Is there a place to rest on this land? (1)

“Get out of the way!”

“Ugh, ugh!”

The roughly pushed man stumbled and fell to the ground.

“What’s going on? Who…?”

Unable to contain his anger, the man raised his head, only to quickly lower it back.

Along the road, there were people holding ominous-looking weapons, rushing past recklessly. It would be best not to stare too long, let alone attract unwanted attention.

‘What in the world is happening?’

Just moments ago, he was simply looking elsewhere, but now, these menacing figures had made their way here?

As the man kept his head lowered, the sound of footsteps faded away, and he cautiously lifted his head to watch them running into the distance.

“What’s all this about…?”

“Hyeong, are you okay?”

One of the men who had been lying flat on the ground lifted his head and asked.

“… Are you alright? But what’s with those bastards rushing so urgently?”

“How would I know? It’s been chaos since this morning.”

“This morning?”

“You wouldn’t believe how many of those have already passed by. Every single one of them looked like they were being chased… You’re lucky, Hyeong. One of those who blocked the road earlier got a good beating, and they still haven’t recovered.”

“Sa…Sapaeryeon?”

“Who said anything about Sapaeryeon? These seem like some unruly bunch of nobodies.”

Though he spoke confidently, fear filled the man’s face.

Even if they were just third-rate gangsters, to them, they might as well be the Grim Reapers.

With them brandishing weapons and moving menacingly back and forth along the roads, how could one’s heart not tremble?

Since Sapaeryeon took control of Gangnam, it hadn’t been a common occurrence to be cautious of Sapas. But, this was indeed an unusual situation.

“What’s happening?”

“How would people like us know? They’re not about to tell us anything.”

“Well… it’s just…”

“Still, it’s the first time they’ve seemed in such a rush, so something must be up. But, why south? Not north, but south? What could have happened down there?”

The man shook his head in disbelief.

It made sense if something big was happening up north, where there’s confrontation with the Just Sects. But, down south? There shouldn’t be anything noteworthy happening in the southern part of Gangnam, which is dominated by Maninbang.

“When trouble brews, it’s always the common folk who suffer the most.”

순망치한(脣亡齒寒) – When lips are gone, teeth feel the cold. After the orthodox sects that had been criticized for being corrupt and only showing off, were pushed out, the viciousness of Sapaeryeon had no choice but to seep into their lives.

Deep down, while they secretly hoped for the northern orthodox sects to quickly advance southward and drive out Sapaeryeon, they couldn’t help but tremble at the thought that their lives would only become more difficult if such a thing were to happen.

“Could it be that the northern sects are attacking?”

“Are you out of your mind? Why would they attack from the south, not the north?”

“Well… there could be some other sect or something… attacking from the rear…”

“That’s nonsense. If that were the case, it would have happened by now.”

“And! Since when did the Just Sects risk their lives and engage in such dangerous acts?”

Indeed, it was a valid point.

Certainly, the lands ruled by Just Sects were indeed better to live in compared to those ruled by Evil Sects, but the self-centered and arrogant Just Sects didn’t have much interest in commoners like them anyway.

As the man nodded his head, a small voice emerged from the lips of someone with a stern face.

“If it were Hwasan…”

Silently, everyone around nodded in agreement.

Hwasan, Cheonumaeng, and how much they desired to crush Sapaeryeon was known even here in Gangnam.

“In any case, wake up. There’s no chance they’ll come all the way to Gangnam.”

“Ah…”

A sense of helplessness spread across everyone’s faces.

In the end, there was nothing they could do.

As long as neither Just Sects nor the government officials intervened, there was little the commoners could do. What threat could they pose to those who could leap across rivers in a single stride and shatter rocks with their bare fists?

Unless there was a significant change, it seemed unlikely that the dominance of Sapaeryeo would falter.

“Even now, it’s hard to survive, let alone thrive…”

“Still… P… Paegun does provide some assistance. They released some grain this time.”

“Assistance?”

At the softly spoken words of someone, the eyes of the listeners lit up with curiosity.

“Is giving a few sacks of grain considered assistance?”

“Well, without that, we’d be…”

“First of all, where do you think all that comes from? It was ours to begin with! They empty our pockets, leaving us to starve, and then toss a few coins as if they’re doing us a favor?”

“If this bastard has something to say…”

“Don’t you dare speak like that!”

In an instant, the man was surrounded. The crowd seemed ready to grab him and beat him senseless. Yet, strangely, despite being outnumbered, the man remained calm.

“So, you’re saying you’re not grateful for the assistance provided by Paegun?”

“Well, um… that’s…”

“Uh…”

Those who had seemed ready to resort to violence moments ago now exchanged cautious glances. They sensed that saying the wrong thing here could lead to trouble.

If he reports the things they say Sapaeryeon…

A wave of cold water poured over the heated hearts. The men, their anger dissipating, cautiously spoke up.

