Yangyang
I wonder what on earth they talked about overnight to end up like that.
"Sister Ryeon, I have a question."
"Yes, junior sister. What is it you want to know?"
Cheongha and Dokgo Ryeon had grown close in the space of a single night and were now linked arm in arm, whispering secrets only the two of them understood.
When I edged closer out of curiosity, the two of them only leaned in even farther, conspiring in hushed tones and leaving me out of it entirely.
"What are you talking about?"
"Ah... it would be a little difficult to tell Song sister. Sister Ryeon, is that all right?"
"Mm, I suppose it would be a bit embarrassing to tell Teacher."
"Sorry, Song sister."
This was bullying!
No group harassment allowed!
Could they really have done the deed overnight?
They'd become far too close, far too quickly, for that thought not to cross my mind.
It was irritating to be left out, but the sight of them trading secrets, blushing and giggling to themselves, was strangely pleasant to look at.
It made a good picture.
The polar bear was still failing in her real-estate investments today.
Our journey remained peaceful.
Before Dokgo Ryeon joined us, we had only been spared from the bandits of the Green Forest; after she joined, not even wild animals dared show themselves.
Was it because of the energy she occasionally gave off while meditating?
Thanks to that, at least I no longer had to be jolted awake by the cries of nocturnal animals. That alone was a relief.
Ah, of course, our ball game was still going strong too.
"Catch!"
"Hup!"
CRASH—
By now, Cheongha had become quite adept at batting back the qi bullets.
A little while ago, Dokgo Ryeon had joined in as well, and the three of us had been playing together.
"Teacher!"
"Whoa!"
The black qi bullet she fired grazed my arm and shot far up into the sky.
"A black qi bullet at night is cheating. I can barely see it."
"But there weren't any rules about that."
"There are now."
"That's unreasonable."
Whether her boldness in pretending to be the Heavenly Demon was more than mere bluff, the qi bullets Dokgo Ryeon threw were genuinely powerful.
Maybe that was why Cheongha had glued herself to Dokgo Ryeon's side day and night, talking martial arts with her.
They spoke with such enthusiasm that I wanted to join in, but between the two of them, all those complicated classical terms and dense literary references made it sound like alien speech.
Uuugh...
I have no idea...
Even if I wanted to butt in, I couldn't find a way.
So I could only watch the two of them enjoying themselves and feel oddly warm inside.
"Aren't you going to ask me anymore?"
"Ask you, sister?"
Cheongha had asked me questions often before we came to Wudang Mountain, but at some point she had stopped.
When I asked why, she looked startled and asked back with an expression that practically said, You're serious?
"Yes."
"But, sister, last time I asked, you only told me, 'Just do it.'"
"…"
At Cheongha's words, I closed my mouth.
That was, quite literally, true.
To be honest, even if she asked me, I had no answer to give.
I only wanted to butt in because the two of them were getting along too well.
Seeing the dumbstruck look on my face, Dokgo Ryeon smiled faintly and asked in Cheongha's place.
"Then perhaps I should ask not about martial arts, but about principle itself, Teacher. What do you think power is?"
Ah, a riddle of Zen.
This was practically my specialty.
I had enough confidence in this sort of thing to have even defeated the leader of the Hao Sect and taken his iron badge.
Come to think of it, were riddle contests even supposed to have winners and losers?
I wasn't sure.
I thought for a moment about the topic Dokgo Ryeon had thrown at me, then opened my mouth.
"Power is all about direction."
"Oh? Direction?"
"Yes. Everyone cares about size, but what truly matters is direction. The how is more important than the what."
Did you know F = ma, you Murim swordsmen?
I looked at the two of them as if to ask what they thought of that explanation about power—physical power, that is.
It probably wasn't the answer they wanted, but riddles were, by nature, supposed to be all smoke and mirrors.
As I intended, Cheongha and Dokgo Ryeon fell silent in thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Seeing no counterquestion come back my way, I supposed I had won this round of the riddle exchange as well.
It had been a while since I felt I'd done something right, and that night my food went down easily and I slept well.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After a few more days on the road, we finally arrived in Yangyang.
It might not have been quite on the level of Seoan, but Yangyang had long been known as a strategically vital city.
Even the outer walls alone had an imposing grandeur that overpowered anyone who looked upon them.
Once we passed through the great city gate and entered Yangyang itself, an entirely different world opened before us, nothing like the quiet mountain roads we'd traveled until then.
