Chapter 4: Chapter 3 Autumn leaves fall
The King waits for Choi Young to answer, who then says in a way that it is a truth he has been hiding, "I have been wishing to leave the palace for a long time."
Eun-soo is still observing from outside, is surprised with what she is hearing. The King looks at Choi Young in disbelief, "Why?" Choi Young answers, "It is a story His Royal Highness, does not need to know."
The King then answers, "If, you do not want to tell a King, then tell this person who considers you his only friend. Even though I request it like this, you still will not do it?"
Choi Young looks at him, the atmosphere is serious, and he reveals;
"Before I became part of the Woodalchi, I used to be in the Red Moon Crescent Army. My reasons start from how I came to be a member of the Red Moon Crescent Army.
It was early spring, and the fragrant flowers were in full bloom on the tree. The flower tree that my father had personally been bestowed by the King.
It was said that it did not bear seeds well as it was from the western world. However, at our family house, the number of seeds increased every year, after it had been planted.
The changes of the canopy can be dramatic in the sudden appearance of the flowers from their buds to cover the canopy as they develop when the seasons change from winter to spring can at be overlooked by the casual observer.
The trees appearance changes with the seasons. In Autumn the leaves drop to leave the branches of the canopy bear, in the winter.
The days that transition between winter and spring, you can see the bear branches start their transformation with the appearance of leaves and the flower buds that start to form amongst them which indicate the warmer days ahead.
They look like little green balls hidden in the leaves of the plant, to change throughout the days where they get bigger to enable the colour to peek through the green that envelops them that gives a sneak peek at the colour they will take once the flower opens, to one morning seeming to bloom all at once covering branches that surrounds the whole house and filling the air with their scent.
It was in front of the flower tree under its blooms that my Master Wen Qi hu had been standing, waiting for me after attending my father's funeral. He had come to pay his respects, the day before and had he had stayed overnight.
It had been after forty-nine days passed since my father Choi Won-jik, had died after I had been attending to him on his deathbed, where I had stayed up all night and had been present when my father had left this world.
It was after I had observed the forty-nine rites, still struggling with the reality that he had turned around and there was a teacher in the garden.
I almost lost my composure in front of my teacher and could feel the telltale tears fill my eyes. My teacher distracts me with meaningless talk, to break the awkward silence with, "Is this Tree from the Western world? It's fragrance smells really good."
The words of my teacher made me smile for the first time in a long time, after guarding and accompanying my father's sarcophagus containing his ashes.
To my days being filled with the monotony from morning to evening to greet the people who came to pay their respects, to serve food and to prepare sleeping areas for those that would stay overnight.
My teacher had noticed how thin I had, which was not unusual for those who are dealing with the grief of a loved one results in not being able to eat during that time. My teacher then indicated for me to sit at a table he had set up to accompany me to eat.
It was only with his intervention that I who was 16 years old at that time was able to eat while my master talked, with untouched bowl of rice in front of him;
"It is said that the West Incident flower is also called Hwa (花). It is said that the scent is so strong that once they start blooming, others around them will, follow their example."
At these words I almost choked on the food I had been in the process of eating, as what had been said triggered a memory of my father's voice saying, "It's because it steals all the scent."
I inhaled the intoxicating scent for a moment and was brought to the who he was talking to, as this scene overlaps with another where my father asked, "Do you want to be like Seo Hyang-hwa?"
The similarities of these scenes are that they are both questions that were raised in the garden at springtime in the morning when the cold wind was still harsh.
Both my father's words and my masters' words make an impact form me and as such on that day I remember everything the teacher said.
What he had to say at that time when most of the words that had been uttered to him were unintelligible, and inconsequential, due to me dealing with the reality of my father's illness and eventual death.
It was my teachers' words which he clearly remembered, as it made the most impact. The words were ones that would determine my path in life.
It would not be until later as I lived that I had begun to understand the meaning of those words one by one when my master had also said;
"I heard that you have learned all three history books, so the civil service exam is the answer. You will be able to do so. You have already realized the nine precepts.
It should not be difficult; your family background is so gorgeous (Author: I think this means influentual) that success in life is also guaranteed.
Being on top of everyone's list will not be a dream, but it will enable your heart to decide, if you do that, you will be able to overcome that problem.
It will enable you to be so prominent in the world which it will enable to spread your unique scent widely. If put your mind to it, you can do it.".
I know realise that I did not fully understand what he had meant, at that time. I remember that I had been so scared that I fell to my knees, where he remembers how cold the ground felt under my knees, imploring my teacher, "Master. I hate it all. Please take me with you."
The Master answers, "There is no scent on the path I take. If you follow me, who will you now be?" I answers, "I will be able to live so that Gu too cannot smell my scent in the shadows."
The master warns, "If they can smell it, you'll get caught, and if you get caught, you'll die." I answered, "I know." The master says, "It will endlessly harm people's lives…."
Choi Young responds, "I know." The master continues, "They too will have parents and sons, that you will exchange your life for them to enable them to live." I responds solemnly, "I will."
The master challenged me by asking, "Why? Why would you do that?" I answered, "Father said, do not even think about three years. During those times, please move at least one stone for the country. Please let me do something."
The teacher's face looks empty as seems to be trying to figure out the true reasons behind what I told him. My teacher then challenged the reasons I mentioned and asks, "For the country?"
I not fully understanding at the time my masters' concerns and still struggling with the grief of losing my father wanted to focus on doing something that will not only occupy myself, but at the same time to fulfil my father's wishes, implored;
"Please Master, let me do something for my country and for my people to live safely. Please let me do something worth risking my life for even if I only live for one day, I want to ensure our safely. Please allow me to do it."
I remember at that time, it was the only bright dream, to become a protective warrior and to be able to protect country and people that you can be proud of yourself like that.
I remember how the wind blew, and all the flower petals were blown by the wind as my teacher after thinking about what he has heard answers, "There is a separate unit called The Red Moon Crescent Army who has never been appointed by anyone.
We gathered for the sake of the country, but the place belonging to the country was separate. From now on you will not call me teacher, call me captain."That is how I became a member of The Red Moon Crescent Army.
We had no fixed place to live; My teacher, became my captain, my mentor and my 2nd father, the other members became my peers and my family.
I would perform missions such as assassinating or burning enemy ships, invading the enemy camps and according to secret orders given.
Seo Jeon-hae mainly infiltrates the rear of the battlefield and kills the enemy. Officially there was no such thing as supplies provided by the military, however in secret people were helping, of which I had found out my father Choi Won jik had been among them.
People like my father who had wealth and influence where able to use their personal wealth to buy weapons, provide food, and the slash-and-burn farmers in the mountains provided all of us with lodging.
I slowly learned that most people lived a life of rolling around in the dirt, while I had been blessed in both background and when I first joined, the Red Moon Crescent Army which had over 70 members, it had been so big, they had been divided into three or four subunits, where it was able to be deployed separately or together.
Among them, I was already active as an internal defence expert in central and other areas as well as being one of the people that were recognized for my qualities, to attract new members.
I was entrusted in a more leadership position as I was more willing to help those new members who had even the slightest of talent to share what I had learned or was learning with them and was willing to teach them, to anyone who was willing to learn no matter what their background.
I was made aware later that it was the way in which I conducted myself that inspired a trust and sincerity in those that joined that felt it was an honour to not only entrust, but to give their lives for each other.
It made them such close comrades in arms which was thanks to the abilities of Wen Qi hu, but the times were against them.
The war in Goryeo had already lasted for over a hundred years and it ended in the North. They had fought until the end, but the enemy was strong and Goryeo suffered from the long war and was on the verge of death when the great empire came to an end without being invaded by anyone.
It had been during the reign of King Chungryeol, when the King bowed his head to the Yuan Dynasty and became its son-in-law, where the King of Goryeo welcomed the woman of Yuan to replace the then Queen Rain in marriage.
