Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Tiger Ghost Folktale of Shandong
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44.
Great Hero An.
Nanny.
Great Hero An!
Nanny!
The middle-aged mans eyes twitched as he watched the middle-aged woman approach him briskly. Though time had left its mark on her, her wise eyes, pleasant features, and neat, elegant demeanor caught his attention.
Well.
Speak.
Its just that
The man, burning with anticipation, barely managed to contain his impatience as he watched her lips, believing the words he had waited for were about to be spoken.
If its alright with you, Great Hero An
Thump.
Thump.
Would you accompany me to the marketplace?
...Ah?
As if the air had been let out of him, the middle-aged mans shoulders slumped in an instant.
Hmph! Fine, if you dont want to. What were you expecting? Look at you, all offended that someone like me asked a man of your stature to go to the market. Forget it! Ill go by myself!
...N-no. Thats not it. Its not that
Out of my way!
The middle-aged woman shouted and pushed past him. The man watched her go with a complicated expression and let out a sigh.
She was the nanny of the Great Young Lord, Namgung Ban.
She had become a chef so skilled that she had surpassed all the cooks in the Namgung Familys Shandong branch. Her culinary talents were so extraordinary that her fame for creating dishes that comforted the weary and exhausted soldiers returning from the battlefield had spread throughout all of Shandong.
Thus, the Great Young Lord of the Namgung Family no longer wished to call her Nanny, but by her name instead. Or at least by a nickname of her choosing.
He had named her Mimi, based on her surname. It was also a clever play on the word for taste, but since using a word for taste at the end of a persons name was considered impolite, everyone marveled at the Great Young Lords wit in using a name that meant beauty twice over.
The Nannyno, Yu Mimiwas especially ecstatic.
And as the middle-aged man watched Yu Mimi from afar, someone suddenly appeared beside him.
It was me, having watched the entire exchange. My mischievous expression made my uncle immediately look awkward and change the subject.
...Im hungry.
Youre always going on about being hungry.
Isnt it natural that one must eat well to fight well?
Do you like the Nanny that much? I suppose it makes sense.
Of course, I still called her Nanny. She preferred it that way.
At my response that it made sense, my uncle coughed and turned his head away.
What nonsense!
Whats the big deal about a grown man liking a grown woman? Its time you were honest with yourself.
I watched my uncle, his lips sealed shut, and chuckled, clutching my stomach. My uncle, who would normally never reveal his inner thoughts, seemed as clumsy with his emotions as a ten-year-old boy in moments like these.
It made my worries that he had become emotionally numb from a life dedicated to the sword seem foolish.
At the same time, I found it incredibly fortunate and smiled at my uncle.
Besides.
Theres nothing holding you back.
...You rascal.
They were two people who had both known pain. Both had lost their spouses for different reasons and had spent over a decade alone.
There was no flaw in my words, but my uncle merely shook his head with a wistful smile.
This is a life lived by the sword. I cannot repeat it a third time.
Youre afraid.
That something like that will happen again?
My uncle, the Iron-Blood Sword Saint An Baek, was a man who transformed his sorrow into brightness. He was a man who had lost his own sister and the person he loved.
For him to meet someone new again.
To share love and affection again.
I understood his feelings, but I looked up at the empty air and spoke softly.
I understand completely. But dont force yourself to suppress your flowing heart. Youll only make the helpless feelings grow stronger. As you know, have you ever seen a flowing stream blocked by just one or two boulders? I havent. It may seem blocked for a moment, but soon the water will overflow, and the boulders themselves will be swept away with it.
You speak like a wise old man.
Thats because I, too, have lived a difficult life, for all Im worth.
My uncle burst into a hearty laugh, as if pleased by my chin-up posture. Over the past five years, my uncle had become an indispensable person in my life.
And so, I said.
Stop living your life just for me.
What are you talking about?
Im telling you to stop dedicating your life to me.
Do you take me for a fool? Youve set aside your own life to live solely for me and my mother, havent you? Like a sinner paying for his own crimes.
I resolved to set my uncles life back on the right path. More than anything, I wanted him to be happy.
The image of my past self, unable to live as myself and dying, overlapped with my uncle. I did not want to see such a life projected onto him.
The Iron-Blood Sword Saint An Baek.
The life of a great martial artist, and the life of a strong man.
I didnt want it to simply wither away into nothing.
As a warrior who could strive further for his family.
As a respected member of the righteous martial world, I wanted him to enjoy the glory he could have for eternity.
If you keep this up, I will no longer stay with you.
Are you threatening me?
Ill do more than threaten; Ill do whatever it takes.
Ha
An Baek wore a look of disbelief, but his eyes were filled with complexity. No, it was more bewilderment than complexity.
My words had come without warning. The nephew who had been bickering and joking with him just yesterday was now suddenly pouring out his thoughts, and he seemed to have trouble grasping it.
