Chapter 50
Chapter 50
Was there ever a verse in her life so tedious and so familiar?
Yeo Il let the corners of her lips rise on their own.
“Since I ascended the throne, I have built temples and compiled the sutras. How great is the merit I have accumulated?”
As she listened to the rough yet steady voice recite the line, memories of bygone days surfaced—of the zenith and twilight of a life in which she had not felt even the most ordinary sense of guilt.
Perhaps that was why Namgung Jeok-myeong’s laughter came back to mind once more.
[Hahaha! What nonsense is that, Soyo! The largest stone that rolled in has yet to be removed!]
[…]
[As it happens, I have a proposal for you regarding that matter…]
[A proposal?]
[This paper I showed you was found at the residence of a covert agent in Hubei Province. It was originally meant to be sent to me, but nothing was written upon it.]
[Had it contained proper content, the assassins would have discovered and burned it long ago.]
[No, not so.]
“At that, Bodhidharma replied.”
[The blank letter itself is his final code. A code agreed upon only between him and me. Its meaning is, ‘This place is continuously under surveillance. There exists a traitor within….’]
[A blank sheet bearing meaning. Indeed, a code capable of deceiving assassins. Then does that traitor refer to Namgung Chu-myeong?]
[…]
[Only two in this world knew of their existence. No—now three. You and I. And—]
Uncle Namgung Pae.
“There is no merit.”
Yeo Il opened her eyes.
[I had long suspected that Uncle had joined hands with external forces. The reason I behaved like a reckless madman all this time was to observe his movements. Not long after that, Chu-myeong began to change.]
[You suspected? Are you saying Uncle is the one who made Father like this?]
[No. …Or perhaps yes? It may sound absurd, but even I do not fully understand Uncle. I followed him from a very young age, watched his changes… and in that process, naturally sensed betrayal.]
[So the starting point was merely instinct.]
[Hard to believe?]
[No. Instinct is always frightening. All the more so when it belongs to a child.]
[…Thus my proposal is this, Soyo. Find the connection between Uncle Pae and Yeonghwang Yuse. Any evidence or witness that can be brought before the world will suffice. If you succeed, I will show you the Killing Register you so desire.]
[…]
[Uncle must be expelled from the clan.]
[…]
[He shows me no openings, but with you… perhaps it will be different.]
Gazing at the long-burning incense, Yeo Il smiled again.
Namgung Jeok-myeong was indeed fortunate.
Only days after she accepted his proposal, Namgung Pae revealed his own blemish.
<Emperor Wu of Liang once asked Bodhidharma: Since I ascended the throne and built temples and compiled the sutras, how great is my merit? Bodhidharma replied: There is no merit.>
It was Salmak’s passphrase.
However, only those qualified to meet the First Evil, Cheon Mu-ryeong, face to face knew it.
Yeo Il at times tested assassins, wondering whether their traces reached near her.
But this is the first time the other side has tested me in return.
Still, the verse she responded with was slightly different.
A poem echoed through the shrine.
“On Phoenix Terrace once the phoenix roamed.”
“……”
“The phoenix is gone; only the river flows.”
“……”
“In Wu’s palace, flowers lie buried along the path; in Jin, the robed courtiers have become ancient graves.”
After a long silence, the other spoke.
“You do not finish it.”
“I do not recall the rest.”
“Do you favor Li Bai?”
Yeo Il turned her head and met the gaze of Namgung Pae, seated slightly behind her.
“No. I know little even of Li Bai. As a blind woman, poetry was among the few amusements available to me.”
Even when faced with the sharp focus in her eyes, Namgung Pae remained calm.
“Seeing that both your eyes are perfectly fine, it seems you need not confine yourself to poetry alone.”
“My throat is injured, so I must spare my words as well. Each day is unbearably dull.”
“Even reciting poetry is dull? Must you scream to find relief?”
“How could I scream before an elder of the household?”
With a faint smile, Namgung Pae returned his gaze forward—more precisely, toward the spirit tablet bearing Namgung Chu-myeong’s name.
“Hongyu is a rare and extreme poison.”
“……”
“There are only two kinds of people who survive Hongyu. Those who used an antidote, or those immune to all poisons.”
Yeo Il now understood why Namgung Pae, who had shown no prior interest in her, tested her so openly.
The fake Namgung Chu-myeong must have reported that night’s events to Namgung Pae.
Namgung Pae already knew she was not the real Namgung Soyo. When she survived Hongyu, he must have become convinced she had ties to Salmak.
Namgung Pae sacrificed that fake’s life to investigate my identity in reverse.
The poisoning plan could have been altered within a day. He was a man merciless not only to his kin but to his comrades.
“If I say I am immune to all poisons, would you believe me?”
At her answer, Namgung Pae showed doubt once more.
“If so, why did your guard feed you something when you lost consciousness?”
“Then let it be the antidote.”
“The antidote to Hongyu is as rare as the poison itself, and even if taken, recovery requires dozens of days.”
“Then immunity to poisons must be the answer.”
After a moment of silence, as though in thought, he turned toward her.
It had been some time since she faced someone so directly—aside from Seol-yeong, Changa, and Jin Cheong-ak.
Even Namgung Jeok-myeong, her ally in the same boat, believed her blind. Would he feel betrayed if he learned her eyes were sound?
Yet Yeo Il had no intention of feigning modesty before Namgung Pae.
She was no longer alone.
She had Seol-yeong and Changa. She needed to reveal some of her hand so that he would not casually meddle with those around her.
And who was Namgung Pae?
How could Yeo Il know? Even Namgung Jeok-myeong, who watched him for over twenty years, said he could not grasp him. A few months of observation would not suffice.
Still, one fact was certain.
Namgung Pae is both Salmak and a member of Yeonghwang Yuse.
That alone proved him a cold-blooded butcher devoid of guilt—a madman. Yeo Il, once of a similar breed, needed no further evidence.
“Namgung Soyo.”
Pronouncing each syllable distinctly, Namgung Pae, for the first time since crossing paths with her, showed a change in expression—a smile.
“How amusing.”
“No matter how clever I act, can I compare to the Namgung Clan?”
“I can roughly guess what you seek by rolling into the Namgung Clan.”
“……”
“But I assure you, you will not obtain it easily.”
Leaving that final remark behind, Namgung Pae quietly departed.
Namgung Pae.
An unknown figure she must dissect thoroughly to obtain the Killing Register. And—
A shameless man who leaves without even putting away his cushion.
Next time, she would leave first.
Time passed swiftly, and daylight broke on the day they were to depart for the Murim Alliance.