The deposed Queen then had to symbolically take off her Goryeo clothes and put on Yuan's robes, and her hair was also worn in the Yuan fashion of a circle pigtail in front of the High-ranking Officials to show her acceptance of the new regime.
The King also had to change his Royal Goryeo robes to that of Yuan robes to symbolise the change in power and that Goryeo was now the son-in-law of Yuan.
The King then went out into the streets like that, to show the fall of the Kingdom, where the people fell to the ground weeping and sighing, as they mourned.
Afterwards, I thought peace would come to this land for a while, but after that the country that seemed to be at the mercy of mercenaries who at any time according to the demands of the ruling party, would determine the items that would be listed as tribute.
An example of this was when Yuan decided to conquer the Japanese enemy, tens of thousands of soldiers where they had to provide ships and provisions, and when the Yuan demanded tribute, they did not give up, it even went as far as the women had to be given away.
The Emperor of Yuan is always considered as the one who decides who will be King of Goyreo. The result of the peace gained by surrendering was the King who had been interested in politics, had in the end lost his mind and became more preoccupied with hunting and playing.
The reality is that he probably wanted to avoid the fallout, which had enabled those who were below him which either were traitors or had the potential to be traitors began to run wild. Japanese enemies would come across by boat at any time to loot the people and the country.
The King had died due to the government's tyranny and the Kings changed according to the whims of those with the ability to promote different ones for different benefits those with influence could obtain if they supported individuals to become King, this was how the past hundred years had passed, with the whole country and its people surviving under the enemy's sword.
By the time Choi Young joined, the main enemy of the Jeokwoldae was the Japanese. It was because Japanese enemies could invade any coastal village that was seen as easy pickings.
It would start as the appearance of a small boat that would land and come ashore to infiltrate a small village.
It was in these small villages that they would start to plunder on a small scale and grew with their confidence of not being met with a military defence that each subsequent invasion get bigger and bigger.
To finally be what became dozens of large ships under the command of a lord-level ship sailed forward leading the way to gather together and came in droves.
The powerful people of Goryeo and the Goryeo army was so interested in satisfying their own selfish desires that it gathered neither soldiers nor weapons.
Although I was still young, I was participating in fighting silently on the front lines with The Red Moon Crescent who had begun by helping the soldiers.
It was Wen Qi hu who gathered the Red Moon Crescent, who he had not bothered to persuade the martial artists with words each of them lived freely enough to decide to join and fight for common cause they believed in.
I remember when I was taken to a fishing village where the Japanese had looted them and had seen scenes that haunt him to this day a mother sitting in the remains of a burned house.
A family whose remains were lying massacred on the ground and the lost child sitting crying amongst the dead bodies.
The well where a young girls body only a few years old, had been thrown and a broken window which had been tied together with twine.
The sight of a young girl who appeared to be only a few years old who had been cursed lost her soul and fell into the well.
The soldiers that had responded to come and confront the enemy to protect the people, of which half were made up of farmers who were holding tools used in farming, to use as weapons.
In the beginning of the Red Moon Crescent Wen Qi hu accepted only those who had mastered internal skills.
The goal was to use people who learned inner skills such as gather your strength by freely moving your true energy inside the body and were basically good at light skills, who knew how to vent, to enable them run fast or fly high, all these things I had been able to develop to and advanced level.
The goal became to sneak attack, not a face-to-face attack which could be a weakness. I had cultivated the ability to amplify my body's senses several times more sharply, to enable me to see in the dark and to listen and hear through my senses.
The number of martial artists that learned, cultivated and were able to control their internal skills to that level were not many and were no match for ordinary soldiers or gangsters, who were confronted by those who had the ability to read and predict their opponent's movements.
I was able to develop the speed and strength that Jingi is based on, like the former members of the Red Moon Crescent who were skilled at that level. Like those members, I very rarely found it necessary to leap beyond that level.
Amongst their members there were people like Wen Qi hu who can transform the true energy within his body into the power of lightning.
The foundation of the ability to manifest the thunderbolt which is innate from birth and is not something that was learned.
It had to be established, and the qualities and perseverance to realize that foundation, in conjunction with the right teacher to lead it where you follow the order which will enable the individual to practice their manifestation of inner skill and it would become how the individual dedicated their life once realizing that one level.
It was not something that I ever thought I would ever achieve. It was not until I had turned eighteen that I was able to break through the first stage of Noegong which was during the age of Yuan Dynasty which had a party atmosphere."
The King who cares for Choi Young is aware that he has aways seen blood. It is apparent in those barbaric times; Choi Young was not only able to survive but was not oppressed by the price of blood and had maintained brightness.
The King intervenes to say, "I also heard the story of the Red Moon Crescent, from my nanny when I was young, before, and even after I went to the hospital, I heard rumours about it."
The King sits there looking at the man from Jeokwoldae whom he had heard of through rumours. The rumours were of such that the Woodalchi commander was responsible for leading men in the Jeokwoldae, to take the enemy by surprise to attack.
The King then says, "I thought it was just a conversation around the fire. According to the rumour, the people of the Red Moon Crescent Army barely looked like people... so they touched the land.
Like using the Chukji technique or dividing one person into seven. Using self-immolation techniques..."
The King laughs as he says the next words, "There is a rumour that he is a human during the day but turns into a yaksha at night."
Choi Young answers, "Some people spread such stories on purpose. Which is why we should never run into each other at night..."
Choi Young also laughs quietly. "I had to do that…. No matter how much they have learned and accumulated internal skills, they still have blood and flesh."
The number of people we had were limited and at the same time the number of people we had lost were countless. The enemies were limitless and constantly being replenished, and where they could land to invade was vast.
It did not matter where the next invasion was going to be. The reality of the Red Moon Crescent Army had such a small number and being able to deal with every attack of the enemy on a large scale was never going to happen.
So, Wen Qi hu took advantage of the enemy's fear and outnumbered them, to try and make up for it. The ability of carrying out this strategy became word of mouth as well as their identifying symbol of a Red Moon Crescent embroidered with a red crescent moon on a black background.
Wen Qi hu had created the emblem for the squadron which was worn as a bandana around their forehead and on a flag that they carried, which would be later left as evidence for their enemies.
He had also appointed particularly outstanding members of the Gyeonggong, which was responsible for attacking under the cover of darkness, the Red Moon Crescent flag would be planted in the middle of the enemy's camp, as evidence to the enemy commander of their infiltration and that his logistics unit had been emptied during the night.
The enemy commander would see the flag fluttering in the air with its Red Moon Crescent prominent on the top of his tent leaving the barracks in the morning.
My role was to sit undetected and alone in the abandoned military food storage tent to observe the aftereffects of the Red Moon Crescent attack.
It would be there that I would hear the rumours that were spread amongst the enemies which would take the theme of a ghost deliberately playing with the enemies on a small-scale. What the enemy fears most is ships that returned to their home country.
It had been a deliberate tactic of mine to leave a couple of the enemies alive so when they would return to their superiors and tell them how they thought they had been attacked and their comrades killed.
The Red Moon Crescent had been responsible for the burning of ships and cut off the main access road, to stop them from being able to escape. It enabled them to plunder the supplies of a particularly strong garrison that had been stationed there.
One of them was attacked by a Red Moon Crescent member wearing a yaksha mask all night long. After being toyed with, they were stripped naked and hung in rows from the mast.
Every month like that this was how the main unit was greeted in the morning when it returned. Among those who did survive, and their testimony is significant to those who held a high station, who would visit them in the medical tent.
The report would be along the lines of, "I clearly saw a person turning into a yaksha before my eyes. They had wings on their backs, so they can move freely between masts and flew around.
One of them raised his hand and pointed to the sky, to summon a thunderbolt which came from the night sky and struck the floor of the upper deck just like that….Look, you can see the burn marks from the lightning strike over there…."
