Chapter 38: Chapter 38

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“Lady, please. What on earth do you plan to do by following them blindly like this?”

The female bodyguard Jin-ha spoke while sticking closely behind her, unable to bring herself to grab her. Hearing those words, the person walking ahead turned around and lightly raised her conical hat. Beneath the hat, a snow-white face was grinning brightly.

“You saw it too, Jin-ha. I’m telling you, they are the very New Continent masters I’ve been looking for!”

“You only saw them throw a couple of punches. You cannot judge a person’s true skill from just that.”

“Didn’t you say before that you could tell a master from an amateur just by looking at their standing posture and walking gait?”

“That was assuming I observed them closely up close. And besides···”

Jin-ha let out a deep sigh.

“···Haven’t you already seen the true state of those so-called New Continent masters while coming all the way here? Except for their very first sword strike, they are nothing more than unremarkable swordsmen.”

“Hmph, didn’t even you say that single sword strike was dangerous, Jin-ha? And I’m telling you, that single stroke is what makes it cool. A duel in the dry wilderness! Life and death decided in just a single exchange! Villains dying relentlessly and a ruthless protagonist! Kill all the evil ones and loot their corpses!”

Jin-ha raised her hand and stroked her forehead. It was because she didn’t know how to handle this spoiled youngster. If she were just a spoiled child, she would beat her calves and drag her home. But if she did such a thing to her protection target, Jin-ha’s own neck would be hung immediately.

Two figures completely disguised in large conical hats that covered their faces and black cloaks. Among them, the girl trotting ahead went by the name of Yu Seol, and she was the very person whom Governor Yeon Ha-sang of Hawaii and his soldiers were currently searching for with pale, dead faces.

And that person was an eccentric who, after being distanced early from the succession structure and living a comfortable life in the imperial palace, had fallen deeply in love with five-coin novels circulating in the market.

“Ah! What kind of backstory do those two have? The one wearing a headcloth was a Shaolin monk no matter how I look at it. The one carrying a sword must be a fixer of this city, right? A Shaolin warrior monk who chased monsters all the way from the Central Plains and a New Continent warrior who helps him? Then does that mean there is a monster wandering the darkness of this city right now? Ahhh! Could it be that he’s chasing the descendants of the Demonic Clan? The descendants of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, still exist! Maybe that descendant is a woman! A cold-blooded swordsmen’s battle taking place in the dark! And betrayal and love!”

Watching Yu Seol fall into her own delusions as she walked ahead, Jin-ha muttered to herself involuntarily.

“Ahhh··· I should have killed that girl Cheong-hwa···”

Cheong-hwa was the maid who had first introduced the five-coin novel to Yu Seol. Perhaps right now she too was wandering Heavenly Empress City or New Sichuan searching for them.

After taking a ship from Hawaii and landing in New Sichuan, they immediately set their course east and rode transport carriages for a long time. It hadn’t been long since they arrived in this city, Salt Lake City.

And until a moment ago, they were huddled in a corner of a tavern, following Yu Seol’s claim that all Martial World events occur in inns or taverns, killing time with liquor they couldn’t even drink, before discovering Jang Geon and Jin Won-sang who were inquiring about something and eventually getting into a fight, and nimbly following out after them. Jin-ha had no idea what this tomboy intended to do by chasing those two martial artists. She only hoped that she wouldn’t suddenly pick a fight with them.

Just then, her expression changed.

“Who is that New Continent warrior? Could he be a famous martial artist? The Heavenly Dragon Swordsman, Baek Sa-gyeong? The Gale Blade, Gam Gun-sang? No, those two’s weapons are too famous. That man was just carrying a single sword. Then could it be? The Anonymous Knight-Errant? Could it be the Anonymous Knight-Errant? The Anonymous Knight-Errant who wanders the wilderness asking for no reward and simply performs chivalry! Kaaah···! Jin-ha! Say something too. What do you think? Does that person have a title, ”

“Step back, Lady.”

Jin-ha stopped Yu Seol and stepped forward, shielding her with her own body. It was just a moment ago that they had entered a dark alley while tailing the two martial artists from a short distance away. Thinking that they might lose them due to the complex alleyways, the situation was exceeding Jin-ha’s expectations.

In the alley where there was not a single torch and only the stars in the night sky illuminated the surroundings, the night clouds parted and cool moonlight seeped into the alley.

