Several more days passed.
Originally, they had planned to rest for about three more days before setting out, but on the third day, a snowstorm began again, forcing them to remain at the hermitage for two more days.
At long last, in the early dawn, the snow stopped.
Ogyo and Cheongdam tidied the hermitage cleanly, then stepped outside.
Their destination was Jiayuguan in the west.
Whether Cheongdam’s husband would be there, no one could say.
Cheongdam herself did not seem to hold much hope that he was still alive.
Even so, she wished to tie off the bond between herself and her husband.
Cheongdam, too, was not far from death.
There was no precedent for anyone afflicted with the Void Spirit Wind Meridian living past twenty.
Even if her husband was alive, the couple was fated to part from one another.
While Ogyo closed the brushwood gate and fastened the latch, Cheongdam started ahead down the snow-covered road.
The snow had stopped, but dark clouds hung so low they seemed to press down upon the earth, leaving the world black.
And in that darkness, beyond the road, a faint black silhouette could be seen.
Was it a person?
Cheongdam was suddenly frightened and quickly tugged at Ogyo’s sleeve.
“Sister Gyo, over there.”
Ogyo looked toward where Cheongdam was pointing.
“……!”
Her eyesight was far better than Cheongdam’s, and she recognized the figure at once.
Her body went rigid, unable to move.
Only the tips of her fingers trembled.
Seeing Ogyo standing there motionless, eyes wide open, Cheongdam was flustered and did not know what to do.
“……Stay here.”
After saying that, Ogyo walked forward.
At the same time, the person standing opposite her also began to approach slowly.
The snow had stopped, but a bitter wind was still blowing over the mountaintop.
Before long, the distance between them narrowed, and even from where Cheongdam stood, she could clearly make out the appearance of the person who had appeared.
It was a woman with a slender figure.
Even in this cold weather, she wore only thin, clean white Daoist robes, which made her seem far from ordinary.
Ogyo, standing before her, was dressed in deep navy blue, and the contrast between the two was strange.
Once they were close enough to exchange words, the woman’s expression became visible.
She was smiling gently, as if deeply relieved from the bottom of her heart.
It was a face Cheongdam had never seen before. She was neither from Jeokhamun nor from Bichwigak.
Was she not a pursuer?
“Ogyo.”
“……Sina.”
When Ogyo called her that, Yang Uisin opened her eyes wide in surprise.
As if overcome with emotion, she let out a sigh.
“You still…… call me that.”
“That’s your name.”
Sina was Yang Uisin’s nickname, and aside from Uisin’s family, Ogyo was the only one allowed to call her by it.
However, the wild dog did not know what feelings had led Uisin to permit her to use that nickname.
“How did you find this place?”
“A sect called Bichwigak told me where you were. I heard a rough account of the circumstances from them as well. Of course, I still had to wander around this mountain for quite some time to find you……”
She spoke as if such a thing were nothing at all.
It had not even been ten days since Ogyo had fought the pursuers in the forest last time.
In other words, in less than ten days, Bichwigak had discovered that Ogyo was a wanted criminal and sent a letter to Shuntian Prefecture; Uisin, upon receiving that letter, had traveled from Beijing to the Qilian Mountains; and after arriving there, had run blindly through the mountains until she found Ogyo’s traces.
Ogyo had known it. She had known this woman was beyond human.
Even so, she could not help but be at a loss for words.
Uisin looked past Ogyo’s shoulder toward Cheongdam.
“Is the lady over there Miss Song? The Pavilion Master of Bichwigak has been searching for you desperately.”
“……That has nothing to do with you.”
“I received a request from the Pavilion Master of Bichwigak to bring back his daughter, so I cannot say it has nothing to do with me. Ogyo, what happened? Why did you abduct Miss Song?”
“I was not abducted!”
Cheongdam, without thinking, ran forward and shouted.
Then, when her eyes met Uisin’s, she seemed frightened and hid behind Ogyo, clinging to Ogyo’s sleeve as if hanging onto it.
“Miss Song, this officer is Yang Uisin, Assistant Commander of the Jinyiwei. I am not your enemy, so there is no need to be afraid.”
“No. If you intend to take me back by force, then you are my enemy.”
At those words, Uisin raised her brows slightly in surprise.
After taking note of how Cheongdam stuck tightly to Ogyo’s side, Uisin smiled gently.
“This officer has no intention of taking Miss Song back by force. I merely heard that Miss Song had been abducted and came to rescue you.”
“I was not abducted. I simply left home of my own will. Sister Gyo here is traveling with me in order to help me.”
Uisin stared quietly at Cheongdam for a moment, as if trying to discern the true meaning behind those words.
Soon, she nodded calmly.
“I understand what you mean. It seems each of you has your own circumstances, so this officer will no longer interfere in this matter.”
