Book 20 Chapter 17

Two Letters

―Dreams Come True

Tick-tock-tick-tock!

Swiftly moving feet brushed against dewy blades of grass. The grass seemed to bow its head slightly under their weight, only to lift it again the moment the feet that had pressed down on its fragile neck disappeared. Only a few drops of dew were bounced up by the impact of being kicked and vanished into the night air. The silhouette's breath was ragged, as if in a hurry.

"Hah! Hah!"

The figure, displaying a realm of martial arts where the grass beneath her feet remained unharmed as she ran across it, was a woman overflowing with grace. In her left hand, as she sprinted across the grass, she tightly clutched a jade hairpin of aquamarine color, engraved with patterns of flowers and phoenixes. Faint fragments of the moon and starlight lifted the veil of night draped over the woman's face. It was Jin So-ryeong, the Amisinyeo.

In her right hand, as she urgently kicked off the grass, dashing like a swallow, was a crumpled letter. Though she had attained a high level of swordsmanship and mastered the immovable mind, her face was currently filled with anxiety, as if she were being chased by time.

The incident began with a letter that arrived around the hour of the beast (9 PM). She discovered the letter, whose sender and placement were unknown, lying alone on the table just as she was preparing for bed.

[Beginning omitted].

I owe you a great debt. I am holding your lovely niece hostage, so come to the Guanzi Temple, thirty li outside the West Gate, by midnight. Of course, do not inform anyone else and come alone. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee the safety and beauty of your pretty niece. In case you do not believe me, I am enclosing proof here. Of course, it is also fine if you do not come. Slicing off your niece's head, salting it, and sending it to you in a box would also be an excellent form of revenge. Would it not? They say that the wounds of the heart last longer than those of the body. I will be waiting.

―The Romantic Master.

By the time she came to her senses, she had already leaped over the closed city walls and was running across the open field. Confirming the authenticity of the letter could wait; it was not too late. Without informing anyone, she ran across the field shrouded in night. Even if she sent someone to investigate now, there would not be enough time. The sender of the letter had clearly calculated the time. Even if the safety of nine-tenths of her niece was guaranteed, she would have run this path anyway to confirm the remaining one-tenth possibility. How had she raised her child! She could not stand by and watch the danger that might befall her. Moreover, she absolutely could not tolerate the fact that there were people under this sky who would dare to use her niece, Jin Ling, to threaten her.

"Wait for me, Ling-ah! This aunt will surely save you. If even the slightest harm comes to that child…"

It was a terrifying thought, even to imagine.

"No one will be spared!"

Tack-tack-tack-tack!

Jin So-ryeong further increased the speed of her Qinggong. If the mind is disturbed, the qi is naturally disturbed as well. Loosely controlled qi is bound to be wasted. Without even realizing she was rapidly tiring, she ran forward and forward.

'What if this is a trap…'

She had not failed to consider that. But You Eun-seong was there.

She worried about him leaving without a word, but it was already a regret that could not be undone. There was no time.

For now, she had to trust him and move forward.

Late at night.

You Eun-seong, who had left his room with a stern face, was stiff. He paused for a moment in the middle of the dark garden and cautiously looked around with sharp eyes. All he saw was the pitch darkness, all he heard was the cold night wind brushing past his ears, and no other presence was felt. Only after repeating the same action three more times did he become sure that no one was around the garden. Only then did You Eun-seong slightly twist his body and cover his mouth with one hand. And then…

"Heehee!"

He laughed twice.

"Cook-cook-cook!"

As if he couldn't hold it in after just one, laughter spilled out again. Then, he immediately returned to his original stern demeanor. However, after taking three more steps, he twisted his body in the same manner and laughed twice more with a "cook-cook." He once again cautiously scanned his surroundings twice, then took out what he had been carefully keeping in his embrace and looked at it with a serious and solemn gaze. It was a letter. The important point was that the letter was sent by a woman he had been devotedly admiring. And this, in the dead of night.

'No more… no more…'

Ah, what to do about this situation. He could no longer restrain himself. He could no longer maintain his tense expression. His expression seemed to melt away. There was no way to stop the silly grin from spreading across his face. His cheeks turned red. His eyes curved like flounder eyes. It was a stroke of luck that he didn't drool. His shoulders were already shaking, his body practically dancing with joy.

'Ah, no! I shouldn't be like this. The children might be watching…'

But…

"Cook-cook-cook."

