Chapter 62: I’ve Been Kidnapped 2 (2)
Chapter 62: I’ve Been Kidnapped 2 (2)
"Since you’ve put it that way… would it be alright if I asked a small favor?"
"I’m really not getting used to the way you talk…"
She used to have a condition where she couldn't say more than three words at a time. Was this a reaction to her childhood? Meeting Hwa-yeong again, she was chattering away incessantly.
When I nodded, Hwa-yeong took a deep breath, looking as if she were making a monumental decision, and spoke cautiously.
"Please put on my shoes for me."
"Huh…?"
"My shoes."
She gently extended her foot toward me.
The hem of her long palace dress lifted slightly, revealing a glimpse of a snow-white foot beneath.
I hesitated, not quite understanding the situation, and Hwa-yeong murmured, covering half her face with her sleeve.
"Starting with the namal…"
"Mmm."
She nudged a piece of folded silk at the edge of the bed with her foot.
It was snow-white silk interwoven with silver thread, softer than the finest tribute brocade. It looked like it was made from fabric from the Western Regions.
Namal was a type of sock made of silk.
In fact, the word for socks, yangmal, literally meant 'socks from the West,' and wearing something inside one's shoes wasn't particularly unusual even in this era.
However, showing one's bare feet was a very special matter.
In the social conventions of medieval China, bare feet were treated as no different from being naked. One could only describe the entire country as being steeped in a very old-fashioned fetish.
Fortunately, I didn't have that particular preference, so I picked up the namal with relative composure.
I smoothed them out and gently grasped her ankle.
"Ah… a little more gently…"
"Don't… don't make noises like that. We’re just putting on shoes."
I heard a small intake of breath from above.
Glancing up, I saw Hwa-yeong hiding her entire face, with only her eyes peeking out.
Her foot was sleek, like a sharp blade, without a single callus. A martial artist who has to practice footwork usually ends up with distorted feet due to the grueling nature of their training, much like elite athletes. They certainly wouldn't have bound feet.
Yet, Hwa-yeong’s feet were so smooth it was as if they had never once touched the ground.
The only difference from the texture of the silk was that her body temperature was hotter than expected.
For some reason, I felt nervous too. In the silence, I slowly put on the namal and then picked up the suhye—embroidered shoes—that were neatly placed by the bedpost.
As I finished putting on the elegant shoes, which were adorned with brilliant gold thread, and tied the knots, I felt a strange sensation on the crown of my head.
It was her fingers.
"Huu… haaa…"
Hwa-yeong’s fingers were slowly stroking and combing through my hair.
My hair was usually a mess because I just washed it and never bothered with maintenance, but Hwa-yeong carefully untangled every strand.
After a short while, her hand pulled away, and I was finally able to stand up.
"Shall we go now?"
"………Yes! My Lord!"
Hwa-yeong smiled, her entire face still flushed a deep red.
Success. I had escaped the hellish inn that had been completely corrupted by the Demonic Cult.
High-level masters I couldn't detect were likely still lurking near Hwa-yeong and me, but for now, as long as we were in a crowded place, the biggest hurdle was cleared.
Hwa-yeong followed beside me with an excited face, though her steps were very cautious.
"Is it… is it really alright for me to go out without a veil?"
"Why would you wear a veil?"
If anything, that would make her stand out more.
If a woman dressed in such luxurious clothes went around wearing a veil, it wouldn't feel like she was hiding; it would feel more like a provocation. It would inevitably draw everyone's gaze.
She could have wrapped a cloak around her head to look like a lady from an ordinary household, but Hwa-yeong currently had all sorts of ornaments in her hair. Doing that would ruin her hairstyle.
If I ruined the hair she had spent so much time on, Hwa-yeong might become very displeased.
And a displeased Hwa-yeong might decide to give up on the outing and return to Cheonsan.
In that case, Peng Hyeon-hwi, with his acupoints struck, would be dragged along like a piece of luggage.
That must not happen.
"Did you wear a veil in Cheonsan?"
"Yes. Near Cheonsan, the cultists believe that if they even touch the hem of my cloak, they will be reborn in paradise. I rarely ever left the cult's grounds."
"Then it’s actually for the better. No one here will recognize you."
Even if the Heavenly Demon himself appeared, it would be the same.
As I’ve said repeatedly, the distance from Cheonsan to Hebei is as far as the distance between Korea and Vietnam. Considering one has to travel by land in this era, the psychological distance is even greater.
So, to the people of Hebei, the Heavenly Demon is like the mayor of Hanoi.
No matter how great his power is in that region, and even if everyone knows the name 'Heavenly Demon' as the leader of the Demonic Cult, I was certain that no one would know what he actually looked like.
But the Little Heavenly Demon, who doesn't even leave the cult? Only a handful of people in the entire Central Plains would recognize her face.
