Chapter 77: Chapter 77
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“It’s only corpses. There is nothing that could be called treasure.”
Je Un-seong nodded upon hearing his subordinate’s report. In fact, he had roughly guessed the truth ever since seeing the burning building. Even if there had been treasure, Jang Geon and his party would have cleared it all out already. Considering they all vanished within that short time, the amount of treasure didn’t seem to be much either.
Listening to his subordinate’s report, he suddenly turned his head toward the ridge over there. At the foot of that ridge, Je Sang-cheon mounted on a horse was looking at the red-dyed setting sun.
The Je Clan overcame the raid.
That was a case where the patriarch’s forcing things to build up heir Je Sang-cheon’s standing turned out to be foresight instead. The pursuit warriors numbered close to a hundred, and furthermore were the well-trained main force of the clan. No matter how much it was a surprise attack by the Yeon Clan, the numbers differed by nearly double, and furthermore their morale was high due to the sight of Je Sang-cheon fighting valiantly at the very front.
From Je Sang-cheon’s individual position, it was good fortune emerging from misfortune. Through this battle, he proved that rather than a pathetic greenhorn who fell for the Yeon Clan’s spy and attempted suicide, he was an heir of the clan possessing a valiant heart and outstanding martial arts. Because the one who galloped at the very front and felled the most Yeon Clan warriors was Je Sang-cheon himself.
Probably upon returning to the clan, the remaining members of the pursuit force right now would become staunch supporters of Je Sang-cheon. In a state where there was already the strong justification of being heir, that supporting force within the clan would become a great strength to Je Sang-cheon. However, right now he didn’t appear to be in a very good mood, which was because Seom Ji-young had been severely injured during the raid.
Despite Je Un-seong’s opposition, he divided the warriors in two and sent Seom Ji-young back to the clan first. And right now he had arrived at this place that was already completely cleaned out together with that half of the warriors.
The person who had most strongly advocated for seizing the treasure was now looking only toward the west where Seom Ji-young departed first, as if he had no interest in such things.
So Je Un-seong turned his head back to this side. Ash-heap buildings nearly fully burned and leaning to collapse, and corpses neatly lined up in front of them were visible.
There were five appearing to be Yeon Clan archers, and twelve appearing to be Great Peace Band. The Great Peace Band had all died struck by arrows. Among them, one had fled quite far, but ultimately lay dead struck in the back by an arrow as well.
The five Yeon Clan archers were all killed by blade strikes. Je Un-seong was able to guess it was Jang Geon’s skill upon seeing those clean blade marks.
“Master, we found a few tracks. Shall we pursue?”
“A few tracks? Did the tracks split?”
One of Je Un-seong’s few direct subordinates in the pursuit force answered with a nod.
“Yes. They seem to have split into two and one.”
“Hmm. It seems upon discovering the treasure they immediately split and parted. If so, the side that went gathered as two would also have split before long. Now pursuit has lost much meaning.”
The subordinate subtly looked up at Je Un-seong and asked carefully.
“That… either way, one of them must possess Li Shimin’s martial arts, so saying it has no meaning…”
“They parted ways dividing the goods too cleanly for thieves. Meaning the treasure that should have caused the biggest conflict didn’t play its role. What would that treasure be here?”
The subordinate mouthed his lips and answered.
“…Are you referring to Li Shimin’s martial arts?”
“Indeed. The fact that they were able to divide the treasure and split during the time we defeated the enemies and pursued means that setting aside the value of the treasures, their volume was not large. Simultaneously it also means there was no item worth all three being greedy for. In my view, either that Li Shimin’s martial arts weren’t present at all, or even if present, it was not alluring enough to rouse vain greed. And if it cannot rouse desire even in mere thieves, our Je Clan has no reason to be greedy for it either.”
Listening to Je Un-seong’s reasoning, the subordinate nodded his head. Indeed, it was a short deduction worthy of the Je Clan’s Blood Plum Eagle, the clan’s investigator.
“Then did I waste our clan’s warriors over an item that even those thieves don’t covet?”
