The Value of a Single Word - 8
First things first: I told them to keep the inn's doors shut. There was no telling when another attack might come. Watching the servants and inn staff hurry out clutching their weapons, I turned my eyes to Sa Yun.
"Are you hurt anywhere? From that hit earlier?"
"Yes, of course. I can still fight."
The sight of the little girl clenching her fist was a heartening one indeed. I gave her a nod, then spread open a map of Seomhwa Village.
"The government office has its own soldiers, so that side will hold... The first place we need to go is the village chief's house. His road connects to the route in from outside, so we'll be able to keep tabs on the enemy's movements there."
I thought of the good-natured old man. He didn't know a single martial art, but he was wise, and he settled the village's disputes in that calm, easy voice of his. If he died, Seomhwa Village might well descend into confusion.
With the decision made, Sa Yun and I set out for the chief's house. We came across several wounded soldiers along the way; after steadying them and entrusting them to frightened villagers, we pressed on—and that was when Sa Yun, silent until then, parted her lips.
"Who do you think they are?"
"Hard to say..."
There were too many possibilities.
The first, naturally, was the Iron Blood Dan's handiwork. Hongseong Gate had taken Seomhwa Village as its territory, lending the place its name.
And now the village takes a heavy blow and falls into chaos? From Hongseong Gate's standpoint, that would sully the honor they treasured above all else.
Which meant they would send disciples down to guard Seomhwa for the time being, if only to redeem that honor. And with the gate's manpower stretched thin in the process, the enemy could pick them off one by one.
The second possibility.
One of the recurring events: an assault by the Demon Beast King.
One of the Corrupted Immortals, the Beast King commanded monsters while exploiting sell-swords who had bowed to money and power, all to throw the empire into chaos.
In Cheonsang Myeongwol, half of the stretches with no scheduled events were filled by his attacks. The player galleries mocked him so relentlessly for it that they'd taken to calling him "Another Beast King."
Lore-wise, the Demon Beast King predated the Iron Blood Dan and had been raising hell since long before them—so I couldn't say for certain that this raid wasn't his doing.
The third was fallout from the Demonic Cult's invasion of the empire.
Whenever something blew up in the murim, blaming half of it on the Demonic Cult was a comfort. They wielded wicked sorcery, commanded monsters, and—just like the Beast King—employed sell-swords to sow disorder.
And the places that disorder struck were, as a rule, the domains of the world's strongest.
Beyond that, there were the Unorthodox factions' movements, and all the other recurring events built on conflicts that supposedly stretched back centuries. Pinning this night on any one culprit was impossible.
...
Should I just say it was the Iron Blood Dan and be done with it?
"I suppose it hardly matters who they are."
Sa Yun's grip closed tight around her sword.
Haha. This kid. Hahaha.
Eyes fixed ahead, proud and unshaken, Sa Yun stepped out in front of me, her face set like stone. Because at the fork leading to the chief's house, a man dressed in the same black as before—heading for the chief's home, no less—had walked straight into us.
"...I can hear steel. It sounds like the guards are holding the chief's ground. Let's put this one down quickly and be on our way."
"That's the plan."
The man in black, taking in the two of us, seemed to read the situation in a heartbeat as well. He raised his sword and snarled.
"...Tch. Looks like a fool walked right into us."
"You're telling me. Idiot."
I threw a stone on the spot. Sa Yun waited for the instant it cracked against his blade and sprang away, then darted in fast.
Star Flow Steps.
At that uncanny footwork—movement like the drift of stars—the man's eyes bulged in open surprise.
—Clang! Ting! Ting!!
Three exchanges in a heartbeat, sword against sword. The strikes flying between them were fierce enough to scatter sparks, yet neither the man in black nor Sa Yun showed so much as a flicker of expression.
So this much was merely a probing exchange for the likes of them?
"You little whelp...!!"
His voice dripped with killing intent. The dagger in his right hand flashed for Sa Yun's throat. As she twisted aside to evade it, I hurled another stone.
