Chapter 89
“Wow, a horse that big exists?”
“Isn’t that the legendary red stallion that Bongseon rode?”
Even on the way here, I could tell just by its size that Chupung drew a lot of attention.
As I walked, looking for a place to leave Chupung, the number of onlookers grew to more than the total of my fingers and toes.
“This is going to be a problem even if I find a place for Chupung to enter.”
At this point, it would be strange if no horse thieves were attracted.
I worried that the moment I turned my back, a scramble might break out.
Of course, Chupung wouldn’t be easily taken. As I saw in the stables, it had a strong personality and the skill to protect itself.
“You’d need more than just a first-class master—only a supreme master could even hope to handle Chupung.”
Even so, I wanted to side with Chupung. Spending a day together made it clear: it had speed and intelligence far beyond what its name suggested.
Chupung had the cleverness to run immediately if things got tough. If it decided to bolt, even a supreme master wouldn’t catch it easily.
“Still, better to be careful than not.”
One never knew when a master like Gonjinh or Surama might suddenly appear.
Even a super supreme master would struggle to hold Chupung, but the chances of meeting one were extremely low—like a natural disaster. Yet in less than a month, I had already encountered two. Better safe than sorry.
Fortunately, there was no stable Chupung could enter anyway.
“I can’t go with it, but I have to make sure it gets there.”
Luckily, Jaho-wang’s residence was nearby, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
‘Leaving it alone without Dongchil bothers me, but it won’t be in Changyeonsan for long. Less than a day at most—no big deal.’
After deciding, I left the village and headed to the foothills of Changyeonsan. With Chupung, the journey was over in no time.
But in the process, a somewhat comical scene unfolded.
“Hey, it’s running away!”
“Someone stop it!”
“Hold still, you bastard!”
I expected horse thieves, but I hadn’t expected armed men to pursue us.
From the moment we left the village, a group had hurriedly followed. Seeing them chasing a horse so difficult for ordinary people to ride, it was clear they weren’t random vagrants—they were professional thieves.
I waited politely for them at the entrance of Changyeonsan, though I could have ignored them.
“I usually pick up trash I see along the way.”
Despite the short distance from the village to Changyeonsan, a fair gap had opened. After a while, the thieves finally caught up.
“There they are, boss!”
“Looks like they were waiting for us!”
“Doesn’t matter! Block their retreat!”
Five men arrived on horseback. Two flanked behind to block the retreat, while three boldly rode straight toward me, almost leisurely.
I chuckled inwardly at their shallow intentions.
“If you’re trying to stall until the others arrive, no need. I can wait as long as you like.”
At that, the three riding forward flinched. One of them, called “boss,” quickly recovered and growled at me.
“Hah, do you know who we are?”
“Do I need to?”
“Of course! Your life is in our hands!”
I smirked at the blatant threat.
“Why is it that thieves always behave the same way?”
In the martial world, you meet all kinds of thieves: those scaling walls, mountain bandits, and roadside robbers. Their methods differ slightly, but their attitude is always the same—they act as if what isn’t theirs is already theirs.
I believe in repaying in kind.
“If you were just after Chupung, I’d have punished you by taking the horses you brought and sent you off.”
But since they threatened my life, they had to be punished accordingly.
No need to overthink. Their bloodstained aura was unpleasant enough, and it wasn’t even their own blood.
Thwack.
One of them flew a good distance, his face utterly destroyed. Normally, I’d have taken his life with my sword, but today was different.
I had swung my sword a lot recently, so to commemorate my recent mastery of Zahagwonkyeol, I decided to handle them with my fists. The sensation was distinctly different from using a sword—satisfying, though not entirely pleasant as the skin met my knuckles.
Luckily, it solved the problem easily.
“That reminds me.”
I recalled the intangible handcuffs obtained with the help of the Underworld Messenger at Yeomwangchae. I hadn’t used them yet, but this situation seemed perfect.
For now, I didn’t plan to deploy them. The handcuffs were pre-transformation; using them on such lowly trash felt wasteful. If they evolved, the low-quality blood might lower their rank. Today, a bit of discomfort would have to do.
“Boss!”
“Stop him from moving!”
Normally, a sword would sever heads immediately. Then all anger or fear directed at me would be justified. But using my fists had different results.
Gasping!
The punch didn’t kill immediately, leaving them barely alive. The others rushed to protect him, encircling him. Their loyalty, though, gave me a small insight.
“Sometimes, leaving an enemy alive, barely, is better than killing outright.”
One punch disrupted their focus and destroyed their plan to block retreat. Protecting someone while fighting is like fighting with sandbags tied to yourself. A single punch achieved what a sword could not.
Of course, this wasn’t the standard approach of a martial artist seeking honor. I had no intention to use it routinely. But it was good to know, in case a dire situation arose—it might save my life.
“Though you are trash, I respect your loyalty and will end this without unnecessary suffering.”
That was my way of honoring their loyalty.
After handling the five thieves, I took care of the rest and climbed the mountain. I left Chupung at Jaho-wang’s residence in the saddlebag, and contrary to my expectation, it seemed very happy—probably because I included the horses we had claimed from the thieves.
“Follow the stream when you see it along the path,” the last thief had said.
He explained that following the stream would lead to a small house in the valley. When I asked how he knew, he flinched—apparently, the thieves had tried to claim it themselves once and failed.
“Though retired, he spares those who came to steal from him. Definitely not an ordinary Green Forest man,” I thought.
Some might view mercy as weak, but I respected Mu-baek for it. I knew that sparing an enemy was far harder than killing one.
“It shows confidence, even while leaving potential trouble behind.”
Considering the skill of the thieves, it probably wasn’t a real threat.
“There’s the stream he mentioned.”
Midway up the mountain, I found it. Following the stream, after roughly two shijin (time units) of travel, I found a thatched house in the valley.
Surveying the house and surroundings, I noted:
“The owner seems to have stepped out briefly.”
The campfire was still burning, meaning they hadn’t left long. Utensils and food materials were prepared, indicating meal prep.
“Maybe they went to catch a rabbit,” I guessed. My prediction was mostly correct.
Nearby, I saw Mu-baek emerging from the stream, shirtless, holding two fish the size of forearms.
“More wild than I expected.”
His well-defined upper body radiated strength. Though I wondered if he might be frail like a scholar, I was wrong.
Not looking like a bandit, he also didn’t appear weak—he was a strong man.
“Good thing I came.”
That was my first impression of Mu-baek. It wasn’t just his appearance—it was his confident movement toward me.
Even walking over uneven stones without losing balance was a feat even for a supreme master, showing complete mastery.
“I didn’t know I had a guest. Join me?”
He offered the fish. There was no pretense or trickery—simply genuine hospitality. I began to understand Mu-baek.
“Can’t just eat without helping. Let me contribute some ingredients.”
I had some fine meat—immugi (dragon) meat. Originally for Jaho-wang, but the portion was ample. This was my way of signaling my intent to bring Mu-baek along.
