Chapter 191
191
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Unlike me, who leisurely spent time reading the books Jang Mi-ryeo lent me, Yeon-ryang couldn't sit still.
He paced around the room, looking anxious. As the appointed time drew closer, his footsteps became more frequent, and I looked at Yeon-ryang with a puzzled expression.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
"I don't know either. I just have a bad feeling..."
Yeon-ryang replied, frowning as he looked out the window.
I had never seen him like this even when we were at the Murim Alliance headquarters, and I also felt uneasy.
It wasn't just a simple worry, but felt more like the intuition of an experienced Martial Artist.
"You have a bad feeling? Should we just not go?"
"No, we have to go. I need to find out what their purpose is for calling my sister here."
Yeon-ryang shook his head and stared intently at the waist of a guard, then turned his gaze towards the armory.
He seemed to be contemplating whether to grab a common iron sword.
"Brother, swords are forbidden."
"I'm not saying I'll draw it. Just in case..."
"I said no. There's a reason why we left the swords behind."
When I shook my head firmly, Yeon-ryang smiled bitterly and sighed deeply.
"Seriously. My sister received her first Martial Duel Letter, and all I can do is sit here and watch."
"Don't worry, just watch, Brother. I didn't know it myself, but I'm stronger than I thought. Do-jang Songhwa flew away with one punch, you know."
Then Yeon-ryang tapped my head with a look that said I was being careless and would get a bloody nose.
"This Young lady, how can you compare yourself to a Three Great Disciples who isn't even fully developed? Martial Artists from the Orthodox Faction tend to have slower initial progress, so you can't just think simply and compare. If you're going to compare, you have to do it with the First Disciples. Their potential only reveals itself over time."
"I know what you mean, but I'm also an Orthodox Faction Martial Artist, Brother."
At my retort, Yeon-ryang made a face as if he had forgotten and sighed softly.
"...Ah, right."
What do you mean, "Ah, right"? This guy is treating me like I'm from the Unorthodox Faction. It's Poison, but it's Orthodox Mental Cultivation.
Belatedly clearing his throat, Yeon-ryang changed the subject.
"Anyway, don't be careless. When I was young, I didn't know how vast the world was and ran around recklessly, and ended up getting my face slashed. It doesn't matter to me since I'm a man, but if a beautiful Young Miss like you gets a scar, that won't do. First, be careful, second, be careful. Got it?"
"Yeah, I'll be careful."
"You're so good at answering."
When I put a Candied fruit in Yeon-ryang's smirking mouth, he stretched my cheeks and munched on the Candied fruit.
After silencing Yeon-ryang with the Candied fruit, I bit my lip and closed the book. I couldn't focus on the words anymore.
There's no way Yeon-ryang would be anxious for no reason. As he worried, there was a high possibility that the other party had called me out with impure intentions.
I need to prepare thoroughly.
I moved Grandfather's extreme Poison to the outside of my sleeve for easy access and looked out the window. The sun was already setting.
"Brother, let's go a little late. We don't know what their scheme is, so it's better to watch from a distance and then move."
"Alright. The one who's eager will be waiting."
We sipped tea until the night was deep.
The meeting place was at the entrance of a forest about half an hour's walk from the Golden Dragon Merchant Group.
"It's kind of eerie."
"Yeah. It feels like something's about to pop out..."
At that moment, before I could finish speaking, an unpleasant Qi made the hairs on my body stand on end.
I quickly moved back, and a sharp blade cut through the spot where I had been standing just a moment ago.
"So-hye!"
Yeon-ryang shouted sharply and kicked the man who had come right in front of him in the stomach.
The man rolled on the ground and got up, his eyes red. He was someone who had mastered Demonic Arts.
Damn it. Who sent the Martial Duel Letter? It turns out a Demonic Cultist was on my tail? How did they find out? Why did I even do that act of chivalry?
My breathing became rough with anxiety.
I have to take care of this before Yeon-ryang steps in. I can't afford to hold back.
"Brother, take good care of Ju-ryeong! Don't fight, okay?"
After throwing Ju-ryeong to Yeon-ryang as if tossing her away, I hurriedly reached into my sleeve. My hand, taking out Grandfather's extreme Poison that I had been saving, trembled slightly.
I gritted my teeth and gripped the Flying Dagger.
\ \ *
The sky was unusually blue.
Jeokroe, watching his master enjoying the warm sunlight that was uncharacteristic of early winter, handed Namgung Hwi a teacup.
Namgung Hwi, holding the warm tea in his hands and looking at the cloudless sky, opened his mouth.
"Jeokroe."
"Yes."
"After sleeping and thinking about it, I think it's right for me to go in person."
"...Ah, is that so."
Jeokroe replied nonchalantly.
"You think that's better too, right?"
"Yes, yes. Young Patriarch. If you say it one more time, that'll be the sixth reversal. How can your mind change so easily with every breath you take?"
"I've decided for sure this time. Misunderstandings should be resolved immediately. Honestly asking for forgiveness is the way to win someone's heart."
