Chapter 10. Rescue (1)

“Seok-du!! Jang Seok-du, you brat!!”

A dozen or so village men came forward.

Holding torches and clubs, they searched the mountains near the village for about an hour.

But the sun was only setting.

Darkness began to settle on the ground.

“Jang Seok-du!! Where are you!!!”

“Answer me, you brat!!!”

In the echoing commotion, the village chief calmly examined the ground.

He looks for his son’s tracks among the chaotic footprints.

The further away from the village, the number of footprints decreased sharply, and finally, only one track remained.

But that footprint led beyond the valley below Flower Pavilion Mountain, where the village was located.

“Wh-why on earth……?”

Thud, the village chief collapsed.

“I told you so many times never to cross over the mountain! You damn good-for-nothing brat!”

“V-village chief……”

A sense of sorrow hung over the crowd.

Squeeze, Lee Byeok silently clenched his fist. At that moment, a large hand was placed on his shoulder.

“Byeok-ah, it’s not your fault.”

“……”

As if he had read Lee Byeok’s mind, Hyuk Dae-woong was smiling.

“…Everyone, go back to the village.”

Then the village chief said.

“As you all know, it’s crazy to wander the mountains in the dark after the sun has set. I’ll just go a little further over there and check.”

“Y-you can’t do that, village chief!”

“What if something happens to you, village chief?!”

“Who can I blame? It’s my own fault for not looking after my kid properly. Please, I beg you, go back now. You all have families, don’t you?”

“……”

A heavy silence descended. Lee Byeok was about to step forward and speak. But Hyuk Dae-woong was one step faster.

“Village chief, from here on, my junior brother and I will accompany you.”

Murmur, murmur.

All eyes turned to them at once.

“Y-you guys……”

“Both my junior brother and I have practiced martial arts for a long time, so if push comes to shove, we can definitely get ourselves out.”

“…No, you can’t.”

The village chief shook his head.

“If I take you and something happens, how can I face Sect Leader Lee?”

“No, village chief. If we go back like this, we will also have no face to see the Sect Leader.”

“……”

“What was the point of our sect settling in Flower Pavilion Village and swinging our swords while receiving the villagers’ generosity all this time?”

As he said that, a large spear, not a blunt staff, was slung over Hyuk Dae-woong’s back.

And it was the same for Lee Byeok. At his waist was an iron sword borrowed from the village chief.

A brief silence flowed.

The village chief bowed his head.

“…Thank you. No, I am grateful.”

* * *

The village chief, Lee Byeok, and Hyuk Dae-woong.

The three crossed the valley and headed into the unfamiliar mountain.

The forest, shrouded in a green curtain, quickly grew dark.

Before long, it was completely night.

Relying on a single torch, the village chief led the way.

“All sorts of beasts live in this mountain. You never know what will pop out from where… so please be careful.”

Kiiiik!

Snap! Crack!

As he said, unknown sounds mixed together from the darkness on all sides.

The cry of a beast. And the sound of something eating and being eaten.

The three of them held their breath as if by agreement.

Even if humans are the lords of creation, in front of a beast of prey hiding in the darkness, they are nothing but prey.

Moreover, a body without even inner arts.

In the darkness, Lee Byeok silently advanced, looking at the village chief’s back. Hyuk Dae-woong stood behind him.

The village chief would occasionally stop and grope the ground for traces.

Naturally, their pace slowed.

“……”

How many steps had they taken?

Suddenly, Lee Byeok felt a dazed sensation in the darkness. And a familiar voice echoed in his ears.

—Big Brother, would you be able to spare some time for this younger brother today after a long while? Let’s go hunting together.

—Ahaha, since you became the young master, it has already been a long time since you hung out with me.

That day.

Seonwoo Byeok had gone hunting deep in the mountains for the first time in a while with Hyeop and a few martial artists from the clan. And.

Puk!

A cold dagger had pierced his back. The prey that day was none other than Seonwoo Byeok himself.

