Chapter 42: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (13)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 42: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (13)
On the battlefield, after the echoes of combat had finally faded.
Lee Yu-baek spoke, his voice heavy.
“She unleashed her Innate True Qi.”
Innate True Qi fills the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. It is the purest, most volatile energy a person possesses—a vital essence that must be preserved at all costs. Under normal circumstances, it never mingles with the Acquired Qi that flows through the Twelve Standard Meridians.
But if the walls of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians are breached…
Then that Innate True Qi, which resides in the deepest reaches of the body, floods outward, incinerating the entire being from within.
The end is inevitably death, but for a fleeting moment, one gains immense, terrible power.
“However, it isn’t a power that can normally be controlled with such stability…” Lee Yu-baek continued.
Usually, when the Eight Extraordinary Meridians burst and Innate True Qi flows out, a person simply erupts in flames. If the Gathering Fire or True Fire cultivated through internal arts are mere embers, then Innate True Qi is molten lava—far hotter, far thicker. There was no way a human body could remain intact with such a force gushing through its veins.
“I suspect she used a secret assassin’s technique. It must have been like artificially inducing Severed Meridians—severing a portion of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians to allow the Innate True Qi to flow in a controlled stream. Then, using the harmony of the energy within that Innate Qi, she forced a body that had already ceased to function to move.”
Yeon So-wol thought back to the sight of her.
The strangely healthy flush in her cheeks, despite her fatal wounds.
The searing heat he had felt when he touched her.
“Even so, it must have been agonizing. To move a body whose life had already been spent, consuming her Qi, her blood, and her very Essence Blood… that would not have been possible for someone with an ordinary mind.”
Yeon So-wol stared blankly down at Eun-yeong.
“Haa…”
Beside him, Mo Cheong let out a long, shuddering sigh. He trudged over and stood beside Eun-yeong’s remains. Taking off his dopo, he draped it gently over her body. Her own clothes, soaked in blood and clinging to her like wet seaweed, had clearly been a sight he couldn't bear.
But soon, his dopo also began to stain a dark, spreading red.
Frowning, Mo Cheong rummaged inside his robes and produced a single dried flower petal, carefully pressed between two thin pieces of wood. He slowly placed it in Eun-yeong’s cold arms.
“If I’d known, I would have brought a fragrance pouch. I had a pretty red one all ready for her…”
Yeon So-wol barely managed to swallow the lump in his throat.
So that was for Young Miss Eun-yeong.
He remembered Mo Cheong calling Eun-yeong pretty during their boat ride on the Jipseong River. Feeling a tightness in his chest, Yeon So-wol managed to ask, “Are you… okay?”
Mo Cheong answered without looking back. “It’s not a matter of being okay or not.”
His gaze fell upon Eun-yeong’s face, slid away, and then inevitably returned.
“I was… only just… beginning to like her.”
“…”
Flutter.
Lee Yu-baek took off his own dopo as well. He layered it over Eun-yeong, covering the robe Mo Cheong had already provided. Taking out a clean cloth, he wiped Eun-yeong’s face as gently as he could, then wrapped her in the robes and lifted her onto the cart.
“…We must inform the Cheongun Pavilion. Those who wish to follow, come.”
Yeon So-wol immediately fell in behind him. Mo Cheong followed, and behind him came Kang Mu-hyeok and Seon Je-hun.
On the way to the Cheongun Pavilion, the group from the Pungryu Martial Arts Hall ran into Hang In-woo. A crowd of armed men from the White Dragon Gang trailed behind him like a shadow.
In a slightly cracked voice, Lee Yu-baek asked, “Are you going to blame me?”
Hang In-woo’s eyes wavered. After a moment of heavy silence, he straightened his posture and asked, “Did you kill them all?”
“I killed them all.”
“Mu-ryang, too?”
“Seo Mu-ryang, too.”
“…”
Hang In-woo looked up at the sky. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then asked, “Are you unharmed? What about your internal injuries?”
“It’s nothing. A few more days of rest should suffice.”
“How many times have you said that? At this rate, you’ll never heal. An internal injury is like a fire; if you keep neglecting it because it seems minor, it will eventually burn down the whole house.”
“I believe those are the very words I once said to you…”
“And the Knight-Errant who knows this still acts this way?” Hang In-woo clicked his tongue. “I’ll have to find some medicine.”
He walked past Lee Yu-baek.
“The rest of you can go back. The Elder Brother is safe, so that’s all that matters.”
Waving his hand to dismiss the men from the White Dragon Gang, he walked away alone, his long strides carrying him toward the Golden Powder Gang’s former territory.
“I’m sure my Elder Brother had his reasons for killing Mu-ryang. But regardless, I must offer a drink to my friend.”
“Offer one for me as well.”
“I’ll have to think about that…”
Hang In-woo disappeared into the distance with a bitter laugh. Lee Yu-baek, wearing a bitter smile of his own, turned away.
At last, the cart carrying Eun-yeong arrived at the Cheongun Pavilion. The sounds of wailing did not cease until late into the night.
