Chapter : 06
My Chance Encounter Is a Status Window (6)
The deep night arrived.
After shaking off the pursuit to some degree, I put Gi Daeseung down on the ground and we ran with everything we had.
We turned west toward Shanxi, the opposite direction of Beijing.
Why?
Because that was the only way to improve our chances of survival.
It was obvious the ones who failed to catch us would guard the passes leading down from the mountains into Beijing.
— “By any chance, is the road you take headed for Beijing?” —
A question hurled by a government soldier.
They already knew our destination.
“Damn!”
Pitch-black night.
The moonlight was so weak that we couldn’t see anything; Gi Daeseung misstepped and fell.
“Sir, let’s stop here for today. It seems the pursuit has stopped.”
“Right, Dupal…”
Feeling around with my hands, I tried to figure out what lay nearby.
At a time like this, we needed to stand still and let our eyes adjust to the darkness.
Human eyes truly are mysterious.
Even when you think you can’t see anything, give them time and they adjust to even the smallest light.
Before long, my eyes had adapted, and I searched for something dry enough to serve as tinder and flint.
Ttak, ttak, ttak.
Luckily I found proper materials and managed to light a small fire.
“Ohh… Dupal. How do you know how to do this?”
“I’ve lived on the road a long time, so it’s basic.”
“Won’t the government soldiers spot us by this fire?”
“I think we’ve fully shaken them off.”
From the moment we deliberately changed direction toward Shanxi, it seemed the pursuit had lost us entirely—though Gi Daeseung didn’t seem to feel it.
“Is that so? Good.”
“Yes.”
“You seem to have trained in martial arts. Why were you working as a porter? Some tragic reason?”
A reason?
Born a beggar in Pimagol, became a debt-collector for Banghoepa, killed someone, and now on the run from the government—that’s a reason.
“I’ve had quite a rough life.”
“I see. You must’ve suffered.”
“That aside… What happened back there? You came looking for Jiangsu Escort Bureau, and suddenly executed Escort Warrior Jin.”
“Hm…”
Wrinkles formed between Gi Daeseung’s brows.
Looks like even he hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.
“The truth is…”
He pulled a letter from his coat.
“What is that?”
“A dispatch letter. Our purpose for going to Beijing.”
“So it was an escort job. I thought it might be a vacation or something.”
“It’s an escort. We just disguised it as travel. No surprise you assumed it was.”
“Why disguise it?”
“That’s…”
He explained the events at the escort bureau.
How they’d been offered four gold ingots for the job—enough to tempt him to accept it privately rather than pass it to the prestigious Myeongun Escort Bureau.
“And the sender written on the letter?”
“Jinrim was handling that when the client left the bureau.”
“So it’s unsigned, and the recipient?”
“A eunuch of the Eastern Depot.”
“…Ah.”
It stank of disaster.
Now I understood why Master Gi Cheol, the bureau chief, tried to refuse the job.
By now… Jiangsu Escort Bureau must be a sea of fire…
It was clear the one who attacked us was someone who must not receive this letter.
The same person who sent twenty elite cavalry into the Hebei plains to intercept us.
Someone capable of that could easily wipe out a small provincial escort bureau like ours.
Gi Cheol was probably dead.
All the others too—except for Daeseung here.
Even a washed-up village thug could smell how rotten this is. How could you accept this job, you naive brat?
It felt ominous just hearing it—living through it was far worse.
Was it greed for the gold?
Pressure from rival escort bureaus?
“Sir. Let’s open the letter.”
“We mustn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Damaging an escort item violates the bureau’s code—”
“Is the bureau’s code more important than your life?”
More important than your life?
Don’t you want to know why your family is likely dead?
Ah… Sorry.
Not confirmed yet. Probably.
“Don’t let Escort Warrior Jin’s sacrifice go to waste, sir.”
“Ah… Jinrim…”
At Jinrim’s name, Daeseung hung his head.
Even with ten mouths he’d have no excuse.
Truth was, Jinrim died because of him.
“I was… greedy…”
His shoulders shook, and tears followed.
Human choices are terrifying.
One moment of clouded judgment and the consequences crush your entire life.
“Open it. It’s not too late. We can’t die too.”
“…All right.”
So he did want to live after all.
Good. Staying alive first is important.
He broke the seal.
Inside were multiple sheets—letters, bamboo paper, even a map.
Jiangsu Province Governor Wei Jicheon
Salt smuggling ongoing between Suzhou and Nanjing.
Trading with Wokou and Wakoku.
Martial artists provide security at the smuggling site.
Many Jin’yiwei (Embroidered Guard) seen among them.
Salt Sales Ledger
Yamada Tarō
Payment: 100 silver ingots
Fujiwara
Payment: 60 silver ingots
The letter held reports, sales ledgers, lists of important Japanese and Wa buyers, transaction locations—even intel on estimated units of Jin’yiwei involved.
Dense intelligence, clearly collected over a long period.
It was a flawless espionage document.
“Ah…”
Daeseung was speechless.
This was nothing a small escort bureau should ever have carried.
“What is ‘Jin’yiwei’?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
He hadn’t even heard me—completely stunned.
“The Jin’yiwei. They show up repeatedly.”
“So you can read, Dupal? There are some difficult characters.”
Of course I can.
I never learned, but I know anyway. Heh.
“A little.”
“The Jin’yiwei handle policing and investigations, similar to the Eastern Depot.”
“Why two groups?”
“I don’t know well, but Jin’yiwei are newer. The Eastern Depot has a longer history.”
“So they’re rivals.”
