The Value of a Single Word - 11
Everything in this world has an end. Even the sun, which claims the whole sky for itself, withdraws of its own accord when night falls.
Just as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven—he who once soared the heavens as though they were his own—found himself sealed beneath the Mountain of Five Elements.
All things, without fail, come to an end. And that truth held just as firmly for the cultist who dreamed of the Heavenly Demon's descent and sought to bring the empire crashing down.
The cultist who had burst her demon blood wavered—but only for an instant. A gap, ever so slight, had opened the moment the Fire Tiger vanished. That gap was her end.
Shhk!!
True to form for the woman who split demon beasts clean in two, there was no mercy in Hong Ryeon's blade. She didn't even need a second exchange. A single strike. The moment Hong Ryeon—pure defense until now—spied that opening and surged into the offense, the cultist's assault collapsed, and she could not have helped but sense her own ending.
"Uuurgh..."
Her left arm flew up into empty air. In the same breath, Hong Ryeon's long leg shot out toward the cultist's abdomen, where the rebounded force had struck with redoubled violence.
THWAAACK!!
The foot hammered her solar plexus, and the knee that followed without pause raked up across the cultist's face. Hong Ryeon darted at the woman as she hit the ground rolling with a strangled scream, and swung her sword once more.
Shhk!!
KYAAAAAK!!!
Left arm and right leg were severed. Looking down at the woman as blood fountained from the stumps, Hong Ryeon's hands moved with swift precision. Acupoint sealing. The instant the blood stopped surging from the severed limbs, she brought her hand to the cultist's blood-drained head.
"What purpose brought the Demonic Cult here? And why did you target the village chief and the innkeeper?"
"Kh... kheh... The Heavenly Demon's descent... ten thousand demons in submission..."
Perhaps she had foreseen her own end the moment the Fire Tiger dissipated. That would explain the absence of hesitation.
The cultist clenched her teeth, and in that instant demonic energy began to seethe through her body. As the woman—juddering, shrieking with terrible pain—rolled her eyes back and heaved up gobs of bloody froth, Hong Ryeon stepped back, grimacing at the reek.
"Tch. This is exactly why I can't stand dealing with cultists."
The corpse began rotting away before their eyes. Baring her teeth at the foul-smelling cultist, Hong Ryeon whipped her head around.
Huh? Why?
Her gaze was planted on me. Angry about something, though I couldn't say what, she strode right up to me and stood there, breathing hard without a word.
"...Could we talk, later?"
Her voice was trembling quite badly. As though it carried some tangled knot of feeling, she looked up at me with unsteady eyes, and I nodded.
A talk? That much was hardly difficult.
Around the time the fainted village chief stirred awake, the two who had been regulating their breath recovered as well.
And then.
"Th-thank you."
"Thank you so much..."
Was it because of what had happened earlier? The two of them looked terribly embarrassed. Well, fair enough—they had sworn to protect me, only to let a hole that size get punched through at the very end.
But it was fine. True, my clothes had burned—but hadn't I been the one helped by them? And it wasn't as if blocking that one strike meant I could have beaten the Fire Tiger myself. One way or another—no, beyond any doubt—I owed these two a tremendous debt. And Hongseong Sect with them.
So I gave them a cupped-fist salute.
"It seems I owe my life to you two heroines."
"N-no, not at all!"
"If anything, we're the ones who..."
"Haha. Then how about we call it square—no debts on either side?"
Even as I said it, the sight of me—a man outside the murim—trying to shield martial artists seemed to have come as quite a shock. Rather than console the two now-moping women, it seemed better to steer clear of the subject altogether, so I looked around me, keeping my composure as placid as I could manage.
"By the way. Somehow the situation seems to have wrapped up."
In the distance stood the magistrate and the government soldiers, with Hongseong Sect's disciples at their side.
Thankfully, the magistrate seemed to have come through unharmed as well. Though from the haggard look on his face, tonight's sleep was clearly a lost cause.
