IBM 05

Chapter 05

The Exile Ends (2)

“Ugh.”

Yu Yeop-gyeong wiped the thick beads of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

He panted while turning over the earth to erase the bloodstains.

No matter how much his stamina had improved during his life in exile, digging and overturning the ground everywhere was no easy task.

‘I guess I wasn’t born with the destiny to be a farmer. That Mumu fellow did it so easily.’

That child would have finished in no time.

No, he would have finished it without even breaking a sweat.

Indeed, comparing his own stamina with that child’s was no different from comparing a bear to an ant.

‘By the way, are they still not here?’

The sun was already starting to set.

Soon, the sky would be tinged with scarlet and dusk would arrive.

It wasn’t long until evening.

The Merchant Caravan always came in the late afternoon, so he was anxious that they seemed later than usual.

‘Why is this fellow so late?’

He was an adopted son who could run around even while carrying an A-frame carrier full of firewood.

But he was worried, wondering just how far he had gone to have not returned yet.

It was then.

—Clop! Clop!

The sound of horse hooves reached his ears.

Yu Yeop-gyeong looked outside the yard with tense eyes.

Just then, a familiar face appeared, parting the bushes while holding horse reins.

‘Ahhh!’

It was O Ji-gang, the Merchant Group Leader of the Merchant Caravan he had been so desperately waiting for.

A procession leading horses laden with baggage followed behind O Ji-gang.

Spotting O Ji-gang, Yu Yeop-gyeong rushed over.

“Leader O!”

“Lord Yu Hak-jeong.”

The Merchant Group Leader, O Ji-gang, also called out to him with a pleased face.

Then, seeing him drenched in sweat and limping, he frowned.

“My goodness. Lord, what happened to your leg?”

The thigh area of Yu Yeop-gyeong’s lower garment was soaked with bloodstains.

O Ji-gang, who had come in high spirits at the thought of meeting Yu Yeop-gyeong and his adopted son after a long time, couldn’t help but be surprised.

“What on earth happened?”

“Leader O. Please help me. Something terrible has happened.”

“Lord. Please don’t get excited and tell me slowly. How did your leg end up like that?”

Just then, someone from the back stepped forward.

He was a middle-aged man with a mustache, wearing a longsword at his waist. He bent his knees, looked at the wound and the cloth knot near Yu Yeop-gyeong’s thigh, and asked.

“Judging by the hemostasis, it seems you were stabbed by something sharp. Is that correct?”

“That is correct, but who might you be?”

Yu Yeop-gyeong knew most of the members of the merchant procession.

But this man’s face was unfamiliar.

“Your complexion is not good, and it seems there was quite a bit of bleeding. May this humble one take a look at the wound?”

“Th-There’s something more urgent than that…”

“My apologies, but this seems more urgent.”

—Riiip!

There was no time to stop him.

The middle-aged man ripped Yu Yeop-gyeong’s pants without hesitation.

Except for the tightly bound cloth knot above the wound, the area below was exposed.

Yu Yeop-gyeong’s face reddened in bewilderment.

“Hey, for a first meeting, this is too…”

“I see… you seem to have been struck by a dagger.”

“How did you know?”

Yu Yeop-gyeong asked with surprised eyes.

Then, the middle-aged man brought a gourd bottle-like object from his horse’s back and poured it on the wound.

“Ugh.”

“There could be metal poisoning, so I’ve lightly disinfected it with fiery liquor.”

Then he took a small container-like object from his bosom and opened the lid.

Inside was something like a yellowish powder.

The middle-aged man picked it up and sprinkled it on the wound, saying,

“This will hurt a lot.”

“Ghh.”

The wound stung as if it were being seared with fire.

He almost screamed, but Yu Yeop-gyeong clenched his teeth to maintain his dignity.

However, he soon felt the wound becoming somewhat refreshed.

“It’s wound-healing medicine. This humble one has extra, so please take this, Lord, and apply it in the morning, afternoon, and evening.”

“Th-Thank you.”

Yu Yeop-gyeong accepted the wound-healing medicine, bewildered.

The middle-aged man looked at the cloth knot tied above Yu Yeop-gyeong’s wound and said,

“Why did you tie it so tightly?”

The circulation was cut off, and the skin on his thigh below the wound, except for the wound itself, had turned white and purplish with discoloration.

Yu Yeop-gyeong was about to say it was because our son is so strong, but he just kept his mouth shut.

Then, he spoke to the Merchant Group Leader O Ji-gang in a pleading tone.

“Leader O, please help me. Our father and son are about to die.”

