Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds (2)
Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds (2)
[Hong Ye. Shaanxi Province is now facing a most grave crisis.
Ignorant and benighted fools who cannot fathom the great will of the esteemed Venerable Geumbok
are running wild like beasts who know not gratitude, disrupting all order.
Truly a lamentable state of affairs. As one who has received the grace of the esteemed Venerable Geumbok,
how could I simply let this crisis pass,
and at a time when I must be a pillar of strength, how could I discuss a weighty matter such as a marriage pact?
Hong Ye. Just as you love me, I too love you.
But please understand that I cannot speak of a marriage pact at this moment, and wait just a little longer.
The waves of the Yangtze crash on, undaunted by wind and storm.
This rebellion in Shaanxi too shall be swept away by the elder's great will and soon grow quiet.
Please wait until then. For now, these are the only words I can offer.]
A letter had come.
But its contents were not what she had wished for.
What Hong Ye wanted was not praise of Venerable Geumbok and grand visions of the future. It was a promise that would free her, right now, from this relentless criticism and slander.
"Hoo...."
Hong Ye's head ached. Her face twisted, and her insides burned. She wanted to secure her position as quickly as possible, but she couldn't even tell what lay ahead. Jong Yuseop seemed to have no time even to send a reply, and marriage remained a distant prospect.
But the Dragon Phoenix Gathering was not far off, and the elders were already grinding their teeth, eager to recommend some other talented individual at any moment.
"Aigo, Crimson Ring Sect Leader! What are you up to!"
And in the distance, the sect's disciples were pretending to be friendly with Docheol.
When rumors spread that Docheol was the Sect Leader of the Crimson Ring Sect, currently the most prosperous man in Shaanxi and backed by the Zhuge Family, those seeking to build ties with him multiplied. The notion that they were disciples of a Taoist sect was laughable—the people of this sect were thoroughly worldly.
As Hong Ye watched them with disbelief, that feeling began to blend with self-loathing.
After all, what was the difference between her and them? Her plan to throw in her lot with a pack that sucked the blood of the common people for her own comfort, and their desire to befriend a thriving sect's Sect Leader for a share of the spoils. What difference could there possibly be?
"At least you can put some of your worries to rest, senior sister."
Beside the troubled Hong Ye, another junior sister spoke up. Hong Ye replied.
"What does that mean?"
"The disciple you've taken on temporarily, doesn't he carry some name value?"
Only after hearing those words did Hong Ye, for the first time, let a frown show in front of her junior sister.
That was right. A breakthrough had been right before her eyes.
Though lesser than the Zhongnan Sect, there was a 'convenient presence' who could make her life comfortable right now.
Hong Ye disliked Docheol.
But she thought that to escape the malice surrounding her, she needed to get sufficiently close to him.
She had confidence. She was good at managing her expressions. She was skilled at not revealing emotion and wasn't easily swayed.
So, she believed she could use Docheol too.
******
"You go out from time to time—wh-what business takes you out?"
I barely managed to keep the corners of my mouth from rising. How long had I waited since training began? Hong Ye had finally started to ask me personal questions. The content was simple, but the content of the question wasn't what mattered.
This was a signal that she, who had kept a strict line as senior to junior, now recognized the need for a personal connection with me and wanted to forge a link. But I couldn't show too much delight or agitation here. With a composed attitude, I had to receive her words with ease.
"By chance, I made a friend, and I've been drinking with him. Do you happen to enjoy drinking?"
But the conversation couldn't be allowed to die. I ended my reply with a question so the other party could pick up the thread.
"No."
The conversation died right there. When I looked at Hong Ye, her eyes were darting about as well. The silence divided the two of us, and an awkward atmosphere unlike before filled the room. It was a curious thing. When we trained in silence, a solemn mood had hung in the air, but now that we both wanted to talk and had started talking, this uncomfortable atmosphere was created.
I took her answer and tossed out another question.
"It's a shame you don't enjoy drinking. Then what hobbies do you usually enjoy?"
"....I don't do anything."
I stared at Hong Ye again. Even after speaking, she maintained a blank expression, but her pupils were spinning wildly.
