Chapter 26………………………………………………
“Certainly… that person is—”
Ga-hwa stiffened at the unexpected appearance of someone she hadn’t anticipated.
‘If they were the one who stole the piece, I’ll meet them again eventually.’
That thought, whispered by Yong in her mind, crossed her consciousness. The disappointment outweighed any relief. Ga-hwa lowered her eyes, and Yong leaned close enough to whisper just for her.
“What do you think their reason might be?”
“What reason?”
“The reason that person stands before you now with such a shameless face. You already know, yet you ask.”
“…….”
“Set aside any needless expectations. The higher your hopes, the greater your disappointment.”
Ga-hwa had no words to argue and stayed silent. Meanwhile, from a distance, the Daoist cheerfully called to the two of them.
“Gong! Gui-gong!”
With a bright expression, he hurried to the table where Ga-hwa was seated.
“Ah—seeing you both here! Fortunately, this seat just opened up, so I’ll join you.”
Naturally taking the seat opposite them, the Daoist glanced at the wooden plaques hanging on the inn wall.
“This inn is said to be the largest and most famous in Pyeonggang, right? I’d only heard about it, but its scale is truly impressive. I’ve also heard the cuisine here is exquisite—since we’re here, we must try it. What should we have… yes! I’ll have the stir-fried pork with bean sprouts. And fried rice and steamed buns, mapo tofu as well. We can’t leave out meat, so perhaps Dongpo pork or Beggar’s chicken too? By the way, have you two decided?”
It was as if a storm of dishes had just swept over them.
While Ga-hwa was still recovering from the shock, he didn’t even wait for an answer and called a server to order. Seeing this, Ga-hwa finally spoke, though reluctantly.
“…Why are you here when you should be in Taean?”
“Then I suppose you two came to Pyeonggang but your destination was Gang’an?”
“…So the Daoist’s destination was also Gang’an, I see.”
Her voice was sharp with suspicion.
It was only natural—less than two weeks had passed since they parted in the hills. To be precise, it hadn’t even been twenty days.
Surely, traveling from Taean to Gang’an wasn’t trivial. Crossing paths here in such a short span was unlikely—unless he had some other intention and hadn’t immediately followed them.
Ga-hwa glared at him with suspicion, and the Daoist scratched his forehead with one hand.
He had noticed Ga-hwa’s tense demeanor long ago, but he acted as casually as ever.
“Yes, it just happened that way.”
“So it wasn’t intentional, then.”
“Indeed. I received word in Taean and changed my destination to Gang’an. But Gong, why do you seem so sharp with me? As if you’re displeased to see me again?”
Ga-hwa pressed her lips together at the pointed remark. The Daoist, with no particular intent, crossed his arms over his chest in a playful gesture, feigning an exaggerated display of sorrow.
It was almost irritating how fake he made it seem.
“I’m genuinely glad to see you two again. Meeting you like this… perhaps we are destined to cross paths.”
Seeing him with his hands clasped and eyes sparkling, Ga-hwa sighed.
“If this were truly a coincidence.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
Pretending not to understand, the Daoist widened his eyes. Judging by his exaggerated expression and voice, he clearly understood perfectly.
Ga-hwa remained silent, glaring, and he winked playfully with one eye.
“Gong, no need to be so sharp. I didn’t know your destination was Gang’an. I merely came here chasing a yokai.”
“…A yokai?”
‘So he wasn’t following us after all.’
Ga-hwa relaxed her guard slightly at this unexpected answer. But Yong, sitting beside her, rested his chin on his hand, visibly displeased.
“Do not believe every word that comes from a habitual liar.”
“Gui-gong, don’t be so harsh! I have never lied. Didn’t I tell you back in the hills? About the Mirror-Eared spirit, yes, the Mirror-Eared.”
The Daoist urgently looked at Ga-hwa as if grasping at straws. Surprised by the sudden attention, she blinked.
She remembered the Mirror-Eared—she had heard of it from the Daoist when crossing the hills.
