Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 177

177. If I Can Save One Person

Kwan Chul-hoon’s voice was filled with sorrow.

As a once-proud military officer who served in the Geumwi [Royal Guard], it couldn’t have been easy for him to confess to being swayed by someone.

“Bing-hun.”

The young palace lord’s clear voice echoed from inside the carriage.

“Let’s part ways here. Take care of the rear.”

“Yes?”

Je Gal-gi-ho asked, surprised.

“Part ways? Aren’t you coming with us?”

But no one offered an explanation.

Thud.

Bing-hun, who had been in the driver’s seat, immediately leaped towards the castle.

“No, then who will drive the carriage…?”

Je Gal-gi-ho tilted his head in bewilderment, but Dok-go-rang was already holding the reins.

“There was someone to drive. Secretary Woon! Please get in quickly.”

Je Gal-gi-ho, quick to adapt, urged Woon-hyun.

However, Woon-hyun remained rooted to the spot.

“Secretary. You haven’t changed.”

Kwan Chul-hoon smiled faintly.

It was the first hint of softness he had shown since they met.

“Be careful, Haksa [Scholar/Official].”

Kwan Chul-hoon added quietly.

“The order to detain this carriage came from higher up than you think.”

Woon-hyun flinched, just for a moment.

He knew someone was pulling the strings, but he hadn’t realized how persistent and deeply embedded they were within the government.

Kwan Chul-hoon bowed to Woon-hyun.

Then he turned to leave.

“Wait.”

Woon-hyun quickly reached out to Je Gal-gi-ho.

“Give me that box.”

Je Gal-gi-ho was momentarily taken aback but quickly handed over the box.

“Kwan Instructor, take this.”

“This is…”

Click.

Kwan Chul-hoon opened the box right there.

Five-colored jewels, nestled in red silk, were revealed.

Clack.

Kwan Chul-hoon immediately closed the box.

And he spoke, his voice as rough as his expression.

“I didn’t do this to receive something like this! How could Woon Haksa do such a thing…?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Woon-hyun cut off Kwan Chul-hoon’s protest.

“It’s okay to say anything you want to me. So what if it’s dirty bribery? If I can save one person with it, I’ll gladly take the abuse. So please, take care of yourself with this. Anyway, it’s an order that came down through back channels, isn’t it enough if it can be covered up with dirty money?”

Thud.

Woon-hyun clasped his hands around Kwan Chul-hoon’s outstretched hand and the box.

Woon-hyun’s eyes were full of sincerity.

Kwan Chul-hoon bit his lip.

Even a warrior with nerves of steel couldn’t suppress the emotions rising in his chest, and Kwan Chul-hoon’s eyes began to redden.

“…Thank you.”

“No. Rather, I am more grateful. Thank you, Kwan Instructor.”

“Secretary Woon! Hurry!”

Je Gal-gi-ho called out anxiously from inside the carriage.

He was anxious because the order had come from a high place, and masters had entered the castle.

Kwan Chul-hoon also spoke to Woon-hyun with a firm expression.

“Please go quickly. Woon Haksa.”

“Then, please take care of yourself.”

Woon-hyun’s voice trembled slightly as he released his grip.

Kwan Chul-hoon nodded silently.

Thud.

Woon-hyun got into the carriage.

Dok-go-rang immediately cracked the whip.

“Haa!”

It was then.

Kwan Chul-hoon suddenly remembered something and said urgently.

“Woon Haksa! When you come back, be sure to go to Beijing.”

“Beijing?”

“Yes! To the Imperial Palace…”

Kwan Chul-hoon tried to say more, but the strong horses of Bukhae had already bolted and started running.

“You must go!”

Thud, thud, thud.

The carriage kicked up dust and sped away.

People and soldiers quickly moved aside, and the carriage raced out of the wide-open gate without any interference.

Clatter, clatter.

The carriage quickly disappeared into the distance.

Watching the scene, Kwan Chul-hoon muttered quietly.

“Please take care of yourself. Woon Haksa.”

The incident Woon-hyun was involved in was by no means ordinary.

Even he, as the head of the border guards, was powerless to do anything about it, despite his minor position.

Kwan Chul-hoon clutched the small wooden box.

The wooden box that Woon-hyun had been holding tightly was still warm.

That soft warmth was quietly caressing Kwan Chul-hoon’s heart.

***

“They got away?”

A clear voice flowed out like a song.

But the expression of the Moon King, the owner of the voice, was twisted in displeasure.

“Yes.”

The subordinate replied in a calm voice.

Clack.

The Moon King nervously unfolded his fan.

The red silk, embroidered with a dragon, partially covered his mouth.

“The pursuit team is currently chasing after them. But the possibility of success is slim.”

The Moon King’s eyebrows, visible above the fan, furrowed even more.

“Hmph, I guess so. She’s definitely not stupid.”

No one likes failure.

The Moon King was no exception.

However, the subordinate’s concise and clear report was, in a way, soothing the Moon King’s anger.

Especially because there were no excuses or exaggerated apologies.

“What did you do with the Green Forest leaders?”

“The leaders of Suseong Fortress, Bukho Fortress, and Daedo Fortress have already been disposed of.”

The Moon King had already warned of the price of failure.

The subordinate had faithfully carried out the warning.

“Useless things. I should have buried them alive.”

“That’s what we did.”

Clack.

The Moon King folded his silk fan.

His anger had already subsided.

“What should we do with the Green Forest bandits still in the mountains?”

“Kill the ones who received money.”

The Moon King answered without hesitation.

“Just send the rest away. If they didn’t receive money, they have no responsibility.”

That was tantamount to saying that they would not hold anyone accountable except for the bandits who had been directly bribed.

Because the greedy leaders would not have shared the money with their subordinates.

