Chapter 59
“This, this, this is—!”
“Shh. I don’t want to cause a bigger scene, so keep quiet.”
“G-Great sir! Thank you! You’ve saved my life!”
The inn servant threw himself flat on the floor in gratitude.
What on earth had he been shown?
Sawu calmly walked back to the table and rested his chin on his hand as if nothing had happened.
“What did you give him?”
“It’s a secret.”
“You have too many secrets from me.”
“If that bothers you, then you should get closer to me.”
But wasn’t it said that men with too many secrets are dangerous? At least, that’s what Lord Eonwoo had once told her.
“Sawu Sohyeop, are you a good person?”
Without hesitation, Sawu answered,
“No.”
“But you helped that poor inn boy just now. I don’t know what you gave him, but it looked like something amazing…”
Soso began to wonder if Sawu was actually the precious young master of some noble household—or maybe someone connected to the authorities.
“In the past, I once looked after a girl about that boy’s age. She came to mind, that’s all. That’s the only reason I helped. I wasn’t trying to be kind.”
“…”
“I don’t believe in kindness. It rarely brings any reward.”
“Have you ever been unrewarded for your kindness?”
“Of course. Something terrible happened.”
“…”
For the first time that meal, Soso hesitated. Sawu’s face had faintly darkened when he mentioned that “terrible” thing. She didn’t want to carelessly prod at someone else’s pain.
“Are you… okay now?”
“Hard to say.”
His vague reply carried a soft sorrow. To Soso, he didn’t sound okay at all.
Just then, the inn boy returned with a steaming tray of dumplings, breaking the silence.
“After you finish eating, we’ll head out to look for someone.”
“Yes.”
Soso agreed without hesitation.
Whatever happened, she needed to get out of this inn if she wanted to find Namgung Jin or Jegal Haesoo.
After the meal, right before leaving, Sawu bought a veil from the inn boy and handed it to her.
“You must be quite pretty.”
He said it like someone who hadn’t noticed her beauty at all, as he passed her the veil.
“Thank you. So then, Sawu Sohyeop—do you not think I’m beautiful?”
“Hmm.”
Sawu answered vaguely again and took a long stride forward.
Does that mean I’m not his type?
And so, the two of them left the inn.
Sawu had said they were going to “find someone,” but all he did was walk slowly through the city streets. He didn’t ask anyone for directions, nor did he even glance around as if searching.
Soso considered slipping away—but quickly gave up.
If he catches me running off, something awful might happen.
Maybe he’d make her eat dumplings until she couldn’t breathe.
Instead of escaping, she asked curiously,
“Can you really find someone just by walking around like this?”
“I’m not just walking. I’m listening.”
“Listening?”
“Yeah. To people’s movements, their voices, their laughter… I hear everything.”
Well, considering how powerful a martial artist Sawu was, it didn’t seem impossible.
Then, a sudden idea flashed in Soso’s mind.
She, too, had a heightened sense of perception—her qi sense was so keen that even Namgung Jin hadn’t noticed her tracking Daewoo’s concealment.
Maybe I can use my qi sense to find Namgung Sohyeop and Jegal Sohyeop!
Stopping in the middle of the street, Soso focused.
Just as she’d once used her vision to perceive Jegal Haesoo’s inner energy flow, now she focused on her hearing instead.
At first, all the sounds around her came like a single, tangled mass—then they slowly began to separate.
“The Black Society has been causing too much trouble lately, don’t you think?”
“I heard the head of Wudang is in the throes of qi deviation…”
“Haven’t seen the Daoists from Hubei in ages.”
“Mom, I’m hungry!”
“Here, here! Fresh soy cakes! Buy some before they’re gone!”
The sounds weren’t just voices—she could hear the sizzling of street food being cooked, the panting of a running man, footsteps, chatter, wagon wheels…
Every sound that made up the world etched itself into her mind.
She sifted through them, trying to find one that felt familiar.
Gradually, her hearing stretched farther and farther—until finally, she caught a voice she knew all too well.
“…Put that down. That’s real bellflower root.”
A voice scolding someone, filled with disdain and reprimand.
It was a very familiar voice—and she could even guess who he was scolding.
Namgung Sohyeop!
It was Namgung Jin, rebuking Jegal Haesoo.
Around them, she could hear the faint rustle of medicinal herbs. Just as Sawu had said, they had come all the way to Yangyang—and were clearly near a medicinal shop.
Her intense focus wavered from excitement at hearing that familiar voice.
At the same time, all the distinct sounds she had separated blurred back together into one big, dull noise.
Then Sawu’s hand grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.
“Careful.”
Apparently, she’d been so distracted that she hadn’t noticed someone walking straight toward her.
If not for him, she would’ve bumped into them.
“Thank you.”
“What were you thinking about, not even watching where you’re going?”
“I was thinking about my companions.”
“…”
“Whether they’ve come to Yangyang too, and if they’re poking around random bellflower roots somewhere…”
Lowering her voice, she added quietly,
“My companions know about my unusual constitution.”
“They don’t plan to eat you or something, do they?”
“No! They’re helping me.”
“Hmm.”
Sawu made a noncommittal sound.
Still, he hadn’t let go of her arm—as if it were some kind of lifeline.
Soso didn’t bother shaking him off. Instead, she decided to lead him toward the direction where she’d heard Namgung Jin’s voice.
She didn’t want to tell him she’d found it by using her qi sense.
“Since we mentioned it, why don’t we go take a look at the bellflowers too?”
“Sure.”
Sawu agreed without much suspicion.
“Do you happen to know where the medicinal street is?”
He nodded and began walking ahead.
Leaving the cloth market behind, they soon caught the strong scent of boiling herbs.
A few more steps brought them to a wide street lined with herbal medicine shops.
The street bustled with all sorts of people—but spotting two tall, handsome men among them wasn’t difficult at all.
It was as easy as eating cold porridge.
The two men stood before a stall, staring intently down at the displayed bellflower roots.
