The Plum Blossom Swordsman looked straight at us. His gaze swept over Tang Hye-seo and me, then lingered for a long time on the back of Gwang-hyo, who sat opposite us. Gwang-hyo had almost completely concealed his aura.
Although he wasn't even facing him, the Plum Blossom Swordsman seemed to know at a glance who among us was the strongest. His two eyes, glinting sternly, silently turned toward the brazier in the center. He observed the cold-looking martial artist warming himself by the fire and the bound man, then asked the innkeeper.
"Are there any empty rooms for a night's stay?"
"Yes, there are. Are you a party of three?"
"That's right. Our horses are outside."
"I'll take care of them. Please, take any seat you like."
The three martial artists from the Mount Hua Sect walked over to the window. The innkeeper went outside the inn, where a snowstorm was raging, and closed the open door. I could hear the footsteps of him leading the horses around the side of the inn toward the stables.
The martial artists, having removed their bamboo hats and oilskin cloaks, even unfastened the swords at their waists and sat around the table by the window. It was a position from which they could naturally keep an eye on the two men sitting in front of the brazier and us in the inner area.
To sit there when there were many other empty seats meant they were being cautious. There was nothing strange about it. If it were me, I probably wouldn't have let my guard down against such suspicious martial artists either.
The spot where we sat was just past two tables from the back door. A snowstorm was raging outside the inn, but it was still necessary to secure an escape route. Even with an absolute master like Gwang-hyo here, one can never know the future.
There was no waiter or cook in the inn. With the innkeeper away, not even a cup of tea was served. As I sat at the empty table, my nerves on edge, Tang Hye-seo, sitting next to me, touched my hand.
"Doesn't look like it's been long, does it?"
The old table was covered in knife marks, big and small, like a cutting board in a kitchen. What Tang Hye-seo's finger pointed to was a dark, scorched stain. It looked like a bloodstain.
Blood is red, but it turns black like that over time. In inns frequented by martial artists, sword fights often break out, so nothing was ever in perfect condition. Wealthier brothels or large inns could replace their tables often, but rundown places like this couldn't afford it.
When I was a wandering swordsman, I ate and drank tea at eerie tables like this one. If a fight broke out, I'd have to draw my sword without even finishing chewing what was in my mouth. Since the previous innkeeper was said to have been killed by a martial artist, perhaps he was stabbed on this very table.
It seemed I wasn't the one who thought so, as Jang Tae nervously glanced around the room.
"This inn, was it like this when you came before?"
"I don't know. I've never sat in this spot... But isn't he coming in?"
"Who?"
"Brother Jeon-sang, I mean the coachman."
So the coachman's name was Jeon-sang. To see a man who had swindled his comrades of many years call a coachman he met just a few days ago "brother" with such reverence made him completely untrustworthy. But Jang Tae seemed quite sincere.
"I'll just go to the stables for a moment."
"I'll go with you."
I followed Jang Tae, picking up my long blade and standing up. Tang Hye-seo also quietly pushed back her chair and rose. Gwang-hyo sat with his arms crossed, silently staring at the wall as if he were in secluded training.
There was no need to worry about leaving him alone. Even if those three attacked him together, it wouldn't be easy to defeat Gwang-hyo. Gwang-hyo closed his eyes and muttered softly.
"Don't go far."
He seemed to be feeling it too. The strangely tense atmosphere, as if something was about to go wrong. Even in the few steps to the back door, I could feel subtle gazes on my back.
I turned to see it was the Mount Hua Sect martial artists. Even when our eyes met, they didn't look away, staring intently. It wasn't a look of caution or provocation.
It was a look of assessment. The Plum Blossom Swordsman was still staring at Gwang-hyo. When I opened the back door, a cold snowstorm blurred my vision.
The carriage we arrived in was being helplessly buried in snow on one side of a small clearing. The innkeeper was tending to the horses in the stable behind it. The two horses that had pulled the carriage were eating hay in a separate stall next to them.
The coachman was nowhere to be seen.
"Have you seen the coachman?"
"Who are you talking about?"
"The coachman who drove our carriage."
The innkeeper tilted his head.
"Isn't he in the inn?"
"He's not. You haven't seen him?"
"I haven't. When I brought the horses in, there was no one here, so I thought he had gone into the inn."
