Is There Anyone in the World Who Knows Me? (4)
Is There Anyone in the World Who Knows Me? (4)
"Hoo...."
The dawn air wrapped around his entire body. Even for a master who had reached the peak realm, the air that greeted him outside carried a sharp chill. Jong Yuseop watched the mist puff from his lips and thought it looked exactly like the steam rising from cooking rice.
"Are you leaving now?"
Jong Yuseop gave a start and spun around at the voice from behind. Venerable Geumbok stood there wearing a thick coat, an indifferent expression on his face. He looked at Jong Yuseop with a blunt gaze, his attendants standing stiffly at his back.
Jong Yuseop smiled as he spoke. He clasped Venerable Geumbok's cold hands to warm them.
"Elder. The weather is cold—why did you come out for this?"
Jong Yuseop stroked the back of Venerable Geumbok's hand. Holding hands with him brought back vivid memories of the man who had cared for him since childhood. Back then, when Venerable Geumbok had plump cheeks and a gentle, genial smile, his fingers had been fleshy too, and holding his hand had felt soft and supple.
And now, that hand was furrowed like a plowed field, dried and withered like a corpse. Every time Jong Yuseop saw him aging and fading, day by day, it felt like his heart would burst. Venerable Geumbok squeezed Jong Yuseop's hand tightly as he spoke.
"Your body still hasn't fully recovered. How could I just stand by when you volunteered for this mission so willingly?"
"It's fine, Elder. To a martial artist, an internal injury of that degree is nothing."
Jong Yuseop spoke casually, but deep inside, a profound wound still lingered. When Hong Ye, whom he had fallen for at first sight by chance, had rejected him so coldly, it had truly felt like the end of the world. It wasn't as bad as the time he collapsed coughing blood over a farewell letter, but even now, whenever he thought of that moment, his heart pounded and heat rushed to his head.
Venerable Geumbok frowned as he spoke.
"You are a martial artist, yet your weakness is your overly fragile spirit. If you are swayed by such trifles, how can you ever achieve the great undertaking?"
As Venerable Geumbok said, Jong Yuseop was weak in spirit. He possessed overflowing talent in martial arts, enough to reach the peak realm at an early age, yet he lacked the ability to control his own strength and mind. Despite Venerable Geumbok's stern tone, Jong Yuseop answered confidently.
"Do not worry, Elder. I have no desire to undertake a difficult mission just as I'm recovering from internal injuries. That is why I volunteered for something simple this time."
Jong Yuseop's first mission after regaining his energy was to entertain an influential person in Shaanxi. Even though they were allied with the Zhongnan Sect, Venerable Geumbok hadn't yet bent all of Shaanxi to his will, so coaxing other prominent families and wealthy men into investment and cooperation was extremely important.
"Do not grow arrogant just because it's simple. The man you are meeting this time is a notably wealthy figure even in Shaanxi. If anything offends his sensibilities, it will hinder our expansion plans and our trade as well."
Jong Yuseop nodded as he replied.
"Please set your worries aside, Elder. Have you not witnessed my accomplishments up to now? It was I, Jong Yuseop, who pushed out the corrupt officials and brought countless sects to heel. I will not fail this time either."
After saying this, he lightly tapped the cart. It was filled to the brim with precious items to be used as bribes. Venerable Geumbok silently watched Jong Yuseop's confident demeanor.
Jong Yuseop also met Venerable Geumbok's eyes without a word. When he was young, Jong Yuseop used to have staring contests like this with Venerable Geumbok. It was a game where the one who averted their eyes or blinked first lost, and Jong Yuseop would always win by pulling funny faces.
Jong Yuseop's lips twitched at the corners, but he decided to stop short of making a funny face. Venerable Geumbok paused as if waiting for something, then bowed his head and said.
"Very well. Go safely."
An old man's shoulders always looked shabbier from behind. Seeing Venerable Geumbok's small, frail figure reminded Jong Yuseop of the broad back that had carried him when he was little. The back that he had once thought was as wide as a training ground had shrivelled like part of an old tree, now barely able to support its own weight.
"Elder."
Venerable Geumbok turned his head again. Jong Yuseop offered him a salute and said.
"I will absolutely, without fail, accomplish the great undertaking."
Of course, Jong Yuseop paid no mind to the innocent blood that would flow beneath that great undertaking.
******
Within a few days, word came from the informants. A blunt-featured man stood in my courtyard, speaking like an adjutant reporting an operation's progress.
