Monopolizing Fortunes (76)
Monopolizing Fortunes (76)
"First, the distance. They clearly fought a fierce battle, yet the bodies are barely a single jang apart. That's definitely strange."
Someone from the unorthodox side shouted.
"If they took each other down, that could happen!"
"Maybe with two or three, but all five clustered together like this? Everyone here has killed before and seen plenty of death, haven't you?"
Namgung Sang-yeon stepped in.
"It is certainly strange. You couldn't get a scene like that unless they struck each other's vitals almost simultaneously."
Han San-do shouted.
"That's exactly how they died! Can't you see it from how they look? When I cut down the Wudang bastard, the Mount Hua bastard wounded my arm, and then Woo of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance stabbed that Mount Hua bastard! Then that Hwangbo Clan bastard killed Woo, and he and Baek of the Azure Blood Blade Sect took each other down!"
Listening to it, it sounded plausible. Do Tong-dal asked.
"So the fight really ended just like that, in a flash? With a single slash and a single thrust?"
Do Tong-dal muttered to himself, "I thought fights like that only happened in Peking opera, but I guess real fights can go that way too."
The bearded middle-aged man spoke.
"Such fights aren't common, but they're not impossible either."
Do Tong-dal stood among the bodies and reenacted the fight.
"When Han cut down the Wudang disciple, the Mount Hua disciple wounded Han's arm, and then Woo stabbed that Mount Hua disciple. Then this Hwangbo Clan man killed Woo and took Baek of the Azure Blood Blade Sect down with him. But why don't the weapons line up? If they died instantly, the weapons should be pointing toward the people they killed, yet the tips are pointing in completely different directions. And besides..."
Do Tong-dal picked up Woo's sword and stabbed the dead Mount Hua disciple with it.
"What do you think you're doing!"
The Mount Hua disciples shouted in unison. Without even glancing at them, Do Tong-dal asked Han San-do.
"How long has it been since they died?"
"About two ke. Why do you ask?"
"It's only been two ke, yet not a single drop of blood comes from a fresh wound. It's as if a full shichen has passed."
Everyone's gaze focused on the wound Do Tong-dal had made. The only thing flowing from the wound was the rain pouring down in torrents; no fresh blood was visible.
"And doesn't the sword I just thrust in look very different from the original wound's sword mark?"
Jegal Cheong crouched down and examined the two wounds.
"You're right. This looks like it was made by a completely different sword."
Han San-do protested.
"Th-they were moving when they got hit, so of course it's different!"
"Then the wound that killed the Mount Hua disciple should be bigger, but it's the opposite, which is strange."
Jegal Cheong muttered.
"The way they died is strange, the sword marks are different, and it looks like they've been dead for about one shichen. It seems someone killed these five somewhere else and then arranged them here like this."
"I saw it! I saw it clearly!"
Han San-do struggled desperately, but unlike before, the gazes on him held more suspicion than belief.
"Han, your eyes must be bad. You should go see a physician."
"You son of a bitch, mocking me!"
Han San-do suddenly lunged at Do Tong-dal. He was so fast that even Jegal Cheong, who was nearby, couldn't intervene.
But Do Tong-dal easily dodged Han San-do's blade. Jegal Cheong, who had taken a step forward, soon stopped.
'Oh-ho! So he's learned martial arts too?'
Han San-do swung his blade like a madman, but Do Tong-dal narrowly avoided the attacks.
It looked precarious, but from the footwork Do Tong-dal was using, one could tell it flowed as naturally as water and wasn't dangerous at all.
'For an Underworld thug to possess martial arts of that level. Just how deep do I have to dig to see what he's really made of?'
And then, for the first time, Do Tong-dal attacked. He ducked his waist to avoid the blade coming at his neck, and at the same time spun around and aimed a kick at Han San-do's chin.
Clack!
The sound wasn't loud, but Han San-do spun twice on the spot before flopping down onto the rain-soaked ground.
