<h4>Chapter 51: Guard [1]</h4>


    Yeoni had not experienced a war really. But, she still felt that it was strange to have no torches lighted up on the battlefield.


    She could not see any guards beside the big torch.


    “Sir, Sir!”


    She woke up Ganghyuk with a desperate voice. He was ustomed of being awakened suddenly from the days of his residency. He could get up easily early in the morning, or at any time during the night as if he had never fallen asleep.


    “What? What is the matter?”


    “Something is strange.” Yoeni said while giving the sword to him.


    “Do you think I will need this?”


    “Yes, sir. I will investigate outside.”


    Yeoni then went on to open the door very carefully, so that the old door did not make any sound. Ganghyuk felt a great tension because of her careful movements.


    His heart raced so loudly that it might be heard from outside.


    ‘Oh my goodness! I should not havee here.’


    When he looked around the room, he saw nobodye back. All he could do was feel the cold floor beneath him.


    While Ganghyuk sat down at a loss, Yeoni observed the yard. The soldiers in the yard had all fallen asleep.


    ‘Did I run wild in vain?’


    Yeoni went to the wall after looking back at the room where Ganghyuk was resting.


    “You!” At that moment, she suddenly saw a Japanese bandit standing there whilie holding a bloody sword. It was very short sword, and it seemed that he had killed the guards with it.


    He swiftly flourished a sword, which was evaded by Yeoni easily as she yelled.


    “Enemy! Attack!”


    At the same time, fights and screams arose across the camp.


    “Akkkk”


    “This son of …”


    It seemed that the Japanese bandits had surrounded the group.


    Huik!


    Yeoni dodged the second attack and stabbed her sword toward the attacker’s neck, then called Ganghyuk.


    “Sir!”


    “Yes.”


    He wore his shoes and followed Yeoni closely. He could not move quickly because he had a sword in one hand and the home visitation bag in the other.


    Yeoni lowered her body and tried to look outside the wall.


    The fights were almost finished. Some of the houses were burning as the bandits lighted up more of them.


    Chang Chang!


    A metallic sound was heard from nearby. Ganghyuk looked in the direction of the sound and found Makbong fighting, with Dolseok and Yeoju close to him.


    “There is Makbong.”


    “Where?”


    “Oh, sir!” Makbong shouted with dness on seeing the two. He tried to defeat the enemies with a blow and toe near him, but it was not easy. There were too many Japanese bandits, and the soldiers were too few.


    Some of the soldiers who sensed the situation had already run away.


    “Ahhhh!”


    There were screamsing from all directions. Although Shin Rip and his officers fought back, it was just not enough; the Japanese bandits were too many to count.


    “My goodness!”


    Yeoni tried to go to Makbong in vain and groaned. Ganhyuk brandished the sword, but he was more of a burden than a help. He might have been dead if he were not strong enough.


    Makbong did not look good, as Yeoju and Dolseok were even worse than Ganghyuk.


    “It is better for us to run away.” Yeoni shouted while cutting a bandit off. Ganghyuk answered while avoiding the fallen body. “Then those guys?”


    “They will be fine because Makbong is with them. We will be killed if we stay here longer.”


    “Goodness!”


    It was only because they were separated from the main corps that they managed to survive; most of the soldiers in the yard had been killed. The ones who survived helped Yeoni, but it seemed that they would be all killed if this continued for some more time.


    Ganghyuk had to decide quickly.


    “OK, let’s go.”


    “Yes, I will make the way. Please follow me closely.”


    “Okay”


    Yeoni turned her head in the direction where the Japanese bandits came from; there were fewer bandits nearby, as most of them went to the ce where the main corps were resting.


    Only some of them watched thebat while holding their swords, cutting off the soldiers who tried to run away from the battlefield.


    Sheek!


    Yeoni determined the course of action and jumped amidst the group, moving quickly and showing her splendid martial arts, leaving the bandits dead in her wake


    She stabbed her sword into their neck precisely as if she had practiced with mannequins.


    “B*stards!” The soldiers following Yeoni helped her with their spades as well. However, most of them were soon killed.


    “Heok!”


    Yeoni was busy protecting Ganghyuk, who was closely following her. Thetter was tall, so there was big space required to be created.


    “Follow me tightly.”


    “Yes.” Ganghyuk nodded his head and followed her closely. Although he had learned Taekyeon, he could not make a move in a realbat. It would be the best if he did not cut himself or Yeoni with his sword.


    ‘But I cannot keep it in the sheath.’


    He would rather hold it for the peace of mind.


    “We are almost there now.” Yeoni cut another one and shouted, red blood sshing onto the grass beneath her.


    Hududuk!


    As she mentioned, they were almost near the forest. Once they were inside, they would be safe.


    But that was only if they could enter the forest…


    “Son of a b*tch!” Somebody shouted while rushing toward them; he seemed to be a trained soldier. The man wore a ck mask and held a sword which was a lot longer than ordinary swords.


    ‘He is fierce even though he has small body.’


    The man could not be ignored despite his small body. He showed a fierce spirit and looked very strong even in Ganghyuk’s eyes.


