by Translated
After a time, they all arrived with thousands of horses and cattle, and they all prostrated themselves before Gildong to give him thanks. “General, not even a supernatural spirit could fathom your strange magic and marvelous powers.”
Gildong laughed and replied, “As a true man making his way in the world, I would not have dared to take on the position of your leader if I did not possess such talents.”
He then commanded spirits and food to be brought and invited the men to partake in them, which brought them much joy. The next day, he organized a great feast, after which they took account of all the treasures they had stolen, which turned out to be enormous in value. He then distributed rewards to his men and created the name of Hwalbindang54 for their village.
He addressed all the bandits. “We will go forth across the eight provinces of Joseon55 and seize wealth that was ill-gotten, but we will also help the impoverished and the oppressed by giving them goods. And we will do so without ever revealing our identities. We will go after the powerful who obtained their riches by squeezing the common people and take away their unjustly gained possessions.”
At this time, the soldiers of Hapcheon County traveled for tens of ri through the northward path in search of the outlaws, but they could find no trace of them. When they realized that there was nothing they could do, they returned to the government office and informed the astonished magistrate of their failure.
The magistrate sent a report to the office of the provincial governor. “Hundreds of criminals came out of nowhere and attacked Haein Temple in broad daylight and took away all its treasures. I sent out soldiers, but they could not find them. I am reporting this news to request that you dispatch the police to apprehend them.”
The provincial governor was startled by the report, so he forwarded it to the king himself, who became worried and sent out a pronouncement across the eight provinces. “Whether you are a nobleman or a commoner, if you catch these outlaws I will reward you with great wealth and make you the lord of ten thousand households.”
The pronouncement created a great stir as all those who read it aspired to catch the criminals.
One day, Gildong summoned his men and addressed them. “Whatever happens, we must not forget that we are still people of this country. When the time comes, we will do whatever is necessary to demonstrate our loyalty. We may be outlaws living in a mountainside hideout, but we will not commit acts of treason by stealing the property of the common people or inflicting harm on them. Nor will we take treasures being sent to the capital or money and grain being collected by the government.56 From now on, all members of Hwalbindang57 will abide by our great laws, and those of you who engage in unrighteous deeds will be dealt with through military law. So make sure none of you bring such guilt upon yourself.”
All the bandits acquiesced to his command as one.
Several months passed before Gildong summoned them again. “Now that our storehouse is empty, I mean for us to go to the administrative center of Hamgyeong Province58 and take the grain and arms out of its warehouse. Travel there individually, steal discreetly into the citadel, and hide within until a fire is set outside the south gate. When the governor, his officials, and other people leave the citadel to deal with the fire, take advantage of their absence to locate the grain and arms and carry them out. But do not touch a single piece of property that belongs to the common people.”
Then Gildong and sixty of his men went forth, dressed in disguises. On the third watch59 of an appointed night, he went to the south gate of the citadel and ordered his men to gather dry straw and make a massive pile. They then set it on fire. As light from the flames soared into the sky, people rushed about in agitation, not knowing what to do.
At this moment Gildong went to the governor’s hall and shouted out, “The royal tomb60 is on fire. The officials and guards there have all perished, so I bid you to put out the fire quickly.”
When the governor was awakened by those words, he became terrified. He hurriedly got up and saw the firelight reach the sky, so he summoned all the servants and everyone else in the citadel, men and women, young and old, and led them to the tomb, leaving not a single guard at the storehouse. Gildong led his men as they opened up the building, loaded the grain onto horses and cattle, and left through the north gate of the citadel. He then used his magic to decrease the distance between them and their village, so that after riding all night they reached their destination just as light dawned in the east.
Gildong addressed the bandits. “We have committed a criminal act that will be reported to the capital, so they will surely come after us. I worry that when they fail to catch us, innocent people will be blamed and executed. If that were to happen, we would be responsible. To prevent such a course, I will write up a notice that reads ‘The grain and arms in the storehouse were stolen by Hong Gildong, the leader of Hwalbindang,’ and display it on the gate of the Hamgyeong Province administrative center.”
