The Gift - 4
Unlike Chae Jin, who swung her saber with beads of sweat rolling down her face, the Sword Saint's expression hadn't shifted in the slightest. She was holding nothing more than a wooden sword, at that.
"Haaaap!!"
Was she preparing her final strike? Chae Jin's saber leapt into the empty air before carving downward—and in that same instant, a moon appeared in the midday sky.
The strike born from that moon as it split apart, the Sword Saint shattered with nothing more than a light flourish of her wooden sword.
"Ugh."
Was it because her Moonlight Flash had been stopped? Chae Jin's face drained of color. Waiting for exactly that opening, the Sword Saint stepped in and gave her smooth abdomen a light tap with the wooden sword.
"You are truly impressive."
"Oh... you think so?"
"And yet something is still lacking. Until now you have pursued only extreme speed, and it has not been long since you attained slowness, I imagine. The martial arts of Moon Lotus Pavilion are rooted in balance. In other words, you must train your slowness further."
"I know that."
"It would serve you best to return to Moon Lotus Pavilion and spar with the Blade Emperor. Or else... it seems what you know is still incomplete. Did you, by chance, gain your enlightenment from a martial text?"
"Huh? You can even tell that? Yes, that's right. I was reading a martial text the innkeeper gave me a while back, and the enlightenment came."
"Oh ho..."
The Sword Saint's gaze turned to me. I merely shrugged, and she gave Chae Jin a nod.
"That book must have held only the first half. Be sure to obtain the latter half and read it."
"Understood."
"By the way, what is the title of this book?"
"Understanding Distance. A book written by Gwijinja."
"I see. Ah—now that you mention it, that was among the books you sent us some time ago, was it not?"
It was. When I'd sent supplies to the Hongseong Sect before, I'd tucked a few martial texts in among them, and Understanding Distance had been one of them.
"Gwijinja was a martial scholar of exceptional learning, renowned even within the Imperial Palace. Ryeon—have you read it as well?"
"I read it ages ago. The others are probably reading it now."
She'd read both volumes, upper and lower, back in her Murim Alliance days, she said. Then Hong Ryeon clapped her hands lightly.
"Oh, right—the Inspection Department of the Murim Alliance should have the second volume. Want to go read it? I'll write you a letter so they'll lend it out."
"Sure. Later. Thanks for looking out for me."
"Hehe. It's hardly worth mentioning."
As Hong Ryeon said this with a radiant smile, Chae Jin answered with a smile every bit as bright.
The Sword Saint nodded toward the pair of them.
"Mm. Worthy rivals raise each other up. Now then—Ryeon. As for you..."
Just then, footsteps came hurrying toward the training ground. I turned to find Sa Yun, breathless as though she'd run the whole way.
"Master! Eldest Sister! Everything's ready!"
"Is it now? Then Ryeon, let us hold the rest of your training until after the guests have gone."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Sword Saint—thank you for your instruction. With this power as my foundation, I believe I can protect the innkeeper properly now."
"Mm. Innkeeper Yu has been a great help to our Hongseong Sect as well. I leave him in your good care."
The Sword Saint replied with a smile and moved on ahead. I slipped over to Chae Jin's side and held out a handkerchief.
"You look worn out. Are you all right?"
"They called it an instructional match, but I was up against the Sword Saint herself... there was no chance I'd come out of it fine. Still—I've caught a thread."
So the struggle had bought her something after all? Her eyes were shining. I gave her a smile.
"Someone like you can only grow stronger."
"Of course."
"Before long, I'll get my hands on the second volume of Understanding Distance and bring it to you."
"Oh... you really don't have to. I could always order it through Moon Lotus Pavilion."
"Martial texts are not so easily come by. And Gwijinja's books are harder to find than most."
"Hmm... then I'll gladly take you up on it."
Only then did Chae Jin nod to me with a smile.
In the meantime, Hong Ryeon had drawn close and taken my arm.
"Could you spare me a little time after the meal?"
"I don't mind, but—"
"Right. It's fine."
