The Audition
Jegal So-yeon took a deep breath and stepped out of the waiting room. It was her turn. She had practiced countless times with Ok-yeon on exactly how to demonstrate her martial arts. To ease her anxiety, Ok-yeon had even secured a guarantee from an elder. The rest was up to her.
I have to pass… no matter what.
As she stepped outside, the biting cold of late winter met the intense sunlight that signaled spring’s approach. So-yeon squinted for a moment before scanning the seats for where Ok-yeon should be sitting.
“Ah…”
But Ok-yeon was nowhere to be seen. Other people had taken her spot.
Sister must be busy.
It couldn’t be helped. So-yeon steeled herself and walked forward. She had to do well—she couldn’t disappoint Ok-yeon.
“Are you Miss Jegal So-yeon?”
“Ah, yes…!”
So-yeon looked up at the examiner. He was a young man with a gentle face. No wonder some of the girls who had gone before her had been squealing.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yi Cheon-woo.”
“Ah, hello…”
“Don’t be too nervous. Even if you make a mistake, it won’t automatically disqualify you.”
“Y-yes…!”
“Then, whenever you’re ready.”
His voice was incredibly soft. So-yeon felt some of her tension melt away as she began her demonstration. Her fan unfolded. Her body spun gracefully. It felt good. Better than usual, even. The parts she always stumbled over flowed smoothly without a single hitch. Her heart lifted as she continued the routine. Her breathing grew heavier as the finale approached. Not a single mistake.
She glanced sideways. Instructor Yi Cheon-woo was smiling gently at her.
With a crisp snap, she finished her demonstration and cupped her fist in salute. Yi Cheon-woo nodded, his smile never fading.
PASS!
The announcement rang out clearly. So-yeon struggled to hold back the urge to shout with joy.
“W-wow…”
But the sound that escaped her throat was pathetically weak. Her face flushed with embarrassment, cheeks burning.
“Thank you for your hard work, miss. You may return to the waiting room and rest. We’ll begin evaluating your other qualifications shortly.”
“Yes…”
As she walked back, she checked Ok-yeon’s seat again. Still empty.
I-it’s fine…
If she told her she had passed easily, her sister would smile. As long as Ok-yeon smiled, that was enough. She felt her eyes grow hot. She really was fine.
While she was walking back to the waiting room in a daze, she saw a girl approaching from the opposite direction. It was the same girl she had met a few days ago. Her expression was still gloomy. Her steps were full of forced energy, yet her face lacked any vitality—a contradictory sight. Without thinking, So-yeon’s mouth opened.
“Do your best…”
The girl stopped for a moment. Her glare was sharp. But when So-yeon thought about truly frightening glares, this one wasn’t so bad. In fact, it felt strangely familiar.
“I told you not to talk to me.”
“S-sorry…”
That was the end of it. The girl walked away without another word.
“I hope you pass…”
So-yeon hadn’t met many people, but this was the first time she had encountered someone who gave off a feeling similar to Ok-yeon.
…?
Yet the more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Ok-yeon was always smiling. Being near her made So-yeon feel so comfortable she never wanted to leave. That girl, however, had a completely different aura and expression.
“Hmm…”
She couldn’t figure out why she had thought they were alike.
She had tried to return quickly to watch So-yeon’s martial arts demonstration, but she had been intercepted.
“Why are you using this method?”
It was Jegal Hyun. She hadn’t expected him to come watch.
“You seem more interested in So-yeon than I thought.”
This was rather troublesome. The image she currently presented and the one she had shown Jegal Hyun were complete opposites. Of course, he likely thought of her as another case like Hong Mae, so seeing multiple sides of her wouldn’t necessarily seem strange. Still, she needed to plant as little wariness as possible.
“Isn’t it only natural?”
“I’ll return that answer to you as is. It’s the natural approach.”
“…Indeed. You’re trying to avoid raising suspicion.”
His eyebrows twitched for a moment. She wondered if he had already reached that conclusion. But the “suspicion” Jegal Hyun spoke of wasn’t the kind she was worried about. It had to be suspicion toward the Murim Alliance from another faction. He must have interpreted her actions as securing So-yeon’s legitimate entry into the Murim Alliance before using her in other ways—by knocking on the Murim Alliance’s front gate.
“Hehe.”
