Lingering Grudge
Heavenly Mountain Snow Ginseng was completely different from any herb I’d seen before.
I hadn’t even brought it close to my nose, but the chill and fragrance rolling off it still struck all five senses at once.
“How is it?”
“Take a closer look.”
“Sit down and look at it.”
We sat across from each other, and Pan Ho-yang laid out the snow ginseng. While Do Goeng-il examined it in his hand, I studied Pan Ho-yang closely.
“Where did you get such a precious spirit herb?”
“I have my ways.”
“You didn’t maybe come from Tianshan, did you?”
I’d never tangled with demonic cult lunatics myself, but I knew enough to understand that getting involved with them would be a world of trouble.
The evil sects were crawling with sadistic killers and every kind of madman imaginable.
The demonic cult in Tianshan was on another level entirely.
They were infamous for things like splitting open children’s bellies while they were still alive to dig out and eat their livers, or drinking the blood of virgins to cultivate demonic arts. In short, they had a reputation for not being human.
I’d seen it with my own eyes, too.
The demonic cult’s great demon, Mok Sa-ryong, the Explosive Heat Fist Demon.
That legendary fiend had burst people’s heads with his fists and torn hearts straight out of chests, and the memory was still branded into my mind like hellfire.
Pan Ho-yang wasn’t a monster like Mok Sa-ryong. There was no overwhelming aura around him, and I couldn’t sense any refined energy from him.
Even the way he spoke didn’t carry some harsh, foreign borderland accent.
Still, if he’d come from Tianshan, I couldn’t take that lightly.
When I stared at him with a tense face, Pan Ho-yang twisted his mouth into a sneer and let out a dry laugh.
“What? Afraid I’m some flesh-eating demon lord? This snow ginseng came from Tianshan, but I’ve never once left the Central Plains in my life. Just because something’s a rare treasure from Tianshan doesn’t mean it should only belong to demonic cult bastards. Things pass from hand to hand. That’s how the world works.”
Do Goeng-il finished checking it and handed the snow ginseng back to Pan Ho-yang.
“Is it genuine?”
“It is. Heavenly Mountain Snow Ginseng.”
Pan Ho-yang stuffed the wooden box back into his bosom and puffed himself up.
“You know your goods. There are many kinds of snow ginseng in the world, but Tianshan’s is considered the best. Not all snow ginseng is the same.”
As Pan Ho-yang preened, Do Goeng-il shot back.
“You know the matter well enough. Even Heavenly Mountain Snow Ginseng has grades. This one has too many broken root hairs. Looks like they were in a hurry when they dug it up. The herb’s strength lies in its roots, and at this state its effectiveness is bound to drop. Judging by the size and the rings on the rhizome, it’s about forty years old. Snow ginseng only really shows its worth after a minimum of a hundred years. This is middle grade at best. About eighty taels of silver, I’d say.”
That vicious appraisal made Pan Ho-yang flare up.
“What? Has the old man gone senile? This is a Tianshan treasure that would fetch three hundred taels of silver without breaking a sweat anywhere you took it, and you dare call it mediocre?”
Do Goeng-il shut his mouth as if his work was done, then gave me a small look. It was a signal that I could buy it if I wanted.
How was I supposed to get my hands on this snow ginseng?
I’d planned to pay for it, but now a completely unexpected option had appeared.
Using Won Seo-gang.
I could bargain a little, knock the price down, then say I was short on the remaining amount and set another meeting for a few days later. Then I’d bring Won Seo-gang with me.
If things went well, I’d get the Heavenly Mountain Snow Ginseng for free, and Won Seo-gang would get his revenge.
On the face of it, that sounded plausible. Tempting, even. But the more I thought about it, the more dangerous it seemed.
Had Pan Ho-yang come alone?
A man who had been hiding in Black Night Gang Headquarters with all his might to avoid Won Seo-gang had clearly slipped outside in secret, which meant he must have guards nearby.
