Chapter 25
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Visit to the Ye Family Manor
The escort caravan crossed the threshold of the Tang family estate. The escorts bustled about, lining up the wagons in the front courtyard. Hyeong Pyo had already spoken with Tang Ho-gwan beforehand and arranged to hand over all the wagons to the Tang family. It was to lighten their load as much as possible on the return journey.
"You've all worked hard."
Hyeong Pyo offered a respectful cupped-fist salute at Tang Ho-gwan's words.
"Thank you, sir."
"If you'd like, you're welcome to rest here at the Tang family for a few days."
"No, we couldn't impose that much. Besides, there are a few matters I need to attend to..."
"Ah, I see. Well, if anything comes up in the future, don't hesitate to come find me. I'll help however I can."
Tang Ho-gwan's offer was remarkably generous. Hyeong Pyo bowed his head repeatedly in gratitude. But considering the circumstances, it made perfect sense. Tang Ho-gwan and the Tang family warriors had been saved twice thanks to Dan Hyeong-u, an escort from the Henan Escort Bureau. It was only right that they offer aid several times over.
Moreover, Tang Ho-gwan quietly hoped to forge a lasting connection with Dan Hyeong-u. Providing assistance to the Henan Escort Bureau now would surely pay dividends later.
Hyeong Pyo led all the Henan Escort Bureau escorts out of the Tang family estate.
"Whew. It's truly over now. We should find a spot nearby and rest up properly today."
Jo Seol-yeon nodded brightly at Hyeong Pyo's words.
"Sounds good."
The provincial capital was a sprawling city. Finding an inn for them to stay at was no trouble at all. The real issue was Umun Hye and her group trailing them. But there was nothing to say about it—they hadn't joined the party; they were simply following at a distance.
Hyeong Pyo sighed and headed for the inn.
After securing rooms at the inn, Hyeong Pyo went to find Jo Seol-yeon. As a woman, she had a room to herself.
"Miss, may I come in for a moment?"
Jo Seol-yeon opened the door at Hyeong Pyo's call.
"Please, come in. Oh..."
Jo Seol-yeon was briefly startled to see Dan Hyeong-u standing beside Hyeong Pyo. But she soon smiled warmly and ushered them both inside.
"What is it?"
Hyeong Pyo cautiously opened his mouth at Jo Seol-yeon's question.
"This friend and I have somewhere we need to go. I'd like to delay our departure a bit."
Jo Seol-yeon nodded readily at Hyeong Pyo's words.
"Of course. By the way, where are you headed?"
"I'll tell you when we get back. Nothing's certain yet."
Hyeong Pyo replied with a smile. Jo Seol-yeon was quite curious but had no choice except to let the two men go.
Before leaving Jo Seol-yeon's room, Dan Hyeong-u raised his hand and placed it on her head. Jo Seol-yeon flinched in surprise but didn't pull away.
A searing energy poured into her crown, washing through her entire body. Jo Seol-yeon felt a dizzying haze, as if her soul might float away to the heavens. Soon, Dan Hyeong-u's hand withdrew, and she couldn't hide a strange sense of reluctance.
"We'll be back."
Jo Seol-yeon's heart began to race at Dan Hyeong-u's words.
Hyeong Pyo led Dan Hyeong-u out of the inn and hurried toward their destination. Umun Hye and her group followed at a distance, but he paid them no mind. In fact, Hyeong Pyo might not have even noticed they were there.
As he followed, Dan Hyeong-u suddenly grew curious about where they were headed. He paused, surprised by the unfamiliar feeling of 'curiosity.' A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Where are we going?"
Hyeong Pyo jumped at Dan Hyeong-u's question and turned to look at him. It was the first time he'd heard the man ask anything during their time together.
"Hahaha. So you do have questions after all. We're headed to a place called Ye Manor."
"Ye Manor?"
"It's the home of the Ye clan. You know our young miss hails from Jo Family Manor, right?"
