Chapter 1376
The preparations are now complete. (1)
“Daeju. Surochae attacked Jiujiang and set all the ships on fire before retreating.”
One of the beggars who had been discreetly trailing the luxurious carriage moving east from the headquarters of Sapaeryeon grimaced at the report.
“The ships?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Those bastards… It seems they’re really trying to make a proper move.”
He had anticipated this.
He prioritized firsthand information over anything else. No matter how brilliant someone’s intellect was in analyzing information, they couldn’t grasp the atmosphere only felt on the scene.
The instinct of the Scentless Beggar [무취개(無臭丐) – muchwi-gae], familiar with the ‘scent of the scene,’ was shouting out. It meant that their movements were definitely not just for show.
The ominous momentum, as if it could explode at any moment, was vividly transmitted even to this remote place.
“What do we do?”
“W-what can we do?”
“But, isn’t this Gangnam? If a real war breaks out, people like us would be chopped to pieces in an instant. Shouldn’t we escape as soon as possible?”
The beggar looked truly anxious, his face turning pale blue. The muscles in the Scentless Beggar’s face twitched.
“Damn it, since when did beggars start running away because they value their lives? Is it natural for you to flee?”
“W-well, that’s not it, but…”
“And yet you call yourself a member of the Black Stain Unit [흑오대(黑汚臺) – heugo-dae – or black dirt unit…]?”
As the scolding mixed with irritation and anger poured out, the trembling beggar lowered his head deeply, feeling ashamed.
“I’m sorry…”
“Tsk.”
With a short scoff he turned his head in disapproval. The Scentless Beggar glanced at Sapaeryeon’s main force moving casually.
‘Run away?’
Where could they possibly run to? If they lose track of them, even Gangbuk won’t be safe anymore.
Simply crossing the river doesn’t guarantee safety. With Jang Ilso on the move, no place in the Central Plains is safe anymore.
So they absolutely must not lose track of them.
Tracking their movements, even at the risk of their lives, is the mission of the Black Stain Unit, and simultaneously, the duty of its Daeju.
Lost in thought, the Scentless Beggar couldn’t help but smirk.
‘And besides, do they really not know that we’re tracking them?’
They probably do know. It’s unlikely that Jang Ilso, who holds the world in his hands and manipulates it, would be unaware that he’s being tracked. Perhaps the reason why the Scentless Beggar and his subordinates are still alive is because Jang Ilso has no intention of hiding his movements.
Therefore, escaping from here would be meaningless.
“Daeju! They’ve stopped!”
“Get down!”
As the Scentless Beggar slightly lowered his raised hand, his subordinates flattened themselves on the ground, hiding their bodies. Only their eyes, filled with tension, were visible among the tall reeds.
‘What’s going on?’
As the Scentless Beggar lowered his body, he pushed his inner strength into his eyes.
There’s no reason for them to stop now. Nothing seemed to have appeared.
So what does that mean?
Instinctively, the Scentless Beggar’s gaze turned towards the carriage at the center of the group. It was a magnificent carriage pulled by four white horses.
As the carriage door, which had remained tightly closed until now, began to open, revealing fluttering red robes, the Scentless Beggar forgot to breathe.
‘Jang Ilso!’
Despite the distance making people look like ants, he could still recognize him. While there are countless people in the world, only one person would dare to dress like that.
Jang Ilso, Paegun, the Lord of Maninbang, and Ryeonju of Sapaeryeon, had finally revealed himself.
When Jang Ilso came out, everyone traveling with his carriage knelt down to show respect.
A shiver ran down the Scentless Beggar’s spine.
This was a sight never seen in Gangho.
Neither the Abbot of Shaolin, known as the pinnacle of Gangho, nor the Sect Leader of Wudang, referred to as the Northern Head of the World’s Taoists, would ever receive such respect. They shouldn’t and couldn’t.
Only two people in the empire could receive such reverence: the emperor, the ruler of the empire, and Jang Ilso, the sovereign of Gangnam.
The Scentless Beggar clenched his lips tightly.
Even though martial artists lived a life somewhat removed from the secular world, they were still nothing more than commoners. They had no right to display such a sight. It was not only a disloyalty to the emperor but also a blind faith in power. It was the most alarming sight for those who claimed to be part of Gangho.
But still… the Scentless Beggar couldn’t deny the tremor in his heart at the sight. Even if he were to die, he couldn’t speak it out loud, but wasn’t the appearance Jang Ilso was showing now exactly what he had dreamed of, even in his wildest dreams?
“That guy…”
“Shh!”
The Scentless Beggar silenced his subordinate who was about to speak.
Of course, even if it was Jang Ilso’s father and not Jang Ilso himself, it wouldn’t be easy to spot their presence in this bushes, especially since they were professionally trained in concealment techniques. However, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious in everything.
‘What are they planning?’
The Scentless Beggar surveyed the movements of Sapaeryeon with tense eyes.
Then, Jang Ilso gestured to signal something. As his leisurely gesture ended, some of the individuals who had been kneeling quickly leaped up and rushed off somewhere.
‘What…?’
The Scentless Beggar widened his eyes.