“What do you mean, you’re about to die? And Lord. Why is Mumu, that child, not here?”

“That child has gone to hide the corpses of the mountain bandits.”

“Mountain bandits, you say?”

At this, Yu Yeop-gyeong explained what had happened.

He said that mountain bandits had suddenly appeared and that he had somehow joined forces with his adopted son to kill them.

In truth, Mumu had killed most of them, but he deliberately didn’t mention that.

A groan escaped Merchant Group Leader O Ji-gang’s lips upon hearing the story.

“Hah. To think that mountain bandits would appear even here, a place the country has forbidden entry to.”

“I, too, have lived here for a long time, but this is the first time this has happened. Leader O. For the sake of our past friendship, please help me. Go to the local government office and request help.”

“To the government office?”

“And if it’s possible, please take my son with you.”

“Lord?”

“I am in the middle of my life in exile, so there’s nothing I can do, but I can’t let that young fellow die with me.”

At these words, Merchant Group Leader O Ji-gang glanced at the middle-aged man with the longsword.

Then, he scratched his head as if he were in a difficult situation.

Wondering if it was difficult for him to grant the request because he was a criminal in exile, Yu Yeop-gyeong grew inwardly anxious.

“Please, I beg you. Leader O.”

In the end, Yu Yeop-gyeong even tried to kneel on the ground.

Merchant Group Leader O Ji-gang hurriedly stopped him.

“Lord, that’s not it. Actually, I came here to deliver some good news, but I didn’t expect something like this to happen.”

“Good news, you say? What is it?”

“More importantly, bringing Mumu back first seems to be the urgent priority. I think we can talk about that after we bring Mumu back. Officer Jang.”

At those words, the middle-aged man with the longsword cupped his hands and showed respect.

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Officer?”

Yu Yeop-gyeong’s eyes widened.

Isn’t an Officer (捕快) a government official who handles investigations and practical affairs under a county’s magistrate?

As it happened, an officer was the very person he needed most right now.

Merchant Group Leader O Ji-gang said with a gentle smile to the astonished Yu Yeop-gyeong.

“Officer Jang is originally from a prestigious martial family of the Murim; his martial prowess is outstanding and he is brave, so he should be able to bring Mumu back safely.”

At those words, Yu Yeop-gyeong swept his chest in relief.

“If that’s true, it’s a relief. Ahhh. I was just worried that Mumu might have run into that mountain bandit group, the Yangho Fortress or whatever it’s called…”

“Lord. Did you just say Yangho Fortress?”

Just then, Officer Jang frowned, cut him off, and asked.

Yu Yeop-gyeong nodded and answered.

“The bandits certainly said that before they died. Is there a problem?”

“Your Excellency. We must hurry.”

“Is it serious?”

“The Yangho Fortress are not mere mountain bandits. They are an Unorthodox Faction group belonging to the 72 Fortresses of the Green Forest that operates in this area.”

“What. If they’re an Unorthodox Faction group, aren’t they dangerous people?”

“That’s right. Your Lordship’s son could be in danger.”

“Hah. Then please hurry.”

“Understood. Constables, guard this place. I will go and return quickly by myself.”

At that, the members of the Merchant Caravan suddenly took out weapons from the baggage on the horses’ backs and shouted.

“Sir!”

Yu Yeop-gyeong was dumbfounded.

How could the members of the caravan suddenly become constables?

He couldn’t understand the reason for any of this.

Thump-thump-thump!

There was someone running through the forest, cutting across it like a water deer.

He was none other than Mumu.

As he ran through the forest as if strolling through his own home, Mumu glanced at the Strength-Limiting Ring on his right arm.

The number on the dial was back to eight (八).

‘This is unexpected.’

Mumu was surprised by his own strength.

His adoptive father, Yu Yeop-gyeong, had always warned him not to touch the number on the dial.

In truth, he couldn’t turn it even if he wanted to.

‘It was like it was secured by a padlock.’

But one day, it turned.

A few months after his adoptive father Yu Yeop-gyeong had set the dial to the final level of eight (八), the moment he overcame its immense weight through muscle training, it became possible.

So, out of curiosity, he tried turning it.

‘It changed.’

The lower the number, the lighter his body became.

He even felt his suppressed muscles reviving even more.

After learning the hidden secret of the Strength-Limiting Ring like this, Mumu had occasionally released it by just one level while hunting.

‘There were quite a lot of mountain bandit ahjussis, so I released half of it.’

He himself didn’t know he would see such a result.

He thought he now understood why his father had repeatedly warned him not to turn the dial.