"Jong Yuseop is said to be heading to Chang'an loaded with precious goods. It appears he hasn't mobilized a large escort, and the man he is meeting is not a martial artist but a prominent wealthy man in Chang'an."
I asked.
"Has the route Jong Yuseop will take been confirmed?"
The man nodded, then took out a map of the Shaanxi region from his chest. Large cities and major sects were marked in small drawings on the big map, and the location of the Crimson Ring Sect was also indicated in small script. He traced one direction on the map with his finger as he spoke.
"Yes. If you look at the map here, he will likely travel from Zhongnan Mountain toward Chang'an. Even if we set out from the Crimson Ring Sect at once, intercepting and hindering Jong Yuseop midway seems difficult."
I rubbed my chin as I said.
"Then it would be better to head straight to Chang'an and wait for the bastards. Time-wise it's a little tight, but that will be our best option."
With Chang'an as the reference point, the Crimson Ring Sect was much farther away. The bastards would be traveling with a cart loaded with goods, and by the time this news reached us they would already have departed, so to overtake them we would have to ride hard from this moment on.
The man said.
"Shall I arrange horses right away, then? If we move through the night without rest, we should be able to catch up in plenty of time."
I rubbed my chin. If we rode horses, we'd be bound by the terrain. I wasn't a skilled rider in the first place, and if the two of us traveled on horseback it would draw the attention of bandit gangs and could delay us. If the horses were injured or died, it would be a disaster.
"...Could you wait a moment? Go out and have a meal or something. I have something in mind."
"Understood."
As soon as the man left, Sannyeo quietly emerged from behind me and spoke in a low voice.
"Is it because you have something even better than a horse? What kind of brilliant idea is making you ponder so deeply?"
I stared straight at Sannyeo. As expected of a martial arts master, her shoulders had crisp, defined lines.
Taking her high martial level into account, an old tale from ancient China came to mind. Guan Yu had a subordinate named Zhou Cang, and Zhou Cang was so swift-footed that when Guan Yu rode Red Hare, Zhou Cang would run alongside holding the Blue Dragon Crescent Blade. Among those who heard that story, some were struck by a certain curiosity.
Then why not just ride on Zhou Cang?
Exactly. There was someone who was faster than a horse, did not tire as quickly, and was not constrained by terrain.
Why should we wear ourselves out riding horses all night? A horse could trip on a stone and fall to its death, but Sannyeo wouldn't trip on a stone.
Compared to those bastards leisurely carting their goods and taking their time day and night, we could move faster than anyone.
"....No."
When I looked at her, Sannyeo shook her head firmly before I could even speak.
"...I haven't said anything yet?"
"...It sounded like you were about to say something stupid, so I rejected it in advance."
I shook my head. This was not something stupid. It was something that absolutely had to be done for the great undertaking.
"Listen. You know Guan Yu from *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, right? They say Guan Yu had a man named Zhou Cang who was incredibly fast...."
"...I won't carry you. There's a saying that you shouldn't even step on your master's shadow, and now you want to be piggybacked?"
As expected of Sannyeo. I had only brought up the Zhou Cang story, and she instantly understood what I was about to propose. She shook her head stubbornly, showing clear displeasure, but I could not back down either.
"If we want to get to Chang'an, we have to cross the mountains. If we take horses and go the long way around here, we won't be able to sleep, we'll have to soothe the horses too, and we'll waste time. How are you supposed to achieve the great undertaking like that? Once we reach Chang'an, we need time to plan our next moves and to meet the informants there to hear the detailed reports. Haste breeds mistakes. We have to arrive fast and plan fast."
Sannyeo's face twisted. She seemed to be racking her brain for a rebuttal, but she couldn't think of one. I looked her straight in the eye and asked.
"You said you'd do anything for revenge, didn't you?"
Sannyeo inhaled sharply.
********
"Are you truly certain you do not require horse support?"
"I actually learned lightness skill from a strange master, so my movement technique alone is extremely fast. I'm not restrained by terrain, so in this region of rough ground, going by lightness skill will be quicker."
The man expressed admiration and began taking notes.
"Ah, I've learned something else. Martial artists do not ride horses...."
Leaving the man to his note-taking as he scribbled on paper with his small brush, I moved into the shade of the forest and said.
"Let's go. My Red Hare."
"....."
"...That was a joke."
Sannyeo's mood did not look good.