The Unexpected Kindred Spirit (4)
“...Krrgh.”
Groans kept leaking out of him one after another. Baek Cheon looked at Im So-byeong with pity in his eyes.
The pale, sickly face he had always worn was now so drained it had gone almost bluish, to the point where he looked half dead.
Of course, his condition hadn’t actually worsened...
“Krrrraaaagh!”
Chung Myung cackled as he rubbed his spread hands together.
Unlike the dying-looking Im So-byeong, Chung Myung was practically radiating vitality.
“Heh heh. I knew it — as expected of the Green Forest King, you really do have a broad mind. I’m impressed.”
Watching the man who had forcibly stretched someone else’s broad mind until it bled dry say something like that was enough to make everyone present suffer.
Im So-byeong, who had even been stripped of the emergency cash he’d hidden in his undergarments, slumped in his chair. The tiger-skin draped over him as a symbol of the Green Forest King’s authority now looked more like it might swallow him whole.
In the end, Baek Cheon could only shake his head.
Seriously, why did he get tangled up with that bastard?
Sure, there could be similarities.
They might even get along well.
But in this world, could there possibly be two people like Chung Myung?
He hadn’t searched every corner of the world to verify it, but he was absolutely certain there could never be two of those monsters. Baek Cheon could stake everything he had on that.
And Im So-byeong’s mistake had been not knowing that.
“...Daoist.”
Im So-byeong glared at Chung Myung with eyes full of bitter hatred.
“I trust you’ll keep your promise! You must!”
“Ah, come on. Of course I will. It’s not like this is my first time doing business.”
Chung Myung laughed as if it were all terribly amusing.
The other Mount Hua disciples felt a strange mixture of sorrow and relief.
So it’s not just us.
Even the Green Forest King gets treated like this, so we weren’t especially foolish after all.
Once again they were made to realize that in front of Chung Myung, all people under heaven were equal.
“Then when will the goods arrive?”
“I’ll have them sent separately when I get to Mount Hua.”
“Hnnngh. I really can trust you?”
“Hey, I’m still a Daoist. Why would I lie?”
“Exactly. A Daoist...”
Im So-byeong ground his teeth together. Even without hearing the rest of what he’d swallowed, the Mount Hua disciples could guess what it was.
I’m sorry.
Honestly, Mount Hua should be the one apologizing here.
Im So-byeong raised a hand and rubbed his face.
“Uuugh.”
Then, through the gaps between his fingers, he glared at Chung Myung with bloodshot eyes.
Good grief. A Daoist, and yet...
Not only had Chung Myung stripped him of the money he’d earned using his position as Green Forest King, he’d also taken the fortune passed down from his ancestors. At this rate, they would have to sell off the contents of the Green Forest Main Fortress’s stores as well.
“About the payment... please wait a little. I need to dispose of the goods first...”
“Ah, on that point I’ll send someone separately.”
“...Pardon?”
Chung Myung smiled brightly.
“I know plenty of trading caravans. They’ll give you a fair price, too. Want me to call them right away?”
“Hey, fair... fair? Cough! Cough! Kh—my chest! Cough! Cough!”
Im So-byeong twisted as he coughed violently. By the time he began spitting blood, Chung Myung clicked his tongue.
“Tsk tsk. That’s why you should take your medicine quickly and get better. Breaks my heart.”
“Y-you! Cough! This is because of you!”
Im So-byeong rolled his eyes and jabbed a finger at him. At this rate, he looked more likely to die of rage before his illness ever killed him.
What kind of Daoist is this greedy for money?!
Even those filthy salt merchants who said they’d crawl through hell if there was money to be made probably weren’t this savage.
But Chung Myung only shrugged at his resentment.
“Come on, think of it positively. Money can always be earned again. Your health comes first. Health, health.”
It was, in fact, true.
One of the most irritating things about that bastard was that most of what he said wasn’t wrong. And the second most irritating thing was the way he weaponized all those correct words.
“Ungh... wa-water!”
“Here!”
Beon Chung rushed over and handed him a gourd.
Im So-byeong snatched it up and gulped the water down at once. Then he twisted violently and spat it all back out in one breath.
“This is liquor, you bastard!”
“Huh? Was that a mistake? I-I was preparing both and—”
“Cough! I, I—cough!”
Baek Cheon quietly shook his head.
At this rate he really will die.
After wiping his mouth, Im So-byeong stared at Chung Myung for a long while before letting out a deep sigh.
