chapter 397
398 – EP.15 Poisonous weed
***
After failing the college entrance exam and returning home, Bangja and I chatted about various things to pass the time while walking.
I mostly listened to it and Bangja was talking, but I thought it would be okay to call him Choksae or Ttaebal instead of Bangja.
I was also able to obtain information about ‘me’ in fragments. When I put it all together, it seems that I was born and raised in a rare, upright family.
If I had to pick the hardest thing about deciding to live my original life, it would be having to do things that go against my personality.
There was nothing more humiliating than being in an environment where your character was ruined. When I was in that situation, I felt like I was going out wearing clothes that didn’t fit my body.
In that sense, being born to honest parents is considered a good thing.
“Good start.”
“Seeing you so cheerful, I feel relieved!”
Bangja, who misunderstood what I said, smiled brightly.
While we were going over the mountain while talking about this and that, my consciousness caught hold of the Zhangyi tribe that I had seen on the mountain. I asked Fang Zi why he jumped at the mere mention of the Zhangyi tribe.
I don’t know if it was because he got what I said that his memory wasn’t complete due to the shock of being bitten by a tiger, or because I gave him another chance while his mouth was still twitching after all that talking, but Bangja spoke enthusiastically about the Zhang tribe.
The stories about Zhang Jianguo were almost exclusively ominous.
“Didn’t 80% of the Japanese pirates who entered Joseon territory in the Imjin year sink into the sea?”
Bangja said, waving his arms and making his way forward.
As we climbed the mountain, the trees grew denser and more unfamiliar flowers began to pop up.
“That’s right, Admiral Yi Sun-sin…”
Hoping that the history of this era is the same as what I know, I agreed with Bangja’s words.
“It is said that Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who was protected by the god of war, defeated the Japanese pirates with his mysterious technique of breathing, but still, several Japanese ships landed and advanced toward Hanyang.”
Wait, what’s with the breathing?
Despite my questions, Bangja didn’t stop talking.
“Where would the Japanese go when their supplies are cut off? The only option for the Japanese who are being chased by soldiers is to hide in the mountains. But what’s the matter, that place is the territory of the Jang people.”
“There was no interaction with the Jang people before that?”
“It was only known that there were people called the Jang people, and that they lived hidden away in the mountains, but it was not known how vicious they were. Well… I’ve heard it through word of mouth, but I heard that they were treated so badly that the Japanese were pitiful.”
“What’s wrong with the Jang family?”
“It is said that most of them were killed in that mountain. The government troops found a few surviving Japanese, but they were said to be out of their minds.”
“You weren’t in your right mind?”
“According to the Japanese who survived, ghosts suddenly began to appear and they all swung their swords at their comrades as if they were possessed by something.”
“What… Are the Jang people using sorcery or something?”
“Since shamans can kill people with rituals, wouldn’t it be possible for the Jang people to do the same? They must have something to hide, so they must live in the mountains. Huh? Maybe those long ears could be a clue.”
Bangja was excited as if he had made the discovery of the century.
The end of the Japanese that Bangja spoke of afterwards was closer to a horror story than history.
It is said that there were samurai who pulled out their own swords and put them in their mouths, and that there were also samurai who committed seppuku while still sober.
It is said that the blood of headless and torn corpses dyed the mountain red from an artificial stream, but I don’t think it is very credible since the only evidence to support this is eyewitness accounts.
“Your Majesty. There is a story that this mountain is where the Japanese were cut down.”
Bangja, who whispered to me as if she had just woken up, trembled and opened her clothes.
It was really funny to see them talking so loudly and looking so scared.
“hmm.”
“Huh? Why are you doing that?”
“I know that the Jang people shoot arrows, but you didn’t mention any Japanese who died from being shot by arrows.”
“Isn’t it because the other deaths are so grotesque that they aren’t mentioned? A corpse with its joints twisted in a grotesque way is more memorable than one killed by an arrow.”
“I see.”
I had a strong feeling. And one thing became certain.
Perhaps, I thought that in order to end this world without incident, I should not get involved with the Jang tribe.
If I return to my hometown and live my life according to my parents’ orders, wouldn’t I be inheriting the life of the owner of my body?
“Whoa… If you just get over the hill… you’ll soon see a village.”
Maybe it was because I walked to relieve my boredom? I was able to get over the mountain faster than I thought.
The way down was harder than the way up.
This was because the green barriers were densely packed together and blocking the road.
“The length isn’t that great.”
I wasn’t saying this because I remembered the modern hiking trail. I was saying this because the bushes were noticeably different from the path I had walked before.
“That’s right.”
Bangja took a couple of steps ahead and began to cut away the hanging branches and grass with a wooden stick.
Green obstacles opened the way for Bangja’s medium to bow its head.
I followed Bangja.
“Ouch, hot!”
The magpie, pricked by a sharp leaf, groaned.
“Be careful.”
A floral scent that I had never smelled before wafted in the air.
“I wonder if there’s an inn.”
As I lowered my head and spoke, Bangja scratched his neck and agreed with what I said.
***
Contrary to my wishes, I was not able to stay at an inn. However, I was able to stay for one night thanks to a couple who offered to lend me their room.
It felt strange to receive a favor without receiving anything in return, so I took out a few coins from my bag and gave them to them.
While the couple prepared a meal, Bangja and I were able to put down our luggage and take some time to rest our swollen feet.
Bangja scratched her body as if she had been stung by a bug.
The man who became her husband was a woodcutter who made a living by digging up and selling medicinal herbs in the mountains. Unlike his rough face, he spoke softly and used refined words.
“Thank you for taking care of it.”
I didn’t expect a meat dish. When I thanked him for the delicious dinner, he waved his hand.
“Please speak comfortably, Your Majesty.”
The dark-faced lumberjack made a puzzled face.
The meal was excellent. Perhaps because it was a thatched cottage next to the mountain, it felt like I was eating in a traditional Korean restaurant with a traditional interior.
While I was eating, the scent of flowers grew stronger. It was the same scent I had smelled as I passed the hill.
What kind of flower is it? I wonder what its name is.
“Ah… sigh….”
The servant who was serving the country groaned.
He grumbled and grumbled throughout the meal, as if something was bothering him.
“Where are you uncomfortable?”
“For some reason, my body feels a bit stiff. I wonder if I have a fever or something… I feel like I have a fever…”
After saying that, Bangja fell backwards. The chopsticks he was holding rolled around on the floor unsightly.
It happened in the blink of an eye.