Chapter 100. The Shadow War (4)
At the same time, atop Yeongdan Mountain.
Jang Ja-myeong spoke in a trembling voice.
"Something feels eerie. I can sense a vague murderous intent."
"Isn't that just how mountains are? But did you really gather all the herbs the young master mentioned?"
Yi Mu-myeong asked, and Jang Ja-myeong nodded.
"Yes, I got them all. All the ingredients to make the medicine the young master specified are in here."
Jang Ja-myeong pointed to the bundle on his back, and Yi Mu-myeong nodded.
Then, as if remembering something, he pulled a dagger from his bosom.
Shing.
Yi Mu-myeong's dagger gleamed sharply under the moonlight, sharp enough to slice falling leaves.
Startled by the sight, Jang Ja-myeong asked,
"Why are you doing that? Did I do something wrong...?"
Yi Mu-myeong walked over slowly.
Step, step.
Caught off guard, Jang Ja-myeong backed away, shouting,
"Is this a murder to silence me? Did the fourth young master order it?"
Yi Mu-myeong looked at him in bewilderment at the cry.
But the dagger remained gripped in his right hand.
Jang Ja-myeong yelled,
"Spare me, you bodyguard!"
"There's some misunderstanding..."
Before Yi Mu-myeong could finish, Jang Ja-myeong kept retreating, shouting,
"Just spare me! I've done everything the fourth young master asked, so why silence me now?!"
Now backed against the wall where he'd left his bundle.
Still, Yi Mu-myeong didn't stop.
Gritting his teeth, Jang Ja-myeong squeezed his eyes shut and cried out,
"Ah, you devil!"
At those words, Yi Mu-myeong tilted his head.
How did Jang Ja-myeong see his master Han Bin to harbor such suspicions?
Yi Mu-myeong barely suppressed a sigh.
To him, Han Bin was a friend before he was a master.
Han Bin was the only companion he could converse with through the sword.
Their meeting had reminded him of Baeya's Broken Strings.
The tale of the qin master Baeya and his friend Zhongziqi.
Yi Mu-myeong had once asked Han Bin who was Baeya and who was Zhongziqi.
Han Bin had replied, "Does it matter who is who? As long as we understand each other's hearts through the sword, that's enough."
That conversation still lingered in a corner of Yi Mu-myeong's heart.
So why was Jang Ja-myeong reacting like this?
He seemed to view Han Bin as a devil.
Yi Mu-myeong couldn't comprehend it.
Looking at the eye-rolled Jang Ja-myeong, Yi Mu-myeong finally spoke.
"I'm not trying to harm Physician Jang, so don't worry."
At those words, Jang Ja-myeong opened his eyes.
"Then what..."
Without a word, Yi Mu-myeong pulled a bronze mirror from one of the bundles in the corner.
He peered into the mirror and began shaving his beard with the dagger.
Realizing the dagger wasn't aimed at him, Jang Ja-myeong let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew."
But that relief was short-lived. A question arose.
In these mountains.
On this moonlit night.
With no woman around to impress, why shave his beard out of nowhere?
It made no sense. But he couldn't approach Yi Mu-myeong holding the dagger carelessly.
Stepping back further, Jang Ja-myeong cautiously asked,
"Why are you doing this?"
"......"
Yi Mu-myeong ignored the question.
Shing. Shing.
He silently shaved with the sharp dagger.
Shing.
As moonlight revealed Yi Mu-myeong's bare face, Jang Ja-myeong tilted his head further.
Ignoring the gaze, Yi Mu-myeong pulled a set of clothes from the bundle.
It was a red martial robe.
Jang Ja-myeong tilted his head again. It was identical to Han Bin's.
As Yi Mu-myeong changed into the red robe, Jang Ja-myeong's eyes widened.
"Gasp!"
The startled Jang Ja-myeong approached Yi Mu-myeong.
Yi Mu-myeong smiled at the sight.
"Why so surprised?"
"Y-you look way too much like the fourth young master! Are you really him?"
"Haha, when I dress like this, people say that."
"So you really are the bodyguard?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then why change into the red robe?"
"It's the young master's order."
"Did the fourth young master order you to grow that beard when you came to Cheonsu Manor?"
"Yes."
"So he's been planning today's mission from way back then?"
Jang Ja-myeong's eyes widened enormously.
There had been talk that Yi Mu-myeong resembled the fourth young master when he first arrived.
It was even more striking in plain clothes, not the Henan Jeong Family uniform.
Thinking back, Yi Mu-myeong had started growing his beard long before this escort mission began.
After the beard grew, the resemblance talk vanished.
Jang Ja-myeong's eyes trembled.
All this had happened before the mission was assigned.
That meant Han Bin, the fourth young master, had foreseen what would happen.
Unconsciously, Jang Ja-myeong muttered to himself.
"It was all in the Buddha's palm!"
Yi Mu-myeong tilted his head at the mutter.
Wasn't Han Bin a devil earlier?
Now a Buddha?
He worried about Jang Ja-myeong's mental state.
"Are you alright?"
"Uh, yes, I'm fine."
Regaining his composure with a deep breath, Jang Ja-myeong watched as Yi Mu-myeong pulled a bamboo tube of water from the bundle.
"Have some of this and pull yourself together."
"Thank you."
After gulping down the water, Jang Ja-myeong said,
"Now that I look, you really do resemble the fourth young master."
"Haha, yes. Last time I dressed like this and went to the market, no one recognized me. But up close, there are differences. Haha."