The innkeeper didn't seem like a martial artist at all. He had a small frame and no noticeable weapons.
His gaze and the aura he exuded were the same as an ordinary person's. His excessive composure in front of martial artists was unsettling, but he didn't seem to possess the martial ability to subdue a seasoned warrior from the Black Night Gang.
"Brother Jeon! Where are you?"
Jang Tae shouted as he walked around the stables. From under the eaves, I scanned the snow-covered surroundings. The footprints we had left from the inn to the stables were disappearing at a rapid pace.
In this weather, finding any trace, be it footprints or bloodstains, was nearly impossible. I had only sought a place to stay for the night to escape the snowstorm, but things felt like they were getting strangely complicated. Tang Hye-seo brushed the snow off her shoulders and came up beside me.
"Don't you think the Mount Hua Sect martial artists had a hand in this?"
I nodded silently. If the coachman hadn't vanished into this snowstorm on his own, that was the only remaining possibility. The Mount Hua Sect martial artists entered the inn after we heard the horses neigh.
But that doesn't mean we can conclude they just arrived. They could have been hiding nearby, approached secretly to subdue the coachman, and then entered the inn pretending they had just dismounted. Why would they go to such lengths?
"They must have been targeting this inn. If they thought everyone inside was on the same side..."
It wasn't hard to guess that much. The problem was their identity.
"Those martial artists, are they really Daoists from the Mount Hua Sect?"
Tang Hye-seo stared at the back door and shook her head.
"I don't know. I've had no dealings with the Mount Hua Sect."
"What about the clothes they're wearing?"
"They are Mount Hua Sect Daoist robes, but you can't tell just by the clothes."
"One of them looked like a Plum Blossom Swordsman."
"You mean the martial artist with plum blossoms embroidered on his sleeve?"
Tang Hye-seo was lost in thought for a moment, then sighed.
"As far as I know, there are only three Plum Blossom Swordsmen in the Mount Hua Sect. One is the leader of a division in the Murim Alliance, and I heard the other two are at Mount Hua."
"Are you acquainted with them?"
"No." Having finished his work, the innkeeper dusted off his hands and went in through the back door.
Jang Tae, who had become half a snowman, also returned, shivering.
"Let's ask the Great Monk."
When we entered the inn, a teapot and teacups had been placed on the table. Gwang-hyo hadn't touched his teacup. Due to the innkeeper's strange attitude, I was also hesitant to reach for it.
Tang Hye-seo and Jang Tae also held their breath and watched the situation unfold. I lowered my voice, mindful of the Mount Hua Sect martial artists.
"The coachman has disappeared. It seems to be their doing. Are they really Daoists from the Mount Hua Sect?"
Gwang-hyo remained silent for a long moment before speaking.
"They are. There's one Plum Blossom Swordsman."
"Do you know him?"
"It would be impossible not to."
"Does he know you as well, Great Monk?"
"Seeing as he doesn't come over to greet me, it seems he recognizes me."
I wondered what he meant by that. The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families share a system of seniority. If you see someone of a higher rank, it is proper to show respect as you would an elder of your own school.
And this was a high monk from Shaolin, of all places. If he knew and pretended not to, there could only be one reason.
"Are you on bad terms?"
"We have a bad history."
My face and Tang Hye-seo's hardened at the same time. The tension rose, but the Mount Hua Sect martial artists were no longer watching us. All three of them were staring intently at the man sitting hunched in front of the brazier.
Though their persistent gazes must have been sharp, the man seemed unfazed as he put firewood into the brazier and sipped his tea. One of the Mount Hua Sect martial artists casually spoke.
"You there, old brother, why have you tied that man up like that?"
Without taking his eyes off the brazier, the man replied.
"This man is on the wanted list."
"What did he do to be treated so harshly?"
"He did something to deserve it."
"How much is the bounty?"
"Ten silver taels."
"Well, that's fortunate. It must be quite a hassle to drag him to the authorities in this weather. I'll give you ten silver taels, so hand him over to me."
The man glanced at the Mount Hua Sect martial artists with a blank expression.
"Where are you Daoists from?"
"We are from Mount Hua in Shaanxi Province."
"Mount Hua... you've come from afar. What do you plan to do with this scoundrel?"
