Chapter 11: Chapter 11

“Damn it… sh-shit…”

Jang Geon muttered curses as he trembled. His distorted expression and twitching eyelids revealed his pain, anger, sorrow, and emptiness. Domino tiles clattered down from his shaking hand. He had lost again.

“…Hey, I wouldn’t normally say something like this… but I don’t think you should play games like Pai Gow.”

A middle-aged man sitting at the same table looked at Jang Geon with pity and offered advice. However, Jang Geon glinted a sharp glare back at him and gritted his teeth.

“Did you guys… collapse together to cheat me…”

The middle-aged man let out a smirk.

“Did we team up against you? No, with your skill level, there’s no need for that. You’re just terrible at gambling.”

Those words were the fatal blow. In the end, Jang Geon lost all his energy and hung his head low. Jang Geon knew better than anyone that the gamblers at this table hadn’t colluded. Having been cleaned out before, he had naturally sharpened his five senses with internal energy and even awakened his qi perception to monitor the gamblers’ hand movements.

The problem was that because he focused entirely on those hand movements, he paid no attention to concealing his own facial expressions or reading his opponents’ emotions. That state of mastery, which was as natural as breathing when holding a sword, vanished into thin air whenever he held gambling tiles in his hands.

In any case, he was thoroughly cleaned out at this gambling table.

“Don’t take my words lightly. You really are terrible at gambling. And you seem to carry a sword around claiming to be a martial artist, but since you can’t even win a game of gambling like this, don’t carry such a dangerous weapon around. You’ll get stabbed for real later.”

The middle-aged man collected the coins spread out on the table while offering his sincere advice. However, as if he couldn’t hear those words with his head hung low, Jang Geon smoothly stood up from his chair with the same listless movement and walked toward the long counter on one side of the inn facing the innkeeper. Feeling ignored, the middle-aged man shook his head lightly.

“It seems the tiles didn’t go your way.”

The innkeeper, who was grilling something over a small brazier, set it down as Jang Geon approached and sat down, then pulled out a bottle of liquor. Jang Geon naturally accepted the bottle and cup, filled his glass, and spoke.

“My hands have never gone well for me.”

The innkeeper, who appeared to be somewhere between middle-aged and elderly, merely smiled faintly at Jang Geon’s blunt answer and turned his attention back to the small brazier. Since Jang Geon had been boosting the inn’s revenue for six days straight, he seemed fond of him even if his words weren’t sweet.

Sipping his liquor, Jang Geon rested his arm on the counter, stroked his chin, and scanned the inn with half-lidded eyes.

Rather than meals, there were many people drinking alcohol and eating side dishes. Farmers who had finished a hard day of agricultural work in the late afternoon and shopkeepers who had closed up shop had dropped by in large numbers to have a drink. On one side of the inn, a travelling musician sat leaning deeply back in a chair with a wide bamboo hat covering her face, plucking at a pipa, and Jang Geon tilted his cup once again, taking that pipa music as his snack.

Afternoon sunlight poured brightly into the two-story courtyard-style inn. However, thanks to that bright sunlight, the shadowed areas appeared far darker in contrast.

Sitting in that dark area, Jang Geon gazed toward the bright side with half-lidded eyes. In his hazy vision, he saw dust specks shimmering white in the light, floating gently and swimming between the people laughing and chatting merrily. What was the life of such floating dust like? Did it merely entrust its body to the turbulence between winds and drift along? If so, could that be as fulfilling a life as that of the farmers and merchants laughing happily over there?

A small smile formed at the corners of Jang Geon’s lips as he stroked his chin while watching the dust. It was because the sight of himself indulging in delusions alone after losing money was hilarious.

Still, he hadn’t learned nothing this time. Unlike last time, he hadn’t gambled until his pockets were completely empty. The coins still remaining in his breast pocket gave him peace of mind.

As Jang Geon tilted his cup with a satisfied smile, three people caught his eyes as they pushed aside the inn’s beaded curtain and entered.

Well-oiled, glossy bamboo hats, black dust cloaks, and sword hilts protruding behind their right shoulders. Judging by how all three were dressed identically and their gloomy aura, they looked like perverted creeps.

The innkeeper let out a faint groan so quiet that only Jang Geon, who was nearby, could hear. Then he approached them. Of course, still remaining behind the long counter.

“Welcome. Are you staying the night?”

The man standing at the very front of the three in black dust cloaks did not answer the innkeeper’s question, but instead slightly raised his bamboo hat and slowly scanned the inside of the inn. After looking around until the innkeeper wore an uncomfortable expression, he discovered someone and smirked.

“…Excuse me, guest?”

At the innkeeper’s words, he suddenly raised a single index finger. The innkeeper roughly understood what he meant, poured a cup of strong liquor, and handed it over. The man downed it in one gulp, set a coin down on the counter with a clack, and strode inside with heavy footsteps.

The inn had fallen quiet. Even at a glance, the atmosphere surrounding the three was unusual. However, because the three had fanned out as they stepped inside, people couldn’t even leave and could only watch nervously.