Je Un-seong turned his head at the words heard from behind. Je Sang-cheon, having approached before anyone knew it, was looking at him with a stiffened face. Je Un-seong forced back a sigh that almost came out and spoke.
“…Did I not already explain to you, Young Master. This matter was a trap set by the Yeon Clan and the Sinsacheon Black Market joining hands targeting our clan, and through Young Master’s outstanding martial arts and the warriors’ bravery, we were able to overcome that crisis. This is not a matter of simply looking at the value of the Treasure Map, but examining the relations of interests among the factions entangled here. As the heir of the clan, Young Master must possess the eyes and ability to examine and utilize those relations.”
Je Sang-cheon roughly nodded his head.
“Right. Either way, the Sinsacheon Black Market and the Yeon Clan must pay the price. Ah, shall we put a bounty on those thieves?”
“There seems no need to go that far. Because the Yeon Clan’s plot was twisted due to them seizing the Treasure Map and shaking the board. Rather, if we consider it, they are people who should be rewarded.”
Je Sang-cheon nodded his head once more, then suddenly turned his eyes and spoke to the warriors looking at him.
“What are you doing? He says there’s no more business. Let’s get going. If we do well, we might catch up to those who went ahead within today.”
Seeing that attitude whether to call it dignity or arrogance, Je Un-seong let out a dry laugh. Je Sang-cheon didn’t seem to feel any regret over not obtaining the Li Clan’s treasure. Perhaps he had brushed off all such emotions while fighting fiercely against the Yeon Clan’s raid squad. Because his appearance fighting fiercely like a lion was unexpected even in Je Un-seong’s eyes.
Whether he felt absurd or not, all the other warriors mounted back on their horses at Je Sang-cheon’s words. Moving according to his words regardless of what they were doing right now.
Watching that scene and gently shaking his head, Je Un-seong slowly followed behind.
He intentionally did not explain that the Martial Alliance Leader had intervened. Rather, he passed over without properly explaining about the Great Peace Band, making Je Sang-cheon misunderstand that they too were part of the Yeon Clan and Black Market. For the clan’s profit and revenge, disclosing that was naturally proper, but Je Un-seong considered that there was a part he could utilize in that.
Holding the Alliance Leader’s secret to shake him, or becoming his ally.
Je Un-seong did not want to remain forever as the Je Clan’s Blood Plum Eagle, merely as an obedient collateral member of the clan. He considered that now its beginning had merely arrived. He suddenly muttered again his own words spoken upon watching Jang Geon depart wounded in days past.
“…Are you broken in the end, or do you break the world…?”
Whether that was a word directed toward Jang Geon who wasn’t even visible, or toward himself, was unclear.
* * *
Li Yeon and Jang Geon galloped for a long while. As they galloped while adjusting speed so the horses wouldn’t tire too much, before anyone knew it, a red setting sun was dying the horizon over there. The wilderness was dyed in that red light, becoming a red land.
Just then, Jang Geon and Jojo suddenly stopped. Slightly lagging behind, Li Yeon, who was following, went slightly ahead while slowing down, then turned her horse’s head to face him.
“Why is that?”
Without answering anything, Jang Geon was looking at her with the exact calm eyes Li Yeon had seen throughout the past journey. Li Yeon felt like she could somehow understand what those eyes were saying. At that moment, Jang Geon opened his mouth.
“By about now, a sufficient distance should have been widened from the Je Clan’s warriors as well.”
Li Yeon mouthed her lips, hesitating for a moment over what to answer. Then tightly closing those lips, she sniffled her nose once for no reason, pulled out Li Zhi’s diary from her breast pocket, and held it out. However, Jang Geon shook his head.
“…Why do you do so? Didn’t Warrior Jang originally agree to take the martial arts?”
“The martial arts contained there are peculiar, but hold little meaning for me. So what remains is only the records of the Li Clan, and it is proper for their descendant to possess that.”
Li Yeon, holding out the diary, hesitated for a moment.
“However…”
“If it is of no use to you either, just sell it off expensively somewhere. Since you lost favor with the Je Clan and the Black Market, you won’t be able to return to Sinsacheon, so wouldn’t you also need to get a new house?”
At those words, Li Yeon sniffled her nose once more and forced a smile.
