IBTYDOTCID – Chapter 84

“Something about it still feels off.”

Hyangah blurted it out out of nowhere. She’d just finished the plum we and Young Lady Dang had kept offering her. I raised an eyebrow.

“What does?”

“You remember how they said there’s a child monk statue at Soheung Temple that ties people’s fates together? But why would a child monk be the one doing that? Shouldn’t that kind of thing be way out of their wheelhouse?”

…Okay, that was a pretty solid point. I glanced at Dang Choye, but even she—who’d originally passed on the rumor—didn’t seem to know the origin story. I shrugged it off.

“Guess the kid was just real nosy in life.”

“Hm. Maybe.”

Hyangah muttered to herself and nodded. Then Dang Choye, who’d been quietly watching us, suddenly burst out laughing. When we stared at her, confused, she smiled and said,

“You don’t look alike, but the way you talk to each other—you’re so in sync, you really do feel like sisters. I’m glad I got to ride with you two.”

“Oh, Hyangah’s got a bold streak, actually.”

I nodded. Hyangah’s ears turned faintly red, like she didn’t mind the compliment.

It’d been about three days since we set out. So far, nothing had been too inconvenient. The carriage was spacious, and we’d been able to find inns to sleep in—no sleeping in the damp.

Moyong Jegeom had refused the carriage and insisted on horseback. At first I’d felt vaguely guilty—he’s my master, and an old man on top of that—but that feeling didn’t last. He wanted to ride. So be it.

In the end, only the Clan Head and Lady Eon, and the three of us rode in carriages. I wasn’t sure about the other ones, but ours was full of laughter. Thankfully, Hyangah didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable.

But come night, I always got a little uneasy. I kept wondering if Sahyeon had seen the note I left.

Knock knock.

Right then, someone tapped on the window. When Hyangah slid it open, Dang Iheon pulled up alongside on horseback and leaned in.

“Yeonhwa. Looks like we won’t make it out of the mountain before sundown. We might have to camp here. Is that okay?”

His face showed genuine concern. He probably figured it was my first time sleeping outside.

Ugh, this guy. Always worrying about weird shit. If anyone knew their way around a bedroll, it was Seol Danhae. And if you knew Seol Danhae, you knew ‘sleeping outdoors’ was part of the brand. …Wait, is that even how that works?

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about Young Lady Dang and Hyangah.”

“I’m fine too.”

“And I’m obviously fine if you two are.”

All three of us were quick to say we were good, which finally relaxed Iheon a little.

“We’ll prep things to keep it as comfortable as possible, so try not to worry.”

“I’m not worried, seriously.”

I waved him off. If you’re going to sleep outside, just keep two things in mind: wild beasts, and bandits. They’re not exactly deadly to martial artists, but they are annoying—

“You bastards, halt!”

…The hell? I didn’t even finish that thought before someone outside barked in a gravelly voice.

“Who the hell are you!”

“Well, well, looks like some fancy folks here don’t know the rules. You’ve set foot in our turf, so hand over all your shit!”

Hearing that, Hyangah quickly slammed the side window shut, clearly spooked. Dang Choye also tensed. She hadn’t learned martial arts, so even if she was from the Sichuan Dang Clan, she was basically a civilian.

Still, she tried to reassure me.

“Must be Green Forest scum. There are so many high-level martial artists out there—we’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, probably.”

Truth be told, I was… twitchy. I hadn’t fought anyone for almost a month—just swinging at air—and this was legal target practice. If they were mid-tier bandits, it was perfect for gauging my progress.

I glanced around. Maybe I should sneak out for a bit?

But leaving those two here didn’t sit right. Someone who could use martial arts should probably stay inside, just in case.

Reluctantly, I plopped back down into my seat.

“Ah!”

Then an idea hit me—an absolutely brilliant one. I grabbed Hyangah’s hand, gently pried her fingers off the window latch, and flung the window open.

They tried to stop me, but I beat them to it. I stuck my head out and shouted.

“Iheon! Hey, brothers!”

“Yeonhwa, get back in! It’s dangerous!”

“Don’t kill all of them! Leave one guy—no, two guys alive! And make sure they can still talk!”

The others looked slightly thrown, but they got it. They nodded. Satisfied, I ducked back inside and shut the window.

“My lady! You scared me half to death! What if you got hit by a stray sword?!”

“Eh, if I die from something like that, I wasn’t going to live long anyway.”

“Ugh! Why do you always say things like that!”

Hyangah shot me a look. She was seriously rattled.

Dang Choye, clutching her chest, managed to speak through the panic.

“You said to leave two of them alive—are you planning to question them?”

“Yeah. Looks like we won’t need to sleep outside after all.”

I grinned. Dang Choye and Hyangah exchanged confused glances. Didn’t matter. I didn’t bother explaining further—I just started whistling. This was a jackpot I hadn’t expected.

Moyong Wi was genuinely impressed.

“Yeonhwa, you’re brilliant. How did you come up with that?”

“Thanks to you, we can all rest comfortably.”

Even Moyong Muhyeok chimed in. The family all looked pleased, which made me feel pretty smug. Moyong Jegeom still looked stony-faced as ever, but hey—he wasn’t displeased.

