The Folly of Gold Retirement
That day, after mastering the seventh form of the Tang Family Fist, the three of us ate dinner together. As I picked at some Dongpo pork, I asked the Bi Yeon Pavilion master,
"Who's this elder from the Jegal Clan holding the gold retirement ceremony?"
"Jegal Chaek? He's a nobody."
"Pardon?"
Her blunt response deflated me completely.
"You think washing your face with gold makes everything smooth sailing? What nonsense."
Given how she'd behaved at the Emei Sect, I could see why she'd dismiss it outright. What kind of person was this guy?
"Hm."
They say old folks get set in their ways once they turn curmudgeonly. Listening closely, she seemed even more pissed at the gold retirement itself than at that Sima Biok character.
"Still, doesn't settling old grudges have some meaning?"
The Bi Yeon Pavilion master clicked her tongue as if it were absurd.
"You think grudges just vanish on command? If your enemy settles in comfortably, you'd want to wipe out his whole family first."
Some twisted theory of revenge, huh. Even knowing it wouldn't happen to me, it sent chills down my spine.
"The Tang Clan doesn't hold gold retirements. Not a single one, ever. Better to die than end up as some forgotten old coot in the back room."
Pride in our family traditions, and an almost excessive conviction. After ranting on like that, she cleared her throat and changed the subject, something caught in her windpipe.
"Anyway, since your father asked, we have to visit the Jegal Clan."
Honestly, I couldn't fathom why she was so worked up. Was someone else's family doing a gold retirement really that infuriating?
"Then what about the Tang Family Fist in the meantime..."
"You can practice on the way."
My eyes lit up. What she'd just said meant both Sohee and I were going to the Sima Clan with her.
"We leave at Mao hour tomorrow. Yohwan, pack your things now."
"Got it."
The only luggage that came to mind was some basic clothes. I said a quick goodbye to Sohee and headed home. I didn't forget to grab the now spotless antique mirror, of course.
Lying on my sleeping mat, I explained the situation to Mirror Ghost—that I'd be away for a while.
What? Gold retirement? What's that?
Turns out, there was no such thing in her era, so explaining took forever. Even after I painstakingly described it, she was skeptical, just like the Bi Yeon Pavilion master. If anything, more extreme.
They go through that farce and expect not to get killed? On what basis? Have they all lost their minds?
'By the way, what was the Jegal Clan like in your time?'
The Jegal? You mean the Sima Clan's lackeys?
'Huh? The Jegal were the Sima's goons?'
The Martial Alliance was led by Alliance Leader Sima Yeol.
'What? A Sima Clan member became Martial Alliance Leader?'
As far as I knew, they had plenty in key roles like generals or strategists, but I'd never heard of one becoming Alliance Leader.
If even Sima Yeol's feats against the Blood Cult are forgotten, that Heavenly Demon Cult must've left one hell of a mark. Even the prestige of being Wei imperial descendants has faded.
'Yeah, pretty much. The Wei Dynasty—that's ancient history.'
The Wei was already gone in my time! The Great Tang had only fallen recently.
The gold retirement thing, and now this—chatting with Mirror Ghost really highlighted the massive generational gap. I'd even thought she was talking nonsense when she didn't know about the Demonic Cult at first.
Oh, I wonder what happened to that woman, Sima Bin. She was Alliance Leader Sima Yeol's daughter.
'Sima Bin? Sure, I'll look into it if I get the chance.'
I'd thought she only cared about her fellow female disciples, but Mirror Ghost really loved gossiping about women.
* * *
The next day, when I got to the carriage pickup spot, the coachman hit me with something ridiculous.
"Pardon? Ride a different carriage?"
"That's what the Bi Yeon Pavilion master ordered."
"We're only three people—why the hell do we need three carriages?"
Not buying it, I argued right away. Last time, even with a bigger group to the Emei Sect, we'd crammed into one. This made no sense.
"I heard the last one's loaded with gifts for the Sima Clan."
I clicked my tongue at our clan's wealth—filling a whole carriage just with presents. The number of carriages must've been a flex, showing off our prestige. We didn't need to flaunt it at Emei, but the Sima Clan was different, I guess. A hundred carriages or one—it didn't matter to me.
"Fine, the gifts make sense, but I'm riding with you guys!"
"What's all this commotion?"
"Pavilion Master!"
I scurried to the real power and pulled the five-year-old privilege card. Full-on begging!
"Granny, let's ride together! If it's about face, I'll act all grown-up at the Sima Clan."
