Chapter 64
Near the exit, there was an old bamboo grove.
Yang Dojin went over, grabbed a half-broken bamboo stalk, and kicked it until he finally held it firmly in his hands.
It was the Qing Bamboo Staff, a weapon frequently used in Gaebang.
Seeing it, Hongseol’s heart sank with fear.
“There’s no doubt… Dojin must have some other plan in mind.”
“Hey, Dojin…!”
Hongseol called out, worried.
Sure enough!
The shadow of Yang Dojin, clutching the Qing Bamboo Staff, had already disappeared into the cave.
“Where did Hyung Dojin go?”
“Huh?”
The remaining children were murmuring, confused.
“If Dojin isn’t around, we can’t even figure out Sorang’s location!”
Now was their only chance to rescue Sorang.
Hongseol, deep in thought, grabbed Deung Soso’s shoulder and said,
“Soso, take care of the kids!”
“What? You’re going down too!”
Hongseol made an awkward expression.
“Remember Sorang who was taken yesterday? If we’re lucky, we might be able to bring them back. So please, take care of the kids!”
Leaving those words behind, Hongseol hurried to follow Dojin.
“Hey!”
Even as she re-entered the cave, Hongseol didn’t forget to glance at Deung Soso one last time.
“Please!”
Deung Soso, left alone, seemed dazed.
“So that’s why Hongseol… yesterday…”
She realized that Hongseol had been asking Dojin how long the kidnapped children could survive.
She was trying everything to save Sorang!
“But as the heir of the Deung family… I…”
Soso bit her lip, feeling embarrassed.
But at just eight years old, she was the only one who could look after the children now.
Before the men who had imprisoned them returned, she had to get them out of there quickly.
In a low voice, Deung Soso urged the children,
“Come on, let’s go home! Hurry!”
“Dojin!”
Hongseol whispered urgently.
The shadow moving quietly through the cave ahead paused.
“What…? Cat, why are you following me?”
“I’m not a cat, it’s Hongseol.”
“Yeah, Hongseol, why are you following me then?”
“Our paths just happened to cross.”
“What?”
“I was planning to rescue Sorang anyway.”
Originally, she had intended to ask the adults for help in time…
But Hongseol knew the truth: if she waited, it would be too late.
So when Yang Dojin re-entered the cave, she silently followed him.
Dojin, however, had clearly not expected this.
“After escaping safely, why are you sneaking in here?”
“That’s what I was taught—justice and loyalty.”
“That’s crazy. You’re not leaving even if I told you to?”
“Nope.”
“Then it’s better if you stay in cat form. At least if the Heukchwi gang sees you, there’s less risk of getting caught again.”
“Okay, okay!”
Hongseol nodded and somersaulted, transforming into a small kitten. Carefully, she started matching her steps to Yang Dojin’s.
“Where are we going?”
“Where?”
Just a slight tilt of her head, and Dojin quietly replied, sharp as a hawk.
“That way. I hear the kids’ voices coming from there.”
Truly, his ears were incredible.
“The Heukchwi gang seems gone, but stay cautious just in case.”
“Meow!”
Though her voice was small, the little kitten replied bravely, stepping in sync.
They had been moving past the cave where they had been trapped for some time.
The deeper they went, the stranger the sounds became, and Hongseol could hear them too.
“Ugh… ugh…”
It was like the whimper of a child shivering from the cold.
Hongseol’s heart filled with worry at the pitiful sound.
“Is that sound really Sorang’s?”
Looking up, she saw Dojin nod subtly.
As they walked, the surroundings became damp, and moss thickened on the walls.
At one corner, a sudden chill hit them.
There was a small pond.
“Huh!”
“Meow!”
Startled by the grotesque sight, they both froze.
A metal ring was embedded in the ceiling above the pond.
A sturdy rope hung from it, binding Sorang tightly.
“Ugh…”
The unknown whimpers were indeed Sorang’s.
Sorang’s body was submerged up to the neck in the crystal-clear pond, unconscious.
It seemed they had been drained.
Seeing this, Dojin gulped and shouted,
“I’ll go first!”
He stepped into the water, splashing, and jumped in—but immediately leaped back in shock.
“Ahhh!”
Ahhh… Ahhh… Ahhh…
The cave echoed with their cries.
Dojin clutched his arm, shivering violently.
“The… the water is freezing!”
Indeed, Sorang’s lips, submerged in the icy water, were blue.
“At this rate, they’ll die soon!”
Hongseol paced anxiously, jumping from spot to spot, but couldn’t bring herself to put a paw in the water.
Even as a cat, her instincts made the water feel terrifying.
“Why would the Heukchwi gang put a child in such freezing water…”
Dojin ground his teeth.
Next to him, Hongseol bristled and meowed. Dojin tugged at his hair.
“What should we do now?”
A sharp voice echoed through the cave.
“What do you mean, what should we do?”
It was Deung Soso, coming down the mountain with the children.
“Soso!”
“Meow!”
Dojin and Hongseol, completely unprepared, widened their eyes.
“You were going to practice justice and loyalty alone without me?”
Startled, Hongseol somersaulted again.
In human form, she grabbed Soso by the collar.
“And… the kids? What did you do with them?”
“Don’t worry. I hid them in the old Guan shrine. There are traces of beggars going in and out, so even if something happens to us…”
Soso’s voice trembled slightly, but she spoke firmly.
“The kids will soon be found by Gaebang.”
The Guan shrine refers to a shrine dedicated to Guan Yu. Across the Central Plains, old Guan shrines were often gathering spots for beggars.
Relieved, Hongseol asked,
“How did you find the way?”
“This is a cave. Your footprints were clearly visible in the soil.”
And with the cat’s pawprints next to the little kid’s, there was no doubt.
Soso chuckled.
“Next time, don’t forget to erase your footprints.”
Dojin muttered, annoyed.
“You’re reckless! You almost put the young lady in danger too.”
“Do you think you could have rescued Sorang without my help? Go ahead, try it then.”
Dojin scowled.
“The young lady has some kind of plan, huh?”
“Of course.”
Soso raised her index finger.
“Pressure points can save a life, end a life, or temporarily numb sensation.”
Hongseol’s mouth fell open.
Soso continued proudly,
“Have you heard of fishermen anesthetizing fish using pressure points to keep them alive?”
“Really? That exists?”
“Of course! Thanks to that, our family gets fresh fish every festival.”
Soso beamed, tapping her chest.
“It’s the pressure-point technique our ancestors taught fishermen to repay a life debt!”
Dojin, annoyed by the storytelling, snapped,
“So how does that help us now, miss?”
“You fool. I’ll use pressure points to numb your body temporarily.”
“What?”
“Then you can go into the freezing water and only rescue Sorang!”
“…”
Dojin paused, then quickly stripped off his jacket and pants.
About to remove even his underwear, Soso screamed,
“Eek! What are you doing?!”
“Oh.”
Remembering she was a girl, Dojin grabbed his clothes and brought his back close to Soso.
“Here, apply the pressure points.”
“Ugh, really.”
Despite her frustration, Soso pressed a few key points.
Dojin carefully stepped into the water, then suddenly turned back.
