I Should Have Done This Sooner
The mornings of Murim folk came early.
No, it wasn’t just Murim folk.
Everyone living in this age was more or less the same.
The sun was nature’s own lamp, and everyone depended on that light far too much.
So the rhythm of life followed the sun’s movements.
When the sun rose and the world brightened, people stirred. When it set and darkness fell, the day was done.
That was an eternal truth. A natural one.
So when dawn broke and the sky turned pale, more and more people were up and moving.
I’d only been here for a month, but I’d already grown used to this sort of life, so my eyes opened on their own.
Now this is a miracle morning. Back home, I’d usually be asleep at this hour.
Especially if the next day was a day off or a weekend, it was a hundred percent guaranteed.
That was when all the interesting stuff happened, after all—during the night.
Thinking that, I got up and stretched lightly.
Back then and now were completely different. My routine, my work, this whole world.
But the biggest difference of all was my body. My sex. This body, with the wrong things attached and the right things missing.
“Hoo…”
I let out a small sigh and changed clothes.
Even now, adjusting the chest area still felt awkward.
I’d only had a month to get used to it, after all.
While staying at the Jegal Clan Manor, I hadn’t really needed to bother with it, but now that I had to keep walking, I wrapped my chest tightly with cloth and pressed it flat.
What was it again? Sports bra? I heard there was something like that.
Something made of stretchy fabric like that probably doesn’t exist in this world, huh?
As I thought that, I suddenly found myself hilarious.
I never thought I’d have a day in my life when I’d think this seriously about bras. Good grief.
Come to think of it, maybe it’d be more urgent to think about pads than sports bras.
Anyway, after getting ready, I stepped outside, and from below I heard Dang Yeong-young shouting.
“I said no! Let go!”
Huh? What was that? “I said no! Let go!”?
Was someone picking a fight with her? Worried, I hurried downstairs, but that wasn’t it at all.
Familiar faces. Very familiar ones. And over there, they were smiling at me too.
“Baek So-ju! It’s you again!”
Moyong Jua waved at me cheerfully.
Dang Ho-jun, who was holding Dang Yeong-young by the arm, blinked at me with a slight widening of his eyes.
Ah. Right, I get it now.
By the time I finished going down the stairs, Moyong Jua came closer and said, “Fortunately, Yeong-ah ran into you, Baek So-ju. Thanks for keeping hold of her.”
“Well, it’s not like I was really keeping hold of her. But from the way you’re talking, I’m guessing she snuck out without permission?”
“Yes, exactly. Oh, we had such a hard time because of that child yesterday!”
“Still, you found her pretty quickly. How did you manage it?”
“Because we knew she was heading for Kaifeng. This is the only place with a Murim Alliance inn within a day’s travel.”
“Baek So-ju! Baek So-ju! Save me! Tell them not to take me away!”
While I was talking with Moyong Jua, Dang Yeong-young kept looking at me and calling out in a panic.
Good grief. Anyone would think they were kidnapping her.
I’m glad this is an inn connected to the Murim Alliance.
I walked over to Dang Yeong-young, and Dang Ho-jun looked at me with the corners of his mouth lifting.
Ugh. Why are you smiling again? You’re really impossible to like.
Honestly, the more people like him there are, the higher Paeng Jeon-ho’s stock goes. What a dependable guy.
“Dang So-ju.”
“Baek So-ju! I’ll apologize to that man! So please, take me with you! Hm?”
“Dang So-ju lied to me.”
Dang Yeong-young flinched and clamped her mouth shut.
“I don’t know how Dang So-ju has lived until now, but in this harsh Jianghu, it’s best to avoid misunderstandings whenever possible. But you aren’t doing that. You’re doing whatever you feel like. If you want to come with me, then ask for permission first. Then apologize to Senior Extreme Good and show proper manners. If you do that, I’ll take you with me then.”
“No! Right now….”
“Dang So-ju. Do as I say.”
I cut her off, my expression hardening as I spoke with unmistakable firmness.
Dang Yeong-young looked a little shocked.
“Follow my instructions. Always. Not everyone is going to listen to whatever Dang So-ju says.”
Dang Yeong-young wilted completely. And in that opening, Dang Ho-jun spoke up.
“Thank you, Baek So-ju! Thanks to you, this child….”
“The same goes for Dang Gongzi. You couldn’t even keep an eye on your own sister, and you’re smiling right now?”
His expression froze too, as if he’d just been slapped in the face.
“And stop smiling at just any woman you see. It makes you look frivolous.”
After saying that, I looked toward Moyong Jua and said, “Are you leaving right away?”
“Ah, probably. Now that we’ve found Yeong-ah, we should head back immediately. The Jegal Clan Manor must be worried too.”
“You’ve had a hard time. I said we’d see each other again soon, but I didn’t expect the reason to be like this.”
“Hehe. Tell me about it.”
“Then be careful on the way back. I’ll see you off.”
“All right. Let’s really meet again for something good next time! Okay?”
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
While I was speaking to Moyong Jua, I also gave a slight bow to Paeng Jeon-ho beside her.
He gave me a small nod in return, then looked at the still-dazed Dang siblings and said, “Ho-jun. Let’s go.”
Only then did Dang Ho-jun start moving, taking Dang Yeong-young with him.
He seemed to be trying hard not to meet my eyes. Dang Yeong-young was much the same.
After seeing them all off, I went back inside, climbed the stairs, and stopped at Senior Extreme Good’s room door. Then I said quietly, “Senior. It’s Harin.”
“Come in.”
When I stepped inside, Senior Extreme Good was already seated calmly, tea in hand, all her preparations for departure complete.
