The Bond (2)
"So, I thought disguising ourselves as scholars visiting the Henan Academy would make accessing the materials easiest," Dang Ju-yeon concluded, glancing at Ju Tong-susa. He listened with one hand propping his chin at an angle. "But will the Henan Academy simply let us in? If someone other than the expected person arrives, they'll surely take notice."
"Merchants meet their trading partners every other week, but scholars operate differently. Those with experience travel as envoys and become known by face, while the attendants who accompany them rarely know one another. With Senior Heavenly Demon here, I figured stealing the face of just one representative would suffice—the rest wouldn't matter."
"Plausible. A solid plan."
Ju Tong-susa nodded as he spoke. Dang Ju-yeon was about to express her thanks when his words continued just as her lips parted.
"Then, where did you intend to intercept the scholars heading to the Henan Academy?"
"Most ships bound for Luoyang pass through Jeongju, so wouldn't it be best to find them there?"
"If we search, what exactly is the method?"
Dang Ju-yeon stared at the empty noodle bowl for a moment, thinking. "We could claim to have letters or items that must reach the Henan Academy and inquire after passengers traveling there. To be more discreet, we could have the harbor contacts handle it instead of doing it ourselves."
"Hmm. That doesn't strike me as a particularly good idea."
Ju Tong-susa toyed with his cup as he spoke. "As I mentioned earlier, the Guyeongmun's influence already spreads wide across Luoyang and its surroundings. Jeongju and Luoyang are close—do you truly believe there are no ears listening in Jeongju?"
Dang Ju-yeon fell silent, unable to answer. Instead, the Heavenly Demon asked, "You have a better method, then?"
"It's not so much a method as a preference. I simply think the land route would be safer than the river."
"The land route?"
"Yes. Unlike ships, carriages carry only their own party. If we stop them in the middle of the road, word won't leak."
"But how would we know which carriage is heading to the Henan Academy and intercept only that one?"
"Is there any need to target only that specific carriage?"
Ju Tong-susa smiled.
Among the phrases used to describe the ancient capital Luoyang was "the city of eight passes." The Yellow River flowed to its north, the Luo and Yi Rivers to its south, and mountain ranges encircled it east and west like folding screens. If the eight passes between the mountains and rivers were sealed, the Guanzhong Plain would remain fertile while rebels could not escape and foreign invaders could not enter. That was clearly why nine successive dynasties had established their capitals here for over a thousand years.
The most famous of the eight passes was, without question, the Hangu Pass, which had once repelled the allied armies and earned the title "the most perilous pass under heaven." Yet the other passes were no less formidable in their terrain and defensive might.
One of them, the Yi Que Pass, was shaped such that a rugged mountain range rushed from the east and halted just before reaching the Yi River. There, walls had been raised and a gate installed. The Yi River itself ran straight south, and until it met the low hills that sheltered the upper reaches of Yeoju, not a single rise broke the vast, open plain that stretched wide.
Any deed committed on that plain would be visible to the ferry boats plying the Yi River and the garrison soldiers guarding the Yi Que Pass. Therefore, if one wished to meet a carriage entering Luoyang from the south in secret, those low hills offered the final opportunity.
That was why the party now stood atop a peak that, though low in height, possessed a suitably imposing shape. Though it was already spring, the air had yet to warm, and the mountain wind was sharp. Everyone wore a leather windproof robe. Against the blue sky spread over the open plain, a kite wheeled past, letting out a powerful cry. As its echo faded, Ju Tong-susa spoke.
"A fine vantage. As long as we do not grow careless in our watch, there should be no problem."
A long, flute-like tube was pressed to his eye—a telescope. Before using it, he had let each of us take a turn. Simply holding it to the eye made objects dozens of li away appear as close as if they were right before us. It was the first time not only I, but also Dang Ju-yeon, Yeom Ho-yun, and the Heavenly Demon had seen such a device. Its usefulness was obvious in countless ways, yet the fact that it had not spread widely suggested it was either extraordinarily expensive or difficult to obtain.
I asked, "We've been able to see them for nearly two hours already. Is it possible we might still miss them?"
"You're still young."
I tilted my head. Of course I was younger than Ju Tong-susa, but what did that have to do with the matter at hand?
"The moment you think 'surely not,' that is precisely when the truly unthinkable happens. For instance, a fortress defended by thousands surrendering to a dozen men charging in with torches. Therefore, if you consider something important, you must focus on it no matter how unlikely it seems."
"So... you're saying we should always stay alert?"
"No. Constant focus is no different from being constantly scattered. It is like building a dike with a fixed amount of earth. In the end, it is a question of where the earth is thicker and where it is thinner. The point is to judge correctly where the thicker layer is needed."
I felt a flicker of admiration at his apt words. Ju Tong-susa said no more, and Dang Ju-yeon and Yeom Ho-yun remained silent as well. Only the wind grew louder. The cold air felt even sharper. I folded my arms and took a few steps, hoping to generate a little warmth, when a sharp voice rose from below.