*
It was April.
Flowers bloomed. Flowers fell.
The weather was absolutely radiant.
The people of Xinxing County were ecstatic.
“I never thought Vivid Red, our own Young Hero Yeon Seon-hong, would be the one to take down Seo Mu-ryang.”
“I wonder where all those fools who used to compare Young Hero Yeon Seon-hong to a Resentful Dog have gone?”
“Have you noticed? The food at the inns in Xinxing County has gotten better lately.”
“Just the inns? Even the goods at the market have improved!”
“These days, people don’t even call their kids to come home until after the sun has set.”
The disappearance of one or two figures from the Black Path often goes unnoticed. But when the Black Path is completely wiped out, a clear change occurs. With the thugs who extorted and stole from them gone and public safety restored, the lives of the people in Xinxing County became noticeably more comfortable.
They had claimed there was no evidence, that they never crossed certain lines, but the truth only becomes clear once they are gone. Whether they only brought harm, or if they were of any benefit at all—it was now crystal clear.
“Anyway, the Mount Cheonro Bandits are truly finished now.”
“How do you know that?”
“The Black Path of Xinxing County and Seo Mu-ryang were the last obstacles to the Mount Cheonro Subjugation.”
“What’s your basis for saying that?”
“Come on, haven’t you heard the rumors that Seo Mu-ryang was in league with the Mount Cheonro Bandits?”
“Hmm. He certainly seemed like the type.”
“With a man like that firmly planted in Xinxing County, do you think the Pungryu Martial Arts Hall, the Severing Sword Sect, or the White Dragon Gang could march out with peace of mind?”
“Hmm… It would be unsettling, to say the least.”
“Exactly. So what happens when the very factions that are masters of Xinxing County hold back, afraid of being stabbed in the back? It seems Lee Yu-baek was trying to gather wandering heroes from all over Guangdong to compensate.”
“Ah. They would all look upon it unfavorably. To ask them to fight, only to be passive themselves…”
“That’s what I’m saying. It was a mess that could have made the whole thing fall apart. But now that not only Seo Mu-ryang but all the other Black Path members have been swept away at once, how reassuring must that be? They’ve killed off every possibility of a scheme from behind.”
“Hmm…!”
“It won’t be long now. May at the earliest. June at the latest. It’ll all be settled within two months.”
“They must succeed in the subjugation! If the road through Mount Cheonro is secured, our Xinxing County will become twice as prosperous.”
“Then from now on, whenever you travel to other regions, speak of Great Hero Lee Yu-baek and Young Hero Yeon Seon-hong.”
“Young Hero Yeon, too?”
“Stories of a young and promising talent are always popular.”
“Hmm!”
“You must do so. If their fame grows, more wandering heroes will join the Mount Cheonro Subjugation.”
Yeon So-wol’s fame had already pierced the heavens in Xinxing County, and now his name was spreading beyond its borders to every corner of Guangdong.
*
After the fight with Seo Mu-ryang, Yeon So-wol spent his days in a flurry of activity.
Was it because he had fought through several life-threatening crises? Or was it thanks to Eun-yeong’s final guidance? Yeon So-wol’s skill in handling gyeong had improved by leaps and bounds.
“This… this doesn’t make any sense…”
Lee Yu-baek, who was checking his progress, was left speechless for a long while.
For a time, So-wol focused on solidifying his newfound skills, continuing his training. But he couldn’t spend all his time in the training hall. The Mount Cheonro Subjugation was now barely a month or two away. Yeon So-wol now had to deliver various letters and meet people on Lee Yu-baek’s behalf.
As he spent his days training and running errands, his memories began to fade. Even the shocking memory of killing dozens of people in one place and watching an acquaintance die before his eyes began to blur after just four days.
But even if memories could be set aside, the emotions remained. Yeon So-wol would be struck by sudden, inexplicable feelings of emptiness and unease.
“…”
That day, too, he was on his way back to the Pungryu Martial Arts Hall after finishing an errand. Yeon So-wol saw a red carriage standing in front of the Cheongun Pavilion. Adorned with red cloth and flowers, with a feast table set up, it looked as though someone was getting married.
He could hear the chatter of people nearby.
“Looks like Cho-ran is getting married.”
“Married? What marriage? They didn’t even pick an auspicious day, and there’s no matchmaker. Have you ever seen a wedding that just happens without an exchange of horoscopes or wedding gifts? That’s just a courtesan being sold off as a concubine.”
“You have a point there.”
“Tsk. What a shame, though. I heard that Cho-ran girl was so beautiful. I never even got to see her, and now someone’s snatched her up.”
“Haha. Well, I saw her once. She was stunning. She sang for me right in front of my eyes, and I still can’t forget it.”
Yeon So-wol’s steps faltered.
She’s getting married?
Even if it was to become a concubine. Yeon So-wol stared blankly at the red carriage and the lavish decorations above the main gate of the Cheongun Pavilion.
Then he heard another voice.
“But I heard she was injured a few days ago and can’t have children now.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I heard it from the physician. Said she was lucky to be alive.”