Hong Ryeon gave them their instructions, ordering a patrol of the village, and by the time that patrol ended, those who had fought along the outskirts returned carrying the heads of Maboks and Blade-hounds.
"You've all worked hard. Three Maboks? No—four?"
The Mabok was a monster with a man's head on a tiger's body—so of those, only three heads were human. As expected, Maboks had appeared at three separate sites.
"I heard what happened. A cultist attacked, they say? I'm so glad no one was hurt."
"Thanks to you all."
"Hm?"
"Well, you see."
I told her what had happened earlier. Chae Jin, who had listened in silence, tilted her head.
"Um... Innkeeper Yu. How long has it been since you started learning from me?"
How long? Let's see. Counting from the day before the Blade-hounds appeared until today...
"It hasn't even been three weeks, has it? Feels like nearly a month, though."
"And yet you blocked the Fire Tiger's flames...? Uh... what is this...?"
She tilted her head again, muttering something to herself. Then, sensing my gaze, she snapped her head up, erupted into an imperious laugh, and drummed her fists on my shoulders, bang bang.
"O-OHOHOHO!! Of course! Of course you did! You learned from Chae Jin, eldest disciple of the venerable Moon Lotus Pavilion—Chae Jin, the Moonlight Blade, whose name rings even louder in the murim than the Sun-Falling Sword! OHOHOHOHO!! Naturally you should manage at least that much! OHOHOHOHO!! Think of how much effort I poured into you, member! O-OHOHOHO!"
For all the arrogance packed into that laugh, her expression had stiffened somewhat.
But was there any need to point that out? It was true that Chae Jin had toiled teaching me all this while. So I laughed. Laugh, and good fortune follows—so they say.
"Ahahahahaha!"
And she laughed too.
"OHOHOHOHO!!"
And so we stood there facing each other, laughing for a good long while. Ah. What a pleasant mood.
Just as I relaxed and moved to let the laughter die, Chae Jin cut hers off in a heartbeat, eyes narrowing as she looked at my arm.
"Then what, pray tell, is the matter with that arm? And to think you learned from this Chae Jin?"
Uh-oh. Ahh...
Busted.
I'd been in the middle of tossing aside my burned clothes. Pointing at my arm, angry and red from the heat, Chae Jin broke into a beaming smile.
"This simply won't do. For a member trained by this Chae Jin to get hurt because he couldn't withstand a mere Fire Tiger's flames... Your training volume will have to double..."
No, double is a bit much.
"Don't you worry! I'll take full responsibility!"
You really don't have to take responsibility, though.
Still, it was thanks to Chae Jin that I'd escaped that crisis, so I let it go without complaint.
"In any case, thank you."
"Think nothing of it. By the way, where's Hong Ryeon?"
As she scanned our surroundings, she fiddled with the hilt of her saber. She looked as if she'd like to spar this very instant, if possible.
But how could that happen? Quite a few soldiers had been wounded fighting the Maboks and Blade-hounds, and everyone had to prepare against the possibility of another attack. Worse still, the hand behind this assault was a Demonic Cultist—there was no choice but to respond with the utmost gravity. The central authorities might even seize on this as a pretext to start moving.
I set a cigarette between my lips and lit it. The nearest thing to government troops around here... would be the Blue Gathering Merchant Group, I supposed?
"How many survivors did you take in this attack?"
I stopped one of the officers bustling about and asked. He knew my face, apparently, for he raised no objection.
"About seven survivors. However..."
"However?"
"The ones who had been positioned outside Hongseong's line are all dead. The Sun-Falling Sword dispatched every last one of them with her own hands, I'm told."
Ah. So that's why the enemy had no reinforcements? Only now did the words of those bitches who'd tried to drag off the village chief make sense.
"...Tch."
If not for Hong Ryeon, Seomhwachon would have taken a devastating blow, and perhaps not only I but the village chief and the magistrate would have been carried off. Which meant Hong Ryeon had truly earned a great merit. The authorities might even pay out a separate reward for it.
There had been chaos, yes, but judged by the outcome, everything had worked out.
"Then why do you look so sour about it?"
