Chapter 102
Chapter 102
If it was not her imagination, Namgung Jeok-myeong’s voice, asking whether she was leaving, sounded unusually low and heavy.
Yeo Il answered as if it were nothing.
“Where would I even go when I’m a Namgung? This body doesn’t have anywhere else to go anymore.”
“This lie, unlike you, is a little too obvious.”
“You’re misunderstanding.”
“Why did you spread the rumor that Wolgeom Ilsal killed the real Namgung Soyo?”
“I never spread that rumor.”
“It wasn’t a rumor circulating within the clan. It drifted in from outside Anhui Province. And the timing was coincidentally just a few days after you and I returned from Hangryong Gate.”
He spoke with certainty. It seemed he had seen her enter Hangryong Gate and meet the Hangryong Gate Master.
“I thought it over carefully for the past day or two. Why you suddenly let that rumor loose. If it were you, you would have acted to secure at least one small benefit—so what benefit it could possibly have been.”
“…….”
“But no matter how I thought about it, there was no benefit to speak of. Right… there wasn’t. Still, there was one thing I could be sure of.”
Namgung Jeok-myeong’s voice sharpened.
“If it becomes an established fact that Ye So-gun died at the hands of Wolgeom Ilsal, then the Cheonma Divine Cult loses its justification to start a Jeongma Great War.”
Faced with that firm certainty, Yeo Il acknowledged it again.
Even if he had far too much useless sentiment and ruined things because of it, the speed of his mind itself was astonishing.
“I never did that, but if it can land a blow on the Cheonma Divine Cult and Yeonghwang Yuse, I suppose it would put my mind at ease.”
“Of course, I don’t know why you chose Wolgeom Ilsal—someone who disappeared among all those people….”
The answer to that doubt was simple.
Because Yeo Il was Wolgeom Ilsal.
If she used a third party, then in the event of an unexpected situation, things could slip beyond Yeo Il’s control. But if she threw herself out as bait, she could respond appropriately no matter what happened.
Does Namgung Jeok-myeong really not know who I am?
Namgung Pae, without reading the room… no, to make his nephew read the room, had brought up “Wolgeom” twice at Hangryong Gate.
There’s no way he doesn’t know.
But if he knew, it would not be strange at all for him to draw his sword here, stab her through the heart, and talk about revenge.
In the end, the Namgung Clan had been ruined because of Cheonmu Ryeong’s scheme.
“……No matter how much I rack my brain, I always arrive at the same conclusion. You’re planning to leave the clan.”
Then why was Namgung Jeok-myeong pretending not to know her identity?
“Could it be—”
He hesitated, holding his breath only for a moment.
Then, as if he could not endure it, he continued, a shallow sigh that sounded like it might snap at any second.
“No… is it impossible for you not to leave?”
Yeo Il thought he was talking nonsense.
“Even if you’re truly not Soyo, I don’t care.”
“…….”
“Even if your eyes are actually fine, and you can see ahead like everyone else, I don’t care. Whatever name you had in the past, whether you laugh at me for saying this or not—I don’t care.”
“No. You can’t not care. You’re only ignoring it because you want it to not matter. Am I wrong?”
Not long after she replied coldly, she heard a small laugh.
“Soyo.”
Unlike just before, when his voice had carried distinct anxiety and uncertainty, it now sounded strangely relieved.
“Isn’t it strange? Even after hearing that, my heart doesn’t waver at all. As if it proves I truly don’t mind.”
“…….”
“Even after hearing your sharp words every time, as if you’re trying to wake me up… is it because I know it’s a sincere warning? The more time passes, the more I want to trust you.”
“If you get betrayed by me, that trust will turn into despair.”
“I know. I know very well. I know I shouldn’t be like this, but I only know it. At some point, I started relying on you little by little.”
She heard his self-mocking sigh.
“The one I could believe in and lean on… ironically, in this vast clan, it seems you were the only one.”
Yeo Il was certain that no matter what she said beyond this, it would not get through to him.
So she endured everything—the urge to sneer at him for living so easily, and the impulse to smack his reasonless mind with all her strength and drag him back to reality.
