After a long while, Ogyo stopped crying.
A bout of crying had calmed her anger, and Uisin's earnest, comforting touch gradually steadied her heart.
Uisin knew Ogyo had stopped crying, yet she didn't let go for some time.
She was using this chance to satisfy her own selfish desires.
"Ogyo, what are you going to do from now on?"
"...What?"
"I mean your goal. I know you're helping Miss Song right now. But after that? Where will you go?"
Ogyo sniffled and thought for a moment.
But even Ogyo didn't know what came next.
Come to think of it, she had bought information from Haomun.
Once this matter was finished, she would have to go receive that list.
"I'll wander here and there."
"Doing what as you wander?"
"There's something I'm looking for."
"If you tell me, I'll help too."
Ogyo raised her head and glared at Uisin.
"Don't follow me. You're annoying."
"O-okay..."
Uisin wilted.
Seeing Uisin like that, Ogyo added, as if she couldn't help it.
"I'll resolve this matter with my own strength. So you don't need to help."
"...I see."
To hear her say such mature words.
As expected, you've changed.
A gentle smile rose to Uisin's lips.
"I understand your will. If that is your conviction, I will respect it. But don't overdo it. If the situation truly becomes precarious, call for me then. There is no shame in asking a friend for help."
Ogyo quietly nodded.
"Hehe, hehehe."
Unlike before, Uisin couldn't stop laughing, perhaps overjoyed that Ogyo was heeding her words.
She hugged Ogyo as if a brooding hen over her egg, then swayed her body back and forth in delight.
"West of the capital is a small mountain called Muisan. I've built a training ground on its mid-slope, where I often cultivate. If you have something to tell me or need my help, just hang a letter on the plum tree beside the training ground."
"...Mhm."
"Whenever it is, wherever you are, I will rush to you."
"I got it."
Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Uisin finally released Ogyo.
Ogyo didn't know how long they had been like that; her face was burning like a boiled egg.
"Oh, I also prepared a gift for you."
"A gift?"
"Yes, things that will help you on your journey. I've left them at the post station at the foot of the mountain, so go retrieve them."
The fact that she had prepared such things in advance meant Uisin had never intended to capture Ogyo from the start.
"Oh, and..."
Uisin tried to say something more but suddenly closed her mouth.
She thought for a moment, then soon smiled playfully.
"There's someone waiting for you. You'll be able to meet them at the post station."
"...?"
What was she talking about now?
Even when asked again, Uisin only said she would find out when she got there.
"Then I'll head back for today."
"Farewell."
Ogyo waved with an indifferent face.
Uisin, meanwhile, stood in place with a sorrowful expression, gazing at Ogyo for a moment as if reluctant to leave.
"We'll be able to meet again next time, right?"
"Who knows."
The world was so vast that their reunion even once could already be called a miracle.
When would they meet again?
Perhaps they would have no further ties in this lifetime.
Such thoughts made her infinitely anxious, and her feet would not move.
After a moment's hesitation, Uisin untied her hair ribbon and forcibly pressed it into Ogyo's hand.
"Will you take this, thinking of it as me?"
"...Why?"
"Don't ask why... And could I receive just one thing you have?"
With an expression that said she couldn't understand, Ogyo rummaged through her belongings to see if she had anything worth giving.
But this wild dog had not a single common accessory, and all she had in her bosom were hidden weapons.
"I have nothing to give."
"Th-then..."
Uisin subtly stated her wish.
"If you could give me a bit of your hair... that would be fine..."
"...? That'll do?"
"Yeah, yeah. That's enough."
What was she going to do with someone else's hair?
She truly was a strange woman.
Thinking so, Ogyo cut a handful of hair with her dagger and offered it.
Uisin received it as if it were a treasure, tied it in a knot so it wouldn't scatter, and tucked it deep into her bosom.
"Then I'll be going."
Only then did Uisin turn to leave.
As she descended the mountain, she looked back several times and waved toward Ogyo.
*
Afterward, following Uisin's words, Ogyo descended the mountain and went to the nearby post station, where luggage had been left with the innkeeper.
The luggage contained a considerable amount of silver, fancy clothes suitable for a city young lady, cosmetics, and an identity plaque that could serve as proof of identity.
A name she had never seen before was written on it.
A note was included, and upon reading it, it seemed this plaque was a forged identity document to hide her true identity.
The cosmetics and fancy clothes were for the same purpose.
They meant for her to hide the scar on her face with makeup and change into the attire of a young lady to avoid the wanted posters.
Ogyo grimaced at the billowing skirt and the wide-sleeved robe, but Cheongdam excitedly urged her to try them on quickly.
The clothes fit Ogyo's small body perfectly.
They were clothes meant for a child.
Since Ogyo didn't know how to apply makeup herself, Cheongdam did it for her.
Rice powder was applied to her face, rouge to her lips and cheeks, her eyebrows were drawn with ink, and floral essence was even applied to her hair, changing her appearance beyond recognition.
