Chapter 24

At a time when the sun had reached its zenith and was slightly tilting, a man and the horse he rode entered the outskirts of a village. The man slowly urged his horse forward, lifting the straw hat he had been wearing to gaze at the old sign at the village entrance. The sign, which read "Cheongsu Village," was faded and swaying. The man, Janggeun, looked into the village where dust was rising.

"Such a village with clear water. But there doesn’t seem to be a single well."

About two weeks ago, Janggeun had left the valley tribe and set his journey westward. After wandering for four days since the last village, he had discovered this place and hurriedly made his way here. Although the village looked quite desolate, it was not unusual for villages in this region to be in such a state.

Janggeun's horse, Jajo, had already spotted the inn sign before Janggeun and approached it without being led. When they reached the front of the inn, Jajo shook his head as if urging Janggeun to dismount quickly.

"Alright, I’ll get down, so just be patient."

As he dismounted, a child came out from under the inn's curtain. The child, having heard Jajo's snort, looked around for a moment before spotting Janggeun and approached him, saying:

"Welcome! Are you here for lodging? What about a meal? We have alcohol too. Would you like to stable your horse? We have small rooms, large rooms, and even a special room. Personally, I recommend the small room. The rooms don’t really differ much, though."

Janggeun, holding his waist, listened to the child's rapid-fire speech and only spoke after the child finished.

"Lodging. Small room. And a meal. What kind of alcohol do you have?"

"Just cheap white wine."

Janggeun chuckled at the child's blunt response.

"You’re honest."

"That’s just one of my many virtues."

Janggeun laughed and flicked a coin to the child, handing over Jajo's reins. The child quickly took the reins, bowed, and led Jajo to the stable next to the inn.

Janggeun watched for a moment before lifting the curtain and entering the inn. Inside the not-so-spacious inn, a few people were sitting, eating something or passing the time with drinks.

A woman, who was wiping dishes behind a long table, saw Janggeun enter and said:

"Welcome! Are you here for lodging? A meal? Some alcohol? We have small rooms, large rooms, and a special room. I recommend the special room; it’s the quietest."

As Janggeun entered, he clearly understood where the child had learned his speech. He also knew he would have to repeat what he had just said.

"Lodging. Small room. Meal with white wine."

Janggeun removed his straw hat and sat down at the long table. The woman, who seemed to be the innkeeper, did not go to prepare the meal but instead approached him with a smile. She extended her hand, looking at Janggeun.

"Payment in advance here."

Janggeun chuckled and took a coin from his pocket, placing it in her hand. The woman took the money, turned around, and quickly prepared the meal. It consisted of cold bread, likely baked that morning, and a thick soup made by boiling beans in a seasoned broth.

The bread was cold, but the soup was warm, having been simmering over a low flame. He took a spoonful and found it slightly salty, but when he bit into the bread, the flavors complemented each other well. It was a decent meal, considering it was served immediately after he ordered.

When the woman brought the white wine and a glass, the child from earlier entered, lifting the curtain.

"I’ve taken off the saddle and filled the hay. Did you get a room?"

"Yes."

"Then enjoy your meal and rest well."

The child bowed again and picked up a rag from one side of the long table to start cleaning the tables inside the inn. Janggeun, chewing, watched the child for a moment before filling his glass and speaking to the innkeeper across the table.

"You have a plump son."

The woman, wiping dishes with a dry cloth, chuckled.

"He’s not my son."

"Really?"

"Would I be young enough to have a son like that? He’s the son of a friend. Both his parents are dead, and there was no one to take care of him, so I’m looking after him for a while."

"Both parents? What happened?"

The woman stopped wiping the plate, put it down, and looked around before speaking.

"…I don’t think it’s something I should tell a stranger."

Janggeun, seeing her hesitation, shrugged and did not press further. He didn’t want to pry if she didn’t want to talk about it.

Swallowing the food in his mouth, he picked up the glass and took a sip. The warm heat spread down his throat, and the scent of the white wine filled his nose and mouth. It was a decent drink, despite the child’s description of it as cheap.

Janggeun finished his meal in the quiet inn and went up to his room to take a leisurely nap. The room, clean and odorless, allowed him to sleep soundly and contentedly.

* * *

When Janggeun woke up in the evening, he went downstairs to have a meal. More people were in the inn than during the day. Janggeun saw the child and the innkeeper busily running around. There seemed to be no other staff.

As he walked down the stairs to the seat he had taken earlier, he noticed a corner table where four people were sitting, holding tiles and coins rolling on the table. Janggeun, without realizing it, stopped and watched them. When he felt their curious gazes, he snapped back to his senses and continued walking. He had once vowed never to touch tiles again, but that resolve had been broken long ago in the last village, along with the silver coins.

He sat down and ordered a meal, thinking to himself. At least last time, he hadn’t lost everything. He had stopped at a reasonable point, and he still had a lot of silver coins left. This time, he could avoid it altogether. Janggeun nodded, admiring his strict self-control.

However, after finishing his meal, he saw one of the men at the corner table leave and immediately joined in, thinking there was no need to be so strict.

The original players, wary of Janggeun, a tall stranger with a sword, soon relaxed after realizing he was a poor player.

