Snowlight Chapter 5

Bang! They stopped in their tracks at the gunshot that echoed through the mountains.

 

“You insolent fools! If you come any closer, I’ll put a bullet right through your heads!”

 

Seeing that they couldn’t easily approach, the soldier snapped at them defiantly. The man who had been watching silently pressed his thumb and index finger to his lips, then whistled loudly.

 

Crackle, crackle. The ground thudded with the sound of footsteps crunching through twigs. Emerging from the thicket was a monster, its entire body a deep crimson. Then the man spoke.

 

“Kill all the men and spare only the women!”

 

The moment the order was given, the monster let out a howl and charged swiftly down the hill. In a single motion, it snatched a soldier with its claws and bit into his neck. The lifeless body lay sprawled on the ground like a rag.

 

“It’s… It’s a Nati!”

 

The palanquin bearer, pale as a sheet, screamed in horror.

 

The Nati was a beast notorious for its savagery, even among demonic creatures. It looked similar to a bear, but was over twice its size, and hideous tusk-like fangs jutted from its mouth, befitting its reputation as an uncanny monster. 

 

Nati stamped its feet heavily and leaped into the crowd. The panicked soldiers fired their guns wildly. The bullets, unable to pierce its thick hide, bounced off and rolled across the ground.

 

As the enraged Nati swung its forepaws, blood spurted everywhere, and corpses rolled across the snow-covered ground.

 

“Quick, quick, do something! Didn’t you say we just had to use that talisman or whatever it is!”

 

The palanquin bearer, clutching the governor, pleaded desperately. The governor frantically pulled a bundle of talismans from his sleeve and scattered the papers wildly. The talismans fluttered like autumn leaves, but Nati merely exhaled a long snort and didn’t bat an eye. Instead, as if the paper were a nuisance, he swatted the governor with his forepaw, sending him flying.

 

“H-h-help! Help me!”

 

Only then did the palanquin bearers realize what was happening, and one by one, they abandoned the palanquin and fled. Excited by the sight of fleeing prey, Nati raged even more ferociously. Flesh was torn, and screams echoed.

 

In an instant, the snowy path was stained crimson with blood.

 

Huddled inside the shattered palanquin, Yu Won covered his mouth with trembling hands. Even if he wanted to see what was happening outside, the curtains blocked his view.

 

Could it be that bandits had launched a surprise attack? No, judging by the sounds, it might be a demonic beast. But with a dozen armed soldiers accompanying them and the nation’s foremost general, Tae Baek Hoon, present, why on earth would the screams not cease?

 

“Aaaargh! Get away! Aaaah!”

 

Thud. Someone collapsed, and the spurting blood soaked the curtain. As the blood spread across the silk, his whole body froze in horror.

 

There was a rustling sound from outside, as if someone was rummaging around for quite some time. 

 

“Search the inside of the palanquin thoroughly as well.”

 

The footsteps were right in front of him. It felt as if his blood had turned cold and his whole body had frozen solid.

 

Rip! A man tore aside the hanging curtain, ripping it to shreds, and peered inside the palanquin.

 

“Heh heh, come on out.”

 

The man grinned and reached out toward Yu Won. The moment he grabbed his shoulder, Yu Won stabbed the man’s eye with all his might using the fine-toothed comb he was holding.

 

“Aaaargh!”

 

The man let out a hoarse scream from the blow. Yu Won managed to push him away, then scrambled out of the palanquin and hid behind a nearby tree.

 

Chaos reigned all around. It was a horrific scene, as if a painting of hell had come to life. Yu Won forced back a wave of nausea. The cold wind, mingled with the smell of blood, felt like a knife slicing through his insides.

 

The monster trampling the corpses made a scratching sound, like a throat being scraped. Its bloodshot eyes scanning the surroundings were chilling.

 

“There it is! Grab that thing!”

 

Several men who had been searching spotted Yu Won and shouted furiously. Without looking back, Yu Won ran as fast as he could.

 

It was a chase of cat-and-mouse. He couldn’t see a thing ahead through the snow falling so thickly it seemed to paint the night white. He simply followed his feet, climbing blindly into the forest and up the mountain.

 

His breath came in gasps, making his running unsteady. He forced his legs to move, thinking that if he didn’t escape now, he would die. But before long, his foot caught on a tree root.

 

“Ouch!”

 

Yu Won groaned as he fell, then forced himself to sit up. His legs, drained of strength from the fall, wouldn’t obey him. When he looked back, the torchlight flickered like a will-o’-the-wisp. They had already caught up to him.

 

“Got you, you little rat!”

 

The man who had grabbed the back of his neck curled his lips into a sneer. It was the same man Yu Won had struck with a comb just moments ago. His bloodshot eyes were bulging like those of a rabid frog.

 

“I’m going to make the most of today.”

 

“Let go of me!”

 

Yu Won, his hair gripped by the man, struggled desperately. He threw whatever he could get his hands on at him, twigs, stones, and even dirt. But there was no way to escape.

 

Soon, Yu Won was thrown onto a pile of snow.

 

“Boss, it’s the woman who was riding in the palanquin.”

 

A large shadow fell over his trembling body. The man called the boss was a giant, built like a boulder. Snorting derisively, the boss bent down and slowly scanned Yu Won.

 

The stench of blood wafted through the chilly night air. The foul odor made his stomach churn. It was so bad that even breathing felt painful. Lying face down, Yu Won bit his lip again and again. Even as he tried to suppress his trembling, he couldn’t control it, as if something inside him had snapped.