“Then isn’t he basically taking in an invalid?”
“They say that rich fellow, Mr. Wang, doted on Cho-ran that much.”
“Enough to take her in even though she’s unwell and can’t have children?”
“Being unwell is one thing, but isn’t not being able to have children a good thing?”
“Why is that good?”
“My friend, think about it. Is there anything more troublesome than the children of a concubine?”
“Ah! You’re right! Now that I think about it, that rich Mr. Wang is quite clever, isn’t he?”
“Indeed. Anyway, they say Mr. Wang cherished Cho-ran that much. He kept pursuing her even though she kept putting on airs and refusing him.”
“Really? She refused him? Then why did she suddenly agree…?”
“Apparently, a girl she considered a sister died recently. When Mr. Wang heard, he must have told her that if she became his concubine, he would see to the girl’s memorial rites for the rest of her life.”
“Good heavens. And she agreed to that?”
“Yes.”
“My, my. The things they do to not look cheap, eh? Selling her dead sister, too.”
“Isn’t that just how courtesans survive?”
Squeeze—
Without realizing it, Yeon So-wol clenched his fists. He stared blankly at the two men chattering away. Then their eyes met.
“Ah! Young Hero Yeon Seon-hong!”
“Isn’t it Vivid Red, Young Hero Yeon!”
The two men approached with bright smiles, bowing with clasped hands. Yeon So-wol looked at them with a heavy, complicated heart, then let out a short sigh and returned the bow.
“Yes. A pleasure to meet you. However…”
Step.
Suddenly unable to hold back, he took a step, closing the distance between them. As Yeon So-wol, who was incredibly tall by the standards of the region, loomed over them, the two men flinched back in surprise, stammering.
“Y-Young Hero, why…”
“D-Did we do something to offend you?”
“…”
Yeon So-wol had, in fact, intended to say something.
I know Cho-ran.
Watch your damn mouth.
All sorts of words swirled in his mind, but in the end, none of them came out. Yeon So-wol just stood there, looking down at the two men. For some reason, he felt like he finally understood why Chu Jin-hyeok carried dog shit around.
“O-Our apologies.”
“O-Our apologies, Young Hero.”
The two men scurried away, glancing nervously at Yeon So-wol.
“…Hah.”
Yeon So-wol felt a pointless sense of self-loathing. He turned to leave. Behind him, courtesans began to play their zithers and sing a cheerful song.
The mortal world is so laughable,
And foolish love, the most tiresome bore.
When awake, I offer smiles to all,
In my dreams, I forget it all.
To wine, one must add a song,
I only wish to be happy till I’m old.
The higher the sky, the smaller the heart,
The song is sung, the dance is danced.
Today I cry, tomorrow I laugh.
I don’t ask for anyone to understand,
I don’t ask how it came to this.
I’ll just get drunk and fall down alone.
Yeon So-wol’s feet stopped. The people around him started chattering again.
“Honestly. No matter if she’s becoming a concubine, it’s still a kind of wedding. Is that really a celebratory song?”
“Let them be. What do you expect from courtesans?”
“True enough.”
Yeon So-wol took a sharp breath through his nose. He tried to walk past. He tried to walk past. But for some reason, the song kept echoing in his ears, and he turned back.
The entrance to the Cheongun Pavilion was guarded by courtesans gathered in small groups, but they recognized Yeon So-wol and didn’t block his path.
Step.
Inside the Cheongun Pavilion, it was cool. There wasn't a soul in sight, and hazy dust motes danced in the sunbeams. In the very center, Cho-ran sat alone, dressed in white and red.
Yeon So-wol’s gaze briefly caught on the pretty red fragrance pouch tied to her waist before sliding away. He stopped about five paces away. He hesitated once, then twice, before asking in a flat voice.
“…By any chance. Do you need any help?”
“Ah.”
Lost in thought, Cho-ran hadn’t even noticed his approach. She startled and turned to him. Her nose was a little red. She gave a pale smile.
“No. We’re all right.”
“…Is that so.”
“Yes. It’s just… I suppose this is just how people are made. It’s just… how things are. This is just how it is. It’s nothing special. Since that’s how it is… it’s okay. It has to be okay.”
Cho-ran waved her hand.
“I’m really all right.”
Yeon So-wol watched her for a moment, then gave a slight nod and backed away. After a few steps, he glanced back. The smile had vanished from Cho-ran’s face. Her red-rimmed eyes stared blankly into the distance.
“It’s my fault… I…”
Her tiny, scattered whisper reached Yeon So-wol’s now-sensitive ears.
Yeon So-wol was suddenly reminded of a line of poetry he had learned before.
Ten Years of Night Rain in the Jianghu.
In the Jianghu where the night rain falls, facing a lamp for ten long years.
“Will I miss it?”
A mad world. The sun was bright, but the world felt strangely tilted. His throat was constantly parched. But there is no river here, no lake.
Yeon So-wol walked on with aimless strides.
As if drunk.
As if bold.