Chapter 100: Naga Grounds-3
Chapter 100: Naga Grounds-3
The next day, the Na Clan was thrown into an uproar.
It was because Na Seo-hwang had returned as a cripple.
At the wretched sight of her cherished son, the utterly enraged Madam Min was in a frenzy.
"Just what kind of bastard! What kind of wretched bastard dares lay a hand on the heir of the Na Clan in Heungui?! This is absolutely unforgivable! Send word to every martial household nearby! Scour Heungui thoroughly and find this bastard!"
"Yes! Madam!"
The entire Na Clan had been as noisy as a hornet's nest for half the day. It was only by the afternoon that Madam Min was able to calm herself slightly.
But it was only that she had calmed down a little—her rage had not subsided in the slightest.
After all, the physician had said he could not guarantee whether Na Seo-hwang's bones would ever properly heal—there was no way her fury could dissipate.
Slap!
"Kyaak!"
"You wench! You dare clean my room so sloppily?! Do you think you can keep working in this household after this?!"
"I-I'm sorry, Madam!"
"And why does this tea taste so awful again?!"
Shatter!
Madam Min was spewing her rage at everyone in sight. It was nearly the end of the afternoon when, all of a sudden, the thought of Na Seo-yu came to mind.
Madam Min shouted at the servants.
"Go summon that wench Seo-yu at once!"
"Yes! Understood, Madam!"
In her room, Madam Min gnashed her teeth as she waited for Na Seo-yu to arrive.
All of this felt like it had happened because of that girl—that wretched, cursed girl had come here.
She ground her teeth inwardly and thought.
'Just try saying you won't go through with the marriage again. I'll smash you to pieces!'
If that girl were standing right in front of her, she felt like she could pour out two hours' worth of abuse.
If only she had the chance, she even wanted to slap her around like she had when she was little.
Then, a moment later, Na Seo-yu entered the room.
The moment Na Seo-yu took her seat, Madam Min glared at her and asked.
"So, have you thought it over? Your marriage?"
At that, Na Seo-yu smiled faintly and answered.
"Yes, I have thought it over."
At those words, Madam Min furrowed her brow, feeling a touch of regret.
If she agreed too easily, it seemed like she wouldn't be able to fully vent her anger.
But then, at Na Seo-yu's next words, Madam Min's eyes flew wide open.
Because Na Seo-yu had said this, very slowly.
"And I said I absolutely will not do it."
A refusal this firm was something Madam Min could never have imagined.
Fury surging to the top of her head, she screamed at Na Seo-yu.
"You wench! How dare you!"
But Madam Min could not finish her sentence.
Because Na Seo-yu, looking her straight in the eye, spoke again.
"I have already told you that I have absolutely no intention of entering a marriage against my will."
At Na Seo-yu's words, which continued slowly but very distinctly, Madam Min could only open and close her mouth silently, unable to speak.
Though she herself could not comprehend it, it was because of the pressure of a First-Class Upper Level expert that Na Seo-yu was emanating from her entire body.
Na Seo-yu was a kind daughter who cherished her family above anyone else in the world and had always sacrificed herself for them.
But on the other hand, she was also the frontline's finest elite warrior, capable of ending an enemy's life without hesitation if necessary.
Until now, Na Seo-yu had treated Madam Min as her father's new wife and the mistress of the Na Clan, even if she was not a good person.
No matter how unjust the treatment and persecution she endured had been.
But that was no longer the case.
From the moment she had heard from Seonwoo Jin that she had poisoned her father, that woman had forfeited any right to still be considered her family.
So now, there was not a shred of mercy or hesitation in Na Seo-yu's actions toward Madam Min.
Faced with the true face of Na Seo-yu—a martial artist she had never seen before—Madam Min gulped and stammered.
"Y-You don't care even if you're not allowed to see your father?"
Bringing up the Na Clan Lord had always been the best card to bind Na Seo-yu, the ultimate move Madam Min could play.
But Na Seo-yu only smiled faintly and answered.
"Of course I care. So I intend to go outside the clan right now and bring back a renowned physician, one famous across this region. A highly esteemed person who can treat my father. You see, I know someone who has a connection with the Eccentric Physician."
At that, Madam Min's face instantly turned pale.
But she quickly gritted her teeth and shouted.
"W-What nonsense is this?! The physician I went through so much trouble to bring is taking excellent care of him, so why are you looking for another doctor?!"
To that, Na Seo-yu asked in return, as if she truly did not understand.
"If my father is so critical that he cannot even see his only daughter's face, then in what way is the physician taking excellent care of him? Shouldn't he have recovered enough to see my face if the treatment were going well?"
"Th-That is...."
"Moreover, why would Mother seem so uncomfortable when I say I am bringing a highly esteemed physician? I thought you would naturally be pleased."
As Na Seo-yu said this and fixed her with a sharp gaze, Madam Min swallowed hard and shouted.
"Wh-What do you mean?! I am merely concerned that if another physician says something foolish, the clan lord's condition might worsen...!"
