The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Lu Bu is good at being filial

Chapter 30

＜ How far does the disease go (5) Battle of Baekpagok 2/2 ＞

As we declared our opponents and met eyes at a distance where our weapons could clash, I instinctively knew.

‘He’s just a straightforward warrior.’

This man might not be the kind of person I thought he was.

‘Strong-willed but easy to manipulate.’

If one were to speak of the martial artists of the Jegal family, most of them are intelligent, unlike this one.

‘Was I enchanted by the word “Gongmyung”?’

This Gongmyung might not be that Gongmyung.

It might just be that I found something that could evoke my past memories, and my eyes were clouded by something.

Still.

Still, just in case, to shake off the confusion like mist.

‘There’s no choice but to confront and find out.’

No conversation is needed.

A conversation is enough by crossing weapons.

First move (一招). Slash (斬).

Jumping off the horse, I strike down with the halberd.

“Ugh!”

Gongmyung blocks the crescent blade of the halberd with the blade of his axe.

“Ho.”

For a moment, he almost knelt on one knee, but he blocked my attack by supporting the back of the axe blade with one hand.

“Impressive!”

Regardless of the Jegal family or whatever, this man is strong.

“You seem stronger than the martial artists of the court!”

It’s a sincere remark.

I don’t like talking while fighting, but at the same time, it’s regrettable, so the words come out naturally.

“Such a person, doing banditry!”

“Shut up!”

Gongmyung bends his arm and pushes me away with the axe.

“You don’t even know!”

I lightly step back and pull the halberd, gripping it like a spear.

Second move (二招). Flash (閃).

This time, it’s a thrust.

Before he can retrieve and swing the axe, I aim for his shoulder.

Although the halberd has crescent blades on both sides, its tip is a sharp spear.

Puuuk!

Brushed the shoulder.

The stab went through, but there was no unique sensation of piercing human flesh with a cold weapon.

‘Leather armor?’

It narrowly brushed past.

I intended to incapacitate by stabbing the shoulder, but despite having a similar build to mine, he swiftly twisted his body to avoid the attack.

“This guy-“

“Haaargh!!”

While twisting his upper body to dodge, he swung the axe sideways, gripping the handle short and swinging it directly.

Ignoring the long pole, he gripped the hand axe short and swung it as if to cleave my shoulder and torso.

Dangerous.

If I take it head-on, I’ll be split in two by the axe blade.

Just as I can kill him with a single blow, Gongmyeong can kill me with a single blow.

Just by seeing him swing the giant axe, I can tell how strong he is.

Therefore-

‘There’s no choice but to deflect.’

Srrk.

I place the spear shaft of the halberd diagonally towards the incoming axe blade.

I can see the trajectory of the axe blade.

From upper left to lower right.

The red trajectory slicing from the left shoulder to the right thigh is vivid in my eyes.

Pulling the halberd to meet the blade head-on is- impossible.

Even while thinking, the axe blade is getting closer.

No response means death.

But my mind is already preparing for the next attack.

Why?

“Hup…!”

The moment my eyes read the trajectory, my body is already moving instinctively.

Tap.

Reaching under the halberd with my left hand and twisting my upper body, I slide my foot back to use it as a pivot.

The moment my body spins half a turn in line with the incoming axe.

Ka-aang!

A powerful strike hits the spear shaft.

‘Strong!’

A pain that felt like it would tear my grip apart flowed through my hand for a moment, but I did not suppress the pain.

‘Because it’s strong, I let it flow.’

Controlling strength (强) is flow (流).

If you forcibly clash strength against strength, one side is bound to be destroyed.

I have no intention of killing.

It’s too valuable to kill.

Even if I intend to temporarily incapacitate, responding with strength would be suppression, not destruction.

Therefore, I use the enemy’s attack against them.

I ask.

If I had the leisure, I would have asked directly like this.

-Do you know why there is a crescent moon (月牙) attached to the side of the halberd?

The axe slides along the spear shaft of the halberd.

