Chapter 76: Chapter 76

Iron arrows flew while drawing black lines continuously in midair. It was as if long poles were flying.

Jang Geon was running while lightly deflecting those flying poles. Of course, it was not an easy scene as it appeared on the surface. What he was doing was not deflecting the arrows with sheer strength and speed, but closer to smoothly sliding them off along his blade.

It was a feat accomplished by his astonishing dynamic vision and the subtle principles of Tai Chi expressed through his sword tip beyond his hands, and so he had no fatigue even while blocking iron lumps flying like small spears. However, whether the black archers knew of such art of Jang Geon or not, or perhaps merely for containment, they kept shooting arrows.

As the fast-running horses ran toward each other, Jang Geon and the archers rapidly drew close. While closing in like that, the five archers each shot at least four arrows, and Jang Geon deflected all those arrows without sustaining a single wound.

The moment their distance drew close to a certain extent, the five archers split into two and three, parting to both sides. Circling around Jang Geon while galloping, they loaded and shot arrows again. Jang Geon lightly clicked his tongue.

“They’re being troublesome.”

Perhaps because they were archers highly adept at archery, while galloping divided to the left and right, they even switched hands gripping their bows according to that direction. Those going to the right held with their left hands, and those going to the left held with their right hands.

Evading arrows flying frantically divided to the left and right, Jang Geon lightly tugged Jojo’s reins. At that, Jojo exhaled a deep breath as if letting out a sigh, then soon began picking up speed. The ones he caught up to first were the group split into three.

On a ridge that wasn’t even very wide, frantic mounted battle began unfolding. The three archers galloped to evade Jang Geon following from behind while shooting arrows, and behind that Jang Geon, the remaining two archers pursued while shooting arrows. Jang Geon neatly blocked arrows flying from front and rear with a single blade in his hand while gradually raising Jojo’s speed.

Only then did fluster appear on the archers’ faces. Their horses were of good pedigree carefully selected from the Sinsacheon Black Market. Good horses that didn’t fall behind much even compared to Imperial Army warhorses. However, Jang Geon’s Jojo was fiercely sprinting as if he were the legendary Wu Zhui horse, catching up to them.

The moment the archers’ distance drew close to a certain extent, Jang Geon lightly pulled up his legs, squatted on the saddle of the running horse, and whispered to Jojo.

“Here I go.”

Jojo merely puffed out nostrils steam once. Hearing that answer, Jang Geon straightened his bent legs and launched his body toward the archers.

The moment he leaped up, he spun his body round and round, and at that motion, the flying arrows all passed by him. Simultaneously, Jang Geon’s blade, shot like a spinning arrow, whirled and brushed past the three archers. When Jang Geon, having passed those three, flew a bit further, lost rotational force, and was about to fall, Jojo was beneath his feet.

The moment he landed back on Jojo’s saddle, the archers whose upper bodies were severed in two poured down onto the ground in heaps. Without even turning back to check that, Jang Geon turned Jojo’s reins as was and smoothly veered around. As he and Jojo turned their bodies, the remaining two archers pursuing behind his back came to face him head-on.

Seeing their three comrades die in a single moment, the two saw Jang Geon closing in in an instant and hurriedly tried to pull out swords and whips tied to their waists. However, before the sword could leave the scabbard, before the whip wrapped around the waist could be completely unfurled, the galloping Jojo and Jang Geon had already brushed past them.

“Woah, woah. Are you tired?”

After that fierce acceleration, Jojo rapidly lost strength, exhaled heavy breaths, and began walking sluggishly as if broken. Of course, Jang Geon knew Jojo was pretending to be tired to play a trick. The guy could probably pull off such acceleration a couple more times.

However, because it was also true that he had run much more than usual today, Jang Geon patted his neck without much comment. He flicked his blade, sheathed it, and turned the reins back around. Because there was something he had to confirm.

Here and there on the gentle ridge, masterless horses were visible. And below them, corpses made by Jang Geon. Among them, Jang Geon approached those who had been struck down while trying to pull out weapons. One was killed instantly upon being struck by the blade, but the remaining one was not dead yet.

