What Matters - 3
A species of monster that appears with the first snow and marches at the head of the blizzards it drags in its wake. One of the rarest beasts in all of Cheonsang Myeongwol.
Cheonsang Myeongwol was home to countless monsters, yet among them all, those that secreted inner cores were exceedingly rare.
And one of those rare few, the Sanbeom, was supposed to appear around here.
For a beast shaped like a colossal serpent, the Sanbeom's inner core was a prize in itself—but its tail was worth a small fortune on top of that.
Steeped in the very power that called down snow, that tail held considerable potency, and it served as a material for crafting rare equipment. Why, even the Hyeon-ungap, the sacred relic of the Hongseong Sect, had called for the Sanbeom's tail in its forging.
Things could not have worked out more neatly.
The materials needed for the Hyeon-ungap: a chunk of Astral Cloud Iron, two special-grade guardian talismans, two ingots of Iron Guard Steel, one bundle of Thousand-Year Silk, the skull of the Twin-Headed Tiger—and the Sanbeom's tail.
Of these, I had obtained the Astral Cloud Iron by passing through the secret realm, and the Twin-Headed Tiger's skull could be claimed from the master of that same realm—the one who had granted us the crafting method in the first place.
The special-grade guardian talismans, Chang Ju could make if I asked. The Iron Guard Steel and Thousand-Year Silk ran pricey, but money could buy them.
In other words, the moment we secured the Sanbeom's tail, the Hongseong Sect would be able to give birth to its sacred relic anew.
Of course, once the Sanbeom appeared, word would spread, and there would be no shortage of hunters lying in wait for it. Even so, if it was slated to surface in this region, the situation favored us handsomely.
Which meant this was one opportunity I could not let slip away.
"Do you have an interest in the Sanbeom yourself, Innkeeper?"
"If I said I didn't, it would be a lie."
"Haha. Then with the Hongseong Sect residing so close at hand, it would be wisest to seek their aid."
"Thank you, truly, for the counsel."
And I meant that from the bottom of my heart.
The old Taoist's event always paid off handsomely if you ran it—but I had never known him to look after me quite this thoroughly.
When I said so with a smile, the old Taoist simply smiled back and dipped into a shallow, gracious bow.
"How could one measure the weight of a kindness against a single meal? I merely do all that is within my power."
I was so grateful I could have cried.
"Please, do stop by again on your next journey, unburdened and at your ease. You need repay me with nothing of the sort."
"Haha. If the Primordial Celestial Venerable guides my road, another bond is sure to take root. Muryangsubul..."
Chanting the refrain softly under his breath, he took his leave. Left alone in the back yard, I laughed.
Somehow, everything felt as though it were falling neatly into place.
The day after the old Taoist departed, a courier from the Courier Gate delivered several letters.
One of them, of course, was from Sa Yun.
Smiling, I unfolded it at once.
Before I came to the Hongseong Sect, I once heard it said that a person's life is suffering, and that people do nothing but thrash about, trying to escape it.
When I first heard those words, I sympathized deeply. Lately, though, I have come to believe they aren't so.
That living is not some endless ache.
That there is happiness in it, and joy, and delight as well.
So very much has happened to me recently, you see.
Perhaps you didn't know, Uncle. Hmm... or maybe you did know all along?
Through the secret realm described in the letter you sent, we gained one more clue for forging the Hyeon-ungap—the sacred relic of the Hongseong Sect.
Could that be why? On the day of our sect's rites, my master always had such a hard time of it. But that day, she hardly seemed burdened at all.
Hehe. You must have sent that letter knowing full well things would turn out this way, haven't you?
Everyone at the Hongseong Sect believes so.
We think you write to us to show that a person's life is not only gloom, and hardship, and pain.
These days, some of the senior sisters speculate wildly about who you might be, Uncle.
That you are a letter sent from heaven by the first sect leader of the Hongseong Sect, who ascended to the immortal realm and pities us from above.
Or a wondrous eccentric of a past generation, who formed a bond with the previous sect leader during her wanderings through the murim.
Or—no, perhaps the heavens themselves took pity on the Hongseong Sect and now send us their aid.
The opinions differ so wildly that no one has managed to settle the matter.
But to me, you are simply you, Uncle.
Whatever kind of person you may be, I will go on respecting you, and missing you, all the same.
Oh—and something big happened a little while ago. A horde of dreadful unorthodox villains attacked Seomhwachon, where our Hongseong Sect resides.
As it turns out, behind them stood those terrifying enemies you once told me of—the 'Iron Blood Dan.'
Were we of the Hongseong Sect their target after all?
The battle was fierce, and terribly dangerous.
And yet, astonishingly, not a single person died—even in a battle of that scale.
I can hardly judge for myself, but the senior sisters who have known such battles say so, and the Magistrate agrees: it is an astonishing result.
They say a great many people labored to bring that result about.
Most of all, they say Innkeeper Yu Wol of Seomhwachon—who aids our Hongseong Sect so generously, just as you do, Uncle—worked himself utterly ragged.
Hehe. He sounds like a truly admirable person. Just like you.
Of course, my master went through a great deal in the process as well.
But she seems genuinely content that no one was lost.
And... there is something else I wish to tell you.
Hehe. It is a little embarrassing, but... someone has asked me to be her friend.
And who might that be, you wonder?
A young lady called Chae Ryeon, of the Moon Lotus Pavilion.
