Doctor Goes Back to Joseon - Chapter 54: The Scholar [1]

*Srrk.*

A chilling sound.

At the same time, a scholar standing next to Chang-gwon collapsed sideways. Blood spurted out from his neck like a fountain.

“Kill these damned bastards!”

Chang-gwon shouted furiously, swinging his short sword wildly. While his strikes lacked strength, his vigor was unmatched. Even a Wae Pirate who had just killed a scholar momentarily stepped back.

“Ugh!”

Elsewhere, however, things were not going as well. Screams erupted from all directions. Although they thrust their bamboo spears with effort, it amounted to little.

In contrast, whenever the Wae Pirates swung their swords, someone fell without fail.

“Watch out!”

Yeon pushed Kang-hyuk aside.

*Clang.*

A snaggletoothed Wae Pirate had swung his blade toward him. Although the pirate’s skill was far inferior to Yeon’s, her injured leg slowed her down. She couldn’t cut him down immediately and had to settle for merely blocking the strike.

“You son of a—”

Kang-hyuk, stepping back, swung his medical bag in desperation.

“Ugh.”

The snaggletoothed pirate’s sword snapped as he fell backward. The bag, made of incredibly sturdy material and seemingly imbued with a mysterious strength, was surprisingly effective.

“This thing’s good.”

It was much better than using a sword he wasn’t skilled with. It could even double as a shield, as it did now.

*Bang.*

With a dull sound, another pirate was flung back. Strangely, the bag didn’t get even a scratch despite clashing with blades.

Yeon took advantage of the moment and thrust her sword into the pirate.

“Young Master.”

“Yeah?”

“You might be better off putting the sword down.”

“Ah, I was just thinking that.”

Kang-hyuk flung his sword at an approaching pirate. By sheer luck, it struck the man’s forehead, much to Yeon’s continued misinterpretation of his abilities.

“Young Master, your throwing skill is exceptional as always.”

“Ah, haha.”

Even amidst the chaos of the battlefield, laughter escaped him at the absurdity of it all. Though it was hard to imagine such levity lasting much longer.

“Ugh.”

Another scholar nearby fell. The situation at the rear was even worse, as the farmers’ swordsmanship paled in comparison to the scholars’.

‘If I had stayed at the back, I’d already be dead.’

Kang-hyuk shuddered as he glanced at the bodies strewn about. Though many pirates had been killed, there were still more dead farmers.

While he was contemplating whether to flee, Chang-gwon shouted loudly, having just managed to bring down a pirate.

“We’re almost there! Keep pushing!”

His limbs were covered in cuts and bruises, but his energy seemed greater than before. In fact, his imposing presence rivaled even that of the legendary General Shin Rip.

Chang-gwon’s rallying cry turned the tide of the villagers’ morale.

“Waaaah!”

The pirates’ momentum began to falter.

‘That small man is remarkable.’

Kang-hyuk felt ashamed for having mocked him as a typical stubborn Joseon scholar in the past. His strictness in everyday life translated into unwavering resolve on the battlefield. This was the true image of a scholar—one whose words matched his actions.

“Ugh.”

The villagers and scholars, their spirits bolstered, began swinging their makeshift weapons with renewed vigor. The pirates started falling one by one, slashed by blades or pierced by spears.

From the beginning, the pirates had been outnumbered, and the battle was gradually tilting in favor of the villagers.

That was when Yeon let out a scream, pointing her sword at someone.

“Young Master!”

“That guy…!”

From among the hesitant pirate soldiers emerged a figure.

He wore a long sword, noticeably longer than the others’, and a black mask. While he wasn’t the same man from the previous day, he seemed to be cut from the same cloth.

Without a word, the masked pirate swung his sword, decapitating a retreating pirate in one swift motion. Blood spurted into the air like a fountain.

The mask remained as expressionless as ever.

“Ugh.”

Even Chang-gwon, who had faced the battle boldly thus far, turned pale. It was no different for the others.

Without clashing swords even once, the masked pirate seized control of the battlefield with his mere presence.

His ruthlessness in cutting down his own ally and his exceptional skill in decapitation were extraordinary. He was no ordinary pirate.

“Bakayarou.” (T/N : You idiot)

The masked pirate pushed aside the headless corpse and continued forward.

“Gah.”

With his approach, the entire village took a step back. Even Chang-gwon began retreating, though he quickly regained his composure.

The scholar’s unyielding spirit spurred him on. While everyone else fell back, he stepped forward.

“We cannot retreat!”

His hands trembled as he gripped his sword, but his feet didn’t falter.

“Master!”

A few inspired scholars rushed forward to join him. Though this slightly boosted their morale, the masked pirate merely laughed.

“Hehehe.”

His eerie laughter sent chills down everyone’s spine.

Kang-hyuk, who already knew how terrifying these masked men could be, felt his tension rise. This one seemed even stronger than the one he’d encountered the day before.

He was taller, and up close, his sword appeared longer as well.

“Should we run?”

Kang-hyuk glanced behind him nervously. Thanks to the farmers’ desperate fighting, there were now gaps in the pirates’ ranks. Escaping seemed possible if they ran for their lives.

“Run? Where to?”

Yeon shook her head firmly, her expression calm.

“We outnumber them. If we hold our ground, we can win.”

“But you know how skilled they are.”

“Yesterday it was just me. Today, there are many of us.”

The thought of fleeing gnawed at him, but he swallowed it. The masked pirate suddenly charged forward, moving so quickly that he was upon them in a single breath.

*Swish.*

With a sound of slicing wind, one of the scholars fell to the ground. Blood erupted moments later, though it wasn’t even clear where he’d been cut.

It was truly ghostly swordsmanship.

“Uwaaaah!”

