Not a Bad Idea, Actually?
"Aren't we leaving?"
Mo Yeong asked, glancing at Yi Yeok, who had sprawled back out on top of the carriage roof.
"The driver'll be back soon."
"Wait, so it wasn't going to be just the two of us?"
Mo Yeong dropped her shoulders in exaggerated disappointment. Yi Yeok didn't so much as acknowledge it.
"To be precise, it's me and the turtle heading out, and you're the one butting in."
"Oh, we're going with Yeo Gwi?"
"He said he's leaving for a sect soon. Figured he'd want to see me before he went."
"Leaving for a sect? Yeo Gwi too?"
Yi Yeok sat up.
"Yeo Gwi too?"
"Oh, right, I never mentioned it. I'm heading to a sect myself soon. Dad pulled some strings for me here and there."
Yi Yeok gave a crooked laugh.
"These days, every cat and dog in sight is scrambling for the sects. At this rate I'll starve to death. If everyone runs off to the sects, there won't be anyone left for me to rob."
"Don't worry. You think I'd let my darling starve? If you want, you can come with me."
"What?"
"I begged Dad to pull strings for one more person. The extra fee isn't trivial, but skimming that much off the top would be child's play for you."
"Don't tell me... the Iyunmun special recruitment. That was your doing?"
"Iyunmun? No. I'm going to Nokhyeon Sect."
So Mo Yeong was also set to join Yeo Gwi at Nokhyeon Sect. There weren't that many sects to begin with, so it was a coincidence bound to happen eventually.
"Iyunmun, huh. Don't tell me you were already scouting your way into a sect, planning to leave me behind?"
"No, nothing like that. I have no intention of joining Iyunmun."
Mo Yeong reached out slyly, aiming to take hold of Yi Yeok's arm.
Yi Yeok batted her hand away like he was shooing a bug.
Mo Yeong's face crumpled into something like a cat's rumbled growl, and then she spoke.
"An opportunity like this won't come around again, you know."
"Don't care."
"If you were truly worthy of being my darling, I'd say that attitude of yours is in very poor form. We're both still young, with bright futures ahead. A person has to look forward and climb ever higher..."
"And fall even harder from the top."
Yi Yeok cut her off.
"I'm too lazy for that kind of life — I couldn't stand it up there. And quit with the 'darling' nonsense already. It's annoying."
Mo Yeong scrunched her face up like a cat again.
Just then, Yeo Gwi came bounding into view like a breeze, a large sack slung over his shoulder. He'd evidently gathered quite a haul.
"What are you doing here, Mo Yeong?"
"Does a lady need a reason to see her darling?"
"The cat's coming with us."
At Yi Yeok's words, Yeo Gwi's hackles rose.
"Relax your eyes, turtle. I'll split it with you, no complaints. Like your old man said, sects are sects no matter how you slice it. Another skilled hand can't hurt, right?"
Mo Yeong shot Yeo Gwi a sidelong glance.
"You're headed to Nokhyeon Sect too? You must have made a pretty penny. How many people did you kill?"
"Plenty. Still wasn't enough, so I borrowed from the old man."
"Good heavens. What's gotten into your stingy father?"
"...I said I borrowed it, not received it. He's demanding I pay back double. That blasted old coot."
Mo Yeong snickered, then turned to Yi Yeok.
"My darling, think it over yourself. The three of us pushing and pulling each other up at Nokhyeon Sect together — how great would that be? Let's climb as high as we can go. Middle-rank sect, upper-rank sect, all the way up."
Mo Yeong reached out once more, slyly, for Yi Yeok's arm.
And sure enough, Yi Yeok swatted the hand away without mercy.
"Hands off."
"Honestly. Does touching you kill me or something?"
"It might."
Mo Yeong glared at him, furious.
"You think I don't know? You two are the pair who turned the Munhyangwon in Jinseong upside down recently, aren't you? You waltz in and out with Giru all the time — so why can't it be me?"
"That's different. Ours is a transactional relationship. Money changes hands."
"You trust money over love?"
"Don't make me laugh. You don't love me. You just like my handsome face."
Yeo Gwi snorted.
"Well, you are handsome. Handsome enough that it's not just women — men fall for you too..."
"Stop!"
Mo Yeong went white as a sheet.
"Wh-what? Darling, you like men? So that's why you've been so cold to me?"
Yi Yeok spoke through gritted teeth.
"Shut up, or you'll actually die."
"I hate you! Cheating with a woman is one thing, but with a man? Absolutely unforgivable!"
Mo Yeong launched herself at Yi Yeok at a blistering speed. He evaded it with ease. Her swiftness surpassed even Yeo Gwi's, but against Yi Yeok, it might as well have been nothing.
A short while later, after a dozen-odd attempts that failed to so much as graze the hem of his clothes, Mo Yeong collapsed to the ground, panting.
"You... how are you... how are you always stronger than me? I've clearly gotten so much faster since last time... why is it that no matter how hard I train, you just keep getting stronger beyond that?"
Yi Yeok answered with lofty arrogance.
"Because your limit is where I'm just getting started."
"Then no one will ever catch up to you?"
"Well, our old master could. But give it a few years, and even he won't be able to lay a finger on me."
Yeo Gwi, who had been quietly watching the two of them bicker, finally spoke up.
"I think it's a pretty good idea, actually."
"What is?"
"Going to Nokhyeon Sect together. Sect or not, if the three of us look out for each other, couldn't we stand out?"
Before Yi Yeok could answer, Yeo Gwi hastily added,
"No need to decide right now. We've got to clean out Yangcheon Sect first anyway. There's a long road ahead. Take your time thinking about it."
Yi Yeok was about to reply again, but seeing Yeo Gwi climb up onto the driver's seat, he shut his mouth. It looked like the man wouldn't be asking him to take a shift for at least a few days.
Mo Yeong sauntered into the carriage after Yi Yeok without a shred of embarrassment and sat down beside him.
"Go sit in the passenger seat."
"Where's that?"
"The roof."
Mo Yeong grumbled but shifted to the seat across from Yi Yeok. He didn't argue further.
Yeo Gwi set the carriage in motion, and Yi Yeok called out to him.
"Turtle, how much did you rake in?"
"What?"
"From those bandits at their lair. Judging by the shape of that bundle, it's got to be at least 2,000 nyang. Half of it's mine."
"Damn it, you're filching a flea's liver! I'm already deep in debt to the old man. And shouldn't you be handing me 440 nyang?"
"That would apply if the contract had been faithfully executed. I distinctly told you to leave the one-eyed one alive."
"...Blasted thief."
Yi Yeok snickered.
"Quit your whining. Drive, turtle! To Yangcheon Sect! My body's already itching to clean those bastards out!"