Chapter 6 – To Hanzhong (2)

Chapter 6 – To Hanzhong (2)

About 30 ri south of Yonghwa Tavern. In the downtown area of ​​a city called Hampyeong, there was a huge tower called Hwachangnu. This place, where entertainment and entertainment thrives, consists of a site of nearly 2,000 pyeong. When you go through the ornately decorated gate, you can see a beautiful flower garden and pond in the front yard.

Here and there, courtesans were showing off their charm and soliciting customers. Dozens of bright red buildings behind the courtesans. You didn't have to guess what was going on inside.

So-mu passed by the pavilions one by one and looked for signs inside. The dirtied talk and the women's moaned coming from inside were clearly conveyed to his senses as if he was hearing them right next to him.

Soon his steps stopped. The bright red pavilion at the end. This was because his voice was detected within it.

“Haha! Come closer!”

Just hearing the voice made my teeth chatter.

So-mu's right hand resting in front of the gate of the shrine. The profound energy rising from the dantian erupted from the palm of my hand and struck the door.

bang-!

So-mu frowned at the sight seen through the wide open door.

A gorgeous bath filled with red petals. Ha-chil was soaking himself in it.

He started by yelling loudly.

“Who are you!? Can’t you turn off right now?”

“I guess you’ve already forgotten me.”

Ha-chil stared intently at the man approaching him. And before long, I was able to remember his identity. Although his appearance had changed to become neater, it was clear that he was the person he remembered.

There was no reason to panic. He was just the owner of the guesthouse. Ha-chil rummaged through the hem of his clothes on the edge of the bathtub and took out a dagger.

“If you don’t want to be fucked, get out!”

“Didn’t you promise me? You would take the children to Henan.”

“Am I crazy? Sharing six nyang of silver with those beggars?”

His attitude, which had been telling him that he would get better, had completely changed. A heavy, subdued voice came out through his lips.

“Children died because of you.”

“What do I care if they run away or not? If they take one more step, I will kill them!”

Any further conversation was meaningless. So-mu's eyes turned cold and deadly.

“The outcome may not be different, but I was worried that something might have happened to you. Thank you for letting me kill you without feeling guilty.”

So-mu's new brother, who was in front of the door, disappeared from his spot.

Ha-chil looked around in confusion. Soon he felt someone grabbing his hair from behind.

“Aren’t you going to let go of this?”

It seemed like he still couldn't understand the situation. Even though his face was being pushed into the water.

with a plop-!

“Gurgling…gurgling!”

The two courtesans were terrified as they watched Ha-chil struggling in the water. When So-mu sent a glance, the courtesans took their clothes and disappeared as if they were hiding their eyes.

“And six silver nyang. I think it took about five years to save up that money.”

The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't control my anger boiling over. This was because it was concluded that he worked for five years just to earn Ha-chil's entertainment expenses.

“Gurgling, gurgling!”

Only when the turbulence reached its peak was his face able to emerge from the water.

“Ha! Ha! Stop….”

So-mu's soft voice was heard in the ears of Ha-chil, who was breathing heavily.

“Give me one reason why I should stop.”

“Well, that is….”

Ha-chil suddenly realized that he still had a dagger in his right hand. Without even thinking, he hurled it forcefully towards So-mu's abdomen.

“Dude!”

A sharp dagger was approaching, but there was no need to avoid it. This was because the occasional attack poses no threat.

Deep!

The moment the tip of the dagger touched his abdomen, a cruel smile appeared on Ha-chil's face. But he soon realized something was wrong. The dagger did not go in at all, as if it had been stabbed with a rock. I tried again and again, but it was no use.

“He really is incorrigible.”

So-mu's palm moved at the speed of light and struck Ha-chil in the face.

Cheok-!

His new model, which flew awkwardly, flew far away and crashed into the wall.

Kwaang-!

“Ugh!”

Because it was a blow with little internal power, there were no major injuries. Ha-chil, who staggered to his feet, continued to roll his eyes.

Before he knew it, his dagger was in So-mu's hand. I couldn't even tell when it was taken away. After finishing assessing the situation, Ha-chil's face began to fill with humility.

“Please just spare my life. I will get better….”

Ha-chil's constantly changing attitude was so absurd that it was almost absurd.

“Yes, I will let you live. Because for you, dying is a luxury.”

After speaking, So-mu moved his dagger and struck the air twice. Two clusters of light shooting towards the front. The identity of this thing flying through the air in the shape of a crescent moon was clearly strong energy.

Kwakwang-!

The strong energy disappeared only after piercing through one wall of the room. Ha-chil, who was rolling his eyes without understanding why, immediately felt a tremendous pain coming over him. At the same time, a scream of pain made the room vibrate violently.

“Kwaaaak!”

Pain that made you feel like you're losing your mind. Additionally, I had no feeling in both of my shoulder blades. Ha-chil was overcome with despair.

So-mu walked leisurely, leaving him behind, as if she had finished her business.

“Survive until the end and enjoy the pain that Yoo-hwa felt.”

“Kill me! Just kill me, you bastard!”

