Chapter 92

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Chapter 92
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Thanks to the prior arrangement, the sparring match with Namgung Mugang concluded around midday.

Namgung Mugang seemed a bit disappointed, but he looked pleased at the thought of developing the Daeyeongeombeop using Daeyeon's counter-sword techniques.

Namgung Mucheon handed Seolhwa a hefty pouch.

The pouch she instinctively took was heavy enough to pull her hand down slightly. Gold glinted through the opening.

“I put some gold in there. Since you’re going out anyway, don’t be stingy with it.”

It was enough money to buy a Tanghuru *shop*, not just a single Tanghuru.

Even though she had gold coins overflowing in the storage from when she first came to Namgung, Seolhwa readily accepted the pouch.

A few more gold coins added to the overflowing chests wouldn't change anything, and the same went for Namgung Mucheon.

After greeting Namgung Mucheon, she left the Family Head’s Hall.

Seop Mugwang followed her out.

“Going to Chao Lake?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, there’s a truly delicious roasted duck restaurant at Chao Lake. You really should try their roasted duck. It’ll knock your socks off.”

“How do you know about things like that?”

“What things?”

“Delicious restaurants.”

Seop Mugwang scratched his chin, humming, “Hmm?”

“Just happened to? When I had free time, nothing to do, nowhere particular to go. Just went around looking for good inns, you know.”

Seop Mugwang grinned, looking at Seolhwa.

“But I won’t be able to do that anymore.”

“?”

He chuckled, stroking Seolhwa’s head.

Recalling Moyong Yeonhwa’s gentle touch, Seolhwa surrendered the back of her head to his rough hand.

“Since you’re going, play until you’re sick of it. Who knows when you’ll get another chance to have such fun?”

His smile was somehow meaningful.

“Have a good trip. And feel free to boast about what you enjoyed when you return.”

“Yes. I’ll buy you a gift.”

* * *

Returning to her pavilion, Seolhwa shed her martial attire for the first time in a while and changed into light casual clothes, then set off for Chao Lake with Namgung Cheongun.

Yeoyul was overjoyed, chattering about the beauty of Chao Lake and its unique birds, while Ryeon seemed a little nervous, as it was her first time leaving Hefei since becoming a guard.

The pavilion managed by Namgung was located in the heart of northern Chao Lake.

The northern center was a region that jutted out southward, so if one climbed the watchtower, the water’s edge was visible in all directions, making it feel as if one were floating on water.

Leaving the bustling streets behind and approaching Chao Lake, they found a market street that had formed around the lake.

Though quieter than Hefei’s flamboyant streets, Chao Lake’s street was also crowded with people.

“Speaking of which, I heard Hwarin’s birthday is in a few days.”

Yeoyul said, excitedly.

“Then, should we buy her a gift? If we surprise her with a gift, Young Miss Hwarin will surely love it! How about it, Young Miss?”

“Why a gift?”

“Why, you ask? Because it’s Young Miss Hwarin’s birthday soon!”

“Do you give gifts for a child’s birthday?”

At that moment, all three of them froze.

Perplexed by the sudden strange atmosphere, Seolhwa looked back at Cheongun.

“!”

Cheongun’s eyes welled up.

Yeoyul, who had frozen with a bright smile on her face, also had moist eyes.

“Then I’ll go with Ryeon. Father, let’s meet back here in an hour.”

Seolhwa quickly grabbed Ryeon and fled the scene as if escaping.

As they moved away from Cheongun and Ryeon, Seolhwa looked at the street stalls.

Ryeon, who had been looking back towards Cheongun, approached her.

“A crowd has already gathered around the First Young Master.”

Seolhwa also glanced back.

People were packed tightly around Cheongun. Even here, the Namgung Young Master’s popularity was immense.

Due to the people flocking to catch even a glimpse of the Namgung Young Master’s face, Cheongun was having difficulty moving, even if they couldn’t get close.

“Father is indeed handsome.”

At any rate, it was a relief to have escaped.

Seolhwa, whose face was not yet widely known, was able to leisurely browse the goods thanks to Cheongun.

A gift, huh.

‘What would be good?’

Just then, a shop caught her eye, and Seolhwa felt drawn to it.

While she was rattling and inspecting the goods, Ryeon let out a serious groan.

“Young Miss. You’re not thinking of that as Young Miss Hwarin’s birthday gift, are you?”

“I am.”

“…So… a dagger.”

“Yes. A dagger.”

“A dagger…”

“A dagger.”

*Swish*—she drew the dagger from its sheath.

Its condition was surprisingly good.

“I should have stopped you from the moment you stepped into the iron workshop…”

Ryeon mumbled something, then smiled and pointed to a shop across the street.

“How about that shop?”

The place Ryeon pointed to was a jewelry shop. At a glance, it was filled with colorful and diverse items.

“Won’t she already have a lot of jewelry?”

“Even so, it’s better than a dagger… What’s important isn’t necessarily something special, but the thought behind it, isn’t it?”

In truth, what would a Namgung young lady need? If they just asked, everything would be brought to them.

In that sense, a dagger or jewelry might not make a difference, but Seolhwa readily put the dagger down.

As she was about to leave the iron workshop empty-handed, something caught her eye.