Yi Mu-myeong laughed, pointing to his face, and the tension-eased Jang Ja-myeong laughed along.
"Haha, yes. Similar, but different. The most striking is that Bodyguard Yi Mu-myeong is far more handsome than the fourth young master."
Finishing, Jang Ja-myeong gave a thumbs up.
Then, two shadows appeared from behind.
Sensing people, Jang Ja-myeong whipped his head around in alarm.
And screamed.
"Gasp."
There stood Han Bin, beaming brightly.
Han Bin approached Jang Ja-myeong slowly, face lit with a wide smile.
"Physician Jang, I overheard some strange talk from afar. What's going on?"
"Uh, nothing at all. I was just praising the fourth young master's character. My mouth's worn out from it—you can see."
"......"
As Han Bin stared silently, Jang Ja-myeong waved his hands frantically.
"My mouth's worn out from singing your praises, young master."
Jang Ja-myeong grinned widely, while Yi Mu-myeong beside him looked up at the sky.
He had the adaptability to survive dropped in the middle of the Hainan Sea.
The Jang Ja-myeong who'd backed away in fear moments ago was gone.
As Yi Mu-myeong stared in exasperation, Han Bin said,
"You've worked hard, Physician Jang."
Han Bin warmly grasped both his hands with a bright face.
A strange unease crept up Jang Ja-myeong's spine at the warm touch.
Then Han Bin continued,
"I heard you gathered all the herbs."
"When...?"
"I was watching from behind earlier and heard. You really worked hard."
At Han Bin's words, Jang Ja-myeong turned to stone.
If he'd heard about the herbs, he'd heard the whole conversation after?
As Jang Ja-myeong stood dazed, Han Bin went on,
"Well, I know how you think of me too."
"Gasp."
Jang Ja-myeong's mouth fell open.
Then Seol-hwa interjected.
"Young master, it's about time."
"Ah, right."
Finishing, Han Bin casually layered Yi Mu-myeong's recently shed clothes over his own.
Yet they fit Han Bin perfectly, like tailored.
Jang Ja-myeong was shocked again at this point.
The dressed Han Bin handed a note to Yi Mu-myeong and Jang Ja-myeong.
"This is your next mission."
"Understood, master."
"Understood, fourth young master."
As Jang Ja-myeong tried to unfold it, Han Bin stopped him.
"Open it later."
"When?"
"Seol-hwa will tell you."
Han Bin nodded toward Seol-hwa.
Seol-hwa smiled sweetly and patted her chest.
"Just come down the mountain with me from now on."
"Follow you?"
As Jang Ja-myeong tilted his head, Seol-hwa replied,
"Yes. You trust the young master, right?"
"Of course, but..."
"He trusts me most. Just follow me."
"Even so..."
Jang Ja-myeong trailed off, glancing at Han Bin.
Han Bin grinned and pointed to Seol-hwa again.
"No one's night vision beats Seol-hwa's in the dark, so follow her. And at the destination, do as I say. Got it?"
Jang Ja-myeong reluctantly nodded.
He couldn't fathom how the cute maid Seol-hwa would guide them down the mountain at night.
Then Han Bin asked Yi Mu-myeong,
"Bodyguard Yi, did you keep the Cold Iron Box safe?"
"Yes."
Yi Mu-myeong pulled the Cold Iron Box from the bundle, and Han Bin asked again,
"Stored without damaging the seal?"
"Yes."
Yi Mu-myeong lifted it, showing the red wax seal, and handed it to Han Bin.
Han Bin took it.
"Yes, thank you."
Seol-hwa clicked her tongue at the sight.
She'd only just learned that this was the real Cold Iron Box from Lady Jeonghwa.
A moment later.
They began descending Yeongdan Mountain.
Navigating mountain paths by moonlight alone was treacherous.
Yet Seol-hwa leading the way moved without hesitation.
Swish, swish.
Her movements were like a mountain beast's.
Jang Ja-myeong figured her slash-and-burn origins explained it. Those who farmed mountainsides could traverse like this.
Of course, that was just his assumption.
Yi Mu-myeong was equally astonished.
High-realm experts could sense positions via qi perception.
But none pierced the darkness as naturally as Seol-hwa.
Yi Mu-myeong vaguely sensed she'd lived far from an ordinary life.
Then.
The clash of weapons echoed from somewhere.
Clang! Clang!
"Hand it over!"
"No, it's mine!"
From the sounds, it seemed like war had broken out.
Seol-hwa casually veered around it.
Jang Ja-myeong following trembled slightly.
Clang! Clang!
Weapons rang again across the slopes.
To Jang Ja-myeong, this was no ordinary matter.
Fights breaking out everywhere on the paths.
Escaping seemed impossible, like plucking stars from the sky.
After walking some more, a doubt arose.
Despite the weapon clashes, they'd met no enemies.
Jang Ja-myeong eyed Seol-hwa suspiciously.
Then the leading Seol-hwa quietly said,
"I'll pick up the pace a bit."
Her words paled Jang Ja-myeong's face.
Meanwhile, alone atop Yeongdan Mountain, Han Bin drew Wol-a from his waist.
Sching!
Wol-a's blade gleamed in the moonlight.
Han Bin murmured softly to it.
"Let's have some fun tonight."
His smile was deeper than ever.
Now it was time to collect formulas.
Thump. Thump.
Calming his pounding heart, Han Bin gazed at the slopes.
Instinct told him the swarming unorthodox warriors held countless formulas.