In Yu Seol’s eyes, as she retreated in confusion at Jin-ha’s touch, the view of the alley over there, slowly revealed like a curtain being lifted by the moonlight, came into sight. There stood a man leaning slightly, holding the scabbard at his waist with his left hand, looking at them.

It was the martial artist they were chasing, Jang Geon.

“Hello.”

He greeted them with a calm attitude, as if there was nothing to be excited about. Jin-ha found the greeting so natural that she almost greeted him back involuntarily. But looking at the scabbard gripped in his hand, she barely managed to shove the greeting back down her throat.

“Ah, hello.”

Yu Seol didn’t care. Rather, at the sight of Jang Geon appearing like a picture from the far side of the alley, she stuck her head out between Jin-ha’s waist and offered a greeting right away, her eyes sparkling brightly.

“Lady! What are you doing!”

“Why? I just greeted him?”

“Is this the kind of situation for that right now?”

“Then what? Are we going to fight? Why?”

Jin-ha was at a loss for words. Would they fight? That was still unknown. Neither of them had drawn their swords yet. Just then, Jang Geon spoke again.

“I am called Jang Geon. And you over there?”

“Ah! I’m called Seol! This is Jin-ha!”

Jang Geon smiled faintly at her cheerful attitude and nodded his head lightly.

“Nice to meet you.”

At his pleasant smile, Yu Seol grinned and lightly passed Jin-ha to step forward. Jin-ha called out to her as if troubled.

“Lady!”

“Nice to meet you too, Jang Geon. Did you notice us following you?”

Jang Geon nodded his head again.

“I’m a bit sensitive to people’s presence.”

“My goodness. Honestly, I tried to catch up to you quickly, but Jang Geon was too fast. Ah! Where is the other person?”

“Amitabha··· ahem. I am here. I am called Jin Won-sang.”

From the alley on the opposite side, Jin Won-sang quietly revealed himself. Jin-ha’s expression completely hardened as she gripped her sword hilt with her left hand. Right now, she and Yu Seol were surrounded front and back in the alley. If those two had bad intentions and launched a surprise attack, Jin-ha might have suffered a great defeat. Because she had to protect Yu Seol even at the cost of her life.

Jin Won-sang, who appeared from behind, reflexively tried to press his palms together before squirming and loosening his posture. As Jang Geon smiled slightly at that awkward sight, Yu Seol took off her conical hat and said:

“I’m sorry for secretly tailing you. But Jin-ha and I didn’t harbor any bad intentions.”

“A person following behind in the middle of the night had no malice··· Sure, tell me what this is about.”

Yu Seol continued speaking with a smile on her white face.

“I came to meet the masters of the New Continent. Because I plan to gather their heroic tales and compile them into a book!”

The faint smile on Jang Geon’s face turned blank. What on earth was this lady talking about right now?

“···A book?”

“Yes! A book! Did you know that stories about this New Continent are in fashion in the Central Plains right now?”

“In fashion? Stories about this place?”

“Yes! The Heavenly Dragon Swordsman Baek Sa-gyeong, who defeated countless villains and demonic practitioners as the disciple of the Martial Alliance Leader! The Gale Blade Gam Gun-sang, who performed chivalrous deeds far and wide against the backdrop of New Sichuan and Gamsan City! And even the Anonymous Knight-Errant who wanders the frontier villages beyond New Sichuan, asking for neither name nor reward and simply saving people through chivalry!”

Jang Geon’s mouth opened a bit wider.

“The stories of numerous heroes who bloomed and withered in this New Continent over the past century, and the heroes being newly born right now! Not just beautified biographical novels, but real martial artists of this land!”

Yu Seol trotted closer to Jang Geon before Jin-ha could even grab her.

“Unlike other biographical novels that are overly beautified, I’m going to gather stories of real martial artists of this land and publish them in the Central Plains. It will probably sweep the fashion of Chang’an! Then I’ll become rich, and Jang Geon, who will be the protagonist of the story, will also get to touch some money!”

Hearing the story, not only Jang Geon but also Jin-ha, who learned of her plan for the first time, wore blank faces and stared foolishly at Yu Seol. Only Jin Won-sang tried to grasp how the situation was turning out with an ambiguous smile.

After staring blankly at Yu Seol for a moment, Jang Geon let out a chuckle.

