Winter Journey - 2
They said no snow would fall, but winter was hardly a season made for travel. Even so, we kept crossing paths with travelers along the road — and among them were Daoists on pilgrimage.
"If you're willing, might I try a bout with you? A death duel would suit me fine — a simple spar, just as well."
Every so often, warriors standing at the roadside would approach our passing wagon with exactly such an offer.
Such figures were easy to come by in Cheonsang Myeongwol as well. Wanderers who drifted from place to place, honing their martial arts by challenging those brave enough to travel in winter — these Seekers had been one of the more tiresome breeds of nuisance in the game, too.
Skill gap be damned, they pounced the moment your eyes met; calling that annoying would have been an understatement.
The Seekers of the present, however, were a genuinely welcome presence. And little wonder — they made fine sparring partners for piling up Sa Yun's real combat experience.
"Hyaaah!!"
"Uryaaaaah!!"
Battle cries ripped the air as Sa Yun swung her sword and the Seeker whirled his staff. Clang! Clang! Clang! — even against the crash of blade against blunt iron, Sa Yun gave up not an inch of ground.
"You're remarkable!!"
Exclaiming his admiration, the Seeker swung his staff in a great sweeping arc. Sa Yun calmly turned aside attacks that came from the strangest of angles, carved out an opening — and drove a fist straight into it.
Struck squarely in the chest, the man staggered backward, then dropped hard to one knee. Sa Yun leveled her sword at him; the Seeker laughed and pointed off to the side.
"So young, and yet such extraordinary skill. I am awed by your martial arts. Please — take what lies there."
With that, the man rose and staggered away down the road. Where he had pointed sat a money pouch holding a few silver nyang, a bundle of talismans, and a basket of what looked like crafting materials.
"Must be the season — there are so many Seekers about."
"It is a brutal time of year. Plenty of people in the murim are desperate to sharpen their skills however they can, after all."
Several days of facing down warriors who fought to drive themselves to their very limits, and Sa Yun was growing stronger by the day. When she returned to the wagon, calm once more, and settled in to review the bout from memory, I took up the reins.
"Still, thank goodness we've met so few bandits."
"Ha! In winter, they can scarcely be bothered to move either."
Merchant caravans, too, rarely stirred in the cold months. Save for outfits like the Green Forest, who held territory and milked travelers for tolls, the bandit trade simply went dormant. Most of those who did take to a winter road were nomads with little worth stealing, or martial artists confident in their own strength.
Hence the scarcity of bandits — but the monsters remained. Just as now.
In the distance, several enormous wolves were watching us. And killing intent began to bleed into the air.
The horses froze in terror, and Hong Ryeon and Chae Jin stepped forward. Then came the slaughter.
As though Marang were hardly worth their time, the two of them cut the beasts down where they stood, and in short order they were strolling back to the wagon, easy and unbothered.
"Marang are a genuinely troublesome breed of monster. You have to cut them down wherever you find them."
Thanks to their thick pelts, Marang could move through winter without the least hardship — monsters known to raid entire villages. Best destroyed whenever the chance arose, Hong Ryeon said, calm as ever.
And so, meeting everyone and everything a winter road had to offer, we pressed on with our journey.
"Whoa!"
About eight days out from Seomhwachon, a great city heaved into view.
"Is that Mugakseong?"
Mugakseong — the city said to have the martial way carved into its very stones. The full sweep of the metropolis that housed the Murim Alliance spread out before us. One of the great cities even in Cheonsang Myeongwol, it looked colossal even from this far off.
As Sa Yun marveled at a city that seemed to sprawl several times the size of Seomhwachon, Hyeon Hwi leaned out a little and pointed to one side.
"There are still plenty of people hoping to enter the city."
Great cities drew drifting crowds; that was only natural. Just as she said, no small number meant to enter Mugakseong — the line coiled up before the gate said as much.
"Right. Let's hurry along, then. We can have dinner inside the walls tonight."
I drove the wagon down off the hills, and just as we reached Mugakseong's outskirts and moved to join the queue, Hong Ryeon and Chae Jin stopped me.
"We can go in through another gate. Take the East Gate."
Mugakseong was the Murim Alliance's own city — and with two of the Alliance's senior officers along for the ride, a measure of convenience came with the territory. Even in Cheonsang Myeongwol, perks like these had unlocked once your Alliance merit passed a certain threshold, so nothing about it seemed strange.
And so I drove the wagon around to the East Gate. Unlike the South Gate, still seething with would-be entrants, the East Gate was positively idle.
"Hong Ryeon, Inspector of the Murim Alliance."
The pair who approached at the sight of our wagon were a man and a woman dressed in white martial uniforms. They looked nothing like common soldiers; at the token Hong Ryeon held out, their eyes went wide, and they bowed their heads with careful ceremony.
"We greet the honored Inspector."
I looked at Hong Ryeon. She smiled awkwardly, color rising faintly in her face.
"Ugh. Now I feel like I'm showing off for no reason."
"Haha. It shows how hard you've worked, I'd say."
"Fufu."
Chae Jin glanced sidelong at Hong Ryeon's low laugh and stepped down from the wagon. At the sight of her, the two gatekeepers stiffened all the more.
"L-Lady Chae, as well?!"
