Escape - 3
As we emerged from the long prison corridor, the Red Forest opened before us.
The Green Forest bandits were already waiting, every last one of them wearing a red turban.
"Dangsu! Please take the platform!"
I left Dang Hwarin for a moment and followed the green-haired cadre up onto the small makeshift stage they had prepared.
From the platform the sea of red turbans stood out even more clearly. The moment I took my place they all sat down, weapons still in hand, so that every eye could fix on me.
From youths who had barely left boyhood to middle-aged men whose beards already showed threads of white, every face waited for my words.
This was the day of the final battle.
This was the day of revolution.
Soon the fort lord and his deputy would finish their business and return, and this place would become a battlefield.
These Green Forest brothers had staked their lives on the revolution. What was I supposed to say to them?
I drew a deep breath and opened my mouth, throat reinforced by the Soyun Shimsanggyeol.
"Today is the day of revolution, my brothers."
Low, but full of force—the kind of voice that could feed the fire already boiling just beneath their skin.
"Heaven made us like this. Filthy, despicable Heaven! It drove us into the mountains and forced weapons into our hands. All this time we have lived in ignorance, deceived by the world, devouring the tears of the common people."
First I laid every sin at Heaven’s door.
A normal man never becomes a bandit. Yet that did not erase their guilt. So I would absolve them with words first.
"If this is the fate Heaven has decreed for us—must we simply obey it?!"
I shouted the question at them.
"No! We have been deceived by Heaven!"
"We can no longer drink the people’s tears!"
A few of the bandits answered with faces flushed by emotion. Model students. If they just keep their mouths shut until the bell rings I’d give them full marks for attitude.
"Today! We will change the fate Heaven has forced upon us! Today we will raise the banner of revolution!"
I flung both arms wide, showing them that every man here had come for this very revolution.
"The fort lord is a Bourgeoisie! The fort lord is a harmful bandit! He and his cronies who drink the tears of the wealthy like wine will never accept our ideals! Therefore—today—we will overthrow the Bourgeoisie!"
While I spoke, a great crowd without turbans appeared from one side, led by a man in red. They marched straight toward us.
"Just as you ordered! We cut the prisoners’ chains, opened the cells, and brought every last one of them!"
They were the escort guards and travelers who had been locked up these past few days for failing to pay the toll.
Good—they had followed orders. Right now the balance of power inside Heokho Fort was fifty-fifty.
In pure numbers we were even, but the other side still had the fort lord and his deputy—asymmetric strategic weapons of superior martial power. That was why I had planned the prisoners as our joker.
Individually the escort guards had been crushed by the bandits, yet if every one of them joined our side we would have a fighting chance against the fort lord’s faction.
"Prisoners! Don the red turban! Seize weapons! If you have none, take up sickle and hammer! Before this day ends no one will remain alive inside this stronghold without a red turban! What you have lost is only your chains—what you will gain is the Green Forest itself! Join the revolution!"
If I was going to do this, I wanted a successful revolution. There had once been people who split the world in half with nothing but sickle and hammer. No weapons? Then grab farm tools and join already.
Following my words, the bandits handed out spears, swords, and, when those ran short, sickles and hammers from the looted cargo, while tying red turbans around every new head.
Once every man wore the red cloth and sat once more, the cadre handed me one last turban.
"We will not discriminate by status, origin, or the color of a man’s hair! In the spirit of Hong Gildong we take this red turban as our own!"
I tied the scarlet cloth firmly around my own head in full view of them all.
The moment the turban settled, a fierce resolve kindled in every bandit’s eyes.
Now—to set their hearts ablaze.
"In our breasts we carry one party! The world—Heaven itself—will no longer call us Heokho Fort, but Hwalbindang!"
I pointed at the sky as though rejecting the very destiny that had been forced upon us.
"We… are Hwalbindang!"
"I’m going to make my kids yell, ‘Mom, when I grow up I’m joining Hwalbindang!’"
"Dangsu! We will become Hwalbindang!"
The fervor was reaching cult-meeting levels.
"Now—overthrow the Bourgeoisie! Create the trickle-down effect! Remake this Green Forest into the true Hwalbindang! Everyone—rise!"
Time to detonate the heat.
"All for—!!!"
I pressed a clenched fist to my left breast, demanding the single answer already burning in their hearts.
"All for the one party!!!"
"All for the one party!!!"
"All for the one party!!!"
Every fist rose to every chest as they roared the words I wanted.
"Bandits of the Central Plains—unite!!!"
Let’s go—into the revolution!
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!"
I’m off to Yichang!
"For Hwalbindang!!!"
"For Dangsu Kang Mo!!!"
"For Big Brother Hong Gildong!!!"
"What the hell are these bastards?!"
When the fort lord and his men returned from their daily duties, what greeted them was a full-blown revolution.
"Hwarin! Kill every last one of them who isn’t wearing a red turban!"