She simply smiled without answering. The more one spoke, the more mistakes one made. Jegal Hyun was a man with an exceptionally sharp mind, but with severely limited information, any conclusion he reached would struggle to approach the truth.
“However, not all my questions have been answered.”
“Aren’t you misunderstanding your position, Great Hero?”
“I’m the type whose curiosity becomes an illness if left unchecked.”
When she refused to answer, he openly demanded information. Stacking lies upon lies was no easy task. She had to make him keep drawing his own mistaken conclusions. When someone else planted an idea in one’s head, suspicion came easily. But conclusions one reached themselves were not so easily doubted. The smarter the person, the harder it was for them to deny their own reasoning.
Therefore, I must guide Jegal Hyun into drawing his own conclusions.
“Isn’t Jegal So-yeon’s achievement too outstanding?”
“For someone whose daughter has shown such remarkable progress, you don’t seem very pleased.”
“No matter how outstanding, she’s still at a useless level.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could pick one—whether she’s outstanding or not.”
“Her achievement is lacking, which is why I’m asking why you specified such a short training period.”
“I simply told the truth.”
“…”
It seemed he had already sensed considerable unease. He had approached her now while still in the suspicion stage, but this was not a good sign. He must not learn the truth yet. Still, with the information currently available to him, it was impossible for Jegal Hyun to arrive at the correct answer. After all, the level of Bing Ok-yeon’s martial arts far exceeded his common sense. He would never acknowledge a young master who had seemingly fallen from the heavens.
That was the kind of man Jegal Hyun was.
He considers himself the greatest talent in the world, yet harbors a deep inferiority complex toward Sama Ryung. After decades of that, his self-esteem has blended with his inferiority complex and hardened into stubborn arrogance. Even if he considers the correct answer, my level of martial arts will surely leave him with lingering doubts. He will assume it is a level only the Murim Alliance could have produced.
“I cannot fathom what the Murim Alliance is thinking.”
“I wonder… why are you asking me about the Murim Alliance?”
“Hah…”
Jegal Hyun gave a crooked smile. Only then did Bing Ok-yeon feel her deception had worked, and she hid her own smile.
“It seems you’ve forgotten. The reason Hong Mae was able to operate safely within the Demonic Cult.”
“My goodness. Is there someone else listening besides me? Even if you say you’ve forgotten.”
“Tell them clearly. Only by acknowledging failure can one make progress.”
“I don’t know who you’re referring to, but if I happen to meet them, I will be sure to pass it along.”
Jegal Hyun withdrew. For now, she had extinguished the immediate fire. She had covered one lie with another. The next time wariness toward Bing Ok-yeon visited him, it would be far greater.
Was this Bing Ok-yeon, a master who had fallen from the sky, truly affiliated with the Murim Alliance? Was she another artificially created master like Hong Mae? Had the Murim Alliance truly reclaimed Jegal So-yeon? What was Bing Ok-yeon’s purpose?
If Jegal Hyun ever realized the truth through any means and turned hostile, he would become an enormous obstacle to her revenge—and a massive threat to So-yeon’s safety.
“…”
I’ll have to visit Sama Ryung soon and settle this once and for all. He has made significant mistakes as well, so he should be willing to listen.
Hong Mae had not been a fool. Just as Jegal Hyun said, without the secret protection of the Jegal Clan, Hong Mae’s identity would have been exposed long ago. She had been too beautiful, too strong, and too righteous to belong among the Demonic Cult. If not for Jegal Hyun, Hong Mae would have either returned to the Murim Alliance or been killed by the Demonic Cult. That was why Hong Mae had loved Jegal Hyun with all her heart and grieved so deeply at his betrayal—even while knowing that his love was merely a byproduct of his inferiority complex toward Sama Ryung.
Sama Ryung must know that as well.
The crowd roared in the distance.
“…So-yeon’s evaluation must be over by now.”
What a man. He truly wasn’t the slightest bit helpful to his own daughter.
“Sister!”
Right after Jegal Hyun disappeared, So-yeon came running, waving her hand. It seemed everything had gone well.
“Were you nervous?”
“No…!”
Her voice trembled slightly. The claim that she hadn’t been nervous was clearly a lie.
“You worked hard. I heard you passed the martial arts test.”
She had only guessed from the atmosphere, but she added a small white lie.
