The Cursed One : The Darkside of The World

Entering The Enemy's House

"What happened to my mother and my house, uncle Jang?" Airi asked while continuing to walk in hurry behind Uncle Jang while Jin follows behind both of them.

"I'll explain everything later in my house." Uncle Jang said while looking around as if he was afraid of someone.

Jin smells something fishy, his intuition tells if there is something suspicious about the burned house incident. He thinks if it was having relation with the debt that Airi's family have.

The three of them rush to enter Uncle Jang's house.

"Eomma..." Airi immediately hugs her mother that laying on the bed, her mother seems weak and unconscious.

"I am sorry, Airi. I couldn't do anything, this is the only thing that I can do." Uncle Jang said in sadness.

"What happened, Mister?" Jin asked as Airi still crying and tries to wake her mother up.

"Kang Han Ja. It's all because of him. His men come to her house early in the morning. I believe they are asking Sumi to pay the debt." Uncle Jang explained. Sumi is the name of Airi's mother that now is fainted.

Jin's prediction is correct, it's all not an accident and was related to the debt that Airi's family has.

"Uncle Jang, where is Hariri?" Airi asked Uncle Jang about her younger brother.

"They took him, Airi. I am sorry I couldn't do anything to stop them. Dozens of men are coming to your house, impossible for an old man like me to fight them all." Uncle Jang said his limitation.

Airi sits down helplessly, she doesn't know why Kang Han Ja did all of this to her family, she works so hard to pay the debt but they still did it to her family. Thinking all of that injustice makes Airi in rages, she wants to go to Kang Han Ja's place to take her younger brother back.

Jin tries to stop Airi, but she is insisting as her mind is already covered by wrath.

"Calm down, Airi." Jin continues to hold Airi's body.

"NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! I WILL KILL THEM TO GET MY BROTHER BACK!" Airi was in wrath and trying hard to escape from Jin's hand violently.

Jin doesn't have an option, he touches Airi's blood point and makes her pass out in no time. Jin immediately holds Airi's body to avoid falling to the floor. Uncle Jang stands still in admiration as he never thought that Airi's friend is a skilled martial artist.

"Mister, could you give me a hand?" Jin asked.

Uncle Jang immediately prepares a place to lay down Airi's body beside her passed-out mother and Jin the one who carrying Airi and lay her down beside her mother.

"Uncle, could you give me any information about Kang Han Ja? Don't worry, I won't put you into trouble." Jin asked Uncle Jang.

"Of course, young man. Kang Han Ja is the richest man in this village. I believe every villager has a debt to him. I also have debt and they took my farm, I only borrow 2 gold coins at the time, and within half a year my debt became 60 gold coins. I don't have any option except to let them take my farm." Uncle Jang said in sadness.

From inside Uncle Jang's house, a teenager comes out and brings a cup of water and puts it on the broken wooden table, the only table in the room.

"This is my son, Ah Jun. He is 13 years old by next month and the only hope of my life," Uncle Jang introduced his son before than teenager going to the back of the house again. "Come have a seat, young man. I only have this water, I hope you don't mind." Uncle Jang asked Jin to sit.

"No, not at all. Thank you, Uncle, I am thirsty anyway." Jin replied.

Jin accepts Uncle Jang's hospitality and sits on the chair carefully as he doesn't want to break the chair that looks old. After drinking the water, Jin continues to get information about Kang Han Ja from Uncle Jang.

"If Kang Han Ja was making suffer to all villagers and taking their lands by violence, why did no one report this matter to the sect that ruling the area?" Jin asked as he feels if the sect that rules the area should also be responsible for the safety of the villagers.

"Nobody dares to do it. Kang Han Ja is having a lot of bodyguards and a powerful backup, his brother, who is also the leader of Ajwa City guards, Kang Han Bak. With that kind of support, who will be able to challenge them? No one, young man. No one. We are only able to grieve and accept our fate." Uncle Jang said helplessly.

Jin thinking why his big brother does not do anything about this matter. He concluded that his big brother was not knowing about this issue that happening within his sect's territory. He plans to go to The Blue Wind sect's palace to meet with his big brother to inform him about this matter.

"Could you help me to show Kang Han Ja's house?" Jin asked.

"Kang Han Ja's house? What are you gonna do, young man? Don't throw your lives by fighting them. He has too many strong warriors as his guards." Uncle Jang said. He was afraid of the young man in front of him will blindly attack Kang Han Ja's house.

"Don't worry, Uncle. I don't want to suicide. I just want to see the situation." Jin said to erase Uncle Jang's worriedness.

"I will tell you if you say so. Kang Han Ja's house is located beside Jiling Lake. You just walk follow that road to the right then you'll meet a big lake, turn left and you'll arrive. It's easy to find as it is a big house, the only house in that area." Uncle Jang explained.

