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

Chapter 27

＜ Where Does Bingzhou End (2) ＞

[At that time, the Saeyejoo Haneigun Garrison.]

“General! They say Lu Bu has appeared again!”

“……Again.”

The man, who was holding a bow and aiming at a target in the training ground, lowered his bow.

“Where is he coming this time?”

“He was trying to enter Hadong County but is coming to Haneigun.”

“Is he driving the thieves from Hadong here again?”

“No. Due to General Yeo’s influence….”

“The thieves are not going to Hadong but just coming here?”

“Yes. Here.”

“Then that’s fine.”

The man slung the bow over his shoulder.

The deputy unfolded the map he had brought with one hand and pointed to various places on the map.

“They say they are coming down the mountain path.”

“Are they chasing something?”

“Yes. It seems they are chasing the leader of the bandits.”

“The leader… It can’t be Jang Yeon. Is it one of the officers?”

The man turned his eyes towards a wide plank set up next to the archery training ground.

There, faces of some people drawn in ink on wooden boards were hanging.

Wanted.

Dead or alive.

Bounty.

“Yes. So, what should we do? Should we consider this our jurisdiction…?”

“…….”

The man was silent for a moment at his subordinate’s words.

“When he first crossed over here, the governor of Hadong accused the military governor of a serious overreach.”

The man drew his bow again.

“And General Yeo shouted, ‘Are you just going to stand by while the bandits are escaping?'”

“That is….”

“The bandits fleeing from Byeongju to Saeju is not the general’s fault, but the bandits’ fault.”

Thwack.

“It is not wrong to catch a beast that has harmed people together.”

“In that case…!!”

“Call the soldiers. Our duty is to deal with those bandits.”

With a loud sound, the arrow hit the center of the target.

“Soldiers of Hane County, prepare to march under the command of the Left Commander! Arm yourselves and assemble at the training ground within the hour!!”

Waaah—!!

The soldiers signaled to the others with a cheer.

Soon, the entire camp was ringing with alarms, and the two men left the training ground and headed towards the camp.

“General. Do we really need to step in? General Yeo could easily capture hundreds of bandits alone.”

“Until last year, we would have let General Yeo chase and kill the bandits to the end. In fact, General Yeo understood even if we stayed put.”

The man smacked his lips and muttered as if chewing over something.

“Hey, don’t come out. Sorry, but can I ask you to clean up after the bandits?”

“Isn’t this what General Yeo always says when we go?”

“Yes. Thanks to the heads of the bandits that General Yeo left behind… I was able to escape Hadong and come to Hane.”

The man tapped his chest twice.

“He didn’t take credit for eliminating the bandits and collecting their heads as his military achievements, but simply fulfilled his duty by killing the bandits! And because he is so strong… he tells us not to step forward unnecessarily.”

“Yes. He said if we get hurt trying to help, it would only be a nuisance to him….”

“Hey. The General’s words may be rough and blunt, but they all have meaning!”

At the man’s rebuke, the deputy bowed his head deeply.

“You shouldn’t take the General’s words literally. You have to understand the sincerity and the intention behind them with your heart.”

As they talked, they arrived at a place where hundreds of soldiers were waiting, dressed in full gear and holding spears.

“Of course, if General Yeo steps forward, there would be no need to gather like this. But now it’s different.”

“Different, you say…?”

“Right now, the ‘Elder’ is here in Hane, with his children.”

“The, the Elder!!”

The subordinate was startled and looked around.

The soldiers, who had gathered in the training ground, perked up their ears as if they were meant to hear the words of the man – the Left Commander.

“He said he came down on vacation, but the situation seems unusual. It seems the rumors are true.”

“Rumors… that the Saeju might split into two…?”

“Yes.”

The Left Commander put on the helmet he had placed beside him.

“If that happens, at least this Hane County, which connects Bingju and Luoyang, will be incorporated into Bingju.”

“Then we will become Bingju soldiers?”

“Possibly.”

The man fixed his chin strap and picked up his spear.

“Deputy. Do you know why I came from Hadong County to Hane County?”

“Perhaps for this day…!”

“No, it’s not that much. I just came as my heart led me.”

The man placed his hand on his chest and closed his eyes.

“When I was chasing bandits in Hadong County, the magistrate I was with was just happy that the bandits moved to another region.”

“…….”

“But General Yeo was different. He eradicated bandits regardless of the region.”

The man grasped the spear and turned his body.

“If we become the commanders of Byeongjugun, we will no longer have to watch the higher-ups’ eyes and can chase the bandits freely.”

“Does that mean we can now catch and kill the bandits without looking over our shoulders?”

“Yes. If we do the right thing, we won’t be punished for it.”

This is just the perspective of one general.

“I want to eradicate the bandits of this land with General Yeo. If I can’t fight alongside him, I want to clean up the trash he has dealt with and purify this land.”

The man, the left commander of Hanaegun.

“Follow me, guards! Let’s protect Hanaegun and show General Yeo that we are not just useless fools!!”

Seongryeom raised his spear high.

“We will block the path of the fleeing bandits and trap them in a dilemma!!”

