Book 1 Chapter 10: The Place My Sword Points To (1)
Translator: Hwarang
Editor: Jay
That evening we arrived at an inn near our destination, so we sent back the carriage.
Kwang Du went to book two rooms but I stopped him.
Just give us one room.
Kwang Du quickly replied, Haha, I knew you would do something like this, so I came prepared. I will just sleep over there at the table.
You usually take my jokes very lightly, but why are you taking it so seriously this time?
What?
Hey Crazy Head, how can I allow you to sleep outside in the cold?
You dont mean!?
Yes, we are going to sleep in the same room. We could just ask for single room with two beds. Why should we waste money booking two rooms? Or is it that you snore?
No, its not that, but how can I dare sleep in your room, young master.
What? You dont want to sleep next to a piece of trash?
Why are you saying something like this? I wouldnt dare disrespect you like that.
All right then. Innkeeper, book us a room with two beds.
After booking a room, we didnt go up to it, but instead sat down at one of the tables.
Lets have some drinks.
With me?
Kwang Du stared blankly at me.
Do you see anyone else I can share a drink with?
Kwang Du said with wide eyes, This is a first. This is the first time that I am sharing a room and drink with you.
I really didnt want to repeat myself, but Byuk Lee Dan is seriously a stupid idiot.
After ordering our food and drink, we sat across from each other. Kwang Du still seemed dazed after we booked a single room. I felt sorry for Kwang Du since he had to take most of my teasing and jokes.
Here, have a drink.
When I was about to pour him a drink, he was still hesitant.
You cant do this young master. Allow me to pour you one first.
Its alright. You receive one from me first.
Young master.
Youre older than me. Receive one from me first.
In reality, I was at least couple times older than him.
You said Sa Hae Dong Do, didnt you? Here. (Translator note: Sae Hae Dong Do means to go through a sea of death for your comrade.)
I cant. Dont try to bullshit me with that.
But he finally gave in and received a drink from me.
You cant do this. Your servant will be spoiled. This will be the only time that I receive a drink from you. I will never forget it.
After a while he looked like he had an epiphany.
I get it now. Youre going to take me over there to kill me, right? Thats the reason why youre being so nice to me. right? It is said that before a cow is taken to the butcher, the owner will give it a final meal. Right?
This lightened the mood as he started drinking, becoming drunk rather quickly. He said that I once drank ten bottles. I think that was an exaggeration, but I truly didnt know how much tolerance I had.
In my previous life, I was never truly drunk. This was because most assassins would poison the wine, since you lose control of your body after you become drunk. Living in fear of assassinations, on the occasions that I had to drink, I developed the habit of circulating my cultivation technique to expunge anything alcoholic or poisonous from my system; so I never truly knew the feeling of being drunk.
But today, I drank casually without a care in the world. Soon I started feeling the alcohol overtake me. How long had it been since I last drank like this? Was this the first time?
Oh right, young master, I didnt have the chance to ask you last time about your martial arts. How is it possible that you were able to beat him so easily?
I think its the result of my training.
With only ten days of training?
Ten days are more than enough to take care of trash like that.
Kwang Du started evaluating me from head to toe. It is still you, my young master, yet why does it feel like you are different?
Maybe Im a late bloomer.
Im not expecting a big bowel. Youre just a bowel that doesnt break, right.
(Translator note: This is a play on words with late bloomer. In Korean Hanja late bloomer means it takes time to mold a big bowel.)
It seemed like Kwang Du was drunk.
Yeah, I wont break.
Promise me that you wont go back to being how you were before.
Why does my promise matter?
It is important to me. I need to hear it from you.
Fine, I promise.
Now Kwang Du let out a deep breath, and we went back to discussing what we were discussing before.
I was hiding my martial arts. Im stronger than you think.
Because I couldnt tell him the actual truth, I had to tell him a version of partial truth.
Why?
To survive in Kang Ho, you need to hide your abilities.
Is that the reason why you were acting like a spoiled brat all this time?
No. After getting beaten up by Song Hwa Rin, reality smacked me in the face, and I realized that I couldnt live like this.
He could only believe it because I changed literally after that day. After getting nearly beaten to death I had changed my ways. So he most definitely understood me.
