Chapter 95
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 95
Chapter 95. Eun Jin-ho Goes Missing (3)
I thought back on my past life.
At that time, a strange phenomenon appeared in the forests of Yunnan. It was called Musan Mountain.
It means a mountain covered in fog with no way out.
Once you entered, you couldn't get out, and you would disappear.
I considered various possibilities for why Jin-ho went missing, and Muchulmusan was one of them.
However, I had deliberately excluded it.
This is because Muchulmusan would not become known until three years later.
But I was wrong.
It had existed since that time.
Due to the Mu-Chul-Mu-San, a taboo arose in Yunnan.
People were not to walk into the fog, and when fog appeared, they were not to move from where they were.
This was because it was not just simple fog, but could be Mu-Chul-Mu-San, and rather than wandering around trying to escape, it was safer to wait quietly until the fog disappeared.
When the number of missing people exceeded 1,000, the imperial palace finally took action.
A large investigation team was sent to Yunnan, and while the investigation was underway, the Mushroom People disappeared.
I was 25 years old at the time.
As a result, the imperial palace and the investigation team were praised.
After Mu-chul-mu-san disappeared, the bodies of people who seemed to have died while wandering in the fog were found at the site.
Among the numerous bodies, there were some who appeared to have been killed with weapons.
That means there is nothing inside that could threaten Jin-ho and his group.
As long as they are careful of people.
If Jin-ho really entered Mu-chul-mu-san and disappeared, then it is better that way.
That's because I know how to get out of there.
There was one person who survived Mushikmusan.
When asked how he managed to escape, he replied,
“The thread of the sack I was carrying got caught on a tree branch and came loose. I was able to grab the thread and follow it out.”
It was fortunate for him that the thread of his sack got caught on a tree branch and came loose.
Anyway, it was late, so we decided to start searching early tomorrow morning.
* * *
In the thick fog, we couldn't see even an inch in front of us.
It felt even more eerie because we couldn't hear any sounds of wild animals, which would normally be heard in the forest, let alone birds.
The only sound
was the footsteps of the group.
How long did they walk like that?
Eun Jin-ho saw the cart in front of him and sighed.
“Ah...”
That cart was the one they had abandoned.
A month ago.
Eun Jin-ho and his party were walking along a mountain path when a thick fog suddenly began to roll in.
Fog was a common occurrence in this area, so they didn't think much of it and continued on their way.
By the time they realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
They should have reached their destination, the tea plantation, in just three more days, but all they could see was an endless forest path.
“Young master.”
The servant who was with him said.
“We only have enough food for about ten days.”
When traveling, you never know what might happen. That's why they carried as much food as possible.
They also carried dried meat in their bags.
Even excluding the food that each individual had, having only ten days' worth of food left meant that the situation was not good.
Eun Jin-ho discussed it with the head escort and the other escorts and made a decision.
They would abandon the cart.
First, they had to get out of the forest quickly.
However, even after wandering in the forest for nearly a month, they still couldn't find their way out.
When they encountered the cart for the eighth time, Eun Jin-ho finally closed his eyes tightly.
He could hear the voices of his companions whispering behind him.
“Are we going to die here? I don't want to! I don't want to!”
“This guy is starting again.”
“We're going to end up like those people we saw on the way here, all skin and bones...”
“Hey! Shut up! Why are we going to die?”
“The escort agency and the Trading Company must have sent a search party to rescue us.”
“That's why you should have hope.”
“But...”
Then someone spoke up.
“I hope they don't come.”
“What do you mean?”
“If they come into this forest and end up like us, I'll feel so sorry for them that I won't be able to die with peace.”
“...”
Eun Jin-ho smiled bitterly at those words.
He felt the same way.
It was enough that he was the only one starving to death in a place like this.
If those who came to rescue him ended up wandering the forest like them...
If his family was among the rescuers...
“What should we do?”
When Haeng-soo asked Head Escort, Head Escort smiled bitterly.
“To be honest, I don't know either.”
Head Escort sat down on the spot.
The food they had brought with them had already disappeared into their stomachs.
They were eating only one meal a day to conserve the remaining food, so they had no strength left.
Seeing that Pyo-du, their leader, seemed to have given up, the others also sat down as if they had given up.
In fact, it was a miracle that they had held out this long. This was proof that the Eunhae Trading Company was a well-united group.
However, they were only human, and humans have their limits.
Eun Jin-ho looked at his companions.
Seeing them exhausted from walking on an empty stomach, he felt sorry for them.
His stomach growled.
Hearing the sound coming from his stomach, he couldn't help but laugh.
“Hahahaha.”
The laughter drew everyone's attention to him. Under their gaze, Eun Jin-ho said,
“In a situation like this, all my hard training in swordsmanship is useless. After all, food is the most important thing.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
He had unintentionally drawn their attention to himself.
“I've made a decision. Once we get out of here, I will never leave any food behind.”
The others burst out laughing again.
Eun Jin-ho said to the head monk.
“Let's rest here for now. Let's build a fire to keep warm.”
“Yes, sir.”
Soon, they were all busy.
There were trees everywhere, so there was no shortage of firewood.
Even if the wood was wet from the fog, it was not difficult for skilled escorts and soldiers to build a fire with wet wood.
As they stared at the fire, they heard a sniffling sound from somewhere.
It was probably someone lamenting their pitiful situation. Eun Jin-ho felt the same way.
Perhaps it was because of the fog, but it reminded him of winter nights.
That must have been why
he spoke without thinking.
