Go Ask Your Own Head Priest (2)
The rumor that Saperyeon had signed a peace treaty with the Gupailbang and agreed not to invade Gangnam swept through the Central Plains like a storm. Even those who had not believed it at first could only gape when one report after another came in confirming the same thing.
“How can the righteous sects possibly collude with the evil sects?”
“Isn’t ‘collude’ a bit much?”
“If this isn’t collusion, then what in the world is?”
“Well, yes, but…”
What enraged people most after hearing the rumor was the fact that they had abandoned the Yangtze River.
The water bandits along the Yangtze had already suffered catastrophic losses in this war. Under such circumstances, if the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families refused to set foot in Yangtze territory, wasn’t it obvious what would happen next?
This was no different from the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families abandoning the common people of Gangnam.
The public was furious at that fact, but the next pieces of news were even more shocking.
- The one who led this treaty was Heo Do-jin-in of Wudang.
- Beop Gye, the elder of Shaolin, Namgung Hwang, the head of the Namgung Family, and Byeok Hyeon, the sect leader of Qingcheng, agreed with Heo Do-jin-in.
- The remaining members of the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families who had not gone to the Yangtze would also stand behind this treaty.
At first it was merely shocking. The second time, anger began to build. By the third, it had become hatred. Those who finally exploded at the successive rumors went straight to Wudang Mountain.
Those who crossed Haegeomji and reached Wudang’s main gate were left speechless at the sight of the tightly shut mountain gate.
“You pull a stunt like this and then close your gates?”
“There’s a limit to how shameless you can be!”
“Get out here! Get out here right now!”
Truth be told, if Wudang had not closed its gates and had instead come out to face them, the situation might have been a little different. No matter how wrong they thought Wudang was, there would not have been many who could openly curse at them right in front of the sect.
But the firmly shut gate only set fire to the hearts of those who had still been trying to maintain a shred of courtesy.
“You damned bastards! And you call yourselves a righteous sect?”
“You go on and on about some grand righteous path, then turn around and abandon innocent commoners?”
“What a waste of all those years trusting you!”
The crowd gathered at the gate began hurling whatever they had in their hands at the gate—and over the wall beyond it.
Getting started was always the hardest part. Once the people ahead began hurling insults and throwing things, those behind them also raised their voices and joined in cursing Wudang.
The abuse grew uglier by the second, and some people even started kicking the closed gate with all their strength and spitting at it.
“……”
On the other side, inside the mountain gate, Jin Hyeon listened quietly to the curses and shut his eyes tightly.
“Jin Hyeon.”
Mu Jin carefully laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Let’s go inside. Staying here will only make you feel worse.”
“No, senior brother.”
But Jin Hyeon shook his head and stood his ground.
“I need to see this clearly. Looking away won’t change anything.”
“That may be true, but…”
Jin Hyeon let out a deep breath and turned his gaze back toward the gate. The pounding against the doors and the filth thrown over the wall stung like a knife to the heart.
So this is how far it’s come…
He murmured in a hollow voice.
“I never thought they’d be this cold. Still, Wudang must have done quite a few things in the name of the sect.”
“They’re not angry because we did nothing. They’re angry because we did so much. If they had never expected anything from us, they wouldn’t be disappointed either, would they?”
“……I suppose not.”
But that did not comfort Jin Hyeon. If anything, it only meant their disappointment was this overwhelming because their expectations had been that high to begin with.
“Senior brother.”
“Speak.”
“I know the sect leader’s choice was not wrong. And I know every one of those choices was made for our sake.”
“……”
“But… seeing this now, I can’t help thinking maybe it would have been better to die there. Not because I’m ashamed or anything, but… if I had known Wudang’s name would be dragged this far through the mud…”
Mu Jin let out a long, exasperated sigh.
How could he not understand Jin Hyeon’s feelings?
For them, being a disciple of Wudang had been an honor beyond compare.
How could he ever forget the envious looks that had once followed them whenever they walked down the main road in Wudang robes?
