Chapter 33
The errand boy continued, "The young master is only staying one night before leaving, so there's no great need to worry, but I'm telling you to be careful just in case."
Neither Father nor I picked up our chopsticks, so the boy urged us to eat. "The food will get cold. Please, dig in. Did I scare the little miss too much?"
I smiled and lifted my chopsticks. "No! I'm not scared with Father here. He'll protect me, right, Father?"
Father nodded calmly. The errand boy clapped in delight. "Oh my, what a heartwarming father-daughter bond! It's truly a sight to behold!"
Just then, like a bucket of cold water on the warm mood, a tongue-click echoed through the room. A hand suddenly reached out, pulling the chair beside me.
"Bring me a bowl too."
"You're here?"
Namgung Wan nodded as he sat. "I've already heard everything, so no need for explanations. Just as he said. Over a hundred children have gone missing in Ma Village alone, and who knows how many more if you count the beggars."
"Human trafficking?"
"Likely. It's getting worse by the day."
On the way here, Father and Namgung Wan had sensed something off about the city's atmosphere and started investigating right after booking the inn.
"What now? To dig deeper, we'll need to check the Beggars' Sect branch."
Namgung Wan stroked his chin and glanced at me, signaling to consider my presence.
If it were just about me, we shouldn't get involved. 'If we catch the kidnappers in a day or two, fine. But if it drags on...'
It would derail the plan to get me to Manshin-ui as quickly as possible. But Father's nature made it hard to ignore something like this. Knowing that, Namgung Wan spoke up.
"Uigang, we can't afford to drag this out."
Father pondered for a moment, then turned to me. "Yeon-ah, you should head up now. I'll have dinner sent to your room."
My eyes widened in surprise. 'He's kicking me out just like that?'
I'd come down precisely to see how things unfolded! Going back now would throw all my plans off.
"Uh, um... well..."
Think, Baek Ri-yeon. Come up with some excuse.
'Ah, got it!'
I blurted out, "I'm scared to be alone!"
Namgung Wan, who had been pouring tea, flinched and spilled some on the table. "Tch."
Irritated, he set the teapot aside and looked at me. "You weren't scared a moment ago."
"No, I am scared."
"Kid, if you're gonna make excuses, at least make them believable."
I pouted, insisting earnestly. "That's because Father and Uncle Namgung Wan are right here next to me!"
"What?"
"Uncle, listen! How scary would it be to hear stories like this and then go back to my room alone? Right?"
I grabbed Namgung Wan's arm and shook it instead of Father's, figuring he might be more receptive. Father stared at me sternly.
"Baek Ri-yeon, let go of his arm. Who taught you to act like that? Where did you learn such rudeness?"
Namgung Wan cleared his throat awkwardly. "Come on, is it that rude? It's not like shaking a feather. The kid barely moves me."
"One..."
As Father, stone-faced, was about to continue, a cheerful shout cut him off.
"Wan-hyung!"
'Wan-hyung... Uncle Namgung Wan?'
I turned toward the voice. At the inn's entrance stood a burly young man with sun-bronzed skin and a refreshing smile, a spear wrapped in cloth slung across his back.
Namgung Wan furrowed his brow. "Ak Jung-hae?"
"Yes, it's me, hyung!"
That's Ak Jung-hae?
The young man approached with a warm, friendly grin. The second son of the Shandong Ak family—one of the Ten Great Clans famed for their spear techniques—and a promising junior expert drawing attention at this point in the story.
But by the time the novel's protagonist, Namgung Ryu-cheong, rose to prominence, few remembered Ak Jung-hae's name.
"Soyong-hyung said he'd seen you. I came looking just in case, and here you are! It's been so long, how have you..."
Ak Jung-hae trailed off, his eyes bulging. "Uigang-hyung? You're here too!"
He must not have noticed Father from behind at the entrance. Ak Jung-hae made a huge fuss.
"Hyung! Long time no see! I thought it was lucky just to run into Wan-hyung, but Uigang-hyung too? What brings you here? And together, no less!"
Namgung Wan and Father's gazes shifted to me. Ak Jung-hae finally noticed me, blinking in surprise.