"A person can be used in many ways. If I can make him turn over a new leaf and guide him to the righteous path, it would be a more rewarding deed than ten silver taels."
The man carefully studied the faces of the Mount Hua Sect martial artists as if memorizing them, then shook his head.
"I decline. How can I sell a person for money?"
The Plum Blossom Swordsman, who had been watching, sneered and rose from his seat.
"Cheong. Hand him over nicely. Then I will make sure you die as comfortably as possible."
The man called Cheong-sal slowly turned his head. His two eyes, fixed on the Plum Blossom Swordsman, glistened sinisterly like a snake's. Pressing down on the corners of his awkwardly twitching mouth with his hand, Cheong-sal revealed his true colors.
"Wudang or Mount Hua, you're all the same, rushing in to claim a finished job. My face should be quite different from the portrait. How did you recognize me?"
"Your voice."
Cheong-sal tilted his head.
"I've never spoken with you."
"That's right. I was listening from hiding."
"So you were a rat."
The Plum Blossom Swordsman drew his sword and stepped forward. The other two Mount Hua Sect martial artists also spread out to his sides and took their stances. It seemed they intended to finish him off at once with a joint attack, leaving no room for escape.
"Wait."
Cheong-sal took out a dagger and held it to the bound man's throat. The Plum Blossom Swordsman stopped in his tracks and raised a hand. The other two Mount Hua Sect martial artists also stood their ground with their swords aimed.
Cheong-sal calmly threatened, exuding a chilling murderous intent.
"Come any closer, and this man dies. I doubt you came all this way to collect a corpse."
The Plum Blossom Swordsman snorted with a scathing expression.
"Do you think you can escape by taking him hostage? If you are a swordsman, then open a path with your sword."
It was a futile provocation, but it was also a situation with no other choice. In that instant, Cheong-sal's aura changed completely. His presence became heavy, like a calm wave turning into a raging storm.
He had clearly raised his inner energy. The Plum Blossom Swordsman's aura also grew vast and powerful. Gwang-hyo picked up his Buddhist saber and quickly moved to the side of the table.
"Stand behind me. These are not opponents for you."
Tang Hye-seo, Jang Tae, and I hastily retreated. When inner energy masters clashed, there was no telling what would fly from where. To prepare for any sudden developments, I also grasped my long blade and slowly raised my inner energy.
Tang!
Having gathered enough inner energy, Cheong-sal kicked off from his spot, sword in hand. Even though I had enhanced my vision with inner energy, his movements were so fast they were just a blur. The sword he thrust was even faster.
It rushed toward the chest, then suddenly bent at a strange angle, aiming for the Plum Blossom Swordsman's head. He had more than enough skill to face him head-on without dodging. The Plum Blossom Swordsman's movements were also beyond imagination.
He stepped with a fluid footwork, deflecting the sword strike, and drew a sharp flash of lightning from bottom to top.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The swords clashed only once, but the sound of metal rang out more than three times. Variations and feints connected like lines and dots, probing each other's blind spots and openings. As the fight became a close match, the two Mount Hua Sect martial artists on either side began to attack.
"Keuaaap!!"
Suddenly surrounded by the swords of Mount Hua, Cheong-sal let out a shout and unleashed his condensed inner energy. The familiar movement jolted my senses. It was that fearsome continuous strike the fake Pyo Hol-deuk had used to corner me.
The only difference from that time was that it was so ferocious the tip of the sword seemed to split into multiple strands. The explosive continuous strike mixed into a single mass, covering all directions. The Plum Blossom Swordsman did not evade but thrust his sword forward, twisting his wrist in a circular motion.
The afterimages of the sword drew a circle, creating white flower petals. It seemed to be the realm of the Phantom Sword I had only heard about. There was no point in trying to distinguish which were feints and which were real attacks.
The Phantom Sword shattered the continuous strike and rushed forward, bursting a brilliant blossom over Cheong-sal's wide-open eyes. The next moment, a fierce sword strike hit Cheong-sal's upper body.
Kwwaaang!!
Cheong-sal flew straight through the wall of the inn and outside.
"Don't let him get away!"
The Plum Blossom Swordsman and the other two Mount Hua Sect martial artists hurriedly rushed out.