Chapter 1473
What we’ve done is finally bearing fruit. (3)
“…Whew.”
The man, his face filled with weariness, lifted his head to look at the scene unfolding before him. Along the narrow mountain path, people carried their luggage, pulled carts, urging their steps forward.
“How much farther do we have to go?”
“Don’t you see Hwasan over there? We’re almost there. Just a little more, Brother.”
At the words from beside him, the man raised his head. Behind the small mountain they were ascending, loomed a tall sharp peak. Though still quite distant, the rugged appearance of the mountain made it clear that it was one of the Five Sacred Mountains, Hwasan.
“…I feel like I’ve heard that before.”
“Is the kid alright? Shouldn’t we give him something to eat?”
“Leave him be. Sometimes sleep is the best medicine.”
The man glanced back. A small child, perhaps no more than five years old, was fast asleep.
A gentle fondness filled the man’s eyes as he looked at the child.
“Here, let me take some of the load from your hands.”
“Enough. Are you going to carry all my belongings too? The load you’ve taken is heavier than the kid himself.”
“I’m still younger than you.”
“A young pup like you surviving on nothing but talk won’t last ten years.”
“Stubborn as always. Then, how about your sister-in-law’s load…”
“I said it’s fine. Don’t push yourself. Even if I collapse, there’s someone who’ll take care of me, but you don’t have anyone, do you?”
“…Is that supposed to be comforting?”
“Suppose so.”
“…”
The young man’s face contorted in surprise as he was about to interject.
“But, darling…”
“Hmm?”
The man carrying the child turned to look at his wife. With a large bundle on her head, she looked at him with an anxious expression.
“…Is going to Shaanxi really the right decision?”
“…”
“I followed you because of what you and this man said, but I can’t help feeling uneasy. Whether we can really live well in that distant and unfamiliar place…”
Before the man could respond, the young man hastily spoke up.
“No! Sister in law, what are you saying? Whether we live well or not is something to worry about later. First, we need to secure our lives, don’t we?”
“…But I heard Shaanxi is just as dangerous.”
“But Shaanxi has Cheonumaeng, doesn’t it?”
“But Shaolin has come to where we lived..”
“Oh my, Sister in law.”
The young man pounded his chest in frustration.
“Shaolin? When have they ever paid us any attention? Have they ever given us so much as a grain of rice when we were struggling to survive?”
The woman nodded in agreement as if acknowledging his point.
“I’ve seen it too. They boast about protecting Hubei. But the Hubei they protect isn’t us. Even if we all die, as long as they safeguard the land, they pat themselves on the back, don’t they?”
“That’s true.”
The man carrying the child interjected with a sigh.
“Of course, it’s true that Cheonumaeng hasn’t properly protected Sichuan. But does that mean we should just place them somewhere like Gupailbang? Who helped us when we were in need? Have you forgotten about Hwasan and Tang clan providing us with grain, and driving away the invaders? I’m human too, of course.”
The people living in the Yangtze River basin received the most significant aid from Cheonumaeng, regardless of what anyone said. But it wasn’t just the people of Yangtze who observed their actions. All the common folks throughout Hubei, which touches Yangtze, witnessed everything.
“Gupailbang sneaks in once a year at best, makes a show of it, and leaves. What have they ever done for us? But the Tang clan, they came from Sichuan and settled there, helping people. That’s the truth. If they had stayed in Sichuan, do you think those Evil Sects would have left it alone?”
As the young man’s voice grew louder, those around nodded in agreement. Even if one were to deny everything else, the fact that Cheonumaeng had made efforts for them was undeniable.
“Whether Cheonumaeng can protect us or not, who knows? But if we have to believe in one of the two, it should be them. How can we trust those who only talk?”
“Exactly.”
“Of course, we should believe in Cheonumaeng!”
Suddenly, strong voices erupted from both sides.
Of course, these people had prepared to travel long distance to entrust themselves to Cheonumaeng. It was natural for them to respond favorably.
“I think the same thing.”
“Honey.”
“If it’s hard, just endure it. Why stir up trouble?”
The man turned his head again to look at the child on his back.
“As long as we’re alive, there will come a day when we can return. So let’s endure for now. Okay?”
His wife nodded in response to his words. Her gaze also turned towards the child on her husband’s back. Wouldn’t they endure any hardship for the sake of that child?
“I hope we won’t encounter any bandits along the way.”
The man sighed.
He knew it too well. Cheoumaeng wouldn’t welcome them. In such situations, it was the ordinary people who were the burden, not knowing how to fight but only consuming the resources.
In a real war, they might have been conscripted, but in a war among martial artists, people like them were of no use whatsoever.
“Surely, with a name of Cheonumaeng, they wouldn’t drive away people who have come from afar. They’ll at least provide shelter under their roof.”
“…”
“Let’s hold on somehow until the war ends. Then there will be a way.”
“…Yes.”
It was when the man made a firm resolve.
“We’ve arrived! Once we cross over there, it’s Hwaeum!”