"...You're excluded, though. Master wants to have a word with you."
"With me? Why me?"
"Who knows? That's beyond me."
Hong Ryeon flashed a sly grin, and Chae Jin fixed her with a long, steady stare.
But she let it go without another word.
The meal itself proved quite satisfying. The Hongseong disciples simply had a low threshold for flavor—it wasn't that they couldn't recognize good food when they tasted it.
On top of that, ever since Hong Ryeon had begun learning to cook from Yohwan, the quality of the sect's meals had climbed considerably. Listening to Sa Yun declare that mealtimes had become the highlight of her days lately, I felt a quiet swell of pride.
Bringing Yohwan here had been the right call.
"Then, will you come with me for a moment?"
True to her word, while Chae Jin was kept busy by the Sword Saint, Hong Ryeon gave me a tap. I followed her out of the dining hall and asked with a smile.
"Is there something you wanted to discuss?"
"Less that, and more that there's something I'd like your help with."
"And that would be?"
"You bought me the Shining Sacred Silk a while back, remember?"
"Ah."
I had indeed bought it for her back in Palseon Village. I mulled it over for a moment—then nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Don't tell me you've made something with it?"
"Hehe. I have."
Hong Ryeon led me to her room. The little room inside the new building I'd seen earlier was steeped in the rich fragrance of Thousand-Day Plum Blossoms.
"I don't sleep here. It's strictly for work."
"Is that so? I'm not sure I ought to be setting foot in here."
After all, this was effectively the office that ran the sect's affairs. But Hong Ryeon only waved the concern away with a smile.
"Who was it that kept the Hongseong Sect running this smoothly? Don't say such things."
"I appreciate you thinking so. Though—was there a bookshelf here at some point?"
When I pointed at a bare spot in the corner of the room, Hong Ryeon's shoulders jumped. Then she nodded, laughing awkwardly.
"Yes. Y-yes. I-I do like to keep books close at hand. The shelf's been moved elsewhere for now, so..."
"Really? I'm rather fond of books myself. We should trade stories about them sometime."
"Th-that sounds nice. Ah—anyway. More to the point. Here, this."
The embroidery itself looked finished, but the garment was still incomplete. And the fabric looked strangely familiar...
"Isn't this the cloth I gave you?"
"It is."
"I gave you plenty of it—why on earth are you making clothes for me?"
"Because I'm always the one receiving. I wanted to give something back. And do you know what this pattern is?"
"The Pattern of Protection. It's only cloth, but they say if you channel inner qi into it, it grants defense on par with armor."
It was something seen in Cheonsang Myeongwol as well. Every garment that raised one's defenses through inner qi bore that very pattern.
At my explanation, Hong Ryeon's eyes went wide with surprise.
"You know it well?"
"I've picked things up here and there. More importantly, this must have been terribly expensive."
"Next to everything I've received from you, it costs nothing."
Hong Ryeon said it flatly, then held my gaze.
"You'll accept it, won't you?"
I couldn't refuse those eyes, so full of hope.
I was leaving her room with her, bound for the reception hall, when Ryu Hyeon came running up and whispered something. Hong Ryeon's face stiffened slightly at whatever she heard; then, with an apologetic glance my way, she looked around and waved toward Sa Yun, who was trudging past under an armful of luggage.
"Sa Yun!"
"Yes? Eldest Sister?"
"Could you escort the innkeeper to the reception hall? I'm sorry—something's come up rather suddenly."
"There's nothing to apologize for. But what's happened?"
"Oh, nothing you need worry about. One of our junior sisters hurt herself during training."
"Oh. Then you should go at once."
"Yes. We still have the medicine you gave us, after all. It's nothing serious, so please don't fret."
Hong Ryeon beamed and dashed off with Ryu Hyeon. Watching them go, I turned to Sa Yun.
"I hope it really is nothing serious."
"So do I..."
Sa Yun nodded, worry plain on her face, then forced a bright smile.
"But thanks to the medicines you've given us, even the injuries heal right up."
