Chapter : 89
The three of them fell into silence where the shattered table had collapsed.
Yang Eui-jun stopped Tak Moo-sung from helping Yeon-hwa to stand.
“Why? It was just a joke.”
“Did you find that funny?”
“It wasn’t me, it was what others said.”
“Then you should have torn their mouths apart first.”
“You’re overreacting. I wasn’t asking whose Yeon-hwa is. I was asking who her martial arts will serve.”
But Tak Moo-sung knew full well the implication Eui-jun had added. Considering his usual personality, it might have been a joke, but to Tak Moo-sung, that child could never be the subject of such a joke.
Yeon-hwa froze for a moment at how quickly things escalated, but seeing both elder brothers overly excited, she reached out her hand.
It was a gesture to calm them down, but it was misunderstood.
“Are you hurt?”
Tak Moo-sung, worried that shards might have hit her when he smashed the table, held her hand. He could not tolerate even a tiny scratch on Yeon-hwa from someone else, and if it had been his fault, he would never forgive himself.
Yeon-hwa assured him she wasn’t hurt and withdrew her hand. Then she looked at Eui-jun.
“Where is this place?”
Perhaps pleased that she spoke first, Yang Eui-jun’s sharp eyes softened.
“This is Muhan. In fact, this estate is inside Muhan Castle.”
It was hard to grasp that such a strange place existed within the castle. Above all, she had never sensed any human presence nearby, so how…?
Yeon-hwa looked puzzled. Before Yang Eui-jun could answer, Tak Moo-sung spoke first.
“A larger estate surrounds this estate.”
“Then the estate that encloses this one is…?”
“It has no purpose. Its only role is to conceal this estate.”
Hearing Tak Moo-sung’s explanation, Yeon-hwa pressed her forehead. Only someone like Jae-ryeong, who spent money like water, could do something like this.
“I see.”
As Yeon-hwa sighed, Yang Eui-jun flinched. She didn’t want to say more about this bizarre estate. Turning to Tak Moo-sung, she said:
“It’s not quiet anymore. Is there a reason to stay here? And… both my elder brothers should be heading back, shouldn’t you?”
They weren’t in the midst of the fierce battles along the Hubei–Jiangxi front, were they? By now, in Jiangxi, the former sect master, Oryongdae, and countless martial artists from the Martial Alliance would be waiting for him.
“No matter that it’s for me, someone representing the Martial Alliance should not neglect their responsibilities.”
“Alright, you go ahead. I’ll safely escort Yeon-hwa to the sect.”
Yang Eui-jun intervened as if nothing had happened. Tak Moo-sung knew Eui-jun’s nature: if he didn’t care about something, he truly didn’t care what anyone else thought.
But was Tak Moo-sung any different? Not really. He had never paid much attention to others and was indifferent even to his own feelings.
“That’s enough. She needs the care of someone with greater martial arts than herself. I’m the only one in the world who can do that.”
“…If it’s a Hwa-gyeong master, there are also some in the Jungcheong Guild.”
“Are you calling them now? Isn’t Su Damgak guarding your father?”
“You…”
“And for stable care, it’s better to have someone of a higher level than the same Hwa-gyeong.”
There was no room for argument.
“Enough, enough! I came by just in case while passing through Muhan after hearing you two had disappeared. Can you treat someone who came out of concern like this?”
Yang Eui-jun frowned, seemingly upset. If his followers had seen it, their hearts would have ached—but Tak Moo-sung and Yeon-hwa felt nothing unusual.
“Ha, what can you say to such stone-faced people. Even if their personalities are bad, the only one who listens and cares is our Hwan.”
Moryong Yun-hwan, muttering that he missed him, leapt to his feet.
“Enough! Now that I’ve confirmed you’re here, I’m leaving. I’ve prepared a carriage and guides outside, so take them.”
And just like that, he left in a hurry.
Yeon-hwa couldn’t just let him leave, so she went to see him off. Reaching the door, she asked:
“Why did you really come?”
Time with the Three Spirits is precious. Although Moo-sung had spent a considerable amount of time with her, it wasn’t because he had free time—others had been filling his absence with treasures and lives.
As for Eui-jun, he might not have acted purely on whim. But if that were the case, he would have come alone. He wouldn’t have gone so far as to prepare a carriage in advance.
“What is it, really? Please tell me.”
Eui-jun stopped, turned to her, and said:
“Yun-hwan seems to be having a hard time lately. If he later finds out that I knew where you were but pretended not to, I don’t think he’d just let it go.”
He mimed shivering as if she were going to scold him. It made sense.
Yeon-hwa nodded and said:
“I’ll try to persuade Moo-sung as best as I can. Thank you for caring.”
Eui-jun’s concern would only lead to minor blame later, but Moo-sung, who had been completely absent except for a single contact, would be in a far more awkward position. Still, he stubbornly refused to budge. Thanks to Eui-jun shaking up the situation, there was finally a change.
Eui-jun stopped his steps toward the door. Turning, he asked Yeon-hwa:
“Are you still angry?”
“Are you bothered that things ended unpleasantly at the Martial Alliance?”
She nodded strongly, and Yeon-hwa replied:
“It’s fine. Just… don’t do that again.”
“But I’m angry too. You…”
Yang Eui-jun tried to bring up Yu Geon-myeong but stopped himself. He didn’t want to argue with Yeon-hwa now.
“Let’s talk later.”
He patted her shoulder once, then called toward Tak Moo-sung, who was watching from afar:
“Hwan! Don’t make her vomit from anger again. Send Yeon-hwa back quickly! Then I’m off!”
And he quickly disappeared.
When Yeon-hwa returned to Tak Moo-sung, not only the table they had shared tea at, but even the chair Eui-jun had sat on, had vanished. The estate, which had been quiet for the two of them, was ruined in half an hour.
“She’s remarkable.”
The more she looked, the more different he was from Sun-yu. She couldn’t understand why she had thought they were so alike.
Seeing Yeon-hwa look weary, Tak Moo-sung told her to rest and intended to call someone to clean the disordered garden.
Yeon-hwa spoke to his back:
“Since even Eui-jun came, I suppose it really is time to leave. We can monitor our physical condition on the way to the main sect, so we shouldn’t delay any longer.”
Tak Moo-sung, too, realized that the rare calm he had felt was now over. Eventually, he simply replied with acknowledgment.
Yeon-hwa felt inwardly relieved. There was much to learn and life here had been good, but most of all, she wanted to hurry back to those waiting for her.
She looked out the carriage window. It seemed to go too slowly, but if Moo-sung insisted, what could she do? Moreover, those left behind by Eui-jun had obeyed Moo-sung perfectly.
“Well, who wouldn’t?” she thought.
Though Moo-sung only warned them, they acted as if even a small misstep would cost them their lives.
Bored with the view, Yeon-hwa looked at Moo-sung. She wanted to confirm something, but their eyes met.
“Do you have something to say?”
“No. I was just curious why you were staring.”
“I was just looking at the marketplace, houses, and people living their lives.”
Once she said it, it all seemed trivial, and she fell silent.
“Do you like such things? Would you want to live there too?”
Yeon-hwa shook her head immediately.
“I only go there when there’s an accident or a case I need to intervene in. I don’t belong in such places, and trying to fit in would be a nuisance.”
“That’s nonsense. Later, you’ll walk through the market and see where people live with me. I’ve never been caught up in such incidents.”
“Well…”
Yeon-hwa wanted to point out that he himself was usually the one causing incidents but stopped at a small movement of her lips. There was no need to remind someone so confident of reality.
Instead, she thought it better to gauge the remaining distance to the Martial Alliance.
