Chapter 189
The movements of the impostor Jang Miryeo was investigating were suspicious in every possible way.
From what she told me, the impostor had begun operating around the safe house where I had last stayed almost as soon as I left for Mount Wudang, as though they had been waiting for the chance.
At first, Jang Miryeo had assumed it really was me and paid little attention. But as time went on, certain things began to strike her as odd.
The deeds looked less like natural acts of chivalry and more like carefully staged exploits meant to generate rumors.
Sure enough, once those rumors began spreading like wildfire, Jang Miryeo realized someone was trying to use my name and fought fire with fire.
That was how the story had arisen that Poison Butterfly was staying at the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild and operating around Yueyang and Jiangling.
I still couldn't get used to that sobriquet.
Had the rumors really not spread very far? Uncle hadn't said anything about them.
As I rubbed my chin in puzzlement, Jang Miryeo watched me with concern before asking cautiously,
“Is there anyone you suspect?”
“No. No one at all.”
“If they’ve managed to avoid the guild’s information network, they’re probably no ordinary person. There are signs they made use of the Beggars’ Sect, which suggests an orthodox martial artist, but we can’t be certain. They may simply have used the Beggars’ Sect because they knew Miss Tang is regarded as part of the orthodox side.”
So we couldn't even be sure whether the impostor belonged to the orthodox or unorthodox factions.
Still, there was no reason for anyone from the unorthodox side to be involved with me. I had once set foot in Ghost Spirit Valley, but Beopgong had smashed the place to pieces. Whatever remnants remained should have had no reason to seek me out.
Yeon Ryang frowned as well.
“Even after Guild Head Jang stepped in, they still didn’t give up. Whoever this bastard is, they’re persistent. Why are they looking for my sister?”
“I don’t know the reason, but I’m certain they want to meet Miss Tang. In early autumn, I received a message asking for a meeting with her.”
“Some worthless bastard’s latched onto her.”
Yeon Ryang’s expression twisted. Jang Miryeo nodded as if she agreed.
“Since I had no idea where you were, I dealt with it myself. But if you would like to meet them, I can send another message.”
“Please do. I think I need to see who this person is for myself.”
“Of course. I’ll let you know as soon as I receive a reply.”
Jang Miryeo smiled, clasping her hands together as she looked at me. She seemed genuinely happy that she could do something to help.
I knew that feeling.
I chuckled and met her eyes. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she gave a small exclamation.
“Ah, you must be curious about the profits we’ve made. The accounts haven’t been fully settled yet, so I can’t give you an exact figure, but I expect it will come to roughly three thousand taels of gold.”
“...What? Three thousand taels of gold? Not silver?”
I stared at her, wondering if I had misheard.
“All of it is gold,” Jang Miryeo replied calmly.
“I only entrusted you with a thousand taels.”
“Yes. I tripled it.”
What was this woman? Had the God of Wealth possessed her?
I had known she was a capable merchant, but I had never expected her to multiply my money this spectacularly. My mouth fell open.
Even Yeon Ryang looked mildly astonished as he studied her. At our stunned expressions, Jang Miryeo covered her mouth and laughed.
“Everyone has something they’re good at. I happen to have an uncanny nose for money. I’m thinking of keeping only five hundred taels of the profits and reinvesting the rest. What do you think?”
Her voice was full of obvious enjoyment, and I found myself smiling too. The merchant guild had grown to an astonishing size. Apparently, the scale of the money she was handling had changed along with it.
“Haha. I decided from the beginning to leave it in your hands, so I’ll trust your judgment. Please do that.”
“I will. And whenever you need anything, send me word, Miss Tang. Whether it’s money or manpower, I’ll do everything I can to help.”
Jang Miryeo answered warmly and refilled my cup.
Wrapping both hands around the warm teacup, I asked,
“This is just something I’m personally curious about, but... how long are you planning to keep Gyojin with you?”
At the question of how long they intended to continue pretending to be husband and wife, Jang Miryeo fell thoughtful.
“I’m not sure. At first, I expected about three years... but thanks to Gyojin, things around me have been resolved much faster than anticipated. She has her own life to live, so I can’t keep her tied down forever. I suspect this winter will be the last.”
“Oh. That’s not far away.”
“No. Gyojin also said she wants to set out on a journey of martial challenges next spring. I intend to finish any remaining matters that require force before then.”
“I see...”
So she meant to get every last bit of use out of Gyojin while she still had her.
Even so, it wasn't hard to imagine that Jang Miryeo had treated Yang Gyojin with the utmost care.
If Manor Lord Yang himself had come all the way to Yueyang to help with the merchant guild’s affairs, then the two sides must have had a great deal of contact by now.
But that wasn't what I really wanted to ask.
As I hesitated and ran my tongue over my lips, Yeon Ryang snickered.
“That doesn’t sound like what you actually want to know.”
Jang Miryeo’s eyes curved as she looked at me, as if to say it was fine.
So I spoke frankly.
“Actually, I was wondering how you plan to deal with the succession. As long as Gyojin is here, things may stay quiet. But once you’re alone again, people will eventually start talking if you don’t have a child.”
Right now, Yang Gyojin was playing the role of the merchant guild’s son-in-law, and everyone had seen what Yang Manor was capable of. No one would dare make a reckless move.
