Chapter 20 : To the Confucian Forest (1)

Chapter 20: To the Confucian Forest (1)

I heard later that the bastard actually went to the Confucian Forest.

At first, I didn’t believe it.

No matter what, that human scum was the last person who’d fit in with the Confucian Forest, even if he died.

So I did a bit of digging, and guess what? He really had gone to the Confucian Forest. And not just that—he went looking for none other than Mun Yuhwan, the Grand Historian of the Three Arts, a man famed as a literary giant of his time.

Thanks to that, I learned the truth.

All those strange rumors that used to swirl around the Grand Historian of the Three Arts? They were all because of that bastard!

I’m telling you, that guy causes trouble no matter where he goes!

Getting involved with him was the greatest mistake of my life! A mistake!

*         *         *

Mun Yuhwan slowly lifted his teacup.

Savoring tea while gazing at the clear autumn sky was one of Mun Yuhwan’s long-cherished pleasures.

Especially on days like this, when the sky was especially bright and clear, he often found himself staring at it for a long time, naturally swept up in the mood.

As the cool air brushed against his cheek, Mun Yuhwan wore a content smile. On days like this, doing nothing and simply staring into the far-off sky could calm one’s heart.

Learning wasn’t confined to books. There was learning to be found in nature as well.

At that moment, a voice disrupted Mun Yuhwan’s tranquility.

“Father.”

Mun Yuhwan’s brows furrowed slightly.

He despised being interrupted during tea time more than anything.

But his daughter knew this well, which could only mean something important enough had occurred to justify the interruption. He calmed the flutter in his chest and opened his mouth.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and his daughter, Mun Eunji, stepped inside.

“What is it?”

Mun Eunji spoke with an apologetic look.

“You have a visitor.”

“A visitor?”

“Yes.”

Mun Yuhwan tilted his head slightly.

“Did anyone make an appointment to see me today?”

“There were no appointments.”

“It is not proper to treat a guest discourteously. However, a guest who comes unannounced could be considered an uninvited one. If this guest came without prior notice, then tell him politely that he should arrange a time before visiting again.”

Mun Eunji nodded.

“I’ll do so.”

Mun Yuhwan was about to nod as he lifted his teacup, but paused and asked just in case.

“Did he say what his business was?”

“Well… he said he wanted to play a match.”

For a moment, Mun Yuhwan’s brow twitched. He was a man who seldom showed any change in expression, so for it to be visible on his face was no small matter.

“A match?”

“Yes.”

A "match" referred to a game of Go.

Mun Yuhwan was a man known in the Confucian Forest by the title of Grand Historian of the Three Arts.

One of the "Three Arts" was scholarly knowledge, the second was moral character, and the last was none other than the game of Go.

He had played matches with the most renowned players under heaven, and by now, he had risen to a status where the title Peerless Hand was not an exaggeration.

A faint smile formed on Mun Yuhwan’s lips.

Being called Peerless Hand was an honor he gladly accepted, but because of that, it had become increasingly difficult in recent years to find anyone willing to play a game with him.

No matter how extraordinary one’s skill might be, if there was no one to share it with, wasn’t that a lonely thing?

The fact that someone had come to play a game of Go after so long stirred Mun Yuhwan’s interest.

“I have changed my mind. Bring him in.”

Mun Eunji hesitated a little.

“But Father…”

“What is it?”

“The visitor’s appearance is rather…”

Irritation rose on Mun Yuhwan’s face.

“Are you judging a guest by their appearance? How many times have I told you how discourteous and disgraceful it is to assess a person by such superficial things? And yet, what have you learned?”

Mun Eunji flinched and lowered her head.

“…I’ll bring him in.”

“Ahem!”

Mun Yuhwan let out a displeased cough, his dissatisfaction clear on his face.

She was his daughter, but he had put in great effort to teach her the basics of Confucian education. And yet, she still failed to uphold the most fundamental principles—that thought left him unsettled.

‘She’s not that kind of child…’

Had she been born male, she would not only have attained success and fame, but could very well have become a great scholar. So why was she acting so disappointingly today?

Some time passed, and Mun Eunji returned to the room.

And following behind her was the visitor.

Mun Yuhwan’s eyes widened.

He glanced briefly at Mun Eunji, whose face had turned slightly red.

He looked at her with eyes full of apology.

He had scolded her for judging someone by appearance, but who could have imagined the visitor would look like that?

The person who entered behind Mun Eunji was bizarre beyond belief.

His long hair was an unkempt mess, covering his face, and from the reek, it was impossible to guess when he had last bathed. The stench assaulted the nose.

His clothes could barely be called clothes—little more than filthy rags, so grimy and tattered that even using them as a mop would be questionable.

What little of the face peeked out between strands of hair was gaunt to the extreme, to the point where calling him a walking skeleton wouldn't have been far off. His limbs were so thin it was hard to believe they could even function.

Truly, the term weirdo fit this person perfectly.

“Ahem!”

Mun Yuhwan coughed to calm his startled heart.

He had never imagined, not once in his life, that someone would show up at another’s home looking like that.

Yet, Mun Yuhwan did not lose his manners.

“Welcome.”