If anything, I was probably more famous.
Therefore, whether Hwa-yeong went around with her bare face or not, the only comments she would hear would be about how beautiful she was.
And if the currently most talked-about man in Tianjin, Peng Hyeon-hwi, was by her side…
"It seems Young Master Peng has found a new courtesan."
"A courtesan…? I don't think so… What brothel could possibly have a beauty like that? There’s no way word wouldn't have spread."
"Then is she his new lover?"
This was the typical reaction.
It meant my efforts of wandering around brothels and throwing money around since arriving in Tianjin hadn't been in vain.
As I smiled triumphantly, the smile on Hwa-yeong’s lips faded slightly.
"It seems you frequent the brothels often."
"Uh, well, I am a member of the Hao Clan."
It’s our place of business, after all.
"There are taverns and brothels in Cheonsan as well… but there will be no reason for you to visit them."
"For now? Let’s not talk about that and just enjoy the streets. Come, this way."
I took Hwa-yeong’s hand and led her.
Just as she was about to let a bit of black thread leak out, Hwa-yeong stiffened at my touch and followed along awkwardly.
Having successfully silenced her, I walked the streets of Tianjin with her.
Truly a city of peace and love.
Tianjin was bustling with crowds even late into the night.
Black Path martial artists who recognized me cleared the way with extremely favorable expressions, and merchants were eager to give me all sorts of things, waving their heads frantically whenever I tried to pay.
Just by walking around the market alleys for a bit, Hwa-yeong and I ended up with our hands full of snacks like sugar-coated pills, walnut cakes, flower cakes, and malt candy.
Amidst the onslaught of all kinds of flour-based snacks coated in sugar syrup, Hwa-yeong walked with an expression that looked like she was having a blood sugar spike.
Seeing her scurrying along and nibbling on snacks… how should I put it?
"It reminds me of the old days."
"The old days?"
"It felt like this ten years ago too. Those few months were fun."
"Ah… fufu, yes. It was enjoyable."
Hwa-yeong licked a piece of sugar from her lip and smiled, looking a bit relaxed.
"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I survived my time in Cheonsan on the memories of those days. It was fun."
"Come to think of it, I don't really know how you spent your time in Cheonsan. Did you… did you do well?"
"Fufu, My Lord. Your concern is far too late."
She smiled with a playful expression.
"And I told you about Cheonsan every month."
"Those letters were always just about the weather in Cheonsan and how the people were kind."
"Fufu, yes. The weather in Cheonsan is always clear throughout the year. It’s not as warm or humid as this region, but it’s a very good place to live. I don't know what you might think, but who in our cult would dare be anything but kind to me?"
"I suppose it would be problematic not to be kind to the Little Heavenly Demon… wait, come to think of it."
It was so natural that I had momentarily forgotten, but Hwa-yeong wasn't someone who was destined to be the Little Heavenly Demon from birth.
She had three older brothers, and she was expected to be married off to the Peng Family as a daughter-in-law who could be sent away at any time.
The reason she suddenly rose to the position of Little Heavenly Demon was simple.
It was because all three of her older brothers had died and disappeared.
I might not have known in the past, but I knew now.
That wasn't some miraculous coincidence or tragedy; it was closer to a political assassination intended to elevate Hwa-yeong to the position of Little Heavenly Demon.
Because that was exactly the kind of scenario I wanted for the Peng Family.
And I could also tell that it likely had nothing to do with Hwa-yeong’s own will.
There was no way this girl, nibbling on sugar-coated pills with a happy expression, could be an incarnation of ambition who slaughtered her own brothers to become the Heavenly Demon.
"I should have said this. Why didn't you write it in your letters?"
"Write what?"
"That many of your siblings died over the last ten years."
At my words, Hwa-yeong’s expression stiffened slightly.
Yes, it must have been painful.
Many people in the world would imagine an iron-blooded arch-demon when they thought of the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, but I knew her true self.
Im Hwa-yeong was… how should I put it? A somewhat pitiful but innocent kid who hadn't received much love due to her circumstances.
An ordinary girl who laughed and was happy over small things and felt joy when eating something delicious.
I had noticed Hwa-yeong’s constitution and talent to some extent even back then.
That kid, who used to leak demonic energy in strands, must have been caught up in serious politics once she began to fully control that energy and grow.
It was a pity.
Regardless of her own will, how difficult must it have been for her as those who claimed to support her eliminated her siblings one by one?
"It wasn't… it wasn't a pleasant enough story to tell you. It’s alright."
"Still, you went through a lot."
"I went through… a lot."
Hwa-yeong hesitated for a moment, then gripped my hand tightly and smiled.
"An upright scholar of old once declared that he could die for the one who understands him. Only now do I realize those words were not wrong."
"It would be a problem if you died."
