Chapter 84
Then it made sense why Wolya Yosun was searching for a somewhat strange existence described as “one whose body and soul are not unified.”
But the flight of imagination was brief. Soso soon shook her head.
She had never heard of such a bizarre magic.
And if such magic did exist, surely at least one of the resurrected people would have been known.
“Well then, Namgung Au. Let us wait for the deep of night and have a drink.”
The two men began to tilt their glasses.
Soso sipped tea instead, keeping her attention sharply on the surroundings, watching for anyone like Wolya Yosun.
How much time had passed like that?
It had finally become the deep night that Jegal Haesu had been waiting for.
Moonlight streamed brilliantly through the window.
The two men, who had been continuously exchanging drinks, had flushed faces. They seemed pleasantly tipsy.
“The time has come.”
As if waiting for this moment, Jegal Haesu removed his veil, and nearby voices broke into exclamations.
“Ah… truly a beautiful lady.”
“I wonder which family she belongs to.”
Murmurs filled the air.
Everyone craned their necks to see Jegal Haesu’s face. She coquettishly smiled, showing off intentionally.
“Gah!”
A couple of men stumbled backward at that smile.
‘Quite the mischievous one.’
Some men tried to muster courage to approach Jegal Haesu, but each time, Namgung Jin shot a deadly glare.
He hadn’t helped her before, but now he was more proactive than anyone. She wondered why he had acted so prickly when he could help so well.
For some reason, Soso also sensed the surroundings with exceptional perception today, determined to assist Jegal Haesu.
She carefully filtered through the surrounding voices but, unfortunately, heard no mention of Wolya Yosun.
Perhaps today was not the day. Maybe she would strike out.
Even Jegal Haesu, whose face had been playfully smiling, gradually grew serious.
Time passed endlessly, yet Wolya Yosun did not appear, and he seemed frustrated too.
“This won’t do. I must sing a song.”
“A song?”
“Yes. The wandering musicians’ ‘Hangaga.’ If I sing it, he will know I am his client.”
Jegal Haesu cleared his throat.
Soon, a voice with a strange charm began to flow.
It was androgynous, low, and finely textured.
“Before the clouded folding screen, the candle’s shadow deepens.”
Just one line.
With its striking rhythm, all eyes turned to Jegal Haesu.
In an instant, his presence dominated the surroundings.
Soso held her breath, completely focused on him.
“Beyond the Milky Way, when the morning star tilts, Hangaga must regret stealing the spirit. The blue sky, every night spent alone.”
As the beautiful melody floated in the moonlight, a dreamlike time passed.
Jegal Haesu slowly ended the final note, seemingly captivated by the verse himself, remaining still with closed eyes.
Soso, like everyone else, could not take her eyes off him.
The graceful poise was entirely unlike his usual casual appearance.
When she realized it, her heart was racing.
Excitement… perhaps?
Soso inhaled deeply.
The deep breath seemed to clear her hazy, drunken-like mind.
Now was not the time to be enchanted by the song. She had to find the spirit quickly.
She had to see if anyone was acting unusually in response to Jegal Haesu’s song.
But no matter how thoroughly she scanned the surroundings, no one’s behavior stood out.
With her current sensitivity, she should have been able to detect even someone using a hidden mask.
“Phew.”
Soso let out a sigh of disappointment and stood.
“I’ll just go wash my hands quickly.”
Even though her senses were sharper than usual today, constantly scanning her surroundings made her head spin.
It was time to ventilate.
“May I go alone?”
“Yes, you won’t even leave the building.”
Since she was only going to the restroom, it should be fine.
Moreover, Soso’s veil completely hid her face. Since entering the pavilion, few had looked directly at her.
“Understood. Be careful.”
Namgung Jin seemed to treat her like a child.
Soso answered with a slightly sulky “Yes,” and stepped forward.
Some people were quite drunk, but fortunately, no one picked a fight.
The courtesans and guards patrolled, preemptively controlling any potential disturbances—a truly high-class approach.
Finally, Soso entered the long corridor.
It was nearly empty.
The quiet was so complete that it was hard to believe it had been so chaotic moments ago.
After walking a few steps…
A sound broke the silence.
―Kiaaah!
It sounded like a cat, or perhaps a wild beast.
Soso turned toward the sound.
“Oh my!”
There was a young animal.
A fluffy young creature, white with black stripes like patterns.
It resembled a tiger more than a cat.
A tiger in the middle of the pavilion?
But it was small and extremely cute, so despite appearing suddenly, it was not frightening.
“Why are you here? Do you have an owner?”
―Kyaaah!
“I can’t understand a word you’re saying. Judging by how it’s here alone, the owner must be nearby…”
Soso lightly touched the tiger’s head.
It seemed accustomed to humans and was gentle. It even licked her hand near its head.
“Cute.”
It even rolled over to show its belly, acting playful.
Soso completely forgot she had to return, entirely captivated by the baby tiger.
Scratching its belly, the tiger made a pleased sound.
―Gyarrrr.
Then, it tapped her wrist with its plump tail, as if asking for more scratches.
‘Too cute!’
She felt a strong desire to play with it until its owner appeared.
But…
“…Ah! Where are you going?”
The tiger suddenly leapt up and dashed off.
It went in the opposite direction of where Soso wanted to go.
Unconsciously, she followed it.
Even if it left the building, she couldn’t pursue it far; but for now, it stayed nearby, so it was fine.
She had no intention of going far.
After only about five steps…
Suddenly, the floor felt like it sank beneath her. The solid ground seemed to turn soft in an instant.
“…!”
As her body wavered, the space itself began to distort.
The lavishly decorated pavilion corridor twisted and then shattered.
Soon, darkness spread in all directions.
An abyssal darkness.
Soso was terrified, her whole body shrinking in fear.
Since her resurrection, she had always been with good people, so being alone in danger was unfamiliar.
Her hair stood on end, and her face stiffened.
The unpleasantly soft floor hardened again, allowing her to step, but oddly, she couldn’t move a single step.
Even shallow breaths trembled. Her entire body shook.
Where… where is this? It was definitely a corridor, and no one was here… so how did I get sucked into darkness?
Despite her confusion, Soso tried desperately to think of a way to remain calm.
Then, the voice of Master Eonwoo came to mind.
“Soso, in martial arts, besides visible techniques like swordsmanship, Taoist arts, and palm skills, there are people who use invisible methods.”
“Invisible methods?”
“Exactly—illusion techniques. Illusionists use invisible visions to engulf people in false thoughts.”
“That’s difficult for me to understand.”
“Soso, just remember one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Though it should never happen… if you are trapped in an illusion or ensnared by illusion techniques, never trust the phantoms.”
Could this empty space have originated from illusion techniques?
But who in this pavilion would use such techniques?
Moreover, such magic was reportedly rare among the orthodox sects…
At that moment, streaks of light began to cut through the darkness.
Soso squinted against the sudden lights.
She instinctively closed her eyes, and when she opened them, her surroundings had completely changed.
(Excerpted from “Chang’e” by Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin)
