The Grand Mudang Saga [Path of the Shaman]

Episode 297

If you go about three li to the north from Lunan County, Henan Province, you will find Mt. Tianzhong.

The meaning of the name was the center of the sky, but compared to that, it was a very ugly mountain.

The day was too low, and because it was connected to the plain with a gentle slope, it looked more like a shallow hill than a mountain.

However, the name was famous enough to be inferior to any famous mountain in Jungwon.

It was because the nature of Sapaecheon, surrounded by a huge wall reaching 30 li, was right there.

A plain about 10 li north of Yeonam.

Since most of the nearby area consisted of plains, the nature of Sapaecheon could be seen from anywhere in the east, west, south, or north.

It was a very unfavorable terrain from the point of view of attacking, as well as being able to check the surroundings brightly even within the main castle.

Jinmu, who had passed Heochang with his soldiers, was looking at the nature of Sapaecheon with Jeoksaeng and King Sapaeo while his subordinates built formations and slept overnight.

“God, it would be good to organize a camp here first.”

Jinmu nodded at Jeoksaeng’s words, and the warriors quickly split into groups to set up tents and place guards.

“It is quiet.”

So Yak-byeok, who was looking at the nature of Sapaecheon, said as if he had a new feeling.

“Yes. It used to be a noisy place every day.”

“Because we fought every day until the Heavenly Lord gave us Cheoljiyang and Yangsobang at the same time to defeat and send them back.”

Jinmu smiles at the words of Cheon Woo-myeong and Myung Se-chan.

“….”

Jeok-saeng, looking at that figure, could not hide his doubts.

Why does it feel like Jinmu shares the same memories as King Sapaeo?

From time to time, I had the illusion that Jinmu had lived the same life as them.

Even if the age difference is minimal, it’s 30 years.

However, Jinmu just looked at the castle surrounding Mt. Cheonjung with longing eyes.

Tianzhong Mountain, Sipaecheon Nature.

where you built it. His own land that he shed blood and sweat to protect with his subordinates.

A place where the lives of the subordinates and their own blood permeate each stone of the built-up fortress wall.

After a long journey, I’m finally back.

Ever since Hyukryeonmugang settled there, the tall fortress had never given way to the political faction.

The place where everyone gave their lives to protect was like the pride of the Safar people who proudly settled in the heart of the political faction.

In order not to lose his pride as a warrior, even if he was a Sapa, Jinmu treated his subordinates harshly and did not allow anyone to set foot in Sapaecheon’s castle.

“Yuwolcheong…”

Jinmu’s eyes coolly sink.

Damn heir bastard. No matter how much he suffered financial difficulties because he didn’t teach him how to open the bin, he destroyed his long-established will and brought unqualified people into it with an ugly act that went beyond the limit.

Even more so, as a person with power, he harassed the common people and kidnapped children like Gu Man-ri and stained their future, so it was absolutely unforgivable.

He tarnished his reputation as a soldier and abandoned his pride as the owner of Safa.

Now that I’m back, it’s my turn to pay the penalty.

Look forward to it, Wolcheong-ah.

In the past, I taught you wrongly, so this time I will teach you with a rod so that you can understand carefully one by one.

Jinmu looks away from the original castle.

“An enemy.”

“yes.”

“Where is Gonghu?”

“The word came that they were encamped in the south of the main city and waiting.”

“good night. How long will it take to come up with a plan?”

“….”

Jinmu smiled at the appearance of Jeoksaeng who couldn’t easily come up with an answer.

“I must have accumulated fatigue from running a long way anyway. rest today Instead, think about it enough and come up with a perfect plan. We aim to avoid damage as much as possible.”

“All right. I will prepare.”

At Jeoksaeng’s answer, Jinmu turned around vigorously toward the campsite.

“Haa…”

he replied, but Jeoksaeng frowned as he looked at Sapaecheon’s true nature.

I never thought it would be an open field with open spaces in all directions.

No matter how much he was born, the strategies he could use in this terrain were limited.

It would be nice if they were at least covered by something, but in their current position, their movements are exposed to the opponent.

After all, it is difficult during the day. I have no choice but to use the night…

“Everything about Musketeer nature is in my head, so ask me anything. I will do my best to help. ha ha!”

“…”

Jeok-saeng looked at Cheon Woo-myeong, who was loudly beating him to the chest, and felt his head getting complicated.

There are few people in the world who do not have such faith…

“There is an internal drawing of Sapaecheon’s nature in Musketeer Haomun. Don’t worry, the location of the watchtower, the place where the guardsmen wait, and even the halls inside the main castle are detailed.”

Myung Se-chan’s words are at least comforting…

“If necessary, we can mobilize soldiers of the Salmak to infiltrate the castle. Just give me orders.”

