Chapter 110: Oops (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 110: Oops (2)
The unexpected event befell Tang Soyeol on a sweltering summer day.
Having just finished her usual poison arts training, she wiped the sweat from her brow and took a sip of her specially brewed poisonous tea. While the tea aided her cultivation, that wasn't the only reason she drank it. She had grown fond of its unique, bitter flavor and the way it left a faint, numbing tingle on her tongue.
It was then that her elder brother and the Young Lord of the Tang Clan, Tang Jooyeok, approached her.
“Hey, Soyeol, have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
“I heard Bi-ah is getting married.”
“What!?” Tang Soyeol exclaimed, utterly shocked. It hasn’t even been that long since we last met. How is she getting married all of a sudden?
“Why is sis getting married so suddenly…?”
“I was just as surprised, but it seems the news has already spread far and wide by the Beggar’s Sect.”
The Beggar’s Sect, with its extensive connections throughout the Orthodox Faction, often acted as a conduit for important information. This time, the major news concerned the marriage of a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan.
Upon hearing this, Tang Soyeol immediately grew worried.
That dull-witted sister is really getting married?
While Namgung Bi-ah wasn't yet famous in the wider world, Tang Soyeol knew she was one of the top young prodigies of their generation, possessing both formidable martial skill and breathtaking beauty. The problem was her personality, which was surprisingly simple and guileless, quite unlike the typical cold demeanor of the Namgung Clan.
I hope it’s not to someone awful.
She reassured herself that Bi-ah, as a scion of one of the Four Noble Clans, wouldn't be married off to just anyone. “Brother,” she asked, “which clan is Sister Bi-ah marrying into?”
“Well, the marriage hasn’t happened yet…”
Tang Soyeol resolved that if Bi-ah were being entangled with some unsavory character, she would step in. After all, she had once successfully intervened to stop Bi-ah's engagement to Namgung Cheonjun; she was confident in handling such matters.
Tang Jooyeok answered her question. “But I heard it’s the Gu Clan of Shanxi.”
“…What?” Tang Soyeol asked again, certain she had misheard.
Failing to notice his sister’s suddenly fallen expression, Tang Jooyeok continued cheerfully, “You know him, right? It’s that guy from the Gu Clan you met last time.”
“…?”
And that was how Tang Soyeol fainted from sheer shock that day.
It took her a full four days to regain her senses.
It’s not like we’ve known each other for long, she told herself. Though the news was a profound shock, she tried to compose herself, reasoning that as a young lady of a noble clan, she shouldn't be so affected.
But then, the memory of that boy who had captivated her resurfaced. They had barely exchanged words, yet the mere recollection of his appearance left her shaken. She was certain she could forget him quickly.
Four days later…
The boy's eyes kept appearing in her mind all day. She was dismayed that a mere boy's looks could affect her so, but she endured.
Five days later…
She couldn't sleep at all.
Six days later…
She began skipping meals, her appetite gone.
It was only then that Tang Soyeol started to suspect she might be in serious trouble.
On the seventh day…
“But she said she didn’t like him…!”
Resentment toward her beloved sister began to simmer in her heart. When I asked you last time, you said with a completely blank face that you didn’t like him…!
That fox with a dull face!
In a fit of frustration, Tang Soyeol lost her composure and hurled a pillow across the room, which unfortunately struck Tang Jooyeok as he happened to be passing by.
On the eighth day…
Tang Soyeol realized that if this continued, her life would be ruined. She couldn't focus on her training, skipped her meals, and lost sleep. She had to admit the truth: she was lovesick.
She felt pathetic for being so affected by a handsome face, but she could no longer deny it. Even now, thinking of his fierce, penetrating eyes made her feel weak and bewitched. His image had haunted her even before the marriage news, but hearing about his engagement made it unbearable.
“What should I do?”
She needed to find a solution.
On the ninth day…
She found one. It was surprisingly simple. All she had to do was go see him. That was it. She wondered why she had made such a fuss.
Once she had her answer, her appetite returned. Her state of mind, however, was already irreversibly altered.
On the tenth day, Tang Soyeol requested an audience with the Clan Lord—her father—and stated her desire, her need, to travel to the Gu Clan.
Her father initially refused, demanding to know what nonsense this was. But Tang Soyeol was a professional when it came to throwing tantrums, and she had no intention of losing. To her, losing this argument meant her life was over. She wouldn't back down.
She had prepared reasonable arguments, but the Clan Lord was equally stubborn, and their debate lasted quite some time.
In the end, Tang Soyeol emerged victorious.