"You'd be Mu Gang and Mu Yeon of the Black Tortoise Unit, yes? Mind opening the gate for us?"
"At once!"
Tenser than they had been before Hong Ryeon, they hurried to swing the gate open. Hong Ryeon clicked her tongue, briefly, at the spectacle; Chae Jin grinned.
"I've gone out on operations with the Black Tortoise Unit before, you see. Fufu."
"Impressive."
"Remember it. Remember that someone of my caliber is the one guarding you."
"Haha. I'm honored."
"...Ufufu. Well, I wouldn't go quite that far."
At my smiling words, delivered while she was still riding the flattery, Chae Jin scratched at her head, then caught a loose strand of hair and wound it round and round her finger. Grinning at the sight of her, I steered the wagon toward the open gate.
We had only passed through the gate, and already the city's prosperity was unmistakable. Perhaps because the Murim Alliance made its seat here, the shops near the entrance catered almost entirely to martial artists — stalls selling jerky and travel rations to eat on the move, shops trading in daggers and short blades, smithies for mending battered equipment.
But nobody paid our party any particular mind. Chae Jin went without saying, and the Hongseong Sect was already properly armed with pieces wrought by Old Man Mak and Chang Ju.
"Shall we stop by the Murim Alliance first? They keep lodgings there — we could rest at ours."
"Or I know an inn that's rather good, if you'd prefer. Honestly, the Alliance lodgings aren't anything special."
At Hong Ryeon's and Chae Jin's suggestions, I considered a moment, then nodded.
"If we're staying somewhere regardless, why not somewhere good? My treat — let's take a proper inn. We'll make the Alliance lodgings our stop before we head home."
After all, this journey existed for little reason beyond widening Sa Yun's experience. Better to try a little of everything.
Everyone agreed, and under Chae Jin's guidance we arrived at a rather sizable inn.
"Welcome, honored guests! How many in your party?!"
"Five. And three rooms, if you please."
"Right away!"
Beaming, a servant led the wagon off toward the inn's yard. Quite a few guests, it seemed, arrived by cart and carriage as we had. Watching horses and wagons being stabled, I stepped through the inn's doors — and found myself quietly impressed.
The facilities really are first-rate.
No Cheonghoeru, of course — but roomier than my own inn, and far more splendid within.
"This place is always counted among the safest inns in Mugakseong. The Murim Alliance's Senior Combat Department — my own unit — patrols through regularly in case any trouble starts."
And sure enough, even the pair bickering in a corner merely went pink and settled down the moment one of the serving girls strolled over to have a word with them.
"The truth is, this is also where the Alliance takes registration for the small sparring tournaments it holds here so often. And the owner, Lady Yang I-hwa, made her name as a senior combat officer of the Alliance before she retired — so nobody here picks pointless fights."
So start a brawl here, and the Alliance's senior combat officers come running. Got it.
It made perfect sense. If trouble broke out at an inn run by their own senior, her juniors' standing would suffer for it. And by steering quarrelsome guests into the tournament ring to settle their differences, they pruned away the senseless fights as well.
In that case, it truly was as safe as advertised.
"Oh — Sa Yun. Want to see something?"
Chae Jin pointed toward the wall Hyeon Hwi had been studying. A good many name plaques hung there, and the one Sa Yun's eyes chanced upon made her start.
"Ten straight wins... Chae Ryeon?"
"Yep. Ryeon's fought in the tournaments held here before. Took home the prize after a ten-win streak, too. Challenge it yourself sometime, if you're interested."
While Sa Yun stared at the plaque, thinking hard, we ferried our luggage up to the rooms.
"Then... best to begin with a call on Mun Ha-gong's estate."
Mun Ha-gong's residence stood no great distance from the inn. Past a stretch of lively streets, into an upscale, hushed quarter, and a little farther on, a large estate under the guard of soldiers came into view.
"This is not a place just anyone may enter."
The soldier who marked our approach spoke with grave formality. It had been the same in Cheonsang Myeongwol. I gave the men a cupped-fist salute, then presented the letter of introduction Cheon Il-hwa had provided.
"General Cheon's... Our sincerest apologies for the discourtesy."
A letter of introduction, as ever. Guaranteed results.
The soldiers bowed with perfect courtesy and opened the way. Hong Ryeon, meanwhile, wore a look of open surprise.
"Their skill — they're far beyond common soldiers."
"They would be. That's imperial-elite caliber, at a guess."
"Oh... to be guarded at that level. This Mun Ha-gong must truly be someone remarkable, then?"
"He is. Now, then..."
We passed into the heart of the estate — broad and serene, almost wholly without ornament, quietly austere — and an old man came out to meet us. I bowed my head to him, and he returned the bow before speaking.
"I am called Jang Goeng, and I keep this estate. My master is attending to the Madam at present, and has no leisure to receive guests. Might I ask what business brings you here?"
"We have come for the Maek — the monster feeding upon the Madam."
The old man's face hardened at my words. Before he could answer, Hong Ryeon spoke, grave now.
"Now that we're inside — I can feel it."
The moment Hong Ryeon, calm as ever, drew her Hongseong Divine Art up, an eerie, clammy chill — the sort of presence one should feel nowhere but on Mount Hongseong — began to seep out from deep within the estate.