The prefectural lord, having reclaimed his grandson, returned to the Western Village first. As I watched the carriage disappear into the darkness, Geuk-hwan approached and stood beside me.
"You've worked hard."
"You've been through a lot."
I sighed and looked up at the sky. My breath scattered white against the darkness. It was a relief that we got the child back safely; things could have gone completely wrong.
Regardless of the reason, my failure to stop that stout man from kidnapping the child again and fleeing was a clear mistake. When I thought about it, it wasn't Geuk-hwan's or the Underworld Clan members' fault. If we had sent the carriage away only after completely securing the child, this wouldn't have happened.
The prefectural lord couldn't stand the battle of wills with the kidnappers and intervened, making things difficult. From the prefectural lord's perspective, seeing his grandson about to have his throat slit right before his eyes, it was only natural for him to lose his senses.
This is why the victim's family or high-ranking people should never be at the negotiation table. If they make arbitrary decisions swayed by emotion, they lose the upper hand and are bound to be led by the nose. And if things go wrong, only the people on the scene get blamed.
I often encountered such cases when I worked as a wandering swordsman.
"What happened to the rest of them?"
Geuk-hwan turned his eyes north along the main road.
“We loosened the encirclement and sent our disciples skilled in tracking after them. They're also tailing the carriage, so we should find out who's behind this soon enough.”
North means Hubei. Further up are Shaanxi and Gansu. If they are truly demonic sect warriors, they might pass through Qinghai and Xinjiang on their way to the Heavenly Mountains.
Whatever happens, it's out of my hands now. The enraged prefectural lord will deal with it himself.
“Let's go back.”
I followed Geuk-hwan, leaving the black inn behind, and went down to the main road. Carriages and carts were lined up, bustling with people. It seemed they had mobilized every means of transport the Underworld Information Clan’s Western Village branch possessed.
Even so, there were so many people involved that it was impossible for everyone to withdraw at once. The dead and injured were loaded onto carriages first and taken to the Underworld Clan's Western Village branch.
The Underworld Clan members who had been hiding in the mountains came down to the nearby main road and waited for carriages in small groups. They had lost several comrades, but the mood among the Underworld Clan members wasn't too bad. When you live by the sword, you have no choice but to get used to death.
Since they had completed the mission safely, they would receive their promised payment, along with a handsome bonus. A covered carriage stopped right in front of us. The Underworld Clan members loaded the black-robed figure they had captured with the wide net, tightly bound, into the carriage.
He didn't seem dead, but he had been beaten to a pulp and probably wouldn't last long. Geuk-hwan and Won Seo-gang stepped on the footboard and climbed into the cargo compartment. I took a few steps back and scanned the area.
Gwang-hyo was nowhere to be seen; perhaps he had slipped away earlier. I was worried we might end up in the same carriage, so this was a relief. Relieved, I was about to board the carriage when a crumpled piece of paper on the roadside caught my eye.
I picked it up and saw that it seemed to be a wrapper for something like a pill. When I held it to my nose, it gave off a sickeningly sweet smell. Only one thing smelled like this.
This was a paper that had wrapped opium. I remembered the wooden chests that had been piled high inside the large carriage. Only then did I realize what the kidnappers had demanded as ransom.
That gang of opium merchants who had previously impersonated a Murim Alliance Inspector. Their carriage had been full of chests loaded with opium. Where did all that opium go?
I didn't ask, but the Underworld Information Clan had probably secured it. It seems the superiors of the fake Pyo Hol-deuk extended their evil grasp to the prefectural lord's grandson to get it back. Seeing that they used the same sword technique from the Heavenly Mountains, it was clear they were part of the same group.
To think they caused such a ruckus, kidnapping the prefectural lord's grandson just to get back the stolen opium… It was absurd, but with that much opium, it was enough to make anyone lose their mind. Opium merchants are so cruel that even most followers of the dark path would shake their heads in disgust.
And demonic sect warriors are madmen that even those opium merchants detest. Now that demonic sect warriors were involved in opium distribution, it wouldn't be strange no matter what crazy things they did. If they messed with a high official, they'd be chased by government soldiers, making it hard to live in the Central Plains.
The demonic sect warriors' base is in the Heavenly Mountains, where the law of the land barely reaches. So they must have caused trouble as they pleased, without a thought for the consequences. The carriage ran for a long time, arriving in the soundly sleeping Western Village only late at night.
