The Path Diverges
Deep into the night, Uncheon left his bed and stepped quietly into the garden.
His talk with Baekri So had left many thoughts turning in his mind.
The Black-Hatted Man showing himself in the Central Plains again must be because of the Cheonhwangdo Map.
Had the man appeared alone in the murim, Uncheon would not have fretted. But those who hunted the Cheonhwangdo Map would not stop with him; others would surely surface again as well.
The Golden-Masked Man who took Uncle Dok might reappear too.
He had never met anyone who inspired deeper dread. The Black-Hatted Man and the Golden-Masked Man—the power of the martial arts they had shown was not something the martial artists of the Central Plains could easily match.
If I must fight them again, I cannot say for certain that I will win.
How many figures as strong as the Black-Hatted Man still lurked within the Blood Refining Divine Cult?
How many will gather at Dangsan this time?
The Wulin Alliance had taken interest; the Blue Dragon Unit must already be moving toward Dangsan. What would unfold there, no one could yet say. And in the midst of it all, the merchant world was stirring as well.
The Sangcheon United Kingdom…
It was said to be a coalition of merchant forces forged to stand against the Cheonha Merchant Coalition. Yet from their first meeting, their movements had never quite made sense. Why did the Cheonha Merchant Coalition want the Cheonhwangdo Map?
From the information he had read in Yang Hui, what they sought was not the gold and jewels hidden on Cheonhwangdo, but martial manuals. Then what sort of manuals were they, that the Sangcheon United Kingdom would go so far as to bare its feet and race to keep them from Cheonha’s hands? If not only wealth but martial arts of such caliber truly lay hidden there, the Baekcheon Blood Sect Incident became understandable as well.
Martial arts coveted even by the merchant world… what kind of techniques could they be…
He had not been able to draw that part from Yang Hui. She herself moved on the Sangcheon United Kingdom’s orders without knowing the finer details.
In the end, the greed is the same in everyone.
By the original plan, only a few days of travel with her remained. Uncheon weighed whether to stop her from going to Dangsan or to leave her be. It was not because the time spent together had warmed him to her. The memoirs of Man Chugeum, last lord of the Middle Kingdom’s Merchant State, spoke of his acquaintances. Yang Hui was at present the only remaining thread that might lead to their identities. Should anything befall her, the chance of finding Man Chugeum’s old connections could vanish.
As I thought… is stopping her the only way?
Whether she would heed him was another matter. Yet one thing was certain: the Dangsan toward which she now headed would become a killing ground where the situation could shift without warning. The martial strength of Sangmu Hall alone could never protect her. They would not prevail even against the Byeokcheon Unit of the Hebei Peng Family or the Big Dipper Unit of the Moyong Family. Of course the Sangcheon United Kingdom had not sent only Sangmu Hall members to guard Yang Hui.
Even now the separate villa is ringed with secret escorts.
From the day they first met at the inn and agreed to travel together, he had known men were secretly watching the carriage. Even Namgung Jinwu, Hall Master of Sangmu Hall, was unaware.
They are all capable enough… yet none of them can defeat the Black-Hatted Man.
Swoosh.
Uncheon deliberately drifted toward the wing that held Yang Hui’s chamber.
Whoosh!
In a breath the distance between him and the hidden figure collapsed.
He has only just stepped into the realm of No Shadow.
Had Uncheon not mastered Sal-ui-gong, he would never have read the man’s movements.
Let’s see if he can find me.
And Uncheon’s form vanished.
He’s gone?
In the same instant a shadow bloomed where Uncheon had stood a heartbeat before.
Don’t tell me he’s already inside—!
Ssssss—
Sharp inner energy drove into the man’s back. Voices from every side seemed to spear through his body.
“Were you startled, thinking I might slip into Young Lady Yang’s room and do something untoward?”
Cold sweat slid down the spine of the secret escort. He knew the name Cheongryu Geomhyang, yet he himself had cultivated the highest martial art of the Sangcheon United Kingdom—the Guardian Arts. Even after watching the form vanish before his eyes, he could scarcely believe it.
“……”
“I only wished to let you know that I am already aware of your presence. There is no need to remain so tense.”
Haa…
The pressure that had crushed his entire body dissolved, and Uncheon appeared before him.
“……How did you know we were here?”
“People do not possess only eyes. Even without sight there is hearing, and there is smell.”
