Chapter 17: Chapter 17

The girl asked to be called Bi-rang, Sad Wolf. Jang Geon became curious as to why she, who seemed so bright and lively even during the brief time he saw her, came to have such a name, but since she didn’t try to explain, he didn’t ask.

Currently the tent Jang Geon was in wasn’t very large. Red Wind said that to tend to him, they had deliberately pitched an unused tent. Bi-rang served water and a thick porridge-like dish, then left the tent. Red Wind said she was doing so because she was still shy, telling him not to mind.

“I’d like to compensate you.”

Finishing the porridge, Jang Geon spoke to Red Wind who was still sitting inside the tent. Red Wind answered with a hearty laugh.

“Compensation? You mean you want to reward us? Then give it in money.”

“…Do you use Central Plains money?”

“We didn’t use it among ourselves. But to buy goods in the lower village, we must have Central Plains money. Thanks to that, neighboring tribes also tend to use Central Plains money. Using it like this turned out to be convenient.”

Jang Geon let out a chuckle and searched for his clothes placed in the corner of the tent. Then, from the money remaining after gambling the other day, he pulled out all except a single coin and handed it over to Red Wind. Red Wind smiled brightly seeing the silver coins inside the pouch.

“Oh! You’re giving all this?”

“Instead, I will stay for a few days.”

“Feel free to do so! Ah! I should return your sword too, right? Wait a moment. I’ll bring it right away.”

Saying so, Red Wind left the tent. Watching his back, Jang Geon immediately assumed a cross-legged stance and began moving his internal energy.

According to his will, the power arising from his dantian passed through meridians, traversed the twelve main meridians and eight extraordinary meridians, and extended into the connecting collaterals, making the blood points throughout his whole body warm. The spear of the Yeon Clan warrior that had pierced Jang Geon’s shoulder was coated with quite potent poison, and that poison qi had exacerbated the penetrating wound.

That was why Jang Geon later unsealed the sealed blood points to expel the poisoned qi that was disturbing the meridians together with the dead blood.

However, contrary to expectation back then, the blood expelled was too much, causing him to lose consciousness. Of course, even during that time, once the master’s will vanished, internal energy minimized body activity and fostered wound recovery, but still, had Bi-rang not found him and brought him back, wound recovery would have taken much longer.

Jang Geon burned away the tiny remnants of poison qi remaining around his shoulder. Simultaneously stimulating nearby meridians to increase healing power, he calmly finished circulating his energy. Internal energy created by the teachings of numerous martial arts teachers, Jang Geon’s own creative attempts, and experience heavyset filled his dantian.

Exhaling a long breath as he opened his eyes, Jang Geon felt that moving his arm had become a step more comfortable. It didn’t seem the period he would stay here would be very long.

Standing up, Jang Geon gathered his clothes, roughly threw them on, and came outside the tent. In the chilly air, there was sunlight piercing his eyes brightly. Frowning as he straightened his bent waist, a village where wooden cabins and tents were mixed together spewing white smoke in billows came into view. The tent Jang Geon had come out from was on the outermost edge of that village.

“Huh? You’re out already? I think it would be better to rest more inside.”

Turning his head, he saw Bi-rang and Jojo. Bi-rang seemed to have been unbuckling Jojo’s saddle and grooming him with a brush. Looking at Bi-rang, Jang Geon smiled faintly.

“I ate the porridge well.”

“Ah, did it suit your palate a bit?”

“It was a bit bland.”

“…Usually at times like this, even if it tasted bad, don’t people say it was delicious?”

“Even so, what’s bland is bland.”

Bi-rang looked at Jang Geon with a pout.

“Then next time you’ll have to prepare meals yourself. I can’t adjust salt well.”

“I said it was bland, I didn’t say it tasted bad. I ate it deliciously.”

“…Is that so?”

Pouting, she soon let out a chuckle and quickly turned her head toward Jojo.

“Does this fellow have a name? He’s a smart fellow. At first he tried to block me.”

“Rather than smart, he’s on the slick side. His name is Jojo.”

“Jojo?”

As she muttered like that, Jojo immediately rubbed his head against her and snorted ‘Puhreureung’. That sound looked exactly like a person laughing slyly. However, Bi-rang stroked Jojo’s mane as if finding that sight cute.