The man who stepped out at the front of the three took slow steps and stood behind the travelling musician who was still plucking her pipa. The travelling musician, who had been leaning back as if lying on the chair with her legs propped on the table, slightly raised the bamboo hat covering her face as if finding the suddenly quiet inn strange.

“Oh.”

Sitting with his chin resting on his hand as he watched, Jang Geon marveled in a voice so faint only he could hear. It was because the face visible under the raised bamboo hat belonged to quite a beauty. In particular, her red lips and the distinct beauty mark below them enhanced her charm.

“So you were here, Ju Yeo-rang.”

At the voice coming from behind her back, the woman let out a light sigh and spoke while remaining seated just as she was.

“Who might you be to be looking for me?”

Looking at the woman’s back, the man spoke as if growling.

“I am So Gwol-yong of the Shandong Je Clan. Even if you do not know my name, surely you cannot be ignorant of the Je Clan’s name?”

“Shandong Je Clan? To be the Shandong Je Clan, you ought to be in Shandong. That Je Family is currently over in New Sichuan, isn’t it?”

“…You speak nonsense, Ju Yeo-rang. Such things are not what is important.”

“Then what is important?”

The self-proclaimed So Gwol-yong of the Je Clan smirked again and spoke.

“That today shall be the day of your death.”

The woman named Ju Yeo-rang frowned as if she had a headache and massaged her temple.

“…I can guess what this is about. I’m sorry, but that Young Master Je lost his mind all on his own. I merely plucked my pipa for money as I always do. Do I have to take responsibility for his one-sided lovesickness?”

“Do not speak nonsense! We all know you bewitched Young Master with a motive! There is already a witness!”

Ju Yeo-rang asked back in bewilderment as if hearing complete nonsense.

“There’s even a witness for something like that?”

“Lady Seom Ji-young told us everything about how you approached Young Master! And how you wench ultimately stole our clan’s secret manual from Young Master!”

At So Gwol-yong’s growl, Ju Yeo-rang let out a deep sigh.

“This is driving me crazy. What secret manual out of nowhere? Go ask that Young Master properly whether such a thing actually happened.”

“You wench! Young Master is! Young Master is…!”

“…What about that Young Master? Don’t tell me something happened to him?”

So Gwol-yong did not answer her question. With a flushed face, he grabbed the hilt of the sword behind his shoulder and shouted out irrelevant words.

“Stand up! And turn around! I will not cut down someone showing their back!”

As he grabbed his sword, the other two also lowered their bodies identically and took hold of their sword hilts. The people inside the inn held their breath with terrified expressions.

Ju Yeo-rang remained seated as she was, still with her feet propped up on the table. Resting her head against the backrest, she quietly stared up at the inn ceiling before speaking.

“You really want to fight? All because of that brat’s lovesickness?”

“Calling him a brat! Young Master is the successor of our clan who even held his coming-of-age ceremony this year!”

“A sixteen-year-old is a brat. And no matter how I think about it, it doesn’t seem like the Je Clan actually cares about this matter right now. Am I right?”

So Gwol-yong shouted.

“What nonsense are you spouting now!”

“Isn’t that right? If the Je Clan considered this problem truly serious, an actual clan member bearing the surname Je would have come looking for me alone, rather than three brats like you.”

At her gentle voice, So Gwol-yong flinched greatly. His face turned bright red.

“How dare you! A vagrant like you is more than enough for me and my brothers! Hurry up and stand!”

Ju Yeo-rang asked again.

“Are we really fighting? Once I start, I won’t show mercy.”

Thinking she was mocking him now, So Gwol-yong took off the bamboo hat he was wearing, slammed it onto the floor, and said in a low voice.

“Fine, you wench asked for this. If you want to get stabbed in the back, I’ll do just that for you.”

Saying so, So Gwol-yong exerted force on the sword hilt he held and drew it. In sync with him, the other two also drew their swords. And at the exact moment the three men’s swords were drawn with a metallic rasped sound, right before the blades completely cleared the scabbards, Ju Yeo-rang, who had been sitting all along, turned her body like lightning.

At the same time she turned her body, something flashed through the air and slammed into So Gwol-yong’s chest.

“Ugh!”

So Gwol-yong let out a single scream and flew backward from the force of the strike, falling flat on his back. The other two looked back and forth between the fallen So Gwol-yong and Ju Yeo-rang with wide open eyes. Two flying daggers were lodged in So Gwol-yong’s chest. Ju Yeo-rang smiled brightly and spoke.

“Since you guys drew your swords first, it’s self-defense.”

The two retainers of the Je Clan snapped out of it at her words and unleashed a loud shout, swinging their swords. Ju Yeo-rang flipped backward to evade, and their sword slashes split the chair and table she had been sitting on. Judging by how they split a wooden table in a single blow, it seemed they weren’t entirely brats as Ju Yeo-rang had claimed.

“Aaaah! A fight broke out! Fetch the Branch Head!”

“Run away!”