“They don’t get along. Their roles overlap.”
I understood.
Organizations need money.
Call it Eastern Depot or Jin’yiwei—big names, but in the end, they’re just like my old gang.
A boss.
Captains.
Foot soldiers.
And revenue streams.
Money keeps the machine running.
To grow, you need more money.
Even Banghoepa sent tribute to Hao Sect to learn martial arts.
Everything boils down to money.
If Jin’yiwei are new, it fits.
They must expand aggressively to catch up to the Eastern Depot—hence salt smuggling.
The Eastern Depot would counter by spying and gathering evidence.
Maybe the spies were discovered—only one survived—and he tossed the evidence to Jiangsu Escort Bureau?
What a disastrous draw.
Even if we survive this job, Daeseung may not live long after.
The Jin’yiwei will likely hunt him down.
I didn’t know.
My responsibility ends when the “status window mission” ends.
After that, he’s on his own.
“I’m thinking of throwing away the letter and fleeing.”
“Throw it away?”
“Yes. Or burn it in this fire—”
You idiot.
This letter is your lifeline.
“Burn it and return to Jiangsu?”
“Yes. To tell my father—”
“Sir. The letter clearly states who is leading the smuggling.”
“……”
“Governor Wei Jicheon of Jiangsu. The soldiers who attacked us today weren’t central army—they were provincial troops from Jiangsu, backed by Jin’yiwei.”
“My father… my family…”
You already know the answer.
You want to deny it—but Jiangsu Escort Bureau is gone.
All we can hope is that they died without pain.
“They won’t give up on us. After reading this, I’m certain.”
Earlier, I thought maybe we could hide and return.
Not anymore.
Even if it takes time, they’ll hunt us down.
“What should we do?”
“There is a way.”
There is.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Use the Eastern Depot.
* * *
Xuanhua, Hebei Province.
A city outside Beijing’s northwest border.
Not a large city, but enough traffic flowed through that merchants came and went frequently.
Where merchants gather, escort bureaus gather. Among many, Wuseong Escort Bureau, with an utterly common name.
I entered.
“I have a dispatch. A letter.”
“Recipient?”
“Commander of the Western-North Metropolitan Police Station, Beijing.”
“Beijing? Two taels.”
I took two taels from the purse Daeseung had given me.
We cannot send the letter directly to the Eunuch of the Eastern Depot.
Sending a letter addressed to him near Beijing was too risky.
We didn’t know how far Jin’yiwei influence reached.
Entering Beijing was obviously dangerous—they already knew our faces—and the letter could be intercepted.
Jin’yiwei must know we’re hovering near Beijing.
So I chose the Police Commander of the Northwest Sector.
Jin’yiwei were too new to control the police offices yet—that was Eastern Depot territory.
“How long will it take?”
“Heh. If it’s Beijing, you might as well walk. You’d arrive tomorrow.”
“I’m busy.”
“Hm… at worst, three days. Urgent?”
“A bit.”
“I’ll try to send it with a caravan leaving this afternoon.”
“Thank you.”
“Sender?”
“Write the Eunuch of the Eastern Depot.”
“…Are you out of your mind?”
The clerk’s polite smile vanished.
Names mattered.
If the commander saw our names, it’d go straight into the trash.
Only if it bore the eunuch’s name would they hesitate—just maybe—and open it before discarding it.
“I’m serious. It’s important.”
“I can write it, but you might get yourself killed.”
“Yes. I understand.”
I knew the punishment for commoners mocking officials.
But this wasn’t a trick. It was real.
Scritch, scritch.
The clerk shook his head in disbelief but wrote “Sender: Eunuch of the Eastern Depot.”
He held it up for me to confirm.
I bowed gratefully and left.
Then I left the city as fast as possible.
They might trace us.
We climbed into the mountains, to the rocky cave where Daeseung and I hid.
The cold worsened each day, but there was no choice.
We needed to stay hidden until the fish bit the hook.
“Was it delivered?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I worry the Commander won’t read it.”
“I put the eunuch’s name.”
“Heh… A letter between people in Beijing? They’ll think it’s a prank.”
“To subordinates it’s different—they’ll wonder if it’s a test. They’ll check just in case.”
“Still, will it even reach the commander? What if they toss it?”
“With the eunuch’s name, no one will dare discard it unopened. Once opened, they’ll feel it can’t be thrown away.”
Daeseung nervously bit his nails.
The cold made him tremble too.
Really would’ve been nice if you’d stayed home instead of chasing gold.
This all happened because of greed.
If he’d stayed in Jiangsu, he’d be happy. I’d be happy. Everyone alive.
“I’ll get more firewood.”
I gathered materials and lit another fire.
I was getting better at it.
Crackle, crackle.
With warmth, his nerves eased and he soon passed out.
I too felt drowsy and fell asleep.
* * *
The third day in the cave.
That morning was so cold my mouth felt like it would freeze crooked.
“Wh-who are you?”
I opened my eyes.
Black-clad warriors blocked the entrance.
I hadn’t sensed a thing while sleeping.
If they’d meant to kill us, we’d already be dead.
“Are you from Jiangsu Escort Bureau?”
A voice like metal scraping.
The smallest figure among them spoke.
“Y-yes… yes we are.”
Daeseung answered confidently, despite the trauma of saying “yes” once before and losing someone.
That was a small-time escort chief’s pride.
“You impersonated me and sent a letter. Very audacious.”
“……!!”
Impersonated?
He came himself?
“And also… commendable. Kyokyokyo! Very commendable!”
Thank god.
Looks like we won’t lose our heads right here.
