The Rabbit Drive
Five times in all.
That was how many times the Jongsan branch manor had been attacked the previous night.
And then—
"Twenty-two men have vanished."
"What did you say?"
"After their raid, twenty-two people are missing from among the dead and wounded."
"Th-this…"
If they had died, the bodies should have remained.
But they were gone.
So these bastards were kidnapping them?
"Damn it, what in the world are they thinking?"
Mok Ja-un ground his teeth, eyes bloodshot from nights of constant attacks that came from every direction without warning or rest. Sleep had been a luxury he could no longer afford.
The report Gwak Chu had brought was grim.
The Jegal Family had rallied Blood Shadow Pavilion and Demon Shadow Tower, then mobilized a great host to surround the Jongsan branch manor.
Even now, more martial artists were pouring in.
Just as he said, banners now crowded the distant mountains and fields around the estate. No people were visible, yet the encirclement was unmistakable.
Damn it all…
Mok Ja-un was learning the hard way just how vital information could be.
If only he had learned of their alliance a little sooner.
He would never have used the manor as a base. He would have relocated long before this.
"Gwak Chu."
"Yes."
"Any other news?"
"W-well… we're already surrounded, so even we find it difficult to move freely."
Having stepped forward claiming he would aid the Namgung Family, the man had stayed close to Mok Ja-un all this time, serving as his eyes and ears. The intelligence had been a little late, yet there had been no other source of information, and now that they were under siege, he had no choice but to treat the man with even greater favor.
Even if he was someone to be used and discarded.
"Then can you at least gauge the enemy's movements?"
"Their movements?"
"Yes."
Mok Ja-un's eyes sharpened.
"It's galling, but we have no other options right now. Only a single night has passed, yet who knows what schemes those underhanded Jegal dogs are weaving?"
"…"
"If we stay here like this, we'll fall right into their designs. You've heard, haven't you? They're up to something strange."
"You mean the kidnappings?"
"Exactly. I don't know what game they're playing, but it won't stop after one or two attempts. They're clearly trying to whittle down our numbers this way. Plant fear over what happens to the captured men, and crush our morale."
Gwak Chu nodded at Mok Ja-un's words.
Even he, faithfully playing his role as a spy, had not expected this.
Kidnappings?
But why?
What in the world was the Jegal Family thinking?
Still, how could a mind like his ever hope to read the thoughts of people who had spent their lives studying strategy alone?
The overall situation remained unchanged. A few questions lingered, yet everything was proceeding according to plan, so he needed only to fulfill his own role.
"We have to get out of this damned place first. It feels like standing in a quagmire."
"But we're already surrounded…"
"I know that. But tell me—do you really think the orthodox and the unorthodox can stand side by side?"
"Pardon?"
Mok Ja-un's eyes narrowed.
"It may look plausible for the moment. But their alliance is bound to be incomplete. History has always proven it. Their pursuits are simply too different."
"…"
"Righteousness and profit do not blend easily. So look carefully. There will certainly be cracks inside their ranks. And if we give those cracks just a little push… well? Wouldn't that be quite the spectacle?"
"Hmm. I see. That could be the case."
"We strike at their weak point. Whatever plans they may have laid, that will become our escape route."
"Understood. The risk is great, but if the Namgung Family is willing to take me in, is there anything I wouldn't do?"
"That's right, that's right. I give you my word. If you assist us with everything you have this time, the reward will be substantial. Our main house never treats capable men lightly. Who knows? You might even end up sitting proudly as the master of our Namgung Family's Hyeonyeong Pavilion."
"H-Hyeonyeong Pavilion?"
"Of course. You're from the Beggars' Sect, aren't you? The family head always elevates men of ability. Someone of your caliber would surely be judged worthy of Hyeonyeong Pavilion. Well? Joining the Namgung and rising swiftly wouldn't be so bad, would it?"
"Thank you, Pavilion Master! I will devote my full loyalty!"
Gwak Chu dropped his head to the floor in a deep bow while thinking,
Recommend me as master of Hyeonyeong Pavilion? By what authority?