The right hand that was holding the top of the halberd spreads wide to support the spear shaft and lowers it.

Ka-ga-ga-gang!!

The axe scrapes along the spear shaft of the halberd.

Even if the sharp axe blade deviates slightly, the hand supporting the spear shaft would have been cut off-

“This…!!”

The axe blade slides precisely along the trajectory I read.

And at the end, the crescent moon with fangs pointing outward opens its mouth.

Ka-aang!

The axe blade catches on the crescent moon of the halberd.

Like receiving the enemy’s sword with the guard of my sword, the sliding axe blade is stopped by the crescent moon.

Ka-gak!

I twist the halberd slightly, making the axe handle catch between the crescent moon and the spear shaft of the halberd.

Like an axe caught in the fangs of a beast, the axe can no longer be pulled out.

“Haaap!”

The hand holding the bottom of the halberd spreads wide, pushing it forward along with the pole.

Three Moves.

Strike.

Thud!

As the end of the spear shaft thrusts forward, it strikes the opponent’s shoulder.

Using the crescent blade caught on the axe blade as a lever, the end of the spear shaft swings down hard on Gongmyeong.

First, the shoulder.

But due to the weight of the axe, the spear lowers, causing the opposite end of the spear shaft to rise diagonally upward.

“Ugh!”

Next, the head.

The spear shaft accurately strikes the opponent’s temple.

Gongmyeong staggers.

The axe drives the spear straight down.

If he continues to hold on, he would have to lift the spear along with the axe by force, but-

Swish.

He lets go.

“?!”

Releasing the grip on the spear, he clenches his fist and ducks down.

“!!”

Even as he squints the eye struck on the temple, the other eye glares at me.

“You…!”

Holding onto the axe is meaningless, so he lets go and reaches back, but that’s a bad habit of warriors.

“Trying to draw your sword?”

Unfortunately.

‘Zhang Liao already tried that on me and ended up like this.’

The moment he lets go of one weapon to reach for another, the outcome is already decided.

‘Now.’

My left hand, which had dug in from below, grabs Gongmyeong by the collar, and my right foot, spinning forward, digs under him.

Grip.

I grab his clothes.

Twisting my left hand on purpose, I pull up the clothes under the leather armor and turn my body.

“Huupㅡ!”

I let my body follow the flow, pivoting on my hind legs and sliding around.

Lowering my body as much as possible, I burrow under Gongmyeong, who swings his axe, leaving the inertia to the flow.

Following the trajectory previously swung by the axe, something other than the axe follows the flow.

The weight of a strong man.

The inertia of wielding a weapon.

What remains is, as always.

“Huaaahㅡㅡㅡ!!”

Squeezing out all the strength in my body, I grabbed Gongmyeong and flipped my body with all my might.

“Ugh?!”

Gongmyeong momentarily resisted, but his body was already in mid-air.

Swinging the axe and leaning forward.

His balance shaken by a blow to the head.

And most importantly, as I grabbed his collar and lifted him with all my strength.

Buuung!

Our eyes meet.

Bending my knees and lowering my posture, I look down.

“Huh.”

Gongmyeong looks up at me, his mouth agape.

In that brief moment our eyes met.

Kwaaang!!!

Gongmyeong’s massive body crashes to the ground.

“……Hoo.”

I slowly rise.

My knees are a bit dirty with soil, but not as much as him.

“……..”

Gongmyeong looks up at the sky.

Tonight, the night sky is faintly sparkling with only a crescent moon, no starlight.

“…….”

Gongmyeong closes his eyes.

Soon.

“Cough.”

With a cough, blood spews from his mouth.

His fingertips tremble, his body shakes, and he can barely stand.

“…Ha.”

When in life has he ever experienced being struck down like this?

Especially in this manner.

Clang.

He picks up the fallen halberd.

“Why.”

Gongmyung asks.

“Why.”

Gongmyung asks me as if he cannot understand.

“If the spear shaft was cut, your hand would have been cut too.”

“Because I believed.”

“Believed in what?”

“In the weapon.”

“That’s nonsense.”