"That's a relief. Well then—shall we?"
And so I walked the grounds of the Hongseong Sect with Sa Yun. Come to think of it, I'd walked here with her once before, too.
Same sect, same paths—and yet the scenery felt quite different from back then.
"How are the herbs coming along?"
"Hehe, well! I just got hold of some rarer, finer seeds this time, so next harvest I'll grow them even better."
"I'm sure you will."
"And I'm getting better at making the sachets, too. You should have seen how happy Eldest Sister was last time."
She certainly looked it. Watching Sa Yun bubble over with excitement, I felt a quiet warmth spread through my chest.
"Oh! I've been going on about myself this whole time, haven't I? I'm sorry."
I shook my head at her as she flushed and ducked her gaze.
This was what I had wanted to see. What we had all wanted to see.
Her, happy without a single worry in the world.
"So—nothing weighing on you these days? Your training is coming along well?"
"Yes. The latter half of the Hongseong Divine Art is difficult, but... I have Eldest Sister and Master teaching me, so..."
"And how is the Sword Saint faring lately?"
Come to think of it, her birthday was fast approaching now. I'd heard that as the day drew near, she spent nearly every one of them as though preparing for her own death—yet from what I could see, nothing of the sort seemed to be happening.
"Compared to last year, she's brightened up tremendously. She even joins us on village patrols sometimes."
Huh? Really? But she never sets foot in the inn?
At my puzzlement, Sa Yun smiled slyly.
"She says that if she came to the inn, it would only weigh on your mind—so she waits somewhere else instead."
"I see."
It wouldn't have weighed on me at all. If she came, I'd hand her mooncakes and Dang-gwa sweets without a second thought.
But I could hardly drag over someone who refused to come.
"Oh, right—and this. I should have returned it to you ages ago."
In her hand was the handkerchief I'd given her once before.
I took it back, and Sa Yun smiled brightly.
"You know, there was a fragrance clinging to it."
"Hm?"
"You must have kept it with a sachet. There was something else mixed in with the Thousand-Day Plum Blossom scent. Hehe. The plum blossom fragrance is strong enough on its own, but... knowing it clings to you too, somehow it just sets my heart at ease."
"Ah, right, that's true. You're right—there are sachets in my room, so of course the scent would rub off."
Sa Yun and I traded stories back and forth, and by the time we drew near the reception hall, I spotted Chae Jin out front with her saber drawn. Eyes closed, she swung the blade in a trance of no-mind—and crouched beside her, watching, was the Sword Saint.
"What's going on?"
"We were speaking earlier, and it seems something clicked for her. Now she's swinging her saber alone."
"Oh..."
She really was taking so much away from all this. I looked at the Sword Saint, and she met my eyes with that same unfathomable depth as always.
"Does it strike you as strange, aiding a disciple of Moon Lotus Pavilion—your worthy rival? Haha. Think nothing of it. With a good rival to push her, Ryeon will grow all the faster. Call it an investment, and there is nothing strange about it at all."
"I see."
"In any case, Sa Yun—I'll take the innkeeper from here."
"All right. Then I'll see you again soon."
With a polite bow, Sa Yun took her leave.
The Sword Saint watched her go, then slowly turned.
Beyond the reception hall, all of Seomhwachon lay spread out below.
Silence settled over us.
In that silence I turned something over in my mind, and at last I spoke.
"I'd like to give you a gift. Something—anything."
"A gift... could this be on account of my birthday?"
I knew her birthday was no day of simple joy.
Even so, it seemed to me that someone ought to celebrate it for her.
"Haha. I have already received so much from you, innkeeper. To ask for more would prick my conscience."
The Sword Saint smiled faintly, turned her gaze back toward Seomhwachon, and said nothing for a long while. Then, quietly, she spoke.
"If you are so set on giving me a gift..."
".....?"
"There is one thing I would have you confirm for me, in due course. But for now—even a little while would do—might you walk the streets of Seomhwachon with me?"
That much was no trouble at all.