"Mmm... I'm grateful there was so little damage, of course..."
She wasn't wrong. For a disaster of this scale, the actual damage had been remarkably light. After all, no one had died or been gravely injured.
By that measure, Chae Jin—a martial artist of the orthodox path—had not the slightest reason to be upset, and yet...
"...Hong Ryeon, of all people. Tch."
Of course the one to claim the glory had to be Hong Ryeon. She already regarded the woman as her rival, and she'd been strutting about so proud of herself for slaying two Maboks. No wonder she was sulking now—it was only natural, entirely only natural.
"Well... I know how hard you worked, so don't take it too much to heart. You'll get the reward I promised you, too."
"Oh! Then I simply must try that braised pork dish. And the Seomhwa Spirit Liquor you sell at the inn too~!"
"I'll have it all ready."
"Really? Aah, every single day I just stared at that stuff and drooled. And today I finally get to taste it~! I'm so excited~!"
She really was disarmingly pure. A pleasure to watch.
"Ahahaha~! But we're still doing training!"
Oh, damn it all.
Everyone who has toiled wants to cut loose afterward. Naturally, I was no exception. But this woman, with neither blood nor tears to spare, paid such sentiments no mind and drilled me anyway. Somehow it all felt even harder than everything that had come before...
When I finally emerged, dragging my worn-out body behind me, an official came looking for me.
"We'd like to do something for the Hongseong disciples who worked so hard in all this. Here."
The coin pouch he held out was fairly heavy with silver.
"The government office was attacked too—we're in an uproar, and we can't host them properly just now. So, if it's no trouble, might we do it here..."
"Ah. Of course."
"Thank you. Then, if you'll excuse me."
Once the official had bowed and taken his leave, I called the waiter, set him to preparing the evening's trade at once, and gave my servant his orders.
"Go to Hongseong Sect and tell them: if nothing unusual has come up, I would like to host them for dinner tonight."
"Yes, sir."
They had fought too, after all; no doubt they wanted rest as much as anyone. And truly, when it comes to rest, nothing beats eating well and sleeping deep.
Having sent the servant on his way, I looked out over the back yard. Traces still remained of the Hongseong disciples who had stayed here guarding me. And the one thing my eyes settled on was the bedroll Sayun had made up.
...Should I just leave it there?
After turning the matter over through several brisk cigarettes, I went inside and finished up a few tasks; around then, the servant returned. With the Hongseong disciples in tow.
Perhaps they hadn't tended their wounds—marks of the earlier battle lingered here and there—but though the Hongseong disciples looked spent, their eyes were shining.
While the disciples whose faces I'd come to know through the rotating guard shifts greeted me, I looked at Sayun. Her eyes had grown a little deeper than before.
Back then, she had clearly been in the early stages of demonic corruption, hadn't she? She had failed to control the Ominous Star of the Hongseong Divine Art, moving with her consciousness surrendered to it. Having managed to set it right, she seemed to have gained an enlightenment and grown somewhat stronger in the same stroke.
Is this... a good thing? Hmm. It's a good thing. Right?
I ushered them into the room where I'd once hosted the Hongseong disciples before. They took their seats one by one, eyes gleaming—so their expectations truly were high. I would have to treat them properly, then.
"As one of Seomhwachon's leading citizens, I wish to extend my gratitude to Hongseong Sect. As promised, you shall receive the reward for slaying the Maboks—and beyond that, I would like to offer a modest subsidy for the sect's sake. Please, do not refuse me."
"By Hongseong's principles, we cannot accept a subsidy. Protecting the weak is simply what a martial artist must do. We will gratefully accept the promised reward, but..."
Sharp as a blade, that one.
When Ryu Hyeon drew the line so cleanly, I glanced at Hong Ryeon; she seemed of the same mind, for she only nodded.
"But then my conscience will not be at ease. In that case, I would ask you to accept goods in kind instead. I hear that many of Hongseong's blankets and daily necessities have seen better days."
Hong Ryeon whipped her head around toward her junior sisters, and they averted their eyes in a flash.