“You will let us go?”
“……Miss Song, Ogyo and I are friends. I have something to discuss with her, so would you please step aside for a moment?”
At those words, Cheongdam glanced anxiously at Ogyo.
Ogyo gave a small nod to show that it was all right, and at last, Cheongdam withdrew.
After Cheongdam had moved away, Uisin spoke.
“I never thought you would step forward to help someone of your own accord. Did something change your mind?”
“……”
It was not a question that could be answered in a single sentence.
Besides, she did not want to talk about such things now.
“Get to the point.”
At Ogyo’s cold tone, Uisin’s eyes drooped like a scolded puppy’s.
“It’s been so long since we met. Won’t you talk with me a little more?”
“I have nothing to say to you. You tried to kill me.”
“That was…… I’m sorry. I apologize.”
Uisin bowed deeply to Ogyo.
Ogyo was so flustered that she was left speechless.
For some reason, the atmosphere around her was different from the Yang Uisin she had known.
In just three years, both of them had undergone great changes.
The two were no longer as single-minded as they had once been.
Ogyo was confused by Uisin’s meek apology.
To begin with, Ogyo had never held a grudge against Uisin.
The wild dog did not remember others in that way.
But neither did she consider Uisin a friend.
Back when she had been with her, she had not even known exactly what the word “friend” meant.
Only after meeting Yohwa did the wild dog come to take an interest in others.
The first one to break down the wall in the wild dog’s heart had been Yohwa.
That was why Ogyo considered Yohwa a friend.
Then what about the woman before her eyes?
‘Am I…… friends with this one?’
She did not know.
Because she did not know by what standard one distinguished friends from others.
There was only one thing that was certain.
On the day they had first met, Uisin had shared with Ogyo all the precious mooncakes she had received as gifts, and when handing over the last mooncake, she had said that in exchange for accepting it, Ogyo should become her friend.
Ogyo had nodded then.
That was undoubtedly a promise agreed upon by both parties.
Promises were important.
That was what she had been taught.
‘Then perhaps…… we are friends.’
If she and this woman were friends.
Then…… what would change?
“Ogyo, do you still hate me?”
At Uisin’s question, Ogyo slowly shook her head.
“I don’t hate you.”
At that answer, Uisin’s eyes shone with expectation.
“T-then do you like me?”
“No.”
“Ah…… I see.”
“Why are you asking that?”
Ogyo looked at Uisin with eyes filled with pure curiosity.
Faced with that innocent, childlike gaze, Uisin hesitated to answer.
“I was wondering whether we were still friends. Because I did something terrible to you……”
“You tried to kill me.”
“I-it wasn’t because I hated you. It was an order from my superiors, so I had no choice……”
“I see.”
Indeed, if she herself had received an order to kill Uisin, she would have acted the same way.
Or would she? Since she knew Uisin was an opponent she could not defeat, would she have run away?
In any case, Ogyo accepted Uisin’s excuse.
But soon, a question arose.
Friends were people who cherished each other.
If she and this woman were friends, then was it not wrong for them to point blades at one another?
But orders had to be obeyed.
Only by obeying orders could one eat warm meals and sleep in a house with a roof.
If it was an order…… did one have to kill even a friend?
Two contradictory propositions clashed within her heart.
Only now was this wild dog beginning to understand the cruel phenomenon called antinomy.
What if that friend were Yohwa?
If an order came down to kill Yohwa?
She could not kill Yohwa.
Then she would have no choice but to disobey the order.
I see.
If one cannot protect both, then one must choose one.
In the end, this was a question of what was more precious, and only the convictions within one’s heart knew the answer.
“You…… chose to obey the order.”
At Ogyo’s murmur, Uisin’s eyes flew wide open.
“N-no!”
“No?”
“I, I never meant to…… Back then, my heart was just in turmoil……”
Uisin stammered in deep confusion.
Then her eyes met Ogyo’s, who was staring straight at her.
With a dazed expression, Uisin muttered.
“I made a mistake. A mistake that cannot be undone……”
“……I don’t really understand what you mean.”
Ogyo’s tone was calm.
It was because she truly felt little emotion, but to Uisin, that attitude felt like a cold rejection meant to put distance between them, and it pained her heart.
“Ogyo, listen……”
“Yes.”
“Won’t you return to Beijing with me?”
What was this supposed to mean now?
“Are you saying you’ll capture me?”
“T-that’s not it. I’ll speak to Elder Changgong and help have your wanted status lifted. Then we’ll return to the Jinyiwei together. How does that sound?”
In truth, Uisin had no such authority.
Whether the wanted order placed on Ogyo would be withdrawn simply because she made a request was uncertain.
But Uisin was prepared to submit an appeal not only to Jo Wi-hyeon, but even directly to His Majesty.
