Book 28 Chapter 15

Open the South Gate

—Guard of the South Gate

There is a saying in the martial world.

Never underestimate the gatekeepers of the Black Sky Alliance, who guard the infinite.

Because even if their status is that of a common soldier, you never know what skills they might be hiding.

Think about it.

For a hundred years, the Black Sky Alliance has taken root here, infiltrating deeply into the military.

How advantageous would it be for those who have learned martial arts in the Black Sky Alliance to be selected for military positions!

It didn't take long for the Black Sky Alliance's influence to permeate the key positions of this city and reach deep within.

Even if most of them were mediocre, there were occasional masters hiding their identities, and they legally managed entry and defense within the city.

It is no exaggeration to say that all military power within this city is in the hands of the Black Sky Alliance.

In other words, one must be truly cautious, especially in times of emergency like this. And one should never feel at ease just because they are common soldiers.

The rescue party overlooked this fact too much. They were too relieved that the 'Keen-eyed Gangmok,' whom they were paying attention to, had temporarily left the South Gate.

"Zhongyang Express Agency, Hubei Branch?"

There was an indescribable displeasure in the voice of Nam Hee-seong, the South Gatekeeper.

"Yes, that's right, Gatekeeper Nam!"

Jang I-ha said with a wide smile.

"Zhongyang Express Agency, Hubei Branch… I don't think I've ever heard of such a place."

Gatekeeper Nam Hee-seong said, feigning ignorance.

"Th-that's impossible? You must be mistaken."

Jang I-ha protested with a look of disbelief.

"Have you heard of an express agency called Zhongyang Express Agency?"

"Let me see? I've never heard of it, Gatekeeper?"

The soldier who was asked also answered with feigned ignorance.

"How can you say that when Zhongyang Express Agency's escorts have been in and out of Wuchang so many times? Haha."

Jang I-ha, though flustered, didn't lose his smile.

"Is that so? Then it's truly strange that I haven't seen even the tip of Zhongyang Express Agency's flag at the South Gate that I guard! That's why I have to doubt its existence! This is the south, not the east."

Jang I-ha inwardly cursed, 'As expected!'

'Damn it, this is why I didn't want to come to the South Gate. What do you not know! You know but pretend not to know!'

The reason for feigning ignorance as if seeing an express agency for the first time was obvious. Nam Hee-seong was displeased that the Zhongyang Express Agency, Hubei Branch, had only been giving gifts to the East Gatekeeper.

'Should I have bribed this city gate too in preparation for an emergency?'

The Hubei Branch had not been established for long, so that work was proceeding slowly.

"Hahaha, don't worry. Isn't Zhongyang Express Agency a newly growing express agency these days? Could we have grown so much without the interest of people like you, Gatekeeper Nam? We were actually thinking of visiting those who have helped our agency."

"Is that really true?"

Jang I-ha nodded vigorously at Nam Hee-seong's suspicious question.

"It's true! Absolutely true!"

Then, he whispered into Nam Hee-seong's ear in a low voice.

"It's difficult now with so many eyes watching, but I will arrange something separately later."

At those words, Gatekeeper Nam Hee-seong's face brightened as if nothing had happened.

"That's a really good idea."

"Then I will visit you often from now on, Gatekeeper Nam. Uhm, may I enter now?"

"Hmm, go ahead. The city is in disarray right now, so the inspections are very strict. But I'm making an exception for the name of Zhongyang Express Agency and the face of Director Jang. Do you understand?"

Jang I-ha nodded with a friendly smile.

"Of course, how could I not? I will never forget this kindness."

"Make sure you remember this. The South Gate is better than the East Gate!"

Nam Hee-seong said as if giving a final instruction. It meant that from now on, he should travel through the South Gate rather than the East Gate frequently.

Gucheon Hyeonnyeo, who was watching from afar, casually remarked to her eldest daughter, Hyo-in, who was standing beside her.

"The South Gate needs to have its personnel changed."

Hyo-in immediately bowed her head and said,

"I will take measures as soon as I enter the alliance, Mother."

"You do that. I don't want to see such a scene again next time. How can you entrust the key to the main gate to a thief?"

"You are absolutely right, Mother. I will replace them immediately."

Unaware that his fate had been decided by the women watching from afar, Nam Hee-seong cheerfully gave orders.

"Open the city gate!"

The tightly closed South Gate slowly began to open.

