The Lust Demon's Promise (4)
Leaving the inn and launching into his lightness skill toward the mountains, Wi Ilcheong suddenly felt the presence of people crowding in around him and came to a halt.
…What the hell?
There was no reason for so many people to be on a rough mountain path like this.
Wi Ilcheong waited, fingers idly brushing the soft sword hidden in his sleeve. A moment later, several figures burst out of the darkness.
He cupped his fist in greeting toward them first.
"…A pleasure to meet you."
"…You knew we were coming?"
"Yes. That is why I was waiting."
"Impressive."
"You flatter me."
Wi Ilcheong lowered his hands and cast a single glance around the men surrounding him.
"…So. Is there some business you have with me?"
"Ah… first, allow me to apologize for the discourtesy."
"…"
The man who appeared to be their leader stepped forward, bowed his head, and cupped his fist.
"This old man is No Sunpyeong, charged with the protection of the Great Moyong Clan."
"…To meet the Dagger of the Moyong Clan here, of all places."
"…"
Recognized at a glance, No Sunpyeong tensed slightly.
A martial artist this young already knows who I am?
He found himself curious about the man's identity.
"…If it is not too forward, might this old man ask the young hero's name?"
"…I am called Wi Ilcheong."
"Ah. The Jade-Faced Young Master."
"…I am grateful you would address me so."
Wi Ilcheong bowed his head in courtesy.
Those who slandered him mostly used the pejorative Lust Demon, but when they meant to show a measure of respect, they called him by the epithet Jade-Faced Young Master. In other words, the Moyong Clan was making it clear, here and now, that they had no intention of treating him as an enemy.
No Sunpyeong raised a hand, and the martial artists who had come with him melted away again.
"…My apologies. The Second Young Master of the Great Moyong Clan is currently on the move, and sensing a master's presence nearby, I brought my men to investigate."
"Ah… I understand completely."
No Sunpyeong was, after all, a bodyguard. He had simply come to confirm any threat in the vicinity.
"If I have caused any offense, this old man will apologize."
"Not at all. Senior was only doing his duty. There is nothing to forgive."
By deliberately using the honorific Senior and placing himself lower, Wi Ilcheong drew a gentle smile onto No Sunpyeong's face.
"It seems the tales of the martial world truly cannot be trusted. Meeting Young Hero Wi today has taught this old man that lesson once again."
"I am grateful for your words."
"If you are looking for herb gatherers, do not take this path. Cut a little to the side. The cliffs are steep, but with Young Master Wi's lightness skill, that route will be faster."
"I am grateful for the kindness. Ah, if I may…"
"Hm?"
Wi Ilcheong hesitated a moment, then finally put the question to No Sunpyeong.
"Might you be planning to stop at the nearby inn?"
"…How did you know?"
"Ah… I am staying there myself."
"Haha… what a fine coincidence. Shall we share a cup of wine later?"
"…Gladly. Though, well… one of my companions is something of a problem."
"What sort of problem?"
Wi Ilcheong sifted through words for a moment, then simply gave up and spoke his honest mind. Dokgo Ryeong was not present, after all.
"…There is a young lady among us who suffers from… a kind of madness…"
"Madness?!!"
"Hup…!!"
The instant the word madness left his mouth, killing intent erupted from every inch of No Sunpyeong's body. But as befit a seasoned martial artist, he reined the energy back in almost at once.
"…I have shown you an ugly face."
"…Not at all."
"My apologies. In our Moyong Clan there is more than one man who will fly into a rage at the mere sound of that word, even in his sleep…"
"…I understand."
Watching No Sunpyeong lose his composure for even a heartbeat and pour out killing intent, Wi Ilcheong broke into a cold sweat.
…I must never, under any circumstances, speak Lady Dokgo's name.
That the Moyong Clan and the Mad Demon had once clashed in spectacular fashion was already famous throughout the martial world. Back when the Mad Demon first began his rampage, he had smashed the Moyong Clan's main estate to pieces, then pissed on their hanging plaque before leaving. After that story spread through the jianghu, the Moyong Clan had barred their gates for a long while and scrambled to shore up their internal strength. It was so bad that they were eventually driven out of the Five Great Clans, and the Hwangbo Clan seized their place. Of course Wi Ilcheong had assumed the Moyong Clan would harbor a monstrous grudge against the Mad Demon after such humiliation—but he had not expected it to run this deep.
