Chapter 58
After a brief treatment, night descended quietly.
Ye-il, now alone, lifted herself up and looked toward Jin Cheong-ak, who was standing by the window, gazing down at the twilight path where the sun had just set.
“Did you already know?”
When she recalled how unusually serious he’d been earlier, it was hard to dismiss the Murim Alliance Lord’s claims as baseless.
Still, as Jin Cheong-ak had said—if the Spirit Emperor’s Wandering Troupe had really joined hands with the Heavenly Demon Cult—there was no way he wouldn’t have known.
Although Jin Cheong-ak often acted independently of the cult, Ye-il already knew that he had maintained steady communication with them for years.
He idly rolled a pebble between his fingers, his gaze still fixed outside the inn’s window, and finally spoke in a low voice.
“…It’s not exactly pleasant to have to give this answer.”
His tone was flat, yet Ye-il could tell he’d been struggling with the issue for quite some time.
“It’s something I truly didn’t know.”
“If you didn’t, then what you know might be closer to the truth.”
“You really think so?”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“When I say I didn’t know… that means the Jin family didn’t know, and even within the Main Temple, information has been tightly contained—only a select few are aware.”
“…”
“Or perhaps… even the Main Temple itself doesn’t know.”
If even the Main Temple was unaware, that meant the cult leader himself might not know—implying a traitor was likely within.
“Then what if they’ve been deceiving you?”
“Hmm. That would hurt my pride… but I suppose it’s possible.”
Ye-il had yet to reveal to Jin Cheong-ak that Namgung Soyo was actually Ye Sogun. She couldn’t yet predict how he might use that information.
In the end, Namgung Soyo wasn’t just the target of the Spirit Emperor’s faction—it was also a goal of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
‘Whether it’s a traitor or the cult leader’s plan… one thing’s clear: they’re both aiming for a new War Between Righteous and Demonic.’
And Ye Sogun’s existence was their excuse.
‘Damn it.’
Truly, damn it all.
So this was karma coming full circle?
Getting entangled with the Spirit Emperor’s faction was bad enough. But if even the Heavenly Demon Cult was now targeting Namgung Soyo, things were spiraling out of control.
She couldn’t blame anyone else—it had been her own choice to walk this path.
Perhaps it would be better to just steal Namgung Clan’s Death Ledger, abandon the name Namgung Soyo, and vanish altogether. If she could only find that ledger the clan had lost…
“You look like you have even more on your mind than I do.”
Ye-il forced a neutral expression.
“I just didn’t expect things to get this troublesome.”
“Really? That’s not like you. If you had known, would our Ye-il have still followed that old man’s dying words and wandered through the martial world like this?”
“Pointless question.”
Jin Cheong-ak gave a faint smile, rose to his feet, and sat beside her.
“You know something, Ye-il?”
His lips curled upward, but his expression wasn’t one of amusement.
“Of all the times I’ve seen you, you look the most alive right now.”
“Are you calling me a corpse?”
He ignored her irritation.
“I find that fact… oddly pleasing, and yet, it turns my stomach. Yes, that’s the right phrase—it turns my stomach.”
“…”
“I like that you’re unlucky.”
His blue-tinged, cool eyes quietly swept over her detached face.
“You—who lives as if you’re all alone in this world, stubborn and unfeeling, never letting anyone into your heart. The you who pretends to be the shy, delicate daughter of a noble clan while poking your nose everywhere…”
He blinked slowly, as if searching for the right words, and exhaled softly.
“That’s just Namgung Soyo, isn’t it?”
She couldn’t make sense of what he was saying.
Jin Cheong-ak was a man whose inner world was dark and impenetrable, and Ye-il had no desire to peer too closely into it.
But one thing was certain—Jin Cheong-ak wanted her misfortune.
He was a free man by nature. And she—she was the one who had chained him down like a dog, leaving him unable to move. It wasn’t wrong to say she’d become the true enemy of his life.
“If you’re that dissatisfied, you can just go back to smacking me upside the head every other day like before.”
At her words, his gaze dimmed slightly, as if recalling those not-so-distant days.
“You were impressive back then. Like a wild beast.”
So, did he want to raise a wild beast? The whims of rich young masters were impossible to comprehend.
Ye-il stood up and turned away.
“That’s enough nonsense for today. Save the rest for tomorrow.”
“How cold. Since you’re already listening, how about just one more?”
“Summarize it in a single sentence.”
“Fine. Easy enough.”
Though he agreed confidently, Jin Cheong-ak didn’t speak again until long after Ye-il had taken off her outer robe and climbed into bed.
“All that I said just now… was sleep-talk. Forget it, Ye-il.”
Murmuring as if to himself, Jin Cheong-ak’s eyes fixed on the distant red lanterns flickering beyond the window.
“Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore.”
Once words are spoken, who can take them back?
Ye-il stared at the face half-swallowed by darkness, then closed her eyes without replying. She didn’t want to think too deeply about her relationship with him. That was surely for the best.
The official martial tournament had begun.
Namgung Heemyung, the first participant representing the clan this year, rose early, completed his morning meditation, and began his first task of the day—
—becoming Ye-il’s babysitter.
“Time’s tight. Go out and warm up already.”
It was the fifth time she’d written that message.
Please, just go.
“Hm.”
Thankfully, after brushing off her fourth attempt with a scoff, Namgung Heemyung finally got up.
“It’s about time anyway. Guess I should stretch a bit.”
Ye-il’s expression brightened. Finally!
‘Let’s see how much he’s improved.’
She quickly scribbled on another paper:
“Please take me with you.”
“…What? No way. Stay in the room and rest. Haven’t I kept you company all this time so you wouldn’t get bored? Just two days ago you were carried back half-dead—what trouble are you trying to get into now?”*
Kept her company? She wanted to scream a rebuttal but barely restrained herself.
“Why worry when I’ll be right beside you, Heemyung? After being cooped up so long, I’d love some fresh air. It’ll help my recovery.”
Heemyung said nothing.
She thought maybe he’d gotten distracted again, but his even breathing told her otherwise. She waited patiently, and after a while his low voice broke the silence.
“…You really think I can protect you? After what happened right beside me?”
So that was it. He’d been acting strangely clingy these past few days—turns out it was guilt. Despite his fiery temper, he was the type to brood easily. As Seol-yeong once said, “He’s got a bit of a kid’s heart.”
Ye-il nodded.
She could easily picture Heemyung’s sulky face and added another line:
“You’re much more reliable than Jeokmyeong. Truly.”
“You serious? Why?”
“Jeokmyeong just gives me a few clothes now and then, but you actually come see me and spend time together.”
(Which is exactly why it’s annoying. Please stop visiting so often.)
“Clothes can only be felt against the skin—but your concern, Heemyung, I can feel throughout my whole body. That’s why I feel safer with you.”
So take me with you.
“Ahem. Well… I do take better care of you, don’t I? If you insist that much…”
Heemyung’s voice lifted slightly, sounding oddly pleased.
“This place is too noisy, so we’ll have to move a bit. Hold on tight.
