The Honeymoon Suite
—Click.
What emerged from my robes was the silver-plated dagger I had taken from the secretary’s corpse.
On the scabbard were the words: “To one who has contributed to the glory of the Main Gate.”
I had always believed a day would come when I would need it, and so no matter what happened I had never let it leave my person. I had kept it close and treasured it.
“If someone at Cheonsubaekryeonsa was connected to the Demon Cult or the Blood Cult, this was the first thing that came to mind the moment I heard about it.”
I had once tracked the secretary who, under the orders of Moyong Jinryong—the eldest son of the Moyong Family—had meddled in my trials.
I had tried to confirm the true identity of the man who belonged to Cheonsubaekryeonsa yet had been recruited by Moyong Jinryong and taken the lead in tormenting me.
In the pouring rain, martial artists of at least first-rate caliber had poured out, and after a bloody struggle I had succeeded in securing the secretary’s person.
But when the Guardian of the Sichuan Tang Family burst in, the secretary died, and the only thing I obtained was this single dagger.
So Yeomgyo stood with her arms crossed, staring fixedly at the blade.
“Is that the one you mentioned before, the one that came from that secretary at Cheonsubaekryeonsa?”
“Yeah.”
I took the end of the hilt and spun it. The pommel opened, and a sealed slip of paper came out.
I handed the paper to So Yeomgyo.
She took it. Her eyes blinked as she read the characters.
This is a certificate bestowed by Taeuljin of the Disciplinary Committee. All forces under Taeuljin’s command shall immediately cooperate with the one who presents this.
“…Hmm.”
So Yeomgyo nodded and handed the paper back to me.
“Taeuljin is second in rank within the Disciplinary Committee of Cheonsubaekryeonsa. Hmm… now it makes a bit more sense.”
“Something come to mind?”
“Nothing certain yet, so it’s too early to jump to conclusions.”
She leaned back in her chair and pressed her fingertips against the corners of her eyes.
“More than that, this is hardly something we can just brush off as a chance encounter while chasing down one subordinate.”
She had followed my trail all the way down into the underground of the Iljibu branch and run straight into the swarm of Blood Corpses.
I had already sensed it during the clash at Emei, but she was as thoroughly versed in every kind of occult art as she was in martial arts.
The moment she spotted the Blood Corpses she had recognized them not as ordinary people but as jiangshi created by the Blood Cult’s forbidden arts, then reverse-tracked their path until she reached the place where I had been.
“The Rite of the Undying Hundred-Eight-Seven Nights… to think they would actually carry it out.”
Chin resting on her hand, So Yeomgyo let the words trail off. Her expression was endlessly complicated.
“I was going to grab you by the head the moment we met, truss you up, drag you off, and hang you upside down to interrogate you about all the impersonation business… but with this, even I have to rearrange my priorities…”
“Huh? What did you just say?”
“Nothing. Forget it.”
She had muttered something thoroughly chilling. I did my best to erase the words from my mind and asked her,
“Even if the Blood Cult has its forbidden arts, is it really possible to create a Guardian’s pearl that way?”
So Yeomgyo ordered another bottle of strong liquor and filled the tiny cup in front of her.
“No reason it couldn’t work. In theory. The part that doesn’t make sense is…”
She picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks as she spoke.
“Even if you successfully transplant a pearl created artificially through those arts, the recipient will only become a thrall and end up a corpse. They can never become a martial artist with a single will of their own. What on earth is the person who volunteered for this thinking? Since their own will is the most important thing, you can’t even force them into it.”
“….”
Her words settled on my chest like a massive stone.
Is it because of me?
I bit my lip.
Because of my interference, everything So Cheonpa had built had scattered like foam in an instant. His pride as a martial artist had been driven into the dirt as well.
Expecting any rational judgment from him was absurd. I did not know every detail of his circumstances, but a large part of the motive that drove him to volunteer for the Rite of the Undying Hundred-Eight-Seven Nights had clearly come from me.
If only I had handled things more cleanly…
I always tried to be thorough, yet somewhere a gap always remained. And from that gap the matter grew and grew until it created yet another wave of consequences.
I was sick of making mistakes. I wanted to become more perfect. I was thoroughly sick of regretting my actions every single time.
An unbearable loathing surged up toward my own character flaws and every other gap I possessed.
“….”
So Yeomgyo looked at me as I sat with my head bowed, fists clenched. She poured herself another drink and said,
“Stop thinking.”
“Huh?”
She picked up her chopsticks, popped a piece of pork stir-fried in fiery red seasoning into her mouth, and chewed.
“I think what you did was good. Cool, even.”
She had already seen straight through the thoughts that were tormenting me.
“It’s a shame I wasn’t there for that cool moment, but if I had been I would have backed you with everything I had. So don’t go thinking things like ‘this whole mess started because of me,’ or ‘I’m still such a worthless guy,’ or ‘why do I try so hard to do something right and the results always turn out like this?’”
“….”
“And there’s still plenty of time left.”
So Yeomgyo stretched.
“Three days from now, not counting the final day of the offerings, we still have a full week. Cool your head, smash the branches one by one, and something’s bound to turn up. You’re not doing this alone. We’re doing it together. Something like this is nothing.”
“Wait—that means—”
She grinned.
“My rank-four subordinate is running around working so hard. How could this master just sit and watch? This Flame Eye, So Yeomgyo, will personally lend a hand.”
“Ah.”
“Feel honored. I don’t move for silver coins—I move for gold bars. And helping someone privately like this? Among men, you’re only the second.”
Without a mirror I had no idea what expression I was wearing in that moment. So Yeomgyo snorted and propped her chin on her hand.
“Looks like you’re grateful after all. Honestly, you’re secretly pretty emotional.”
