The Disciple Is Fine! (5)
“Wait! Wait!”
A beggar came sprinting down toward the dock as if his life depended on it.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
He only managed to catch his breath once he reached the pier, doubling over with his hands on his knees. Even that brief recovery seemed like too much luxury, because he immediately looked around in a panic and grabbed the first person he saw.
“I-I’ve got a question!”
“What is it?”
“Th-there was a merchant ship supposed to leave this afternoon, right?”
“Ah, that ship?”
“Yes!”
“And what would a beggar be doing asking about a merchant ship?”
“W-well, someone I know is on it. What happened to that ship? It doesn’t look like it’s time to depart yet.”
“It left early because people had already gathered.”
“What?”
“It sailed out a while ago. It should already be past Jiujiang by now. If you’re looking for the ship, try the next one.”
At that, the beggar collapsed onto the spot, dazed.
“Oh, no...”
In his hand was a letter tucked inside a red envelope.
“No, they say the ship’s gone, so how the hell am I supposed to deliver this? I’m dead now... the boss is going to beat me to death...”
His eyes were filled with despair as he stared at the Yangtze, which flowed on and on with maddening indifference.
* * *
The boat glided smoothly along the Yangtze.
It was nothing remarkable in itself. There must have been hundreds of boats traveling this river every day.
And yet, on this ordinary boat, there was someone standing at the bow who made the ordinary impossible to ignore.
“Must be some noble young master.”
“Why would some rich young master take a boat like this? He should be on a pleasure launch instead.”
“He probably already rode those to death.”
In response to the gossip drifting into his ears, Baek Cheon’s face twitched.
Didn’t I tell you not to stand out?
This wasn’t just standing out. It was practically attracting a crowd. But he couldn’t very well complain.
“The one beside him must be his servant.”
“Of course he’d bring a lackey if he’s a noble brat.”
“He looks like a servant from any angle. What’s there to ask?”
Baek Cheon looked at Baek Sang with pity in his eyes. But Baek Sang, half-mystically serene with his eyes half-lidded, spoke in a flat, toneless voice.
“...Please say nothing.”
“...Sang-ah.”
“If you comfort me, I feel like crying.”
“...”
How cruel these people were.
They were whispering among themselves, thinking no one could hear, but to a martial artist’s ears it was all painfully clear. So he couldn’t even fault them...
Hm?
Hey, guys? Why are you all whispering along with them?
What in the world is wrong with those idiots...
Watching Yoon Jong and the other Mount Hua disciples pointing and gossiping over here made his forehead break out in sweat.
All Baek Cheon could do was pat Baek Sang on the shoulder...
“Don’t touch me. It’ll get on you.”
“...”
The timid little bastard.
“So, do you think the water bandits will come?”
“Shh. Keep your voice down.”
“...No, really. Why are you being so careful? We’re on a boat, and we already sailed. Even if those bandits have sharp ears, can they hear us from here?”
“There could be a water bandit on this boat.”
At that, Baek Sang shrank his neck slightly in alarm.
“On the ship?”
“Even if they know the Yangtze well, they can’t possibly keep track of every single boat on the river. They could have planted one man on the ship they’re targeting to send signals.”
“...I didn’t see anyone who looked like a martial artist.”
“Just because someone cooperates with bandits doesn’t mean they must know martial arts. If it were me, I’d either bribe one of the merchants or one of the crew.”
“Ah...”
Baek Sang nodded vigorously.
He really did look a lot like the old Baek Cheon sometimes.
“So you think the bandits will come?”
“We’ve thrown out the bait. I’d say they probably will. At the very least, they’re likely to show up.”
“Why?”
“It’s not like cargo escorts cross the Yangtze all that often. They won’t want to miss a chance like this.”
Baek Sang nodded as if he understood.
Whether they were really after the precious goods the escort was transporting or had some other goal entirely, no one could say. But for whatever reason, opportunities to target an escort like this didn’t come often, so when one did, they’d likely seize it.
