Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Save the Alliance Lord! (3)
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So Yang-gun hurried over with a sealed letter and gave it to Heuk-wol.
“If we are late, show this to the Alliance Lord.”
“Understood.”
I patted Heuk-wol on the shoulder.
“I’m counting on you.”
“I’ll stake my life on it!”
Heuk-wol seemed to enjoy it when I treated him like a subordinate.
I spoke to So Yang-gun.
“You should let your uncle go to Seonjuk Island.”
“What? But why…”
“Are you questioning me right now?”
So Yang-gun glanced at Sang Gang-jo and quickly understood my meaning.
“Ah! My apologies. That was shortsighted of me.”
Sang Gang-jo was a man the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path were desperately searching for.
My absence would mean there’d be no one to save him if he were in danger.
I’d heard that during the eight days I was away subjugating the Twelve Forts of Qiantang and the Yangtze River Water Fortress, Sang Gang-jo had remained in disguise, secluded in the annex, never once stepping outside.
Moreover, if Sang Gang-jo went with me, he could meet the Alliance Lord and report the results of his mission.
So Yang-gun looked at Sang Gang-jo with an apologetic expression.
“Why did you stay silent?”
“I trusted that the Grand Branch Master would resolve it like this.”
“You seem to know the Grand Master very well.”
“Indeed.”
I gestured to Heuk-wol and spoke to So Yang-gun.
“Master of the Maedang, how about you take a boat to Seonjuk Island with Heuk-wol?”
“Ah! I will do so!”
I hurried Heuk-wol along.
“What are you doing? Go on!”
“Ah! Yes, sir!”
Heuk-wol rushed off, with So Yang-gun following behind him.
I asked Cho-seon,
“How do we get on the Divine Roc?”
Cho-seon commanded the Roc Tamer.
“Have White Cloud land!”
The Divine Roc’s name was White Cloud. A fitting name, as it looked like a massive white cloud.
The Roc Tamer stroked White Cloud’s head with the feather she was holding.
“White Cloud, sit.”
Guuuu!
As White Cloud bent its pillar-like legs and sat, the Roc Tamer lowered a rope ladder.
Sang Gang-jo pointed to the ladder.
“Grand Master, please ascend.”
“Ah… right.”
As I approached the ladder, Jang Ung and Go Un-hyo followed.
Go Un-hyo’s face was filled with concern.
“Please be careful.”
“I will.”
I patted his shoulder. Go Un-hyo doesn’t call me ‘brother’ when others are around.
Jang Ung stood behind me. He couldn’t have known that I usually couldn’t use my martial arts, yet he was trying to help me climb into the carriage with ease.
“Please, go up.”
“Alright.”
As I placed my foot on the ladder, Jang Ung gently pushed my lower back in a natural motion.
Thanks to him, I easily climbed the ladder in one go, even without any internal energy.
No one knew why Jang Ung had done that, not even Jang Ung himself. But no one found it strange.
The standing Roc Tamer opened the door to the side of the carriage, and I stepped inside.
In the center of the carriage was a low, built-in table. Three plush cushions were arranged to the left, right, and back, while a low-backed chair for the Roc Tamer was at the front.
Sang Gang-jo climbed into the carriage after me.
“Please be seated.”
At the Roc Tamer’s words, Sang Gang-jo and I sat facing each other on the cushions to the left and right.
“My lord! Wait!”
Just then, Ja-un came running from the direction of the Dong-ro Branch, calling out urgently.
She ran beneath the Divine Roc and held up a large bamboo case.
“It’s the wine and food you like, my lord! Eat on your way!”
The journey would be long, yet no one had thought to prepare any food.
Sang Gang-jo took the bamboo case and smiled with satisfaction.
“It smells wonderful.”
Ja-un stood on her tiptoes, craning her neck to look up at me.
“Please have a safe trip!”
“I will!”