"Yes, I must live a long time. I plan to live a very, very long time."
Hwa-yeong’s fingers wiggled, intertwining with mine.
Perhaps because she had been eating sugar-coated pills, the sugar melted between the warmth of our hands, becoming a sticky tangle.
She walked like that for a long time, playing with my hand.
We only stopped when we reached the Tianjin Canal, where a fireworks display was in full swing.
The large crowds were preoccupied with launching fireworks into the sky, not paying the two of us any mind.
"Is this city always like this?"
"Hmm?"
"Is it always this joyful, brilliant, and beautiful?"
Hwa-yeong spoke while staring blankly up at the red fireworks exploding in the night sky.
"It is truly wonderful to see. The passersby are relaxed, the people are warm-hearted, and the sight of martial artists and commoners mixing together to eat and drink without hesitation… The prosperity of Hebei, and the way the laws of this land stand firm."
After watching the fireworks for a long while, Hwa-yeong murmured as if to herself, without turning her head.
"I have had only one wish since I was a child."
"A wish?"
"To return to those days when I walked the streets of Beijing with you. I lived wishing for only that one thing. So, I suppose I have fulfilled many wishes today."
She slowly pulled her hand away.
The sugar that had melted between us crumbled under the Astral Energy that flowed from that light gesture.
With her hand now clean, Hwa-yeong leaned against the railing overlooking the canal.
Whistle, bang. Another streak of fireworks soared and exploded.
"I was foolish."
"What?"
"The wish I wanted wasn't just that one thing. Even after fulfilling many wishes, it is difficult because even more greed remains unquenched. So… that is why…"
Hwa-yeong slowly turned toward me.
Under the sky where summer night fireworks were exploding, her long hair fluttering in the breeze.
"Suddenly, this thought occurred to me."
With a face that was slightly smiling.
And conversely, a face that was slightly sad.
"The thought that my wish might not be your wish. And the thought that I know far less about you than I imagined."
"Hwa-yeong."
"My Lord. If you desire power, I will give you the world. If you desire gold and treasures, I can build you a tower of pure gold. But… but."
Next, in a voice that seemed on the verge of breaking, tinged with a hint of tears.
"If you do not desire me, what am I to do?"
I had to admit that my assumptions were wrong.
Hwa-yeong was not the same seven-year-old kid who struggled with her words.
The Demonic Cult of Cheonsan likely wasn't a good environment for a child's mental health either.
Her attitude and manner of speaking, which were far too mature for a sixteen-year-old, were likely a demeanor polished to survive in such a situation.
From our first meeting until now, she had already noticed that I didn't want the engagement… or to go to Cheonsan with her.
And even though she possessed the power and the circumstances to force it, she was asking me now.
Will you head to Cheonsan with me and live the rest of your life in peace?
Or will you sever our relationship here and now and wish for each other's happiness?
This choice was almost entirely for my sake.
Hwa-yeong said she had endured until now on the memories of when she was seven.
If she had grown up in such a desolate environment…
It would be difficult for her to bear giving up 'Peng Hyeon-hwi,' who symbolized the memories of those days.
Yet, despite that, Hwa-yeong was offering me a choice.
This wasn't just romantic love.
The emotion this beautiful girl felt for me was closer to an attachment than romance.
An attachment to the pleasant memories of the past, to the only happy moments she had.
Therefore, I had to consider my next words more carefully.
I wanted to say I wasn't cold-hearted enough to declare a break with an old childhood friend, one who had been destined to be the Young Cult Leader of a pseudo-religion at such a young age.
Or perhaps I wondered if I would ever meet another woman who wanted me so desperately in my life.
So, I decided to give up all the flowery language I had chosen under the pretext of 'survival' until now.
In this moment, I decided to be honest.
"I want to become the Family Head."
"The Family Head. Yes, do you mean the Head of the Peng Family?"
"Yes. I want to be like my grandfather. I want everyone in the world to revere the Head of the Great Hebei Peng Family, and in doing so, I want to become an even stronger and more solid fence for this family."
If it isn't me, the Peng Family will surely fall in the next generation.
This wasn't some kind of arrogance.
Just look at the candidates for the future Peng Family Head.
The eldest brother was being dragged around by the White Lotus Cult, trying to plot and kill his own brother, and even failed at that and was confined.
The second brother tried to join hands with the Zhuge Family and sacrifice the Peng Family's martial forces to use them as a fuse for war, but failed.
The third brother goes without saying. He was a wreck consumed by inferiority and self-loathing.
Could any of the three protect the family in this strange Cold War of medieval China if they became the Family Head?
I thought it would be difficult.
The position the Peng Family currently held was maintained solely by my grandfather's overwhelming power.
Someone who could reach the same level as the martial artist currently closest to being the strongest in the world, or at least someone who wouldn't ruin the family, had to become the Head.