The lively voices of people ringing out from every direction, the clatter of carriage wheels over the stone-paved roads, and the complex mingling scent of food and incense.
Amid the thronging crowd, our first priority was simple: find somewhere to rest our bodies after all that camping.
"I'll show you the way. I know a good place."
Before anyone even asked, Cheongha stepped forward and began leading us to an inn.
She didn't show it on her face, but she clearly couldn't hide her excitement at being back in her hometown after so long.
The expression on her face as she led the way was positively flushed.
The inn she brought us to was apparently quite famous in Yangyang, because even at the entrance there was hardly room to set foot.
"Well now, if it isn't Miss Cheongha?"
"Uncle Man-gyeok. It's been a while. Do you have any empty rooms?"
"Hahaha, if there aren't any, we'll make some. Are you all with her? Come on in."
Indeed, the youngest daughter of a prestigious noble clan.
Thanks to Cheongha, our group was able to push through the crowds and secure rooms ahead of everyone else.
Long live privilege!
After a quick wash, we gathered in the dining hall, and Cheongha asked cautiously,
"How are the rooms?"
"It's a fine inn. It doesn't fall short even when compared to Seoan."
"Not bad."
"I'm glad."
Cheongha let out a relieved breath at our reactions.
Mm-hm. If you recommend lodging in your hometown, it makes sense to worry about how people will react.
I understood that feeling perfectly.
Likewise, she must have chosen the food with the same care.
As the waiter bustled back and forth carrying dishes at Cheongha's order, I listened to the conversations around us out of habit.
Gathering information was always important.
"Did you hear? They say this year's Yongbongjihoe is going to be the biggest one ever. The young masters of Namgung, Dokhwa of the Tang Clan, even the direct disciples of Mount Hua—every famous rising talent of this generation is supposed to be there."
"And that's not all. Not only the younger generation, but elders and sect leaders from all the major factions are said to be attending as well."
"They're even saying the demonic and righteous sects alike will be there, along with the outlying martial groups!"
"Heh. What is this, a prelude to war?"
The news that drifted our way was astonishing.
Yongbongjihoe was a famous festival, sure, but was it really the sort of event that drew this many heavyweights?
"This year's Yongbongjihoe must be drawing a lot of attention. Is it always like this?"
"No, not really. It must be because of the secret manuals, don't you think? Apparently other people came to the same conclusion we did."
The speculation was that those who had grown strong in a short time thanks to the manuals would be taking part.
Come to think of it, that was something I had only said to convince Cheongha.
But if Shaolin was going to be there, then of course I'd be walking straight into the center of the people guarding the thing.
Did martial artists suffer from some kind of disease that made them incapable of not showing off their strength?
"Tch. It's still full of empty display and ceremony. Truly the righteous sects, through and through."
Dokgo Ryeon snorted and lifted her teacup, looking thoroughly displeased for reasons known only to herself.
I'll give this Heavenly Demon imitation an eight out of ten.
Very demonic. I liked it.
Thinking such frivolous thoughts to myself, I sipped my tea.
There was still time before Yongbongjihoe began, so I would need to think it over carefully.
Of course, after dinner first.
And dinner was satisfying.
Cheongha really did know how to pick a good place to eat.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
There were still a few days left until the opening of Yongbongjihoe.
Which meant we were free to enjoy Yangyang to the fullest.
Under Cheongha's guidance, we began roaming all over the city.
This was nothing like Seoan, where we'd merely burned time by spending money.
Cheongha's expert guidance, combined with visiting places tied to her memories, made the whole thing genuinely enjoyable.
Cheongha herself looked so happy she seemed to have forgotten all about how much she'd once disliked coming to Yangyang.
"This is a good shop too."
We finished a satisfying meal at one of Cheongha's recommended restaurants and stepped out onto the street.
Yangyang really did seem to have a great many good eateries.
As expected, I was better suited to local favorites than to upscale restaurants.
I was just about to breathe in the cool evening air and ask Cheongha where we were headed next when someone blocked our path.
He was a man in bright silk robes with a valuable jade pendant at his waist, the sort of person whose entire bearing made it obvious he was the son of some noble family.
"I caught sight of you from afar and was startled. Are you Cheongha?"
He looked down at Cheongha with a calm expression.
Cheongha's face stiffened in an instant.
"I thought the harsh winds and rough roads of the jianghu had worn you down to nothing after you ran away from home. Why have you come here without even sending word?"
