I finished my piled-up laundry and cleaning and visited the Wind River Inn for the first time in a while. Gu-sam, who was wiping an empty table, approached me hesitantly.
“Hero, are you alright?”
It wasn't Gu-sam's intention, but it turned out that he had led Do Gwang-il to my house. I was lucky things worked out well; otherwise, I could have been beheaded or had my limbs and tendons severed, becoming a cripple. Even if it hadn't been Gu-sam, Do Gwang-il would have eventually found out where I lived.
He was a persistent man who had interrogated a one-armed saber wielder in Zhejiang, had a portrait drawn, and came all this way asking for me. Gu-sam had kept his loyalty to me. After feigning ignorance, he secretly ran over to warn me of the threat.
It wasn't his fault that he didn't consider that his opponent was an old veteran of the martial world who had seen it all. He did what he could, so he deserved a reward, not a scolding. I chuckled and handed 10 coins to the boy who was anxiously watching my expression.
“Why the sudden money?”
“Go buy yourself some sweets. Next time someone looks for me, don't just run straight here. Make sure to check your back."
"Yes! Don't worry. If I make the same mistake again, I'll join the Beggars' Sect and avenge your tragic death..."
"Is the old man here?"
“...
He left yesterday morning. He said he'll come back later." Gu-sam glanced around the empty inn and then lowered his voice.
“About that old man.”
"What about him?"
“Is he your master, Hero?" "Well... something like that. Did something happen?"
Gu-sam suddenly put his left index finger to his lips with a solemn expression. “I saw nothing and heard nothing that day.”
"Hmm."
It seemed Do Gwang-il had silenced Gu-sam. It didn't look like he had threatened him with a sword. In his bright eyes, there was no sign of fear or terror.
They were filled only with pure reverence and the tragic sense of loyalty unique to someone in the same boat. It seemed Do Gwang-il had won Gu-sam over not with force, but with his glib tongue. I didn't know what he had said, but as long as Gu-sam kept the secret, I was relieved.
As I was eating thin noodles in cold tea broth, someone entered the inn. "Great Hero Jeong, so you were here." It was a servant from the Deep Fragrance Pavilion who worked for Geuk-hwan.
“What is it?” "The one above is looking for you.”
* “An escort?
Again?"
I was quite reluctant. A faint smile, as if drawn with a fine brush, formed on Geuk-hwan's pale face, as if he found something amusing.
"You know of Ye Hyang, don't you?"
“Is there anyone in the Western Village who doesn't know Ye Hyang?" “The Choi Family Manor is holding a banquet tomorrow evening, and they have invited Ye Hyang to liven things up with her pipa. I would like you to go with her.” “Are you telling me to escort Ye Hyang?” “That is correct.” "Where is this Choi Family Manor located?" “It's not far. If you leave in the morning, you should arrive by the afternoon.” "Is it common for Ye Hyang to be invited out like this?”
"This is the first time. There's always a first time for everything."
There is always a reason for doing something you've never done before.
"Is there no one else who can serve as an escort?"
“I must attend to the Pavilion Master, and Great Hero Won is busy because of the Black Night Gang. The other house guests are not suitable for this kind of work. Great Hero Jeong, you are the perfect person for the job."
What on earth made him think I was the right person? Whatever the case, it wasn't a job of cutting people into pieces, and if it was truly just escorting, there was no reason to refuse. I needed to earn money diligently to pay for the spiritual herb anyway.
"I'm asking just in case, but what should I do if someone at the Choi Family Manor tries to touch Ye Hyang? If they molest her or drag her to the bedroom to serve them..."
“That will not happen.”
Geuk-hwan said firmly. “You know as well, Great Hero Jeong, that the Deep Fragrance Pavilion is no ordinary brothel."
"Few people know its true identity, but those in the know are all aware that the Pavilion Master has a close relationship with the prefectural city lord."
"So no one wants to make an enemy of us or hold a grudge."
When I still looked at him with doubt, Geuk-hwan finally spoke of a private secret.
“Ye Hyang is not a simple courtesan. She is the Pavilion Master's one and only adopted daughter." "If it seems something unfortunate might happen, you may reveal that fact. If that doesn't work, you may use your hands. Our school will take care of all the consequences.”
“This might not be a simple invitation to perform, then?" Geuk-hwan neither confirmed nor denied it. I didn't know much about the world of courtesans, but adopting a daughter meant raising her to inherit everything.
Hong Hee is the owner of the Deep Fragrance Pavilion and the head of the Western Village branch of the Underworld Information Clan. If she had been chosen as the successor, there was no harm in getting to know the next head of the Western Village branch of the Underworld Information Clan and building a good relationship.
