Chapter 73
Eun Sowol hurriedly dove into her grandfather’s arms, clutching her pounding heart.
“Ah—what the heck… You scared me, Uncle!”
It wasn’t a bear standing in front of her, but Dokgo Ryong, carrying a bear pelt slung over his shoulders.
Because the bear’s head partially covered Dokgo Ryong’s face, she had mistaken him for a monster.
“Hyung-nim! That’s heavy—put it down alre—hm?”
Dang Jinak, who had followed behind a little late, tapped the frozen Dokgo Ryong on the back, then noticed the unfamiliar old man standing beside Sowol.
“That person is…”
Just as his eyes sharpened—
Boom!
A small gust of wind stirred as something landed beside them.
In the blink of an eye, a massive hand reached toward Eun Sowol’s face as if to swallow it whole.
She quickly stepped back and saw—
“Goodness, young man, what’s with the silence? You almost gave her a heart attack.”
The hand had come from Dokgo Ryong, but it was blocked by the grandfather.
“My niece jumped into a stranger’s arms without hesitation. Of course I had to retrieve her.”
Dokgo Ryong wore a frosty expression, while the grandfather laughed warmly.
There was a strange tension in the air between the two, subtle but heavy.
Sowol had no idea why this was suddenly happening…
“Hal-buji! He’s my uncle!”
Sensing this standoff was because of her, Eun Sowol quickly stood up.
Her grandfather met her round eyes with a gentle smile.
“I thought he was trying to harm the child.”
“He doesn’t hurt me… I mean—he plays a lot of tricks, but he doesn’t actually hurt me!”
The memories of Dokgo Ryong’s teasing flashed through her mind, but Sowol shook her head firmly.
“Is that so? Then this old man must’ve misunderstood.”
The grandfather let go of his strength.
Now free, Dokgo Ryong frowned and scooped up Sowol.
He clicked his tongue and whispered with annoyance.
“…Why do you throw yourself into strangers’ arms without fear?”
“You startled me, remember?”
“So it’s my fault now? Didn’t you once proudly say you wouldn’t follow strangers?”
He lightly pinched her tiny white nose.
“Wahh! Hal-buji’s not a bad person…! We just shared some meat!”
Dokgo Ryong glanced downward.
Bear meat skewers were roasting evenly around the campfire, and the old man held one in his hand.
Despite the circumstances, he seemed to be enjoying his meal at leisure.
Dokgo Ryong’s eyes darkened with suspicion.
“He said he came because of the delicious smell. We traded his spices for our meat. He didn’t get it for free!”
“…And you know what’s in that spice how?”
“Hal-buji tasted it first! I made sure there was no poison!”
The grandfather burst into hearty laughter.
“Kehahaha! Little one, weren’t you showing me kindness? Yet you were checking for poison all along?”
Sowol nodded proudly, as if it were only natural.
“Of course! Uncle told me not to eat food from strangers. And if something was wrong with Hal-buji, wouldn’t Baekwoon have noticed first?”
Kyung?
Baekwoon, who had already devoured a skewer messily, had come down and was now hovering near the fire.
“Uncle, you should try one too. It’s tastier than what we had with the bandits.”
Sowol jumped down from Dokgo Ryong’s arms, picked up two skewers, and handed them to Dokgo Ryong and Dang Jinak.
‘There’s no poison, Hyung-nim.’
Dang Jinak, after sniffing and tasting the meat, spoke via telepathy.
Even so, Dokgo Ryong did not let his guard down and continued glaring at the old man.
“They say even a brush of sleeves is fate.”
The grandfather murmured softly.
“Whether that fate turns good or bad depends on your attitude. And it seems the young man here is aiming for the latter.”
“…”
“I understand youthful fire and pride, but don’t overdo it. I’d rather not ruin this warmth in my heart, thanks to the child.”
His voice was calm and emotionless, but carried the weight of years.
