Chapter 52: Chapter 52
A bright morning dawned as if the commotion of last night had been a lie.
The chilly weather had loosened up a bit, making it a morning that wasn’t very cold as long as one buttoned up their collar tightly. Before departing from in front of the inn, the group was harnessing horses to the carriage and packing their luggage. The innkeeper and waiter came out to lend a helping hand. Though it would have been natural for them to be terrified by last night’s disturbance, they instead came up to bow and cringe at the gold Seol Myo-geum boldly offered them. It was a moment that showed the power of money.
To such a group, Gale Blade Gam Gun-sang and Dark Dragon Agent No. 24 approached. Each was mounted on horseback, and Wang O, who had aged dramatically overnight, was also riding a horse with his hands and feet tightly bound to the saddle.
No. 24 glanced at Jang Geon and Jin Gyeon before stepping up to speak to Seol Myo-geum.
“Ahem. Well, Young Lady Seol, as you requested, I will escort this fellow to Heavenly Empress City.”
“Ah, yes. Safe travels on your way.”
“Do not worry. With Great Hero Gale Blade Gam Gun-sang accompanying us, what is there to fear?”
Seol Myo-geum smiled awkwardly at that confident voice and glanced sideways at Jang Geon. It was shameless to put on a play in front of someone who already knew their true identities, but Jang Geon, mounted on Jojo’s back, merely looked into the distance without seeming to care particularly.
“Well then, we shall take our leave.”
The two people and one prisoner departed first like that. As Seol Myo-geum sighed while watching their receding backs, Jin Gyeon chuckled softly and spoke to her.
“You must feel very disappointed, Young Lady Seol. Did you send away someone you wished to converse with more for no reason because of us?”
Seol Myo-geum smiled brightly at his words.
“No. It was fascinating to meet like this on the road, but there wasn’t really anything more to chatter about. I am only thankful that they are escorting the demonic practitioner in our place.”
Jin Gyeon nodded and briefly recited a Buddhist chant.
“Namo Amitabha. A demonic practitioner who cultivated demonic arts dreaming of the revival of Chu. It is truly a lamentable affair. That Xiang Yu of Chu harmed so many people and committed wicked atrocities, yet to worship merely that strength, practice demonic arts that ruin human nature, and attempt to kidnap a young child to commit terrible deeds…”
“The Imperial Army anchored at Heavenly Empress City will probably move. They will extract information from that demonic practitioner and smash that place called the Palace to pieces.”
“That is fortunate among misfortunes.”
“Well… As it happens, we were together with Seo-ha, and there were people to escort the demonic practitioner, so it is fortunate indeed…”
“Let’s depart.”
Just then, confirming that the carriage preparation was finished, Jang Geon spoke briefly. The two people who were conversing nodded and boarded the carriage. Just like when coming to this inn, Jin-ha acted as driver, and Jang Geon followed beside the carriage riding Jojo.
The carriage soon set off with a rattling sound. At that moment, Seo-ha, who was inside the carriage, peeked her head out of the carriage window and looked back. The innkeeper and waiter, who had received gold in exchange for repair costs of the broken room and handling the corpses, were waving their hands while watching them move away. It was a sight that could be called outstanding in terms of merchant spirit.
Jang Geon rode up beside her and spoke.
“Stay inside. Dust will get in.”
Seo-ha turned her eyes from the inn to Jang Geon and stared blankly at him with clear, bright eyes. And her lips twitched as if she were about to say something. However, perhaps because Jang Geon was staring blankly at that sight in slight surprise, the child merely wriggled her lips for a moment before ducking right back inside the carriage.
As the child went back inside like that, Jang Geon, who had been staring blankly, chuckled to himself and tugged at the reins. At that, Jojo lightly surged forward and shook his head upward as if asking why he was laughing to himself. Jang Geon stroked the horse’s neck and spoke.
“This is trouble. I feel like I’m going to grow fond of her at this rate.”
Jojo snorted loudly as if asking whether he had nothing better to worry about than that, just like a human chuckling derisively. Jang Geon turned his eyes to the plain unfolding before him, keeping the faint smile on his face.
“Right. If heart goes, it goes.”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
At Jang Geon’s murmur, Jin-ha, driving the carriage beside him, abruptly asked back. Tipping the bamboo hat she was wearing with her hand, he spoke.
“Let’s pick up the speed. If we move quickly, we can stay at an inn tonight as well.”
“Ah, yes. Let’s do that.”
In the morning wilderness weather where the cold air of dawn mixed with the warmth of the morning sunlight, the carriage and pair of horse and rider ran westward while kicking up light dust. Behind them, thanks to the cloudless weather, the brightly rising sun illuminated their path far into the distance.
