The group approached the only river near the village. It's not that wide actually, a bit smaller than a river and a bit bigger than a stream.
Son Oh Gong observed the water with Seo Mijin beside him doing the same.
"This is not an ordinary river," both of them said.
They looked at each other, surprised, especially Son Oh Gong. It's not always to have someone see exactly what he sees.
"You're seeing what I'm seeing?" Again, both of them asked at the same time.
This is weird. Son Oh Gong thought.
Seo Mijin gestured that she speak first. "What do you see?"
Stubborn, Son Oh Gong asked back, "No. You tell me first what you see."
Seo Mijin sighed. "There's an another dimension beneath the river. I think it's sort of a dimensional pocket." She looked to Son Oh Gong boredly. "Happy?"
Son Oh Gong shrugged. "It's just rare for me to meet someone who sees what I see."
"Neither do I," Mijin agreed. "We can't enter this dimension without permission. What do we need?"
Son Oh Gong grinned. "Not what but who."
Mawang inserted into their conversation out of nowhere. "Uhm Junghwa, of course."
As the master of pranks and tricks, Son Oh Gong has a plan.
----------
Uhm Junghwa yawned in boredom. She has finished reminding the villagers for their quarterly offering to her master and was back to manning the village square.
She sees some villagers walking here and there for the event when she heard someone scream, "EVERYONE! ILWOO IS BACK!"
Everyone's eyes bulged including Junghwa's.
This can't be happening.
She knew Ilwoo. He's the son of Jung Nara, one of the village's market vendor. And she was sure Ilwoo was taken almost 5 years ago.
She ran to where the people gathered-- Nara's residence.
The door was closed and locked.
"Nara-ssi! Let us see Ilwoo!"
"Is he alone? Was anyone with him?"
"Nara-ssi! We saw Ilwoo there! Open the door!"
The villagers continue to pester Nara to open the door.
Junghwa pushed the people aside until the door was right in front of her.
The villagers didn't know that she wasn't human. They thought she was an ordinary priestess for the river god but they were wrong. She was a minor demon. With her powers, she unlocked the door from the inside and slammed the door open.
Inside, they saw Jung Nara embracing Ilwoo, her now 10-year-old son.
Junghwa saw that Ilwoo and Nara were shaking.
I have to take care of this mess.
"Everyone, please prepare for the offering," she said. And when someone tried to talk to Ilwoo, she faced them and glared their eyes at them. "NOW!" And with that, they all left.
She turned to the mother and son and smiled menacingly. "Ilwoo-ya," she enterd their house and approached them. "How did you get here?"
Ilwoo's tears started streaming down his cheeks and cried to Nara as he hugged her tighter, as if he knew he was going to be taken away from her again, "Eomma..."
Master Tae Soo is going to punish me if he discovers one child escaped.
Junghwa saw that the boy was weak physically and emotionally. Well, he has to be if he escaped from there.
Junghwa stood straighter. "Ilwoo-ya, if you don't want your mother, or all the villagers, to be hurt, you will have to come with me."
"NO!" Nara answered strongly while tightening her embrace on her son. "You will not take him!"
Junghwa smirked. I missed this fun.
With her powers, she started flinging objects here and there, destroying them in the process-- plates, appliances, picture frames, chairs, tables, everything.
Mother and son continued to hold each other as if life depended on it.
She only stopped when there's nothing she could break anymore.
"Now," she spoke. "Ilwoo-ya, before I destroy your mother's life, like all these things you see here, you will come with me."
Shaking, Ilwoo started to free himself from his mothers arms.
"Ilwoo-ya, no," her mother plead. "Please, no."
"Eomma," Ilwoo cried. "I have to go. I can't let you die, eomma."
He sniffed his tears back and walked towards Junghwa's extended hand and held it.
Together they exited the house and headed for the river.
Ilwoo was unsuccessful to hold his tears back. He continued to cry and quietly called for his mom.
