the new manager had questionable tastes.

“Understood.”

This area was Stone Forest Gang territory after all.

It wasn’t as if they were capturing and killing the children, just making them cook food. There weren’t any villagers brave enough to resist that much.

Mang-ryo looked around at the guards with satisfaction.

‘This should be enough for cannon fodder.’

Now the trap was set.

‘Come quickly, you brat!’

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

Since Jin Ja-gang hadn’t sustained any major injuries while dealing with Seo Gil-pung, he could head straight to Tuanshan Village in Jianshui.

Food wasn’t a concern since he never got sick from eating anything. Jin Ja-gang walked diligently and arrived at Tuanshan Village after nearly two months.

Tuanshan Village was a small settlement with about thirty households. Like other villages in Yunnan, it was surrounded by dense forests, making it difficult to find.

As expected, finding the mine from there was quite a daunting task.

Jin Ja-gang decided to beg around the village to gather information.

He started begging at the first house at the village entrance. A bent-backed old woman came out and served him rice.

“Tsk, tsk, you look like a young master from a wealthy family. Why are you wandering around like this in a place like this?”

Though Jin Ja-gang’s clothes were worn and he looked like a beggar, his eyes were remarkably clear. Moreover, the scabs that had covered his body had all fallen off, leaving his skin extremely smooth.

With proper attire, anyone would have mistaken him for a young noble.

Jin Ja-gang gobbled up the rice while acting a part.

“I came looking for my father.”

“Your father? Why?”

“I heard he was captured and brought to a mine in this area.”

Usually, such a story would evoke sympathy, but the old woman’s eyes showed hostility instead.

“Those wicked people!”

“Do you know about them?”

“Of course I do. They bring slaves to work in the mines, and of all things, they take my grandson and other children every day to cook food.”

“What?”

The old woman suddenly scrutinized Jin Ja-gang carefully.

“Wait. You seem about the same age as my grandson…”

She grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s dirty hand.

“I don’t know if I should ask this of a stranger, but I’ll give you food, clothes, and a place to sleep. Would you go instead of my grandson? Oh, if you’re lucky, you might even find your father.”

The old woman was desperate. She seemed worried that her grandson might be taken to a strange place and come to harm.

“Please, just for a few days.”

Though she was a selfish old woman who only thought of her grandson regardless of others, from Jin Ja-gang’s perspective, this was actually welcome.

He wouldn’t need to sneak in by avoiding others’ eyes; he could enter openly and check things out.

Jin Ja-gang unknowingly clenched his fist.

‘What luck!’

He only hoped that the survivors of Hundred Flower Valley would be in the mine shaft he was about to visit.

That was all he wished for.

* * *

The old woman washed Jin Ja-gang thoroughly and gave him her grandson’s clothes. The clothes were a bit loose. Though he had turned eleven after winter passed, his frame was slightly smaller than his peers due to poor nutrition.

Nevertheless, Jin Ja-gang looked quite handsome after being cleaned up. His skin was so white it seemed almost transparent, giving him an almost mystical appearance.

‘I shouldn’t stand out too much.’

Jin Ja-gang rubbed dry soil on his face to make himself look more ordinary. Country children often went days without properly washing and were typically dirty, so it wouldn’t look out of place.

When morning came, two Stone Forest Gang warriors with swords arrived. Though worried, the villagers sent their children.

Jin Ja-gang was taken by the Stone Forest Gang warriors in place of the old woman’s grandson, along with two other children of similar age from Tuanshan Village.

“Who are you?”

“Where do you live?”

The other children asked questions as they walked, but Jin Ja-gang didn’t answer. To Jin Ja-gang, who had crossed the threshold between life and death, killed many people, and walked a blood-soaked path, the innocence of children his age was merely uncomfortable.

Fortunately, intimidated by Jin Ja-gang’s heavy atmosphere, the children stopped trying to talk to him.

Limp, limp.

Having grown accustomed to walking with a limp, Jin Ja-gang’s pace wasn’t too slow. Having traversed the mountainous terrain of Yunnan until now, his stamina was good despite his small frame. Instead, it was the other two children whose stamina lagged behind, holding them back.

“Can’t you walk faster?”

The warriors became irritated.

The children’s lips were parched from exhaustion.

“Huff, huff, please let us rest a little.”

Jin Ja-gang felt a sense of disconnect seeing the children being scolded.

‘So that’s what normal children are like.’

Jin Ja-gang wasn’t even particularly out of breath. Even the Stone Forest Gang warriors were dripping with sweat.

This realization of his own reality made Jin Ja-gang feel a bit depressed.

