Su'an Pavilion's Reversed Stance
The stance of Su'an Pavilion, which had refused to admit her, had now changed. And the one who extended the invitation was none other than Jin Cheong-myeong.
“Hmm…” On any other day she might have welcomed it. Today, however, it left a bitter taste.
Bing Ok-yeon struggled to conceal her dismay as she took in the faces inside the pavilion. Why were there so many familiar ones? It felt as though someone had deliberately arranged them to tangle her heart even further.
“Tsk.” Yeom Seo-rin clicked her tongue loudly enough for everyone to hear. Half a year ago she had looked desperate for money. Seeing her wield those formidable skills while playing waitress here, it seemed her pockets remained just as empty.
“Kek…” Baek Yeon-hwa’s face crumpled the moment she spotted Ok-yeon. The three men beside her were all patrol members from the Un-gye branch. They refrained from greeting her out of consideration.
“Why don’t you join us up here?” Jin Cheong-myeong beckoned from the second floor.
Truly. Under normal circumstances it would have been a pleasing offer. But this evening she felt too heavy, too raw; she had no desire to spill her emotions onto others.
“Haa…” Her stomach let out a loud growl. She had been about to turn and leave, but So-yeon’s belly had apparently reached its limit.
“Miss Yeom? Are there truly no seats left?”
“They’re calling for us from upstairs.”
Even after so long, her sharp tongue had not softened. Or perhaps she had only now realized the name had been false. Yeom Seo-rin wore an expression that clearly said, Get upstairs already.
A sweep of the first floor revealed no empty tables. With a reluctant sigh, Ok-yeon headed for the second floor.
…
When she reached the upper level, Jin Cheong-myeong was waiting. And not only him—far too many people she had little wish to see were gathered there. Roughly a dozen former members of the youth unit sat together.
“I would refuse anyone else, but Miss Bing is always welcome.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting your gathering.”
“I already said it’s fine. Plenty of seats—sit wherever you like.”
Jin Cheong-myeong behaved as though he held authority, dictating the flow. Several men who had been watching his mood quickly rose and guided her forward.
Glancing down at So-yeon, Ok-yeon saw the girl was already lost in the aroma of food. Perhaps because she had been denied what she craved as a child, So-yeon always seemed weakest when it came to meals.
Can’t be helped.
Following their lead, Ok-yeon took her seat. It faced Jin Cheong-myeong directly—the very spot someone else had occupied only moments earlier.
She had expected this. Of course her former subordinates would fawn over him now. Nearly ten years had passed, after all, and the time they had spent beneath Baek Un-hyeon had been only a few months. It was hardly a shocking sight.
Yet it still soured her mood. This was precisely why she had left the merchant group and sought out So-yeon—to escape this gloom. Now her stomach twisted for no good reason.
I should have washed the feeling away with poison instead.
She could not do that now. She was supposed to be a woman who knew nothing of martial arts. Circulating her energy would be madness.
“Didn’t you come here to eat?”
“I did.”
“Then why are you still wearing that face veil?”
…
She swallowed a deep internal sigh. In her heart she wanted to press a blade to Jin Cheong-myeong’s throat and demand the truth—how deeply he had been involved in the Baek family’s destruction. Instead, she kept her composure and reached for the veil. She had never hidden her face completely, after all. Even if seen, it would not matter.
What truly soured her mood was the feeling of obeying his command. These emotions were merely a passing whim, an uncontrollable fragment of feeling. Repeating that to herself, she shaped a perfect smile.
“Ooh…”
“Wow…”
“Insane.”
Gasps and curses erupted from every side. Even Jin Cheong-myeong sat dazed.
“I thought the rumors were exaggerated.”
“The rumors fell short of the truth.”
Now accustomed to such reactions, Ok-yeon kept her crafted smile and asked, “Was there a reason you called me here?”
“…We promised to share a meal once before. The schedule never aligned, so the promise went unfulfilled. I thought it best to honor it now.”
Jin Cheong-myeong regained his composure with surprising speed. Probably because Yu Seol-hwa was glaring daggers at him from the side.
“My, if that was the case, you could have sent a proper invitation.”
“My apologies. I wondered if you were avoiding me.”
“Hehe, how could that be? Why would I avoid the man who will soon become head instructor of the Jeongmu Academy?”
“Is that so?”
Jin Cheong-myeong gave a satisfied smile and lifted his cup. His craving for recognition remained as strong as ever. And if it remained the same, it was easy to manipulate.
“Here, miss.”
“Ah… thank you, Instructor…”
A plate and chopsticks slid toward So-yeon. The face belonged to Yi Cheon-woo. When he noticed Ok-yeon’s gaze, he offered a deep, respectful bow at once.
Around her sat only former youth unit members—Jin Cheong-myeong and Yi Cheon-woo among them. Kaifeng was full of people, yet the threads of fate kept knotting together. Inseparable ties, perhaps. Or perhaps it was inevitable once she chose to seek them out herself.
She set her feelings aside and decided to do what she had come for. She would use every lesson Hong Mae had taught her to slip into their midst.
“I see many new faces. Are you all instructors of the Murim Alliance?”
“Not all of us. Some are simply old acquaintances.”
Jin Ak-pung was nowhere in sight. Nor were any warriors from the minor sects. The first floor had been similarly empty of them. Naturally—the first floor must be reserved for those connected to the people up here. People like Jin Ak-pung had clearly not been invited.
It was not entirely wrong to choose one’s company carefully. Everyone rejected those they disliked. Yet the suspicion lurking in her heart made even that seem questionable.
“Oh my, how surprising. Every one of you carries such an extraordinary aura that my heart flutters. I have never beheld so many heroes at once.”