Gongmyung shakes his head firmly.

“Wood cannot defeat iron.”

“Of course. Naturally.”

From the part embedded in the axe blade to the crescent moon, there are scratches left by the axe.

“Do you know why you lost and I won, Gongmyung?”

“…What is it?”

“Because I am a government soldier, and you are a bandit.”

He lifts the halberd and lowers it.

“I believed in the craftsman who made this weapon.”

To show the mark his axe left on my halberd.

“……!!”

“How many bandits do you think have tried to break my spear shaft until now? First of all… as a warrior, let me give you a compliment.”

Rustle.

“There have been countless people who aimed for my halberd.”

Under the axe mark, something powdery trickles down.

“You are the first to reach this far since Zhang Liao.”

The rope, which had been coiled in a spiral, scatters, revealing something black in the moonlight.

“This is….”

“A steel core. My halberd’s entire shaft is made of steel, wrapped in rope to serve as a handle.”

The wooden shaft was weak, so I made a long steel rod and wrapped it with rope as much as possible.

“Unlike your weapon, my halberd is one solid piece from blade to shaft.”

It’s heavy, but it’s a weapon worth its weight.

“This victory is not only a victory for our Bingzhou army but also for the blacksmiths of Bingzhou who created such weapons. It is a victory for the merchants who sold countless weapons and armor to our Bingzhou.”

I raised my halberd high and swung it towards Kongming’s axe.

“Even if you forcibly wrap the axe blade to the shaft.”

Crack!!

“Do you think a bandit can defeat the weapons of the imperial army?”

The axe shaft shatters explosively.

The string that barely held the axe blade loosens, and the wooden pole is cut and broken, falling helplessly to the ground.

“My soldiers told me to eliminate variables. You were the only variable for our Bingzhou army.”

I scan the surroundings.

The Bingzhou army has surrounded the bandits in a circle, and the bandits trapped inside are holding their swords, unable to move.

Inside is me.

Outside is the Bingzhou army.

The only general who could break through the encirclement, Kongming, has fallen.

“Then….”

The bandits are all annihilated-

Thump, thump, thump.

Drum sounds burst out, interrupting my words.

I turn my head to look at the main camp, and see Shunyu personally holding and shaking the military flag.

Order change.

The drum sound and the military flag point to one thing.

“…….”

Why? Why?

I do not ask that question right now.

The drum sound is ‘the command of the commander of Bingzhou’.

“Hooㅡ”

I think it’s right to kill the bandits unconditionally.

“Bandits, throw down your weapons and surrenderㅡ!”

If Sun Yu says not to annihilate these people, there must be a reason.

“At this moment, those who throw down their weapons will be taken as prisoners!”

However.

“Bingzhou army, listen! Those who continue to fight with weapons still wish to be bandits, so send them off in the way of the Bingzhou army!”

Even if they are told to surrender, if they continue to fight with weapons, then there is no choice but to kill them.

“…….”

I look at Sun Yu.

I can’t see him well from a distance, but he raised the military flag higher and nodded greatly as if he felt my gaze.

“What, what are you doing!!”

It’s not me.

Over there, the one wearing a helmet is shouting with a sword.

“Do you trust the Bingzhou army! Do you believe the words of that mad dog! They will capture us as prisoners and then kill us and throw us into the Yellow River!!”

Probably, that person is Yang Feng.

“Don’t drop your swords! Fight back! We have more numbers, you idiots!!”

He encourages the soldiers, but the result is already out.

“They will definitely try to kill us! If we are going to die anyway, let’s die fighting like menㅡ”

Pooㅡk.

I threw the halberd.

He couldn’t speak any more and fell backward.

The halberd, standing vertically, swayed left and right and then slowly stopped.

Below, only the leader of the bandits lay fallen.

“Bingzhou army.”

I catch my breath and quietly raise my hand.

“Exterminate the remaining ‘bandits’.”

Clang, clang.

Somewhere, the sound of swords and spears clashing.

Somewhere, the sound of a sword falling to the ground.