The tactic worked to some extent as it did not take long for the enemy, the name of the Jeokwoldae and the red crescent moon symbol are a source of fear, was a dual edge sword as it slowly became a target.
The flags from the Jeokwoldae would show up on it the morning as evidence at the enemy camps that they infiltrated to plunder and carried out sneak attacks.
For those who were observing from the outside, word spread amongst the enemies, within their own soldiers and it spread even quicker amongst the people who benefited from their actions.
Testimonies from villagers who received help from the Red Moon Crescent persisted and made such an impact amongst those that made a living in the fishing communities from the women who dug up the clams, to the men who venture out on a small boat.
The Red Crescent Army being relatively new came up against a wall of villages who had started to wear the black and red colours of the Red Moon Crescent Army.
The image of the villages dressed as Woldae who had come to evacuate them made me confused, but I all of them that mainly made up of women who directly carried the children out of the village to a nearby cave on the beach where we all hid until daylight.
A message was received in the afternoon, informed us it was okay to go back, what I and the Villagers were confronted with, truly shocked us.
It appeared that the Japanese enemies had invaded that morning which left a big fire a light on the beach away from the neighbourhood, with what seemed to be enemy corpses burning on the pile.
In the square in the middle of the village, there are piles of weapons and piles food and food that looks like it was taken from the enemies.
It was apparent the village had been attacked by the Japanese enemies during the night and they had resisted.
The Red Moon Crescent members have already found their brother shadow members and most of the men of the village had died and the women who had been dragged away from one after another.
The scene had made me vow that I would either kill the enemies right away or take them to the island country, to imprison and question them.
It was said that the group had been attacked with arrows that had avoided the tied women and targeted the Japanese soldiers precisely.
It was the Red Moon Crescent that had been rumoured, that had made their appearance from among the trees in the forest to emerge everywhere, to then free the bound women, apologising for coming late.
Word of this had spread among the people like a rumour, which ignited a spark of hope. That hope is a dream for some people was like a thorn being burrowed into my skin.
We, who are used to protect someone, are setting our own traps." The King asks, "You said the Red Moon Cross received orders from the military, right?"
Choi Young answers, "That is right. I gave them information about where the Japanese enemy was landing and was given directly or sometimes a separate order was given. Instructions like where the ship was to be found to be destroyed, or assassinate an enemy commander..."
The King then asks, "But are you saying there were no supplies provided by the government? Do, Nokbongdo..." Choi Young answers firmly, "There was none."
The King is curious and asks, "Where are they all now? It is late, but I cannot help but want to reward them." At this statement, Choi Young is clearly uncomfortable and is unable to answer the King's question.
Choi Young feels the pain that comes from deep in his heart sweeps over him like a wave, can barely open his mouth, his face does not give any indication that he has noticed.
The King's question asked in a calm voice break through his consciousness to infiltrate his body and mind as he answers the Kings' question with great difficulty;
"They.... Our numbers have been decreasing one by one. Even among the enemy, became aware of the fragile terror campaign of the Red Moon Crescent Army had been built on, there were generals who used their own numbers to implement their own siege operations.
The flaw in this tactic was that the enemy instead of falling prey to punishing or hit-and-run tactics, pursue persistently and were chased after, by a group had that had been organised with the sole intention of annihilating the Red Moon Crescent Army and the leaders within its ranks became targets which is a list that I was one.
One member of the team would try to buy time for his fleeing colleagues, by confronting those that were after them, sacrificing their lives in the process.
A rumour had begun to be spread amongst those from a few different social circles of which had not been that many. It was said there was a problem with the information that was sent to us.
Above all, the information coming from the upper reaches of the Goryeo military was problematic. Gradually, there was an increase in the amount of incorrect information, which seemed to have the intention to draw us into a trap.
The gossip of the incorrect information had even made the circle of the people that the Red Moon Crescent were aiming to protect and gave the perception that the enemies had become more cunning, when the bigger enemy was the one within.
Word of the success of the Red Moon Crescent members had not only gained fame amongst the people, but also jealousy from those who were in the high-ranking circles.
Among the common people, it became that the perception that the Red Moon Crescent was more effective than the King and his army.
The word amongst the people was said that Japanese pirates would not be able to set foot on this land, whilst the original people...never had to take responsibility and have no need to do so.
One day, another secret message was delivered, that reported that an important tactician among the enemy known as Monal Moshi who will pass a certain point, with less than twenty people who will escort him.
The message was that it was not going to work so I had been asked to deal with it. Captain Wen Qi hu divided the remaining Red Moon Crescent Army into two groups to attack just in case, that was the plan.
But urgent messages kept arriving one after another. One reported that he was shipping rice, another reported that the Dungeon ship had been robbed and the rice was collected from the people as part of a tax that was raised, that if it was plundered, it would need to be replaced, immediately.
The result was that Captain Wen Qi hu had no choice but to take half of his men there and left the with Won Myeong to attack the tactician.
Won Myeong, who was once a monk who always liked to tell silly jokes and especially liked me, as back in those days I also loved pranks and was able to avoid small troubles and the eyes of my teacher and leader, Wen Qi hu.
Won Myeong would take my side, when there was trouble between teacher and student and will always sit beside the other at breakfast.
It became known that my martial arts and inner force skills not only improved in, but it was how little it would take for it to surpass in comparison to the others.
It had been that night, Won Myeong said he would take charge of the twenty escorts, that I and Mae hee were asked to take charge of the secret service inside the cart.
It had become normal for that time we were always paired for missions. I used a sword and tended to take the lead to charge in, while Mae hee used a whip to follow behind me to protect from attack by enemies that she chased away.
The two of us fought in a way that shows that we are familiar with each other, showing a level of effectiveness acquired through the length of time we spent together, that shows we understand and trust each other.
The location was clearly written in the message was given a code name for protection and is a single ridge that is like a mountain road that is used to cross the mountain range.
The message had proved correct when they both saw approximately twenty Japanese soldiers escorting a cart.
I initiated the attack by running towards the cart, the other members attacked the Japanese soldiers, while Mae hee threatened them away by using her whip like a snake, to subdue them, when they rose against her, while the dagger in her left had taken the soldier's life in a single swipe.
The strategy of killing the enemy as quickly and painlessly as possible had taught to us by our teacher Wen Qi hu which had been ingrained in my consciousness.
It was probably in the early stages of Noegong, that the true nature of mission revealed itself. The cart that move was unstable which became even more apparent when my sword struck the cart it made a sound that was louder than it normally would, and resulted in the cart breaking and bringing it to a stop, revealing that the cart was empty and the revealed the whole scenario as a trap.
The point of when the cart was broken was like a signal for the beginning of an ambush as enemies came into view surrounding them as they are shooting arrows at them. The road at the front of the cart and the back of road had been barricaded to stop them from escaping.
The other members of the Red Moon Crescent who were suddenly dodging an iron trap that had been triggered as it had been hidden in the ground to stop their ankles being pierced by it.
The number of enemies was so innumerable that it was impossible to count them at a glance and made me collapse.
If Yuan Ming had not turned the land upside down, they would have been killed right there. It was the ability of Won Myeong who transforms the true energy within the body into formidable power, that I thought was going to explode from him.
I recognised that it went beyond the stage of what I had achieved in the Red Moon Crescent. My personal connection with Won Myeong made me understand that he being a monk who was one of several public officials.
I undestood was reluctance to hit anyone with the power he could wield, to deliberately direct his energy into the ground for it to pour into the earth, which caused the ground to shake.
Thanks to this the result was a small earthquake which was a useful method in dealing with the numerous enemies where, one part of the slope collapsed, and the siege was breached.
The rest of the crew rushed to the opposite side of the collapsed slope all at once. During all this commotion I had broken my ankle and was struggling to run while carrying a comrade whose leg was broken by the trap.