Unless they were completely in the dark about Jiujiang’s information, they would come the moment they heard the news.
“What if they don’t come?”
“Then that would be good.”
“Huh?”
Baek Cheon cast his gaze far off into the distance and said,
“If they still don’t show after we repeat this once or twice, then it means they weren’t targeting the escort for any real purpose at all. It would just mean coincidence piled on coincidence. In that case, it’ll be easier to sort things out.”
“Ah.”
“But... well.”
If the world were that simple, they wouldn’t be going through this hell.
“Either way, nothing will happen for a while. The current is slower here, and the chances of them appearing somewhere with fewer people around are higher. Still, stay alert until then, just in case.”
“Yes, sahyung.”
Baek Sang answered softly, then glanced back over his shoulder.
Watching the junior disciples chatting comfortably with the passengers made him feel oddly reassured.
They are reliable, but...
By now, even Mount Hua’s disciples could be counted among true masters.
He himself had not yet reached that level, but the Five Swords could already be called experts anywhere in the martial world, both in reputation and in skill.
Still...
Will their skill really carry them properly even on water?
That was hard to predict.
Considering the Five Swords’ abilities, one would think there wouldn’t be any real problem. But when even formidable sects hesitated to suppress water bandits, it was not something to take lightly.
I just hope nothing happens.
Baek Cheon seemed convinced something would happen no matter what, but Baek Sang simply hoped they could make the journey in peace.
With the two of them holding such different thoughts, the boat slowly moved up the Yangtze.
“...There’s nothing to do.”
“Indeed.”
Yoon Jong’s face was full of boredom. Even watching the Yangtze unfold beyond the boat had begun to lose its charm.
Since Chung Myung had come to Mount Hua, this was almost the first time he had ever experienced such idle, empty hours. That bastard never stayed still for even a moment.
“Should we train?”
“Absolutely not. There are too many eyes on us right now. We’re ordinary merchants at the moment.”
“...Ugh. I’m going to die.”
Jo Gul looked like he was about to fidget himself to death.
Some people might enjoy taking a boat and slowly drifting along while admiring the Yangtze’s scenery, but this just wasn’t their style.
If you wanted to enjoy scenery, mountains were better than rivers. At least on a mountain, you could run up with your own two feet.
“I wish the water bandits would show up already.”
“What an unlucky thing to say...”
“Why? We came here looking for water bandits in the first place.”
“Still, if we can avoid meeting them, we should.”
“Why?”
“Ugh. It’d take too long to explain. The less trouble, the better.”
“Is it because Chung Myung isn’t here?”
At Jo Gul’s question, Yoon Jong shut his mouth for a moment.
It hadn’t been what he meant, but now that Jo Gul had asked, he found himself unable to answer immediately.
Is that true?
If Chung Myung had been here, everyone would have been too busy trying to stop him from charging at the water bandits with all the subtlety of a rabid bull.
But at the very least, he wouldn’t have been afraid of running into them.
There’s no need to say something like that out loud.
Yoon Jong forced a calm expression and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Jo Gul spoke first.
“Honestly, I’m a little uneasy, sahyung.”
“Hm?”
“...About Chung Myung.”
Yoon Jong looked at him with a touch of surprise. If he had to pick the one person among the Five Swords who would seem least likely to say something like that, Jo Gul would have been second only to Yu I-seol.
“When he’s around, I just want to, like... smash his face in, really hard...”
“You really do say whatever comes to mind when he isn’t here.”
“What? Isn’t that true? When I think about it, I want to flip the whole place over.”
“No. You mean if you were strong enough to do it.”
“Yeah, right. Anyway, when he’s actually gone...”
Jo Gul trailed off.
“It’s like... I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Forget it. I don’t need you to explain. I already know.”
Yoon Jong waved it off lightly and smiled bitterly.
He had been surprised that Jo Gul would say such a thing, but he understood what he meant. He felt the same way.
He had expected this, but the absence of Chung Myung, now that it was actually here, was far greater than he had imagined.