It was an iron pellet the size of a thumb nail. It was the perfect size to be used with the slingshot she had seen at Cheonmuje.

Seolhwa ended up buying a pouch of iron pellets before leaving the iron workshop.

As Ryeon suggested, she looked around a few more jewelry shops, but she found it difficult to choose since she didn’t know what was considered pretty.

Ultimately, after visiting several jewelry shops, she bought a rabbit-shaped hair ornament that resembled Hwarin, and then decided to return to the spot where they had parted ways an hour ago.

Having come quite a distance, they were rushing their steps when suddenly.

“Mmph, mmph!”

“?”

At the urgent, muffled sound, Seolhwa instinctively looked towards the alley behind the shop.

At that moment, Seolhwa’s eyebrows furrowed.

“…Hwarin?”

It was a fleeting moment. A child, with her mouth covered, disappeared behind the shop.

In that fleeting moment, Seolhwa saw the child’s face. It was clearly Namgung Hwarin.

“Excuse me? What did you say?”

As Ryeon asked, Seolhwa bolted towards the alley.

“Young Miss!”

Ryeon urgently chased after her.

“Young Miss, why suddenly… Gasp…!”

Ryeon’s eyes, as he followed Seolhwa into the alley, were filled with horror.

Deeper in the alley, behind a building where people rarely passed, a person lay collapsed. He was still breathing, but the sword wound was deep.

Seolhwa immediately pinpointed the pressure points to stop the bleeding, then picked up the token hanging from the person’s waist and showed it to Ryeon.

“It’s a Namgung guard.”

It was a token symbolizing Namgung’s Golden Dragon Guard.

Ryeon urgently checked the face of the fallen man.

“This man…! He’s Young Miss Hwarin’s guard!”

“Ryeon.”

Seolhwa looked in the direction Hwarin had disappeared and spoke to Ryeon.

“Move this guard to a safe place and go get Father. I’ll pursue them.”

“No, Young Miss! What if you get into danger…! I’ll pursue them instead!”

“I don’t know who these guys are, but they took down a Namgung guard and took Hwarin. Their target is a Namgung young lady. If you get caught pursuing them, you’d die, but I’d likely survive.”

Moreover, if they were from the Heukdo, they might be some of the guys I got acquainted with while at Hwaoru.

‘If I happen to know them, I might be able to talk it out and end it peacefully.’

Even if not, if they’re targeting ‘Namgung’, they might be willing to exchange Hwarin for someone of equal value – myself.

“Besides, I’m smaller than you and stronger, aren’t I?”

And I’m confident in my stealth.

At Seolhwa’s words, Ryeon realized he couldn’t stop her any longer.

Seolhwa shed her cumbersome long robe and handed it to Ryeon, then took out the pouch of iron pellets she had just bought and fastened it to her waist.

Seolhwa showed Ryeon one of the iron pellets.

“I’ll drop these along the way. If you’re worried about me, hurry.”

“…Yes, Young Miss.”

Seolhwa nodded and stood up. Without hesitation, she sprinted in the direction Hwarin had been dragged.

“Please…! Stay safe…!”

Ryeon, who had been watching the receding Seolhwa with trembling eyes, also quickly attended to the fallen Golden Dragon Guard and moved.

It would be troublesome if the kidnapping of a Namgung young lady in broad daylight became known, so they had to move as quickly and secretly as possible.

Cold sweat trickled down Ryeon’s forehead as he ran, carrying the Golden Dragon Guard.

“Seriously, I told you to handle her carefully!”

“No, really, this brat bit my hand, okay? And I just gave her a slight push! Just a slight one!”

“A slight push makes a kid faint? Did you forget the Chief said he wouldn’t let it slide if there’s even a single scratch on her?”

The sound of their bickering could be heard not far away.

Seolhwa, who had been following their tracks, hid herself in the shadows behind a rock.

‘Two Jeoljeong experts. The rest aren’t slouches either. Who in the world are these guys?’

She had guessed they weren’t ordinary thugs, having taken down a Namgung inner-hall guard and kidnapped a Namgung child.

Even for Seolhwa, who was accustomed to combat, extracting an unconscious Hwarin from among such high-level experts wouldn’t be easy.

Among the five or six masked figures, Hwarin lay unconscious on one man’s shoulder.

A river leading to Chao Lake. Behind a secluded hill, their boat was docked.

‘Janggang Surochae…?’

Though loosely concealed, the black flag stuck in the stern of the boat made it clear.

Even if not, the Janggang Surochae were the only Heukdo faction dominating this area.

‘Why are those guys targeting Namgung?’

The Janggang Surochae is a massive unorthodox faction that has established its power around the great waterways spanning the entire Jungwon.

They were a force not to be underestimated, but they shouldn’t be the kind to openly provoke Namgung.

Are they planning to start a war?

‘But even if they waged war against Namgung, the Surochae would gain nothing.’

So they weren’t the type to deliberately antagonize Namgung, but why…?

It was then.

“Welcome back, brothers!”

A man appeared on the boat’s deck and waved to the men below.

“I’ll lower the gangplank right away! Please wait a moment!”

A cheerful voice, an innocent smile.

Seolhwa’s eyebrows slanted askew.

‘Why is *he* there?’