The person from Cheonyangmun [천양문(千陽門) – Thousand Suns Gate], who had been following them as an escort, shouted loudly. Upon hearing his voice, they summoned their strength and climbed the hill.
And then…
“Huh?”
“Uh… what?”
The people who reached the top of the hill blinked in surprise.
“…Wasn’t Hwaeum supposed to be a small village?”
“Y-Yes, I heard that too.”
They had two reasons for coming to Hwaeum. One was that Hwaeum was near Hwasan, and the other was that to reach Xian, the largest city in Shaanxi, they had to pass through Hwaeum anyway.
Even if Hwaeum turned out to be too small to provide proper accommodation due to its proximity to Hwasan, they could just move on to Xian.
However, the village they now saw before their eyes was vastly different from what they had heard. The small village they had heard of was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a large city spread out like a checkerboard.
“Isn’t this bigger than Gyunhyun?”
“Well, it can’t be bigger than Gyunhyun, but… This seems larger than expected.”
“…Isn’t it?”
The people who reached the top of the hill blinked in disbelief, momentarily forgetting the fatigue from climbing all the way here.
“Is this… how it was originally?”
“It couldn’t have been like this… Oh! Jong Myung! Didn’t you visit this area not too long ago? Was it like this back then?”
“W-When I came here a few years ago, it was really just a small village.”
“Really?”
The man looked back at the city with a puzzled expression.
“If that’s the case, then this must have been built in just a few years… In that case, it seems like Cheonumaeng is much more remarkable than what people say. Or maybe it’s Hwasan that is remarkable.”
Some of the people nodded in agreement with his words.
“It seems like the rumor about Cheonumaeng’s headquarters being established here was true after all.”
“It certainly looks that way.”
“Let’s keep going. People are piling up behind.”
“Right.”
With a nod, the man lifted his foot again.
Looking at the city as if entranced, a small glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes.
‘If they’ve built a city like this, they probably won’t be too harsh on us.’
He tightened his grip on the child in his arms.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Move aside!”
“Hey! Over there! Someone dropped their luggage!”
“Be careful with the cart! The cart! Watch out! You’re hitting people!”
On the road leading to Hwaeum, which wasn’t particularly wide, people were crowded together.
“Go back, next!”
With the child in his arms, the man swallowed nervously and approached the tables set up as if to block the entrance to the village.
“Um… what should I do…”
Everyone lined up automatically, so he followed suit, but he didn’t know what he was supposed to do here. He just came forward when it was his turn.
The man sitting behind the table raised his head and looked at him.
“Where are you from?”
“Uh, we’re from Hubei…”
“Hubei. How many of you?”
“…Me, my wife, and our child.”
“One man, one woman, one child.”
Quickly jotting down the details, the man prepared a wooden token, inscribed something on it, and stamped it before handing it to the man.
“Here you go.”
“What is this?”
“It’s a token that proves you’re refugees. You’ll need it to receive rations, so make sure not to lose it. If you do, come to Eunha merchant guild’s headquarters.”
“Rations? What do you mean by rations?”
At the man’s inquiry, the seated person scratched his head.
“You’ll find out once you go inside. There are many people waiting, so please go in for now.”
“Yes? Oh, okay!”
“You’ll receive one more of these, and here! Family of three!”
As the seated person shouted, one of the people waiting at the back hurriedly approached.
“Are you together?”
“There is a child in the family! In a separate building!”
“Yes! Please come this way.”
“Oh, okay!”
The man followed the leading person with a bewildered look, still holding tightly onto his wife’s hand.
“Darling, what on earth is going on?”
“Let’s not panic – it doesn’t seem like there’s any ill intent.”
“…Sure.”
Having just planned to find a decent spot to rest upon entering the village, they couldn’t help but feel bewildered by the successive events.
And as they ventured further, their sense of unease only deepened.
“The streets…”
The meticulously paved roads, lined with grand pavilions on both sides, were unlike anything they had ever seen before.
With no adornments or decorations, the pavilions seemed particularly menacing.
“So this is Hwaeum…”
It was at this moment that the man resolved to gather his wits and stay alert.
“Come this way, please.”
“Yes.”
The guide turned down a slightly smaller street off the main road. Along this street were buildings slightly smaller than the grand pavilions seen earlier, but they still appeared impressive to the newcomers.
“Where are we being taken?”
“Right here!”
“Huh?”
As they arrived, they found several families already gathered.
“Let’s see… Now, where’s our… Ah, here it is. This house.”
“A house?”
“Yes, you’ll be staying here on the ground floor. Once you enter, someone will assist you shortly. For now, just relax and rest.”
“Just a moment. What do you mean by ground floor?”
“Please hand over the token you received.”
“Yes? Here it is.”
“You should have received another one.”
“Ah, it’s right here.”
Taking the larger token, the guide walked ahead and inserted it firmly into a slot next to the door of their lodging.
“Now, this is your accommodation. Please rest for now.”
“Huh? This… here?”
The man stood in disbelief, staring at the three-story wooden building before them.
“A… lodging like this…”
For those who had prepared themselves to dig burrows and endure the wind and rain, this grand lodging came as a complete surprise.
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