Episode 176: The Misunderstood Gentleman

The atmosphere was so tense that Tang Mujin and his companions couldn’t bring themselves to stop Yujin Gwang from leaving. But it turned out not to be a problem, as Yujin Gwang sought them out the very next morning.

As the group finished breakfast and stepped out of the inn, they found Yujin Gwang waiting for them, his expression a mix of seriousness and awkwardness.

Tang Mujin glanced around. The villagers were buzzing with excitement over the previous night’s events at the gambling den, but no one seemed to connect the masked figure with Yujin Gwang.

Approaching Tang Mujin, Yujin Gwang spoke up.

“I realized I forgot to tell you something important.”

“What might that be?”

“The news about Wei Hyung’s death.”

It seemed that the delay in discussing Wei Hwan’s death had inadvertently brought Yujin Gwang back to them—a stroke of unexpected luck.

As Tang Mujin settled onto a small chair outside the inn, the others followed suit, naturally turning their attention to Hong Geolgae, who succinctly relayed the key details to Yujin Gwang.

“Not long ago, I came north at Wei Hyung’s request, intending to bring you along. We sought out the person reputed to have the fastest sword, but…”

Yujin Gwang’s face lit up at the mention of the fastest sword, though it was clear that Hong Geolgae hadn’t met him, implying someone else wielded a swifter blade.

“We encountered someone else instead. I didn’t know his alias at the time, but he must have been another master of the swift sword. As soon as we met, swords clashed, and Wei Hyung was defeated.”

“Do you remember what this swordsman looked like?”

“All I recall is his wild white hair.”

“Wild hair, you say.”

Yujin Gwang nodded thoughtfully.

“Does that ring any bells?”

“I thought it might be my father, given the speed, but the wild hair suggests otherwise. My father never appeared disheveled.”

While the past doesn’t guarantee the future, Yujin Gwang seemed determined not to dwell on that possibility. It was too harsh a thought for both him and the late Wei Hwan.

Scratching the back of his head, Yujin Gwang made a request.

“I know it’s a bit bold, but could you tell me where you encountered him?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know where he is now. We stumbled upon him by chance while searching around.”

“That’s fine. Just tell me where you met him. I need to see for myself.”

Tang Mujin interjected with a suggestion.

“Why not travel together? It would be more convenient. Is that alright with you?”

Yujin Gwang had no reason to refuse, and the others didn’t object either.

The group rose and followed Hong Geolgae’s lead.

Even back when they met in Jiangxi, Tang Mujin noticed that Yujin Gwang was surprisingly talkative with those he considered friends.

Having spent years without a companion, Yujin Gwang seemed eager to share stories, talking non-stop.

Among his many tales, the one that shocked Tang Mujin the most was the amount of money Yujin Gwang had amassed.

“You made that much?”

“Yes. Want to see?”

Yujin Gwang opened a sack from his pack, revealing a hoard of gold. There was so much that it had to be measured in large units, not just ounces, and it was too heavy to carry in a pocket or hang from a belt.

“This is about as much as I had when I last visited the Golden Pavilion.”

“Maybe a bit less, but enough to cover a good chunk of my debt.”

A small chunk might not sound like much, but given the size of his debt, it was a significant sum.

Yujin Gwang spoke with satisfaction.

“Gamblers have a lot of money. The poor might not have a penny, but the wealthy are unimaginably rich. The money I earn from escort jobs and what I take from gamblers are on entirely different scales.”

“But isn’t there a problem with how you’re earning it?”

“I only take from those who admit their guilt, in the dens of the unscrupulous. My conscience is clear.”

Though Yujin Gwang’s standards seemed a bit off, the sheer amount of money he made suggested that perhaps the method wasn’t the issue.

If one could earn that much, compromising on minor issues seemed only human. Yujin Gwang didn’t even seem to view it as a compromise.

As he packed the gold back into his sack, Yujin Gwang continued.

“But lately, my earnings have been dwindling. Probably because I’ve been too active. Plus, the guards at the gambling dens are getting better. Last time, some even pretended to be gamblers to ambush me. It was close.”

He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a scar on his arm, nearly healed but a reminder of how close he’d come to serious injury.

“So, what will you do now?”

“Since I have a reason, I’ll avenge Wei Hyung and then head south. Just as the north of the Yellow River is rife with the unscrupulous, so is the south of the Yangtze. I’ve heard the gambling dens there are even larger. I’ll work there for a few years, then return north.”

Yujin Gwang laid out his plans with ease, as if he’d been considering them for some time.

It seemed possible that he might actually pay off all his debts through his gambling den exploits.

“I won’t argue about your methods of earning money. But if you’re planning to pay off your debts, it might be best not to gamble with the Golden Pavilion again.”

“Of course. I have a feeling I’d lose again if I tried my luck there.”

Yujin Gwang chuckled wryly.

The group continued east along the border of the desert and grasslands. Occasionally, they spotted nomadic bandits, but the bandits showed little interest in them.

With little to steal and armed with swords, Tang Mujin’s group was less appealing than the traders from the northwest.

After four days of travel, they came upon a rocky mountain that resembled a dragon rising from the earth.

Hong Geolgae slowed his pace and spoke.

“This is where we encountered the strange man last time.”

The group cautiously surveyed the area, avoiding the rocky mountain for now. There was no sign of life.

Hong Geolgae led them closer to the mountain, stopping at a spot where Wei Hwan had likely fallen.

They searched the area, but with so much time passed, there was no trace of Wei Hwan’s body or blood.

Instead, they found a small, recently made grave near the mountain.