I seized Dang Hwarin’s hand and we sprinted through the streets of revolution.
"Are we charging the fort lord right now? Are we finally finishing the revolution?"
Why is she like this?
"No! We’re running for our lives!"
"Whaaaat?!"
Ignoring her baffled cry, I dragged her straight toward the stables.
A green-haired Green Forest cadre was already waiting for us.
"Dangsu! Just as you ordered—I have prepared the finest horse, loaded with your belongings, travel funds, and throwing weapons for a long journey!"
He pointed to a magnificent steed already packed and ready.
"Well done! That truly looks like an excellent horse!"
"It is a Triple-Crown foal. Both sire and dam each won three great races. People say the beast is so clever it even understands human speech."
Just listening made it sound incredible. In car terms this wasn’t a million-won ride—this was the ten-million-won class.
"Puhing!"
"Hey—what’s wrong with you?"
The moment I tried to mount, the horse violently refused.
"…It has a bit of a temper and doesn’t like carrying people."
Then why the hell did you pick this one? I shot the cadre an incredulous look; he simply stared back with the serene pride of a man who had followed every order to the letter.
No time to argue. Maybe transfer the luggage to another horse—
"Puhiiiiiihing!"
A sudden scream from the horse made me whirl around. Dang Hwarin stood beside it, long needle already in hand.
"You filthy horse! Who do you think you are throwing a tantrum?! If you don’t carry us I’ll keep stabbing that fat ass of yours full of needles!"
Hwarin… does the horse even understand that? I was about to tell her to just unpack the gear when—
"Puhiiing…"
It understood.
The horse immediately submitted, as though shouting, “This lowly steed would never dare continue its insolence!”
Now all that remained was to run.
"Dangsu… are you truly leaving just like this?"
The cadre who had watched the whole scene spoke in a worried voice.
"I already told you. Even if the revolution succeeds, Hwalbindang does not need a head. If I stay I will only become another Bourgeoisie like the fort lord. I wish to remain nothing more than a symbol—like Hong Gildong himself."
"If Dangsu leaves us, we will lose our way."
"You will not lose it, Jeokrin. I heard you have written down every single word I ever spoke."
I reminded my most fervent fan that he was literate and had recorded all my speeches.
"It is true that I dared to write down every word of Dangsu. Yet that alone is not enough."
"You have written my words and read them every day. That is why I do not worry. Jeokrin—you will lead Hwalbindang."
Kid, I don’t have time to debate you. You be the boss. I have zero interest in the job.
"M-me? A baseborn child like me… Ugh!"
Slap! I poured every ounce of irritation into a full-powered open-handed blow across his cheek for wasting time.
"How dare you wear the red turban and still call yourself baseborn! Have you already forgotten Big Brother Hong Gildong’s teaching that all people are equal?!"
At my roar Jeokrin clutched his cheek, eyes wide with shock—then the tears came and he dropped to his knees.
"Dangsu! I am terrified I will fail to uphold Hwalbindang’s values… that I will not be able to lead them properly!"
Lead them however you like—if I say that out loud he’ll try to stop me from leaving, so I’d better improvise.
I gripped both of his shoulders and spoke with a face full of iron will.
"Jeokrin. I will remain only a symbol. But if it ever seems Hwalbindang has lost its path—then I will return. Until that day, you lead them."
I stared at him with every scrap of “please just take this and go away” I could muster.
"…Dangsu. Until the day you return, I will lead Hwalbindang!"
Jeokrin studied my face for a long moment, then his expression hardened with resolve and he bowed deeply.
No—do not make me come back. You’re not some mobile-game company that wrecks every title the moment they take over operations from the developers.
I built this. You’re supposed to handle publishing and distribution and keep it running properly.
I gave Jeokrin one last uneasy look, then mounted with Dang Hwarin.
"I leave Hwalbindang in your hands! Let’s go!"
I seized the reins, pulled Hwarin up behind me, and we rode out of the stables.
"Overthrow the Bourgeoisie! The fort lord is a harmful bandit!"
"Do you hear it?! The song of the enraged Green Forest!"
"For Big Brother Hong Gildong! For Dangsu!"
"This is no longer Heokho Fort! This is Hwalbindang!"
"Join the revolution! You too!"
Complete chaos.
The moment we left the stables the entire stronghold had become a battlefield.
"…Hey. Yunho."
Dang Hwarin trembled and clung tighter to me.
I had set this board knowing exactly what would happen. This was the only chance to escape. Could we break through and get out of Heokho Fort? No time for anxious thoughts.
Time to use the riding skill of Kang Yunho, the Joseon scoundrel who had once driven countless fine horses.
"Hold on tight! We’re riding!"
I tightened the reins, shouted to Hwarin, and spurred the horse into a full gallop.
A golden chance that would never come again!
This was how we escaped!