The Peony Smoke
“What do you mean by ‘harm’?”
It was true that Sa Unsik’s willful personality and behavior hardly painted him as a good man. Yet when asked whether he was truly a villain, one could only tilt one’s head in doubt. To Yoo Eunhyeon, Sa Unsik seemed less a wicked man than someone a little rough around the edges who simply lived as his heart dictated. And honestly, what sort of villain taught someone an internal energy method and even tried to play matchmaker? Of course Sa Unsik might have some scheme of his own… but So Biwon’s words still did not quite land.
“It is only natural that Young Master would not know. Still… I would ask that you give deep thought to the matter of him inviting you.”
“I’ve already refused him once, so you needn’t worry on that account.”
“Yet… no.”
So Biwon’s brow furrowed slightly, as though something else troubled him. In the end he said nothing further about it. Since Yoo Eunhyeon had, in fact, been less than fully truthful himself, he did not press the point and changed the subject.
“I hope the sleeping arrangements aren’t too uncomfortable. Please, try one of these.”
Yoo Eunhyeon took out the three potatoes he had prepared and held them out to So Biwon.
“Heh heh. I shall accept them gratefully. But I have no need of so many—one will suffice.”
Even as he expressed his thanks, So Biwon took only the smallest of the three potatoes. Watching the old man accept it while still exhaling tobacco smoke, something suddenly occurred to Yoo Eunhyeon. He rose from his seat.
“Just a moment.”
When he returned a short while later, he held out a handful of dried leaves toward So Biwon.
“This is… tobacco, by any chance?”
“You recognized it at once. Please try some. You seem to enjoy smoking.”
“Oh-ho. As it happens my supply was nearly gone… This is most kind of you.”
For the first time So Biwon’s expression showed genuine delight as he accepted the leaves. He sniffed the fragrance lightly, then, unable to wait, packed his pipe and lit it at once.
“This is a flavor I’ve never tasted before… Did Young Master make it yourself?”
“Yes. We blend a few medicinal herbs into the tobacco we grow. It’s decent enough to smoke, isn’t it?”
In answer So Biwon drew a deep lungful of smoke, exhaled, and wore a thoroughly satisfied look.
“Have you smoked it yourself, Young Master?”
“Now and then. I don’t particularly enjoy it, but it would be a problem if I didn’t know the quality of what we make.”
“Mmm… Excellent. I had believed I had sampled every tobacco under heaven, yet how could I have remained ignorant of this?”
“We only started selling it recently. It’s still circulating in small amounts around this area.”
“Is that so? And what is its name?”
“Jagyagyeon.”
“Jagyagyeon… I shall remember it.”
Seeing how thoroughly pleased So Biwon was, Yoo Eunhyeon found his own mood lifting and bantered lightly. So Biwon drew another deep breath of the Jagyagyeon, savoring it as though tasting fine wine.
“Heh heh. If you are offering, I shall gladly take some with me.”
“Please rest well tonight.”
“May I watch Young Master at work again starting tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
Since Sa Unsik had already done the same, Yoo Eunhyeon nodded as though it were of no consequence at all.
The next day, So Biwon rose early and set off somewhere. A farmer’s morning is already earlier than most people’s, yet So Biwon had risen even before Yoo Eunhyeon and was descending the mountain. In truth he had slept barely a single shichen.
His steps down the mountain were never hurried. He descended as though taking a stroll, examining the fields along the path as he went.
“I felt it yesterday as well—this is truly a splendid place. The majestic aura of Mount Taesan, and the fruits of nature cultivated in harmony with that aura… It rivals even the spiritual potency of Mount Song.”
Just as Sa Unsik had, So Biwon acknowledged that the fields the Yoo family had cultivated were excellent in their own right.
“Especially this Jagyagyeon. A truly unexpected encounter.”
Exhaling a stream of tobacco smoke, So Biwon resumed his unhurried pace. By the time he had passed the fields and reached the lower slopes, he looked up at the sky. A single hawk appeared—as though it had been waiting. The dark blue bird circled once above his head.
When the hawk vanished into a nearby tree after its circuit of the sky, So Biwon lowered his gaze and spoke.
“Have you rested enough?”
