Who Would Help? (5)
Those watching the precariously moving cart along the narrow mountain path lowered their voices to a whisper.
“...Looks like there’s something loaded on that cart.”
“Seems like grain.”
“Why would the Evil Tyrant Alliance be hauling grain?”
“Could be requisitioned goods, couldn’t it?”
“If it were requisitioned goods, they’d be taking it the other way.”
“...That’s true, isn’t it?”
Suspicion flickered in everyone’s eyes. But the mystery did not last long, because they soon caught the conversation of the men pulling the cart.
“Damn it all!”
The rough-looking man riding at the front of the cart growled in a voice thick with irritation.
“Why the hell do we have to do something like this?”
The scholarly-looking man following behind him gave a snort and replied.
“If we’re told to do it, we do it. What choice do we have?”
“It’s one thing to order something sensible! I can’t believe I’ve lived this long and ended up doing this—not robbing those ignorant peasants, but handing grain out to them instead. I’m speechless.”
At that moment, the Heavenly Friends Alliance members exchanged bewildered looks.
Giving grain away?
The Evil Tyrant Alliance?
Their minds raced, but before they could sort through the implications, the conversation continued.
“What in the world is Jang Il-so thinking...?”
“Shh!”
The rough man had gone too far in his irritation, and the one beside him looked around in panic, his face gone pale.
Startled by that display, the Heavenly Friends Alliance members also crouched lower and carefully hid their presence even more completely.
“Have you gone mad? Do you want to die saying something like that out loud?”
“What death? There’s no one here but us!”
“The rats hear the words spoken at night, and the birds hear those spoken by day! Keep running your mouth like that and your head’ll be on a pole before a month is out. Do you have any idea what kind of world this is?”
“...Damn it.”
The rough-faced man ground his teeth.
“We can barely feed ourselves, and now they want us to hand over this precious grain to those peasants! What the hell are they thinking?”
“The higher-ups must have their reasons.”
“Reasons? Then does that mean Lord Man-Geum didn’t have any?”
“Hey! Why bring up that name?”
At the mention of Lord Man-Geum, the man’s face turned ghostly white. His eyes darted wildly, as though terrified someone might have heard. But the rough-looking man only raised his voice higher.
“Why? Are we not even allowed to say his name?”
“No, that’s not what I meant—”
“Let’s be honest. Back when Lord Man-Geum was alive, did we ever have to scrape around because we didn’t have enough money for a drink? Back then, we didn’t fear a thing in the world! But ever since those damned Myriad Man Sect bastards seized the Evil Tyrant Alliance...”
“You idiot, shut your mouth for once! Do you really want to die saying that?”
“I’m pissed off because we don’t even have enough to eat, and now we’re supposed to deliver it to people who won’t even help us! I’m about to burst!”
Listening closely to their exchange, the disciples of Mount Hua looked at one another.
“Looks like they’re Black Ghost Fort men?”
“...Seems that way.”
“So Jang Il-so is really putting the screws to them...”
Im So-byeong’s gaze darkened, turning solemn.
It sounded like nothing more than ordinary grumbling, but the information hidden in that conversation was more significant than it seemed.
First, the grain on that cart had been ordered by Jang Il-so to be distributed to commoners. And second, even though it was Jang Il-so’s order, the people inside clearly were not pleased with it.
Of course...
Jang Il-so was probably stockpiling enormous amounts of supplies in preparation for war against Jiangbuk.
No matter how much money the Evil Tyrant Alliance had gained by swallowing Black Ghost Fort whole, it would still have been difficult to prepare for war and keep the troops satisfied with proper pay at the same time. So if they were now being told to give away hard-won supplies to commoners, it was only natural that resentment would follow.
“Honestly, what good has the Evil Tyrant Alliance ever done for us? We got dragged away from a perfectly decent life, made to stand guard on that damned Yangtze, and just when I thought we’d finally been let off the hook, now we’re pulling carts instead!”
“Well...”
“The northern campaign can freeze to death for all I care. What’s in it for me if they go through with that? It’s only good for the folks at the top. I just want to make a decent bit of money and drink my fill tonight—that’s all I need! Isn’t that right?”
The rough-looking man turned toward the men following behind him, as though expecting agreement.
None of those lower in rank than the two in front dared answer aloud, but their eyes clearly showed they agreed with what the rough man had said.
“Don’t say that. We all know it, so we keep our mouths shut. If you keep blurting that kind of thing out, you really will be skinned alive. They may call themselves one of the Nine Great Sapa Powers, but... those Myriad Man Sect bastards aren’t human. Not really.”
“...”
“Have you forgotten what happened to the fool who badmouthed the alliance leader last time and got caught by the Myriad Man Sect? Good grief... I’ve been in Sapa for almost twenty years now, and I never imagined people could be killed so cruelly.”
The rough-faced man seemed to agree as well and only snorted through his nose without replying.
“They say the Demonic Sect is cruel, but even they’d be sickened if they saw those Myriad Man bastards. We don’t even need to get on the alliance leader’s bad side—if the rumors merely reach their ears, we won’t die cleanly!”
“Damn it all!”
The rough-faced man ground his teeth again.
“How did the world end up like this...?”
“Tsk, tsk. What’s the point of blaming the world? Besides, our situation is still better than those poor bastards who got requisitioned on the Yangtze side and the Hainan side. We don’t have to watch our step, at least.”
“That would almost be better. Is this the sort of work a man with a sword should be doing?”
“Honestly, temper yourself a little.”
“At this rate, I’d rather swing a blade once and die cleanly. All we do is...”
