Wudang Sacred Scriptures

Chapter 221

“Ah! Young Hero, you’ve come.”

The owner of Great Plains Livery greeted Kwak Yeon with unmistakable enthusiasm as he entered the office.

Kwak Yeon could tell from the man’s manner that he had something to say.

“There’s news you’ll be glad to hear. I can cut the full-carriage hire fee by three tenths.”

“......?”

“After you stepped out, another customer came looking for a carriage bound for Wuhan—just one step too late, wouldn’t you know it.”

“So you’re saying I should share the hire and ride together with that customer?”

“That’s right. The carriage has plenty of room, and you’ll have someone to talk to on the long road—one stone, two birds, isn’t it? Especially for you, Young Hero, it’s one stone, three birds. No—more than that. I can personally guarantee—”

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Pardon...?”

“I’ll be hiring the carriage alone.”

“Still, if you would just see that customer once—”

“If you’re hoping for extra payment, I’ll give you more.”

As though struck squarely, the livery owner’s face reddened.

“Oh, it isn’t only because I wanted extra payment. That customer pleaded so earnestly that I couldn’t bring myself to be coldhearted about it.”

“.......”

“In any case, since you paid for the full hire first, there’s nothing to be done. I’ll tell that customer to look for another way.”

The owner left like that, and a short while later he returned to the office with someone.

The person who followed him in was the woman from the yard earlier—the one who had volunteered to help the coachmen with their work.

With a troubled look, the owner spoke to Kwak Yeon.

“I told her you refused, but this Miss insisted on asking you directly.”

“.......”

“Oh—look at this addled head of mine. I forgot I was going to inspect the carriage after coming back.”

The owner fled as if running away, leaving only the two of them in the office.

“Pleased to meet you.”

The woman clasped her hands together and lowered her head.

“I’m Jin Cheongha of the Reed-Blossom Gate of Nanjing.”

At Jin Cheongha’s courteous cupped-fist salute, Kwak Yeon returned a cupped-fist salute.

“My surname is Kwak.”

In the martial world, it was not uncommon to withhold one’s sect and given name on first meeting, so it was not outright rude.

Even so, when the other party revealed their identity first as she had, responding that way was discourteous.

Yet Jin Cheongha, without any change in expression, said calmly, “So you are Young Hero Kwak. Since you said Wuhan is your destination, you must be heading to the All-Under-Heaven Heroes Assembly this time.”

Kwak Yeon had seen her gaze touch his Cheonggang Sword for a brief moment, so he nodded.

“That’s so.”

“You can likely guess from my attire, but I’m also on my way to the All-Under-Heaven Heroes Assembly. That is why, despite the rudeness, I’ve come to ask you directly.”

Her manner was bold yet properly formal, as befitted a disciple of a righteous-path sect, and Kwak Yeon suddenly recalled his first meeting with Ju Yeoryeong.

They were about the same age, yet the two women’s words and conduct could not have been more different.

“I’m deeply sorry, but could you show understanding and spare me one seat in the carriage?”

Kwak Yeon quietly shook his head.

“That will be difficult.”

Jin Cheongha spoke at once.

“It was a sudden request, so I expected you to refuse. In truth, riding in the same carriage with someone you’ve never met is a burden. But they say that on the roads of the martial world, everyone becomes friends—so I believe we would soon grow accustomed. So—”

“Miss Jin. That isn’t the reason, so don’t trouble yourself.”

Unable to reveal the situation he was in, Kwak Yeon had no choice but to cut her off.

And having done so, a corner of his heart felt uneasy, so he added a line.

“If you travel by boat rather than the overland road, it will be faster and far less troublesome.”

Jin Cheongha’s expression darkened slightly.

“Who wouldn’t know that? I came all the way from Nanjing to Gujiang by boat.”

“......?”

“You wouldn’t know how difficult it is for a woman to travel alone. Why else would I get off mid-journey and spend so much travel money to hire a carriage?”

Kwak Yeon could infer that Jin Cheongha had suffered serious trouble on the road—and he could also tell where that trouble came from.

Though she wore pale gray martial robes, it was not enough to conceal her beauty. If anything, those muted colors only made it stand out more.

“.......”

It was difficult for Kwak Yeon to ask a woman who had harassed her, so he remained silent.

“Hoo!”

With a low sigh, Jin Cheongha continued.

“Some men from the black path tried to get fresh with me. At first I tried to ignore them, but they went too far, so I had to use my hands—and I ended up injuring a few of them. But it turns out they belong to a fairly large group. So I hurriedly changed my route and came to hire a carriage instead...”

There was a trace of discomfort on Jin Cheongha’s face, but no fear.

‘If she were the sort to fear a rabble of the black path, she wouldn’t have set out alone to begin with.’

Kwak Yeon had already felt that her attainment was not low.

Her eyes were clear, and even her temples—where inner power naturally swelled as one cultivated—were settled so deeply that he could not discern the slightest sign.

She had certainly passed first-rate and stepped into the threshold of the peak.

At that level, she would be an up-and-coming expert with a name in the martial world.

Thinking she might even be beyond that, Kwak Yeon briefly circulated the Honwonmusang Technique and probed her presence.

Part of it was caution born from what had happened with Ju Yeoryeong, but it was also because being named under a Public Contract had sharpened his wariness toward strangers.

In any case, once he confirmed that Jin Cheongha’s presence did not belong to anything higher than that, he felt a slight shame.

‘Thinking only of my own predicament... I was becoming one-eyed.’

As Kwak Yeon recalled his conversation on the boat with Chwi Dugae, his eyes caught the tiny beads of sweat gathered on Jin Cheongha’s brow.

“Coachman, can I help with the work?”

