Where the Cipher Leads (2)
I headed straight back to the Shandong house.
Everyone was busy with their own tasks, and I had nothing pressing to do in Wuhan at the moment.
Having decided to decode the cipher, I resolved to see it through to the end.
After greeting my parents, I went directly to see the Chief.
“What is this?” he asked, glancing down at the items laid out before him.
“These are medicinal herbs for your health. And here’s a new robe and a few spring outfits for your comfort. They’re made by a famous tailor in Wuhan.”
“So why are you giving me this trap?”
“Trap? No, they’re gifts.”
“Gifts, you say?”
“Yes, to thank you for introducing me to a good student.”
The Chief snorted. “Enough with the nonsense. Just tell me what you want.”
“You see right through me!”
He looked at the gifts again. “Your intentions are as clear as day.”
I laughed and pulled out the paper with the cipher from my pocket. “Could you help me decode this?”
The Chief took the paper with a knowing expression. “A rather tricky cipher.”
Which meant he could solve it.
Gong Suchan had learned cipher decoding from the Chief. The Chief had originally intended to pursue a scholarly path but ended up as the Chief by some twist of fate. Someday, I might hear his story.
“Come back this evening.”
“That soon? Really…?”
“Enough. Just bring a bottle of wine when you come.”
“Yes, sir.”
As I was about to leave, the Chief asked, “How’s that rascal doing?”
Despite his gruff exterior, his concern for his student was unmatched.
“He’s doing very well.”
“Good.”
Leaving the Chief absorbed in the cipher, I exited the room.
Song Hwarin’s day was filled with training from start to finish.
She had informed her father that she would temporarily step back from the family business to focus on martial arts training.
What martial artist would stop their daughter from dedicating herself to martial arts?
Song Wugyeong readily agreed.
Since then, Song Hwarin spent her days mastering the Jinwha Swordsmanship taught by Byeok Lidan. Though she was just beginning, she could already feel how different it was from the martial arts she had learned before.
The woman who had mastered this art, Gosan Hwanang, was said to have lived a solitary life. Perhaps because of this, the swordsmanship felt lonely. Song Hwarin found the solitude in the swordplay appealing.
She leapt into the air, swinging her sword with power.
Swish, swish, swish!
Her movements were swift yet graceful, precise yet powerful.
Though she hadn’t been practicing long, the sword felt as comfortable as a well-worn garment.
Considering the advanced level of Jinwha Swordsmanship, her adaptation was remarkable.
She knew why. Byeok Lidan had taught her in such an understandable way.
If someone else had taught her, it might have taken years to reach this level of understanding.
‘He really is…’
She was pondering whether to call him incomprehensible or strange when she was startled by a sudden presence.
“Ahh!”
Byeok Lidan stood behind her. She was thinking of him, so his sudden appearance was even more surprising.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“No, it’s fine. But how are you here?”
“I had to come home unexpectedly. I’ll be leaving soon.”
“I see.”
“I have some time until evening…”
As Byeok Lidan hesitated, she quickly spoke up.
“Wait a moment. I’ll get ready and come out.”
“Alright.”
She walked gracefully out of the training ground.
Once out of his sight, she used her light-footed technique to dash away. She had so much to do—wash, put on makeup, choose an outfit.
Half an hour later, the two were strolling through the marketplace.
Passersby glanced at them, admiration for Song Hwarin and envy for Byeok Lidan.
Byeok Lidan didn’t mind at all. In fact, he felt a sense of pride and secretly enjoyed the attention.
The weather was particularly fine today, with a clear blue sky and two birds playfully circling above.
Spring had firmly taken the place of the harsh winter.
“How’s Wuhan?”
“It’s busier than here. More people.”
“There must be many women prettier than me.”
“Probably. Huh? What did you say?”
Byeok Lidan, who had answered absentmindedly, turned to look at Song Hwarin, who was giving him a knowing look.
She conceded with a smile. “Well, it’s a big city, so there must be many women prettier than me.”
“Women prettier than you are…”
He felt a mischievous urge, knowing her ears were perked up. He had intended to say it was hard to find anyone prettier than her.
“Occasionally.”
She pouted.
“Hahaha.”
Knowing it was a joke, she laughed along. It was the first time he’d seen her pretend to be upset or laugh so brightly. Each time they met, she showed him a new side of herself.
As they chatted about this and that, they reached the end of the marketplace.
“Where to now?”
“Not sure.”
Byeok Lidan realized he had never leisurely walked with a woman like this before. In fact, he had never walked aimlessly with anyone. His steps always had a purpose.
“Let’s just keep walking.”
“Sounds good.”
They retraced their steps, walking back the way they came.
When they reached the end, they turned around and walked back again.
The aimless wandering was anything but boring.
After spending the day with Song Hwarin, I returned home to find the Chief had finished decoding the cipher.
“I’ve decoded the cipher.”
The Chief handed me a piece of paper.
“Certain month, certain day, Fangcheng, Henan Province, Qiu Family Manor.”
“Isn’t that this month?”
“Precisely eight days from now.”
It seemed to be an invitation to the Qiu Family Manor in Fangcheng, Henan Province, eight days later.
Fangcheng in Henan was within reach in time.
“Thank you so much for your help.”
“No need for thanks. But is this… dangerous?”