"Gi Ya! Hey! Hey, you bastard!"
"What now?"
"You said horses! Where are the horses? Those are mules!"
It was the Heavenly Demon. After separating Yeom So-jeo from us and sending us here, Ju Tong-susa had gone to procure the horses and other necessities for the plan. The moment he arrived, the Heavenly Demon had insisted on inspecting the horses and descended to the tethered spot. From the start, suspicion had been plain on his face, and it seemed his doubts had been justified.
"You can tell at a glance? Sharp eyes."
"Have you never considered that the real problem is your own eyes, which can't even distinguish a mule from a horse after eating for over sixty years?"
"Never thought about it. I've managed well enough until now, haven't I?"
"You idiot. You obviously paid full horse price, didn't you?"
"Even so, it's not as if we can go back and exchange them now. As long as they can run while carrying us, it's fine."
The Heavenly Demon let out a sigh so deep it seemed the ground might cave in. Just then, Dang Ju-yeon pointed toward the far side of the plain.
"That looks like a carriage over there."
"Indeed. Faster than expected."
Ju Tong-susa raised the telescope to his eye. Soon, a murmur escaped his lips.
"A brown four-horse carriage. Judging by its size, it seats four. Wait—there is a crest. That crest... Jipmudang?"
"Jipmudang. If it is truly heading to the Henan Academy, at least we won't be refused entry. However..."
Dang Ju-yeon let her words trail off. If it was the Jipmudang rather than some obscure academy or scholar, we would not have to worry about being denied access to materials or facing troublesome procedures. Yet a prestigious name also meant its members were widely recognized by face.
I asked, "If it's the Jipmudang, wouldn't there be many people whose faces are known?"
"Even within the Jipmudang, individual scholars who are not Jeje are not widely recognized by face."
Dang Ju-yeon answered at once. Ju Tong-susa looked at her.
"I thought the same. But is there another issue that comes to mind?"
"Kidnapping an envoy of the Jipmudang... I worry it could cause significant problems later."
"Ah, so that was your concern. What does it matter? By the time this is over, we will either be heroes who stopped a rebellion or criminals who invaded the Prince Han's Palace."
"..."
While Dang Ju-yeon stood speechless, the Heavenly Demon spoke. "So, we're doing it anyway? Then hurry up and come down. Thanks to someone who can't even tell a mule from a horse, if we dawdle we'll lose the carriage."
"Even if they are mules, would they be slower than horses pulling a carriage?"
Whether he hadn't heard or simply ignored it, the Heavenly Demon had already descended. Ju Tong-susa followed, and Yeom Ho-yun moved swiftly after them. Dang Ju-yeon looked down at her own clothes and muttered a single complaint.
"But will this really work?"
I, too, glanced anew at the tattered fur vest I wore. Wherever it had come from, surely no garment looked more like a bandit’s. I shrugged.
"Well, it's better than not wearing anything."
The two riders who had galloped ahead flanked the carriage from both sides. As Ju Tong-susa had said, even mules proved faster than horses burdened with a carriage. The two animals quickly matched the carriage's pace. At first the driver tried swerving or adjusting speed, but the bulky carriage proved unwieldy, and the distance steadily closed. When the riders drew so near they nearly touched the driver's seat, the driver seemed to give up and gradually slowed.
It had been a thrilling chase, yet all I could do was watch from afar. After all, when had I ever ridden a horse? I merely mimicked the way Yeom Ho-yun handled the reins with practiced ease. Fortunately, there were two others whose riding was just as awkward. Dang So-jeo, who disliked leaving the house, was one; Ju Tong-susa's horsemanship was also far from impressive, and he had fallen far behind early on.
By the time we finally caught up to the halted carriage, we saw Yeom Ho-yun and the Heavenly Demon with the driver kneeling on the grass. Beside them stood the two mules that had carried the pair. The mule that had borne Yeom Ho-yun was panting heavily, sprawled out as though it had aged ten years in that short time—an inevitable result of carrying a woman twice the size of an average man.
"So, it really is a Jipmudang carriage?"
"It is. But they won't come out—"
Before I could finish, the Heavenly Demon jabbed Yeom Ho-yun in the side and whispered something while grabbing her ear. Watching them, I realized something as well.
We were bandits now.
"Ahem! They won't come out."
"I see. Hey! Stop making this troublesome and come out already!"
Even as Ju Tong-susa shouted, there was no response from inside the carriage. We dismounted and approached on foot. The Heavenly Demon walked directly to the carriage door. Only then did it open.
The first to emerge was a young lady carrying an unusually shaped greatsword. Her skin was pale, her eyes crimson—an striking impression, yet even if a monstrous creature with eight heads and six arms had appeared instead, it could not have drawn my gaze away from the figure who followed.
Long black hair, flawless skin, and at her left waist hung a single, unadorned sword. Without thinking, I spoke.
"Master?"
At the sound, Master turned her gaze toward me. Her steps, just as she descended from the carriage, came to a halt. I, too, stood frozen in silence for a long while.