Episode 428: The Thief Princess of the Desert (2)
Somewhere in the desolate desert where only the sand wind blows.
There was a long procession crossing the land with no end in sight.
Most of them had their arms tied and all looked haggard.
As they walked helplessly, warriors clutching whips watched around them.
It was a procession of slaves being taken from Dunhuang to Tianchuk.
“...These bloodless, tearless bastards.”
A man with dry lips complained quietly.
I hadn’t eaten anything since last night and was only walking.
The skin of my stomach was dry and my legs felt like they would break as I walked on the sand.
At that time, a girl next to him cried and asked.
“Where are we being taken, uncle?”
“That’s obvious, isn’t it? “They’re going to go back to where they came from.”
“If I go, when can I come back?”
“Give up your false hopes. Because you will have to work like a dog until you die. Or...”
Jang Han, who had been talking carelessly while his judgment was clouded, hurriedly trailed off.
It was a child who looked to be about six or seven years old.
Because after seeing such a small thing crying, I couldn’t talk any more.
“...Black. I want to go home. “Grandma is waiting.”
No matter how much I cry, what good is there?
There were hundreds of people here who were in the same situation as the girl in front of them.
Jang Han sighed and cursed.
“Ugh. “Damn you bastards, if I had the strength, I would just twist their necks.”
How could you possibly want to just twist your neck? He, too, had already lost his wife to the invaders.
I literally felt like tearing everything to pieces.
But saying it out loud was the problem.
Because someone was overhearing the child’s cries and his swearing.
Churrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
A warrior opened his whip and began to approach.
Jang Han noticed this and quickly wrapped his body around the child next to him.
“Get down, quickly!”
As soon as the child’s body was covered, the whip began to fly mercilessly.
slam-! slam-!!
Jang Han couldn’t come to his senses.
Wherever the whip passed, the skin burst and the gray clothes became stained with blood.
“Tsk! “Kwaaak!”
“Everyone, look carefully! “This is what will happen to anyone who opens their mouth while on the march!”
He didn’t stop whipping as if he wanted to set an example for everyone.
It was likely that he would be killed right here.
When the situation reached this point, the child underneath him cried out in sorrow.
“Huh! “Don’t hit me!”
This wasn’t a whipping that could be stopped. In the end, the residents who couldn’t see it came to their aid one by one.
“That’s enough!”
“Then people will really die!”
Did their earnest wish come true? The warrior stopped whipping and looked around.
Everyone had a glimmer of hope, but it didn’t take long for it to be dashed.
Churrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
With his whip down, he took a step closer to those who had opened their mouths a moment ago.
“Hi!”
That time when everyone steps back with a look of fear on their faces.
Suddenly, the sound of a carriage began to be heard from somewhere. And it was getting closer at a rapid pace.
Kukukukukung-!!
An unexpected variable temporarily saved residents who were in danger from danger. Because all the samurai were flocking that direction.
There were a total of two carriages approaching quickly from the rear.
The coachman was a girl wearing a crown and a boy with a flower in his ear.
Soon the carriage stopped with the neighing of horses.
Heeeeeeeee-!!
About fifty warriors surrounded them and seemed to be having a conversation.
I couldn’t figure out what the story was, but it seemed like something serious. Because he was pointing a weapon.
And it only took a cup of tea for them all to collapse. Of course, if the yin-yang twin monsters had had their way, it would have ended much faster.
“Is everyone okay?”
Everyone came towards the yin-yang twin monsters.
“Thank you so much!”
“They must be the ones I saw four years ago.”
“Huh. “I thought I was going to be taken away and become a slave.”
At that time, a girl approached Yooseol and grabbed him by the collar.
“Sister, can I go see grandma now?”
Yu Seol stroked the child’s head with a happy smile.
“Ugh, don’t worry. “My sister will definitely take you there.”
“...I’m hungry. Hmph.”
Children are naturally honest about their emotions. As soon as my worries disappeared, hunger came over me.
Even so, the two wagons that Joson brought were full of food.
Among them, there were many things that could be eaten right away, such as beef jerky and dried fruits.
“Really? okay. “Then, from now on, I’ll make you eat until your stomach explodes.”
The child, who was in a good mood, hugged Yoo Seol’s waist tightly.
“really? Hi-Hi. “I like you~”
The village residents were already starting to distribute food according to Jinsan Yu’s instructions.
After filling our stomachs, we planned to leave for another place.
* * *
Kukukukukung-!
Two carriages were moving steadily across the desert.
But the sight was a little strange.
Where the horses should have been, a girl appeared to lead them with strength.
And there were a lot of children on top of the carriage, cheering them on.
It almost looked like magpies sitting on a roof.
“Cheer up, sister!”
“Seol, look at me!!”
Since the horses could not bear the weight of the carriage, it was decided that Yooseol would pull it instead.
However, the released horses did not come easily either. Because they had to carry the unfit people two by two on their backs.
Next to him, Eugene San was grumbling while pulling another carriage.
“I thought I would end up in this situation. “When will you arrive?”
I drove the carriage for two days, relying solely on my granddaughter’s senses for direction.
Moreover, because it was loaded with food and the elderly and the weak, it had to be moved as carefully as possible.
No matter how much of a martial arts expert you are, you are bound to feel embarrassed.
“We’re probably almost there! Cheer up, grandpa!”
“Ugh.”
Yu Jin-san, who grabbed the carriage, just sighed and kept going. Behind them, the relatively sturdy residents of Dunhuang appeared to be following in line.
It was about the time we moved forward one more time.
“Am I right?”
Yu Jin-san looked ahead at his granddaughter’s question.
In the distance, I could see a green lakeside surrounded by trees and blades of grass, and mud brick houses built here and there.
We have finally arrived at our destination.
After a while, cheers rang out again.
“Waaaa!”
This was once the headquarters of a slave trader and was a hidden place that even the residents of Dunhuang did not know about.
As the tension eased, some people even danced and enjoyed it.
Due to such commotion, Hwang So-cheon and his men came rushing out from inside the mud brick house.
Most of them were Dunhuang commanders.
The residents felt reassured when they noticed that they were friendly generals from their attire.
While they were resting, exhausted from the long march, Captain Hwang So-cheon approached the Yin-Yang twin monsters.
“How did this happen?”
I don’t understand the current situation.
Jinsan Yu gave a brief summary.
“We attacked the convoy carrying the enemy’s supplies and rescued the people who had been taken as slaves.”
“Ah... it’s something we have to do. “You have really done a great job.”
At that time, Yoo Seol tilted her head and asked him.
“But where did Soso go?”
Geomhu was nowhere to be seen. Not even Darong, who was supposed to be with him.
“He...”