"Mother, my legs hurt."
"Just a little more. Just endure this."
"But my legs hurt…."
The woman carrying the baggage patted her child on his back while he was begging her to carry him. She must have wanted to carry her child right away, but the bundle she was carrying wasn't that small.
No, it was too heavy and big for an average woman to carry.
"Damn it."
The man, who seemed to be the child's father, looked back with a face of resentment and anger.
"What is happening to this world…."
They were just leaving the Yangtze River.
They had lived their entire lives cultivating the lands and casting nets alongside the river, but they couldn't stay there anymore in the face of the war and the tension around the Yangtze River.
Didn't they all have only one life?
"It will take three days before we see anything…"
The man sighed deeply as he watched his wife rubbing the child's legs.
'Even if we decided to move….'
It wasn't easy for those who had lived in one place all their lives to settle down in a new location. But they couldn't continue staying there.
There was no guarantee that a new war would not break out even if the current war ended. As a result, those who bravely survived the chaos of three years ago on the Yangtze River eventually had no choice but to leave their homes and go on the road when they saw the war.
"Let us find a suitable place and rest."
"… okay."
Just as the man was about to sigh again.
"Hmm?"
The man frowned after spotting something. He stared at it, and his eyes widened.
"W-what is that?"
"Which one?"
"T-that thing!"
The man raised his hand and pointed to one side. Something white was rushing in.
"Is that a sandstorm?"
"What is a sandstorm doing with no wind… doesn't it seem to be getting bigger?"
"Now that you say…"
The man's mouth opened wider and wider.
The white dust that rose from the end of the road they had walked gradually grew in size and soon became a huge dust cloud, fiercely approaching them.
"G-get to the side of the road!"
The man held the child in his arms, shocked. If the ones causing the dust were from the Evil Sect who had crossed the Yangtze River, then wouldn't their lives be in danger?
"Over there!"
The three of them, frightened, hurriedly stepped aside.
'What should we do? Should we run from here…'
As he considered whether to flee into the forest, something odd caught his eye.
'A cart?'
A cart, three times larger than those normally used to move loads, was coming towards him. But it wasn't the size of the cart that caught his attention. The problem was the one pulling it.
A person, not a cow or a horse, was pulling the cart.
"O-Oh my god…"
It was both absurd and shocking. It was absurd that a large cart was being pulled by people instead of horses or cows, and shocking that the cart, loaded with luggage, was moving so fast.
'Just what nonsense is…'
Even as he struggled to figure out where the cart was heading, it continued to move. At that very moment, it was about to pass them with incredible speed.
"STOPPPP!"
Kwakwakwak!
At someone's shout, the feet of those pulling the cart, with half-mad expressions, dug into the ground without error. The solid soil shot up.
Thud.
As the raised dirt fell to the ground, the carts, which had been tilted and lifted halfway into the air, fell back with a thud.
"…."
The man stared at the sight, dumbfounded.
'They don't seem like the Evil Sect…'
Looking at their rather sturdy—no, excessively built bodies—made his stomach ache, but these people didn't have the roughness he associated with thugs.
On the contrary…
"Cough! Cough!"
"I might die… no, I am dead."
"Water… just a sip… C-Chung Myung, water…."
"Oh my!"
There was an inexplicable familiarity with this interaction.
At that moment, the young man sitting on the luggage piled higher than a person's height clicked his tongue.
"If you drink water, you will fall, I am telling you!"
"… If I don't drink water, I will die!"
"You won't die, you won't die, I am telling you! I already tried all these out."
"What haven't you even tried… you insane bastard…."
The young man, who had been giggling, turned his head to look at the man and greeted him.
"Hello?"
"Uh? Ah… Yes! Yes!"
The man quickly nodded his head. It was clear they had no ill intentions, but in his eyes, living an ordinary life, the long swords hanging from the people's waists were the first thing that caught his eye.
Anyone who carries a sword is someone to be wary of, no matter what side they are on.
"Where are you going? You seem to have a lot of luggage?"
"W-we are just people walking along the road."
"That is what I am asking, to where?"
"That…"
"Get in."
"Uh?"
The young man had a faint smile. It was a clear smile with no flaw to search for.
Strangely, that smile felt so good to see. The man unconsciously lowered his guard.
The young man spoke again.
"I don't know where you are going, but I will give you a ride."
"W-we are…."
"This luggage is going to Sichuan. I can take you from here to Wuhan, at least."
"W-we are also heading to Sichuan…."
"I thought so."
The young man jumped down from the luggage. He then walked to them, staggering.
"It seems like the legs of the kid are sore, so you don't have to walk. You can just ride it. We already picked someone up this morning."
"P-picked someone…"
The bewildered man looked at the young man's chest. The plum blossom pattern engraved on the chest caught his eye.
"A-are you…?"
"Uh?"
"Are you a member of the Mount Hua sect?"
"Kuaaak!"
The young man clapped his hands with pride.
"This is what people get famous for! Even without saying anything, one gets recognized."
"… good for you."
"You look happy."
The young man, Chung Myung, approached with a giggle and patted the child's head a bit too much.
"Do your legs hurt?"
"… Yes."
"Come here!"
Chung Myung quickly lifted the child and placed him on his shoulders. Mount Hua's disciples who saw the scene began to comment one after another.
"Wow, he isn't crying."
"It would be scarier to ride on that guy's neck than a tiger's back."
"The price for doing that must be high. Does the kid seem worth it?"
"How tired must he be… I feel sorry for the kid."
Chung Myung turned his head and shouted.
"What are you all babbling about! Load the luggage on!"
"… Yes, yes."
"You are the ones making all the fuss here! We're just pulling the cart!"
Even as they spoke, the disciples, led by Baek Cheon, ran in unison and took the bundle the couple was holding.