* * *
Wang O, who had been called Red Envoy Wang, trembled violently despite receiving the warm sunlight, as if feeling the cold air of dawn. However, with his body bound tightly to the saddle, he could not break free from restraint by doing so.
In his eyes, he saw a man collapsed on the ground coughing up blood, and another man slowly approaching him. Until a moment ago, they had been escorting Wang O as if belonging to the same faction.
Dark Dragon Agent No. 24 spat blood from his mouth to the side and smiled with difficulty while clutching his flank.
“…Dammit. I didn’t know I would die in a place like this…”
Gam Gun-sang, who had ambushed him and was now approaching him, chuckled at those words.
“That’s how the end of a secret organization agent always is. You guys killed a lot of our people in Gamsan too, didn’t you?”
Hearing those words, No. 24’s face contorted. It was a scowl of feeling pissed off rather than pain.
“Fuck… You, your voice…”
“Voice? Ah, this. The Hundred Transformations Art perfectly changes body shape or face, but it can’t change the voice. Yours changes even the voice, right? By any chance, do you know how to do it?”
Listening to her lively voice, No. 24 tried hard to smile again.
“Of course… I know how… This face is also a changed face…”
Gam Gun-sang, or rather someone who stole Gam Gun-sang’s face, squatted down in front of him.
“Oh. Will you teach me? If you promise to teach me, I might even save you. Of course, you’d have to defect to our side.”
No. 24 looked up at that stern face that did not match that lively voice at all. And he grinned and spoke.
“Eat shit… Even considering the people of the New Continent who died at your hands, I can’t do that…”
At that answer, Gam Gun-sang chuckled softly and nodded.
“Right, how grand of you. Loyal to the descendant of the thief emperor, yet thinking of the true people. How grand indeed.”
“…Rather than you who practice demonic arts… and revere the foolish acts of the rebel Xiang—”
Before his words could finish, Gam Gun-sang’s sword drew a flash of light. Right after, No. 24’s severed arm fell with a thud and rolled across the dirt ground. With a solemn expression, Gam Gun-sang flicked her sword with a swish and stood up.
“His Highness’s name is not a name you may utter so recklessly, emperor’s dog.”
“Gugh… You shifty bastard… Fuck… If not for the ambush…”
“Why? Did you really not know I would ambush you? You knew something was a little strange. That’s why you were on guard against me.”
No. 24 slammed his head against the ground and bit his teeth. Gam Gun-sang’s words were true. No. 24 had followed the operation planned by Magistrate Yeon of Hawaii, recruiting Gale Blade Gam Gun-sang and leading him here, but during that journey he had developed a slight suspicion.
When they first met, Gam Gun-sang had been pursuing a wanted criminal and injured his throat, making a truly raspy voice. So No. 24 understood his taciturn nature. But from a certain point, beyond being taciturn, he became completely mute. The moment No. 24 felt that for certain was when they conversed at the inn last night. The reason he tried to move to Heavenly Empress City without much objection to the princess’s order was to separate the princess from Gam Gun-sang, who had turned mute and suspicious.
“…When, when was it swapped? We were attached together almost all day…”
“Curious?”
Gam Gun-sang looked down at No. 24’s contorted face and grinned just like he had done earlier.
“I’m not going to tell you.”
With her following sword stroke, No. 24’s head fell with a thud and rolled round and round across the dirt ground. Gam Gun-sang looked down at No. 24’s rolling face with a cold expression, then turned around with a swish and approached Wang O, who was still trembling.
“Red Envoy Wang?”
“…Who are you?”
“Murong San-san.”
Wang O’s lips quivered violently.
“…A-A noble person of the Murong Clan. I-I have long admired the fairness and grand achievements of the Murong Clan. The fact that I was able to attain the status of Red Envoy was also because I grew up hearing of the Murong Clan Leader’s achievements…”
“Shut up for a moment, would you?”
“Ah, yes, yes…”
Gam Gun-sang looked at the trembling Wang O, let out a deep sigh, and continued.
“What kind of foolish nonsense is this. If not for you, I could have continued to approach the emperor’s daughter. An opportunity like this would truly never come again. Do you know how many resources went into finding out the information that that girl left Hawaii and came to the New Continent secretly? On top of finding out the magistrate’s plan?”
“…I-I am sorry. I merely followed orders…”
At that moment, with her sword moving in a flash, the neck of the horse Wang O was riding was severed. Thanks to that, Wang O, who was bound to the saddle, was pinned down directly under the horse carcass that collapsed with a thud.
“I am sorry! I am sorry! Please save me!”
Gam Gun-sang looked down at the pinned Wang O with cold eyes and continued.