Hyeonyeong Pavilion and Gangmu Pavilion stood as equals within the Namgung Family.
Mok Ja-un had no power to make such a promise, yet he tossed out sweet lies without a shred of hesitation simply to goad him.
The Jegal schemes truly are formidable. How did they even read this bastard's thoughts and craft a strategy around them?
Better this way, then.
If they ordered him to observe the enemy's movements, he would do exactly that.
It would make reporting the situation far easier.
"Then I shall be off."
"My thanks."
Watching Gwak Chu's eager display, Mok Ja-un nodded.
Master of Hyeonyeong Pavilion?
A beggar dog should know his place and aim lower.
How dare a street-wandering beggar even dream of such a precious post in a house like the Namgung?
To Mok Ja-un, Gwak Chu was nothing more than a shiny trinket picked up off the roadside.
A tool to be used and thrown away.
The fifth day since the sporadic attacks had begun.
"Damn it, those bastards…"
Jegal Mun-Hyeon was in a foul mood.
The first day, the second day…
With every passing hour, the "harvest" grew thinner.
As the attacks repeated, the Namgung Family's defenses had hardened.
Barely fifty men.
At this rate it was barely a drop in the bucket.
Only the stronger ones were left now, and casualties were beginning to appear among Blood Shadow Pavilion as well.
How much longer did they have to keep this up…?
The successive raids had exhausted more than just the Namgung side.
"Ugh, I feel like I'm dying…"
The master of Blood Shadow Pavilion trudged past with rabbit-like eyes and sagging shoulders.
Everyone wore the same look.
These hit-and-run assaults drained the attackers' stamina just as badly.
They all suffered from lack of sleep, yet still had to run themselves ragged—and handle the kidnappings on top of it…
But every time spirits flagged—
"Hyung, you can do it, right?"
"You know hyung is the strategy itself, right?"
"There's only you, hyung. You're the hope of our Jegal Family."
Jegal Jung-gi beamed with a bright smile and poured on the encouragement.
That damned "hyung, hyung, hyung"!
This rotten little bastard!
He was only calling him "hyung" so he could work him like a dog.
Just as resentment was piling up—
"Mun-Hyeon!"
"What."
He answered listlessly at the sight of another rabbit, Jegal Mun-ho, charging toward him in a panic.
"It worked! It finally worked!"
"What?"
"They took the bait!"
"The bai—what? Really?"
"Yes! We're about to open a retreat path for them. Lord Gwak Chu's reverse scheme succeeded!"
The fatigue vanished as if he had downed a whole bowl of white-grass decoction in one gulp.
The time had come.
The moment to open a road for the cornered rats, then chase them down and wipe them out.
"When?"
"Tonight. According to Lord Gwak Chu, the Namgung Family will begin their flight under cover of darkness. The escape routes have already been analyzed."
"Heh heh heh. Is that so?"
All that remained was to gather the spoils.
One by one, the stragglers who fell behind during the flight.
"Wait—then…?"
"We…!"
"Can sleep?!"
Gwan Hwi-pyeong, the third exhausted rabbit, snapped his eyes open with a blood-red gleam so intense it nearly glowed.
Every face overflowed with anticipation.
Time to satisfy it, then.
"Good. Sleep first. We need to prepare for tonight."
"Khhh…"
"Finally."
And so they slept…
"Hyung, wake up. Hyung!"
Someone shaking his body made his eyes snap open.
"It's night."
"…Night? Already?"
"Yeah. Everyone's getting ready."
"…"
At the words of Jegal Jung-gi, who had come in person to wake him, Jegal Mun-Hyeon stared blankly into the deepened darkness.
Damn it, I only closed my eyes for a second.
"You know your position, right?"
"…"
"You must not try to hunt them all at once. Let them run. Whittle their numbers down little by little. You understand?"
He understood.
The so-called rabbit drive.
It was the strategy Jegal Jung-gi had devised.
Block the path they meant to take, force them to change direction, then scoop the stragglers and the ones caught in the snares into sacks one by one.
