The combat area, which was extremely small between the two parties, was totally changed. After all, she was not a common farmer who lacked fighting skills, but a good gladiator.
Changgweon looked back with half closed eyes and murmured. âGood.â
He even showed a smile, showing that he was feeling good about the situation. Ganghyuk pressed his wound with his hands and said. âSir, please wait!â
As he did so, red blood gushed through the gap between his fingers. Clearly, Yeoniâs sword had caused a lot of damage: in one blow, his stomach, pancreas, and arteries were damaged.
There were no organs which were left totally undamaged.
âHe is much better than the masked man though.â
The masked man was already dead. As the sword wend upward, he had his heart piereced as well.
âFirst of all, we need IVâ¦â
Ganghyuk injected the needle in Changgweonâs vein using his skillful handwork. As the latterâs blood pressure was very low, he could hardly see the veins. However, it was not a big problem to him.
He could draw the anatomy of the arm with his eyes closed. Hence, he soon fixed the IV bag with grass and looked at the wound again.
âHe would be hopeless even in the hospital in my previous worldâ¦â
Ganghyuk would do something if he had some supernatural powers. However, he could not do anything here without any facilities. The only thing he could do was pressing hard to lose less blood.
But, that would not help much.
âSir, please gather heart.â He gave a meaningless encouragement as Changgweonâs eyes became blunter. The latter probably could see nothing because the blood pressure went down too quickly. The IV inflow could not surpass the blood outflow.
âGoodness!â He could do nothing even though he was proud of himself as the best surgeon.
âSir, I will help you.â At that moment, Yeoni ran to him while keeping her sword in the sheath. She probably had killed all of the remaining Japanese bandits.
âGood! Can you keep it open?â
âYes, sir.â
Yeoni had assisted him for quite a long time, so she noticed something due of the experienceâhe could not survive.
âGive me the mosquito.â
âYes.â Yeoni promptly handed over the small tweezers, with which, Ganghyuk tied the small blood vessels first. He did not dare to touch the artery first.
With that, the rate of bleeding was lowered.
Dududu!
While Ganghyuk and Yeoni were trying to stop the bleeding, the cavalry arrived. The men in the front line held bloody swords. It seemed they had killed a lot of Japanese bandits on the way here.
Ahead of them all were Shin Rip and governor Kim Yungil, and the latter jumped down from his horse first.
âWhat is this?â He sighed with grief while watching Changgweon lying down there.
âEuâ¦â Chagngweon recognized Yungil, so said he slowly but clearly. âI am sorry⦠I could not protect Haynggyo.â
As he mentioned, most of the scholars were dead, and the survivors were mostly farmers.
âNo, no.â
âEuuuâ¦â
Yungil could not watch him moaning in pain anymore, so he turned his head away and looked at Ganghyuk. He was wondering how Ganghyuk came here, but had had more important things to ask first.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âHow is he?â
He felt that Changgweon could not survive. But, there was some expectation now that Ganghyuk was there. He was a person who made impossible things possible.
However, even Ganghyuk could not help in this situation.
âHeâ¦â Although he did not state it clearly, both of them knew of the reality. His facial expression and tone suggested a grim prognosis.
âOkâ¦â
âWe need to reduce his pain.â
âIs it possible?â Yungil looked at Changgweon, who was moaning on the ground, feeling stuffy
âI can do that at least, sir.â
âOkay, thatâs good to hearâ¦!â
With that, Ganghyuk took out all narcotic analgesics that he had in the bag. There were only three in total, but it was better than nothing.
âYeoni, please press here.â
âYes, sir.â
Yeoni blocked the hole that she had made using a gauze and her hand. Then, Ganghyuk gave some narcotic analgesic through IV.
âHow do you feel?â
âI am Okâ¦. Good.â
Changgweonâs eyes had lost their light. He probably was able to see nothing, not even Ganghyuk. The blood vessels to eyes are very tiny, and they were highly influenced by blood pressure.
âI survived thanks to you.â
âNo⦠no.â
Changgweon had a smile on his pale face as he continued with a dry voice. âYou saved my daughterâs life. You are the only son of my teacherâ¦â
It was hard for him to continue because of the blood in his mouth. Changgweon coughed and opened his mouth again.
âI could not have let you die⦠â
âSavior of his daughterâ⦠Hearing this, Ganghyukâs face became pale. He did not know the life or death of Yeoju.
âSir, Makbong has arrived!â
âHas he?â
Fortunately, Makbong, Dolseok, and Yeoju succeeded in escaping with the major troop. Then, they met the cavalry and marched here together. As they did not have horses, they arrived a bit late.
They saw each other only a day ago, but they felt like it had been ten years since they last met.
âSir, you are alright?â Dolseok rushed to him, glad to see Ganghyuk seeming fine.
âYes, I am alive.â
âWho is ⦠Ahâ¦!â
At that moment, Dolseok recognized the man on the ground. He had visited the latterâs house following Ganghyuk, who used to be a regular visitor of Seungmun.