And I could earn some money on the side.
“Alright.
Let's do that." * I had seen Ye Hyang in person only once. It was when I was a doorkeeper at the Deep Fragrance Pavilion.
When she came out with the Pavilion Master to greet the prefectural city lord, Ye Hyang was like a deer grazing in the morning mist. It hadn't been that long ago, so seeing her again, Ye Hyang's features were still delicate and pure. The only thing different was that she was wearing blue traveling clothes instead of a fancy dress.
“I am Jeong Dae-cheon. I'll be in charge of your escort to the Choi Family Manor and back today." In any case, it was our first proper meeting, so I introduced myself first. Ye Hyang also bowed her head politely. "I am Ye Hyang. I'll be in your care.”
Her voice was such that I thought this is what a deer would sound like if it could speak. When she raised her head, the butterfly-shaped ornament in her pinned-up hair trembled slightly. There was something strange about that sight.
Like a curious fate, born with wings but unable to fly, only able to flutter. We left the Deep Fragrance Pavilion in a spacious and sturdy carriage provided by the Pavilion Master as the day was dawning dimly. Perhaps because it was her first time being invited to perform outside, Ye Hyang was very tense.
She kept her mouth firmly shut the whole time with a look of firm resolve. The next time would probably be easier. The time after that, even easier, and so she would gradually become more accustomed and skilled.
For now, her pure and pitiful appearance tugs at the heartstrings of many men, but once worn down by the ways of the world, she might unhesitatingly grab the groins of troublemakers trying to skip out on their bill and shake them mockingly.
There may be people who can be indifferent to money, but there are no humans that time cannot change. After leaving the city, the carriage headed north along the main road. Because it was the main road leading to Hubei, this part was relatively well-maintained.
It was less bumpy, so my backside didn't hurt. Traveling so comfortably, it felt like I was on an outing. The coachman suddenly slowed down and called out to me.
“Hey! Something's happened up ahead.”
I opened the front door and climbed onto the driver's seat. I could hear the clang of sabers and swords clashing. Far away, near the main road by the foot of the mountain.
Three masked assailants were engaged in a bloody battle with five martial artists trying to protect a carriage. A robbery in the middle of the main road in broad daylight.
“Are there bandits around here?”
The coachman shook his head with a bewildered look.
"None at all. This is a place where anyone can usually come and go without any trouble. Do you think they call it a main road for nothing?"
"Stop the carriage.” We pulled the carriage off the main road and into the bushes, and I watched the fight from the driver's seat. The robbers were outnumbered, but it was the martial artists who were spewing blood and falling dead.
The robbers' martial ability was considerable. All three used swords; one had a sturdy build, while the other two were slender with long limbs. Seeing how they skillfully surrounded their opponents, attacking and retreating in coordination, it was clear they hadn't been working together for just a day or two.
The coachman also had a discerning eye, and his expression quickly darkened. "How about we just turn back? We can go back to the main house and get more people."
Before I could open my mouth, Ye Hyang refused decisively. “No. We must go to the Choi Family Manor today, no matter what. It is the Pavilion Master's order."
The coachman was also a member of the Underworld Information Clan, so he couldn't disobey the branch master's order. I was merely an escort, so the decision-making power rested with Ye Hyang. Fortunately, the robbers who had looted the carriage quickly mounted their horses and fled into the wilderness.
They even took the two horses that had been pulling the carriage. They had killed all the martial artists who were guarding the carriage. If they were going to do this, why wear masks in this hot weather?
We waited until the robbers had completely disappeared before setting off again. Wanting to get out of there quickly, the coachman didn't slacken the reins and urged the horses on. The carriage jolted up and down.
As we passed the scene of the slaughter, the stench of blood poured in through the open window. All the color drained from Ye Hyang's face as she sat frozen, clutching the seat.
"Are you alright?"
Ye Hyang nodded her head firmly. “The Pavilion Master always used to say something. To become a great person, you must face your lifelong fears head-on and overcome them.
Only then, she said, will you find a way to live." They were words I didn't quite understand, but I could clearly feel the firm resolve contained within them. Like a person born with an upright heart and a delicate nature, who had venomously resolved to become strong no matter what, gritting their teeth.
* Despite being delayed by the robbers, we arrived at our destination without being late. 'Choi Family Manor.' A large mansion with high walls, built in a sunny spot.
For a mere manor, there were quite a lot of guards. On the way, I had gotten some general information about the Choi Family Manor from the coachman. The lord of the Choi Family Manor was Choi Sa-deuk.
He was said to be a rather outstanding figure who had amassed wealth through various businesses and revived his once-humble family. He was a well-known rich man in the area, but the banquet was surprisingly modest. The audience seated to enjoy the pipa performance numbered only five, including the lord of the Choi Family Manor.
