32
Chapter 32: Outing
Do Heo-ok examined Dong Bong-su once more. But it still didn't make sense. Dong Bong-su's appearance was nothing more or less than a servant's. If he'd looked like a beggar, at least he could have thought he might be from the Beggar Sect, but that wasn't the case either.
"Yes..."
Dong Bong-su answered weakly.
Do Heo-ok glanced at Dong Bong-su once and then, smiling, lightly patted his shoulder.
"Haha. It's fine. Why worry about such things? If you don't have a surname, you can just make one, can't you?"
At first glance, it looked like a young hero comforting someone insignificant, but in reality, he was examining his bone structure. He couldn't grasp everything from just lightly patting a shoulder, but he could at least tell whether the body was trained or easy to train.
What Do Heo-ok felt through his fingertips just now was...
Dong Bong-su's body was utterly ordinary.
'No, no. It's rather far below ordinary.'
His body was emaciated as if he hadn't eaten properly on time, and his bone structure was thin.
Paradoxically, that very point stimulated Do Heo-ok's suspicion.
A very brief question flashed through his eyes and disappeared. So quickly that even Tang Hwa and Namgung Hye standing right beside him couldn't notice.
Do Heo-ok had mysophobia.
He had a disposition that wouldn't tolerate even the slightest deviation in handling any matter. His body forming a perfect left-right symmetry was also a result of such a disposition.
One of the biggest reasons he could be selected as a Shadow was precisely because of this disposition that pursued perfection.
To him, people like Sosam were nothing more than tiny specks of dust. But they were specks he didn't know for certain. It would be difficult for them to become a problem.
However,
'That doesn't mean there's absolutely no possibility of becoming a problem.'
Just as Dong Bong-su paid attention to Do Heo-ok, Do Heo-ok also began to take notice of Dong Bong-su disguised as Sosam.
"I thought you were someone from the Tang Family since you kept staying close to Lady Tang, but I guess not?"
As soon as he heard those words, Dong Bong-su realized.
Do Heo-ok had begun watching him.
'Dangerous.'
Although he had regained his voice, he still wasn't in a position to speak freely. He was just a docile sheep that had to follow wherever Tang Hwa led.
Dong Bong-su turned his head to look at Tang Hwa. Tang Hwa smiled lightly in response.
"Brother-in-law. Stop asking. He's just someone traveling with us due to circumstances."
"Is that so?"
"Ah, we're tired from walking all day. I want to rest now."
From Tang Hwa's perspective, she was trying to escape an awkward situation, but that actually drew Do Heo-ok's suspicion instead.
"Ah, I suppose so. I'm sorry. I kept tired people talking for too long. Then follow me."
Although they managed to avoid Do Heo-ok's gaze for now, Dong Bong-su knew he would be watching him for a while.
Because he certainly would have done the same.
***
Dong Bong-su and Tang Hwa headed to the Heavenly Guest Hall, guided by Do Heo-ok and Namgung Hye.
The Namgung Family's guest halls came in three types.
Following the Three Talents of Heaven, Earth, and Man, they were divided into the Heavenly Guest Hall, Earthly Guest Hall, and Human Guest Hall.
Among these, the Heavenly Guest Hall was lodging for guests from major Martial World sects or renowned martial artists, and the Earthly Guest Hall was lodging for sect leaders or elders of small and medium-sized sects. The Human Guest Hall was the true 'Poor Guest Hall' where 'the rest' of the people who didn't fit those categories stayed.
The Heavenly Guest Hall.
Not only was its scale excellent, but its location was good. The Namgung Family's manor was built along Chaohu Lake, and the Heavenly Guest Hall was located right next to the southern Water Gate. Strictly speaking, the Heavenly Guest Hall and Water Gate weren't built on land, but rather on Chaohu Lake—that is, on the water.
They built the Heavenly Guest Hall on small islands on either side of a small bay called Chaowan, moored pleasure boats and such in the bay, and erected a water gate at the bay's entrance. This, of course, served to prevent enemy invasion.
Guests staying at the Heavenly Guest Hall would typically take the Namgung Family's large pleasure boat once to view Chaohu Lake's night scenery.
Chaohu Lake was one of the Five Great Lakes of the Central Plains, and its magnificent scenery was famous for being the most beautiful among the five great lakes. Its night view was especially beautiful, such that Chaohu Lake's nighttime landscape had long been a frequent subject for poets and scholars.
When Dong Bong-su and the others arrived at the Heavenly Guest Hall, the sun had already completely set, the moon hung aslant in the sky, and moonlight reflected off the water of Chaowan, creating a mysterious scenery.
"It's beautiful..."
Tang Hwa couldn't help but admire the scene and let out a sigh.
Although she had visited the Namgung Family once or twice, this was the first time she'd seen a part of Chaohu Lake at night like this. The appearance of the Heavenly Guest Hall and Chaowan, resembling a floating garden, was more than enough to make the heart of Tang Hwa, now a young lady, tremble.