'Finally, we're entering the Black Sky Alliance's territory!'

Namgung Sang, who had been anxious, breathed a sigh of relief. All they had to do now was pass through the open gate.

'With this, I can finally get away from those women, right?'

Bing Geom and Yeom Do had only that thought in their minds.

'Father, we've finally come this far. I'll be there to rescue you soon.'

Na Ye-rin quietly vowed to herself. Watching Na Ye-rin, Bi Ryu-yeon thought,

'Are we finally entering the tiger's den?'

The widely opened South Gate looked like a cave leading into the tiger's den. Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, a booming voice echoed.

"Wait!"

Jang I-ha, who was about to give the signal to depart, stopped abruptly. All eyes turned to where the shout had come from. It was not the South Gatekeeper guarding the gate. It was an old soldier in shabby military uniform who had raised his hand to stop them. His once black uniform was frayed in many places from long wear, and his hair was disheveled, almost wild.

Moreover, his eyes were hazy, as if he had just woken up, making him look like a drunkard. It was hard to believe that even at his age, he was still just a common soldier. The only notable features were a pair of black ropes hanging from his waist, shining particularly darkly.

Ah, I misheard.

Yes, it must have been a mishearing.

Jang I-ha, relieved, patted his chest.

A mere soldier could not possibly stop their Zhongyang Express Agency escort with a mere "Wait!" That was absurd. He was just a common soldier. And still a common soldier even at his age. Tsk, tsk, tsk, how incompetent.

The branch manager made a rational judgment. He then turned his head back and raised his hand to give the departure order to the escort.

"Wait!! I said stop!"

The same exclamation was heard again.

Jang I-ha turned his head again. The old soldier was still standing in the direction of the sound. He, and of course the rescue party, were bewildered.

How dare a mere soldier block their way? With what nerve?

"Do you need something?"

The fact that Jang I-ha didn't use a rude tone showed great self-control. Then the old soldier nodded and said,

"Need something? Yes, I do. You guys need to take off those conical hats you're wearing. And reveal the escort cargo."

Everyone was dumbfounded and gasped at the sudden rude tone.

"You look like a mere soldier, but your words are too short?"

Jang I-ha said sharply, trying to calm his trembling fists.

There was a possibility that the entire South Gate was colluding, so he decided to deal with someone of higher rank more cautiously.

"By what authority are you stopping us? The person in charge here seems to be Gatekeeper Nam? You are old, but you are not just a common soldier, are you? Isn't that right, Gatekeeper?"

Then, Jang I-ha looked at Gatekeeper Nam Hee-seong with a look that conveyed his incomprehension as to why he was tolerating such a solo act by a soldier.

And then he realized something was wrong.

"Gatekeeper… sir?"

Gatekeeper Nam's complexion was not red with anger, but pale and embarrassed.

'The Gatekeeper himself is trembling before a mere old soldier?'

Something was seriously wrong.

At times like this, the best course of action is to leave quickly.

"Then we'll be going. Kids, let's go!"

The gate was already open, so Jang I-ha gave the order without waiting for a reply. The escort immediately began to move.

Chaarara-rak!

At that moment, a sharp sound tore through the air, and something flew towards the main gate, skillfully striking both sides of the open gate.

Bang! Bang! Kiiiiiik!

Two thunderous roars echoed consecutively, followed by a scraping sound as the open gate began to close rapidly. Then, it swept through the air again and quickly returned to its original owner. What the old soldier took back was a bundle of black ropes.

"How dare you try to pass without my permission!"

The old soldier grinned coldly and swung the retrieved black ropes again.

Whirly-whirly-whirly!

Then, the black ropes hanging from his waist surprisingly stretched out and flew towards the main gate like living creatures.

"You cannot pass this South Gate without my permission!"

The ropes, which slid through the air as nimbly as living snakes, crisscrossed and wrapped around the rings embedded in both sides of the main gate. A thick, large net made of black ropes was quickly formed at the main gate. Moreover, these lustrous black ropes looked like extraordinary items of the martial world that would not be easily damaged even by swords. Such an item could not belong to an ordinary soldier.

"……!"

And at that moment, a forgotten legend resurfaced in the mind of Jang I-ha, the Iron-hearted.

He recalled a story about the worst of soldiers working in Wuchang, the home of the Black Sky Alliance, a man who wielded the notorious black ropes as if they were alive. His most distinguishing feature was…

Jang I-ha, who had stared intently at the disheveled forehead of the old soldier who had flown about seven or eight *jang* through the air to block his path, felt his heart sink.