Acting cute in front of her father: five times. Taking a walk around the lake while holding his hand: three times. Threatening to reveal the location of his secretly hidden snake wine to her mother: and so on.
It required significant effort, but Tang Soyeol was satisfied. As long as she could see him, everything was fine.
She had no intention of actually stopping the marriage, of course. An alliance between two great clans was an unstoppable force; she knew it was unrealistic for an outsider to interfere.
All she wanted was to see him. Even if she had to give up on him, she wanted to see his face one last time.
Time passed.
Escorted by clansmen, Tang Soyeol arrived at the Gu Clan estate. The journey was long, but as it was officially sanctioned by the Clan Lord himself, it wasn't uncomfortable.
The seasons had changed during her travels; summer had given way to autumn, and the worry had carved away some of the softness from Tang Soyeol's cheeks.
The one who came to greet them was the Gu Clan's First Elder.
She noted that the Clan Lord himself didn't appear, but she didn't dwell on it. Normally, she might have taken offense at what could be perceived as a slight, but in her current state, such things were unimportant.
As the First Elder led her to the guest house, he asked, “How did you come to hear of my Jeolyub, to travel all this way to see him?” He seemed to be in a good mood.
My Jeolyub? Tang Soyeol wondered if Young Master Gu was close to the First Elder. I suppose it's natural for people within the same clan to be close. She thought little of it.
“I… just happened to hear about him,” she said evasively, unable to admit she had been captivated at first sight.
The First Elder nodded enthusiastically, clearly pleased.
Soon, they arrived at the guest house.
“Please rest here for a while. My boy will be along shortly.”
“O-Okay!”
Tang Soyeol’s heart raced with excitement at the prospect of seeing him soon. She wondered what to say first. A greeting, of course. Should I ask if he’s been well? How should I explain why I’ve come?
As a whirlwind of thoughts filled her mind, she sensed a presence outside the door.
Thump!
Her heart began to pound wildly. She pressed her cold hands against her heated cheeks to cool them, but the warmth wouldn't subside.
W-What do I do?!
Nervousness and exhilaration warred within her.
Young Master Jeolyub…
With a soft screech, the door slid open. Steeling herself, Tang Soyeol spoke as confidently as she could muster.
“Y-Young Master Gu, how have you bee—?”
The words died in her throat as the boy who entered the room came into view.
Wearing a slightly shy expression, he asked, “I am Gu Jeolyub. I heard you were looking for me…?”
“Who are you?”
“Pardon?”
“Huh?”
“Huh…?”
In that moment, Tang Soyeol realized she was utterly, completely screwed.
* * *
Oh.
A cold sweat broke out on my skin as I saw the resentment burning in Tang Soyeol’s eyes.
I’d completely forgotten I’d told her that. Back then, I’d given her clan a false name to avoid further entanglement with either Namgung Bi-ah or Tang Soyeol. It seemed my plan had spectacularly backfired.
I never expected her to come all the way here, though.
How could I have predicted that Tang Soyeol would travel from Sichuan to Shanxi just for me? Furthermore, she likely knew I was a direct descendant, yet I’d given her a fake name anyway. I hadn't anticipated this blowing up in my face so dramatically.
“I came here to see you. Can you imagine my confusion when I asked for Gu Jeolyub and a complete stranger showed up instead?”
Oops…
So she’d even met the real Gu Jeolyub. I would have picked a different name if I’d known this would happen.
Maybe something like Gu Jinjin…
[It seems you still haven’t woken up if you’re thinking like that.]
“I’m sorry.”
An apology was necessary. Ultimately, it was my fault she had gone through all this trouble.
“When I inquired, I heard you were still returning from Mount Hua. Your name was different, too.”
I knew she had spent ten whole days waiting for me.
“May I ask why you did such a thing?”
Tang Soyeol demanded a reason, but the only honest one I had was, I had a feeling you’d be trouble in the future. I certainly couldn’t explain my precognition.
“I had my reasons at the time…”
“Does Sis know, too?”
Sis? Tang Soyeol has a sis— Wait.
A suspicion dawned on me. “When you say ‘Sis,’ do you mean Lady Namgung?”
“Yes. Does Sister Bi-ah know your real name?”
“Yes.”
I told Bi-ah on our way back to Shanxi from Sichuan. I think Tang Soyeol was there too, but she was a bit far away, so she probably didn’t hear.
My response made the girl’s head droop. For some reason, this fact seemed to wound her deeply.
“Uh… Lady Tang?”
“Yes…”
“Are you alright?”
Was it really such a shock that Namgung Bi-ah knew my name? As the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, Elder Shin suddenly chimed in.
