Chapter 34: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 34: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (5)
As the floating lanterns drifted along the current and the sky lanterns receded on the wind, the moonlight and starlight over the Jipseong River grew ever deeper.
The night of revelry in the Jianghu was drawing to a close. Amidst the fading sounds of laughter and shouts, someone began to play a zither and sing.
Mankang yadeung hwasaek nong
Gohyeon sowol yuseonhong
Night lanterns fill the river, their fiery hues deep,
A lonely small moon hangs, uniquely, vividly red.
So-wol (小月).
The "small moon" might have brought to mind the half-moon currently hanging in the sky.
But if that were the case, the line about the moon being red wouldn't make sense. It was, of course, a word meant to evoke Yeon So-wol, whose name contained the character for moon, wol (月).
The river’s surface was a tapestry of red and yellow from tens of thousands of lanterns, but the reddest of all was the single moon hanging high and alone.
A small moon, not yet twenty years of age.
The martial artists of the Jianghu slapped their knees and exclaimed in admiration.
“Gohyeon sowol yuseonhong!”
“Simply breathtaking!”
“The Vivid Red of Xinxing County! Young Hero Yeon So-wol!”
Yuseonhong (唯鮮紅).
Uniquely and vividly red.
There could be no more fitting a martial title for the young man who had stood out the most during the night’s festivities.
In that moment, Yeon So-wol—who had been earning the nickname Arang from some in Xinxing—instantly etched his name into the memory of the Jianghu as ‘Yuseonhong.’
“Yuseonhong… That title… it’s on a whole different level from ours, isn't it?” Mo Cheong muttered under his breath as he listened to the chatter.
“Ahem. You can’t compare it to fake titles like ours,” Seon Je-hun chided with a stern expression. “Ours were just thrown together for Master’s sake, all ending in ‘-rang’—Pungryu-rang, Jilpung-rang, Cheongpung-rang. That one is a real martial title, one the people of the Jianghu have seen with their own eyes and will remember.”
“I’m so jealous…”
Mo Cheong’s shoulders slumped. His small frame made him look even more pathetic.
“Well…”
Yeon So-wol, who had overheard everything from the side, could only feel awkward.
Just then, the first disciple, Kang Mu-hyeok, shook his head. “What’s this? You two still don’t have proper, ‘real’ martial titles?”
“What? Senior Brother?”
Seon Je-hun turned in surprise. At that moment, a passing martial artist gave Kang Mu-hyeok a cupped-fist salute.
“One Smile Sword, Young Hero Kang. It was a pleasure to meet you today.”
“The honor was all mine.”
Ilso-geom (一笑劍).
One Smile Sword.
It was a title he’d earned for the way he’d laughed heartily while deflecting the military officers’ arrows and javelins.
“Hmph.”
After the martial artist had passed, Kang Mu-hyeok straightened his back and glanced over his junior fellow disciples.
“Urk…”
“Ugh…”
As Seon Je-hun and Mo Cheong writhed with envy, Kang Mu-hyeok wrapped an arm around Yeon So-wol’s shoulder and took a step back with him.
“Little brother. Perhaps we should keep our distance from these fellows from now on? It feels a bit beneath us to associate with a group that doesn’t even have real martial titles.”
“Huh? What?”
Yeon So-wol was flustered, Kang Mu-hyeok was grinning, and Seon Je-hun and Mo Cheong were kicking at the ground in frustration.
Lee Yu-baek, who had been quietly observing the scene, finally spoke up.
“How tragic.”
“Pardon? Master, what do you…?”
As Kang Mu-hyeok’s eyes widened, Lee Yu-baek let out a deep sigh.
“I don’t have a real martial title either, do I? ‘Pungryu Sword of the Pungryu Sect.’ You can’t exactly call that a proper, real title. Yuseonhong and Ilso-geom! I’m so jealous… I suppose I’m not worthy of associating with you two either.”
“Ah, no, Master. That’s not what I…”
“Father, I have never once shared Mu-hyeok’s sentiment.”
“L-Little brother?”
The tables had turned.
Now, Seon Je-hun, Mo Cheong, and Lee Yu-baek were gathered together, sighing dramatically, while Yeon So-wol joined in, pretending to sigh along with them. Only Kang Mu-hyeok was left flustered, not knowing what to do.
“No, Master… Please listen to me…”
Just as they were enjoying the lighthearted moment, a voice cut in.
“Leaving all the work to us! Look at you all, having a grand old time!”
A man in his mid-forties, the Severing Sword Sect Leader Shin Ja-eon, appeared with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Elder Brother, I’m here too.”
A man even taller than Yeon So-wol with bulging muscles, the White Dragon Gang Leader Hang In-woo, was with him.
