Chapter 8
Wi Cheonso was indeed someone who remembered me.
With this bright hair color of mine, it would have been impossible for my identity not to be exposed.
“Well… I lost my memories.”
I answered that way, suppressing my emotions as much as possible.
Wi Cheonso didn’t make a big deal out of it. He seemed to think I was lying.
“Then I’ll introduce myself properly. I am Wi Cheonso.”
He introduced himself casually.
“I owe you an apology, miss. I didn’t expect that apostate to attack you as well.”
There wasn’t the slightest hint of remorse in his eyes. If anything, he looked intrigued.
“It’s fortunate that you’ve learned martial arts. Otherwise, you would have fallen victim to the Life-Draining Art like the others.”
My heart sank.
He had realized that I could use martial arts—and of all people, it was the Third Young Master.
I quickly reviewed my fight with the Heumryeong Demon Monk. Fortunately, I hadn’t used any distinctive techniques reminiscent of the Sangcheon Sect. That, at least, was a relief.
“If you hadn’t helped me, Young Master, I would’ve ended up the same.”
“Is that so? Well, since you were unconscious at the time, that could be the case.”
His suspicion was obvious, but I pretended not to notice and responded calmly.
“Thank you for helping me, Young Master. If you don’t mind, I’ll be on my way now.”
I tried to step back as casually as possible.
Rustle.
A red sleeve blocked my path.
Startled, I looked up to find Wi Cheonso kneeling on one knee before me without a sound. I hadn’t sensed his approach at all—my breath caught in my throat.
An unnaturally beautiful face loomed close.
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
He was testing me again.
Beneath his dark lashes, his bewitching eyes locked onto mine.
Below his straight nose, well-shaped lips curved into a smile.
“I find myself very curious as to why the fiancée of the Yeomhwa Clan, who has been confined for ten years, came outside.”
His mouth smiled gently, yet there was no warmth in his eyes.
Fortunately, I had already prepared an answer.
“I came out to prepare for the wedding. I got swept up in the crowd and lost my way for a bit.”
I kept my voice as steady as possible, but my throat was bone-dry.
“I see. Then shall I carry you back like I did that day?”
“No, thank you. My attendants should be looking for me.”
My words didn’t seem like empty bravado—an amused expression lingered faintly on Wi Cheonso’s face.
Seeing that expression made my back muscles stiffen.
“All right.”
I had expected him to grab my throat like Yeom Hopyeong had, so his easy response was unexpected.
As he stood up, the hem of his crimson robe fluttered on its own.
I remained bowed as I rose.
Wi Cheonso picked up a rain cloak from the table across the room and dropped it at my feet.
It was permission to leave.
Just as I picked it up to go—
“Wait.”
He stopped me.
“Miss Jeok. I personally tended to you while you were unconscious. As someone of the martial world, you ought to repay such a favor.”
He tilted his head slightly.
His shameless attitude made me inhale sharply.
It was his failure to capture the Heumryeong Demon Monk that had put me in danger to begin with, yet here he was demanding repayment.
“Once again, thank you for saving me, Young Master.”
I bowed quickly, unwilling to give him even the smallest opening.
Wi Cheonso’s gaze remained fixed on me. It was uncomfortable.
Why had he gone out of his way to remove his mask and reveal himself to me?
A man known for dressing flamboyantly and slaughtering apostates in a blood frenzy. A man rumored to have killed his bride on their wedding night simply because she was noisy.
Considering the many rumors about his eccentric behavior, perhaps his interest in me was just another whim.
But I don’t believe in coincidences.
He had quietly waited and observed until I woke up.
That alone told me enough.
Wi Cheonso, the Third Young Master, was a man who hid a sharp gaze behind a façade of flamboyance and caprice.
If I didn’t want to get entangled with him, I needed to keep my distance.
“If I ever have the chance, I will repay the favor.”
I bowed my head and answered politely. There was some sincerity in it—after all, I had survived because he spared Heerin.
“However, I am merely a powerless woman. I’m not sure how much help I could be to you.”
It was my way of telling him not to expect much from someone confined within the Yeomhwa Clan.
“That is precisely why you may be of help.”
It was an enigmatic reply.
Soon, Wi Cheonso added,
“The Heavenly Venerable has approved the marriage between the young master of the Yeomhwa Clan and Miss Jeok. You will soon become a member of the Yeomhwa Clan.”