"Haaah, can't I sleep just a little longer?"
"No. You know why. Hyung has to block their front. Please, hyung. You're the only one who can do this. If you don't stop them, the entire strategy becomes worthless."
"…"
At Jegal Jung-gi's earnest plea, Jegal Mun-Hyeon glared at him through half-lidded eyes.
This little shit…
Expression, tone—everything was wrapped in perfect courtesy, yet somehow he looked far more hateful than when he used casual speech. Was that just his imagination?
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Just to work me to the bone."
"…"
Jegal Jung-gi fell silent.
Then he grinned and said,
"If you know, then hurry up and go."
"You little…"
"What? Going to hit me at this point?"
His fist trembled.
Knowing and still falling for it. This rotten, ill-mannered brat…
"Just block them. You understand what I mean?"
"I know. I know!"
"Please."
"…"
When the brat even bowed his head, Jegal Mun-Hyeon could only sigh.
Well, it was all for a good cause.
They would settle accounts after it was over.
Deep in the night, the escape began with the information Gwak Chu had delivered.
"Fortunate. The clouds are covering the moon just in time."
"Yes."
"What are the enemies doing?"
"They don't seem likely to move for now. Word is their conference hall has turned into a complete mess."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. They were already shouting about merit awards as if they had won, and an argument broke out. If the top is like that, there's nothing worth watching below."
"Good. First we leave this place, then strike when cracks appear among them."
"That seems best."
"Guide us."
"Yes."
Gwak Chu carefully opened the rear gate of the manor and scanned the surroundings.
Naturally the encirclement had thinned.
It had been a net designed that way from the start.
A net meant to let them slip through.
"Now!"
"Move!"
At Gwak Chu's signal, more than two hundred martial artists of the Changcheon Sword Corps, led by Mok Ja-un, began to sprint at full speed.
"Huh? Th-the enemy!"
"They're escaping!"
The ringing of bells and the shrill of flutes filled the forest.
But it was already too late.
The ferocious charge of the Changcheon Sword Corps tore through the surrounding net as if it were paper.
"Insects! Avoid combat! Breaking free comes first!"
"Yes!"
Watching the enemies scatter in every direction without any intention of stopping them, Mok Ja-un drilled the plan into his men once more.
Escape first.
Even if they had to fight, they would do so only after reforming ranks outside the net.
"Pavilion Master, the enemy is pursuing. The wounded are falling to the rear."
"We cannot look after every small sacrifice. Revenge can wait!"
Mok Ja-un chose to abandon his comrades.
He believed it was the right choice for now.
They had to reach the goal.
Not far ahead lay the mountain pass leading into Henan Province.
If they could just cross that border…
At that very moment, a lone figure standing at the far end of the road entered Mok Ja-un's vision.
Beneath the heavy darkness the man revealed a black silhouette and raised something long and staff-like toward the oncoming force.
An enemy?
But there was no time to hesitate.
They had no choice but to push through…
Mok Ja-un drew his sword and swung in the same breath.
The energy that had gathered along the blade shot toward the man without end.
"Fool…"
A brief assessment.
Then a single trajectory flashed like a streak of light.
KWA-AAAAANG!
Mok Ja-un's sword qi was sliced apart.
Shockwaves kicked up a cloud of dust, and from within that haze the man shot forward, unleashing a monstrous blow.
T-Tangi?!
Mok Ja-un, horrified, hastily raised his sword.
JEO-EO-EONG!
The blade was shoved back.
Of course his face twisted.
How could this…
Never once had Mok Ja-un imagined he would be forced back. He could not hide his shock.
The moment he finally steadied himself, the clouds drifted aside and the moon revealed its face.
In that light the man's identity became clear—a youthful young man.
"In quite the hurry, aren't you?"
As he smirked, a certain figure flashed through Mok Ja-un's mind.
The young master of the Jegal Family who had toppled Nine-Wall Sword and the Sorok Sect.
"…Jegal Mun-Hyeon."