By Zephyria 
Whether trapped in the snake cave or now, Young-pa had only one goal. Though there were many paths leading there, the final destination was as clear as day. Young-pa was destined not to live under the same sky as Ji Seo-gu.
‘Before I catch and crush that rotten serpent, there is something I must attend to.’
Young-pa picked up the clothes laid out on the bed. They consisted of a new jeogori, trousers, and a fine silk robe. After changing, he set out.
The azure sky was clear without a single cloud, and birds chirped upon the branches. Young-pa, walking leisurely with his hands in his pockets, slowed his pace. He happened to be passing the detached house where Biryoo was staying.
‘I wonder what that brat is up to….’
Young-pa hid behind a persimmon tree in front of the tiled house and peered inside. However, the surroundings were silent, and no shadows were cast upon the paper doors. Just as Young-pa was debating whether to enter or not, he heard footsteps behind him.
Turning his head sharply, Young-pa came face-to-face with Biryoo, who stood some distance away.
He was dressed in a navy-blue robe with gold thread embroidered from the shoulders to the sleeves, and he wore a bamboo hat. His hair, which he usually kept tied in one, was loose over his shoulders. Looking at his moon-like, cloud-like elegance, admiration naturally rose in Young-pa’s heart, but he feigned indifference.
“Have you been well, pretty thing?”
Biryoo gazed intently at Young-pa. His gaze lingered on his face before sliding down the collar and ties of the new robe, eventually reaching his ankles. His expression was as difficult to read as ever, but the way he raised an eyebrow was, for once, not contemptuous.
While Young-pa thought to himself that he was glad he wore the new clothes, he guessed that the reason for the change in attitude was not merely due to the attire.
When Biryoo passed by without a word, Young-pa grew anxious.
“Wait.”
Biryoo did not look back, but he stopped in his tracks.
“You said you’d help me until I obtain the changjingyeong, didn’t you? Why are you still sticking around here?”
“You should know better than anyone.”
“Right, that damn ring.”
Young-pa pretended he had just remembered a fact he had kept in mind from the beginning.
“I’ll give it to you in due time, so wait. I’m going on a light outing, and I’ll hand it over after that.”
He added with a smirk, “Of course, I’ll take you with me.”
He had thrown the words out without great expectation. Young-pa expected Biryoo to snort, walk away, glare, or throw some characteristic mocking remark—to refuse in some manner. However, he turned around softly.
“What a bothersome human.”
Biryoo muttered softly, lifting his bamboo hat with his fingertips. He looked up at the vast Azure Sky, as if checking if the weather was suitable for an outing. Young-pa was so surprised by this that he lost his words.
‘I thought I’d end up going alone….’
While a sudden flutter of excitement surged in his chest, the tantrums he had thrown the previous day flashed through his mind one by one. It was a dizzying memory, enough to heat his brazen cheeks.
‘What do you think being human is? Humans are inherently filthy and despicable beings. You are the most human of all, so what are you worrying about?’
Rather than comforting Young-pa, Biryoo had mocked him, but as a result, Young-pa felt at ease by his words. There had even been a moment when Biryoo held him in his arms, likely to stop him from running amok.
‘Before that, didn’t he hate touching me?’
Young-pa instinctively looked at Biryoo, but his expression was hidden by the bamboo hat.
As Young-pa approached, Biryoo naturally stepped back to maintain distance. It was almost as if the secret events of the previous day had occurred only in his imagination. Unbothered, Young-pa gave a playful smile.
“I wore new clothes to look good for you; how do I look?”
Biryoo answered while looking elsewhere.
“What is the point of looking decent in clothes? Your hair is still like Bisari.”
“What, Bisari?”
Young-pa quickly curved his hand like a rake and tried to tidy his hair. However, the stiff hair would not be combed and only tore away in clumps. Left with no choice, Young-pa asked a passing servant to bring a comb, and he sat on the wooden veranda, diligently combing his hair.
