Words Become Seeds

It was noon on a day when the season stood halfway between winter and spring.

A lone horse appeared on the official road leading to Bamboo Forest Manor.

Clip-clop— clip-clop—

Ouyang Qiangang, his string-tied bamboo hat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pushed back behind his head, let his body sway with the horse's steady rhythm. He wore no human-skin mask today, and his otherworldly beauty stood out brilliantly under the sun.

For the time being, he needed to travel like this. He wanted someone—anyone—to take note of the fact that he had left the Ouyang Clan Manor.

I have to show them, plainly and clearly, that I have entered the jianghu. Only then will word of my movements reach Dong Hyeon-do's ears.

Of course, he had no intention of keeping up this appearance the whole way. His destination was the Imperial Capital, and when the time came to head there, he would have to hide who he was. His meeting with Sangguan Wan'er was not something Dong Hyeon-do could be allowed to discover.

It was half a day's ride to Bamboo Forest Manor. By the time the midday sun had tilted far toward the west, Ouyang Qiangang arrived at the entrance of the familiar bamboo grove.

Deep nostalgia rose in his eyes. It had been half a year since his last visit.

Back then, his internal energy had amounted to barely three years' worth, and his body—ravaged by Nine Yin Severed Meridians—had failed to open even a single major acupoint. Now he had returned having opened four, a Peak-Exceeding master whose internal power rivaled a full sixty-year cycle.

Half a year ago, I could barely bring myself to walk through that gate. Without Uncle Heo and Cho-ryeong's help, the man I am today would not exist.

Thinking of the two of them, he felt warmth spread through his chest.

"Eldest Young Master!"

As he passed through the wide-open main gate, the servants of Bamboo Forest Manor recognized him at once and bowed in greeting. Word traveled fast, and soon Heo Il-bi and his daughter Heo Cho-ryeong came hurrying out to meet him.

"Gang!"

Heo Il-bi had come out smiling in delight, but the moment Ouyang Qiangang dismounted and he felt the aura radiating from the young man's entire body, his expression froze. It was an aura as deep and vast as the ocean itself.

Unable to contain his astonishment, he asked, "What in the world... happened to you all this time!"

"Quite a few things, Uncle." Ouyang Qiangang answered with a faint smile, cupping his hands in a respectful salute.

Heo Cho-ryeong stood before him, unable to find her voice. The untouchable aura flowing from his body made her falter, and she could only gaze at him with conflicted feelings—joy mingled with a subtle sense of distance.

Kki-kki!

Whether or not the little creature understood her heart, Geum Wang—who had been preening his golden fur on Qiangang's shoulder—flew into her arms.

"Oh my! Geum Wang!"

Only then did the stiff atmosphere melt into warmth.

After they had exchanged a brief round of greetings, Heo Il-bi spread his ledgers open before Ouyang Qiangang in the study and recounted everything that had been achieved in his absence.

"Gang, the Yang Dragon Elixir and the Yin Dragon Elixir aren't just selling in Jiangxi Province anymore—the merchant houses of Hebei can't get enough of them. And thanks to that Evil-Repelling Divine Pill you sent us, the people of Nanchang now look up to Bamboo Forest Manor as a righteous family. We've earned a reputation that money can't buy. All of it is thanks to you."

The ledgers recorded profits almost too large to believe, but Heo Il-bi took even greater joy in how far the family name had risen. When he finished, he studied Ouyang Qiangang and asked carefully, "Gang, you're the one the world is calling the Life-and-Death Divine Doctor, aren't you?"

Ouyang Qiangang tilted his head as though he had never heard the words before in his life. "The Life-and-Death Divine Doctor? That's a new one on me. What could that possibly have to do with me, Uncle?"

At his reaction, it was Heo Il-bi who looked utterly bewildered. "You truly didn't know? All across the jianghu, everyone is calling the divine doctor who created the Evil-Repelling Divine Pill—the pill that turned back the plague of dysentery—the Life-and-Death Divine Doctor. You're the one who made that pill. Who else could it possibly be?"

"Ah... so that's what they're saying." Ouyang Qiangang gave a wry smile. "I was so buried in making that pill that I didn't see the sun for over a month. Where would I have found the time to listen to rumors?"

Only then did Heo Il-bi understand everything, and he threw his head back with a hearty laugh. "Hahaha, I see! Of course! You hardly had the presence of mind for rumors. Gang, if you revealed yourself as the Life-and-Death Divine Doctor even now, who in all the world wouldn't revere you!"

But Ouyang Qiangang quietly shook his head. "I would rather go on living as the Ouyang Clan's nameless young master, just as I am now. Seeing our family's reputation rise is more than enough for me—I have no need for fame of my own. I don't want people's eyes on me. I simply want to live quietly."

His indifference to fame and fortune left Heo Il-bi marveling inwardly. It was a mindset few men could truly maintain.

That night, in a pavilion at the rear of the garden, Ouyang Qiangang sat across from Heo Cho-ryeong with Geum Wang perched on his shoulder, the two of them alone over tea.

The night air was thick with the fresh fragrance of spring blossoms riding the breeze, and pale pink petals drifted down through the moonlight, weaving a dreamlike, almost ethereal scene.

Their conversation was about nothing in particular, but that didn't matter. Heo Cho-ryeong quietly tucked away in her heart the sight of his hands as he poured the tea, his deepened gaze, his gentle smile.

She could feel the immense presence in him now, unmistakably changed from before. It filled her with joy—and yet, at the same time, it felt as though an invisible distance had opened up between them.