I thought that when I returned from Seonjuk Island, I should call Ja-un by her name and pat her head. No, Ja-un was my person, so I could treat her even better than Cho-seon.
Sang Gang-jo asked the Roc Tamer,
“Have you memorized the way to Seonjuk Island?”
“Yes.”
The Roc Tamer gently stroked White Cloud’s neck with the long, white feather in her hand.
“White Cloud, you remember the way to Seonjuk Island, right?”
Kururu!
White Cloud cooed softly and turned its head to look at the Roc Tamer. It nodded, its large blue eyes looking very gentle.
Sang Gang-jo was quite impressed.
“It understands human speech?”
“It does.”
“Hoh! So the legends of a spiritual beast were true!”
The gathered crowd bowed to me.
“Have a safe journey!”
Cho-seon waved and called out with a cheerful jingle.
“Don’t forget we’re having a drink when you get back!”
When I didn’t reply, Cho-seon said to the Roc Tamer,
“Roc Tamer! Take good care of Master Ak!”
“I will keep that in mind.”
I said to the Roc Tamer,
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
The Roc Tamer stroked White Cloud’s neck with the feather.
“White Cloud, let’s go to Seonjuk Island.”
Kurururu!
Fwoosh!
With a low cry, White Cloud soared up!
We ascended a hundred zhang in an instant, making my hair stand on end. Sang Gang-jo grabbed the carriage railing in surprise.
“Hah!”
Looking down, I saw the rivers and mountains on the ground looked no bigger than my palm.
White Cloud turned east, flapped its massive wings a few times, then stopped, spreading them wide to glide effortlessly on the wind.
Sang Gang-jo exclaimed in admiration.
“This is incredible!”
***
The carriage was enclosed by sturdy wooden walls on all four sides, reaching about neck-height when seated, making it safe.
Flap, flap, flap!
The strong winds at this high altitude made our hair and clothes flutter wildly, and it was quite noisy.
The Roc Tamer spoke respectfully.
“I will close the roof!”
Swoosh!
As soon as she spoke, the wooden walls on all four sides seemed to rise, quickly forming a rounded roof.
The Roc Tamer stood and tied it down securely with several ropes.
At eye level on all sides were palm-sized circular windows through which we could see outside, but no wind came in.
Sang Gang-jo asked the Roc Tamer,
“How long will it take?”
“How far is Seonjuk Island?”
“Seonjuk Island is an island of the Goryeo Kingdom. It should be about ten thousand li away.”
“In that case, we should arrive around this time tomorrow.”
“So it’s true that the Divine Roc can travel ten thousand li in a day?”
“You didn’t know?”
“I thought it was just a legend.”
The Roc Tamer smiled and said,
“In the land where the Divine Rocs live, we have a legend of our own.”
“What kind of legend?”
“There’s a legend that somewhere, there’s a place called the ‘World Under Heaven’ where humans live.”
“Hah! Is that really true?”
Sang Gang-jo’s eyes widened.
I burst out laughing.
“Hahahaha!”
It was the first time I had laughed so heartily in a long time.
Mi-hyang also giggled softly.
Sang Gang-jo asked with a puzzled look,
“Why are you laughing?”
I said seriously,
“I know of a legendary land where only naive people live.”
Sang Gang-jo, with a look of confusion, glanced back and forth between me and the Roc Tamer.
“Are you joking?”
I laughed heartily again, and the Roc Tamer covered her mouth as she giggled.
***
Night fell.
After eating the food and drinking the wine, Sang Gang-jo and I lay down with our heads toward the back of the carriage. It was spacious enough to stretch our legs out completely.
The Roc Tamer ate a little food but drank no wine. Her name, she said, was Mi-hyang.
I rolled up a cushion to use as a pillow.
“I’m going to sleep.”
“Rest well.”
Mi-hyang, with her cute freckles dotting the space under her eyes, turned and gave a gentle smile.
