Chapter 44
The road to Manshin-ui was treacherous. Torrential rains poured down only to stop and start again, turning the path into a muddy quagmire where the carriage wheels got stuck several times.
Thud.
The carriage door swung open, and Namgung Wan spoke.
"Get out."
"Yes."
As I carefully gripped the doorframe to step down, Namgung Wan suddenly grabbed me by the scruff of my neck.
"Eek!"
He then hoisted me effortlessly onto his side and strode off, swinging me like it was the most natural thing in the world. For a moment, I wondered if I was a person or a kitten.
"From here on, we'll ride horses to that place over there and rest."
Where Namgung Wan pointed, wisps of smoke rose into the air. Finally, a proper place to rest.
Father, Namgung Wan, and the escort warriors had been riding through the rain all night, taking turns on watch duty. Even they were starting to feel the strain.
Namgung Wan asked, "Can you ride a horse?"
"No."
I knew how in my past life, but pretending now would be too suspicious since I'd never learned in this one.
"I see. Then you..."
I grabbed the hem of Namgung Wan's clothes as he turned toward Father and said, "I want to ride with Uncle Namgung Wan!"
"With me?"
"Yes!"
Since Yahul had internal energy in his body, it was best to minimize contact with others who might notice. Father riding with him was safer.
Just then, my eyes met Yahul's. I couldn't tell if he understood my intent.
Namgung Wan lifted me onto his horse and tilted his chin up toward Father. "Tsk tsk, who was the one who got distracted and left his daughter behind? I'll take Ri-yeon."
"......"
Father fell silent, but I bristled in his place.
"Don't talk like that about Father!"
"What? If you don't like it, get off."
"Waaah."
After half a shichen of bickering, we arrived at a small mountain village. The smoke we'd seen from afar was from a hearth fire in one of the homes.
As we approached, a woman who spotted us first clutched her basket and fled toward the village. Moments later, people gathered at the entrance.
"Strangers. What brings them to this remote valley?"
"Doesn't the vibe remind you of that guy who came a few days ago?"
"Where's the village head?"
"The man on the lead horse. Wow, I've never seen such a handsome fellow in my life."
"What about the one behind him!"
"Hmph, that pretty boy's as delicate as a girl. What's so great about him?"
The simple folk whispered in curiosity, fled in fear, or peeked from hiding. I watched them with a furrowed brow.
Something's off...
Namgung Wan's subordinate should have been here, waiting after arriving ahead of time. We were supposed to unload here, rest for a day, then head deeper to the village where Manshin-ui lived—a tiny place with no room for our group.
With the whole village out gawking, there was no way his man hadn't noticed us.
Then, a stout old man pushed through the crowd.
"You don't look like folk who wander into a hamlet like this. What brings you?"
Shim Bukan stepped forward. "Elder, did a man in his mid-thirties arrive here about a week ago?"
"He did. Why do you seek him?"
"He's one of ours. Haven't you seen him?"
"Ah, so you're the ones who rented the big house on the hill?"
"Likely so."
"Well now... hmm."
The elder hesitated, then said, "Wait a moment. I'll fetch someone from the big house."
He beckoned a child to run the errand. Soon, the child returned with a dark-skinned woman, who eyed us warily.
"That man did rent my house, but..."
"But?"
"He hasn't been seen for two days."
"Not seen?"
"Yes. He left all his luggage behind and vanished."
The village head spoke up again. "We sent people to search, but no luck. A child said he was seen heading urgently toward that inner village."
Namgung Wan's face hardened.
Poking my head out from Namgung Wan's arms, I saw tree branches whipping past at blinding speed. The steep mountain path, slick from recent rain, would be treacherous for ordinary folk, but those employing lightness skills showed no hesitation.
Craning my neck, I spotted Father's back leading the way ahead.
"Head back in."
"Yes, sir."
I shrank at Namgung Wan's curt tone and clung obediently again.
