“Ah! Grand Strategist.”
Spotting Grand Strategist Sagong Ui approaching, Jin Cheongha quickly offered him a silent bow.
Sagong Ui, his lower face concealed behind his crane-feather fan, gave a slight nod and continued past Jin Cheongha and Taoist Cheongmu.
“......”
Jin Cheongha assumed that he simply had no desire to exchange greetings with her, the Young Castle Lord of Ghost Night Castle.
Taoist Cheongmu suddenly asked, “Sister Jin, who was that strange man?”
Jin Cheongha flinched and glanced back at Grand Strategist Sagong Ui. She was inwardly relieved to see that he had already put considerable distance between them with his rapid strides.
“Taoist Cheongmu, you must not call him that.”
“Why not?”
“He is the Grand Strategist of the Martial Alliance.”
“Is he more important than Little Martial Uncle?”
Jin Cheongha nodded at Taoist Cheongmu’s question.
“That is right. He holds a higher position than Chief Secretary Kwak.”
That was the simplest way to explain it at Taoist Cheongmu’s level.
Jin Cheongha had already realized that Taoist Cheongmu possessed the innocence of a child—innocence to an almost excessive degree.
“Ah! Then I’ll call him Grand Strategist, just like you did.”
“That is what you should call him from now on. And I would rather you did not call me ‘Miss Jin.’”
She knew Taoist Cheongmu meant nothing by it, but the form of address made her distinctly uncomfortable.
“Miss” was normally used for the young daughter of a distinguished household.
“Then what should I call Miss Jin?”
“You are much older than I am, Taoist Cheongmu, so I would like you to call me Sister Jin.”
“Sister Jin? Does that mean you’re my little sister?”
There was no simple way to explain it all, so Jin Cheongha nodded weakly.
“Something like that.”
Taoist Cheongmu’s face lit up.
“Wow! I like that! Not quite as much as when Little Martial Uncle came, but...”
Jin Cheongha realized that Kwak Yeon was the measure by which Taoist Cheongmu judged everything.
To Taoist Cheongmu, Taoist Kwak is the center of the world.
People normally viewed the world with themselves at its center.
Come to think of it, Kwak Yeon was much the same as Taoist Cheongmu. The only difference was that Kwak Yeon placed every person under heaven at the center of his world.
“Taoist Cheongmu, let us go to the kitchen now.”
Taoist Cheongmu kept becoming distracted, slowing them down again and again. At this rate, it would take them half the day just to reach the kitchen.
“All right, Sister Jin!”
Yet they had barely taken a few more steps when Taoist Cheongmu stopped once again.
“Taoist Cheongmu, what is it this time?”
“That Grand Strategist from before was strange.”
“What was strange about him?”
“I’ve never seen anyone cover his face with a clump of feathers before.”
Jin Cheongha let out a quiet sigh inwardly.
“Taoist Cheongmu, that was not a clump of feathers. It was a crane-feather fan, a fan made from crane feathers. Scholars and men of letters often carry them.”
Taoist Cheongmu’s eyes widened.
“That clump of feathers was a fan?”
“Yes. And people who hold very high positions in the Martial Alliance, like the Grand Strategist, sometimes conceal their faces in front of strangers.”
“Why do important people hide their faces?”
For a moment, Jin Cheongha found herself at a loss.
She did not know how to explain at Taoist Cheongmu’s level that allowing one’s face to become widely known increased the risk of ambush and other threats.
That danger was even greater for scholars who had never learned martial arts.
While Jin Cheongha hesitated, wondering how best to answer, Taoist Cheongmu spoke.
“Ah! It must be because he’s shy!”
“What...?”
“I’ve seen women who visit Jaso Palace cover their faces like that.”
Jin Cheongha realized that Taoist Cheongmu meant the noblewomen who came to offer incense with their faces concealed behind veils.
The reasons for concealing one’s face were roughly similar in any case, so she nodded.
“You may think of it that way. Now that your question has been answered, let us go.”
Yet Taoist Cheongmu remained rooted in place, his head tilted. Jin Cheongha had no choice but to ask again.
“Taoist Cheongmu, what is it now?”
“I think I’ve seen that shy Grand Strategist somewhere before.”