“Whew.”

I waited until there wasn’t a single bandit left in Baekpagok.

Once, there were about 2,000 bandits here.

Now, there isn’t a single one left.

* * *

In the darkness.

“…….”

The man in black, who was looking down at the canyon, quietly covered his mouth.

Was it because of the scent of blood rising through the canyon?

No one could know why he covered his mouth.

There was no one around, and he was between the trees, quite high up on the cliff.

“…….”

The man in black just silently watched the canyon that was once Baekpagok.

Seeing the soldiers swiftly moving to collect the bodies, the man in black pulled his black mask down deeply and quickly descended from the tree.

“Master.”

Another man in black quietly approached.

“What happened?”

“Yangbong is dead. If we deal with Hanseom, all the ties leading to us will be severed.”

“Shall we eliminate him immediately?”

“…….”

The man in black couldn’t answer his subordinate right away.

The subordinate waited for the man in black to finish speaking, but showed signs of unease as he glanced around.

“Master.”

“Retreat. You go to Yangbong’s hideout immediately, clean up, set it on fire at the right time, and return to the main base.”

“Understood.”

The subordinate disappeared in an instant.

“…How long must we face such a monster?”

The man in black briefly covered his face with his hand and bowed his head, but soon turned around, quickly tidied up the place, and left.

Flap, flap.

A black swallow quietly descended to the spot where the man in black had left and gazed down the canyon.

At something burning fiercely.

* * *

“Anyone who sees this might think we’re burning corpses.”

There were quite a few corpses, and I considered just burning them all, but fortunately, the soil in the canyon was softer than expected, so there was no need to burn the bodies.

What we are burning are the fortifications that the Black Mountain Bandits built here in Baekpagok.

If we leave it as it is, someone will surely use it as a mountain stronghold again, and dismantling it to take it with us seemed pointless.

So we burn it.

We gather the dismantled fortifications into one place and set them on fire, ensuring the flames don’t spread.

Hoping that these flames will cleanse the air filled with the stench of blood and death.

I don’t know if it actually disinfects anything, but at least watching the burning fortifications gives the soldiers some mental comfort.

Not just our soldiers, but also those who are no longer bandits but are still prisoners.

“Gongmyung.”

I stand beside Gongmyung, who is kneeling and tied with ropes.

He has recovered enough strength that he could push the soldiers away and escape even while tied up, but Gongmyung did not do so.

“Why did you become a Baekpa Bandit with such strength?”

“…….”

“Are you refusing to answer?”

“…It may sound like an excuse, but at first, I didn’t know. Truly.”

Gongmyung bows his head.

“But I realized midway through. I was not becoming a soldier, but a bandit.”

“Becoming a soldier?”

“Yangbong said that if we gathered our forces like this, we could be incorporated into the government army within a few years.”

“…….”

I feel a sense of déjà vu.

I should discuss this part later with Sunyu or Gahu.

For now.

“Stealing from others and killing innocent people to take their grain and wealth?”

He asks the beast, who couldn’t put down the axe handle even knowing he had become a thief.

“…….Then what should we have done?”

Gongming growls.

“The land we farmed was flooded, and the rice was washed away by the yellow water. The magistrate took half of the grain we barely harvested. Fathers boiled their own flesh to feed their children…!”

“For that reason, there were thousands who became thieves in Bingzhou alone.”

These were stories often heard.

Those who spoke of giving up their humanity and becoming beasts were experienced to the point of exhaustion in Bingzhou.

“And do you know what happened to them?”

“…They were killed, like the seven thousand thieves who died here.”

“Yes.”

The beasts were all killed.

“More died than expected. Even after the outcome was decided, and we said we would take them as prisoners, the thieves continued to be our enemies.”

In the eyes of those who resisted until the end, ‘distrust’ was clearly visible.

Thieves are killed unconditionally.

Unconditionally, they are exterminated.

Under the reputation of the invincible god of war, countless beasts’ blood was shed.

“It’s true that our Bingzhou army kills all the thieves. That’s why they resisted.”

