Free The Story of Hong Gildong by Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Minsoo Kang Page B

would you leave me alone when there are wolves about?”
    The youth laughed and addressed him. “How could a true man like you be afraid of mere wolves? If you are truly frightened, go in yourself and I will wait for you.”
    The general replied, “I like the confident way you speak. Go ahead and take account of the enemy’s strength quickly. Do not forget that we will achieve greatness if we succeed at this.”
    The youth smiled at him without responding and went swiftly into the mountain, leaving the general alone. As the sun set and the moon rose in the east, wolves appeared in all directions. The general became increasingly fearful, yet he could do nothing but embrace a large tree and wait for the youth to return. Suddenly, deafening noises reverberated through the air and tens of soldiers appeared, descending from the mountain. The general regarded them with terror as he saw that they were men of fearsome appearance. He tried to flee but soon found himself surrounded on all sides.
    The soldiers addressed him. “Are you Yi Heup, the Supreme General of the Police Bureau? We were ordered by our general to capture you, so we were wandering about looking for you. But we did not expect to run into you here.”
    They put him in chains and led him forward like the wind so that he could hear nothing but the sound of air passing by. Forced to run for tens of
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until they arrived at a stone gate, the general was utterly disoriented by his sudden fall into danger. Beyond the gate, he was taken through a vast land where sunlight shone, a place that had the appearance of a supernatural realm beyond the world of the living.
    He thought to himself, “I have been captured by men who came out of nowhere and brought me to this strange place, so what hope do I have of getting out alive?” When he managed to regain some of his composure, he looked around and saw a beautiful palace illuminated by a serene light. Countless soldiers wearing yellow caps stood about in a dignified manner with serious expressions on their faces. The general could not tell whether he was present there in his body, or if he had died and it was only his soul that was in the wondrous world. Suddenly, a loud sound issued before him. Many soldiers grabbed him and made him kneel before a high throne. The general could do nothing but stay still and await his fate.
    From the palace, a great king dressed in a silk robe and a jade belt appeared and sat on the throne before reprimanding him loudly. “How dare such a small and insignificant person as you presume to go after General Hong? You have aroused the fury of the mountain spirits of the eight provinces, who have ordered, ‘Send the wretch to the Palace of the Ten Kings, 65 where he will be indicted for his crimes and cast into the underworld. He has deceived his monarch with his nonsense, so he must pay for the transgression and his progeny must be kept under watch.’ So off to the underworld with you.” The king ordered those around him, “Take this criminal and imprison him in the underworld.”
    Tens of soldiers rushed to obey his command and began to bind the general as he pleaded, “I am but an insignificant person who has been condemned even though I am innocent of any crime. So I beg you on my hands and knees to spare me from the underworld.” He began to weep. Those around him laughed with their mouths covered.
    Another admonition came from the king. “You silly man, how can the Mansion of the Underworld, the Palace of the Ten Kings, and the House of Darkness 66 exist in this world? Lift up your head and look at me. I am none other than Hong Gildong, the leader of Hwalbindang. In your ignorance, you thought presumptuously that you were capable of catching me. So I decided to test your strength by appearing to you yesterday as a youth in a blue robe. And then I brought you here.”
    He ordered the general’s restraints to be undone and