"Big brother..."
I think we had just stepped on a landmine.
The man, who seemed to be Cheongha's older brother, sounded like he was greeting a younger sister he hadn't seen in ages, but there was a thin edge of thorns hidden beneath every word.
"Don't tell me you've come to take part in Yongbongjihoe? Nonsense. Stop wasting your time and go home, would you?"
Correction.
He was looking down on Cheongha.
Her shoulders were trembling faintly.
"A woman has her place, and the Jegal Clan has its own proper way of doing things. Even if you fall short, is it fitting to drag the family's honor through the mud with such pointless nonsense?"
He placed a hand on Cheongha's shoulder and warned her in a low voice.
Now I understood perfectly why Cheongha had dismissed him as an old fossil.
How could every single line he spoke be so stuffed with that stiff, nagging, old-man energy?
"Are you a family member of Cheongha's?"
"Hm?"
I had the feeling Cheongha was about to explode in rage and fire a beam to purify the evil in front of her, so I quickly drew his attention away.
He finally acted as though he'd just noticed our existence and inclined his head.
"Indeed. I am Jegal Yun, the second son of the Jegal Clan. And you are?"
"Song Hyeon. I'm traveling with Cheongha."
"Cheongha?"
Jegal Yun lifted one eyebrow slightly.
"You call her by her childhood name, so I take it you two are rather close. Are you interested in that meaningless thing too?"
"You mean the secret manuals?"
"Exactly that."
Jegal Yun lifted his chin a fraction.
His gaze was full of undisguised contempt.
"Relying on luck is not a choice a descendant of the Jegal bloodline should make."
"It's not a bad thing to spend time with good people."
"Of course not. If you carry the blood of the Jegal Clan, you must not forget your standing. You should be associating with truly worthy people."
Hmm.
He was the type I really didn't want to talk to.
But at the same time, he was the type I wanted to press down hard.
"Standing, huh... is that something determined by blood? Not by the person?"
"The standing of the martial world is order itself. There is no reason to disturb order. Everything returns to where it belongs."
"That's a fine thing to say. Then is looking down on a person you've just met part of that order too?"
Jegal Yun looked at me in silence.
I smiled at him.
"Your spirit is admirable, but that is not everything. Beneath a clan's name lies the effort of countless people. One must meet an opponent worthy of that name."
"Then the weight of your clan must be rather heavy."
I nodded as if in agreement with his words.
Seeing the faint look of satisfaction flicker at the corners of Jegal Yun's mouth, I went on.
"For you, Young Master, it must be far too heavy to carry alone. You probably need your older brother's help, don't you?"
"You have a light mouth."
"Fortunately, my thoughts are heavy."
His eyes narrowed, and his lips pressed into a hard line.
There it was.
Second son, old fossil, arrogant manner of speech.
With this kind of man, mention the eldest son and you could bet your life he'd take the bait every time.
It was a cliché that always worked.
A chill settled between us.
I quietly pulled Cheongha's wrist and drew her to my side.
Cheongha obediently allowed herself to be led.
"I suppose my eyes are better than yours, too."
"Don't get cocky, girl."
Wow, so this is what I got to hear now that I was a woman.
As Jegal Yun openly let his anger erupt, the guards standing behind him all placed hands on their sword hilts at once.
But they didn't draw.
That hadn't been their own will.
From the side, Dokgo Ryeon, who had been watching the situation in silence, gave me a slight nod.
Right. Our fake Heavenly Demon had suppressed them with an invisible hand.
That's a ten out of ten on this move. Truly worthy of the Heavenly Demon.
Realizing things weren't going his way, Jegal Yun's expression twisted unpleasantly, but then he abruptly smoothed it over.
"Interesting. You—what's your name?"
"Song Hyeon. Have you finished pretending to be civilized now?"
"Song Hyeon, then. I'll remember it."
"Do you only remember things after promising yourself you'll remember them?"
Was that too clumsy?
Even after I kept picking at his nerves, Jegal Yun still didn't explode any further.
He glared back and forth between me and Cheongha, then spun on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.
After watching the direction he'd gone for a moment, I looked at Cheongha, whose wrist was still in my hand.
"Cheongha."
"Yes... sister."
"You really did leave home in style."
Until now, I'd even thought I might help reconcile Cheongha with her family.
But now I understood why she'd made up her mind.
What the hell was that?
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