Unexpected Encounter (2)
"So, how did you end up posing as Green Forest bandits?"
"Hm?"
At my question, the Heavenly Demon set down the chicken leg he'd been gnawing and looked up. Ju Tongsu-sa and the two young ladies turned toward me as well. Yu Baek had already fixed his gaze on my face from the start, so everyone seated across from me was now staring my way.
The Heavenly Demon made a thoughtful sound, but Ju Tongsu-sa spoke first.
"We needed someone with the status of a Jipmudang envoy or something similar. Sitting at the pass and questioning what kind of carriage this was would only look suspicious. So we decided to pretend to be bandits instead."
"You mean stopping every passerby like real bandits?"
"Exactly."
"And what if someone other than us had been caught?"
"We would have politely escorted them to the Heavenly Demon's manor. You don't think we'd harm ordinary folk, do you? We're gathered here to do good deeds."
If the Heavenly Demon's manor was nearby, it had to be a secret branch of the Demonic Cult. "Escorting" them meant kidnapping and imprisonment. Even that was something I could never condone, but if they claimed to be doing good deeds, there must be some reason behind it.
I sighed. "So what exactly are these good deeds?"
"Ah, I can explain that."
It was the Heavenly Demon who answered. I nodded without thinking.
"We're here to catch the people from Guyeongmun. Those bastards are working with the Prince of Han's residence, capturing people to turn them into jiangshi."
At the sudden mention of that name, I nearly spat out my tea. When I looked at the Heavenly Demon, he was smirking. I cleared my throat twice, scrambling for an excuse, but Gyeon Yo spoke faster.
"If they're researching jiangshi techniques under the Prince of Han's patronage, then those Guyeongmun fellows must be Guiseon's lackeys."
"Guiseon? Wasn't that the name of the man our Cho Yak tormented?"
Cho Yak, who had been quietly picking at her chicken, looked up in surprise.
"Ah, yes. That's correct."
"Oh, then we should bring Cho Yak in on this too! Wait— if you already knew, Yu Seonsaeng, did you come all this way to help Cho Yak get revenge?"
As the Heavenly Demon leaned forward, the others' gazes followed. My face burned under their scrutiny. There was no graceful way out, so the truth seemed the only option. Cheon Seonsaeng might meddle, but he wasn't the type to obstruct something like this. The biggest lesson I'd learned these past months was that unnecessary secrets only created more trouble. It unsettled me that Baek might learn anything about Guyeongmun, but if I warned Ju Seonsaeng firmly, it should be fine.
Still, a thread of unease pressed against my upper lip.
No matter how many assurances I received from Ju Seonsaeng, I couldn't shake the feeling. Ju Seonsaeng of Kunlun Mountain was exactly the sort who would say "Never meet again" like some old tale, then send a letter anyway—word games even a dog wouldn't obey.
After several false starts, I finally answered in a small voice.
"...Well. That's right."
"Ha! Worth playing parent for. Our Yu Seonsaeng is even helping with revenge instead of quitting over that 'responsibility' nonsense? Cho Yak, you must have been quite the charmer. At this rate, someone's going to steal you away."
"Mind your words. Guiseon deserves a sword through the gut. There's no need to speak of responsibility."
"Of course you'd say that."
The Heavenly Demon sneered. Annoyed, I opened my mouth to retort, but Ju Tongsu-sa spoke first.
"Is this Guiseon definitely a core member of Guyeongmun?"
A core member of Guyeongmun. Truthfully, Guyeongmun had never been large enough to have "core members." It had started with seven, briefly become eight, then returned to seven. You could count them on your fingers. Ju Seonsaeng and Hwang Seonsaeng were naturally core members, as was I, and even that man who had come and gone couldn't be denied the title. But Cheon Seonsaeng and his companion seemed unaware of Guyeongmun's full scope. They were probably just using the name for Guiseon and his subordinates who created living jiangshi. In that case, repeating what Ju Seonsaeng had told me would suffice.
"Without a doubt. He's personally close to the Prince of Han and holds the rank of Grand Academician at the Henan Academy. He also has a criminal record."
"Hmm. Then he must be dealt with. No need to consult the Heavenly Demon's side..."
"Of course not. He's our children's enemy. How dare they lay hands on our kids."
"What about Yu Baek Sohyeop?"
"...Pardon? Ah, you mean me."
Baek reacted a beat late. Until that moment he'd been watching me, and though it might have been my imagination, there seemed to be a new tension beneath his eyes. He parted his lips slightly and stared blankly into the air for a moment before speaking. It was a familiar sight—he must have been spacing out and was now hurriedly catching up. I nearly laughed. I had been about to tell him to pay attention, but then remembered this wasn't our mountain house and stopped. Nothing about him had changed, yet he suddenly claimed he no longer wanted to stay by my side. It was truly something I could never understand.
