Un Seol's True Face
Yi Jinpyeong let out a smirk. It was ridiculous to act surprised now. What had they thought she was all this time?
"No, I... I really thought you were someone I'd never met before..."
Un Sa-nang's face—now that Yi Jinpyeong had seen it a few times, but Yi Jingang and Yi Jinun had never laid eyes on her true visage, not even once. They'd crossed paths and tangled multiple times, yet even when the wind occasionally whipped her face-covering veil, all they'd glimpsed was that grotesque skin mask.
But the woman he was supporting now? She was the polar opposite of that ugliness—the most beautiful woman any of them had ever seen.
Yi Jinun, startled out of his wits, yanked his hands away from supporting her and leaped back several paces in an instant.
Un Sa-nang, now with some breathing room, tilted her head with a playful smile. "What's wrong? Is my face that strange?"
"No! I mean... how could it be?"
"You're standing awfully far away for someone who says that. Maybe I should cover it up again?"
"N-no! You look fine like this... I mean, no! Do whatever's comfortable... I'm good with anything! Lady Un is Lady Un, no matter what she looks like."
Yi Jinun stammered incoherently. Yet he couldn't bring himself to approach her again, staying at a distance.
It was odd. Just moments ago, he'd been supporting her without issue, but the instant he realized it was Un Sa-nang, he'd turned shy and withdrawn.
Un Sa-nang gazed at him and smiled brightly. Even when she'd hidden her face behind that hideous mask, Yi Jinun had never concealed his fondness. Seeing him flustered and awkward now that he knew her real face stirred both guilt and gratitude in her heart.
She tried walking on her own without his help, but winced as pain surged through her. Realizing his mistake, Yi Jinun rushed back to support her.
"I thought something was off. You were definitely a stranger, but you felt so familiar... And your voice, the way you talked to Jinpyeong like old friends... your clothes... Ah! It was all you, Lady Un Sa-nang. What an idiot I am!"
Yi Jinun smacked his forehead repeatedly.
"My real name isn't Un Sa-nang. It's Un Seol."
"Pardon...?"
Yi Jinun blanked out again. Un Sa-nang—no, Un Seol—continued.
"Un Sa-nang was just a fake identity and name I made up to operate in the Dongbeonhoe."
Yi Jinpyeong recalled that Ryeong-ju had called her Un Seol by that name during their clash. For her to reveal her true name now, after never doing so before, meant she was fully shedding that false persona.
"Un Seol. Un Seol... It suits you much better."
Yi Jinun nodded. But after a few steps, he murmured softly.
"Still, it makes me think... Your face, your name... I realize I knew nothing about you at all."
"It's not over yet."
"Pardon? More?"
Yi Jinun panicked. Un Seol turned to meet Yi Jinpyeong's eyes. Her gaze burned with firm resolve.
Yi Jinpyeong averted his. She didn't need his permission anyway. Her life and how she chose to live it were hers alone to decide.
Reading his intent in his glance, Un Seol spoke again.
"That Ryeong-ju we saw earlier? He was my childhood friend... and former lover."
"...!!!"
Yi Jinun looked truly shocked this time. Un Seol quietly shared her story. Yi Jinpyeong already knew it, but his brothers were hearing it for the first time: how her family had died, the harsh life she'd endured afterward, and how she'd been dominated and kept like livestock by her childhood friend.
She hid nothing.
Yi Jinun showed no reaction after the long tale, just staring ahead with a hardened expression. Un Seol was the same.
Silence stretched between them. Finally, unable to hold back, Un Seol opened her mouth—but Yi Jinun spoke first.
"Never again..."
His face, usually brimming with warm, easy smiles, was filled with steely determination.
"I'll make sure you never get hurt again. If you stay by my side... no, by my brothers' side, nothing like that will ever happen."
Yi Jinun's martial prowess still fell short of Un Seol's. And though he'd quickly corrected himself, saying "by my side" was basically a straight-up love confession.
Yi Jingang cleared his throat awkwardly, and Yi Jinpyeong squeezed his eyes shut. If No Gae were still alive, he'd have thrown a fit.
Un Sa-nang—Un Seol—replied in a small voice after a long pause.
"...Thank you."
For some reason, the two seemed to stand even closer now. Yi Jinpyeong, eyeing them with displeasure, cut into their conversation.
