Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Reunion
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"I see some new faces."
The Yeon family entourage was traveling on a large ship.
They had mobilized five large vessels in total. The key figures were gathered on one ship, while the escorting warriors were divided among the others.
Yeon Harin rarely left her cabin.
If she went outside, she would only be pestered by men desperate to win her over, making it impossible to enjoy the scenery in peace.
But just because she holed herself up in her cabin didn't mean those men would simply wait.
They visited constantly, each time trying their best to make an impression.
Still, they were much better than Jongli Ung had been.
Jongli Ung had been brazenly lecherous, whereas these men, at least, weren't so overt.
"My lady, it will soon be time for your meal."
One of the female bodyguards in the room spoke.
Yeon Harin's personal guards were all women.
Because of this, their skills were slightly lacking. Skilled female warriors were still not very common.
A total of five warriors served as Yeon Harin's close protection.
Two of them were in the room with her, while the other three stood guard outside the door.
The warriors also took care of Yeon Harin's needs, but since she was not a demanding person, there was little for them to worry about.
Their duties mostly consisted of informing her of her schedule, as they were doing now, or checking on any commotion outside.
"When do you think we'll arrive?"
"The schedule has not yet been finalized. As you know, we stop quite frequently..."
Yeon Harin sighed and nodded.
It was as if these men were possessed by ghosts who'd died without ever having fun; they would dock the ship at every opportunity and go ashore to pass the time.
Yeon Harin couldn't stay on the ship indefinitely, so she had joined them a couple of times, but the experience had left a bad taste in her mouth each time.
"I'll skip lunch today."
"You've been skipping meals too often lately. Shall I bring you some dumplings?"
The bodyguard looked at Yeon Harin with a worried expression.
It seemed genuine, but Yeon Harin knew very well it was an act.
Of the five bodyguards accompanying her this time, three had been bought by the Seomun family, the Guyang family, and the Chu family, respectively.
That was why she had to station the two loyal ones inside and outside her room.
Though the guard spoke so kindly, she couldn't be sure what might have been done to those dumplings.
In truth, they probably wouldn't go that far, but there was no harm in being cautious.
"It's alright. I haven't been feeling well lately."
The bodyguard spoke, her expression still full of concern.
"We will be arriving in Jingzhou soon. They say we'll be resting there for a day or two, so it might be better for you to get some rest on land, my lady."
Yeon Harin smiled gently and nodded.
"Thank you. I'll do that."
Of course, she truly intended to only rest. Unless some unavoidable situation arose, that is.
* * *
"Young Master, what is that?"
Soso asked Byeok Taesan, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Byeok Taesan had just received a small slip of paper from someone while passing through the market.
He had checked it and then burned it.
He hadn't done it secretly. The person who gave it to him had handed it over openly, and Byeok Taesan had accepted, read, and burned it in plain sight.
So there was no way Soso, who was right next to him, could have missed it.
Naturally, everyone else in their group had seen it too.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages was the only one who recognized the identity of the person who had just given Byeok Taesan the paper.
He was a low-ranking member of the Underworld Sect.
"It says they'll arrive in about an hour."
At Byeok Taesan's words, Soso blinked with a puzzled expression.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The ship from the Yeon family is said to be arriving, so I thought we might go and have a look."
At those words, Soso's eyes widened like saucers. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer and looked at Byeok Taesan with teary eyes.
Then she whipped her head around to look at Yu Seoyeon, who was following behind.
Yu Seoyeon's expression was not much different from Soso's.
"Young Master, don't tell me you timed this on purpose?"
Byeok Taesan's face contorted.
"Of course not. Why would I do something so troublesome? Don't misunderstand. I'm just going my own way."
"Oh, I see. Of course. Who would misunderstand our Young Master? I see."
Seeing his excuse wasn't fooling anyone, Byeok Taesan shut his mouth, turned sharply, and headed toward the docks.
The entire group watched his retreating back with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation.
Then, as if remembering something, they snapped to their senses and looked at the two maids with them, Danyeong and Chaewol.
The two women were remarkably composed.
Their expressions suggested the current situation had nothing to do with them.
