Ballad of the Mountain Fox

제 23 장: Skipping a Beat, and a Beating

Young Min gritted his teeth as another stab off pain shot through his right leg. He shifted his weight to his left and the pain eased for a moment, only to come back with a vengeance in his other limb.

Resolutely keeping his gaze directed at the performers standing before the crowd, Young Min whispered, "Any change?"

Beside him, Won Soo cast another anxious glance behind them. "They're still there," the servant informed him. "Watching us. Waiting."

"Let's hope the performance is enough of a distraction to give us a chance at slipping away," Young Min said.

At that moment, one of the performers raised his hands and motioned for the audience to take a seat. Gradually, people began to situate themselves on the dusty ground, and Young Min pressed his lips together in a hard line of disapproval. Their escape would be too obvious if they were to run away now.

Left with no other option, he, Won Soo, and Nara sat down with the rest of the audience members, and Young Min chanced a look over his shoulder. At the back of the crowd, the six thugs remained standing, their hostile glares at the young nobleman not diverted in the least.

Young Min returned his attention forward, thoughts spinning. Under ordinary circumstances, he was sure he would have been able to come up with a solution to their predicament. He prided himself on his clear-thinking and advanced learning. But the pain in his leg was so distracting...

The performers began a masked dance, and Young Min glanced around for inspiration. For the most part, everyone's attention seemed focused on the entertainment. The exception was, of course, his very nervous servant, as well as the pair of eyes that peeked around from the other side of Won Soo, blinking at Young Min owlishly.

"Any ideas?" Nara whispered. Her voice was barely audible over the drum-and-gong accompaniment, but paranoid Won Soo still gave her an elbow in the ribs as a warning to stay quiet. She scowled and rubbed her side, but wisely didn't retaliate, as it would only draw unwanted attention.

Young Min shook his head and leaned closer to whisper back across Won Soo. "Do you?"

Nara bit her lip. "We have to make the audience stand up again, before the show is over," she said.

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

Won Soo scowled and heaved an exaggerated sigh, clearly annoyed with the way the two kept talking across him and ignoring him. As consolation, Young Min patted his arm. "Your idea was great in getting us this far," Young Min assured his servant. "Without your quick-thinking, I'd probably be unconscious or dead by the side of the road by now. But we need another plan."

"Shh!" One of the audience members in front of them turned around to scold them. Young Min inclined his head in apology, and, satisfied, the person turned back to watch the long-sleeved figures of the performers leaping and twirling to the tempo of the drumbeats.

Checking once more to ensure that the gang following them hadn't moved, Young Min turned back to the conversation as an idea came to him.

"Fear," he said simply, answering his previous question. "If we can scare the crowd into standing up, we might be able to escape in the fleeing mob."

"But you can't run!" Won Soo hissed back worriedly.

"It's the best chance we have, unless you have something better?" Young Min whispered.

Won Soo remained sullenly silent, and Young Min knew the servant disapproved of his master's tendency towards risk-taking. But the matter couldn't be helped.

"So we need to think of something that would cause mass panic and chaos?" Nara whispered from the other side of Won Soo.

Won Soo sighed in irritation and leaned back on his palms. "Why are you even here?" he growled. "We set you free, so can't you leave us alone?"