The man speaking abruptly made a strange face. Then he asked,
“...How much farther to the village we’re headed for?”
“We’ll be there soon.”
“Was this the last stop?”
“We just stop here, then head to Hengyang.”
“Hengyang...”
The rough-looking man broke into a grin and nodded.
“So it’s a village deep in the mountains, then. We’d better hurry.”
“...”
“Move it. We need to get there before sunset!”
“Yes, sir!”
The cart was whipped forward once more.
Only after the group had gone so far away they were nearly out of sight did the Heavenly Friends Alliance members rise from their hiding places.
Silent, with complicated and uncertain expressions, they watched the direction the cart had disappeared in. Then they turned their heads and exchanged looks.
“Well... I guess nothing’ll happen?”
“They said Jang Il-so ordered them to hand out grain. Even if they’re Sapa bastards, surely they wouldn’t dare make trouble?”
“Right. They must know how terrifying Jang Il-so is.”
“We’ve got a long way to go. No point wasting time for nothing.”
“Exactly. So...”
After exchanging glances and making obvious excuses, they all nodded at once.
“Let’s go.”
“Let’s just follow and see.”
“We only need to watch a little while. If nothing happens, we can be on our way.”
“But it could take time...”
“Then we just won’t sleep!”
Im So-byeong clutched his face in utter despair.
I’ve been avoiding main roads for this exact reason.
It wasn’t that they feared being seen by people.
It was that people were the ones who should be afraid of being seen by them!
“Um... I know it probably won’t happen, but just in case, let me say this...”
“Yes?”
“...We’re right in the middle of Jiangnan.”
Im So-byeong pleaded like a man begging for his life.
“I know you won’t listen even if I tell you to just go, so I won’t try to stop you that far... but under no circumstances should you get involved. If this turns into a bigger mess, it could become something we can never undo. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Of course.”
“We wouldn’t be that careless.”
“We should at least confirm what the Evil Tyrant Alliance is up to. This could turn into important information, you know?”
Just put out those burning eyes before speaking... Anyone watching would think a pack of tigers had burst out of the bushes. Why are your eyes bulging like that...?
Baek Cheon glanced around at everyone and spoke.
“No one moves without my permission.”
“Yes, Acting Sect Leader.”
“Good.”
Baek Cheon’s eyes gleamed sharply.
“Let’s just see what’s going on.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Heavenly Friends Alliance members hurried along the narrow trail and soon discovered a small village.
It didn’t look large, so it seemed to be a modest settlement where people made their living by hunting or farming on cleared mountain land.
“Looks like this is it.”
“Shh.”
Keeping their voices low, they climbed a slope and found a spot overlooking the village clearly. The grain cart they had seen earlier was stopped in the open square in front of the village, and around thirty villagers stood before it in awkward, frightened silence.
“...Is that all of them?”
At the question, the elderly village head standing in front of them trembled violently as he answered.
“Y-yes! That’s everyone who lives in our village!”
The rough-looking man frowned.
“This is an act carried out by the Evil Tyrant Alliance. You know what happens if you lie about the number of people, don’t you?”
“Goodness, sir... what courage would we possibly have to deceive men such as yourselves? These are all the people living in our village. Not even one nursing infant has been left out—everyone has gathered as ordered.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
The man nodded and counted the people standing before him.
“Thirty-two... For a village this deep in the mountains, that’s a fair number.”
He nodded to himself, then slapped the grain sacks on the cart a few times and shouted loudly.
“Listen well! The alliance leader took pity on you and sent grain. This is all a gift from the alliance leader, so receive it with gratitude.”
“R-really?”
“Do you think I’d gather you all here just to make a joke?”
“N-no, of course not. It’s just that we’re so grateful...”
The old man stared at the grain piled on the cart in disbelief.
Just moments ago, Sapa bastards with swords had barged into the village, and everyone had been trembling, wondering what fresh outrage they were about to suffer. So naturally, they were stunned to hear they were being given grain instead.
“If you want to thank anyone, thank the alliance leader. Remember the name Jang Il-so, the Tyrant Lord and leader of the Evil Tyrant Alliance.”
“O-of course, of course. If we forgot our gratitude, how could we call ourselves human? We’ll live our whole lives never forgetting this kindness!”
Tears welled at the corners of the village elder’s eyes.
This year’s drought had been especially cruel, and they had been surviving on roots and bark. They had all been losing sleep with worry, afraid that if things continued this way, people would start starving to death before long. Who could have imagined that the notorious Sapa tyrant himself would give out grain like this?
It was only natural for a person to feel deeper gratitude toward a villain handing out food right in front of them than toward a Buddha who offered kind words from far away.
The rough-looking man laughed heartily and said,
“Oh? You’re grateful, are you?”
“Yes! Yes! Sir, thank you... truly, thank you. The alliance leader’s grace is as boundless as the sea.”
“Good, that’s right.”
“And on behalf of the village, I’d also like to express our gratitude to the heroes who brought this grain all the way here.”
“Haha. You needn’t thank me.”
“No, no, truly, we...”
“You really don’t understand, do you?”
“...Pardon?”
In that instant, the man drew the saber at his waist like a flash of lightning and split the old man’s chest open with a single strike.
Schk.
“Wh-what are you doing!”
It happened before the man beside him could even react.
The village elder’s eyes flew wide as he looked down at the gaping wound in his chest, then he collapsed softly to the ground.
Screams tore through the village from every direction.
“I told you, didn’t I? You don’t need to thank anyone.”
The rough-looking man, his face splattered with blood, grinned viciously.