“Still, don’t get weak on me. Unless you want to go back and hear Chung Myung mock you to death.”
“Yes, sahyung.”
Jo Gul nodded with unusual seriousness.
“What are you thinking about, Sago?”
Yu I-seol, standing at the railing and looking out over the river, turned her head at Dang Soso’s question and answered briefly.
“Mount Hua.”
“You’re thinking about Mount Hua even all the way out here?”
“It’s home.”
A faintly strange expression crossed Dang Soso’s face.
Home.
Dang Soso was a proper disciple of Mount Hua now, but she still did not think of Mount Hua the way Yu I-seol did. No—perhaps none of Mount Hua’s disciples thought about the sect with quite that much devotion.
“You’re not worried about the sahyung you left behind?”
“Troublemaker. He’ll manage wherever he goes.”
“...That’s true.”
“The sect leader is the one to worry about.”
“...That’s true too.”
Yu I-seol stared at Dang Soso with a blank expression and asked,
“Are you worried?”
“No, I’m not worried. I mean, not about that.”
“No. Not about the sago.”
“...”
When Dang Soso couldn’t answer right away, Yu I-seol gave a small shake of her head.
“Don’t worry.”
“Yes, if things get dangerous, Sago will protect...”
“You’re a proud sword disciple of Mount Hua too.”
“...”
“You’re not weak. So it’ll be fine.”
Dang Soso, who had been staring blankly for a moment, bit her lip. Then, a moment later, she suddenly lifted her head and smiled brightly.
“Yes, Sago! This time, I’ll protect you!”
A small smile appeared at the corners of Yu I-seol’s mouth.
“Good.”
And then it happened.
Hye Yeon approached Baek Cheon, who stood at the bow, and spoke softly.
“Baek Cheon benefactor.”
“Yes, monk.”
“The boat approaching from ahead seems somewhat odd.”
“Hm?”
With a hardened expression, Hye Yeon said,
“The boats that have passed us so far all turned their bows in advance when they got this close. That one shows no sign of doing so. It’s still too far away to conclude anything, but...”
Baek Cheon furrowed his brow slightly and looked toward the boat Hye Yeon had indicated.
At first glance, nothing about it seems unusual.
But that was only natural.
If a bandit ship could be recognized in advance, anyone would flee the moment they spotted it from afar. The obvious thing was to conceal your identity until you were close enough that escape was impossible.
“Baek Sang.”
“Yes, sahyung.”
“Call the others.”
“Yes!”
Baek Sang quickly called out to the disciples scattered around the boat. One by one, they gathered around Baek Cheon, a trace of tension flickering across their faces.
“Is it them?”
“I’m not sure yet. But...”
Still staring at the approaching vessel, Baek Cheon fell into thought.
They still haven’t changed course.
As a rule, the boat that was facing the wind had a harder time turning. That meant the boat with the favorable wind usually made the turn instead. So any ordinary vessel would have changed direction by now.
And yet, even though the other ship had now approached close enough to make itself clearly visible, it showed no sign of turning.
The helmsman also moved to alter their own course since the approaching ship clearly had no intention of yielding. But then, from across the water, a new sail unfurled on the approaching vessel.
“Huh!”
“Th-that!”
Everyone inhaled sharply in shock.
The vivid black dragon emblem looked as if it might leap straight into the Yangtze and swim away. It was the Yangtze Water Bandit Sect.
“Water bandits!”
“The water bandits are coming!”
Cries, screams, and shouts burst from all over the boat. Exhaling slowly, Baek Cheon kept his expression steady and spoke.
“Looks like...”
But before he could finish issuing orders, everyone had already pulled the plum blossom swords they had hidden in their bundles.
Baek Cheon accepted the sword handed to him, drew it slightly, and nodded.
“Looks like our guess was right. Get ready. They’re coming!”
“Yes!”
Every one of them fixed their sharp, focused eyes on the water bandit ship drawing ever closer.