All the bandits were shocked to hear those words. “General, why would you invite misfortune upon yourself?”
Gildong laughed and replied, “Do not worry, my soldiers. I have a plan to evade capture, of course. So stop arguing and do as I command.”
The bandits’ concern was not allayed, but they dared not disobey him. They took the notice he had written and waited until darkness fell before they put it up on the gate. That night, Gildong fashioned eight human figures out of straw and cast a magic spell that imbued each of them with a spirit. At once, the eight straw men sprouted arms and began talking loudly as they transformed themselves into eight Gildongs. As they joined their maker in speaking chaotically among themselves, none could tell which among the nine was the true Gildong.
All the bandits laughed and applauded. “The general possesses marvelous magical skills that not even a supernatural spirit could fathom.”
Gildong gave each of the eight straw Gildongs five hundred men to command and ordered them to go forth to the eight provinces. After they fitted themselves with traveling clothes and equipment and went on their way, Gildong lay down to rest at Hwalbindang. The straw men themselves could not tell which among them was the true Gildong.
Meanwhile, the governor of Hamgyeong Province returned from putting out the fire and was met by a soldier in charge of guarding the storehouse, who hurriedly reported to him, “While the citadel was empty, thieves took all the grain and arms in the storehouse and left.”
The astounded governor immediately mobilized his soldiers and sent them after the criminals, but there was no sign of them anywhere.
Suddenly, a soldier from the north gate reported to him. “Someone put up a notice on the gate.”
The governor read it and spoke out. “There is an outlaw by the name of Hong Gildong in Hamgyeong Province. Go forth and apprehend him.” He also sent a report to the central government.
The king reacted by speaking out. “I will reward whoever catches Hong Gildong.”61 And he ordered another pronouncement to be put up on all four gates of the capital: “I will grant great wealth and the lordship of ten thousand households to whoever captures Gildong.”
Gildong remained at Hwalbindang while his straw men led bandits in each of the eight provinces. They traveled from one town to another, stealing gift treasures,62 sending dirt and pebbles flying at their pursuers until they could not see or breathe, and opening up the doors of storehouses to take away grain and riches. Stories of such deeds spread quickly among the people, so that they could hardly sleep at night from anxiety.
Official reports from all eight provinces arrived at the capital. “The outlaw known as Hong Gildong transports himself by summoning a wind spirit and flying about on a cloud. He has taken treasures from high officials in every town. The situation has become extremely serious, but no one seems capable of catching him. So we beg Your Majesty to investigate this matter and see about apprehending him at last.”
The kin
g finished reading and became greatly concerned. When he reread the reports more carefully, he realized that the dates and times of the outlaw’s activities were identical in all eight provinces, which worried him even more.
He let out a sigh and spoke out. “Not even the Supreme King of Cho63 and Jegal Gongmyeong64 could match the strength and magical powers of this bandit. What wondrous skills does he possess that he can commit these acts in all eight provinces on the same day and at the same time? This is no ordinary criminal. Who will go forth and arrest this bandit, to relieve the country of its worry and to protect its people from harm?”
Someone stepped forth from the ranks of court officials and addressed the king. “He is but an insignificant criminal. He may go about the eight provinces causing trouble with magical trickery, but this is no matter for Your Majesty to be concerned about. I may be a person of modest talents, but if you will grant me command over a company of soldiers I will capture Hong Gildong and arrest all the other bandits as well. And so I will allay our country’s anxiety.”
All those present before the king looked upon the speaker and saw that it was Yi Heup, Supreme General of the Police Bureau.
The king was pleased and quickly granted him hundreds of soldiers to command before addressing him. “I already know you to be a clever man, so I feel sufficiently unburdened of my worry. Take care of yourself as you go forth to apprehend the outlaw.”