Waaah!!

* * *

[At the same time, in a manor in Hanaegun.]

“Sir. The magistrate requests an audience.”

“Tell him to leave, I’m not feeling well.”

“Yes.”

The old man, who had issued an expulsion order to the magistrate, turned his gaze to the family members sitting in front of him.

“Father.”

“Even if the governor of Hanae comes, he should make an appointment. How dare a mere magistrate discuss family matters.”

The old man showed clear anger, but none of the family members dared to speak.

“Banga. My son.”

“Yes, father.”

The middle-aged man called Banga approached the old man and knelt down.

“I have now reached the age of sixty.”

“…….”

The middle-aged man called Bang lowered his head for a moment.

“I’m not senile, Banga. You should listen to the end of what people say.”

“Ah, yes. Father.”

“Beyond sixty, to the age of seventy….”

The old man closed his eyes for a moment, looking at the boys of various ages behind his son, whom he called Bang.

“How much is it if you reach the age of seventy…?”

“Seventy.”

The grown-up children nodded, but the younger children exchanged glances and confirmed something by making numbers with their fingers.

“Can’t you just say it plainly?”

“You’re speaking in a roundabout way. It’s etiquette, etiquette.”

They whispered among themselves, but the old man heard everything.

“…I am over seventy now, and soon I will be seventy-seven.”

“Yes.”

“Hold a banquet with a suitable pretext. And make sure to send an invitation to Byeongju.”

The old man took out a pouch from his bosom.

“You, as the head of our family, will lead this banquet. Starting with this banquet, you will become the face that leads our family.”

“Father!”

“I told you, in a few years, I will be eighty. That’s a long life. Others aim to live past sixty, so this is really a long life.”

The old man spoke with a sigh but did not lose his smile.

“I have seen many changes over the years. Especially the changes in local districts according to the intentions of the court. But this is the first time I’ve seen such a peculiar case.”

The old man gathered his gaze on the children gathered around.

“Hanaegun will soon no longer be Saeju.”

Murmur, murmur.

A commotion broke out instantly.

“Is it true that Hanaegun, and even Hadonggun, will be incorporated into Byeongju? Into that Byeongju?”

“You have been working as an official in Luoyang and came here on leave following me, so you should know the situation in the court.”

“…It is hard to understand. Not anywhere else, but Hanaegun, our hometown, being incorporated into Byeongju instead of Kiju.”

“It means that the Emperor wants to get closer to Byeongju.”

The old man stood up.

Everyone followed the old man and stood up.

“The Emperor wants Byeongju to grow.”

His height, almost reaching the ceiling, was at least a head taller than his children and grandchildren in the room.

“If you come down from the mountains in Byeongju, pass through Hanaegun, cross the Yellow River, and go to Mengjin, you will reach Luoyang. It would take about two days for a single warrior on horseback to cover the distance.”

“For Lü Bu…”

“The incorporation of Hanaegun into Byeongju is not to disregard the people of Hanae.”

The old man pointed north.

“It is not because Byeongju is a frontier, but because the Emperor’s fire is there.”

“Yeobongseon….”

“Until now, Byeongju might have been called a village, but from now on, it will be different. So our family must also move accordingly.”

“Grandfather!”

A boy who looked about twelve raised his voice.

“Then are we really, truly becoming people of Byeongju Hane County?!”

“Indeed.”

“Uiya!”

The head of the family urgently scolded the child, but the child pointed downward with a face that could not understand at all.

“Watch your words!”

“…Uiya. You have been wise since you were young, so would you answer my question?”

The old man approached the boy and lifted him up.

“What is the family motto of our family?”

“To cultivate benevolence and virtue-“

“Not that.”

“…….”

“The real family motto.”

“In the end.”

The boy nodded heavily and answered.

“The one who wins in the end is the victor.”

“Yes. We have lived winning until now, and we have lived to win.”

The old man, holding the boy in his arms, pointed outside.

“Everyone listen well. Remember that all the wealth and glory our family enjoys have been enjoyed because we stood on the side of the victors.”

“””Yes, Grandfather.”””

The children answered in unison.

“Uiya. What about you?”

“Can’t we become the victors?”

“…Hahaha. Yes. That could be possible.”

The old man, stroking the head of the boy in his arms, stepped outside the manor.

“If that is the only way for us to survive, then maybe. But aren’t we already living while winning?”

“…….”

“You still have plenty of time, so take a look. Is living by serving someone the way to win, or is it you… hehe.”

The old man gave the child a meaningful smile.

“Uiya. Do you know why claws curve inward?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s because when they are not swung at the enemy, they must always hide their sharpness.”

“…….”

The child nodded with a blank face.

“Remember this, Uiya. The path our ‘Sama family’ has walked.”

“I will remember, Grandfather.”

“It might be different if you become the head of the family, but at least for now, this is what I think.”

This is the perspective of a noble family.

“To antagonize Lu Bu of Bingzhou is the path to defeat. The easiest way is always to be with the winner.”

The old man.

“I, Sama Jun, think so.”

* * *

“Did we win?”

