Chapter 148
148
When the Namgung Family's ship arrived in Yueyang, it was morning with long shadows.
Namgung Hwi, stepping onto the pier, held his head high.
It was his first appearance at the Alliance as the Young Patriarch of his family. He couldn't afford to look clumsy.
As if sensing his burden, Namgung Yo whispered,
"Hwi-a. We are the direct line inheriting the name of the Great Namgung Family. There's no need to care about others' gazes. Just do as you please."
"Don't worry, Sister."
Namgung Hwi replied softly, forcing a smile while trying to appear relaxed.
The area around the pier, where access for commoners was restricted, was chaotic with Murim Alliance Martial Artists and government soldiers mixed together.
Unlike the Martial Artists burning with ambition to gain merit, the government soldiers looked frightened. They were merely commoners fulfilling their military service, dragged here by orders from above, so it was only natural.
"Sending these people who haven't even received proper training and then acting like they've cooperated in the subjugation... Only they have become pitiable."
Namgung Yo muttered, clicking her tongue. Namgung Hwi also glanced at the government soldiers.
To his eyes, the government soldiers all looked like a disorganized rabble. It would be fortunate if they even managed to swing their spears once before dying.
Namgung Hwi, who was about to suggest sending them back, shut his mouth. He remembered something someone had said.
'Good intentions don't always lead to good results.'
Humans tend to view the world through the lens of their own circumstances.
Even if he sent the government soldiers back with good intentions, others would see it differently.
They would perceive it as trying to exclude the government's involvement, trying to monopolize the credit, and would rebel.
The chances of the government soldiers returning home safely were also slim.
If they returned as if they were being chased out, without achieving any merit to report to Geumneung, they might be considered deserters and executed.
Namgung Hwi swallowed a bitter smile.
The child knew the principles of the world that he had only realized after coming outside the family, even within the walls of Tang Family's Others.
How could she do that?
Namgung Hwi, recalling the girl smiling brightly amidst the falling flower petals, lowered his gaze.
...The Japa I ate back then was delicious.
Sometimes, very rarely, when he was tired, he thought of the warm and crispy glutinous rice cake from that day.
Though she probably doesn't even remember it.
Feeling a little gloomy, Namgung Hwi tried to think of something else. Rather than dwelling on things he couldn't change, it would be better to choose a gift to buy for his younger sister.
"Sister. What time is the general assembly?"
"It's at Mi-si. There's a little less than three hours left."
"Then I'll go look around for a bit. I'll check out the atmosphere and see if there's anything suitable as a gift for Yeon-a."
"Do so. But keep track of time."
Namgung Hwi nodded at Namgung Yo's reminder and lightly kicked off the ground, soaring into the air. Namgung Yo, swallowing a sigh, spoke to the empty air.
"Jeokroe. Has any news of that Tang Clan child reached Hwi-a's ears?"
"No, it hasn't. He shouldn't know yet."
"Is that so? I made sure to keep it quiet, but I wonder why he has so many worries and pretends to be an adult... I'm worried. Is it puberty? Follow him."
"Yes, Great Miss."
Namgung Hwi's Bodyguard, who appeared at her call, quickly followed his master.
\ \ \
The atmosphere in Yueyang was unsettling.
The merchants all wore dark expressions, and it was obvious that they were wary of the Martial Artists carrying swords.
"The atmosphere isn't good, Young Patriarch."
Jeokroe, who was surveying the surroundings, whispered quietly.
"It seems so. Is it because of the pirates?"
"This is the first time in recent years that there's been such a large-scale subjugation. I think they're afraid of being harmed by the clashes between the subjugation force and the pirates."
"Should we send them to evacuate?"
"That would be difficult. We can't force them to do that. It's not easy for someone without ties in another region to leave their hometown."
Jeokroe shrugged and took out a coin pouch, dropping two copper coins into the begging bowl of a child.
"Thank you, Great Hero! You'll be blessed, Great Hero!"
The child, hugging the coins, hurriedly ran off somewhere. It seemed he was going to buy food.
Namgung Hwi, watching the scene, gestured with his chin.
"Let's go. We need to have breakfast too."
"The Great Miss will dislike it. She even brought a cook in case you ate dirty... um, outside food."
"It's overprotection. I know what Big Sister is thinking, but why bother with that when I'm not even cultivating the Dao?"
"Young Patriarch! You still have to maintain your dignity!"
"No matter what I wear or what I eat, my dignity won't disappear. Jeokroe. Does the name of Namgung look so ridiculous? Or is it that you don't want to eat it?"
Namgung Hwi retorted arrogantly and scoffed.
"That's not what I meant! Aish, you're making it harder and harder to argue back! You were cute when you were young, but now your words and actions are exactly like the Patriarch...!"
"Aish? You're being cheeky?"
"......"
Jeokroe, startled by Namgung Hwi's annoyance, looked around cautiously and pretended to seal his lips. Namgung Hwi chuckled and waved his hand lightly.
"Don't talk about others. You're the one who's been complaining more. Go find a general store while I eat a bowl of noodles. Yeon-a told me to buy her earrings."