What's this?
What is she playing at?
Does she not want to talk?
Does she just want to mess with me?
I took a deep breath. Then I spoke to her again.
"If you do nothing, does that mean you spend your spare time in meditation or cultivation?"
Right. 'Doing nothing' probably didn't mean she literally just lay still and breathed. It must have meant she had no hobbies. At my words, Hong Ye nodded a beat late and said,
"....Ah, yes. That's correct."
"You are astonishingly diligent. With such dedicated cultivation, you must have reached the first-rate realm at such a young age."
Hong Ye shook her head at my words and answered briefly. The gaze that had been spinning wildly for a moment settled. I even sensed that all vitality had drained from her body.
"I must work twice as hard as others, so I have no time to enjoy leisure."
And then she closed her mouth and resumed her stance. She gestured as if telling me to hurry and follow the form, focused her gaze, and clenched her teeth. She thought she was in perfect control of her expression, but she couldn't hide the fragments of emotion radiating from her body.
Depression and irritation.
Those emotions, which had suddenly surged up, were now dominating her.
As I followed her stance, I spoke.
"Have you ever strolled through the Chengdu market? There were quite a few merchants."
Hong Ye hesitated briefly at my words, then shook her head and answered.
"No."
She seemed to have spent quite a long time in the sect, but the fact that she had never properly visited downtown Chengdu piqued my interest. I nodded and said,
"I see."
And for that day, we threw ourselves back into training. Hong Ye opened her mouth no further, and I made no further attempt to continue the conversation.
*****
"Again."
Her expression was awkward. Her eyebrows bent as if forcing a smile, and the corners of her mouth quivered.
Her troubled heart seemed to be reflected plainly on her face. The conversation had been going fairly well, but the mood had broken when she'd blurted out that she had to work twice as hard as others.
If one summed up daily life in the Taiji Sect in words, it could be called criticism and shouting. The moment she made the slightest slip in conduct, fierce words flew at her, and the moment she fell even slightly behind in progress, pressure was applied.
Accustomed to watching others' reactions and sparing words to avoid being caught out, she found it hard to even judge what a normal conversation was. She unconsciously avoided keeping conversations going, and had developed a habit of only speaking formal, dry words.
Businesslike conversation she could handle without end. But how exactly was she supposed to have a conversation for the sake of goodwill? Yesterday's talk had ended strangely—wouldn't the atmosphere be awkward when they met today?
As she thought about Docheol, Hong Ye's face contorted again.
She couldn't understand why she had to think about a rude man who did nothing but scan her body.
But it was certain that he was the solution who could save her from the elders' criticism right now, and since he didn't seem to have the slightest inkling of her ulterior motives, she had to actively build goodwill so she could escape the nagging at least while he remained here.
She was someone who had lived through countless meals of cold stares.
No matter how well a man was doing riding on the halo of the Zhuge Family, she was convinced that calculation alone could not defeat her.
"Are you here?"
When she opened the door, Docheol had already arrived and was waiting. He assumed a stance and greeted Hong Ye, and she accepted the greeting lightly, maintaining her composure. She folded her hands below her chest and spoke.
"Then today, you will perform the form from beginning to end, and I will take time to advise on the postures."
"Just a moment."
So saying, Docheol reached for his pocket. When Hong Ye looked again, a pouch she hadn't seen before was hanging at his waist. As Docheol's hand went to the pouch, she tilted her head and focused her gaze.
Docheol didn't open the small, pretty pouch. He held out the pouch that hung at his waist to Hong Ye. As the pouch drew near, she felt a subtle, soothing fragrance spread through the air.
Hong Ye blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. Docheol spoke.
"An incense pouch. Since you mentioned you usually meditate, I bought one as an item for such times. Consider it a token of thanks for all the care you've given me, and please accept it."
Hong Ye looked at the pretty pouch.
She was slightly troubled. She had never received a gift like this before.
After a moment's hesitation, she reached out her hand. She had no choice. If she wanted to maintain goodwill, it was better to accept the gift.
"....I'll accept it for now."
Hong Ye disliked Docheol.
Really.