Yi Heup went out and instructed his soldiers to scatter and travel individually to the city of Mungyeong in Gyeongsang Province where they would rendezvous on an appointed day. He then set off on the journey himself. He traveled fifty ri before it began to grow dark, so he went into a tavern to rest. Suddenly, a youth dressed in a blue robe appeared, riding a donkey and accompanied by a boy servant. When the newcomer came in, the general of the police stood up and exchanged polite greetings with him before they both found places to sit. After a while, the general heard the youth let out a sigh, so he questioned him. “What troubles such a distinguished youth as yourself?”
The youth answered, “They say that all things under heaven belong to the king, and that all people are the subjects of their sovereign. I may only be a rural scholar, but I too am a loyal subject of the country.”
The general spoke. “So what concerns you about our country?”
The youth replied, “An outlaw by the name of Hong Gildong is causing so much trouble across the eight provinces that high officials in every town can hardly sleep. The king has become so worried that he has sent word everywhere that he will grant an important post to anyone who captures the outlaw. I am too weak to do so by myself, and it saddens me that I cannot find someone to aid me on this quest.”
The general addressed him. “You have a valiant spirit and appearance, and you speak in an upright manner. I am a person of little talent, but I want to give you whatever help I can. The two of us should collaborate to achieve the goal of apprehending the criminal and so relieve the country of its worry.”
The youth replied, “They say that the bandit possesses superhuman courage as well as the strength of many men, so we should combine our forces to catch him. Or else much harm could come to us.”
The general spoke. “As true men, once we swear loyalty to each other we can never go back on it, even in the face of death.”
The youth addressed him. “I have been trying to catch that criminal by myself, unable to find a courageous man to work with, so I have been feeling dejected. But now that I have met you, I am no longer concerned. I wish to test your strength, so please follow me.”
The youth led the general to a place where there was a lofty rock and they climbed up to its top.
He sat down and spoke to the general. “Kick me with full force, so that I may know your strength.”
As the general stared at the youth sitting on the edge of the rock, he thought to himself, “Even if this youth possesses the power to move a mountain, he will surely tumble down if I kick him.” And so he hit him with both legs, using all his strength.
But the youth merely moved his body to one side and spoke. “You are truly a mighty man. I have tested many people already, but none could move me from my position. But after you kicked me I could feel my organs vibrate and my body shiver, so I know that you are a man of tremendous power. There is no question that the two of us will catch Gildong. If you follow me again we are bound to succeed at the task. So come.”
The youth led him up to a place of many mountains. The general followed until he found himself in a rough terrain full of thickly growing trees, where he lost all sense of direction.
The youth spoke to him. “Over there is Gildong’s lair. I will go in first and find out the enemy’s strength, so wait here for me.”
The startled general objected. “We agreed to face life and death together before we came here, so why 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 ri 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 unde
rworld.” 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 Darkness66 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 invited him into the palace, where he sat him down and offered him spirits. “Ten thousand of the likes of you could not possibly capture me. I could kill you so that you would not see the world again, but there is no reason for me to harm such a lowly person as you. I will also let you live because you were acting under the king’s order. But I will punish you if you tell anyone that you saw me. Do not speak of what you have experienced here, and appreciate the favor I am granting you by sparing your life. If you should encounter anyone who speaks ill of me, warn that person of his folly lest he also fall for my trickery.”
Three more people who had been captured were brought to the stairs of the palace and made to kneel.
Gildong reprimanded them. “Listen to me well. You blindly followed Yi Heup in trying to apprehend me. I could kill you all as a warning to others as foolish as you. But since I have already decided to spare your leader, I will do the same for you. I will let you live, but if you should ever act beyond your station again, I will find you and kill you without even moving from my seat. Do not forget this, and act sensibly from now on.” And he ordered his men to release the three captives from their restraints as well.
He offered them all spirits before consoling the general. “I give you this cup of spirits as a sign of my affection for you.”
It was only then that the general, moving himself to sit properly before Gildong, managed to gather his wits enough to see that he had been with the youth in the blue robe all along. As he finally realized how he had been fooled so thoroughly, he put his head down and could not say a word. He dared not refuse the spirits offered by Gildong, so he took them until he became drunk. As Gildong talked to him in a pleasant manner, the general could only marvel at his powers.