top of page
CHAPTER 1.2 - CURSED NOTHERN GHOST (2)
At the crack of dawn, an iron-clad general entered the large barracks.
“General, the preparations are complete.”
Seo-gyeol slowly raised his head at Jin-wi’s words. Jin-wi swallowed dry saliva when he met the eyes of the general that was as cold as ice and so sharp like it was forged with a knife. It was originally cold, but today it seemed cold enough to reach the bones. Maybe it was because he had to go back to Hanyang. Jin-wi continued to speak cautiously.
“I wish to leave now.”
“...Yes.”
With a low voice, his body rose. Even the giant Jin-wi wasn't tall enough, and he was taller than most, so the wide barracks felt cramped in an instant. Gyeol stepped forward and came out of the barracks. Following the resolution, the generals who assumed his role knelt towards him all at once. The morning star, densely embedded above the sky, was twinkling as if to commemorate his homecoming.
‘Hanyang.... Hanyang…’
However, the face that looked at the star with determination was dark. It was because he had not yet forgotten the young boy who had left Hanyang and had come to the northern part of Yeojeon.
“General.”
Gyeol, who was thinking pensively, got called out. The face of determination that erased all of the tens of thousands of emotions and thoughts that rushed in like a wave suddenly turned as cold as a snowy field again.
The leading soldiers raised their colorful flags high in the sky. The ground seemed to rumble with the sound of the trumpet in the grand march and the mountain birds sent off, flapping their mighty wings. But how long has it been?
“General, General!”
Gyeol stopped at the urgent voice. When he turned around, he saw Chetamza, a soldier who had been sent on a reconnaissance mission to the Yeojin tribe, rushing on horseback.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Barbarians, Heo Eok, barbarians are coming over!”
At those words, there was a commotion among the generals.
“The scale?”
“I see about 30 to 50 people. The direction is northwest, coming from a completely different direction than the road I used to take.”
Seeing the small number and different routes, it was likely a group of thieves. If the soldiers had come right after they found them, they would have almost reached the Amnok by now. There was no need to think further.
“I’m going to deal with it.”
“Yes!”
It was not necessary to be accompanied by hundreds of soldiers just to catch bandits. Gyeol selected ten investigators including Jin-wi, as they were special soldiers formed to spy out and defeat the Yeojin people, their skills were unquestionable.
He turned his head to get away from the thought of Hanyang for a while.
➽───────────────❥
After waking up at dawn, Daniola hurriedly prepared to open her shop. Today was the day when the large-scale Sangdan, which went to the Ming Dynasty three months ago, returned to Joseon. On their way back, some of them would definitely stop at her shop to buy tea, so they had to work diligently early in order to sell even more.
“Ugh, it seems to be colder today.”
Daniola, who lit candles everywhere, zipped her collar up and prepared for business. It was quicker and more accurate to stack up one by one by organizing multiple teas and checking the remaining stock. After some time, she took a breather and wiped the sweat that she had been drenched in.
“Huh? Have they returned already?”
Daniola raised her eyes at the sound of commotion outside. Judging by the sound of the footsteps that seem to come from quite a few people, it seemed that the Sangdan that went to the Ming Dynasty, was already coming.
“They’re very diligent. It just dawned.”
Daniola realized the importance of hard work and sincerity and prepared to welcome the guests. Finally, she opened the door.
“Welcome to Shim Tea Shop…”
Daniola, who had greeted them with a bright smile, slowly began to retreat. It was because of the strange behavior of those who entered the shop.
“What, you only have one girl?”
The grim faces and terrifying machetes in their hands showed they were thieves. One of the crowd walked up to Daniola with a sly grin.
“We… have no business today.”
Daniola took a step backwards, then quickly picked up a knife and pointed it at the man. But, at best, there was no way the knife which was the same length of a finger could be a threat to a man with a sword the size of a forearm. The crowd smirked at Daniola’s poor attempt at rebellion.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a little fun before crossing the Yalu.”
“Don’t come near me! Go away! Heck-”
She tried to pull out the arm caught by the man but her strength was not enough. Did she have to do something terrible at this point? She struggled until the very end and closed her eyes tightly.
“Ugh!”
“Ouch!”
Suddenly, a scream of death was heard outside of the shop. The man who was pressing on Daniola stopped for a moment and looked back.
“What?! What’s going on outside, huh-!”
Suddenly, the man and his body bent like a bow and released Daniola’s hand. When she opened her eyes, the man had been hit by an arrow on his back and collapsed.
“Hey, how the hell is this…’
Daniola, who was very frightened, raised her head. She couldn’t keep her mouth shut at the unbelievable sight that unfolded before her eyes. Dozens of people were tangled up and wielding knives beyond the door. The thieves screamed, full of blood. In the midst of all that was a man standing with a bow. He was tall and his body was covered with silver iron armor and a dark red colored long sword was visible behind his back.
‘That person…’
Daniola’s eyes trembled slightly. At that moment, the man who was aiming his bow towards his side lowered his arm. The man’s face, which had been hidden, was slowly revealed as the thick bow went down. It was a face so beautiful that it did not suit the battlefield. The first thing that caught her eyes was his eyes. His eyes looked colder than the snow in midwinter, it was like snow that was deep in a frozen lake. If ice clumped together and eventually even light could not enter and exit, would it be just that color? Daniola forgot to breathe at the coldness that radiated from his eyes. The man’s true identity could be known without even asking.
The cursed northern ghost.
He was rumored to kill all strangers, regardless of age and gender.
‘General Seogyeol…’
It was he who had come to Shim Tea Shop, shaking her peaceful fate.
bottom of page