Her bright voice, and the strands of hair hanging in thin lines over her forehead, had looked remarkably good.

“Anyway, I’m truly sorry for troubling you. You must have your own circumstances as well. Let’s meet again at the Martial Alliance later. Then I’ll be going—”

“Let’s go together.”

“...?”

Jin Cheongha’s eyes widened into perfect circles.

“However, you must be prepared for the possibility that trouble may come.”

“That’s what I should be telling you.”

Kwak Yeon could not tell the smiling Jin Cheongha that it would not be some petty black-path group—because it would sound like nothing but an excuse to refuse traveling together.

“And you should also take into account that there will be one more companion besides me.”

“Ah! Really? I’d like that even more.”

He had asked her to travel together only because he had no choice, but Kwak Yeon read her words as meaning that, as a woman, traveling alone in a carriage with a young man would be burdensome.

Perhaps because of that, an awkward silence fell between them.

“Customer, the carriage is ready.”

Just then, the livery owner entered after opening the office door, and Kwak Yeon felt quietly grateful.

“Then let’s go.”

“Yes. Young Hero Kwak.”

As the two of them left the office, one after the other, a satisfied smile spread at the corners of the livery owner’s mouth.

“Ah. Youth is a fine thing.”

The instant the office door closed, an envious voice leaked from his lips.

“If you were going to do this, why did you act so picky about it?”

—CLATTER! CLATTER!

After leaving Gujiang County’s city gate, the carriage ran for a while before stopping in front of the Dragon King shrine.

—WHINNY!

—NEIGH!

“Hyah! Hyah!”

While the coachman on the driver’s bench soothed the two horses with the reins, the carriage door burst open and Chwi Dugae sprang inside.

“Damn it! What were you doing, taking this long? My belly’s about to stick to my back—I’m dying he—... Huh?!”

Seeing there was someone besides Kwak Yeon inside, Chwi Dugae jolted in shock.

“W-what is this? Who is this girl...?”

It was not only Chwi Dugae who was startled.

“Ah!”

Jin Cheongha had been told there would be a companion, but she clearly had not imagined that companion would be a man in his thirties dressed like a beggar.

And when she saw that the beggar had eight knots at his waist, her face turned to open astonishment.

“Could it be... a Hu Gae of the Beggar Clan...?”

Chwi Dugae seemed not displeased that such a beautiful woman recognized him at a glance, and he gave a small nod.

“I’m a Hu Gae of the Beggar Clan. Seeing you recognize the Beggar Clan mark at a glance, and you’re even dressed in martial robes, you’re no common young miss, that’s for sure, and—”

“Brother, sit down first. We’ll set out at once.”

“Ah. Right.”

As Chwi Dugae quickly planted himself on the seat beside Kwak Yeon, Kwak Yeon spoke to the coachman.

“Old Master Gu, you may depart now.”

“Understood.”

From the driver’s bench came Old Master Gu’s brisk voice at once.

“You two, let’s run like the wind. Hyah!”

The carriage drawn by the two horses began to thunder down the main road in earnest.

—CLATTER! CLATTER!

Inside the rocking carriage, Kwak Yeon spoke to Chwi Dugae.

“Due to unavoidable circumstances, we ended up hiring the carriage together. I hope you will show broad understanding.”

“You make the mess first and now you want understanding? Damn it—this is why I shouldn’t have let you go alone—... oof!”

Grumbling, Chwi Dugae noticed Jin Cheongha across from him and checked himself.

“It’s not that I find the girl displeasing. It’s just that our position is a bit...”

Jin Cheongha spoke quietly.

“Sub-Branch Master, I had circumstances of my own and forced an unreasonable request on Young Hero Kwak. So please do not scold him.”

“Hm. If that’s the case... Still, spilled water can’t be gathered again, can it? We’ll travel together for as long as we can.”

“.......”

“Since we’ve met like this, let’s exchange introductions. I’m Hu Gae—she already figured that out. And you’ve likely already exchanged introductions with my brother Kwak, so the girl only needs to introduce herself.”

Jin Cheongha said cautiously.

“Telling you who I am is nothing at all, Sub-Branch Master. But since I still do not know Young Hero Kwak’s identity, I hope you won’t hold it against him.”

At Jin Cheongha’s words defending him, Chwi Dugae shot Kwak Yeon a glare.

‘Hah. Even a grub has a trick for rolling around, they say.’

Under Chwi Dugae’s peculiar gaze, Kwak Yeon shook his head and turned his eyes away.

The more you tried to explain, the more tangled it became.

At times like this, avoidance was the best policy.

With his teasing target gone, Chwi Dugae focused fully on the young woman in front of him.

“Fine, then. So who are you?”

“Though it is sudden to greet a Sub-Branch Master of the Beggar Clan in such a place, it is truly an honor for an ignorant junior like myself.”

After speaking with careful courtesy, Jin Cheongha bowed her head deeply and said,

“This ignorant junior is Jin Cheongha of the Reed-Blossom Gate of Nanjing.”

Chwi Dugae’s eyes flew wide.

“Reed-Blossom Gate of Nanjing—Jin Cheongha?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’re the famous Nanjing’s One Flower?”

Jin Cheongha’s cheeks flushed slightly as she replied.

“Sub-Branch Master, that is only idle talk from the martial world’s gossips. Please let it pass as nothing.”

Chwi Dugae shook his head.

“People don’t make words out of thin air for no reason. No wonder the inside of this carriage looks bright. So you truly are the beauty called Nanjing’s One Flower.”

Chwi Dugae’s gaze slid back to Kwak Yeon.

‘So this kid wasn’t just some hopeless country bumpkin after all.’