“···You came to this New Continent, and to a city at the eastern edge of it, just to find stories to write in a novel? And seeing me and that friend fighting just now, you want to hear our story?”

Without answering, Yu Seol nodded her head vigorosly once. Seeing her smiling face and lively attitude, he couldn’t even get angry. In the end, Jang Geon scratched his head and said:

“···There is an inn on the outskirts of the city. It’s the only three-story inn there, so it should be easy to find. I’m staying there right now.”

Yu Seol’s expression brightened drastically.

“Then···?”

“I have work to do tonight, so let’s meet there tomorrow during the day.”

As if she accomplished something, Yu Seol quietly gave a small fist-pump ‘Aza!’ to herself, and then bowed repeatedly to Jang Geon and Jin Won-sang.

“Thank you! I’ll see you then! I don’t know what work you have tonight, but I hope it goes well!”

And pulling the stiff-faced Jin-ha, she trotted out of the alley. Watching them recede beyond the alley over there, Jin Won-sang stepped up beside Jang Geon.

“Amitabha. What on earth is happening?”

“I don’t really know either··· By any chance, have you heard of those titles mentioned earlier?”

“You mean Heavenly Dragon Swordsman or Gale Blade? No. I haven’t heard of them from my senior brothers either. Judging by how Miss Seol speaks, they seem to be famous people. Do you not know them?”

Jang Geon slowly shook his head.

“It’s already been several years since I came to the New Continent, but I’ve never heard of such names. It seems she is someone with quite a few fantasies about this land. I don’t know what she will say when we meet tomorrow.”

Jin Won-sang, who no longer seemed to intend to hide anything from Jang Geon, pressed his palms together and smiled.

“Amitabha, a biographical novel about Martial Artist Jang. I must definitely read it later as well.”

Jang Geon just chuckled dryly. Watching Yu Seol and Jin-ha move farther away for a moment, he soon turned around and took the lead. Jin Won-sang quickly followed behind him.

“Where are we going now? Are we looking for that Salt Master?”

“We should. It won’t take long. From what I hear, there are few craftsmen who go by the title of Salt Master.”

The two immediately looked for the nearest salt kiln on that path. In the salt kilns of Salt Lake City, workers took turns keeping watch over the fires to make sure they didn’t go out while boiling and roasting saltwater even at night. Jang Geon stopped them and handed each worker a coin, asking:

“Is there a Salt Master elder whose hair is white but whose body is no less than a young man’s?”

“White hair and a young man? Ah, Salt Master Elder Jang?”

Jang Geon nodded his head.

“I heard he roasts salt really well.”

“Ah, of course. The salt roasted by him and his workers is truly magnificent.”

“By any chance, where should I go if I want to work under him?”

The worker who received the coin and answered scanned Jang Geon and Jin Won-sang with suspicious eyes.

“···You don’t look like people who would work as manual laborers···”

“Of course I don’t intend to work as a laborer. I plan to learn how to roast salt and set up my own kiln.”

Hearing Jang Geon’s answer, the worker burst out laughing as if it were absurd.

“Hey man, do you think owning your own kiln is an easy task? ···Well. I won’t stop you if you want to go out of your way to suffer. Go straight to the left of our kiln, and when an intersection appears, turn right. If you go straight from there, there is a kiln. That’s the place. You’ll have to walk a bit. And if possible, visit tomorrow morning. It’s impolite right now, and they will be in the middle of being busy during the day.”

Without answering, Jang Geon flicked one more coin as a token of thanks and took large strides ahead. Jin Won-sang followed behind him. Walking for a moment along the path indicated by the worker, Jin Won-sang suddenly glanced at Jang Geon’s expression. It was so noticeable that it was difficult to pretend not to notice.

“Is there a problem?”

Jin Won-sang was startled by Jang Geon’s question asked without even looking at him. But after hesitating for a moment, he finally opened his mouth.

“You said you already guessed where I am a disciple from.”

“I did. A place where you must shave your head cleanly. Where you must stay far away from women your whole life.”

“···Yet you do not ask why I am looking for So-so.”

Jang Geon shook his head.

“Well. Hasn’t it only been about half a day since we met? It doesn’t seem like we are at a stage where we open our hearts and talk about everything. Our transaction is simple. I find the woman you are looking for, and you give me money.”

However, Jang Geon, who paused his words, smiled faintly after a moment and continued speaking.

