THWCS 07

Chapter 07

Even in the pitch-black darkness, the man’s pale, flawless skin shone dazzlingly, like a piece of white porcelain.

His long-tailed, cool eyes were chilling yet seductive, and the inherent arrogance in them only added to the oppressive aura he gave off.

—Hey, did you hear me say I’m going to kill you?

The owner of that half-laughing voice seemed as though he might snatch her life away at any moment.

Please spare me, please, I beg you!

Eong-won had no idea how many times she screamed those words inside her mind with her eyes squeezed shut.

“No! I can’t die yet…!”

She shot upright with a shout—then blinked blankly.

Dawn had already broken, and she could hear birds chirping somewhere nearby.

It was now their fifth night at Mount Jeokbyeok.

“Miss? Another nightmare?”

Instead of answering Sorae, Eong-won wiped the cold sweat on her forehead and temples.

Ever since that first day when they entered Jeokbyeok Mountain and saw ghosts and grim reapers in the fog, she had suffered nightmares for nearly five days without rest.

“Miss, are you feeling very unwell? Should I massage the back of your neck?”

“No. I saw wild berries nearby yesterday. Let’s eat some and keep going.”

They hadn’t been able to find a good cave the night before, so they had slept leaning crookedly against a tree.

Every time Eong-won moved, her bones screamed, and she winced, exhaling a thin, painful breath.

Only after steadying herself did she finally manage to stand, leaning against the trunk, looking out uneasily at the dense mountain forest.

Just as she had feared on the first day, they still had not found Jejado Island.

The fog that drifted in from time to time made them lose their sense of direction, and wild animals appearing one by one had forced them to run for their lives more than once.

A snake had even fallen from a tree overhead, and the mushrooms and plants they ate in hunger had caused stomachaches and rashes.

And that wasn’t the worst.

Once, they had seen some people—men with vicious eyes, carrying sickles and hoes as weapons, with broken shackles hanging from their ankles.

They were surely escaped convicts, fleeing in search of the fabled Jejado.

The problem was that the moment they appeared, those men suddenly turned on one another, raising their weapons and killing each other.

Flesh was sliced, and heads flew.

Eong-won and Sorae had barely dared breathe as they hid, terrified they would be spotted and meet the same fate.

Remembering that moment, Eong-won let out a heavy sigh.

Perhaps they had simply been lucky so far—though covered in small cuts and bruises, at least they were still alive.

But the creeping, mold-like thought that if we don’t find Jejado today, we may die tomorrow spread relentlessly through her mind.

“We’ll definitely find it today, Sorae. Let’s hang on a little longer.”

She forced her sinking spirits upward as she spoke, and Sorae nodded firmly.

“Yes, Miss. We’ll find Jejado for sure today. When I woke up this morning, the magpies were crying from the treetops.”

Perhaps those words were prophetic.

Late that afternoon—

Sorae, faint with hunger, spotted wild grapes in a thicket and leapt toward them, only to misstep and tumble down the slope.

Startled, Eong-won lunged to grab her—only to roll down the mountain herself.

Their whole bodies throbbed and tingled so badly that neither could stand for a while.

Something had scratched the back of Eong-won’s neck; her shoulder and knees were bruised, and many spots on her skin burned and ached.

But they did not know yet that this misfortune would turn into a blessing.

After pulling themselves together and getting up, they found themselves standing before a village that appeared suddenly through the hazy fog.

“Miss… is this really it? Did we finally find it? Is this Jejado?”

“I think so.”

As she took a step forward, the mist that had wrapped around her like a shroud vanished like a mirage.

Before her unfolded a landscape like a painted scroll.

Towering sharp cliffs surrounded the place like a folding screen, and beneath them lay a village so vast it could not be taken in with a single glance.

The first thing that caught her eye was the enormous mansion on a gentle hill in the distance, its massive estate stretching across the wide plateau.

The high walls, imposing front gate, sprawling courtyards divided into dozens of sections, the black roof tiles like the broad back of a whale—all of it blended with the cliffs behind to create a breathtaking sight.

