44 — Let’s See You Prove It. (4)

“What are you doing now! Are you not paying attention?”

“Oh! He, hey! Heeeyy!”

At Jwa Go-Hak’s shout, Sama Yang flinched and jabbed his mount’s flank; the black horse shot forward like an arrow.

‘To make such a mistake.’

Anyone would be flustered—how could a monk who looked like he’d never ridden in his life get a horse to bolt so fast?

Inexperienced riders almost always fall the instant the horse takes off.

‘Get a grip!’

It might be a fluke. No—surely a fluke. A fluke, by definition, doesn’t repeat.

‘The start may have been a bit late, but the course is long. There’s plenty of time to catch up while circling the village!’

Fortunately for Sama Yang, the Black Night he rode was a touch faster than the Snow Thunder the other had chosen.

What? Isn’t that cowardly?

Not at all. That’s why they got to pick their horses first—choosing a good mount is part of horsemanship.

So just keep running like this. You’ll catch up in no time—

“But…”

Sama Yang’s face slowly filled with bewilderment.

“Why, why isn’t the distance closing?”

All he could see was Snow Thunder’s rump, its tail flying as it ran ahead.

---

Caw! Caaaw!

Ehehehehehhing!

“Th-that’s… Baek Ah. The horse is dying. Stop fussing so much.”

Kak!

“Fine… do whatever you want.”

Jo Gul shook his head.

Baek Ah, perched on Snow Thunder’s head, kept tapping the horse with its short forepaws. Each time its paw struck, Snow Thunder flinched as if touched by a hot iron.

“It would probably feel exactly like that if a tiger licked it.”

No—maybe a tiger would be preferable.

In any case, Snow Thunder, saddled with a supernatural creature it likely had never seen in its horse-life, was running as if its very soul had been scared out of it.

Ehehehehehhing!

Snow Thunder charged on relentlessly, as if defeat meant certain butchering.

“Oh, it’s opening up.”

Jo Gul glanced back. Sama Yang was frantically urging his mount, but the gap between them wasn’t closing—it was widening.

“…I’m sorry.”

Feeling an odd pity for Sama Yang, who was driving his horse desperately, Jo Gul apologized sincerely.

From the start, this match wasn’t winnable for a human. How could a person beat a marten?

“No, why isn’t the gap closing? Hey! Heeeyyyyy!”

Sama Yang cried and jabbed his horse again, but no matter how hard he urged it, the distance stayed the same.

“This can’t be! This just can’t be!”

Was Snow Thunder really this fast?

No way. Sama Yang knew both horses best. Snow Thunder was a good horse, but it didn’t match Black Night.

So was a Taoist making Snow Thunder run beyond its capabilities?

‘What a ridiculous notion!’

Horsemanship doesn’t boost a horse’s speed; it’s about not hindering it. There is no secret to making a slow horse fast.

Right. That’s common sense.

“Then why is this impossible thing happening? Why!”

It was enough to make a ghost wail.

But however counterintuitive, no one could deny what was unfolding. Shouting disbelief wouldn’t change a thing.

“Think! A way to win. A way to win here… huh?”

For a moment, Sama Yang’s eyes filled with questions.

“Huh? Why are they going that way?”

Snow Thunder, which had been running ahead, had turned toward the mountain.

---

“This isn’t the road! You crazy marten brat!”

Kiiiiii!

Baek Ah bit Jo Gul’s hair; Jo Gul grabbed and tried to tear off the marten’s leg.

“No! Just because it’s a marten doesn’t mean it doesn’t know the route! The road is clearly laid out like that, man!”

Kik! Kiiik!

“Is having things make sense to you right now what’s important?! We’re going to lose like this!”

Strangely, urgency made Baek Ah listen.

Startled, Baek Ah kicked Jo Gul’s head and scrambled back onto Snow Thunder. Stretching its short arms, it grabbed both of the horse’s ears and twisted its whole body like steering a cart, bending the ears sideways.

Snow Thunder slid and furiously kicked the ground.

“Eeeek! We’re gonna fall! We’re gonna fall, man!”

When the ground surged up beneath him, Jo Gul panicked and clung to the horse’s back.

Kii!

Swoooosh!

Snow Thunder slid along the mountain path and changed direction with astonishing skill. At this point it was less horsemanship than showmanship.

“Aaaah! Run! Faster!”

Kiiiiii!

Snow Thunder pounded the earth and raced down the mountain. Rejoining the wide road that circled the village, the three beasts—no, three beasts—spotted the black horse that had already charged far ahead.

“Catch up! Quick! If we lose you’ll really get beaten to death! You’ll really become a scarf!”

Perhaps picturing Chung Myung charging at them like a ghost, Baek Ah began sweating and flailed its forepaws, urging Snow Thunder on. The horse stuck out its tongue and ran as if it had to die trying.

Jo Gul couldn’t help feeling some sympathy, but his neck was on the line for the wager. If they lost now, it might be him, not Baek Ah, who became a scarf.

“Hang in there! Just a little more! If you win I’ll empty my pockets and buy carrots and whatever else!”

Kii?

“Not you, man! You’re the one who only eats booze and meat!”

Did that work? Snow Thunder began closing on the black horse.

“That’s it. Just like this… huh?”

Jo Gul opened his eyes wide.

A long uphill stretch lay ahead. The village sat midway up the mountain; flat ground was the rarer thing.

The problem was that along that incline, things were rolling down in succession.

