Chapter 191

The two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Unlike me, who spent the time leisurely reading the books Jang Miryeo had lent me, Yeon Ryang couldn’t sit still.

He paced back and forth across the room, visibly restless. As the appointed hour drew closer, his footsteps grew more frequent, and I finally looked up at him in puzzlement.

“Brother. What’s wrong?”

“That’s the thing. I don’t really know either... I’ve just got a bad feeling.”

Yeon Ryang frowned as he stared out the window.

I had never seen him act like this even when we were at the Martial Alliance headquarters, and his unease began to infect me as well.

It didn’t feel like mere anxiety. It felt more like the instincts of a seasoned martial artist honed through years of experience.

“A bad feeling? Should we just not go?”

“No. We need to go. We have to find out why they called you out in the first place.”

Shaking his head, Yeon Ryang stared pointedly at the sword hanging from one of the guards’ waists, then glanced toward the armory.

He looked as though he was considering taking even an ordinary iron sword.

“Brother. No swords.”

“I’m not saying I’ll draw it. Just in case...”

“No. There’s a reason you left your sword behind.”

When I firmly shook my head, Yeon Ryang gave a bitter smile and let out a deep sigh.

“Good grief. My little sister gets her first challenge letter, and her brother has to stand around sucking his thumb.”

“Don’t worry. Just sit back and watch, Brother. I didn’t realize it myself, but apparently I’m stronger than I thought. Daoist Songhwa went flying from a single punch.”

Yeon Ryang promptly gave me the look of a man warning someone not to get cocky, then tapped me lightly on the head.

“Young lady, how can you compare yourself to an unripe third-generation disciple? Martial artists of the orthodox factions tend to progress slowly at first, so you can’t judge them that simply. If you’re going to compare yourself to anyone, compare yourself to a first-generation disciple. Their true strength only shows after years of accumulation.”

“I get what you mean, but I’m an orthodox martial artist too, Brother.”

At my reply, Yeon Ryang made a small sound of realization, as though the thought had completely slipped his mind.

“...Ah. Right.”

What do you mean, ah, right?

This man was starting to treat me like I belonged to the unorthodox factions entirely. Sure, I used poison, but my inner cultivation method was perfectly orthodox.

Yeon Ryang belatedly cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“Anyway, never let your guard down. Your brother used to run wild as a boy without realizing how vast the world was, and look what happened—I got my face slashed open. I’m a man, so it doesn’t matter much, but a pretty young lady shouldn’t be left with scars. Be careful once, then be careful again. Got it?”

“Yeah. I’ll be careful.”

“You’re always good at answering.”

I chuckled and shoved a piece of candied fruit into his mouth. Yeon Ryang stretched my cheek out in retaliation while chewing it.

Having successfully stopped his mouth with sweets, I pressed my lips together and closed the book.

I couldn’t focus on the words anymore.

Yeon Ryang wouldn’t be this uneasy for no reason. Just as he feared, there was a good chance whoever had summoned me was harboring some kind of malicious intent.

I need to be ready for anything.

I shifted Grandfather’s deadly poison farther toward the outside of my sleeve so I could reach it more quickly, then looked out the window.

The sun was already setting.

“Brother. Let’s go a little late. We don’t know what they’re planning, so it’ll be better to watch from a distance before we move in.”

“Fine by me. They’re the ones who want something. They can wait.”

We passed the time sipping tea until the night had grown deep.

The meeting place was at the edge of a forest roughly an hour’s walk from the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild.

“This place is awfully creepy.”

“It is. Feels like something’s about to jump out—”

Before I could even finish speaking, a wave of foul energy made every hair on my body stand on end.

I hurriedly pulled back.

A razor-sharp blade sliced through the spot where I had been standing an instant earlier.

“Sohae!”

Yeon Ryang shouted sharply and kicked the man who had lunged right up to me square in the stomach.

The man rolled across the ground before scrambling back to his feet.

His eyes were red.

He had practiced demonic arts.

Damn it. I thought someone had sent me a challenge letter, but a member of the Demonic Sect tracked me down instead? How did they find me? And what was with all those chivalrous deeds?

My breathing grew ragged with tension.

I had to finish this before Yeon Ryang tried to step in.

I couldn’t afford to hold back.

“Brother, take care of Cane! You’re not allowed to fight, understood?”

I practically hurled Cane at Yeon Ryang before plunging a hand into my sleeve.

My fingers trembled as I pulled out Grandfather’s deadly poison, the supply I had been saving.

Grinding my teeth, I tightened my grip on a throwing knife.

*****

The sky was exceptionally blue.

Jeokroe watched his master bask in sunlight far warmer than one would expect in early winter, then handed Namgung Hwi a cup of tea.

Namgung Hwi held the warm cup between his hands and gazed up at the cloudless sky.

“Jeokroe.”

“Yes.”

“I slept on it, and I think I should go personally after all.”

“...Ah. Is that so?”

Jeokroe replied without much enthusiasm.

“You think that would be better too, don’t you?”

“Yes, yes, Young Clan Head. If you say that one more time, this will be the sixth time you’ve changed your mind. Why does your heart flutter in a different direction every time you breathe?”

“I’ve made up my mind for real this time. They say misunderstandings should be cleared up immediately. Apparently, sincerely asking forgiveness is how you win someone’s heart.”

