Chapter 248: Return (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 248: Return (1)
“She’s back?”
An image flashed through my mind as I responded to Gu Huibi.
A woman of dignity, who possessed the best qualities of both Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonseo.
The Lady of White Flowers, Mi Hyoran.
She was the wife of the Clan Lord, Gu Cheolun the Tiger Warrior, and the mother of Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonseo. Furthermore, she was the current Lady of the Shanxi Gu Clan.
Why now…?
There was still a long time until she was supposed to return to the clan. It shouldn’t have happened until I was at least twenty.
Then again, it’s pointless to argue with reality at this point.
So many things had already changed that one more alteration shouldn’t be surprising, yet it still felt strange.
The Gu Clan rarely ventured far from Shanxi. The fact that they maintained their vast resources and noble status without external support was largely due to the Lady of White Flowers, Mi Hyoran.
While the Cheonil Merchant Association was known as the largest trading company in Shanxi, rumors said the White Flower Merchant Association couldn’t keep up. But I knew the true extent of their hidden wealth. In terms of pure capital, they could probably buy the entire Gu Clan outright.
And now that woman has returned.
It was highly unusual for the Clan Lady to reside outside the clan for so long, but ultimately, that was Father’s fault. I didn’t know the full details, but even he admitted the blame lay with him.
I never pressed him for the full story, but I’m certain it relates to my mother.
The difference in his treatment of his legal wife and his concubine was so stark it bordered on blatant favoritism. Even I could see it clearly, so it was no wonder Mi Hyoran grew angry.
Anger… is that even the right word?
Whenever I thought of Mi Hyoran, I felt the need to correct myself. But whatever the reason, it was true she had ended up spending years away from the clan.
It grew so severe that even when Gu Huibi earned the title of Sword Phoenix, and when Gu Yeonseo achieved great results in the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament, Mi Hyoran only sent letters. She never returned, using her busy schedule as an excuse.
On the contrary, I heard that Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonseo visited her every few years, but I wasn’t in a position to know the details, much less intervene.
For such a person to return now…
It made me think something important must have happened, whether to the main household or to Mi Hyoran herself.
I looked intently at Gu Huibi, who was delivering the news.
“It’s good that Mi Hyoran is returning… but why are you telling me?”
The Clan Lady’s return was one thing, but why report it to me specifically?
In response to my question, Gu Huibi picked up a letter beside her and handed it over.
“What is this…?”
I opened it to find a single, brief line written inside.
-The first son of the clan will return immediately.
“…”
It was unmistakably Father’s handwriting, bearing the Lord’s official stamp. The presence of the stamp meant this was a direct order.
What the hell is this? It’s unsettling.
This letter was addressed to me. Given Gu Huibi’s reaction, she seemed to have received her own missive. The problem was, I couldn’t connect the order for me to return with Mi Hyoran’s homecoming.
“Am I the only one who has to go?”
“I suppose so?”
“What do you mean, ‘you suppose’? Give me a clear answer.”
When I pressed her urgently, Gu Huibi simply shrugged.
“I didn’t receive a return order.”
For heaven’s sake… how can she be so irresponsible?
“Sis, you were the one who said you’d accompany me when the time came for me to return.”
“…”
“You were the one preaching about sibling love and all that. How can a person change their mind so quickly?”
Back then, I was the one who wanted to go alone. Now the roles were reversed.
“…Brother.”
“Yes?”
“People change.”
I noticed her pupils darting nervously as she replied, turning her head away.
Damn it.
I understood it was difficult for Captain Gu Huibi to leave the front lines, but it was also strange for me to return alone, especially upon Mi Hyoran’s arrival.
What is going on?
I didn’t know the specifics, but I could tell this wasn’t a favorable situation for me.
Mi Hyoran.
As the clan’s only male child, I was confirmed as the Young Lord, despite being born from a concubine. On top of that, I found Mi Hyoran difficult to deal with; she was the legal wife of the Lord and wielded immense influence within the clan.
What a nuisance…
I had hoped, if possible, to never meet her.