“Jojo. Jojo, is it. I don’t know well about how Central Plains people name things. But it’s a name that’s fun to pronounce.”

“I named him like that thinking it would be fun too. But as the days go by, him getting slicker makes me feel I named him wrong.”

“Why? What does it mean?”

“Rather than the meaning, the original owner of that name had some issues…”

Bi-rang looked at Jang Geon with a bright smile as if asking for an explanation, not knowing what he meant. Looking at that smile, Jang Geon wore a bitter smile. Because there was no way to explain. How should he explain erased history?

The one who saved Jang Geon like that was Red Wind. He appeared holding Jang Geon’s sword in his left hand.

“Oh, Jang Geon. Is it okay for you to come outside? Well, actually. Originally you have to move around a bit like this to heal faster. Just in time.”

As Jang Geon and Bi-rang looked as if asking what he meant, Red Wind continued speaking.

“Just as I was bringing your sword, Elder said he wants to see your face. Since you’re up, let’s go right away.”

“Elder?”

“He is a person who communicates with spirits. He is also the oldest member of our tribe. And he was also the person who advocated treating you second most strongly among our tribe people. The first, you know even without me telling, right?”

Jang Geon nodded his head. It seemed an elder of this village wanted to confirm his face. Red Wind led the way. At that moment, Bi-rang, whose face had turned red behind them, quickly tried to follow. However, Red Wind stopped her.

“He said he wants to see him one-on-one.”

She looked disappointed, pouting her lips, but eventually stopped in her tracks and quietly watched Jang Geon. Following Red Wind, Jang Geon looked at those golden eyes and turned his body back toward her. And he lightly cupped his hands.

“Thank you for saving me.”

Bi-rang smiled brightly at those words.

“Don’t mention it. Hearing Uncle’s words, you weren’t even in that much danger anyway. Tell me stories about the Central Plains later.”

* * *

Walking behind Red Wind, Jang Geon could feel the people moving about inside the tribe watching him with cautious eyes or curious eyes. Most were curiosity rather than caution, to the extent that some stopped in their tracks and stood blankly looking at him. From Jang Geon’s perspective, those sparkling golden eyes were burdensome.

Red Wind cleared the path along the way for tribe members trying to stop them and ask questions, using the excuse that Elder called and they were busy. Walking like that, the two were able to arrive at a small tent set up between the tribe and the forest.

Standing before that tent, Red Wind stopped Jang Geon.

“Seeing that you speak our language well, I can guess you will observe propriety before Elder. But still, I must say a word. Make sure not to act carelessly from a Central Plains person’s perspective.”

Jang Geon answered by giving a deep nod. As if liking that reticent figure, Red Wind smiled faintly, looked toward the tent, and spoke.

“Elder, I have brought that friend. Shall I send him in?”

And though there was no answer from inside, he pulled back the tent entrance and stepped aside.

“Go in. I’ll return the sword after that.”

At such a sight, Jang Geon bent his body and entered inside with a somewhat bewildered face. Hearing about him, he seemed to be the tribe’s highest elder and shaman, but was it really okay to meet him this easily?

The inside of the tent was decorated with colorful cloth, feathers, animal bones, and hides. And at the innermost part of the tent facing the entrance sat an old man decorated similarly to the inside of the tent. Deeply carved wrinkles, eyes appearing open yet closed, and yellow and red patterns painted on his face were an eye-catching old man.

As Jang Geon entered, he slightly opened only one eye to look at him. Feeling wonder at that eyeball being red, Jang Geon lightly gathered his hands.

“I am called Jang Geon.”

The old man did not answer. He merely watched him quietly with that red single eye. Thinking for a moment what that meant, Jang Geon simply plopped down and sat. The old man’s eyebrows twitched.

“I didn’t tell you to sit.”

“Because the tent is a bit low to stand.”

Staring intently at Jang Geon’s natural action, the old man smirked.

“Your pronunciation is decent. Where did you learn our language?”

“If you go far southwest from here, on the coast there is a place called Heavenly Empress City. It is the largest of the three cities the Emperor built on this land. Many people of this land work there as well. Among them are people who teach the languages of each tribe for money.”