So Lady Song is a benefactor.
You could say that.
Since were talking about her... Please dont let her go. She is too good of a catch to let go.
Why do you like her so much?
Isnt she beautiful? What else do you need? You dont have to worry too much about the problem between men and women, because after you marry it is naturally bound to solve itself.
Smiling, I was about to fill his glass, but he snatched it away from me.
I told you, you are going to spoil your servant.
So what if you get a bit spoiled. Its ok.
Kwang Du was getting more and more red.
Are you going to buy the drinks?
Do you have the nerve to say that in this emotional moment, young master?
Do you not have money?
Just take your liver out and drink from that.
Contradictory to his words, he quickly finished that last drop of wine.
All right young master! I will buy today. Im going to open up my wallet and spend some money that Ive been saving.
Lady, bring one more bottle.
Dont be like this.
Kwang Du and I drank till it was late. This was the first time that I felt this happy.
The next day we arrived at Dong Pyeong, where the Yang Clan had their headquarters.
The first thing we did was check in at the biggest inn in the area.
Isnt it better to go to a smaller inn so that we dont attract so much attention?
If we do that, were going to attract even more attention.
Really?
If we cant hide within the clouds, isnt it better to hide under the sun?
After entering the inn, Kwang Du was convinced, I think you are right.
This was a big inn that was bustling with over a hundred guests, travelers and merchants. There were over fifty tables and enough chairs to seat hundreds of people.
You wouldnt even know if someone got killed in one of the corners.
Who knows if something like that happened?
Its scary. The world of Kang Ho, that is.
When Kwang Du said something about Kang Ho, I sensed some change in his heart. I dont know whether it was because of me or because of Yang Gi Kang, but I could sense that he was growing a bit excited.
I remembered my conversation with Song Hwa Rin.
Do people really change that easily?
There is nothing that changes as easily as humans.
After booking only one room in this inn as well, we found a seat and ate our meals. While eating, I listened carefully to anything related to the Yang Clan, but there was nothing about Yang Gi Chul getting injured.
There was bound to be some rumor pertaining to this. More than twenty men from the Yang clan were present that day. But how come there was nothing pertaining to Yang Gi Chul?
What do you plan on doing now, young master?
I need to figure out what they have planned for us.
How will you do that?
Since no one on the outside knows anything, I need to ask someone from inside.
Kwang Du said sincerely, Can you entrust this task to me?
Because he said it without hesitating, I think he decided on this before coming here.
How come you want to do this?
I dont know, but I just want to try it.
It could be dangerous. If you get caught they could torture you, beat you up and kill you.
Its ok, I will tell them that you are here and that you ordered me before they torture me.
You must tell them that I am here. That is being cleverly loyal.
I was just joking. But is there such thing as clever loyalty?
There is.
The highest type of loyalty was blind loyalty.
But I wasnt expecting that type of loyalty from Kwang Du.
Isnt it betrayal?
No, its clever loyalty.
Its hard. Anyway I wont regret it. Just trust in me.
Alright, I trust you. Make sure you bring something back.
Kwang Du took a deep breath with an excited look, since this was his biggest challenge yet.
Your role is very important right now.
My role was important since you were born.
Haha, that was true because without him, I wouldnt have been able to adjust to my current lifestyle this quickly.
I will give my life. It doesnt matter, since I spent all my savings on ordering five of those expensive bottles of alcohol.
You ordered the last two.
You should have stopped me!
Should I stop you now?
No.
You were firm like this back then too.
Haha, I will be leaving now.
My parents gave him some money for us to use, so he was practically my wallet.
After taking a few steps, he came back and whispered in my ear, After seeing me leave, you will follow me right? Youre going to see how I do, right?
If thats what makes you feel better, then think however you want.
I was going to fully trust in Kwang Du for this. Whether he lived or died, I didnt care. I think he read my mood.
Pouting his mouth, he said, You pay for the drink when we leave.
Kwang Du left the inn.
Why did I allow him to go on this dangerous mission? Because I felt something in him when he first came next to me when I was bedridden. I trusted him. I trusted that our fate would not end as easily as this. And... By doing this I could see whether he was fated with Kang Ho.
So... Please succeed.