But now those looks would never come again.
To the world, Wudang had become nothing more than a band of schemers who had joined hands with the evil sects just to survive.
After another sigh, Mu Jin gave Jin Hyeon’s shoulder a few light pats.
“A life is precious to everyone.”
“……”
“If something is wrong, it’s wrong. But if something is wrong, then we can make it right. If the day comes when we can restore Wudang’s righteous principles, even those who are angry now will look at us differently then.”
“……Yes, senior brother.”
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
As Mu Jin nodded and turned away, Jin Hyeon turned to follow him. But his feet would not move easily.
He watched Mu Jin’s retreating back with a bitter expression.
But, senior brother. There were also those there who did not spare their own lives.
Had they not been afraid too? No, that could not be true.
The difference between them and Wudang was only one thing.
Could they carry out their will even in the face of fear?
Could they still take that one step forward while trembling?
That small difference—so small it seemed almost meaningless—had led to a difference in outcome this extreme.
This is difficult.
What was righteousness? What was justice?
Things he had once thought he already understood were growing hazy.
The rough curses of the crowd were still blowing in over the gate. The fact that not a single word of their abuse was wrong only made him feel sadder.
I’m sorry.
He offered the apology with all sincerity, even if only in his heart. An apology he did not even know to whom it was addressed.
Rumors were fast by nature, but this one had been actively spread by Hao Sect, so it raced across the world at twice its usual speed. Everyone who heard it was furious, but there were also those who did not even have the luxury of anger.
Those were the people who lived off the Yangtze River.
BOOM!
A fast boat rammed mercilessly into a ferry crossing the Yangtze. The moment the vessel tilted, chains flew out from the speeding boat and linked the two ships together. Using the chains as footholds, the water bandits leapt swiftly aboard.
“P-Please spare us!”
At the sight of the bandits, the passengers turned pale and flattened themselves to the deck.
The bandits who had boarded the ship glared at them with ferocious eyes.
“If anyone’s hiding even a single coin, I’ll skin you down to bone right here and now! Hand over everything you have! You there—go open the hold and take anything worth carrying!”
“Yes, sir!”
“P-Please, isn’t that a bit too much? We’ve prepared a proper toll for you already, so please, just…”
An old man approached, begging and pleading, and the bandit leader narrowed his eyes.
“Who are you?”
“I’m the captain of this ship, sir. If you take all this, we’re ruined. And if we’re ruined, then you…”
Swish!
In that instant, the bandit’s blade sliced clean through the captain’s chest.
“Aaaaagh!”
The old captain screamed as his chest split open and he collapsed where he stood.
“Hiiik!”
Seeing a man cut down in an instant, the others froze in terror and began trembling uncontrollably.
“You insolent bastard. How dare you try to lecture me?”
The bandit licked the blood from his blade and twisted his mouth into a vile grin.
“There are plenty of people who’ll pay even if you’re gone. If anyone whines again, I’ll kill you all and feed you to the fish.”
“If anyone’s caught hiding anything, they die on the spot!”
“Move faster!”
One by one, people began opening their money pouches. Their faces were deathly pale, each of them wearing the look of resignation. If all their money was taken, they would not be able to avoid starvation, but at least it was better than dying.
How did things end up like this…?
The water bandits were more vicious than ever before. In the past, they had at least taken only a reasonable toll and managed the river in their own way, but lately, wherever they went, only grim voices and cries of misery followed in their wake.
Thanks to the righteous sects annihilating the river bandits’ lairs, the wounded bandits were killing people and stealing from them without even bothering to distinguish right from wrong.
If this keeps up, all the merchants who travel the Yangtze will be ruined.
What in the world is this leading to…?
If only the righteous sects had never come to the Yangtze, none of this would have happened!
Each of them ground their teeth in anger. It was almost absurd, really. Was their fury not greater toward the Gupailbang and the Five Great Families, who had brought this situation to such a state, than toward the water bandits openly robbing and killing people in front of them?
“We’ve collected everything. What should we do with these?”