At his answer, Jin Cheongha finally released the sigh she had been holding back.
“Whewww! Taoist Cheongmu, there are many people in the world who resemble one another. Besides, when you can see only their eyes, everyone looks more or less alike.”
“Oh... Is that so?”
“Yes. And had the Grand Strategist known you, he surely would have greeted you warmly, would he not?”
“Ah! You’re right.”
When Taoist Cheongmu smiled brightly, Jin Cheongha hurriedly continued.
“Taoist Cheongmu, please, let us hurry now. At this rate, we will miss mealtime.”
“Little Martial Uncle mustn’t go hungry. Sister Jin, let’s hurry.”
*****
“Brother, welcome back.”
Kwak Yeon greeted Hu Gae as he entered the main hall of the guest residence.
“Did you settle everything at the Jadeite Pavilion?”
“The Branch Master here is a very capable fellow, so I had no trouble leaving matters in his hands.”
Hu Gae dropped heavily into a chair and asked, “Have you heard anything from the Grand Strategist?”
“He came by a short while ago, as a matter of fact.”
“Oh, he did?”
Kwak Yeon took out a scroll and handed it over.
“See for yourself, Brother.”
Hu Gae unfurled the scroll and read it, then nodded.
“He laid everything out thoroughly. With this, finding the Great Demon Prison will be no trouble at all. The problem is how long it will take us to reach the Gobi Desert... Where is Sister Jin?”
Hu Gae looked ready to depart at once, so Kwak Yeon replied, “Lady Jin went to the kitchen.”
Hu Gae’s face brightened.
“Good thinking. Before setting out on a long journey, one should fill one’s stomach.”
“Brother, we will have to leave tomorrow.”
“Hm?”
Hu Gae stared at him in bewilderment.
“Brother Kwak, what are you talking about all of a sudden? You said every day mattered...”
“Something unavoidable came up.”
Kwak Yeon briefly explained how Hyeonmun Dojang and Taoist Cheongmu had visited while Hu Gae was away.
“Hyeonmun Dojang had pressing matters to handle, so he has already left.”
“So because you promised to spend the night with Taoist Cheongmu of Samryeong Palace, we are departing tomorrow.”
“I apologize for deciding without consulting you.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Brother Kwak. It only shows how deep the bonds between members of your sect run.”
Hu Gae shook his head and continued.
“Besides, I think we may be able to make up a day.”
“......?”
When Kwak Yeon looked at him curiously, Hu Gae spread the scroll across the table.
“The map begins here at Baotou City, correct?”
“That is right.”
“Baotou is the gateway fortress leading from Guanzhong into the Gobi Desert beyond the frontier, so naturally the map begins there. Wuhan is a great distance from Baotou, and there must be more than a thousand possible routes between them. If we choose the route that saves the most time, making up a single day will be no problem.”
“You already have a route in mind, Brother?”
“Of course!”
Hu Gae nodded.
“Am I not Hu Gae of the greatest beggar organization under heaven? I carry the map of the entire realm inside my head.”
“......”
“First, we travel by boat along the Han River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, as far as Danjiangkou. From there, we continue overland to Chang’an. That should save us at least five days compared to traveling the entire distance by land.”
Kwak Yeon’s expression brightened.
“As expected of Hu Gae of the Beggar Clan, the greatest beggar organization under heaven.”
“Ahem. As soon as we finish eating, I will go to the docks and find out whether a Cloud-Drifting Boat is leaving for Danjiangkou tomorrow.”
“Please do. But take care that our identities are not exposed.”
“That is precisely why I intend to look for a regular Cloud-Drifting Boat.”
Had they not needed to conceal their identities, they could simply have borrowed one of the Martial Alliance’s military vessels.
While Kwak Yeon and Hu Gae discussed the route from Chang’an to Baotou City, Jin Cheongha and Taoist Cheongmu returned.
“Sub-Branch Master, you are back?”
“Ah, yes. But why do you look so exhausted, Sister Jin?”
Jin Cheongha’s fatigue was plain on her face, leaving Hu Gae no choice but to ask.
“Did something happen in the kitchen?”
“No.”