That’s why this stamped letter left me more annoyed than anything.
After finishing my conversation with Gu Huibi, I pocketed the letter and left her tent.
I’d given her a brief report about my trip to the heart of the forest, but she probably hadn’t absorbed much, distracted by the news of Mi Hyoran’s return.
As I stepped outside, tying up my hair, I saw someone waiting for me.
“Were you waiting?”
Namgung Bi-ah was seated on the ground, greeting me. I wondered why she sat there when there were plenty of proper chairs nearby.
“…Uh, did you two… talk things over?”
Even I could hear the awkwardness in my tone, but it was hardly a question I could ask with any pride.
Nod.
Namgung Bi-ah nodded in response to my question, then slowly rose and walked toward me. I stood still, watching her, curious about what she intended to do.
Stretch.
“…Wha–?”
Suddenly, she reached out with both hands and stretched my cheeks.
It didn’t hurt much, as she wasn’t using much force, but I couldn’t comprehend the meaning behind her action.
After pulling and squeezing my cheeks for a moment, she let go abruptly and quickly walked away.
“Wha–, hey!”
I called out hastily, but she showed no intention of stopping. This, from the person who had earlier demanded I explain everything to her.
Just as I considered following her, Namgung Bi-ah halted, sensing my movement, and glanced back over her shoulder.
“…Not… me.”
“What?”
After uttering those cryptic words, she leaped away and vanished from sight.
It was an exceedingly brief meeting, considering how long she had waited.
I could have easily caught up to her, but the atmosphere she radiated suggested she would be truly angry if I followed. I could only stare in the direction she had disappeared.
“…Not me?”
What did she mean by that?
Even as I wondered, I felt a vague understanding of Namgung Bi-ah’s meaning. An uncomfortable feeling settled over me as I gazed into empty air before finally moving again.
I took a few steps toward my destination, which wasn’t far, but the quiet mood felt strange. My surroundings weren’t actually calm, so the sensation likely stemmed from my own inner conflict.
I arrived at the plains after passing through a forest. I hadn’t come with a specific reason, just a feeling that she would be here.
“Sitting down again.”
Just as I expected, and just like Namgung Bi-ah earlier, I saw someone sitting perfectly still in the same posture.
It was Moyong Hi-ah, who had disappeared earlier alongside Namgung Bi-ah.
What’s with that atmosphere?
It was thick with a mysterious, somber energy. It seemed to reflect Moyong Hi-ah’s mood, as a faint aura of ice qi lingered around her.
I told her not to do that.
If she wanted to cure her condition, she couldn’t afford to use her Ice Qi. I’d learned this after treating her several times. When my heat met her Ice Qi, it provoked a resistance that blocked the healing energy from flowing into her body.
Because of this, Moyong Hi-ah hadn’t been able to train properly for the past year. For a martial artist, especially a young prodigy from a noble clan who needed constant grinding to reach higher levels, such a hiatus was critical. This time, meant for her cure, was both a miracle and a source of deep unease for Moyong Hi-ah.
But putting that aside, what was with this atmosphere? She looked like a child who had just lost an argument with a friend.
But that shouldn’t be possible, right?
The Snow Phoenix was renowned for her silver tongue. There was no way she could lose a war of words to Namgung Bi-ah, who was famously one of the slowest speakers in the Central Plains.
After watching Moyong Hi-ah’s back for a moment, I slowly approached.
“What are you…”
I was about to ask what she was doing, but Moyong Hi-ah stood up before I could finish.
She rose immediately and shook her head vigorously from side to side, as if trying to cast something off. Did she have to be so dramatic? Didn’t that hurt?
“…”
I was rendered speechless by the sight of Moyong Hi-ah doing something so utterly out of character. As I stared in disbelief, she seemed to calm down, turned around, and began walking toward me.
Our eyes met.
“…”
“…Oh.”
She seemed genuinely startled to see me standing there; she hadn’t noticed my presence at all.
And…
…Huh.
I was shocked in turn.