We were surrounded again and desperately tried to escape but was unable to do so. The sudden bursts of the thunderbolts that were summoned as a last resort made the true spirit disappear in an instant as exhaustion drained any possibility of being able to use our inner energy.
Surrounded by swords and spears all being pointed at me from all directions, I thought it was the end. It was in this moment of defeat that the sudden appearance of a 100 people that surrounded him in a protective circle that enable a couple of people to fly to his side, to snatch him and his wounded comrade to take them away.
It was in this moment as he flew, he made eye contact with Won Myeong who was left behind and saw him raise his arms to channel what energy he had to pour into another attack as it seemed all the spear heads and points of the sword blades that simultaneously embedded into his body.
Won Myeong had chosen on that day including six other members to lose their lives. Incidents like this continued to be repeated until the number of the Red Moon Crescent Army had been reduced by almost half, which was then divided into two or three groups.
Apart from being brought together to Wen Qi hu to fight a common cause they had no other ties that they shared. Regardless of the operation, he was always at the forefront and the last battle took place was Yeseonggang River.
A Goryeo military scout ship patrolling the Yellow Sea sent an urgent report for them to Come as a fleet of about 50 Japanese pirates formed a group and sailed across the sea, to capture a rice shipment sent by sea.
It was said that they were mostly located in ports and it was not looting, that they were targeting Cho Chang, who did it. Goryeo and Japan were not officially at war.
The issue about the Japanese enemy's looting was reported several times, in accordance with diplomacy, but it was explained as a problem with a ragtag bunch of pirates rather than the actions of the enemy fleet.
It is this that is identified in song sung, that the fall, of Goryeo begun as, Semis collected from all over the country were piled up and with the support of Toho behind them, large and small ships undergo regular training, and their movements were restricted with moderation based on the command they received.
Most of the battle ships were properly equipped for the purpose of defence and attack and they were able to gradually move north, and the Yesong River was likely their destination of the Japanese enemy rampaging in the south, making getting up to the river was a serious problem.
Above all, the security of the royal palace was being put into question looters so close to Gaegyeong, made questions about the country's health and security being not in vain.
A plan was made to annihilate the fleet all at once and the Goryeo army was attacked by Japanese enemies.
From the beginning, the Red Moon Crescent had no intention of participating in the all-out attack and fighting head to head was not a Red Moon Crescent tactic, however this changed when Shang gun, who led the Goryeo army, unilaterally attacked Wen Chi hu of the Red Moon Crescent Army one axis of the front line which he was assigned to.
As long as Goryeo has a battle line, their fleet will be no problem. In fact, Goryeo's battle line was unrivaled through hundreds of years of war.
It has been developed as an adversary, and its naval power is at a standstill even in the empire. It was coming in. The problem is that the central officials control their own power.
It takes time to gather the battle lines scattered in all directions due to the fight. It was necessary, for the military to let the battleships gather to be lined up, tied up and polished.
It was then decided that the Red Moon Crescent Army would take charge of just one part of them. I had found out later that it was under the command of forty-three members of the Red Crescent, who were integral to the defeat of the enemy's central fleet.
I had heard how the enemy had sailed up the Yellow Sea entering the Yesong River and how their progress was stopped by a sand bar that was built across the Dawa River to meet triangular island in the centre of it to enable people to walk to it during the day.
The goal was the to take advantage of the narrowed access which became the only way boats could pass due to the sand bar being built upon to the one side of the island, as the way to stop the enemy fleet from making their way any further.
The strategy they had devised was that, rather than wait, they chose a pre-emptive surprise attack. It would involve Wen Qi hu blocking the road to minimise any avenue of escape and confront any of the enemy to attack the enemy.
The other Red Moon Crescent members would infiltrate the ship simultaneously and attack them with no chance of victory on a standing ship, which was now sinking into the water, the enemy had no chance.
I had heard of the endless reinforcements of the enemy had crawled onto the ship as their superior stood on and elevated area in the centre of the siege to signal arrows to be fired in a way that they rained down on the Red Moon Crescent members that now were grouped in a protective circle around Wen Qi hu with a defensive wall made with the corpses of their enemies and resulted in them being hit one by one to fall during the attack.
The Goryeo Navy's attack began much later than promised. Boats packed with sieves lined up and flocked in with their spear blades protruding to be distributed around the sturdy Goryeo Nujeon ships, in such a way that appeared to be ready for any type of attack.
Light ships full of soldiers came rushing down from them to surround the large fleet of Japanese pirates that were concentrated in front of the Goryeo army from the outside. I
t was only then that only Wen Qi hu that he set fire to the ship they were occupying, which results in it spreading rapidly from the centre to the other ships, making the enemy collapse.
It was a great victory; however, the result was that only twenty-nine members of the Red Crescent survived that battle, the captain Wen Chi-hu was deeply affected as in the process of saving one of his disciples, Mee hee who he treated like a daughter he had lost his left arm, which would change his life."
The story which is heavy with the dark outcome, leaves the King speechless as the shadows of the King and Choi Young are cast on the wall, by the yellow flame of the candle that flickers with the wind that comes in through the open window, filing the room.
The King then asks, "So the mission was a great victory it must have been recorded by someone." Choi Young does not go into detail and answers simply, "It was recorded, as a military victory with no mention of the members of the Red Moon Crescent contribution or sacrifice."
Choi Young feels that he has never got over the resentment of the treatment they received as members of the Red Moon Cresent, with the underlying expectation of the ones in power, without the acknowledgement or support from them.
The King has listening, and guessing that Choi Young has not said it all, he hesitates before asking, "Are you saying that there was no reward for the protagonists of Mahayana? What is this? You mean no one noticed him?"
Choi Young looks at the King in silence knowing that he did not need to start his answer about leaving the palace to be taking over by the beginning of the story that has put him on this path which he has followed over the last seven years.
It was a story that Choi Young tries not to think about, even in his dreams, he has sealed the story in his heart, so he could continue living.
Choi Young then continues the story with, "It felt like a dream when I and the other Red Moon Crescent Army received edicts that the Leaders were personally summoned to present themselves to His Majesty the Lord who would personally acknowledge the merits of their contribution to the war."
Choi Young struggles to smile while saying that but ends up failing as it disappears before it forms. The memory of that fateful day is one that has scarred him for life, he continues the story staring at the middle of the table, not daring to look at the King. "It was like that back then. Your Majesty the Lord, you are like the sky. Our King whom we have and would risk our lives to protect. Our neck is yours to do with what you will..."
The pictures of that day are vivid as it replays in his head as he continues with his reason for wanting to leave the palace;
"It was late fall, the road to the palace along the foot of Mt. Ogong was brilliant, while the mountain was covered with trees that are vividly coloured with the various colours of autumn leaves.
Some of these same leaves of various colours have already fallen to the ground covering it which is where the sound of crunching and rustling comes when they crumble as we walk on them.
At that time, I was twenty-two years old and that day to me was strangely appeared to be shiny to me, who was so used to my days that had been filled with blood and death.
The only person who gave me the feeling trust and affection, in my life had been my father, which after his death there had been a void which had not been filled.
It was not until I joined the Red Moon Crescent Army who he now considered family, which was headed by the best teacher and leader in the world Wen Qi hu.
It was under his guidance that I had learned to hold a wooden sword, as a child, to as a teenager how to pair my drinking with eating radish.
I willingly followed my teachers lead on the battlefield and in combat, to where I learned through experience, observation and through guidance.
I understood how my teacher thinks and I can use a map, to not only assist with developing strategies but to carry them out.
I looked up to my teacher, who was my role model, that I can see how he treats all the members of the Red Crescent that I understood the depth of the dedication he had to the group and a full understanding of each members natural abilities.
It was through this living example that I had also learned the depth of that dedication, to feel good and confident about myself and my natural abilities, which enabled me to develop what I had learned, past what was normal or expected.