We ran like this for what felt like an exhausting eternity before finally stopping.
Have we arrived?
Lifting my head from Uncle Namgung Wan's arms, I stared blankly ahead.
The air reeked of acrid smoke. Charred rafters lay splintered against the ground, dripping unburnt sap into puddles of ash and mud.
This was Palgwae Village—or what was left of it after everything burned.
I never imagined this...
They say you get eerily calm in the face of overwhelming shock. That was me right now.
On the way, I'd worried endlessly: What if Manshin-ui refused treatment even with the clan token? How to plead for Yahul's care? Would it even work? But a whole village incinerated? That hadn't crossed my mind.
"All found?"
"Yes. We've searched the vicinity. These are all of them."
The warriors had methodically gathered thirteen corpses. Namgung Wan and Father's already tense faces grew stonier.
Every body has wounds.
The rain had preserved some wounds clearly: single, piercing blows straight to the vitals.
Father said, "Ri-yeon, step back a bit."
"Yes."
He looked like he wanted to keep me far from the corpses, but with unknown dangers lurking, he couldn't risk it.
Luckily, I grasped the situation quickly.
I glanced at Yahul beside me.
Yahul's fine...
A normal child would be terrified, but Yahul was no ordinary kid. His impassive face showed no reaction to the bodies or the horror.
We locked eyes for staring too long. I whipped my head away.
Shim Bukan, back from scouting, reported to Namgung Wan. "Palgwae Village outskirts are secure. Expand the search?"
"Yes, widen it. Jo Chung?"
"Not found."
Jo Chung was Namgung Wan's man who'd arrived at Palgwae Village first.
"But there are faint signs of combat."
"Jo Chung's?"
"Rain washed most traces away. Can't be sure."
Listening, I recounted the bodies: Two, four, six... thirteen. Five children, eight adults. Short two.
Palgwae Village had been tiny even before a landslide claimed many lives, driving survivors away. Fewer than twenty remained. I'd stayed here over ten days once, so I remembered the numbers.
Namgung Wan asked Shim Bukan, "Know how many lived here?"
"Around twenty. Didn't expect trouble, so no exact count. My apologies."
"Tch. Where the hell is Jo Chung? He knew about this place."
"Fifteen people!"
I blurted it out. Namgung Wan eyed me curiously.
"How do you know that?"
"I asked in the last village!"
"Did you now?"
He tilted his head but let it slide, not having stuck by me the whole time. Yahul, though—who'd been glued to my side—gave me a puzzled look.
Shim Bukan said, "If Young Miss is right, two are missing."
"Survivors or unrecovered bodies..."
That seemed enough. I turned to Father. "Father, can I walk around now?"
"Yes. But don't go far."
"Okay!"
As I stepped away, Yahul followed.
Pretending to wander aimlessly, I headed to where Manshin-ui had lived—or what was left of it.
Rain had interrupted the blaze midway; some inner parts were only partially burned. Soaked books were illegible, half-burnt herbs ruined in ash and mud.
One adult, one child.
For some reason, I felt Manshin-ui had survived. A little mute girl had attended her—the orphan of the landslide, saved from near-death by Manshin-ui, devoted beyond measure.
When Manshin-ui delayed my treatment and fled, that girl had stalled us, buying time.
How thoroughly she'd fooled us.
I headed to where the girl had hidden us that day.
This tree, I think...
If she'd survived, she'd likely hidden in the same spot. Vague memories guided me.
After circling a large tree, Yahul pointed to a root.
"Looking for this?"
"Huh?"
A tiny gap in the roots—easy to miss.
In there?
Peering into the cramped hole, I saw a small child huddled inside.
How did she fit? No wonder they couldn't find... Wait, more importantly...
Sensing us, the child didn't stir. Heart sinking, I touched her nostrils—faint breath and warmth.
Relieved, I shook her shoulder.
"Hey, wake up!"
Her head lolled limply. Her forehead burned with fever.