Chapter 148
When the Namgung Clan’s ship reached Yueyang, it was morning, and the shadows stretched long.
Namgung Hwi stepped onto the landing and held his head high.
This was his first time showing his face at the Alliance as the Heir Apparent of his clan. He could not afford to look naive.
As if reading the burden on him, Namgung Yo whispered, “Hwi. We are direct-line descendants who carry the name of the great Namgung Clan. You need not concern yourself with other people’s eyes. Do as you wish.”
“Do not worry, Sister.”
Namgung Hwi answered gently, forcing himself to look relaxed as he smiled.
Around the landing, where commoners had been kept from approaching, Martial Alliance martial artists and government soldiers were mixed together in a noisy, unsettled crowd.
Unlike the martial artists, who burned with competitiveness and a desire to earn merit, the government soldiers looked frightened. It was only natural. They had been dragged here by orders from above, no more than commoners serving out military duty.
“They send men who have barely been trained and then plan to boast that the government cooperated in the suppression... Those poor men are the ones who will suffer.”
Namgung Yo clicked her tongue after muttering that. Namgung Hwi glanced over the government soldiers as well.
Even to his eyes, they all looked like a rabble. If they managed to swing their spears once before dying, that would be fortunate enough.
Namgung Hwi was about to say it might be better to send them back, then shut his mouth. Something someone had once said came to mind.
Good intentions do not always lead to good results.
Humans, by nature, saw the world through their own circumstances.
Even if he withdrew the government soldiers out of goodwill, others would see it differently.
They would assume he was trying to exclude the government’s involvement, or trying to claim all the merit for himself, and they would object.
There was little chance the government soldiers would return safely home either.
If they came back chased away without earning any achievement to report to Jinling, their superiors might regard it as desertion and try to execute them.
Namgung Hwi swallowed a bitter smile.
This was a truth of the world he had only understood after leaving his clan, yet that child had known it even within the walls of the Tang estate.
How had that been possible?
Remembering the girl who had smiled brightly amid a shower of falling petals, Namgung Hwi lowered his gaze.
...That fried sticky rice cake had been good.
Sometimes, only very rarely, when he was tired, he found himself thinking of that warm, crisp rice cake from that day.
Though the girl herself probably did not remember it.
Growing a little gloomy, Namgung Hwi tried to think of something else. Rather than keep turning over a matter he could do nothing about, it seemed better to choose a gift to bring his little sister.
“Sister. What time is the general assembly?”
“At the hour of the goat. A little less than three hours remain.”
“Then I will look around nearby for a while. I want to get a sense of the mood, and see if there is anything suitable as a gift for Yeona.”
“Go on, then. Be mindful of the time.”
Namgung Hwi nodded at Namgung Yo’s reminder, then lightly kicked off the ground and soared away. Swallowing a sigh, Namgung Yo spoke into empty air.
“Red Thunder. Has news of that Tang Clan child reached Hwi’s ears by any chance?”
“No. He should not know yet.”
“Right? I did make certain everyone watched their tongues, but why is he so full of worries, pretending to be an adult like that...? It concerns me. Is it adolescence? Follow him.”
“Yes, Eldest Young Lady.”
At her call, Namgung Hwi’s guard revealed himself and swiftly followed after his master.
*****
The atmosphere in Yueyang’s streets was uneasy.
Every market vendor wore a dark expression, and it was plainly visible that they were wary of martial artists wearing swords.
“The mood is not good, Heir Apparent,” Red Thunder whispered softly as he looked around.
“So it seems. Is it because of the river bandits?”
“It has been some time since a suppression this large was carried out. I believe they fear being harmed when the suppression force and the river bandits clash.”
“Should we evacuate them?”
“That would be difficult. It is not something we can force. For those with no connections elsewhere, leaving their hometown is no easy matter.”
Red Thunder shrugged and took out his money pouch, tossing two copper coins into the bowl of a begging child.
“Thank you, great hero! May blessings come upon you, great hero!”
The child hugged the copper coins close, bowed, and hurried off somewhere. It looked as though the child was going to buy food.
Namgung Hwi watched, then jerked his chin.
“Let us go. We should eat breakfast too.”
“The Eldest Young Lady will dislike it. She even brought a cook along because she was worried the Heir Apparent might eat filthy... ah, outside food.”
“That is overprotection. I understand Eldest Sister’s concern, but I am not cultivating the Tao. Why would I fuss over such things?”
“Heir Apparent! You must still maintain your dignity!”
“My dignity does not disappear no matter what I wear or what I eat. Red Thunder. Does the Namgung name look so laughable to you? Or is this simply you not wanting to eat it?”
Namgung Hwi answered arrogantly and snorted.
“That is not what I meant! Damn it, you are making it harder and harder to talk back! At least you were cute when you were little. Now, both your words and your behavior are exactly like the Clan Head’s...!”
“Damn it? Getting bold, are you?”
“......”
Red Thunder flinched under Namgung Hwi’s irritation, watched his expression, and made a show of sealing his lips. Namgung Hwi laughed under his breath and waved lightly.
“You are one to talk. You have been grumbling more too. I will have a bowl of plain noodles, so go find a trinket shop. Yeona told me to bring back earrings.”
“Yes, Heir Apparent.”
