That’s Not For Eating! (1)

Yu Jinsan took Pungho out to the yard of the building. He held his hands behind his back and stared at a specific spot.

“That location is where the Blue Wolf came and left.”

Part of the wooden fence was caved in, making it vulnerable due to its thinness and low height.

“Right. We plan to gather materials and start repairing it tomorrow.”

“You can leave it as it is. If we know which direction the enemy is coming from, we can take more effective measures to counter it.”

“But most traps won’t work on him. Is there any other way?”

Yu Jinsan pointed his finger to one side of the vacant lot.

“First, we dig a deep hole there.”

“It’s not difficult to dig up the ground, but with the Blue Wolf’s leaping strength, no matter how deep the hole is, it can jump out in one go.”

“That may be true for normal pits, but what if it’s a muddy pit?”

Pungho’s face brightened instantly.

“Even a martial arts warrior cannot jump out of a mushy swamp. That might hold the wolf down for a while.”

“That should be enough. We need to hurry and get things done.”

Digging a pit wasn’t difficult, but it required a lot of manpower to dig the ground, compact the floor and walls, and then pour water. And now, the bandits had plenty of spare manpower.

While Yu Jinsan was observing their work, the bandit leader approached him.

“We’ve prepared some food for you.”

Although he didn’t feel like eating, he couldn’t let his granddaughter starve.

Yu Jinsan approached the child, who was rolling around in the yard, and hugged her to his chest.

“Oh my! My granddaughter wants to eat now.”

The child’s face brightened as if she understood what “eat” meant.

The place where the meal was prepared was the bandit leader’s pavilion.

When they entered, there was a lavish set of food. Various vegetables and fruits were laid out, along with steamed duck and stew.

“It’s nothing too special, but give it a try. We grew everything ourselves.”

“A lot has been happening. Bandits are farming and raising animals too.”

“It’s not easy to plunder from the people of Kangho. Everyone needs to be somewhat self-sufficient in their lives.”

Yu Jinsan picked up the chopsticks, looking puzzled.

“I suppose it’s true that you don’t covet the belongings of common people.”

“If that were the case, no bandit group would have been left untouched.”

Yu Jinsan kept feeding the child wild vegetables and meat.

“When I looked around the mountain lodge, I saw that it was well-organized. You don’t seem like a typical bandit leader. Where did you come from before this?”

Pungho hesitated for a moment, staring at the ceiling as if reminiscing about the past.

“About ten years ago, I was in the military. I served under General Yang Yu, who rebelled. Then I left the camp with my immediate subordinates.”

“I remember that incident. The country was in chaos at that time. I heard the rebellion failed, and all the participating soldiers were beheaded.”

“That’s right. We… chose to desert rather than be part of the rebellion.”

“Who can blame you? You acted on your beliefs. Anyway, I ended up settling here after escaping from there.”

“Yes, that’s what the elder said.”

Yu Jinsan also took his first bite of the duck meat.

“It tastes good. Come on, you too. We have things to do, so eat up.”

“What do you mean?”

“Now that we’ve set a trap, shouldn’t we prepare bait?”

Pungho nodded and began to satisfy his hungry stomach. He couldn’t afford to skip meals with a big fight ahead.

The meal only ended after Yu Seol’s small stomach was full.

“Did you enjoy the meal?”

“Of course. This is the first time my granddaughter has had so much.”

Pungho crouched down and made eye contact with the child.

“Did you like it?”

“Dasdy.”

Pungho looked surprised at Yu Jinsan.

Even though her pronunciation wasn’t clear, it was evident that she was trying to imitate his words.

“The child is so smart.”

“Hehe, such a unique child.”

Yu Seol ran around the yard again, as if trying to digest the food. At best, she was slower than an adult walking.

“What kind of bait should we prepare?”

“When the pit is ready, cover it with branches and straw, and sprinkle animal blood and chunks of meat around it. That will confuse its senses. But ultimately, someone has to act as bait.”

