Chapter 651

There are plenty of things in this world that suspicion alone can’t settle.

That’s true of the twenty-first century I’d lived in all my life, and just as true of Murim, which might as well be lawless by comparison.

Especially when the person in question stands second only to one man and above ten thousand others in the vast land of Nanman.

But…

—Great Chieftain Baeksang has colluded with Dark Heaven.

“…!”

Well, that changed things.

I set down the chopsticks I’d snapped without realizing it. The old stall owner grumbled at the sight, but all my attention was on Heugung.

—Are you certain?

—I am. No… at least, I believe I am.

What?

I barely stopped myself from frowning.

—That sounds like you have no concrete evidence. “I believe I am” isn’t enough for this. You have to be certain.

—B-but…

Heugung swallowed hard before continuing his Sound Transmission.

—This is the best I can tell you. Great Chieftain Baeksang keeps that many secrets. I lead one of Nanman’s four great tribes myself, but… he never discusses anything important with me in depth.

It lasted only an instant, but I caught the emotion that crossed his face at those last words. It was unmistakably humiliation.

Perhaps it had been piling up inside him for a very long time.

I studied him, then moved my lips.

—Is that why?

—Why? What do you mean?

—Is that why you betrayed the man you followed, sent me a secret missive, and told me all this? Because of how you feel about Baeksang?

—B-betrayed him? That’s…

—If this isn’t betrayal, then I’m not Han Chinese—I’m from Nanman. Don’t bother denying it.

As if I had hit the mark, Heugung bit his lip hard and gave a small nod.

—Fine. I won’t deny it. Ever since my father died in the Great Faction War, I’ve lived under Great Chieftain Baeksang’s shadow. I was a runny-nosed child then, and I’m still under it now. No—I should say he’s dragged me around on an invisible leash. But that isn’t the only reason I decided to meet you.

—Then what is?

—I want to protect Nanman. My people.

—…!

—The Great Chieftain Baeksang I’ve known has always been coolheaded and capable. That’s why he’ll never back down. He’ll believe the choice he made was right. But if this goes on… Nanman is finished.

I silently stared at Heugung.

How much of this secret conversation at a little stall on a crowded street was I supposed to believe?

Can I trust him?

My doubts weren’t limited to what he’d told me. They extended to Heugung himself, who had suddenly arranged this secret meeting.

In some ways, trusting him mattered more than anything else. If I couldn’t do that, how could I trust the details he hadn’t told me yet?

He’s seemed sincere so far. But what if it’s all an act?

Murim was a fierce, unpredictable place. Heroes, Third Rate thugs, fiends, hypocrites—every kind of person was mixed together, deceiving and being deceived, drawing hidden blades to stab one another in the back.

Nothing would surprise me here.

As I weighed the situation, the old stall owner broke the silence.

Clack.

Setting down the bowl seemed to take all his strength. His hand trembled, and broth spilled over the rim.

The cheap somyeon,¹ worth only a few iron coins, lay tangled in the bowl. Rather like the thoughts in my head.

“Finally. Try the broth first. That’s the best part.”

Heugung tried to sound cheerful, but his eyes darted around the street.

—Be careful. Great Chieftain Baeksang has eyes and ears you won’t see. I need to return within half an hour if I’m to avoid suspicion.

—Did you slip away while you were with him?

—No. But there’s always someone nearby watching me. A plant put in place long ago to track my movements. Today should be safe, though.

He didn’t name the person who’d planted that watcher. He didn’t have to.

Baeksang.

Sitting there staring at steaming somyeon would only attract attention. I started eating and sent another Sound Transmission.

—How long have you been watched?

—I don’t know. I first noticed it around the time I came of age. I’ve been wary of Great Chieftain Baeksang for more than twenty years since. That’s why I secretly learned the Bone-Shrinking Technique. It’s difficult to master, but unlike other martial arts, the training leaves almost no trace.

I had to revise my opinion of him.

Not bad.

It was ridiculous for me to judge a man well past forty like that, but he was nothing like the fool who’d been grinning at everyone a few hours ago.

So he found his own way to survive.

His sudden approach still gave me reason to be suspicious. But the more I heard, the more I believed him. The somyeon tasting far better than I’d expected probably helped, too.

Slurp.

I finished the rich broth, took a few iron coins from my robes, and set them beside the empty bowl. Then I stood and patted Heugung’s shoulder. He looked startled.

“You were right. The broth here is good.”

“I-I’m glad you liked it. But where are you going…?”

“Why? I’ve eaten, so it’s time to get moving. You look like you’ve got somewhere to be, too. Don’t you?”

His eyes widened slightly. He must have heard the Sound Transmission I’d sent along with the words.

—Follow me. Slowly. Keep your distance.

The somyeon had taken care of the appetizer. Now for the main course.

—Tell me everything you’ve seen and heard at Baeksang’s side.

The street was so crowded there was barely room to walk.

Heugung and I slipped into the throng and moved slowly, keeping about ten feet between us. Now and then we watched fireworks burst overhead or turned our heads to look along the street. Our Sound Transmissions, though, stayed fixed on one subject.

—Let me get straight to it. Have you seen anything that points to Baeksang colluding with Dark Heaven?

—I have no concrete evidence. But from what I’ve observed, I’m certain of it.

—Without evidence, that isn’t enough.

—I couldn’t help it. Until now, I’ve lived like livestock inside a fence Great Chieftain Baeksang built around me.

—Then when did you begin to suspect him, and why?

—Being raised inside a fence didn’t mean I could never look outside it. I may lead the Yi people in name only, but I’m still their great chieftain. I was occasionally present when Baeksang met with others. Or perhaps he simply thought I wasn’t worth worrying about. He wouldn’t have been wrong.