Ye Hyang went up on the stage of the banquet hall, which was so spacious it felt empty, holding her pipa. Although there were only five people in the audience, the pressure Ye Hyang felt seemed to make it hard for her to breathe.
Below the stage, Choi Sa-deuk and his companions watched Ye Hyang, leisurely sipping from their wine cups. Ye Hyang's face, as she looked at them, seemed frightened, as if her mind had gone completely blank. Taking a deep breath, Ye Hyang sat down.
She closed her eyes and held the pipa diagonally to her chest as if cradling a baby. Her fingers, placed on the strings, moved.
Twing.
The first note was as unstable as her unsettled mind. The next note also scattered transiently. From the fifth note, a proper resonance emerged.
As Ye Hyang began to immerse herself in the performance, all the notes quickly found their proper place. Ye Hyang's pipa did not show off technique. It plaintively soothed and profoundly embraced.
Seeing it up close, there was indeed a big difference from when I had heard it from outside the Deep Fragrance Pavilion. Her pipa performance was magnificent, but combined with her mysterious appearance, it made one feel as if they had briefly entered another world. I could sort of understand why the distinguished guests sought Ye Hyang so much.
When the performance had continued for about a quarter of an hour, someone secretly approached Choi Sa-deuk and whispered in his ear. His expression completely changed, Choi Sa-deuk shot up from his seat. “We'll listen up to here."
As Choi Sa-deuk went outside, his companions followed. Ye Hyang also stopped playing. As she tried to get up, her legs seemed to give way; she dropped the pipa and collapsed.
"Are you alright?"
I went to her side to help her up, and Ye Hyang trembled, gripping my arm with both hands. Her grip was so desperate that the veins on the back of her hands stood out. Finding it strange, I looked at her face.
Ye Hyang was clenching her teeth with all her might, as if forcefully suppressing something bursting from within. In her bloodshot eyes, a murderous intent I had never seen before blazed. It was chilling, as if blood would drip from them at any moment.
When I led Ye Hyang out into the corridor, a waiting servant approached.
“You two are to come as well. This way.”
A group of people was gathered in an inner room. A stern-looking middle-aged man who appeared to be around thirty glanced this way. His face was familiar.
Where had I seen him… Then I noticed the two young women standing behind him, and I remembered. I had seen them exactly once when I was a doorkeeper at the brothel.
Ho Yeon-geom.
As the distance closed, I flinched without realizing it. The faint but freshly sharp smell of blood, which couldn't be completely erased even by changing clothes and washing, subtly stimulated my nerves. All three of them wore swords at their waists.
The man was sturdy, and the women were slender. I realized it instinctively. They were the robbers from earlier today.
Choi Sa-deuk, who had entered the inner room from the opposite corridor, asked Ho Yeon-geom.
“Did you find the heart method?”
“It's here.”
What Ho Yeon-geom produced was a thick book. So it was because of that. The reason why a martial artist with a respectable title had attacked a carriage in broad daylight wearing a mask.
After opening the book and confirming its contents, Choi Sa-deuk burst into laughter, his face filled with ecstasy.
“Hahaha, well done! Your reputation is well-deserved. With this, even the Blood Snake Gang and the Heaven-Shattering Sect won't be able to sit still." "Manor Lord, I would like to receive the promised payment.”
For a moment, a displeased look flickered across Choi Sa-deuk's face, but he soon put on a friendly smile and said in a placating tone. "Of course, I must give it to you. I'll give it to you right before we take care of business.
Don't worry.”
Choi Sa-deuk turned his head this way.
"What about the request made to the Underworld Information Clan?"
Ye Hyang took a book from her bosom and handed it over.
"This is the information compiled by our school.” I knew it. I thought something was strange.
Inviting Ye Hyang as a courtesan was just a deception; in reality, she had come to deliver the orders of the Underworld Information Clan's branch master. "Indeed, it is the Underworld Information Clan. I was right to entrust this to you."
With a satisfied expression, Choi Sa-deuk closed the book and turned around. He made eye contact with each of the four companions who had listened to the pipa performance with him just moments before, then held up the book. “The time has come.
We must take that bastard Jeok Chu-yeong's head before this night is over."
Jeok Chu-yeong, could it be a different person with the same name… How could that be? The surname 'Jeok' is rare, and the name 'Chu-yeong' is not common either.
The master of the Black Night Gang, Black Killing Sword Jeok Chu-yeong. What Choi Sa-deuk, the lord of the Choi Family Manor, was targeting was, without a doubt, the Black Night Gang of the Western Village.