Every time he looked at this letter, he couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. It was a historic moment when his twenty years of devotion might finally bear fruit. When the lid of his heart, strictly controlled by sharp reason, opened, his emotions erupted like a gushing spring.

"Kekeke! Cook-cook-cook! Nfufufufu!"

He had to suppress his laughter for a long time.

Ding-ding~

At that moment, the gong signaling the hour of the beast rang.

"Well, this is not the time for me to be like this. They said by midnight, right? I have to hurry."

To leave the courier station, You Eun-seong quickened his pace. He couldn't be late for the appointment.

"Are you going out for something good, Great Hero You?"

The two guards at the main gate, spotting You Eun-seong approaching, bowed and greeted him.

"Ah, you are working hard in the middle of the night. I have some business to attend to outside, could I leave?"

"Of course. Please go ahead."

The two guards on duty quickly opened the auxiliary gate for night passage attached to the side of the main gate and replied.

"Yes, thank you. Then I'll be going. You two also, work hard."

Leaving the courier station, You Eun-seong's figure soon disappeared into the darkness of the alley. In his hand was the letter he had just taken from his embrace, carefully cherished.

* * *

The moon, thinly curved, hung lonesome in the night sky.

The Zhongyang Courier Station was also fast asleep. Only a few guards were on duty, passing the time without tension. The two bonfires burning in front of the courier station's main gate could only chase away the darkness around the gate and the night dew, but were insufficient to drive away the darkness that filled the sky and earth. Still, for the two guards of Zhongyang Courier Station, they were the most welcome presences, as they chased away the cold of the night. As usual, today was also boring, with nothing happening.

Ten paces away from there, under the branches where the heat and light of the bonfires did not reach, darkness stirred. A man clad in black nightwear from head to toe, with a mask covering his face, had the character '劫' (geop, meaning calamity or disaster) emblazoned on his chest. It was Yun I-jeong.

Today was different from when they annihilated the Cheongryong Eunjang. Back then, they had been on the outskirts, making a flashy and noisy attack possible, but to infiltrate a courier station located in the heart of such a large city, secrecy devoid of fanfare was necessary.

Only after confirming that You Eun-seong had completely melted into the darkness of the street did Yi Si-geon turn his head to look at Yun I-jeong beside him.

"Your prediction came true. Excellent."

"You are too kind."

"What about the Jin woman?"

"I confirmed her leaping over the wall half a shichen ago. Her speed was so great that I could not pursue further, but…"

"It doesn't matter. Confirming she is not inside is enough."

According to his standards, the rest were all excluded from consideration.

"Then, now, all that's left is to leisurely walk in there and get the key."

Yi Si-geon nodded with satisfaction.

"Precisely. Without putting in much effort. It is not too late to take revenge on those scoundrels later, my lord."

Yun I-jeong immediately chimed in.

The balance of power, which had been slightly tilted, now completely tipped to this side as the two large counterweights that maintained that state were simultaneously removed. The wicked smile on his lips indicated his certainty of that fact. The meal was ready; now, all that remained was to easily pick it up with chopsticks. All that was left was the minor cleanup. That is what they thought.

The Namchang Branch of the Zhongyang Courier Station was now in a desperate crisis. The future of the Yu Gyeong-yeong siblings was also placed under the cold scythe of fate at this very moment. However, they overlooked one fact. The world is so vast and expansive that it is impossible for human comprehension to fully grasp it. The disturbance created by coincidences, whose beginning and end are unknown, sometimes creates unexpected events that render the expression "unbelievable" meaningless. And sometimes, these events sweep away even the magnificent golden tower of reason and intellect, which they proudly built, leaving no trace, like a humble beach after a great tidal wave has passed.

The cruel disturbance of fate, which defied prediction, turned what should have been the best choice into the worst. It was impossible to pinpoint the ultimate cause because the web of karma that led to things going awry was too complexly intertwined. However, it was an undeniable fact that things turned out that way in the process. It was often the case in history that events that could only be described as "just happened" by chance changed the fate of people or the world.

The reason things went wrong was not their fault. Even if things turned out that way, it did not mean they were incompetent. They did their best for the evil deeds they were about to commit. It must be acknowledged that they did their best within their capabilities. Yet, if one were to try to ascertain the reason for their failure, there is no other way to express it but the will of heaven—which should be read as capriciousness.