They walked straight toward Lee Yu-baek as if they had something to say, but they stopped abruptly in front of Yeon So-wol.
This man… He’s Resentful Dog’s master.
Yeon So-wol tensed.
There wasn’t a soul in Xinxing who didn’t know that Yeon So-wol had constantly picked fights with Resentful Dog and finally beaten him to a pulp. It wouldn’t be strange at all if the Severing Sword Sect Leader held a grudge against him.
“Yuseonhong, Yeon So-wol. Indeed. With skills like these, I can see how you gave my disciple such a lesson.”
Shin Ja-eon smiled faintly and patted Yeon So-wol’s shoulder.
“Thank you. I think Tae-gwang has finally come to his senses because of you. He’s even practicing his swordsmanship today, on a day like this. Normally, he would have insisted on recklessly training his mental cultivation method, but now he’s following the proper order and training step by step. It’s all thanks to you.”
“You praise me too highly.”
“No, it’s true. And today, as well. You upheld the pride of Xinxing County. By defeating the disciple of the Great Hero Si Bu-jae, you’ve shown everyone that the martial artists of Xinxing are not to be underestimated.”
Pat, pat. Shin Ja-eon patted his shoulder once more before walking past.
“Well done. You were the pride of Xinxing.”
Following him, Hang In-woo also gave Yeon So-wol’s shoulder a firm squeeze as he passed. The large, rough hand left a forceful impression.
This feeling…
Yeon So-wol rubbed his tingling shoulder and smiled faintly. Being congratulated by the people of Xinxing felt different, somehow.
Just then, Lee Yu-baek’s face lit up at the sight of Hang In-woo.
“You’ve come! My sworn brother! Golgol!”
Hang In-woo’s thick eyebrows furrowed fiercely. “Really, Elder Brother. How old is that nickname? Can’t you see the state of my body now?”
Hang In-woo’s shoulder and chest muscles rippled, the movement visible even through his clothes.
“Haha. Golgol, my boy. Seeing you grow up so strong truly makes me happy. The first time I saw you, you were just skin and bones, on the verge of death from a sword wound…”
“Are you drunk, Elder Brother? Why do you keep bringing up stories from so long ago…?”
“Haha. My apologies. I am a bit drunk. My dear Golgol.”
“I… didn’t I tell you? Calling people by such strange nicknames is not a good habit.”
“Sorry, sorry. The wine tasted so good today, I drank too much. I feel great. I can’t help it.”
Before meeting the great Seo Myeong-eum, Lee Yu-baek had deliberately used his energy to burn off the alcohol and keep a clear head. But there was no need for that after their conversation had ended well.
Tonight’s hero was, without a doubt, Lee Yu-baek, and as soon as he stepped forward, people offered him drinks from all sides. Lee Yu-baek accepted every single one without refusal. Since he hadn’t used his internal energy to burn it off, it was only natural that he would become completely drunk—more so than he had been in years.
“Cough. Cough. Ahem! Mogin. Bring me some water.”
“Yes, Master.”
Mogin was Kang Mu-hyeok’s childhood nickname. Lee Yu-baek had given it to him because, even as a child, he was as stiff and unbending as a wooden person.
At some point, Lee Yu-baek had stopped calling people by their nicknames, but he was so drunk tonight that his old habits kept resurfacing.
Kang Mu-hyeok handed him a water flask with a worried look. Seeing this, Hang In-woo frowned.
“Elder Brother, has your internal injury still not healed? And you drank that much?”
“Haha. It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll just rest for a few more days.”
“…For heaven’s sake. You led the charge and cleared the path with an unhealed injury? I was wondering why you weren’t burning off the alcohol with your internal energy, and it was because of the injury. If that’s the case, you should have drunk less.”
“Haha. My apologies, my apologies, Golgol.”
“Ah, honestly…”
“Sorry, sorry.”
The Severing Sword Sect Leader, Shin Ja-eon, who had been listening to their conversation, chimed in. “Still, you look to be in high spirits. I take it your talk with the Chief Daoist went well?”
“It did. It went very well.”
Lee Yu-baek grinned and pulled a pouch from his robes, opening it for them to see. Inside was half of a wooden plaque.
“Is—is that a Military Tally?”
“Yes. It is. He has temporarily granted me military authority. Of course, I can’t mobilize an army with this, but I should be able to receive various forms of assistance.”
“That’s insane. Absolutely insane.”
Shin Ja-eon’s beard trembled.
The world was vast. Guangdong Province alone was nearly twice the size of 21st-century South Korea. Even if Lee Yu-baek was the top expert in Xinxing County, on the scale of the entire Guangdong Province, there were quite a few experts of his caliber. Compared to the Chief Daoist Seo Myeong-eum, who oversaw both Guangdong and Guangxi, he was nothing more than a speck of dust.
