Journey to Sichuan
"Ah… Farewell, then?"
Namgoong Sihoon's voice trembled.
It was a sight unfit for the hero who had slain countless villains, but the scene before him was too shocking.
Wasn't this exactly like the time Namgoong Juhee vanished in Wuhu?
How could he forget that crooked handwriting?
"Did the young lady perhaps go to the outhouse?"
Denial, the first stage of grief.
Sihoon looked at Hayeon pitifully, insisting there was no way.
"Hm… If she'd gone to the outhouse, we would have run into her."
Hayeon shook her head slowly.
Her expression said it was already too late.
Steam practically poured from Sihoon's head at that.
"You foolish filly!"
Sihoon bellowed.
He had entered the second stage: anger.
"How can the young mistress of a clan be so frivolous! This…"
"Heh… Lady Namgung does have a flighty personality."
Sihoon dry-washed his face several times.
He had to, or the rage boiling inside would spill out.
As the Namgoong clan's proxy, he couldn't be rude to the Eonha Merchant Group.
That was his thinking.
Though he'd already been rude by yelling.
"W-Well… didn't your group have guards posted? Maybe they chased after the young lady, or at least know her destination…"
Sihoon gazed at Hayeon desperately.
The third stage: bargaining.
Assuming things wouldn't improve, he sought a solution.
"…I'm sorry. If Lady Namgung was determined to run off, there's nothing we could do."
"Ha… haha… I see."
Sihoon collapsed in place.
The fourth stage, depression, and the fifth, acceptance, hit him at once.
His mind couldn't help but whirl in chaos.
He had to reassess the situation and revise all future plans.
A quick peek into his head would reveal it.
That damn Namgoong Juhee girl—no, young lady. How can she be so immature? She caught three Peak realm experts in a month—that should've been enough to satisfy her. And with the Eonha Merchant Group footing the bill, I can guess how much she gorged. Probably devoured meat by the cartload. But what now? The family head must be furious. Can I even explain? A Peak realm master like her could slip away anytime if she wanted. Do we have to comb the entire Central Plains again like rats in a trap?
A veritable whirlwind of worries.
Seeing this, Yi Hayeon patted Sihoon's back sympathetically.
"Hero, actually, I have one clue about where Lady Namgung went."
"What is it?"
Sihoon's head snapped up to stare at Hayeon.
So fast his usual icy demeanor nearly cracked.
"Last time, Lady Namgung mentioned wanting to visit Beiping once things in Hefei wrapped up."
"Beiping?"
"Yes. She said she wanted to experience the capital's splendor. Maybe even look for a husband there…"
"Absolutely not!"
Sihoon roared, then realized and cleared his throat with a cough.
Not at all the stern image of the Namgoong clan's martial guardian.
"Oh my."
"Ah… Sorry. Marriage is a family matter, after all… Anyway, she said she was heading to Beiping?"
"Yes, that's what I recall."
Beiping.
The undisputed largest city in the Central Plains.
Also a full 2,000 li from Hefei—about 1,000 kilometers in modern terms.
A distance requiring at least five days of hard riding.
"…Thank you for telling me."
"No, no. Heading out right away?"
"I have to. Can't risk an incident."
Not going wasn't an option.
If Namgoong Juhee really met a man in Beiping and dragged him home as husband material, that day would be Sihoon's last.
What choice did he have? He had to stop her.
"I've been rude in many ways. My apologies."
Sihoon bowed formally with clasped fists.
For this moment, he was every inch the Namgoong clan's martial guardian.
"If you visit the Namgoong clan next time, we won't disappoint."
"No, we've been poor hosts. Looking forward to our next meeting, Hero Danakgeom."
"Then, farewell."
With that, Sihoon bolted away.
Hayeon watched with pity.
And understandably so—Namgoong Juhee was supposed to head to Sichuan with her from now on.
.
.
.
"Shall we depart?"
Yi Hayeon, leading a single horse, smiled brightly.
A smile seen by only two people in the world.
Now just one.
"…Yeah."
The person in question seemed utterly unmoved.
If asked, she'd say Hayeon had smiled like that since they met—she was just an expressive girl.
Words that would earn whispers of naivety from others.
"Heh… Music to my ears. Is this what close friends feel like?"
This was Hayeon's request to Juhee: speak casually from now on.
And since it was such a small ask, she'd owe her one more later.
A merchant's knack for exploiting vulnerability.
"Yeah, something like that."
Namgoong Juhee nodded to the request.
Casual speech was easier anyway, and she could ignore the extra favor later.
Her own scoundrel nature in full play.
Score it a 1-1 draw.
Hayeon had notched a rare negotiating tie—unbeknownst to her.
"You drop the formalities too. One-sided casual ain't friendship."
"Oh my, perfect."
"…? Casual, remember."
"Hm… Habit from always using formal speech. Hard to shake. Should I force casual? Or stick to formal?"
Juhee stroked her chin at Hayeon's question.
"Casual" usually meant mutual informality.
But if that felt awkward?
Then formal might be the real casual.
So which: force informal, or keep formal?
Not a question with an obvious answer.
"Just do what's comfy. Formal if formal's comfy, casual if casual's comfy."
Juhee's solution: leave it to her.
She wasn't one for deep deliberations.
Better spent pondering Sichuan eats.
That was her way.
"Heh, shall I?"
"Yeah, whatever."
"Okay, formal for now then."
Hayeon said that, then gestured for Juhee to mount.
"It's a long way to Sichuan. Leave now to avoid camping."
"You're the sub-branch head. Okay to be gone so long?"
"Of course. No more rush."
She'd toiled to the bone for a certain escort warrior.
Aim high, become guild head, repay the favor.
But that warrior died.
No need to chase guild head anymore, no need to slave away.
Like an extended vacation.
And now, her most precious person stood before her.
The first friend she'd ever made in life.
Pure, untainted by money or goods.
How could Juhee not be adorable to her?
Reason Hayeon followed her all the way to distant Sichuan.
"Mm. Yeah, hop on. But just one horse?"
"Yes. Coincidence? The coachmen all struck today. Only this one's free."
Juhee brushed it off.
Unfamiliar with Central Plains customs.
A little thought would've shown the nonsense.
Strikes in the carriage trade? No labor laws here—replace them on the spot.
No special skills needed anyway.
But Hayeon lied to bring just one horse for this: sharing meant skin contact, inevitable.
Deepening bonds, her wicked scheme.
A sub-branch head risen from nothing—her smarts turned to schemes.
Juhee fell for it before noticing.
"You first? Or me?"
"Hm… Lady, 'you' feels distant, no?"
"Eh? What then?"
"You might not know, but girls use nicknames. Like Heea, Yeona."
"Mm, Yeona?"
"Heh, Heea too."
Hayeon giggled, patting Juhee's back.
A sign of girly intimacy—Juhee just narrowed her eyes.
The pats stung a bit.
"…Head out?"
"Yes. Heea first."
"Okay. Hold on."
Namgoong Juhee hopped lightly a few times, then onto the horse.
Or rather, dangled briefly.
"Guh… guh."
"Hee… Heea!"
Then slammed headfirst into the ground.
Only then did Namgoong Juhee remember.
Oh right, I can't ride horses.