Dan Hyeong-u nodded. He had a rough idea. And as the thought connected, he understood why Hyeong Pyo was bringing him to Ye Manor.
"I mentioned it before, didn't I? That something good might come out of this escort mission. It's not certain yet, but the possibility is there. Your friend's name was Ye Se-gi, right?"
Hyeong Pyo continued after confirming Dan Hyeong-u's nod.
"There are quite a few with the Ye surname, but not many match the details you gave. Ye Manor in Sichuan is one of them. It's not too close, so we should use lightness skill to get there."
Without waiting for Dan Hyeong-u's agreement, Hyeong Pyo leaped into motion. Though just an escort leader, his lightness skill was quite impressive. Dan Hyeong-u followed right behind.
Dan Hyeong-u stuck close to Hyeong Pyo's back and pressed his palm against it. Hyeong Pyo suddenly felt a scorching heat surging from his back. His speed increased dramatically.
"Urk!"
He was startled at first, his inner energy tangling and his steps faltering. But as a seasoned escort, he quickly regained his balance and shot forward at even greater speed thereafter.
Hyeong Pyo and Dan Hyeong-u streaked ahead like arrows loosed from a bow.
"Gasp! What the—?!"
Umun Hye was stunned. When the two first deployed their lightness skill, she thought little of it. She could keep up easily enough. But now? Their speed had surged.
Umun Hye accelerated. It wasn't too taxing, but it consumed a fair amount of her inner energy.
What happened next was even more shocking. Just as Dan Hyeong-u and Hyeong Pyo seemed to hesitate, their speed exploded even further.
"Gasp!"
Umun Hye had no choice but to pour everything she had into it. Her inner energy depleted rapidly, and fatigue set in.
As her energy dwindled and her vision blurred, Dan Hyeong-u and Hyeong Pyo finally came to a stop.
"Huff... huff..."
Ragged breaths escaped her. She no longer had the strength to hide her presence. Glancing aside, her attendant was panting just as hard. Though skilled, the attendant wasn't much stronger than Umun Hye herself—a formidable warrior in her own right.
Umun Hye looked at Dan Hyeong-u and Hyeong Pyo with newfound respect. She had no inkling that Dan Hyeong-u had shared his energy with Hyeong Pyo, guiding his qi.
"This is Ye Manor. I came through here on an escort mission long ago, so I know the place."
Dan Hyeong-u eyed the massive gate blocking their path. It stood firmly shut, as if shouting for them to turn back.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Hyeong Pyo began knocking. Normally, clan gates were guarded, but Ye Manor had none. Whether that was usual or something was amiss, Hyeong Pyo knocked to summon someone.
It took a while before the gate creaked open slowly.
Creeeeak.
The eerie sound made Hyeong Pyo lean toward the latter.
The man who appeared was a fierce-eyed warrior in his mid-thirties, broad-shouldered, with a massive saber slung across his back. He sized up Hyeong Pyo and Dan Hyeong-u before speaking slowly.
"I don't know who you are, but Ye Manor isn't receiving guests for the time being. If it's nothing important, please leave."
Hyeong Pyo urgently grabbed the warrior retreating inside. The man looked at him quizzically, and Hyeong Pyo asked carefully.
"Do you perhaps know someone named Ye Se-gi?"
The warrior's eyes widened at the question. In an instant, sharp glints shot from his gaze. His intimidating aura enveloped Hyeong Pyo completely, drawing a pained groan from him.
"Urgh!"
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Dan Hyeong-u stepped forward at the warrior's shout. The oppressive energy binding Hyeong Pyo snapped like threads. Hyeong Pyo staggered back, gasping.
"Huff! Huff!"
The warrior glanced at Dan Hyeong-u with faint surprise. But he quickly unslung his saber, gripped it, and advanced on Dan Hyeong-u with murderous intent, raising it high for a decisive strike.
"W-Wait!"
Hyeong Pyo shouted desperately. But the man didn't flinch, hoisting the blade fully.
