Chapter 172
After sending Songmyeong away, Songhwa kept glancing at me and apologizing in his place.
“Please allow me to apologize for him, Miss Tang. Our youngest junior brother is still very young. He is only fifteen... He meant no harm. I will make sure he is properly disciplined.”
“It’s truly fine. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Compared with the things Tang Seho had done at fifteen, that was almost adorable.
Once he saw that I was not upset, Songhwa relaxed and began praising me instead.
“More importantly, your martial prowess seems to have improved. I have never even managed to touch Elder Jinseong. I would be honored if you could offer me some guidance as well, should the opportunity arise.”
“Oh, please. I should be the one learning from you.”
I hurriedly waved my hands at his modest words, but Songhwa shook his head.
“I mean it. I took comfort in the thought that being a third-generation disciple of Wudang meant I had at least reached a respectable level. After you beat me senseless, however, I realized I had been nothing more than a frog in a well.”
“...I beat you senseless?”
All I remembered was hitting him with a poison bomb.
Startled, I tried to recall the day we first met, but nothing like that came to mind. Seeing my baffled expression, Songhwa laughed and let one arm dangle loosely.
“When you took that huge man away, you forced me off him, remember? My arm broke then.”
“What? Y-Your arm broke?”
I shrieked in horror.
This was insane.
A poison bomb and a broken bone...
He would have every right to hate me. I had been so busy escaping that I had not even realized I had injured him.
When sweat began pouring down my face, Songhwa waved dismissively.
“Oh, that was ages ago. It healed properly, so please don’t worry. Martial artists get hurt as often as they eat.”
“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry, Daoist. Is it really all right now?”
“Of course. If anything, I am grateful to you. It gave me a reason to devote myself more seriously to training.”
His gentle answer left me momentarily speechless.
Was this the compassion of a Daoist or something?
If someone broke my arm, I would probably try to pour poison down their throat.
His tolerance was broad enough to inspire awe.
“Daoist Songhwa... you truly are a man of the Way.”
“Ha ha, hardly. We bear some responsibility for driving you to such harsh measures in the first place. We only learned later that it had all been a misunderstanding. So please, truly, do not let it trouble you.”
At his mild tone, I slowly nodded.
Continuing to apologize to someone who insisted it was fine would not be polite either.
Songhwa smiled and pointed toward a set of stairs.
“Let us put such unpleasant talk behind us. Would you care to look around the outer compound, Miss Tang? I’m sure the Tang Clan has a grander rear garden, but there are some pleasant paths for walking.”
“I’d like that. Though there don’t seem to be many people in the outer compound today.”
“That is because it is winter. Mountains are dangerous in this season, so we receive fewer guests and pilgrims. Ah, this place here...”
Songhwa led me around, telling me one story after another.
Sometimes he shared old tales associated with Wudang. Other times, he told me about Jinseong’s childhood.
He was such a good speaker that I felt as though I were walking with a professional guide.
There was only one problem...
The back of my head prickled so badly that maintaining my composure was becoming difficult.
No matter where we went, gazes clung to me, thick and persistent, until I could barely breathe.
Why are they staring like that? Did I do something wrong?
Unable to endure the attention any longer, I quietly stopped walking.
“Um, Daoist Songhwa. Could I return to the guest quarters? I think I’d like to rest now.”
“Oh, of course. You must still be tired from the journey, and here I was thoughtlessly dragging you around. Shall I show you the shortcut? If we go down these smaller steps—”
“W-Wait! Songhwa, come here a moment.”
Just as Songhwa rubbed his hands together and prepared to guide me back, an old Daoist appeared from nowhere and called him over.
The man pulled something wrapped in bamboo leaves from inside his robe, placed it in Songhwa’s hands, and whispered,
“Give this to Miss Tang.”
“What? Ah, yes. Understood.”
“Ahem. Hm!”
The old Daoist cleared his throat, clasped his hands behind his back, and glided away before I could even greet him.
...What was that?
While I blinked in confusion, Songhwa unwrapped the bamboo leaves, chuckled, and showed me what he was holding.
It was a candied hawthorn skewer.
“That was Elder Jinhyeon, Elder Jinseong’s senior brother. This is the first time Elder Jinseong has ever brought a guest here, so he must be curious.”
At Songhwa’s amused explanation, I finally understood why everyone had been watching me.
The Daoists were not suspicious of me.
They were simply curious about the guest Jinseong had brought.
What a relief.
So I had not done anything wrong.
My expression loosened, and Songhwa asked gently,
“Would you like to eat it now?”
“Yes. Please tell him thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
I accepted the candied hawthorn from Songhwa, glanced toward the direction where I could still sense the old Daoist’s presence, and put one into my mouth.
The hawthorn fruit beneath its shell of sugar was sweet enough to make my tongue sting.