Along the way there was Mae hee, who was always by my side, who accepted me and was there for me to lean on and smile in support when I turn around.
We would morn their dead colleagues together, where we would go to pray to God after placing stones on the ground, while they shed tears after all we are the same age Mae hee and myself.
The relationship evolved from that of friends, to where I started to consider her a sibling as a lot of our training and lessons were done together, to that of comrades when we became more active members of the Red Moon Crescent and finally to lovers as we became to depend on each other during life and death situations.
We were met and greeted by Geumgun after we all entered the iron west gate of the palace, at Yeongchumun. I was excited to think that the King was about to acknowledge our existence.
The excitement grew as we waited, I was thinking of all the possibilities of how this recognition was going to change the Red Moon Crescent Army.
I wondered if I would be given a high rank. It was hard to believe that those who were responsible for passing the information and to give order absurd operations, which as captain that I would not be required to bow his head.
It makes me wonder what the King would say to the captain. The leader should not be too humble to say what we need, and I hoped he answers accordingly, if presented with the opportunity.
I remember how he was injured and had to prepare a shelter for his injured comrades, as there was nothing else, and how difficult it was for him to find the supplies."
The King noticed that the captain's complexion was extremely dark as he proceeds with the next part of the story. "I do not know how long we waited, but after making us wait for a long time, until an eunuch came to escort all the members of the Red Moon Crescent except the five managers who had been told to stay, while the others were taken inside to meet the King."
The King then asks, "Why did the captain do that?" Choi Young answers, "I did not know at that time, but it was the Older Dongwoon Sasuk who follows the captain, who gave the instructions as the captain hesitated and was unwilling to do it.
The Eunuch took them to a separate room, before escorting the rest of them to the King, who was in Pyeonjeon which is where the King gathers his ministers to discuss government affairs, where the intention was to welcome them in front of the royal officials.
It was said that Dongwoon Sasuk was a teacher who had once was a known martial artist who taught Geumgun at the palace.
It is when we hear frivolous music and soft laughter that the nervousness the captain feels spreads to me as it replaces the excitement I felt earlier.
It was when the door to the Pyeonjeon was opened and the strong smell of alcohol hit me, which makes the reality of what is at stake inside.
We walked down the long corridor which leads to the central inner hall where the throne was located and is known to be where the King discusses affairs and makes decisions.
Geumgun led the way, while Wen Qi hu who led the group, followed.
We all walked in sync with our leader matching his pace and rythm, I was positioned behind his left shoulder and remained closely behind, Mee Hee walked beside me but was positioned behind the right shoulder of Wen Qi hu.
Behind Mae hee and myself was two lines that were made up of 4 more members who followed their leader, who was in the centre of these two lines.
We notice the room has tables which have been placed in two rows on either side of the central walkway that the Red Moon Crescent members walk along to make our way towards the King who lounges on his throne.
The tables have been set up with food and drink and where there could be clearly seen the Royal high officials who sit, all in various stages of drunkenness and undress as the floor is strewn with their discarded clothes.
We keep their eyes down to focus on the floor as we pass half naked girls laughing, some moving serving, while others are sitting lounging in the laps of the officials that are clearly drunk at the tables of food whilst musicians play music and more half naked girls' dance.
We pass all these drunk officials who were more interested and enthralled with the half-naked women and seemed to be oblivious to our entrance, let alone our presence.
We continued to keep walking to the front of the room where Geumgun moves to the front of the room to approach to whisper to the King. Wen Qi hu kneels on the floor to kowtow to the King on his throne.
We who are behind him follow him, copying his movements to show their respect and their loyalty to the King and they then sit on the backs of their legs to remain on their knees, head bowed to focus on a spot slightly in front of them on the floor waiting for their King's command.
The King stands to stagger walking around the front of the room between them and the throne clearly drunk holding an empty wine cup.
It is apparent that the severity of his drunkenness is that he cannot keep upright without the help of the half-naked women that surround him while as he walks to inspect the Red Moon Crescent leaders as they are kneeling.
I kneeled there frozen, aware that the whole atmosphere feels wrong to me and not know what to expect, I felt like I was nervous with what was going to happen. If I had been younger, I would have already turned around and run away.
I sneak a peek at the expression of the captain who kneels to catch a glimpse of some men that were naked participating in acts with the half-naked women that clearly were not their wives, that should be done in private.
The others were drinking and making jokes clearly dishevelled in appearance, which made it hard for me to believe that the Royal High ranking officials would participate in such lewd and unacceptable behaviour of such respected men, the sight makes me redirect my gaze back to the front on me on the floor.
Just like that the beautiful dream of how I would meet my King, was crushed by the reality of what we were confronted with.
I cannot help but be disappointed that this is what we had fought for. So reminded myself as I stood there, that I was a subject who stands in front of his King and waits in the face of someone committing unspeakable acts.
The King returns to sit on his throne to hold out his cup to one of the half-naked women who fills it. He drinks in all in one go and in a jovial manner commands them "Rise. Rise."
Only after a long time did the King looks at them and asks, "What are those?" at which the King stand up unsteadily to approach the head of the group, dragging his dishevelled robe to cover his own partially nude body.
The sudden movement of the King towards us triggers Wen Qi hu who stood, to get down on one knee, placed one hand on the floor, and lifted his head but deliberately not meeting the Kings' eyes, while we all followed him to kneel, keeping their heads bowed.
Wen Qi hu then answered the Kings question quietly, "After the Red Moon Crescent Captain's responded to His Highness the Lord's call to present himself and his crew. I the recipient has arrived." We remained kneeling, with heads still bowed eyes fixed on the floor at a spot a little in front of us.
The King who has returned to his throne to sit through out this answer then gets up again to make his way staggering, being supported by a couple of half-naked women to stop him from falling to make his way to inspect Wen Chi hu. He disengages the women by flailing his arms to free them from their hands, shoving the empty cup into one of the women's hands.
The King chuckles in drunken amusement at the response and proceeds to attempting to look into Wen Qi hu's eyes to try and force him to make eye contact with him but the leaders eyes remain fixed on the floor as the King chanted in a mocking way, "Red Moon...…, Red Moon..., Red Mood..., Red Moon... I see the symbol of the Red Moon Crescent is right there."
The last part is accompanied with the King slapping the captain's forehead several times in a humiliatingly way right where the black bandana with the Red Moon Crescent symbol is embroidered and is worn so that it is in the centre of the forehead of the members.
The action makes me clench my hands in fist to keep myself from reacting in anyway. The King goes on in a dismissive and disrespectful way, "I understand, that it is said that you are so brave. You guys should stand up. Everyone…...Rise."
The captain stands up, and Choi Young and his crew also stands up as commanded. The repetition of kneeling and rising makes King Davon's behaviour come across as unsightly and small.
It was said that the King was twenty-six years old and due to his debauched lifestyle was a sick man that was of bluish complexion that makes him look older than his age.
The King suddenly smiles to approach, to stop and stand very close to Wen Qi hu before grabbing his arm to try and lift it, to end up indicating to the sword that Wen Qi hu, wears on his waist to say, "Is this the Demon sword that I have heard about?"
(Please note: that the translation here the King uses is the ghost sword but later the word Demon is used in the name of the sword. I changed it to keep fludity of the story to relate to how it translated later. I am not sure of the context so put the actual translation in brackets next to the word, in case those who know, how that word may change the context can let me know in the comments).
Wen Qi Hu nods which seems to encourage the King to continue as he suddenly grabs the hilt of the sword to then pull it out saying to he look at it out of curiousity, "I heard that a demon (ghost) gave you this sword."
Wen Qi hu does not respond as the King then starts to swing the sword dangerously and due to his drunken stated carelessly asking while he is doing this, "How many people did you kill with this? Ten? One hundred? Huh?"
His movements are out of control and the swords blade reflects the light as it is swung around, the momentum of the blade, combined with the Kings body that is uncontrollable to his extreme drunkenness, is not being able to bear the weight of the sword.