Her original features weren't bad to begin with, so decorated like this, she looked like the daughter of a noble house.
"Miss Ogyo, you're so cute."
Cheongdam exclaimed repeatedly, making a fuss.
But Ogyo felt very unpleasant; her face itched, and the long sleeve cuffs got in the way when she walked.
Moreover, a carriage prepared to take them all the way to Jiayuguan was ready.
But when they went to the stable to board the carriage, someone was waiting for them in front of it.
It was Im Saun.
"You..."
Ogyo instantly snarled and tried to draw her dagger from her bosom.
In her fluttering clothes, her fighting stance created a peculiar sight.
"H-Hold on a moment."
Im Saun hurriedly waved his hands.
"I-I didn't come to fight. Calm down."
Even hearing that, Ogyo remained suspicious and kept her weapon in hand, though she did not draw it.
"Young Master."
Cheongdam looked at Saun in surprise.
Seeing Cheongdam, Saun seemed greatly relieved and let out a deep sigh.
"S-Sister-in-law. I'm glad you're safe."
"How did you get here?"
Cheongdam looked around anxiously. His presence here meant that Jeokhamun people were nearby.
But the street was quiet.
"P-Please don't worry. I am alone."
Cheongdam and Ogyo exchanged glances.
Cheongdam nodded first to signal it was fine, reassuring Ogyo, whereupon Ogyo reluctantly lowered her dagger.
"Sister-in-law, a-are you going to find Elder Brother?"
"...Yes, I am."
"As-As expected."
"Young Master, why have you come? Did the Sect Leader order you to retrieve me?"
At these words, Saun smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"I-I came out on my own, of my own accord."
Im Saun explained his circumstances.
A disciple of Bichwigak had discovered an arrest warrant with Ogyo's description and reported it to the authorities, and before long, Yang Uisin had arrived in Gansu.
Bichwigak no longer had the strength to pursue Ogyo themselves, so they tried to borrow the government's power in a bid to set one force against another, but for a Jianghu force to be unable to resolve a problem on its own and request help from the authorities was a profound loss of face.
Everyone seemed dissatisfied inwardly, but they remained silent in the end to obtain the Azure Wind Pill.
Meanwhile, Saun had been thinking a great deal since fighting Ogyo in the forest.
He was now almost certain that Cheongdam had not been kidnapped but had left of her own will.
If that was the case, what should he do?
After hesitating for several days, he finally made up his mind.
He decided to help his sister-in-law achieve what she wished.
When Yang Uisin arrived, Saun earnestly pleaded with her.
He said Cheongdam had not been kidnapped and Ogyo was surely not a bad person, so please do not interfere with the two of them.
Of course, this was a naive request.
Even if Cheongdam hadn't been kidnapped, Ogyo was a wanted person.
Uisin had come all the way from the capital to capture the wanted criminal; there was no way she would turn back at those words.
Yang Uisin's name was well known even in these remote borderlands.
He knew she was an existence infinitely close to the world's best, but even so, if she refused his request and went to capture the two, Saun had intended to stop her even at the cost of his life.
But an unexpected answer came from Uisin.
"I have understood the Second Young Master's will. Please do not worry. This official did not come to capture Ogyo."
She told Saun to wait at this post station and ascended Giryeonsan.
And so he had been waiting here for the two of them all this time.
Having finished his story, Saun spoke to Cheongdam with a rather serious expression.
"I-I will go with you as well. P-Please allow me."
"Young Master, with us?"
"J-J-Jiayuguan's outskirts are barren and dangerous, so I will protect Sister-in-law."
"I'm grateful for your words... but Miss Ogyo is already serving as my escort. Besides, if you act so willfully, won't the Sect Leader be furious?"
"D-D-Doesn't the saying go, many hearts form a fortress? S-Someone like me is better than nothing. And..."
Saun smiled awkwardly and scratched his cheek.
"It doesn't matter what the Sect Leader thinks. I-I want to help Sister-in-law."
His heartfelt words made Cheongdam's heart flutter for a moment.
He was always ignored by his father and fellow disciples, and the world mocked him with the disparaging nickname "Shadow."
But Cheongdam knew this man's uprightness well.
They had been friends who played together since childhood.
He seemed timid and indecisive, but once he set his mind to something, he had a stubborn streak that saw it through no matter what.
That tenacity was such that even his older brother, Im Taeun, had clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Miss Ogyo, that's what he says. May he travel with us?"
Cheongdam asked with a smile, and Ogyo looked at Saun with an indifferent expression.
"Do as you please."
*
Afterward, the three of them rode in a carriage and on horseback, heading west along the gorge road.
The surroundings grew increasingly desolate.
They soon arrived at Jiayuguan, the western end of the empire, where only the sound of dry wind was loud amid the silence.
Above the towering yellow ramparts, a flag bearing the character "Ming" fluttered in the wind, and stern-faced garrison soldiers filled the area around the gate.
As the carriage approached the gate, soldiers immediately came to verify their identities.