The surroundings are filled with the corpses of bandits.

Some have been stabbed in the neck, some have been split in half, and others are bleeding to death.

“Die, you monster!!”

A bandit in black clothes charges at me.

With all his subordinates dead, there is nowhere left to run.

There is only one way to survive.

Kill me and escape.

“Who is the monster?”

“Ugh!”

I dodged the sword and grabbed the bandit’s neck, lifting him up.

“Han Seom. I’ll ask you again. Who is the bandit?”

“You, you, die… ugh!”

Thud, thud thud.

Even with his neck grabbed, Hanseom resisted by kicking at me.

“Your kicks only dirty me, they can’t hurt me.”

His kicks did dirty my robe, but they weren’t strong enough to cause any damage to my body.

Is Hanseom weak?

“What a pity. Do you know about the Invincible Body?”

Hanseom is quite strong in his own right.

There was a reason why the Chief secretly gave him the position of ‘Deputy’.

“I am exactly that.”

“A, a monster…!!”

“You can do it too. Anyone can. Just tense your muscles and think ‘block’.”

“Ugh, ugh, ugh…!”

I can see clearly even in the dark.

Hanseom’s face slowly turning blue.

“Or you can use this method to control the pressure points.”

Squeeze.

I twist my thumb and push it in while holding his neck.

“Do you want to die comfortably, or do you want to die painfully like this?”

“B, b…!”

“If you reveal your base, I’ll let you die comfortably. If not-“

“Spit!”

Hanseom spits.

But soon his eyes twist in fear and shock.

“You’re slow. Even spitting blood.”

I immediately anticipated and turned my head at the movement of the spit beyond my thumb.

“No, it’s not blood but phlegm? Either way, there’s no reason to take it. Isn’t that right… hmm.”

I briefly turn my head back.

“Everyone’s busy.”

The cavalrymen who ran with me are checking the bandits one by one to see if they are alive.

“You will die anyway. All of you-“

“Sa, save me…! I only did as I was told…!”

“Alright. Where is the one who gave the orders?”

“Th-that…!! You don’t know! The Black Swallows are everywhere, watching at all times!”

“I suppose so.”

Jang Yeon.

Not a mere thief.

Though he mainly kills people to steal their wealth, he is no ordinary man.

‘If this place is Noklim, then he is an assassin who has blended into Noklim.’

Not a soldier, but an assassin and a killer.

A minion of a power-hungry person who hides in the mountains, manipulating bandits to create chaos in the world.

Usually, such people are secretly operated by the Murim Alliance soldiers or controlled by the demons of the Demonic Cult to cause chaos in the central plains.

In other words.

“Who is behind Jang Yeon?”

“Kr, kuh…!”

I must uncover the mastermind.

“Tell me, and I’ll spare your life.”

Han Seom’s pupils tremble.

There is a reaction.

“Live in prison for the rest of your life, or live with your hands cut off.”

“Th-that is sparing my life?!”

“If I banish you from Byeongju, who knows where you’ll steal again-“

Swaaash!

“……!!”

The sound of something flying.

When Han Seom turned his gaze towards the direction of the sound, something sharp was already heading towards his face.

“Ah.”

A hidden weapon reflected in Han Seom’s eyes.

Clang!

And at the same time, I was able to deflect the hidden weapon with the end of my spear.

“General!!”

The cavalrymen hurriedly approached.

After throwing Hanseom behind me, I spun around and reached out towards the flying dagger rotating in the air.

Rustle.

‘There you are.’

I threw the dagger towards the direction of the rough sound.

In my haste, I grabbed the blade backwards and threw it, but the dagger spun and accurately struck the back of the shadow trying to escape.

“Huh, huh….”

A black figure collapsed.

“An assassin. Pursue him.”

“Yes!!”

The cavalrymen dismounted and immediately started running along the mountain path, while the horses slowly moved to gather where there were no corpses.

“Hanseom.”

“Hi, hiik….”

Hanseom trembled as he looked at me.

His eyes were fixed on my hand, the hand that had gripped the dagger.

“How, how did you…?”

“Oh, this?”

My bare hand, yet not a drop of blood on it.

“If you watch the falling blade carefully and catch it so that the handle lands on the back of your hand, you can do it.”

“…Carefully?”

“Yes.”

I did it because I could.

“Are you… truly human, or a monster…?”

“Monster? That’s rude.”

I slung the halberd over my shoulder and approached Hanseom.

“I’m just a bit stronger than others.”

“…….”

“Anyway, it seems Jangyeon is trying to kill you….”

“I, I’ll talk. Just, spare my hand…!”

“Depends on how you do it.”

Han-seom squeezed his eyes shut and bowed before me.

“General. I know… I know you’re really strong.”

Han-seom looked at me with eyes that seemed to be measuring something and asked.

“…If you can defeat Gongmyeong, I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“……Who?”

Gongmyeong?

“Gongmyeong. The strongest among our group. …Stronger than me.”

“…….”

Gongmyeong.

Gongmyeong…?

……!!

“Where is that warrior?”

＜ Where Does Byeongju End (2) ＞ End