Because, as Namgung Jeok-myeong said, it would all become an act done for his sake.
“You’re the first person who’s ever made me feel emotions this complicated and troublesome. It’s ridiculous to say it out loud, and it’ll surely sound ridiculous to your ears, but maybe… I….”
Yeo Il rose to her feet.
At her sudden movement, Namgung Jeok-myeong’s words cut off.
Soon, she felt his gaze lift quietly to her. He looked as if he would accept whatever she said with humility, and it twisted her mood even more.
I’ll just walk out of here on my own.
“There’s someone wandering around nearby. I need to check.”
After speaking, Yeo Il left the room without even waiting for Namgung Jeok-myeong’s answer.
In truth, she already knew who the owner of that presence was. It was the presence of a woman who, from the moment they reunited unexpectedly, had not moved far and had kept lingering in one spot.
“...Namgung Sojeo, did you greet him properly? Don’t be too sad. The Gaju surely left in peace.”
At Dang Maeryeong’s calm consolation, Yeo Il realized one fact.
Dang Maeryeong had come at Namgung Jeok-myeong’s request, to delay the Namgung Clan Gaju’s corpse from rotting.
“...So you came because of Father.”
“That’s right. It seems the Sogaju intends to keep the Gaju’s death secret for the time being. It isn’t rare. It’ll be easier for the Sogaju to move after finishing his preparations to become the Gaju. Especially at a time like this.”
Even without Dang Maeryeong’s explanation, it was a course of action easy to understand. Even for Namgung Hui-myeong’s sake, Namgung Jeok-myeong would want to announce the Gaju’s death as late as possible.
And Namgung Pae has already left the Namgung Clan.
If Namgung Soyo disappeared as well, then only Namgung Jeok-myeong and Namgung Hui-myeong would remain in the clan—just the brothers. In the span of only a year, it would mean the existence of four family members had vanished.
Dang Maeryeong checked Yeo Il, then Namgung Jeok-myeong—who had followed her out a beat late—and carefully spoke.
“The timing is unfortunate, but… Sogaju—hm. Should I call you Gaju now?”
Standing side by side and looking down at Yeo Il’s face in silence, Namgung Jeok-myeong shook his head, then answered calmly as if nothing had happened.
“For now, I would like you to address me as before, Dangju.”
“Understood. Sogaju—this timing is unfortunate, and I must be very careful saying this… but before coming here, the Alliance Leader urgently asked me for a matter. It requires the Sogaju’s help; if it’s all right, would you hear me out?”
“Of course. Since you so readily offered your help, Dangju, I should repay that kindness. How urgent is it?”
“So urgent that we must depart the moment the sun rises tomorrow. But….”
A brief silence settled. Namgung Jeok-myeong looked back at Yeo Il and said,
“You should return now, Soyo. Let’s talk about the rest later.”
“Yes, Brother. I can return to Seocheong on my own, so you don’t need to worry.”
Before Namgung Jeok-myeong could assign a maidservant to accompany her, Yeo Il moved her steps outside Bukcheong without looking back, as if she were fleeing him in a frantic rush.
…After planting that impression,
she concealed her presence where the two of them could not see and circled back with secretive movement.
Faintly, she heard Dang Maeryeong’s voice.
“...So, a child of the Jegal Clan has gone missing, and Jegal Hyeonmun-nim has requested help from the Murim Alliance.”
“Was it Yeonghwang Yuse?”
“It seems to be the Cheonma Divine Cult.”
“So they’ve started moving too.”
“That’s right. But… what I intended to relay to the Sogaju is a slightly different matter. When they infiltrated the Jegal Clan, they gave a warning: ‘If the Namgung Clan does not return Ye So-gun, then the third Jeongma Great War will break out’—”
“Wait.”
At that moment, Namgung Jeok-myeong’s gaze turned toward the direction where Yeo Il had been standing.
“There’s someone there.”
Yeo Il slowly opened her eyes.
Namgung Jeok-myeong was right. Someone had infiltrated the Namgung Clan.