“Just you wait. I’ll make it so you can’t find a single flaw.”
Young-pa grumbled as he fought a battle with his hair. When it wouldn’t go as he wished, he lost his temper and messed it up further as if tearing it out, eventually throwing the comb away.
“Look at that foul temper.”
“It’s not me; this thing is just a useless piece of junk!”
Looking beside him, he saw Biryoo standing askew with his arms crossed. Surprisingly, he was smiling faintly, but the smile vanished instantly the moment their eyes met. Young-pa concluded that he must have seen it wrong.
“Anyway, I can’t do it, so you do it for me. You wouldn’t want to walk around with someone whose hair is a mess, would you?”
The answer came after a long silence.
“That point is valid.”
Biryoo picked up the comb from the ground and gazed at it. He blew away the dirt trapped between the teeth and sat behind Young-pa.
As Biryoo gently grasped Young-pa’s hair, his fingertips lightly touched the back of his neck. Young-pa straightened his back and shuddered violently.
“Stay still.”
Hearing his voice so close, Young-pa felt an urge to scratch his entire body. It was strange, as he had just washed.
When Biryoo pushed the comb into the parting, Young-pa frowned in anticipation of pain. However, the comb slid down slowly, parting the hair. Once the comb reached the ends, Biryoo readjusted his grip and combed down from the top again.
“Why are your shoulders so stiff?”
Biryoo had a very pleasant voice. An inexplicable tension rose, making it difficult to even breathe.
“I took the wrong medicine as a child and became crooked.”
The words he blurted out were, of course, a lie. Whether he knew it or not, Biryoo continued to comb Young-pa’s hair in silence.
When he set the comb down on the veranda, Young-pa spoke quickly.
“Wait! Don’t get up yet. Don’t you know there’s still work to be done?”
Biryoo looked at Young-pa with a puzzled expression.
“Like that! Do it exactly like that.”
Young-pa pointed stubbornly at the hair of a servant chopping wood in the distance. That man had his long hair meticulously braided with a ribbon at the end.
“And here I thought you liked walking around with it loose.”
Despite the complaint, Biryoo grasped Young-pa’s hair again. He divided the hair into three strands and began braiding from the lower back of the head.
“Biryoo.”
Biryoo did not answer. Wanting to hear his voice, Young-pa made up something to say.
“Seeing how you’re so skilled at this, I suppose you comb your hair every day?”
“My hair does not become like yours even if I leave it alone.”
“Why does only my hair tangle? It’s unfair.”
The conversation soon ceased. A short while later, Biryoo finished braiding Young-pa’s hair and tied the end with a string. Because it was braided casually, it didn’t have the neat feeling of a village youth, but it was still a stylish look. Judging by Biryoo’s expression, he seemed secretly satisfied with the result.
“Are you smitten?”
When Young-pa asked with a laugh, a look of contempt immediately appeared on Biryoo’s face. As Biryoo stood up and walked away, Young-pa chased after him.
“Can’t you even take a joke? Come on, let’s go.”
When Young-pa and Biryoo reached the grand gate of the clan house, Lee Shim and Wudam, who had been waiting, saw them off.
“Master! I had no idea the robe would suit you so well. You look like the precious child of a prestigious family… no, like a prince of wirye fortress.”
“The clan head is right, brother. You look about fifty years younger.”
Young-pa pretended not to hear their cringeworthy flattery.
“In my heart, I wish to accompany you personally, but since the Master does not wish for it… I have prepared a modest set of travel gear so your journey may be comfortable.”
At Wudam’s shout, five servants appeared. Two carried a palanquin, while three carried bundles and a ceremonial parasol.
“Is a king on a procession or something?”
“To me, the Master’s well-being is more important than a king.”
“I don’t need it. Just give me the travel funds.”
Wudam gestured with a crestfallen expression, and two servants brought over a large box with great effort. The box was filled with treasures and precious metals.