"You couldn't even beat a passing traveler, and you claim you killed a Wudang disciple? A passing dog would laugh. Achoo! Did I overdo it in the rain? I think I'm catching a cold. Achoo!"
Do Tong-dal sneezed repeatedly as he tried to leave the clearing. Jegal Cheong called out and stopped him.
"Are you just going to leave?"
"If I don't just leave...... should I roll away instead?"
"We have to sort this out somehow."
"Why me? I was just passing by when someone shoved me into it, so I had no choice but to step in. I've done this much. If you want to keep fighting, go ahead. If one more idiot dies, the world's average intelligence goes up that much, so it'd be a good thing. Achoo—!"
He was just leaving the clearing when the bearded middle-aged man from the unorthodox side blocked his path.
"I am Hwa Tae-un of the Azure Blood Blade Sect."
When someone reveals their identity, martial-world etiquette is to reveal oneself in turn.
"Is that so."
Do Tong-dal didn't know a damn thing about martial-world etiquette, nor did he care. Hwa Tae-un spoke.
"It seems you had some motive for getting involved in this."
"If I had a motive, I'd have to gain something from it. Look here. What do you think I stand to gain right now? You're the ones who benefited. If it weren't for me, this area would already be a bloodbath. Besides the five who were already dead, is there anyone else dead?"
Do Tong-dal was right. It was clear that someone had tried to sow discord between the orthodox and unorthodox factions to start a fight.
That 'someone' would have something to gain from an orthodox-unorthodox conflict, but Do Tong-dal, who had stopped the fight, had nothing to gain.
"So it was simply goodwill?"
"Not that either. I was just passing by......."
"You risked your life just passing by?"
Do Tong-dal let out a soft sigh.
"Let's just say I butted in because the lie was so obvious, yet everyone seemed to be falling for it."
"How did you know that man Han San-do was lying......?"
"Mister! You can tell at a glance! In his eyes! His face! His twitchy hands and feet make it plain as day. If you couldn't see that, then blame your own blind eyes, not me, you jackass!"
"J-jackass......?"
"Anyway, I should never get involved with martial artists. You're full of suspicion but have no eye for the truth, and all you ever do is show off your strength. Move aside. If you don't, I'll take it as a challenge."
Hwa Tae-un, who had been staring Do Tong-dal down, took a step to the side. He couldn't fight here against the man who had prevented a major orthodox-unorthodox battle.
Do Tong-dal trudged up the mountain through the pouring rain. The sneezing kept coming and he felt chills, so he had definitely caught a cold.
"Damn it, I trained my internal arts so hard, and I still catch a cold? What a useless martial art. Achoo—!"
Do Tong-dal climbed the narrow mountain path and looked back. No one was following.
'Seeing that Seol-rin girl didn't chase after me right away, she's not completely clueless.'
For Do Tong-dal's words to be trusted, he had to avoid leaning toward either the orthodox or unorthodox side.
'Did I change the history of the Blood Affair where five hundred died?'
If he hadn't stepped in today, a fight between the orthodox and unorthodox factions would almost certainly have broken out. Even if not today, the two sides could clash tomorrow, but they would definitely be far more cautious than they were today.
"They say saving one person is better than building a nine-story stone pagoda, so I did a good deed. Even if I end up falling into hell later, King Yama will take it into consideration. Achoo—!"
Once he crossed over a small hill, the distant clearing was no longer visible. There was no one around, so he thought, 'Should I wait for Seol-rin here?' but decided to keep going.
It was better not to be seen with Namgung Seol-rin. Do Tong-dal only stopped after crossing two more hills.
"Should I wait for Seol-rin around here?"
He plopped down onto a rock by the roadside. He had definitely caught a cold; his head ached and he felt dizzy.
'At this rate, Seol-rin will end up carrying me on her back.'
A presence stirred in the forest.
"What took you so long......."
Do Tong-dal stopped mid-sentence. He had thought it was Namgung Seol-rin, but it was a woman he had never seen before, her face covered by a silk veil.