"Well... I also believe such villains deserve punishment. This is what chivalry means."
"It seems we've reached the same conclusion—prioritizing Guiseon. So, what's your original plan?"
"We didn't have much of one. We intended to enter the Henan Academy as envoys and capture Guiseon."
"Oh, then we can simply accompany you. You're genuine guests—who would notice a few extra attendants?"
At the Heavenly Demon's words, Ju Tongsu-sa pondered briefly before shaking his head.
"No. There's no need to concentrate everyone in one place."
"Then?"
"Our task won't end with a single strike. We'll need to gather materials to investigate Guyeongmun's background, and above all, we must all escape alive, won't we?"
Ju Tongsu-sa glanced around for agreement. I nodded. The mention of materials on Guyeongmun grated on me, but if it concerned only Guiseon and his research, it was information we needed as well. If anything truly related to Guyeongmun existed, the capable Ju Seonsaeng would have already severed those threads in advance. ...I had no choice but to believe that. If the tail were caught, it would be Ju Seonsaeng's fault, and whether he resolved it through words or bloodshed, it would no longer be my concern.
When the others nodded without objection, Ju Tongsu-sa continued.
"So for now, our side will scout the roads around the Prince of Han's residence and the Henan Academy to prepare for the attack and escape routes, while you three proceed to the Henan Academy as planned. Gather the materials, observe Guiseon's movements, and map the internal structure. With two Absolute Masters among you, your strength is more than sufficient. Reducing casualties and ensuring success is the wiser course."
"That sounds reasonable."
"What do the rest of you think?"
Ju Tongsu-sa's question, along with Cho Yak's and Gyeon Yo's gazes, turned toward me. Without realizing it, I had become the representative of our group.
"Well... it seems fine."
The plan was simply to split into two groups to gather information on the situation and terrain. If I wanted to object, I could suggest striking immediately without such preparation, but there was no reason to do so. After my answer, a brief silence fell. Ju Tongsu-sa shrugged.
"If there are no objections, we'll begin separate investigations tomorrow."
"Then the important matters are settled? I've been dying to hear Yu Seonsaeng's story since midway through."
The Heavenly Demon seized the conversation the moment Ju Tongsu-sa finished. Given his record of making me uncomfortable all day, I wanted to tell him not to ask, but he wasn't the sort to stay quiet even if told. So I had no choice but to respond.
"What story are you referring to?"
"How Cho Yak and Yu Seonsaeng became Jipmudang Jeje, and how Yu Seonsaeng ended up following after Cho Yak... I never properly heard how Cho Yak came to travel with Yu Seonsaeng in the first place."
"Why are you curious about someone else's past?"
"Heh, Yu Seonsaeng, how can you call us strangers! Ah, really. I didn't expect that from you... Besides, even if Yu Seonsaeng is a stranger, Cho Yak isn't. What do you say, Cho Yak? Tell us. How did you get along with Yu Seonsaeng? Did he treat you well?"
As he turned his attention to Cho Yak, she choked on her tea and began coughing violently. When I shot him a glare, the Heavenly Demon cried out in mock indignation.
"She's our kid, isn't she? I'm only asking our kid—why are you glaring at me? That's too much. A person can't even be curious?"
"That's right. I'm curious as well."
All eyes turned to the sudden voice. It was Baek.
"You seem quite close with Master. If it's Master's friend, I ought to know as well."
It wasn't wrong. Provided he hadn't run away claiming he didn't want to see me and traveled separately. While I searched for a way to say "When did you claim you didn't even want to speak or travel together, so why are you curious now?" without sounding like an attack, Cho Yak, having recovered from her coughing fit, spoke first.
"Well... it's not really a story worth bragging about. At first, I demanded Manhwageom Gongja's life as payment for his robbery, but Nunim said that wouldn't do. So, not knowing my place, I challenged her to a duel. Instead, Nunim kindly offered me guidance and suggested we become sworn sisters."
"Truly an act of ignorance. It must have been over in a single move."
"Yes. After that, on the way to Chang'an, I stubbornly insisted on walking twice the distance, yet she still taught me every night..."
Yu Baek's eyes narrowed. This time, it was definitely not my imagination.
"Thanks to that, I gained tremendous benefits. Even now, thinking back, it's embarrassing..."
"Indeed. You only took without giving anything in return."
At that point, Cho Yak seemed to sense something amiss. She stopped speaking and looked at Yu Baek. Yu Baek's lips curved upward in a smile, but his eyes were sharp with tension. That expression could not be called a smile. When I glanced at Cheon Seonsaeng—who had started this entire mess yet hadn't uttered a word since—he had pulled the corners of his mouth all the way to his temples and was watching the two of them with rapt interest, his gaze darting back and forth. He was truly an immature man.