“...Anyway, I hope you’ll keep your promise.”
“Of course.”
Chung Myung nodded with evident satisfaction.
“And the Green Forest King should keep his own promise, too. I gave you a special discount, after all.”
“...If you hadn’t, the Green Forest would have gone bankrupt.”
Im So-byeong gave a bitter smile.
“If you’re in that much of a hurry, want to come to Mount Hua with us? We could hand it over to you right away once we get there.”
“I’ll pass.”
At Chung Myung’s suggestion, Im So-byeong shook his head firmly and with great intensity.
“Why? Because you’re Orthodox?”
“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable entering Mount Hua. It’s that I’m uncomfortable getting to Mount Hua. I’m afraid I’ll cough up blood and die before I even arrive!”
That certainly made sense. Jo Gul nodded to himself.
“What a smart guy.”
“Wise.”
“Educated, this one. Definitely educated.”
There was a reason he was still wearing that scholar’s robe.
“Anyway.”
Without even unfolding his fan, Im So-byeong waved a hand.
“I’ve lived a long time, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone come to a bandit stronghold and rob us blind. I can certainly see why the name Mount Hua has been heard everywhere lately.”
“Well, I’m pretty normal.”
“Ungh. I got myself involved for no reason.”
When Im So-byeong let out a regretful sigh, Chung Myung’s lips curled faintly.
“Don’t be so dramatic. You’re still making a profit.”
“...”
For a moment, Im So-byeong’s slightly stiff face twitched.
“Considering our future relationship, I’ll stop at this much. Just don’t forget that we made special allowances for you.”
“Ho ho.”
At Chung Myung’s words, Im So-byeong merely laughed lightly without finding anything to say.
“Well then.”
Having said what he came to say, Chung Myung turned on his heel.
“I trust you’ll keep your promise on your end. I’ll have the goods sent as soon as we get back to Mount Hua.”
“Daoist.”
Then Im So-byeong called him back in a lower voice than before.
“What exactly are you trying to do?”
It was a sudden question. Those who had been listening to the conversation tilted their heads, unable to grasp what he meant.
“Who knows.”
But Chung Myung seemed to understand the intent behind it. He gave a light shrug.
“I just think everyone should get along.”
“...Is that really all?”
Chung Myung glanced back at Im So-byeong.
His expression seemed unchanged. Yet the fingers gripping his fan had tightened without him noticing.
Creaaak.
The fan bent as if it might snap.
Chung Myung soon grinned.
“You’ve got to fix the stable before the horse runs off.”
“...”
“Well then.”
As Chung Myung swaggered off, the Mount Hua disciples bowed to the Green Forest King and followed after him.
“...”
For a long while, Im So-byeong simply stared after the place where Chung Myung had stood.
“Do you have a problem, my lord?”
Beon Chung asked in confusion, and Im So-byeong slowly shook his head.
“No. Nothing.”
But the light in his face was entirely different from before.
What on earth is hidden inside that boy?
The coldness in Chung Myung’s eyes that had flashed by only briefly seemed like it would never leave his memory.
Rrrrattle—!
“Brother! Are you really leaving like this!”
Beon Chung shouted in a booming voice. On top of the cart, Chung Myung grimaced and clapped his hands over his ears.
“Talk softer!”
“S-sorry. My voice is just naturally loud.”
“Tsk.”
The more he looked, the more Chung Myung wanted to throw him together with Beast Valley’s lord.
“If a Daoist stays too long in a bandit stronghold, nothing good can come of it. We’ve taken care of our business, so we should get going.”
“That is true, but...”
Beon Chung gazed at Chung Myung with a face full of devotion and regret, then let his massive shoulders droop.
“If it were up to me, I’d escort you all the way to Mount Hua...”
“Absolutely not.”
Chung Myung waved both hands in horror.
“There’s already a beggar among the Daoists, and now you want to add a bandit on top of that? What kind of decent person would do that?”
That, too, was true. Even so, Beon Chung still clicked his tongue with obvious reluctance.
“We’ll see each other again soon enough.”
“Yes, Brother! I’ll be waiting!”
It was truly a heartwarming scene. Baek Cheon and the others, who had been preparing to pull the cart, found themselves smiling in spite of themselves.
You only met two days ago.
Looking at this, you’d think you were old friends of ten years.