As they began fighting, the inn patrons who had been holding their breath screamed and began rushing out in a stampede. However, unlike the fleeing crowd, Jang Geon remained seated in his spot, sipping his liquor with a sullen face. Amidst the chaos, a chair flew toward him, only to be caught firmly by Jang Geon’s hand. He set it down gently.

Seeing Jang Geon like that, the innkeeper’s eyes glittered, and he pulled along the waiter who was at a loss while watching the breaking tables and chairs. Then, peeking only his eyes above the counter opposite Jang Geon, he continuously let out sighs.

“To buy all of that again…”

“…Uncle, we won’t have anything left this month either.”

Ju Yeo-rang, who had thrown the flying daggers at first, drew a straight sword slightly longer than a forearm from her lower back and fought. Her figure jumping between tables and chairs with fluid movements almost resembled a dance.

The two warriors possessed sword technique grand enough to split a table in a single blow, but their feet were not fast enough to catch up with Ju Yeo-rang who was hopping around. They even got their paths tangled and collided with each other, creating a mess. Ju Yeo-rang was playing with the two of them.

“Oh.”

Jang Geon became delighted to see someone using something resembling lightness art for the first time in a very long while. It seemed her naturally light and flexible body was augmented by some form of martial discipline. Perhaps he was witnessing a pioneer of lightness art on the New Continent.

At that moment, every table on the first floor was shattered, and Ju Yeo-rang landed back on the ground. And the moment the two warriors saw her touch the ground, they gasped and held their breath.

Immediately after, two streaks of light flashed past Ju Yeo-rang. Ju Yeo-rang remained in the exact stance with her feet planted on the ground, holding the straight sword in a reverse grip in her right hand, while the two warriors stood behind her with their backs turned.

A brief silence followed the streaks of light. Then Ju Yeo-rang stood upright and sheathed the straight sword into the scabbard on her back. As the sword met the scabbard with a click, the two warriors collapsed heavily. One had his neck half-severed, while the other had a flying dagger lodged in the center of his forehead.

Having watched all of this, Jang Geon clapped in his heart and sipped his liquor. That travelling musician had replaced his snacks with the sound of her pipa, and now she was even enhancing the taste of his liquor with a sword fight. He nodded to himself, feeling in a good mood.

Ju Yeo-rang caught her breath where she stood for a moment, and when Jang Geon, the only person remaining in the inn who still sat proudly in his chair, nodded to himself, she looked at him as if looking at a lunatic. Discovering the innkeeper hiding behind Jang Geon, she approached.

“What should I do out of apology? The inn has become a mess because of those ruffians.”

The innkeeper smiled with a half-enlightened expression and shook his head.

“Running an inn means getting used to such things. Heroine, you do not need to worry about it.”

“No, I can’t do that. If not for me, this wouldn’t have happened, right?”

Saying so, she unslung the pipa strapped to her back. As she fiddled with the bottom of the pipa, a small square compartment opened with a click. Taking a pouch out from inside, she hesitated briefly before handing over the entire pouch.

“Here. Use this for repair costs.”

“Oh my, you really didn’t have to.”

The innkeeper showed no sign of refusing. He accepted the pouch readily and chuckled warmly. The pouch seemed heavy. Handing over the money, the woman briefly looked around at the three warriors she had killed and the ruined inn, nodded to the innkeeper, and left outside.

Jang Geon understood why she departed so quickly. Even if it was self-defense, the Martial Alliance Branch Head would try to detain her for now. If one wanted to avoid troublesome matters, leaving quickly was the right choice.

A short while later, Jang Geon realized that it would have been better for him to leave quickly as well. The Martial Alliance Branch Head, who arrived late, pried into every minor detail. Had it not been for the innkeeper serving him liquor and snacks beside him, Jang Geon almost planted a fist right onto his face.

* * *

The next day, Jang Geon was leisurely riding Jojo while breathing in the cool forest air. Though he had prevented his pockets from being completely emptied from the temptation of gambling, it was true that they had thinned out regardless. Furthermore, that village from yesterday was a peaceful place with no particular troubles. Ju Yeo-rang’s commotion was to the extent of being the biggest incident in nearly a year.

In such a place, there was no work for a martial artist to earn money.

To think he had to go seeking trouble to make money. Jang Geon gave a faint bitter smile for no reason and slowly led Jojo forward. The sunlight streaming through the straight-stretching trees was soothing his mood. Jang Geon searched his memory and whistled the tune he had heard from Ju Yeo-rang’s pipa yesterday.

As he leisurely rode his horse along the mountain path while whistling, Jang Geon noticed a cliff jutting out on one side of the trail and steered Jojo toward it.

Standing at the cliff, he saw curving mountain ridges in the distance and an immense snow-capped mountain even further away, as well as the river winding below and the waving forest. Those sights granted Jang Geon a subtle sense of calmness.

Taking a deep breath of the clear air, Jang Geon was about to turn Jojo away from the cliff, but pulled the reins again to stop. Jojo snorted as if asking what his problem was.

“…Seeing each other again?”

Down below, beneath the cliff, he saw Ju Yeo-rang standing in a standoff with someone.