After a while, they were chatting among themselves.

"Hey, what’s this? Old Mr. Yuan finally sold his land, didn’t he?"

"I knew it. He couldn’t hold on any longer. Why did he resist? He should have sold it when they offered a lot of money at first."

"Is it that easy? That ranch has been run by Old Mr. Yuan for twenty years."

"Then who’s left? Mr. Son?"

A man with a scar under his lip placed the tiles on the table and said:

"Mr. Son doesn’t have much time left. He seems to have been scared by the fire at Old Mr. Yuan’s house."

"Indeed. When Mr. Ho and his wife were killed, he didn’t seem scared at all."

At that moment, a tapping sound came from under the table. The man with the scar glanced at Janggeun and kicked the man who had mentioned the murder. Janggeun showed no reaction, but the men around the table quickly fell silent.

The man with the scar stopped dealing the tiles, wiped his nose, and took out a small piece of paper and a pouch from his pocket to roll a cigarette. The pattern on the pouch suggested it was from the Merchant Guild.

He lit the cigarette with a lantern on the table and blew out a puff of smoke. Leaning back in his chair, he asked Janggeun:

"So, where are you from, brother?"

Janggeun, without looking up from the tiles in his hand, replied:

"East."

The man with the scar was momentarily stunned, then chuckled.

"East. From the east. If you’re from the east, you must have wandered for a few days."

"Four days."

"Where are you going?"

"West."

The man with the scar looked at Janggeun in silence for a moment, then spat the ashes from his cigarette and took another puff.

"Then you don’t plan to cause any trouble in our village, do you?"

Janggeun nodded. Right now, the only thing that mattered to him was the tiles in his hand, not the wary gaze of the local toughs.

The man with the scar and the gamblers exchanged glances, apparently deciding that Janggeun was not a threat, and resumed their game with laughter.

Janggeun refocused, determined to win. The table grew hot with the intensity of the game, but he was the one losing the most.

Just then, a man wearing a large straw hat entered the inn, lifting the curtain. He stood at the entrance, scanning the room, then removed his hat.

The face revealed under the hat had a somewhat sly and servile look, but the natural smile on his lips suggested a relaxed demeanor. He straightened his collar and approached the long table, speaking to the innkeeper.

They seemed to know each other, as the innkeeper greeted him with a smile. They chatted for a moment, and the innkeeper pointed to Janggeun’s table. The man confirmed the table, gave the innkeeper a coin, and walked over, standing with his arms crossed, looking down at the table.

The man with the scar, dealing the tiles, blew out a puff of smoke and looked up at him.

"What is it?"

"Ah, don’t mind me. I just want to watch for a bit."

Janggeun, focused on the tiles, recognized the voice. He wanted to ignore it and continue, but the persistent gaze forced him to look up at the man.

Janggeun and the man, Yang Hong, made eye contact, and Yang Hong smiled.

"Long time no see, Jang brother. How have you been?"

Yang Hong, still smiling, raised his hand and said:

"Ah! Don’t mind me. I just want to watch for a bit."

The toughs, alternating their gaze between Janggeun and Yang Hong, saw Janggeun return to the game without a word and resumed their game, though they were still puzzled. Yang Hong, true to his word, leaned against the wall and watched the game.

After a while, when Janggeun had lost all his silver coins and was holding his head, Yang Hong spoke up.

"Jang brother, you really need to quit gambling. You haven’t improved since the last time I saw you."

Janggeun frowned and glared at him. Yang Hong, startled by the glare, averted his eyes and continued.

"Hey, let’s go. I’ll buy you a drink."

Janggeun, enticed by the offer of a drink, followed him to a new seat. Yang Hong, sitting down, caught the attention of a passing child.

"Bring us the most expensive alcohol in this inn."

"We only have cheap white wine."

"…Then bring that."

The honest child nodded and quickly brought the alcohol and glasses. Yang Hong placed a glass in front of Janggeun and filled it. He filled his own glass and raised it, saying:

"Here’s to hoping your tiles are better next time!"

Janggeun, staring at Yang Hong, silently took a sip. Yang Hong, despite the lack of response, smiled and emptied his glass, then refilled Janggeun’s.

After a moment, Janggeun suddenly asked:

"Did you come looking for me?"

Yang Hong, pouring the drink, glanced at Janggeun and spoke.

"There aren’t many places around here that can be called a village. Most are ranches and a single mine. Last time, you went east, right? If you go that way, you’ll eventually hit the mountains. With winter coming, if you’re not planning to cross them, you’d have to turn back west. Since we parted a bit south, I thought you’d come a bit north. So, I’ve been traveling around this area. And here we are…"

He chuckled.

"Actually, I was half hoping to find you. I was planning to give up if I didn’t find you by tomorrow or the day after. Anyway, it’s good to see you again, Jang brother."

Janggeun, looking at Yang Hong’s smile with a calm gaze, took another sip. He then placed the glass on the table with a thud and asked:

"Is there a bounty on me? Why are you looking for me?"

"It’s not that. I need someone with reliable skills. Do you remember what I said when we parted last time?"

Yang Hong, refilling Janggeun’s glass, leaned forward as if sharing a secret and said with a sly smile:

"Let’s work together, Jang brother."