Chapter 33
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Living Together with the Women
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"Just where are you planning to move?"
Zhuge Ji had come to Namgung Hye's room, where she was packing her belongings.
Namgung Hye answered her question without batting an eye.
"I've secured a house by the river with a fantastic view. Got the owner's permission, too."
A house by the river with a fantastic view—that had to be the home of those mysterious hunters.
Startled, Zhuge Ji stepped in front of Namgung Hye.
"Why go there of all places? If you move, all the retainers who followed you will have to move too."
"No. It'll just be me and Su-a."
"It's dangerous. What if something happens?"
Namgung Hye paused in her packing in the side room and turned to look at Zhuge Ji.
"Sister, I've wandered the martial world alone before. Don't worry too much."
Zhuge Ji grew urgent.
She had to stop Namgung Hye from going to that house somehow.
"I'll find you an even better place with a nicer view. Just wait one day."
Hmm.
Namgung Hye let out a peculiar hum and flashed a sly smile.
"Sister, there really is something going on with those hunters, isn't there?"
Zhuge Ji felt dizzy.
That was her true aim, after all.
She was trying to move into that house on purpose to uncover what had happened between Zhuge Ji and the hunters.
"N-no, nothing happened."
Her voice trembled, uncharacteristically tense.
"Then don't try to stop me."
"I-I'll go too."
Hohohoho.
"So there was something. Sister, you're worse than a ghost at hiding it."
That laugh of Namgung Hye's grated on Zhuge Ji's nerves.
Yet in the martial world, Namgung Hye was one of the few who truly understood and comforted her.
Peng Ok, who had returned to the clan first due to urgent family matters, was deep-minded but a bit naive.
"This is driving me insane."
I clutched my face with both hands at the sight beyond the wall.
Zhuge Ji, Namgung Hye, Seok Su-a, and several retainers were heading this way.
'I messed up. Should've just handed over that formation all at once.'
The Great Heavenly Demon had stirred up suspicion, leading to this absurd situation.
His goal had been to drag me deep into the martial world and tarnish my name, but I'd momentarily forgotten that.
'No idea how to fix this now.'
Gwang-u stood beside me, sneaking peeks at Seok Su-a.
"Gwang-u, don't you dare mention that guy in front of those ladies. We're completely unrelated to him. Got it? If you spill, he'll grab you and drag you away from here."
"Got it, bro. I won't say a word, so relax."
Ah, how much can I trust this fool's word?
His mouth was too loose for that massive frame.
"Promise me. If our cover gets blown, I'll ditch you and leave."
"I said I got it, bro. Even if Miss Seok asks, I won't breathe a word about Eldest Brother."
With that much assurance, I could trust him a tiny bit.
I soothed my nerves and waited for them to enter the house.
"Anyone home?"
Namgung Hye's voice came from outside the gate.
"The door's open."
I rose from the porch bench and waited.
But the first through the door weren't the three women—it was an elderly man followed by young retainers from the Zhuge Family.
The three women trailed behind the retainers.
The old man who entered the yard first eyed me and Gwang-u up and down.
His gaze on Gwang-u was particularly sharp.
I bowed deeply to the elder first.
"Welcome. We're the hunters who live here."
Gwang-u bowed after me.
"So you're the hunters who brought the tiger to the Seok Family. Nice to meet you. I'm Zhuge Seo, elder of the Zhuge Family."
"We're ignorant of the martial world, so we didn't know. Sorry."
Zhuge Seo nodded readily.
"I understand. Truth be told, if not for these young ones, I wouldn't be here. Remember this: if anything unfortunate happens to them, you won't escape death."
I took his words as a blatant threat.
'This old coot...'
How could he say that after looking at me and Gwang-u?
I wanted to smack that smug face, but my words came out polite as ever.
"Rest assured, Elder. How could lowly hunters like us be disrespectful to martial world ladies?"
I bowed so low it was almost groveling, and Zhuge Seo smiled in satisfaction.
He didn't forget to instruct the retainers behind him.
"You lot must visit morning and evening to check on them and handle any troubles."
The Zhuge Family retainers bowed in unison.
"We'll keep it in mind."
I watched Zhuge Seo and the retainers, then stole a glance at Namgung Hye and Zhuge Ji.
Namgung Hye eyed us with curious interest, while Zhuge Ji stood with a dark expression.
Having given his instructions, Zhuge Seo turned back to me.
"As I said once more..."
Then Zhuge Ji, who had been standing darkly, stepped forward.
"Elder, enough. We're the ones borrowing their house out of necessity, not them forcing us to stay."