Though the Wanli Emperor kept his distance from affairs of state, he was especially fond of his guard, Yang Uisin.
That was because the mere fact that the authorities possessed the greatest person under heaven effectively suppressed the spirit of the jianghu factions.
If Uisin personally made a request, the Wanli Emperor would surely not treat it coldly.
There was no certainty, but there was a sufficient possibility that the matter could be accomplished.
But Ogyo answered firmly.
“I’m not going back.”
“W-why?”
“Because there’s something I have to do.”
To think the wild dog would say such a thing.
Uisin was deeply shocked.
As expected, she was different from before.
The old version of her, who had lived only by instinct, was nowhere to be found, and in her eyes dwelled a firm will.
What had made this girl change?
What had she experienced over the past three years?
Could it be…… that she had gained someone precious?
Had she received from that someone the catalyst for change that Uisin herself had been unable to give her?
Anger surged up in her heart.
Toward an unknown person whose very existence she did not even know, Uisin felt jealousy.
“Then are you saying you’ll live your whole life being chased like this?”
“Yes. I don’t mind.”
“I-I’ll capture you.”
“Try it if you can.”
For this very purpose, Ogyo had trained for the past three years.
She drew her throwing knife.
At that sight, Uisin felt as though her heart were burning away.
Again?
Was it going to end up like this again after all?
Would things have been different if she had been a little better with words?
But she was this clumsy.
The only thing she knew was the sword.
People in the world called her the greatest under heaven.
How hollow that was.
For even if one gained all under heaven, it was still so difficult to gain a single person’s heart.
"I don't want to fight you."
"Then go down the mountain."
"I don't want to let you leave, either."
"What are you going to do, then?"
Uisin drew her sword, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Ogyo, let's set some rules. You can fight freely. But I'll place a restriction on myself."
Uisin spoke in a voice thick with tears.
"If my sword wounds you even slightly, it's your victory."
"……What is that supposed to mean?"
Did she mean to subdue her without leaving a single wound?
Truly, it was remarkable confidence.
But it was by no means a bluff.
Ogyo knew all too well how terrifying that woman was.
"Do as you like."
"Mm……. Then let's begin."
Uisin took her stance.
Ogyo, too, unwound the spool on her bracer.
Upon the snow-white field, the two faced each other.
Each carrying different feelings.
Each dreaming of a different future.
Uisin did not move from where she stood.
It meant she was yielding the first move.
Ogyo did not decline, and kicked off the ground.
Yeonyeon Hyeollak, a martial art that threaded throwing knives onto long strands and swung them.
It had been created from the start with battles against sword-wielding martial artists in mind.
Thread had a longer reach than any weapon, and its movements were ever-changing.
Its main tactic was not to inflict a fatal wound at once, but to accumulate injuries and wear down the opponent's strength.
If Ogyo's poison arts were added to that, even a single wound could become fatal.
This martial art was truly powerful.
With a single sword, it was difficult to respond to the myriad trajectories of the threads.
However, unlike last time, this was a wide, open plain with no obstacles at all to hide behind.
There was no geographical advantage.
Even so.
……Do not enter the opponent's range.
Keep throwing the knives, cut off her movements, and pin her feet down.
Recover the discarded knives later with the threads, and aim for the opponent's blind spots.
Sin-a has never seen this martial art.
That's why the first move is the most important.
If I unleash a technique carelessly, she'll read it.
Should I use the Fourth Form to cut off her sword path and press in to end it?
No, if she counters, I'll be the one in danger.
Let's fight by swinging the threads from a distance, like last time.
But I can't just swing horizontally without a plan.
If she meets it with force, it'll become difficult to control the threads. The trajectory will be easy to read, too.
I have to shoot them forward so she can't catch them. Like hidden weapons.
But even that has a high chance of being dodged head-on.
Should I hide the thread in the snow?
Then I have to conceal the movement of my left hand.
Maintain a position at her side and hide one hand.
Scatter several throwing knives at once and make her believe that's the real attack.
Then shoot out the thread hidden in the snow!
'Ogyo, we've crossed blades many times, but never once have we fought with emotion between us. If we were true friends, it would only be natural for us to quarrel at times. We never even meshed with each other that much. You don't think of me as much as I think of you. In truth, perhaps we still cannot be called friends in the true sense.'
……She dodged it.
That thin thread flying from her blind spot.
As if she had eyes on her back.
Don't panic.
If she were an opponent I could defeat with a single move, I wouldn't need to fight this desperately.
Think of the next move.
First, recover the throwing knives. I've used too many.
With the form Sahaeng Malli, Snake Travels Ten Thousand Li, bind all the knives to the thread at once and pull them in while aiming for her ankles.