But her excuse did not work in the slightest.
"Is there a condition that could get worse than this? Or perhaps... could it be that Father's state is not actually that severe, and you, Mother, are deliberately blocking my access to him?"
Na Seo-yu had spoken from start to finish only in a calm and even tone. Yet as the killing intent she exuded intensified, it pressed upon Madam Min as an overwhelming pressure.
Unable to endure it, Madam Min screamed out, as if throwing a desperate tantrum.
"Y-You wretched girl! H-How dare you suspect me...!"
But her words could not continue any further, cut off once more by Na Seo-yu's killing intent that suddenly flared outward.
Na Seo-yu, emanating a presence that felt as though it would crush Madam Min with momentum alone, spoke slowly.
"I was on the frontline, wasn't I, Mother? It was there, while killing dozens of demon heads, that I learned something. Villains always raise their voices the loudest when the truth is spoken. Strange, isn't it?"
It was a killing intent like that of a serpent with its prey right before its eyes.
Under the gaze of Na Seo-yu, radiating an immense, overwhelming presence, Madam Min could no longer speak.
Her undergarments were growing damp.
It was a situation where, if this went on just a little longer, she might even burst into tears. But Na Seo-yu did not press Madam Min any further.
Na Seo-yu slowly bowed her head to Madam Min and rose from her seat.
"Then I shall take my leave now."
Blue-faced and pale, Madam Min could not utter a single word until Na Seo-yu had left the room.
And it was only long after Na Seo-yu had gone from the room that Madam Min's enraged voice burst forth from within.
"Th-That arrogant little wench! How dare she!"
But it was a timid, small shout, hurled only after a considerable distance had been put between them, as if she feared Na Seo-yu might hear it.
Hearing that sound, Na Seo-yu let out a soft laugh.
She was that kind of woman—one who became so pathetically timid toward anyone she perceived as stronger than herself.
It was utterly foolish.
Both that kind of Madam Min... and Na Seo-yu herself, who had been dragged around by the likes of her.
When she returned to her room, Seonwoo Jin, who had followed along in secret, was already back.
He smiled and said.
"You did well, Na Sojeo. That was incredibly satisfying, wasn't it?"
But Na Seo-yu smiled bitterly and answered.
"I feel a bit bitter. It seems so stupid and pathetic to me now, that I tried so hard all this time to serve a woman like that as my mother. If I had steeled my heart from the very beginning and cast her out, my father wouldn't be in the state he's in now...."
All this time, to protect the peace of her household, Na Seo-yu had endured countless persecutions and sacrificed herself.
But the fact that all that patience and sacrifice had been utterly worthless left Na Seo-yu's heart unbearably empty.
No, to be precise, it was not even worthless — it had been actively harmful.
Was this not the same as mistaking a wolf stalking the household for a dog and entrusting the family's safety to it?
It was nothing short of an incredibly foolish choice.
Seeing Na Seo-yu's bitter expression, Seonwoo Jin looked at her with a sympathetic face and consoled her.
"You were far too young then to know that. I believe that just because there are villains who try to exploit good people, that does not mean goodness itself is at fault. That is not Na So-jeo's fault. It is solely the fault of that woman who deceived and exploited the young Na So-jeo."
At Seonwoo Jin's consolation, Na Seo-yu gazed at him with moist eyes.
Seonwoo Jin smiled warmly and continued speaking.
"And it is not too late yet either. I think it is fortunate enough simply to have seized an opportunity to set things right before it was completely too late. Because right now, everything can be restored to how it was."
These were words that could not help but be an immense source of strength for Na Seo-yu, who had been sinking into shame and self-reproach.
At Seonwoo Jin's warm words and gaze, Na Seo-yu spoke again, her face having regained its smile.
"That's true, isn't it? We can restore it all, can't we? Father, and the Na household...."
Then she looked at Seonwoo Jin with deep eyes and said,
"I'm truly grateful, Seonu Gongja. I don't even know how to possibly thank you for all of this. It's all thanks to Seonu Gongja."
At that, Seonwoo Jin also looked at her with deep eyes and answered.
"Gratitude is unnecessary. Just being able to do something for Na So-jeo is good enough for me."
The two's deep gazes lingered on each other.
It was because neither could look away from the warmth welling up deep within the other's eyes.
Just like that, the two of them silently looked at each other for a moment.
In that instant, Seonwoo Jin suddenly felt as if he were dreaming.
The words Seonwoo Jin had just spoken — that just being able to do something for Na Seo-yu was good enough — were sincerely, exactly how he truly felt.
Because for the first time across two lives, being able to do something for her was a satisfaction so profound to him.
And yet, Na Seo-yu — the only woman he had ever loved across those two lives — was looking at him in this very moment with a gaze of tender affection he had never seen before.
At least for this moment, he felt as if he were standing before her squarely as a man, not as Jo Won, the boy she had to take care of like a son.
He suddenly felt that this might be the moment he should confess to her.
And he opened his mouth.
"Na So-jeo, I actually...."