“···But since you mention it, I am curious. Can you tell me? I won’t go around spreading rumors elsewhere.”

At Jang Geon’s words that seemed to keep a distance, Jin Won-sang, who wore a slightly awkward expression, wore a similar faint smile at the subsequent question. Walking slowly along the sparsely populated roadside with Jang Geon, he looked up at the bluish bright night sky’s moon.

“···So-so and I were childhood friends. We were neighbors in the same village.”

Living in a mountain region in southern Henan, their village was small and their households poor, but the villagers helped each other and lived happily in their own way. And among them, Jin Won-sang and Yang So-so stuck together most closely among the village kids, causing all kinds of trouble.

“It was a time when we weren’t full and walked around with dirt on our faces, but I have no memory more happy than back then. The back view of that twin-tailed little girl leading the way in front of me on a summer day, the swaying trees, the grass leaves, the strangely cool scent rising from the damp forest floor, So-so’s bright smile looking back at me···”

Just then, Jin Won-sang’s smile, which had been comfortable while recalling the past, began to turn bitter.

“···I thought I would marry So-so and build a family. But I couldn’t. When So-so came of age, her parents married her off to a wealthy man in the city area··· So-so was···”

The corners of his mouth slowly hardened.

“Back then, So-so told me to run away. That the two of us should run far away and live even in a mountain valley. But··· but I lacked confidence··· Confidence that I could take So-so and live well··· Confidence that I could make her happy··· At least the man in the city had plenty of property, so I thought he wouldn’t let So-so starve.”

Thus, Yang So-so eventually married the man from the city and left, and Jin Won-sang, who had been unable to take her and leave, felt disgusted by his own weakness and tried to throw himself off a cliff to die. But just then, there was an old monk named Hye-won passing by. The old monk persuaded and took in the young man who was in despair, accepting him as his disciple, and despite being near twenty years old, Jin Won-sang had considerable talent in martial arts, becoming a Shaolin monk looking toward the next abbot position in just a few years.

And then a letter arrived.

“···It was So-so’s letter. Before leaving for the New Continent, she visited our hometown and learned that I had entered the priesthood, so she sent a letter to the main temple. It was nothing special, just personal tidbits. Stories like there were many sights to see, that she gave birth to a daughter who was really pretty. And even after that, occasionally, really occasionally, letters arrived from the New Continent. Fortunately, because there were quite a few patrons in the New Continent who came to pay respects to the main temple, she was able to send news through travelers like that.”

In the letters, Yang So-so seemed happy. She wrote long letters detailing the broad and beautiful scenery of the New Continent, the unfamiliar yet mysterious flora and fauna, and the stories of numerous people living within it. Whether those letters were sent to a former lover or simply to a childhood friend was uncertain, but Jin Won-sang didn’t care. He was just grateful that she was living well, and that he could catch a whiff of her scent through those letters.

The problem was the most recent letter. Unlike her usual neat handwriting, the letter that arrived in messy handwriting detailed how living was actually so hard and unbearable, how her daughter had been sick for a long time, how her husband beat her and treated her recklessly. And that this would be her last letter.

Upon receiving that letter, Jin Won-sang could no longer focus on his cultivation. He couldn’t.

“···The Buddha cast off all worldly bonds, including his wife and child, to achieve the state of enlightenment. If I too want to gain enlightenment··· naturally I should cast off such vexations··· even if that is the Buddha’s teaching··· I simply··· simply cannot···”

Jin Won-sang was crying tears drop by drop as he spoke. Even after his story ended, Jang Geon continued walking a step ahead for a long while without any response. Then he came to a sudden halt. When Jin Won-sang was startled by that, Jang Geon turned back with the same faintly smiling face.

“We’re here. Let’s see if that Salt Master old man arrived first.”

“···Yes, yes. We must see. I must find out where So-so is.”

Looking at Jang Geon’s face, Jin Won-sang quickly nodded his head and wiped his tears with his sleeve. Wiping the corners of his eyes, he looked somehow relieved in a short moment.

Waiting a moment for him to compose himself, Jang Geon led the way again. They passed a low wall and entered inside the kiln. And they had no choice but to come to a sudden halt once again.

The white-haired old man they had met at the tavern was sitting in front of a glowing kiln with a small liquor table set up.

“···You’ve finally tracked me down. At any rate, all these salt-roasting fellows have loose mouths, that’s the problem.”