Snowlight Chapter 4

Madam Choi looked flustered at those words. It was said that if a bride revealed her face to a man outside her family before her wedding night, she would face a life of hardship. Even the groom was not supposed to see her before the ceremony. And yet the Governor spoke as casually as a marketplace rogue. How was she supposed to respond?

 

Seeing that Madam Choi was not pleased, the provincial governor cleared his throat with a loud “ahem.” His grin seemed intended to reassure the lady.

 

“I was just joking. How could I not know such things? We must treat this bride who has traveled all this way with the utmost care.”

 

Having said that, the Governor looked around at the others. Most of the palanquin bearers wore dazed expressions. They had been in the middle of a drinking party when the Governor himself suddenly appeared at the inn. It was enough to make one wonder whether the saying “Speak of the tiger and it shall appear” had come true.

 

Or perhaps this was a case of the man himself having heard the talk and come looking for them.

 

After glancing at the bottles of liquor scattered across the table, the provincial governor laughed heartily and said,

 

“Now, now, let’s not linger here. Why don’t we head to Wonhye? We’ve prepared a splendid feast with both food and drink to welcome you all. I’ll even have several courtesans summoned for you.”

 

“C-courtesans?”

 

At those words, they exchanged glances. One of the men attending the provincial governor chimed in, as if echoing the governor’s words.

 

“You lot, do you know how lovely the women of Wonhye are? They say they’re as lovely and graceful as flowers blooming in the depths of winter, and as bright as they are fair.  And what about the liquor? Have you heard of Baekbokju? It’s brewed using only the purest snow melted from Gwanmosan, way up there in the far north, a product presented even to the King.”

 

“Wow, if even the King drinks it, it must be incredibly rare and fine, right?”

 

“Of course! Exquisite beauties and a sumptuous feast, it’s all waiting for you, I tell you.”

 

Just hearing him describe it all made it seem as though a feast were unfolding right before their eyes, and the palanquin bearers swallowed hard. As the sun set and the mountain path grew as dark as if ink had been spilled upon it, Madam Choi looked up and spoke to the provincial governor with a troubled expression.

 

“My lord. I’m worried we might encounter something unwelcome on the night road. How about we spend the night here and set out as soon as dawn breaks?”

 

“Oh, come now, madam. There are twenty able-bodied men here, ten of whom are armed. What’s the problem?”

 

The bearers sitting nearby agreed with the captain’s words. He wasn’t wrong. If they were to arrive in time for the wedding, they had to hurry. Madam Choi replied cautiously.

 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. But the mountains at night are the domain of wild beasts, so it can’t hurt to be careful.”

 

While all manner of beasts roamed the mountains across the eight provinces, the mountains of Wonyeong were a place where monsters more terrifying than tigers reigned supreme. From man-eating birds that mimicked human voices to devour travelers, to wolves as big as boulders and venomous snakes, all sorts of horrific monsters lurked there. It was so bad that there was even a saying that just going to and returning from Wonyeong would use up all one’s luck for the year.

 

“Don’t worry about the monsters. I have a way to keep those strange beasts from even coming near us.”

 

The provincial governor rummaged inside his sleeve, pulled out a bundle of paper, and held it out before him. The yellowed paper was covered with the character “Bind” (縛) written all over it.

 

“To put it simply, this is an amulet used by a powerful shaman. It was written with the blood of a dragon, so most vermin will flee at the mere scent of the blood.”

 

“D-dragon’s blood?”

 

“I told you so. If anyone tries to attack, one shot will take them all down.”

 

At those words, the guard standing behind him cocked the matchlock he was holding. It seemed they had come fully prepared, with both talismans and guns. That should have been enough to put her at ease, yet for some reason, Madam Choi couldn’t shake her unease. After all, no matter how seasoned a hunter or general one might be, there’s no need to seek out danger unnecessarily, is there?

 

Regardless of whether the quick-witted woman was fretting or not, the palanquin bearers had already been persuaded by the provincial governor. As they nagged her to get into the palanquin, Yu Won, who had been standing at a distance watching their movements, had no choice but to hurry and get ready.

 

Before climbing into the palanquin, Yu Won glanced back at the persimmon tree. Only an empty space remained. The man he had clearly seen with his own eyes had vanished without a trace. Had he seen a vengeful ghost? It still felt as if his image were vividly flickering before his eyes.

 

* * *

 

The gently swaying palanquin was much more comfortable. Just a few hours ago, riding in the palanquin had felt more like torture than a ride, but it seemed the bearer didn’t want to appear to be slacking off in front of the provincial governor, who was traveling with them.

 

Yu Won lifted the curtain slightly and stole a glance at the provincial governor riding on horseback. The man accompanying him as his prospective groom was completely different from what he had imagined.

 

Should one call him somewhat ordinary? His build was just a touch smaller than that of the average man. His features were round and soft, giving him the appearance of an administrator skilled in accounting or a merchant rather than a warrior wielding a sword. He did not fit at all with the various epithets describing him, such as the one claiming that a hundred thousand soldiers had abandoned their horses and spears to flee at the sight of him, or that even ghosts were his minions.

 

“Are you tired, my lady?”

 

Startled by the sudden question, Yu Won blinked. The provincial governor was staring at him. As he reached to lower the curtain in surprise, the governor waved his hand dismissively, signaling to leave it as it was. Fiddling with the cord attached to the curtain, Yu Won spoke.

