RHDWK 6

Chapter 6

Thus, after changing into comfortable clothes, I climbed the nearby mountain together with Sima Jin.

Since I had been buying medicinal herbs only at the market recently, it had been a long time since I last climbed a mountain.

“This place is practically a gold mine.”

It was a place I used to visit often with my mother.

On the mountainside, medicinal herbs that could be easily seen were growing abundantly.

“Rather than harvesting medicinal herbs all at once, it’s better to gather them whenever you need them. Unless you dry them, they don’t keep for very long.”

“I see.”

“You can’t just dig up any random weeds, so make sure to memorize the herbs we use often.”

“Yes, Master.”

Bending my waist, I carefully looked through the lushly grown grass.

Then, as a sweet floral scent pierced the tip of my nose, I turned my head and found purple flowers growing near a rock.

“The mistress of the Baek Clan has been coughing severely lately, so she ordered cough medicine. This is thyme [Baek-ri-hyang], and it’s good for relieving coughs.”

“Is that so? I regret not bringing ink and paper.”

“Here, you try it.”

“M-Me?”

When I handed the hand hoe to Sima Jin, he hesitated before taking it from me.

“Hey! Are you trying to make it rot by tomorrow? Don’t cut the stem, dig into the dirt and harvest it down to the roots.”

When Sima Jin tried to snap the stem of the flower, I slapped his back.

“Y-Yes…”

Perhaps it was quite painful, as Sima Jin rubbed his back while digging up the herb just as I instructed.

After shaking off the dirt stuck to the thyme flower he dug up, I wrapped it in paper to prevent any damage.

Sima Jin, who had been watching me carefully, opened his mouth quietly.

“Master, you treat medicinal herbs very gently.”

He spoke while squirming his body for some reason. Looking at him as if he were strange, I replied.

“Huh? That’s because if they get damaged, they can’t be stored for long.”

What is this? Why is he acting shy? Is it because he considers himself a vegetable?

After looking at Sima Jin with disdainful eyes, I left the spot to look for other herbs.

Sima Jin catching herbs quite joyfully came into my view. What on earth was making him so happy?

Just as I shook my head and picked up my hand hoe—

“Agh!”

Someone forcefully pulled my hair from behind, causing my body to straighten up automatically.

“C-Cheon-dol, is that you?”

Thinking that Sima Jin might have regained his memories and pulled my hair, I turned my head nervously.

And in my field of vision, some burly bandit guy was clutching my hair.

Wow, is this the appearance of the Green Grove Bandits I feared might show up?

“Oh my, it’s not him. Ho-ho… I must have mistaken you for someone else. C-Could you please let go of this?”

The bandit pulled harder on the hair he was holding and thrust his face toward mine.

Ugh, when was the last time this guy washed? He smells terrible!

As the foul stench piercing the tip of my nose grew worse the closer he shoved his face, I quickly pulled my head back.

However, because the bandit was clutching my hair, the more I pulled my face back, the more my scalp stung.

“Hey, young lady. You can’t just pick herbs here however you like. Don’t you know business ethics? Pay the toll fee.”

“What? W-What are you talking about! Until recently… In the first place, there isn’t even a path here, so calling it a toll makes no sense!”

This was the middle of a forest.

If he appeared on a dirt road demanding a toll, I would think, ‘Ah, how typical of a martial arts world.’ But appearing out of nowhere in the middle of a forest to demand a toll was so absurd that I unwittingly argued back with the bandit.

Anyway, this novel really has so many setting errors.

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Eek!”

The bandit crumpled his face and shoved it even closer to mine.

Our lips are going to touch at this rate! You crazy guy!

Usually, the Green Grove refers to extra characters used to test the protagonist’s battle power.

However, aside from being knowledgeable in pharmacy and being a rare, precious spiritual medicine that served as a stepping stone for the Heavenly Demon, I was nothing more than a fragile woman, so I was frightened by his scary face.

“If you don’t have money… Ugh!”

The moment the bandit raised the axe he was holding, someone snatched his hand.