Moyong Hi-ah’s eyes were red and puffy. Judging by the slight dampness around her nose, it looked like she had been sniffling. Her face clearly screamed, ‘I’ve been crying like a child.’
“Uh…”
What could have happened to reduce her to this state? Namgung Bi-ah had seemed perfectly fine, if a little moody. She certainly hadn’t looked anywhere near as distraught as Moyong Hi-ah did now.
Moyong Hi-ah seemed acutely aware of her disheveled appearance. She hurriedly covered her face with her hands.
“W-Why are you here right now?”
“She told me to come.”
“…Who?”
“The girl you fought with.”
“…”
Moyong Hi-ah froze for an instant at the mention of Namgung Bi-ah. That reaction told me everything I needed to know. Something had indeed happened between them.
“…The Sword Dancer?”
“Yes.”
“Sigh…”
Moyong Hi-ah let out a deep sigh.
“…Even though her beating earlier was so one-sided.”
“Beating? Wait, did you two actually fight?”
If it had been a physical fight, Moyong Hi-ah shouldn’t even be standing right now. Namgung Bi-ah was notoriously aggressive in duels.
“It’s not like that…! It’s just, just…”
Moyong Hi-ah, who had started to explain, suddenly closed her mouth and hesitated.
“…I just lost.”
“So you did fight?”
“I lost without a fight.”
What was she saying? Lost without fighting?
Is she picking up Namgung Bi-ah’s habits?
Her explanation was shorter and more cryptic than ever, leaving me completely bewildered.
However, since Moyong Hi-ah was being like this, it meant she was deliberately hiding something. Pressing her further seemed unwise.
As I stared at her with a perplexed expression, she avoided my gaze and muttered under her breath.
“…I won’t lose next time.”
“Uh, um, yeah… Good luck.”
But with her red, swollen eyes, her declaration lacked any conviction. Plus, if she lost without a fight, what did she mean by ‘winning next time’? Did she actually lose a verbal argument? No matter how I thought about it, Namgung Bi-ah wasn’t the type to win a war of words. Her usual tactics were to seal her lips and frown.
…Maybe I don’t know her as well as I thought?
Perhaps. Unless Namgung Bi-ah had been deceiving me all along, that seemed unlikely.
As I awkwardly scratched my head, Moyong Hi-ah wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She seemed oblivious to her nose, which she didn’t wipe, but I didn’t have the heart to point it out.
“Please give the Sword Dancer… my thanks.”
“You want me to thank her after you lost to her? Isn’t that strange?”
“I don’t want to say that I’m sorry.”
It was a pride I couldn’t quite understand.
“I can do that, it’s not difficult. But putting that aside,”
“Yes?”
Moyong Hi-ah looked at me with a hopeful expression, as if expecting some comfort. Unfortunately, I wasn’t very good at that, so I went straight to the point.
“Go pack your things.”
“…Huh?”
“I have to return home first thing tomorrow.”
“…?”
Moyong Hi-ah’s puffy eyes widened in surprise. The round shape didn’t suit her at all, making me burst into laughter. Seeing me laugh, she rubbed her eyes even more vigorously.
Night had fallen.
I had originally planned to leave in a few days, but with the clan ordering my immediate return, I had to hurriedly prepare for the journey.
My direct servants began packing swiftly. Since some of my escorts were also leaving, arrangements had to be made with the Fifth Army. Furthermore, Moyong Hi-ah’s clan also had to prepare for departure now that I was leaving. It was going to be a hectic night until morning.
But amid all this, another issue arose.
-Young Master.
“Yes.”
-We brought him here as you instructed.
A guest had arrived this late at night. I had notified him in advance, expecting a visit, but I was surprised he actually came.
“Let him in.”
Swish.
Following my command, someone entered the tent. The tent, of reasonable size, suddenly felt cramped with this new presence. His massive frame forced him to duck his head to avoid the ceiling.
I slowly looked up and addressed the guest.
“You act more quickly than I expected.”
“…”
“Good to see you.”
The giant avoided my gaze.
Hwangbo Cheok’s younger brother.
It was Hwangbo Cheolwi.