Fear born of ruthlessness.

Show mercy to the enemy.

“They couldn’t have trusted us.”

What I asked of Sunyu was the thorough ‘survival of our allies.’

If I had quietly given the order, the bodies buried here would have been exactly nine thousand thieves.

“Still, you laid down your weapons.”

But two thousand lived.

Those two thousand threw down their weapons at the last moment.

They gave up being thieves and became those who had been thieves.

“Did you trust me?”

“…….”

“Or did you keep the last line you had as a human?”

Just before I gave the order to annihilate, Sunwoo sounded the drum of ‘surrender persuasion’ for that very reason.

Indeed.

I could feel something in the eyes of the prisoners watching the burning fire.

“Even broken and dirty iron can be melted down and used anew.”

This must be the reason why Sunwoo wants me to persuade them to surrender.

“…Listen.”

I turn my gaze towards Gongmyung.

I scan the 2,000 former bandits captured as prisoners behind Gongmyung.

“If you had no choice but to become bandits here, I will give you a chance.”

The prisoners look at me.

“Come to Byeongju!”

I turned my gaze towards Gongmyung.

Whether this person is the founder of the Jegal family or not, I have gained another realization through him.

“If you are willing to atone for your past mistakes and walk the path of humanity from now on, I, as an official of Byeongju, will open the way for you to become human again!”

Just as Gongmyung, a former Baekpajeok, could become the founder of the Jegal family, people can repent for their past mistakes and live anew.

To put it bluntly, it could be called past laundering.

“My master once said.”

But my master expressed it in these words.

“Even if one has dipped their body in black water once, if they wear white clothes and keep their body clean until they die, the blackness will eventually fade away.”

One cannot become pure white.

-Disciple. No one is born evil. Evil is created by the environment. Those tainted by evil will carry that blackness forever, but evil can be taught and reformed.

“Byeongju will lead you to goodness.”

“…….Is it possible?”

Gongmyung asks.

“If it’s just empty words….”

“You may bring your families. We will provide you with a place to live in Byeongju.”

“……!!”

The eyes of Gongmyung and the other prisoners waver.

“It is a loan. A place to live, food, and clothing. You will have to repay Byeongju with your labor for what you borrow.”

“You mean to use us… as soldiers?”

“A soldier. If you wish, so be it.”

I pointed to the north.

“You can become a lumberjack fighting the forest, a farmer fighting the soil in the fields, or a blacksmith fighting iron in the forge.”

Whiiing.

“As we live, we fight many things. It could be nature itself, or it could be people. It could be life itself. Choose here and now whom, how, and with what you will fight.”

The wind blows harshly through the canyon, and smoke rises with the ashes.

“Here, in Baekpagok, your past is dead.”

The smoke from the burning camp in Baekpagok rises and scatters into the sky.

“Those who wish to live as humans, stand up. Those who wish to die as beasts, lie down.”

“Present.”

Gongmyung slowly rises and bows his head.

“Seo Gongmyung, paying respects to the general.”

“……..”

Ah.

As expected.

I wondered if it might be.

“…Is that so.”

Yes.

There may be Sunwoo, but there is no Seo Gong.

Even if one launders their name, they usually don’t change their surname.

The small bottle of nostalgia within me was just longing for traces of the past.

“What is your name?”

“Seo Hwang. Courtesy name Gongmyung.”

Gongmyung, no, Seo Hwang, snapped the rope with his strength and took a fist salute towards me.

“…Alright.”

Whether it’s Zhuge or not, what does it matter.

“Welcome to Byungju, warrior Seo Gongmyung.”

“General. What do you fight against?”

“Bandits.”

“…Really?”

“If there is another name for it.”

I turned my eyes to the burning flame.

“Injustice.”

* * *

The Battle of Baekpagok.

Seven thousand beasts died, and two thousand non-beasts remained.

Seven thousand thieves died, and two thousand non-thieves remained.

＜ Where Does Byeongju End (5) The Battle of Baekpagok 2/2 ＞ End