If some of them moved during the relocation, the Scentless Beggar would have also instructed his subordinates to follow them. But in this situation, he couldn’t respond rashly.
“D-Daeju…”
No matter how skilled they were at tracking, it was impossible to catch up with people like them belatedly, especially in a situation where they had to follow while hiding their presence.
But the situation didn’t end there.
Every time Jang Ilso gestured, one group after another disappeared before their eyes.
The saying “to open one’s eyes and pinch one’s nose” must have been coined for moments like this. Unable to contain his anger any longer, the Scentless Beggar finally spat out a curse.
“Damn it…”
Then, as Jang Ilso finished giving instructions, he turned around without hesitation.
Just as the Scentless Beggar was about to release the breath he had been holding, Jang Ilso suddenly glanced casually in their direction.
Thump!
His heart sank in his chest. Instinctively, the Scentless Beggar pressed his head deeper, as if he needed to bury it in the ground to avoid that gaze.
‘Did… did he notice?’
He had suspected they were being followed, but to know their exact location so clearly?
That couldn’t be. No one in the world could track them down at such distance. It was an impossible task.
Cold sweat poured down.
He breathed heavily, trying to calm himself. But he couldn’t bring himself to lift his head. His body refused to obey him. He felt like a rabbit trying to avoid the gaze of a wolf, burrowing deeper and deeper into the ground.
The strong smell of earth and grass, mixed with the damp, musky scent of sweat, filled his nostrils. How much time had passed?
“Daeju, they’re moving again.”
The trembling voice from behind brought the Scentless Beggar back to reality as if awakening from a daze. Realizing his own state, he released the grass tightly clenched in his hand and sat up straight.
The carriage with its tightly closed door and the accompanying entourage continued to move as if nothing had happened.
For a moment, the Scentless Beggar was speechless. He felt thoroughly mocked, yet surprisingly, he didn’t even feel angry. After all, anger was something he could only direct towards equals.
He was the Daeju of the Beggar’s Black Stain Unit, respected even in the most powerful circles. But for now, all he could do was find solace in the fact that he had survived. He shivered at the sensation of sweat cooling on his spine.
“Daeju, what should we do? Do we track them?”
“…Tracking?”
For a moment, a bitter laugh escaped the Scentless Beggar’s lips.
“Leave them be. Report back to the headquarters and then pursue the main force.”
“But…”
“What more could we learn by following them?”
With no response forthcoming, the Scentless Beggar sighed.
“Stop being so arrogant and just make sure to follow them closely.”
“Yes.”
The Scentless Beggar bit his lip tightly. His gaze was fixed on the small square window of the carriage. While one could peer out from inside, seeing inside from outside was far too difficult through that tiny window.
Now Jang Ilso was looking at the world through that small window. However, as the Scentless Beggar sees this wide world with his own two eyes, he cannot catch up with Jang Ilso’s vision at all.
In his gaze directed towards the carriage, there was a glimmer of determination.
The dazzling white carriage and the crimson flags fluttering in all directions.
In that moment, the center of the world was undoubtedly that one small carriage.
❀ ❀ ❀
Thud.
The carriage door shut firmly.
“It’s quite inconvenient without Gamyeong. Even such trivial instructions, I have to give them myself… Tsk-tsk.”
Jang Ilso, calmly lamenting, lay diagonally on the soft bedding. His lazy movements were filled with annoyance.
Slowly reaching for the bottle and glasses placed on the table, he refilled his glass.
Despite the carriage’s gentle swaying, the transparent liquid flowed steadily, gracefully filling the small glass. The strong scent of alcohol permeated the carriage.
Thud.
Setting down the bottle, Jang Ilso, still reclined, gazed at the swaying glass. With each movement of the carriage, the liquid, once slightly moving, soon calmed into stillness.
A somber aura lingered in his pale eyes as he observed the glass. He slowly raised it to his lips, taking a sip.
Savoring the aroma that spread from his mouth to his stomach, Jang Ilso then turned his gaze toward the small square window of the carriage.
He murmured softly, swiping his lips with his fingers.
“It’s not difficult. Yes, it’s not difficult at all.”
To him, the small world he could see from here was insignificant. If he could draw those he observed into this small world, wouldn’t even the tiny window reveal the entire world?
One by one.
All those he had been observing were gathering within this small window.
Those who sought power, those unable to sever their affections, those blindly following orders, and… those pitiful souls suffocating under ideals.
“Hmm.”
The sound of drums reached his ears, a vibrant drumbeat captivating everyone’s attention. It signaled the beginning of a grand stage.
“The preparations… are now complete,”
murmured Jang Ilso, as if speaking to someone, slowly turning his head in the opposite direction. It was towards the wall of the carriage where there was no window.
His transparent gaze, empty as it seemed, directed beyond that wall, towards somewhere in the south.
On the one hand it appeared filled with hatred, yet at the same time, it seemed to yearn and long for something unattainable.
“So come forth, Hwasan Geomhyeop. For a stage cannot commence without its protagonist.”
A deep smile adorned his face. His eerie smile, like the crimson-stained moon of dusk, burned brightly.
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