Before he knew it, a man was kneeling in front of him. Clad entirely in black and prostrate, the man’s back still rose and fell lightly with his breathing.
“This subordinate greets the Alliance Leader.”
Not wishing to reveal how winded he was, the man steadied his breath with one final deep inhalation before speaking.
“Rise. You have all suffered much in following me.”
Among So Biwon’s personal guards, Ju Nak of the Shadow Guard—who always trailed him—bowed his head even lower, as though the words were unthinkable.
“Not at all. I only lament my own inadequate ability that fails to keep pace with the Alliance Leader.”
“The Thousand-Year Dark Demon Sa Unsik’s skill is outstanding; tracking his movements inevitably brings such hardship. Never blame your own abilities.”
“Compared to the Alliance Leader, the likes of the Thousand-Year Dark Demon are nothing.”
“Heh heh. If that were truly the case, there would be no need for such troublesome measures.”
Though So Biwon spoke thus, Ju Nak sincerely believed his own words. Had So Biwon been weaker than Sa Unsik, the martial world would already have met its end.
“Have Sa Unsik’s movements been uncovered?”
“Yes. After joining with Heavenly Guard Commander Go Pae-ryang, he appears to have returned straight to the Demonic Cult.”
“So even his long sojourn through the martial world ends with this.”
“His purpose remains unclear. Why would he suddenly tour the martial world?”
“Heh heh. I can guess at several possible aims… yet what troubles me is that he returned so quietly.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It depends on whether he is returning after achieving his goal, or returning without having achieved it.”
At So Biwon’s words Ju Nak’s body gave a slight tremor of tension.
“That is also why I remain here—to learn what he sought, and whether he obtained it.”
Ju Nak lowered his raised head deeply once more, as though pledging absolute trust and obedience.
“There is one more unusual matter. Movement of the Cheonhwang Paeundae has been detected within the Demonic Cult.”
“The Cheonhwang Paeundae? How many?”
“The information came in too hastily; it is unclear. My apologies.”
At Ju Nak’s brief reply So Biwon released a soft breath.
“Hah. So my concerns are becoming reality…”
“Does the Alliance Leader know where the Cheonhwang Paeundae is headed?”
At present they knew only that the unit had left the Demonic Cult; their destination remained completely unknown.
“If my guess is correct… it will be this place.”
“Surely not targeting the Alliance Leader?!”
Ju Nak cried out in shock, but So Biwon shook his head.
“Do you think that possible?”
“No. Even if the entire Cheonhwang Paeundae came, they could do nothing to the Alliance Leader.”
Just as So Biwon had come out personally to track Sa Unsik’s movements, targeting So Biwon would require Sa Unsik himself to act. No matter how elite the Cheonhwang Paeundae, moving against So Biwon alone would only bring them catastrophic losses.
“If not that, then what is here that would draw them?”
“Are there others nearby?”
So Biwon already had a fair idea. From what he had heard of Yoo Eunhyeon’s account the previous day, Sa Unsik clearly wished to take the young man to the Demonic Cult. He seemed to have abandoned the idea of forcing him, yet So Biwon knew Sa Unsik better than anyone. The man would never give up so easily.
“The Red Division of the Jeongeumdae is making preparations.”
“The Red Division… how many?”
“Only a small number.”
If the goal were merely to take Yoo Eunhyeon, they would not have summoned a large force—yet the opponent was still the Cheonhwang Paeundae. Better to be certain.
“Insufficient. Send half of the Red Division here. Instruct them to prepare in advance, for there may be a clash with the Cheonhwang Paeundae.”
The Jeongeumdae consisted of three divisions—Red, Yellow, and Blue. Half of the Red Division’s one hundred members meant fifty men.
“Here, at this very place?”
Ju Nak asked again, sounding doubtful. At first glance the mountain seemed empty of anything noteworthy, yet upon second thought that was far from true. Was not So Biwon, Leader of the Heavenly Martial Alliance, present here?
Just as every move of the Thousand-Year Dark Demon Sa Unsik was top-secret intelligence to the Heavenly Martial Alliance, so too was every scrap of information on the Twin Immortals of Sword and Blade So Biwon top-secret to the Demonic Cult. Even if the Cheonhwang Paeundae could not hope to harm So Biwon, one could not help but suspect some hidden purpose behind their movements.