“Are you alright?”

“…I’m alright.”

Hyuk Dae-woong whispered from behind.

Lee Byeok quietly composed his breathing. It seemed something had happened in his heart.

He had to get a grip.

In this state, forget rescuing Jang Seok-du, he would endanger his own life and that of his companions.

Rustle.

The village chief parted a large clump of bushes.

At that moment, whoosh, a faint wind blew, carrying the smell of blood. For a moment, the village chief’s face turned pale.

“…Be careful.”

The group approached cautiously.

Something was sprawled under a tree in the distance. At a glance, it was already lifeless.

A body torn to shreds, its shape unrecognizable. The village chief’s trembling hand illuminated it with the torch.

“……”

Its identity was a wild boar.

A beast with its hide torn off and most of its flesh lost, revealing its unsightly ribs.

It didn't need to be said.

This was the trace of a beast of prey having had its meal. And… the fact that Jang Seok-du’s tracks led here.

“Wait, village chief. This is?”

Then Hyuk Dae-woong stepped forward.

He shone the torch in his hand here and there and found a long object lying on the ground. It was a bow.

“Th-this is… yes. This is the bow I gave my son. Hehe, ohoho! Seok-du, you brat……”

“No, village chief. That’s not it. Look here. There are still footprints here.”

Hyuk Dae-woong shone the torch closer to the bow. Then the nearby footprints revealed their shape.

If Jang Seok-du had been dragged away by a tiger at this spot, there would be no footprints left.

The village chief, understanding the meaning, quickly looked at the footprints. The footprints were extremely chaotic.

There were even traces of falling and rolling. But the tracks of someone who had somehow escaped the place continued on.

It was not yet time to give up hope.

The three continued to follow the footprints.

As they proceeded, a steep slope appeared before the three.

“……”

The slope was unfathomably deep and dark.

Even with a torch, one couldn’t see even an inch below. It was like a cliff.

“Shh.”

It was then.

The village chief brought a finger to his lips. The group held their breath at once and listened. And.

“Heuk, eoheuk, euhheuk…….”

From somewhere down the slope, the sound of stifled sobbing could be heard. It was faint but clearly a human voice.

Grab.

The village chief covered his own mouth.

His son was alive. He had almost shouted his name.

But that would be no different than telling the beasts of prey in the darkness his location.

The village chief quickly took out a rope.

“Now, you two. Please tie me up quickly. I’ll go down and rescue him, so if you pull us up—”

“…I will go down.”

Lee Byeok said.

“No, uh, why is that?”

“Since we don’t know the terrain or situation below, it’s better for a smaller person to go down.”

“……”

It was a plausible statement at a glance.

“…I’m sorry to say this, but can you pull up my son who is bigger than you?”

“Village chief, please leave it to Byeok-i.”

Hyuk Dae-woong stepped in to help.

“My junior brother is not weak. Above all, to pull up the weight of two people, wouldn’t it be better for you and me to be on top, village chief?”

“…I’m getting too much in your debt.”

The village chief bowed his head as if he had no face. And Lee Byeok wrapped a rope around his waist.

While he tied it tightly with a knot, the village chief tied the other end of the rope to a nearby tree trunk.

And Lee Byeok received a torch from Hyuk Dae-woong. With his other hand, he grabbed the rope.

Lee Byeok stepped out into the darkness.

Chwaaaak!

He slides down the slope.

Grass and trees were growing profusely on the slope. Tree branches hit his body. Minor scratches appeared here and there.

Lee Byeok didn’t mind and moved his body. He kicked and broke the thicker trees that occasionally blocked his path.

Tat, tat!

Lee Byeok repeatedly kicked off the ground.

The sound of sobbing grew closer.

“Heuk, keoheuk, eoheuheuk…….”

He finally found Jang Seok-du.

His form, draped like laundry over a diagonally growing tree trunk… could only be described as a stroke of luck.

Tak, Lee Byeok landed on the trunk.