Taoist Cheongmu abruptly asked, “Sister Jin, who is that beggar?”
Kwak Yeon hurriedly spoke.
“Brother Cheongmu, this gentleman is the Sub-Branch Master of the Beggar Clan. He is also my sworn elder brother.”
“Little Martial Uncle’s elder brother?”
Taoist Cheongmu’s eyes flew wide as he looked Hu Gae up and down.
“But he looks completely like a beggar...”
Hu Gae’s brow furrowed.
He had realized at a glance that Taoist Cheongmu was not entirely well, so he forcibly restrained himself.
“Brother Cheongmu, the heroes of the Beggar Clan traditionally dress that way, just as we wear Taoist robes.”
“Ah!”
“In any case, come over and introduce yourself.”
As Taoist Cheongmu approached hesitantly, Hu Gae concealed his discomfort and offered a formal clasped-hands bow.
“I am Hu Gae of the Beggar Clan.”
“I’m Cheongmu, Little Martial Uncle’s martial nephew.”
Kwak Yeon turned to Hu Gae.
“Our Brother Cheongmu has spent his entire life on the mountain and is unfamiliar with the etiquette of lay society. I ask for your generous understanding, Brother.”
“Well, that can happen.”
Hu Gae decided not to make much of it, since Taoist Cheongmu was someone he would see only for the rest of that day.
Even so, the glances Taoist Cheongmu kept casting his way made him uncomfortable.
Hu Gae could more or less understand his childlike thoughts.
He was jealous because Hu Gae was Kwak Yeon’s sworn elder brother.
There is no point letting someone as innocent as a child bother me.
Hu Gae barely touched his meal before hurriedly leaving the guest residence.
Once the meal was over, Kwak Yeon took Taoist Cheongmu to his room.
“Brother Cheongmu, Hyeonmun Dojang had many matters to handle, so he left ahead of us. You may stay here with me tonight.”
Taoist Cheongmu’s face lit up.
“Do I really get to stay here with Little Martial Uncle?”
Kwak Yeon nodded.
“Hyeonmun Dojang said he would send someone tomorrow morning. You may return with that person then.”
Taoist Cheongmu’s expression darkened.
“Little Martial Uncle, can’t I stay here?”
Kwak Yeon’s heart ached at the pleading look on his face, but he answered firmly.
“You cannot stay here, Brother Cheongmu.”
“Why not?”
“Would Palace Lord Hyeonhae not be lonely, all by himself at Samryeong Palace?”
“Little Martial Uncle, Master isn’t alone at Samryeong Palace anymore. There are more Taoist errand boys than I can count on all ten fingers. Master is very busy now.”
Kwak Yeon gained a vague understanding of why Taoist Cheongmu had grown even lonelier.
Hyeonhae Taoist was busy teaching the Taoist errand boys of Samryeong Palace and could no longer care for Taoist Cheongmu as attentively as before.
Moreover, Hyeonhae Taoist also had to lecture the disciples sent up by the seven palaces of Wudang’s martial line, leaving even less time for Taoist Cheongmu.
Kwak Yeon wished he could send a dispatch to Samryeong Palace and ask permission for Taoist Cheongmu to remain at the Martial Alliance.
But he was leaving the next day on a long journey with no promise of when he would return, so that was impossible.
“Palace Lord Hyeonhae will worry greatly if you do not return. Besides, Samryeong Palace is filled with Taoist errand boys who have only just arrived. You are the only person there Palace Lord Hyeonhae can rely upon.”
Taoist Cheongmu nodded dispiritedly.
“That’s true. Little Martial Uncle and Martial Uncle Hyeonin are both gone.”
The mention of Martial Uncle Hyeonin sent a dull ache through Kwak Yeon’s chest.
“In any case, let us spend our time together until tomorrow morning.”
“All right.”
Taoist Cheongmu answered listlessly, then suddenly raised his head in alarm.
“Oh, right! How could I forget?”
He abruptly lifted his outer robe, revealing a cloth bundle wrapped several times around his waist.
“I brought this to give you when I saw you, Little Martial Uncle, but I completely forgot.”
Taoist Cheongmu hurriedly unwound the cloth bundle and spread it across the tea table.
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