“I left a patient behind.”
At the Divine Physician’s answer, the Emperor’s eyes trembled.
Could it be…?
Suddenly, he found it hard to breathe. Without realizing it, he clenched both fists.
A spark of hope kindled in a heart he’d thought he’d emptied completely. He could feel his resolve wavering—the resolve to die on a battlefield, not in his bedchamber.
No. It can’t be.
But deep down, the Emperor could only shake his head. A crisis could drive a person to the edge of a cliff. Hope was what finally sent them plunging into the abyss.
And so he forced himself to look away from the Divine Physician, who still watched him with a gentle smile.
“If you intend to join the army, I won’t stop you. Before long, there will be countless casualties. Your medical skills will be put to good use.”
“Your Majesty.”
Leaving the Divine Physician to finish whatever he’d meant to say, the Emperor quietly turned away.
Jin Taekyung, who had left to protect the Jin Family of Taiyuan, wasn’t the only one with no time to spare.
The Emperor’s life was truly drawing to a close. In the brief time he had left—a few months at most—he meant to do everything he could.
For a better future.
For the precious people who would remain in this world after he was gone.
That is my sole duty.
The moment he steeled his resolve again, a quiet voice sounded behind him.
“I understand, Your Majesty. I know how you feel.”
Thud.
The Emperor stopped as if his feet had been nailed to the ground.
The Divine Physician’s voice continued in his ear.
“A fleeting hope must frighten you. Nothing is more painful than false hope.”
After a brief silence, the Emperor slowly turned. The Divine Physician was still smiling at him.
“You understand well.”
“Through no choice of my own.”
“You must have met countless people standing between life and death in your work as a physician.”
“That’s not the only reason.”
“Then what is?”
The Divine Physician’s smile faded.
“A very long time ago, there was a young carpenter.”
“A carpenter? Did he come to you because he had a fatal illness, too?”
“More precisely, he came to save his wife and children from an epidemic.”
“……His wife and children.”
“He carried his feverish wife and two children on his back in a wooden carrying frame. For three days and nights, he climbed the mountain without sleep, looking for a skilled physician said to be staying in a nearby slash-and-burn farming village.”
The Emperor pictured the carpenter, drenched in sweat as he climbed the mountain, and muttered,
“That must have been hard. Very hard.”
“As you say, it surely was.”
“But I doubt he even felt how exhausted he was. He had hope he could save his family.”
The Divine Physician nodded.
“Yes. He didn’t set down the frame and collapse until he reached his destination. Then he lay sick for a day and a half.”
“So, did you treat his family?”
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t.”
The Emperor gave a small sigh. The Divine Physician added bitterly,
“By the time I regained consciousness, it was too late.”
“……!”
“That’s why I know how cruel hope can be. What kind of despair waits at the bottom of that cliff.”
The Emperor fell silent.
He looked at the old physician before him, seeing the young carpenter who had lost his wife and children to an epidemic long ago and chosen a new path. After a long while, he spoke.
“Then… then have you truly…?”
His voice shook with emotion he could not hide. He forced out the question he’d wanted to ask from the start.
“Have you found a way to treat Us?”
Light returned to his eyes, and hope crept into his voice.
The Divine Physician bowed deeply.
“Yes. With the help of Heaven—or rather, Young Master Jin—I was able to find the one and only path to survival.”
“……!”
Jin Taekyung.
The unexpected name made the Emperor close his eyes. In the darkness, he pictured Jin Taekyung’s face and offered him thanks he would never hear.
You didn’t forget your promise to Us.
He had not resented Jin Taekyung for leaving. Even when he’d watched him walk away without a word about their promise, he’d felt only gratitude for all Jin Taekyung had done for the imperial house.
He’d believed that was his duty—as ruler of this nation, as an older brother, and as a human being.
But Jin Taekyung had kept his promise after all. He had given the finest physician beneath Heaven a hope brighter than ever before and sent him back.
What more can I do for him to repay this debt?
It didn’t matter. Whatever Jin Taekyung wanted, the Emperor would gladly give him.
With a quiet chuckle, the Emperor opened his eyes and slowly spoke.
“Tell Us. What must We do to live?”
For some reason, the Divine Physician’s smile turned awkward.
“What is it?”
“Well, you see… That is…”
“There’s no need to hesitate. We’ll trust your word and follow your instructions without the slightest doubt.”
“Forgive me, but even so, there may be a slight misunderstanding…”
The Emperor thought he knew what made the Divine Physician hesitate.
It happened all the time. He was the Emperor, ruler of all beneath Heaven. If anything went wrong with his health, the imperial physicians might have to answer for it with their lives. Even the finest physician beneath Heaven would worry about the consequences.
“Whatever concerns you, We assure you that nothing of the sort will happen. We swear by Our name… No, We swear upon the tombs of the late Emperors.”