"Tsk, tsk. So clueless, all of you."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages said, then strode over to stick close to Byeok Taesan.
Everyone stared at the Divine Doctor of the Ages with incredulous expressions.
But no one said anything. In any case, the atmosphere had become a bit strange.
They followed slowly, keeping a slight distance from Byeok Taesan.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages glanced back before asking Byeok Taesan.
"The Underworld Sect is being very cooperative."
"They have something to lose. Besides, this much can be accomplished with money."
"Come on, how can you compare it to what money can buy? Honestly, from my perspective, it looks like the Underworld Sect is practically under your command. Am I wrong?"
"It's a hassle. I have no intention of taking on such things."
"Oh, of course, of course. I'll take care of everything. You just need to do as you please, Young Master."
Byeok Taesan suddenly stopped walking. He stared intently at the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
The strange pressure made the Divine Doctor of the Ages slightly flustered.
"W-what is it, Young Master?"
"You're not running around causing useless trouble, are you?"
"Goodness, useless trouble? I have no intention of doing such things, and frankly, I wouldn't even know how. I simply wish for you to live a peaceful and untroubled life, Young Master. Yes, indeed."
Seeing this, Byeok Taesan chuckled and started walking again.
"Do as you please. Well, as long as you take responsibility, what can't you do? You could even slap the Heavenly Demon on the back of the head."
"Good heavens, why would you say such a thunder-striking thing? I would never slap anyone on the back of the head. Indeed!"
Byeok Taesan stopped walking again. And he looked at the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
"You're up to something, aren't you?"
"I'm really not up to anything!"
"Swear on your soul?"
"Oh my, Young Master, why must you always make me swear on things? Ah, didn't you say about an hour ago? We'll be late if we stand around here. Let's hurry."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages said this and hastily started walking.
Byeok Taesan watched his retreating back for a moment, then smirked and resumed walking.
"Don't cause any trouble. I'll wring you out for every bit of hassle you cause me."
Byeok Taesan muttered under his breath.
As if he heard the mutter, the Divine Doctor of the Ages shivered once.
He didn't know what "wring out" meant, but it sounded terrifying.
* * *
Yeon Harin took a deep breath. Then she composed her expression.
From now on, she had to show only a cold face. She didn't want to give them even a sliver of hope.
"My lady, we have arrived."
One of the bodyguards outside spoke in a slightly raised voice.
They had finally arrived in Jingzhou.
They said they would stay here for a day or two, so she planned to find lodging, lock herself inside, and endure until the next day.
In truth, she could have refused to accompany them from the start, but given the Yeon family's circumstances, she couldn't.
However, there would be no marriage with any of them.
They weren't pushing for an immediate marriage either. For now, they were just testing the waters.
Yeon Harin gave her appearance one last check, then opened the door and stepped outside.
As expected, Seomun Jehak, Guyang Su, and Chu Yeonghak were waiting with bated breath.
The moment the three saw Yeon Harin, their faces lit up.
Indeed, with Yeon Harin's appearance, the surroundings seemed to brighten.
"We can disembark now. They say lodgings have been arranged, so let's go rest for a bit and then enjoy ourselves."
Seomun Jehak stepped forward to speak. The other two shot him looks of displeasure.
"Alright, alright, let's just go."
Just as Seomun Jehak was about to say more, Guyang Su cut him off.
It was truly fierce.
They continued to check each other and vie for Yeon Harin's attention as they disembarked.
Yeon Harin wanted to get to the inn as quickly as possible.
But the others seemed to have no such intention.
"Since we've arrived, why don't we look around a bit before heading straight to the inn?"
"That's a fine idea."
The three men looked at Yeon Harin with expectant expressions. Not only them, but Yeon Harin's bodyguards also looked at her with similar eyes.
In truth, they too were feeling cooped up since Yeon Harin rarely went out.
They wanted to take this opportunity to relieve some of their frustration and lift their spirits.
Yeon Harin felt a strange pressure and couldn't bring herself to refuse.
Never mind those three men, but what crime had her own bodyguards committed?
Of course, it was their mission and their job, but it still weighed on her mind.
Just then, a very familiar voice reached Yeon Harin's ears.
