Chapter 157
Episode 157
Jang Mi-ryeo, seemingly embarrassed by her loss of control, tried incessantly to change the subject.
However, she seemed unable to compose herself, her voice trembling slightly at the end.
Yang Gyo-jin, unable to bear it any longer, huffed and reached for his sword.
“Mi-ryeo, let’s just go in. We can just knock everyone down and go in, right?”
“Now, now, Young Master Yang, staying still is helping. If Young Miss Jang’s guest uses force recklessly, Young Miss Jang will be in trouble, you know?”
Yeon-ryang, who had snagged Yang Gyo-jin’s nape with his scabbard as he tried to turn back, chuckled.
He smacked his lips and glanced at the Head Merchant’s residence.
The fact that they were so insistent on not letting anyone in seemed to confirm that poison was involved.
I quietly called Ju-ryeong.
“Ju-ryeong.”
“Kyoo.”
“Can you go quietly and discreetly? Check if it’s poison, and if it is, detoxify it and come back.”
“Kit!”
Ju-ryeong, answering spiritedly, jumped from my sleeve and disappeared into the darkness.
After placating Yang Gyo-jin and putting him in the reception hall, I stood guard in Jang Mi-ryeo’s bedroom, and before I knew it, it was dawn.
Just as the birds began to chirp, Ju-ryeong returned and wriggled into my arms.
“Was it poison?”
“Kyau.”
“Do you think she’ll get better?”
“…Kurook.”
Judging by the ambiguous answer, the prognosis didn’t seem good.
Was it already too late?
I felt sorry, but there was nothing more I could do without seeing her condition directly. Since Ju-ryeong had neutralized the poison, I could only hope that the Head Merchant would hold out until the Martial Arts Tournament for Marriage was over.
I glanced at Jang Mi-ryeo, who was asleep with a pale face, and surveyed the surroundings.
In the twilight of dawn, I could hear the sounds of people busily starting their day.
“Hey, about that young Swordmaster from yesterday. It seems the Young Miss likes him. They even had dinner together yesterday.”
“He was the most handsome of the participants. Everyone else was too old.”
“There was even an Old man with snow-white hair.”
“Ugh, really? Did he know the Young Miss’s age and still do that? How awful. By the way, that Young Master was from the Yang Clan, right? Do you think he’ll win?”
The Maids were talking about Yang Gyo-jin. It seemed that the previous day’s martial arts contest had left a strong impression on people’s minds.
“He won’t. I heard the Lord of the Pavilion has already decided on the Young Miss’s groom? You know, among the Martial Artists the Lord of the Pavilion brings with him…”
“Shhh. Be quiet. Someone might hear.”
My ears perked up at the mention that Jang Mi-ryeo’s marriage partner had already been decided.
If the Maids were talking about it, it seemed that Jang Ho-jung had sent out a skilled subordinate to the Martial Arts Tournament for Marriage.
Should I take some measures in advance?
Lost in thought, I fiddled with the pouch containing Mountain Air Poison. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Yang Gyo-jin’s skills, but there was no harm in reducing the possibility of things going wrong.
But was Mountain Air Poison too obvious?
Okay, let’s compromise with a mild stomachache. Just enough to not cause a leak.
“Ju-ryeong. Will you do one more errand for me?”
“Kiee?”
“Go to the Golden Scale Pavilion and…”
\ \ \
After many twists and turns, the second day of the Martial Arts Tournament for Marriage dawned.
Jang Mi-ryeo, putting on her shoes with the solemnity of a general going to the battlefield, looked more splendid than yesterday, having put a lot of effort into her attire.
After a moment of hesitation, I took off my Cape.
Last night, Jang Mi-ryeo had directly revealed that I was a member of the Tang Clan, so it seemed helpful to reveal the Green Robe so that everyone could see it.
“Young Miss Jang. Just a moment.”
I grabbed Jang Mi-ryeo, who was about to leave the detached palace, and held out my hand towards her.
“Could you give me your hand for a moment?”
“Yes?”
“This is my Protective Charm, I’ll lend it to you for a few days. If you turn it to the right, Poison Needles will be ejected. If anyone approaches with impure intentions, bury the Poison Needles in their face.”
As I took off the Jade bracelet and put it on Jang Mi-ryeo’s wrist, her eyes widened. She looked back and forth between the bracelet and me, hesitating.
“Is it alright for me to borrow something so precious?”
“We’re in the same boat, aren’t we? We have to row together to reach our destination, don’t we?”
As I acted nonchalantly, a smile spread across Jang Mi-ryeo’s anxious face.
“…The trust that Dang Sojeo has shown me, I will repay it with trust. Thank you. Dang Sojeo.”
“And for the time being, take this one with you. I and Gyo-jin will stick with you as much as possible, but just in case.”
“Kit?”
“Stay with Young Miss Jang. You know what to do, right?”
“Kkyuk.”
As I handed Ju-ryeong to Jang Mi-ryeo, she asked with a slightly flushed face.
“Is it alright to feed him snacks?”
“Of course. Ju-ryeong likes meat the most.”
“I’ll have to prepare jerky. Jinjin.”
While the quick-witted Maid disappeared to get jerky, Ju-ryeong yawned and snuggled into Jang Mi-ryeo’s arms, falling fast asleep. It seemed he was tired from running around all night.
