Chapter 299

CRASH!

Taoist Cheongmu, dressed in plain gray clothes, flung open the cabin door hard enough to nearly break it.

“Fire! Little Martial Uncle, there’s a fire outside!”

Before Kwak Yeon could ask what was burning, Cheongmu’s face vanished from the narrow opening.

THUD-THUD-THUD!

“Fire! Fire! There’s a fire....”

Cheongmu’s voice soon faded as he raced down the corridor, shouting the same thing over and over.

“...?”

Kwak turned his head and caught the unease in Jin Cheongha’s eyes.

“Young Castle Lord, it isn’t the river pirates. Taoist Cheongmu probably saw that one of the passengers had accidentally started a fire and panicked.”

Jin nodded lightly.

“I don’t think it’s the pirates either.”

The boat showed no sign of slowing or stopping.

“Something does seem to be happening, though. I’ll go find out what it is.”

Jin readily nodded at his words.

“Go ahead.”

Ever since they had entered the cabin that Golden Mountain Guild Master Jo Ilsan had yielded to them, Jin had remained quietly shut inside.

She already owed Kwak an enormous debt over the matter of Ghost Night Castle. She could not allow herself to become an additional burden.

“...”

Kwak gazed at her for a moment before speaking.

“Young Castle Lord, come with me.”

“...?”

“You’ve spent days cooped up in this cabin. You should take the chance to get some fresh air.”

“Chief Secretary Kwak, I’m more comfortable here.”

Kwak firmly shook his head.

“What could possibly be comfortable about a cramped, airless cabin? It isn’t as though you’ve committed some crime....”

“...!”

“And honestly, aren’t you curious about what’s burning outside? We may even need your help.”

Jin’s heart tightened. Kwak was considerate enough to invent an absurd excuse merely to draw her out.

What possible need could an expert at Peak’s End have for her paltry assistance?

“...All right.”

When Kwak and Jin emerged onto the deck of the Cloud-Drifting Boat, Hu Gae approached as though he had been waiting for them.

“Brother Kwak, Sister Jin. You’re finally out.”

“Brother, what happened?”

“See for yourself. Over there, on the western bank beneath the mountain.”

Beyond the heads of the passengers crowded along the gunwale, Kwak saw flames soaring into the sky from the distant western riverbank.

Hu Gae looked toward Taoist Cheongmu, who had wedged himself among the other passengers to watch the fire.

“Cheongmu spotted it first, then ran all over the boat shouting about it. That’s why everyone came out to look.”

Hu Gae’s voice was thick with displeasure.

“...”

Kwak understood what was bothering him.

Hu Gae had never possessed the slightest ability to hide what he was thinking, while Cheongmu’s thoughts were as transparent as clear water. The two could hardly have been more incompatible.

Kwak decided nothing could be done until they came to understand each other and let the matter pass.

Relieved that the Cloud-Drifting Boat itself was not on fire, he asked, “That looks like quite a large blaze. What could have happened?”

“Who knows? Some vicious bandits may have attacked a village....”

Kwak’s expression darkened at Hu Gae’s answer.

“Ah, Guild Master Jo is coming.”

Hu Gae spoke softly, then continued in a loud voice, like a servant answering his master.

“You needn’t worry, Young Master. Those bandits have no boats, so we’re perfectly safe out here.”

Golden Mountain Guild Master Jo Ilsan had reached Kwak and Jin by then.

“Young Master Kwak, that is the Black Dragon Stockade burning.”

“...?”

Kwak turned to him, and Jo Ilsan continued.

“The rocky peak visible beyond those flames is Shanyang Peak. The Black Dragon Stockade lies in the reed marsh below it, so the location matches exactly.”

“Ah! I see.”

“Judging by the size of the blaze, the entire river stronghold must be burning. It is exceedingly strange.”

“...?”

“...?”

When Kwak and Jin looked at him questioningly, Jo Ilsan explained.

