Book 29 Chapter 13
[New Green Tent Inn]
— Another Meeting
“Phew, I thought I was going to die.”
Having escaped the encirclement at full speed amidst the chaos, Jang Hong breathed a sigh of relief after confirming there were no pursuers and said,
“Indeed. I thought we were going to be completely incinerated.”
Nam Gung Sang, who had faced life and death several times today, sighed. He was currently entrusted with the weighty mission of carrying the leader of the martial arts alliance. Na Baek Cheon was still unconscious.
“Hwi, your white robes are quite scorched too?”
As Jang Hong said, Mo Yong Hwi’s pristine white robes, close to obsessive cleanliness, were now stained with black soot here and there.
“Ah, yes… oh dear……”
Mo Yong Hwi, who had stopped as if paralyzed for a moment and looked down at his clothes, looked around with a stiff expression. He seemed to be surveying the surrounding terrain, wondering if there was anywhere he could get new clothes. Then, as if realizing something, he asked,
“……By the way, Ryu Yeon, why are we heading south right now?”
“Now that you mention it. Shouldn’t we be going north to get to Mount Wudang?”
They were talking while walking, but the direction Bi Ryu Yeon was leading them seemed a bit strange.
“I’m not directionally challenged.”
He meant that he was coming this way knowingly.
“Then why are we still going south?”
When there was no answer this time, Jang Hong asked again.
“You haven’t gotten lost, have you?”
Perhaps he was too embarrassed to admit it and was continuing in the opposite direction.
“I’m not directionally challenged like someone. We have to go north to get to Mount Wudang, but I’m going somewhere that’s in the south.”
His tone implied, why do you keep asking the obvious?
“You say you’re going the right way? Where are you heading?”
Somehow, familiar scenery kept unfolding around them.
“Hey, you! Where exactly are you going?”
Jang Hong asked with a voice full of anxiety.
“Well, of course, to Wuhuan where the Black Heaven Alliance is.”
Jang Hong’s eyes widened.
“What? Why there! Are you crazy and looking to die? We’re trying our best to get away from there, and what are you trying to do now!”
“It’s because there’s a tiger we need to catch.”
“Catch what? We’d be lucky not to get eaten!”
This suicidal impulse had to be stopped.
“Just follow me! The fate of the martial arts world is at stake!”
Bi Ryu Yeon said with a determined voice.
“Do you think we’ll fall for that just because you sound determined? If you want to go into the tiger’s den, go alone! I’ll be leaving with the leader.”
Then Bi Ryu Yeon said indifferently, his voice losing all its previous determination,
“Why would I go into the tiger’s den alone?”
‘Do you think I’d go in alone? No way!’
It was as if he was shouting that.
“You, you!”
“Isn’t the chance of being bitten to death lower if we go together?”
A bright, cheerful smile spread across Bi Ryu Yeon’s lips. Seeing that smile, Nam Gung Sang, who was running alongside, said with a look of resignation,
“I knew this would happen. He’s the type to throw others to the wolves before he gets eaten himself.”
“He’s definitely going to lead us to the entrance of the tiger’s den and then shove us inside.”
“What can we do? We just have to do as we’re told.”
Having become accustomed to being treated as bait, Nam Gung Sang had reached a state of enlightenment beyond resignation.
“Ryu Yeon, tell us what’s going on. Is it really okay to bring the injured leader with us?”
“I’ll tell you when we get there. It wouldn’t be fun if you knew already, would it?”
Hearing Bi Ryu Yeon’s answer to Mo Yong Hwi, Jang Hong snorted.
“Not fun? Don’t be ridiculous! The reason is so absurd that you think we won’t go if you tell us, right?!”
“You can’t be serious, can you? It’s just unnecessary worry.”
“What unnecessary worry! Didn’t you just mutter something to yourself?”
“Hmm? What did I? You must have misheard.”
Bi Ryu Yeon shrugged, as if he had never muttered anything.
“Didn’t you just mutter, ‘Tsk, the old man is too observant. We’ve known each other for too long’?”
“No, that’s your imagination, your imagination.”
Then, pointing his finger towards the southeast where Wuhuan was, Bi Ryu Yeon shouted forcefully,
“Alright, shall we head to Wuhuan again? Let’s go!”