"So, planning to leave the Dongbeonhoe now?"
"I only joined because of orders from the shadows. And I stayed to thwart their conspiracy at this event. But now that I've achieved my goal, there's no reason to stick around."
"And after that? Got any plans?"
"Who knows. Where should I go?"
Un Seol asked with a smile. Yi Jinun jumped in.
"Lady. Why not just join Yi Gajang outright?"
Yi Jinun's ploy to bring Un Seol into Yi Gajang. Yi Jinpyeong whipped his head around at the boldness. Yi Jingang did the same.
But Yi Jinun ignored their stares, steadfastly looking at Un Seol.
"We have plenty of rooms. Dozens of empty halls in Yi Gajang—pick whichever you like...!"
"No."
Thankfully, Un Seol shot it down flat.
"Even without the Dongbeonhoe, I have my own separate subordinates. They're not martial powerhouses, but they're great at gathering info from all over, and they handle all sorts of roles. They played a big part in this mission, small as they seemed."
Yi Jinpyeong wholeheartedly agreed—her organization was competent. Without them, infiltrating the Nine Great Sects' spies overnight and covertly delivering misleading letters simultaneously would've been impossible.
"No matter how many subordinates you have, Yi Gajang is even bigger..."
"Informants can't function trapped inside a family compound. They need to mingle where people come and go, communicating nonstop."
Her voice was soft, but her resolve unyielding. Seeing this, Yi Jinun deflated.
"As Yi Gajang grows, you'll need someone like me. Not stuck inside walls, but out there, fully playing our roles."
"Yeah..."
"So, young master, don't be too hasty or disappointed. Eventually, all of Dongjeong Lake—and the entire Central Plains—will be Yi Gajang's domain. Won't we all be one family then?"
At Un Seol's words, the Yi brothers exchanged glances.
"Family expansion..."
Yi Jingang and Yi Jinun's hearts sank heavily. They'd lost their parents young and relied only on each other their whole lives—never dreamed of growing the family.
"I like it."
Yi Jinpyeong nodded. Yi Jingang and Yi Jinun looked at him, touched. Who knew the wild, rough Yi Jinpyeong had such a soft side? And hadn't he even thanked them today, for once?
"Great ambition. A bit cringey phrasing, but same as conquering the Central Plains. The right attitude. Un Seol, well done."
"No need to say that."
Yi Jinpyeong and Un Seol smiled contentedly. Yi Jingang and Yi Jinun were speechless.
Since Yi Jinpyeong and Un Sa-nang were both injured, their descent was slow. By the time they neared the Dongbeonhoe headquarters, morning had fully broken.
But what greeted them was an unexpected sight. Most of the Nine Great Sects' members were packing up and leaving the Dongbeonhoe on their own.
Shocked by the chaos, Yi Jinun grabbed a passing warrior.
"What's going on? What about the Murim Conference?"
"Forget the conference. Cheongseong started packing at dawn and left on their own, ruining everything. Shaolin, Wudang—all the sects did the same. Hwasan tried to hold it together, but no dice."
The Open Faction elder's death had stirred unrest. Factions split, arguing truth and blame until tempers frayed completely. The overnight fires had only worsened the mess.
Dongbeonhoe members dashed about, brows furrowed, trying to stop the sects from leaving. They'd barely run half the planned events, so despite massive investments, the Dongbeonhoe gained nothing.
One rushed past without recognizing Un Sa-nang. Watching him sweat and vanish, she frowned.
"Some elders went missing—don't the sects care?"
"They're not kids; why worry? Plus, some Nine Great Sects elders didn't bite our bait. When Ryeong-ju retreated, they got some signal. Sects' bad blood alone achieves our goal. No bloody battle, but still."
Once decided, the sects vanished like smoke. News of the Nine Great Sects' full withdrawal scattered Dongjeong Lake's hundred-odd factions who'd come for alliances—in a flash.
It was inevitable. The Agyangnu murders and their high-handedness had already soured moods.
Yet amid the chaos, one group lingered, leaderless: the Open Faction members who'd lost Bang Cheonpyo.
"You... you bastards!!"
Spotting No Gae in Yi Jingang's arms, they glared and surrounded the Yi group.