Was there anyone among my brothers who could even follow in my grandfather's footsteps?
No. There wasn't. Even my father couldn't do it.
So, I had to become the Family Head. And I wanted to.
About half of it was a sense of responsibility and duty toward the family that allowed me to be born in this land and grow up eating and living without trouble.
And the other half was the desire I gained from inheriting the bloodline of this house.
With exactly that much feeling, I wanted my grandfather's seat.
So, I couldn't go to Cheonsan. With that meaning.
"I see."
Hwa-yeong nodded with surprising lightness.
"I coveted the position of Heavenly Demon thinking I could grant you everything you desired, but if I sit on the throne of the cult, I cannot fulfill your wish."
"This is quite a troublesome paradox."
After saying that, Hwa-yeong remained silent for a moment before looking up at the sky where fireworks were exploding again.
"I will follow the will of the Peng Family Head. I will dissolve the marriage talk."
Her voice seemed to tremble slightly at the end.
After staring at the sky for a moment, Hwa-yeong spoke with her back completely turned to me.
"So, I will withdraw for today. I have fulfilled many wishes today, so even if I am told to endure another ten years, I can surely manage."
"Hwa-yeong."
"No more."
Hwa-yeong did not look back at me until the very end.
"Do not show me that side of you anymore. If I cannot overcome my greed, I will not be able to let you go. Please… please do not let me take away the brilliance and joy of this city from you."
With those final words, Hwa-yeong disappeared into the night street.
Whistle, pop.
The fireworks lit up the night sky of Tianjin and then quickly faded.
The night sky immediately after the light vanished was even darker than usual.
"Young Cult Leader."
Seo Wi-ryang appeared from behind an alley, releasing his stealth.
He looked at the Young Cult Leader for a moment, then took out a cloth from his robe and handed it to her.
The Young Cult Leader looked down at the piece of cloth with an expressionless face, wiped her eyes, and dropped it on the ground.
Before the wet cloth could even touch the ground, black silk lines shredded it until it turned to dust.
"Will you be alright?"
"If I forcibly take someone who does not want me, would that truly be the wish I desired?"
In the dark night street of Tianjin, the Young Cult Leader's voice rang low.
"A plucked flower withers, and a caught fish dries up. I do not wish for him to be like that."
"Then the marriage talk…"
"From now on, I will pluck out the tongue of anyone in this cult who discusses my marriage."
"Yes, Young Cult Leader."
As Seo Wi-ryang bowed deeply, the Young Cult Leader passed by him and said,
"I will continue my travels for the time being. Send word to the main cult, and Elder Seo, ensure there are no flaws in your disguise."
"Where do you intend to head?"
"I recall there are several families the cult has planted in the Central Plains. Find a reasonably prestigious martial family, specifically one that belongs to the neutral faction between Orthodox and Demonic, and prepare a place for me."
Seo Wi-ryang composed his expression, trying hard to think that the Young Cult Leader wasn't smiling right now.
"If I ascend to the throne of the cult, he will not choose me. But if a daughter who can help him on the path he desires appears, then he will not refuse the marriage."
The Peng Hyeon-hwi she met again was a man of surprisingly brilliant intellect.
At least, that was how he appeared to Im Hwa-yeong.
He was a man full of ambition who calculated gains and losses.
Normally, she would have distanced herself from such people, calling them sycophants or schemers, but now, that appearance seemed truly manly to her.
Since things had turned out this way, then fine.
If she appeared as the most suitable partner for Peng Hyeon-hwi to become the Family Head.
Then even he would not dare refuse her.
"The Cult Leader will not be pleased with this."
"Then what will he do?"
Im Hwa-yeong said with a cold smile.
"Does Father have any other alternative if it isn't me?"
"……."
Truly, there’s no use in raising a daughter.
Seo Wi-ryang, who held his head for a moment with exactly that expression, said with a groan,
"I shall follow your orders."
"And call the Ghost Sword of the Western Heaven and the Battle Ghost Little Monster."
"Your command?"
"Tell them to slay every woman who approaches my Lord until my preparations are fully complete. It must be kept a secret from him."
That seat must belong only to me.
Im Hwa-yeong walked away with a gentle smile.
"A-choo!"
"Oh dear, are you alright?"
Murong Cheong suddenly felt a chill and sneezed repeatedly, then sniffled.
"It seems I’ve caught a cold in Hebei. I am ashamed that my cultivation is so lacking, Father."
"Don't say that. As long as you’re healthy, that’s all that matters."
Murong Seo-jeong smiled warmly and stroked his daughter’s hair before taking up the reins again.
The father and daughter of the Murong Family galloped across the vast plains of Liaoning without a care in the world. After working up a good sweat, they returned home in high spirits to enjoy a well-deserved rest.