It felt wrong, but since he was insisting and playing dumb, it was hard to press him further.
With a nagging feeling of being tricked, the rest of them, excluding Bi Ryu Yeon, walked in the direction he pointed.
***
Secret passages aren’t just expensive and labor-intensive to dig. It also takes a considerable number of people to seal them once they’ve been discovered. The secret passage from the New Yongsan Inn to the outskirts of Wuhuan City was no exception.
However, the Black Heaven Alliance was not in a position to spare personnel to seal a secret passage that was no longer useful as an escape route. Most of their forces were mobilized for the net to catch Na Baek Cheon and to pursue the fearless intruders, which left the defenses of Wuhuan relatively weak.
Therefore, only two low-ranking soldiers were stationed to guard the entrance. Hired laborers, to supplement the shortage of warriors, were scheduled to arrive the next morning to begin the sealing work.
These two soldiers were given only two iron shovels. Even the senior leader, when giving them these shovels, made a fuss as if they were new recruits, calling them ‘iron shovels for martial arts masters.’
Grumble!
But the mouths of the two men digging with the shovels were pouting.
What good are iron shovels for martial arts masters?
A shovel is a shovel, and digging is digging.
Although they were warriors of the Black Heaven Alliance, it seemed that the lower ranks were all the same everywhere.
Besides, it was impossible for two people to fill in the secret passage quickly. Since no one would come until the laborers arrived the next morning, it was the senior leader’s tearful consideration that they might as well dig as a pastime to relieve their boredom.
They accepted the shovels with touched expressions, firmly resolving that once they gained enough experience, they would use these shovels to strike the senior leader on the back of the head. Therefore, their digging and their guard duty were all perfunctory.
Just then, there was a rustling sound from the bushes. They weren’t even digging with full effort, and as they were also mere warriors of the Black Heaven Alliance, they could hear such a sound.
‘Whoever it is, they’ve walked right into it!’
As if to vent their frustrations, they swung the shovels they were holding with all their might, like warriors of the Black Heaven Alliance.
*Bang!*
“How dare you come here!”
“Reveal your identity, suspicious fellow!”
Whether intentional or not, the warning cries came after the heads of two shovels had already struck the face of the unidentified intruder.
But something was strange.
The person who received the impact of two shovels to the face didn’t move an inch, as if they were made of adamantine. They even thought the person might have died standing up. But then they noticed something. The clothes of the suspicious person, whose face was obscured by the shovel, were the uniform of a Black Heaven Alliance warrior. Moreover, they seemed to have a higher rank than them.
Swallowing hard, the two slowly withdrew their shovels.
“Gasp!”
Their hearts sank. Where the shovels had been, the face of one of the Eight Black Dogs of the Black Heaven, Black Hound, appeared. Black Hound’s face, seemingly deep in anger and distress, radiated a terrifying killing intent like a demon guarding hell.
*Drip!*
Black Hound’s nose began to bleed profusely.
Two streams of blood dripped from the nose of their superior, who was higher than the sky.
His bloodshot eyes, staring intensely, looked as if they could pierce their intestines at any moment.
Even among the same soldiers, the status of the two and Black Hound was as different as the sky and the earth.
“L-Loyalty!”
They tried to salute, their teeth chattering, but it was too late. The two low-ranking soldiers trembled like aspen leaves.
“Beg.”
A voice, as if suppressing something, came out. It trembled as if he was holding back his anger.
The two low-ranking soldiers immediately bowed their heads to the ground. The speed was almost blinding.
“Since digging with shovels seems too much trouble, stay like that until dawn tomorrow. If I catch you slacking off even a little, I’ll split both your heads with these shovels and plant you in the ground myself. Do you understand?”
“Yes, we understand!”
A crisp, disciplined response returned.
“Good. Then I will begin my inspection. Let’s go, kids.”
Following Black Hound’s command, four people, who appeared to be his subordinates, entered the passage one by one. After confirming that everyone had entered, Black Hound turned back and threw one last remark.
“Oh, and these shovels are confiscated. You lazy bums don’t deserve to use such exquisite shovels. Starting tomorrow, you’ll dig with your bare hands. Understand?!”
“Yes, we understand!”