And yet, such a man had acted on his own conviction, secured a meeting, and even persuaded the Chief Daoist to grant him a Military Tally—a symbol of military authority.
“Whose heart wouldn’t pound upon hearing of this feat?”
At this point, the practical utility of the tally itself was a secondary matter. The martial artists of the Jianghu who heard this story would feel their hearts burn with passion, and a martial artist with a burning heart would not hesitate to draw their sword.
Lee Yu-baek was no longer a nameless man from the mountains of Xinxing. He had become a man whose name would be known throughout Guangdong. If he were to gather people now, voices would surely rise in response.
“The Mount Cheonro subjugation is now just a matter of time.”
Lee Yu-baek and Shin Ja-eon met each other’s eyes and smiled.
“So you’re really doing it, huh? Mount Cheonro.”
Hang In-woo nodded gravely.
*
Deep in the night, Yeon So-wol stood alone by the bank of the Jipseong River, a single lantern hanging from a long pole.
The night’s festivities were finally over. The boating area was some distance from Xinxing County, so martial artists unfamiliar with the area could easily get lost. Thus, Lee Yu-baek had scattered his disciples at various crossroads. They were to stand with lanterns on poles and guide the martial artists back home after the celebration.
One by one, two by two, martial artists passed under the pole, offering their greetings, until at some point, the flow of people stopped.
Is it finally over?
It had been a long, tiring, and joyous night. He was alone, swallowing a smile as he replayed the moments he felt he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Suddenly, Yeon So-wol’s senses flared.
Startled, he leaped forward, creating distance.
“…Your Qi Sense is sharp, isn’t it?”
About ten feet from where Yeon So-wol had been standing, a man in a white knight-errant’s robe and a black dopo stood perfectly still. He appeared to be in his early thirties.
“Who… are you?”
Yeon So-wol asked warily. For some reason, he didn’t think he had seen this man during the night’s festivities.
But the man answered with a different question. “That’s a fine sword. Did your father get it for you? Hmm. It’s too fine for that, though. I don’t think Lee Yu-baek is capable of that much…”
Yeon So-wol knew for certain then. He wasn’t part of tonight’s gathering.
If he had been, he would have known about the sword. Then who was he?
Thunk!
Yeon So-wol drove the pole he was holding into the ground. He lowered his stance, let his hands hang loose, and tensed his entire body.
An unknown martial artist. One who had tried to get behind him without a single sound. He had to assume the worst.
Yeon So-wol’s world flattened. Threads of silk began to flutter in his mind's eye.
If he comes closer… if even a fingertip touches me…
He was prepared to kill at any moment.
“Look at this one. Leaking killing intent?”
Yeon So-wol was inwardly shocked. He read it?
Ever since learning how to perceive and control his Qi Sense from Eun-yeong, he had begun to police his own thoughts. Otherwise, his intentions would be laid bare for all to see, just as Resentful Dog had once read his killing intent.
Thanks to that, Yeon So-wol’s mind now moved with considerable stealth. It was difficult to read his intentions unless one’s Qi Sense was exceptionally sharp. But the mysterious man had read it in an instant and now curled his lip.
“Don’t get cocky, kid. I can kill the likes of you with a single finger.”
He wagged his index finger, then…
TWANG!
…he momentarily pressed it against his thumb and flicked it.
Yeon So-wol snapped his head back. His Qi Sense had detected a flicker, and he had moved on pure instinct.
Whoosh!
Something grazed past his earlobe. It stung.
What was that? There wasn’t anything to flick…
The man had simply flicked his finger in the empty air. And yet, something as powerful as a bullet had shot past his ear. It was a technique beyond anything in Yeon So-wol’s limited experience. His back grew damp with sweat.
“You dodged? I was only trying to blow off your earlobe…”
For the first time, the man showed a hint of bewilderment. He seemed to have his pride wounded, and perhaps felt a little annoyed.
Then, he asked abruptly, his eyes narrowing to slits. “It was you, wasn’t it? The one who killed Mad Dog?”
Yeon So-wol sensed something in that question. He knew who this man was. His instincts screamed it.
“You’re him, aren’t you? Seo Mu-ryang.”
The number one figure in Xinxing’s Black Path, Seo Mu-ryang.
Recalling the rumors he’d heard from Cho-ran, Yeon So-wol asked, “You’re really colluding with the Mount Cheonro Bandits, aren’t you?”
He must have appeared here to spy on what had happened. To find out how the situation would unfold so that the Mount Cheonro Stronghold could prepare in advance.
“Am I right?”
To that question…
“No.”
…Seo Mu-ryang bared his teeth in a white grin.
A chill ran down his spine. Yeon So-wol felt the killing intent.