“I have heard no recent rumors of government troops being mobilized, so I cannot imagine who destroyed the Black Dragon Stockade. Of course, it may have been punished by some chivalrous heroes of the martial world.”

“...”

“In any case, it is welcome news. Those wicked river pirates have received heaven’s judgment.”

Jo Ilsan nodded with satisfaction before continuing.

“More than anyone else, you and your wife have reason to rejoice, Young Master Kwak. You have both been careful, but rumors travel faster than feet. I was privately concerned that the Stockade Master might appear.”

Kwak offered him a quiet clasped-hands bow.

“Guild Master Jo, thank you for showing such concern for my wife and me.”

“There is no need for thanks.”

Jo Ilsan waved it away.

“Now that the Black Dragon Stockade is gone, you should face no particular danger between here and Danjiangkou. You may travel in peace.”

After Golden Mountain Guild Master Jo Ilsan returned to his cabin, Kwak silently watched the flames illuminating the western riverbank.

As twilight deepened across the evening sky, the fire burned all the more vividly.

“What are you thinking about, Brother Kwak?” Hu Gae asked quietly.

“It seems rather coincidental that the fire started just as we were passing.”

Hu Gae bobbed his head.

“It is a little suspicious. Like a pear dropping just as a crow takes flight.”

“...?”

When Kwak stared at him, Hu Gae hurriedly added, “Not that I’m saying we’re the crows.... I only meant that the timing was remarkably coincidental. Ahem!”

He cleared his throat twice for no reason, then asked, “Brother Kwak, should I send out some Beggar Clan members to learn what happened?”

Kwak shook his head.

“I don’t believe it is important enough to expose your presence. As Guild Master Jo said, some righteous heroes likely did it as an act of chivalry.”

“Well, that is probably true. And nothing is more important to us than reaching the Gobi Desert.”

Hu Gae’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward Jin.

“...!”

Jin lowered her head slightly, feeling apologetic. Hu Gae hastily spoke.

“Now I’ve gone and made it sound as if I was blaming you. Sister Jin, there’s no need to feel guilty. We undertook this journey because it serves everyone’s interests.”

“Thank you for saying so, Sub-Branch Master.”

“Ahem. In any case, let’s all travel with easy hearts from now on.”

Hu Gae glanced at Taoist Cheongmu, who was still glued to the gunwale, and frowned faintly.

“Though we do still have one problem....”

From that day onward, just as Golden Mountain Guild Master Jo Ilsan had predicted, Kwak’s party traveled comfortably until they reached Danjiangkou.

Taoist Cheongmu’s vehement disgust forced Hu Gae to remain apart from the rest of the party the entire way, chewing dried rations on the cold deck at every meal and sleeping in the same spot each night, but otherwise the journey was uneventful.

“Oof! Every bone in my body aches.”

Hu Gae made an exaggerated show of groaning as he disembarked from the Cloud-Drifting Boat.

Taoist Cheongmu snapped at him.

“Big Beggar, pretending to be sick won’t work.”

“Hm?”

“I’m still not giving you any wild ginseng.”

“...!”

Hu Gae was so dumbfounded that he momentarily lost the power of speech.

He was about to fire back, genuinely aggrieved, when Golden Mountain Guild Master Jo Ilsan approached the party.

Damn it!

Kwak offered Jo Ilsan a respectful clasped-hands bow.

“Guild Master Jo, thanks to your consideration, our journey passed without incident.”

“Young Master Kwak, there is no need to speak of it.”

Jo Ilsan shook his head lightly.

“Of the waterways leading toward Chang’an, Danjiangkou brings you the closest. From here onward, however, range after range of mountains overlaps, and the roads are exceedingly treacherous. Even so, you should reach Chang’an safely if you accompany an escort agency’s caravan. Should you have no particular agency in mind, I would be glad to introduce one.”

Jo Ilsan was living proof of the maxim that once a man chose to extend a kindness, he ought to see it through to the end. Kwak answered gratefully.