His Sound Transmission took on a self-mocking edge.

—Do you know what sort of man Great Chieftain Baeksang is? Or what you know of the Bai people?

—I don’t know much about Nanman, but I’ve heard various things from a reliable source. I’ve also formed a certain judgment of Baeksang myself.

—An opinion. Interesting.

—What’s interesting about it?

—Simple. I’ve known him since I was very young, yet I’ve had to revise my opinion of him again and again. The older I got and the more I understood, the more often it happened.

—…!

—That’s the kind of man he is. Dense forests, deep swamps, every sort of treacherous ground—this land doesn’t let secrets escape. For instance…

He trailed off.

The next moment, I felt someone’s gaze and turned my head. Heugung’s eyes met mine, shining brightly.

—The finest Bai warriors, waiting for the right moment in a secret refuge somewhere in Nanman even now.

My feet stopped before I could help it. I turned toward a nearby stall as naturally as I could and moved my lips.

—Go on.

—Have I told you about my father? He was a respected great chieftain and an outstanding warrior. The loyal men who followed him helped me at the cost of their lives. Their sacrifice is how I learned of that refuge.

—Do you know exactly where it is?

—I did. Twenty years ago.

—…Twenty years ago?

—The only thing that came back that day was a messenger pigeon carrying a missive written in blood. None of my father’s men returned. A few days later, I went to the location in the message, using a hunt for ferocious beasts as my excuse. I saw the mountain engulfed in flames before I even reached its foot.

—…!

—The fire burned for a month and seven days. When it finally died, nothing remained but ashes. Strange, isn’t it?

His Sound Transmission turned bitter.

—Every time one of my loyal retainers died, I learned something new. Great Chieftain Baeksang exchanges missives to unknown destinations on the first day of every month, between Insi and the hour of the Rabbit.² He also disappears somewhere alone once every three months… Ah, since last year, that changed to once a month. The person who followed him then was the last subordinate I could trust. I never saw him again after that.

A heavy silence settled between us.

All around us, people chatted and cheered. Heugung and I didn’t join them.

Baeksang and Dark Heaven. Dark Heaven and Baeksang. And…

Heugung.

Which parts were true? Which were lies?

My thoughts were hazy, as though I had been swallowed by Poison Mist.

Yet beyond that haze, I could still make out the figure I’d followed with my eyes and thoughts from the beginning.

Baeksang.

And then there was someone else who had yet to appear.

A name came to mind. I sent Heugung another Sound Transmission.

—What about the other person?

—Other person? Who?

—The other great chieftain. Yohi.

—…!

—I’ve been wondering why you haven’t said a word about her.

Through the passing crowd, I saw his gaunt frame jerk. His gaze met mine, trembling faintly.

—She hasn’t done anything wrong.

—What?

—She only made the wrong choice. All she wanted was to restore the Yao people…

His voice gradually faded.

I blinked blankly at Heugung, and the back of my head began to tingle.

Fuck. Don’t tell me…

—Wait. That wasn’t an act? You really like Yohi?

—I don’t like her. I love her.

—Sorry, but are you out of your fucking mind?

—…

This was driving me crazy.

I had suspected as much, but all those foolish grins whenever Yohi appeared had really been genuine.

He had even put up a soul shield strong enough to make Magic Johnson cry.

I barely managed to restrain myself from pushing through the crowd and marching over to him. Instead, I sent a Sound Transmission that was almost a shout.

—Would you say that in front of Sir Yayul, too? That Yohi did nothing wrong?

—That’s why I came to you. First, I didn’t think the Palace Lord would trust me over Great Chieftain Baeksang. Second, I thought he wouldn’t forgive our Yohi.

—Wow. Listen to this “our Yohi” bullshit.

—…!

—Ah, sorry. But you really are an idiot. Anyway, I understand now. Your Yohi defected to that side.

Heugung’s face stiffened at my choice of words. He opened his mouth as if to object, then sighed.

—I made up my mind before coming here. If you and the Palace Lord want me to, I’ll testify at tomorrow’s Tribal Grand Council. But you must promise to protect both Yohi and me.

The first offer was good. The second sat badly with me.

Neither was mine to accept on the spot. Protecting Heugung was one thing; protecting Yohi would practically mean pardoning a defector. I wasn’t Syngman Rhee taking in pro-Japanese collaborators.³ How could I decide that alone? At best, I was the U.N. forces.

But if the Beast Miao King agrees…

If Heugung’s words were true, we could not only root out Dark Heaven’s threat from Nanman, but might even drag the Nanman Beast Palace into the Murim Alliance as one enormous headache.

If he was telling the truth.

—This had better be true. Every word.

Fsssh!

I sent a wave of qi bearing down on Heugung alone. His face went pale under the force of it, and his lips moved.

—My life. I stake my life on it.

I held his gaze a moment longer, then withdrew my aura.

He stood panting, glanced around, gave a small nod, and disappeared into the crowd. The half hour he’d warned me about had passed.

“…Phew.”

Only then did I take a full breath and start walking. Before I told the Beast Miao King, I wanted to stop at our quarters and talk it over with the Fire Dragon Pavilion members.

Those damn men. I’ll consider it a success if they haven’t caused any trouble.

Sama Pyo had come out to the clearing in front of the quarters to train when a thought occurred to him.

Was he simply born unlucky, or had the karma from that damn Pavilion Master’s misdeeds flowed all the way here like a stream?

“So let me ask you.”

Shing.

The Black Dragon Saber slid free with a cold ring. Sama Pyo stepped forward, his favored weapon in hand.

“What do you lot think?”

Rustle.

The grass around the clearing shook.