“Jang Seok-du.”

“U-uhik! Uwaaaaak!!!”

For a moment, as if he had seen a ghost, Jang Seok-du let out a shrill scream. Thump, Lee Byeok’s foot was stuffed into Jang Seok-du’s mouth.

“Eup, eupeup!”

“Don’t make a sound. Get a grip.”

Bloodshot eyes looked up at Lee Byeok. A body trembling like an aspen tree.

“I came to rescue you. Now, if I send a signal, they will pull us up from above. But you must not make a loud noise. If you understand, nod your head.”

Nod, nod.

The head was nodded furiously. Lee Byeok watched for a moment and then removed his foot.

“Keuheuk, uh, eoheuk, th-thank you. Thank you. Heuk! Thank you so much. I-I fell while running away… I thought I was going to die like this. Hah! Eoheok…….”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I-I don’t know. I don’t know. Hikk!”

“Hold on to me.”

In any case, there were no visible injuries to the naked eye. Lee Byeok slung Jang Seok-du’s right arm over his shoulder.

And Lee Byeok pulled the rope hard at regular intervals as he had said beforehand.

Squeeze!

As if the signal had been successfully transmitted, the rope soon became taut. It began to be pulled upwards.

Lee Byeok, relying on the strength of the rope, began to climb back up the slope backwards.

Unlike when he came down, since he was holding Jang Seok-du with one hand, it was difficult to pick up speed while holding the rope.

Kung!

He had climbed about halfway.

Then, the rope shook violently.

“Keuaaaaak!!”

And an urgent voice echoed from above.

Whiririk, at the same time, the force pulling the rope disappeared. It went slack and fell downwards.

Chiiik!

The tips of his feet slipped on the slope.

The two began to fall.

“U-uwaaak! Keuaaaak!”

Jang Seok-du let out a shrill scream.

He lost his reason again and began to struggle. The huge body slung over his shoulder swayed precariously.

Lee Byeok clenched his teeth.

In a moment of crisis, Lee Byeok threw the torch without hesitation. And he reached for a nearby tree trunk.

Grab.

Fortunately, the tree did not break.

He had avoided the fall. But in return, he had lost the torch. The only light was sucked into the darkness below.

“Keuaak! Uwaaaak, eok—”

Paak!

Lee Byeok headbutted Jang Seok-du’s forehead. Soon, Jang Seok-du’s struggling body went limp.

It would be easier to pull him up if he was unconscious rather than dealing with his struggling.

Chwararak!

And the rope, which had lost its pulling force, uncoiled for a long time downwards and then stopped.

“……”

Lee Byeok, hanging from a branch, put the rope between his two legs and shifted his weight as if hanging.

It was taut.

Before coming down the slope, he had tied one end of the rope to his waist and the other end to a tree.

Therefore, even without someone pulling from above, it would not be impossible to hold on and climb up.

Jang Seok-du’s limp body was heavy. He had no choice but to climb up somehow before his stamina was further depleted.

Grab.

Lee Byeok, hanging from the rope with his legs, let go of the branch. And he quickly grabbed the rope.

He began to climb up the slope.

Since there was no torch, it was pitch black everywhere. But a faint light could be seen far above.

Thanks to that, he wouldn’t get confused about the direction to go.

But what on earth was the identity of that light that was not obscured even by this dense mountain terrain?

Above all, there must have been some kind of accident up there. A pressing situation that forced them to let go of the rope.

“……”

He was out of breath. His muscles, stretched to their limit, were tingling.

But the physical pain actually helped to reduce his stray thoughts.

Lee Byeok silently climbed and climbed.

In the darkness, he couldn't even properly gauge the passage of time. He just took one step at a time and climbed up.

And at some point, Lee Byeok saw that the light he had seen in the distance was very close.

There was no more slope to climb.

Tak, Lee Byeok finally climbed onto level ground. Huk, immediately, a hot heat touched his entire body.

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