Ouyang Qiangang's heart was not at ease either. He would soon have to leave for the Imperial Capital, and to him, these hours with Heo Cho-ryeong were the calm before the storm—a haven. The cruel irony of it, that he could not stay at her side precisely because he wanted to protect her, weighed heavily on his mind.

Heo Cho-ryeong asked carefully, "How long are you planning to stay, Gang?"

"I was thinking of leaving tomorrow."

"That soon?" Disappointment seeped into her voice.

"There's a great deal I need to do. And..." Ouyang Qiangang paused for a moment, then went on with a bitter look. "The longer I stay, the more danger Bamboo Forest Manor could find itself in."

"What do you mean?"

"There are people targeting me. They could come all this way and do you or Uncle harm."

"Who on earth would be after you?"

"I don't know yet. But... I imagine I'll find out soon enough."

Heo Cho-ryeong's eyes wavered. "Then all the more reason you shouldn't be wandering around alone, isn't it?"

"Don't worry. I'm not the sickly Ouyang Qiangang I used to be."

She hesitated a moment before speaking. "Couldn't you stay just one more day? If you send Gang off without even a full day here, Father will be terribly hurt."

Ouyang Qiangang asked with a slightly mischievous look, "And you? You wouldn't be?"

Flustered, Heo Cho-ryeong's cheeks turned red. "Ah... well, I..."

Just as she fumbled for words, Geum Wang shattered the mood. Kkiik—! Shrieking with a mischievous look, the little rascal leapt down from Qiangang's shoulder and scurried straight into Heo Cho-ryeong's arms. Then, quite deliberately, he nuzzled his face against her chest and stuck his tongue out at Ouyang Qiangang. Apparently the two of them being alone together did not suit him one bit.

At the sight, the pair burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha! Brother Geum here is the greatest philanderer under heaven, and his jealousy is second to none as well. What a handful he is."

Heo Cho-ryeong said, her expression brightening, "Shouldn't you hurry up and find him a mate?"

"A mate, huh... If fate wills it, one will turn up someday."

Her face turned serious, and she asked carefully, "Gang, that decision to leave tomorrow—has it changed at all?"

Meeting her hope-filled eyes, Ouyang Qiangang sighed inwardly. It was a gaze that made refusal utterly impossible. He answered with a grin. "One more day shouldn't cause any problems. I'll leave the day after tomorrow."

Heo Cho-ryeong's face lit up. Ouyang Qiangang, on the other hand, clicked his tongue and muttered to himself, Somehow, whenever I say something like that, trouble always follows...

Thanks, Akasha.

Early the next morning, Ouyang Qiangang set out of Bamboo Forest Manor with Heo Cho-ryeong at his side. They had only a single day, and in that fleeting stretch of time she wanted to lay down as many memories as she could with the man she would now rarely see.

So she walked with him down the same paths they had once walked together. They strolled at their leisure through the bustling herb market, thick with the scent of medicinal ingredients, and climbed the steep steps of Tengwang Pavilion one by one, the tower rising as though to pierce the clouds. From its topmost floor, the Gan River lay calm below, ferryboats dotting its surface like scattered leaves.

Leaning on the railing, Ouyang Qiangang said, "Just like before."

Standing beside him and gazing at the same view, Heo Cho-ryeong nodded. "Yes. Some things don't change."

Coming down from the pavilion and wandering the streets, Ouyang Qiangang saw person after person bow their heads in greeting to Heo Cho-ryeong. It was a scene that let him feel, firsthand, how greatly Bamboo Forest Manor's standing had risen since the black plague had swept through.

When the sun reached its zenith and their stomachs began to protest, the two of them naturally turned their steps toward an inn. The Sea ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Dragon Inn was a three-story building on the banks of the Gan River. With Tengwang Pavilion and the river visible from its windows, and a kitchen famous throughout the city, its ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tables were never empty. A serving girl ushered Ouyang Qiangang and Heo Cho-ryeong up to the second floor, and soon steaming dishes were arriving at their table one after another.

"If you leave tomorrow, when will I see you again?" Heo Cho-ryeong's voice was full of longing.

"I'll do my best not to make it long."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"You promise?"

"Hahaha, yes."

The moment Ouyang Qiangang answered with a light laugh—

Thud. Thud.

With the sound of steady footsteps, a long, dark shadow fell across their table.

"Well, well. I never dreamed I'd run into you here, Miss Heo."

A scene that felt eerily familiar.

They do say words become seeds... I really must watch my mouth from now on...

Recalling what he had said only the night before, Ouyang Qiangang turned his head. There stood Hwa Do-reung, young master of Hwa Clan Manor, dressed in silks even more extravagant than the last time he had seen him, a saber with a jeweled hilt hanging at his waist.

But what stood out even more were the three men and one woman standing behind him. Ouyang Qiangang's eyes deepened. All four were strikingly beautiful, dressed even more flamboyantly than Hwa Do-reung himself, and the air that hung about them was anything but ordinary. Their mere presence was enough to make the very atmosphere around them seem to change.

Hwa Do-reung ignored Ouyang Qiangang completely, as though he did not exist, and spoke to Heo Cho-ryeong. "As it happens, I have prepared a rare gift just for you, my lady. Won't you spare me a moment of conversation?"

Geum Wang, wrapped around Heo Cho-ryeong's neck and nestled against her chest, bared his teeth and let out a sharp growl, evidently finding the man much to his dislike. Kkiek—!

Ouyang Qiangang simply went on sipping his tea, his face calm, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠offering no interruption.

To think he can spout such greasy nonsense in company like this without a flicker of shame... The vulgarity may be his and his alone, so why must the embarrassment be split between me and her...