Once they have crossed the portal to Venom Mountain through the door, instantly, the view given to them was very different than the one they have been in.
"Venom Mountain," Mawang started. "In contrast to its name, it's actually very beautiful. I almost forgot how beautiful this place is."
"You've been here, Mawang-nim?" Secretary Ma asked.
He nodded. "She stole Cha Eun's fan before by disguising as me. I had to come here and retrieve it myself."
Son Oh Gong shook his head and tsked. "Such a troublemaker."
Mawang averted his gaze to him. "But still no match to yours."
Again, they followed Mijin's lead. Son Oh Gong honestly doesn't know much about the mountain and the land surrounding. Who knows what this place holds... given that it had such name.
After walking for a few hours, a tiny village appeared at their sight by the foot of the mountain.
Since it was about lunch time, they decided to visit the village and repack some necessities.
As they enter the village, they immediately noticed something was strange. They had to stop by the road entrance to observe. There were people here and there. A woman was watering the plants, another was hanging clothes on the clothesline, a man was feeding his chickens, an elderly was slowly walking past them..
"There's something strange here," General Frost spoke what was already in everyone's mind.
"Something's missing," Secretary Ma added.
Then it clicked to Son Oh Gong. "Not something... Someone." He listened more and found he was right.
"This village has no children." Seo Mijin stated for him.
At that, everyone listened for children playing or laughing or crying but they heard nothing. They also looked around more.
"How did this happen?" Mawang asked.
Looking closely, Son Oh Gong can see how gloomy the adults and elderly were in this village. Different kinds of sad expressions were in their faces: sorrow, regret, and most of all, guilt.
After making sure that nothing else was wrong, they started to walk into the village. As they pass by houses, all they see everywhere are adults and the elderly. Some of the elderly were just staring blankly into the sky-- as if all they could look forward to today was their death.
Son Oh Gong found himself walking beside Seo Mijin. He glanced at her and found her thinking deep. The air around her was very slightly charged. Is she annoyed? He looked closely. Ah. She's worried.
He went back to looking around. Everyone was too gloomy that they can't ask them what happened. They haven't even noticed that outsiders were walking in their midst.
Until they reached a small village plaza with a platform... On it was someone with a bright face who greeted them with hospitality. "Visitors! Hello, welcome to Heaven Reaching River Village. How can I help you?" Among everyone they saw, this womman looks about mid-20s to early 30s. The youngest they have seen so far.
"What's your name?" Mawang asked.
"Uhm Junghwa," she replied, beaming.
Son Oh Gong scrutinized the woman.
Why is this woman smiling so widely at us while her co-villagers are sorrowful?
"Hey, woman what happ---" before Som Oh Gong could ask about the children, Mawang intercepted him.
"We'd like to ask where your market is. We're travelers, you see. And our supplies are slowly dwindling," Mawang asked giving a polite smile to the woman.
"Oh, yes. Of course," the woman gave them directions to the market.
"Thank you," Mawang said before the group went to the directions she pointed.
Knowing that they're out of earshot from the woman, Son Oh Gong faced Mawang. "Don't you want to know what happened to this village??"
"Of course, I do," Mawang answered. "But didn't you feel the hostility beneath her hospitality?"
"I did, but I also knew I can take her."
"Yeah, and compromise the villagers." Mawanh sighed. "Your impatience is gonna be the death of these people. We should look around and maybe we might find what happened here."
They reached the market. It was a tiny market containing only four stalls of fruits and vegetables, and some meat.
General Frost and Secretary Ma went to the well near the woods that one of the vendors said had clean water.
Son Oh Gong, Mawang, and Seo Mijin approached the third vendor who was the least gloomy of the four.
She slightly smiled at them, just enough to be polite. "Good day, what do you need, sirs and madame?"
"Hello," Seo Mijin replied. She pointed some fruits and few vegetables.
Once the vendor finished packing the produce Seo Mijin picked, Mijin asked for the price and handed her her payment. "Keep the change, please."
The vendor gave a small smile. "Thank you."
"Excuse me, eomoni," Son Oh Gong started. "Mind to tell us what happened to your village?"
The vendor was obviously surprised. She scooted closer to them and whispered, "Did you perhaps come to save us?"
Son Oh Gong, Mawang, and Jin Seonmi looked at each other, questioning.
"We've been waiting for you to come," the vendor added. "This village has been long waiting for its heroes."
"What makes you say that we are this village's heroes?" Mawang asked.
"An elderly man visited here few years ago. He said that a group of people will come to our village and save us," she elaborated.
Son Oh Gong had a hunch. "Does this elderly man have a bamboo staff?"
The woman's eyes shone. "Yes! That's him! While he was here, he helped us with our vegetations since we were too down and dismayed with our children. However, he comforted us with the talks of our heroes. He said we will take back our children with their help. And here you are," she grasped Son Oh Gong's hands, with teary eyes. "Please, help us. This village has no future without the children."
"Tell us what happened," Son Oh Gong said.
The woman hurriedly closed shop and gathered the group into her home. She served them drinks. And when she was about to serve them food, Seo Mijin gently declined. "Please, keep your food for the coming back of your children. We brought ours so we'll be fine."
The woman smiled with gratitude and settled down with them in the dining room.
The members of the group took out each of their packed food and started eating while the woman started with her story.
10 years ago, this village was like any other village. Thriving, simple, and happy. We held special days for each of the deities we revere and because of that, we were rewarded and bountiful in produce. All until Uhm Junghwa came into our village.
We thought she was a traveler. We welcomed her as what any village would just so she can spread talks about our home. It turns out we were wrong.
The woman took a deep breath. She started prophesying about a deity of the river that we didn't recognize. At first, we didn't believe her. But then she sent three signs: drought for months, the death of our vegetations, and lastly the death of our livestock. Before she could send an epidemic, we believed her. Since then we begged her to take back her curse and asked what we could do to reverse it.
Tears started streaming down her face. She said that we should sacrifice one child for every quarter of the year. We wanted to leave but whoever tried, their child died. We didn't have a choice-- either they die or we offer--, a sob escaped her lips. Our poor children... They were treated like objects. Every quarter, Uhm Junghwa picked from a raffle as to who will be offered next. It was inhumane.
She started to sob. The group waited for her to calm down.
You see, our village is quite small. When there was no child left, she said we should offer to the river deity the first and best produce we get twice a year. Everybody avoided having a child. Since then, this village has been empty of laughter and spirit. We didn't live. We merely survived. Until you came.
She looked them in the eye, one by one. "Please, save this village."
Seo Mijin placed her hand on the woman's. "We will."
Son Oh Gong watched Seo Mijin convince the woman to go back to her stall before Uhm Junghwa notices her absence. At that, she left and the group was left alone.
"Hey, are we really going to help them? Do we have time for that?" Son Oh Gong asked Seo Mijin.
She squarely looked him in the eye. "Yes. We will and we have time. We can't just leave this village in its current state."
"Well, Son Oh Gong, she has point. This was not included in the mission but they are too pitiful to leave behind like this," Mawang agreed.
Son Oh Gong sighed and nodded. I saved the world once before. What difference will a little village make...
"Okay. If we're going to do this, then we have to meet this river deity."