'What the hell is this!'

Jang I-ha couldn't help but curse inwardly.

The character carved on his forehead, tied haphazardly, was none other than the character 'Dog' (犬).

It was astonishing that someone would have 'I am a dog!' written on their forehead.

However, Jang I-ha couldn't mock him. Instead, he wanted to cry.

"Ex-excuse me, but could you tell me your esteemed name, Great Hero?"

Jang I-ha asked respectfully, with his hands clasped, trying to calm his trembling hands. He was doing his best just to keep his clasped hands from trembling.

"Hehehe, why would such a waste like me have an esteemed name? People just seem to call me Old Soldier because I'm an old soldier."

At that moment, the branch manager's body stiffened. And those among the Jujakdan who recognized the name tensed up.

Then, a name was uttered.

"The Strongest Old Soldier, Black Dog (黑犬)!"

Old Soldier Black Dog (黑犬).

Despite his formidable martial arts, he had been a mere soldier for decades for some reason.

And he had another accompanying title.

The crowd exclaimed in unison.

"Black Sky Ten Emblems (黑天十碑)!"

That's right! He was one of the Black Sky Ten Emblems, one of the ten greatest masters of the Black Sky Alliance, like the Sword Demon Choeol. He was an individual who could not be overlooked or ignored.

Despite being a soldier, he had the power to mobilize and oppress the soldiers within the city. It was no wonder that Nam Hee-seong, a mere South Gatekeeper, trembled before him.

"Hehehe, have your thoughts changed now? I hope you won't bother this old soldier any further."

Jang I-ha couldn't help but ponder. If they persisted further, the Zhongyang Express Agency, Hubei Branch, might never be able to set foot in Wuchang again.

"Hey, what do we do now, Ice-and-Fire? Should we force our way through?"

"Hold on a little longer! Do you not know that revealing yourselves now would make all your previous efforts in vain?"

The women of the Shinma Clan were still standing behind them.

"Then what do we do? It will all be revealed if we take them off anyway. Do you have any other brilliant ideas?"

"No."

Bing Geom's answer was concise but enough to rattle Yeom Do.

"…Hmph! Don't be so blunt and decisive like an ice sword at a time like this."

If they took off their straw hats, their suspicious appearances would be revealed to the world. There was no way such unusual escorts could exist. There was no room for further excuses.

'Damn it…'

It was precisely at this moment that Yeom Do and Bing Geom were in a dilemma.

"When are you going to stop blocking my path?"

Gucheon Hyeonnyeo, who had been waiting behind for the escort's inspection to end, opened her mouth in a calm voice.

At the sound of her voice, Black Dog, who had been full of arrogance, froze stiff. He slowly turned his stiffened neck towards them.

Black Dog's eyes, upon seeing the beautiful lady in black at the front, were shaken with emotion. What he did next surprised everyone. He rushed towards her like the wind and threw himself to the ground, bowing deeply in a full prostration.

"This humble old soldier pays respects to the Great Lady!"

A deeply moved voice escaped Black Dog's lips.

"Yes, I see. Have you been well?"

Black Dog's voice choked for a moment, then he quickly opened his mouth.

"Yes, of course. Great Lady, you are still as beautiful as ever. This old soldier is deeply moved, again and again."

The old soldier cried, bowing his head repeatedly.

"Why is this man acting like this suddenly?"

Jang Hong, encountering the unexpected situation, sent a telepathic message to Bi Ryu-yeon.

"I don't know, but he seems to be moved to tears. He must be a follower of that Great Lady."

"At his age?"

"Tsk, tsk, age is just a number. Look at those bright, shining eyes and his flushed cheeks. He's probably seeing the halo behind the 'Great Lady's' head right now."

While Jang Hong and the others were frozen, Gucheon Hyeonnyeo nodded and said in a soft voice.

"Thank you, even if they are flattering words."

She seemed to treat one of the Black Sky Ten Emblems like a cute neighborhood child or a tail-wagging dog. Yet, the old soldier seemed pleased rather than displeased.

"Flattering words? That's an outrageous statement. Great Lady, you are truly still beautiful! If my words are false, you may cut out my tongue and break it into twelve pieces. If anyone dares to insult the Great Lady's beauty, I will immediately rip out their tongue and smash their head."