Their qi didn’t seem remarkable, but if Won Seo-gang might miss them, their martial arts were probably no joke.
More than anything, it bothered me that I knew nothing about Pan Ho-yang’s true identity.
It was certain he was under Black Night Gang protection, and maybe there really was a demonic cult connection behind him.
A clash with the Black Night Gang. Making enemies with a man tied to the demonic cult. Neither was wise.
How much could I really trust Won Seo-gang?
I knew almost nothing about him.
He was a formidable expert, his character wasn’t bad, and he held a deep grudge against Pan Ho-yang. That was it.
I didn’t know where he came from or what sort of man he really was.
Rather than get dragged into a feud between those two just to save some money, it was cleaner to pay the price and be done with it.
If things soured, Won Seo-gang could simply leave; he was a stranger here. I, on the other hand, still had to keep living in my hometown of Seochon.
I could always earn money again by taking work through Haomu Sect.
“I’ll give you eighty taels of silver.”
“That won’t do! No deal!”
Pan Ho-yang slammed his fist on the table and sprang to his feet in a fury. He turned on his heel and headed for the door.
“I’ll pay here and now with a draft issued by Golden Money Hall.”
Pan Ho-yang stopped and looked back. His face was twisted with anger, but there was still a hint of desperation in his narrowed eyes that he couldn’t quite hide.
Even knowing Won Seo-gang was after him, why had he taken the risk of coming out here to sell the snow ginseng?
If he was paying to stay under Black Night Gang protection and the money had run out...
He might be thrown out soon.
“No matter how precious Heavenly Mountain Snow Ginseng is, only the people who want it will chase it. It’s not exactly something that sells easily, is it? So what’ll it be?”
He really was short on money. Pan Ho-yang ground his teeth as though I’d hit the mark, then strode over and held out his hand.
“Let me see the draft.”
“Take out the snow ginseng.”
Pan Ho-yang set the wooden box down on the table with a sharp smack.
I took out my money pouch as well and handed it over in full.
Earlier, I’d received ten drafts of ten taels each from the landlady at Ruzhu, and I’d already used one right there on the spot.
Before leaving Seochon, I’d bought another one from Haomu Sect to bring the total back to ten.
After checking the drafts, Pan Ho-yang clenched his fist and glared at me as if he wanted to tear me apart.
He growled like he was about to draw a knife, but once he realized I wasn’t so easy to bully, he turned away without another word. The door swung open and then slammed shut with a loud bang behind him.
After Pan Ho-yang vanished, I picked up the snow ginseng. Now that I was holding it myself, it was obvious this was no ordinary herb.
“Did I pay too much for this?”
“No, you got it cheap. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone get haggled down this badly in my life.”
“You said it was middle grade.”
“Only in Tianshan. Compared with other snow ginseng, it’s top grade. It should be worth around three hundred taels of silver. That bastard must have been desperate. He’d already looked into the market price and still dumped it at a bargain.”
I tucked the snow ginseng against my chest and stood.
When I came out of the back room, the herb dealer bowed deeply and showed me out the rear door.
The smile plastered across his face told me he’d wrung a very neat commission out of Pan Ho-yang.
When I returned to the inn, a sense of unease settled over me.
I had no idea when something might happen. I wanted nothing more than to shove the Heavenly Mountain Snow Ginseng straight into my stomach right away.
Do Goeng-il shook his head.
“Snow ginseng is an herb of extreme yin. If you take it raw, the fierce yin energy will freeze your blood vessels and internal organs, and you’ll die of exposure. Process it with yang-infused medicinal ingredients before you consume it.”
Information always found some way to leave a mark.
I naturally expected thieves, so I prepared myself properly. I blocked the door with the table, kept my saber in my arms, and dozed in short bursts.
My vigilance proved useless; the inn stayed quiet all night.
*
Early the next morning, we set out for Seochon in the same cart we’d used the day before.
As the city fell behind us, the open fields spread out in every direction. Under the summer sun, ripening crops rippled in the wind like waves.
