The Geumho Express
Chapter 6. After sparring with Yi Yeon-baek at the Geumho Express, I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes, a musty smell assaulted my nose.
"Where is this..."
"Damn it, you finally woke up."
An old man in white hemp robes approached, tapping my shoulder. What kind of place was this, and who was this old man?
"What are you glaring at, you little brat!"
I don't even have eyes to glare with... Well, at least I could tell right away that the old man's temper was foul.
Damn, curse it, you son of a— The old man, whose every other word was a curse, spoke.
"Never seen a medical clinic before?!"
"....Yes."
"Country bumpkin."
The white-haired elder went to a corner and began pounding something in a stone mortar. Then he scooped up a sticky, foul-smelling green substance with his hand and came toward me.
"Stick your head out."
"....?"
"Damn it, I said stick your head out properly!"
"Ah... mm..."
I didn't understand the situation, but it seemed I'd get hit if I hesitated, so I did as told. The old man grumbled.
"What kind of kid has such a messed-up fate? At my age, changing a brat's diapers is already a chore, and that bastard Yi Yeon-baek kept blabbering about damaged meridians and whatnot, so I even shaved your head clean down to the Baihui point..."
"......"
From his complaints, I learned quite a bit. This was a medical clinic for treatment, and I'd been bedridden for four days after the sparring match. Also, my unkempt hair that had been covering my eyes was completely shaved off, leaving me looking like a Shaolin monk.
No wonder my head felt so cool.
"Baihui point, my ass. Your body's been trash since birth, so it's your own damn fault, you quack..."
It seemed Yi Yeon-baek had taken responsibility for my poor physical condition. After all, even Elder Yul-heo had been surprised, so someone even stronger like Yi Yeon-baek would know exactly how bad my body was.
—Rub rub. Once the old man finished applying the herbs to my bald head, he shook his hands clean and said,
"Get the hell out tomorrow."
"Ah... yes."
Receiving an expulsion order from a medical clinic was practically a luxury, so my body apparently wasn't as ruined as I'd feared. The old man slammed the door shut with a bang and disappeared. Only then did the surroundings grow quiet.
"Four days... The sparring tournament must have ended long ago."
That meant Yi So-so, the woman I'd seen at the inn, and even the Countless Swords Yi Yeon-baek were already gone. I lay down, using the now-familiar musty smell as incense.
Was the secular world truly the secular world after all? So many things had happened. What stuck with me most was qi. It had been terrifying. My flesh trembled, and my hair stood on end. In that final moment, I'd even forgotten this was a sparring match.
Even now, I couldn't figure out how I'd managed to raise my sword against his. I'd thrust it out purely from the desire to live, so it was closer to heavenly luck than skill.
"Haa... The strong rule..."
Elder Yul-heo had said it. No matter how outstanding you are, the world is vast. The strong make the laws of the world, and "chivalry" for the weak is nothing but cheap sentiment that gets you killed.
"I'm too busy just taking care of myself, so what chivalry..."
Whether I lived long and thick or long and thin, I simply wanted to live long. If I added a little greed, it was a life without hunger. Of course, it wasn't easy. I knew that in this world of martial artists who lived by the blade, grudges and favors were like shadows you could never shake off. The longer you stayed in this world, the thicker those shadows became.
"......"
I hadn't been in the secular world for long, so why think so deeply? I'd already resolved to walk the path of slaughter, so what use was regret now?
"Let's just sleep."
Sleep well and do what I originally planned.
* * *
The next day, I walked unsteadily through the streets. People around me stared strangely, but I couldn't afford to care about their feelings. My own arms were already full!
—Elder, come to think of it, this next to me...
—Do you not have eyes!
It was true I had no eyes, which was unfair, but Yi Yeon-baek had granted one of my wishes splendidly. Even iron coins were precious, so when would I ever get the chance to touch gold coins in my lifetime? If my eyes had been fine, they probably would have turned red.
Was I always this weak to material desires!
Apparently so. Everyone approaching looked like a thief. Along with gratitude toward Yi Yeon-baek, I decided I needed to secure proper lodging first. I turned my steps toward my original goal: the escort agency.
After walking for a while, I heard the sound of carriages, horses neighing, and people loading cargo. I spoke to someone bustling about.
"Is this an escort agency?"
"Yes, yes."
His manners were poor, but since I'd stopped someone in a hurry, I didn't press further. That much was enough. The footsteps and numbers of the escorts wandering nearby were extraordinary. The only place of this scale under the Hyeongsan Sect's jurisdiction was the Geumho Express.
I'm going to become an escort here... an escort...
Without bias, my martial prowess was already at the level of a first-class escort. Even so, I couldn't help but feel nervous. I nodded and strode toward the large main gate. A gatekeeper blocked my path.
"Halt."
The gatekeeper, Baek Gung-ho, frowned as he looked at me. A bald man in rags—was he a Shaolin monk?
"What business does the venerable monk have at the Geumho Express?"
Baek Gung-ho usually shuddered at martial artists, but he was quite favorable toward monks cultivating the Way, so he showed courtesy.
Venerable monk...?
He was clearly mistaken.
"I've come to become an escort."
"An... escort?"
A monk becoming an escort? Did that make sense?
"Uh... so, you're not here to entrust cargo, but to become an escort... is that right?"
"Yes."
".....W-wait just a moment, please."
Baek Gung-ho glanced at the other gatekeeper beside him, then hurried inside.
