Initial Annihilation (2)
Haejeok?
Did you just say pirates?
Yes.
He was the father of Yun-byeok cadet, a ship owner who'd spent long years in this fishing village.
If he thought so, it was almost certainly true.
No wonder.
That casino boss called Jeon-ju, and the thugs rummaging through Man-suk cadet's uncle's house—their speech and movements had felt strangely familiar...
Now it all clicked.
Pirates always had those ingrained mannerisms and ways of speaking.
Pirates, huh...
The situation was bigger than expected, but he couldn't just stand by.
Pirates were the absolute bane of merchants like them.
Especially thinking back to his previous life... Ah, my neck's killing me.
When shipping in bulk, rivers or sea routes were the most convenient.
The Yangtze had once been crawling with water bandits.
They'd only vanished due to the imperial palace's massive sweep.
But they hadn't touched these coastal pirates yet.
Merchants had suffered endless headaches because of them.
Considering their true nature, the best policy was to crush them outright.
Of course, they kept popping up no matter how many you wiped out, but eliminating them on sight still cut down on the trouble.
With his mind made up, Eun Seo-ho turned to Man-suk cadet and Yun-byeok cadet.
They flinched under his gaze.
Wh-why are you looking at us like that?
Do you need something from us?
In my view, the pirates clearly plan to enslave the villagers. The gambling's just a smokescreen.
…!
I can't just sit back and watch. So, what about you two?
The pair answered with resolute expressions.
Even if it means fighting the pirates, I want to protect this village.
Exactly. This is where we were born and raised. It's our duty to defend it.
To think they'd ruin our village!
Unforgivable.
Eun Seo-ho calmed their heated reactions.
You're getting too worked up. If you two tried fighting the pirates head-on, they'd cut you down in one stroke.
…
Leave the fighting to others. But there's something you do need to do.
What is it?
Deliver a letter from me to another place.
His words drew puzzled looks from the two.
We're really supposed to help with something that simple?
Do you think it's really that easy?
Yes?
News about me and you all has already reached their ears. They're watching us right now.
…
So delivering my letter won't be easy. But it's something only you two can pull off.
He looked at them and asked,
What do you say? Can you do it?
They glanced at each other, then nodded firmly.
Understood.
Let's do it!
He could have just had Geum-ryeong relay the letter to brother Jeong-ho.
But he went through this hassle because those two cadets needed to rack up merit in this affair.
It also kept the spotlight off him.
The cadets would succeed.
No matter how closely they watched, there were always gaps.
As locals born and bred here, they'd know the village terrain like the back of their hands.
He entrusted them with a letter detailing the local situation.
I'm counting on you.
Yes!
This was also a test of the two cadets for him.
Dawn.
Man-suk and Yun-byeok met at a nearby shrine.
They'd pretended to head home, but they'd already agreed to rendezvous here.
No words were needed for the plan.
As kids dodging the village schoolmaster's watchful eye, they'd developed a silent hand language for communication.
They exchanged nods and set off to slip out of the village.
Rustle.
A presence nearby—they ducked into an alley.
Even at dawn, people were prowling this quiet spot.
Man, why's big bro so paranoid, making us tail those guys...
Ugh, sleepy... Should we crash somewhere?
Hell no. If he catches us slacking, we're dead.
…
Man-suk and Yun-byeok exchanged glances.
'Eun Seo-ho Sub-leader was right.'
'They really are watching us.'
They stayed hidden until the thugs moved on, then proceeded.
The path they chose was a secret hole unknown to most villagers.
A childhood escape route to sneak past the adults.
It wasn't fit for regular travel—narrow and treacherous.
Their clothes tore, skin scraped and bled, but they pressed on without quitting.
They couldn't tolerate their hometown falling apart.
Finally free of the village, they ran through the night and encountered a merchant caravan the next morning.
Man-suk eyed their ragged clothes and said to Yun-byeok,
I've got a great idea.
He approached the caravan cautiously and bowed.
Excuse us.
What is it?
We're cadets from Beijing's Hyehwa Academy. We visited home for business and were heading back when we slipped and tumbled off a cliff.
Oh no! You okay?
Luckily no serious injuries, but we need to rush back to prep for the exams, so we hated to impose and stop your train.
The caravan leader eyed their uniforms—definitely Hyehwa Academy attire.
No Beijing merchant was ignorant of the academy.
He decided to trust Man-suk cadet's story.
Plus, if they passed the exams, it could forge a useful connection.
Folks gotta help each other. No room in the passenger carts, though—you'd ride the baggage wagons. That alright?
More than enough—we're grateful.
Climb on.
Thank you.
That got them a cart ride.
A journey that would've taken over four days on foot was done in two.
Upon reaching Beijing, they cleaned up and headed straight for Jin Yeong Daehyeop's residence.
Bang bang bang!
Anyone home?
The door opened, revealing a burly man.
Who're you?
The cadets glanced around and spoke carefully.
Eun Seo-ho Sub-leader asked us to deliver a message.
He said to give this to Jin Yeong Daehyeop.
That was when—
Did you say Eun Seo-ho Sub-leader?
