Where My Sword Points (1)
That night, we stayed at an inn just half a day’s journey from Dongpyeong. Since our destination wasn’t far, we sent the rented carriage back.
Gwangdu managed to secure two rooms—one large, one small—when I intervened.
“Just one room, please.”
Startled, Gwangdu quickly responded.
“Haha, I can sleep over there by the table. I brought a thick quilt just in case.”
“Why do you get so stiff about this when you usually go along with all sorts of jokes?”
“What?”
“You fool! Do you think I’d get just one room to make you sleep outside in this cold?”
“Then, you mean…?”
“Let’s share a room. You know, the kind with two beds? Why waste money on two rooms? What, do you snore a lot?”
“It’s not that, but how can I share a room with you, young master?”
Gwangdu looked visibly flustered.
“What, you don’t want to sleep with trash like me?”
“How can you say that? It’s just… improper.”
“Enough. Just one room, please. With two beds.”
After securing the room, we didn’t head straight upstairs but instead sat at a table nearby.
“Let’s have a drink before we go up.”
“With me?”
Gwangdu stared at me, bewildered.
“Who else is here?”
His voice trembled as much as his eyes.
“This is the first time, you know. Sitting down for a drink with you, young master. Sharing a room is one thing, but this…”
Though I’d said it many times before, I couldn’t help but repeat it now.
Gwangdu really is a simpleton.
We ordered drinks and snacks and sat across from each other. He was as stiff as when he was getting the room. We usually joke around, so I felt even more guilty.
Of course, it wasn’t my fault, but now that I’m Byeok Lidan, I guess I should feel sorry.
“Here, have a drink.”
As I tried to pour him a drink, Gwangdu recoiled.
“Please, let me pour for you first.”
“No, you first.”
“Young master!”
“You’re older than me, aren’t you? So, you first.”
In truth, I’m several times older than him.
“Isn’t there a saying that the world is vast? Just take it.”
“But isn’t that nonsense? I can’t.”
After much back and forth, Gwangdu finally accepted the drink, albeit reluctantly.
“This isn’t right. A servant shouldn’t get used to this. Fine, just this once. I’ll remember it forever.”
Gwangdu looked at his cup with a face full of emotion, then suddenly seemed to realize something.
“I get it now. You’re being nice to me because you’re planning to kill me, right? Like how they feed cows well before slaughtering them. Isn’t that it?”
With that joke, the tense atmosphere began to lighten.
He drank well. He claimed he could drink over ten bottles by himself once, but that seemed like an exaggeration.
As for me, I never really knew my limit.
I’ve never truly been drunk. Assassins and poisoners often target drinking occasions. When you’re drunk, your body and mind tend to let their guard down.
So, during necessary drinking occasions, I habitually used the Cheonmu Hoshim technique to expel the alcohol from my body.
But today, I drank freely. I felt a pleasant buzz. It wasn’t a bad feeling. How long had it been since I drank so comfortably? Or was it the first time?
“By the way, young master, I didn’t get to ask back then… about your martial arts. How did you defeat that guy so easily?”
“I’ve been training lately, haven’t I?”
“Just ten days?”
“Ten days is more than enough to deal with that trash.”
Gwangdu looked me up and down, from my face to my feet under the table.
“No matter how I look at you, you’re still the same young master. How did you change so much?”
“Maybe I’m a late bloomer.”
“I don’t expect a great vessel. Just one that won’t break, right?”
Gwangdu was slightly tipsy too.
“It won’t break.”
“Promise me. Promise you won’t suddenly go back to how you were.”
“What’s so important about a promise made with words?”
“It’s important to me. I need to hear it.”
“Alright, I promise.”
Only then did Gwangdu let out a sigh of relief, and we continued our conversation.
“I’ve been hiding my martial arts. I’m much stronger than you think.”
Since I couldn’t tell him the truth, it was better for him to understand it this way.
“Why?”
“To survive long in the martial world, you have to hide at least thirty percent of your skills.”
“So, did you act like a wastrel on purpose?”
“Not exactly. When Miss Song hit me, I realized I couldn’t live like that anymore. It was like a wake-up call.”
He’d have to believe it. I changed from that moment. In a world full of strange occurrences, getting beaten by a woman and being reborn is something he could accept.
“Miss Song is your benefactor, then.”
“You could say that.”
“Speaking of which, don’t let Miss Song go. What’s this about breaking off the engagement? You should cling to her.”
“What do you like so much about Miss Song?”