"It seems you were waiting for someone?"
A voice like jade beads rolling on a silver tray must sound exactly like that. The silk veil covering the lower half of her face fluttered lightly even in this heavy rain.
"That doesn't seem like any of your business, miss."
"You're shivering like a drenched puppy. How could I just walk past?"
"No matter how pitiful I look, I don't want help from someone who hides her face."
"You won't have a choice."
Before Do Tong-dal could respond, the woman moved. He somehow managed to block the first attack aimed at his chest. But he couldn't avoid the second, which struck his shoulder and forehead.
With his pressure points seized by the veiled woman, Do Tong-dal lost consciousness in a haze.
* * *
He didn't know how long he had been out. Do Tong-dal regained his senses but didn't open his eyes right away.
A blanket soft as fur covered him up to his chin. The sound of rain hammering the roof and the crackling of burning wood at the same time meant he was indoors.
Do Tong-dal stealthily lifted his eyelids, then startled and shut his eyes again. The veiled woman's face was right in front of him.
"You have a cautious nature."
The woman's voice grew distant. Since he had already been caught, Do Tong-dal had no choice but to open his eyes.
The place, filled with warmth, was a fairly tidy cabin. Outside the window it was dark, but with the rain pouring down, he couldn't assume it was night.
Inside the cabin, there was only him and the woman. Something plopped down in front of him as he sat up. It was the damp cloth that had been on his forehead.
"Seeing that you even nursed me, I guess you don't intend to kill me."
"It's easier to tell friend from foe when you're clear-headed."
That meant she might kill him depending on the circumstances. Even though he had been sick, the veiled woman had subdued Do Tong-dal far too easily. That alone proved he couldn't win in a proper fight.
Do Tong-dal stared at the woman. It didn't matter that most of her face was covered by the silk veil. After all, her eyes—which revealed the most human emotion—were visible.
The veiled woman also stared at Do Tong-dal. The staring contest went on for quite a while, and Do Tong-dal was the first to look away.
Because he had grasped everything he could. That didn't mean he was satisfied. The woman was the most difficult type to read.
Do Tong-dal asked.
"What's your standard for friend or foe?"
Do Tong-dal first checked his own body. He didn't know how the veiled woman had treated him, but his fever had gone down and the sneezing had stopped. Aside from feeling a bit languid, everything was fine.
And he was naked. His clothes had been soaked, so it was a natural part of treating a patient.
"If you answer my questions honestly, I'll judge for myself."
"So I'm your prisoner?"
"Let's say that's the case for now."
"I have no choice, then. I'll have to show you everything I've got."
Do Tong-dal flung the blanket aside. His naked body was fully exposed. The startled woman's brow furrowed.
"What are you doing?"
Do Tong-dal sat on the edge of the bed. The woman's eyes deliberately avoided Do Tong-dal's vital region(?). Even so, she didn't completely lose sight of him.
"You already saw everything when you undressed me, so why act shy now?"
The veiled woman let out a deep breath and stared straight at Do Tong-dal.
"I can see you're someone with no shame."
"I am ashamed. So ashamed that you should look at this little guy(?) all shriveled up like this."
"If that's it shriveled up, it's not bad."
The veiled woman immediately regained her composure. She was clearly not an easy opponent.
"Why did you kidnap me?"
"I also treated you."
"People raise puppies and then eat them in the end too."
"Is it true that you're not a martial artist?"
"How did you know that?"
"I'm the one asking questions."
"Ah! You were at that scene earlier. You must have heard what I said."
The veiled woman didn't deny it.
"I'm not a martial artist."
"You possess considerable martial arts, yet you say you're not a martial artist. That's hard to believe."
"And just how great is the martial art of the miss who subdued me, with my considerable martial arts, so easily?"
"Great enough not to be afraid of a naked man."
Do Tong-dal asked.
"What's your standard for an enemy?"
* * *