Fate Before Song Mountain (2)
“Huh?”
Namgung Som-in let out a dazed sound, while Jinmyeong stared at him with a look that said it couldn't possibly be true. But Baek Su-gyeong's face, fixed on Bang Soran, showed no hint of doubt. He'd already made up his mind.
Namgung Som-in quickly composed herself and turned to Jonghwa. “Jonghwa, fetch the four treasures of the study for the teacher.”
“Yes, miss! Right away!”
Jonghwa hurried off to gather the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Jinmyeong and Namgung Som-in weren't the only ones stunned by Baek Su-gyeong's bold declaration—Bang Soran looked shocked too.
“Is that... even possible?”
“Since it's a single volume, I figure it'll take no more than two days at the latest.”
“Even the quickest book from you takes a month...”
“That might be true if there were a lot to prepare. But Wudang Sword Hero is a serialized tale, so there's plenty to consider.”
Baek Su-gyeong continued with a slightly more relaxed expression. “Of course, that doesn't mean I'm dismissing single-volume stories. They're tough to write too. What I'll pen right here is just a short piece, more like a prologue.”
“In that case...”
“It'll slot right between Wudang Sword Hero and the Shaolin novel. Naturally, I'll need to hear about your disciple first.”
You couldn't craft a proper story without knowing the details—especially for something tailored to a specific person. Baek Su-gyeong intended to center it on Bang Soran's disciple.
“Well...”
“It's a gift for Lady Bang's disciple, so the protagonist has to be her disciple, naturally.”
Baek Su-gyeong smiled. “So, tell me. About your disciple.”
It had been quite some time since Bang Soran earned her martial fame as the Thousand Sword Heroine. Even now, approaching her mid-thirties, she'd had no disciple—until three years ago, when she took in that child.
Orphans were more common in the Central Plains than one might think. Nomads from beyond the Great Wall raided relentlessly from the north, while Japanese pirates wreaked havoc in the south. Naturally, many children lost their parents in the chaos, becoming wretched orphans.
The child she'd taken as a disciple was one she'd rescued during a campaign against those pirates in the south—a lone survivor after her parents were slain.
“Lost her parents to the pirates, I take it.”
“It took two and a half years for her to open up. She wouldn't speak, wouldn't show any emotion. Only recently has she started smiling a little.”
“Recently, you say...”
Even as he asked, Baek Su-gyeong felt a twinge of unease. Bang Soran smiled as she replied.
“Around the time you began writing Wudang Sword Hero, I'd say. Once I started reading it to her, she began trying to change, bit by bit.”
The girl rarely spoke, shunned other children, showed no interest in martial arts, and never even tried to learn her letters. It was no wonder her master, Bang Soran, was burning up inside with worry.
After three years, the turning point finally came: Wudang Sword Hero, sweeping through the jianghu.
Bang Soran took a sip of her cold tea to wet her throat. “I stumbled upon it by chance. I was passing near Wudang Mountain, visited Hyeonseongja, and he recommended it to me.”
“I... see.”
Another unexpected connection. An unintended virtuous cycle.
“She seemed content to just drift along like flowing water and die quietly. But then she started changing. Thanks to Wudang Sword Hero.”
“...I see.”
An unforeseen bond. Before embarking on a long journey—one she might not return from—Bang Soran had sought out Baek Su-gyeong. Namgung Som-in, listening to their exchange, understood why.
To leave someone to care for her disciple, even if she doesn't come back...
Baek Su-gyeong scratched his cheek awkwardly. A story born of a whim had woven such fates. Human affairs were truly unpredictable.
Clink.
Bang Soran set down her teacup. “Once she started smiling, greed set in.”
The changes came after Bang Soran fetched a copy of Wudang Sword Hero and read it aloud. How could ambition not follow? And now, fate had brought her passing Song Mountain—and to Baek Su-gyeong. A heaven-sent coincidence.
“She dreamed of becoming a heroine. She threw herself into training, the martial arts she'd ignored for so long.”
A hint of regret tinged Bang Soran's voice. “But as if heaven grew jealous, her progress was slow despite being my true successor. The other children mocked her for it.”
“That's awful...”
“It's common in the murim.”
A faint, weary smile touched Bang Soran's lips. Senior and junior brothers should lift each other up, encourage one another, and advance together—but the subtle rivalries among martial siblings often soured things. When people gathered, one was bound to be the trash—and once agitators stirred trouble, the sect's atmosphere soured fast.
A well-worn cliché in wuxia tales.
“You don't want to see her lose that smile.”
“Yes. But with so many orphans to care for, I couldn't give her the attention she needed...”