"Y-you don't have to…"
Baek Cheon smiled broadly at the man, who seemed shocked.
"It's okay. The luggage already on there is very heavy."
"Huh?"
"… even if we load two more people, we won't feel much difference."
"…."
That was truly a terrifying thought.
"Give it to me."
"Will this be okay…"
In fact, if others had offered to let him ride in the cart, the man would have never accepted it. How harsh was the world? A father had to protect his child and wife, so he would never take a risk.
But their expressions and the plum blossom pattern on their chests eased the tension in the man's hands and shoulders.
'Mount Hua…'
At least to those who had lived along the river, the name Mount Hua was a symbol of trust and peace. If these people were from the Mount Hua sect, they would be able to rest their exhausted bodies.
Moreover…
The man turned his head.
Seeing the child sitting quietly on the shoulders of the young man who had suddenly appeared, he felt more at ease with these people. His son, who was usually extremely wary of strangers, seemed comfortable, indicating that this man must be trustworthy.
"… then please help us."
The couple, assisted onto the cart by the Mount Hua disciples, looked around awkwardly. It was their first time sitting on such a cart, especially atop such a high load, so they felt a bit out of place.
"Okay!"
Finally, Chung Myung got on the cart and placed the child on his lap.
"Hold on tight!"
"Uh?"
"Let's go! Sahyungs!"
"Ugh! This rotten bastard!"
"Die a little! Just die!"
The cart started off violently once again. The couple was startled and quickly grabbed the luggage beneath them.
The cart began to move at an incredible speed.
"O-oh my!"
It was terrifying. How could a cart pulled by people be moving faster than a horse?
The man held his wife's hand tightly. Even he felt his stomach churn at the sight of the scenery whizzing by at such an absurd speed. He carefully opened his mouth, still holding his wife's hand tightly.
"E-excuse me…"
"Uh?"
Chung Myung turned his head to look at them.
"Didn't you say you were coming from W-Wuhan?"
"Yes."
"But you said you returned in the morning?"
"Yes, we did."
"From Wuhan? Y-you cannot go back and forth from Wuhan in a day, even on horseback…."
"Ehh."
Chung Myung waved his hand dismissively.
"Even so, they are humans, so why would they be worse than horses?"
"…."
"Do not worry. I will get you there safely and comfortably. What are you sahyungs doing! The sun is going down, you people! Run, don't slow down!"
"Ehh, fuck!"
Someone's curse propelled the cart even faster toward Wuhan.
They arrived at the temporary shelter's main gate that was near Wuhan.
"We arrived!"
Thud. Thud.
The disciples of Mount Hua finally reached the place, let go of the cart handle, and collapsed onto the ground.
"Sahyung."
"… What?"
"Still alive?"
"… I am dead."
Yoon Jong didn't even have the strength to turn his head, so he buried his face into the ground and gasped for breath.
'I really feel like I will die.'
Carrying luggage from the river to Wuhan?
It wasn't really that big of a deal. It might seem ridiculous to ordinary people, but weren't these the people of Mount Hua Sect's Central Plains Special Delivery? They could deliver this kind of luggage from the North Sea to Yunnan.
The problem was that they had to do it at full speed.
-Time is money, and time is gold! What are you running around like that for! The last one to arrive will have their head pounded hard and sent to Shaolin… no, except for Hae Yeon, ah! Don't cry now!
The devil of Mount Hua could not stand people resting their bodies.
"I-I am dying… really, really dying."
"Fucking ghosts refuse to catch that one…"
"I might throw up…"
Chung Myung, who jumped down from the luggage, clicked his tongue, looking around.
"No, how much did you even run to be gasping for air like this! When I was young, I could run from Chengdu to Beijing in one go and not even consider it hard! These young people, huh!"
"… You are the youngest here, you insane bastard!"
"Please, go and die somewhere. Please…."
At that moment, the gate opened, and a familiar face walked out.
"You have worked hard."
Tang Gunak nodded as he looked at the luggage and the people sprawled on the ground.
"Is this all for today?"
"Uh?"
Chung Myung tilted his head as if asking what he meant.
"Ehh, it is still the early hours of the evening. I can go one more time."
"… You will go again?"
"Yes."
"T-they look quite tired?"
"Haha, you worry too much. When we unload and go back, we head out with an empty cart; they can rest then."
"…"
Tang Gunak looked at the cart in silence. He was so well-versed in all things metal that he couldn't help but guess the weight of the cart. That dark-colored iron cart must be incredibly heavy.
'Lord!'
'Please stop him, now!'
'Please save me! Please!'
The disciples of Mount Hua, who had been lying down, raised their heads and gave Tang Gunak an earnest look. Tang Gunak, who had been looking at them with a pitiful expression, soon made a stiff face and said,
"… I would appreciate it if you did that."
And he quickly averted his gaze.
"Traitor!"
"Devil!"
"FATHERRRR!"
The last cry stabbed his heart sharply, but Tang Gunak turned away with tears in his eyes.
If they moved at least one more person, there would be fewer casualties.
For efficiency, Mount Hua was moving people from the Yangtze River to Wuhan, and the Tang family was moving them to Sichuan.
The most important thing was to get the civilians out of that dangerous place, which could turn into a battlefield at any time.
"Well, let us rest for a bit. No matter what, people aren't made of steel."
"Eh, you don't know?"
"What?"
"Steel is done when it breaks, but broken bones heal."
"…."
"So people are stronger than steel?"
This guy was no good. First, he cannot be communicated with.
"Ahem."
Tang Gunak, who had been coughing, cleared his throat and said,
"Um, Mount Hua's Sword Saint."
"Yes?"
"… I heard some news from the Yangtze River. Would you like to hear it?"
Chung Myung's eyes, which were smiling, darkened slightly.