Chapter 15
The door burst open, and a thick silence fell over the room.
Under his intense stare, Yeo-il's faint smile, barely visible in the darkness, slowly widened.
"Have you come?"
The other person remained silent.
"It seems there was quite a commotion outside. What happened? I was too scared to sleep."
True to his name, 'Strike of the Azure Dragon,' his ragged breathing evened out quickly.
"No big deal, I guess? Jeok-myeong."
He'd come to make sure his target was dead.
It was Namgung Jeok-myeong who'd been sending assassins after her for days.
"You knew it was me, without a single word."
His voice was ice-cold, nothing like it had sounded back at the Giyun Inn.
"I never forget a person's breathing. Even though I can't see..."
“………………”
"I know exactly who's doing what."
The other person's breathing remained calm, but the heavy air was thick with Namgung Jeok-myeong's tangled emotions.
The tension, where anything could have happened, snapped when someone else showed up.
"Jeok-myeong, big brother? When did you get here?"
Namgung Hui-myeong, sword in hand, came running up and stopped at the doorway.
Namgung Jeok-myeong's voice, which had become much softer, was heard.
"I just got here. I was worried about our youngest. Hui-myeong, were you worried about Soyo too?"
"Nah, not really worried, but..."
Namgung Hui-myeong, who trailed off awkwardly, cleared his throat slightly.
"Ahem. You always said a martial artist should protect the weak, right? I was just doing what you taught me."
Another silence fell.
What did Jeok-myeong's face look like? She barely had time to wonder before a soft, almost weak voice spoke, encouraging Hui-myeong.
"Well done, Namgung Hui-myeong."
She peeked her eyes open and saw a large hand messing up the third son's hair.
The famous, close-knit brotherhood of the Namgung family.
It gave her a glimpse of what their bond must look like to others.
"Soyo."
Yeo-il answered immediately with her eyes closed.
"Yes?"
"I heard you were laid up all day after getting the message. Are you okay now?"
"I'm fine, don't worry... Cough, cough, cough!"
She gave a final cough, her shoulders shaking, and slumped onto the table.
"Woah, what the—? Are you alright?"
Namgung Hui-myeong, flustered, tried to approach Yeo-il, but then flinched and turned away.
"Hey! You there! Get some honeysuckle tea in here!"
He then left to get Chang-a.
Once they were alone again, Namgung Jeok-myeong let out a low chuckle, his voice slow and impossible to read.
"Since you're so set on it... Fine, Namgung Soyo. I'll let you go to Hubei."
Yeo-il, who raised her upper body while covering her mouth, asked back with a look of disbelief.
"Are you serious?"
"But."
“………………”
"You have to make a deal with me."
"A deal?"
"Hmm. I'll tell you tomorrow. The whole family's in chaos; I can't ignore it any longer."
With that, Namgung Jeok-myeong vanished.
'A deal, huh?' What's he up to?
About an hour later, Seol-yeong returned.
"Namgung Chu-myeong took the assassin. They're saying they'll put together a real investigation team soon. They'll beef up security around here, in case it's connected to whoever attacked you."
Yeo-il also told her about her encounter with Namgung Jeok-myeong.
Seol-yeong's expression gradually darkened as she listened quietly, and soon a heavy sigh was heard.
"Is it really okay to be this obvious about suspecting me?"
"He's been suspicious since way back. Ever since he killed the real Namgung Soyo at Cheonjusan."
"Yeah, that's true, but... I'm kinda worried. This whole family's a mess; who knows what'll happen next."
Yeo-il answered with a smile.
She wasn't wrong.
Namgung Soyo, the Namgung family's illegitimate daughter, was leaving for Hubei Province to find clues about her birth mother.
Chang-a, thrilled by the news, was bouncing off the walls with excitement all morning.
"Oh my gosh... This is amazing, Miss! Crying my eyes out yesterday was totally worth it!"
"Keep it down. I told you, you need to rest your voice if you want it to get better."
"Oh, right!"
Chang-a clapped a hand over her mouth, grinning.
Yeo-il's body was superhuman, so a few hours of crying wouldn't hurt her, but Chang-a was just a normal girl, and she needed to be careful.
"It's great to get out of this dump, but... we need to be extra careful. Any word on that deal Namgung Jeok-myeong mentioned?"
"Yeah. He'll probably wait until right before we leave tomorrow."
"He's such a snake."
Seol-yeong grumbled in reply.
Anyway, it was good that Yeo-il could finally get out of the family compound and move around freely.
Especially since there was a shortcut between here, Anhui Province, and Hubei Province, where she could get the information she needed faster.
"Hey, Soyo. Heard you're heading to Hubei?"
However, as things go in life, obstacles always exist in every plan.
"Yeah, Hui-myeong. You heard already?"
"Of course, dummy. Who do you think I am? I can't let a weakling like you go alone, so I'm coming with. Be grateful."
Namgung Hui-myeong, who had rushed over early in the morning, suddenly expressed his intention to accompany her.
Seol-yeong, who was standing behind Yeo-il, whispered in a voice only she could hear, "This is seriously messed up."
But Hui-myeong looked so proud and expectant, Yeo-il just bowed her head, pretending to be happy.
"Thanks, Hui-myeong. I'll feel so much better with you there. How can I ever repay you?"
"Don't be silly. Just call me 'big brother.' How many times do I have to tell you?"
Seol-yeong, who was standing behind Yeo-il, whispered, "She should be grateful he's not calling her 'brat'."
Namgung Hui-myeong looked at Yeo-il with a face as if he had something to say but soon left the room.
"Great, now the third son's tagging along. This is going to be twice, no, three times as much of a pain."
Yeo-il nodded in agreement to Seol-yeong's lament.
The morning they were leaving for Hubei.
Chang-a was nowhere to be found but came running up at the last minute, just as they were about to leave.
In her hand, she held a small piece of paper.
"Um, Soyo? Do you know anyone named Ak?"
Ak.
It could be a real name; it could be a fake one.
When Yeo-il looked at her without answering, Chang-a took a small piece of paper from her bosom and handed it to her.
"There was some ruckus out front, so I checked it out. Some courier was yelling about having something for 'Miss Namgung Soyo,' and when I asked what he wanted, he gave me this."
It was rolled up like a scroll, tied with a rough string.
"He said it was from someone named Ak. I didn't think it was yours... Oh, wait! No! I mean... I thought it might be yours, so I brought it!"
When she untied it, the name Ak (岳) was written in large letters.
Unfolded, it had a short message scrawled on it.
Heading to Cheonjusan
"Is it yours?"
To the cautious question, Yeo-il nodded in affirmation.
"...Yeah, looks like my backup's arrived."
At her answer, Chang-a tilted her head with a puzzled face.
"Backup?”