“Will you be able to carry this?”
“You have a sane face but crazy thoughts. Why on earth would I carry this?”
Young-pa took a few pieces of jewelry and dismissed the servants.
“I’ll be back soon, so it won’t take long.”
Wudam nodded, saying he understood. But this time, Lee Shim clung to his arm with a mournful face.
“Where are you going, leaving only me behind? This Lee Shim is heartbroken.”
With his dark, shadowy eyes, he seemed to think he was being cute. Irritated, Young-pa smacked him on the head. Rubbing his forehead, Lee Shim whispered in Young-pa’s ear.
“If you are taking only Biryoo because you have other intentions, I shall understand, brother.”
“Other intentions?”
“Are you planning to make him your consort this time?”
As Lee Shim made a sly expression, Young-pa pushed his face away with his palm.
“Forget it. That fellow is a block of wood and a eunuch; I’ve given up on knocking him down. Still, his face is decent, so it’ll feel good to have him around.”
“Is that the reason you aren’t taking me?”
“Your mouth is a bigger problem than your face. I want to be in peace for just one day, so chatter all you want right here.”
Young-pa turned his back and left. Then, Biryoo, who had been waiting some distance away, followed him. Against the backdrop of the vivid blue sky, fluffy clouds, and Seowun Mountain, the backs of the two men blended together like a painting.
“Are they not truly a well-matched pair?”
As Lee Shim murmured wistfully, Wudam made a strange expression.
“Master Lee Shim, if you have time to say strange things, please help me instead! There is much work to be done.”
“Oh come now, didn’t I help you move that mountain of timber yesterday?”
“Of course, I was saved thanks to you, Master. Sigh… what could a weakling like me achieve alone? Only with the help of the mighty Master Lee Shim can this house be rebuilt.”
“Hehe, I am indeed quite mighty. I wonder where the strength of this body will be needed today.”
Lee Shim entered the grounds, chatting with Wudam.
≋ ≋ ≋
Young-pa and Biryoo crossed Seowun Mountain and passed through two hills, one large and one small. Looking down from the ridge, white clouds gathered around the towering byeoksan, and a clear river flowed around it like a ribbon. A shimmering haze wavered in the moist mountains.
While Young-pa observed the peaceful world, Biryoo waited silently.
After walking about fifty ri along the bear river, Young-pa’s pace slowed. It was a place where the river narrowed. Since the current was fast and many fish were caught, three or four men were casting nets.
Young-pa stopped and watched them.
‘Fools, why do you need nets to catch fish? I can do it with my bare hands.’
An excited voice echoed in his ears.
The child’s voice he had heard in the mirror was young and naive. As time passed, the boy grew into a man praised as a hero, a leader, and a sage. However, within him lurked the aspects of a villain, a beast, and a rogue.
Human affairs are so complex, yet the river that flowed indifferently around Yeongparang’s hometown remained the same as it was hundreds of years ago. Young-pa shifted his gaze away from the sparkling ripples.
“Just a little further.”
He told Biryoo, who followed, and leaped across the river. They crossed a wide-open field. As Young-pa walked slowly, Biryoo did the same.
Reeds swayed above the knees, and willow branches glistened silver in the sunlight. The sweet scent of apricots and plums wafted faintly, and from afar, the lowing of oxen sounded whenever farmers tended to them.
This was Young-pa’s first time here. However, he had known the smells and sounds of this place for a long time.
Passing through the reed field, they came to a shallow stream, and beyond it was a low hill. Young-pa pushed through the lush grass and climbed the slope. At the top, a magnificent tree that looked hundreds of years old had taken root, casting a generous shade over a burial mound. Around it, azaleas were in bloom.
Young-pa stroked the surface of the tree with his palm.
‘My husband, will you be hot in the summer, cold in the winter… how could I leave this place while worrying for you….’
He wanted to tell the woman who had wept while planting a young sapling that the tree had grown so large that her husband would not be hot even on the brightest days.