Jin Ja-gang and the children arrived at the mine after crossing two peaks.

Jin Ja-gang quickly assessed the surrounding environment and location. Three or four armed guards stood outside the mine shaft, and there was a makeshift dormitory where they slept.

They were searched for hidden items first. Jin Ja-gang was also searched, but naturally nothing was found.

It seemed a routine procedure, as the guards simply gestured for the children to get to work once the search was over.

The children began cooking rice.

They washed rice with their small hands and carried firewood. Though there was a guard supervising, he didn’t interfere much, so the cooked rice was a mess. The bottom was burnt while the top was undercooked.

When would these children have ever cooked at home?

The vegetable stir-fry they made was mostly burnt and didn’t look edible.

‘Why are these children cooking?’

Jin Ja-gang found it a bit strange, but before he could dwell on his suspicions, they were urged to hurry.

“What kind of rice is this?”

“If it’s done, hurry up and roll it into lumps!”

The warriors shouted.

Jin Ja-gang and the children mixed the cooked rice with the stir-fry and shaped them into round lumps.

There were twenty-one lumps in total.

‘Twenty-one people!’

Once they finished making the rice balls, they placed them in containers, loaded them onto a small cart, and headed for the mine shaft.

Pushing and pulling the heavy cart was also the children’s job. The guards merely gave verbal commands and kept watch, offering no help at all.

After descending for quite some time through the dark and winding mine shaft, they reached an open space lit by torches.

The space was wide and seemed to be used as a gathering area.

While guards stood watch at various points and preparations for food distribution were being made, prisoners began to come up from the lower mine shafts.

Their clothes were in tatters, their hair disheveled, and their bodies completely emaciated. All of them had dark circles under their eyes.

Clank, clank.

They wore shackles connecting both legs, preventing them from walking quickly and making loud metallic noises with each step.

Food distribution began.

Jin Ja-gang, like the other children, distributed rice lumps to the prisoners. The prisoners silently received one lump each and moved on. The prisoners who had received food sat down randomly on the floor and began to eat.

Jin Ja-gang’s heart pounded as each person passed before him.

‘Please!’

As if Jin Ja-gang’s wish had not been in vain, a familiar face finally appeared.

Though he tried to hold back, tears welled up in Jin Ja-gang’s eyes involuntarily.

“Ah!”

The prisoner looked up at Jin Ja-gang’s exclamation. A subtle expression crossed the prisoner’s face. He seemed to recognize Jin Ja-gang but couldn’t immediately place him.

In contrast, Jin Ja-gang recognized the prisoner instantly.

‘Uncle Yun-ik!’

He was a middle-aged man named Yun-ik who lived next door. He was a kind man who often helped with tasks requiring a man’s strength in Jin Ja-gang’s household, which had lost its father early on.

Yun-ik’s expression gradually changed as he looked at Jin Ja-gang. He lowered his face to hide his expression and signaled to an elderly man behind him.

‘Grandfather Gong!’

The elderly man, Gong Ga-bok, glanced at Jin Ja-gang after seeing Yun-ik’s signal and showed a surprised expression. Gong Ga-bok and Yun-ik quickly exchanged hand signals.

Then Yun-ik approached a guard standing some distance away, holding his rice lump.

“What do you want!”

“Isn’t this too much? Giving us just one meal a day, and burnt rice at that! How do you expect us to eat this?”

“Is your belly too full? Just eat what you’re given!”

“Could you eat something like this?”

“How would I know! Just take it and go quickly. We can’t eat until you all finish!”

The atmosphere grew tense as guards gathered around.

“Is he crazy?”

“Does he need a beating to come to his senses?”

Yun-ik lay down on the floor.

“Fine. Just kill me, kill me! I can’t live any longer eating this kind of food!”

“This crazy b*st*rd…”

The guards kicked him.

“Ugh! Kill me! Yes, just kill me!”

The more Yun-ik resisted, the more kicks rained down.

Taking advantage of the commotion, Gong Ga-bok spoke to Jin Ja-gang.

“What on earth happened? Why are you here?”

“Grandfather Gong…”

Jin Ja-gang had much to say but spoke the most important words first.

“I came to help you escape.”

“What?”

Gong Ga-bok’s eyes widened.

The commotion subsided quickly as Yun-ik was beaten by the guards and subdued faster than expected.

Unfortunately, Jin Ja-gang and Gong Ga-bok had no time for a longer conversation. Jin Ja-gang could only barely promise to return tomorrow.

But.

“Hehehe.”

Mang-ryo was watching the entire scene from the darkness in the distance.