“Let them go.”
The man who seemed to be the leader gave a snort of laughter and said,
“The government won’t move unless people die in droves. Money means nothing to them anyway. It’s not as though they’ll stop collecting taxes just because we looted a few boats.”
At those words, the commoners’ faces went black with despair. Because there was not a single false note in what he said.
“No need to go scratching up trouble. Besides, if we let them live, they’ll bring money and board another boat next time, won’t they? See you again. If you want to keep your life next time too, bring plenty of money with you when you board. Hahahahaha!”
The water bandits, having stripped the boat bare, cackled as they returned to their own vessel. Soon they were pulling away into the distance.
Those who watched the stern of the departing boat in a daze sank down and began to wail.
“……I’m ruined. I put my entire fortune into this trip, and now… if I go back, I’ll starve to death either way!”
“Starve? I borrowed money just to come here! I’m going to be sold off, that’s what’s going to happen!”
“Damn it! This never used to happen until recently!”
“What kind of hell is this, all because of those bastard sects from the Gupailbang?”
These people had not boarded the boats because they were careless despite the danger. They knew the river was dangerous, but they had no choice; they had to sail if they wanted to make a living.
Those who lived off the Yangtze had no way to survive except by making their living on the Yangtze itself. Even knowing the danger, it was far too hard now to find some other way to live.
“……How are we supposed to live now?”
“Keugh… sob…”
It wasn’t only this one boat suffering. Similar scenes were unfolding all along the Yangtze.
The heavily damaged bandit clans, with Heukryongwang’s permission, were ravenously stripping boats and stuffing their bellies full.
Ordinarily, when their atrocities grew too severe, the common people would run to a sect belonging to the righteous faction and beg for help. But now they could only endure the bandits’ tyranny.
“Captain, are you all right!”
“Bring a clean cloth over here! Now!”
The crew was too busy checking on the captain sprawled on the deck. Seeing his face turn ashen from losing so much blood, the travelers and merchants fell into despair and spat out curses.
“That damn Heo Do-jin-in bastard!”
“Is Wudang the only problem? Namgung and Shaolin were there too! The entire Gupailbang and the Five Great Families are the same!”
“When have those self-important bastards ever cared about us? They only talk about righteousness and whatever else with their mouths. They’re good for nothing but being boiled alive in filth! They’re no different from the water bandits!”
“Tch. I’m disgusted. I really am!”
The boat slowly and helplessly turned around.
With all their goods stolen, there was no point in continuing toward their destination; they would only spend more on the return fare.
“……Let’s just pray we don’t run into more bandits on the way back.”
“What difference does it make? They’ve already taken everything.”
“Don’t be foolish… What if they get angry that there’s nothing left to steal and take it out on us anyway?”
“……”
One of the merchants let out a sigh so deep it seemed to empty the ground beneath him.
“Living is just too hard. Too hard…”
At those words, everyone fell silent. Each was drowning in his own sorrow, and at that moment, someone pointed outside the boat.
“Look over there… that boat seems to be in trouble too.”
“Oh dear…”
Sure enough, another vessel was approaching from far off. The fast boat that spotted it turned its prow and began bearing down on the incoming ship.
Everyone watched with sympathetic faces. There was nothing they could do but witness the impending misfortune with pity.
“Look, look.”
“What is it?”
“Another bandit boat’s coming. Good grief, they’re swarming in like carp fry.”
“What in the world is happening to the Yangtze?”
At the sight of such a miserable scene, everyone was left speechless.
Then someone muttered in confusion,
“……But why is it heading that way?”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t bandits supposed to go after whoever gets there first? That fast boat already latched on, so why is it heading over there?”
“……Huh?”
The commoners blinked and looked back again.
“It’s moving fast… Wait. Huh? Huh? Huhhhhh?”
The late-arriving boat did not slow down at all. It just kept charging forward. Then it rammed straight into the fast boat clinging to the merchant vessel.
BOOOOOOM!
“……What the—?”
The commoners’ eyes went wide as saucers.