"So Young Hero Wi's companion is… a little unwell in the head, is that it?"
"Ah… yes! The young lady has an illness that causes her to spit curses from time to time."
"…A pitiable thing."
"Yes…. Haah… truly pitiable."
"I take your meaning. Should she offer any discourtesy to the Second Young Master, I will explain the matter carefully."
"Thank you, Great Hero."
"Think nothing of it. We shall meet again at the inn later."
"Yes. Until then."
Once No Sunpyeong had gone, Wi Ilcheong stood for a moment looking back and forth between the road leading to the inn they had both come from and the path No Sunpyeong had pointed out for finding the herb gatherers.
…Surely Lady Dokgo could not have caused trouble in that short a time.
Barely one quarter-hour had passed since Wi Ilcheong left the inn. No matter how foul Dokgo Ryeong's temper, he could not believe she would already have started something in so little time. Besides, Hwang Gwanyeong and Baekri Sohyeon were with her—if they sensed she was about to cause a scene, the two of them would surely stop her.
…Still, I am uneasy. I should finish this as quickly as possible and return.
Wi Ilcheong kicked off the earth once more and raced toward the herb gatherers.
Contrary to Wi Ilcheong's hopes, Dokgo Ryeong was already in full rampage.
"Fuck. I just want a goddamn drink and this fucking bastard won't shut up."
"…Haah."
Baekri Sohyeon let out a long sigh at Dokgo Ryeong's torrent of abuse.
The Moyong Clan man who had stooped to pick up the shattered wine cup lifted his head and looked at Dokgo Ryeong.
"…Is the young lady hard of hearing?"
"What?"
"This humble one is a warrior of the Moyong Clan. Do you truly believe you can lay hands on a member of the Great Moyong Clan and walk away unscathed?"
"Oh for fuck's sake. Look at these goddamn lunatics."
"…Ryeong Mae. You must be drunk. Come on, let's go inside."
"Ah, fuck, let go. Drunk? I only had one cup."
"Ryeong Mae…"
Ignoring Baekri Sohyeon's lament, Dokgo Ryeong instead grabbed the whole wine bottle, tipped it back, and kept talking.
"Fucking hell. The so-called Five Great Clans don't throw their weight around with their martial arts—they throw it around with their goddamn influence. It's fucking hilarious. Hey!"
"…"
"Hey, you bastard! You deaf?! The dog who was yelling just now—yeah, you!"
"…Are you truly speaking to me?"
"Yeah, you fucking bastard. What, are you No Sunpyeong? Or the Moyong Clan Head?"
"Y-you crazy bitch—how dare you insult the Moyong Clan!!"
The moment Dokgo Ryeong started tossing out the names of the clan's most senior elders, the man's face flushed crimson with rage.
"No, fuck. You're not even them, so why the hell are you sticking your neck out and throwing a fit? Huh! Fuck, anyone watching would think you were some Peak Master."
"Words alone will not work on this bitch…!"
Clang!
The man from the Moyong Clan drew his sword.
"Today I will cut off your neck and hang it in this very inn!!"
"Talk all the shit you want. Keep at it—it'll be your neck that ends up hanging."
"You—!!"
Just as Dokgo Ryeong saw the man brace to charge and flicked her arm to draw her soft sword—
"Halt!"
"!!"
A shout thick with profound internal energy thundered through the inn.
At the sound of that roar, Dokgo Ryeong clutched her head and groaned in pain.
Ghhk…! My head…
The deep internal force laced through the voice churned her skull like a storm. Unable to endure the dizziness, she bent double and emptied everything in her stomach.
"Uweeehk!!"
"Ryeong Mae! Are you all right…?"
"Ugh… fuck. My head's spinning like hell."
More than the bitter taste flooding her mouth, Dokgo Ryeong ground her teeth over whoever had put her in this state.
Which fucking bastard just hit me with the Six Harmonies Voice Transmission?
If she could have used her internal energy, she would have shrugged the technique off without the slightest trouble. But she could not—and being left completely helpless was what truly gouged her pride.
Then the man who had just shouted strode into the inn.
The one called the Dagger of the Moyong Clan. The clan's second-in-command.
No Sunpyeong.
"No Geukmyeong."
"…Yes, Father."
"Come here."
"…"
Crack!
No Sunpyeong put real force into the slap. Blood ran from the corner of No Geukmyeong's mouth.
"Do you know what you did wrong?"