“She’s pretty, isn’t she? What more do you need? Relationships are simple. Complicating them is what causes problems.”
I chuckled and tried to refill his cup, but he quickly snatched the bottle away.
“If you’re too nice to a servant, they’ll get spoiled.”
“It’s okay if you get a little spoiled.”
Gwangdu’s cheeks flushed even redder from the alcohol.
“You’re buying the next round, right?”
“In this touching moment, is that what you say?”
“Don’t you have any money?”
“Take the last penny from a flea, why don’t you?”
Despite his words, Gwangdu downed his drink in one go and declared boldly.
“Alright, I’ll buy today! I’ll dip into my secret stash.”
“Another bottle here!”
“Don’t do that!”
Gwangdu and I drank late into the night.
It was the first time in my life I’d been so pleasantly drunk.
The next day, we arrived in Dongpyeong, where Yang Sobang was located.
The first thing we did was find the largest inn in town.
“Wouldn’t it be better to stay at a smaller inn to avoid attention?”
“That would draw more attention.”
“Really?”
“If you can’t hide in the clouds, it’s better to stand under the sun.”
After entering the largest inn in Dongpyeong, Gwangdu marveled.
“You’re right, young master.”
The grand hall was bustling with guests and staff. There were dozens of tables, and at least a hundred patrons.
“Someone could die in that corner, and no one would notice.”
“That might actually be happening.”
“The martial world is scary.”
Gwangdu brought up the martial world again.
I noticed a change in Gwangdu’s heart.
Whether it was because of Yang Gikang’s tyranny or my transformation, Gwangdu had developed a longing for the martial world.
I recalled a conversation with Song Hwarin.
Can people change easily?
There’s nothing as easily changed as a person.
Once again, we got just one room and went downstairs for a meal.
While eating, I listened for any news about Yang Sobang. But there was no word, not even about Yang Gikang’s injury.
Usually, such events would spread in some form. There were at least twenty martial artists from Yang Sobang that day. The lack of any rumors meant Yang Gicheol had kept a tight lid on things.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“We need to find out what they’re planning.”
“How?”
“Since nothing’s leaked outside, we’ll have to find out from the inside.”
Then Gwangdu said something unexpected.
“Could you let me handle that?”
Though it seemed like a spontaneous offer, I knew it wasn’t made on impulse. Perhaps he’d been contemplating it since the carriage ride.
“Why do you want to do this?”
“I don’t really know. I just want to try.”
“It could be dangerous. If you’re caught, you might be tortured. Beaten, burned with hot irons, maybe even have your fingers cut off.”
“It’s okay. I’ll just tell them you’re here, young master. That you ordered it.”
“Make sure you do. That’s true loyalty.”
“I was joking. But is there such a thing as wise loyalty?”
“There is.”
The highest form of loyalty is often described as ‘willing to die.’
But that’s not the kind of loyalty I want from Gwangdu.
“Isn’t that betrayal?”
“At least for now, it’s wise loyalty.”
“That’s complicated. Anyway, I won’t regret it. Let me do it.”
Sensing that Gwangdu’s fate was stirring, I didn’t hesitate long.
“Alright. Go find out.”
Once I gave my permission, Gwangdu took a deep breath. This was probably the biggest adventure of his life.
“Your role has been important since the moment I woke up.”
Haha. I admit it. Without Gwangdu, would I have adapted so easily to being Byeok Lidan?
“I’ll stake my life on it. I will. I’ve already spent all my emergency funds on drinks. Five bottles of that expensive stuff!”
“You ordered the last two bottles.”
“You should’ve stopped me!”
“Should I stop you now?”
Gwangdu replied seriously.
“No.”
“You were just as firm then.”
“Haha. Alright, I’m off.”
I gave him some money for any expenses he might incur. A sort of war fund.
As he walked away, Gwangdu turned back and whispered.
“You’ll follow me quietly and watch over me, right? You’ll protect me from the shadows, won’t you?”
“If it makes you feel better, think of it that way.”
I’m really determined to leave this entire matter in Gwangdu’s hands, come what may. He should be able to see that resolve in my eyes.
Sure enough, his lips pouted in response.
“You better buy me a drink when I get back!”
With that, Gwangdu stepped out of the inn.
Why did I agree to something that might be dangerous?
I remember the first time I met him. The moment he walked confidently toward me, a reincarnated soul, and sat down beside me.
I have faith. I believe that the bond between Gwangdu and me won’t be severed by something like this.
It has to be that way, so that Gwangdu’s connection to the world of martial arts continues.
So… make sure you succeed.