“Sit. We have time for a cup of tea before we go.”
After I sat down, she poured tea for me herself and handed over the cup.
“The Dang Clan child from yesterday has gone back to the Jegal Clan Manor. So it looks like apologizing to you will have to wait a little longer.”
“I hadn’t given it any thought. Don’t trouble yourself over it.”
She said that, but her expression seemed even brighter than before.
Honestly, when she smiled like that, she really was breathtaking.
So why did she always wear that frown?
Anyway, after we finished the tea, Senior Extreme Good and I left the inn at once.
Then, as though we were out for a leisurely stroll, we began making our way toward Kaifeng.
* * *
Surprisingly, Dang Yeong-young stayed quiet the whole way back.
And Dang Ho-jun, who’d said he’d have a serious word with her if he saw her, remained silent the entire trip as well.
The two of them just trudged toward the Jegal Clan Manor, looking thoroughly discouraged.
Watching that, Moyong Jua thought Baek Harin was truly amazing.
To make both of those free-spirited Dang Clan siblings collapse at once like that.
She even thought it would be nice to take Baek Harin to Sichuan someday.
By the time the Dang Yeong-young capture expedition returned to the Jegal Clan Manor, the sun was already low in the sky.
And once they were back, Dang Yeong-young seemed to make up her mind about something, then looked at Dang Ho-jun and said, “Brother. I have something to say.”
Dang Ho-jun was startled by that.
Brother? Something to say? What? What did I just hear?
“Yeong-ah?”
“No, wait. I should tell Uncle too. Come here. Hurry.”
Dang Yeong-young wasn’t some foolish child—she was just the type who’d always done whatever she pleased.
So she had no intention of pretending she hadn’t heard Baek Harin’s answer and letting it go.
Right now wasn’t the time for that. She had to get permission and hurry after her immediately.
The problem was that she didn’t have anyone to go with her….
But then, something extremely hopeful happened for Dang Yeong-young.
“Huh!? Baek So-ju!?”
Seeing a woman entering the Jegal Clan Manor, Moyong Jua cried out in surprise.
Another Baek So-ju. The real Baek Jin-ah from the North Sea Ice Palace.
The woman who had already left had returned to the Jegal Clan Manor. And she looked rather urgent, too.
“Ah, you’re the person who was with Harin So-ju earlier, right? By any chance, do you know where Harin So-ju is?”
Baek Jin-ah asked frantically the moment she saw Moyong Jua.
Moyong Jua hesitated slightly before answering. “Um… she’s on the way to Kaifeng. She was staying in Namyeong this morning.”
At those words, Baek Jin-ah closed her eyes and let out a short, soft sigh.
Then she bit her lip lightly and quickly turned on her heel.
“W-wait just a moment! Baek So-ju! Don’t tell me—you’re planning to go straight to Kaifeng right now!? The sun’s about to set!”
“That’s the only way to close the distance between us.”
Baek Jin-ah said it as if it were nothing at all.
Dang Yeong-young stared blankly at her for a moment, dazed, then hurried over and said, “Uh, excuse me!”
“Yes?”
“My name is Dang Yeong-young! I’m also going to meet Baek Harin So-ju! So… um… c-could I go with you!?”
To Dang Yeong-young, this was an unbelievably lucky turn of events.
It was already surprising enough that there was a woman who looked almost exactly like Baek Harin—but that woman was also heading to find Baek Harin.
She felt like the heavens had handed her a chance.
Maybe that was why even honorifics she’d never used in her life came out so naturally.
“You’re going to meet Harin So-ju?”
“Yes! So please wait just a little!? You—you also just came from far away, right!? Please rest for a moment! Just a moment!”
“I do need to leave quickly….”
“I know the fast route! So let’s go together!”
Dang Yeong-young still hadn’t even gotten permission, but she was speaking with complete confidence.
Baek Jin-ah looked at her and thought it over for a moment.
Traveling alone was indeed difficult. She had already learned that the hard way.
She’d studied the geography and customs of the Central Plains before coming, but actually experiencing them was something entirely different.
And from the way this daughter of the Dang Clan—whether she was a girl or a young woman was hard to tell—was speaking, she really did seem useful.
“Very well. Then let’s do that.”
When she heard the answer, Dang Yeong-young clenched her fist and cheered inwardly, then hurriedly said, “Then! Please wait just a moment!”
She dashed off at once to find her older brother and the uncle who had come with her from the Dang Clan.
“Uncle! I’ll give you the white powder for the White-Suppression Three-Headed Serpent!”
“What!?”
“Brother! I’ll make up for the Three-Fold Cartload you wasted. So please allow me to go to Kaifeng with this So-ju!”
“N-no! Yeong-ah! Even so, how could we send you off like that?”
“Exactly! I may be greedy for the Three-Fold Cartload, but even so, we can’t send you away so carelessly!”
“Aigoo! I’ll give you double! I’ll also give Brother the White-Striking Poison Bombs!”
Then both the uncle and Dang Ho-jun’s eyes widened.
“If that’s the case… all right! I’ll speak to our family about it!”
“G-good! No take-backs! Then go on!”
Dang Yeong-young looked at the two of them and thought, I should have done this from the start….
Why had she been acting so stubbornly? This was so easy.
In any case, after finally getting permission, Dang Yeong-young hurried back to Baek Jin-ah.
“It’s done! Let’s go!”
And just like that, the two of them left the Jegal Clan Manor without delay.
Moyong Jua and the others, including Paeng Jeon-ho, watched Baek Jin-ah and Dang Yeong-young go with a faint, hollow feeling.
And from that day on, they silently vowed never to get involved in Dang Clan affairs again.