“What exactly is Miss Tang supposed to misunderstand? I keep telling you, she probably doesn’t even remember you. More importantly, where did you hear that?”

“It was in a romance novel.”

“...When did you start reading those?”

“One of Yeona’s books got mixed into my luggage.”

Suppressing a laugh, Jeokroe poured hot water into the teapot while letting Namgung Hwi’s detailed account of the romance novel his younger sister had been reading go in one ear and out the other.

His master had actually managed to sleep a full eight hours for once, and though he could never exactly be described as docile as a lamb, he had at least become considerably more manageable.

“Once we return to Hefei, you should visit home too. Your mother must be waiting.”

The fact that Namgung Hwi was volunteering to give him leave proved as much.

Jeokroe decided that from now on, no matter what happened, he would make sure the man slept first.

“She won’t be all that happy just to see me. She only gets excited when you come along, Young Clan Head. Sometimes I wonder which one of us is actually her son...”

“Then should I go with you?”

“Weren’t you giving me leave? You want me waiting on you all the way back in my hometown too?”

Jeokroe grumbled, but Namgung Hwi ignored it.

“Is her back still troubling her? She isn’t running short on medicinal decoctions, is she?”

“She already has more than enough. What you’ve sent so far is plenty, so please stop. She says carts keep coming and going so often she’s worried thieves will take notice.”

“I keep telling you to bring her to Hefei.”

“And how exactly am I supposed to overcome my mother’s stubbornness? She gets furious and tells me to let her close her eyes in the place she’s lived her entire life. Just give me leave more often.”

Namgung Hwi casually ignored that request and set down his teacup, inspecting his clothes from several angles.

“Do I look too flashy? Should I change into something plainer?”

“It would be stranger for the young head of the Namgung Clan to appear dressed plainly. Just go as you are.”

“Right. But are you sure I should really go empty-handed? Maybe some small gift...”

“Young Clan Head. What did I tell you?”

“Not to try winning her heart with some pointless gift.”

“You remembered. Good. Just show your face today and come back. And mind how you speak.”

“...All right.”

Namgung Hwi obediently answered and drew a deep breath.

It had been three whole years.

He couldn’t quite picture what expression he should wear when he greeted her, or what he should say first.

She’ll probably be startled if I suddenly call her by name. Maybe I should be polite and act as though we’re meeting for the first time.

He chewed at his lower lip, trying to remember how he had behaved whenever he met young ladies from other clans.

It was no help whatsoever.

He doubted Tang Sohae would enjoy the sort of tea-table conversation filled with insincere greetings and pointless pleasantries.

But bringing up old memories would mean confessing his own humiliating past with his own mouth, which was hardly appealing either.

Does she like the zither? Maybe I could talk about music. No, wait. Sohae is a martial artist too, so perhaps martial arts would be better...

His agonizing continued until the sun went down.

Jeokroe looked utterly dumbfounded by the sight of his master behaving like a fool, but remained quietly by his side.

He figured this was still better if it helped Namgung Hwi clear his head.

...Is his head actually getting clearer? He looks more tangled up than before.

Just as Jeokroe began wondering whether he had made the wrong choice, Namgung Hwi suddenly shot to his feet.

“Let’s go, Jeokroe.”

“It’s still a little early, Young Clan Head.”

“I can’t make Sohae wait.”

Jeokroe chuckled at the excitement in his voice and obediently followed.

But no one was at the meeting place.

Namgung Hwi stood there quietly, repeatedly checking the stars overhead.

His expression gradually fell.

“Midnight’s already passed, hasn’t it?”

“Yes. Looks like she’s late.”

“She isn’t going to stand me up, is she?”

“Miss Tang was the one who asked to meet you. Something may have happened along the way, so let’s wait a little longer.”

Namgung Hwi nodded and listened for movement around them.

There wasn’t even the sound of a wild animal moving within a few dozen yards.

Then, farther out...

The clash of weapons carried faintly through the night.

Namgung Hwi’s expression changed at once, and his hand went to the hilt of his sword.

“Jeokroe.”

“I heard it too.”

No more words were necessary.

Namgung Hwi shot forward, and Jeokroe followed immediately behind him.

About fifteen minutes from the meeting place, they found traces of a battle in the brush.

The dense poisonous energy was noticeable even from a distance. Jeokroe coughed and waved a hand in front of his face.

“Cough! Cough, cough! Looks like Miss Tang was here.”

“Don’t come any closer, Jeokroe.”

“Take a poison-warding bead before you go in, Young Clan Head.”

With the bead in his mouth, Namgung Hwi walked into the settling poison mist and surveyed the area.

Several concealed weapons that had not been retrieved lay scattered across the ground, and there were bloodstains that had been spilled only moments before.

Was she ambushed?

Namgung Hwi carefully studied the sword marks before dropping to one knee.

He brushed his fingertips across the earth, his gaze sharpening.

“Young Clan Head. Is that...?”

Namgung Hwi nodded and withdrew from the poison mist.

He used the poison-warding bead to draw the poisonous energy that had seeped into his body back out, then spat the now pitch-black bead onto the ground.

“Ptooey. Demonic corruption. Looks like Sohae ran into members of the Demonic Sect.”

The two exchanged a glance.

Tension settled over both their faces.