Beon Chung, who kept calling the tiny Chung Myung “Brother” with complete sincerity, and Chung Myung, who accepted it as perfectly natural, were equally extraordinary in their own ways.
Those who had gathered to see them off were also murmuring in amazement. The way the Iron Divine General of the Ten Shadows bowed and scraped before a Mount Hua Daoist was so unfamiliar that it seemed almost miraculous.
Hong Dae-gwang narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
The name Mount Hua Divine Dragon is going to spread like wildfire through the Green Forest before long.
He didn’t doubt the Iron Divine General’s sincerity. But it didn’t seem as though all of this came from sincerity alone.
“Travel safely.”
The Green Forest King—or rather, Im So-byeong, who was now posing as a sickly scholar in this place—walked over with a swish and offered his farewells to Chung Myung.
“Take care of your health.”
“I’m not dying before that.”
Chung Myung and Im So-byeong exchanged a brief look. No more words were needed.
“Then let’s go! Martial Uncle, Sago, Sahyung!”
“Ugh.”
With a short groan, the cart began to move slowly, soon leaving Daeho Fort behind.
“Safe travels!”
“Long live Mount Hua Sect!”
“Long live the Mount Hua Divine Dragon!”
Loud cheers and farewell calls followed from behind them. Sitting on the cart, Chung Myung casually waved to the bandits of Daeho Fort.
“...It’s like the sect leader is leaving the mountain stronghold.”
“That’s what it feels like.”
The Mount Hua disciples could only keep sighing as they hurried their steps.
Watching the cart grow farther and farther away, Im So-byeong unfolded his fan. His gaze remained fixed on the distance until the cart was no longer visible.
“The wind is cold.”
Heuk Ya-ho approached Im So-byeong’s side and spoke with concern.
“The wind...”
But Im So-byeong showed no sign of wanting to return inside and only kept speaking in that strange, absent way.
“Yes. The wind.”
“...”
“A wind is going to blow. A proper wind.”
“You mean Mount Hua?”
At Heuk Ya-ho’s question, he slowly nodded. Then, with an expression full of thought, he spoke.
“Heuk Ya-ho.”
“Yes.”
“When was the last time the Orthodox and Unorthodox joined forces?”
“Well... during the last rise of the Demonic Sect, wasn’t it? At the time, we had no choice but to fight together if we wanted to survive.”
Im So-byeong nodded.
“I hear Mount Hua has been traveling all over the world lately.”
“Isn’t that just them expanding their business?”
“And dragging even us of the Unorthodox Sects into it?”
“...Well...”
Heuk Ya-ho trailed off. Im So-byeong shook his head and said,
“There are countless other ways they could have done it. And yet that man specifically pulled us in. Then...”
He swallowed the next words.
He’s going to give me the Honwon Dan.
In truth, even if he hadn’t been given the Honwon Dan, there were countless ways to form a bond. If Chung Myung hadn’t deliberately said it aloud, he would never have known that Mount Hua possessed the Honwon Dan until the moment he died.
Though the amount of money he’d been shaken down for was no small matter, to Im So-byeong the value of the Honwon Dan was not something money could ever measure.
“He does not confine himself to Orthodoxy or Unorthodoxy. He gathers people. He bestows favors and binds relationships together.”
Im So-byeong’s eyes gleamed a brilliant blue.
“It’s as though he’s preparing for something vast that lies ahead.”
“Something vast, you say...”
Heuk Ya-ho asked carefully, but Im So-byeong only lowered his eyes slightly and shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
“...”
“But there’s one thing I do know. People like that must never be judged by only what they show you right now. He may seem frivolous at the moment, but when you look back later, you’ll find that every one of his actions had its own reason.”
“Can that young Daoist really break free of a scholar’s schemes?”
“A young Daoist...”
Im So-byeong gave a faint laugh.
“A tiger may be fierce no matter how savage it is, but in the end it can still be tamed. But a dragon is not something a human can do anything about, is it? Even a young dragon is no different.”
“...”
“Things are going to get busy.”
Muttering those incomprehensible words to the very end, Im So-byeong slowly turned around.
Heuk Ya-ho called after him again, but it seemed not to reach his ears.
By now, Im So-byeong’s face had become visibly hard.
Does he know for certain?
That something big was going to happen again — something big enough to swallow the world?
With a sigh, he let out a low lament.
“When rain comes, you seek shelter beneath the eaves.”
Even if blood-red plum blossoms were blooming under those eaves.