“Possibly.”
He looked at me with a hint of concern but didn’t express it. He picked up the wine I had brought and stood up.
“Next time, I won’t fall for your trap.”
I glanced at the wine in his hand and replied, “Haha, it’s too late. Now I know exactly what kind of trap to set.”
“You rascal!”
Yet he never said he wouldn’t help.
The next morning at dawn, after bidding farewell to my family and the household, I set out.
My destination was Henan Province.
Upon arriving in Fangcheng, I learned that the Qiu Family Manor was located on the western outskirts.
I headed there with an unremarkable face, pulling my hat down low. With my martial arts skills, no one could remove my hat against my will, but it was wise to be cautious in an unknown place.
As I approached, the crowd grew. There were martial artists and ordinary people alike. The martial artists seemed quite skilled, and the ordinary people were dressed in expensive, fine clothes.
There were merchants with bodyguards and people from escort agencies. They carried or loaded what appeared to be gifts.
I casually asked a friendly-looking person, “Where is everyone headed?”
“It’s the birthday of the Qiu Manor’s master today.”
The master’s birthday.
In the martial world, such occasions were often used for secret gatherings. With so many people, it was easy to meet without drawing attention.
“Where are you from?” asked a man at the entrance, looking at me as I signed the guestbook.
Instead of answering, I wrote the name of the cipher’s owner, Jo Byeok, in the guestbook.
The man glanced at me.
With my hat pulled low, he couldn’t see my face.
I entered as if nothing was amiss.
The place was bustling with guests, likely all the local dignitaries.
People were chatting with acquaintances, sampling the food, and some were already red-faced from drinking.
I stood to the side, observing the attendees.
Why had Jo Byeok encoded the date and location of this birthday banquet?
It was an event anyone could attend.
Once the courtyard was filled with guests, the manor’s master, Qiu Dochi, came out to greet everyone.
“What’s so important about this old man’s birthday that you all came?”
A man among the guests shouted, “It’s the birthday of a great elder representing Henan, of course we had to come.”
“What if the real great elders hear you?”
“To us, Master Qiu is the great elder.”
The crowd chimed in with agreement.
“Indeed.”
“Absolutely.”
“Congratulations!”
The guests clapped and cheered.
Qiu Dochi raised his hand to quiet the crowd and spoke to everyone.
“Thank you. This old man could die happy today, thanks to the warmth of my fellow martial artists. Please eat and enjoy yourselves. I’m truly grateful you came from afar.”
“Master, may you live long and prosper.”
Cheers erupted again from all sides.
So far, it was a perfectly ordinary birthday banquet.
But then things changed.
A woman approached me and spoke quietly.
“Are you Jo Daehyeop?”
“Yes.”
She must have recognized me from the name I left in the guestbook.
“Please follow me.”
The woman led me to the back garden. With so many people around, no one paid us any attention.
In front of the annex building stood a lone warrior, keeping watch.
I could tell at a glance that he was a master. He was certainly no less skilled than Yeomhwa, whom I had faced recently.
A master of this caliber in a place like this?
Something unusual was definitely going on.
I followed the woman inside the building. In the spacious hall, two men were already present.
Judging by their silent, awkward stance, they seemed to have been brought here by someone, just like me.
One appeared to be in his twenties, the other in his thirties, and both seemed to possess considerable skill.
Why had we been gathered here?
Just then, the door opened, and about a dozen people entered. Leading them was the warrior who had been guarding the entrance. The men who followed him also seemed to have significant martial prowess.
If the man at the door was on par with Yeomhwa, then the others were likely as skilled as the Cheondosawu.
Though I had defeated the Cheondosawu with a single move, that was only because it was me. They were formidable fighters in their own right.
One Yeomhwa and ten Cheondosawu.
Such a force was rare in a small estate like this.
The man introduced himself briefly.
“I am Shim Hwang.”
It was unclear whether he was affiliated with the Chuga family or an outsider.
“Before we begin, let’s verify the invitations.”
Invitations?
I was taken aback, not knowing what was about to start. I didn’t have an invitation.
Shim Hwang stepped forward.
Fortunately, he didn’t come to me first but approached the man next to me.
The man pulled something from his pocket and handed it over.
It was a small piece of paper. I felt a wave of relief as soon as I saw it.
It was the very paper hidden inside the arrowhead. That was the invitation. Jo Byeok had kept it for this reason.
Shim Hwang took the paper and dipped it into a bowl of water held by one of his subordinates.
Blue ink spread from the paper. It must have been treated with a special dye only they could verify.
He checked the other man’s paper, and then it was my turn.
When my paper was dipped, the same blue color appeared. It was a good thing I had deciphered it and brought it along.
After completing the verification, Shim Hwang turned away.
Just as he seemed to be walking off—
Whoosh!
He spun around like lightning, swinging his sword.
I had already leaned back, and his blade sliced through the air where my face had been. I narrowly avoided it.
With his sword still pointed at me, Shim Hwang spoke coldly.
“You’re not Jo Byeok.”
The warriors behind him drew their swords and rushed forward.
I slowly straightened up, pushing his sword aside with my fingers.
“You don’t understand the meaning of an invitation. If you only wanted familiar faces, you could have just summoned them. Why bother with invitations?”