Chapter 215

“Wol... you said?”

“Is Sowol alive? Where did you see him? I searched for him for more than twenty years without finding so much as a trace. I thought he was dead...!”

Desperation spread across Hwahong’s face as he pressed me for answers.

Seeing the composure of a man who never lost his smile, no matter what anyone said, crumble so completely made my own breathing grow ragged.

Ah. So Yeon Ryang’s real name, the one he couldn’t remember, was...

Neither of us could find the words to continue. Our eyes met, both of us shaken.

My lips moved soundlessly before I finally managed to nod.

“He’s alive. Yes, he’s alive.”

He had to be alive. Baekya was proof of that.

At my answer, Hwahong looked as though he might burst into tears at any moment and began asking about Yeon Ryang.

I told him everything that had happened, leaving out the fact that Yeon Ryang was a member of the Demonic Sect.

Hwahong listened to my long account without interrupting. When I finished, he covered his face with trembling hands.

“So that was why... our intelligence network could never find him.”

His voice cracked as he spoke, bitterly mocking himself while struggling to regain control of his emotions.

A short while later, he drew a deep breath and raised his head.

His usual composure had returned, as though he had never been shaken at all.

His red lips parted slowly.

“Forgive me, miss. How could I turn away a child of Ryeon’s when she comes asking for help? But... this is the one thing I cannot do.”

The unmistakable refusal made my jaw tighten.

Struggling to keep my emotions from showing, I asked,

“May I ask why you’re refusing?”

“How could I tell you how to throw yourself into a pit of fire? Miss, you must not involve yourself in the affairs of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”

His calm reply made it feel as though all the blood in my body had run cold.

Even though I had deliberately avoided mentioning the Demonic Sect, Hwahong had seen through everything.

When the color drained from my face, he continued matter-of-factly.

“I may be confined to a pleasure house, but I am hardly ignorant of what happens in the Central Plains. After you have told me so much, I ought to live up to the Hao Sect’s reputation, should I not?”

“Th-then you must know that my brother didn’t become a member of the Demonic Sect of his own free will. Yeon Ryang wanted to leave the Cult. He wanted an ordinary life...!”

“But the Divine Cult will not let him go.”

Hwahong’s gaze sharpened, and his voice turned cold.

“That child is no ordinary believer. He remained an ordinary member only because he refused to take a higher position, but he is a killing sword coveted by all nine dioceses of the Divine Cult. I doubt he will be able to leave the Cult even in death.”

“How do you know that? Do you know what’s happening inside the Demonic Sect? Please tell me. I—!”

“It is getting late, miss. ?? (Original source) I think you should return home now.”

Cutting me off, Hwahong rose gracefully to his feet, making it clear that our conversation was over.

I bit my lip and looked up at him.

He swallowed a sigh, then tried to soothe me in his soft, measured voice.

“Please do not worry too much, miss. Wol will be all right.”

“A man called the Third Bishop came to take him away himself. Surely...!”

“That is precisely why he will be all right. To that man, the Cult’s doctrine comes before his own safety.”

The certainty in his voice left my mouth dry.

Just how much does Hwahong know?

Is he involved in the Demonic Sect’s affairs?

How much of what he says can I believe? And what do I have to do to get the information I need from him?

Hwahong watched me struggle with my growing anxiety before speaking kindly.

“Forgive me for being unable to tell you everything, miss. But you must not interfere. Under any circumstances.”

“But...”

“No. If the Divine Cult learns that you are searching for Wol, they will try to use you. You must not allow yourself to become their bait.”

Ah... So that was why Yeon Ryang went out of his way to send someone to me...

Only after hearing Hwahong’s warning did I finally understand what Yeon Ryang had been thinking.

My head dropped.

That foolish brother of mine, who had worried about nothing but me right to the very end.

Something hot surged up inside me.

When my mouth twisted, Hwahong whispered consolingly,

“You may think me cruel, and I have no excuse to offer. But there is only one thing I can tell you. Wol will be all right.”

“...I understand what you are saying, Proprietor. I should be going.”

I forced the words out and rose to my feet.

As I adjusted my bamboo hat, Hwahong watched me for a moment before asking,

“Miss, will you come to visit from time to time?”

I could not bring myself to answer immediately, unsure what he meant by the question.

When I simply looked at him, Hwahong’s eyes curved into a gentle smile.

“A woman ought to have a few secrets, after all. And with a face as unforgettable as yours, you may occasionally find yourself in need of a clever way to change your appearance. I believe I could be of some assistance.”

“Do you mean...?”

“Shh.”

Hwahong raised his index finger to his lips and smiled radiantly.

*******

From that day onward, I climbed over the wall of the Moon Fragrance Pavilion every night.

Grandfather seemed to have noticed my nightly excursions, but he made no attempt to stop me.

He merely reminded me in passing that I ought to go to bed early.

Hwahong was an excellent teacher.