A strong reply came from the two soldiers with their heads buried in the ground. Black Hound, seeming somewhat appeased, waved goodbye as if to say ‘good work’ and leisurely entered the secret passage.
***
The guard at the exit was as lax as at the entrance.
After leaving the New Yongsan Inn, Bi Ryu Yeon and his companions headed to a place called the New Green Tent Inn, located very close to the Black Heaven Alliance.
Instead of using the main entrance, they slipped into a room on the right end of the third floor under the cover of darkness.
As they opened the window, there were people inside. However, Bi Ryu Yeon did not pay any attention to their presence, as if they were dolls, and entered. But they were not dolls; they were real people.
However, they were people whose acupoints had been pressed, making them stiff.
Four Black Heaven Alliance warriors, who had unfortunately fallen prey to Bi Ryu Yeon, were stiffened like statues with their vital points sealed, posing in various basic life stances. This was to give the impression that people were still in the room from the outside.
This room was one that Bi Ryu Yeon had secured in advance as an emergency measure before escaping from the south gate of Wuhuan.
The fact that he had secured this room by paying a week’s rent in advance before escaping the south gate of Wuhuan meant that he had considered the possibility of returning here.
“He’s really thorough with these things.”
“We paid for a week, so we should stay for a few days, right? It would be a waste to lose the advance payment.”
“Even so, I don’t want to stay for a few more days in a place where the Black Heaven Alliance’s main gate is visible from the window. Can you sleep in a place like that?”
“Uh-huh.”
It was a question that didn’t need an answer.
“I chose the wrong person to ask. Anyway, what about these people?”
“They’re unsightly, so let’s just put them in the closet. Now, shall we go eat?”
“Greatest Senior Brother, aren’t we supposed to be moving discreetly right now?”
To Nam Gung Sang’s cautious question, Bi Ryu Yeon gave a sly smile.
“Hey, they think we’ve already escaped, so they won’t be suspicious, right? With a little disguise, they won’t recognize us. If we’d booked a room and then disappeared, they’d be more suspicious, wouldn’t they?”
“That’s true. Then let’s go down for some food and drinks after a slight disguise.”
However, Na Baek Cheon, being injured, could not move. Since they couldn’t leave Na Baek Cheon alone, one person was assigned to guard him each time.
The first turn went to Mo Yong Hwi. It was because his acting skills were the least natural. He was too stiff for his age and weak at improvisation.
***
Dressed in lavish silk clothes and holding a fan in one hand, Bi Ryu Yeon left the room. Nam Gung Sang followed him, playing the role of a bodyguard, calling out, “Young Master, Young Master.” In short, he was acting as a servant.
*Bang!*
Slapping the table with great force, the rich young master exclaimed,
“Just you wait! I’ll show you my martial arts skills by joining the Black Heaven Alliance! Then maybe my stuffy father will acknowledge his son’s abilities!”
His loud boasts, coming out of nowhere, were exactly what one would expect from an immature young master.
“Of course. You can do it, Young Master. Yes, you can do it.”
Jang Hong, playing the role of a steward, obsequiously flattered him, rubbing his hands together.
“But Steward Jang, have you prepared the bribe?”
He seemed to be lowering his voice as if he didn’t want others to hear, but somehow, most people in the inn could clearly hear the word ‘bribe.’
“Certainly. Is there any doubt? However, the atmosphere in the Black Heaven Alliance is not very good these days. So, please wait a bit longer.”
“Tsk, alright. I’ll just hang around here for a few more days. Oh, and Steward Jang?”
“Yes, Young Master. Do you have any other instructions?”
‘Please say no,’ Jang Hong thought, but he held back. Sometimes, those who were peak experts could sense the exchange of telepathic messages, so it was better to be extremely cautious.
“Yes, I do. Tell them to bring the three most famous liquors here. You pay for it, of course.”
Jang Hong stiffened for a moment.
‘He’s trying to get a deal!’
Jang Hong shivered inwardly, bursting with indignation. Of course, Bi Ryu Yeon had never given him money, so it would come out of his own pocket. He desperately wanted to shout, ‘Absolutely not!’ but he couldn’t firmly refuse because of his role. He couldn’t ruin the act at this point. If their identities were exposed by mistake, their lives could be lost that very day.
‘This swindler!’
Bi Ryu Yeon knew all this and was doing this to him, with the certainty that he could never refuse.