"My lady!"
Yeon Harin's eyes widened in surprise as she whipped her head around to look in the direction of the voice.
The owner of the voice was standing there.
But what caught Yeon Harin's eye was the person standing behind the one who had called her name, Yu Seoyeon.
Byeok Taesan was there.
Yeon Harin stared blankly at Byeok Taesan.
He was looking this way with his usual sullen expression, and it was only after seeing his calm gaze that she managed to come to her senses.
"Y-Young Master?"
A whirlwind of emotions swept through her.
Joy, affection, gratitude, resentment, anxiety...
Yeon Harin took a step forward, all those feelings contained within her. She slowly approached Byeok Taesan.
As she drew closer, she began to notice the people around him.
Among them, she recognized the Divine Doctor of the Ages, Soso, Cheon Gyeongwan, and Yu Seoyeon.
There were three people she didn't know.
Moreover, two of them were so beautiful that even Yeon Harin was taken aback.
Her anxiety deepened a little, and her steps slowed slightly.
Yeon Harin forced herself to shake off her thoughts. She put on a bright smile, filled only with joy.
"What... brings you here?"
"I have some business with the Hubei Martial Alliance."
Yeon Harin's eyes widened.
"The Hubei Martial Alliance? Could it be that you are also attending the gathering of the rising generation?"
Byeok Taesan smirked.
"Of course not. We're on different levels."
Indeed, their levels were different. Why would he go to a place where mere rising talents gathered?
Misunderstanding Byeok Taesan's words, Yeon Harin hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say.
In times like this, changing the subject was the best option.
"But I see some new faces."
Byeok Taesan just stared at Yeon Harin as she said this. He felt a very strange sensation.
This was the third time he was meeting Yeon Harin.
But the first, second, and now the third time were all different.
For one, her appearance grew more beautiful each time he saw her.
He had been impressed the first time, but now he was genuinely surprised.
In truth, he didn't need to come to the Hubei Martial Alliance.
He could have just sent the One-Needle Eccentric, or he could have told them not to go at all.
The reason he had come anyway was because of Yeon Harin.
There was something he wanted to confirm.
But now that he was face to face with her, he couldn't figure anything out.
Why he had wanted to meet Yeon Harin, what he was thinking when he acted this way, or even what he wanted to confirm.
"Aren't you going to... introduce them?"
Byeok Taesan glanced toward Danyeong and Chaewol and said.
"These are my maids. You know Soso, right?"
Yeon Harin nodded vigorously. Her gaze remained fixed on Danyeong.
"But... she's very beautiful."
"My maids generally are."
Yeon Harin tilted her head. Something about that felt strangely off.
"And this one is a physician."
At Byeok Taesan's words, Yeon Harin snapped to her senses and looked at the One-Needle Eccentric.
"A physician?"
Yeon Harin's gaze then shifted to the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
With an outstanding physician like the Divine Doctor of the Ages already present, bringing in another was something she found difficult to understand.
"I came along because I had business with the Hubei Martial Alliance."
"Ah... I see."
Just then, Soso, who had been watching with an anxious face, was startled and whispered to Byeok Taesan.
"Aigoo, Young Master. How can you say that? You should say you came because you missed her. You really don't know anything, Young Master. Even if you really did just come along for the ride, you shouldn't say it like that."
Yeon Harin stared blankly at Soso, unsure what expression to make.
Seeing this, Byeok Taesan chuckled.
"Did you say that loud enough for her to hear on purpose?"
"Huk."
Soso flinched and looked at Yeon Harin with an awkward expression.
Of course she hadn't done it on purpose; she had spoken softly enough not to be heard. It was just that Yeon Harin's martial skill was high enough to catch the quiet words.
Soso quickly changed the subject.
"Ah, anyway, it's really nice to see you like this. Right?"
Yeon Harin smiled gently at Soso. She was a child who was always full of energy and brightened her surroundings.
Meanwhile, Byeok Taesan casually shifted his gaze to look at Yeon Harin's entourage.
He had been feeling their stares for a while now.
Three men were glaring this way, looking as if they could shoot fire from their eyes.
The corner of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.
"A bunch of horny pups."