As one might expect of someone involved in an intelligence organization, he was exceptionally skilled at explaining things clearly and getting straight to the point.

Thanks to him, learning the Bone-Shrinking Art and the art of disguise was not particularly difficult.

“You learn remarkably quickly. Your transformations are quite flawless.”

“Only because you taught me so well, Proprietor. By the way...”

“I think you had better be going, miss. You must return home before daybreak.”

But Hwahong taught me only the techniques for changing my appearance. He never gave me so much as an opening to ask about anything else.

At the same time, he did not deny that the Hao Sect served as a courier for the Demonic Sect.

“People of lowly birth like myself have very few choices in life. It is merely a matter of knowing how to survive.”

A flash of self-loathing passed through his eyes as he swallowed a bitter smile.

It seemed the Hao Sect was not cooperating with the Demonic Sect entirely of its own free will.

If Hwahong was also under a restriction, I could understand why he refused to speak.

Yeon Ryang had never told me about the Demonic Sect either.

But I wanted to find even the smallest clue.

I refused to give up and continued visiting the Moon Fragrance Pavilion every day. Eventually, Hwahong caught on to my intentions and began looking distinctly uncomfortable.

“Miss, visiting so frequently will do your reputation no good. You must consider how it looks to others.”

“I merely wanted to practice my disguise techniques...”

“Your art of disguise and Bone-Shrinking Art are both flawless, miss. There is nothing left to correct.”

In other words, he was no longer going to accept my disguise training as an excuse for visiting.

As I pressed my lips together, an apologetic look crossed Hwahong’s face.

He met my eyes and softened his voice, as though trying to comfort a child.

“I spent more than twenty years searching for Wol myself. How could I not understand how you feel? But this is not a course of events you can change on your own.”

His words seemed to urge me to give up, and bitterness rose in my throat.

I opened my mouth to try persuading him again.

Then, just as I was about to speak, I realized what he was really telling me.

“If this is not something I can change on my own...”

“To change the course of a great river, one needs a new current. A force capable of rallying the orthodox side might be able to create such a current.”

My eyes widened at his gentle reply.

He was hinting that I should make use of the Martial Alliance.

My heart began pounding with excitement.

After all, there were already people who would leap into action at the slightest trace of the Demonic Sect.

The Demon Extermination Corps.

If I joined them, I would be able to gain access to information about the Demonic Sect.

I could openly investigate Yeon Ryang’s whereabouts without arousing suspicion. And even if the Demonic Sect came after me, I might be able to hide beneath the Martial Alliance’s protection.

What was more, I had a recommendation letter personally written by the Martial Alliance Leader.

I was so excited that I could hardly sit still.

Unable to contain my impatience, I sprang to my feet.

“Please excuse me, Proprietor. I should return home now.”

“Of course. Have a safe journey.”

Hwahong answered kindly and saw me out.

By the time I returned to the Tang estate, the hours after midnight had just passed.

Evading the guards and scaling the outer wall was easier than falling off a log.

I crossed the inner compound and was just raising my head to leap over the wall of my detached residence when I met someone’s eyes.

I stopped short.

Tang Juhee was sitting on top of the wall with her arms folded.

“Little Sister. Haven’t you been sneaking out at night a little too often?”

Her voice was playful, but her expression was anything but cheerful.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“You don’t look as though you even intended to sleep, dressed like that.”

Tang Juhee came over as she spoke and removed my bamboo hat.

Her eyes quickly swept over my body.

The way her gaze lingered around the back of my neck made me strangely uncomfortable. When I hunched my shoulders, she muttered,

“Nothing happened, then.”

“What?”

“Be careful not to get caught. If Grandfather finds out, he’ll kill that bastard.”

What on earth is she talking about now?

Her warning made it obvious that she had gotten the wrong idea about something.

I could not help frowning.

“Sister, stop talking nonsense and go to bed.”

Tang Juhee paid no attention to my sulky response. Laughing, she grabbed both my cheeks and stretched them wide.

“Fine. You get some sleep too, Little Sister. Don’t come to dawn training with those great black circles under your eyes.”

Having delivered a lecture that was quite unlike her, she turned and left, as though checking on my face had been her only reason for coming.

I watched Tang Juhee walk away, then awkwardly scratched my cheek and went inside.

I thought I was being careful, but apparently it’s obvious enough for even Tang Juhee to say something.

It seemed I would have to follow Hwahong’s advice and behave myself for a while.

I should find that recommendation letter.

I hurriedly removed all traces of my excursion and lit a lamp.

The rustling woke Songji, who came over looking barely half-conscious.

“My lady, are you looking for something?”

“There’s something I need to find. Sorry for waking you. Go back to sleep, Songji.”

“Yes. Please get to bed early...”

I sent Songji away as she rubbed her sleepy eyes, then began rummaging through my belongings.

I’m sure I left it somewhere around here...

Ah, here it is.

I hastily opened the pouch and checked its contents.

The moment I saw what was inside, a groan escaped my lips.