"What misunderstanding could Dang Sojeo have? She probably doesn't even remember you, Young Patriarch. More than that, where did you hear that from?"
"That's what they said in a romance novel."
"...When did you find the time to read that?"
"Yeon-a's book was mixed in with my luggage."
Jeokroe swallowed a hollow laugh and poured hot water into the teapot, listening to Namgung Hwi reciting the contents of his younger sister's romance novel with one ear and letting it out the other.
His master, who had slept a full four hours for the first time in a while, was docile... well, not quite, but considerably more gentle.
"When we return to Hapcheon, you should go home too. Your mother must be waiting."
Just the fact that he was offering a vacation first showed that.
Jeokroe thought that he should make sure his master slept first no matter what happened in the future and replied.
"She probably won't be very happy even if I go. She's only excited when you go with me, Young Patriarch. Who's the son here..."
"Then shall we go together?"
"Weren't you giving me a vacation? You want me to go all the way to my hometown and still take care of you?"
Jeokroe grumbled, but Namgung Hwi didn't mind and asked.
"Is your back still not good these days? Does she have enough medicinal herbs?"
"She already has more than enough. What you've provided so far is sufficient, so please stop sending more. Wagons are coming and going almost every day, and she's afraid of thieves breaking in."
"Just bring her to Hapcheon."
"How can I break my mother's stubbornness? She gets angry, saying to let her die where she's lived her whole life. Just give me vacations often."
Namgung Hwi, lightly ignoring Jeokroe's request, put down his teacup and looked over his clothes.
"Does this look too flashy? Should I change into something more plain?"
"It's even stranger for Namgung Young Patriarch to appear in plain clothes. Just go as you are."
"Alright. But can I really go empty-handed? Even a small gift..."
"Young Patriarch. What did I tell you?"
"Don't try to win her heart with a clumsy gift."
"You remember well. Just show your face today. And speak nicely."
"...Alright."
Namgung Hwi, who answered obediently, took a deep breath.
It's been a full three years.
He couldn't quite picture what kind of face he should greet her with, or how he should start the conversation.
'If I suddenly call her name, she'll be surprised, right? It's better to be polite as if it's our first meeting.'
He bit his lip and tried to recall how he had acted when he had met Young Misses from other sects.
But it was of no help at all.
Dang So-hye wouldn't like a conversation at the tea table filled with insincere greetings and useless blessings.
But if he brought up old stories, it would be like confessing his own shortcomings, so he didn't really want to do that.
'Does she like playing the zither? Should I talk about musical pieces? No, So-hye is also a Martial Artist, so should I talk about martial arts...'
His worries continued until the sun set.
Jeokroe had a dumbfounded expression at his master's foolish appearance, but he quietly stayed by his side.
He thought it was better for him to clear his head like that.
'...Is he really clearing his head? He seems even more confused.'
Just as Jeokroe was wondering if he had made the wrong choice, Namgung Hwi suddenly stood up.
"Let's go, Jeokroe."
"It's still a bit early, Young Patriarch."
"I can't keep So-hye waiting."
Jeokroe, smiling at his excited voice, obediently followed his master.
But there was no one at the meeting place.
Namgung Hwi's face gradually became gloomy as he stood still and checked the position of the stars from time to time.
"It's past midnight, right?"
"Yes. It seems she's late."
"She's not not coming, is she?"
"Dang Sojeo said she wanted to meet first. Something might have happened on the way, so let's wait a little longer."
Namgung Hwi nodded and listened to the sounds around him.
Not even the sound of wild animals roaming within ten yards. Then, within ten miles...
The sound of weapons clashing could be heard in the distance. Namgung Hwi's expression changed, and he reached for the hilt of his sword.
"Jeokroe."
"I heard it too."
No other words were needed. As Namgung Hwi's figure soared, Jeokroe followed behind him.
Traces of battle remained in the thicket a quarter of an hour away from the meeting place.
Jeokroe coughed and fanned himself, feeling the thick Poison even from a distance.
"Keck! Cough, cough! It seems Dang Sojeo was here."
"Don't come closer, Jeokroe."
"Take the Antidote Pill with you, Young Patriarch."
Namgung Hwi, taking the Antidote Pill in his mouth, walked into the sunken Poisonous fog and surveyed the surroundings.
Several Hidden Weapons that had not been collected were scattered on the ground, and there were traces of blood that had been spilled not long ago.
'Was she attacked?'
Namgung Hwi, carefully examining the sword marks, knelt down on one knee. His eyes became sharp as he swept the dirt with his fingertips.
"Young Patriarch, is that perhaps..."
Namgung Hwi nodded in affirmation and came out of the Poisonous fog.
He expelled the Poison that had permeated his body with the Antidote Pill and spat out the blackened bead.
"Ptooey, Demonic Transformation. It seems So-hye encountered a Demonic Cultist."
A sense of tension arose on the faces of the two men as they exchanged glances.