Lying facing the sky, holding his chest where blood flowed profusely, he was catching labored breath. Then as Jang Geon and Jojo approached sluggishly, even while trembling, he looked up at Jang Geon.

The dying man spoke.

“…Are you a Je Clan warrior?”

“No.”

“…I thought so. A presence that can be felt even from that far… Supreme masters like that in the Je Clan are all old men…”

Jang Geon leaned his elbow on the saddle pommel, bent his body down, and said.

“You are not a martial artist of the Black Market. Why did you try to kill everyone present in this place?”

“…Because that is my mission. Because only when everyone tied to the Treasure Map in this wilderness dies will legends and suspicions be born… And we can also drain the Je Clan’s strength.”

His breathing grew gradually slower. His eyes turned to the blue sky again.

“…However… in the end it’s this state… To think I crossed the ocean to die in a mere wilderness like this…”

His breath stopped with that muttering as the end. Looking down at him quietly, Jang Geon soon dismounted and picked up the bow tumbling on the ground. He could tell it was a composite bow made by combining several materials, with a heavy weight and a string much thicker than ordinary bows. Certainly a bow capable of shooting iron arrows wouldn’t be possible with an ordinary bow.

And that meant the faction of these archers belonged to large ones, namely, ancient clans.

Inspecting the bow for a moment, Jang Geon also grabbed an iron arrow, hung it on his saddle, and mounted back on. In fact, secret feuds between ancient clans, though not clearly visible, were always present. For Jang Geon to intervene and do something, it was a time-honored fight dating back from the ancient Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

Jang Geon turned Jojo’s reins toward the bottom of the ridge. Far off, he saw Li Yeon and Yang Goeng looking at him.

* * *

“M-Master Ju… Please, spare me…”

Ju Seon looked at the last Great Peace Band member with slightly gloomy eyes. Except for this greenhorn currently impaled against the wall, all the rest of the Great Peace Band were dead. The black archers’ arrows were fatal.

Drawing out the Je Clan’s troops was the result of a consensus among the Yeon Clan, the Sinsacheon Black Market, and the Martial Alliance Leader who moved the Great Peace Band. However, in that consensus, there was no content regarding what to do with the Treasure Map’s treasure. Therefore, the Alliance Leader commanded them to acquire that treasure to expand the Great Peace Band’s power.

However, seeing the archers who appeared like this, it seemed the Yeon Clan had no intention of giving up the treasure either. Furthermore, it was certain they aimed to control information going to the Alliance Leader. Even if thieves hadn’t cut in, the place the Yeon Clan’s arrows pointed toward at the end would have been their Great Peace Band.

“Master Ju… Please…”

Deep in short thought, Ju Seon soon raised her head. Stuck tightly to the wall and impaled as he was, the Great Peace Band member was requesting help with eyes brimming with tears.

She subtly poked her head past the building to confirm the situation. That was around when the fight between Jang Geon and the archers was concluding.

Confirming that the two thieves were distracted by his fight, she turned her body and approached the Great Peace Band member. And onto his brightening face, she brought her hand and covered his mouth. Flustered, he let out a muffled, suffocated sound, but her grip didn’t come off.

The Great Peace Band member struggled with all his strength, trying to push her away. However, as Ju Seon’s other hand pressed hard on the part struck by the arrow, strength loosened along with dizzying pain. Ultimately, a moment later, he died while glaring at her with dim eyes.

Finishing him off, Ju Seon stealthily turned her body and began fleeing from the place where Jang Geon and the two thieves were. That Jang Geon appeared here meant Baek Sa-gyeong was defeated. She had to deliver that news to her master. And that also meant the remaining power of the Great Peace Band fell into her hands.

Though it was regrettable that Baek Sa-gyeong, with whom she got along reasonably well, died, it wasn’t bad to gain subordinates and power for her to handle. A subtle smile formed at the corners of her running lips.

* * *

Li Yeon had a welcoming look as Jang Geon approached. However, Yang Goeng beside her was not so. Though his mouth was smiling, cold sweat flowed continuously on his face. Looking up into Jang Geon’s calm eyes, he forced himself to speak first.