Jang Mi-ryeo’s lips softened as she looked down at Ju-ryeong, who was curled up and asleep. She moved her steps carefully, as if worried about waking him up.
Just as I was about to tell her that she didn’t have to be so careful, someone shouted and ran into the detached palace.
“Young Miss! Mi-ryeo Young Miss!”
“What’s all the commotion? We have a guest.”
Despite Jang Mi-ryeo’s stern scolding, the servant did not lower his voice. Rather, he gasped for breath and shouted.
“Y-Young Miss! The Head Merchant has awakened!”
Ju-ryeong, you beautiful thing. You did your job properly all night!
“Father has awakened? Is he fully conscious? Did he say anything in particular? We can’t just stand here. L-Let’s go right now!”
Jang Mi-ryeo, excited, led the servant and rushed out of the detached palace. The Bodyguard who had been waiting for Jang Mi-ryeo in front of the detached palace hurriedly followed behind.
“Brother. Good morning.”
“My sister doesn’t look good at all. You look like you stayed up all night.”
“It’s okay. More importantly, shouldn’t we follow them?”
I exchanged morning greetings with Yeon-ryang, who was standing blankly next to the spot where the Bodyguard had been standing, and took a step in the direction the two had run.
\ \ \
Was it because the Head Merchant had awakened?
No one blocked Jang Mi-ryeo’s path to the Head Merchant’s residence.
The attitude of the courteous guard Martial Artists was so different that I almost wondered if last night’s events had been a dream.
But it wasn’t all bad. The fact that their attitude had changed as soon as the Head Merchant regained consciousness meant that the retainers hadn’t completely fallen under the control of her uncle, Jang Ho-jung.
“Father…”
“Mi-ryeo, you’ve come.”
“Yes. Mi-ryeo is here. You must recover quickly and get up.”
Jang Mi-ryeo’s father, Jang Ho-yeol, was as gaunt as a withered old tree.
If I didn’t know he was in his 40s, I would have mistaken him for an Old man over sixty, his energy was so depleted.
I understood why Ju-ryeong had been vague in his answer, and I swallowed a sigh.
The poison that had been blocking the circulation of Qi and Blood Points had disappeared, temporarily restoring his consciousness, but he wouldn’t last long.
I didn’t need to take his pulse to know. The man had at most a fortnight left.
Jang Ho-yeol himself seemed to know that he didn’t have much time left, and he dismissed the Doctor he had called and struggled to get up, saying he would prepare to go out.
Jang Mi-ryeo, flustered, stopped Jang Ho-yeol, but he was unyielding.
“Father. You mustn’t get up yet. First, have your pulse taken…”
“It’s alright. I know my body better than anyone else. Don’t make Doctor Go feel troubled for no reason.”
“Still, if you suddenly get up like this, you’ll collapse again.”
“I have to show my face at the Martial Arts Tournament, even if only for a moment. I have to show that this Jang Ho-yeol is not yet dead, so that Ho-jung will not spare his body.”
“Father…”
“This father is fine. It’s a matter of choosing your son-in-law, so how can I, as your father, not take a single step? Let’s go.”
His legs trembled as he stubbornly leaned on his cane.
Jang Mi-ryeo bit her red lip and helped Jang Ho-yeol prepare to go out.
When the Head Merchant, who had been confined to his residence, appeared at the Martial Arts Tournament, a small commotion arose among the audience.
Jang Ho-jung, who was sitting in the upper seat, looked flustered, but quickly hid his expression and yielded the upper seat to Jang Ho-yeol.
“Seeing my brother rise from his sickbed like this, this younger brother is overjoyed.”
“You must be disappointed.”
“Why do you say such hurtful things, brother? I have been working so hard to make sure your absence is not noticeable.”
Jang Ho-yeol’s expression twisted at the pointed words.
At first glance, it sounded like he was asking for recognition of his efforts, but it was closer to a declaration that the Merchant Guild was already in his grasp.
“You don’t look well, brother. Wouldn’t it be better for you to go back and rest?”
“It’s my decision. Don’t interfere.”
Jang Ho-yeol retorted coldly and leaned back in his chair. Jang Mi-ryeo also sat next to Jang Ho-yeol, trying not to glare at her uncle.
Pretending not to notice, I stood behind Jang Mi-ryeo and began to scout Jang Ho-jung and his surroundings.
Jang Ho-jung himself was definitely an ordinary person with no Inner Energy, but there was something strange about those who were escorting him.
Judging by the murky Qi flowing from them, they were not people who had mastered Orthodox Mental Cultivation. But there was something unsettling about them that made them not quite Unorthodox Martial Artists.
Yeon-ryang also seemed to sense something was wrong, and frowned as he fiddled with his scabbard.
What was particularly bothering me was the red-haired Swordmaster with disheveled hair that covered his eyes.
He was not comparable to the experts I had met so far, but the energy he exuded was unusual.
…That person’s Qi is definitely different.
I glanced at him, clutching the Hidden Weapons in my hand.
At that moment, the red-haired man who had been whistling approached and thrust his face in front of Yeon-ryang.
The corners of his lips curled up wickedly as he met Yeon-ryang’s gaze.
“Hiyah, well, well, well. Who do we have here? It’s Mang-ryang?”