Then, he scanned his surroundings with sharp eyes as if to identify and make an example of anyone who harbored such foolish thoughts.

"Did you see the madness flashing in those sharp eyes?"

"That… it's genuine."

"It's serious! Seriously!"

It was an undeniable fact, leaving no room for doubt. He truly intended to act as he said. He was clearly a great follower of this Great Lady in the past (and currently).

"Don't be so dramatic. You're still the same."

"Of course. I am the Great Lady's eternal servant."

It was a scene that was utterly inconsistent with him being one of the Black Sky Ten Emblems. And the more Black Dog acted like this, the more terrifying Gucheon Hyeonnyeo seemed.

"It's getting boring waiting, so wouldn't it be better to let them go soon? These friends have been traveling with us for a while."

Gucheon Hyeonnyeo said in a pleading tone. At those words, Black Dog was startled and said,

"Oh, heavens! You know these people, Great Lady? This old soldier almost made a big mistake. It seems there are women among the escorts…"

His once arrogant demeanor was nowhere to be found.

"Ah, I already know that, so don't worry about it. They say they hire female escorts if they have the skills. New attempts always face resistance. It will be a great pleasure to see women actively participating in escort work, removing their straw hats someday."

With her saying so, how could he dare to refuse?

"If the Great Lady says so, how can this old soldier dare to disobey?"

Straightening up, Black Dog swung his right hand a few times, and the black ropes coiled around both sides of the gate were instantly released and returned to his hand.

"Your rope-handling skills are still as good as ever."

"This old soldier has unfortunately dazzled the Great Lady's eyes."

Black Dog scratched the back of his head and said shyly, stepping aside.

"Please, go ahead."

Gucheon Hyeonnyeo nodded once and walked away with her daughters. The Zhongyang Express Agency escort began to move behind them. Black Dog's gaze as he watched them was still sharp, as if his doubts had not completely vanished, but he did not try to stop them. Only after they had completely passed the South Gate could the rescue party heave a sigh of relief. However, it was still too early to feel secure, as Samdae Nangnang and Shinma Palsonja were still by their side.

"Where do you plan to stay?"

"Yes, we plan to stay at Yongsan Inn, Great Lady."

Jang I-ha said respectfully, with his hands clasped.

"Is that so? Then I have a place to go, so I will go first."

As she said this, a deep sadness appeared on her face.

"Yes, please go safely, Great Lady."

Gucheon Hyeonnyeo Muhwa led her two younger sisters and Palsonja towards the Black Sky Alliance. Jang I-ha, Bing Geom, and Yeom Do let out long sighs until their figures disappeared from sight.

Once their shadows were out of sight, Yeom Do and Bing Geom finally exhaled the breath they had held.

"Phew, we're alive. Damn it, I was so worried we were going to be found out."

"Who would have thought we'd meet in a place like that?"

"Wouldn't have recognized us?"

"If they had recognized us, they wouldn't have stayed quiet, given their personality."

"Yeah, that's a relief. I was worried your blue hair would stand out, so I was restless."

Yeom Do said with an expression of having aged ten years.

"Your reckless reddish hair was more of a problem. Didn't I advise you to dye it?"

"My hair is my pride, praised even by my master. Why didn't you dye your blue hair black? Or bleach it white?"

"If I did that, I'd get yelled at by her."

At those words, Yeom Do stiffened. He realized who 'her' was. Then he fell silent for a while.

"……"

Bing Geom also said nothing more.

Suddenly, the air around them became heavy. With the two elders of the group remaining silent, no one dared to speak up.

Just then, someone raised their hand and shouted.

"I'm hungry."

At the voice complaining about hunger, the heads of the silent Yeom Do and Bing Geom snapped back.

'Who dares to do something so reckless?'

Everyone was aghast, but the perpetrator himself was unfazed. Usually, the person who did reckless things at times like this was fixed. The person who raised their hand and spoke was none other than Bi Ryu-yeon.

"Shall we go now?"

Bi Ryu-yeon said with a smile on his lips, calmly meeting the gazes of Yeom Do and Bing Geom.

"Let's go."

Bing Geom was the first to speak.

"Let's go."

Yeom Do said sullenly, pouting.

As Yeom Do and Bing Geom began to move again, the escort also started to move.

In any case, the suffocating journey together was finally over.

The two decided to take comfort in that fact.