I had no desire to kill him easily. He didn't look back once until he walked out the door. Because just looking at Ha-chil’s face was disgusting.

* * *

Hanzhong, a large city in southern Shaanxi. This was one of the most important strategic points connecting the transportation routes between Hubei and Henan regions, including Sacheon to the west. It was an area that must be defended, but the current Song Dynasty did not have the strength to do so.

General Ae Fei was concentrating each corps in Yangyang, even giving up the entire Shaanxi. Because the situation there was more urgent. If Yangyang fell, the country was in danger of being split in half. It was an area that could never be given away, even if it meant giving up everything.

Meanwhile, there was a general who disobeyed the general's ordered and remained in Korea.

There were only about 500 soldiers under General Zhang Yang's command. There was nothing these soldiers could do. He eventually set up a recruiting station and was urgently recruiting new soldiers from around Shaanxi.

“Applicants, line up and wait your turn!”

. . Among them, So-mu was also seen.

After waiting for our turn under the hot sun. The number of irritated people around me increased one by one. However, So-mu was as motionless as an old tree.

After half a hour more, it was finally his turn. The administrator, sitting at an outdoor table and clutching a brush, asked mechanically.

“Origin and name.”

“My name is Somura of Baiyang County.”

“What were you doing?”

“I worked in the kitchen.”

“Have you ever practiced martial arts? Have you ever tried riding a horse?”

“A little bit of swordsmanship. I’m not good at horseback riding.”

“Do you have any experience hunting?”

The administrator's endless questions were almost annoying.

As the situation was urgent, the recruiting station was accepting all volunteers. However, the reason for asking such questions was probably to classify the classes. In a situation where there was not enough training time, it was an inevitable choice because each individual had to make the most of his or her talents.

“Take this paper and go over there.”

After the boring Q&A, we moved on to the next location.

The soldiers of the government army were paid a considerable amount of compensation. Therefore, I had to at least make sure that my body was in good condition.

“Take off your top.”

As So-mu took off her top without saying a word, all the attention around her was focused.

The administrator who was examining the body expressed admiration. Smooth muscles and body shape without any unnecessary elements. It clearly showed what physical perfection was.

“I can’t believe my eyes. This is the most perfect recruit I’ve ever had. Pass!”

The physical examination was completed very quickly. As if there was no need to look at it, it passed right away as soon as he took off his top.

So-mu, holding the paper written by the administrator, moved to the military camp's parade ground. All the recruited soldiers were gathered together, and their number reached as many as 5,000.

As So-mu looked at them, the phrase ‘ragtag group of people’ came to mind. He, who had witnessed the soldiers of the Hui army in person, shook his head in excitement.

‘If a battle broke out in this state, we will be annihilated as soon as it started.’

Today was the last day of recruitment. That's why all the new soldiers were on the parade ground.

So-mu had to wait here for another half hour until all procedures were completed. Even he, who was very patient, could not help but be very bored.

It was then. I sensed someone reaching out from behind my back. Since it wasn't a threat, I let it go without avoiding it.

Hot-!

A huge palm raised above the shoulder. So-mu, who identified the owner of the hand, had a smile on his face. He was a welcome person.

He has a shiny bald head and a huge, sturdy build like a bear. Although he had a harsh appearance as the leader of the gangsters, he was the sunshine of Baiyang County and was unusually affectionate.

“Isn’t this Brother So-mu? Are you here to volunteer? You managed to escape safely from Baiyang County.”

“Hehe. You were here.”

“Ahm. This person looks completely different? That’s why I told you to wash up right away, right?”

So-mu couldn't help but laugh. Who evaluates whose appearance?

“I washed it well even back then. I just didn’t take care of it.”

“So, how old did you say you were?”

While living in Baiyang County, Il Gwang never once asked my age.

Even if I were to be honest, they wouldn't believe me anyway. So-mu thought about it for a moment and then thought about it.

“I’m thirty.”

“You’re the same age as me. Please speak to me more easily from now on. It’s good to have at least one friend from back home who you can rely on when you come to a foreign place, right?”

So-mu silently nodded his head once. Then Il-gwang's eyes turned to the paper So-mu was holding.

“Anyway, what class did you get?”

Recruits were assigned to a branch as soon as they enlist. Most were assigned to the basic classes of swordsmen, spearmen, and archers, but occasionally they were assigned to cavalry or advance troops performing special missions. The most preferred branches of service for new soldiers were the cooked and supply soldiers, who had a relatively low risk of death.

So-mu silently opened the paper in his hand. Il-gwang sticks his head out and steals the content. He immediately laughed loudly and shouted.

“Haha! You’re a swordsman, right? You’re just like me, right? From now on, just stick next to me. People from the same hometown should rely on each other.”

So-mu nodded and looked at a young man wandering nearby.

A martial artist with a dark expression as if he had lost the whole world. It was clearly someone he knew.

Eventually, when our eyes met, his face began to smile brightly.

It was Cheong-hae, another regular customer of Soho Tavern and a third-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect who was excommunicated.