But once Jang Miryeo was alone again and her ties with Yang Manor became less visible, people would eventually begin eyeing her position.
I worried about the future awaiting this young woman and the difficult road she had chosen.
Money could solve many things, but her path would hardly be easy. This was a brutal world for a woman who was not herself a martial artist and had to protect her own position.
Seeing the concern in my eyes, Jang Miryeo smiled brightly.
“I’m thinking of adopting an intelligent child in a few years. Of course, that will be after we hold Gyojin’s funeral.”
“What?”
“We decided to hold the funeral once her martial journey is over.”
...Please say clearly that you’re erasing her identity as the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild’s son-in-law. You make it sound like you’re planning to put a living woman in a coffin.
I swallowed a disbelieving laugh and shook my head.
“So you really weren’t joking. You’re actually going to kill her?”
“A play needs an ending. I’m planning a grand funeral. People will only be convinced once they see the coffin buried. Oh, would you like an invitation too, Miss Tang?”
“No, thank you. I appreciate the thought.”
Jang Miryeo only smiled pleasantly at my obvious disgust.
“But after you kill Gyojin—no, after you fake her death—can you really adopt a child just like that? Won’t people start urging you to remarry first?”
“That’s why I intend to pass the child off as Gyojin’s. It’s simple enough to claim that the husband fathered a child outside the household.”
“...Is that really all right?”
“It’s hardly uncommon. Manor Lord Yang and Gyojin have both agreed.”
So someone from Yang Manor was going to become a piece of trash who abandoned his devoted wife, ran off, fathered a child elsewhere, and then came home as a corpse... and they were fine with that?
And a child of unknown birth would officially become part of Yang Manor’s bloodline? Just what kind of man was Manor Lord Yang?
I couldn't begin to understand it, but I supposed they had grown close enough that he was willing to accommodate Jang Miryeo’s circumstances.
Right. She wasn't someone who would handle a matter like this carelessly. She must have prepared for it thoroughly.
I pretended to accept the explanation and sipped my tea.
As Jang Miryeo spoke of her plans for the future, she seemed to shine like a new sprout pushing through soil frozen all winter.
The delicate young woman who had once trembled at the sight of even a few drops of blood had already sunk her roots deep and was preparing to spread her branches.
“I hope you achieve everything you want.”
When I offered the words sincerely, Jang Miryeo reached out and took my hand.
“I know very little about the martial world, but I’ve heard that the path of a martial artist is not an easy one. I hope you, too, remain safe wherever you go.”
“Yes. Let’s both do our best.”
We smiled brightly at one another.
Hoping that, in time, each of us could become a dependable ally to the other.
*****
𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
“Young Clan Head.”
“......”
“Young Clan Head!”
At Jeokroe’s shout, Namgung Hwi raised his head from where it had been resting on the desk. He looked exhausted, as though he had barely slept for days.
“I told you not to wake me. I said I was going to close my eyes for a little while.”
“Good grief. The Martial Alliance has already made its decision, so why do you keep obsessing over it? Nothing will change just because you stare at it longer. Go lie down properly and sleep. You’re not a little boy whining because you’re afraid to go to the privy alone. Do I really have to tuck you into bed too?”
“Jeokroe. Stop acting like my nursemaid. Why are you so irritable?”
“Because you never give me a moment to rest, so of course I’m getting irrita—”
Namgung Hwi gave him a cold look.
Jeokroe immediately mimed sealing his lips and took a step back.
A faint laugh escaped Namgung Hwi at the sight of his subordinate cautiously watching his mood. He pushed his fallen hair back into place and asked,
“Why did you wake me?”
“There’s something you need to see immediately.”
“What is it? It had better be important.”
“Of course it is. The news you’ve been waiting for all this time finally arrived.”
Namgung Hwi looked puzzled at Jeokroe’s theatrics.
“What news?”
“A letter came from the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild.”
“The Golden Dragon Merchant Guild?”
He blinked, repeating the name to himself.
Then his face lit up.
“Did Sohae contact me? Give it here!”
He shot to his feet and snatched the letter from Jeokroe’s hand.
A moment ago, he had looked like an old man at death’s door, utterly drained and staring with dead, glassy eyes. Now he was delighted like a child.
Jeokroe swallowed a dry laugh.
Does he really like her that much?
It would be a lie to say he felt no resentment toward the young lady who had stolen his master's heart.
And yet, when he saw Namgung Hwi—who had grown unable to trust even family or kin—draw strength from that worn old knot, he could not bring himself to hate her either.
Jeokroe knew better than most that some people could live an entire lifetime on the strength of a single memory.
The day that utterly unlovable young master had wrapped his tiny fern-like hand around Jeokroe’s finger, Jeokroe had decided that he would give his life for Namgung Hwi.
...I must have been insane.
Jeokroe sighed and watched Namgung Hwi unfold the letter with trembling hands.
Namgung Hwi read it while biting down on his lip, then quietly called,
“Jeokroe.”
“What?”
Even at Jeokroe’s surly answer, Namgung Hwi did not snap at him.
Instead, he asked with genuine worry,
“Sohae says she wants to meet me. What do I do?”