Fortunately, with Saun accompanying them, they were able to prove their identities relatively easily.
"I-I am Im Saun, the second son of Jeokhamun Sect Leader Im Cheonak, and the two ladies in this carriage are daughters of Jeokhamun. My elder brother, Im Taeun, volunteered for the Northwest Army here three years ago to repel foreign enemies, but we have heard no news since. W-we have come to inquire about his whereabouts, so please open the gate."
Had he prepared in advance?
He delivered those long lines clearly and with barely a stutter.
The soldier who checked Saun's plaque went inside to report to his superior, after which an elderly soldier who appeared to be the officer came out and courteously gave Saun a fist-and-palm salute.
"We greet the Second Young Master. Please enter. We shall guide you to the General."
To think the garrison soldiers would be so courteous.
Though Jeokhamun was said to be a fairly well-known sect in these parts, such a lavish reception was somewhat puzzling.
Perhaps it was not because of Jeokhamun, but because of Im Taeun’s reputation.
Following the guide into a building called the Youji Jiangjunfu, they were able to meet the commander.
“Welcome, all three of you. You must have suffered much coming all the way to a remote frontier like this.”
“We are grateful for your courteous treatment, General.”
Though it was a frontier pass, the government office was rather well-appointed.
Once the three of them were seated, even tea was served.
“So, what brings you all the way here?”
“I’m looking for my husband.”
Perhaps finding it difficult to remain silent any longer, Cheongdam spoke up.
The general’s gaze turned toward her.
“Your husband?”
“Great Peak Sword Im Taeun is my husband. Did he not come here three years ago?”
“He certainly did. I see, then you are the young lady… no, I ought to call you madam.”
The general looked at Cheongdam for a moment with a strange expression in his eyes.
There was no lecherousness in it, however; he seemed to be deep in thought about something.
Cheongdam suddenly grew uneasy.
“Is he dead? I sent letters to the Suzhou Guard here several times, but never once received a reply.”
At this question, the general scratched his forehead and let out a troubled sigh.
After a brief pause, he said,
“He is not dead. At present, he is defending one of our army’s strongholds beyond the pass.”
“He’s… alive?”
It was an entirely unexpected answer.
For an instant, hope appeared in Cheongdam’s eyes, but she struggled not to show her emotions and glared at the general.
“Then why were all the letters we sent ignored? The situation here does not seem so urgent that there would not even be time to write a single letter.”
“Because Im Taeun asked me to do so.”
“…He asked you to?”
The general shrugged, wearing an uncomfortable expression.
“As you know, invasions by the foreign tribes have become frequent again of late. To the north, the Tatars; to the west, the Wala, the Oirats; and to the south, Tubo are each targeting this pass. There have also been several attempts to break down the fortress.”
“…I had heard rumors that the situation at the border was not good. I spoke shamelessly as one of the people under your protection, and I apologize.”
“Do not worry. What you said is right, madam. It is not as though the enemy attacks every day, so of course there is time enough to write a letter. However, Im Taeun asked me not to reply to any correspondence.”
“Why on earth?”
The general let out a sigh.
“The enemies are treating past peace agreements as if they never existed and are trying to invade Ming again. We ought to establish countermeasures at once, but His Majesty has given no instructions whatsoever. Since His Majesty’s order has not been issued, we cannot simply march out on our own and subjugate the enemy as we please. In the end, do we have any choice but to lock the gates and endure? This war will be a long one.”
“……”
“Im Taeun’s compassion for the people is profound, and he does not fear losing his life on the battlefield. To him, military service is his true calling. He said he has no intention of returning until the pass is at peace. But thinking that his family would wait for him their entire lives because of that weighed on his heart, so he chose instead to cut off all news on purpose and let himself be treated as a dead man.”
At the general’s explanation, Cheongdam could not close her parted lips.
Only after a long while did she speak in a trembling voice.
“He cut off contact for a reason as paltry as that?”
“I tried to stop him several times. To begin with, he is not even a military officer, so he has no obligation to throw away his life here. I told him he had already rendered sufficient merit and should return home, but he would not listen.”
Cheongdam seemed to be in considerable shock, her head lowered as her body trembled.
Seeing her like that, the general spoke with pity.
“This matter was originally meant to remain a secret as well. But you came all this way despite the danger, and I felt too sorry to send you back with a lie, so I told you the truth.”
“…Thank you for your consideration.”
“Im Taeun is a fine man who values the greater cause, but he does not know how to care for those who are his own. Being young, he cannot help but have reckless and foolish sides to him.”
With an awkward expression, the general rose from his seat.
“He is in a land called Jinta, to the north. Since you have come this far, it would be best for you to meet him before you go.”
Cheongdam raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears.
The general gave a bitter smile.
“However, it is a dangerous region where the foreign tribes may appear at any time, so travel together with our army’s supply convoy.”
“…Yes, I will.”
Cheongdam wiped away her tears, rose from her seat, and bowed her head politely.
The general raised one hand as if to say there was no need for thanks, declining the gesture.