"Who's this adorable little one?"
Father replied flatly. "My daughter."
"D-Daughter?"
"Greet him, Yeon-ah."
I bowed to the dumbfounded Ak Jung-hae. "Hello. I'm Baek Ri-yeon of the Baek family."
Ak Jung-hae gaped for a moment before snapping out of it. "Whoa, whoa, you're tiny! So cute! How old are you? Oh, right—I'm Ak Jung-hae of the Ak family. Nice to meet you!"
He spoke with such bubbly energy it bordered on over-the-top, then reached out and ruffled my hair vigorously. His massive frame made his hand like a pot lid, nearly covering my entire head. I swayed like a tree in a storm from the petting alone.
"Hands off. Is that petting or tormenting?"
Namgung Wan swatted Ak Jung-hae's arm away.
"No, seriously, hyung—didn't you bring out such a young kid? How old? Three? Four?"
"...Six."
"What? Six?!"
Startled, Ak Jung-hae looked back and forth between me and Father, then exclaimed, "Why's she so small—no, wait, hyung! I'm really disappointed! Not even telling us, and you already have a daughter this old? When did you even get married?!"
"......"
"......"
In the heavy silence, Ak Jung-hae glanced around awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "Uh... did I say something wrong?"
* * *
"Cough, cough."
Father adjusted my collar with one hand as I coughed. "How about resting at the inn?"
I shook my head vigorously and buried my face in Father's neck. He sighed helplessly and kept walking.
I peeked out at the street again. 'It's dead quiet.'
Even as dusk fell, the streets were eerily empty. The few merchants sat idly by their stalls, openly staring at our odd group: three burly swordsmen and one child.
Ak Jung-hae, oblivious, chattered on. "Hyungs, have you heard of Sohae Temple? No? Well, it's not connected to the murim world, so that's natural. I only learned about it this time too. But at that Sohae Temple..."
To sum up Ak Jung-hae's endless stream of words:
Nearby stood the grand Sohae Temple. Three months ago, another child vanished—the son of a major patron there. The mother fell ill from grief, so the head monk contacted a high-ranking monk from the Murim Alliance he knew, begging for help finding the children.
"That's why the Alliance dispatched us from the Yongbong Assembly," Father explained to me.
"The Yongbong Assembly is one of the Murim Alliance's organizations. Mostly talented representatives from clans and sects."
Pretending ignorance, I gazed at Ak Jung-hae with wide-eyed admiration. "Oppa, you're in the Yongbong Assembly too?"
"You bet!"
"You're so strong-looking!"
The Yongbong Assembly, one of the Alliance's groups, consisted of young junior experts—handpicked elites representing their clans and sects.
No one from the Baek clan was in it yet. Baek Ri-myeong should've been at the age to join soon, gaining experience and connections with prestigious sects. But...
Baek Ri-myeong never made it in. Neither did the twins. Grandfather hadn't allowed it.
Ak Jung-hae, active in the Assembly, had every reason to be proud. Seeing his chin lift smugly, Namgung Wan snorted.
"Don't puff up over something like that! You look ridiculous."
Ak Jung-hae deflated at Namgung Wan's jab. Both Father and Namgung Wan had once been in the Yongbong Assembly—Namgung Wan even as its leader.
Feigning innocence, I asked Ak Jung-hae, "Did you come alone?"
"Nah. Dispatch missions are usually four-man teams. You'll meet the others soon!"
I hesitated, about to ask who else, but paused at his words.
"Though Uigang-hyung always went solo!"
Father scooped me up higher. "Why dredge up the past?"
Namgung Wan clicked his tongue. "You're still all talk and no substance."
"It's not useless!"
Despite the scolding, Ak Jung-hae persisted doggedly. "Oh, right—have you tried that inn over there? The one on the right! I had lunch there today, and their pork dishes were..."
To prattle on like this to taciturn Father and Namgung Wan was a talent in itself. They seemed used to it, though Namgung Wan's face was starting to sour...
Sure enough, as he opened his mouth to snap, "Ak Jung-hae, shut your—"
"Hyungs! Wait just a sec!"
Ak Jung-hae suddenly dashed off somewhere.