Reclaiming What Was Discarded
The report was concise and brutal: all four men confirmed dead on the road between Xiangyang and Yicheng. Cause of death unknown, the bodies mutilated beyond recognition by wild beasts. Jegal Hyun burned the belated document without a flicker of expression, watching the flames consume the paper until nothing but ash remained.
He sank deeper into a mire of unease. The kidnappers have been silenced, and somewhere along the way, that woman Bing Ok-yeon appeared.
He had no way of knowing how they died. It was almost certainly an elimination of witnesses, yet he possessed no details about the weapons or martial arts used. Any wounds on the remaining body parts would have been recorded in the report. He should have grown suspicious the moment So-yeon returned safely. His excessive indifference had come back to bite him in the worst possible way.
What manner of woman is she?
If Jeong Geuk-ryang’s assessment was wrong and Bing Ok-yeon truly was plotting something, the list of possible culprits was endless. Countless powers sought to keep the Jegal Clan in check.
The Sama Clan. Wudang. Namgung.
Though they sailed in the same boat, they regarded one another with the indifference of oxen and chickens. The Sama Clan was a rival family that needed no explanation. Wudang, sharing Hubei with them, constantly encroached on each other’s territory, snarling like beasts. The Namgung, for their part, tried to crush the Jegal Clan every time it attempted to rise.
And there are so many others.
The Sado League that once managed the Maehyang Pavilion. The Murim Alliance itself.
If this is the Alliance’s doing…
REPORT: All four individuals confirmed deceased on the Xiangyang–Yicheng road. Cause of death undetermined due to severe mutilation by wild animals. No usable evidence recovered.
“Clan Head. Lord Jeong Geuk-ryang and Lady Bing Ok-yeon have arrived.”
“Show them in.”
The two soon entered the pavilion where Jegal Hyun waited. He frowned the moment he sensed Bing Ok-yeon’s aura. It was so similar to hers that one might mistake them for the same person. But that was impossible. That woman was dead.
“...”
Upon closer inspection, the differences were obvious. The body was different. The exposed skin was different. Only the atmosphere remained eerily alike. He could feel her staring straight at him through the veil, as though she were studying him. And then—
“...!”
Jegal Hyun’s body jerked. An overwhelming surge of energy swept through him. He hadn’t sensed it until the instant before it touched him. Jeong Geuk-ryang, standing right beside him, noticed nothing and simply glanced back and forth between them.
A master. What is she doing? What is the purpose behind releasing that energy?
A chill raced down his spine. He regretted not bringing his sword. At that exact moment, Ok-yeon removed her veil.
“Hah...! I-I knew it would be like this!”
“I apologize for the rudeness.”
“O-of course it’s rude! Why would you—”
“Leave us.”
“Yes! Leave...? Huh?”
“I was speaking to you.”
“What are you saying? Why are you pushing me aside?”
“Jeong Clan Lord Jeong Geuk-ryang.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
Jeong Geuk-ryang departed with deep reluctance etched across his face. Even as he left, his gaze never left Ok-yeon’s features.
Indeed, even Jegal Hyun had to admit her beauty was staggering. That such a woman could exist in the world without a single rumor circulating about her—there had to be more to the story.
“You know it’s rude. What are you plotting?”
“Hehe, I am not apologizing for what happened before.”
“Then for what reason did you apologize?”
“This girl is apologizing for the rudeness she is about to commit against the White-Robed Gentleman.”
“Not that you have committed, but that you will commit?”
“Because what the great hero is thinking is correct.”
“...”
The face revealed beneath the veil was so breathtaking that even a man who had reached a state of detachment found it difficult to endure. Yet she also possessed inner energy profound enough to put him on edge. Her apparent age was no more than her early twenties. Even those who practiced rejuvenation arts or slowed their aging with powerful qi could not completely erase the passage of time. The eyes always carried the weight of years, and the skin on the hands and feet—farthest from the dantian—revealed traces of training that even the strongest internal energy struggled to conceal.