“He, hehe… Did you sleep well? I found the path ahead first. The treasure is probably in the basement of that house.”

Li Yeon beside him wore an expression of total absurdity. It was a face asking if he thought such a bullshit excuse would work. And Jang Geon was merely looking down at him without a word.

At that wordless gaze, Yang Goeng slowly lowered his eyes and continued.

“Well, you know what. I don’t have much morning sleep, so… I departed a bit early… Thinking the two of you were a bit busy…”

Just then, Jang Geon picked up the bow he had hung on the saddle pommel. And picking up the iron arrow he had retrieved, he loaded it onto the bowstring, drew it straight back, and aimed at Yang Goeng. Yang Goeng’s face turned pale, and Li Yeon beside him also opened her eyes wide, not expecting him to do that.

Yang Goeng held up both hands and spoke with a trembling voice.

“Bro-Brother Jang. Calm, calm down… Well, I did do something wrong, but actually Brother Jang and this friend Lee were also a bit much. Isn’t that so? No, knowing full well I was in the adjacent room, is it right for you two to hit it off and play around? Throwing aside the Treasure Map carelessly too… Showing such a huge opening to a thief like me is the same as setting a meal before a person who starved for three days and telling him to endure one more day…”

Li Yeon, who had opened her eyes wide, returned to an absurd expression as she listened to the stuff Yang Goeng spouted as an excuse. Thinking why he was dragging her in. And just then, Jang Geon subtly turned the bow aimed at Yang Goeng to the side and released the bowstring. A black arrow flew, piercing straight through the clear sky.

Following the trajectory of that arrow with blank faces, Li Yeon and Yang Goeng were startled. Because at the tip of the arrow that seemed to fly in an odd direction was the back of someone fleeing far off.

Li Yeon recognized the owner of that back.

“That woman… is the Great Peace Band member who threatened us earlier…”

“I said I would kill all the Great Peace Band if I met them again.”

Looking at her fallen limply without moving, Li Yeon wondered if she should view that as matching words with actions. And to Yang Goeng beside her, it sounded like a declaration that he would kill him next.

So while he was trembling finely, Jang Geon hung the bow back up and dismounted from his horse. And without a word, he entered inside the house where Yang Goeng said there was treasure. Seeing that scene, Li Yeon and Yang Goeng looked at each other and hastily followed behind.

Stepping inside the house, Jang Geon scanned the mess inside and lightly applied force beneath his feet. There was a vibration clear that a basement existed beneath. Nodding his head, Jang Geon picked up a fallen chair amidst the mess and set it upright in a corner. And sitting atop it, he spoke to Yang Goeng who followed in behind him.

“Tear it up.”

“…Tear it up? The floor?”

Jang Geon nodded lightly while sitting. Hesitating for a moment, Yang Goeng soon gave a loud laugh.

“Of course! Must tear it! Beneath this is Brother Jang’s treasure! Just wait a moment! I’ll open it up cleanly. Hey, Li Yeon. Help me…”

However, his words were cut short midway. Because Jang Geon gestured to Li Yeon and called her to his side. Li Yeon, having no intention of going against Jang Geon’s mood, approached beside him and set up a chair herself to sit down. Looking at that blankly, Yang Goeng laughed again.

“Hahaha! Well, I can just do it alone! Alone is plenty! I’ll finish quickly so just wait a moment.”

He made a fuss clearing the surroundings alone and tapping the floor for a moment, then began hacking at the floor with the axe he held. Sitting and watching that scene, Jang Geon pulled out small papers and a cigarette pack from his breast pocket and rolled tobacco. Because remaining tobacco was scarce, it seemed to be the last tobacco.

However, Yang Goeng who was hacking at the floor with the axe saw that tobacco, stopped his hand, and gave a silly smirk. When Jang Geon, about to light it, looked at him asking what it was, he answered.

“That tobacco, isn’t it the one I gave you?”

To be precise, it was one Jang Geon snatched. Jang Geon threw the empty pack to Yang Goeng with a flick.