Approaching the grave, they saw a sword planted in the ground, which Hong Geolgae and Yujin Gwang recognized.

“It’s Wei Hyung’s sword.”

“Did the stranger make this grave?”

“Hard to say. If he intended to make a grave, he wouldn’t have attacked in the first place.”

Yujin Gwang stared at the grave, contemplating whether to leave Wei Hyung here or take his remains home.

Just then, Hyun Gong, who had been exploring the area, called out.

“There’s a cave here!”

He pointed to an entrance cleverly concealed by bushes and vines. Hyun Gong spoke with confidence.

“If the stranger was here, there must be a reason. Sure enough, there’s this cave.”

Hyun Gong’s instincts were spot on. The group set aside their concerns about Wei Hwan’s remains and ventured into the cave.

Pushing aside the foliage, they entered, finding animal bones and fur near the entrance. But such signs weren’t enough to deter them.

They pressed on deeper into the cave.

It wasn’t particularly deep, and they could walk upright without difficulty. Before long, they reached the end and found something unexpected.

A vast treasure hoard lay before them, far surpassing what Yujin Gwang had shown.

“This is…”

Hyun Gong started to discuss dividing the treasure but stopped, realizing it wasn’t the right time.

The others also refrained from discussing division. Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae weren’t driven by greed, and Tang Mujin was still processing the situation.

Finally, Yujin Gwang spoke up.

“Five of us, so should we split it five ways?”

Knowing Yujin Gwang’s desperation, Hong Geolgae was surprised and asked again.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure if I should even be suggesting this. You’ve all come this far to help me without expecting anything in return, so it would be fair for the four of you to split it without me. But given my circumstances… I’ll be a bit shameless. Sorry.”

Yujin Gwang scratched his head awkwardly, his sincerity evident.

He then spread out a sturdy leather bag, carefully separating the newfound treasure from his own before packing it into his sack.

The treasure was so abundant that the straps of his pack strained under the weight, and it hung awkwardly from his shoulders.

As they turned to leave the cave, all five of them stopped in their tracks simultaneously. A chilling presence loomed behind them.

Namgung Myung was the first to turn around. An old man with wild, white hair stood atop the cave, staring down at them.

Though his face was obscured by his hair and beard, his eyes shone with a piercing intensity that seemed capable of skewering their hearts.

And it seemed he had the skill to do just that. The old man’s martial prowess was clearly beyond ordinary mastery.

Namgung Myung shouted, “Retreat!”

There was no need for the warning. The others had already shifted into defensive stances before his voice reached them.

In a flash, the old man lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air with blinding speed. It was a strike so swift that even Tang Mujin’s group struggled to follow it with their eyes.

Fortunately, Hyun Gong, being the last to exit the cave, was positioned to intercept the attack.

Yet even Hyun Gong doubted his ability to block the old man’s strike. He focused on the movement of the old man’s wrist and the direction of the sword’s tip, extending his own blade in response.

By some stroke of luck, the old man’s sword glanced off Hyun Gong’s, its trajectory diverted. The first strike left a small wound in Hyun Gong’s side.

But it was the old man who seemed frustrated, not Hyun Gong. The fact that his lethal blow had been partially deflected was a small victory.

The old man then darted among them, his sword a blur. The speed was such that defending was nearly impossible, forcing the group to leap back, unable to protect one another.

As space opened between them, Tang Mujin reached into his pouch, his hand closing around something sharp.

Over the years, Tang Mujin had shifted his focus from swordplay to poisons in his medical practice.

While Tang Mujin and Mok Wana contemplated potent toxins, Dan Seol-young devised a simple yet effective method of delivery: poison sand.

Even the most skilled martial artist, capable of deflecting swift blades and hidden weapons, would struggle to avoid sand scattered by a child.

The result of Dan Seol-young’s idea, combined with Tang Mujin and Mok Wana’s poisons, was now in Tang Mujin’s grasp: the Five Poison Divine Sand.

Though it appeared like ordinary sand, it was actually composed of razor-sharp metal shards, steeped in five deadly poisons.

For most, merely holding the Five Poison Divine Sand would tear their skin, allowing the poison to seep in and bring death. But Tang Mujin was immune to its effects.

He flung his arm forward, shouting, “Get back!”

The three who knew of the Five Poison Divine Sand, and even Yoo Jin-kwang, who didn’t, leaped away with all their might.

A handful of the deadly sand scattered from Tang Mujin’s hand, enveloping the old man. Even with his formidable skills, he couldn’t evade the thousands of tiny, poisoned shards.

As the old man was engulfed, Tang Mujin’s group watched, wondering if now was the time to strike and end him.

Yet, despite being covered in the sand, the old man glared at them with undiminished intensity.

They could attack together and possibly kill him, but it would cost a few of their lives.

There was only one choice. The five of them simultaneously retreated, putting distance between themselves and the old man, who was too occupied expelling the poison to pursue.

After nearly a quarter of an hour of running, they stopped to catch their breath and check each other’s injuries.

Hyun Gong had a sword wound on his side, and the others bore a few scratches, though none were life-threatening.

“Phew. We barely made it. Who was that old man?”

“No idea. Hyun Gong, let me see your wound. Let’s get it treated.”

As the four of them sighed in relief and chatted, Yoo Jin-kwang’s expression was unexpectedly grave.

He looked as if his heart had been pierced.

Tang Mujin, sensing something was amiss, turned to Yoo Jin-kwang.

“Yoo, what’s wrong…? Oh!”

And then Tang Mujin understood why Yoo Jin-kwang looked so distraught.

His backpack was gone.