Sawung Bumi School

The martial arts school appeared to be new. The signboard carved on a piece of wood still looked rough without an appealing finishing touch.

The entrance gate was not yet tightly secured as two workers were still busy lifting a wooden beam to complete the construction of the door.

Jagat Wengi arrived in the afternoon when the activities inside the school were still quiet. The two workers noticed him but soon returned to their tasks.

The name of the school was Sawung Bumi. Its grandmaster originated from Swarnadwipa (Sumatra), more commonly known as Bhumi Malayu.

Malayu excelled in trading across the Malacca Sea to Campa, China, and Mongolia. Their language was often used in trade relations among kingdoms, including during the reign of the Singosari Kingdom.

His arrival was a consequence of the Pamalayu expedition initiated by Kertanegara from 1279 to 1289 AD with the mission of conquest and building defense fortifications against the potential Mongol invasion.

The school arrived just before the rebellion of Jayakatwang against Singosari, which ultimately led to the revival of the once glorious Kediri Kingdom.

When preparing to attack Singosari, Jayakatwang ordered Rakryan Tumenggung, who was then held by Sabrang Panuluh, to request all schools within his jurisdiction to send their best students to join the Kediri forces.

Messengers were sent with official decrees from the kingdom. Some agreed, but some refused. One of the schools that refused was Sawung Bumi.

Sabrang Panuluh became angry and ordered Panggito to punish the disobedient school.

And today, the situation has reversed since the Mongols, along with Majapahit, attacked Kediri. The punishment for Sawung Bumi was somewhat forgotten because the one who issued the punishment became a fugitive.

Panggito continued the punishment in a different form, by asking Jagat Wengi to steal the school's sacred book.

Actually, Jagat Wengi had no business with the school, as it was related to the interests of the kingdom. However, what intrigued him was the loyalty of Sawung Bumi to Singasari, which was the conqueror of his homeland, Malayu.

He should have supported Kediri at that time, and his school would not have been disturbed like this.

After passing the two workers, Jagat Wengi went deeper into the school. Horses were tied to a post, with grass provided as their food. His plan was to meet the school's leader, who was usually the oldest student in the school.

It was not easy to meet the grandmaster directly unless someone truly talented came. Or a new challenger who immediately challenged the school's leader to a fight.

However, the chances of such a challenge being accepted were slim due to the strict procedures. Only students of the school could fight each other. Anyone else would be considered a troublemaker.

Silat experts who did not belong to any school often lived solitary lives. They secluded themselves in the mountains or moved from one village to another. Sometimes they sought employment as mercenaries or as guards for wealthy merchants.

He wondered about the fate of the students whose school was eliminated by Sabrang Panuluh. They were scattered because their master was captured and severely punished by the Bekel, as ordered by Sabrang Panuluh, until his death.

And he wondered why he was thinking about that. Perhaps it was because he often met with mercenaries in taverns, where they exchanged stories and experiences as fellow martial artists who were paid for their services. As for Jagat Wengi, he wasn't sure if he could be considered a martial artist because his skills were limited.

And he primarily relied on stealth and subterfuge rather than direct combat.

He hoped that Panggito would teach him additional knowledge as promised a week ago after they had taken Sawito's life. And as usual, the promises of officials were merely sweet words, as until this moment he had not received any teachings from the former Panewu.

"What are you looking for here?" The owner of the voice asking was a man who appeared older than Jagat Wengi.

He came out of the main building, which was topped with brown clay tiles.

"I want to study in this school, Master Swordsman."

"I am not a swordsman." This man observed Jagat Wengi from head to toe. "And what do you want to learn, young man?"

"I want to learn to defend myself from evil people."

"Are you a good person?"

"E-eng... M-meaning?" Jagat Wengi was slightly taken aback by such a question.

If taking something that does not belong to him is considered a crime, then Jagat Wengi is an evil person.

"My question is simple. Are you a good person to the extent that you want to defend yourself from evil people?"

"I-I try to be a good person, Master Swordsman."

"Again, I am not a swordsman. Do you have a horse? Where is your horse?" the man asked again.

Jagat Wengi intentionally hid his horse in a certain place and made his feet and clothes dirty to appear as if he had just walked a long distance.

This man introduced himself as Sangkih and asked Jagat Wengi to rest in a small hall located in the corner of the backyard of the main building.