The Divine Physician had been silently working his lips for some time. At the Emperor’s gentle reassurance, he finally spoke.
“Are those words truly sincere? Without the slightest falsehood?”
“Of course. From this moment on, We are a patient in need of your treatment before We are the Son of Heaven. We’ll trust you and follow your instructions, whatever they may be.”
“Very well. Since Your Majesty has said as much, I’ll speak frankly.”
In the next instant, the Emperor understood why the Divine Physician had hesitated—and how much he’d understated matters with a slight misunderstanding.
“The truth is, there’s no way to save Your Majesty.”
“……?”
“To treat you, you must first die once. That’s where it begins—Your Majesty?”
The Emperor blinked. Somehow, his treasured sword was in his hand.
“Now, why would this suddenly—”
“Your Majesty? Your Majesty!”
“I’m sorry, Divine Physician. But We didn’t draw it of Our own will. The sword is moving by itself.”
“Your Majesty!”
The Emperor approached with his sword, offering an excuse even a passing traitor wouldn’t believe. The Divine Physician let out a shrill scream.
At the same time, he held out the thing he’d taken out earlier, just in case—the thing Jin Taekyung had given him a few shichen1 ago.
Or rather, he threw it at the Emperor.
Clack.
The Emperor reached out on instinct and caught it.
Rattle!
The cord binding it came loose, and bamboo slips unfurled, so old they had half rotted away.
“……What is this?”
His puzzlement lasted only a moment. As he made out the faint characters that remained, his eyes widened.
Maoshan Sect.
White Illusion Jiangshi Art.
It was the ancient root of a sect belonging to someone who no longer existed in this world, and who had treasured it dearly.
Dududududu!
The thunder of hooves rang out through the darkness.
The fine horses, said to carry the blood of sweat-blood horses, lived up to their reputation. Not one stopped for even a moment, and none of us—including me—slackened our reins.
“Deokcheong County is just beyond that hill!”
Ju Hwaran’s shout cut through the wind rushing past us.
We’d reached a second county just one shichen1 after leaving the Imperial Capital. It was good news, but I couldn’t smile.
Not yet. At this speed, I can’t even be sure we’ll reach Anhui Province by noon.
Neither our speed nor our time was nearly enough.
Even the imperial messenger eagles and couriers, who had left the capital about half a shichen1 ahead of us, might not arrive before the fighting began.
We had to hurry.
“Jeong Hogun!”
At my call, carried by internal energy, Jeong Hogun rode forward, his helmet pulled low.
“Speak.”
“How much longer until we reach Shanxi Province?”
Jeong Hogun thought for a moment as his horse raced onward.
“Ten days at the least. Fifteen at most.”
A difference of five whole days. And I knew fifteen wasn’t some leisurely estimate.
“Be more specific.”
“Fifteen days if we change horses on time at counties with relay stations ready and take only the bare minimum of rest.”
“Damn it. And ten days?”
“That means taking the shortest possible route in a straight line. We’ll have to cross rugged mountains and rivers. Depending on the terrain, we may have to abandon our horses…”
Jeong Hogun trailed off. He glanced at the thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards racing ahead as one with their horses, then at the Fire Dragon Pavilion members following them.
“And we can forget about rest.”
His expression and tone were as impassive as ever, but I could hear the concern beneath them.
No, I couldn’t miss it, either.
Reaching Shanxi Province won’t mean it’s over.
We didn’t know exactly when Dark Heaven would invade. If Heaven was on our side, we’d arrive before the fighting began and have time to rest. But there was every chance we wouldn’t.
If Dark Heaven has already taken Shanxi, or we arrive just as the battle begins…
No need to finish that thought.
I spat out the curse that had been on the tip of my tongue for a while.
“Goddamn it.”
Shhk!
Jeong Hogun cut off a branch hanging over the road, spat out a leaf that had landed in his mouth, and replied,
“I understand how you feel, but I doubt you called me over just to say that.”
His tone was so cold it made me dislike him on the spot. I felt my overheated thoughts cool down.
“Shit. This sucks.”
“Good. Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?”
“You cold bastard.”
“……”
“You can’t even show a little sympathy. No wonder you don’t have a single friend.”
“……That doesn’t sound like feeling sorry for yourself.”
“Of course it does. Just me feeling sorry for myself.”
At my firm reply, Jeong Hogun pressed his lips together.
The eyes visible through his helmet looked a little sad. That had to be my imagination.
Anyway, if that’s how it is…
Ignoring his reaction, I made my decision.
“We split up as soon as we pass through Deokcheong County. There are too many of us.”
“You mean divide the troops…?”
“All of you. And three people.”
“What?”
I pointed past him toward two figures racing ahead in the distance.
“Three of us are enough to get there first.”
Maybe you’ve heard of it.
Fire King on the left, Bow Saint on the right.
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