Chapter 65
I decided to leave the next day.
Originally, I had planned to pack only a few simple belongings and leave immediately, but Eom Papa told me to leave the following day because there was something she wanted to give me as a final parting gift.
‘What could it be?’
Feeling somewhat guilty toward Eom Papa, I eventually agreed.
That night, I packed my things. Though, to be honest, my belongings amounted to little more than a few coins and several pieces of dried rations. Pyeonghyeon, who had been watching me pack, was horrified and ended up packing all sorts of things for me.
After our conversation, Pyeonghyeon didn’t pester me or try to persuade me anymore. However, she kept shedding tears throughout the entire time I was packing, so I had to put considerable effort into consoling her.
Eom Papa went out late that evening and didn’t return until the next morning. Then, when she saw me come out carrying my luggage, she abruptly said,
“Get in.”
There was a carriage in front of the house.
“What is this…?”
To my surprise, Eom Papa clicked her tongue and asked,
“Surely you weren’t planning to walk all the way there with that body of yours? Without even knowing how far the village is?”
‘How did she know?’
“I told you, didn’t I? If you want to live, take care of yourself and don’t overdo it. How far do you think you can walk in that condition? You’ll be lucky if you don’t collapse and die along the way.”
‘She’s right about that.’
“Get in. I’ll take you there.”
“To Anhui Province?”
At my hopeful question, Eom Papa suddenly shouted,
“You think I’m some sort of carriage driver! I’ll take you as far as Nanning, at least. I’ll find a driver there and have him take the carriage to Hefei. If you travel by carriage and stay at inns along the way, your body will be less strained.”
“Eom Papa…”
I looked at Eom Papa with moved eyes. So that was why she’d gotten a carriage. She must have gone out and found one after thinking of the way I could travel while putting the least strain on my body.
Eom Papa merely waved her hand dismissively as though it were a bother. Then she climbed onto the driver’s seat and shouted,
“Get in before I change my mind!”
I hurriedly climbed into the carriage. Though, in truth, “hurriedly” meant that I awkwardly climbed in with Pyeonghyeon’s support.
Still, I was happy that I could spend even a little more time with the two of them.
The carriage rattled as it set off down the road.
Along the way, we talked about all sorts of things. Everything from mundane daily matters to my physical condition, my plans for the future, the movements of the martial world, and so on.
Naturally, the subject of the destruction of the Xiao Family Manor eventually came up, and I cautiously asked,
“The main culprit behind the destruction of the Xiao Family Manor was probably… the Demonic Cult, right?”
For a moment, I thought Pyeonghyeon’s body trembled.
“Why do you think that?”
“Uh… isn’t it the Demonic Cult? The Xiao Family Manor hadn’t incurred anyone’s grudge, and from the rumors going around, there doesn’t seem to be anyone as evil as the Demonic Cult…”
“How do you know whether the Xiao Family Manor had incurred someone’s grudge or not? You speak as if you were one of the Xiao Family Manor’s people.”
I was startled and shut my mouth. That was true, though.
“It could have been the Demonic Cult. Depending on what kind of ‘Demonic Cult’ it was, that is.”
“…There are several Demonic Cults?”
Eom Papa answered my bewildered question.
“Want to hear something interesting? In truth, there is no organization in the Central Plains martial world that bears the name ‘Demonic Cult.’ The orthodox sects simply arbitrarily label those they consider evil as ‘demonic’ and call them the Demonic Cult as a derogatory term.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, there are people who commit acts against human morality and are therefore called demon heads. But the same goes for the orthodox sects. There are plenty of people who pretend to be gentlemen on the surface while committing immoral acts behind the scenes.”
“……”
“Then who is ‘demonic’? Are those who live according to humanity and righteousness within the Demonic Cult the ‘demons’? Or are those who preach righteousness while committing wicked acts the ‘demons’?”
I couldn’t bring myself to answer. Somehow, I felt this wasn’t something I should answer so easily.
A long sigh came from Eom Papa in front.
“Just as you can only know whether a person is good or evil by seeing them for yourself, the same applies to the Xiao Family Manor’s incident. Until we know what actually happened inside, we can’t make assumptions about anything. Doing so will only bring trouble upon ourselves…”
I suddenly thought,
‘Then what was it that I heard back then?’
When the Xiao Family Manor was attacked, one of the servants who was fleeing had definitely said that the ‘Demonic Cult’ had attacked them.
The people Namgung Jeong had supposedly sent were the same. Hadn’t they clearly said they were late because they had been dealing with the remnants of the ‘Demonic Cult’? Even though they themselves were suspected of being in league with the Demonic Cult…
‘It wasn’t the Demonic Cult?’