‘It was when we went to fetch water. A yokai that steals a human’s appearance. And he said he would catch it immediately after the hill matters were resolved.’
Ga-hwa nodded.
“Yes, I heard of it when we crossed the hills. He said he would catch the Mirror-Eared after finishing the matters in the hills.”
Seeing her agreement, the Daoist quickly added for emphasis.
“That’s right! I came rushing to Gang’an because I heard the Mirror-Eared was here. I’ve been pursuing this yokai for a very long time.”
“For a long time?”
His voice carried a faint trace of melancholy. His gaze lingered on something in the air, revealing a hint of guilt toward someone.
Ga-hwa recognized the feeling instantly—it reminded her of the way she had looked at Yeonhwa Palace before leaving Joo-an.
‘What could have happened…?’
Though it was only a glimpse, she felt the sincerity behind it. Yong also noticed. When she glanced at him, he turned his head and closed his eyes in displeasure.
The Daoist quickly resumed speaking in his usual lively manner.
“Upon arriving in Taean, the first news I received was about this ‘Mirror-Eared.’ A yokai I had been chasing for ten years had appeared—could I resist rushing here? Its whereabouts had been unknown for so long, and then it appeared in Gang’an four months ago. I dropped everything and came immediately.”
‘Four months ago?’
Ga-hwa and Yong exchanged glances. Coincidentally, the timing matched the hostess’s absence when she visited her family.
The changes in the hostess after returning, the sudden appearance of the Mirror-Eared, and the information about the missing piece—all pointed to one conclusion:
The Mirror-Eared had appeared at Pyo-ga, and the yokai held the Yeouiju fragment.
‘Though for now, it’s still speculation.’
Unable to alert the Daoist to this fact, they simply stared at each other silently. The suspicious reactions immediately triggered the Daoist’s intuition.
“What’s this suspicious exchange of glances? Why are you two in Gang’an? This city has a port, but aside from a brief stop by merchants or travelers, it’s not particularly special, right?”
Ga-hwa rolled her eyes. Her suspicion toward the Daoist had eased slightly, but she didn’t yet know how much to reveal.
It was Yong who stepped forward this time. He revealed the card he held, showing he was taking initiative.
“We came to Gang’an for business at Pyo-ga.”
“Pyo-ga?”
The Daoist hesitated briefly, then smiled.
“What a coincidence. The Mirror-Eared I’m chasing has also hidden itself in Pyo-ga.”
‘As expected.’
Ga-hwa and Yong’s eyes met again. As predicted, it seemed the Mirror-Eared with the fragment had taken refuge in Pyo-ga. The hostess was still the most suspicious, but they needed to confirm who the yokai had disguised itself as.
Ga-hwa cautiously asked the Daoist,
“You mentioned before that the Mirror-Eared steals human appearances. Do you happen to know whose form it took to enter Pyo-ga?”
“Unfortunately, I lost contact with the person I had planted there.”
The Daoist shook his head, looking oddly melancholy.
“Upon arriving in Gang’an, I went to Pyo-ga to confirm the person’s status, but entering wasn’t easy. I waited in front of the mansion for several days and never saw the gate open once.”
It seemed he had experienced the same frustrations Ga-hwa had. She offered him comforting words.
“I also tried many methods, but the doors were so tightly sealed that it was nearly impossible to approach.”
“Ha, it makes no sense!”
The Daoist slammed his fist on the table, grief-stricken. Startled, Ga-hwa asked reflexively,
“What makes no sense?”
“Normally, if a yokai appears, one would rush out to defeat it. Yet here I am, turned away at the gate!”
“Still, you were able to communicate. I couldn’t even do that.”
“But now there’s a way forward.”
The Daoist’s mood quickly shifted. His eyes curved in excitement, cheeks lifted in a broad grin, and he looked at her with such enthusiasm it was almost overwhelming. Ga-hwa eyed him warily.
“Why do you think that?”
“Because we can now sit and eat in this inn at ease—doesn’t that mean we’ve found a way?”