Meaning that, for now, I wasn’t yet one of them—and that he could demand something from me.
It was a loaded remark, but I didn’t ask further. Getting more involved would only cause trouble.
“I’ll be taking my leave.”
“May you return safely.”
Wi Cheonso didn’t stop me as I left.
As soon as I put on the rain cloak and stepped into the hallway, one of Wi Cheonso’s subordinates guided me outside.
Loud voices echoed from here and there beyond the corridor—people drinking and chatting through the night.
When I stepped outside, I realized this place was an inn.
The sky beyond the window was dark, and the lanterns lighting Bukhyang Road were extinguished. It seemed to still be dawn.
A carriage was waiting in front of the inn.
A familiar woman stepped down from it and greeted me.
“Miss Jeok. Are you feeling all right?”
I recognized her. She was one of Yeom Lili’s maids—the one who had delivered Eleventh Brother’s note.
‘So Eleventh Brother kept his promise.’
Thanks to him sending this maid, Wi Cheonso must have let me go without resistance.
With the maid supporting me, I climbed into the carriage.
As it began to move, the gaze that had clung to me finally disappeared.
Only after the carriage had left Bukhyang Road did I ask,
“Are you also from the Sangcheon Sect?”
The maid, who had worn a gentle expression all along, stiffened slightly and nodded.
“My name is Okhyang. I was ordered to escort Miss Jeok home safely. Please take this.”
She handed me a fairly thick letter.
Inside was a message written in cipher by Eleventh Brother.
Miss Jeok, this is the information you requested.
Burn it immediately after reading.
The thick letter likely contained details about the current state of the martial world and the Demonic Cult, as well as information on Wi Cheonso.
If you have information to pass along in the future, use Okhyang.
Holding the letter, I first asked Okhyang,
“How long will it take to reach the Yeomhwa Clan?”
“We should arrive within the Hour of the Tiger (3–5 a.m.). I’ll escort you to your quarters then.”
Beside Okhyang lay a maid’s outfit. It seemed she planned to disguise me as a servant to bring me in.
I nodded, then carefully opened the letter and read its contents.
As expected, it contained a brief summary of the past ten years in the martial world.
[The collapse of the Evil Sect faction.]
The balance between the Orthodox, Evil, and Demonic factions had shattered, with the Evil Sect breaking apart.
[The confrontation between the Cheonho Alliance and the Demonic Cult.]
The martial world was now divided between those two powers.
[In a fierce battle between the Cheonho Alliance Leader and the Heavenly Demon, the Alliance Leader was killed. The Heavenly Demon also lost much of his momentum.]
Both sides seemed to have suffered fractures and changes as a result.
[The Cheonho Alliance has appointed a new leader.]
They must have put forward a new face.
‘A lot has happened while I was gone.’
Ten years truly was a long time.
As I turned the next page, my body stiffened.
[The new leader’s name is—]
The moment I saw the name, my breath stopped.
Ashen rage surged up from my lungs, and my heart felt like it would burst through my ribs.
The man who sent assassins to kill my disciple Baek A and me—
That man had become the leader of the Cheonho Alliance.
My breathing hitched, and my fingers clenched tight.
My fingertips turned white.
I couldn’t let my anger show. I had to swallow it for now.
If I revealed a crack in front of Okhyang, this would reach Eleventh Brother’s ears, and he would question why I reacted with such fury to this information.
Though my mind was in turmoil, I steadied myself and took a deep breath.
Suppressing my rage, I managed to turn to the next page.
‘I need to memorize all of this now. I have to destroy the letter before entering the Yeomhwa Clan.’
After another deep breath, I turned the page—and information about Wi Cheonso appeared.
To completely pull myself away from my anger, I focused on what followed.
“Master. Miss Jeok has boarded the carriage with the maid. We continued observing her, but there was nothing suspicious. Shall we keep watching her?”
“There’s no need.”
Wi Cheonso’s gaze lingered on the bed where Jeok Heerin had rested.
When she collapsed on the street, he had recognized her identity at a glance—the rain cloak had slipped, scattering strands of her pale, wheat-colored hair.
‘The Yeomhwa Clan’s future bride… Jeok Heerin.’