“……”
“You do not seem to believe me. Hmm… you ate pork dumplings for dinner. The scent of the food still clings to your body. How is that?”
……?!
He had heard of those with keen noses, yet to catch the smell of food eaten two hours past?
“I have no interest in your mistress, so set your mind at ease.”
Swoosh.
Uncheon turned away, glancing once at the still-dark room.
The decision was already made.
I will speak to her tomorrow morning. If she accepts, well and good; if not, it cannot be helped.
Should Yang Hui refuse to withdraw and insist on continuing to Dangsan as planned, he would travel with them no longer.
Yang Hui woke in the early dawn.
…They’re already preparing.
From the front yard of the separate villa came the sounds of the party making ready to depart. She rose from the bed and set her clothes to rights before the bronze mirror.
……
Turning her head left and right, she touched her face.
It’s grown quite rough.
She faced forward again and opened her eyes wide.
Is this not enough? Why does he show so little interest…
A short while later she opened the door and stepped outside. The busy group paused and looked toward her. Namgung Jinwu approached and bowed his head.
“Young Lady, you have come out?”
“Yes. Are we ready to leave?”
“I was just about to report to you. All preparations will be finished within a quarter of an hour.”
“There is no need to rush too much.”
Yet one figure was missing from the party. Namgung Jinwu knew whom she sought.
“Nephew Uncheon has gone to bid a brief farewell; the people from the Wulin Alliance are leaving.”
“They are departing already as well.”
“They said much time was wasted yesterday and they mean to leave early for Dangsan.”
“Hall Master, seeing them head for Dangsan—do they not share our purpose?”
“It would seem so.”
“……”
Yang Hui found herself troubled. With the Wulin Alliance itself now involved, word of Moyong Jeok must already have spread across the whole of the Central Plains. She fretted whether, amid the countless martial artists streaming toward Dangsan, they could still obtain the item Moyong Jeok possessed.
“Hall Master, even if we enter Dangsan, can we succeed among them?”
“That is…”
As Namgung Jinwu began to answer, Uncheon was seen entering the grounds of the separate villa.
“Nephew Uncheon, have they gone?”
“Yes. I watched them leave just now.”
After answering Namgung Jinwu, Uncheon turned his gaze to Yang Hui standing beside him. Her unadorned, simple appearance was still pretty; he could not deny it.
“Young Lady Yang has risen early as well. They say beauties sleep long, yet it seems that is not always true.”
“…This is the first time Young Master Uncheon has called this young lady a beauty. Do you truly see me so?”
“Is that not something one naturally hears when one is counted among the Ten Great Beauties under Heaven—the Moon Flower Beauty?”
“You have seemed uninterested in this young lady, Young Master.”
“Stating a fact as it is and showing interest are different things.”
“……”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Yang Hui’s eyes and vanished.
“Ah—by the way, Young Master seemed to remain with them until quite late last night…”
Uncheon understood at once what she meant to ask.
“Since Young Lady Yang never said where she was bound, there is no need for concern. I told them only that I met Young Lady Yang and am traveling with her for a time on my way to Myeongseon Palace.”
“I see. Understood.”
Uncheon looked at her again.
“But… it seems something is afoot at Dangsan, does it not? Brother Baekri also said the place he travels with the Blue Dragon Unit is Dangsan. He said the matter is urgent and they must reach it as swiftly as possible.”
“……”
Yang Hui could not readily find her voice. Watching her hesitate, Uncheon settled his decision once more.
“Young Lady Yang, if you are not pressed for time, might we speak a little?”
She could not answer at once and simply looked at him.
What matter is this… that he would… me…?
The eyes regarding her were no longer the ones she had seen until a moment ago. She nodded and answered in a low voice.
“Very well. The garden within the villa would be good.”
Uncheon and Yang Hui stepped inside the separate villa and made their way to the garden. Following only three or four paces behind her, he found her fragrance thicker than before. They had sat facing one another, yet this was the first time the two of them had been alone since the journey began.
When they sat side by side on the chairs set in the center of the garden, Yang Hui looked at him with open curiosity.
“Does Young Master Uncheon have something to say to this young lady?”
“I am not in a position to speak so to Young Lady Yang, yet how would it be if the journey to Dangsan were postponed?”
“The reason… is?”
“Did you hear that I removed the qi from Brother Baekri’s heart?”
“Hall Master Namgung told me.”
Uncheon met her eyes steadily.