He attempts to grab it with both hands to control it to be swung fiercely, which makes the sharp part of blade almost make contact with Mae hee in front of him, who dodges it reflexively by turning out of the way to stop it from cutting her.
The action draws the King's attention to notice her and cries in astonishment, "It's a girl. There's a girl." Wen Qi Hu quietly takes a step and blocked the Kings sight of Mee hee.
The King pushes Wen Qi Hu aside to stand directly in front of her to get a better look, as she stood, head bowed and introduces herself, "My name is Sambujang Dan Mae hee."
The King asks in amazement, "Does this girl also have the inner energy?" Mae hee answers, "I mainly use sections and my strength is excellent."
The King is walking back and forth in front of her as he talks to those who are now watching the interaction as points the sword at the seated officials he says, "This is the first time I have seen a girl who has learned inner skills. If you learned inner skills, you too will be like this."
The King then dangerously points the tip of the sword at Mae hee to then slip it under Mae hee's chin so that the flat of the blade is used to force her chin up to look at her face in an accessing way, "But does it become the face?"
The Captain's Demon sword has the strength to split rocks and the sharpness to split hair. It was a famous sword which can be used with maximum effect when combined with great skill.
Unfortunately, in the King's clumsy hands the movements made Mae hee's jaw hurt, blood can be seen as it trickles down her neck drawing red lines as the drops make their way down her fair skin from where the sword has nicked her to trickle down to soak into the collar of her clothes.
I stood fists clenched even tighter then before to persevere, as my opponent was the King. Unexpectedly the King commanded, "Take it off." Moving the sword to poke at where the robes she wears cross closed in the front.
I could not believe my ears that those words were from his King, surely, he did not mean what he said.
The King then points the tip of the sword at Mae hee to lay weight to his command, "Take off all your clothes. I want to see what's inside."
I looked at my captain in earnest to quietly plead with his him to do something. I had believed up until that moment that the captain would do something, but the captain said nothing, and he did not even move.
Realising this Choi Young glances at Mae hee who is looking at him with a desperate look on her face.
The King then says to the captain in menacing way. "This child disobeys my command. Did you teach her that?"
At those words, Mae hee closes her eyes and took off her outer robe that is wrapped to cover her from head to below the calf, to the comply with the King's command and in front of the Royal high officials that all watched with rapt attention forgetting the half-naked women that now stand abandoned, but also watching.
The Woldae members all closed their eyes, but I could not and without realizing it, my right hand went towards the sword at my waist, but Unsa-sook who had be standing behind me, grabbed my arm to stop me from drawing it. I
look at him angrily as he remains stubbornly holding my arm strongly to stop me from drawing my sword, while Mae hee had disrobed to stop at the last covering that is like a crop top that shields her breasts from the Kings view.
She still wears the long pants we all wear to enable us to move while fighting, but the King's eyes has taken an almost glaze lustful look as they look at her chest with rapt attention.
Then the king chuckles as he says, "It is boring. How can a kid who does martial arts have such slow hands? Does she really need me to take care of it myself?"
While saying the last question he raises the sword that still points at her to slip it under the strap that sits on her shoulder to then cut off, causing the cloth that is not being held up to drop, which makes Mae hee lift her hand to stop it from dropping to completely expose her breast.
The King frowns at her action and anger fills his voice as he confronts Mae hee, "Do you dare disobey the command?"
The King seems to wait for a moment before he suddenly swings the sword with all his energy to point it at random officials to demand from the ones that the sword points at, "Did you see that?"
The Sword swings widely to point at another in random, "You saw it too, right? Then the sword is pointed at all of them as he paces up and down before asking in a demanding way, "You all saw it. Did you not?"
The King then lowers the sword as he approaches the Red Moon Crescent members to go on to say in a disbelieving way, "They say the people trust their Red Moon Crescent Army more than me, their King. It is said that it is not the King who protects the people, but you, the Red Moon Crescent Army who protects them."
Finishing what he has said the King approaches the captain Wen Qi hu to point the tip of the sword at him and asks in a challenging way, "So, what do you think? Is it not funny?" Wen Qi hu does not reply, knowing that the King did not want to hear the answer.
The King said then drops the sword to walked back to his throne to command, "Officers, please write clearly. The Jeokwoldae group who demanded to see the King's, not only barged in, which revealed their arrogance but also ridiculed the King's authority. The King has commanded not to hear their name mentioned again and has decided to punish their sin himself."
After uttering the last words, he suddenly starts to run towards Mae hee with the sword raised and pointed at her.
Mae hee closed her eyes, standing still and straight in preparation for the impact that she knows that is coming in her acceptance of the death that has be declared.
The other members of the Red Moon Crescent members all move simultaneously. I go to shield her with my body by taking her into my arms into a hug and then turning her away from the aim of the sword which makes my back a prime target, for its impact while the others then surround me to encase both of us in a tight protective circle.
The King's sword did not reach Mae hee. and it was not until we heard a girl scream taking us all by surprise, we look in the direction of the scream to see the King looking at his empty hands in disbelief.
The King then points at the sword that protrudes out of Wen Qi hu's chest and blood is coming out of his chest in large amounts to quickly cover his chest.
It becomes apparent that Wen Qi hu has quietly moved to take the impact of the sword. The King points as Wen Qi hu says in a mixture of amazement and disbelief "Look at this…. The sword entered the person's body. Did you see how sharp that sword is? Did you see how easy it was for it to go in?"
I felt helpless, I felt that I had no thoughts, when suddenly I was suddenly struck in the solar plexus with an elbow and Mae hee was grabbed from behind by one of the other members to be knocked unconscious with a quick chop to the back of the neck, before being be picked up, by the one who had grabbed her to drape her over his shoulders, while another grabbed her sword, then both to left the room quickly, quietly and completely unnoticed.
They had left me gasping for breath on the floor, and the King's attention like those around him is fixated by Wen Qi hu who then pulls out the sword stuck in his own chest in one go, making the blood from his chest to be sprayed without discrimination all over the King.
The women screamed in unison, and the King fell backwards in surprise, the gold soldiers hurriedly entered to surround us, swords drawn, waiting his next move.
Wen Qi hu, swung his one and only arm and stopped to position the blade of Demon (ghost) sword to balance flat on the palm holding it up towards the King head bowed.
The pounding of my heart was loud which makes me whisper urgently, "Leader." But my captain, my teacher and second father, did not respond to my call, instead directing his next statement to the King who watches in silence, "I came to give them to you, Your Majesty. If you use it them as Wooddalchi, they will be next to you…., enabling them to protect you, Your Majesty..."
The last of what he says is abruptly cut off his as he cries out as his knees buckle and he vomits blood.
I go to hold him up anxiously trying to get his attention "Leader!" Wen Qi hu answers this time, "Young-ah."
It seems that his eyes even cannot see me as they look up into my face as I kneel on the floor to support his upper body, he demands weakly with urgency, "Swear to His Majesty. From now on, I will become Your Majesty's shadow. I will become a guardian of the royal family."
I glared at the King, as he was surrounded by the golden army, where he stands protected watching us with interest.
My attention was caught when suddenly Wen Qi hu seemed to move to lean against my shoulder to speak low into my ear, his demand is made urgently, "This is how our people in the Red Moon Crescent Army will survive. That is how our people will live. It is up to you to protect it,"
I felt like I was going to cry when he demanded, "Answer me." So, all I could do was say, "Yes." Fearing that his teacher might not have heard, he answered again. "Yes." Wen Qi hu seemed to smile, then pushed me away, to stand upright, to stagger and kneel to bow at the Kings feet.
I also followed to kneel, to place my hands on the floor in front of me, palms down then to lower my head to the top of the hands that are on the floor, the sound of the other Woldae members as they also kneel heads on hands on the floor in front of them can be heard and felt through the shaking of the floor.