The lights were still on in the main hall, but it was quiet, with no music or laughter. The guards who had been on duty were also gone. It seemed the prefectural lord had ended the banquet and returned home with his grandson.
I wanted to go home and crash as well, but I felt uneasy that Gwang-hyo might come looking for me. I had no choice but to impose on Won Seo-gang and spend the night at his detached house. Gwang-hyo's residence was also in the Deep Fragrance Pavilion, but I doubted he would dare intrude upon Won Seo-gang's detached house.
"Perfect. I was feeling lonely by myself. Let's have a drink."
Won Seo-gang gladly brought out his cherished white liquor. Perhaps because I had run around and worked up a sweat in the middle of the night, the clear, strong liquor tasted exceptionally sweet today.
"Why did you chase that guy on the mountain earlier?"
"I wondered if he had anything worth taking."
"Did you catch him?"
Won Seo-gang shook his head as he filled my cup.
"I lost him. He ran away like his tail was on fire."
I carefully thought back on what had happened earlier. The prefectural lord's grandson. The Underworld Clan's wide net.
The demonic sect warriors. And Gwang-hyo's astounding display, casually executing a supreme secret art that I only had a crude understanding of... Every single one of these was an extraordinary event.
So was Won Seo-gang, who was tilting his cup before my eyes. When I was being pushed back by Gwang-hyo, he had run across the trees above my head and leaped down in front of me. Thinking back now, it was an absurd feat.
Was that the lightness arts I had only ever heard about? Won Seo-gang had kept up with my movements perfectly as I ran while circulating my inner energy. That meant Won Seo-gang also used inner energy.
And far more skillfully than I did. The reason I hadn't noticed at all until now must have been because he'd had no reason to use it. What school did this man belong to, to have reached the ranks of an absolute master?
I didn't know if he had stumbled upon a fortunate encounter like me, or if he was from a fallen orthodox sect, but it was a great relief that he was on my side. I hadn't even had a few drinks when an uninvited guest arrived.
"I heard something big happened outside the Western Village?"
Tang Hye-seo asked pressingly, without even taking a seat.
"It's all over."
"Really? That's good. Then let's go out for a bit."
"Where to, at this late hour?"
"It's about the Dragon Sky Escort Agency. A group of escorts left the agency on horseback about half an hour ago. They're currently heading north along the main road."
"You were watching the escort agency?"
Tang Hye-seo nodded calmly, as if it were obvious.
"They're not off the suspect list yet."
"They probably got an urgent escort mission request."
"But I heard they were wearing night clothes instead of their uniforms?"
"If it's a secret escort mission, that's possible. You can't let on that it's an escort mission."
Tang Hye-seo narrowed her pretty eyes and glared at me.
“You don't want to go with me?”
"It's not that I don't want to, it's just that if it's a real secret escort mission, things could get complicated."
A 'secret escort mission' is a clandestine operation where a small, select group of people transports sensitive goods that are either dangerous due to many targeting them, or require secrecy. If the Dragon Sky Escort Agency's escorts were really on a secret escort mission, nothing good would come from tailing them.
They wouldn't dare try to kill us to silence witnesses, not against the Tang Clan, but I couldn't completely rule out the possibility of a clash. Won Seo-gang, who had been listening quietly, put down his cup.
"If Young Lady Tang is amenable, I would like to lend a hand."
"If it's Great Hero Won, you are more than welcome."
Delighted by the unexpected support, Tang Hye-seo beamed and stared at me pointedly.
“Where are you going in the middle of a drink?”
"Didn't she say north?"
“What's so special about north.”
My words trailed off as a thought flashed through my mind. Could it be... Seeing my bewildered expression, Won Seo-gang nodded his head meaningfully.
The carriage of the demonic sect warriors who fled north with the massive amount of opium they received as ransom earlier. The Dragon Sky Escort Agency is targeting that very carriage, the one the Underworld Information Clan is tailing…
Wondering if this made any sense, I just fiddled with my empty cup, but Won Seo-gang got up from his seat and picked up his sword.
"Let's go. I don't think I'll be able to sleep easily anyway."
I felt like I could fall asleep the moment my head hit the pillow, but I also grabbed my long blade and got ready to go out. I figured it was better to help Tang Hye-seo and earn some silver taels than to drink alone in a detached house with no host.
