The Jegal Clan
Jegal Hyun, the head of the Jegal Clan, and his wife Yun Myeong-hwa were receiving a report about their youngest daughter's outing.
"That is all."
"..."
"Hmph! That lowly courtesan's blood truly runs true. She has finally returned to her roots, has she not, my lord?"
Yet the couple had not received the full report. They knew only that So-yeon had left Xiangyang County. After all, neither of them had ever shown the slightest interest in her.
"Who was the man who took her away?"
"It was the maid's brother and his companions."
"Seize that maid, break her legs, and make her confess every detail of her crimes."
"Yes!"
Not a single word about protecting So-yeon left the patriarch's lips. Only punishment for the maid who had dared to mock the Jegal name.
"Arrest everyone who aided that maid as well."
"Yes!"
"A moment, my lord. If we follow this course, that girl will not return unscathed."
"It seems likely."
They spoke of the possibility that their daughter's body might be harmed, yet the patriarch and his wife remained utterly cold.
"She may become difficult to use. Her only value lies in being married off to a suitable house."
"Understood. When she returns, we will ensure no rumors spread."
"I will see it done!"
Jegal Hyun cared nothing for what state So-yeon might return in, so long as the Jegal Clan's reputation remained untarnished.
"Ah, hello… Could you open the…"
"You have returned. Please enter."
The warrior guarding the main gate allowed So-yeon inside. She smiled faintly, pleased that her errand had succeeded, and stepped through.
"What have you been doing?"
Yet the heavens would not permit even that small smile. Someone was waiting for her.
"O-Oh, Brother…"
So-yeon's elder siblings numbered three brothers and two sisters. The third son, Jegal Hwi, stood before her.
"I asked what you have been doing."
"I… I was running an errand…"
"An errand…? Who gave you permission? Who sent you on an errand?"
"The… the Chief Steward…"
"The Chief Steward sent you on an errand? How dare he?"
"Ah… Th-that is not…"
"Not what?"
"It is…"
"..."
Jegal Hwi's eyes narrowed sharply. So-yeon felt her heart plummet. She feared every member of the clan. The most terrifying was her second sister, Jegal Do-yeong, who oversaw her education. But Jegal Hwi was no less frightening.
"How many times must I repeat myself before you understand? Raise your voice! Stop stuttering! That attitude of yours only invites contempt!"
"I… I'm sorry…"
"Haa…"
Jegal Hwi exhaled. The smile from moments ago had vanished completely, and tears like chicken droppings welled in So-yeon's eyes before spilling down her cheeks.
"What are the two of you doing?"
Drawn by the commotion, the eldest son, Jegal Myeong, approached. So-yeon's shoulders hunched even tighter. If Jegal Hwi was a terrifying tiger of a brother, Jegal Myeong was frightening in an entirely different way.
Unlike the rest of the family, Jegal Myeong occasionally showed kindness. He brought her food, bought her clothes, and told her she could come to him anytime for advice. Yet whenever she met his gaze, her body froze as though she were prey before a serpent. After meeting Ok-yeon, the difference had become even clearer. Even now, the moment Jegal Myeong drew near, his eyes swept over her from head to toe, and he stood far closer than necessary. His sense of distance terrified her. Though So-yeon had received little proper education due to her lowly treatment, she understood enough to know this was wrong.
"Brother, is this not the time you should be devoting yourself to study? Do not concern yourself with trivial matters and focus on your learning."
At Jegal Myeong's appearance, Jegal Hwi's voice dropped even lower. The sound of grinding teeth could be heard.
"If one studies all day, the mind will rot. Occasional rest is necessary."
"That rest you speak of—you were already indulging in it before I came out, were you not?"
"So it has only just begun. Now, stop scolding So-yeon and go inside. Your mood seems foul, so I shall take charge of this child's education."
"There is no need. The one responsible for her education is Do-yeong."
"When has Do-yeong ever properly educated anyone? That is why I intend to teach her. This girl has reached the age of learning. She must learn what needs to be learned."
"Why would the young master of the house personally educate a girl?"
"A girl? Did you fail to understand what I just said? So-yeon has reached the age for the coming-of-age ceremony. She is old enough to marry soon, yet she remains as childish as ever. Are you not concerned as well?"
"Ha…"
Jegal Hwi glared at his brother with open contempt. Deciding further words were useless, he turned to So-yeon.
"Go. To your room."
"Uh…"
"What? Do you intend to defy Brother?"
"Hurry and go!"
In the end, So-yeon flinched violently at Jegal Hwi's voice and fled to her room. Behind her, the sounds of Jegal Hwi and Jegal Myeong raising their voices in argument echoed. It was always like this. Jegal Hwi grew furious with a terrifying face, while Jegal Myeong smiled yet offered no comfort.
On her way to her room, So-yeon met the eyes of many servants. The two brothers had caused such a commotion at the main gate that numerous people had come out to see what was happening.
"It's the third young lady again."
"All the family's troubles stem from her."
"Tsk tsk. Lacking in both scholarship and martial arts, and without a shred of sense. It seems lowly blood truly exists."
"At least her looks are passable. She will fetch a good price when sold off."
The contempt in their eyes and whispers made So-yeon feel utterly wretched.
Yicheng. Having fully acknowledged Bing Ok-yeon as Hong Mae's successor, Seol-hwa treated her with utmost respect. Ok-yeon had told her everything about her connection to Hong Mae, save for the fact that she had once been Baek Un-hyeon.