“Working under Central Plains people? They must be Rock people or Wilderness people. Those people originally had a hard time making a living. That’s why it has a southern dialect feel to it.”

Jang Geon felt bitter as deep rifts and distance between tribes seemed felt in those words. The thought that regional sentiment existing meant places where humans live were all similar followed right after. At that moment, the old man continued speaking.

“I am called One-Eyed Cloud. The old man who has lived longest in this village. I’ve lived so long that among the tribe youngsters, there are definitely fellows wondering why that old man doesn’t die. Even taking all the surrounding tribes together, there’s no old man who has lived as long as me, right? And that’s all thanks to the ancestor spirits protecting me, but there were also fellows asking if I used evil sorcery… Of course, such fellows I didn’t leave alone…”

Listening quietly, the old man’s words stretched out endlessly. However, having Red Wind’s words in mind, Jang Geon tried hard not to interrupt those words.

“…No matter if it’s another tribe, shouldn’t there be respect and propriety for each other? Even when those fellows were bright red infants, I was this village’s shaman. At any rate, among youngsters these days, the only one respecting age seems to be Red Wind. Ah, meeting a Central Plains person like this after a long time makes useless words stretch out long. What did you say your name was?”

“…Hmm. Nice to meet you, One-Eyed Cloud. Introducing myself again, I am called Jang Geon.”

It seemed the reason Red Wind and Bi-rang were talkative was because of this old man. Jang Geon had a very ominous thought that perhaps all the villagers were talkative like this. And thinking words would stretch long again if left alone, he quickly asked.

“I heard you strongly advocated treating me in the village. Why did you do so?”

“Then should I have told her to throw away what Sad Wolf carried over? I heard your horse followed you very well. Since a person who gained a horse’s heart cannot be an evil person at minimum, helping an injured and exhausted person was a natural matter.”

“…I see.”

Jang Geon lowered his eyes and laughed lightly. It was a somewhat familiar answer.

“And it was also because my personal curiosity arose.”

At One-Eyed Cloud’s continued words, Jang Geon was somewhat bewildered. Did he mean a Central Plains person fallen by the riverbank was curious?

Seeing that expression, the old man slowly opened his opposite eye. The eye slowly opened in the somber tent was sparkling like a silver ring. A red right eye and a silver left eye. The two eyes faintly glowing in the shadow of the tent possessed a mystery that imparted a feeling of some distant distance. Those two eyes looked straight at Jang Geon.

The old man’s mouth opened.

“Right, how is living a second life? Is it enjoyable?”

For a moment, Jang Geon merely faced those two eyes quietly without answering. He wasn’t flustered as people who had secrets discovered usually were, nor did he ask how he knew. Simply maintaining a calm expression, he faced those mysterious two eyes, and then answered calmly.

“It wasn’t altogether enjoyable. As with all world affairs.”

One-Eyed Cloud looked at Jang Geon for a long while with deep eyes as if to pierce that composure. However, Jang Geon had not a single tremor. The old man let out a short groan.

“…It doesn’t seem like you used sinister sorcery or wicked power. Right, I heard stories that very rarely such things just happen. I didn’t expect to see it in person, though. Truly, one has to live long to see things…”

Jang Geon let out a chuckle.

“Was it because of that your curiosity arose?”

“Then if curiosity doesn’t arise seeing a person living a second life, is that a person? Do you know how surprised I was when I saw your face brought over by Sad Wolf? At first I thought you were a demon!”

“I find your eyes even more wondrous, Elder. Can you perhaps see my soul?”

“Uh-oh! One doesn’t ask such things. Sorcery loses power once disassembled piece by piece. Didn’t you people risk your lives for the secrets of that thing called martial arts as well?”

“…Most just teach it if given money.”

Jang Geon answered somewhat awkwardly. Wasn’t his own martial arts foundation built with money? However, hearing that answer, One-Eyed Cloud erased his seriousness until now and brightened up.

“Oh. Then do you teach martial arts for money too?”

“…My martial arts might be a bit troublesome. Since it’s skills learned haphazardly.”

However, the old man laughed ‘Kakkak’.

“That’s fine. Then it’s fine if you just spar a bit.”

“…Spar?”

Jang Geon felt the awkwardness from a moment ago becoming a bit deeper.