Swordsmen are relatively weak against attacks coming from below.
Because the ground serves as a wall that blocks the sword path.
'When we were together, I only focused on winning your favor. I never tried to look into the person you were. I was afraid that if I approached you carelessly, you might come to hate me. Though deep in my heart I longed to grow close to you, I hesitated to reveal myself. I was a coward.'
……What was that just now?
She swung her sword in a semicircle.
It looked as if the blade would sink into the ground, and it seemed like it actually had, but before I knew it, it was back in its original position.
The threads are a mess.
It was only a single sword strike.
First, I have to recover them.
Even if it leaves an opening, let's widen the distance.
She isn't chasing me.
Why?
Wasn't she trying to capture me?
'If we ever come to be together again, then I will tell you what kind of person I am.'
……This is actually better.
Think of the next exchange.
An attack from behind, an attack aimed below the knees—neither worked.
I can't bring her down with petty tricks like this.
Increase the speed.
Pour more internal energy into the threads.
It might be dangerous because of the poison, but…….
Right now, I can't afford to worry about her.
'Unlike you, I don't like sweet things. But I do enjoy spicy food.'
……Twelfth Form, Moon Shadow Snake Binding.
Grip both ends of the thread and pull, tightening it around the opponent.
'In truth, I find reading and writing poetry more enjoyable than training in swordsmanship. And reading novels, too. I want to tell you how full of strange tales Qu You's Jiandeng Xinhua is.'
……Sixteenth Form, Venomous Fang Pierces the Heart.
Grip the thread with the toes and use its elasticity to shoot the throwing knife like an arrow.
This was the fastest attack among the forms she could use.
If even this was blocked, there was no longer any means to pierce the opponent's defense.
'At times, I want to turn my eyes away from everything and leave for somewhere far away. If I truly lack the power to set the world right, then rather than continue this meaningless struggling, I would rather enter some remote mountain valley in a distant land and become a nun. In the end, I too am nothing more than a narrow-minded person who thinks only of herself.'
……After all that.
After struggling so hard to defeat this girl.
I can't reach her.
Why is this girl so strong?
No next move comes to mind.
Nothing I do will work.
I absolutely cannot lose.
I promised Yohwa.
Even if I die, it doesn't matter.
In the past, death alone frightened me, but now there is something in my heart that I want to protect, even if I must throw away my life.
Pride, conviction.
I had always thought those who staked their lives on values that did not even exist were foolish.
Yet now, before this mighty existence, though my life had been spared, my heart had been trampled and shattered to pieces.
And that was so bitterly humiliating that I could not hold back my tears.
'……Ogyo, you're crying. Have I made you sad again?'
……Consumed by rage, she grabbed a throwing knife at random and swung it wildly.
Her opponent suddenly stopped moving.
She neither dodged nor blocked.
She stood there, holding her sword so weakly it seemed she might drop it, and merely gazed at her.
At this rate, the blade would touch her opponent.
Why?
Was she trying to lose to her now?
How arrogant could she be?
Fine. If she wanted to die, Ogyo would not stop her.
She drove the throwing knife down precisely toward her opponent's chest.
The blade tore through her clothes, and the skin beyond them…….
Clang!
When Uisin belatedly swung her sword, the throwing knife that had been on the verge of stabbing her chest flew far away and buried itself in the snowfield.
Ogyo felt a stinging pain in her palm.
For some reason, the area around her cheek burned as well.
"O-Ogyo."
Uisin, her face startled, threw down her sword and approached.
With a trembling hand, she caressed Ogyo's cheek.
As the throwing knife flew away, it had grazed Ogyo's cheek and left a small wound.
"Ah, aah……. Blood……. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Flustered, Uisin pressed the wound with her own sleeve.
The white sleeve was dyed red, but she did not seem to care.
"I have some ointment. I'll put it on for you."
Ogyo was so dumbfounded that no words came out.
In the meantime, Uisin took it upon herself to apply medicine to Ogyo's cheek.
What is this?
What in the world is this girl?
Ogyo had been crying since a while ago.
At first, only tears flowed silently, but as her sorrow gradually welled up, she began to whimper like a child.
"Damn it……. I told you not to touch me, idiot……."
"No, what if it leaves another scar?"
"What do I care……."
Though she tried to push her away through her tears, Uisin was like a boulder embedded in the ground.
Now she understood.
She hated this woman.
There was not a single thing about her she could bring herself to like.
"Ogyo, since I wounded you, let's say I lost the duel."
"I don't know, shut up……."
No matter how much she struggled, Ogyo could not escape Uisin's grasp.
After Uisin finished applying the medicine, perhaps intending to soothe her, she pulled Ogyo into her arms and kept stroking her hair.
From that embrace, there was still only the scent of bitter tea leaves.