The subordinate bowed his head to receive the order.

“What did you do with the border guards who let the young palace lord pass?”

“We strongly protested through the upper echelons, but we couldn’t directly intervene.”

“Hmm.”

Tap, tap.

The Moon King tapped the armrest with his finger.

“Have there been any other reports from Bukhae?”

“No. The situation remains unchanged.”

“Hmph. Maybe that old hag, the First of Bukhae, is protecting Bingje. But it won’t last long anyway.”

The Moon King pursed his lips and said.

“If you’ve lived long enough, you should die. Whether it’s Bingje or anyone else.”

The subordinate did not ask who he was referring to.

And the Moon King said no more.

Flap.

The Moon King’s red silk fan fluttered quietly.

Maids and subordinates stood silently in the large main hall, but no one dared to speak.

***

The Bukhae carriage, having passed the border, ran without rest.

After a full day, the surrounding scenery began to change.

The mountains became lower, the bushes became sparse, and the horizon became visible.

And after three days, all that could be seen in all directions were only grass and low bushes stretching to the horizon.

They had finally entered the Great Plains.

“Wow, what an amazing view.”

Je Gal-gi-ho exclaimed.

The endless Great Plains were enough to change one’s perspective on life, as some say.

Woon-hyun also couldn’t help but admire the sight.

He felt like even his stuffy chest was clearing up.

“We will guide you from now on.”

At the young palace lord’s words, Dok-go-rang relinquished the driver’s seat to Bingseol.

Even the usually expressionless Dok-go-rang showed a hint of regret when handing over the reins.

It seemed that he had grown fond of the Bukhae horses during their short time together.

“Haa!”

Clatter, clatter.

Bingseol handled the horses surprisingly well for her slender physique.

The horses ran quickly across the pathless plains without tiring.

Even Woon-hyun, who knew little about carriages or horses, was impressed.

“Wow, you’re not driving like someone who’s only done this for a day or two?”

Je Gal-gi-ho, who knew how to ride, clicked his tongue in amazement.

“How can a maid handle horses so well?”

“Oh, that’s…”

Woon-hyun was about to explain that she might not be a maid when the Twelve Palace Lord suddenly spoke up.

“I do that too!”

“Yes?”

Woon-hyun and Je Gal-gi-ho turned around at the same time.

“The Twelve Palace Lord? Ride horses?”

Je Gal-gi-ho asked in disbelief.

The Twelve Palace Lord puffed out her cheeks.

“Uh? It’s true. It’s easier than walking.”

Je Gal-gi-ho looked at Woon-hyun.

He seemed to be asking if it was true, but Woon-hyun had no way of knowing.

Woon-hyun shrugged, and Je Gal-gi-ho gave a wry smile.

“Ah, yes, yes. I see.”

“My sister’s words are true.”

The young palace lord, who was sitting across from him, said quietly.

Even if it was the Twelve Palace Lord, the credibility of the young palace lord’s words greatly increased.

Woon-hyun was about to nod when the young palace lord continued.

“And I’m pretty good with horses too.”

That was something he hadn’t even considered.

The young palace lord’s expression was somehow coy, and she seemed to be a little jealous.

Woon-hyun was making a surprised expression when Je Gal-gi-ho exclaimed.

“Oh, if the young palace lord rides a horse, it would be quite a sight, wouldn’t it?”

Woon-hyun agreed with that.

The sight of the beautiful young palace lord riding a horse across the plains with her clothes fluttering would certainly be 멋질 [wonderful/stylish].

“Woong, I’m a sight too.”

The Twelve Palace Lord protested with a pout.

But Je Gal-gi-ho pretended not to hear.

Clatter, clatter.

In the meantime, the strong horses of Bukhae were running relentlessly across the vast plains.

***

The plains, which seemed to go on forever, finally came to an end after a few days.

And a rough wilderness appeared before them.

The barren land, with only dirt and stones, had begun.

There was nothing there.

A vast maze where you could go anywhere but couldn’t truly go anywhere.

It felt like they were trapped in a paradoxical maze created by nature.

If the young palace lord hadn’t shown them the way, they certainly would have been lost.

“Oh my, how did you even find your way through this desolate road?”

Je Gal-gi-ho clicked his tongue.

The young palace lord said quietly.

“You can’t imagine the harshness of this place. It’s truly a stroke of luck that this land is accepting us so readily.”

“This is a stroke of luck?”

“Yes. And we’re pushing ourselves a bit now to shorten the time. The merchants have their own way.”

Je Gal-gi-ho gave a hollow laugh.

“Is there even a road?”

“It’s just that there are no visible people, but there are roads everywhere.”

Je Gal-gi-ho had no choice but to agree with that.

“Well, that’s true. You only see as much as you know.”

“It’s not just a matter of knowledge. It’s a difference in perspective, or perhaps it should be called fate?”

“Fate?”

Je Gal-gi-ho asked back, surprised by the slightly out-of-the-blue words.

But the young palace lord turned her eyes to Woon-hyun.

Moving her red lips, she said.

“There are things that are obvious to some, but others are not even allowed to know their existence.”

Woon-hyun felt a pang of conscience.

Could the young palace lord be talking about the ‘Master of the Setting Sun’?

“Well, that’s true.”

Je Gal-gi-ho shrugged.

He was also a member of a noble family and knew many things that ordinary people didn’t.

“Everyone has their own place. They say you shouldn’t try to walk like a stork if you’re a crow-tit, right? Hahaha.”

“Yes.”

Without taking her eyes off Woon-hyun, the young palace lord said.

“Everyone has their own place.”

Slyly, Woon-hyun turned his head.

The large carriage continued to travel smoothly through the desolate wilderness, even without a clear road.