The Plank Road of the Thousand-Li Cliff (1)
Seo Baek and Wang Yi Sam turned back along the path with the young man.
Wang Yi Sam asked Seo Baek,
"What about the others?"
"The Sichuan Tang Clan said not to worry about the other wagons. They'll catch up if they want."
"I see."
"But with no other roads, they'll end up following us anyway."
Sure enough, the four including the unorthodox warrior had no choice but to trail after Seo Baek's group. They'd judged the pit impossible to cross.
The Shu Dao Pass caravan was now eight martial artists and five wagons strong.
A short while later, the caravan reached the beast path the young man had spotted.
Since it wasn't a human trail, branches sprouted everywhere, blocking the way.
The martial artists hacked them away with their swords and sabers, which naturally slowed their progress.
Something occurred to Wang Yi Sam, and he asked the young man,
"How'd you even know about this path? You a hunter or somethin'?"
Hunters made their living trapping beasts for meat or hides.
They were adept at mountain climbing and familiar with blades. Though rare, some martial artists hailed from hunter backgrounds.
The young man shook his head.
"I like hunting, but I'm no professional. A month ago, I came to Sichuan from the Central Plains via Shu Dao Pass. Got lost after passing it."
"What? So you found this beast path 'cause you were wandering off course...?"
"That's right."
"......"
Wang Yi Sam was at a loss for words.
The young man had discovered the beast path only because he'd gotten lost wandering.
Didn't that mean the Shu Dao Pass caravan was now detouring under the guidance of a notorious directionally challenged wanderer?
Wang Yi Sam whispered anxiously to Seo Baek,
"Guy's a total lost cause."
"Seems like it."
"Can we trust him?"
"No other paths we know of, so we have to."
"Ugh......"
Even after Seo Baek's reply, Wang Yi Sam couldn't shake his unease.
By the time the wagons cleared the beast path, the sun hung high in the midday sky.
The young man pointed ahead.
"There."
"Finally... Huh?"
Wang Yi Sam's eyes bulged.
The young man indicated a plank road carved into a thousand-li precipice.
A single misstep sideways would send one plummeting into the abyss below. The sheer cliff face bore a narrow, winding path hewn from the rock wall.
Wang Yi Sam glanced down and paled, quickly averting his gaze.
Lucky they were martial artists—ordinary folk would grow dizzy just peering over the edge.
"You're saying we go that way?"
The young man shrugged at Wang Yi Sam's question.
"Told you thanks can wait."
"......"
Wang Yi Sam was dumbfounded into silence.
The unorthodox warrior sounded incredulous too.
"You expect us to drag wagons down that? You out of your mind?"
"Why not?"
"What the—?"
The young man's breezy reply left even the unorthodox warrior speechless.
Seo Baek unslung the sword from his back, laid it flat, and aligned it with a wagon wheel.
"Wagon axle width: from here to here."
He'd measured the span between wheels.
Next, Seo Baek knelt and placed the sword perpendicular to the plank road.
"Plank road width: here to here. Wider than the axle, so the wheels won't slip off the edge."
"......!"
The martial artists who'd been grumbling fell silent.
While they'd stewed in complaints, Seo Baek had coolly assessed the path's width and feasibility.
To be outdone by a boy not yet twenty...
Seo Baek pressed the young man on the plank road's safety.
"Any narrower spots or breaks midway?"
"Not that I recall."
"Understood."
He turned to Wang Yi Sam.
"Senior Brother, let's go."
"Huh? Oh... yeah, we gotta."
Seo Baek gripped the donkey reins and led his wagon onto the plank road.
"No choice. Live or die, we press on."
Wang Yi Sam sighed deeply, then followed, driving his wagon after Seo Baek. Next came the young man with his group's martial artist and wagon.
About ten paces in, Seo Baek glanced back and called out,
"Path's narrow, but wide enough for wagons. Donkeys aren't spooked either."
"......!"
The unorthodox warrior and remaining martial artists bit their lips.
Seo Baek's meaning was clear: If donkeys aren't scared, why are you?
Martial artists lived by pride alone. They couldn't stomach such a slight.
The unorthodox warrior and others exchanged fierce glances.
That kid's crossing— we sure as hell can!
Soon, the rest drove their wagons onto the plank road.
Five wagons snaked single-file across the razor-thin path, where one false step meant endless fall.
* * *
Sichuan's east bordered the Central Plains, but towering rock walls blocked the way like a screen. In ancient times, people carved plank roads to link the regions.
This was one such path.
Without these treacherous routes, entering Sichuan had been impossible.
Shu Dao Pass changed that. Pass it, and Sichuan lay open.