[What did you do, you mantis-looking bastard, to make all the girls in the world fall for you? Why don’t you just collect one of every hair color at this point?!]
Stop spouting nonsense, Elder Shin. I’ve only known this girl for a few days.
We’d barely spoken. Was there even a moment when Tang Soyeol could have developed feelings for me?
[Who knows? Maybe she fell for your looks.]
That’s rich, coming from a ghost who constantly insults me for looking like a mantis.
[I know, right? I don’t think that’s it either.]
Oh, for fuck’s sake…
I could tell from his tone he was just messing with me.
I looked back at Tang Soyeol. In that short span of time, she seemed to have reached some kind of enlightenment; one of her eyes was faintly glowing green.
The most perfect poison martial artist in the history of the Tang Clan. Though her cultivation level might have been lower than some of the other prodigies of the meteor generation, she was a woman who could exhibit overwhelming, terrifying strength in a vast array of combat scenarios. The future master who would protect Sichuan by poisoning thousands of demonic humans was now sitting before me in her youthful form.
“Lady Tang… Uh, can I first ask why you came to see me?”
My question seemed to bring the light back into her fading eyes.
Slap!
She suddenly slapped both her own cheeks with her hands.
What the…?
“It’s okay… It wasn’t what I expected, but this is actually better. You can do this, Soyeol. This is nothing to you, right?”
She started mumbling to herself. Honestly, it was a little frightening, and I instinctively leaned back.
[It seems that girl isn’t quite normal either.]
Who knows, maybe she also has a ghost living in her head like I do.
[A ghost, huh… I wonder if she’s pretty.]
Elder Shin?
[It’s a joke, don’t take it so seriously.]
The way he said it didn’t sound like a joke at all.
Tang Soyeol, still mumbling and rubbing her cheeks, pulled something from her pocket. It was a letter tied with a light blue ribbon. I recognized it immediately. It was an invitation that any clan in the Orthodox Faction, especially those with young prodigies, would receive at least once.
But I doubted she’d come all the way from Sichuan just to show me that.
Holding the letter carefully, she asked, “Do you know that the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament will be held soon at the Murim Alliance?”
“I do.”
As I thought, it was an invitation to the tournament. There was still plenty of time before it began, as it was scheduled for winter.
I wonder if I received an invitation too? It was possible, but I wouldn't know; in my past life, I never participated in such events until I was formally named the Young Lord.
Tang Soyeol braced herself, took a deep breath, and said, “…I came here because I wanted to go see it with you.”
“Hmm?”
I didn’t understand.
“Lady Tang.”
“Yes.”
“Did you really come all the way from Sichuan just to tell me that?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
The tournament was hosted by the Murim Alliance in Henan. While it wasn't far from Shanxi, there was no logical reason to travel from Sichuan to Shanxi, only to then go to Henan. Yet, Tang Soyeol had done exactly that, coming to the Gu Clan just to ask me to accompany her.
Looking at her reddening cheeks and her inability to meet my gaze, I was reminded of Elder Shin’s earlier words.
No way…
Is she really interested in me? But why?
I wracked my brain, but I couldn't find a reason, neither in this life nor my past one. Consumed by curiosity, I had to ask.
“Lady Tang…”
“Y-Yes!”
“Is there a chance that you like m—?”
Just as I was about to finish the question…
Slide.
I turned at the sound of the door sliding open behind me.
It was Namgung Bi-ah, standing in the doorway.
“You… Why…?”
I started to ask why she was here, but the words died in my throat when I saw the inexplicably cold expression on her face.
Namgung Bi-ah stared at Tang Soyeol for a moment, then turned her gaze to me.
“Go outside for a bit.”
“What do you mean, ‘go outside’? I’m still talking to her.”
“Please.”
Her tone was firm. Still, I felt I needed Tang Soyeol’s consent.
Tang Soyeol, who was looking at Namgung Bi-ah with a shocked expression, saw my hesitation and said, “Young Master Gu, it’s fine. I’ve already said what I came to say… I also have something to discuss with Sister Bi-ah.”
It seemed she really had come just to invite me, which was somehow even more shocking.
“Please consider my… request.”
“I… Yes, I’ll consider it.”
I had a feeling a storm was about to break.
I thought they were close. What’s going on?
[You little shit! At times like these, a wise man shuts up and runs to preserve his life…!]
Heeding Elder Shin’s advice, I walked past Namgung Bi-ah, making sure to close the door behind me.
It was too early in the season for such a chill, yet I felt a sudden coldness and found myself rubbing my shoulders.
“What the… Why is it so cold?”
This was especially strange for me, a practitioner of Flame Arts.