 

“Well, this is the first time I’ve ridden in a palanquin for so long, and sitting here alone makes me feel a bit uneasy…”

 

“I suppose so. You’ve come from far away, so you must be tired. We only have a few more passes to cross, so please bear with it, my lady.”

 

Yu Won felt a sudden flush of embarrassment at being called “my lady” and turned his head away. No matter how he thought about it, it was strange. Shouldn’t the governor be scolding them for bringing such a shabby bride? Yet here he was, coming out to meet Yu Won out of concern, and he didn’t even show any sign of displeasure at the sight of his unattractive appearance.

 

Yu Won folded the curtain halfway up and, pretending to catch a breath of fresh air, stole a glance at the man. Although he had been forced into this marriage, he couldn’t help but be curious about the man who was, after all, his soon-to-be husband. The provincial governor showed not a hint of displeasure. Eventually, he even slowed his horse’s pace to match his palanquin’s pace, and went so far as to meet Yu Won’s gaze and smile at him.

 

“I am truly delighted to welcome such a lovely wife.”

 

Yuwon found himself wondering whether this could truly be the same man people compared to a yaksha, the one surrounded by such fearsome rumors. Had the stories somehow been exaggerated? And yet, for some reason, Yuwon did not entirely trust him. How had he known exactly where they were and suddenly appeared at the inn like this? And on top of that, his attire looked almost as though he had dressed specifically just to show off.

 

“My lady? What’s the matter?”

 

“Ah, nothing. It’s nothing.”

 

Yu Won shook his head. Since Madam Choi, the professional matchmaker, hadn’t said anything, he couldn’t risk ruining the marriage with his own unnecessary words. They’d said it would take half a day to reach Wonhye. Hadn’t he hoped so dearly that they would arrive there safely and in peace?

 

He just told himself that it is a relief that the groom is kind.

 

As they climbed the snow-covered mountain pass, the blizzard began to intensify. One by one, they pulled their outer garments tightly around themselves. It was then. The guide leading the way suddenly stopped.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

As Madam Choi stopped alongside him, the guide pointed ahead. Yu Won looked up and saw smoke rising in wisps. A group of people was sitting around a fire in an open clearing.

 

Even though they were deep in the mountains, it was a well-traveled path, so it wasn’t unusual to come across someone. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for travelers on the same route to ask each other for directions and travel together. So, they might have been a passing merchant caravan or hunters.

 

Madam Choi, who had been observing them closely, narrowed her eyes. They looked suspicious. Half of their faces were covered by masks, which didn’t seem right for passing peddlers.

 

“I think we’d better take a different route.”

 

“Why is that?”

 

“There are some suspicious characters up there.”

 

At Madam Choi’s words, the captain stepped forward. He surveyed the group sitting by the fire, then smiled as if to dismiss the matter.

 

“Madam, it’s nothing to worry about. It’s cold here, so many people camp out whenever they find a suitable spot to build a fire. They’re probably just mountain dwellers or hunters.”

 

“Even so, they’re wearing masks…”

 

“If you don’t cover your face in this gale, your lips will all freeze off. Look. Come to think of it, aren’t we all covering our faces with scarves too? To them, we must look just as suspicious, so aren’t we all in the same boat?”

 

He wasn’t wrong. Just looking at the people here, they were all wearing face masks and scarves, with their hands and feet wrapped tightly in mittens. It was so cold that no matter how many layers they wore, it still wasn’t enough to keep from freezing to death in the biting wind.

 

So, while they were likely just bundled up because of the cold, Madam Choi couldn’t quite shake her unease. She wondered if it was simply because she was nervous about traveling along this desolate road late at night.

 

“Captain Kim is right. From the looks of it, they’re probably just hunters passing through the area, taking a break. So don’t worry.”

 

“Do you think so too, sir?”

 

“Trust me. Even if they were a band of bandits, what bandit would go out of their way to light a fire? It would be like putting up a sign saying, ‘Come and capture me.’”

 

With even the Provincial Governor stepping in to assure her it was fine, Madam Choi found herself in an awkward position. She couldn’t very well keep objecting. After all, there were twenty able-bodied men here, and a general who had defeated hundreds of barbarians. What could possibly go wrong?

 

The Provincial Governor, leading the way, gestured toward the mountains and said to the palanquin bearers.

 

“If we ride straight through until morning, we’ll reach Wonhye in no time. This is the fastest route, so let’s hurry.”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Giddyup!” 

 

The provincial governor urged his horse forward first, and the palanquin bearers began to move without further hesitation. As they passed near the fire, Yu Won also grew tense and secretly scanned the surroundings. However, just as the provincial governor had said, perhaps the hunters were simply resting. Even when they saw their group, they didn’t stir a muscle.

 

What a relief. He thought that if things continued like this, they would arrive without incident.

 

The blizzard slowed the horses and donkeys’ pace little by little. With every step, the snow sank deeper, and before long, it was nearly up to their ankles. Just then, the palanquin bearers sighed, saying they feared the snow more than bandits or monsters.

 

“Once we arrive, I’m going to eat my fill and have a good time…!”

 

Suddenly, one of the palanquin bearers gasped and collapsed. A panicked bearer grabbed his colleague and shook him. But he had already stopped breathing. An arrow had pierced his chest.

 

“Wh, who are those people?!”

 

Amid the commotion, one of the guards shouted. A palanquin bearer who had been scanning the area turned pale and pointed deep into the forest.

 

“Over there! Over there! Those people!”

 

The men they had seen earlier were blocking the path in a long line. Wielding axes and spears with sickles attached, they began to slowly close in. A panicked soldier fired his matchlock at them.