There was no smoke at all from the place that Yoni pointed toward, which suggested that it was a safe haven for them.

“Let's go in that direction then. How far is it from here?”

“I have no idea…”

“We can arrive there before sunset, though.”

“Yes, master.”

“Can you walk?”

“Sure, I can.”

With a smile, Yoni moved her legs with little difficulty.

Obviously, she had no difficulty with walking itself.

“Do you want me to carry you on my back?”

“No thanks, master.”

“Use this one, then.”

Kanghyok handed her a sword he put down on the ground.

Though it was short, she could use it as a cane. In particular, she could use both for her balance.

“You mean this one?”

“Yes, use that as a cane.”

“Oh, I see.”

She really used it as a cane for convenient walking now.

After they walked for some distance, they were out of the woods now.

And they saw rice paddies and fields before their eyes.

Though they didn't see anyone, they saw no burning smoke or bodies.

“You mean that village?”

“Yes, I remember it was a large village.”

“Wow, you're right. It's quite large.”

At a glance, there were about 500 houses in that village.

Though many j.a.panese invaders stormed this time, they could not invade such a large village.

“Looks like we are good to go there. But we still better remain careful.”

Yoni stuck out her head to look around and whispered, “Shall we move after sunset?”

“That sounds good.”

“Yeah, we might be noticed easily when we move about now.”

Even if he got caught, he could run anyway, but Yoni could not.

As he confirmed there was a village nearby, he thought he would be better off taking some rest there.

“I wish we carried some food,” said Kanghyok.

“I guess I have some.” She put down the bundle on her back.

Each soldier was given something like C ration before they left last night, and Yoni received one.

But the food inside was just of poor quality.

It was made with an unknown flour, with a strange color to boot.

“What's this?”

“It's powder made from pine needles.”

“Pine powder? Can we eat this?”

“Yes, it looks like it's mixed with rice powder.”

“Aha…”

How could a human being like him, not a pine caterpillar, eat pine powder?

Kanghyok was speechless for a moment.

‘Wow, she looks like she's enjoying it very much.'

Yoni was revelling in it with delight.

Grrrrowl.

Kanghyok was getting hungrier and hungrier now.

Yoni, who was relis.h.i.+ng it deliciously, directed a silly smile at him after stopping for a moment.

Then she handed some of the powder to him with her dirty hand.

“Try this, master.”

“Oh… okay.”

He had no other choice but to take it.

He couldn't ask her to go out for hunting, nor could he himself go out as he had never hunted game.

“Whew!”

With a little sigh he put the powder into his mouth quickly.

“Ugh!”

The moment he had the powder, he gave a short scream because it got stuck to the roof of the mouth.

“Cough, cough!”

“Are you okay, master?”

She quickly patted him on the back.

“Give me some water, Yoni.”

“I've got only this one.”

It was the saline solution she gave to him.

Little did he expect he would drink it too when he gave it to her a moment ago.

‘Dang it!'

Grumbling a bit, he received the sap from her.

“Uhh…..”

As expected, it tasted terrible.

Without the powder in his mouth, he would have spit it out.

“Master, you have to eat it if you want to survive.”

“I know…”

“If you chew it, it will taste sweet.”

“Let me try…”

Kanghyok reluctantly ate the pine powder.

The sun was already high in the sky.

“Shall we move?”

“Sure. Are you okay?”

“I feel much better than before.”

She looked better with new bandages around her thighs.

“Fortunately, your joints were not injured. Let's go now.”

They cautiously walked out of the wood to head for the village.

There was n.o.body seen around the village.

But there was something strange there.

It was not the typical village in the areas.

“Wait a moment.”

“Why, master?”

Kanghyok hid behind the wall of a house at the entrance of the village.

“Don't you feel something strange around here?”

“What?”

“I just feel…”

“You mean it's too quiet here?”

“No, what I mean is …”

It's possible that quietness prevailed in the village, for everybody could lock the door and stay inside.

The village people here might have heard about the rumor that the j.a.panese raiders ambushed a nearby village last night.

Naturally, they might have been scared and stayed put inside their houses.

“Oh, I see.”

Kanghyok murmured, pounding on the ground with his fist.

Yoni asked with a curious eye, “What's wrong with you?”

“No smoke. I don't see any smoke here.”

“Isn't it because the j.a.panese invaders haven't yet stormed this village?”

“No, I don't think so…”

Kanghyok looked inside the village once more.

It was quiet, with no smoke going up anywhere in the village.

Even though it was time to prepare dinner, n.o.body had made any fire in their furnaces.

“There is no smoke that comes from cooking rice.”

“Ah!”

Yoni uttered something abruptly and quickly shut up.

Fortunately, n.o.body seemed to have overheard it.