“It’s an intelligent man-eating wolf, so it won’t come unless there’s a human nearby. But who will…”

“I can give it a try.”

“No. If an elder steps forward, there’s a risk of the animal realizing it’s a trap. Please finish it off when we catch it by the ankles.”

“Surprisingly, I can’t believe you’re trying to step forward without consulting your subordinates first.”

“If I do that, no subordinate will ever trust and follow me.”

“Don’t we have me? Leave the big ones that look appetizing to me!”

It was Wang Gyu, the vice leader of the bandits.

He remembered meeting this man. Despite his enormous size, he had amazing agility.

Pungho nodded with trust in his eyes.

“Just in case, take off your armor and go.”

“Yes, Hyung. Leave it to me.”

It seemed like he was hesitant to take off the armor he was wearing. The rest of the preparations went smoothly.

As the day grew darker, an unknown tension filled the mountainous area.

The watchtower was filled with archers, and the remaining bandits hid in their designated spots.

Yu Jinsan also hid in a cabin in the corner, concealing his presence.

When he turned around, he saw a bandit holding onto Yu Seol, who was sleeping inside the prison cell, which was the safest place in the mountain.

“Take care of the child.”

“Don’t worry. No one can enter this place.”

He knew it too well because he was also trapped there. He felt safe behind those thick iron bars.

As time continued to pass by, he stared through the hole in the cabin.

Wang Gyu, who was standing alone in the yard, was seen stepping back.

Yu Jinsan urgently sent a message to him.

-Don’t step back and just stay where you are.

The Blue Wolf must have appeared.

The vice leader, who had been confident until then, now looked nervous. After encountering this animal, it was a natural instinct for fear to take over.

At that time, Wang Gyu shouted, grabbing both axes as if trying to overcome the fear brimming inside him.

“Hurry up now, you wolf! Tomorrow morning I will have to fill my stomach with those front legs!”

The Blue Wolf approached Wang Gyu one step at a time.

Everyone who was hiding gulped at this.

The moment when the distance between the two narrowed to less than 10 meters, suddenly, the ground on which the Blue Wolf was stepping collapsed.

Plop!

It was a pit with water that reached up to the Blue Wolf’s knees, filled with mud. Inside, the roar of the wolf could be heard.

It was only a matter of time before it could escape again.

Pungho, the bandit leader, suddenly rushed there and shouted.

“Archers! Open fire!”

The bandits on the watchtower simultaneously shot arrows.

Pat! Papat!

Dozens of arrows darted towards the pit.

However, no one thought that an arrow could kill the Blue Wolf. It was just an act to buy them some time.

“Now!”

Bandits began pouring out of their hiding places with nets and spears in their hands.

A net was spread wide into the pit, momentarily halting the Blue Wolf from escaping.

At the same time, the spears continued to rush in without stopping.

Kwakan! Tuk!

Although a few spears managed to hit the wolf’s body, there was no way they could pierce its skin. Instead, it only made the wolf angrier.

Grrng!

The angry beast howled, showing its readiness to kill everyone in its vicinity.

There was nothing more the bandits could do at this point.

In just a moment, the devil would crawl out of the depths of hell. It was when everyone’s faces looked nervous and their mouths were dry…

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

Suddenly, a storm of qi erupted from behind the bandits.

Someone was running towards them with lightning speed, holding a spear diagonally.

It was Yu Jinsan, the head of the Yu family, a white-haired man wearing a white robe.

He had a sharp handle strapped to his waist, which glistened in the moonlight.

Tak!

His body leaped from the ground, rose up, and with the spear held in both his hands, a red aura of qi rose from the tip of his spear.

Soon, like a hawk, he began to dive into the pit.

Kwaaang!

A loud explosion erupted from inside the pit.

Then a series of breathtaking clashes began to occur within.

The bandits had no time to watch. This was because they still had the last mission that the old man had assigned to them.

“Cover!”

At that moment, the bandits waiting on one side started to move. They moved in groups of four, each carrying logs on their shoulders.