With a short scream, the bandit released my hair from his grip.

“What business do you have with my Master?”

It was Sima Jin, who had been digging up herbs in another spot.

How hard had he been digging? His clothes were covered in dirt.

Escaping from the bandit’s grip, I quickly hid behind Sima Jin’s back.

“What’s this? What’s with this beggar-like appearance… Huh?”

Shaking off Sima Jin’s hand, the bandit narrowed his brows and carefully examined Sima Jin’s face.

Then, he turned his head toward his companion behind him.

“This guy is that escort guy we saw last time.”

At his words, the other bandit stroked his own cheek.

On that bandit’s cheek was a scar that looked like it hadn’t been made long ago.

At the conversation between the two, I stole a glance at Sima Jin.

He was glaring at the bandits without saying a single word.

‘He really did work as an escort guard, even if only for a short time.’

The bandits began whispering among themselves.

“I asked if you have business here. Master is busy gathering herbs, so if you have no business, leave.”

We had gathered enough herbs and only needed to go down the mountain now, but I stood quietly behind Sima Jin.

At Sima Jin’s words, one of the bandits began trembling all over.

It seems that scar on his cheek was indeed caused by Sima Jin…

The trembling bandit raised his hand high up.

Even though I knew Sima Jin wouldn’t be defeated by a mere extra bandit, I closed my eyes tightly out of fear.

“No, no.”

‘Huh?’

At the bandit’s much softer voice, I slowly opened my closed eyes.

The bandit politely lowered the hand he had raised high and was pointing toward a certain direction.

“We are like guides of this forest. Over there, animals have eaten up all the herbs, so there won’t be much to see. Over that way is better.”

At his suddenly polite attitude, Sima Jin, who had his hand on the sword at his waist, slowly lowered his arm.

Then, he turned to look at me and smiled.

“They are kind people. That’s great, Master. Let’s go.”

“Huh? Um… I-Is that so?”

Although it looked strange no matter how I viewed it, I patted the back of my head at Sima Jin’s harmless smile.

I hadn’t come to the mountain recently, but I used to come often back when my mother was alive.

There was no place better than here. Did a better spot change in the meantime?

Feeling an uneasy sensation, I turned my head to look back at the spot where we were digging herbs just a moment ago before taking a step.

“…Did you think I’d actually say that?!”

At that moment, the bandit who had shown a polite attitude suddenly changed his demeanor and raised his axe high above his head.

Then, he targeted the back of Sima Jin, who had taken the first step forward.

“Cheon-dol!”

Faster than my shout, Sima Jin lightly dodged the bandit’s axe strike.

Then, Sima Jin instantly moved in front of the bandit who was stumbling from his missed swing. It was a speed so fast it was hard to believe even with the naked eye.

“Ugh!”

Standing in front of the bandit, Sima Jin jabbed sharply toward the bandit’s chest using his index and middle fingers.

Soon after, the pupils of the bandit who was jabbed in the chest went unfocused, and he collapsed to the ground with a short scream.

At the scene that took place in an instant, the other bandit and I widened our eyes in shock.

“W-What was that just now?”

The flustered bandit and I simultaneously looked down at the bandit passed out on the ground.

Swallowing hard, I stared blankly at his dirty face foaming at the mouth, then stole a glance at Sima Jin.

Sima Jin also seemed slightly flustered by the action that came out reflexively, as he was staring at his own fingers.

Is this what people call acupoint striking [Jeom-hyeol] that I’ve only heard about? For that huge guy to collapse at once just from having his chest poked with a finger…

It was the first martial-arts-like situation I had seen since transmigrating, so I covered my mouth with both hands.

Even if he lost his memory, it seemed his body remembered.

‘As expected, he’s a scary guy.’

Once again, the fear of Sima Jin that I had forgotten resurfaced.

“Damn it!”

While I was staring blankly at Sima Jin, the remaining bandit swore under his breath and turned his body.

And he rapidly sprinted toward me, targeting me directly.

“Be careful, Master!”