The pirate’s charge signaled the others to attack again. The second skirmish began under even worse conditions.

The masked pirate alone required nearly five people, including Chang-gwon, to hold him back. Without the teamwork of Kang-hyuk and Yeon, the villagers’ defenses would have collapsed entirely.

“Die, you bastard!”

Kang-hyuk smashed another pirate with his bag-shield, while Yeon felled one with her sword on the opposite side.

“Young Master,” Yeon called, her voice strained.

Covered in sweat mixed with blood, she looked utterly exhausted due to her injured leg.

“Why?”

Kang-hyuk was just as exhausted, barely able to breathe even while giving short responses.

“I think we need to take that guy down,” Yeon said, pointing her sword toward the masked Wae Pirate.

Two of the men fighting him had already fallen. Could three people handle an enemy that five struggled against?

“Ugh.”

In the blink of an eye, another fell. They were, after all, just scholars from the local school, not trained fighters. They were fundamentally different from these seasoned swordsmen.

“Damn it.”

Kang-hyuk realized that if Chang-gwon fell, he and Yeon would be next. The murderous glances the masked pirate kept throwing their way made that all too clear—likely because Kang-hyuk and Yeon had already killed over ten pirates between them.

“Let’s go, you bastard,” Kang-hyuk muttered, his eyes on the masked pirate.

“Yes, Young Master,” Yeon replied with a nod, her voice filled with determination. She seemed to have forgotten the pain, adrenaline likely dulling her senses.

“Ugh.”

Even as Kang-hyuk and Yeon charged forward, another of their allies collapsed. The masked pirate’s sword, old and worn, finally snapped at the tip and flew off. Now, only Chang-gwon remained standing against him, his blood-soaked arm hanging limp and his stance faltering like a candle in the wind.

“Hyah!”

Yeon shouted deliberately as she swung her sword, trying to draw the pirate’s attention. Fortunately, it worked; her sharp voice, rare on the battlefield, caught the pirate’s ear.

“Onna (woman)?”

The masked pirate turned his head, blocking Yeon’s sword with a violent swing of his own.

*Whoosh.*

Kang-hyuk swung his bag almost simultaneously, but the pirate dodged skillfully, avoiding the blow.

“Thank you,” Chang-gwon said weakly, grateful for the momentary reprieve.

Kang-hyuk, still swinging his bag at the pirate, replied breathlessly, “We need to deal with this guy first.”

“Indeed,” Chang-gwon agreed, narrowing his eyes as he glanced behind them. They were barely managing to hold their ground. If the masked pirate broke free, total annihilation would follow swiftly. Steeling himself, Chang-gwon adjusted his grip on his sword. His stance seemed odd, but neither Kang-hyuk nor Yeon noticed.

“Over there!” someone suddenly shouted in a joyous voice.

*Thud, thud, thud, thud.*

The ground shook as the sound of galloping horses filled the air. Shin Rip’s cavalry was approaching, hundreds of mounted soldiers charging toward the village. True to their reputation as Joseon’s elite cavalry, their momentum was overwhelming. Pirates scattered across the fields fell like autumn leaves.

“…..”

Even the masked pirate seemed momentarily stunned, his eyes fixed on the cavalry. Then, with an even more menacing aura, he surged forward.

“Minna shine (everyone, die)!”

Other pirates, seemingly inspired by his ferocity, began attacking wildly. Perhaps resigned to death, they fought like madmen, causing casualties to skyrocket on both sides.

“Have they gone insane?”

The masked pirate, too, seemed utterly indifferent to his own life, swinging his sword with reckless abandon. Kang-hyuk narrowly avoided death several times, saved only by his absurdly durable bag-shield.

*Thunk.*

The pirate’s blade struck the bag, only to bounce off harmlessly.

“Nanda kore (what is this)!” the pirate exclaimed, stumbling backward. His stagger suggested the impact had been significant.

Chang-gwon seized the opening, charging at the pirate.

“Urk.”

The pirate hastily swung his sword, slicing Chang-gwon’s hand and causing him to drop his weapon. But Chang-gwon didn’t stop. Dragging his battered body forward, he wrapped his arms around the pirate in a tight embrace.

“Stab him!” Chang-gwon yelled.

“Sorry?” Kang-hyuk responded in shock.

“Stab him! If you don’t, we all die here!”

The surrounding fields, filled with paddies, were slowing the cavalry’s approach. It would take time for them to reach the village. If they didn’t kill the masked pirate now, their side would be wiped out in the meantime.

Yeon’s sword trembled as she aimed it, her eyes darting nervously to Kang-hyuk.

‘Damn it.’

As a doctor, Kang-hyuk had faced life-and-death situations before, but this was different. He had never been forced to make the decision to kill someone.

“Ahh!”

While he hesitated, another villager was struck down. They needed to end the fight quickly to help the others.

‘Damn it!’

Kang-hyuk finally nodded.

“Do it!”

“Yes, Young Master,” Yeon said, her expression hardening as she stepped behind Chang-gwon.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Taking a deep breath, she drove her sword through Chang-gwon’s back, piercing straight through to the pirate.

“Ugh.”

“Argh.”

Both Chang-gwon and the pirate groaned in unison. When Yeon withdrew her blade, the masked pirate, who had seemed almost invincible, began to collapse to the side.

“Khha…”

Dark red foam spilled from his mouth. While he wasn’t dead yet, he would never rise again.

“Are you alright?” Kang-hyuk and Yeon rushed to Chang-gwon.

Chang-gwon weakly shook his head as blood poured from his mouth.

“Help… them… help the others,” he gasped.

“Yeon, go. I’ll stay with him,” Kang-hyuk said firmly.

“Yes, Young Master!” Yeon replied, running off without hesitation.