The taste made me smile. It was obvious that someone had carefully selected each fruit before threading it onto the skewer.
This kindness was not really meant for me.
It was meant for Jinseong.
Daoist Jinseong must be well loved.
If I ever brought a guest back to the Tang Clan, no one would even offer them broth.
For a moment, comparing his circumstances to mine left me feeling slightly deflated. Then I thought of Grandfather, and my mood immediately improved.
I had a grandfather who fed me elixirs and offered to become my guide on the Way. So there.
I straightened my shoulders proudly and chewed on the candied hawthorn.
In the distance, Jinseong was returning.
He had neatly tied his hair up and now wore a proper Taoist cap. A thick layer of salve covered the gouge on his left cheek.
“Daoist, is the wound all right?”
“Elder Jinseong, you’re back.”
“Yes. It is fine. But where did that candied hawthorn come from...?”
Jinseong looked puzzled when he noticed the skewer in my hand.
“Elder Jinhyeon ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) stopped by.”
Songhwa answered playfully, and Jinseong’s brows drew together slightly.
I giggled and added,
“Daoist, they certainly dote on you.”
“What?”
Jinseong stared at me in confusion, but I had no desire to explain.
I merely shrugged and popped the last hawthorn fruit into my mouth.
He doesn’t look the type, but he was raised far too gently.
So gently that he does not even realize he is loved.
Songhwa, who understood what I meant, rubbed his nose while struggling not to laugh. When Jinseong’s eyes sharpened, Songhwa quickly changed the subject.
“Miss Tang said she was tired, so we were about to return to the guest quarters. Will you escort her, Elder Jinseong?”
“Yes. I will.”
“Then I shall take my leave. Ah, Miss Tang. In the side building to the right of the guest quarters, you will find Madam Ma, who helps manage the outer compound. Should there be anything you find difficult to discuss with us, please speak to her. This place is full of men, so you may find certain things inconvenient. I asked her earlier, so she has probably prepared bathwater and a change of clothes for you.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“Please give me the skewer. I’ll dispose of it.”
Songhwa’s thoughtfulness naturally brought a smile to my face.
Perhaps because he had entered the sect later than the others, he had a delicacy the other Daoists lacked.
“Miss Tang. This way.”
“Yes. I’ll see you again, Daoist Songhwa.”
I bowed to Songhwa, then followed Jinseong away.
*****
By the time I finally persuaded Madam Ma not to help bathe me, drove her out, changed into clean, soft clothes, and emerged again, it was late afternoon.
It was still a little early for dinner, so I was wondering whether to have some tea when a calloused hand grabbed me and threw a towel over my hair.
“Goodness, young lady! You must dry your hair properly. How can you go around like this? You’ll catch a chill!”
“Ah! M-Madam!”
“Hold still! You cannot go outside like this!”
What was with this old woman?
I had not sensed her at all. When had she come in?
Was she a master?
No one had said anything about that.
The realization that I had left my back completely exposed made my breathing quicken.
I tensed and tried to wrench myself free, but Madam Ma smacked me sharply between the shoulder blades.
“You really are a martial artist. Someone comes up behind you and you nearly jump out of your skin! Relax!”
“Ow! That hurts, Madam!”
“It only hurts because you’re tensing up.”
Tears welled in my eyes from the stinging pain, while Madam Ma cackled and began combing through my hair.
I rolled my eyes around uneasily and bit my lip.
Madam Ma was drying my wet hair with inner force.
She had trained in martial arts.
Not only that, she was a master with so much inner force to spare that someone at my level could not even begin to measure her prowess.
If Madam Ma suddenly grabbed me by the throat, would I be able to escape?
I knew she would never do such a thing, yet ominous thoughts kept surfacing.
When I remained tense, Madam Ma clicked her tongue in pity.
“Young lady, this is Mount Wudang. Do you think I would kill you before the Primordial Heavenly Lord? What dreadful things has a child like you endured to be this wary? Tsk, tsk. I’ll be done soon.”
As though assuring me that everything was fine, she patted my shoulder and quickly combed my hair into place.
“This old woman only meant to help and ended up frightening you instead. Would you like to look in the bronze mirror? You look very pretty.”
“Ah... Thank you.”
I bowed my head and looked into the bronze mirror she held out.
Perhaps because it had been so long since I cared about my appearance, the person in the mirror looked strangely unfamiliar.
I usually twisted my hair up carelessly with a single hairpin. Having someone arrange it properly made me feel awkward.
As I fidgeted and touched my hair, Madam Ma smiled kindly and lowered the mirror.
“Go on now. The young Daoist has been waiting for you for some time.”
She pushed me out of the guest quarters, shut the door with a bang, and left me stranded in the courtyard as though I had been thrown out.
Jinseong stood there waiting.
I gave him an awkward smile.