But at that moment, Na Seo-yu, as if she had abruptly snapped back to her senses, avoided Seonwoo Jin's eyes and asked in a slightly flustered manner.
"Ah, look at me. Now I'm supposed to pretend to return to the household, right? Can I just head back right now?"
In Seonwoo Jin's eyes as he watched Na Seo-yu, a deep sense of regret welled up.
The mood had been so perfect, yet he felt as if he'd missed the window.
But even so, he hesitated for a moment.
'Should I just say it anyway, right now?'
Seonwoo Jin, after agonizing for a moment, ultimately swallowed his regret and answered.
It seemed it would be better to wait for a somewhat more certain opportunity.
"Yes, you may head back now."
At present, it was no exaggeration to say that Madam Min had completely seized control of the Na Clan.
Therefore, Seonwoo Jin's judgment was that more decisive evidence was needed to overthrow Madam Min.
The testimony of her son Na Seo-hwang was, after all, something Seonwoo Jin had heard alone; even if he were to threaten the boy again and force a confession, most of the Na Clan's people, who were Madam Min's confidants, would refuse to believe it.
Seonwoo Jin continued speaking.
"When Na So-jeo heads to the Na Clan, that woman's possible actions will be one of two things. She will either try to harm your father before Na So-jeo can bring a renowned physician, or she will try to harm Na So-jeo herself. I believe, with a high probability, that she will attempt to harm your father."
At that, Na Seo-yu asked with a puzzled expression.
"Why would that be? Knowing her, I think she would want to kill me just because of what happened today."
"Hmm, it's a matter of efficiency and probability. Harming your bedridden father is an extremely simple task, but on the other hand, with her low martial arts, she cannot be certain how much manpower she would need to commit to kill Na So-jeo. Also, even if she tried to hire assassins, it would cost a great deal of money, and from what I've seen, she seems like a woman who would never spend her own money."
It was only then that Na Seo-yu could accept Seonwoo Jin's reasoning.
Indeed, the behavior Madam Min had shown thus far was exactly that of a miser who would never let go of wealth once it was in her hands.
What was interesting was that it was also true, ironically, that because of this, she had managed the Na Clan's finances soundly all this time.
Apparently, it was because she considered the Na Clan to be her own personal possession.
Na Seo-yu nodded and said,
"I understand. Then I simply need to pretend to head home while secretly staying hidden to protect my father."
"Yes, and then when that woman makes her move, we will seize decisive proof and crush her on the spot. You'll be slightly uncomfortable since you're not used to staying hidden, but it probably won't take too long. That woman struck me as being quite fearful. She'll likely move to act as quickly as possible."
"Yes, understood. Then I'll pretend to head to the Na Clan right now."
"Yes, I'll stand guard near your father's side."
Madam Min would have absolutely no way of knowing, but her scheme to destroy the Na Clan Lord and Na Seo-yu was, on the contrary, slowly driving her toward ruin.
Because while schemes are laid by people, success is decided by heaven.
But what Seonwoo Jin and Na Seo-yu also did not know was that this truth applied equally to everyone.
***
That night, at the Jo Clan estate, a martial household located on the southernmost outskirts of Guiju Castle's Heungui district.
A gale of bloodshed abruptly swept through the tranquil place.
It all began with the gate guards who had been standing watch while yawning.
The gate guards watched with drowsy eyes as three humanoid figures approached the Jo Clan estate.
"Looks like someone's coming over there?"
"Huh? Yeah. Makes three of them."
"What's going on this late at night? Don't tell me something we have to report inside is about to happen?"
The gate guards straightened their weary bodies, preparing to ready themselves against the approaching figures.
But that was when it happened.
"Wh-what is it?!"
"Who the hell...! Aaargh!"
Puk! Kwajik! Jji-ik!
"Kkeuaaaak!"
"Aaaahk!"
They had no time to prepare properly.
It was because the three figures, having suddenly surged forward at blinding speed, fell upon them like savage beasts.
The three men and women pierced through, tore apart, and slashed open the gate guards in an instant, like wolves pouncing into a rabbit hutch.
A crimson, baleful light shimmered faintly from their eyes.
"It's screaming!"
"It's coming from the main gate!"
"An incursion by bandits?!"
From within the Jo Clan estate, a commotion rose among those who had heard the gate guards' screams.
At that, the three men and women, without a moment's hesitation, smashed through the gate and leaped inside the estate.
Kwaaaaaang!
"Wh-who the...?! Kkeuaaaaaak!"
"M-monsters! Help me! Aaack!"
"Run! We have to get reinforcements! Uaaaaagh!"
"Aaaaack!"
"Keuheoooeok!"
A single meal's time was more than enough for the over fifty members of the Jo Clan to be completely annihilated.
And finally, when no living person remained within the Jo Clan estate, the three men and women began heading north once more, following the trail of the warriors who had fled earlier.
They no longer hurried.
It was because while making their way out of Yunnan Province, they had at some point realized that letting one or two escape and then following them was an easy method to find their next target.
The intelligence of the iron ghosts had already developed to that degree.