The Reason for Trust - 5

The black-clad figures who poured into the cramped inn were many — more, at the very least, than the four of us inside.

The first of them to charge went straight for Chae Jin. Were they hoping to cut down the strongest fighter in the room before anything else?

Or perhaps, while Chae Jin was occupied with her assault, they meant to press their advantage in numbers — to subdue me, Yo Hwan, and Chang Ju, and then hold us hostage over her head.

Whatever the reason, the choice was a mistake.

KWAAANG!!

Because Chae Jin did not hesitate. The instant her saber flashed, one of the black-clad men vomited blood and was hurled backward into the wall — no, through the wall, crashing down beyond it.

That alone was enough to bring the raiders' headlong charge to a dead stop.

A foolish general attacks the enemy; a wise general attacks his momentum. By crushing a single man, Chae Jin had snapped the raiders' spirit clean in two — and in that moment, at least, she was a wise general.

"I don't know who you lot are, but I do know who sent you."

She had cut so fast that not a single drop of blood clung to the blade; Chae Jin gave it one lazy twirl and rested it on her shoulder, her voice level.

"Anyone who'd rather not die, drop your weapons and kneel over there with your hands up. Anyone who comes at me—"

—CLAK.

Blade leveled at the raiders, she finished as though remarking on the weather.

"—dies."

The air changed at that one word. Some of the black-clad men wavered. Others burned all the hotter with fighting spirit.

And one of them, eyeing the confusion, slid a hand quietly into his robe.

I threw my teacup at him.

CRASH!

The moment the man batted the teacup aside with a sweep of his arm and turned to aim at me, what came flying instead was a single talisman.

BZZKRAK!!

"GWAAAGH!!"

I glanced back — Chang Ju. Face the picture of boredom, she was idly fiddling with another talisman she had somehow already palmed.

So this woman really did serve in the army. She can handle herself.

"None of that, now."

The spearpoints that had charged in so boldly went dull in a single stroke. Perhaps that was why — I could see the hesitation creeping over them.

"They don't strike me as all that strong."

"What can you expect from people who jump you with numbers in the dead of night?"

"Hm. So this is the 'orthodox' way."

"...She's the only weird one, you know?!"

Stung, Chae Jin moved to act again. The moment her hand went to her saber, the raiders tensed and raised their weapons.

"Hold."

That was when they stopped.

The black-clad men slowly parted to open a path, and through it strode a woman whose attire was all too familiar to me.

True to form — she never did disappoint — the one who appeared was Chae Jeok-yo.

"I had a feeling you might come, but I never truly believed you would. Ambushing people like this hardly seems the conduct of an orthodox sect. Are you sure this is acceptable?"

Chae Jeok-yo did not answer.

So she seals her lips whenever the truth turns inconvenient? Perhaps I have grown too accustomed to the Hongseong Sect.

I looked to Chae Jin, and found her head bowed low, her face gone scarlet.

"Ugh. Now my face is burning on your behalf. Hey. We are an orthodox sect. Orthodox. How about a little self-awareness?"

Chae Jin snapped at her as though she were the one ashamed, but Chae ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Jeok-yo looked utterly unbothered.

So even in Cheonsang Myeongwol, she had stooped to every shabby trick in the book.

Should I recommend she switch factions? She would thrive among the unorthodox sects.

"My mind is perfectly sound. You know it as well as I do."

Shrugging, Chae Jeok-yo replied evenly.

"That with the Emei Sect's martial arts in hand, Moon Lotus Pavilion would only grow stronger."

It was not a lie. Setting aside the Blade Emperor's pride, it was true that the pavilion could grow stronger still if it somehow obtained the Emei arts to study.

And yet it was a lie all the same — because that is not a thing a member of the orthodox sects should ever say to anyone's face.

"By my understanding, the Blade Emperor prizes righteousness and chivalry above all else..."

"Aren't you looking at the world a touch too ideally? Someone has to do the dirty work. Even under an orthodox banner."

"The Hongseong Sect doesn't."

"...Spare me talk of that hopelessly rigid sect."

At the mention of the Hongseong Sect, Chae Jeok-yo's face twisted.

But what could I do? It was the truth.

"Chae Jin. It is not as if I don't know where your loyalties lie. I will say it once more. Bring Yo Hwan to me. She would be a great boon to Moon Lotus Pavilion's growth."

At that, Chae Jin shrugged.

"'For Moon Lotus Pavilion's sake'? You mean for yours. If this were truly sect business, the Moonlight Squad would have been sent. They weren't, were they? You had something to hide, so you never once brought it before the sect as a formal matter."

To that jeer, Chae Jeok-yo made no reply. So it had struck a nerve after all.

"So? Is that your answer?"

"No. This is."

In an instant, a tension dense enough to make the flesh crawl settled over the room.

Chae Jin's saber flashed. In the same breath, what shot forth was a strand of razor-edged blade qi, fine as thread.

It was Saber Thread — one of the Moonlight Blade Technique's forms, weaving filament-fine strands of saber qi to carve an enemy apart.

Chae Jeok-yo loosed a Saber Thread of her own to catch the strike, then burst out laughing in delight.

"Yes! Truth be told, I like this better anyway. I've been dying to see just how impressive that high-and-mighty eldest disciple really is!!"

Chae Jeok-yo roared the challenge, and Chae Jin smiled.

And so began the battle between disciples of Moon Lotus Pavilion. Fellow students of the same master they may have been, but there was no quarter to be found.

Every single exchange carried the weight of a blow that could maim — and still, neither woman yielded an inch.

"In my army days I met orthodox men filthier than their banner deserved, and true heroes among the unorthodox besides... but that woman there is a breed of low all her own."

