Chapter 50 – Who Is Your Master
He thought he had died.
Countless clashes of blades, flashes of silver light, bright red blood, yellow earth and green grass tangled together and remained in his mind.
The boundary between life and death had been simpler than expected.
But something was strange.
Youngwoo opened his eyes.
His whole body ached as if it had been beaten.
And then he realized he was bound, unable to move at all.
He was tied like a dog to a stake that held down a tent.
There were actual dogs beside him as well.
Three large dogs were tied there together,
large enough to make one think of the rumors that they could even eat people.
Why would they tie dogs in such a wide open place.
The thought that it was because of him did not occur to him.
The dogs barked first.
A Jurchen soldier in silver armor approached.
"Lee Youngwoo."
"Ah, why do you call my name like that. What are you, some kind of Chepmok'a?"
"Me? A Chepmok'a. Heh heh, so you're awake."
"Still alive, I see."
"Then what, were you trying to die?"
"Mm, didn't seem like it would work. I fell into a trap alone."
"Tsk tsk tsk. How do you live your life so that your own side throws you away like that."
At the word life, Youngwoo let out a sigh.
That was true.
If he had lived his life well, he would not have been thrown into enemy lines like this.
"True enough, life… But why keep me alive?"
"To kill you painfully."
"You bastard."
"Sharp tongue."
"My hands are sharper."
"You talk well."
It seemed like he had come because Youngwoo woke up,
but the man did not appear to have any real role.
He simply kept talking.
Youngwoo spoke casually.
"Aren't you going to untie me?"
"You're a prisoner."
"I know. But even prisoners have to relieve themselves."
"Just do it there."
"You bastard."
The man put his fingers into his mouth and let out a sharp whistle.
A group of cavalry rushed over.
They glanced at Youngwoo once, then rode off again.
Could something like this be called peace.
Being captured in enemy lines, there was nothing to do.
Strangely, it felt peaceful.
If he had been in camp, he would have been busy with various duties.
Now, there was nothing at all.
After pleading with the man, he was barely allowed to sit.
In that position, he steadied his breathing.
He continued the training his master had spoken of.
A thought crossed his mind—
was he really studying while idling like this.
But there truly was nothing else to do.
If he said he studied because he had nothing to do,
his master might grow angry.
Still, it was the truth.
After a while, a message came from the main camp.
Youngwoo was dragged away like a pig being led to market.
Forced along by the pull of a horse, he stumbled as he ran.
He fell.
He rolled on the ground.
It was torment.
Why not just kill him instead of doing this.
The place where he was made to stop was in front of a large tent.
Suddenly, the sound of a gong rang out.
A drum followed.
He stepped out.
The enemy commander.
A solid middle-aged man with a bronze face.
He looked like a man of conviction.
And yet, everyone around him dropped to one knee and showed respect.
Who is he.
He could hear a report explaining how he had been captured.
When it was mentioned that he had been seized through collusion with the enemy,
a trace of discomfort passed across the man's face.
It was the first human emotion he had shown.
Soon after, the word Khan was spoken.
If he was the Khan…
Then he must be the very man Youngwoo knew of.
That was not good.
Youngwoo had killed his son.
He himself would die in the same way.
In front of Youngwoo, who was kneeling,
a chair shaped like a drum was placed.
The man sat on it.
Behind him stood ten warriors.
Large, solid men.
It did not look like Youngwoo could handle even one of them.
"Hm. So you are the famous Lee Youngwoo."
"Not famous, but Youngwoo is correct."
"Aren't you afraid?"
"Who isn't afraid of death. Everyone is. I'm just bracing myself so I can go cleanly if possible."
"Heh heh, how old are you?"
"What's the use of knowing someone else's age. I came to the army at fifteen, rolled around for a few years, so I'm probably twenty-two or twenty-three now. It passed in such a blur that I don't even know how many years it's been."
"You're a bold one."
"But I don't feel empty about it."
The Khan asked,
"How can you be so composed?"
"Because I'm not the only one dying."
"What?"
"The one who trapped me like this will die too. The ones who schemed here will die. And you will die as well."
"Heh, what nonsense is this."
Youngwoo spoke his final words.
"It's not nonsense.I has backup! You will really die. My master promised it."
"Your master? Who is your master that he would leave you abandoned in such a frontier army?"
"My, you people from the countryside might not know.
It's the Immortal Baek In-gyeom."
The moment those words fell—
The air before the tent froze.
Someone inhaled sharply.
Someone lifted their head.
One of the ten warriors' eyes widened.
The Khan did not move.
The face that had been lightly smiling just moments ago had hardened.
Youngwoo did not miss that opening.
"I made a request to my master."
He spoke quietly.
"I asked him to make sure my death would not be in vain."
The surroundings fell silent.
"I asked him to kill everyone connected to my death."
The wind shook the tent.
"I asked him to kill even those involved in this war."
The Khan's gaze fixed on Youngwoo.
"So that this sorrowful history—
of spending one's youth and early manhood in the army—
would not remain sorrowful."
His words ended.
No one moved.
The Khan slowly opened his mouth.
"Baek In-gyeom…"
He rolled the name once more.
And then he looked at Youngwoo.
It was no longer the gaze of a man looking at someone he intended to kill.
It was the gaze of someone calculating something.
And yet, it shook the Khan's heart.
He had come out intending to kill the man who had slain his son with his own hands if necessary.
But Youngwoo was too calm.
Too composed.
It was a kind of humanity they did not possess.
He had meant to ask a few questions and then cut him down.
But now, he hesitated.
More than anything,
the fact that his master was Baek In-gyeom weighed on his mind.
The greatest warrior of Goryeo.
An Immortal of the martial path.
A man of legend.