 

After scrutinizing Yu Won from every angle for a while, the boss clicked his tongue in disapproval. Reaching out with both hands, he grabbed Yu Won and roughly tore open his jeogori. Panicked, Yu Won twisted his body and screamed.

 

“W-what are you doing! Let me go!”

 

“Shut up!”

 

Smack! A thick hand, as hard as a pot lid, lashed out and struck Yu Won’s cheek. The stinging blow was so fierce it made his head spin and his skull throb. At the same time, his breath caught in his throat and tears welled up in his eyes.

 

Pinning Yu Won down with brute force, the boss finally ripped his jeogori to shreds. The chest revealed through his thin undergarment was flat. Though his waist was fairly narrow, his body lacked any trace of a woman’s curves. As if he’d seen something repulsive, the boss tossed Yu Won aside and berated the subordinate standing next to him.

 

“Are your eyes stuck up your ass?”

 

“Huh? Huh?”

 

“That’s not a woman, it’s a scrawny little bastard! Are you trying to pick a fight with me right now?”

 

At those words, the man took another look at Yu Won. Swallowing hard as he stared at his flat chest, he stammered a flustered explanation.

 

“N-no way… I-I’m sure he was definitely a woman just from looking at his face.”

 

“Didn’t you steal her yourself?”

 

“No! How could I possibly take her without showing her to the boss first? I definitely caught the woman who was inside the palanquin. Didn’t you, Boss, also hear from the accomplice that this palanquin was coming from a wealthy nobleman’s house?”

 

“You damn fool. Never mind that. What about the loot? There must be something worth taking, right?”

 

“W-well, as for things that might be worth money…”

 

A subordinate standing behind him held out the bag they had looted, his face filled with fear. The loose sack contained nothing but small change.

 

“You son of a bitch, are you making fun of me?”

 

The man’s face twisted as it flushed red and blue, and he stomped his foot. Just then, subordinates who had rushed down from the other side threw a bound man before him.

 

Yu Won raised his head and widened his eyes. The man they had captured was none other than the Governor of Wonyeong. His topknot was disheveled, and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, making him look like a wreck.

 

“H-How can you do this? T-This isn’t what you said!” 

 

The Governor said in a trembling voice. The boss, his face twisted in a grimace, kicked him and snarled.

 

“You bastard, you were all talk. A few coins? Is that all you had to offer when you claimed you could make a fortune for me?”

 

“No, no! I didn’t lie! They really are from a minister in Okyang’s household! There should be some dowry items in the bundles. J-just check them, and you’ll see!”

 

“Shut up. Even if you call it a dowry, it’s probably not worth a penny! I spared your life, yet you dare to be ungrateful and mock me with such nonsense?”

 

“Listen. Calm down. Let me look into this again. There must be a misunderstanding. If you spare my life, I’ll give you all my possessions. Please, just this once.”

 

The provincial governor clasped his hands together and begged earnestly. He looked utterly pitiful and wretched. The leader snorted derisively and ran his finger along the blade of his axe.

 

“You want me to spare you? Fine, I’ll give you a good, long look at your own face.”

 

The leader swung the axe with all his might. There was a thud, like a watermelon splitting open. The governor, who had been bowing his head and pleading with the leader, collapsed slowly, like a bamboo stalk that had been cleanly severed.

 

Yu Won, pale as a sheet, crawled toward the fallen man.

 

“H-hey.”

 

No matter how he shook the man, not a single moan escaped him. Yu Won, as if in a daze, shook him violently.

 

“S, sir…?”

 

He called out to him in any way he could. He tentatively felt for a pulse on the man’s wrist, but couldn’t detect even the faintest sign of life.

 

His palms were damp. Only when Yu Won realized his hands were covered in blood did he recoil in shock, scrambling backward.

 

He was already dead.

 

Even seeing it happen right before his eyes, he simply couldn’t believe it. His mind went completely blank, and the world around him spun dizzyingly.

 

How… how could this have happened? I clearly… I was just following the Lord’s orders.

 

Then why is the man who was supposed to be my husband lying here dead before my eyes, so senselessly, so meaninglessly? 

 

Didn’t they say he was a general? Who would believe that such a great general had been killed by a band of bandits? Had he actually been deceived by the minister? Had he never intended to marry him off to the Provincial Governor in the first place? If so, when had he been deceived? 

 

Could it be that they had planned from the very beginning to cast him out under some pretext? Simply because he was an ill-omened creature?

 

The whispers from Howon Village about him echoed in his ears.

 

 

A parasite living off the Lord’s household, a jinxed country bumpkin, a freak with weird eyes, a repulsive creature.

 

 

Those were the names they called Yu Won. Even if he did nothing, even if he said nothing, to them he was a being who deserved nothing but contempt.

 

This time, too, he did nothing. In fact, he stayed completely still. He held his tongue, thinking that if he behaved himself, he wouldn’t be hated. But why, then, did something bad happen again? Did bad things happen because he stayed still? If so, what was he supposed to do?

 

His ears were ringing. A jumble of voices hurled accusations at him.

 

 

“How dare a scum like you claim to be of our family’s bloodline?”

 

 

“You worthless little bastard. Even if I threw someone as useless as you to a beggar, they wouldn’t take you.”

 

 

In the depths of his dazed imagination, the minister and the young master laughed together as they mocked him.