“Cut the bullshit and do what you were doing.”

“…Hahaha! I’ll finish quickly! Just wait a moment!”

Thus Yang Goeng did axe work while breaking out in sweat, and Jang Geon quietly watched it from one side while smoking tobacco. Li Yeon beside him poked her head out to see if the basement was visible.

“…If done wrong, the floor could just collapse entirely. But who am I? Doing it while avoiding pillars or important parts is nothing special. This is all for Brother Jang’s treasure…”

Yang Goeng muttered something to himself and made a large hole in the floor. Whether he really did it knowing something, there was no sign of other parts of the floor collapsing.

“Hehe, I’ve torn it all.”

At those words, Jang Geon stood up and approached the hole. Scanning the inside slowly, Jang Geon lightly leaped down below.

The basement was not very deep. At most it was merely slightly taller than Jang Geon’s height. Jang Geon’s eyes inspected the inside of the basement based on the light coming through the hole.

However, inside that basement, rather than looking like a very secretly hidden vault, it looked simply like a cellar storage. There were three-tiered shelves on both sides, and atop them were dried-up scraps that appeared to have originally been something edible.

And in one corner lay a skeleton embracing a box.

“Is there something there?”

“There is nothing dangerous. Come down.”

Li Yeon, who asked from above the hole, quickly leaped down below at Jang Geon’s answer. A beat late, Yang Goeng also subtly followed down.

“…It doesn’t look like an ancient clan’s secret warehouse. Unless it’s just a cellar storage.”

When Li Yeon looked around the basement and gave a similar impression as Jang Geon, Jang Geon approached the skeleton, knelt on one knee, and inspected his form.

The clothes worn by the skeleton were old from long years, but looking at the patterns drawn on them or the fabric material, one could tell they were grandly luxurious goods. Observing him, Jang Geon pulled the box he was embracing. The skeleton surrendered that box all too easily.

The box was about the size of an adult man’s torso. Li Yeon saw it and spoke.

“Is that… all of the treasure?”

“We’ll know when we open it.”

The box was locked with an iron padlock. However, the padlock was old from long years, so when Jang Geon held it and lightly pulled, it broke with a snap. Jang Geon set the box on the floor and slowly opened it wide. Li Yeon and Yang Goeng looked at that spot with faces full of expectation. Brilliant silver light illuminated them.

“…Silver light?”

The expressions of the two thieves froze. Inside the box were several lumps of silver, and atop them a neat booklet was placed.

“S-Silver, not gold? And just one box?”

“…Th-The truly important thing isn’t that. That book, that book is the real deal.”

Yang Goeng and Li Yeon couldn’t dare reach out their hands, looking at Jang Geon. Smiling at their trembling eyes, Jang Geon picked up that booklet and unfurled around the middle.

[…What on earth is Father thinking? Does he really believe he can overthrow the Emperor and the Imperial Army to establish a new empire? Does he really believe he himself can beat the Emperor? Though he is my father, he cannot help but be an extremely foolish figure.

The barbarians who agreed to rise up together naturally did not keep the agreement. Silla at least secretly sent greetings to apologize, but the rest cut off contact without even such things. Of course, even that was sent to receive a price for not reporting the agreement to the Emperor. Sly bastards.

…The Imperial Army’s suspicion was much faster than Father’s thoughts. To save the clan, we must erase all connections and crouch our bodies even now. If there is no clear evidence, reports won’t be raised to the Emperor. No, in fact… I merely hope so…]

Reading the book, Jang Geon let out a chuckle. Li Shimin. As expected, unlike what was known, he did not seem to be a quiet figure. Well, accumulating martial arts such as being the foremost expert among clans, it was clear he was not ordinary to begin with. Naturally, he was looking at the Emperor’s throne.

However, it didn’t seem to turn out well. Jang Geon roughly flipped through a few pages.

[…Father returned after a private audience with the Emperor. I do not know what they discussed. Father has not spoken a word since that day as if he had become deaf. The shouts that used to echo thunderously through the underground practice room no longer echoed either. Father merely sits on the garden rock where he usually cultivated internal energy, staring vacantly up at the sky like a ruined man.