"In a way, does that not make me your junior sister?"
"According to what you have said, you are not the Pavilion Lord's disciple, and neither am I."
"The Pavilion Lord regarded you all as both disciples and younger sisters."
"It is an honor I would give my life for, yet dare not presume. How could I harbor such thoughts?"
"I regard the Pavilion Lord as my adoptive mother, so you would be my aunt, would you not?"
"If you call me aunt, I shall shave my head and enter a temple. For someone like you to call someone like me aunt would only be a blemish."
She was a stubborn woman. Hong Mae would never have taught her in such a manner. From what Ok-yeon had heard, Wol-yeong and Hwa-ran, who had betrayed the Maehyang Pavilion, had once built reputations as Hong Mae's disciples. Still, it was precisely because she was this kind of person that she had endured ten years of hardship to protect the pavilion.
"Then there is no helping it."
Though Ok-yeon had remade her speech, habits, and even her way of thinking, the perceptions formed in childhood could not be completely overturned. She no longer considered herself the sole supreme being, yet she still regarded herself as special. She readily accepted Seol-hwa's deferential attitude.
"So, So-yeon remains isolated, as expected?"
"The young lady continues to suffer neglect within the clan."
"The second daughter, who was in charge of her education, abused her alongside her mother. The eldest daughter is completely indifferent and has married out."
"Yes… The father is indifferent, the second son has settled in the Martial Alliance, and the third son constantly criticizes her for her shortcomings. Only the eldest son is said to show her any care."
"Since most of the family ignores So-yeon, it is natural that relatives, servants, and disciples all follow suit. The only one who looks after her is the young master, Jegal Myeong."
She had expected as much. Yet hearing it confirmed left a bitter taste.
"We wished to rescue the young lady, but our strength has long since waned."
"..."
"Even if we brought her to the Maehyang Pavilion, this place has already fallen out of the Jegal Clan's favor. The outcome would be far too obvious, so we could not act. All we could do was watch over her from afar whenever she came outside."
So-yeon's situation was dire, with little hope of improvement. The only one treating her well was the young master, and if he became patriarch, things might change… but waiting idly for that day was impossible. She had already witnessed the consequences today. So-yeon was far smaller than others her age—not merely petite, but the kind of frailty seen in children deprived of proper meals and sleep. It was the mark of abuse. The once lively girl who had spoken freely now barely spoke and stuttered. It could not be overlooked.
"Young lady, I beg you."
"No. There is no need to beg."
"Ah…"
Seol-hwa dropped to her knees with a despairing expression, pressing her forehead to the floor as if to strike it.
"The young lady is our last hope. The reason we have endured until now is to see her grow up and find happiness!"
"Seol-hwa."
"I will do anything! If you command me to become your servant, I will crawl on the ground!"
"How have you been listening to me until now? The Pavilion Lord was like an adoptive mother to me. Then can you not understand what So-yeon means to me?"
"…!"
Seol-hwa lifted her head, her face a mixture of shame from her presumption and half joy.
"Originally, I intended to pass on the Pavilion Lord's insights to you all and leave, but that will not be possible now."
Then what was to be done? Ok-yeon's power was still insufficient to topple the Jegal Clan. If she fought within the Yeon-yeon Blood Valley, she might have attempted it using the endless energy there. But now that she had emerged, her efficiency in absorbing natural qi was far too poor. Her achievements within the valley had regressed somewhat. Therefore, challenging the Jegal Clan now was premature.
'But if I run away from here…'
'I will spend my life running forever.'
Preparation could never be perfect. She had resolved herself to this the moment she left the valley. She had even considered that the entire murim might become her target of revenge. To think that So-yeon was not in immediate danger, to think that she should gather more strength first—that was a luxury, a pathetic notion.
'Of course, it is also true that a direct confrontation will not yield the desired result.'
Facing one of the Five Great Clans head-on offered no chance of victory. Even if heaven's favor allowed her to triumph over the Jegal Clan, So-yeon would never lead a happy life. The Maehyang Pavilion, which should have been her shelter, had been abandoned by the orthodox and heterodox forces that had once set foot in Yicheng and was declining day by day.
'Seol-hwa's talent is not poor, but she is not young.'
It would take too long for Seol-hwa to reach a high level capable of protecting So-yeon, and there was no time to wait. The same applied even if they trained the few talented young courtesans Seol-hwa was protecting in Hong Mae's stead. In the end, Ok-yeon had to act herself.
'A negotiation.'
There was no way to protect So-yeon by revealing her power. Then the method had to change. Had she not been taught? Use every means available besides strength.
"I am not certain this is acceptable…"
"It is fine. The Pavilion Lord would have done the same."
"I… I see. Indeed, the Pavilion Lord would have done this."
At Ok-yeon's words, Seol-hwa's face showed a look of deep realization. In a way, it seemed like an obvious ploy, yet she was a courtesan who had fought alone to protect the Maehyang Pavilion. Such behavior had simply become part of her life.
"Halt. The Jeong Manor does not accept just any guest."
"I am no ordinary guest. I visited during the hour of the snake as well."
"At that time, I was not guarding this place."
"I came with Lady Jegal So-yeon."
"Do you know what happens to those who impersonate the Jegal name in Yicheng?"
"Of course."
"Enter. I will check the guest register."
If a fortress was impregnable, one must first fill the moat. The Jegal Clan had many hidden shames.