—Swish!!
The foot he lashed out to kick Sa Yun with ended up sweeping the stone from the air instead—one that had been streaking straight for his head. Seizing that opening, Sa Yun fell back a step, watched a few strands of her own hair drift down, and quietly brought her sword to center.
"...Hidden weapons."
"You won't call that cowardly, will you?"
The keen blade jutting from the toe of his right leather shoe slid smoothly back inside. Sa Yun stole a glance at it, then slowly drew a deep breath and steadied herself.
"Not much real combat experience, I see. Your body's gone stiff. Can't tell where the next hidden blade will come from, can you? Heh heh. Run along, little one. Come back when you've had more of your mother's milk."
"I never had a mother."
"...Tch."
Even at the cheap shot about her mother, Sa Yun didn't so much as flinch. Good grief. Immune to mom jokes.
The man in black, evidently never expecting his provocation to bounce off like that, looked briefly nonplussed. But apparently no twinge of guilt over the low blow was going to make him back down. He simply kept creeping closer, his feet barely brushing the ground.
And then—licking his lips, smiling like a serpent that had sighted its prey—he moved. A body slithering left and right like smoke. A dagger darting for the throat.
The Black Snake Steps.
A footwork much favored in the Unorthodox sects: it made striking from either flank easy, but left the user dangerously open to blows raining down from above. He must have assumed that with Sa Yun being the shorter of the two, she could never strike down from overhead.
"No—?!"
Holding that strained expression to the very last, Sa Yun sprang lightly off the ground at the final instant. She soared well past an adult's height—and as the man's eyes went round as saucers—
—she spun in midair and drove her heel straight into his head.
A leap off Star Flow Steps, chained straight into Heavenly Star Kick! Yes! Attagirl! That combo shows up even in the tutorial!
Having executed the Heavenly Star Kick as clean as a painting, Sa Yun thrust her sword at the man toppling forward. The keen point trembled ever so slightly. But the man was evidently no pushover either, because a single kick hadn't shaken him. He spun his body around and flung his dagger.
—Whish!!
Sa Yun evaded it with the barest tilt of her head. Though not quite all of it...
You little—!!? How dare he mark that face of white jade!!
—Shhhk!!
Her sword did bury itself in his throat as the price, but I still couldn't swallow my rage. Sa Yun gave the blade a slight twist as she drew it free of his neck, and a fountain of blood burst forth.
She backed away out of the spray, panting, then gave me a faint smile.
"I won. Let's hurry!"
"Your face..."
"Huh? Oh. This much is nothing."
"Nothing, my foot."
I pulled a handkerchief from my coat. And the Gold Sore Powder along with it.
"Wha—?! I'm r-really fine?! Isn't that Gold Sore Powder? You know how expensive that is!"
"It isn't wasted on something like this."
"...Oh. Okay."
The moment I opened the box, a sharp medicinal scent rose, and the powder within came into view. Sa Yun's eyes went round at the sight of the ornate case. She had every right to gawk. This stuff was genuinely expensive—a full tael of gold for a single vial, Gold Sore Powder of remarkable potency, crafted by the Divine Physician himself.
"Now, hold still."
"I could apply it myself."
"Where's your sense of wonder?"
"Ahaha..."
Sa Yun laughed awkwardly and squeezed her eyes shut. Was it simply that her lashes were so long? Even closed, those finely etched lashes lent her a beauty far beyond her years.
But who cared about that right now! Sa Yun had a wound on her face!
"I just hope it doesn't scar..."
"For a martial artist, a scar like this is a medal..."
"Then toss medals like that straight in the trash. There. All done."
The one mercy was that the cut wasn't deep. Keep the Gold Sore Powder on it and it would heal clean.
I set the leftover powder atop her small palm.
"Huh?"
"It's already been opened, so I can't resell it—and it'll serve you better than me. You'll be doing far more fighting than I will."
