Gagak Panji twisted its horse and jumped high, somersaulting in the air, darting down like an arrow towards the man with the tiger’s fangs. The left palm of Gagak Panji expands and then pushes the cold wind that infiltrates the opponent’s chest. A harsh curse was heard from the person with the fang-necklace while avoiding the cold wind released by Gagak Panji.
“Tobil dempet! Who do you think you are that dares to face me, Ki Bajang Saloka, the ruler of the Argopuro forest!” snapped Ki Bajang Saloka.
Gagak Panji slid fast again, this time its three-notched dagger emitted a cold wind and made Ki Bajang Saloka’s skin sting. Again this person cursed Gagak Panji when his chest could almost be reached by the weapon of the Demak officer. His skin had been torn apart and bleeding even though the tip of the dagger did not reach his chest, at that time the cold energy coming out from Gagak Panji had pierced through his defenses.
Ki Bajang Saloka jumped back and forth very far, then stood up straight and circulated his gaze around him. Some of his followers had rolled over the latitude, while others had been under the close guard of the Lasem warriors. While compressing his chest to relieve the tightness caused by Gagak Panji’s core energy push, he said, “Ki Sanak, I’m not a coward! I warn you and you, Lasem soldiers, not to stop our group’s efforts to find a mouthful of food!”
This section is translated from Rencana Penaklukan
A soldier who wore the rank of non-commissioned soldier then laughed, then he said, “Ki Bajang Saloka, without reducing respect for you as a highly knowledgeable and respected person, your words sound funny to me.” He was silent for a moment, then, “How can you deprive others of the right to keep you alive?”
“Everyone has different paths and ways from each other, Ki Lurah. I take the reward of keeping everyone who crosses this forest safe, and neither are you. You take wages from farmers and traders who are in your own territory,” Ki Bajang Saloka said with sharp eyes.
Gagak Panji laughed amused in his heart when he heard Ki Bajang Saloka speak. But he could see the truth behind the bandit leader’s words. “Ki Bajang Saloka,” reprimanded Gagak Panji. He shifted a step forward and then said again, “Are you going to continue this fight or are you going to leave us all? I’m waiting for a firm answer from you, not an endless debate.”
Ki Bajang Saloka’s face turned red with anger and embarrassment. Then he turned his body and said, “Remember by you on this day. I will return to make Lasem like embers.”
Some of the soldiers were about to attack, but Gagak Panji waved to them to let Ki Bajang Saloka leave them. With confused faces, they obeyed the orders of Gagak Panji. Then the Village Head asked, “I’m sorry, Ki Rangga. How did Ki Rangga take him off?”
“So that he can tell today’s incident to a person higher than him. And so that they know that Lasem does not stand alone. He certainly heard that I was the rangga of Jipang. One or two breakthroughs that I made will certainly bring a different impression to him,” explained Gagak Panji. Then he asked them to quickly treat the injured and then proposed to the soldier chief to immediately return to Lasem.
“By bringing some of the injured people including the Ki Bajang herd, I think we will arrive across the forest at night,” said Ki Lurah. “I think it’s safer for us to spend the night in this place, Ki Rangga. A little hiding place can certainly help us compared to walking through the forest. Their group has a settlement not far from this place. It was only a coincidence that we fought against them in this field.” Then Ki Lurah told the beginning of the group meeting he led with the Ki Bajang Saloka herd.
Gagak Panji took a deep breath, then said, “Alright. We are spending the night here.” They end up spreading on the ground that is not so airy. The task was divided among them. Some soldiers get an assignment from the leader of their group to treat their wounded friend. Some were in charge of burying fallen soldiers and then taking care of the bodies of Ki Bajang Saloka’s men. While some others enter the forest to hunt rabbits or animals that can be eaten later.
After a while, they gathered. In that situation, Gagak Panji sat in a row of low-ranking soldiers. He refused to sit side by side with the chief of soldiers..
“Please Ki Rangga give orders and messages to all of us, because Ki Rangga is the highest soldier in this group even though Ki Rangga is not a Lasem soldier,” said the chief of soldiers.
“No, Ki Lurah Sanggamurti. Even though I was wearing Jipang soldier clothes, I was free from duty,” replied Gagak Panji.
“Is Ki Rangga on a secret or undercover assignment?” asked Ki Lurah Sanggamurti.
Gagak Panji chuckled and then said, “Ki Lurah, with clothes that clearly show that I am a soldier of course I am not in the duties you mentioned. But I wear this outfit so that there is no misunderstanding in every area that I will pass through, while Tuban is still a few days away.”
Ki Lurah Sanggamurti also laughed with relief because he realized that the situation around Lasem to Tuban was like embers in the chaff. At least, according to Ki Sanggamurti’s mind, Gagak Panjiwill not have difficulty passing through every guard substation in every boundary of the districts in the Lasem area. Then he ordered his men to sit in a circle and began to give the necessary messages and directions to pass the night in the forest that was under the control of the bandits.
The sun was so round that it was visible and scorching red when the group of Lasem soldiers sat in a circle. Gagak Panji nodded slightly when he heard Ki Sanggamurti’s order to his men not to start a fire. He agreed to the idea because Ki Bajang Saloka could attack them at any time.
Darkness slowly creeps over the slopes of Argapura, the sky goes dark and the wind blows strongly. Occasionally lightning was seen striking in the sky, but the rain did not wet the ground.
Ki Lurah Sanggamurti – who sits close to Gagak Panji – is being bullied by doubts. Actually, he wanted to ask a few questions, but he was still not convinced of Gagak Panji, who might be on the opposite side of him. Repeatedly he sighed, and Gagak Panji was not unaware of the atmosphere experienced by Ki Sanggamurti but he chose to remain silent.
On that occasion, finally Ki Lurah Sanggamurti dared to ask, “Ki Rangga, will Ki Rangga stop by to meet the Duke of Lasem?”
“I have no plans to meet him,” replied Gagak Panji shortly.
Ki Sanggamurti felt that he could not find another way to talk about many things with Gagak Panji, then he dissolved his feelings following the night.
Suddenly Gagak Panji said, “But I will meet Ki Tumenggung Badra Lodaya. Of course I will tell him that I have fought with his valiant men on the battlefield.”
Ki Lurah Sanggamurti nodded his head and felt a little loose in his chest. It turned out that the person who was talking to him seemed to know their leader. But he still kept himself from wanting to be asked. He hissed in his heart, “At least tonight the safety of my men is more secure. I have to thank him for that.”
“Ki Rangga, I am grateful for the help that Ki Rangga gave us when facing the Ki Bajang Saloka group. If Ki Rangga does not intervene immediately, of course there will be more casualties on our side,” said Ki Lurah Sanggamurti humbly.
“Ah, forget it. I just do what a soldier should do. Moreover, all of you are good people, so I think I should give you the best help I can for you,” sighed Gagak Panji.
Hearing the words of Gagak Panji, Ki Sanggamurti nodded his head. Then he asked himself to arrange his soldiers to guard and also invited Gagak Panji to take a break first.
“Please, Ki Lurah. I rest in this place, we take turns to monitor the situation,” said Gagak Panji after the Ki Lurah Sanggamurti conveyed his intention. After leaving the head of the soldiers, Gagak Panji lay down on the grass and tried to close his eyes. The night was getting darker and the occasional light of lightning illuminated the surroundings where they spent the night.
