Hundreds of people on horses who blocked our way were swordsmen. I’ve never seen them before, even though I’ve traveled this way so many times. Only by talking to them, I could find out whether it was a newly formed bandit or they came from afar for the cargo.
“Jinpyong”
“Your orders Sir.”
“Follow me with the moneybag”
“Yes Sir”
“Rest of the armed escorts, check your weapons and prepare for the worst-case scenario. All the porters, follow the head porter’s orders”
Head porter meant the porter with the most experience out of all and a veteran amongst them all.
And that was me.
After finishing his acquaintance, Gaebulyeom of Geum-ra do, headed towards the enemy riding a horse with a young and quick armed escort named Jinpyeong.
“Will it be alright?”
My direct lower-ranked porter asked me carefully.
Not many bandits would cause trouble after seeing the flag of the Heavenly Dragon Kingdom in Jeolgangseong. Besides, Gaebulyeom is leading the shipment himself.
This year’s sixty-year-old armed escort has been the symbol of the great old man, who has been known for the great leader of armed escort
“Then any problems could be solved.”
“I’m sure it will.”
“But you don’t know. Everybody prepare your pudao(Small sword)”
How much could porters do if they fought, but when both sides are at odds, a single person dead was a loss.
It was then. Suddenly two silvery lights flashed from the enemy camp.
At the same time, the head of Gaebulyeom and Jinpyeong, who went to negotiate, fell from their shoulders like a lie.
“You crazy!”
Hundreds of enemies on horses came running, shaking the earth.
All the armed escorts pulled out their swords and charged against the enemies as well.
The worst-case scenario we tried to avoid happened.
“Attack!”
The enemy’s power was so strong that even Gaebulyeom could be decapitated with a single swing, and the fight was tilted in no time.
Blood was scattered in the air and flesh was everywhere.
Fifty armed guards were reduced to only five or six.
The number of porters and me has decreased to ten. Everyone had a knife, but they were so terrified that they didn’t even dare to think of attacking.
The young porters, who were the first job, shivered urinating all over their pants
One of them was just hit by a knife wielded by a talisman and broke his chest pack.
God damn it!”
This is the end of the fight. I did everything I had to do as an armed escort and a head porter.
Further resisting meant nothing.
I threw away the knife and ran off to the loaded cargo.
Then shouted convulsively at armed enemies.
‘Stop it, you sons of bitches!”
Then I took out the big jar in the corner of the cargo and threw it as hard as I could under the cargo shuttle.
The jars broke with the sound of glass breaking and the oil scent filled the battlefields.
It was a jar filled with oil that I always carry around to make torches.
I quickly took a piece of paper out of my sleeves and set him on fire. yellow twirls with a roar and smoke shot overhead
“If you all don’t stop the killing, I’ll burn this cargo. Get back you assholes!”‘
The bandits stopped their killing for a moment and backed away slowly.
In the meantime, all the armed escorts have died and only 10 survivors were left including me and other porters.
“Why are you cursing?”
A far too young looking bandit walked slowly towards me putting a bloody knife on his shoulder.
” Useless cunts can go away. The head can come out.
“This motherfu..”
“Stop!”
An insect-like old man drove his horse towards me.
The sight of the bright eyes on his terrifying face made me shudder.
It was the same man who killed Gaebulyeom and Jinpyeong with a single strike.
“What do you want?”
“Let the rest of the people go.”
“With one of ten cargo as a hostage?”
“Judging by the situation, it looks like you know what we’re transporting, yes, that’s right.
These are the books of Master Wang In-yup, who lives with a concubine and falls, and one of them is Confucius’ ancient amulets thousands of years ago.
There’s a roll of bamboo, presumed to have written and woven by himself, now, which cargo do you think I got on?”
The insect’s face hardened like a rock.
“Now you’re a little inclined to negotiate?”
“The fire can be put out quickly.”
I stepped on one of the wooden boxes and smashed it. Then held up a bamboo-shaped roll and threatened to set it on fire.
“Did the asshole who sent you said you could bring you a half-burnt version of the amulets?”
“You’re quick-witted,”
“I’ve been quick-witted my life.”
Then his eyes stayed on my short left leg for a bit.
“Are you a limp?”
“Stop the bullshit. What are you going to do!”
The paper was half burnt in my hands. I had to let the porters escape as soon as possible.
The face of the insect-like man pitted against the bandits. Enemies were called aside and freed the porters.
Their wobbly glance caught my eye.
“Listen to me. From now on, these guys will track you down to the end to get rid of witnesses and murder you all.
Don’t run away together as a group. Runaway towards the mountains and rivers so that the horse can’t get to you.
Continue, even if no one seems to be chasing you, don’t let your guard down for a single day. If you understand, go now.”
“What about you?”
“Don’t say it like you don’t know. Stop messing around and get out of here you dumbfucks”
“You don’t have to be sorry. I don’t want to die either, but I’m a head porter, so I have to do this. That’s our rule.
The porters began to flee, wiping away their tears.
The paper in hand was almost burnt away now. I quickly tucked the bamboo roll into my sleeves.
Then, I ripped the sleeve of my clothes with my mouth and moved fire from the burning paper.
“I dare you to come closer”
The bandits, who had been gathering together, stepped back in hesitance.
I wasted as much time as I could with the burning piece of cloth.
“Why didn’t they flee riding a horse?
The insect-like man asked.
I spoke after seeing the porters disappearing into the mountain.
“Cause porters don’t know how to ride a horse.”
“Are you a porter, too?”
“I’m the head porter”
“You’re talented, full of braveness, and if you were a marksman, you’d be a great one. Why didn’t you become an armed escort?”
“My combat techniques are not good enough.”
“Is it because of the legs?”
“It has nothing to do with it.”
“Well, that’s impressive. With the disability you have, it seems like being a porter would’ve been more difficult.”
“You must be very pleased with me if you give me a lot of money, I’ll give you a chance to think about taking me as your follower.”
“Of course not, I just caught your eye for a moment.”
At that moment, my hand holding the burning piece of cloth was cut off. And this time, I could feel like something was burning in my chest. It was a knife.
I fell forward.
“Chase the porters quickly!”
“Find the bamboo rolls of amulets!”
I saw dozens of bandits chasing the porters on a horse and five or six bandits climbed onto the cargo to retrieve the amulet.
“It won’t work that easy”
Even though the shipment mission has failed, I could fuck up their heist before I died.
I pulled out a piece of paper I hid in my clothes. One of the bandits rolled me over with his foot and his eyes were in shock seeing the paper.
“You’re all fucked you assholes hahaha”
The fire caught on my chest and became a monster that swallowed the bandits on top of the cargo.
I could see glimpses of my life passing by.
An extremely poor and difficult childhood, my mother sacrificing everything to send me to a school. And all those people laughing at me saying it was impossible for a limp to become a porter.
My dream was to become an armed escort and deliver goods on a fancy horse. However, being limp, I never could triumph any combat techniques. I lived as a porter doing all the dirty work for 30 years.
There hasn’t been a single day that was easy for me. Maybe I could finally get to rest now.
“Why aren’t I dead yet?”
“Why is my body so cold”
I thought I would be agonizing in pain because I was burning but it felt like my whole body was freezing to death.
Suddenly, I opened my eyes to a splashing sound.
“What is that?”
A figure of a human flew across the sky towards me. No, It swam towards me.
Then it grabbed my flowing hair and started dragging me to where it came from.
“What kind of hallucination is this vivid?”