“…thank you.”

At the words of Soyakbyeok, Jeoksaeng only then nodded in complete relief.

I’m really glad Because there are Myung Se-chan and So-Yak Wall.

“Uh ha ha ha ha! Then, until the interior blueprint arrives, there is nothing to do, and since it is the first day, how about a drink with the four of us?

“…”

Drinking in the middle of a war… Is that what the head of the strongest unmanned corps in Sapaecheon would say?

He seemed to understand why he only had memories of being beaten by the previous emperor.

If only I had the skills, I would have beaten myself a few times.

“Come on, Commander, let’s go.”

“…yes. That’s right.”

I let out a sigh of relief, but what can I do?

I don’t have power…

* * *

The next day, Myeong Se-chan’s urgently requested internal drawing arrived through Hao Mun’s Bi-eung (飛鷹).

It didn’t take long for the face of the red student, who had been curiously looking around to devise a strategy, to turn black.

The location of the unmanned soldiers placed in the castle during wartime is really tricky.

“Haa, who is such an eccentric…. I never thought they would have built such an ignorant formation.”

“…”

At Jeoksaeng’s words, everyone looked at one place with subtle expressions.

“Why do you…?”

Jeoksaeng tilted his head at the strange atmosphere, then followed everyone’s eyes and looked at a person.

“….”

Did these people just point to God?

Is Heavenly Lord a shaman? Starting with Dodong as a child, becoming a shaman, and meeting Chun Woo-myeong with him is the beginning of his relationship with Sapae-cheon?

What should I say?

Jinmu, whose eyes were focused on the absurd expression of the red student, said with a vague look.

“Guyaja made it.”

“If you are Gu Yaja, are you referring to the greatest general in the world?”

“that’s right.”

“Hmm… It seems that he was well versed in the method of arithmetic.”

Jinmu nodded his head at Jeoksaeng’s words.

It was a name that Gu Yaja, Bang Yucheok, and Jinmu missed very much.

The only friend he got from his iron-blooded life.

Jinmu was always curious about his inventions, and Gu Yaja always made something new and liked it like a child.

There were still traces of him in the nature of Sapaecheon.

“It’s tricky anyway. Considering that the number of unmanned people in the main town of Sapaecheon is approximately 2,000, and the number of watchtowers, it is a story that if a war breaks out, about 1,000 people, half of them, stand guard.”

“….”

“If this amount of numbers are constantly being guarded by shifts, the fatigue of the guards will be considerable….”

“That’s not true.”

Myung Se-chan shook his head at Jeok-saeng’s words.

“yes?”

“The shift is made once a day.”

“Once a day?”

“yes.”

“You mean a thousand people would stay up all night in one place?”

“no. The sentinels are constantly on the move. As if moving and pushing a watchtower, if you turn around once, the boundary of the day ends.”

“….”

“You can think of it as about five people flexibly spaced out and moving while monitoring the outside.”

“Well, that means that even if you deal with the guard troops in a certain area, it will be discovered by the next group in about a minute.”

“yes. It will be the same even if you remove the body because it is constantly moving.”

At Myung Se-chan’s explanation, Jeok-saeng nodded with a serious expression.

It is a formation focused only on the border. However, if the emergency decree is triggered, they will be engaged in battle without shifts.

“Should we bump into each other after all…”

I couldn’t quite understand when I heard the words. It seemed that he could make an accurate judgment by seeing what was moving.

“What is this sign?”

“It is an institution.”

When Jeoksaeng pointed out an unfamiliar sign and asked, Myung Se-chan answered indifferently.

“Institution? Is this a lot?”

“yes. It is an institution to minimize damage to the main base when the enemy attacks. These are things Gu Yaja made for his pastime.”

“Um…”

Myung Se-chan explained, and Jeok-saeng let out a quiet voice with a face as hard as a stone.

The location of the institution was indeed exquisite.

It was installed in a place that anyone who looked at the castle from the outside could aim for.

It seems that Sapaecheon was able to hold out for so long in the heart of the political faction not only because the former Lord of Heaven and King Sapaeo had great martial arts.

“It’s difficult. Can’t you break down the wall?”

“A castle wall?”

Seeing Jinmu frowning at Jeoksaeng’s question, So Yakbyeok shook his head at Jeoksaeng.

“Sir.”

“yes?”

“The nature of Sapaecheon is not just a stone wall to us.”

“…?”

A small wall stood up, removed the curtains from the tent, and stared at the nature of the Sapaecheon with dim eyes.

“Before Sapaecheon was created, Sapa was always an object of contempt. I always had to hide under the pressure of the political faction and the government.”

“…”

“Everyone said they were crazy when the previous Lord God said he would build a castle there.”

It was worth it.