After sending Red Thunder away, Namgung Hwi sat at a street stall and ordered plain noodles.
He looked down at the bowl with steam rising hot from it and let out a deep sigh.
It was only ordinary plain noodles. It had nothing more than the commonest chicken garnish on top. So why did it make him think of that child, cheeks puffed as she ate?
Everywhere he went, there were only things that reminded him of her.
Scowling, he gulped down the noodle broth.
*****
The trinket shop Red Thunder found was a fairly large building.
Still, it did not seem to deal in precious objects, and nothing there caught Namgung Hwi’s eye.
Namgung Hwi looked over the goods with a halfhearted expression and left the shop without regret.
“Red Thunder. Let us go back.”
“Yes, Heir Apparent.”
Just as he turned, intending to return to the landing, a carriage passed by his side.
Feeling the presence inside the carriage, Namgung Hwi turned back without realizing it and furrowed his brow.
The person who stepped down from the carriage after it stopped in front of the trinket shop was a Tang Clan martial artist.
The green robe embroidered with gold thread, permitted only to direct-line members of the Tang Clan, fluttered elegantly in the wind.
The Tang Clan was not supposed to be participating in this suppression, was it? Why would one of them come to Yueyang at a time like this?
Wondering, Namgung Hwi checked the martial artist’s face, and his eyes widened.
Her appearance was different from his memories, but he recognized her at once.
Skin as white as snow. Those distinctive upturned eyelashes. Eyes that seemed sharp, yet gentle.
It was unmistakably Tang Sohae.
“Sohae...!”
Namgung Hwi began to reach out and call Tang Sohae, then slowly lowered his hand.
Because the man who climbed down from the carriage after her smiled brightly and wrapped an arm around Tang Sohae’s waist.
Whatever their relationship was, they looked close enough that there was no room for him to step between them.
Namgung Hwi bit down hard on his lower lip.
He had expected it. He had simply not wanted to admit it. Just because a memory was special to him did not mean it would be the same for the other person.
But he had not wanted to have it confirmed like this.
Tang Sohae had rejected him by not answering his love letter.
Namgung Hwi’s expression twisted beyond restraint, and Red Thunder asked with a puzzled look, “Heir Apparent? What is wrong?”
“......”
“Do you have a stomachache? I told you not to eat just anything outside. I am the one who will get scolded, not you, Heir Apparent.”
“You. Shut your mouth.”
Pushing away Red Thunder, who kept chattering after him, Namgung Hwi gripped the knot on his left wrist.
With a fierce look, he tried to tear the knot off in one motion, then squeezed his eyes shut and let the strength drain from his hand.
He could not tear it off.
Even though he knew it meant nothing. Even though he knew the person who had tied the knot for him likely did not even remember...
He could not bring himself to throw it away.
Humiliatingly.
*****
By the time I had relieved Yeon Ryang’s blood stasis, sparred with Yang Gyojin, and made the antidote for Dissolving-Power Poison, three days had passed.
The moment the snow melted, we left the inn and ran through the entire night to reach Yueyang.
The first thing we did after reaching Yueyang was go to retrieve Her Grace’s letter.
That was because Yeon Ryang had written for the reply to be sent to a trinket shop whose owner he knew.
When we arrived at the trinket shop, Yang Gyojin climbed down from the carriage and clung to my waist.
“Where are we? Sohae. Can’t we eat first?”
“Did you leave food here or something?”
“I’m hungry.”
“You were chewing jerky the entire way to Yueyang, Yang Gyojin. Do you have no conscience?”
“That was jerky. I like tender meat.”
Her absurd answer left me speechless.
Just as I was pressing down my irritation and about to respond, I had the illusion that someone had called my name.
As if bewitched, I turned around. But there was no one on the street.
Strange. I thought someone had called me.
When I stood there blankly, Yang Gyojin looked up at me with a puzzled face.
“Sohae. What’s wrong?”
“Huh? Nothing.”
Did I hear wrong? Well, who would call me? I must be low on energy these days.
“Sohae. I want tender meat.”
“Fine. Go eat. I lent you money, didn’t I? We’re in Yueyang now, so go your own way.”
“If I part ways with you, I won’t be able to eat meat. This much money will be gone after one meat dish.”
“...Hey. If you keep this up, I’m going to make you pay me back ten times over in interest.”
Despite my sharp reply, Yang Gyojin did not release the arms around my waist.
“That’s fine. Mother will pay it back for me. So let’s eat meat. How about braised lamb?”
“You are seriously... Fine. Fine, so let go. You are heavy. We can go eat after I handle my business.”
“Really? Braised lamb!”
While I was barely managing to peel Yang Gyojin off me, Yeon Ryang finished tying the carriage in front of the shop and chuckled as he spoke.
“Braised lamb will take quite some time. Would it not be better for Miss Yang to go to the inn first and order it? I saw an inn over that way as we came.”
“You’re right. I’ll be back!”
Yang Gyojin’s eyes flashed open, and after answering, she vanished like an arrow in the direction Yeon Ryang had pointed.
“Brother. You handle her well.”
“I have a sister about her age. Please go in first, Miss.”
Yeon Ryang answered smoothly and opened the door to the trinket shop. Smiling, I stepped inside.