Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Jang Geon let out a chuckle.
“If you had such a thing, why didn’t you learn it yourself first?”
“Ah, don’t misunderstand. The martial arts that can be obtained are Ding-rank martial arts. Anything above that is a major crime punishable by the execution of parents and siblings together.”
“If it’s Ding-rank…”
As Jang Geon’s expression hardened slightly, Ju Yeo-rang’s smile grew deeper.
“Yes. They are martial arts that the Imperial Army is permitted to impart to outside disciples. They are also the basic arts of the Imperial Army, and for those who dream of joining the Imperial Army, they are important martial arts that allow them to take a step ahead of others. As for why I didn’t learn them… well, you know, right? How strict those from the Imperial Army are when accepting even a single disciple.”
“…They prioritize clear identity, outstanding talent, and above all, loyalty to the Emperor.”
Ju Yeo-rang nodded her head.
“It seems I couldn’t cross that threshold. They said becoming a disciple was out of the question.”
“Then what is your reason for thinking I will make the cut?”
“…Those people owe me a debt. A debt large enough that, even if only nominally, they would accept you as a disciple and teach you martial arts at my request.”
Jang Geon shook his head gently, contrary to her gesture.
“Your words keep going around in circles. If that were the case, shouldn’t you have become the disciple yourself?”
“Hey. You must have understood everything I’ve said. For me to learn that martial art, I would have to give up all the martial arts I’ve cultivated until now. Ding-rank martial arts aren’t to that extent, are they? But you managed to drive away a Je Clan warrior without drawing your sword even once, so even without practicing it, there must be something to learn. After all, they are martial arts refined by successive Emperors themselves.”
Ju Yeo-rang shrugged her shoulders and continued speaking.
“Rather than using a debt to learn a martial art I can’t even proper learn, it’s far wiser to utilize it in another way like this, isn’t it?”
Jang Geon rested his elbow on the saddle horn and stared at Ju Yeo-rang with sullen eyes.
In fact, whether it was Ding-rank or Jia-rank, it was true that he coveted the martial arts of the Imperial Army itself. Jang Geon had paid money to various martial arts instructors in the Central Plains to learn martial arts, and after arriving on the New Continent, he had been forging a new path with his own imagination and effort.
However, the Emperor had been the pinnacle of the Empire for a thousand years.
Not every Emperor in history possessed the absolute best martial arts under heaven. However, for princes and princesses to obtain the title of Crown Prince, they fundamentally required the consent and support of the Imperial Army. Anyone who failed to surpass a certain standard could not even ascend to the position of Crown Prince. Even after becoming Crown Prince, if one failed to meet the Emperor’s standards, one was immediately deposed.
All the miraculous elixirs of heaven and earth, guidance from the most outstanding martial arts teachers of the Central Plains, the superior talent and lineage passed down from Han Gaozu who broke the armies of Qin and even defeated the Demon King Xiang Yu, and the most powerful will to become Emperor combined into a single entity, that was precisely what an Emperor was.
And the very first endeavor of an Emperor who ascended the throne was inspecting the martial arts of the Imperial Army. It was no empty boast that even the lowest Ding-rank martial art would offer something to learn for an expert above a certain level. Furthermore, since they would accept him as a disciple nominally, he wouldn’t be interrogated about the source of his martial arts later.
The person giving aid to Ju Yeo-rang seemed to be a retired Imperial Army veteran or someone connected to them.
Pondering for a moment, Jang Geon thought that since he was already helping, helping a bit more and experiencing the martial arts of the Imperial Army wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“Where are those people helping you?”
Hearing Jang Geon’s words, Ju Yeo-rang’s face brightened. She had noticed that Jang Geon’s mind had turned.
“It’s about two days away. There are valleys and rivers along the way, so we can erase our tracks.”
“Then let’s go quickly. It seems we’ve already wasted a lot of time.”
“Great. I’ll guide the way.”
She quickly stepped up and grabbed Jojo’s saddle.
“…What are you doing?”
“My horse died. It was the doing of that Je Un-seong bastard just now. I’ll rely on you until I get a new horse.”
And then she hopped onto Jang Geon’s back. Furthermore, she didn’t sit facing forward, but sat facing backward in reverse. Sitting like that, she even smiled brightly at Jang Geon, who turned his head to look at her with bewildered eyes.
“Don’t worry. I’m light. Right?”
Even as she lightly tapped Jojo’s rump while speaking, the guy snorted as if it didn’t matter. The fellow, who always looked sullen, seemed in a good mood now that a beauty was on his back.
“Now, let’s go.”
