Chapter 35
“Haa… Brother, as you must already know… the atmosphere in the household has been quite unsettling lately, hasn’t it?”
With that, Namgung Chumyeong began, briefly explaining the scene he had witnessed in the marketplace.
“…And so, for Soyo’s safety, I was about to confirm what sort of disgraceful act this servant had committed behind her back. Ah! How fortunate—you and Heemyeong can serve as witnesses.”
Namgung Heemyeong quickly stepped forward to defend Seoryeong.
“Second brother, there must be some misunderstanding. That guy may be a bit arrogant, but he would never betray Soyo—”
“Indeed, Heemyeong. We can verify whether it’s a misunderstanding or not right here and now.”
Cutting him off, Namgung Chumyeong issued a cold order to Seoryeong.
“Take out what’s hidden in your chest.”
“…”
“Hurry!”
Seoryeong lowered his head deeply, remaining silent, as though waiting for Yeoil to somehow resolve this crisis.
Inside that bamboo tube could be written Namgung Chumyeong’s true identity—or maybe not.
It could contain the Namgung clan’s assassination list—or simply say “unknown.”
Either way, the moment it was opened, it would expose the fact that Seoryeong had been secretly gathering Namgung family information and communicating with outsiders.
And if that came to light, Yeoil would inevitably be implicated as well.
“If you won’t take it out, we’ll do it for you.”
One of the guards stepped forward, searched Seoryeong’s chest, and pulled out a small bamboo tube.
Namgung Chumyeong untied the string binding it, and just as he was about to unfold the paper tucked inside—
Tap, tap.
Yeoil’s slender fingers drummed lightly against the bedside. At the same moment, someone darted into the room like an arrow, slipping past Namgung Chumyeong’s shoulder.
“Who goes there!”
Guards and Namgung Heemyeong instantly drew their swords, but the intruder—calm and composed—snatched the bamboo tube from Namgung Chumyeong and tossed it aside.
“That’s—!”
Everyone was left utterly dumbfounded.
The man who had stormed in so suddenly was none other than Jin Cheongak—a face Namgung Heemyeong recognized immediately.
“Hmm. I see.”
While everyone else stood frozen, Jin Cheongak nonchalantly checked the contents of the paper, then dropped it into the teapot and stirred it with his finger.
The warm water quickly dissolved the paper into pulp, making its contents unreadable.
A guard under the Namgung family had just blatantly ignored the second young master—a truly shocking sight.
And Jin Cheongak only added fuel to the fire.
“My apologies, sir. But when I saw that the letter meant for me had been stolen and was about to be read aloud in front of so many people, I couldn’t help myself.”
His brazen and irreverent tone left everyone staring at Namgung Chumyeong in disbelief.
Even the usually composed Namgung Chumyeong could not suppress his anger this time.
“Heh. Ridiculous! You expect me to believe that?”
“And what if you don’t?”
The lazy reply nearly made Namgung Chumyeong’s face turn black with rage—
—but sensing Yeoil’s sharp gaze, Jin Cheongak abruptly changed his attitude. With a bright grin, he stooped to pick up the bamboo tube that had rolled to the floor.
“So, our honorable second young master doesn’t believe me, hmm? Then I’ll tell you what the letter was about. Nothing impressive—it was information about Pal-Gwi, the Blood-Drinking Ghost Sword.”
“…The Blood-Drinking Ghost Sword?”
“Indeed. Our dear Lady Namgung recently had a brush with him—her life was nearly in danger, wasn’t it?”
Yeoil gave a small nod, carefully observing Namgung Chumyeong’s expression.
Something was strange.
He didn’t look surprised as though he already knew, nor skeptical as though he disbelieved—rather, his face was a mix of ‘Could it be true?’ and ‘So it’s come to this!’—a complex and unsettled reaction.
“Oh my, is this the first you’ve heard of it? Was it meant to be a secret, third young master?”
Namgung Heemyeong scratched his neck awkwardly, glancing at his brother.
“Well, I was going to tell you later. You’d only worry unnecessarily, and with the martial tournament coming up, I didn’t want to add to your burden…”
“I can’t believe this.”