Then, far off in that peaceful landscape, a cloud of dust rose.
At first I thought they were passersby heading to Seochon, but as I watched more closely, their shapes gradually took form.
Ten martial artists on horseback. They were charging straight toward us.
I thought of Pan Ho-yang’s face, twisted with anger the day before.
Of course. It wasn’t some one-man deal. If a trade ended this neatly, something had to be wrong.
I’d felt uneasy all night because nothing had happened; now, with a band of robbers appearing, I was finally relieved.
“So many little flies gathering at once.”
Do Goeng-il clicked his tongue, frowning. I moved forward and called to the coachman.
“Bandits are closing in.”
The coachman turned with a startled face. Once he counted the men on horseback, his expression hardened.
We were far from the city, with no witnesses and nowhere to ask for help.
The bandits came closer all the while.
A cart pulled by a single horse would never shake them off. If we kept going like this, they’d catch us before we ever reached Seochon.
I had no idea how skilled they were or what weapons they carried.
If I met them head-on with a blade, maybe I could manage. But if they surrounded us on horseback, the fight would get ugly fast.
In moments like this, the best choice was to head for the mountains. Once we crossed them, they couldn’t keep chasing us. Or maybe I could lure them somewhere, set a trap...
Then a suitable place came to mind all at once.
“That shabby inn from yesterday. There was definitely a trap under the floorboards.”
The creaking sound had been unmistakably different. There was no doubt the space beneath the floor was hollow.
Do Goeng-il nodded, apparently deciding that beat the mountain route.
“Then let’s go to that inn from yesterday.”
“Eh? There? ...Understood.”
The coachman looked reluctant, but he said nothing and cracked the whip, pushing the cart as fast as he could to avoid the bandits.
The shabby inn still had its flag hanging today.
The coachman stopped the cart at the door and fled up toward the mountains.
When we went inside, the same man from yesterday came out of the kitchen.
“Welcome—”
I rushed at him without warning and smashed the scabbard into his pit. He went down in one blow. I bound his hands and feet, tossed him into the kitchen, and checked behind the counter.
There had to be some mechanism that triggered the trap.
I pulled back the cloth covering it and found an iron lever tilted to one side. A long groove had been carved beside it so it could be yanked sideways.
“Found it.”
By then, Do Goeng-il had already gone to the inn’s farthest table and set down his bundle. I hid beneath the counter.
A moment later, hoofbeats thundered outside. The bandits burst into the inn with weapons in hand.
None of them even bothered with masks; they showed their ugly faces openly. It wasn’t because they were hot. They had no need to hide, since they only intended to steal and kill anyway.
“Heh-heh-heh. You stopped at an inn for a drink before dying? What bad luck. Nobody’s here.”
The bandits licked their lips and advanced slowly toward Do Goeng-il.
The space between the tables in this inn was far too wide. That empty stretch was probably where the trap lay.
When the men stepped over it, I yanked the lever hard.
Crash!
The floorboards between the tables split wide open to both sides.
“Aaagh!”
The bandits’ feet vanished from under them, and with short screams they plunged into the pit. The four standing outside the trap leaped back in terror.
Do Goeng-il’s sword flashed like lightning, cutting down two of them. I sprang out from my hiding place and drew my saber.
I cut down one man as he turned, then kicked another straight into the pit.
I stepped outside and checked the surroundings. No stragglers remained.
I went into the kitchen. I’d meant to question the man about the black inn, but he had already died, white foam bubbling from his mouth. He must have bitten down on poison.
Searching the kitchen, I found a hidden staircase beside the storage room.
Following the semicircular steps downward, I heard moans of pain echoing ominously through the dark.
At the end of the staircase was a set of iron bars.
Looking down through them, I saw the pit dropped at least five jang. At that depth, no martial expert could have come away unharmed.
Five of them had burst their heads and died instantly. Three were writhing with broken arms and legs. The remaining two had apparently injured their spines and couldn’t get up.