At the confident figures of Ju Yeo-rang and Jojo, Jang Geon shook his head gently and kicked Jojo’s sides with his feet to signal. Thus, with one person looking forward and one looking backward, leaning back to back on a single horse in a strange shape, they departed.
* * *
Je Un-seong stood atop a tall tree, gazing with narrowed eyes at the two figures receding into the distance. On his left forearm sat a large eagle.
It was a creature with a black body and a white head, a beautiful eagle with red patterns running long along its sharp eyes. This creature was a spiritual beast known as the Blood Plum Eagle, obtainable only on the New Continent, and served as an important emergency messenger for the Je Clan. His retreat had been driven both by the thought that he could not defeat Jang Geon and by a signal that a message had arrived.
Je Un-seong had just received an important piece of news from his clan through that messenger.
“Cabinet Leader?”
When he remained silent for a long time after receiving the message, a masked man in black clothes standing on a branch beside him lowered his head and spoke softly. Only then did Je Un-seong let out a short groan and speak.
“…Track them, and we attack tonight. Without overexerting ourselves, we shall proceed in the direction of gauging the skills of the two for now.”
“Understood.”
Saying so, the masked man bowed his head and dropped right down from the tree. As soon as he landed on the ground, the masked men who had been prostrating under the tree dispersed and vanished with a rustle. Even after they disappeared, Je Un-seong slowly stroked the Blood Plum Eagle’s head while thinking deeply about something.
“Hmm. A passing knight-errant, or an intended rendezvous…”
Despite his muttering, the Blood Plum Eagle was nodding off as if enjoying the stroking hand.
* * *
Jang Geon stared at a dead branch, tossed it into the campfire, and sat down. Then he cast a glance at Ju Yeo-rang and spoke.
“You’re more peaceful than I thought. Even lighting a campfire.”
Plucking her pipa in a seated posture, she didn’t stop her hands at Jang Geon’s words as she answered.
“Didn’t we erase our tracks earlier this afternoon while crossing a river? Well, they will end up chasing us eventually anyway, but there’s no need to worry too much. Spending time just worrying inside your head is rather useless. Besides, I’m innocent. If I deliberately report this to the main hall of the Martial Alliance or the Empire, they’ll be in trouble too, won’t they? I have many acquaintances in Gamsan.”
“Then?”
“They’ll probably find a nearby Martial Alliance Branch Head and bribe him. Even if he just pretends to detain and investigate me briefly, I wouldn’t be able to help it right now. The real danger is when we pass the village tomorrow.”
As she spoke like that, she suddenly stopped her hands, looked at Jang Geon, and asked.
“More importantly, why did you really help me this afternoon?”
“…Haven’t I already told you?”
Ju Yeo-rang laughed.
“That you helped me just like helping someone who tripped on the road? Risking a fight with warriors of the Je Clan?”
“That’s an interesting analogy.”
She slowly erased her smile at Jang Geon’s short answer.
“…You’re a peculiar person, you. Usually such people don’t live long and die early. Especially among those carrying spears and swords as martial artists.”
Contrary to her, Jang Geon let out a chuckle.
“How long exactly does living long mean? Five years? Ten years? Even rascals carrying swords and doing evil deeds don’t live that long. Because their own evil deeds follow them like shadows. In the end, rather than dividing good guys and bad guys, it’s just that the lifespan of the martial artist breed itself is short.”
“Whether bad guys or good guys, in the end, those who die from getting stabbed are martial artists?”
“I’m saying you can’t easily divide good and evil, that’s all.”
Ju Yeo-rang smiled gently again.
“Well. Still, I think someone of your level is quite good?”
Jang Geon wore a bitter smile and tossed another dead branch into the campfire. Ju Yeo-rang looked at Jang Geon with strange eyes before beginning to pluck her pipa again.
They had not yet completely exited the mountain range. Thanks to that, slightly chilly air and somberly standing trees surrounded the small campfire and them. With Ju Yeo-rang’s pipa playing joined in, it felt more like camping while traveling rather than being pursued.
At that moment, a sound other than the pipa reached Jang Geon’s ears.
“…It seems that friend Je Un-seong is faster and more aggressive than you thought.”
At those words, Ju Yeo-rang stopped playing her pipa and wore a bewildered expression. Only after stopping her pipa like that could she hear the rustling sound. Wrinkling her face sharply, she stood up abruptly and drew the straight sword from her lower back.
“Ah, fuck! When I really get to Gamsan, I won’t report to the Martial Alliance, I’ll report to the Empire! Even if I have to offer all my fortune to the Magistrate of Gamsan City, I’m going to report it! Let’s see just how great an ancient clan thinks it is!”
As she drew her sword, black-clothed masked men appeared between the trees, perhaps feeling they had been discovered. They were already forming a circle surrounding Jang Geon and Ju Yeo-rang, narrowing the gap.