    Sheeek! Kang!


    The sword made a howling sound, fended off by Yeoni. However, the blow made her retreat for a couple of steps.


    It was fortunate that the sword was a good one. If not, it would have had been broken. She shouted while looking at her arm which was hurting. “Sir! Go into the forest!”


    “What?”


    “Run!”


    When he heard Yeoni’s remark, he suddenly realized that she was a slim and small girl instead of the good protector he was unconsciously taking her to be all this while.


    ‘Yeoni has lost her confidence.’


    Ganghyuk changed his position to hold the sword tightly as he looked the Japanese bandit and Yeoni alternatingly. The Japanese bandit looked stronger, given his posture while holding the sword.


    He didn’t know why, but he felt that he would not be able to see Yeoni again if he ran away.


    ‘My God!’ When he looked around, he saw some of the soldiers running toward the forest. ‘They are unappreciative of kindness.’


    They ran away without helping Yeoni even though she had saved their lives.


    Chang, Chang!


    “Keuk!”


    Whenever the swords bumped, there was a grunt from Yeoni’s side. It was the matter of time that she would be killed if things continued like this.


    Yeoni was likely to fall in a blink, bleeding from various spots…


    ‘What should I do?’


    He had always lived a proud life. He could not bear to survive by hiding behind a woman. If he ran away there, it would be a stigma for his whole life.


    But, he could not jump into the battle mindlessly either. He would be killed with one blow, or might be a burden for Yeoni rather than a help.


    ‘What should I do?’


    He stood there doing nothing, feeling his hands sweating profusely.


    ‘No… I can think of something.’


    Why?


    He remembered what Master Samyeong had said; he said that they would meet again. He specifically said that Gagnhyuk would be fine. He did not mention that they would see again in the other world, so it should mean that he would not be killed in the battle.


    ‘Heo!’


    Thinking that, he found the peace in his mind. It was very strange though, as he did not believe in superstitions.


    When he looked at Yeoni again with stable eyes, he could see that she was in a great danger.


    “Sine (1)” The Japanese bandit shed his sword while shouting.


    “Run quickly.” Yeoni tried to defend desperately, but she was in great danger.


    Fatally perilous were the appropriate words to describe this situation indeed.


    ‘Eo?’


    At that moment, he felt something cold in his bosom. Yujeong, Master Samyeong, had given him the stone. At that moment, he realized why he gave it to him.


    It was an instinct.


    “Hu…” Ganghyuk picked up the stone, holding it tightly as if he were born with it. The stone shone with a mysterious light. It had been like this since Master Samyeong gave it to him.


    He was not good at throwing, but he felt a baseless confidence right now.


    “Euk!”


    The sword of the bandit touched Yeoni’s thigh, red blood sshing all directions.


    Hududuk!


    Fortunately, it was not great amount, but Yeoni copsed nevertheless.


    The bandit stopped, holding his sword high to kill Yeoni, who had closed her eyes as she perceived her death intuitively.


    Seeek!


    At that moment, Ganghyuk did not make any sound before throwing the stone. Whenever he watched such a scene in the movie, he always criticized them.


    ‘Why do they shout when they have to throw it secretly?’


    “Aghh!” In the next instant, the bandit screamed. The stone had hit the throat behind the mask, falling down after hitting the target


    It lost the mysterious light, as if saying that it had performed its duty.


    “Son of a b*tch!” Yeoni did not miss the precious opportunity as she stabbed the sword while lying down on the grass.


    “Keuk!”


    The sword prated his uv, red blood rushing out of the blue bruise created because of the stone. His face and body both became bloody after falling down onto the ground.


    “Heok heok!” Yeoni was breathless because of all she had just gone through.


    “Are you Ok?” Ganghyuk ran to her without wasting time to think about the surprising power of the stone, and saw red blooding out of her thigh.


    “Ouch!”


    “Let’s escape from here after tying the wound.”


    “Yes, sir.”


    Ganghyuk took out the bandage and rolled it over her leg. There were some other bandits around, but they could not dare toe. They felt that he might be quite a strong warrior, fear reflecting on their faces.


    Still, Ganghyuk needed to hurry. When they recovered their senses, they would see that Yeoni was injured.


    “Let’s go. Can you walk?”


    “Yes.” Yeoni said lightly although she could not move her feet. Apparently, the wound was quite deep.


    “Climb on my back.”


    “Yes?”


    “Ride on my back.”


    “Ah… Yes, sir.”


    Yeoni climbed on his back carefully. She was very light; he could not believe that she killed so many Japanese bandits with that frame of hers.


    ‘She is a girl after all.’


    Ganghyuk put the sword in the sheath and ran while holding the home visitation bag. It was very inconvenient to run in the forest because of the bushes.


    ‘It is better to be painful than die.’


    Small branches scratched his face, but he did not stop. He ran and ran, and by the time he stopped, the sun had started to rise.


    Fortunately, there was no one around him. All he could hear was breath of Yeoni on his back. Ganghyuk finally sighed in relief and then let her down on the grass.


    ‘Let’s see the wound.’


    Sine – Japanese word meaning ‘Die’