It was an appearance only possible for someone of that true age, or one who had undergone a complete reversal of aging. The latter was impossible at her apparent age, so it had to be the former. What troubled him was the level of energy she had released. To possess such martial prowess at that age, what kind of monstrous talent would be required? Even the unprecedented genius he had witnessed seven years ago had not reached this level. She must be a prodigy who had consumed every spiritual herb the world had to offer and studied every secret manual the Jianghu could provide.
And there were not many places capable of producing such a being.
“...Are you truly from the Alliance?”
Ok-yeon offered no answer, only a gentle smile. Seeing that smile, Jegal Hyun reached his own conclusion. She truly had been sent by the Murim Alliance.
“Have you come to deliver a warning? Or to resume the same activities as before?”
“No. I have simply come to reclaim something that must be reclaimed.”
“Reclaim...”
“Jegal So-yeon.”
Jegal Hyun’s gaze returned to her. Surprise flickered across his previously emotionless face. Not anger. Not alarm.
“Since she came from the Alliance, she should be returned to the Alliance.”
“I thought she had been discarded.”
“Whether one discards or reclaims, that is the master’s prerogative.”
The Murim Alliance. They were extending their hand back into Hubei. Convinced of this, Jegal Hyun no longer had the luxury of focusing on anything else. He swallowed his fury at the thought that the Alliance would dare disregard the Jegal Clan. Of course, he was not foolish enough to let such emotions show.
“What is the price?”
“Could the name of the Jegal Clan not rise to the very peak of the Alliance?”
“...”
“Come sit beside me.”
Jegal Myeong patted the spot next to him. So-yeon froze in confusion, unable to move.
“Hurry.”
“Y-yes...”
With obvious reluctance, So-yeon moved to sit beside him. Why did they have to sit like this just to study?
“So, how far has Do-yeong taught you?”
Only those bearing the Jegal surname could provide instruction to the clan’s heirs. No other family could handle the heavenly talents of the Jegal bloodline.
“Um...”
The moment So-yeon sat down, Jegal Myeong shifted closer. Their shoulders touched. His hand was already rising to her head. As expected, his touch brought none of the warmth she felt when Ok-yeon stroked her hair.
“What did you put in your hair? It smells wonderful.”
“Uh... s-studying...”
“Haha, jumping straight into study would be tiring. Let’s chat for a little while.”
She wanted to scream. To tell him she hated it, to beg him to stop. She wished someone would intervene. Why did she have to study in such a secluded place? Was it because she was inferior to her other siblings? Or was there another reason?
So-yeon shrank back in terror. Jegal Myeong’s laughter grew heavier. Tears welled in her eyes. His presence was suffocating.
He stroked her hair, lifted it to his nose, and inhaled. He brushed it behind her ear to reveal her eyes.
“Why do you cover something so beautiful?”
“B-Brother...”
“Yes, I am your brother.”
“Please...”
She had never defied anyone in the Jegal Clan in her entire life. Overwhelmed by unbearable revulsion, So-yeon spoke words of refusal for the first time. Yet even that seemed to amuse him. The smile never left Jegal Myeong’s lips.
“Hic...”
“Don’t cry. Isn’t today a wonderful day? I am teaching you personally. I will soon become the clan head. Such opportunities are rare.”
Jegal Myeong wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with his thumb. His gaze overflowed with what he clearly believed was love.
“Sigh... Every time I watch you grow day by day, I feel both regret and excitement. Do you understand? Do-hwa and Do-yeong mean nothing to me. I have only one younger sister—you. I am your support. I am your roof. Now, lift your head and look at your brother. Show me those beautiful eyes. Show me those jade-like eyes that you hide from everyone else.”
“I... I don’t want to...”
The clear words of rejection finally slipped out. They would never have come if she hadn’t realized the truth. But she had realized it. The same actions could feel completely different. What Ok-yeon did and what Jegal Myeong did were similar in form yet utterly opposite in feeling.
“You don’t want to...? You don’t want to. How unexpected. To think I would hear such words from your lips.”
“I don’t like it... Please stop...”