From now on, it seemed better not to turn it more than one or two levels if possible.

‘Huh?’

Mumu, who had been lost in thought, stopped for a moment when he arrived near his house.

He saw people standing around the thatched house holding weapons.

‘Are they mountain bandits?’

Seeing this, Mumu felt a flicker of suspicion, but soon confirmed they were familiar faces and ran over, delighted.

“Ahjussis!”

Those guarding the thatched house also recognized Mumu.

Since they had visited every year with the caravan, it would be strange not to recognize him.

“Mumu!”

“It’s Mumu! You’ve gotten bigger.”

“Your Excellency! Lord! Mumu is here.”

At their shouts, Yu Yeop-gyeong, who had been waiting worriedly, came running out with a limp.

Yu Yeop-gyeong, who had been filled with anxious worry, embraced his son and let out a sigh of relief.

“You rascal. What were you doing that you’re so late?”

“Well… I was late because I was looking for a place where they wouldn’t be found.”

He didn’t mention that he had been to the mountain fortress.

He thought he might worry them for no reason.

Merchant Group Leader O Ji-gang approached with a smile.

“Mumu. It’s been a while. The fellow has grown a lot.”

“Ahjussi!”

“I heard you had a tough time. I’m sorry we ahjussis came late.”

“A tough time? My father was hurt more than I was…”

“You don’t need to worry about that. More importantly, where is Officer Jang? Did you come alone? Didn’t you meet him on the way?”

“Yes? Officer Jang?”

At Mumu’s question, Merchant Group Leader O Ji-gang frowned.

At the same time.

Officer Jang, who had been searching for Mumu’s whereabouts, couldn’t close his mouth at the sight before him.

Traces of destruction, as if a great storm had swept through.

Amidst those traces, he could see the destroyed mountain fortress and people scattered everywhere.

There was even the bizarre sight of some hanging from treetops, or stuck in the ground with only their lower body showing, as if buried.

‘What in the world happened here?’

Nothing around was intact.

The broken trees and the dead corpses were also not a pretty sight.

What was chilling was that they all seemed to have died in a single blow, with almost no other wounds.

As a martial artist and an officer, he examined the corpses one by one.

‘How can this be.’

The corpses seemed to be the work of a single person.

Among all these marks, there were no wounds of a different type.

It seemed they were all taken down by bare-handed martial arts.

He himself was confident he could handle them to some extent with a single sword, but annihilating them like this with bare hands was close to impossible.

In other words,

‘…An incredible master.’

Officer Jang had no choice but to come to that conclusion.

There was no way a peerless master of this level would be in this area, so he was curious as to which eccentric master had appeared and done this.

Arriving in the middle of the mountain fortress, Officer Jang could not hide his astonishment.

‘!!!’

There was a giant pit, nearly ten-odd jang wide, as if a Thunderclap Bomb had exploded.

‘What on earth is this trace…’

It was a form where the impact had spread out from the center.

If his guess was correct, it had to be a master of internal energy beyond imagination.

It was at that very moment.

“Cough, cough…”

A small coughing sound was heard.

Hearing this, Officer Jang flew toward the sound.

At the epicenter, a large-bodied, bald, middle-aged man with one side of his chest collapsed was gasping for breath, dying.

‘Byeon Yang-ho!’

Officer Jang, who was familiar with his description, recognized him at once.

He was undoubtedly Byeon Yang-ho, the Fortress Leader of Yangho Fortress.

He had heard that he was a skilled person on the verge of the Peak Stage, so how did he end up in such a state?

Officer Jang approached, touched the dying man, and called out.

“Byeon Yang-ho.”

“Hk!”

He had only touched him lightly, but Byeon Yang-ho freaked out with eyes showing bulging veins.

To think a master of this level would be so terrified.

Officer Jang clicked his tongue and asked.

“Who on earth did this to you?”

He didn’t know about the others, but a master like Byeon Yang-ho was dying from having one side of his chest collapsed in a single blow.

He grew curious about the identity of the master who did this.

But Byeon Yang-ho’s condition was too poor to get an answer.

“Gasp… gasp…”

‘He’s going to die at this rate.’

He had to make him spit out even a sliver of a clue before he died.

Officer Jang held onto him and asked again.

“Hey. Byeon Yang-ho. I am an officer from Dohyeon County. How did you end up in this state…”

Before the question could even finish, Byeon Yang-ho used all his strength to say something.

“A-Asymmetrical…”

And then, he soon gasped and breathed his last.

At his last words, Officer Jang felt a sincere doubt.

‘…What does that even mean?’