***
“Grand Branch Master, we’ve arrived at Seonjuk Island.”
I woke up to Sang Gang-jo’s voice.
It was a bit absurd to have slept so soundly and comfortably in the sky, hundreds of zhang above the ground, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
As I sat up, groggy, Sang Gang-jo smiled.
“You slept very well.”
Mi-hyang said,
“We are descending.”
Swoooosh!
The gut-wrenching speed of the descent, which felt like my insides were about to spill out, was just as hard to get used to as the ascent.
White Cloud landed on a cliff on the uninhabited backside of Seonjuk Island.
The inhabitants of Seonjuk Island lived near the port; they would have fainted from shock if they had seen White Cloud.
Mi-hyang stood and bowed respectfully.
“I will wait here for you. If you call, I will come at once.”
Sang Gang-jo asked,
“How do we call you?”
“Just whistle.”
“Understood.”
Sang Gang-jo said,
“Grand Branch Master, please disembark.”
“You first, Uncle Jo.”
I was in a bit of a predicament, as my martial arts weren’t active.
Despite the rope ladder, Sang Gang-jo simply leaped from the carriage and landed lightly on the ground.
Even with White Cloud sitting, the drop from the carriage to the ground was a full zhang. If I just jumped, I would likely break a few bones.
I stood and grabbed the ladder, then changed my mind.
‘Maybe this kind of action will also trigger a reaction from my body!’
My body reacts instantly when faced with an unexpected enemy attack. Therefore, I reasoned, it should react instantly in any dangerous situation.
‘Alright! I’ll just jump.’
Jumping from a height of one zhang without any martial arts was dangerous. That’s why I believed my body would react.
Mi-hyang opened the carriage door for me.
“Safe travels.”
Sang Gang-jo and Mi-hyang would naturally assume I’d use a lightness skill to jump down.
I ignored the ladder and leaped toward the ground.
Whoosh!
But my lighter lower body went up while my heavier upper body went down, flipping me into a supine position. At this rate, I would land on my back.
“Grand Branch Master!”
Sang Gang-jo cried out in alarm.
In that hair-raising moment, my martial arts activated. I was right.
‘Hup!’
I stopped abruptly just a foot from the ground, right before my back could hit it, then smoothly rose to my feet.
Thud!
Sang Gang-jo smiled faintly.
“What was that all about?”
But I had no time to answer. I wanted to confirm once more that my body would react instantly if I committed to a dangerous situation.
So, without hesitation, I leaped off the cliff behind us.
“Grand Branch Master!”
While Sang Gang-jo stood there with a puzzled expression, I shot back up from the cliff and landed lightly in front of him.
Swish!
The cliff, five zhang high, dropped down to jagged seaside rocks, yet I descended and ascended as if it were nothing.
“What is the matter?”
“Hahaha! Doesn’t the sea smell wonderful?”
Realizing that all I had to do was commit, I felt so good I could fly.
“Now that you mention it, it has been a long time since I’ve smelled the sea.”
Sang Gang-jo, oblivious, smiled faintly.
“Hahahaha! Let’s go!”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Sang Gang-jo and I launched ourselves toward the low, descending hill in front of us.
Whoosh!
Thump!
“Ugh!”
Sang Gang-jo shot forward using his lightness skill, but my martial arts, which had been present just a moment ago, vanished, and I tumbled to the ground.
‘Ugh! Why did that happen?’
“Grand Branch Master! What’s wrong?”
Sang Gang-jo returned in surprise.
‘What on earth is the problem?’
A moment ago, in the carriage and on the cliff, my martial arts had activated instantly when I jumped.
‘What was different between then and now?’
As I pushed myself up, I mumbled inwardly, then quickly realized the reason.
‘That’s it! Those times were dangerous, but this time wasn’t!’
Jumping from the carriage and off the cliff could have resulted in death or serious injury.
That’s why my body instinctively defended itself—by activating my martial arts—but not this time.