Ive wanted to say this for a while. And I
I wanted him to be a little more proactive and find vitality in his own life.
I thought you were a man of some perception.
What do you mean?
Seeing his completely clueless expression, I let out a deep sigh.
Do you not know why I brought the Nanny here?
Well, of course
If you dont, then you truly are a fool, Uncle.
I had brought the Nanny here myself five years ago. There were several other reasons, but the biggest one was that I had seen the look of concern in my uncles eyes for her.
Otherwise, there would have been no reason to bring her to this dangerous place.
The woman who was, in a way, a mother to the Namgung Ban of this life.
Just what kind of person are you?
Do I seem a little more admirable now?
Nonsense! You brat!
I clicked my tongue as I saw my uncles cheek twitch as he stormed away.
So dishonest. Tsk.
I watched my uncles retreating back and smiled faintly.
Everything looks especially fresh today.
Yes, maam! I risked my life to harvest these. Its all thanks to the Namgung Family protecting us.
The Namgung Familys nanny, Yu Mimi, exclaimed in admiration as she picked out vegetables at a market stall, placing them in her basket one by one.
She didnt forget to express her gratitude to the Namgung warrior accompanying her.
You didnt have to come with me.
...Not at all! Lady Yu Mimis meals are our happiness!
The young man, called Namgung Gamyeong, was the son of Namgung Han. Though he still had a youthful air about him, the sword at his waist and the Namgung insignia on his chest seemed to fill him with pride.
Yu Mimi looked at Namgung Gamyeong with narrowed eyes and spoke as if she knew everything.
Did Great Hero An tell you to say that?
What?! ...N-no, thats, uh
Startled by Yu Mimis piercing question, Namgung Gamyeongs expression had already given him away. He waved his hands and feet, trying to deny it, but upon meeting her gaze, he relented.
Yes thats right.
Ho ho, dont worry. I wont say a word. Now, lets get this, and this too.
Yu Mimi was in a bright mood for some reason as she gathered her ingredients.
Feeling like she would put even more effort into her cooking today, she made her way to her next destination: her regular butcher shop.
Anyone here?
There was no response to her voice. The silence made her tilt her head in confusion.
Normally, the matron of the shop would have come out, and they would have had a bit of fun haggling.
For some reason, however, not only was the matronwho would open her shop even if she had a coldnowhere to be seen, but neither was her son. This only deepened her curiosity.
Yu Mimi went to the stall across the way and asked softly.
Excuse me. Do you happen to know where Auntie Ju went?
Ah, its Chef Yu.
The stall owner, who only knew Yu Mimi as the famous chef of the Namgung Family, shrugged.
They said she hasnt shown up since the day before yesterday.
What? The day before yesterday?
Something was strange.
It wasnt just the fact that she had been gone since the day before yesterday; Yu Mimi felt a sense of unease from the stall owners gloomy expression. She asked quietly.
Is there some kind of problem?
Someone leaving.
Someone falling ill.
Someone disappearing.
These were, in fact, everyday occurrences. Such is the nature of human connection.
But for him to look so dejected when speaking of a neighbor who had been here longer than herself
...There is.
It meant something worth investigating had occurred. At the stall owners grim expression and words, Yu Mimi looked up.
...Have you heard of Shandongs Tiger Ghost Folktale?
The Tiger Ghost Folktale? Whats that?
Yu Mimi tilted her head, then noticed the palpable tension on Namgung Gamyeongs face beside her.
...Theres a proverb in Shandong. On the day that proverb begins to spread, children and people from the villages disappear.
Namgung Gamyeong explained kindly, but Yu Mimi was stunned.
What? What do you mean
She had never heard of such a thing in the past five years. Villagers being kidnapped?
Only then did Yu Mimi look around and sense a different atmosphere. She realized something was wrong when she saw that the mood was strangely darker than usual.
Everyone was trembling with anxiety.
Yu Mimi bit her lower lip. It had been five years since she came here with the Great Young Lord, enduring hardships and setting down roots in Shandong. All that effort was now on the verge of turning to dust.
Although she hadnt fought with a sword or spear, she had done her best as a member of the Namgung Family. That was why this weighed so heavily on her heart.
The Namgung warriors hadnt approached the marketplace or the residential areas, for fear of causing a nuisance. They worried that men with swords at their waists would seem intimidating.
It was Yu Mimi herself who had said so, and now it seemed to have been a grave mistake.
This couldnt continue.
Young Warrior.
...Yes.
Stay with me.
...What?
Namgung Gamyeong met Yu Mimis resolute gaze and simply nodded. This was the first request he had ever received from An Baek, the warrior he respected most.
For Namgung Gamyeong, protecting Yu Mimi was the most important mission in the world.
Understood.