Below the hill, on the flat land, neat rows of thatched cottages and log houses stretched far into the distance, with straight, spotless roads between them like lines on a game board.

And that wasn’t all.

A jade-colored stream split into dozens of branches shimmered brightly as it flowed through the enormous, bustling village, and further beyond, fields of rice and crops spread endlessly.

On the slanted green slopes, cows, horses, and sheep grazed lazily, while small round hills were blanketed with colorful flowers and trees.

It was an idyllic and peaceful paradise.

Eong-won’s nose suddenly stung with emotion, and she smiled at the awestruck Sorae.

“It seems we really have arrived at Jejado, Sorae.”

“Then… does that mean we can finally eat a proper meal?”

“What?”

“The elders of the Geom family can’t be that stingy, can they? They’ll give us at least a meal, right?”

Half crying, half laughing, Sorae asked, trying to lighten the mood, and Eong-won clicked her tongue.

“Don’t worry. If they don’t feed us, I’ll beg for food to feed you.”

“You promised, Miss!”

“Yes, I promise.”

With the relief of finally reaching Jejado easing the anxiety that had gripped her for days, Eong-won hurried toward the village below.

After walking down for about half a sijin (about an hour), they reached the outskirts.

On the right side of the well-paved road stood a ten-cheok-tall (about 3 meters) black stone stele—likely marking the village’s name and history.

“Miss, this village is so much bigger than I expected—and so full of people. I thought it would be a tiny mountain village. I never imagined it would be this prosperous.”

Growing excited as they approached the entrance, Sorae craned her neck to peer inside.

The wide main road was broad enough for two or three large carts to pass, and on either side were rows of shops and vendor stalls. People bustled everywhere, filling the place with lively energy.

Vegetables, meat, grain, cloth, fabric, pottery, wooden bowls—countless items filled the stands, and food stalls and taverns dotted the street.

It was almost like a marketplace in the western district of Hanseong.

The lively chatter and the fragrant food drifting through the streets made Eong-won and Sorae quicken their pace.

But the moment they stepped in, both froze in place.

“…Miss, didn’t you say the rumors about Jejado being a paradise for criminals were all lies?”

Sorae whispered, trembling slightly, and Eong-won’s lips parted, but no words came out.

Her father’s old words about Jejado flashed through her mind.

—Does it make sense for a lawless zone to exist where even the magistrates cannot interfere? Do you think officials who eat from the king’s grain would let such shame fall on their own faces? They’re only rumors.

—But they say there’s no smoke without fire. Maybe a paradise for convicts really does exist.

—Nonsense. Jejado is a peaceful and beautiful land where flowers bloom year-round, neither cold nor hot, rich in crops, with no calamities. When the time comes, I’ll take you there myself.

Father… Father, you were wrong.

Eong-won could not deny that most of the people walking the streets looked exactly like the “convicts” Sorae spoke of.

Most were large and towering, with shaggy beards and faces, arms, and necks covered in frightening scars.

Their ragged clothes were heavily patched, and some wore old animal pelts.

They carried axes, bows, curved swords, and maces at their waists or slung across their backs, and their eyes and expressions were as vicious as wild dogs. One wrong move, and they looked capable of crushing a person’s skull without hesitation.

Intimidated by their rough, menacing presence, Eong-won instinctively shrank back.

Memories of the convicts murdering each other days ago sent chills down her spine, but she forced herself to stay calm.

After all, nothing could be more terrifying than the ghosts and grim reapers she’d seen that first night in Jeokbyeok Mountain.

“Miss, what do we do now? Do you think the Geom Clan your master mentioned really exists here?”

Sorae whispered in a hushed voice, afraid someone might overhear.

“I don’t believe the Geom Clan is small or insignificant. Someone here must know of them. We only need to ask.”

“Ask… who?”

Sorae’s face crumpled, and Eong-won found herself unable to answer.

Every person in sight looked so fierce that she didn’t dare approach anyone.

“…For now—let’s just go in a little farther.”

Eong-won pulled Sorae with her and stepped forward cautiously.