The Mountain Estate — Reconnaissance
More than a dozen men had already gathered.
Ga Gyeongpil said nothing.
He knew why So-un was late.
So-un must have been staring blankly, failing to answer when called, and Gunmyeong, having spoken to him, would have been delayed in conversation.
No one who had spoken with So-un had escaped being drawn in.
Ga himself had experienced it.
He would ask something simple, trivial even, and So-un would ponder it earnestly and reply at length, with full courtesy.
Thus the conversation would stretch on.
The traces of last night's feast had been cleared away.
They had shared what little wine there was and roasted fresh meat for the first time in a long while.
It had been a time of quiet contentment, but soldiers must move again.
Ga Gyeongpil climbed onto a small rock and explained the direction of the reconnaissance.
"This mission has a different purpose. As before, you will look for signs of the enemy. But this time, you may go deeper into the mountains. You are to find a place suitable for concealment. A place that can house over a hundred men will not be easy to find in these hills. There is no need to rush. Spend half the day searching nearby. It must offer solid concealment and cover, allow for sniping at approaching enemies, and be defensible—one man should be able to hold off a hundred. There must be water nearby, and shelter from wind and rain."
Ga's explanations went on.
He had a habit of elaborating beyond necessity when assigning tasks.
It was his meticulous nature.
He meant to fill every possible gap through explanation, yet it often became long-winded.
"No signal fires. Only small whistles for short-range calls. Do not stray too far. Confirm your route of return before advancing. Questions?"
There was no reason for questions.
Other squads had already departed.
"None."
"None."
Whether such a place even existed was doubtful.
It felt harder than being told to find a new world in which to live.
Ga's description conjured something like the Peach Blossom Spring—one that might only be discovered after following a stream of falling blossoms for ten years.
But a military order was stern.
If they could not find such a place, they would at least have to pretend to search.
The command had not been given lightly.
Yi Hui, failing to locate them, would surely sense that they had taken another path and begin seeking one of his own.
It would not be easy, but he would find them.
How could more than a hundred armed men move without drawing notice?
It might take time, but they would be found.
They were skilled in battle, not in hiding.
They had already been exposed several times, though the foes had been lesser fighters.
Stronger opponents would come next.
Their numbers would increase.
Somewhere, they needed a place to withdraw completely, if only for a time.
The men split off along ridges and valleys.
So-un paired with Gunmyeong.
In Haran, some had avoided being paired with So-un, even showing their reluctance openly.
Now, many welcomed it.
Some even quietly hoped to be assigned with him.
The two headed toward a shaded, remote part of the mountain.
Traveling on foot felt unfamiliar.
In the past, riding left their backs aching and their hips sore.
That discomfort was gone now, which made walking easier, yet the sensation of the earth clinging beneath their soles was unsettling.
"What's this feeling? Like I've become a mole."
"A mole?"
"Yes, a mole. A walking mole. Can't run fast, no horse either."
"That's true. A mole indeed."
"Mole" was what cavalrymen called infantry in mockery.
Gunmyeong led the way, pushing through spring foliage like a burrowing creature.
As he went, he left small marks on trees and rocks.
There would be no reinforcements following this route.
Each team had scattered in different directions.
They would have to return the way they came.
Even if they signaled, help would be unlikely.
After walking some distance, Gunmyeong paused and listened.
He heard the faint murmur of running water.
"That's water."
"Yes."
"One of the signs of auspicious ground is proximity to water. Let's search somewhere not far from the stream. Follow it upstream."
"Alright."
The climb grew harsher as they followed the sound.
The slope steepened.
They had to grasp branches and climb over rocks.
Following the ravine made the path rough.
After scrambling over several boulders, they glimpsed a lower ridge through thinning trees.
"In the mountains, you can't see the mountains."
Gunmyeong muttered.
It sounded absurd, yet it was true.
"Isn't that obvious?"
"Obvious? It's an eternal truth. Everyone thinks they know it, yet no one does."
"You're teasing me again, aren't you?"
"No. Truly. In the mountains, you can't see the mountains."
"Empty words. Let's keep moving."
"You rascal."
They went on.
Would there be another world at the end of this path?
Would there be rest?
At the end of this road—
Roads do not end.
And even if they do, the world one hopes for does not wait there.
There is only the life that advances, believing such a place might exist.
They walked on.
Again the trees thinned.
They looked below.
"In the mountains, you can't see the mountains."
"Again? …Wait. Something's strange."
So-un halted.
"What's strange? I told you it's an eternal truth."
"Not that. This is the same place as before. The spot where you spoke of eternal truths. I marked it. The mark is still there."
"What's strange about that? We must have looped around."
"Perhaps… How odd."
Gunmyeong stopped and examined his own mark.
Seeing it himself was different from merely hearing it described.
Confronted with proof of his own prior steps, he clutched his head.
"This is maddening."
They pressed forward again, turning slightly right toward the ravine.
Yet before long, they found themselves back at the same place.
"I once read in a martial novel about an ancient formation. Enter it, and you wander in circles until you die of thirst."
"It must be an illusion. That's nonsense."
"Formations are built for war—to block, to encircle, to break through. How could they deceive the eyes?"
"It's just fiction."
"And when it rains, perhaps immortals command wind and storm."
With no immediate enemy, their spirits were light.
Nothing pressed upon them.
So-un laughed.
Yet circling endlessly was no trivial matter.
It meant failing to find shelter, and perhaps failing to return to their comrades.
Still, time was plentiful.
Peace existed for the moment.
Peace is not something seized—it arises within.
"Wait."
So-un sat and thought.
If someone had set up a formation, could they not simply cut straight through the trees?
"If this really is a formation, and the path curves no matter how we walk, what if we cut straight through the trees?"
"How?"
"Like last night. Cut them in a straight line."
"You fool. You only think of brute methods. Scholar indeed. How many trees would that take? And you'd do what you did last night again? Wouldn't that exhaust you?"
"I ate bear gall last night. The General gave it to me."
It had been the bear So-un killed.
Yi Hui had taken the gall and offered it to the General, who had then fed it to So-un.
So-un remembered it simply as a gift from the General.
"Bear gall… Yes. The General is a good man. To give such a thing to a subordinate. If it were me, I'd pretend to offer it, wait for refusal, and eat it myself."
"Surely not. Let's try it. I'll train, and we'll find the way."
"Fine. I'll watch from behind to see if you keep straight. Go on, Master Scholar."
They fixed their direction.
"That way must lead downhill."
"And if that scenery is part of the illusion?"
"We're looking with both eyes open, aren't we?"
Their banter sounded almost conspiratorial as they set off forward.