Chapter 95
Chapter 95
“……”
This was precisely the problem with the Gate Master of Hangryong.
Because of the way she behaved before Yeo Il, even a passing ant might end up discovering Yeo Il’s identity.
Clicking her tongue inwardly, Yeo Il gauged the presence inside the room.
Even if he was focused on circulating his qi, she could not dismiss the possibility that his hearing remained open. Yet if she moved elsewhere, those Cho Clan men might attempt something foolish.
Yeo Il tapped her ear lightly with a finger.
As though he had been waiting desperately for her answer, Namgung Pae obediently used sound transmission.
<If I were ever to meet Il-sal, I believed I would recognize her for the sake of Wolgeom alone. Among the few demonic blades, Wolgeom in particular exudes such sinister and vicious energy that one could sense it even ten li away.>
<Exaggeration. Ten li? Even I cannot sense it at that distance.>
So that was why he had handed her the Heukryong Garden pass without warning.
It was because of Wolgeom.
Yeo Il recalled the various treasures Salmak had collected over generations, including the Huashan Sect’s secret manual.
Perhaps they are all stored in the same place.
It was the same with the Gongcheong Stone Oil.
He had said Heukryong Garden gathered all manner of items like a traveling peddler’s bundle. Legendary weapons of the Jianghu were surely displayed there.
Even if he could not seize Wolgeom, he must have wanted to witness its famed presence with his own eyes.
When she did not respond, dissatisfaction flickered across Namgung Pae’s face. Obsessed with blades—or with treasure?
…Immortality.
If that was the purpose of Yeonghwang Yuse, then Salmak had been no different.
In other words—
I was merely a tool to chase the delusion of a dead old fool.
Was Cheon Muryeong the same? It hardly suited his foolish yet strangely romantic temperament.
At that moment, Namgung Pae spoke aloud.
“Do you not intend to answer? I prepared quite a suitable price.”
<Whatever it is, say it through sound transmission.>
“I have discovered the location of the Sal-saeng-bu your elder brother concealed. Everything will be settled before you return to the Namgung Clan.”
Yeo Il’s brow furrowed.
“I will give you the choice. Follow me and confirm the Sal-saeng-bu, or stand idly by and watch it disappear.”
…He had found the Sal-saeng-bu?
Rather than shock, suspicion filled her gaze.
Her opponent was Namgung Pae.
According to Jin Cheong-ak, a member of Yeonghwang Yuse pursuing the grand objective of immortality. A man unhesitant to betray his own clan.
Highly capable of deceit.
“You look unconvinced. Whether you trust me is your choice. But you, of all people, should know I do not indulge in idle lies.”
They had not known each other even a year.
What did he presume she knew?
Yeo Il inherently despised anyone who attempted to control her—especially after leaving Salmak.
And Namgung Pae was precisely the type who must hold the reins.
She wanted the Sal-saeng-bu by any means. But grasping hands with someone like him could lead to being used, discarded, and cast aside like a worn-out hound.
Sal-saeng-bu. The Sal-saeng-bu.
What was it that had made her endure life as an illegitimate daughter of a prestigious clan?
She recalled faintly remembered names written within it.
She sought only one name among them.
To find it. To confirm life or death. To return something—whether to the living or the dead.
That singular resolve had carried her from beneath Cheon Muryeong’s shadow to this place.
It is already taking longer than expected. There is no need to take unnecessary risks.
There was no profit in this.
She was about to tell him to leave when—
“…Soyo.”
A faint trace of anger.
“Have you already forgotten your promise to this elder brother?”
And beneath it, disappointment.
“If you accepted my proposal, I would grant you what you desire.”
The voice, thick with unhidden emotion, wrapped around her from behind.
Moonlight gleamed along the blade pressed to Namgung Pae’s throat.
Yeo Il confirmed the cold steadiness in Namgung Jeok-myeong’s voice—and the large hand around her waist—before closing her eyes and answering quietly,
“It has not been long enough to forget.”
“And yet you seem rather deep in thought over Uncle’s offer.”
In the reflection of the blade, Namgung Jeok-myeong’s eyes were dim, lacking the bright clarity of one newly enlightened.
Which meant—
…He had finished circulating his qi long ago.
He had returned to full awareness well before.
Maintaining lotus posture without the slightest tremor for over five shichen, cold sweat beading upon his brow—it had all been deception.
Namgung Pae appeared to have noticed as well and laughed dryly.
“You have grown cunning.”
Namgung Jeok-myeong did not withdraw his hostility from Namgung Pae as he whispered into Yeo Il’s ear,
“Do not be swayed by honeyed words. To trust one who seeks to entice you is foolish.”
“Jeok-myeong, do you even know why this uncle seeks to entice Soyo?”
“Even if it is true, it matters not. The Sal-saeng-bu you seek does not exist as a single copy…”
This time, Yeo Il was genuinely startled.
A duplicate?
Even Namgung Pae’s composed expression cracked.
“Which one did you discover, Uncle? Stealing one and fleeing would be rather troublesome.”
“…Who made the copy? You? Or my elder brother?”
“Who knows? I will only say this: as you found Father disagreeable, Father did not wholly trust you either.”
A hallmark of a fractured family—quarreling without shame before strangers.
But for Yeo Il, this was an opportunity.
“Elder Brother Jeok-myeong.”
Still glaring at Namgung Pae, he glanced at her.
“That proposal you made. Might we alter the terms slightly?”
“Alter?”
Yeo Il placed her hand atop his and pressed the blade deeper into Namgung Pae’s flesh.
“Let us kill him.”
“……”
“It would be simpler to deal with him here.”
Her pale fingers slid between his knuckles and palm.
“You need do nothing. Leave it to me. You said the remnants in the clan hinder your greater purpose. It is fine. We will clean them all. Erase everything and begin anew.”
Namgung Jeok-myeong, who had relinquished the sword to her, grasped her hand and the blade once more.
“Why hesitate? Surely you do not still harbor familial affection…”
She considered pushing further—
But then—
“Do you truly believe that is the best course?”
Namgung Pae looked down at the thin line of blood sliding down his neck and spoke calmly.
“You may feel relief in the moment. But kill me, and Cheonmunju will come. I assure you, if he learns who you are, he will come at once.”
“Cheonmunju?”
Namgung Jeok-myeong’s puzzled murmur faded into the air.
Was this how Dang Maeryeong had felt when warned?
As though branded into her blood, the name Cheon Muryeong alone halted her movement.
“He searched for you for a very long time… Cheonmunju has a habit of keeping what he claims as his own close at hand. You escaped once by fortune. Next time will be difficult.”