“Ehehe… Sister, you know… in the waiting room…”
“Ah, I kept you waiting a long time, didn’t I? I’m sorry. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
“Um… well…”
So-yeon had been about to mention the girl who resembled Ok-yeon, but she noticed that Ok-yeon’s voice lacked its usual composure. There was a hint of worry in it.
“Whatever Sister wants to eat…”
“I’m not picky. Shall we wander around together, then?”
So-yeon nodded eagerly. She suddenly remembered that Jin Cheong-myeong was waiting for her, but decided it didn’t matter. So-yeon quickly took hold of Ok-yeon’s hand.
In the half year that had passed, So-yeon—who had eaten well and lived healthily—had grown considerably. Her once unbelievably small frame for a mid-teenager was now merely on the smaller side among her peers. Despite fears that she had completely missed her growth period, she was finally beginning to mature. Yet she still relied on Ok-yeon completely.
Ok-yeon didn’t mind it in the slightest. This time, she was determined to protect this newly gained family member at all costs.
I should have taken better care of Ryeong-ah.
It was a compensatory mindset born from a past filled with regret. It was also repayment for Hong Mae’s kindness. She wondered if So-yeon had already noticed to some degree. She might be quite disappointed.
Then I just have to treat her even better.
To Ok-yeon, So-yeon had already become an irreplaceable existence.
“It was an absolute mess.”
Jin-pa muttered, her face clearly exhausted.
“Was it?”
“Yes, it was! I can understand skimming a little off the top, but they were openly falsifying the books…! Well… I probably shouldn’t be saying this to you, miss.”
When she saw that Ok-yeon didn’t seem particularly interested, Jin-pa let out another sigh. This woman really seemed to care about nothing except living a life of leisure. She had probably only come to Kaifeng under the pretext of looking after So-yeon so she could mingle with the Murim Alliance’s experts. Still, things had been going surprisingly smoothly since Ok-yeon’s arrival. It was probably best to treat her like a lucky charm.
“Please handle it as you see fit.”
“Understood.”
She had somehow ended up acting as branch manager despite never wanting the role. She was too young for an official position, so it was simply a role that came with all the responsibility and none of the title.
“Tsk…”
Ok-yeon watched Jin-pa’s behavior with quiet interest. Perhaps it was because she was still young. She often showed expressions she didn’t need to reveal. Although Ok-yeon had deliberately acted in a way that invited others to underestimate her, the feeling was like dealing with a somewhat foolish younger sister. Their actual ages were quite similar. She wasn’t sure whether she should be happy or sad that things had gone according to plan.
“What happened to those who falsified the books?”
She already knew. Cheong-san had driven them out long ago. That was how Jin-pa had been able to assume her post without any backlash.
“They were kicked out, of course. But the mess those bastards left behind is unbelievable! Argh!”
“You’ve been through a lot. I wish I could help, but I don’t know anything about it.”
“Miss… don’t you know any talented people? They say Kaifeng is full of people!”
“I don’t know anyone. I was thinking of holding a recruitment drive soon.”
Traveling alone had certainly been inconvenient. Since she was deliberately portraying herself as incompetent, untalented, and vain, her range of actions was severely limited. She needed escorts and attendants. It seemed necessary to increase the staff at the Kaifeng branch and gather more people.
“Really?! Wow, I’m saved!”
Jin-pa raised both hands in celebration.
“Oh, right. While I was going through the books, I found something interesting?”
“What is it?”
“This Kaifeng branch has been doing all sorts of dirty things, right? But there was a reason they could get away with it so openly.”
“A reason?”
“Yes.”
Jin-pa looked around to make sure no other members were listening, then leaned in and whispered in Ok-yeon’s ear.
“A Murim Alliance elder was backing them.”
“An elder…”
“His name is Jin Mu-gak of the Mount Hua Sect. I think he was trying to get some leverage over them, but the people at the Kaifeng branch left evidence lying around in plain sight. Fortunately, we kicked them out as quickly as possible, so they left before they could erase the traces.”
“…”
Behind her veil, Bing Ok-yeon smiled. One of the pieces of news she had most wanted to hear had just rolled into her lap.
“So you’re saying a Murim Alliance elder was protecting us?”
“Huh? No, miss…”
“Wow… I should go thank him personally.”
“No! Sigh… do as you wish, then… Just don’t get too close. He’s a Murim Alliance elder anyway, so there’s not much he can do to us.”
“Of course. Hehe… I’ll be appropriately friendly.”