I opened the bars. As I stepped inside, several bandits who were still conscious pleaded for mercy.
“Please... spare us...”
“Who sent you?”
“We only took a contract.”
“From whom?”
“I don’t know the name. We really don’t.”
“We were only told to retrieve something.”
“What thing?”
“They said... some kind of snow ginseng.”
“Where were you told to take it if you found it?”
“...Black Night Gang Headquarters. We were told to come to Black Night Gang Headquarters in Seochon.”
After asking what I needed to ask, I picked up a fallen sword from the floor and finished them off one by one, stabbing them through the throat.
The bandits twitched and shuddered with boiling, gurgling sounds until they finally went still.
After confirming they were dead, I searched their bodies.
For bandits, they carried a fair amount of silver.
Altogether, I found seven taels of silver, three hundred copper coins, and three one-tael drafts.
I gathered up the swords, wrapped them in cloth, and tied the bundle tightly with rope. Then I went back upstairs.
Do Goeng-il was staring at the pit gaping open in the middle of the inn with a strange look on his face.
“A trap for martial artists.”
The black inn’s main business was human trafficking.
Most of the time, they kidnapped children and women. Occasionally, they targeted martial artists like this.
There were plenty of people who wanted to learn martial arts and become strong, but few places taught them properly.
That meant any expert with real ability was worth his weight in gold.
Most likely, the man had managed the inn alone and, when a promising martial artist came in, he’d triggered the trap to drop them into the underground pit.
Then he would summon his accomplices and drag the victim away.
If Do Goeng-il and I had walked into the inn yesterday without thinking and crossed that spot, we would have fallen underground and broken our legs.
After that, they’d have tortured us until we coughed up every technique we knew.
If you trusted your own martial skill and never checked the ground beneath your feet, it would be that very skill that killed you in the end.
How many experts had ended their lives here in vain?
Just as I was turning to leave, I thought someone else might come looking for the place.
I tossed the corpse of the man who’d bitten poison into the trap, then reset the lever to its original position. The mechanism engaged, and the floorboards slowly rose back up.
I gathered the spoils and stepped outside.
The coachman, who had fled to the mountains, had come back and was gathering the scattered horses. Three had disappeared somewhere, leaving seven.
Since their owner was dead, all those horses were mine now.
“Can you sell the horses through Haomu Sect?”
“These are postal horses.”
The coachman pointed out the postal station brand stamped on the horses’ rumps.
So those bandits had boldly raided a post relay station, killed the officials, and stolen the horses? Or maybe they’d just rented them with money. That was probably more likely.
It was illegal, of course, but the officials made a living by using every means imaginable to line their pockets.
“So you can’t sell them?”
“Why couldn’t I? It just means the fee will be steep if I have to handle the fallout.”
“How much can I get for them?”
“About three taels of silver apiece.”
“Then please handle it.”
Horse sales brought in twenty-one taels of silver. Added to what I’d taken from the dead men, that made thirty-one taels of silver and three hundred copper coins.
That covered about a third of the hundred taels I’d spent on the Heavenly Mountain Snow Ginseng.
After drinking some water and resting a little, we hitched the horses one after another to the cart and set out again.
The coachman stopped the cart in a small hill range near Seochon. Leading seven horses inside would have drawn too much attention.
So Do Goeng-il and I stayed behind to guard the horses while the coachman took the cart alone into town and brought back a group of Haomu Sect men.
Each of them took a horse, and after some delay, they headed for Seochon.
It wasn’t until evening, when the sunset was spreading red across the sky, that we finally returned by cart.
Instead of going straight home, I cut across town.
I wanted internal energy as soon as possible. I needed to find a doctor who could process the Heavenly Mountain Snow Ginseng.
There was only one doctor I could think of.
Doctor Sang, the former military physician who had saved Gu-sam when he was at death’s door. I already knew where he lived from hearing about him before.