Young-pa slowly lowered himself and knelt. He pulled his sleeve to brush away the fallen leaves and pollen from a small headstone. The letters were worn and nearly gone, but he could still read the names of the two people.
The fingers of Young-pa’s hand gripping the stone trembled. His eyes distorted, and he lowered his head.
“You are together with the husband you missed so much. I am glad you have no more reason to cry.”
Young-pa traced the carvings on the stone with his fingertips. As hot emotions surged, he closed his eyes.
Seolji was the only daughter of a wealthy man in the village, a bright and modest maiden loved by everyone. When she rejected Yeongparang—who was handsome, clever, and exceptionally talented—the whole village was turned upside down.
The one Seolji chose instead was Yeogo, whose only redeeming quality was a kind nature. People whispered about how such a thing could happen, but Yeongparang was not surprised. A truly kind nature was Yeogo’s own weapon, something that could neither be stolen nor imitated.
Yeongparang had once been fiercely jealous of Yeogo, but it was only temporary. He was a man who simply could not be hated. Even when they fought, Yeogo only took the blows in silence and never once fought back. After that day, Yeongparang completely gave up on Seolji.
Even after Yeogo and Seolji married and had a son and a daughter, Yeongparang could not forget Seolji and admired her in secret, but he never revealed his feelings. Even after Yeogo died, he did not even cast a subtle glance at Seolji. He simply did everything in his power to protect her and the children.
“They were the two people I cherished most in my past.”
The words he spoke to Biryoo, who stood some distance away, were closer to a monologue. He was still alive, while they had been buried deep in the earth and turned to bone dust.
As a longing that clawed at his heart overcame him, Young-pa buried his face in the grave. He fell asleep after weeping while lying prostrate.
After that, he felt much better. Young-pa brushed the straw from his cheek and looked up at the Azure Sky. Seeing that the sun’s position was similar, it seemed he hadn’t slept for very long.
Biryoo was leaning against the tree in a comfortable posture. With his bamboo hat resting on the ground and his legs stretched out, he looked leisurely.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“I was busy.”
“Nonsense.”
Young-pa grumbled for no reason and sat beside Biryoo.
Following his gaze, the ridges of the ten-thousand-fold green mountains rose beyond the wide reed field. Young-pa traced the mountain range with his finger and counted the number of drifting cirrocumulus clouds. In doing so, his thoughts drifted away, leaving behind a feeling of peace.
Had Biryoo always been like this? He thought that living leisurely like him might not be so bad.
“Why did you come here?”
Biryoo asked. Then, as if he hadn’t said anything, he kept his gaze distant. A magpie perched on the tree suddenly flew away.
“I kept thinking about it. The image of a woman in mourning clothes weeping before a grave wouldn’t leave my mind.”
Young-pa was sad. As soon as he saw the grave, the memory of how much he had loved Yeogo and Seolji returned, hurting as if his heart were being sliced open. However, he could not fully immerse himself in the sorrow. Yeogo and Seolji were, after all, people he had never met. He could not be certain if the Yeongparang who had loved them as his own body was himself, or the half of him that had been severed.
“They are not in this world anyway. I don’t have the luxury to suffer over people who died long ago, so this is the first and last time I’ll do this.”
Young-pa roughly wiped the tear stains from his eyes. Watching this, Biryoo turned his head and muttered as if in passing.
“You chose the weather for an outing well. How gloomy it would have been if it had rained.”
Young-pa stared at Biryoo’s profile. Was it just his imagination, or did he seem affectionate now that they were alone? Just as he was about to throw a teasing remark out of playfulness, he sensed someone behind them.
“Ugh, here they come again. Forget it, I told you it’s a waste of time.”
A woman was climbing the hill. She muttered without even looking properly at Young-pa and Biryoo.
“Why don’t you work instead of tending to the grave? That’s the only way you won’t get in trouble with the master, you brat.”