Promising to claim the expenses from the alliance later as operational costs, Jang Hong clasped his hands and smiled brightly.
“Is there any doubt? Hey, what are you dawdling for? Hurry up and bring the drinks for our Young Master!”
Jang Hong said inwardly, shedding tears of blood. He couldn’t help but worry if it was okay to be doing something so conspicuous.
However, everyone seemed to think it was just the immature young master spouting childish nonsense and didn’t pay much attention.
Soon, three types of liquor were brought. Thinking they were distinguished guests, not a waiter but the manager of the New Dorim Inn personally came up to the second floor with a smile.
“Hmm.”
Bi Ryu Yeon opened the lids of the three liquor bottles one by one, smelled them, and after tasting them, asked,
“What are the names of these liquors?”
“They are Hongyeop, Eunyeop, and Geumyeop, in order.”
“What’s the price?”
“Geumyeop, in the golden gourd, is the most expensive, followed by Eunyeop and Hongyeop, sir.”
*Gulp gulp gulp!*
As soon as he heard the answer, Bi Ryu Yeon turned the two liquor bottles upside down and poured them out. One was Hongyeop, and the other was Geumyeop, the most expensive one.
“Oh, what a waste!”
Jang Hong cried out in distress.
“Tsk tsk, just because it’s in a gold-plated bottle doesn’t mean the contents are real gold. What is this? This counterfeit taste! I only deal with the best!”
Then, he poured Eunyeop from the silver gourd into a silver cup and drank it down with relish, making even the onlookers’ mouths water.
“Hmm, this is quite good.”
As Bi Ryu Yeon was enjoying himself with someone else’s money, someone walked up to him.
“Hmm?”
Lifting his head with the cup in his hand, he saw a handsome man with twin swords strapped to his back.
“What business do you have with me?”
The elegantly handsome man, dressed in crimson silk robes like the sunset, looked intently at Bi Ryu Yeon with serious eyes and said quietly,
“Young Master… seems to have a taste for liquor. I also think Eunyeop is the most delicious, but people are blinded by the dazzling gold gourds and don’t listen to their tongues. May I join you?”
Jang Hong stepped forward, trying to dissuade him. He judged it to be very dangerous to let Bi Ryu Yeon talk to an unknown person for a long time. However, Bi Ryu Yeon raised his hand to stop Jang Hong and said with a smile,
“Please sit down.”
“Hahaha, you’re a man of fiery temperament. Then I won’t refuse.”
The man sat down with a hearty laugh.
“May I have a drink?”
He was also shamelessly bold. But he didn’t seem detestable at all.
“Of course. Drink as much as you like.”
Instead of getting angry, Bi Ryu Yeon poured a full cup and handed it to the man.
“I will drink well.”
The man took the cup with both hands, gave thanks, and drank it down in one gulp. He then closed his eyes, savored the taste of the liquor for a while, and let out a quiet exclamation.
“Ah, yes! This is the taste!”
It was a word filled with longing, as if someone who had been away from home for a long time had returned.
“Are you from around here?”
“No, but this place is like my second home.”
“Judging by your appearance, you seem to be a skilled swordsman?”
Bi Ryu Yeon asked, glancing at the twin swords strapped to the man’s back. The man, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, said,
“Ah, these? They’re just for decoration. I still don’t know what the way is, so it’s embarrassing to be called a swordsman.”
For someone who claimed to be a decoration, the sword hilts were very worn. And the twin swords seemed to blend naturally with him, as if they were one. It gave the impression that it would be very unnatural to remove those two swords from this man.
“It’s been a long time since you’ve returned home?”
“Hahaha, rather, I have a bit of a wandering spirit… I can’t stay in one place, so my mothers often scold me.”
The man said, smiling amicably again.
“What is your name?”
“Oh dear, I was so absorbed in the liquor that I haven’t even introduced myself yet.”
The man seemed to realize his oversight, slapped his forehead with his hand, and continued,
“My name is ‘Jungha.’ Usually, I’m just called ‘The Second.’ Please take care of me.”
As he said this, Gal Jungha’s eyes sparkled like jewels in the night sky, likely from the liquor he had consumed.
[To be continued in Volume 30 of ‘Bi Ro Do’]