“A fellow without shame. Losing seven subordinates including a Black Snake, yet expecting to live?”
“It couldn’t be helped! Didn’t you see that guy? Jang Geon, that fellow named Jang Geon!”
Gam Gun-sang’s face turned strange. Seeing that, Wang O shouted again.
“Information must have leaked in the middle of this affair! Otherwise, how could such an expert be guarding the Nine Yin Evil Blood? Maybe that fellow is an expert from the Imperial Palace too! A Commandant, or maybe even an expert of Vice General rank! How could a mere snake like me beat such an expert?”
Whether to survive or because he truly felt wronged, Wang O delivered an impassioned speech in his own way. As if that worked, Gam Gun-sang hesitated for a moment and thought about something before speaking.
“…He was certainly quite a master. As you said, even if not a Vice General, he might be a Senior Commandant. But there is no intelligence that the Imperial Army developed a block meridian technique like the one you suffered.”
“Perhaps a newly created martial art…”
“Perhaps so. Or perhaps he’s not from the Imperial Army.”
Wang O showed an unbelievable expression.
“If such an expert is not from the Imperial Army…”
“It’s not impossible. Right now, the Martial Alliance Leader isn’t an Imperial Army expert either, yet he is a tremendous master.”
Gam Gun-sang, who had answered Wang O’s muttering, soon shook her head slowly and continued.
“Enough. At any rate, it doesn’t seem to be a problem for me to solve right now.”
Hearing those words, Wang O’s face brightened slightly. It seemed he wouldn’t die right away. Of course, even if he returned to the Palace like this, he would suffer pain for failing the mission, but it was still far better than dying. He opened his mouth to utter words of gratitude for saving him.
Slightly faster than that, Gam Gun-sang’s sword severed his neck.
“Ah, did you have something left to say?”
Even if she spoke like that, Wang O was already dead after having his neck cut. Looking down at Wang O’s rolling head, she chuckled softly and mounted the horse she had been riding. At the same time, she ripped off the mustache attached beneath her nose. And massaging her face wildly, she moved around in the saddle.
Then, her solemn man’s face and sturdy build slowly transformed into a woman.
“Jang Geon, Jang Geon. Where on earth did such a guy pop out from. He really didn’t seem like the Imperial Army…”
Muttering like that, she slowly rode her horse. As the sunlight hit her head-on and dazzled her eyes, she pulled out a bamboo hat from the saddle and put it on. She moved far away to the east like that. In the place she left, only two decapitated corpses and one horse cooled down coldly.
* * *
Jin Seo-ha burst out laughing. It was because Jojo, who had been running energetically, stood up on his hind legs, and her eye level suddenly rose dramatically. Any other child would have been frightened and screamed, but she was a bold kid. Of course, Jojo also knew that because he had been carrying her around for the past few days.
“Seo-ha seems truly brave. If I were in the same situation as Seo-ha, I think it would have been hard to do that.”
Jang Geon, sitting on the driver’s seat with crossed arms watching them, casually turned his head to look at Jin-ha. She was looking at Seo-ha, who was riding Jojo around the area, as if proud of her.
“A tough kid. Though she can’t speak yet.”
“Well. Now I don’t know whether she can’t speak, or if she’s intentionally not doing so.”
Jang Geon chuckled softly.
After the disturbance at the inn, Jang Geon and the group ran straight toward New Sichuan. Renting inns or houses along the way to handle food and lodging, they moved quickly. It was out of concern that there might be another attack. And during that time, Seo-ha became close with Jojo, so it had already been over two days since Jang Geon sat in Jojo’s saddle during the daytime.
The two ran as naturally as if they had known each other for years, not days. Perhaps that was partly because Jojo accommodated Seo-ha well, but it was also a glimpse of her talent revealed while treating her meridians.
Jang Geon stroked his chin while watching the two.
“At this rate, I’m going to lose him to her too.”
“Hahaha, then I think Jojo would be even happier.”
“It’s so obvious that I have nothing to refute.”
While exchanging idle jokes with Jin-ha like that and entrusting his body to the vibration of the rattling carriage, suddenly Seo-ha and Jojo, who had ridden far up the hill, ran over here after seeing something. Of course, Jang Geon guessed what she had seen.
Running up beside the carriage, Seo-ha gasped lightly for breath while looking at Jang Geon and Jin-ha with sparkling eyes. Jang Geon laughed.
“Right. It’s time for it to be visible.”
Soon, the carriage also came to ascend the hill Seo-ha had climbed. Far away, a forest of buildings filling the coastline, ships anchored along the coast, a well-paved road, and countless people could be seen.
It was New Sichuan.