“There is a story I heard from my grandfather. One day, a warrior set out on a journey. That warrior had...”
Everyone listened intently to Eun Jin-ho's story. And they realized
that they weren't hungry while listening to the story.
When Eun Jin-ho finished his story, someone else said,
“Now I'll tell you a story I know.”
One story led to another, and that's how they got through the night.
* * *
After spending the night at the Eulrim Inn, I went down to the first floor. Actually, I couldn't sleep because I was worried about Jin-ho, but I forced myself to sleep.
I had to be in good condition to find Jin-ho without causing any trouble.
For breakfast, I had dumplings and duck soup.
To be honest, it was a bit too much for breakfast, but I had to eat heartily.
Yunnan is not an easy place to get around on just a bowl of porridge.
After we finished eating, Head Escort Mak Chung spread a map in front of the restaurant.
The map was one used by the escort agency.
“The fact that no cart was found nearby means that it was taken inside. Therefore, we will search for a road that could have been used to pull the cart.”
Head Escort Mak Chung explained.
“If we walk three more days from here, we will reach a tea plantation. There are no inns there, only space to camp. However, there are no signs of camping there, so we can consider the area from here to there as the search area.”
I nodded as I listened to his explanation.
There was a reason why the head of the Changin Escort Agency sent Makchung to conduct the search.
Mak-chung was grasping the essence of the situation and giving orders.
“We will divide the rescue team into three groups.”
One group was led by Mak-chung, another by Jeong-chung, and the third by me.
My group consisted of Pal-gap, two bodyguards, Seo-woo, Jeong-chung, and two warriors brought by Jeong-chung, for a total of seven people.
“As I said yesterday, you may get lost in the fog, and those who are lost may be hungry, so make sure to bring plenty of food. And if you get caught in the fog, quickly tie the ropes I gave you to nearby trees.”
With that, he confirmed the safety precautions for the rescue team.
“Now, let's begin the search. Once again, we are here to rescue you, so be careful not to end up being rescued instead.”
“Yes!”
Soon, we began the search.
I didn't tell them about the bracelet I was wearing.
I thought it would be better not to show it to them.
Especially since it was a sacred object, it could be very valuable, and someone might try to steal it.
Pal-gap doesn't know that this is a sacred object. He just thinks it's a bracelet bought at a market.
I glanced at my sleeve and looked at the bracelet.
The bracelet, which had been red inside the Trading Company, was now a bright silver color.
The other two teams left first, and we followed behind them.
“Let's go.”
“Yes.”
And so, the search for Jin-ho and his companions began in earnest.
“Eunhae Trading Company!”
“...”
“Changin Escort Agency!”
“...”
We shouted loudly as we crossed ridges and valleys and searched the entire forest.
However, the only response we got was an echo.
Beep! Beep!
It was the sound of a whistle signaling a break.
I sat down on a rock and drank some water from my canteen.
Ah, now I can breathe.
At that moment, Seo Woo tilted his head.
“Something seems strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“This place is usually full of all kinds of insects. But I don't see any insects.”
“Is that so?”
“It's definitely strange.”
Those words made me feel uneasy.
Just like when I went to Sichuan before, it was clear that it was because of me.
Then Lee Pil said, “That's because you were using your inner energy to search around.”
“It seems to be because I'm using my inner arts.”
“That makes sense.”
Insects are creatures that are sensitive to energy, so when you use your inner arts, they don't come near you.
“Then you'll get tired easily.”
“We can't let our Liege get bitten by insects.”
Lee Pil smiled slightly meaningfully at me.
It was clear.
He must have realized that I was the one who had gone to Sichuan with him before.
And he noticed that I was having trouble answering, so he stepped in for me.
Thank you.
I was touched that he said that for me.
Beep!
After a short break, the search began again.
We had been wandering around the mountain for half a day.
I glanced at my wrist.
“...!”
The bracelet had turned red. That meant Jin-ho was within ten meters.
I felt hope.
I looked at the bracelet and subtly guided the others in that direction, and finally found a place where the thick fog lingered.
It was the entrance to Moo-Chul-Moo-San.
“This must be the place. Send a signal.”
“Yes.”
At my words, one of the Eunpungdae warriors fired a signal flare.
Jin-ho must be in there.
They say that the Blood Response Ring does not react to the dead, so he must be alive.
I ordered Pal-gap to tie the rope he had been given to a nearby tree.
Pal-gap tied the rope and untangled the coil as he spoke.
“Are we going in like this?”
“I think it would be better if I went in alone.”
“What do you mean?”
Naturally, they were shocked and refused to budge despite my lengthy persuasion.
So, Yeo-eung-am and one of the Eunpungdae warriors stayed behind to wait for those who would come here, and the rest of us decided to go into the fog together.
“Let's go.”
“Yes.”
We entered the Moo-chul-mu-san.
Wait a minute, brother.
I'll go.
.
.
.
As I had heard, the fog was so thick that I couldn't see an inch in front of me.
After walking for about a minute, we spotted a group of people.
It was Jin-ho and his companions.
It was easier than I had expected to find Jin-ho and his companions in the fog.
“Hyung! Jin-ho!”
Jin-ho, who was sitting blankly in front of the bonfire, saw me and smiled wryly.
“Now I'm seeing things.”
Jin-ho got up and approached me.
“Still, I'm glad I got to see you before I die.”
His words made me want to burst into tears.
So I shouted even more harshly.
“Ah! Seriously! What are you talking about? Are you stupid? Can't you tell the difference between reality and hallucination?”
Then I kicked him as hard as I could.