Every word, painfully true. Chang Ju muttered it with a short click of her tongue, and I nodded my agreement.

Truth be told, even Chae Ryeon's bid to surpass Chae Jin had been a touch scrappy by the standards of an orthodox succession.

But she had earned her chance through honest effort, won the recognition of everyone around her, and issued her challenge in the open — and Chae Jin had accepted it with a smile. Unprecedented, yes. Yet never once a betrayal of righteousness.

Chae Jeok-yo, though — that girl goes a step too far.

Which is exactly why, in Chae Ryeon's main story, she makes her appearance only to meet a wretched, miserable end.

"CHARGE!"

"Right. Then let's each of us see to our own hides for now."

I clenched my fist; Chang Ju fanned out her talismans.

"Say — can Chae Jin win this?"

I nodded.

"She'll win."

Blade rang against blade, and every time they met, Chae Jeok-yo was driven back a step. So Chae Jin spun her saber into a reverse grip.

Then, from empty air, downward.

Caught mid-form by this basic technique of the Moonlight Blade Technique, Chae Jeok-yo's eyes lit up.

Did she recognize it?

Well. Knowing a technique and stopping it are two very different things.

CLAAANG!!

As expected, Chae Jeok-yo failed to hold it and was flung away. Still, perhaps because she knew the form, the damage itself did not appear grave.

Chae Jin's saber fell toward the woman who had rolled once across the floor and risen — and the movements Chae Jeok-yo used to slip past it began to turn strange.

"Oh?"

"Heh heh."

A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠low chuckle — and with it, Chae Jeok-yo's form transformed. Her movements turned loose and darting, striking like lightning itself.

"A core disciple of Moon Lotus Pavilion, learning another sect's arts. Fine work indeed."

"Ho ho. And that is exactly why you fall short. Who ever said a core disciple of Moon Lotus Pavilion may learn only the pavilion's arts? A martial artist exists to pursue strength. Nothing else."

"Even so, one might choose one's means with a little more care. Why not simply master demonic arts while you're at it? That would make you strong a good deal faster."

Gritting her teeth past the sneer, Chae Jeok-yo's saber began to move in dazzling arcs.

"Flash Three Thunders, was it?"

"For an ignorant little chit, you know your technique names well!"

"When the wielder is that pathetic, every strike announces itself. How could I possibly miss it?"

With a snicker, the corner of her mouth curling upward, Chae Jin wheeled her body around. Her sweeping saber and the blade tracing lightning's path collided head-on.

Hardness. And softness.

Lightning met the moon — and it was the moon that gave ground.

The moment Chae Jin retreated for the first time, Chae Jeok-yo burst into wild laughter.

"AHAHAHA! Is that all there is to you!"

"Hm."

It was not as though that strike had actually driven her back. Ignoring the celebrating Chae Jeok-yo, Chae Jin used the distance she had opened to steal a glance over her shoulder.

Whether it was thanks to her seal or something else entirely, Yu Wol — shielding Yo Hwan, who could not use martial arts — was fighting quite capably with the Chae Family Tai Chi Chuan she had taught him.

Granted, Chang Ju was covering him from the side with her talismans.

Still, that skirmish, in its way... The thugs Chae Jeok-yo had dragged along were nothing remarkable, and against opponents of that caliber, the fight would make fine training for Yu Wol.

No amount of supervised drilling could ever substitute for real combat.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

And yet, watching him take a hit — then another — made her chest twist.

A good teacher would simply stand back and let it happen. Her heart refused.

I suppose I'll never make a good teacher.

Clicking her tongue inwardly, she turned her gaze back to Chae Jeok-yo.

Time to end this.

"Hooooooh..."

In the martial arts, breath holds a place of supreme importance — for how far one moves within a single breath is the whole difference between slow and swift.

Which was why Chae Jeok-yo cocked her head.

Why is she exhaling for so long?

Pricked by an unease she could not name, Chae Jeok-yo hastily swung her saber.

CLANG!

And it was stopped.

Her Wall of Thunder saber art — priding itself on lightning speed and a form of pure hardness — was swallowed, almost pitifully, by that languidly slow blade technique.

Slow.

The enlightenment one must awaken to before grasping the secret heart of the Moonlight Blade Technique. It lived in Chae Jin's blade.

The realization struck Chae Jeok-yo like a physical blow.

Chae Jin was never at this level! She hadn't been, even back when we last crossed blades! When did she grow this far?

Into her ears then crept Chae Jin's frost-cold voice.

"Even if you are rude, and quarrel at every turn, and scheme your endless little schemes, and keep clawing after my seat as eldest disciple... you are still my precious—"

Blade caught mid-swing, Chae Jin tilted her head.

"Come to think of it... not that precious, really."

Which meant there was no reason left to temper her hand.

Saber twirling into her grip, she drew it down in a slow, deliberate arc — toward Chae Jeok-yo, who came charging in with bloodshot eyes.

In that same instant — Chae Jeok-yo, the black-clad men being batted through the air by Yu Wol and Chang Ju, Chang Ju and Yo Hwan amid their own melee, and even Cha Mo, who had crept out at the commotion and was cowering over there — every last one of them held their breath and watched.

Watched the white moon split in two.

Unable to withstand the strike, Chae Jeok-yo vomited blood and crumpled to her knees.

Perhaps the blow had simply been too vast to bear. White as a sheet, she heaved for breath until at last her body gave out and she collapsed in a heap. Chae Jin, wearing only a faint trace of weariness, turned her head toward Yu Wol.

And he — just as she had hoped — did not look the least bit startled. As though he had known from the very start that she would win.

"...Hah."

And at that trust, Chae Jin felt her heart begin to pound.