She is far more remarkable than I am.
Her background, her martial arts, her beauty... and on top of it all, her character and her wisdom.
And even so, she asked me to be her friend... I did not know how I ought to respond.
She said we should become friends the next time we meet... Could I truly become friends with someone like her?
Of course, I am the disciple of the Sword Saint herself, and a proud disciple of the Hongseong Sect...
And yet I worry, a little.
Hehe. Still—unlike Lady Chae Ryeon, I have you, do I not? So long as I have you, Uncle, who cherishes me so... I shall not fall behind her, will I?
Next time we meet, I will be the one to step forward first.
And... I want to grow one step closer to you as well, Uncle.
I wonder when I will finally get to meet you.
P.S.
Your letters seem to carry the faint scent of Thousand-Day Plum Blossoms, Uncle.
It makes me happy to think you are making good use of the sachet I sent.
I imagine you must be nearly out by now, so I am sending another.
Oh—and my master asked whether she might send you a letter of her own. What do you think, Uncle?
Had she simply had that much to say? I read back through the surprisingly long letter, smiling, and looked at the box that had come with it. Inside lay a sachet made of cloth that, apparently, the Hongseong Sect had only recently come into.
And just like that, I had two sachets!
I tucked the sealed sachet carefully into the safe and set my pipe between my teeth.
Hmm... though honestly, I'd never dreamed Sa Yun and Chae Ryeon would cross paths like this and actually become friends.
In Cheonsang Myeongwol, those two had been written as near-evenly-matched rivals. Why on earth were they becoming friends?
Not that Chae Ryeon was a bad person, mind you...
Ah. Could it be the influence of Hong Ryeon and Chae Jin's relationship?
Whatever the reason, a new friendship was never a bad thing.
Least of all when the friend in question was trustworthy, and kind.
And now the Sword Saint wanted to send me a letter of my very own...
Come to think of it, it was about time she started writing to me directly.
There was nothing wrong with it if she did. I'd tell her as much when I wrote back.
I folded Sa Yun's letter neatly and slid it into the safe.
And while I was at it—should I write back about the Sanbeom?
I lifted my brush, pondered the question for a moment... then shook my head.
This one, I would tell them in person.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
The door swung open, and in walked Chae Jin. One look at that face-splitting grin and I knew exactly why she'd come.
"Sooo... you know, right?"
"I know."
Time to train.
Perhaps it was Sama Gun's assault on Seomhwachon that had done it. The training had grown noticeably harder of late, and Chae Jin's argument—that none of us knew when the next storm would break, so we had best be ready for it—left me no grounds to refuse.
Only after a long stretch of lessons, working all the way up through the Golden Silk Hands, was I finally released from her grasp.
"By the way, that footwork from earlier—what was it?"
"An old Taoist taught it to me, just yesterday."
I had, after all, unfolded the King's Steps right in the middle of practicing the Chae Family Tai Chi Chuan. Finding that odd, she had asked; I answered, dabbing at the sweat on my brow.
Where I gave her a puzzled look, she seemed utterly at ease. She hooked an arm around me, steered me to the long bench in the back yard, sat me down, then leaned in slightly and gazed up at me.
"I've never seen that footwork in my life. What is it called?"
"The King's Steps."
Just as I opened my mouth to explain to the curious Chae Jin—
"Hello there!"
A bright, familiar voice rang out across the yard. I turned toward it and found Sa Yun—and
"Sect Leader? What brings you here?"
There stood the Sword Saint, wearing her trademark calm, untroubled expression.
Quite the unexpected pair. Sa Yun came down to the village often enough, but the Sword Saint almost never paid the inn a visit like this. With the first act concluded and no council on the docket, I'd assumed there was nothing to bring her up—so it was I who looked baffled, while Sa Yun began drawing papers from her robe, one after another.
"An errand from Senior Sister Ryu Hyeon."
"I see. And you, Sword Saint...?"
"I came along to drill Sa Yun's footwork as well. Watching her fight the other day, I judged her ready to be called a warrior in her own right."
I'd heard much the same from Hong Ryeon now and then—that Sa Yun's growth of late was truly something to behold.
Probably thanks to all the experience she'd banked in that last great battle...
Not that I minded. It was nothing but good news, from where I stood.
"So? What exactly is this King's Steps footwork?"
"Ah. Right, well—"
I passed the list Sa Yun had brought to one of the inn's servants, and while he went off to gather the goods, Chae Jin pressed her question again—and the Sword Saint and Sa Yun, evidently just as curious, turned their eyes on me.
"Well, here's what happened yesterday."
I told them how the old Taoist had handed me the secret manual of the King's Steps the day before, then explained as much of the art as I knew. The Sword Saint fell silent for a moment before she spoke, calm and measured.
"You mean to train in the King's Steps properly?"
"I do. It's said to be a fine footwork art, after all..."
It had been a rather good art even in Cheonsang Myeongwol. Was there some problem with that?
When I met her gaze, the Sword Saint shook her head, a faint smile playing at her lips.
"A sound choice. Mastering it will be no simple feat, but the King's Steps are a superb art in themselves—they will suit you well, of that I am certain. Should any part of it lie beyond your understanding, my counsel is yours for the asking. And..."
"And?"
"Tomorrow. Will you keep your promise to me?"
A promise, she said.
She meant whether I would go with her into town, didn't she?
"That I will."