The King watches in shock, my tears hit the floor, hidden by my bowed head while my teacher died in that position with a pool of blood developing as it spills from his body to fall under him to cover the floor and the sword blade that is lying almost flat apart from the handle which still gripped in his hand, that now is lifeless.
I reach over to free the sword from his stiff lifeless hand, feeling hot and cold as the reality of what has occurred makes its impact. The King whose has been listening to the whole interaction appears to be in shock himself by what he is heard.
The expression of the King that has been listening to this story whose face can be seen from the flame that lights the candle in the middle of the table changes from shock to concern as he asks in a quiet voice that shows disbelief, ""Is that how you became the Woodalchi that protects the King?"
The answer is simple, "That is right." The King then asks, "How long has it been?" The answer is simply stated, "Seven years."
The King looks at Choi Young with a pained face as realisation sets in to say, "Then the person who killed your teacher was King Chunghyeseon? He was my older brother?"
Choi Young answers calmly, "Yes." The King then says, "I see, then you must have hated me from the beginning. I wanted to be with him, his parents and his siblings."
Choi Young shows a faint smile, of amusement that the King is thinking is not that different to a normal person that he harbours resentment which would be the logical reason for him to leave, but that was not the case for him.
Choi Young shakes his head to disagree with what has been said but knows that the King would not understand that the reason was purely because his heart was not in it anymore. The King then asks, "How many people of the Red Moon are left in the palace?"
Choi young answered, "I am the only one that is left. The King at the time had wanted to keep the Red Moon Guard under his watchful eye, as he like others in power coveted their martial arts, but he also feared them.
After the captain died, it was advised that he allow the remaining members of the Jeokwoldae chose, those who wanted to leave palace were allowed to, while those who chose to stay became part of the Woodalchi.
The ones that chose to stay were eventually either allowed to leave or were dismissed, while others died in service to the King.
An order was given that if even one member of the Red Moon Crescent Army rebelled against the King, they were imprisoned and would be beheaded.
Fortunately, Mae hee who had been taken by the others, was able to escape, before she could be imprisoned, as it was decide that would be best.
One by one the leaders of the Jeokwoldae where imprisoned; first he had heard of how Dongwoon and Sasuk had been taken as prisoners during breakfast to then be imprisoned for a fortnight, before being beheaded.
The news of hearing how Dongwoon and Sasuk who were like hawks had died nearly destroyed his heart, instead it turned it to stone.
Choi Young did his best to expel the Red Moon Crescent members from the palace, without drawing too much unwanted attention.
Many crew members were unable to overcome the death of their captain and died through alcoholism, whilst others who were sent to fight fought recklessly and fell victim to the enemy's swords or by the numerous arrows piercing their entire body.
The King who had changed their destiny did not last long dying due to an assassination that been orchestrated to take place when he visited a village at a time that they official collected taxes.
It was the beginning of what Goryeo was to experience with the changing of the Kings in accordance with what Yuan and those in powers wishes.
Leaving me as the only survivor of everything that had happened and participant of that incident alone in the palace to witness the games that those in power would play and is responsible for the protection of all the subsequent Kings that came to sit on the throne.
The King then asks. "What are you going to do when you leave the palace?" Choi Young answers simply, "First of all, I want to go to Heaven's Gate with Uiseon, where we will wait for the Heaven's gate to open. I am thinking about becoming a fisherman."
The King then asks, "Your fishing skills are good, then?" Choi Young smiles at the question as a picture he has painted himself comes to his mind; It is that of a thatched house by the river, green leaves hanging on the earthen wall.
Fishing nets rolling in the front yard, when the wind blows over the river and the sparkles that reflect the sunlight off water that are shaken off the scales of the fish.
The smile disappears as he thinks how he does not deserve it, but he wants to be able to live the life he has painted in his head, he feels like it would be a bonus to live a long time to enable him to experience it. He then answers, "Even if I am not, I have a lot of patience."
The King then asks in a hopeful way, "What if I pay off that debt? What then?" Choi Young hesitates as he struggles to answer with, "I am looking for it."
The answer throws the King who asks in confusion, "What are you looking for?" Choi Young then answers, I am looking for a reason to live. That is what I am looking for."
Realising what he has said Choi Young stands, thinking 'did you really say that?' The King also stands still not fully understanding what has been said, he stands lost in thought.
Choi Young leans on the table to support the weight of his thousand-pound strong body, as he struggles to keep his balance and focus his eyes that are going blurry.
Choi Young feels uneasy as he watches the King move away from the table to say coldly, "But you know, right? You haven't finished the mission I gave you yet. It is not complete."
Choi Young protests weakly, "Majesty······." The King turns his body and walks towards the entrance to command, "So, you cannot leave just yet. Remember that."
Choi Young moves urgently to follow the King raising one of his hands to try to indicate for him to stop. The King in return seeing the action commands firmly, "Do not come out. I do not want the honour to see your face anymore."
The command makes Choi Young stop in his tracks to watch the King leave and the door close at his exit. Choi Young then returns to the table turns his body to face the door to remain on his feet as he props himself to lean on its cool surface, propped on his butt.
The frustration at not being allowed to leave after divulging his soul makes the inner energy pulse throughout his body to vibrate as it takes its form of electricity to flow down his arm, making him aware of what is happening he struggles to control his thoughts.
At the last minute he is able to control it to enable him to catch it in his hand to extinguish it to dissipate it just before it takes action
It was then a gust of wind blew in from outside the window, to bring with it a fragrance which Choi Young recognises.
The scent is like that of western incense, no such a strong scent that he associates with a certain person. The scent triggers the memory of how that person felt as he held her in his arms.
She is a slender and smaller person compared to him. He is able to capture her with just one arm. He closes his eyes as he apologises to her in his head.
He seeks forgiveness for the weakness of wanting to let go of everything including abandoning his covenant.
It is his only regret knowing the person he thinks of is from Heaven and although he cannot in any reality abandon the promise he made her.
He still felt guilty for even contemplating such selfish thoughts and wishes, which is why he silently seeks her forgiveness.
It is this thought that plagues him as suddenly the table he leans on seems to tilt, as it gives way under his weight, resulting in him falling to the ground.
Eun-soo who has been watching the whole interaction with the King, sees the moment he falls, rushes to find the door on the other side to enter the room.
Eun-soo then crouches beside the man who up until he fell, did not look like he was going to fall. She looks at his unconscious body that is positioned arkwardly to lean against the fallen table.
The sight makes her feel like she is going to break down emotionally at the thought of this person not surviving.
Eun-soo is snapped out of her revive when she hears movement behind her, thinking it is the King, she looks behind her to see it is the kid called Taiwan, who is looking as upset as she is.
It enables her to direct him to help her, "We need to lie him flat on the ground. You grab his legs so and I will grab him by the shoulders to move him." Taiwan is quick to comply and then stands to watch as she then proceeds to checks his vitals.
Pulse she estimates is probably over 100, his body feels hot, but his feet feel cold. All these things she calculates in combination with the injury she treated earlier say to her that it is septic shock, which means the blood has an infection that will eventually travel to the brain, which means death.
The realisation that she must work fast to save him has her undoing Choi Young's clothes as she urgently instructs Taiwan, "You need to raise his legs."
Taiwan kneels to put the captain's legs on his knees, when Eun-soo says, "You need to raise them higher than your heart."
The kid named Taiwan who only seemed to whine like he was screaming for help, seemed to comply with her instructions quickly without any word or sound.
She watches as he positions a chair to prop the legs of the unconscious man on. It makes her wonder what type of person this is as she notices his eyes are full of tears as he looks down at the man on the floor.
Eun-soo knows that he is on the verge of dying and feels helpless as she knows that it is his own actions that has resulted in this situation.
She looks down at the man who was desperate enough to kill himself and thinks how she can treat the infection that runs through his body.
