Chapter 26 A faint rustling of fine fabric brushed her ears.
He must have knelt, for the voice that had come from above her head now sounded level with her own line of sight.
"I will apologize once more for what happened at Giyeonru."
Without shifting her focus from the sword at his waist, Yeo Il replied,
"Since you are apologizing, how about withdrawing that condition as well?"
"Haha. That I cannot do."
There was no discernible emotion in the dry, habitual laugh.
Whenever Namgung Jeok-myeong laughed as though hollow within, Yeo Il pictured his expression in her mind. Facing a blind woman like her, did he at least pretend to smile? Or was he scrutinizing her with a face cold enough to chill the spine?
"We traveled all the way to Hubei over several days, only to return empty-handed. How heartless."
"The one who knows of your birth is not only this house's owner. It stretches from Qinghai through Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Yunnan, and Tibet."
Those who knew Namgung Soyo's origins. To Yeo Il's ears, it sounded as though he spoke of some great secret.
"Then are we bound for Shaanxi next?"
"Would it matter where we go? By the time we arrive, it will be no different from here."
He spoke with certainty that they were all dead.
"Yes… Realizing that is precisely the gain from this trip. A significant gain indeed. Enough to resolve a suspicion that has lingered for years."
She could vaguely guess what suspicion he meant, yet still could not grasp his true intent.
Yeo Il drew a map of the continent in her mind.
Hubei, Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Tibet.
All western regions of the martial world.
Few would have traversed that vast land in full. But to Yeo Il, it was not unfamiliar. The route she had taken after the old man's death to reach Cheonju Mountain in Anhui Province was not so different.
Yes. The regions Namgung Jeok-myeong listed formed a long, broad bridge between eastern Anhui and that place in the west.
Xinjiang.
The land that housed the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
…Surely not.
Yeo Il recalled the moment at Cheonju Mountain when she first crossed paths with the identity of Namgung Soyo.
The mysterious assassins who attacked the Namgung Clan's guards.
[Do not pity Namgung Soyo. She is not worth it.]
If Yeo Il's birth mother had ties to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?
If the reason Namgung Jeok-myeong sought to eliminate Namgung Soyo was because of that cult?
No… Is Namgung Jeok-myeong truly the one threatening Namgung Soyo?
How could such a man bring along his cherished younger brother, Namgung Hui-myeong, and risk assassination himself merely to reach Hubei and extract some "clue" from this house owner's death?
"Soyo."
It was the gentlest he had ever called her name.
"Looking at your face like this… I see subtle changes in your expression that have always seemed oddly unremarkable."
His laughter sounded close at hand.
Sensing what he meant by "subtle changes," Yeo Il kept her lips sealed. After a long moment of studying her, he asked in a voice devoid of emotion, as though addressing silence itself,
"So. Do you properly understand what Qinghai through Tibet signifies?"
The words that followed carried unmistakable hostility.
"I do not know who you are. But it means this is not something you can meddle with lightly while wearing that child's shell."
Despite the sudden shift in attitude, Yeo Il did not lose her composure. She had already sensed enough hostility and suspicion from him.
"At Giyeonru, I risked humiliation and even showed you my back. Do you still doubt me?"
"There, you merely proved you were not from Salmak. Do you believe I have not observed Namgung Soyo for years?"
Tap, tap. His finger lightly struck the sword hilt.
"If you thought, as Father did, that I held no interest in that child simply because she was an illegitimate daughter, you were gravely mistaken."
"Thank you for your warm concern."
"It is not concern directed at you. Which is why I find it incomprehensible. You do not appear foolish. What possessed you to stage such a reckless play?"
The tapping fingers now gently wrapped around the leather-bound hilt.
"If your reasoning proves insufficient—"
At that moment—
Bang. The bedroom door slid open with sudden force.
A figure stepped inside at ease.
"Are you the Sogaju (Clan Heir) of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Jeok-myeong?"
Jin Cheong-ak asked boldly, then declared in an exceedingly cheerful voice,
"I hereby apply for the position of bodyguard to Namgung Soyo, the fourth child and eldest daughter of the Namgung Clan."
A strange silence filled the room.
Though her eyes were closed, Yeo Il could vividly imagine the incredulous expression that must have appeared on Namgung Jeok-myeong's face.
Ignoring the atmosphere entirely, Jin Cheong-ak strode in and took a nearby seat.
"My name is Jin Cheong-ak. No particular talents, no hobbies either, but I handle most weapons well enough. I'm not picky about food or lodging."
"..."
"For reference, my recommender is the Third Young Master Namgung. I would appreciate a favorable response."
Yeo Il assumed Namgung Jeok-myeong would refuse without hesitation.
A man who had just accused her of staging a play would hardly accept into the clan a suspicious individual connected to her.
Yet, as with life itself, one prediction in ten inevitably went astray.
"…A bodyguard? Unexpected. If a master who handled one of the Eight Demons is willing to join the clan, I have no reason to refuse."
Namgung Jeok-myeong's reaction was surprisingly positive. He continued calmly,
"However, there are several rules one must follow to be employed by the clan."
"Group living always comes with rules. Let's hear them."
"First, you must show respect to me, the heir of the clan, and to my brothers."
Jin Cheong-ak burst into loud laughter.
Such behavior alone would easily provoke offense, yet Namgung Jeok-myeong remained unmoved. It was Yeo Il who felt greater unease at the abrupt shift.
What was Namgung Jeok-myeong thinking?
"Of course, Young Master. If you wish, I can carry you from here to that door at once. Immediately!"
"Sogaju (Clan Heir) will suffice."
"Yes, Sogaju (Clan Heir)."
"Second. If employed as a clan bodyguard, you must wear the designated attire and undergo regular training. The former may not trouble you, but the latter could be a waste of your time."
"Hm."
"Given potential backlash and the atmosphere within the clan, it would be difficult to hire you directly at a supervisory rank. Can you endure that?"
His delayed answer suggested reluctance.
"In that case, how about contracting as Miss Namgung's personal bodyguard rather than as a clan retainer? Consider it freelance work."
"The salary would be low."
"So long as I'm fed three meals a day and given a warm bed, that's sufficient."
"I have no objection. But I wonder why you would lower yourself so far to become Soyo's bodyguard… Is there another purpose?"
Jin Cheong-ak laughed heartily once more and replied without the slightest embarrassment,
"Why, because I fell in love at first sight."
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