Junghwa held his hand tighter. "Shut up or I'll break this arm of yours."
At that, Ilwoo started to focus more on calming himself and he did.
"How did you escape anyway?" Junghwa asked out of curiosity.
The boy only shook his head.
Junghwa shrugged. He'll probably start crying again if I push him to talk. Psh. Pussy.
She brought the boy to secluded part of the river, away from the sight of the villagers. Junghwa sighed in relief. "Doesn't this bring you the memories of when I first brought you here? You were crying exactly just like this, just 5 years younger."
Ilwoo didn't answer.
Hm, smart boy.
"Are you serving Master Taesoo well? How about the others?" Junghwa chuckled. "Tell him I'll visit after the quarterly offering."
She touched the water and a portal appeared. "Go back now. And don't you dare escape again."
Ilwoo hesitated but nodded nonetheless to what she said and jumped to through.
Once he has gone, she took her hand from the water and dried them on her skirt.
She sighed. She's got an offering to plan to.
------------
Once Junghwa was out of sight, Mawang shuddered. "That crazy monkey is really good in acting. Even I was almost comvinced he was Ilwoo." He shuddered again and turned to Secretary Ma. "Remind me not to be too harsh to that monkey. I don't want him doing that to me."
Secretary Ma laughed. "The Great Sage won't do that to you, Mawang-nim. He adores you, too."
Mawang noticed Seo Mijin looking intently on the water. "He'll be okay, Mijin-ssi."
Mijin looked startled at the sudden attempt of comforting. She gave a small smile. "I know. I'm just not used to be the one waiting. It's usually me who makes other people wait."
Mawang chuckled. "I totally understand. But sometimes, you gotta experience the waiting. Even that crazy thug is also waiting to find someone. He needed this action to let some of his steam go."
Seo Mijin looked like she didn't fully comprehend what Mawang said and wanted to ask for more but stopped herself. Instead, she only nodded in agreement.
Mawang smiled inside. Seo Mijin is one smart girl.
---------
Son Oh Gong shrugged off his disguise as Ilwoo. He had to use all his will to stop himself from killing Uhm Junghwa.
That woman will have to wait. First things first.
He looked around. The place he was in looled like the inside of a big cave tunnel. There were lit torches along the walls as they lead to different hallways and along the hallways were doors.
He randomly entered in one.
Son Oh Gong found himself inside a poorly lit bedroom. There was no single window and the only source of light is the single torch on the right wall. It also had a bathroom without a door to the right.
This Taesoo is making me sick. Keeping the children in a place like this... he deserves to die.
He thought he was alone until someone spoke, "Who are you?"
Son Oh Gong turned to the corner opposite of the bed, it was where the voice came from.
This is one hell of a coincidence. He thought.
It wasn't just any kid he walked into. It was Jung Ilwoo, the kid he impersonated.
He approached Ilwoo who was sitting on the floor. "Hey... I know you."
The kid looked confused. "You know me? How?"
"I know your mom, "Son Oh Gong told him. "I was sent by her to save you and the other kids."
Ilwoo's eyes started to water. "My eomma... is she okay? Is she eating well?"
Son Oh Gong nodded.
"That's relief," Ilwoo said mostly to himself. "That's a relief."
"Ilwoo-ya," Son Oh Gong called the kid. "Before I save you, you have to tell me where Taesoo is."
Ilwoo, again, seemed confused and scared.
I know your scared, kid, but now is not the time to be defeated by fear.
Son Oh Gong elaborated, "You aren't truly safe yet unless that demon is killed. You understand me?"
At that, Ilwoo nodded and wiped his tears away. Determination shone on his face as he stood up with Son Oh Gong.
"I'll take you to him," Ilwoo stated. "I'll tell you his weakness."
Son Oh Gong smirked evilly. "You don't have to tell me." He started to feel his energy zapping along his body. He almost forgot that killing evil spirits feel this good. "I'll figure it out myself."