Some still used plank roads like this—fugitives hunted by Central Plains sects or assassins dodging righteous eyes.
With fewer travelers post-pass, countless plank roads lay abandoned. This one was weathered beyond recognition.
Glance sideways, and the gut-chilling abyss yawned!
Fall there, and even peak-level lightness skill offered no survival.
The martial artists fixed eyes forward, tails on the wagons ahead.
Seo Baek strode like it was flat ground. Wang Yi Sam, following, shook his head.
That kid got no fear?
Yet another matched his ease: the young man close behind.
Damn kids these days got no sense of danger.
Wang Yi Sam grumbled inwardly but knew better. They were bold and lightness experts...
Still, as they progressed, initial terror faded; steps grew surer.
Bored, Wang Yi Sam voiced a nagging question.
"So, what caused that wagon explosion?"
"Two possibilities. First: saber cleaved the crate during revenant swing, sparking flames."
Wang Yi Sam nodded agreement.
But the young man interjected,
"Rained last night—air's humid. Blades don't spark easy in this weather."
"Exactly. That's why I suspect the second."
"Which is?"
"Ember from slicing a revenant."
The young man, Wang Yi Sam, and trailing martial artists cocked heads.
Ember from revenant? Unheard of.
But Seo Baek's explanation shifted minds.
"Revenants deprived of living blood long enough mummify like dead trees."
"Yeah, like mummies."
"Sliced deep to bone. Human bones contain phosphorus. Exposed to air, it ignites easily."
"......!"
"Desiccated like dry wood—humidity irrelevant."
Seo Baek's reasoning rang clear.
The martial artists pondered gravely.
Sichuan Tang Clan listed three precautions. Yet even they couldn't prevent the spark.
What perils lay ahead?
A wagon blast here... Not even bone shards left!
"Tang Clan pays well for 'em—turns out it's a rip-off, haha!"
The unorthodox warrior sneered in character.
Unspoken, all inwardly agreed this time.
"Your reasoning reminds me of him. Sharp deductions, just like you."
Seo Baek queried the young man's abrupt remark.
"Who?"
"Not a master. Actually came to Sichuan hunting him."
The young man explained: Murim Alliance tasked him post-revenant outbreak—fetch a warrior retired to Yunnan.
"Did you meet him?"
"No. Got to Yunnan; he'd left days prior on messenger hawk."
"Paths crossed."
"Yeah. Mission done regardless—heading back Central Plains. Got a good look at Yunnan and Sichuan thanks to it."
The young man flashed an easy grin.
Wang Yi Sam, overhearing, was baffled.
Detoured to Yunnan for nothing?
Crossing this plank road trusting the guy suddenly felt unwise.
Then Seo Baek halted abruptly.
"What's wrong?"
"Path's damaged."
Wang Yi Sam peeked—edge cliffside crumbled away.
Like a chipped blade tooth.
No issue for martial artists alone.
Wagons were the problem. Axle width matched path nearly exact. Right wheel would catch the gap.
Flat ground? Lift and shift. Here? Impossible—one sidestep, thousand-li drop. And uphill incline to boot.
The young man crossed arms, tilting head.
"Hm, forgot about this spot."
Wang Yi Sam inwardly raged.
Directionless fool who lost Shu Dao Pass—figures!
Seo Baek unslung his sword, stood it vertical in the gap.
As Wang Yi Sam puzzled, the unorthodox warrior chimed,
"Hah, using sword as bridge?"
"Yes."
Martial artists perked up.
Seo Baek's blade spanned two adult palms wide—ample for wheels.
"Snaps under wagon? You both tumble off."
"Any better ideas?"
"Nope."
The unorthodox warrior grinned, then leaped airborne.
"I'll cross first!"
Tatata! He bounded vertically up the cliff, vaulting wagons to the far side.
"Without wagons, child's play—even blindfolded."
Unassailable lightness skill!
"What're you waiting for? Send the wagons."
He extended a hand from across. Even the nitpicker stepped up in crisis.
No reason to refuse.
Seo Baek passed reins to him, guided wheels straight over blade.
Unorthodox warrior pulled from opposite.
First wagon crossed safely.
"Too easy—wasted worry!"
Wang Yi Sam whooped excitedly.
Seo Baek synced with unorthodox warrior, ferrying wagons one by one sans incident.
As fifth crossed, unorthodox warrior noted,
"Holds firm under wagon—no chips. Rare fine blade. Mine's junk by comparison. But..."
Seo Baek sensed something off.
Too late to act.
Unorthodox warrior drew saber, slashed donkey throats.
Shaaa!
"Slashing donkeys? No biggie, haha!"
Weight-bearing donkeys dead, wagon lost balance—slid toward Seo Baek.