Possible treatments run through her head; Dopa…. Antibiotics…. what was that sap that her and Jang Bin were discussing earlier, she remembers it has nothing in it that would be effective in treating infection.
The first things she needs to do is replenish the sugar and sodium in his body to enable any treatment to be effective.
Eun-soo then looks at Taiwan to urgently say, "Please let Jang Bin know that I need sugar or salt water. Hurry!"
She grabs a cushion of the padded bench seat behind her to move it under the unconscious man's head and she then positions herself, so she kneels next to him to hold his hand with both hands to hold it up to her chest against her heart to pray for him to live....please...…., please….
She does not like the appearance of his face that looks blue under the light of the lantern on the wall, this is when the shaking starts.
Eun-soo is not sure at first if it her that is shaking or him. It becomes apparent that it is coming from him as his whole body starts to shake, this is not a good sign.
She quickly turns his head to the side to prevent aspiration of foreign objects and then goes to lift his upper body to prop him up against her body, to allow him to breathe easier.
The things that she would normally use to treat patients like this are dismissed like Anti-convulsant...as they do not exist in this time.
She feels helpless because she cannot think of anything to give him. Finally, Jang Bin rushed in with Taiwan, holding the salt water that she had instructed to be brought.
Jang Bin sees the situation and does not need to be told what to do as he starts to pour the liquid in small amounts in the captain's open mouth little by little.
Fortunately, it did not take long for the captain to respond as it seemed to work, with the shaking to stop. Eun-soo is relieved and finally can think of how his condition can be treated.
It makes her confident to instruct Taiwan, "Please open this person's clothes. I need to see his wounds."
Taiwan quickly unbuttoned his clothes, to expose the white cloth wrapped around the abdomen to show that the pus that has oozed out is now hard and it has taken a dark brown colour, which makes it clear to Eun-soo that the beginning of the formation of the pus had started a long time ago.
Eun-soo swallows at the thought of the pus being present around the wound site means that the peritoneum which is the serous membrane which forms the lining of the abdominal cavity and covers most of the organs in the abdomen which is a conduit for the blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and nerves of the body.
The pus seems to have spread due to the long time of not being treated. It makes her wonder, 'How have you been standing like this?' It amazes her that he had protected her using his body and had not only blocked but fought and chased the opponent with no sign of problems his body was fighting.
Eun-soo then looks a Jang Bin to instruct in an unwavering voice, "I need to open the wound area again. Please assist me in moving this person to a table I can use to operate on."
Taiwan and Jang Bin move the unconscious captain to a table which the Heavenly Doctor can operate on.
Jang Bin lowers the lower half on the table and looks to see if Taiwan has done the same to see him embracing the captain tightly before he slowly lowers the man's upper body on the table but remains holding the captain's hand that did not let go or loosen.
The unconcious Choi Young is thinking how it is strange that he has returned to the frozen lake again. The ice that has formed on the top of the water is denoted by the thickness it has acquired over the countless years of the freezing atmosphere that it has existed in.
Choi Young stands in the middle of the lake on top of the ice that has never melted, thinking that it is strange that the air feels warm here.
The change in the air of this scene that he is as familiar with like the back of his hand, makes him aware that the pain he has been suffering does hurt that much anymore.
The thought is lost as a strong wind picks up to blow the icy snow and its icy breeze to pass him as he stands there to cut off any other personal observations.
Choi Young start to look around to search for his father, that he knows is here. Finally, he can see a dot in the distance, which makes him wonder if it is his father as it is hard to see clearly because the figure is so far away.
Suddenly without warning Choi Young can hear his father's voice close to his ear asking, "Have you found it yet?"
The moment I hear the question the warmth I have experienced disappears in an instant and is replaced with the sound of cracking, which make him look down to see the thick ice cracking beneath his feet. Reflexively, Choi Young starts running to escape the catastrophe that is happening.
A treatment table was set up in the most private room in Jeonui City where the unconscious captain lies, with Taiwan who stands holding the captain's hand.
Jang Bin, gather herbs while Eun-soo gathers her tools, while the medical assistants of the clinic were preparing white cloth, boiling and cooling water, to bring into the room for use and putting up a screen between the table and the door to stop people from just walking in that can bring in bacteria which can cause more infections.
Eun-soo instructs Taiwan to fill the room with candles and lanterns to light the room, when she indicates that she is happy with the lighting in the room, he leaves aware that his presence is no longer needed.
Jang Bin returns with the medicinal herbs that he has collected and helps her prepare for the surgery, with adjusting the things brought in to be placed in a way that would be easily accessed with minimal interruption.
Eun-soo is preparing her surgical instrument by sterilising them prior to wrapping them in a clean white cloth, to keep them from contamination for use later and then putting on a mask, steralising her hands before Jang Bin assists her in putting on gloves and a cleaned apron to protect her clothing
Eun-soo is nervous, knowing it is because of what she had witnessed earlier calms herself by thinking of the number of times she has done this ritual of preparing her person and the surgical tools to perform a surgery.
The ritual allows her to calm down to focus and think, 'you can do it.' The boost of confidence enables her to start to predict the source of the problem and how to treat it; 'It could be an abscess, which is a type of necrosis that can be scraped off, then cleaned, which will result in this person regaining consciousness.
Eun-soo applies the scalpel to unconscious man's abdomen, which makes the pus pop, splattering everywhere to land indiscriminately, all over the screen of which it reaches the top.
It also splatters around Eun-soo's eyes, which Jang Bin using one of the clean white cloths wipes away quickly for her.
Fortunately, the abscess had only progressed to part of the muscle and not to the peritoneum, which considering the amount of pus that had been produced, she found surprising.
It seemed that an unknown force was blocking it from progressing any further, she brushes off the thought attributing it to luck.
Wiping away the pus it seemed that this person's body was as stubborn as its owner and as expected, his body was holding on.
Eun-soo then scrapes off the necrotic parts, while Jang Bin disinfects the area with the Seomseo Haedoktang that Eun-soo had prepared earlier.
Jang Bin know it is something that she concocted after they had put their heads together to figure out what would be effective. Every time a necrotic part was scraped off the area was washed with the disinfectant the Heavenly Doctor had made.
Jang Bin's admiration for Eun-soo was deepened in accordance with his interactions with her in different situations. It is when she is immersed in operating that has left the most impact on him.
It was an honour and a privlege to be able to assist her in silence, to witness the way her hands moved, knowing the location of organs in a person's body without even looking at them, the wielding of the sharp knife, without hesitation, cutting a person open precisely where the damage is and then scraping things out and putting them back in place without a single hesitation and it was an experience that he knows that will never be repeated when she returns to Heaven, so he observes everything to be remembered, recorded and analysed for him to learn from later.
Eun-soo is satisfied that she has cut out the abscess and the infected flesh around it and starts to suture feeling that her heart has become brighter.
She is still amazed that he is a person who survived this long without antibiotics, unlike most people.
It still amazed her that he was a person who did not even lift an eyebrow despite the high fever that would have caused him to collapse at any moment.
She decides suture to allow any pus that may arise again to drain out by finishing with a procedure with widening the lock interval.
The herbal juice that had been prepared earlier is then applied on top as Jang Bin said it will absorb the toxins and then we wrap a white cloth to cover the surgical area.
Eun-soo is relieved that this person will now alive and expects that he should recover in less than a night and anticipates those deep black eyes being revealed when he opens his eyes to look at her.
She can picture his reaction when she nags him about being crazy to let it get to this point and how he will look embarrassed or maybe he will completely ignore her as he is immune to the nagging of women.
She will stop bothering him about going back in exchange and will wait patiently until he has time...… so please…...please …..open your eyes.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
State
State Disclaimer. Please be aware I did use some of the dialogue and scenes to assist me in the writing of this story, to help with the flow and transition of this story, as in the back of my head the scenes from the kDrama where in my head.
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stone