"Yes, Young Patriarch."
Namgung Hwi, having sent Jeokroe away, sat down at a street stall and ordered noodles.
Namgung Hwi, looking down at the bowl with steaming hot vapor rising from it, sighed deeply.
It was just ordinary noodles, with only common chicken garnish on top, but why did it remind him of that child chewing with her cheeks full?
Everywhere he went, there were things that reminded him of her.
He frowned and gulped down the noodle soup.
\ \ \
The general store that Jeokroe found was quite a large building.
However, it didn't seem to handle precious items, and there was nothing that caught Namgung Hwi's eye.
Namgung Hwi, looking around the store with a listless expression, left without any regrets.
"Jeokroe. Let's go back."
"Yes, Young Patriarch."
Just as he turned around to return to the pier, a carriage brushed past him.
Namgung Hwi, feeling a presence from inside the carriage, couldn't help but turn around and frowned.
The person getting out of the carriage that stopped in front of the general store was a Tang Clan Martial Artist.
The green robe with gold thread embroidery, only allowed for the direct line of the Tang Clan, fluttered elegantly in the wind.
'The Tang Clan shouldn't be participating in this subjugation? Why are they in Yueyang at this time?'
Namgung Hwi, wondering, checked the Martial Artist's face, and his eyes widened.
It was different from his memory, but he recognized her at first glance.
Pale white skin. The unique curled eyelashes. Sharp yet gentle eyes.
It was definitely Dang So-hye.
"So-hye...!"
Namgung Hwi, reaching out his hand to call Dang So-hye, slowly lowered it.
It was because the man who got out of the carriage next smiled brightly and wrapped his hand around Dang So-hye's waist.
He didn't know what their relationship was, but the two seemed close enough that there was no room for him to interfere.
Namgung Hwi bit his lower lip tightly.
He didn't want to admit it, but he had expected it. Just because it was a special memory for him didn't mean the other person felt the same way.
But he didn't want to be confirmed in this way.
Dang So-hye had rejected him by not responding to his love letter.
Jeokroe, seeing Namgung Hwi's expression distorting terribly, asked with a puzzled look.
"Young Patriarch? What's wrong?"
"......"
"Are you having stomach problems? I told you not to eat just anything outside. I'm the one who gets scolded, not you."
"You, shut your mouth."
Namgung Hwi, pushing away Jeokroe who was chattering and following him, grabbed the wrist knot on his left hand.
Namgung Hwi, about to tear off the knot with a fierce expression, squeezed his eyes shut and released the strength in his hand.
He couldn't tear it off.
Even though he knew it was meaningless, even though he knew that the person who tied the knot wouldn't even remember...
He couldn't throw it away.
Unfortunately.
\ \ *
Three days had passed while releasing Yeon-ryang's Blood clot, competing with Yang Gyo-jin, and creating an antidote for Mountain Air Poison.
We left the inn as soon as the snow melted and arrived in Yueyang after running all night.
The first thing we did upon arriving in Yueyang was to go to find Mama's letter.
It was because Yeon-ryang had written to her to send a reply to the general store that he knew the owner of.
When we arrived at the general store, Yang Gyo-jin, getting out of the carriage, clung to my waist.
"Where is this? So-hye. Can't we eat first?"
"Did you reserve a meal?"
"I'm hungry."
"Yang Gyo-jin. You were chewing jerky the whole way to Yueyang, weren't you? Don't you have any conscience?"
"That's jerky. I like soft meat."
I was speechless at the absurd answer.
Just as I was about to reply to him, suppressing my annoyance, I had the illusion that someone was calling me.
I turned around as if possessed. But there was no one on the street.
That's strange. It felt like someone called me?
Yang Gyo-jin, seeing me standing blankly, looked up at me with a puzzled expression.
"So-hye. What's wrong?"
"Huh? Nothing."
Did I mishear? Well, who would call me? I guess I'm feeling weak these days.
"So-hye. I want to eat soft meat."
"Okay. Go eat. I lent you money, too. We've arrived in Yueyang, so go your own way now."
"If I separate from you, I can't eat meat. This much money will disappear if I eat meat once."
"......Hey. If you keep doing that, I'll make you pay back ten times the interest."
Even at my fierce reply, Yang Gyo-jin didn't let go of the hand around my waist.
"It's okay. My mother will pay it back. So let's eat meat. How about lamb stew?"
"You're really... Alright. Alright, so let go of this. It's heavy. We can go eat after I take care of some business."
"Really? Lamb stew!"
While I was barely managing to pry Yang Gyo-jin off, Yeon-ryang, who had tied the carriage in front of the store, giggled and spoke.
"Lamb stew will take a while. Wouldn't it be better for Miss Yang to go to the inn first and order? I saw an inn over there on the way here."
"That's right. I'll go!"
Yang Gyo-jin, answering with a gleam in his eyes, disappeared like an arrow in the direction Yeon-ryang pointed.
"Brother. You handle him well."
"I have a younger sister just like him. Please go in first, Miss."
Yeon-ryang replied smoothly and opened the door of the general store. I smiled and stepped inside the store.