From there, he could see that the school had a large piece of land extending backward. And on each side, there were rows of small huts that might serve as the students' rooms.

But despite the numerous huts, he had not yet seen any of the students.

Jagat Wengi introduced himself as Gendal, using a pseudonym. He was accustomed to lying, and Sangkih did not suspect anything.

"The other students are practicing in the forest, and some are out. If you want to study here, then study. We are open to those who strive to be good."

The word 'strive' uttered by the man was filled with emphasis, like a cutting sarcasm that pierced Jagat Wengi's heart.

Applying as a student was the easiest way he usually used when he wanted to steal a book.

If accepted as a student, he would wait for the right moment to enter the storage room and take it directly.

If rejected, he would come back with another plan, which involved infiltration and resorting to a little violence if met with resistance.

The violence he meant was using certain leaves to create smoke that would make the inhabitants of the school fall asleep.

He certainly didn't want to risk facing the students of the school. Therefore, his presence here was only to assess the situation and map the territory of the Sawung Bumi school.

For seven long days, Jagat Wengi stayed in the Sawung Bumi school, but the students whom the man named Sanggih mentioned, who were supposedly practicing in the forest, did not appear.

Jagat Wengi began to suspect that this man was the grandmaster of the Sawung Bumi school.

"I've been wondering when you would ask that. The grandmaster is currently away on business. Why do you want to meet him?"

"It's fine, sir."

"Just call me Kakang Sangkih. I'm not an official or a merchant deserving of the title 'sir'."

"As a student, I should shake hands with him."

"Be patient if you want to become a good person."

A week after that conversation, Jagat Wengi was tested by Sangkih, who asked him to go to the nearby village market. He was tasked with buying tuak for the guests who would visit at any time.

His patience was wearing thin. And tonight, Jagat Wengi had decided to execute his plan. With or without the grandmaster.

It was a bit forceful because the storage of the school's sacred books was always kept in the grandmaster's room, and until now, the main building was still unfamiliar to him because Sangkih had forbidden him from entering.

It had been three weeks since he arrived at the school, and during that time, he had also investigated the village, as requested by Wirahasa, to assess its condition and security.

But spying on the village was not his main task. He was a book thief, and his eyes were trained to spot the authenticity of books, not the village's security, where the children of its residents would be kidnapped.

From Wirahasa, Jagat Wengi finally obtained information that the Mongols had manipulated the rivalry between Panggito and Sawito, who were responsible for the security of the Kediri region at the Rakryan Tumenggung level.

Panggito took advantage of the situation with an open fight that was left unchecked by Ganzorig, who witnessed it.

The world of royal politics was indeed crueler than the martial arts world. Power didn't distinguish between black and white, just like the different factions in martial arts.

And strangely, without realizing it, Jagat Wengi had experienced both.

In the afternoon, Jagat Wengi returned with the requested tuak. Unlike usual, he noticed newly tethered horses. They had different colors and were calm in their demeanor.

The guest that Sangkih mentioned would arrive at some point had actually arrived earlier. Jagat Wengi suspected that the tuak was indeed intended for this guest.

Laughter from three people could be heard coming from the hall in the backyard. Jagat Wengi continued walking, pretending to be indifferent.

He briefly heard the name 'Majapahit' in their conversation, and at that moment, Jagat Wengi was asked to serve the purchased tuak.

Sangkih made a brief introduction. The two guests wore bracelets on their arms, a common insignia indicating a soldier's rank.

But Jagat Wengi furrowed his brow in confusion. Where were these soldiers from? He didn't recognize the unusual brass engravings on their arms.

The pattern was unfamiliar and certainly not from Kediri.

"Master Sangkih still has courageous students, it seems. I thought they had all departed for Trowulan."

Trowulan? Wasn't that the name of an area near Majapahit? So, were these two individuals from there? But why did they appear like soldiers?

Majapahit was nothing more than a village carved out of the forest by Raden Wijaya and his followers.

Jagat Wengi continued to maintain his composure, following their conversation closely.

And when Sangkih asked about the timing of the attack, it finally dawned on Jagat Wengi that Raden Wijaya, Kertanegara's son-in-law, was planning something.

A plan to drive the Mongols out of Java and establish a new kingdom called Majapahit.