“Don't you think we have to get out of here quickly?”

“Too late.”

Kanghyok pointed backwards with his fingers.

Armed j.a.panese raiders were crossing rice paddies in groups.

Though there were not many, it was tough for Kanghyok and Yoni alone to fight against them.

“Let's run quickly.”

“Yes, master.”

Both of them began to cross the village quickly.

There were stains of blood here and there as if the j.a.panese invaders had already attacked the village.

They were stopped by somebody who shouted at them loudly, “Hey, who are you over there?”

When both turned back, Kanghyok and Yoni saw a guy standing with a bamboo spear.

“Oh, I see there were some still alive,” said Kanghyok.

“What brings you here?” said the man.

Scanning Kanghyok's attire, the guy tilted his head to one side and asked, “It looks like you are not dressed like someone in a battlefield, but you are wearing a sword.”

“I was a member of the punitive expedition led by General Rip s.h.i.+n.”

“Ah! The punitive expedition! Come this way. Everyone is gathered there.”

“Are there lots of survivors here?”

“Yea, all thanks to our professor.”

“Professor?”

This time Kanghyok tilted his head to one side.

The only professor he knew in Joseon was Changkwon Chung, the great Confucian scholar.

As he said, there were lots of villagers gathered at the empty lot of the village.

They outpowered the j.a.panese raiders in numbers, though they were poorly armed.

The weapons they held in their hands were all farming tools or bamboo spears.

All of them were restless because of their invasion.

The guy who brought Kanghyok before them opened his mouth, “Please keep quiet. Let's listen to our professor.”

All of a sudden, they became silent.

At the same time, somebody opened the door and came in.

He was pretty much familiar to Kanghyok.

Changkwon was dressed in a neat overcoat, though it was stained with dirt as he didn't wash it for long.

“Did you say the j.a.panese came back?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh my G.o.d… Where is our punitive expedition?”

“What should we do?”

“Well….” said Changkwon with an agonized look.

Including him, n.o.body gathered there were ever involved in an actual fighting with swords, for most of them were village school teachers.

Though they read books on military strategy, reading itself was not of much help as compared to actual experience.

After hesitating for a moment, Changkwon opened his mouth with difficulty, “We have to fight against them in unity like we did before.”

“Got it. By the way, we met a man from the punitive expedition here.”

“Really? Where is he?” Changkwon asked with a bright face, but he soon looked gloomy.

For there were only two people that the guy pointed at.

“How come there are only two from the punitive expedition?”

“As you heard, there was a big fire and fighting in the nearby village, right?”

“Oh, I see… They were all defeated. Let me see the two men first.”

Changkwon, along with those around him, went to the empty lot of the village.

“Oh?” Changkwon seemed surprised to see one of them.

“I knew it was you, professor!” said Kanghyok.

“How come you are here?” asked Changkwon.

“Well, I partic.i.p.ated in the fighting at the request of the mayor, but lost contact with the main force of the punitive expedition led by General s.h.i.+n.”

“Got it. Nice to see you here. We badly need helping hands now.”

Changkwon held and shook his hands.

“Are you really going to fight, sir?”

“Yes, of course.”

In fact, the resistance group here totalled only a few dozens, composed of village school teachers and farmers.

The j.a.panese raiders were professional fighters while the resistance group was amateurish.

“I saw them fighting last night. They're really ferocious fighters,” said Kanghyok.

“We still have to fight. How can we as n.o.blemen run away to maintain our lives?”

Just like an esteemed scholar, Changkwon showed a sense of determination.

“If we are united, they can't beat us. Are you joining us?”

“Oh my G.o.d…”

Kanghyok was looking down at the entrance of the village.

The j.a.panese raiders were rus.h.i.+ng toward them from every direction.

‘Yoni is not well… but there are many fighters on our side…'

He had no other choice but to fight.

“Got it. Let's go, sir.”

“Great. I think your father will be proud of you.”

There were already many villagers gathered at the empty lot.

Each of them was full of strong resolve to fight back the j.a.panese.

Changkwon came forward without any hesitation.

“Now, you should be firmly prepared to resist.”

“Yes, professor.”

Some of the Confucian students defended Changkwon.

Kanghyok naturally was about to move to the rear of the resistance group.

But Yoni balked, “Why don't we come to the forefront?”

“You're injured. What are you talking about?”

“I know, but Yoju's father is at the forefront, master.”

With a deep sigh Kanghyok moved right behind Changkwon.

“If something happens, we are going to run, okay?”

“Yes, sir. Don't worry. I'll defend you, master.”

“Thanks.”

Kanghyok took out a sword.

“They're coming over!”

Somebody in the back shouted, and the j.a.panese began to attack them.