“Young Lady Yang, I believe you may know of a martial art called Honggihwa.”
“……”
Her pupils trembled, ever so slightly. As he had expected, she knew of Honggihwa.
As I thought—she even knows of Honggihwa. What sort of place is the Sangcheon United Kingdom, that it is so well informed of the martial arts of Mucheon Palace?
He continued.
“Some time ago I fought a man in a black hat in the Central Plains. He said he had come seeking the Cheonhwangdo Map that vanished from the Baekcheon Sect. In the battle that broke out when he tried to take Wolyeong Gwangheun, he used Honggihwa.”
“In Young Master Uncheon’s judgment, is the one who injured the Blue Dragon Unit Leader that same Black-Hatted Man?”
“Whether it is precisely the same man I cannot say. Yet I am certain it is the same martial art. Had I not spoken with Brother Baekri yesterday I would not have known, but now I understand where Honggihwa originates. Since Young Lady Yang also knows the technique, you must know its source as well.”
She hesitated a moment before answering.
“That is… I know it as a martial art of Mucheon Palace.”
“I thought you would. The arts of Mucheon Palace are formidable. Honestly, had Wolyeong Gwangheun not intervened, I nearly died at that man’s hands.”
“……”
“Even now masters beyond counting are flooding toward Dangsan. The Black-Hatted Man Brother Baekri met has certainly reappeared. Others from places we do not know will appear as well. The decision is of course Young Lady Yang’s, yet with the numbers we have now, you will not obtain what you seek.”
Yang Hui fell silent in thought. She had braced herself for difficulty even before departure. Because the matter was vital she had prepared with all thoroughness.
“I understand Young Master Uncheon’s concern for this young lady. Yet the martial artists of Sangmu Hall are not all who stand at her side.”
Uncheon smiled faintly at her reply.
“I know. The beings who follow in Young Lady Yang’s wake—I have known of them since the day we met. I wondered whether they could truly protect her. So last night I tested their strength, yet…”
“……!”
Yang Hui was both flustered and astonished. That secret was known only to her; even Namgung Jinwu was ignorant of it. Once more he spoke of a hidden truth as if he already knew everything about her.
“And who can say? Perhaps other protectors wait along the road for Young Lady Yang.”
No… how does he know even that…
His words struck so precisely that her body trembled. Watching her expression, Uncheon spoke his final piece.
“When flies begin to swarm a thing, it is because the flesh has already begun to rot. The place Young Lady Yang means to go is a filthy place. That is all I can say. And whatever decision Young Lady Yang makes, I will travel with you no longer.”
“To reach Myeongseon Palace… is it not still near?”
“Of course I will go to Myeongseon Palace as well, yet I had plans to visit other places too.”
“……”
She understood where he intended to go.
“Did Young Master Uncheon not just call it a rotten place?”
“I did. I only meant that I hope Young Lady Yang remains only in clean places.”
“……”
“It was good to travel with Young Lady Yang.”
She met the eyes of Uncheon smiling brightly. They had looked at one another before, yet she had never seen that open smile so close.
…Clear and transparent.
She felt as though everything she was would be laid bare in those pupils.
Young Master Uncheon is right. Even the Nation Lord knew from the first that this matter was beyond reason.
When the Nation Lord had asked whether she could manage it, she herself had volunteered. Others might call it stubborn pride; she had chosen to believe only that it was possible.
“I need a little time.”
With heavy steps she entered the villa. Coming out of the garden she met Namgung Jinwu, who had been waiting. Though he stood apart from the garden, Uncheon had spoken in a voice loud enough for him to hear. Listening to the exchange, Namgung Jinwu learned the truth. He too had wondered whether going to Dangsan in Hebei with only the members of Sangmu Hall would prove too hard, yet he had no choice but to follow. The Nation Lord had ordered that her safety take precedence over the mission itself. That was also why he had asked Uncheon, met by chance, to travel with them.
He had many questions for the young man.
“May we speak a moment?”
“Let us.”
The two left the villa and walked to a quiet place. Confirming they were alone, Namgung Jinwu asked,
“Nephew Uncheon, I would be grateful if you spoke truthfully.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“May I ask why Nephew Uncheon came out into the murim alone?”
He had wondered from the first meeting at the inn. Uncheon claimed he was not outstanding within the family, yet that was surely humility. Among the younger generation his martial skill would stand foremost. Though he was only a sixth cousin to the Family Head, ability such as his should have been kept under the family’s careful hand. That they had sent him alone into the murim at so young an age was hard to believe.
