Mistaken for a Fairy (2)
"Hold on. Give me the key."
I snatched the key right out of Joo Yeon's trembling hand and unlocked the cell door, swinging it open.
But I didn't bolt out just yet.
"First, explain what's going on. This is definitely Dobongpa, right?"
"The sect leader is dead set against you. Senior Disciple Nam Yeon was killed so brutally—how could he not seek revenge...?"
Brutally... yeah. Vertically slicing her did make it a bit gruesome.
"I'm sorry! I was too naive. I thought even if he flew into a rage, if I defended you vigorously enough, he'd forgive you...!"
Joo Yeon was on the verge of tears.
"I only wanted to help the injured fairy lady, I never dreamed it would lead to this...! I'm truly sorry!!"
From her words, I pieced together the rough situation.
When I collapsed from my injuries, Joo Yeon brought me back to Dobongpa. They could treat me here, and in this era, leaving a fainted person on the roadside was basically the same as abandoning them to die.
Plus, with my body now turned female, there were even more reasons to fear beyond just murder and robbery.
Joo Yeon figured the sect leader would be angry at me for killing Nam Yeon, but she never imagined he'd go so far as execution.
Yet contrary to her expectations, despite her desperate explanations and pleas, the sect leader was insisting on my death.
That raised one question.
"If he's so dead set on it, why hasn't he killed me right away?"
"Because we have an important guest in the sect right now."
Joo Yeon lowered her voice to a whisper.
"None other than an elder from Bongrae-pa...!"
Bongrae-san, also known as Geumgangsan. Bongrae-pa was the ancient Daoist sect based there.
If Baekdu-pa dominated the northern Korean Peninsula and even into Manchuria under the Qing, then Bongrae-pa held unmatched sway in the central region.
"Does that guest know I'm here?"
"No, they have no idea. The sect leader strictly ordered us not to say a word... "
Is that so?
Then the sect leader must have some doubts about Nam Yeon's actions.
If he saw them as pure victims, there'd be no need to hide me. He must be worried the guest might defend me upon hearing the story.
"What about my stuff?"
"The sect leader confiscated it... I tried to sneak it back if possible, but he took it straight to the sect leader's quarters... "
If I escaped now, getting my sword, mirror, and martial arts manuals back would be a pipe dream. Even if I came later claiming ownership, it'd be "Why's this yours?" all the way.
"Listen up, Joo Yeon. Go to that guest and get them to come to me?"
"P-Pardon...?"
Joo Yeon hesitated.
"B-But if I do that... "
She can steal the key and bust me out, but talking to a Bongrae-pa elder is too much for her.
It wasn't weird of her. Bongrae-pa's name carried that much weight—enough to overshadow even her own sect leader.
"You don't need to plead my case or anything."
I reached through the bars and grabbed her hand.
Her goodwill toward me was obvious. The bandage over my eye and the salves on my wounds were probably her doing.
Sorry, but I needed to borrow a bit of that goodwill. Survival first.
"Just lure the guest here somehow. I'll handle the rest."
Joo Yeon swallowed hard. She stared at me intently, then bowed her head deeply.
"Understood. For the fairy lady."
"Good girl."
"...!"
Her shoulders twitched, and she bolted out of the prison in a panic.
...Did I say something weird?
That was just what my mom used to say when praising me.
It'd been so long since I heard praise, I forgot how to do it naturally.
Anyway, what I needed to do now was plan what to say when facing that guest.
A Bongrae-pa elder.
Probably looks the part at first glance—"Ah, a real Taoist." White, flowing hair and beard, long eyebrows trailing down. Wearing ancient Daoist robes unchanged for millennia, with a faint scent of herbs and pine wafting from them.
While thinking that, I pulled up the gallery.
I wrote it in a way that caused misunderstandings.
From: Geom Hu
...Why is she like this?
Something subtle seeped from the message's tone.
Not anger, but anxiety.
Not "How dare you refuse Baekdu-pa's favor for Bongrae-pa!?" but "Is Bongrae-pa better than Baekdu-pa...?"
Did she have a rivalry complex with Bongrae-pa? Or was it Geom Hu's personal insecurity?
Better reply politely, just in case.
I didn't want to make an enemy of her.
This should do for now.
Gotta hurry!
Joo Yeon's heart pounded fiercely.
The fairy lady's hand. It was soft. A bit cool from the outside air, but where it touched felt burning hot, like a scorch.
Why am I like this?
She shook her head vigorously, as if to shake off stray thoughts.
She arrived at Hoseon-gak, the building for receiving guests in Dobongpa.
With such a precious guest, even she—a first-class disciple—had to clean the whole place herself until yesterday.
Senior Disciple Nam Yeon slacked off even then...
Her body ached from the beatings Nam Yeon had given her.
Truth be told, when she first saw the fairy lady, Joo Yeon thought she'd come to save her.
Getting beaten to the point of fearing death, then someone appears yelling at the abuser—anyone would think that.
Especially someone so breathtakingly beautiful.
Looking back now, it was silly. Why would a fairy descend just for her?
Especially someone so breathtakingly beautiful. Important, so twice.
Now she guessed: the fairy lady hadn't come to save her—it was just lucky timing.
Even so, that heart-fluttering moment hadn't faded.
A Bongrae-pa elder was still terrifying. But for the fairy lady...
...Let's do this.
Joo Yeon glanced around outside Hoseon-gak.
No other disciples...
Careful. Careful. Tiptoe. Tiptoe.
"What has you creeping around like that?"
"!!??!"
Joo Yeon arched her back like a startled cat and leaped up.
"H-Hyeon Song Cheon Nyeo... "
She looked like a child, but that was because she'd reached the rejuvenation of the Flower Realm.
She could kill someone like Joo Yeon with a flick of a finger.
No way a Bongrae-pa sage would do something cruel, but facing a powerhouse made you tense by default.
Like fearing heights even with safety rails, or tensing at a beast behind bars.
"What's wrong? Do you have something to say to this one?"
The fairy lady said no need to explain or plead—just get her to come.
But even that wasn't easy.
Not even Dobongpa's sect leader could summon a Bongrae-pa elder. If you wanted to meet, you went to them.
So Joo Yeon bowed deeply. As politely as possible.
"...Esteemed Daoist, in the prison a hundred paces west of here, someone wishes to see you."
"This one?"
"I humbly request—"
"Got it. I'll go now."
Before Joo Yeon could lift her head, Hyeon Song Cheon Nyeo's tiny form had vanished from sight.
So fast!
Even seeing it, she couldn't track the movement. Superior Bongrae-pa footwork? Her supreme attainment? Probably both.
Rushing after, Joo Yeon saw the fairy lady raise her head, eyes meeting Hyeon Song Cheon Nyeo's for the first time.
"Huh?"
And the fairy lady spoke first.
"Huh?? H-Huhh!? That kid murim person from back then!?"
Fairy laaaaady!?!?!?!?!?
Joo Yeon wanted to scream. What are you saying all of a sudden!!