âHe saved my life. We have a long story, but I think we need to call Yeoju first.â
âYes, sir.â
Dolseok ran to Yeoju and brought her. Makbong assisted her in walking, as her feet had some problem.
âItâs good that you are fine, sir.â Yeoju bowed to the extent she could. Ganghyuk greeted her in response and then took her to Changgweon.
âHereâ¦â
âFather?â
With the voice of Yeoju, the half-closed eyes of Changgweon were opened. He had heard the voice of his daughter that he had not expected. However, he could not see anything, even though he had opened his eyes.
He asked in the air.
âYeoju⦠Are you Yeoju?â
âYes, father. I am Yeoju.â
âI hear your voice before I died⦠It seems like a dream.â
âDie? Sir, it is not true, right? Please tell me you will make him live.â
Yeoju looked at Ganghyuk with surprise, who could not help avoiding her eyes.
âSir?â
âI am sorry.â
He was a man who did not say sorry often. At least, Yeoju had not seem him saying sorry. On the side, even Dolseok opened his eyes wide.
Even if they were the same apologies, the weight of Ganghyukâs apology was very heavy. Yeoju had realized the meaning right away.
âHuâ¦â
She looked at Changgweon again. His life was diminishing, and there was no more IV left, either.
âFatherâ¦â
âYeojuâ¦â
âYes, fatherâ¦â
Yeoju shed her tears while sitting next to her father, as Changgweon continued talking with a dry and hoarse voice.
âI was sorry throughout my lifetime.â
âWhat do you mean, father?â
âNow, you can⦠do⦠whatever you want. Not my willâ¦â
âFather?â Yeoju tapped his shoulders, but there was no answer. Ganghyuk could not feel any pulse from his sagging arms either.
âAh!â Yeoju cried in the bosom of Changgweon, which was when Yungil recognized that Yeoju was a woman. Even more importantly, she was the daughter of Changgweon.
âHey fellows! What are you watching? Go away.â
He still had some sense and presence of mind, and knew how to be flexible. So, he let the soldiers, who were surprised at the sudden cry of a woman, leave the place immediately.
âDo not tell of this anywhere. Ok?â
âYes⦠Yes, sir.â
He did not forget to threat them not to tell this story to anyone. Fortunately, Shin Rip and his people who would not listen to him were far from the place, interrogating the Japanese bandits. Screams and yells were heard occasionally from their side.
âMiss Yeojuâ¦â
Yeoni held Yeojuâs shoulders with her hands carefully, who was looking at the corpse of her father with her shoulders shaking. On looking closely, she found that her father had many wounds.
âWho did⦠these cruelâ¦thingsâ¦to him?â
Yeoni shook her body at the question of Yeoju.
âAh, it isâ¦â
Ganghyuk interrupted immediately. If he left them talking, the innocent Yeoni would tell her the truth for sure. âThe masked man⦠If it were not for your father, Yeoni and I would be dead too.â
âReally?â
âYes! Not only us, but all of the people here would have been killed.â
Ganghyuk looked around the place which was full of corpses and injured people. There were lots of dead bodies, but there were many survivors as well, all of whom owed their lives to Changgweon.
They nodded their heads to show their agreement to the comment of Ganghyuk.
âThen, who avenged my father?â
Yeoju looked at the masked Japanese man while wiping her tears out.
âYeoni did.â
âAhâ¦!â
Yeoni was at a loss, but she did not say anything, just standing there still.â
âYeoni, thank you.â Yeoju made a deep bow. Although she was poor, she was a noblewoman. Yeoni had made her stand up with an indebted face.
âMiss, pleased do not this.â
âNo, I should do this. You did take revenge for my father.â Yeoju finished the deep bow while Ganghyuk and the others watched her in utter bewilderment.
âAre you Yeoju?â Yungil approached her and asked.
âYes, governor.â
âI am sorry. I built Hanggyo, and had asked him to teach here.â
âNo, sir. I heard that my father wanted to do that as well.â
âDo not worry about his funeral. I will take responsibility for that.â
âBut, we are at the battlefield, and still at war.â
âNo⦠do not worry! With the cavalry here, the Japanese bandits are not our match.â The governor pointed at cavalry soldiers who had surrounded the village.
At that moment, Shin Rip ran toward them with a delighted face. It seemed that he had obtained some information from the Japanese captives.
âGovernor, it is done now. We found their temporary base.â
âReally?â
âIt is not far from here, so we can attack right now. Come when you are ready.â
âOk.â
The governor looked at the group while letting Shin Rip leave first. The fellows sitting here, including Ganghyuk, looked quite terrible, not to mention Yeoju. He could not take them to the battlefield.
Actually, he did not need to.
âGanghyuk, can you take care of the injured soldiers and people here?â
âYes, sir. Please leave it to me.â
âOk, then. I will leave this place to you.â
âDonât worry, sir.â
âWell⦠please take care of the daughter of Changgweon.â