"Okay, Uncle Jang. Thank you for the information." Jin said while he stands up.

"Do you want to go there? Just be careful and please don't engage any problem with them." Uncle Jang seemed still worried about Jin's safety.

Jin only smiles at Uncle Jang and walks to Airi's fainted body. He presses her blood point and Airi is waking up, she starts to open her eyes. Uncle Jang is amazed again, he never looks at someone who doing blood pressure as Jin did.

"Young man, could you train my son so he can defend and protect himself?" Uncle Jang asked.

"I am sorry Uncle, I can not do that as I still have plenty of tasks to do. But, Let me try something else. I hope it works." Jin answered.

"What's happened to me?" Airi asked. Her voice interfered with Jin's and Uncle Jang's conversation. Both of them look at Airi.

"Airi, could you hand over your gold coin to me? If you trust me, I will try to bring your brother back." Jin said his intention.

Airi who still feels sleepy only nods and takes out a purse from inside her pocket. "This is all that I have." Airi said with a low tone.

Jin gets the purse and take 30 gold coins out of it and return the leftover to Airi.

"I only take 30 of your coins to pay your debt. You wait here, don't make any foolish decision to follow me. It's too dangerous." Jin said and he starts to walk outside.

"Young man, you want to challenge them? It's a foolish thing to do. Airi, please stop him." Uncle Jang kept trying to stop Jin.

"Jin! Wait! Jiin..." Airi tried to shout as hard as she could, but she is still weak enough and unable to stop Jin from moving away to Kang Han Ja's house. She feels guilty as she thinks if her last violent action was the reason for Jin to force himself to save her younger brother. 

***

After walking around 1000 steps following Uncle Jang's direction, Jin finally arrives at the edge of the village which was a vast and calm blue lake. The scenery was very beautiful with coconut trees all over the place. The white sand and calm wind make the lake a perfect place for taking a rest. Jin walks through the lakeshore and mesmerized by the clean water that makes the fist around the edge of the lake is visible. 

He thinks if this village should be prosperous if they can optimize the Jiling Lake for the goodness of the villager. He suddenly realizes that Kang Han Ja is the real problem for this village, but, he doesn't have any reason to eradicate Kang Han Ja and all of his men. His target right now is only to take Airi's younger brother back. As for this village, he planned to report to his big brother, Hyung Jae, to take the necessary action.

Jin finally sees a big and beautiful house that directly facing at Jiling Lake. He comes as close as possible to monitor the house from the top of a big tree. A few guards with weapons are seen monitoring around the house. 

He looks at a big and weird building in the back of the house, with small windows on the top and only has one door. His brain directly knows if it was the prison and Airi's brother probably is being detained in there. 

He jumps down of the tree and walks toward the front gate of Kang Han Ja's house, he comes intending to negotiate, not fight.

"Hey! Who are you?! What are you doing in here?! Go away before I kick your ass." A guard who held a spear asked in a threatening tone.

Jin raised both of his hands as a sign if he comes in peace. "I come to negotiate with Mr. Kang Han Ja. I bring the money to pay the debt." Jin said his purpose.

"Okay, wait here. I'll report to my boss first." That guard said and immediately went inside the house while one more guard still standby at the front gate and watch Jin's actions.

In a matter of a minute, the guard has come back and allowed Jin to enter the big house. Jin trailings the guard to a big pavilion made of expensive woods and polished well all the parts, something in contrast to Uncle Jang's house or every villager's house. A very big social gap between Kang Han Ja and the rest of the village.

Jin walks past many guards before he arrived in front of Kang Han Ja. He manages to keep his calmness although he is inside the enemy base. Kang Han Ja stares at Jin but he could not recognize the young man in front of him.

"My man said if you want to pay the debt but I don't recognize you. Who are you?" Kang Han Jan asked. He always remembers everyone who owes him the money.

Jin looks back at Kang Han Ja, a man that is smaller in height compared to ordinary men, he is just slightly taller than Jin when he was 8 years old. Although small enough, Jin knows that Kang Han Ja is a merciless and cruel one. His hard face tells it all. Kang Han Ja asked Jin while he feeds his pet in a big pool below him. His pets are two crocodiles of enormous size that can swallow an adult man with a single gulp.

"I come here to pay Mrs. Sumi's family debt and take her son back." Jin said in calmness without any fear at all.

"Mrs. Sumi's debt? Hmm... I remember her, her husband asked me to lend him some money to cure her," Kang Han Ja said. "How is she? Why she is not coming by herself?" He added.

Jin doesn't know whether Kang Han Ja is serious with his question or only mocking Mrs. Sumi's condition, but he feels if that question was very annoying.

"I believe you know her condition right now. Your men must have reported it to you." Jin answered.

"As a helper, you are very brave, young man," Kang Han Ja compliments Jin's bravery as he speaks calmly with him without any fear.