If the people who attacked the Xiao Family Manor weren’t the ‘Demonic Cult,’ or if, as Eom Papa said, there was no such thing as a ‘Demonic Cult,’ then whose doing was it?
The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I was falling into a complete mystery, so I soon stopped thinking about it. Just then, the carriage was entering the main road.
Before long, a city surrounded by a huge forest appeared.
It was Nanning.
As we entered Nanning through its southern gate, a bustling district soon appeared, filled with countless people. Having lived only in small villages until then, I had never seen such a large city before, so my eyes grew wide.
Eom Papa drove the carriage to a building. Then she told me to ‘wait here’ and went inside through the door, not coming out for quite some time.
I obediently sat inside the carriage with Pyeonghyeon.
Suddenly, Pyeonghyeon spoke in a small voice.
“Unnie, if…”
“Hmm?”
Pyeonghyeon seemed somehow sad.
“I mean, if I…… if I, um…”
Just as Pyeonghyeon’s hesitation stretched on…
“…Do that.”
I heard signs of Eom Papa coming outside.
Not long afterward, the carriage door creaked open. Eom Papa was standing outside with a man. Pointing toward the man, Eom Papa said,
“He’s the driver who’ll take you to Hefei. He says he’s worked in this area for a long time, so he’ll get you there safely. And take this, too.”
“Yes?”
Eom Papa handed me a money pouch. When I looked inside, there was some silver and a few coins.
“This is…”
“You’ll need travel expenses along the way, won’t you? I couldn’t put that much in, so spend it sparingly. You can at least manage that, can’t you?”
“Thank you so much…”
“Tsk, why is ‘thank you’ the only thing you ever say? I’m sick of hearing it now, so stop.”
“Then,”
I said with a smile,
“I’ll definitely repay you.”
“……”
“Once I safely arrive in Hefei and meet my family, I’ll come back. I’ll definitely repay you then. For everything you’ve done for me until now.”
Eom Papa said nothing. Eventually, she let out a deep sigh and nodded.
“…Stay safe.”
I took the opportunity to look back at Pyeonghyeon as well.
“Pyeonghyeon, okay? We’re not saying goodbye forever.”
“Unnie…”
“I’ll definitely come back. You know I have to come back anyway if I’m going to treat the cold poison. We can meet again then. Just wait a little, and I’ll show up safe and sound without anything happening.”
“……”
“Don’t be too sad… okay?”
Pyeonghyeon’s eyes wavered once at my words. But Pyeonghyeon didn’t cry. She merely pressed her lips together before eventually giving me a faint smile and saying,
“I’ll wait.”
Pyeonghyeon got down from the carriage, and the man climbed up onto the driver’s seat.
The carriage door closed.
I looked out the window. At the same time, I heard a “Giddy-up!” and the carriage began to move.
Even after the carriage had set off, Pyeonghyeon and Eom Papa didn’t leave. They simply stood there in the same spot, watching without taking their eyes off the carriage as it grew farther away.
I looked at the two of them, then stuck my hand out the window and waved.
Pyeonghyeon waved back.
And so I kept waving. Until they grew distant, until they became tiny dots, until they disappeared from sight completely.
Hoping that, please, I would be able to meet them again.
***
Thanks to Eom Papa’s consideration, I was able to travel comfortably.
The driver truly was a professional.
He drove the carriage throughout the day, stopping at appropriate times to find an inn. Then he would support me as I entered the inn so I could rest.
At first, I felt awkward, wondering, ‘Is it really okay for me to receive this much help?’ But before long, I got used to it. Naturally, my gratitude toward Eom Papa only grew even greater.
‘I didn’t expect her to be this considerate.’
At this rate, I would arrive safely, and once I met the young lady, I would definitely return and repay the favor.
I really thought that’s how things would turn out.
At least, until halfway there.
“Pay the toll if you want to pass through here!”
Because we ran into bandits along the way.
At first, the driver didn’t panic. As if he had expected something like this, he even handed over the toll money he’d prepared in advance. But that was when the problem arose.
“That’s not the amount you usually charge!”
The bandits had suddenly demanded several times the toll they normally asked for.
“This year’s harvest was terrible, so there are far fewer merchants around. We have to make a living too!”
“Then you should’ve given us some warning beforehand! How can you suddenly do this? If you take everything I have, what am I supposed to live on…!”
“What does it matter to me what you live on? If you value your life, you’d better obey quietly!”
Clang!
Just as the bandit drew his sword…
Neigh!
Suddenly, the carriage began racing forward like mad.
The driver had chosen to flee.
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