“W-why, that’s impossible, isn’t it? Of course, we’re grateful.”

“Yes, indeed! Thanks to Paegun’s grain, our household managed to survive. If we’re not grateful, what kind of people are we?”

“Paegun hasn’t done anything wrong. Hw has only provided assistance, hasn’t they? It’s those unruly thugs who misunderstand his intentions! Oh my!”

The men desperately changed their tune. Watching them, the man chuckled softly.

“You should be careful with your words. Someone is always watching.”

“Haha. Careful with our words? We’re just…”

“…Speculating.”

As the man turned and walked away, the crowd gritted their teeth in shame and frustration.

As he moved further away, until he was barely visible in the distance, the dam burst, and their anger poured out.

“Those damn bastards…”

“These guys are worse than the Sapas. Who says they’re acting as lackeys for the thugs?”

“Lackeys? Those scumbags don’t even treat them as lackeys. They’re just Sapas’ dogs, plain and simple!”

Faces flushed with anger as they spoke, tinged with a sense of helplessness. They knew it too. Just because someone is labeled as a snitch for Sapaeryeon doesn’t mean they’re treated with any respect.

At most, they’ll throw a handful of grain their way. But they were the ones who had to deal with the consequences of being labeled as such.

The ones who said something wrong would soon disappear from sight, all for the price of a sack or two of grain.

The fact was so heart-wrenching that frustration surged within them.

“That kind of guy will receive divine punishment. Divine punishment!”

“Whether that’s true or not!”

“There’s no one to trust. No one!”

After venting their anger for a while, they subtly glanced at each other.

It wasn’t just that one person who could be an informant. If anyone among those present here was also one, someone else could end up being the victim.

“Ahem.”

Those who had been exchanging glances awkwardly cleared their throats and slowly walked away.

The world had changed so much that they couldn’t speak their minds freely anymore.

“Huh…”

One remaining man shook his head in resignation.

A world where everyone watches each other. Before the domination of Sapaeryeon, life was difficult, but not this harsh.

“How long do we have to endure this…”

The man sighed deeply.

Thudududududududud!

“Huh?”

Amidst the silence, an odd sound reached his ears.

Thudududududududud!

“What’s that sound…”

Turning his head towards the direction of the sound, the man’s ears picked up something unusual.

In that moment, something white swiftly passed right in front of the man’s face.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

The man cried out in terror as he stumbled backwards.

“Wha-what was that?”

It felt like a white lightning bolt had passed right in front of his face. Startled, he lifted his head to look ahead, but there was nothing there anymore.

“Did… did a ghost just pass by?”

He blinked dumbfoundedly, then shook his head. It seemed he had seen things, perhaps due to recent hunger affecting his mind.

Not far from where the man stood was a forest.

Thudududududududud!

The sound of four tiny feet, befitting of being described as cute, pounded the ground at an incredible speed.

At first glance, their appearance might seem adorable, but to onlookers from afar, they would only see a white line crossing the forest.

Huff! Huff!

As if driven by a relentless pursuit, something enormous leaped in front of the galloping white weasel.

“Grraaagh!”

A majestic tiger!

Judging by its size, it could be a mountain lord, or perhaps a divine creature, given its immense stature.

It seemed enraged, likely having leaped all the way here out of fury for encroaching upon its territory.

With razor-sharp fangs bared, the tiger blocked the path of the white weasel, menacingly displaying its full power.

The roar alone sent shivers down the spine and made fur stand on end – a tremendous roar that seemed to reverberate through the very air.

But rather than cower at the roar, Baek Ah, with eyes narrowed, leaped straight towards the tiger’s face, using its small head to headbutt the tiger squarely.

Thud!

A resounding impact, like the tolling of a giant bell.

The house-sized tiger let out puppy-like cries as it toppled to the ground.

Not content with that, Baek Ah mounted the tiger’s head, relentlessly pounding it with its walnut-sized fists, and stomping on the head with its tiny hind legs.

Kiiiiiiiii!

Tears welled up in Baek Ah’s eyes, now swollen with rage.

The fury in those eyes was clearly directed towards someone else, not the tiger.

As the tiger, unable to resist properly, tried to flee tail tucked between its legs, Baek Ah reached out with its small front paw and grabbed hold of the tiger’s tail. Then, in an instant, it flicked its long body, slamming the tiger to the ground.

Crash!

The tiger shuddered and went limp, its neck bent, knocked unconscious.

Growl! Roar!

With furrowed brow, Baek Ah, eyeing the unconscious tiger, began to curse vehemently, delivering blows with its short front legs.

Then, as if realizing something, Baek Ah swiftly turned around and dashed off with all his might, as if nothing had happened.

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

The white weasel turned into a blur as he raced through Gangnam, pushing his limits.

Faster. Just a little faster!

He had to deliver the letter inside the pouch hanging around his neck to Gangbuk, before that obnoxious master dies.