"…I do not."
Crack!
He struck the same place again, hard, then continued.
"First: a martial artist who cannot keep his composure and draws his weapon. If a martial artist cannot hold his calm, that is the heart demon itself. Do you understand?"
"…Yes."
"Second: you threatened a woman who cannot even use martial arts. If you cannot lightly subdue a woman of that level, with what face do you claim to guard the Moyong Clan?"
"…I am sorry."
"Until we return, you will neither eat nor drink a single thing."
"Yes."
"Go to the Second Young Master, confess your crime, and stay quiet."
"…As you command."
No Sunpyeong entered the inn and approached Dokgo Ryeong.
The moment she saw his face, the past she had shared with him rose unbidden in her mind.
"Young master! Please, spare me… young master!"
"You bastards beat people who can't even use martial arts?!!"
"If being born weak isn't a crime, then what is?"
By the time every one of those memories had been replaced by pure rage, No Sunpyeong opened his mouth.
"A pleasure to meet you. You are the Jade-Faced Young Master's companions, yes?"
"…Yes. I am called Sohyeon."
"…"
Dokgo Ryeong kept her mouth shut and glared at No Sunpyeong. He answered with a kindly smile.
"This young lady must be the companion Young Hero Wi spoke of."
"…"
Dokgo Ryeong fixed him with bloodshot, murderous eyes. Sensing something wrong, Baekri Sohyeon stepped between them.
"Ah… our companion is… very tired…"
"Ah, yes, I heard. Do not worry. Young Hero Wi mentioned he had a companion with a ranting illness."
"!!"
At those words, a chill ran down Baekri Sohyeon's spine. Fearing Dokgo Ryeong would explode on the spot, she whipped around—but Dokgo Ryeong still said nothing at all.
"…I would like to remain on good terms with Young Hero Wi. Forgive me, but would you be so kind as to enjoy the rest of your wine in your room? We will cover the cost."
"Don't need it."
"Hm?"
Only then did Dokgo Ryeong open her mouth.
"Don't need it. We'll handle our own money."
"…So you can speak. You kept your mouth shut so long I thought you were a mute."
Crunch.
At No Sunpyeong's mocking tone, Dokgo Ryeong ground her teeth. Whether he noticed or not, he laughed with easy insolence and went on.
"How about introductions? I still have not heard the young lady's name."
"Ryeong M—!"
"Biyeon."
Before Baekri Sohyeon could panic and clap a hand over Dokgo Ryeong's mouth, a different name had already slipped out.
"Heard of it?"
"…An unfamiliar name. Biyeon… Biyeon, is it…"
No Sunpyeong beamed.
"A lovely name. I hope your chronic illness improves soon."
"…"
Hearing his answer, Dokgo Ryeong snatched up the wine bottle from the table and walked straight past him.
"W-wait for me!"
Baekri Sohyeon hurried after her.
Watching Baekri Sohyeon and Dokgo Ryeong climb to the second floor of the inn, No Sunpyeong stroked his chin.
"There's something familiar about that name…"
He was still turning over the nagging sense that he had heard it somewhere—almost, but not quite, able to place it—when a party of riders arrived.
The tall, handsome young man at their head dismounted and greeted No Sunpyeong.
"Elder?"
"Ah… you have arrived, Second Young Master."
"Has something happened?"
"…"
No Sunpyeong glanced once more toward the place Dokgo Ryeong had gone, then shook his head.
"Nothing of note. Please, come inside."
"Yes."
Inside the guest room, Dokgo Ryeong had heard every word of No Sunpyeong's muttering. The fury boiling up from her gut was more than she could swallow.
Thud! Thud!
Trying to beat down a rage she could not vent, she drove her fist into the floor again and again.
"Fucking bastard… piece-of-shit bastard… lower than a goddamn animal…"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As the blows grew rougher and faster, Baekri Sohyeon, standing beside her, asked in a worried voice,
"Ryeong Mae… who is 'Biyeon'?"
"…"
Dokgo Ryeong had no way to explain to Baekri Sohyeon who Biyeon was. How was she supposed to describe someone she had known in the days when she herself was still the Mad Demon, Dokgo Jin?
"…Even if I told you, you wouldn't know."
"…Then why are you so angry?"
"…Because that fucking bastard doesn't remember."
Dokgo Ryeong spat the words as if chewing them to pieces.
"Because he doesn't even remember the person he killed."