Uncheon read every thought that sought the truth.
“Uncle, what do you find suspicious about my presence in the Central Plains?”
“I did not mean it that way. I trust Nephew Uncheon. That is why I wish to ask you directly.”
“Uncle Jinwu truly carries the blood of the Namgung Family.”
“What do you mean?”
“Father once spoke to me of the Blue Robes of the Namgung Family. He said the meaning our family’s Blue Robes carry is trust and faith. And he said this as well: as Uncle Jinwu must feel in ordinary days, the descendants of Namgung tend to doubt and doubt again in every matter. Even while doubting they do not act so that the other notices. Yet once they believe, they keep faith and righteousness until their own life is spent—that, he said, is Namgung.”
Namgung Jinwu nodded. Long ago his late father had spoken words much like Uncheon’s. That man had said the way to live in the murim is simple.
Doubt, and doubt again. But if you place your faith, it is good to give everything.
Unlike Namgung Hyeonwu, who had grown up within the Namgung Family, Namgung Jinwu had been born outside it. Only now did he learn that his father’s words were teachings of the house itself.
Uncheon stepped close and whispered,
“For reasons of my own I spent two years employed, in a manner of speaking, at the Yaweol Sect. Not that I became an assassin.”
“…!”
Namgung Jinwu did not know how to respond. Who would believe that the Cheongryu Geomhyang of the Namgung Family had taken employment with the Yaweol Sect? Yet it was clearly no lie.
“Do not tell me you met us while coming up after accepting a commission?”
“That is how it came about.”
A sudden worry touched Namgung Jinwu.
“Nephew… does our family know?”
“Father knows I am with the Yaweol Sect. So Uncle the Family Head must know as well.”
“Even Cold Wind Cold Heart knows the fact and left it alone?”
“Yes. Seeing that no one has come to seize me yet, it seems there is no trouble.”
“Ha—haha. I can only say it is astonishing. Father and son look the same.”
Namgung Jinwu gazed at Uncheon’s bright smile.
Is this why the Namgung Family is special?
Deep in his chest the feeling of pride stirred once more. He turned his head toward the villa. A note of regret entered his voice.
“If, contrary to Nephew’s wish, the Young Lady says she will go to Dangsan, I have no choice but to follow.”
“Uncle believes Young Lady Yang will not withdraw.”
“That is so.”
“I think the same.”
Uncheon had already read her thoughts, yet he had hoped she might change them midway. She would not.
“I must do my duty. I will stake my life on protecting the Young Lady.”
“Because you are Hall Master of Sangmu Hall.”
If it was Namgung Jinwu, even should he die in the course of the mission he would follow her without question. Yet Uncheon did not wish him to die solely for her protection.
“Uncle, the important thing is not to defeat the opponent in battle, but to keep Young Lady Yang safe, is it not?”
“I understand what you mean. Do not worry.”
“And when you reach Dangsan, or meet people along the way, if they give a feeling that is not of Central Plains martial arts, avoid them. As far as you are able.”
“You mean dangerous figures who use arts like Honggihwa?”
“Yes. That is not cowardice, but the path that first saves Young Lady Yang.”
“Understood. I will take care.”
Namgung Jinwu’s chest grew heavy. Long years as Hall Master of Sangmu Hall under the Anhui Merchant Alliance had taught him her nature well. When she undertook a task she seemed soft, yet rather than stubbornness it was the confidence that she could succeed which drove her to achievement. That she needed time to think was not so she might withdraw after hearing Uncheon’s words; it was so she might gather the conviction that she could overcome the hardship.
As Uncheon had expected, a quarter of an hour later she appeared.
“Young Master Uncheon spoke well, yet this young lady has thought much as well. I would like to withdraw at once, but I believe that if we go quietly there will be no trouble.”
“I understand. I respect Young Lady Yang’s decision as well.”
Swoosh.
Uncheon clasped his fists in formal salute.
“It was a good time. I pray fortune fills Young Lady Yang’s path ahead. I shall take my leave first.”
“Yes. May Young Master Uncheon also remain in health.”
Though regret pricked her, Yang Hui forced her face to show nothing. She stood as if nailed to the ground, watching Namgung Jinwu and the rest of the Sangmu Hall party exchange their final farewells with Uncheon.