Instead, the pressure of the Imperial Army squeezing the clan from all directions vanished. I fear what this signifies. Did the Emperor know everything and call Father? Then why wasn’t our clan burned down? Is he telling us to try if we want to…?

…The pressure of the Imperial Army vanished, but instead other clans began targeting us. Noticing that we grew weak after wasting all power poured outside. Hyena-like bastards. Those who bowed their waists when Father was perfectly fine…]

Having checked a few more pages after that as well, Jang Geon was able to confirm that the booklet merely contained the rise and fall of the Li Clan witnessed by his son Li Zhi after Li Shimin became patriarch. If so, was there really not a single line of martial arts? That was not the case.

On the final page, a short few lines of internal energy operation method were written.

“Gold-Shattering Palm?”

Scanning roughly, it was a palm technique executed with two hands, to be precise, an internal energy emission method through palms. Meaning it was for ambush or assassination. Hearing that story, Li Yeon and Yang Goeng looked at Jang Geon with faces full of expectation.

However, Jang Geon soon had to tilt his head. Because he was one who usually experimented with various internal energy operations, he could easily deduce what would happen to both hands if he used the contents as written. That internal energy operation method possessed quite powerful force like the words of shattering gold, but if used a few times, the meridians of both hands would harden stiffly, and if used again in that state, the user’s qi and blood channels would break apart instead.

In a word, it was merely a martial art to be used as a life-saving ultimate technique in a truly urgent moment.

Reading the booklet to the end, there were also sentences explaining that risk. However, either way, to a person expecting the martial arts of Li Shimin, the foremost expert among noble clans a hundred years ago, it could only be a disappointing level. Right now, Jang Geon could use Silk-Reeling Force or Penetrating Force that had similar power with no side effects.

Jang Geon handed the booklet over to Li Yeon and spoke.

“First, let’s go up and divide these silver lumps.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes.”

Even while answering so, Li Yeon hurriedly scanned the booklet, and beside her Yang Goeng also peeked together. Seeing that, Jang Geon gave a chuckle and smacked Yang Goeng’s head.

“Ah, ahh! Why do you do that!”

“You carry this and go up.”

Unconscious for a moment, Yang Goeng submissively lifted the silver lump chest at those words. Sending the two up first like that, Jang Geon approached the skeleton. That skeleton, who would have been called Li Zhi while alive, was looking at Jang Geon with empty eye sockets.

Kneeling on one knee in front of him again, Jang Geon looked at those eye sockets for a moment, picturing the skeleton’s face while alive, then grabbed his worn-out collar. A moment later, flames blazed up from that holding hand.

Jang Geon looked silently at Li Zhi’s skeleton burning like that, then turned his body.

* * *

Stepping outside first, Li Yeon and Yang Goeng came out to the bright exterior and inspected the booklet.

“Wh-What? Just a diary?”

“…It seems so.”

“F-Fuck… Can I, can I take a look…”

“Take your hands off. This is an item containing secret history of my clan, and currently it belongs to Warrior Jang.”

“Hey, it’s not like looking at it touches it—”

Yang Goeng, who was reaching out his hand toward the book held by Li Yeon, froze with an ugh. Because Jang Geon smacked the back of his head. He soon gave a silly smile and turned to look at Jang Geon.

“He, hehe. Brother Jang. This turned out to be a complete bust…”

Yang Goeng’s body froze again. Because smoke was rising in wisps from the house they came out of, and also because a rope was held in Jang Geon’s hand. Looking at where the rope came from, it seemed to have been brought from the well over there in that brief interval.

And Yang Goeng felt an unknown sense of crisis as he looked at that rope that looked still usable thanks to being thick despite being old.

“Wh-Why is that…”

Afterwards, Jang Geon firmly bound Yang Goeng’s hands and feet with part of the rope. And he dragged him by pulling toward a scrawny standing tree on one side. Rope and tree. Bound hands.

Yang Goeng realized what Jang Geon was trying to do and turned pale.

“W-Wait, wait Brother Jang! Wh-What are you trying to do? What are you trying to do!”