“Hoh, I was told you knew nothing of martial arts. Can you truly sense another’s aura?”
“This girl possesses a rather special sensitivity.”
“Hahaha, how remarkable. Still, it does seem accurate. Well then, what do you say? Would you be so kind as to judge us through your eyes?”
“With pleasure.”
As she answered and let her gaze travel the room, most of the male warriors straightened their postures. Some cleared their throats and stroked their beards; others toyed with their weapons while wearing soulful expressions.
“Who should I begin with?”
“Ahem…”
They hesitated, eager yet afraid of hearing something unpleasant. In moments like these, the first name was already decided.
Ok-yeon tilted her head slightly and looked straight at Jin Cheong-myeong. All eyes converged on her. Her red lips parted slowly.
“Shall I begin with Young Master Jin?”
The title made Yu Seol-hwa’s eyebrows twitch. It was hardly appropriate for a married man well past twenty.
As Yu Seol-hwa opened her mouth to speak, Jin Cheong-myeong cut in first.
“Go on.”
“Young Master Jin is…”
Ok-yeon’s voice dropped into a low, velvety register—sweet as honey steeped in moonlight. The sound of several people swallowing hard rippled through the room.
“A sleeping dragon. You must be enduring and waiting, always.”
A direct strike. Silence fell. Jin Cheong-myeong’s eyes wavered. In truth, the words could apply to anyone. Who in the world did not endure?
“You will continue to hold steady in silence.”
Swallowing her revulsion, she poured out sweet lies. Concealing her true heart, she displayed every technique Hong Mae had taught her. Her fingertips traced the rim of the wine cup with delicate affection, as though caressing the man before her.
“Your eyes are upright and filled with dependable strength. More trustworthy than anyone. Is this not what they mean by the spirit of a true hero?”
Ok-yeon offered a bewitching smile. It verged on outright seduction.
“You surely wish to see your name among the Hundred Great Masters of the World.”
“Is that all?”
“This girl once met one of those hundred masters. After seeing you last time, I had a thought. Perhaps fame truly is connected to heaven.”
These words came from the woman rumored to be the greatest beauty under heaven—a woman whose mere occasional appearances sparked such gossip. Looking at her now, the rumors seemed almost understated. In the end, Jin Cheong-myeong could no longer maintain his dignified mask.
“Kwa ha ha!”
He threw his head back in loud laughter and clapped Yu Seol-hwa’s stiff shoulder.
“You truly know how to read people, miss!”
Ok-yeon kept smiling. Even with age, some men never changed.
Only then did the others cautiously raise their hands. Her gaze settled on Jin Hyeon.
“Daoist Jin’s eyes are clear and your jaw is strong. Wudang values the harmony of yin and yang. The aura you carry is exceptionally balanced, so I believe you will be the one to spread Wudang’s teachings far and wide.”
“Boundless longevity Buddha…”
A rare Taoist greeting emerged from a man who hardly seemed like a daoist. Yet his face clearly showed the pleasure of being recognized.
“Ha… nothing but empty flattery—”
“Miss Yu Seol-hwa of Mount Hua.”
…
Yu Seol-hwa’s mouth snapped shut. She had grown used to being called Madam or Heroine for years. How long had it been since anyone addressed her as “miss”?
“I have always wanted to meet you.”
“…Why?”
“Every woman wishes to be known for her beauty.”
“Hmph…”
Even Yu Seol-hwa’s lips twitched. When the very woman who irritated her simply by existing bowed first and praised her beauty, how could she remain angry? Moreover, the earlier rudeness had seemed to apply equally to everyone. Her hostility softened into mere disapproval of the girl’s slightly lacking judgment.
“Truly, your reputation is deserved. Now I understand why your name has spread so widely since my childhood.”
“You flatter me.”
Yu Seol-hwa turned aside and crossed her legs. Continuing to act hostile in this atmosphere had grown embarrassing.
After that, Ok-yeon spent a long time praising everyone present. Each honeyed word brought a wave of nausea, but suspicion was only suspicion. Since she intended to treat them as past connections like Jin Ak-pung, she could produce the compliments.
Once everyone had received their turn and the wine had flowed freely, the atmosphere grew lively indeed.
“Why do you cover your face? Honestly, if you simply showed that face while conducting business, no one would refuse you.”
“Hey! What kind of rudeness is that? The miss clearly doesn’t wish to rely on her looks alone!”
“No, that’s not what I meant. You’re simply… so beautiful… haa…”
Jo Myeong-don let out a heavy sigh mid-sentence. His martial prowess was unremarkable, but his family was wealthy. Even now, his cultivation did not appear to have advanced much.
“Are you troubled?”
“My family’s recent dealings with trading partners have been poor. I know the truth. They offer other excuses, but they are truly displeased with me—the successor.”
“Oh dear…”
“The successor of a merchant house is obsessed with the sword, and on top of that obsession has such an unpleasant appearance. That must be why.”
“Exactly what I was thinking. Seeing you reminds me of the rejection I suffered last time and leaves me melancholy…”
“In that case, would it be all right if I visited you later, Young Master?”
“Eh? Ah, yes?”
“I don’t know which trading house it is, but appealing to them together might help. In Kaifeng, few merchant groups remain unconnected to the Eunpa Merchant Group.”
“O-of course! That would be wonderful!”
By speaking diligently, she created points of contact with many of them. Just as she had done with Jin Ak-pung, she intended to keep them close enough to watch.
“Ah, that’s right.”
While she was still weaving these false connections, Jin Cheong-myeong turned to Namgung Seong.
“Now that I think of it, a certain rumor reached my ears recently.”
“What rumor?”
“I heard someone has been digging into my affairs behind my back.”
“Is that true?”
“You don’t have any guesses?”