There was enough left in the box for ten-odd uses. With the coming battles against the Iron Blood Dan—and whatever events might spring on us—pressing it into her hands was the wiser call. I had a few more stashed at the trading house anyway. I could always order more if I needed.
Sa Yun mulled it over, fidgeted a moment, then bowed her head deep.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. You saved my life back there—at the inn, and..."
I pointed at the man sprawled on the ground.
"...him too."
"Hehe... Oh, right! We should get moving!"
"One thing first. Let's search his pockets."
"Huh? Okay."
Iron Blood Dan? Demon Beast King? The Demonic Cult? Or just some two-bit thug? His pockets might tell us.
But as expected—just like the one at the inn—there was nothing on him to say who he was.
"What a shame."
"You're telling me. Come on, let's go."
The ring of steel was swelling fiercer by the moment—they were fighting in earnest over there now. Sa Yun and I sprinted for the chief's house, where we found Yu Hui locked in combat with four men in black.
"Boss!!"
My thrown stone. Sa Yun bursting forward. It was more than enough to twist the faces of the men in black pressing Yu Hui within their linked formation.
"Innkeeper Yu!!"
The chief, trembling like a leaf at the back, cried out desperately. I rushed to his side, and only then seeming to relax, Yu Hui shattered the linked formation from without and ruffled the hair of Sa Yun as she came to join her.
"Aigoo, you pretty little thing. You show up the very moment I need you?! This is why I adore our youngest!"
"Ehehe..."
"Now then—shall we?"
When fighters trained in the same art stand together, their synergy multiplies. How much more so for the disciples of Hongseong Gate, who shared meals and roof and drilled their joint formation nearly every day—living for all the world like sisters.
"Hyaah!!"
"Yah!!"
The girls were fast, and sharp. Like starlight strewn across the vast dark night, they began slipping past the men in black's onslaught and striking back.
"T-that's Hongseong Gate for you!"
Perhaps nearly dying had lit a fire under him? The chief even shook his clenched fists as he roared.
"Kill them! Tear them apart! Show those bastards their future ends right he—"
"The children can hear you. Ease up on the gore, will you?"
"Ahem."
Only then did the chief clear his throat and clutch my arm tight.
"But Innkeeper Yu—who are they?"
"I couldn't rightly say... Did they say anything when they came at you?"
"Not a word... They only kept insisting I come along with them?"
Well, this was a problem. Would I have to catch one and torture him after all?
Just then, Yu Hui's blade sheared off one of the men in black at the arm. The instant the enemy's joint formation weakened, Sa Yun stepped off Yu Hui's shoulder and launched herself skyward, driving a Heavenly Star Kick into his skull. As he hit the ground rolling with a clatter, groaning, light welled up along Yu Hui's blade.
Sword qi. She meant to unleash a late-stage technique of the Hongseong Divine Art.
"Hah!!"
With a low battle cry, starlight tore loose. The destructive force sealed within a star crumbles everything that dares obstruct it, pressing on until it reaches its mark.
Star Soul Sword.
The destroying soul riding that starlight shattered the man's blade—and his heart with it, in a single stroke.
"Ghhk..."
Two down. That alone was enough to flip the fight.
"D-damn it all."
"Nobody said it'd be this bad..."
Step by faltering step, realizing the odds had turned against them, the men began to retreat.
"Damn it... why aren't the reinforcements coming...!"
Reinforcements? There were more of them?
Just as shadows began to gather on Sa Yun's and Yu Hui's pretty faces, I asked the men in black.
"Reinforcements, you say?"
"..."
"Answer, and I'll let you live."
"...W-well, um. Truth is, we were hired for a job..."
Hired? By whom?
At my look, one of the men in black spoke through gritted teeth.
"Damn it all! I never wanted this job from the start! That person was creepy as hell, and—"
—Shunk!!
Something long and slender punched out through the chest of the man mid-shout. A blade. The man in black stared down at it in disbelief and crumpled—and the instant the one beside him drew breath to scream, a jagged blade sprouted from his throat as well.