*
After about fifteen minutes, Baek Gung-ho returned with a middle-aged man a head taller than me.
"I am Yeo Geuk-seong, Deputy Chief of the Third Branch of the Geumho Express. Are you the one who wishes to become an escort, Venerable Monk?"
"Ah... um..."
I needed to clear up the misunderstanding first.
"First, I am not a Shaolin monk. My head was shaved due to circumstances."
At my words, Yeo Geuk-seong shot Baek Gung-ho a sharp glare. Baek Gung-ho flinched and glared at me as if he wanted to kill me for not mentioning that fact earlier. Yeo Geuk-seong sighed and spoke to me.
"Recruitment for escorts ended a month ago."
"Then when is the next—"
"I can't disclose details as they're confidential, but there won't be any for the time being. Please return safely."
After only offering verbal courtesy, Yeo Geuk-seong stood stiffly and issued an expulsion order. But if the door closed here, I'd have to wait indefinitely.
"E-even as a porter is fine, so please hire me! Though I'm a blind man who can't see, I have the strength of two or three grown men!"
"Hmm..."
Yeo Geuk-seong stopped walking. That meant he was at least willing to reconsider my words!
"As you can see, I'm a martial artist who carries a sword! However, I have no grudges or favors accumulated!"
Honestly, A-rang's conditions were so exceptional that it would be strange not to hire him immediately. Being blind was certainly a drawback, but if there were no issues with his gait, it didn't really matter. Even as a martial artist, having a clean record regarding grudges and favors? That was no different from saying the beggars of the Beggar Clan bathed every day.
Hire him? Or not?
All porter positions were filled, but if A-rang's words were true, using his authority to force a hire wasn't a bad idea. He'd only pay one porter's salary, but the work of two or three men would get done. Plus, even if he didn't expect much, since the man carried a sword, he could at least use him as a meat shield in place of an escort.
"Very well. However, you'll need to take a test."
"Any test is fine!"
A-rang was delighted. The very fact of obtaining an opportunity that didn't exist made him keenly feel his own value rising. Following behind Yeo Geuk-seong, A-rang entered the Geumho Express. Inside, the sounds were much more orderly than outside. After walking a bit, they reached a stone floor. Yeo Geuk-seong stopped and spoke.
"What's beside you is one jar of Yeo Ah-hong. About twenty gwan per jar."
Yeo Ah-hong! Even an outsider had heard of this supreme liquor at least once!
—Gulp. A-rang swallowed. Just how much was that worth?
"One jar of this is six times more expensive than a first-class escort's monthly wage."
"Whoa...!"
I covered my mouth, and Yeo Geuk-seong chuckled at my reaction.
"Since you claimed to have the strength of two or three grown men, the test will be carrying three jars of Yeo Ah-hong."
"If it breaks along the way..."
"No problem."
"Phew..."
"You'll just have to pay for it."
"....."
"For reference, one jar of Yeo Ah-hong costs three nyang of gold."
A-rang's palms grew slick with sweat.
"Do you still wish to proceed?"
"....If one is born a man, one must overcome hardships and adversities like this."
Contrary to his words, A-rang's lips trembled. These three insignificant liquor jars were equivalent to nine spars with Yi Yeon-baek. In other words, breaking them meant the end of his life.
—Huu... Letting out a hot breath, A-rang shouldered the carrying pole loaded with Yeo Ah-hong jars.
"Huuuup!!!!!"
With a shout, he straightened his knees, and even Yeo Geuk-seong's eyes widened slightly. If he kept this up, it would be a smooth success, but—
—Creak...!
The pole couldn't support the sixty gwan of liquor jars, and an ominous sound rang out. Why did anxiety always become reality? No, it wouldn't. A-rang prayed and prayed again, but the moment the pole snapped, his hope shattered along with it.
—Crash! Crash! Crash!
"......"
A-rang's body froze. Along with the sound of disaster, a strong grassy smell rose up.
"Huu..."
Yeo Geuk-seong sighed and remained silent for a long while. A-rang could only let out an "Aaaah" before hurriedly making excuses.
"Th-this isn't my fault, it's the pole...!"
"Enough. I already know it wasn't your fault."
"That's right! It is!"
A-rang's face brightened. At least it wasn't his responsibility!
"Your strength has been proven, so you may work as a porter."
"Thank you!"
"Someone clean this up."
"Yes!"
At Yeo Geuk-seong's command, the waiting laborers came and cleared away the broken jars. As they picked up the pieces, the laborers thought to themselves,
The Deputy Chief is too much. This is just regular liquor before it becomes Yeo Ah-hong, so how could it be worth three nyang of gold each...
In truth, Yeo Geuk-seong had omitted an important detail. The liquor used for the test was regular yellow liquor before it became Yeo Ah-hong, worth less than a tenth of the price. Naturally so—who would entrust such precious liquor to a complete stranger? However, the value of cargo was always considered ten times its actual worth... Since he'd always preached that, from Yeo Geuk-seong's perspective, there was no difference between regular yellow liquor and Yeo Ah-hong being transported as cargo.
Unaware of this fact, A-rang simply bowed his head repeatedly in gratitude. Yeon A-rang, whose mind strangely stopped working when it came to money matters. The secular world was cold.
"Let's do our best from now on."
"Yes!"
Yeo Geuk-seong gave a hearty laugh and patted A-rang's shoulder.
Thus, three years passed.