Soon, dozens of logs were placed in a line to completely block the entrance of the pit.

Thud! Kwakwang!

A loud boom continued to emanate from below, as if something were hitting it.

The fight between Yu Jinsan and the beast must have started now. Everyone was cheering and hoping for the elder’s victory, their hands sweating.

“Elder, cheer up!”

“You can win this!”

Slash!

The sound of something being hit, kicked, and cut could be heard.

The bandits felt extremely tense, as if they were fighting in the pit themselves. This was because the outcome of the fight would determine their fate.

Only after a few minutes had passed did the noise gradually subside.

There was silence in the whole place. Not a single person could open their mouths.

After a while, the bandit leader gulped as he spoke,

“Open it.”

As soon as the logs were removed, everyone rushed close to the pit.

The bandits all had their mouths wide open, like fish in a pond.

Yu Jinsan, covered in blood, was down on one knee, supporting his body. To the side, the body of the wolf could be seen, completely limp.

And a spear was stuck in the wolf’s stomach, protruding from the other side.

“You people, lift me up quickly. I might die from exhaustion here.”

At that moment, cheers erupted as if everyone had collectively decided to shout.

“Woahhh!!”

“Wahhhhh!!”

“I knew he could do it!”

“He is the best!”

Yu Jinsan’s heart pounded fast.

When had he ever received such warm cheers in his life? He felt a bit of excitement, which he would have felt in his younger years.

About a dozen bandits went down into the pit to help him climb up.

“You really got lucky, you brats. I really thought I was dying down there.”

It would have been impossible to climb because of the narrow and muddy hole they made.

After coming up from the ground, he leaned against the spear and took deep breaths. This was because he had used up all his energy.

At that time, Pungho came to him from inside the manor, holding Yu Seol.

“Thank you for what you did. Truly, you did your best.”

Yu Jinsan held the child and patted her on the shoulder. And then he turned his back and slowly walked away without saying another word.

There was a sense of solemnity in the sight of the man limping out of the bandit place, clutching his long spear.

The bandits applauded until he walked out of their sight.

“Phew. My stomach hurts.”

Now that what had been promised was fulfilled, there was no reason for the elder to stay in the bandits’ place any longer.

When he returned home with his granddaughter, his entire body ached.

Lying down on the ground, he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a dazzling blue bead that seemed to hold the night sky within it. He had found it inside the body of the Blue Wolf.

“Looking at it shining brightly, it has to be the spiritual pill.”

Even though it was a product of the beast, he couldn’t handle it carelessly.

Sometimes, it was used to gain enormous qi in the body, but it was also known to push the consumer into a state of qi depletion or instant death.

Moreover, wasn’t this from a spiritual beast that had done countless evil deeds instead of good? Therefore, the latter part was more likely.

Yu Jinsan was in a state where he couldn’t risk anything now.

“It isn’t of use to me, so I guess I will sell this when I get the chance.”

His granddaughter was waving her hand next to him.

“No, child. It is a very dangerous thing, so Grandpa should hold onto it.”

As he tried to put it back into his pocket, suddenly, his hands trembled.

The pain rose again.

“Kuak….”

Was it because he had overexerted his body? The intensity of the pain felt different from the usual one.

His granddaughter was looking at him with wide eyes.

Yu Jinsan tried to retrieve the pill from his pocket, but it wasn’t easy. His trembling right hand fell limp just before it could hold the pill.

Thud!

The pill rolled out of his hand and landed in front of his granddaughter. That was the last thing he remembered before losing consciousness.

Yu Jinsan’s body went limp.

Just how long had it been? As the pain gradually subsided, his consciousness slowly returned.

“Phew.”

He began to recall the situation before he fainted, and as if he remembered something, he searched for it.

But no matter how much he looked, he couldn’t find it. It was as if it had vanished.

“Just where could it have gone?”

And he turned to his granddaughter with an uncertain expression. The child stood firmly on both feet, her big eyes blinking while she babbled something incomprehensible.

“Dasdy.”