I looked that way. So did Sa Yun and Yu Hui.
"...Oh dear."
A woman stood there, dressed in the same black as all the rest. Clutching several of those same jagged blades that had just ended two lives in single strokes, she smirked.
Her presence alone set her apart. Merely walking toward us, she poured off a killing aura that prickled across every inch of my skin.
We can't win this.
I froze solid. One sidelong glance: the chief had fainted dead away under the pressure, Sa Yun was clenching her jaw hard enough to draw blood, and Yu Hui's eyes were stretched wide. And so she approached—the woman whose mere entrance had wound us all tight.
—Clack. Clack.
Every deliberate step carried weight. A high, elegant nose. Black eye makeup. Lips red as blood. Black hair spilling to her waist. And—
—Vmmm...!!
A black aura coiling about her body. Demonic qi—the very emblem of the Demonic Cult.
Even in the midst of this crisis, my mind spun fast, calculating every crack I might survive through. Then again—thank goodness I never said they were the Iron Blood Dan. I'd have wanted to die of embarrassment...
"...Who might you be?"
"Wouldn't you like to know... Say there. You gentlemen?"
There was a seductive grace to the way she moved. Flexing the fingers of her sharp iron-clawed hands with languid ease, she twisted her red lips into a smile.
She was beautiful. And every bit as dangerous.
Eyes steeped in abyssal darkness fixed themselves on me. I flicked my gaze aside and played innocent, but it was no use—not even a little.
"None of that now. Come along with me, won't you? Refuse, and... well, you know? I'll lop off an arm, at the very least. Don't go getting these other kids killed for nothing."
Damn it all. No way around it, then. This was the moment for me to step up and stall. If I could hold her with talk—somehow, any way—Chae Jin would come. And then we'd live.
Having mentally compiled a top-hundred list of tales a Demonic Cultist would savor, I stepped forward.
"Innkeeper?!"
"Stay behind me!"
Girls. When it comes to stalling a Demonic Cultist, yours truly is the better man for the job.
"I'll buy time however I can—go bring Miss Chae here."
"Oh my? The Moonlight Blade was here? Then I really must hurry too. Who knows whether we'll have time for a nice little chat?"
"Before that—I've no idea what business you have hauling the chief and me off, but I happen to carry a few stories any Demonic Cultist would find mighty entertaining. Why not hear them out first, then decide what I'm worth?"
"Hmmm?"
"You don't strike me as foolish enough not to know just how much a single word can be worth."
So what story do I tell? The whereabouts of Sama Jun—the Demon Strategist of the previous generation, who made off with the cult's sacred relic? Or the whereabouts of the other half of the incomplete Heavenly Demon Divine Art? Or the location of the forgotten Demon God's temple? A secret passage leading into the Demonic Cult? Or else...
Ah, forget it. I'd just make something up—buy time first, figure the rest out later.
"Ahaha. I do like a man who's always so bold and upfront, like you."
With a smile as dangerous as it was beautiful, she winked one eye and ran her tongue across her lips.
"Let's hope you stay that confident, even down one arm..."
—KWA-BOOOM!!
Huh? Where'd the woman who was talking to me a second ago go?
No—more than that, I found myself wondering whether that was even a sound a human body could make. It was like watching her get gored by a bull charging in a fury—the woman who had been standing there so at her ease was blasted away with a thunderous crack, sent tumbling across the ground, moaning.
"I spotted a pack of lunatics skulking around outside Seomhwa Village and wondered what that was about... Glad I finished them off fast and ran."
The one who had sent her flying with a sweep of her greatsword planted the massive blade lightly into the earth. Then, sweeping back her blood-red, rose-bright hair and binding it firm with a worn leather cord, she looked our way.
"Innkeeper Yu. I'm not too late, am I?"
The woman who set all our frayed nerves at ease with a single, dazzling smile.
Hongseong Gate's eldest disciple.
It was Hong Ryeon.