75
The Law of the Lower Course
When the brief pursuit ended, the snowstorm gradually eased.Ragged breaths settled, and the plain reclaimed its silence.
Yi In-jung reined in his horse and turned to Park Seong-jin."You know how to deal with men like that."
Park Seong-jin slipped his bow back into place and gave a short smile."I come from the lower course myself."
"The lower course?"
"It means flowing to low ground… though I'm not sure it's the right word. I mean a life just as shabby."
He looked at the faint bloodstains left on the snow."They have no special skills, no strength to lead others. People pushed out of the world. They steal and take to survive, but it never lasts. After what they've done, there's nowhere left to return."
Yi In-jung did not interrupt.
"They always gather in the margins," Park Seong-jin continued."They drown a day in drink, curse the world, and rot on their own. The strange thing is—no one calls them, yet they recognize one another. Wherever you go, you see the same faces."
After a pause, he added,"They're called bandits, but to my eyes they're closer to beggars."
Yi In-jung nodded slowly."And the reason you shot?"
"If you drop a couple, the rest scatter."
Park Seong-jin's answer was calm."They're timid. Especially weak against deaths like this—silent ones. What they fear most is falling without a sound."
They look formidable when they clump together, but once a few go down, they bolt.Showing it matters.
A brief silence followed. A subtle smile crossed Yi In-jung's lips."Impressive."
Park Seong-jin shook his head."Nothing impressive. You just learn these things if you survive long enough in back alleys."
Yi In-jung said quietly,"That too is study. People grow by what they learn."
"It's hardly study," Park Seong-jin replied.
The wind swept in and erased their footprints from the snow.Yi In-jung turned his horse and added,"The lower course… a good phrase. Water that flows to the low places."
Park Seong-jin did not answer.He only smiled.The smile mixed with the wind and vanished.The sky remained overcast, and their road was still long.
Camping in the Snowstorm
"It looks like we'll have to camp again tonight.""We've gone off the path. Let's find somewhere we can rest.""By your command."
They slowed and studied the terrain.As the sun dipped, the wind shifted. What had blown from the west turned north, and a fierce snowstorm swept across the plain like a licking tongue.
In Goryeo, snowy days were often warmer—here, they were colder still.Beneath the lowered sky, a gentle hill came into view.Its shadow looked like the only shelter that might see them through the night.
"There—the north face of the hill," Park Seong-jin said, riding ahead to check.The slope had its back to the wind, and behind it lay a long, frozen stream."The water's frozen, but if we scrape it, we should get a little."
Yi In-jung nodded."Good. We'll pass the night here."
They unloaded, stamped the frozen ground flat, tied the horses together, loosened saddles, and shared out hay.The long-ridden horses breathed out steam as they caught their breath.Using knives instead of shovels, they dug into the snow to make a small hollow.
Park Seong-jin gathered branches from a nearby stand of trees.There was little dry wood; most was frozen.It took time for the fire to catch.Jjijik—a small flame flared, and the wavering light revealed their faces in turn.
They lit the fire first, then pitched the tent beside it."That should keep us alive tonight," Yi In-jung said, half joking, wholly sincere.He sat close to the fire and held out his hands."As long as there's fire, a man lives."
Park Seong-jin watched the flames and said shortly,"As long as this fire doesn't go out."
They sat leaning against the saddles.Their food was a handful of barley and a couple strips of dried meat.Park Seong-jin tossed snow into a battered pot; it melted with a small, crying sound.A sip of water, a spoonful of grain—precious things that night.
They ate in silence.Only the scrape of spoons, the crackle of fire, and the wind striking the tent took turns filling the air.After a while, Yi In-jung lifted his head and looked at the sky.The snowstorm thinned, revealing a single star—far off, unmoving.
"On nights like this… being alive is something to be grateful for."
Park Seong-jin smiled beside him."The living should study."
Yi In-jung looked at him.Firelight brushed Park Seong-jin's face.He was still young, yet his eyes already bore the traces of a long road crossed.
"Yes. Only the living can learn."
The flames sank lower, and night wrapped them again.Firelight, wind, and the breathing of two men flickered small upon the snow-covered steppe.A wolf howled in the distance.When the sound faded, Yi In-jung said softly,"Watch the fire. Tomorrow will be colder."
Park Seong-jin nodded.He sat before the fire, watching the heat rise from his palms.As long as the fire lived, so would they.
With that thought, he listened.The wind striking dead trees, frozen grass brushing against itself, a distant, low wolf's cry—nothing more.Too quiet.
Park Seong-jin slowly circled the hill.He checked for pursuers, but found no sign of men—no shadows, no horse breath, not a single track.It was as if the world itself had held its breath.
Below the hill, the river lay smoothly frozen, newly fallen snow reflecting the color of the sky.He stepped carefully onto the ice.A clear resonance traveled up through his feet.Moonlight seeped beneath the ice, stretching his shadow thin.
He stared at that shadow for a long moment."…Quiet," he murmured.Yet the stillness felt strange.
He looked up to see a single star half veiled by cloud, flickering.Between its appearing and vanishing, he sensed something move.
He raised his bow, gauging the direction.There was nothing.
"Just my imagination."
As he exhaled, his breath drifted away in a faint cloud.He did not linger and came back down the hill.As the firelight drew closer, the sounds and smells of people returned—the breath of men, the scent of burning wood.
Yi In-jung was still seated."How was it?"
"Nothing at all."
Yi In-jung gave a brief nod."That's the most frightening thing. Just because I can't see it doesn't mean there's no danger. Sharpen your senses."
"Yes."
Park Seong-jin sat without another word.The fire popped softly.Its light passed over his face and moved on.
It was a night with nothing happening.Yet he felt it with a certainty he could not explain—that this stillness would not last.