"Pretty, right? We're thinking of going for a night outing to Chaohu Lake today—want to come along?"
Seeing Tang Hwa admiring it, Namgung Hye suggested an outing. Judging by her words, it was clear the two had originally planned to go out to view Chaohu Lake's night scenery today.
"Hey, Sister. I can read the room now."
Perhaps because Tang Hwa's tone was a bit strange, Namgung Hye blushed and lowered her head again. The fortunate thing was that, unlike earlier, the darkness of night somewhat concealed her face.
Just then, Do Heo-ok, who had been listening to their conversation, interjected.
"It's fine. We'll be spending our whole lives together in a few days anyway, so can't I yield one day to my sister-in-law? Let's go out together if you're not too tired. The moon is almost full right now, and Chaohu Lake is most beautiful at this time. Even more so than at the full moon."
As he said this, Do Heo-ok subtly glanced at Dong Bong-su with his eyes.
Seeing this, Dong Bong-su could tell Do Heo-ok's intentions. That he wanted to know more about him. The reason was obvious.
The contrived eyes of Dong Bong-su and Do Heo-ok briefly intertwined in the air between their true gazes.
Dong Bong-su appropriately avoided Do Heo-ok's eyes to a degree that wouldn't be too obvious. Even so, he couldn't eliminate the suspicion that had already begun.
Of course, there still existed a large gap between the two.
The point was that Dong Bong-su had some certainty about Do Heo-ok, while Do Heo-ok only had suspicions about Dong Bong-su.
Though it seemed small, the difference was stark.
Like the difference between a student who received a multiple-choice question with five options and a student holding an exam paper with just one ambiguous line that might or might not be a question.
When Dong Bong-su looked up at the moon, avoiding Do Heo-ok's eyes as he intended, Tang Hwa spoke in a pleased voice.
"Would that really be okay, Brother-in-law?"
"Of course."
At Do Heo-ok's refreshing answer, Namgung Hye smiled broadly. From that sight, Namgung Hye had already completely fallen for Do Heo-ok.
"Then shall we go together? Who knows when I'll be able to moon-gaze with Sister again? It would be nice to see it together at Chaohu Lake."
"Yes. Let's do that."
Namgung Hye smiled prettily and held Tang Hwa's hand.
Tang Hwa clasped her hand in return and looked at Dong Bong-su.
"That's fine, right?"
It was a forceful notification that gave him no choice.
From her perspective, it was perhaps natural.
Anyway, because of Tang O's earnest request, the two had to move together. Even if they were assigned separate rooms at the Heavenly Guest Hall, they had to stay together until Tang O arrived. In that case, she thought it would be much better to view Chaohu Lake's night scenery, called a Heavenly View, while sharing feelings of parting with Namgung Hye.
However, from Dong Bong-su's position, this night excursion was quite awkward.
An unknown beast called Do Heo-ok was watching him.
This was the Martial World, a place where one couldn't know what might happen. Though the possibility was slim, what if Do Heo-ok somehow discovered that he had a Holeless Body?
It was dangerous.
However, Dong Bong-su couldn't avoid it, and Tang Hwa's gaze was merciless. The choice had never been his to make from the beginning. He had escaped being a groom, but he still had no free will.
'Can't be helped.'
Since it had come to this, when they went out to Chaohu Lake, just as Do Heo-ok observed him, he would have to learn more about Do Heo-ok as well.
"Yes."
With his brief answer, the night outing to Chaohu Lake for the four was decided.
***
A short while later.
One Crimson Sail Ship with a red silk sail raised magnificently passed through the open Water Gate and departed for Chaohu Lake.
The boat rode the cool night breeze, cutting through the water toward where the moonlight shone best.
'All birds fly high and vanish, A lone cloud drifts away leisurely. Looking at each other, neither tires of the view— Only the scenery of Chaohu Lake remains.'
The Namgung Family's boatmen sang as they rowed. It was a song that adapted Li Bai's poem 'Sitting Alone at Jingting Mountain' to fit Chaohu Lake.
Perhaps because of that song, a single cloud was indeed passing across the round moon alone, and the sight was incomparably elegant.
The boat soon arrived in the middle of the lake. The boatmen leisurely lowered the sail and even dropped the anchors attached to both sides of the boat into the water.
The boat completely stopped in the exact center of Chaohu Lake.
"The moon reflected on the lake is really beautiful."
Tang Hwa spoke admiringly. As she said, the moon that seemed to have leaped into Chaohu Lake while embracing a single cloud was so beautiful it was difficult to describe.
Starting with that, Tang Hwa and Namgung Hye's chatter began.
Also, Do Heo-ok's inquiry into Dong Bong-su began in earnest.
"Let the women talk among themselves, and let's us men share a drink."
Do Heo-ok led Dong Bong-su to the bow of the ship.