It’s the best place now, but when you started building the castle, it must have been the worst place. Most of all, because it was flat all around, it would have been impossible to defend against enemy attacks.

I’m sure there must have been countless attacks from the political faction, but I thought it was amazing to hear that they had withstood it and built it.

“Innumerable people shed their blood to build that castle. It is a castle built one by one by the warriors of the time, even while fighting for their lives.”

“….”

“Many people died to protect the castle even after it was completed.”

Chun Woo-myeong and Myung Se-chan silently nodded at the calm voice of the small wall.

“It means that to us. It’s not just a stone wall, it’s a place that unified Sapa under the name of Sapaecheon and made it recognized as the three troop of the central plains. It is a history made with countless blood, sweat and life sacrificed, and it is like pride and self-respect…”

At that point, So Yak-byeok, whose words were blurry, smiled faintly and looked back at Jeok-saeng.

Didn’t know.

When Sapaecheon was created, he was a bachelor who had no interest in Moorim.

But now I know.

Why are Sapa people so loyal to the previous lord? He would have been a strong support to them like that castle.

And that castle was a place where his will was contained, and it was a place worth the life of those who tried to build Sapaecheon.

Perhaps your heart won’t allow you to break yourself.

“It is just a stone wall. Don’t attach any special meaning to it.”

“…”

Hearing Jinmu’s words, Jeoksaeng looked at him with a surprised expression.

“You will understand. every.”

“…”

“Because it is to correct the lost original purpose.”

At Jinmu’s words, Jeoksaeng’s face hardened.

Is it because you’re a former person that you don’t understand? After hearing the situation, even yourself are reluctant?

However, the Sapaeo kings knew how difficult Jinmu’s decision was.

When that castle was built, it was God who rejoiced the most.

Because he fought the hardest to protect the nature of Cheonjungsan, and because of his angular personality, he was the one who mourned the most in front of the dead, although he did not express it.

Perhaps the reason for copying was to make it easier for the enemy to strategize.

King Sapaeo’s calm expression deepened Jeoksaeng’s worries.

What should I do?

Jinmu says it doesn’t matter if he breaks it, but he doesn’t like it.

According to the internal drawing, a killing machine that was said to have been made by Gu Ya-ja was installed at the gate.

There were also excellent hiders such as Salmak and Eunwidan, but the walls were too high for them to penetrate.

Since you can’t see inside, you can’t even see how the enemy is moving.

It was unavoidable for soldiers to die in war, but maybe because of the memory of living as a ronin, Jeok-saeng thought he had to come up with a way to end the war with minimal damage.

“Isn’t there such a thing as a secret passage?”

In response to Jeoksaeng’s question, Jinmu nodded as if it were natural.

“There is nothing like that. Even if there is, I don’t use it.”

“…”

“We are not thieves. I enter my house, but there is no reason to sneak like a stray cat. Go straight ahead.”

Well, given Jinmu’s personality that we’ve shown so far, it was a natural thing to say.

But it’s a pity.

In order to attack and bring down Sapaecheon without destroying the walls, you need something to attract their attention. For example, internal chaos….

Since there is no secret passage, the only way to infiltrate is to use a concealer. What should I do?

“We don’t break the walls… Minimize the damage… To open the gates without damage, we have to turn their eyes away… To do that, we have to create chaos inside… Enough to infiltrate the unmanned into the castle… Ah!”

A good plan popped up in the mind of Jeok-saeng, who was pondering over and over again listing the conditions that could be restrictions.

Then, for some reason, I jumped up and ran out of the tent.

Everyone looks at it with puzzled eyes, but Jeoksaeng picks up a straw from the floor and drops it as if rubbing it.

Jeoksaeng, who had been carefully examining the scattered straw powder, raised his head this time and looked at it alternately as if trying to gauge the distance between the nature of Sapaecheon and the campsite.

what is that doing now?

King Sapaeo looked at his sudden action with a suspicious look, but Jeoksaeng returned to the tent with a brightened face.

“Looks like you have a plan.”

“yes!”

Jinmu smiles at the lively answer.

“Give me two days.”

“Two days?”

“yes. I have something to prepare.”

“…”

Jinmu wondered what Jeoksaeng was thinking, but he didn’t ask.

He is the musketeer of Sapaecheon that he acknowledged. It is more important to believe and follow rather than question.

“All right. Let me know if you need anything.”

“I need permission to give orders to Haomen.”

“The obvious.”

“thank you. We will get the Sapaecheon with minimal damage without destroying the walls.”

Jinmu smiled with satisfaction at the confident expression on his face.

I felt that I was really fortunate to have met him then.

“Okay. Let’s look forward to it.”

The meeting is over.

As Jeoksaeng had done himself, a full-scale war would break out in two days.