When he greeted the visitor with a smile, the strange man opened his mouth.

“I hope this sudden visit hasn’t caused any inconvenience.”

Mun Yuhwan looked at the man with curious eyes.

Despite his appearance, his greeting was rather courteous.

“Inconvenience? Not at all. To have a guest visit is a pleasure for any scholar. So then, did you say you wished to play a match with me?”

“It’s the only thing I know how to do.”

A bizarre response.

“Very well. Then let us prepare.”

Mun Yuhwan signaled to Mun Eunji with his eyes to bring the Go board.

But he didn’t hold much expectation.

Judging by the man’s appearance, it didn’t seem likely he had any serious insight into the game of Go.

This wasn’t a matter of looking down on someone based on appearance—it was simply a natural deduction.

Go wasn’t something one could learn alone through self-study.

Unless one was taught by a strong player or had played countless games, there was no shortcut to mastering the art.

And from the man’s attire, it didn’t seem like he had spent much time with a skilled Go player or had played frequently.

He probably heard Mun Yuhwan’s name somewhere and used Go as an excuse to get a free meal.

To Mun Yuhwan, it was simply a matter of humoring him briefly and then offering a bit of help. It was a waste of time, yes, but since he had invited the man in himself, who could he blame?

The Go board was brought in, and Mun Yuhwan took the white stones.

The strange man, as soon as the board was set, picked up a stone without a word and made his move.

Tak!

With a crisp, clean sound, the black stone landed on the star point.

Mun Yuhwan adjusted his posture.

The calm composure that had filled his face moments ago had vanished entirely.

Anyone with decent knowledge of Go could get a sense of their opponent’s skill just by the way they placed their stone.

One couldn’t gauge precise strength from a single move, of course, but it was easy to tell whether the opponent was a novice or someone with experience.

And despite appearances, the way this man placed his stone was anything but that of a beginner.

He was a battle-hardened player, a Go master who had experienced countless matches!

How someone like that could look the way he did was a mystery—but that didn’t matter right now. What mattered was that for the first time in what felt like ages, Mun Yuhwan had before him an opponent he genuinely wanted to face.

Mun Yuhwan cast aside any trace of condescension and wore a pleasant smile.

He had a feeling—after so long, he might finally be able to enjoy a truly engaging game of Go.

Beads of cold sweat began to form on his forehead.

‘Hmm…’

Unbefitting of the man called the Grand Historian of the Three Arts, Mun Yuhwan’s face had already stiffened with tension. Anyone who knew him would have rubbed their eyes multiple times in disbelief at the sight.

For the Grand Historian of the Three Arts to be sweating during a game of Go?

The one who had made him this tense was, of course, the strange man sitting across from him.

The man’s skill far surpassed Mun Yuhwan’s expectations.

It wasn’t simply that he was good—Mun Yuhwan had to admit that he couldn’t even confidently predict the outcome of their match.

His strength was such that even Mun Yuhwan, who contended for the title of the Greatest Under Heaven in terms of skill of Go, found himself on edge.

‘Incredible.’

To speak objectively, in terms of pure strength, Mun Yuhwan still held the upper hand. The man’s skill was remarkable, but not quite enough to match him outright.

However, the way the man played was powerful enough to make even Mun Yuhwan instinctively shake his head in disbelief.

Mun Yuhwan played like a gentle river, never going against the natural flow. He never overextended, slowly built influence, retreated from threats, and secured what must be secured without fail.

That was why those who played against Mun Yuhwan often ended up suffering strange defeats—despite making no major mistakes, they would lose completely by the end.

But the strange man was the complete opposite.

His style was like a raging typhoon.

Even when it wasn’t yet the time for battle, he charged in with the ferocity of a man possessed by combat.

If he saw even a sliver of gain, he pounced like a wild beast and bit down without hesitation.

He ignored any harm to his own influence and rushed in through even the tiniest openings that most would overlook, showing no fear of losing territory or even losing the fight itself.

He was, in every sense of the word, a battle demon.

What’s more, his speed in placing stones was unlike anything Mun Yuhwan had ever seen.

Before Mun Yuhwan could even finish setting down his own stone, the man would place his next move almost as if he had predicted it, frequently disrupting the flow of the game.

If Mun Yuhwan was a master of balance and formation, this man was a prodigy of irregularity and warfare.

‘Just where did he…?’

Mun Yuhwan found himself wondering where on earth this man had learned to play Go.

It was shocking enough that he played so unconventionally, but even more so that his strength was nothing to scoff at.

It felt chaotic, as if self-taught—but hidden within was the clear calculation of someone who had fought through hundreds of matches.

Clack.

Even now, as he rolled the Go stone in his palm and glaring down at the board with melancholy in his eyes, the strange man gave off an almost otherworldly presence.

Was it Mun Yuhwan’s imagination that he sensed madness hidden behind that gaze?

A bizarre appearance. A face and body that seemed to rot with neglect. A violent, almost tyrannical playing style.

Mun Yuhwan smiled.

What an interesting man.

And of course, the strange man sitting across from Mun Yuhwan—

Was none other than Wi Yeonho.

Wi Yeonho stared at the board with an expression full of irritation.

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