A man approached the gate, and the swordsman quickly bowed his head.
The cadets nodded.
Yes, that's right.
Hand it over.
Who might you be?
I'm the Jin Yeong Daehyeop you're talking about.
Here you go.
Man-suk hurriedly passed the letter to Jin Yeong.
As he read it, Jin Yeong's face grew grave.
Is this true? That pirates are debt-trapping villagers through gambling to sell them as slaves?
Yes! That's it.
Father requested an investigation from Magistrate Jihyeon, but nothing happened, so he looked into it himself... and it seems pirates are involved.
Eun Seo-ho Sub-leader investigated on his own too... and he confirmed it's pirates.
If the Sub-leader says so, it must be true.
Jin Yeong declared,
We need to head to the palace. Give these young men a place to rest.
Understood.
Eun Seo-ho was strolling along the beach.
Walking by the sea after so long felt oddly nostalgic.
But he wasn't here for the breeze.
No large ships around, and pirate business meant a high chance of a base along the coast.
In his previous life, Eunhae Merchant Group had dabbled in sea trade and dealt with countless pirates.
He knew their habits well.
They moved on big ships usually, but when scheming on land, they'd hole up in coastal caves.
Surely the case here.
— Lord, the ones tailing us keep following. What should we do?
Seo-u Warrior's sound transmission came; Eun Seo-ho shook his head.
— They must be awfully curious about me.
Well, yeah.
Their plan was just steps from success. He was an unpredictable variable.
— We're just tourists. Act accordingly.
— Understood.
They wandered the coastline, and soon a foul aura prickled his senses.
Seo-u Warrior and Jin-yu Warrior sensed it too, sending transmissions.
— Found it.
— That's the spot.
With the location pinpointed, they just needed to wait for Jin Yeong Daehyeop and the Gold Guard.
Why pull this in Hubei Province, of all places?
It wasn't far from Beijing—high risk of exposure.
Pondering, he hit on the most plausible theory.
Pushed out by rival pirates?
Targeting able-bodied men... to bolster their crew?
He chuckled.
Nah, no way...
Turning upstanding folk into pirates? That'd make them scum worth instant execution.
Four days since the cadets left.
They'd have reached Beijing by now.
As he waited, new presences registered in his senses.
This was...?
Auras of those trained in palace martial arts.
Their arrival already meant the cadets made it in two days?
A satisfied smile crept onto his face unbidden.
Smarter than I gave credit. Plenty of uses for someone like that.
Let's go.
Yes!
They hurried to the village entrance and spotted the Gold Guard just passing through.
Leading them was the armored Jin Yeong Daehyeop. Eun Seo-ho approached and cupped his hands in salute.
You arrived faster than expected.
His Imperial Majesty deemed it urgent and ordered haste.
I see.
Knowing we were coming, they might flee—so we've stationed troops at all escape routes.
Truly a talent fit to serve at the Emperor's side.
Then let me point out the raid targets.
He described the casino, the cave near the coast, and more. Jin Yeong Daehyeop promptly divided his men to clean house.
The situation wrapped up swiftly.
The pirates hiding in the coastal cave were annihilated.
No matter their sea battle prowess, this was land—and they were no match for palace martial experts and the elite, well-drilled Gold Guard.
Let go! Why hold us?
What crime did we commit to deserve this!
The casino boss and the rest were bound like dried fish and thrown into the cells.
Magistrate Jihyeon couldn't escape culpability either.
He also learned something new this time.
The Gold Guard were masters of interrogation—far better than he'd imagined.
In the end, the boss spilled everything.
We... we planned to enslave the village men. We'd lost too many boys in turf wars with other pirates...
So you meant to sell them as slaves?
No. Train them as pirates to fight for us.
…
Eun Seo-ho was floored by the confession.
No way it was real... but it was.
Jin Yeong Daehyeop sighed at the words and swung a fist at him.
Thwack!
Urk!
Ah, I wanted to deck him too—thanks for the proxy.
Really just targeting able-bodied men?
Y-yes.
Think I don't know you lot? You're still holding back.
N-no, nothing.
Bring the branding iron.
Yes!
Gaaah! I'll talk! Truth is, we planned to enslave the debtors' families too... gaaah!
No wonder.
After hearing Man-suk cadet's tale, he'd wanted to come here for a reason.
.
.
.
Well done again.
With the case closed, Jin Yeong Daehyeop praised him.
No, I did nothing. The real credit goes to those two cadets who brought you the news.
True, their merit's undeniable. They were huge in blocking the escape routes.
Fortunately, things played out as he'd hoped—the focus was on them, not him.
Sending two cadets instead of your guards... feels deliberate, doesn't it?
Damn. Busted?
This guy's no slouch.
He forced a smile.
They were eager to do anything for their hometown. I worried their hot blood would lead to pointless deaths if they grabbed weapons.
Jin Yeong Daehyeop chuckled.
Fine, I'll buy that.
Ah, what about Magistrate Jihyeon?
Jin Yeong Daehyeop replied casually.
Hanging upside down right now.
Pardon?
If he took bribes, His Majesty ordered him transported that way.
…