Rising while grasping his scabbard with his left hand, Jang Geon quickly confirmed their numbers. There were about ten black-clothed men in total. Among them, Je Un-seong was nowhere to be seen. The black-clothed men had painted black around their eyes and blades, so the only shiny parts were the whites of their eyes.
Jang Geon and Ju Yeo-rang quickly stood back to back. Ju Yeo-rang glared at the black-clothed men surrounding her and their swords as she spoke.
“Real evil bastards… You really want to do this? Meaning you have no intention of taking me back intact anymore…”
Despite her curses, the black-clothed men slowly lowered their bodies without paying the slightest attention and narrowed the encirclement bit by bit. Reaching a certain point, they stopped their steps and glared at the two.
With the crackling campfire in the center, the circularly lined black-clothed men, Ju Yeo-rang with drawn sword, and Jang Geon holding only his scabbard settled down in an instant. In that moment, the only moving existence there was the swaying of shadows created by the campfire light. The slightly cool air seemed to stiffen in an instant with their tension.
The next moment, the stance of one black-clothed man collapsed slightly as he moved. Right before trained muscle and internal energy exploded, it was a very short gap that occurred between breaths. In that short instant, a flying dagger flew from Ju Yeo-rang’s hand. The briefly flashing flying dagger lodged into the chest of the black-clothed man, and as if that became a signal, the other black-clothed men simultaneously charged, drawing black lines.
At the same time, Jang Geon kicked the campfire.
With that single kick, yellow and red sparks and ashes scattered boisterously. The five black-clothed men charging at Jang Geon momentarily hesitated at the sparks, and three of them immediately broke through the sparks with their bodies, swinging their swords.
Their swords slashed through empty air. Jang Geon had leaped high, executing a backward flip to land behind the black-clothed men. The moment the two black-clothed men who had hesitated at the sparks turned their bodies in surprise, Jang Geon’s sword was drawn.
A blue-glowing blade swept across the upper bodies of the two black-clothed men. One beat late, blood sprayed with a pop. Seeing the two guys collapse like that, Jang Geon saw Ju Yeo-rang beyond the three black-clothed men turning their bodies. She was in the middle of stabbing a black-clothed man targeting her, when another fellow’s blade was seen thrusting toward her.
Jang Geon lowered his stance, loaded internal energy into his toes, and sprang forward rapidly. Passing past the fellows blocking the way between him and Ju Yeo-rang like an arrow turned slick eel, he loaded the flying momentum directly into his blade.
Blood sprayed from one black-clothed man’s chest with a pop as he collapsed. Ju Yeo-rang widened her eyes in surprise seeing Jang Geon suddenly appear beside her, then immediately swung her sword to block a blade targeting his back.
Simultaneously turning his body, Jang Geon thrust his sword into that black-clothed man’s belly. Letting out a suppressed gasp, he quickly backed away. As he retreated, the remaining black-clothed men also pulled back in a rush.
Jang Geon and Ju Yeo-rang examined their surroundings holding their swords. It was only a few brief blade flashes, but five black-clothed men had fallen, bleeding profusely and dying. Without quick treatment, they would truly die.
Jang Geon flicked his sword clean and stood upright.
“Do you want more?”
The black-clothed man holding his abdomen slowly shook his head. As he shook his head, the remaining black-clothed men also began to back away slowly.
At that moment, Jang Geon spoke.
“Take your friends with you.”
The retreating black-clothed men came to a abrupt halt. Catching her breath, Ju Yeo-rang was also startled and shouted.
“Are you crazy? They were trying to kill you and me!”
Jang Geon even put away the sword he was holding. Then he picked up the sword of a fallen black-clothed man and checked its edge. The blade of the sword painted black was quite dull. It was closer to an iron club than a sword. Though a martial artist wouldn’t be unable to use it, this sword was lacking to be a bladed weapon intended to kill.
After inspecting the edge for a moment, Jang Geon tossed it away and spoke again.
“Take them.”
Holding his belly and staring at Jang Geon with silent eyes, the black-clothed man nodded to the others. They quickly gathered the fallen black-clothed men and vanished into the dark forest. Turning his head after confirming their disappearance, Jang Geon saw Ju Yeo-rang looking at him with a very strange expression.
He spoke.
“We can’t camp here anymore. Let’s just pack up and go.”
Ju Yeo-rang kept her mouth tightly shut while Jang Geon put out the scattered sparks, refitted Jojo’s saddle, and pulled the reins. Only after a long while did she turn to Jang Geon and speak.
“You are truly a strange person.”
Saying so, she turned around and marched ahead.