Haha! Did they think I'd been idle all this time? All that seemingly casual chatter had told me exactly what Hongseong needed most. This is what you call experience!
"...You really needn't go that far for us."
"I do this because I wish to, so please don't refuse."
"Mmgh..."
Hong Ryeon groaned, but at last she nodded. It was true that they refused coin yet often accepted goods sent from Seomhwachon, so perhaps refusal simply wasn't possible. Or maybe—just maybe—it was the junior sisters over there, eyes shining, that decided it.
"Whew. Very well. As eldest disciple of Hongseong, I'll accept them with thanks."
"I'm glad to hear it. Then enjoy the feast to your heart's content. If there's anything you need, say the word—and don't give the prices a second thought. The government office has already covered the bill."
Not that I had any intention of stopping at what they'd paid! Kukukuku. Tonight, I'm going to grease my belly with the finest, melt-in-your-mouth, goooorgeous cuisine...!!
I stole a glance at Sayun. Perhaps it was her sisters' joy that pleased her; she wore a soft, contented smile.
I could go hungry tonight and be perfectly content. That smile alone was enough to fill me.
I closed the door on a room none of them would be leaving until they'd stuffed themselves full of fine cuisine. Leaving them to eat in comfort among their own, I turned to the ledger—the reward money going out this time, plus the operating expenses on top of it...
By the time I'd finished most of the bookkeeping and came back down, the inner room was still roaring with noise. From the look of it, they were eating only the cheap dishes. So I deliberately ordered the priciest ones and had them sent inside, then stepped out to the back yard.
And there, on the long bench, I found a red-haired woman sitting alone, gazing up at the sky.
"Why aren't you inside eating?"
"Just getting a bit of air... Actually, do you have a moment? I'd like to have that talk, like I asked earlier."
"Of course."
I held up my cigarette, and she nodded. With her leave granted, I lit it. Hong Ryeon watched the thin smoke drift from me, eyes closed, her small lips moving faintly as though turning something over in her mind.
By the time I had smoked that one cigarette down to the end, she rose from her seat and came to stand before me.
"I owe you my thanks. Thanks to you, my sisters came through unharmed."
She bowed her head. The eldest disciple of Hongseong, the Sun-Falling Sword whose name rang through the murim, bent at the waist in a formal, respectful salute.
And then.
"Why did you do it?"
Oh boy.
What is with this atmosphere?
Don't tell me she's found out I was the one sending the letters? Or is she angry that I, a mere merchant running a business in Hongseong's territory, learned the Chae family's Tai Chi? Or is it that I learned it from Chae Jin, her rival? There were far too many suspects; cold sweat trickled down my spine.
"Why did you step in?"
"Huh?"
Apparently that wasn't it, then. I breathed easier inside, while Hong Ryeon came a step closer, her eyes keen.
A plum-blossom scent tickled the tip of my nose as the woman—impossible to read, whether angry or grieving—laid her hand against my chest. That hand held far too little strength for one who had swung the greatsword that had all but torn a cultist apart. And yet her grip on my collar was absolutely certain.
"Yes, the two of them were in danger. But had they accepted a little injury, they could have blocked that flame with their own bodies."
I suppose they could have. However far their inner power had fallen, the two of them were martial artists trained in a divine art. Their own defenses were leagues beyond mine; even had the Fire Tiger's flames caught them true, a stretch of suffering was all it would have cost before they shook it off and rose again. Besides, Hongseong had the Divine Physician's medicines that Hong Ryeon had earned in service to the Murim Alliance, and with the Sword Saint herself joining the treatment, the recovery period would have been cut drastically short.
Of course, that path would have devoured their carefully hoarded medicines—a heavy burden indeed for Hongseong, and for Hong Ryeon.
"Weren't you afraid?"
Ah. So that's what this was about? And here I was, wondering what I'd done this time.
"I only did what had to be done."
How could a member of the Sayun Faction just stand by and watch Sayun get hurt?
"..."
At my answer, Hong Ryeon's eyes went perfectly round.