“Nobody said anything about an obstacle course, you ink-stained brats!”

All sorts of objects tumbled down the slope: rocks half the size of a person, huge wine barrels, even communal laundry baskets.

“Which bastard rolled a Buddha statue?!”

If Hae Yeon the monk saw that, he’d make a scene. The students’ malice was palpable.

If even one of those hit them wrong, losing the match would be the least of their worries—they could tumble and crack their skulls.

Sama Yang, riding ahead, steered Black Night to stylishly avoid the rolling obstacles—left, right, left again. It was stunning horsemanship worthy of his looks.

“We can’t lose! Show them! Baek Ah!”

Kiiii!

At that moment Snow Thunder charged straight at a rock rolling down the slope.

“Wh-what? What are you doing, damn it! Dodge!”

Wham!

Snow Thunder struck the ground and leapt over the rock in a single bound.

“Oh, on an uphill?”

Kiiiiii!

Tatadadak, wham!

Baek Ah, instead of skittishly dodging, drove Snow Thunder straight on; the horse began jumping the rolling obstacles one after another. A fine horse was a fine horse—Snow Thunder repeatedly pulled off the absurd feat of clearing obstacles on an incline.

“Wow, insane. I should’ve learned to ride a bit.”

If he’d known riding could be like this, he’d have bought a horse sooner instead of always hauling carts with oxen.

Just now was impressive: hop over a rolling rock, then a giant barrel, then another…

But.

Why did the world feel a bit tilted?

“Huh? Huh… huh? Huhhh? W-wait.”

Each time Snow Thunder hopped, Jo Gul slid a little to the side. His legs were tied to the horse with a rope, so he couldn’t even fall off.

“W-wait! No, wait!”

When he realized he wasn’t sitting on the horse’s back but hanging upside down from its belly, panic set in.

No matter how much of a warrior Jo Gul was, you can’t climb back onto a horse while dangling under a galloping mount—especially one jumping obstacles.

Kiiiiii!

“D-don’t scold me! As long as I don’t fall it’s fine! I’ll hold on somehow!”

That bravado didn’t last.

Snow Thunder charged at a rolling rock again. Jo Gul, swinging beneath the horse, sucked in his breath as the rock lunged toward his face.

“Uh… but if it jumps over this…”

Snow Thunder pushed off the ground. The rolling rock compressed the space toward Jo Gul’s face.

“Right. Usually that would happen.”

Smack!

“Kraaah!”

A sound like a pig being slaughtered burst from Jo Gul as the rock hit his face.

“Don’t, don’t jump—dodge… ack! Aah! Hey, you marten brat! I said dodge! Kweeeek!”

After taking a Buddha statue, a rock, and a basket to the face in succession, blood streamed from Jo Gul’s nose.

“Aah! Which lunatic put chestnut burrs in the basket! I’ll really kill them!”

Kii!

“Ugh… damn it. Whatever, just win.”

Baek Ah hammered Snow Thunder’s head as if the horse understood. Sure enough, having cleared the uphill, Snow Thunder shook itself and began to chase the black horse with renewed fury.

“Let’s goooooo!”

From his upside-down vantage, Jo Gul could see Black Night not far ahead and, beyond it, the Seowon gate—the finish line. He had to catch Black Night before it reached it.

Snow Thunder seemed to understand and ran with everything it had.

“Come on! Almost there!”

Ehehehehehhing!

Snow Thunder dug in with its last strength. Black Night, sensing trouble, kept glancing back.

“Ah, look forward and run! Don’t keep looking back!”

Sama Yang panicked and grabbed Black Night’s head, twisting it. But it was too late. Snow Thunder seized the moment, drew even with Black Night, and soon the two horses ran side by side.

“Heeeyaaarararatt!”

Kiiiiii!

When Sama Yang and Baek Ah glanced at each other, sparks flew. They grabbed their mounts and lowered their stances. Both knew the rest would be a straightaway sprint.

“Runnnnn!”

Kiiii!

The two horses jockeyed for position and charged toward the main gate. Exhausted, they breathed raggedly, seeming to slow.

Kiiiiii!

At that moment Baek Ah pounded Snow Thunder’s head and shouted something. Hearing it, Snow Thunder rolled its eyes and found newborn strength.

“Th-this… this can’t be! Noooo!”

Sama Yang screamed as Snow Thunder pulled ahead. The gate was only a few lengths away. Baek Ah roared and thumped the horse’s head.

Kiiiiii!

Ehehehehehing!

Snow Thunder howled, struck the ground, and leapt high into the air.

“We wooooon!”

Jo Gul couldn’t contain his delight and stretched out both hands.

Thud.

“Huh?”

Jo Gul’s pupils widened in alarm.

Thud-thud!

“Aaaaah!”

The rope tying Jo Gul to Snow Thunder snapped with a crack, and his body slammed onto the ground.

Kii?

Almost simultaneously, Snow Thunder crossed the finish line about half a length ahead of Black Night.

“…”

“…”

Everyone watching was speechless. They alternated between the panting horses and Jo Gul, sprawled on the ground, unable to lift his head.

“Hmm.”

Jwa Go-Hak looked at Snow Thunder and Black Night with a peculiar expression, then gave a sly smile.

“Snow Thunder crossed the finish line first, however.”

“…”

“The rider must also cross the finish line for it to count. This match is our victory!”

A great cheer thundered through the academy.

Jo Gul’s body, felled on the ground, twitched convulsively in time with the cheers.