Chapter 50
It was deep into the night.
Soso couldn’t fall asleep, even though the starlight had already dimmed.
Meeting Dodong and Myeong on the road had been a pleasant surprise — they were so adorable that dinner had felt cheerful and lively.
But once she was alone, her thoughts refused to settle.
Her mind was completely clouded with worries about Young Master Eonwoo.
It was probably because of what she had heard in the carriage.
On their way to Hubei, Namgung Jin had told her about the ongoing war with the Demonic Cult, and also explained in detail about the madmen.
“Among the madmen who attacked the Namgung Clan, one of them was Peng Seojin — who had been kidnapped during the Eight Blood Calamity.”
According to Namgung Jin, several of those kidnapped during that calamity had been forcibly infused with the Heavenly Demon’s martial energy, turning them into madmen.
The recently deceased disciple of the Wudang Sect and Peng Seojin were such cases.
“Will Young Master Eonwoo be all right?”
“I haven’t heard anything about Cheong Eonwoo Dojang being involved. All we can do is hope he’s safe.”
What if our young master has become one of those madmen?
Even the Golden-Robed Divine Maiden from fifty years ago had been unable to cure madness.
“But if I improve my ability further… maybe I could heal even a madman.”
Soso pushed aside her anxiety and decided to think of what she could actually do.
Her first priority was to strengthen her abilities.
Her second — to investigate the Demonic Cult more deeply.
Once morning came, she and her group planned to visit the Wudang Sect.
When they left the Namgung estate, Namgung Seonyul had promised to send a letter of introduction to Wudang’s sect leader, so there shouldn’t be any issue entering the mountain.
Having sorted her thoughts, she should have been able to sleep.
But sleep wouldn’t come.
Finally, Soso got out of bed and stepped outside her room.
The room next to hers was shared by Namgung Jin, Jegal Haesoo, and Myeong.
Myeong had wanted to share a room with Soso, but the two men had vehemently objected, their eyes sharp with alarm.
The reason, of course, was that Myeong was male — at least outwardly.
Though that was merely the official reason. The two men were clearly still suspicious of Myeong’s true identity.
Soso didn’t interfere.
As cute and endearing as Myeong was, even she couldn’t be sure of who — or what — he really was.
Until they visited Wudang and learned the truth, she couldn’t completely trust him.
I wonder if they’re all asleep by now.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she quietly peered toward their room.
But then, the door began to open slightly.
“…!”
Startled, Soso quickly slipped back into her room. After a while, she peeked out again — just her head showing.
She saw Jegal Haesoo quietly leaving the room.
Where is he going?
Soso followed, silent as a shadow.
She didn’t call out — his slumped shoulders made her stop.
Her hand twitched, but she lowered it again.
He eventually stopped behind the inn.
There was a neatly kept courtyard there.
Soso hid behind the building and watched.
Jegal Haesoo unfolded the fan he always carried.
Then he began to move — performing a fan dance.
The movements were slower and more graceful than a sword dance, carrying a refined elegance — yet no unnecessary motion.
When he leapt into the air, landing as lightly as a butterfly, his steps seemed weightless.
All of his movements were soft and fluid — except for his eyes, which were sharp and cold.
His usual crescent-shaped gaze now looked fierce for the first time.
She had never realized that his face, without its usual smile, could look so sharp and distant.
It felt almost like she was watching another person entirely.
Soso found herself entranced by that difference — unable to look away.
Swish—!
She didn’t know how long she had listened to the sound of the fan slicing through the air.
After a long while, Jegal Haesoo’s dance came to an end.
He sat down heavily, panting softly as though exhausted. Then he swept back his sweat-damp hair and looked up at the night sky.
His face held nothing but bitterness.
Soso suddenly remembered how lifeless he had looked back at the Namgung estate.
Is he still blaming himself for falling asleep under the spell of the Dream Incense?
Then, his head suddenly dropped.
He hunched over, curling up as if struck by sudden pain.
“S–Sir Jegal!”
Soso’s heart leapt in shock.
Before she even realized it, her feet had moved on their own. She rushed over and grabbed his shoulders.
“Are you all right?”
“…Sa–Sami? Ugh…”
“What’s wrong?”
“I–I’m fine. Just… give me a moment. Haa…”
Jegal Haesoo took slow, practiced breaths — as though this pain was something familiar. Even so, his shoulders trembled beneath her hands.
“Should I treat you?”
“No… no need. Just… hold me, for a moment.”
There was none of his usual easygoing charm in his voice — only pain.
Soso hesitated, then gently wrapped her arms around him.
As she softly patted his back, his ragged breathing slowly steadied.
Before long, he pushed her away gently, as if to say he was fine now.
“I’m all right.”
“Did you strain yourself training too hard?”
“I only practiced the fan dance for a bit, but it seems the impure energy reached my meridians. It’ll pass soon — don’t worry.”
“I see…”
“Really, don’t worry. More importantly, what are you doing out here in the middle of the night? Didn’t I tell you not to wander around alone? It’s dangerous.”
Jegal Haesoo tried to change the subject, noticing how worried she looked.
Truthfully, the pain from the impure energy wasn’t a big deal to him.
It was an old, familiar torment — one he had long since learned to endure.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I came out for some air… and then I saw you.”
“Well, I couldn’t sleep either. Ended up training to clear my head.”
“Then first, let me apologize. I’m sorry. I know it’s rude to secretly watch a martial artist train, but I saw you by accident.”
“It’s fine. It wasn’t anything impressive anyway.”
“But the way your fan went swish! slicing through the air — it was amazing!”
“Are you trying to cheer me up?”
Soso smiled softly.
“No. I mean it.”
“If I were as strong as Namgung Jin, maybe it would’ve looked a bit more impressive.”
“You said it’s just impure energy — may I try treating it?”
“Huh?”
Soso had experience handling cold qi and demonic energy. Impure qi shouldn’t be too different, should it?
For some reason, she felt confident.
“What if you turn into an icicle again like last time?”
“Then you’ll just have to take responsibility for me, Sir Jegal.”
“You’ve gotten cheeky, haven’t you?”
“I’m just learning from the best.”
“Hahaha.”
He laughed awkwardly — guilty, almost.
“All right, do as you like.”
“This time… I think it might actually work.”
“Fine. Just promise you won’t overdo it.”
His expression suggested he already expected her to fail.
That didn’t sit well with Soso — after all, she might succeed.
“I won’t overdo it. Now… I’ll place my hand on your chest for a moment.”
“You can keep it there as long as you want. I won’t complain.”
“I won’t keep it there that long.”
To focus, Soso drew in a breath and shouted a tiny, determined kiai:
“Hap!”
The unexpectedly cute sound made Jegal Haesoo nearly burst out laughing.
But he pressed his lips shut tightly, not wanting to break her concentration.