“I would appreciate the introduction.”

“Then enter Danjiangkou and seek out the Qinling Escort Bureau. Its master is an old friend of mine and will ensure that you receive proper treatment.”

The party bade farewell to Jo Ilsan, who remained at the docks to oversee the unloading of his cargo, and headed toward Danjiangkou.

The county city stood in a deep valley, surrounded on all sides by magnificent mountains.

Walking ahead of the others, Hu Gae exclaimed in wonder.

“Amazing! I’d heard that the roads to Shu were perilous and that the Qinling Mountains were the most rugged under heaven, but seeing them in person is something else entirely.”

Compared with the towering mass of the Qinling Mountains, the peaks of the Yue region in Zhejiang Province—where he had suffered so wretchedly two months earlier—looked like mere hills.

That was only natural. Hanzhong, situated along the upper reaches of the Han River, was renowned as one of the most inaccessible regions under heaven, enclosed by forbidding mountain terrain.

It was said that when Hegemon-King Xiang Yu assigned Hanzhong to Liu Bang as his domain, the future Emperor Gaozu of Han had rejoiced and fled there almost at once.

Hanzhong was a natural fortress, treacherous enough to guarantee his safety even from Xiang Yu, who at the time possessed the greatest military might under heaven.

Xiang Yu realized the truth too late and sent troops in pursuit, but by then Liu Bang had already established himself in Hanzhong, and there was nothing Xiang Yu could do.

That single, grievous mistake ultimately cost Xiang Yu the realm, which Liu Bang later seized from him.

“To think these are the mountains and rivers that even Xiang Yu, whose strength could uproot mountains and whose spirit eclipsed the age, dared not covet. What a sight.”

The thrill of standing where the great heroes of history had once contended, combined with thoughts of the sumptuous feast awaiting him, washed away every trace of Hu Gae’s suffering during nearly ten days aboard the boat.

The moment we reach an inn, I’ll order the food. I’ll whet my appetite with chilled cabbage and three-shred salad, then line my stomach with fragrant-smoked fish, five-spice braised pork, and shredded pork with green peppers. After that, I’ll finish lightly with clear bird’s-nest soup.

Naturally, he would begin with no fewer than five or six jars of wine.

GULP! GULP! GULP!

Hu Gae repeatedly swallowed the saliva flooding his mouth as he strode toward Danjiangkou’s gates.

“Brother.”

At the sound of Kwak calling from behind, Hu Gae quickly turned around.

“Oh! I suppose I walked ahead because I’m naturally so quick on my feet. Hm? Why are all of you standing over there? The city gate is this way.”

“The gate is indeed that way, but our road lies over here.”

“What? That road doesn’t lead into the city. It leads into the mountains.... Wait. Are you saying we aren’t going to the Qinling Escort Bureau?”

Kwak nodded.

“That is correct.”

“Then why did you ask Guild Master Jo to introduce us to an escort agency?”

“It would have been discourteous to reject his goodwill.”

“Well, I suppose endlessly refusing a man’s kindness isn’t right. Even so, wouldn’t it be better to travel with the escort agency?”

Kwak calmly answered Hu Gae’s objection.

“Nothing has happened during the past ten days. That suggests our covert journey has succeeded beyond doubt. In that case, there is no longer any need to keep up our disguises. I believe we should increase our speed.”

“You mean you intend to take the mountain trails and run straight to Chang’an?”

“That is correct. We must save every moment we can.”

“That may be true, but....”

Hu Gae could not relinquish the magnificent feast shimmering before his mind’s eye. Drawing out his words, he looked around for an excuse.

His gaze soon landed on a mountain rising to a dizzying height.

“Well... I’ve crossed mountains like these plenty of times, so naturally I’m confident. But I’m worried about Sister Jin and Taoist Cheongmu. We ought to spend a day recovering from the journey at an inn before—”

Taoist Cheongmu abruptly cut in.

“Big Beggar, you’re lying.”