I awkwardly lifted my teacup, wet my throat, and said,
“…Thanks.”
She seemed a little drunk. With a flushed face she smiled faintly and tapped her chopsticks against the bowl with a clear ting-ting.
“Then buy me dinner.”
“Of course.”
I answered at once.
“And the drinks too.”
“Yeah.”
The sun sank. Darkness settled beyond the inn. The innkeeper moved about with a candle, lighting lamps here and there.
Under the warm, wavering orange light, So Yeomgyo spoke with a pleasantly tipsy look.
“Ah, and book us a room as well. I’ll cover the cost—just make the reservation. This place looks big enough that they have all sorts of rooms. Get one with a private bath.”
“Lodging? Sure, whatever.”
“When you book the room, keep something in mind. Remember last time at Emei?”
“Why bring up Emei all of a sudden?”
A forgotten unease suddenly lifted its head. Emei had involved any number of incidents, but the most vivid memory was spending the entire stay there sleeping in a rigid posture with my hands clasped over my navel, staring only at the ceiling.
With a face still pink from drink, So Yeomgyo stretched luxuriously and said,
“What do you mean, why? You know how vicious the Blood Cult bastards are. On the surface we’re just raiding Unwol Jiju branches, but with the Blood Cult mixed up in this, we could get hit at any time. So book one room like we did at Emei, just in case. Ah, I’m already getting sleepy.”
“….”
Seeing her again after so long, I had forgotten. Forgotten how hard those days had been.
I looked at So Yeomgyo, who was already nodding off with her chin propped on her hand, and added belatedly,
“Hey, about that. My martial arts have improved a lot since then. I can handle a certain level of ambush now. And men and women shouldn’t share a room after the age of seven—”
“Ah, shut up. I’m going to nap for a bit, so hurry up and book it. Oh no, this is bad. If I fall asleep before I wash, I’ll be too lazy and just keep sleeping…”
In the end she began dozing off with her chin still on her hand.
I stared at her. A sudden stubbornness rose inside me.
I went to the inn’s proprietress. She must have already overheard our conversation, because the middle-aged woman was beaming.
“Looking to stay the night? The largest suite, the one with a private bath.”
“Yes. The bath seems like the most important part. Do you have something like that?”
“Of course. It’s expensive, but on this floor there’s exactly one room with its own private bath. Hoho.”
I had no idea why that laugh felt so ominous.
And when I was led to the second-floor suite and the door opened, I finally understood the meaning of that smile.
“…This is.”
I stood frozen, pointing at the room, mouth working soundlessly. The proprietress only kept smiling brightly.
“I’m sleepy. Why are you just standing there? Move.”
She shoved me aside and staggered into the room.
—Thud.
She hugged a pillow as large as her upper body and collapsed face-down on one side of the bed, already asleep.
The bed was enormous.
“My, your companion must have been terribly tired. The bathroom is right next door, so keep that in mind.”
The proprietress who had guided me up began explaining the layout of the room, then covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled.
I asked in a dry, carefully calm voice,
“There aren’t any other rooms, are there?”
“Of course not. Rooms with private baths aren’t exactly common. Still, this is the finest suite we have. It’s extremely spacious, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s extremely spacious. The problem is…”
She snatched the money from my hand with practiced speed and laughed.
“Then rest well. Ahh, youth is something to envy. Oh, and since your companion has already lain down under the covers, no refunds. Also, for guests of this suite we specially provide a late-night snack. We’ll send a boy up with it a little later, so enjoy.”
“….”
What stood by my pillow was not two separate beds but a single bed twice as wide as an ordinary one.
Even at Emei, being forced into one room with So Yeomgyo had made my heart feel ready to burst from tension the entire time we stayed there. She had sprawled about the room in a completely unguarded state, like a sleeping tiger, while I alone remained rigid with nerves.
Being alone with her in a sealed space, hearing every sound—her scent, her breathing, the rustle of her clothes and the blankets—in the pitch darkness had been more than enough to inflict unimaginable torment on me.
And this time—
Good heavens. This is a honeymoon suite, plain and simple.
In the center of a room so vast that an echo would have carried stood a massive bed. It was wide enough that three adults could lie side by side with room to spare. And there was only one bed.
Beside it stood a table and a few pieces of furniture, and a wooden door leading to the private bath. A thick carpet covered the floor.
—Knock knock.
A knock sounded. I opened the door.
“Late-night special, sir.”
A young pageboy a full two heads shorter than me held out a large tray laden with various dishes.
“Enjoy your meal, and just leave the empty dishes on the tray outside the door. We’ll clear them away.”
I took the tray and set it on the table. It was quite heavy. I lifted the covers from the food.
“This is…”
“Made with great care, sir.”
The boy bowed politely.
“….”
“Ah, and tonight there are no other guests on this floor. No one will complain no matter how much noise you make. So please rest easy and enjoy yourselves.”
“…I didn’t need to know that.”
I like food. In particular I regard leaving food unfinished as a sin. But I was not so foolish as to eat a late-night special composed of soft-shelled turtle, eel, chives, and every other ingredient said to boost yang energy, only to make the coming days even harder on myself.
I quietly reached out and replaced the covers on the bowls.
“Mmm.”
So Yeomgyo, lying on the blankets, waved a hand. With a mysterious motion the thin, translucent coverlet whirled up and settled over her body. She hugged the soft pillow, smacked her lips in satisfaction, and returned to steady breathing.
I let out a light sigh.
I opened the door again. Fortunately the pageboy had not gone straight downstairs; he was still in the corridor arranging a flower vase.
I beckoned him over.
“There are a few items I’d like to request… Could you bring them right away?”
The boy tilted his head.