“Well, I figured if this mountain was home base for those guys, they’d need real shelter. And if they’d been shaking down merchants regularly, they’d probably have a decent hideout set up.”

And I was right. I secured the best possible lodging in the mountains: we took over the bandits’ hideout.

As far as I knew, there weren’t any major strongholds in this area. This place was small, so it didn’t take much effort to clear.

No tiger skins, but they had wolf pelts decorating the walls. Moyong Wi looked around the hideout, clearly pleased.

“Our Yeonhwa’s getting bolder by the day with all this training. A father can’t ask for more.”

“Haha, well… maybe not that much.”

Honestly, I’d only used a bandit den once in my past life—and that was a shabby little hut from random nobodies, not even Green Forest. Not that I paid rent or anything. I’d paid in fists.

I glanced over to the corner, where two bandits were kneeling, tied up like worms. Judging by the look in their eyes, they were already plotting revenge.

I could kill them now, honestly—we’d already gotten what we needed. But if I personally laid hands on them, my bleeding-heart family might make a scene. And I couldn’t exactly claim “sudden death” for two healthy men.

While everyone was distracted exploring the den (four rooms, decently comfy), I quietly squatted in front of the bandits.

“Hey.”

“How dare you speak to the kings of this mountain like—”

“Pshhh. Look alive, assholes. Still don’t get why you two were spared?”

I spoke low. The two hulking men flinched. At least they weren’t completely stupid. I glanced over my shoulder—nobody watching.

Then whispered.

“You guys part of Green Forest?”

“…No. But soon—”

“Wow. That’s cute. Dropping honorifics now? You gonna call me buddy next?”

“S-sorry!”

Hm. So not even good enough to get into Green Forest. Great. That meant I didn’t need to hold back.

“No wonder you suck at this.”

I smirked. They clearly didn’t like that, but they kept quiet. They might not know my level, but they knew the big shots here doted on me.

“Listen up. We’re staying here tonight. Long road, everyone’s tired. Wouldn’t it be great if someone could help out with chores, hmm?”

“Wh-what do you mean…?”

“What, can’t do it? Just say so. Be honest.”

I slowly unsheathed one of my twin blades. Shorter than usual, since it was a paired sword. Before the blade was fully out, the two men were already nodding frantically.

“Of course! You’re our guests—it’s only right we serve!”

“Right? Good boys. I’ll undo the ropes, but you’d better behave.”

I cut one guy loose. Moved to the second, and yep—no surprises. They exchanged a glance, clearly plotting to use me as a hostage.

One of them lunged to grab me—and instantly, I twisted, dodged, and kicked the back of his knee.

Thud!

He dropped like a sack of bricks. The sound turned every head in the room.

I stood up casually, hands behind my back, like nothing happened. Then gave the second guy a pointed look.

Read the room.

Whether he got it or just gave up, he sank to his knees too.

“Yeonhwa, what happened? Why are they untied?”

Moyong Wi asked. I smiled sweetly.

“Father. These gentlemen said they want to properly serve their guests. They begged us to untie them, swore they’d behave. Isn’t that right, gentlemen?”

They ducked their heads and nodded, clearly trying not to cry.

Iheon had come over by now, looking worried.

“They didn’t threaten you, right?”

“Nope. They were perfect gentlemen.”

“Still, be careful.”

“I will.”

They both looked like they had a lot to say. I looked them dead in the eyes and mouthed, Shut it.

Things went surprisingly smoothly after that. Our two new “attendants” really did their best. They broke a sweat cooking with their emergency rations, scrubbed the rooms spotless, and even bowed after every request.

“If you need anything, just say the word!”

They were honestly kind of adorable. See what a little incentive does?

I patted their broad shoulders like a benevolent tyrant.

We slept well that night. The next morning, the two of them even offered us travel rations “for the road, in case you get hungry.” We accepted. Their faces were covered in bruises, but they still waved as we left.

Before leaving, I shared a little life advice.

“Hey. Next time you’re robbing merchants, do it politely.”

“Politely? How do we rob someone like that…?”

“Dumbass. Don’t just scream for money. Walk up and say, ‘This area’s crawling with wild animals—you can’t pass through safely.’ Look concerned.”

“Uhh…”

“And if they insist on going, say you’ll escort them. But hey, you’re hungry—could they buy you a drink? Easy, right? You live here anyway.”

“O-ohh…”

“And dress better. You look like shit. Even Beggar’s Union guys dress better these days. Read the room, okay?”

“Aha… what if we escort them, but they don’t pay?”

“What, did you get kicked in the head yesterday? Then you do what you always do. You’ve got the perfect excuse.”

“Ohhh!”

Leaving them with that glorious epiphany, we rode off. They stood there gaping like I’d just revealed the secrets of the universe.

After that sweet setup, we decided to skip town stops and go straight for Soheung Temple. Took a shortcut through the mountains.

Fresh air, morning training with Moyong Jegeom, and nightly bandit-hideout raids. Honestly, not a bad routine. Actually, it was the perfect workout.

By the time we’d cleared four of those hideouts, we finally reached the foothills of Soheungan Ridge.

It was near the Black Dragon River, but since pirates usually stick to the water, we let our guard down.

…Which was a mistake.

Because life, of course, never goes that easy.

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