With just a few quiet words—without any killing intent or threat—the old man overwhelmed them both.
To Sowol, the old man seemed stronger than any master she had ever seen.
“Hal-buji, are you a martial arts master?”
“Hm? Why do you ask that?”
The old man blinked at her sudden question.
“I’ve never seen Uncle lose an argument before. Did you use some invisible force to pressure him or something?!”
“What? Hahaha! You’ve got quite the imagination. No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just that I’ve lived longer, so your uncle is willing to listen.”
“Really? Then who are you, Hal-buji?”
“I already said, just a passing traveler.”
“Not that. What’s your name? I’m Eun Sowol. What’s yours?”
“Call me Yangno. All my acquaintances do.”
Yangno gave a warm smile and gently patted Sowol’s head.
⋯⋯
“…Hyung-nim, are you really okay leaving him like that?”
After the brief commotion, they sat around the campfire, filling their hungry stomachs with meat.
The orange sky had long since turned into a night full of stars.
Eun Sowol sat fearlessly next to Yangno, chatting away.
“I didn’t even sense him coming,” Dang Jinak said grimly.
Even though he had been a bit farther away, he had never once let his guard down—especially after the intense fight with the bear, which had sharpened his senses more than ever.
For someone to get close to Sowol without being detected—it would’ve been impossible if Yangno wasn’t a master.
“Did you know he was there, Hyung-nim?”
“…No, I didn’t either.”
Dang Jinak’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Even someone like Dokgo Ryong, who was stronger than him, hadn’t sensed a thing?
Dokgo Ryong had never once let Sowol out of his sight since her kidnapping. Even now, he was focusing all his attention on her.
If Yangno had shown even the slightest suspicious intent, Dokgo Ryong would’ve acted immediately.
But—
“Kyaahaha! That’s ridiculous! No way!”
“You mean this big?” Yangno asked, holding his arms wide.
Yangno was sharing an exaggerated old tale, making Sowol laugh uncontrollably.
Seeing how much fun she was having, Dokgo Ryong quietly set his axe back down.
“Should we bring Sowol over here?”
“…No. He doesn’t seem to be doing anything strange. Like the kid said, maybe he really just came for some meat.”
“Still, if anything were to happen—”
“If he were dangerous, the kid wouldn’t have followed him so easily. She’s surprisingly sharp.”
Dang Jinak still looked uneasy but knew he couldn’t act rashly.
Instead, he resolved to stay alert and keep a watchful eye on them.
Even so, Yangno remained completely unbothered by their stares.
“Ow, my cheeks! I laughed so much, my stomach and face hurt!”
Eun Sowol wiped tears from the corners of her eyes.
What a fun grandpa, she thought.
He was such a vivid storyteller—better than any fairy tale.
Even though his tales were ridiculous—like fighting a dragon during a picnic at Ten Thousand Great Mountains or beating up the King of the Green Forest—they were captivating.
“You react so well, I enjoy telling the stories even more. Most people run off the moment I start talking.”
“Why would they run? You’re really funny!”
“Exactly. Must be because they find me bothersome. Scoundrels, all of them!”
“Scoundrels!”
Sowol mimicked him, giggling. Yangno’s smile deepened.
“If I had any descendants, I imagine I’d have a great-granddaughter just like you. Now I understand why my old friends boast so much about their grandkids.”
“Didn’t you ever get married, Hal-buji?”
“Didn’t I say earlier? In my youth, I was too wild and traveled all over the central plains.”
“You said you were popular with women!”
“Oh, I was. But back then, I was a real scoundrel. Sowol, you should pick a man who would give you his liver and lungs, not a bad guy like I was. Got it?”
“I know how to pick people!”
“Oh? Then what do you think of this old man?”
“Hmm… Hal-buji is…”
Sowol eyed him up and down in thought. Yangno watched her with playful anticipation.
Eventually, her lips curled into a bright grin.
“A kind, reclusive master!”