I was also curious why Won Seo-gang was being so proactive. There was definitely something more to it. Earlier on the mountain, there was no reason for him to chase the kidnapper when he threw the child.
It was the same now. He had readily offered to accompany her on a Tang Clan matter he didn't need to get involved in. Could he perhaps know those demonic sect warriors?
Were there others besides Ban Ho-yang against whom he needed to settle a grudge? As I went outside and walked towards the gate, the row of Maitreya Buddha statues on one side of the detached house caught my eye. They were all smiling brightly with one hand raised.
Every time I saw them, I couldn't tell if they were welcoming me or seeing me off. In front of the detached house, Tang Hye-seo's guard, Bi-hyeon, was waiting. Me, Tang Hye-seo, Bi-hyeon, Won Seo-gang, and one Tang Clan member sitting in the driver's seat.
The five of us boarded the carriage and left the Deep Fragrance Pavilion. Tonight was truly busy. In my life as a wandering swordsman, I had killed two martial artists in one day, but I had never taken on two jobs in one night.
As the carriage was leaving the Western Village, I asked Tang Hye-seo, just in case.
"Did you get permission from your aunt?"
I said it out of concern, but Tang Hye-seo gave me a sharp glare and chided me. “You seem to be quite scared of my aunt, aren't you? Aren't you afraid of me, a daughter of the same Tang Clan?"
"I am afraid."
Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, as Tang Hye-seo blinked her large eyes and tilted her head.
"Really?"
Looking into her captivating eyes, I nodded seriously. Tang Hye-seo's expression turned peculiar, and an unreadable smile formed on her lips.
“That's good.”
I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt like I had given the wrong answer. The carriage sped along the same main road that we had traveled with the prefectural lord earlier in the evening. Relying on the faint light of the waning moon that had emerged from thick clouds, the driver boldly picked up speed.
Even at this speed, it would take at least an hour to reach the black inn. It was so boring I felt a yawn coming on. Still, it was a relief that it wasn't cold, thanks to the lit brazier.
As I was chewing on some jerky, Tang Hye-seo suddenly held out her hand. I silently gave her a few pieces. After popping one in her mouth and chewing, Tang Hye-seo nudged my shoulder.
"This is much better quality than the one I had before, isn't it? It's not tough and doesn't smell. You must be earning well these days."
“I've earned a lot, thanks to you.”
Tang Hye-seo always paid me promptly after each job. Since she came to me directly instead of going through the Underworld Information Clan, there were no commission fees deducted. I was clearly hired and paid, but Tang Hye-seo's attitude towards me wasn't like that.
She acted so freely, almost like a friend. I wondered what Tang Hye-seo had told her aunt for her to mention playing with fire and imply that she would turn a blind eye to our relationship. It wasn't that I had never felt affection in my life.
There were many times I'd lost sleep over the youngest daughter of some faction or the eldest daughter of a merchant guild. But it never led to anything. I never even expressed my feelings.
It wasn't because I lacked courage, but because the life of a wandering swordsman offered no promise of tomorrow. It was hard enough to take care of myself with just a single blade. I wasn't in a position to meet a woman and start a family.
Isn't that still the case now? My martial arts had improved a bit and I had earned some money, but the fact that I could die at any moment hadn't changed. I might even be killed by members of the Tang Clan, or by Tang Hye-seo's own hand for one reason or another.
If I'm going to die anyway, maybe a little playing with fire wouldn't be so bad…
“Are you worried about something?”
Tang Hye-seo tilted her head, peering intently at my face.
"No." I put a piece of jerky in my mouth with a bitter smile.
While I was dozing off with my head against the carriage wall, we passed the darkened black inn. The Underworld Clan members had cleaned up and left, so there was no one around. The carriage continued north without stopping.
The long early winter night gave way to dawn, and the day began to break dimly. Around that time, the mountains disappeared, and buildings of various sizes appeared beyond the front window. As the carriage entered a village, a Tang Clan member quickly approached.
The driver slowly brought the horses to a halt. Tang Hye-seo asked the Tang Clan member who entered the cargo compartment.
“What happened?”
“The escorts attacked an inn at dawn. It's over there.”
The Tang Clan member pointed to a building next to a warehouse. It was a small, old, and shabby inn with its door torn off.