Ahem, hem!
Stung by her words, Zhuge Seo cleared his throat needlessly and glared at me and Gwang-u.
"In any case, take good care of them. Remember what I said."
I bowed deeply in lieu of a reply.
"Let's go."
Zhuge Seo glanced down at our bowed heads before turning and exiting.
Once all the retainers had left, a deep sigh escaped my lips, still bowed.
Hoo...
"Gwang-u, you bastard... we'll see about this later."
Gwang-u flinched behind me.
"Sorry, bro."
Dinner was the immediate problem.
Gwang-u's cooking had improved a bit, but not enough to serve guests proudly.
I took over preparing dinner.
"B-bro, let me do it?"
Gwang-u hovered awkwardly.
"Is this an inn? Get out, you punk."
"Sorry... bro."
Gwang-u slunk out of the kitchen, head hung low.
After he left, I set rice to cook in the pot and started the soup.
I added the fish Isa-gwan had caught earlier, along with water, and ground spices.
Grind, grind.
As I ground the spices in the mortar, Namgung Hye peeked into the kitchen.
I didn't even turn my head.
"What is it?"
As if waiting for that, she slipped right in.
A faint fragrance followed her inside.
"Preparing dinner?"
"Can't you tell?"
At my curt reply, she shrugged and looked around the kitchen.
"Looks like someone smashed the wall."
Her eyes lingered on the spot where the Black Moon Gate Lord had burst through, leaving a huge hole.
I'd patched it with wood, but the fresh repair was obvious.
"No idea. Must've happened before we moved in."
Namgung Hye nodded and shifted her gaze to the mortar.
"That's an odd-shaped mortar."
This mortar was for spices, but doubled as a weapon sometimes.
It was what smashed the Black Moon Gate Lord's head.
"It's convenient."
"And there are letters engraved on it? Mind if I take a look?"
I handed it over and added the ground spices to the pot.
Soup done; now chop veggies and grill meat.
Namgung Hye turned the mortar this way and that, scrutinizing the letters.
'Go ahead and stare. Good luck figuring it out. You won't even memorize them.'
I smirked inwardly.
As expected, she puzzled over it a while before setting it down with a tilt of her head.
"No clue. Do you know what these letters mean?"
"Beats me. Picked it up at the market for three coins."
"I see. Wasted my effort then."
Namgung Hye showed no sign of leaving.
Crack, snap.
She was breaking branches and feeding them into the hearth.
I cooked with both hands and casually probed.
"What's your position in the Namgung Family, miss?"
"The family head is my father."
'Damn it.'
If the family head was her father, she was family with that guy.
He'd said once:
"I've got a stunning little sister. I'll introduce her to you later, junior brother."
This must be the sister he'd mentioned.
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
I couldn't ask more.
Namgung Hye finished with the firewood and left the kitchen.
"Looking forward to a delicious dinner."
"It won't be... that great. Don't get your hopes up."
Zhuge Ji tasted the soup broth and stared in surprise at Namgung Hye across from her.
Namgung Hye sipped and beamed.
"I had low expectations, but it's delicious."
Seok Su-a chimed in, amazed.
"Yeah. It doesn't look great, but the taste is surprisingly good. Caught me off guard."
Zhuge Ji sampled the other dishes, praising nonstop.
"Not a single bad dish. Not like fancy restaurant food, but way better than a roadside inn. Where are you two eating?"
"Outside."
Zhuge Ji had planned to unpack and seek the hunter surnamed Go right away.
But Namgung Hye beat her to it.
So she sat on the yard bench, ears perked to the kitchen chatter.
After a satisfying meal, Zhuge Ji went out to find the hunter.
But he'd already eaten and vanished; only Gwang-u was washing dishes.
"Where's your older brother?"
The hulking hunter paused mid-wash, stood hastily, blushed, and answered.
Zhuge Ji clenched her fist unwittingly.
That build with such shyness.
"He went out for a stroll."
"Thanks."
She searched around for the hunter.
Eventually, she spotted him under a massive pine tree.
Maybe giving the full formation was the right call.
Once she did, these women would leave in a few days.
'The real trouble comes after... damn it.'
It all started in that cave.
Lost in thought, I straightened up as Zhuge Ji appeared in the distance.
Why was she wandering outside?
Living with Gwang-u was easy; three women changed everything.
I had to cook myself, with extra care.
Even moving around the house felt restricted.
'And where the hell do I sleep?'
I'd thrash in my sleep, drawing even more attention.
"There you are."
Zhuge Ji approached, oblivious to my turmoil.