“Aren’t you underestimating me too much? I’ve even set up a small office in Heavenly Empress City. Operating mainly in Sinsacheon was merely because that was my hometown. Probably if I go to Heavenly Empress City, work will overflow even more?”
“Then that’s fortunate.”
Jang Geon’s eyes turned toward the setting sun hanging on the western horizon. Seeing him, Li Yeon thought he was about to just leave like this, hastily shoved the booklet inside, and spoke lively.
“My word. I don’t know how a guy like Yang Goeng knows and gets along with Warrior Jang. I’ve known that guy for quite a long time, but normally he’s a guy living while doing things like playing Pai Gow.”
“I came to know him thanks to that Pai Gow.”
Absurdity appeared on Li Yeon’s face.
“…Don’t tell me?”
“Strangely, whenever I hold Pai Gow tiles, my vision narrows and my nerve grows large. Ultimately, winning small and losing big, I tend to always suffer losses. Even when playing with that Yang guy, I couldn’t get up moderately, losing quite a bit of money.”
“…And you let him live?”
Jang Geon gave a slight smile and continued speaking.
“Then would I kill a person over mere Pai Gow? I’m not a guy so fallen for Pai Gow to that degree.”
Looking at that smile slightly vacantly, Li Yeon suddenly recalled Jang Geon shooting an arrow toward Yang Goeng.
“…To Warrior Jang, this matter was also at that level, wasn’t it. Gaining it is fine, failing to gain it is fine. That’s why you didn’t kill Yang Goeng.”
“I didn’t move with such a lukewarm mind. However, I at least knew that guy would do something foolish once. In fact, if that guy were really a rotten bastard, he wouldn’t have just run off with the map. If he really wanted to exclude us, rather than fleeing like that, poisoning the food would have been an easier matter. Because he was an acquaintance of the innkeeper. Rather than running off recklessly like that, clearing us out on the spot would have been safer.”
Looking at the setting sun, Jang Geon unfastened the conical hat tied to one side of Jojo’s saddle and continued speaking.
“I thought he kept insisting on going to an inn he knew because of such an intention. But in the end, what he did was merely playing a hand trick by spinal reflex depending on the situation. Meaning he wasn’t prepared to stab us in the back from the beginning.”
Li Yeon laughed.
“By spinal reflex? That’s an amusing expression. You must mean instinct.”
“Similar.”
Looking at the setting sun, Jang Geon turned back to look at her again, and she instinctively lowered her eyes slightly at that gaze.
“…I really thought you were going to hang that guy. I didn’t know you could sever the rope with an arrow from there either.”
“I didn’t know either.”
Li Yeon snapped her head up at Jang Geon’s answer. Jang Geon, looking at her, was wearing a subtle smile while slowly putting on his conical hat. And she soon understood what his answer meant and laughed out loud.
“You really didn’t know?”
“I don’t recall when was the last time I shot a bow. Three years? Four years? Even when shooting the fleeing Great Peace Band, I was aiming for the head, not the back.”
She laughed out loud once more at Jang Geon’s answer. And while she was laughing like that, Jang Geon lightly tied the string of his conical hat and adjusted the hem of his clothes. When rough adjustment was finished and he looked at her again, she was looking at Jang Geon with reddened eyes. Jang Geon also knew that wasn’t because of the setting sun.
She spoke.
“…Will you go together? In fact, the Heavenly Empress City office is a bit wide for one person to use.”
Jang Geon gave a faint smile looking at her.
“Heavenly Empress City is a warm city. Perhaps thanks to that, people’s nature is generous and soft. It is a good land whenever one visits.”
“…Then will Warrior Jang visit too?”
To her question, Jang Geon answered by lightly nodding his head. Li Yeon nodded her head as if understanding. Looking at that red face for a moment, Jang Geon turned Jojo’s head. And holding the tip of his conical hat, he lightly tipped it.
Offering a greeting too short to be expressed in words, Jang Geon departed leaving Li Yeon behind.
Li Yeon merely stood watching Jang Geon growing distant in the all-reddish world. For a long while until the horizon and he could no longer be distinguished.