“If you don’t want to die right now, stay quiet.”

At those cold words that made one wonder if they came from a living person’s mouth, Yang Goeng closed his mouth and was dragged along. However, his legs losing strength and slumping down couldn’t be helped.

As if really intending to do the act Yang Goeng imagined, Jang Geon made a loop shape with the rope and hung it around Yang Goeng’s neck without hesitation. And throwing the rope over the tree with a flick, he turned to look at Li Yeon.

“Go and bring a chair or box.”

Swallowing hard, Li Yeon quickly entered any house and picked up a chair. Jang Geon placed the trembling Yang Goeng atop it and pulled the rope straight up.

“W-Wait! Brother Jang! J-Jang Geon! You bastard! Wait a minute! Khuck!”

At the rope pulled in a single moment, Yang Goeng had to stand on tiptoe as much as possible and stretch his body straight. However, even doing so, the rope dangerously tightened around his neck.

Afterwards, tying the rope tightly to the tree, Jang Geon looked at Yang Goeng’s bloodshot face and upright posture, nodded, and kicked one leg of the chair to break it. Relying on the neck rope and that single chair leg, Yang Goeng’s appearance became even more precarious.

“You fucker! Wh-What! Jang Geon! N-No! Bro-Brother Jang! Do-Don’t play tricks… Th-This, untie…”

However, leaving such a precarious state as is, Jang Geon completely ignored the desperate shouts heard and turned his head to Li Yeon.

“Did you divide the silver lumps?”

“…Yes. According to the ratio we set.”

Jang Geon nodded and roughly scattered just the amount of silver lumps to be given to Yang Goeng at his feet. And looking up into Yang Goeng’s red eyes, he spoke.

“This is your share. It was reasonably fun this time too.”

Afterwards, he turned his body, packed his share of silver, and mounted atop Jojo. And he began leaving. Hesitating for a moment, Li Yeon also ultimately packed her horse at that sight and followed behind him.

Yang Goeng, who hadn’t thought he would really leave him like this, almost slipped from the chair while squirming, then stood his body upright again tightly.

The rope tightly strangled his neck making it hard to breathe, and his upright body and feet felt like cramping up. Whether due to intense sunlight or the neck rope, cold sweat flowed continuously. Because of the building flames that began burning brightly before anyone knew it, Yang Goeng felt more suffocated. Despair showed on his face.

How long could he endure? Half a day? An hour? What after that? The moment he slipped, it was hanging as is. Gritting his teeth, Yang Goeng’s eyes turned toward Jang Geon crossing over the ridge far off. Ending like this?

Just then, at the top of the ridge, Jang Geon and Li Yeon stopped. Wondering if he was returning, hope surged on Yang Goeng’s face.

However, Jang Geon, who had stopped, had no thought of returning and was fiddling with something. Blinking his dimming eyes with all his strength, Yang Goeng soon could tell that it was a stance drawing a bowstring.

Yang Goeng’s head went blank. The distance from that ridge to this place appeared to be a hundred and fifty paces. A distance impossible for ordinary master archers to hit. Even if he roughly matched direction and distance, no one could know whether that arrow would cut Yang Goeng’s rope or pierce his skull.

Just then, a pitch-black line stretched out straight from Jang Geon’s bowstring. He had shot an arrow.

Yang Goeng’s heart throbbed violently. Suddenly the world slowed down and everything looked vivid. And in that slowed world, a black iron arrow flew through midair toward Yang Goeng’s head. Yang Goeng glared at it while gritting his teeth. If this was the moment of death, he should rather look at it straight.

Making a swoosh wind-tearing sound, the arrow struck into the tree with a thud. Afterwards, the rope severed, Yang Goeng tumbled across the floor.

“Hueck… F-Fuck…”

He barely caught his breath and looked at the sky where dark smoke was drifting. The arrow, brushing precisely past the rope part above his head, severed that old thing.

When he barely turned his head to the side to look at the ridge, Jang Geon was already gone. Yang Goeng let out a deep sigh and muttered.

“…I lived…”