Rejecting Jin Cheongak’s explanation outright, Namgung Chumyeong fixed a cold stare on Yeoil.
“My apologies, Soyo. But your servant’s suspicious behavior, and now this newly arrived bodyguard’s shady conduct—I can’t overlook it any longer, not even for your sake. Take them both away.”
“Yes, sir.”
As the guards surrounded Jin Cheongak, Namgung Heemyeong hurriedly stepped forward.
“Brother! Why are you in such a rush? Please, calm down! What Jin here said about killing Pal-Gwi isn’t a lie. I was there! I’m a witness!”
The guards turned to Jin Cheongak with disbelief written on their faces.
That this man, of all people, had slain that notorious specter—it seemed impossible.
Namgung Heemyeong quickly explained the encounter they’d had near Hubei province, but Namgung Chumyeong wasn’t convinced.
“Get a grip, Heemyeong! Pal-Gwi disappeared while you were unconscious. Did you see the corpse with your own eyes?”
“Ha! I didn’t need to! You can just tell! Soyo, you saw it yourself, right? Didn’t Jin defeat the Blood-Drinking Ghost Sword?”
“You fool—she’s blind! How could she have seen anything?”
“She may not see, but she knows everything! Damn it…”
Then suddenly—
Clang.
Cutting through their raised voices came the sound of heavy metal striking the floor.
A sword.
Old, but meticulously cared for—a long blade gleaming faintly in the light.
Amid the confusion, Namgung Jeokmyeong cautiously picked it up and examined the hilt and edge with an appreciative murmur.
“This is… extraordinary. A vile aura has seeped into this steel for years. Could it be the Blood-Drinking Ghost Sword’s weapon?”
“Indeed it is. The very sword once wielded by Pal-Gwi, the terror of the underworld, my honorable young master.”
“Oh? How amusing.”
“Yes, not quite a masterpiece, but valuable enough. I took it as a trophy after killing him. Even a layman could confirm its authenticity if shown to an expert.”
Turning, Jin Cheongak met Namgung Chumyeong’s eyes.
“I was planning to sell it soon anyway. But since we’re here—why not have you buy it instead? You’ll confirm whether my story’s true, and I’ll make some money. A win-win, wouldn’t you say?”
His mockery was enough to make any guard fear for his life, yet Namgung Chumyeong maintained a stony, restrained calm.
“…A flimsy excuse. All the more reason you should reveal what was written in that tube, to clear your name.”
“Can’t you just let it go? You’re really determined to make this mess worse, huh.”
With a sigh that dripped with exasperation, Jin Cheongak waved his hand dismissively.
“Fine, fine. Since you insist, I’ll tell the truth. That letter, you see… I hid it because half of it was a love letter. Satisfied now?”
A love letter.
“What… a love letter?”
Namgung Chumyeong’s face went blank for a moment.
“Yes, a love letter.”
Jin Cheongak gave him a deadpan look, exhaling a long, tired sigh.
“From Yurim of Mount Hua Sect. She’s the one who sent it. Said she fell for my face the moment we met and began confessing her affection. Do you feel better now, prying into my personal affairs?”
“…”
Everyone fell silent.
“Really… if little Sister Yurim finds out about today, how embarrassed will she be? Still, since my life was threatened, I had no choice but to reveal it. Isn’t that right, Lady Namgung?”
“…”
“If you don’t believe me, go ahead and send someone to the Mount Hua Sect to confirm it. Yurim. From Mount Hua. Yu–rim.”
At this point, Yeoil could only sigh inwardly.
Perhaps realizing things had gone as far as they could, she suddenly felt overwhelmingly weary.
As her breathing grew shallow and faint, she quietly collapsed with a soft thud.
“What—? Lady Namgung?”
Jin Cheongak was the first to notice. He quickly grabbed her limp shoulders and shouted in alarm.
“Forget Yurim or whatever—our precious Lady Namgung just fainted! Wake up, my lady! You can’t leave me behind like this!”
After all—there was nothing quite like a fainting spell to neatly end a troublesome situation.