“Hmm.”
Baek Su-gyeong scratched his cheek. As her master, she deserved more care—but with a gaggle of orphans, focus was divided. And now, heading far to the northern seas.
Even by chance, hearing he was here made it natural to seek him out. To give strength to her struggling disciple.
“What of her talent?”
“I took her as my disciple, but she seems to think she has none.”
A evasive answer, avoiding her own opinion. Baek Su-gyeong narrowed his eyes slightly.
“What do you think, Lady Bang?”
“I...”
“Your earlier reply didn't include your view. Isn't a master's role to embrace and nurture even a disciple without talent? Or—”
Bang Soran shook her head at his words. “She's my child—how could I think that? I'm just heartbroken. She tries so hard, yet can't achieve it.”
“I see.”
No direct answer on talent, but it was enough. A girl who believed herself talentless. A master who took her in anyway. That sufficed.
Little Immortal Hero Chronicles.
“Pardon?”
As Baek Su-gyeong took the paper and remaining tools from Jonghwa, he said, “The title for the book for Lady Bang's disciple. I'll finish it before starting the Shaolin novel.”
“To go that far...”
Baek Su-gyeong smiled. “If she's embraced a dream, it should come true, no?”
“But...”
It was a dream he'd sparked. A dream born from Wudang Sword Hero. At the very least, he had a duty to keep it from shattering. Words wouldn't do—but a story? That was possible.
Baek Su-gyeong asked, “What's your disciple's name?”
“Seon-ha. So Seon-ha.”
“What a coincidence.”
Still a child, so So Seon—Little Immortal. Destined for the path of a heroine, hence Hyeopdo-gi. It matched her disciple's name uncannily. Fate, perhaps.
Baek Su-gyeong pulled out a spare blank book he always carried, inking the title onto it.
“Fate, indeed.”
He smiled, dipping the tip of his brush in ink.
Compilation was grueling work. Three days holed up in a village just before Song Mountain. Baek Su-gyeong had finally polished the piece to his satisfaction—two books' worth, half a standard volume each.
“Now I can finally show you.”
The prologue alone had taken three days. Good grief. No paralleling Wudang Sword Hero like this.
Baek Su-gyeong clicked his tongue, eyeing his ink-stained hands.
“Better wash up quick.”
Three days of frenzied writing, discarding, rewriting to find the perfect phrases. Countless sheets trashed. Lucky the village was near Deungbong County—paper was plentiful, thanks to the Gyeongun Merchant Group's branch. The manager said So Ssaang-a hadn't caused any fuss.
After cleaning up and changing, Baek Su-gyeong emerged from his quarters, books in hand. No way he'd meet Bang Soran looking like a mess.
“...You've finished it?”
“I aimed for a full volume, but time was tight.”
Bang Soran took the book he slid forward, her face full of astonishment. She'd known he'd write it, but three days? Unthinkable.
“Feels a bit forced, but glad I could deliver before you leave.”
Baek Su-gyeong smiled, rubbing his sore shoulders. He finally understood why martial artists trained with weapons. Maybe he needed regular exercise.
“Of course, this stays secret. A gift just for Lady Bang's disciple.”
“To that extent...”
“It's a dream I kindled, after all.”
Baek Su-gyeong ran his hand over the table. Dreams were fleeting. Grasping one often led to greater ennui. Absolute experts in wuxia novels bored without rivals—it stemmed from that boredom. Cliché, sure.
“Can't help directly, but I can keep her from losing it.”
“So thoughtful.”
Baek Su-gyeong gave a faint smile. “If little So Seon-ha grows without losing her dream through my book, nothing could be better. I just hope it sparks that for her.”
“Thank you, teacher.”
Bang Soran bowed deeply, gratitude pouring from her despite the imposition. Baek Su-gyeong said nothing.
As she tucked the book away, Bang Soran said, “You'll be off soon.”
“Need to visit Song Mountain. See Shaolin, then head home to Wuan.”
“Shaolin...”
“I've made promises. Gotta prepare to keep them.”
Seemed he traveled more than he wrote lately. Much of this murim differed from his knowledge. Huashan being a rocky peak without plums was minor; no Plum Blossom Sword existed either. Plum Blossom Swordplay was a Korean wuxia staple, rare in actual Chinese ones.
“Must be tough.”
“Compared to folks like you, Lady Bang? Just a drop in the ocean.”
Baek Su-gyeong set down his empty cup. “Wishing you fortune on your path.”
“Martial fortune to you too, teacher. Or should I say, literary fortune?”
Baek Su-gyeong chuckled at her jest. “Looking forward to seeing you again, Lady Bang.”