But she shot down my plea cold.
"Stop making a fuss and get in."
"But—"
She scooped me up like nothing and tossed me into the carriage.
Thud! The door slammed shut, leaving me stunned.
'What the hell? Did something piss her off?'
She looked more fatigued than usual, too...
......No matter how I thought about it, something was off. Peeking out the window, I saw her riding with Sohee.
'Should've brought Mirror Ghost.'
On the bright side, it was a rare chance for some alone time—a vacation, even. Along the now-familiar road, I dozed off, spaced out, killing time idly.
After a few hours, the carriage jolted hard.
Clatter—
I called out to the coachman.
"What's going on?"
"Looks like an ambush..."
"Ambush?"
'Who the hell would dare?'
I was dying to know who had the balls to attack the Sichuan Tang Clan. Even the rough bandits of Wunan steered clear of us—that was the running joke.
Glancing out the window on impulse, I nearly stopped breathing.
"Hey! Why are you speeding up?!"
"The Bi Yeon Pavilion master's in that carriage, isn't she? I'm the one in danger."
A seasoned coachman's prudent call. Without proper escorts, my safety was way riskier than Sohee's. Better not to burden the Pavilion master—logical choice.
'What about Sohee? Where's Sohee?'
I flung open the carriage door mid-gallop.
Rattle—
"Young Master?! What are you—!"
I yelled at the coachman.
"Stop the carriage!"
"If you don't, I'll jump! You know even with qi you'd get hurt? Your wife's a physician!"
"Fine, just don't do anything rash..."
Not waiting for him to finish, I leaped out as it slowed. Sprinting full-tilt, I headed for the second carriage, lagging behind.
Threads from the surrounding forest trees encircled it. The Bi Yeon Pavilion master's death threads.
A single assailant had attacked the carriage—just one woman with a sword.
"Spare me one day, now you interfere..."
I'd never seen her up close, but the woman balancing her weight on her blade looked precarious. Her clothes were soaked with blood in spots.
The Bi Yeon Pavilion master, meanwhile, showed no visible wounds.
"Master, you're the worst."
I swallowed hard without thinking.
'If she's the Pavilion master's disciple... Sohee's mother?'
Now it clicked. The Pavilion master's extreme poisons were normally fatal on a graze. Standing firm despite wounds meant she had Tang Clan poison resistance.
Roaring in fury at her former disciple,
"If you want that child, take her! I can't stand the sight of your daughter—that vile bloodline!"
"Fine."
This coachman was out cold—knocked out or acupointed. The woman dragged him down, took the reins, and sat.
Sohee's mother, who'd defected to the Blood Cult, had come for her daughter. For whatever reason, the Pavilion master seemed ready to hand her over.
'I can't let Sohee go like this! Her mom taking her...!'
I channeled qi into my legs and bolted—faster than the sprinting I'd learned from Uncle and the hall brothers!
"Sohee!"
The carriage door hung wide. Peering inside, my heart sank.
Sohee was gone.
"...You—Dang Seowon?"
Another girl sat there instead. I recalled her name—an older Tang kid. Even called by name, she avoided my eyes, shrinking away.
Spotting Dang Seowon behind me, Sohee's mother scowled.
"Not Sohee? What the hell!"
I was just as baffled. If Dang Seowon was here, where was Sohee?
"You crazy old hag—where'd you hide my daughter?!"
Dang Mihee raised her voice at the Pavilion master. Mocking her old pupil, she flicked a nail accessory.
"A mother who doesn't know where her own daughter is? Pathetic."
"Where is she?!"
"Ask all you want—I don't know. Where could she have gone? Up to the heavens? Down into the earth?"
It hit me.
'The carriage supposedly full of gifts!'
The third one, missing from the convoy. Hadn't Father disguised as a coachman before?
'If Sohee's with him, thank god.'
Relief washed over me knowing Father was with her. He was the Tang Clan's strongest fighter, hands down.
The switch meant Father and the Pavilion master had anticipated someone targeting Sohee.
"The Family Head took her."
"Dang Myeongseok?"
"He's checking now. They were heading back to Tang Family Village. What now?"
"What do you mean? Why didn't you bring her?!"
"Couldn't exactly silence that side easily."
"Still..."
A man bantered with Dang Mihee, unfazed by the Pavilion master's murderous aura. Even up close, his face blurred—his presence faint, like you'd miss it if you blinked.
"Hey? You must be Yohwan?"
When he shoved his face in mine, I swear my breath caught.