“It seems you’re mistaken. I have a duty to educate you. In place of Do-yeong, who provided improper instruction. There is no one but me who can teach you properly. Therefore, I must do it.”
“I-I will... g-go...”
“Where do you think you’re going!”
His hand pressed down on her shoulder. So-yeon nearly screamed from the pain.
“I have already waited ten years. I can wait a few more days until your coming-of-age ceremony. But if you continue to render your brother’s consideration worthless like this—”
“...!”
“Do not test my patience.”
Her entire body shook. The sticky energy pouring from Jegal Myeong was not something a girl who knew no martial arts could endure.
“Lift your head. Lift your head and look me in the eyes. Look at the one and only person in this world who will care for you. It is me. Only I recognize your true value.”
So-yeon squeezed her eyes shut. Meeting his gaze was not the problem. What terrified her was having to listen to his words.
“Sister...”
“Why do you keep looking for her? Look at me—the one who will make you a true woman. Look at me!”
Bang!
“What exactly do you think you’re doing!”
The door shattered. Jegal Hwi stormed in, eyes blazing.
“Ha... Hwi. What is this behavior? Are you interfering in a sibling’s education?”
“What part of this is education!”
“It is a task I have been entrusted with. You have no right to interfere.”
“I asked what part of this is education!”
“How is it that not a single person in this family understands my sincerity?”
“Jegal So-yeon, come here.”
Jegal Hwi called to her, but So-yeon could not move with Jegal Myeong’s hand still clamped on her shoulder. Jegal Hwi’s eyebrows twitched. He strode forward and seized his brother’s wrist.
“Today you have made your older brother truly miserable.”
“So-yeon. Father is calling for you.”
“Father? You’re trying to take her from me with such a pathetic excuse?”
“Do you truly believe such a thing is possible within the great Jegal Clan?”
Jegal Hwi glared at his brother as though he would tear him apart. Even beneath that contempt, Jegal Myeong’s smile never wavered.
“You’re right. Then I suppose the lesson must be postponed.”
Jegal Myeong, whom he had expected to argue, yielded with surprising ease.
“No. Such ridiculous education will not continue any longer.”
“We shall see.”
Jegal Hwi gave the young clan heir the barest acknowledgment before leading So-yeon away. The sound of his grinding teeth was loud enough for her to hear.
“Once you leave this place, never return.”
“Uh...”
“Do you understand!”
So-yeon’s face crumpled once more. As expected, Jegal Hwi clearly hated her.
So-yeon struggled to hide her dazed state. Only moments ago she had been trembling from Jegal Myeong’s terrifying behavior. Now she was leaving the Jegal Clan with Ok-yeon, whose presence felt impossibly warm and safe.
She could not understand what was happening. She had been summoned to the clan head’s quarters only to be told to leave immediately with Ok-yeon. Even if anyone had asked her opinion, she would not have refused. After all, even though she had only met her briefly, Ok-yeon’s presence brought her endless comfort.
So-yeon clutched Ok-yeon’s sleeve and looked up at her. She wanted to call her “Sister”—the title she had longed to use—but the words died in her throat. She saw Ok-yeon biting her lower lip beneath the veil. It was the expression of someone who had done something irreversible. For some reason, So-yeon felt as though she had committed a terrible wrong. She was happy, so very happy, yet she could not shake the feeling that she had made a mistake.
“What is it, So-yeon?”
The anxious expression from earlier had vanished completely. Ok-yeon called to her in a voice as gentle as a spring breeze. Yes, this was the feeling. If it were Ok-yeon, even if she did the exact same things her eldest brother had done, So-yeon knew she would not be afraid at all.
“S-Sister!”
She wanted to say thank you. She wanted to say how truly happy she was. This time she gathered all her courage and—
“You’ll have to wait a little longer.”
Jegal Myeong. He was waiting for them at the main gate.
“Come back anytime. This is your home.”
Jegal Myeong spoke words that were the complete opposite of Jegal Hwi’s. His face overflowed with love, and every syllable he uttered dripped with more affection than anyone else could possibly express.