"He's a friend!"
Hyeong Pyo yelled. The warrior's reaction convinced him Ye Se-gi was indeed from here. The effect was immediate.
"What? A friend?"
The man lowered his saber slightly and eyed Dan Hyeong-u and Hyeong Pyo suspiciously. Hyeong Pyo stepped forward and offered a polite salute.
"I'm Hyeong Pyo, here to guide him."
"Ye Ung."
The man returned a casual salute but still regarded them warily.
Hyeong Pyo let out a sigh of relief.
"Now it's your turn. Go on, say something."
Dan Hyeong-u pondered Hyeong Pyo's words. This man might be family to his comrade and friend. But he had no prepared words or actions.
He'd only vaguely thought to find their family.
As Dan Hyeong-u stood silent, Hyeong Pyo grew anxious.
"Come on! You were so desperate to find them."
At Hyeong Pyo's urging, Dan Hyeong-u looked at Ye Ung and spoke.
"Dan Hyeong-u."
Ye Ung frowned slightly at the abrupt introduction, and Hyeong Pyo jumped in with an explanation.
"That's his name. He's lived in the mountains so long he doesn't know worldly etiquette yet. Please forgive him."
Ye Ung nodded at the explanation.
"So, you're Se-gi's friend?"
Dan Hyeong-u nodded. Fragments of memory about Ye Se-gi surfaced from deep within. The man before him shared many similarities—fierce eyes, imposing stature.
Ye Ung's gaze trembled faintly.
"It's been ten years since our Se-gi vanished. Did you meet him sometime in between?"
Dan Hyeong-u tilted his head at 'ten years.'
'Only ten years?'
No, far from it. The hell he'd endured felt at least ten times longer. Perhaps the endless torment and monotony had distorted his sense of time, but ten years was still too short.
"No?"
Ye Ung's expression shifted again. Dan Hyeong-u nodded. The man was as hot-tempered as Ye Se-gi had been.
"That's right."
Hyeong Pyo was shocked at Dan Hyeong-u's relatively lengthy response—the first of its kind.
"And you are...?"
"I'm Se-gi's uncle. But are you truly his friend?"
Ye Ung remained skeptical. Dan Hyeong-u regarded him quietly before speaking.
"My friend Ye Se-gi... is dead."
Ye Ung's eyes widened at Dan Hyeong-u's words. Rage flickered in them.
"You... you dog bastard!"
Ye Ung's saber finally cleaved the air.
The thigh-wide blade plummeted precisely toward Dan Hyeong-u's crown.
Clang!
Ye Ung's saber struck Dan Hyeong-u's head with a resounding crash.
Ye Ung's face filled with shock.
Hyeong Pyo couldn't hide his astonishment either.
A scream echoed from behind.
"Kyaaah!"
Ye Ung and Hyeong Pyo's eyes turned to Dan Hyeong-u's rear. There stood Umun Hye, one hand over her mouth.
Her trembling hand pointed at Dan Hyeong-u.
"W-What have you... done..."
Umun Hye couldn't continue. Her eyes reddened, tears spilling unbidden.
"Eek!"
Umun Hye lunged. In a flash, she closed on Ye Ung, her delicate hand thrusting toward his chest. Ye Ung saw it coming but couldn't evade.
Grab!
Umun Hye stared in shock at the hand gripping her wrist. It was rough yet smooth.
Her gaze traced the arm to its owner.
"H-How..."
Dan Hyeong-u's impassive eyes met hers. He brushed her hand away from Ye Ung's chest and gently wiped the tears from her eyes.
Umun Hye blankly stared at the saber embedded in Dan Hyeong-u's crown. He was unharmed. With tears cleared, her vision confirmed the blade halted exactly an inch above his scalp.
Dan Hyeong-u turned back to Ye Ung and repeated.
"My friend Ye Se-gi... is dead."
To Umun Hye, Dan Hyeong-u's words seemed laced with sorrow.