“I know what you fear. The Cheonhwang Paeundae itself may be a feint meant to pin me here. Or they may deliberately throw the unit against me, prepared to lose them, simply to create a pretext.”
Realizing how serious the situation was, Ju Nak spoke with a hardened expression.
“Will you be all right?”
“Do not worry on that score. I will not meet the Cheonhwang Paeundae directly.”
As he spoke, So Biwon glanced toward the mountain slope where Yoo Eunhyeon stayed. From what he had heard, the young man was certainly a talent worth coveting. Though a farmer, his insight into nature and his way of seeing things were enough to inspire admiration even from secondhand accounts. Yet what exactly had Sa Unsik gained afterward that he would go this far?
Until So Biwon confirmed that for himself, he could not easily leave this place.
“I shall carry out the Alliance Leader’s command.”
When So Biwon said he would handle it himself, Ju Nak dared not inquire further. He simply sensed that the matter was more serious than expected and bowed his head. If the Alliance Leader’s words were true, there was no time for leisure. Ju Nak prostrated himself once more, then launched his body into the air.
The Cheonhwang Paeundae had already departed, yet they were setting out from distant Daesan. By comparison the Heavenly Martial Alliance lay on the border of Henan and Shaanxi. Even leaving now would not be too late.
Thus Ju Nak departed, and So Biwon likewise sprang lightly into the trees and vanished.
Having returned to the mountain, So Biwon now began in earnest to follow Yoo Eunhyeon about his farm work.
Since he’s already discovered I have internal energy, I might as well work as usual, right?
Yoo Eunhyeon, who could have no idea what had passed between So Biwon and Ju Nak, entertained such idle thoughts while throwing himself back into his labor. In truth he had only recently begun cultivating internal energy and could not yet control it with fine precision. More importantly, there was simply too much work for idle musings.
Lately the frequent rains had caused signs of disease to reappear here and there across the fields. One misstep and an entire year’s harvest could be ruined in an instant. Originally it was work that required both him and Su Hwa-seon to do properly, yet thanks to his new internal energy his movements had quickened and he tired less, so he could manage alone.
It’s quiet again today.
Sa Unsik had practically stuck to Yoo Eunhyeon’s side, peppering him with all sorts of questions. So Biwon, however, simply watched quietly from a slight distance as Yoo Eunhyeon worked. At least he did not interfere, so concentration came more easily.
Unlike Sa Unsik, whose presence was so overwhelming it overflowed, So Biwon’s presence was distinct yet somehow blended well with the surroundings; if one chose not to notice him, he did not greatly distract.
In the midst of this, while Yoo Eunhyeon was snipping useless leaves from a peach tree, a high-pitched sound reached his ear.
Wiiiiing.
A high, ringing tone that vibrated near the ear—the ordinary sound of an insect flying close. Only the volume was a little different.
“Yikes. A hornet?”
A farmer was used to insects; they were merely a nuisance. Hornets, however, were another matter. Provoke one carelessly and it might summon its fellows in a swarm. Yoo Eunhyeon therefore moved for a moment into the nearby shade to avoid it. Since he had already relocated, he took the chance to rest, wiping the sweat from his brow and letting out a long breath.
Internal energy made the work less exhausting, yet moving a great deal still left one just as hot.
I heard martial artists reach a stage called Impervious to Heat and Cold where they no longer feel heat or cold… but apparently not all of them do.
Of course it was simply that Yoo Eunhyeon’s internal energy was not yet deep enough, but he had no way of knowing that.
So Biwon approached him from nearby.
“You are quite kind. Are insects not harmful to farming?”
Yoo Eunhyeon’s decision to simply avoid the hornet rather than kill it seemed to strike So Biwon as rather novel.
“There’s no real need to kill it. And if you mean to deal with them, it’s better to find the nest first. Killing one or two doesn’t accomplish much.”
“The nest is over that way. I could tell you the location if you wish.”
“No, it’s fine. If the harvest were finished it might be different, but there’s no need right now.”
“Hmm. May I ask the reason?”
As So Biwon posed the question, a subtle light flickered in his eyes—something that seemed at once expectant and seeking confirmation.