Ice and Fire (6)
I froze for a moment at the sight.
What the hell? Was it asking me to rub its belly?
I crouched down and stroked the tiger's belly, and it purred contentedly in response.
"Th-this... what is this...!"
The disciple watching gaped in shock, his eyes wide.
Was it really that surprising?
I kept rubbing the tiger's belly as I asked the disciple, "Why the long face? Is this not allowed?"
"N-no, it's not that. It's just... the divine beast clearly hates the energy of ice..."
"Does it now?"
- Kuwi...
Geum-ryeong sounded sulky, so I chuckled and stood up.
I had to look after my own spirit beast before someone else's.
As soon as I stopped rubbing, the tiger looked disappointed and tapped my leg with its tail.
Just then, the Chuk-yung Palace Lord's voice rang out from ahead.
"Hwa-sik! What are you doing?"
"Grrr..."
At the Lord's call, the divine beast glanced at me before padding over to him.
Ah, so the tiger spirit's name was Hwa-sik.
"Hwa-sik seems to like you. What an odd thing. He's not one to act cute with strangers."
"I see. He's quite gentle."
"Gentle?"
The Palace Lord chuckled.
"You're the only one who'd call this guy gentle."
"..."
Fair enough. It was a tiger spirit revered as the divine beast of Chuk-yung Palace, after all.
It might play nice with me, but no reason it would with others.
Still, why did it warm up to me so fast? We'd just met today.
Geum-ryeong, not you, huh?
- Kuwi?
A "what do you know?" kind of response. This guy was definitely sulking.
"You said you were touring our palace's famous spots?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Perfect timing. I'll show you around myself."
"Thank you."
He sent the guiding disciple away and personally led us through the grounds, showing us more than we could've seen otherwise.
I thanked him profusely.
"Thanks to your guidance, Palace Lord, we saw so much more. My gratitude."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"The disciple who showed us said some places were off-limits to him, so we missed a few. But with you, nothing was off-limits."
"Out of all the places we've passed, some he couldn't enter? Ha! Would I assign someone restricted like that as your guide?"
"..."
That's when it clicked. The disciple had deliberately skipped those spots.
Bullying outsiders?
I wasn't angry, just baffled.
"He must've been very busy."
"Tsk tsk."
The Palace Lord clicked his tongue.
"No need to sugarcoat it. Embarrassing Chuk-yung Palace like this..."
Something felt off.
But leaving a disciple like that unchecked wasn't wise long-term.
Who knew when he'd stab us in the back?
And it might embolden the others to disrespect us too.
"I'll handle that disciple."
"Thank you."
"How about the one in charge of the guest quarters? He wasn't like that too, was he?"
"No! He took excellent care of us."
"Good."
We continued the tour, but nothing suspicious turned up anywhere.
Back in my quarters, I called for Geum-ryeong.
"Geum-ryeong, come out."
"..."
Really sulking, huh? Not even a twitch.
I reached in and pulled him out by force.
"Why the long face?"
Palgap, who'd been watching quietly, asked. I explained what happened that day.
"...So he got jealous because you petted that Hwa-sik thing?"
"This guy's a greedy little monopolist, isn't he?"
"Huh?"
"Trying to hog you all to himself."
"You think so?"
"You're his master, sure, but also mine—and the guards', and the Hyeonpung folks' lord too."
"True."
"With so many serving you, he can't monopolize you."
I chuckled at Palgap's words. Spot on.
"So yeah, greedy little guy."
Geum-ryeong protested.
"Kuwi! Kwi-kwi!"
"Huh? Not that? No intentions of monopolizing me? You just hate him acting buddy-buddy?"
I echoed back.
"Why?"
"Kuwi. Kwik! Kwi!"
"You just hate the guy?"
Some rivalry between spirits?
But we'd always settled things with raw power before—no sulking like this.
I smiled softly and stroked his back.
"Got it. Won't get chummy with him."
"Kuwi."
"Here, eat this and cheer up."
I offered a silver coin, and he snapped it up.
Money was Geum-ryeong's true love, after all.
"Kuwi. Kwi... kwi..."
"Not because it tastes good? Don't misunderstand? Fine, got it."
Hugging it tight like that didn't inspire much trust, but whatever.
"Hey, Geum-ryeong."
"Kuwi?"
"Hwa-sik could've warned him off you, but why hide instead?"
Geum-ryeong looked deflated.
"Kuwi. Kwi... kwi..."
"You're weaker? Got bit by him before?"
Come to think of it, I'd met Geum-ryeong in Un-nam.
Specifically, Un-nam's Wu-chul Wu-san.
"So you two met at Wu-chul Wu-san before?"
He nodded.
"Kuwi. Kwi."
"Hwa-sik was after the mad warrior's Silver Mist Sword, and you stopped him? Fought in the chaos?"
"Kuwi."
So that's what happened.
No wonder Geum-ryeong hated seeing me buddy up with his old foe.
Makes sense.
"Kuwi..."
"You wanna warn him off but it'd hurt to get bit again, so you hide?"
"Kuwi."
"I get it. I understand."
I petted him sympathetically.
But this guy was missing something.
"Hey, Geum-ryeong."
"Kuwi?"
"Back then, did you take money from anyone?"
"Kwu... wi?"
"Maybe not before Un-nam, but after?"
"..."
"Since you started serving me, how much coin have I fed you?"
"...!"
His ears perked up, tail stiffening.
Realizing it now?
"Ha, Geum-ryeong. You're not weak at all. You can totally win."
That night, lying in bed, I mulled over Geum-ryeong's words.
Hwa-sik targeting the mad warrior's Silver Mist Sword.
It nagged at me.
The mad warrior showing up in Un-nam was suspicious enough.
Was the "father" who sent that letter connected to Chuk-yung Palace?
I needed to dig deeper.
What bothered me most was the places I hadn't seen today.
The disciple had skipped some at first, but we'd checked them later with the Lord.
Yet even he hadn't shown us everywhere.
A forbidden zone for outsiders, roped off with golden cords.
Only checking there would satisfy my curiosity.
But sneaking in as Seol-pung Palace's vice lord for talks could cause a huge mess if caught.
What to do...
As I pondered, a familiar aura approached.
Chuk-yung Palace's vice lord.
Hah, still not giving up?
Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck.
I could use that fool.
Maeng-hyeon rubbed his sore rear as he walked the night path. Hae-hong did the same.
Chuk-yung Palace buildings were all two stories or higher.
The guest quarters were two stories, so they'd propped a ladder against it to sneak into Eun Seo-ho's room—only for a sudden killing intent to make the ladder tip, sending them crashing on their asses.
A normal person would've broken bones in hip or leg.
But as Chuk-yung martial artists, they avoided fractures.
Bruises, though, were unavoidable.
"Shit! Hurts like hell."
"Tell me about it. Why'd you come back here?"
"A real man like me, Maeng-hyeon, can't quit after one failure."
"Good for you, asshole."
Hae-hong sighed under his breath.
"So, break into Eun vice lord's room again?"
"Gonna warn him differently this time."
Maeng-hyeon pulled out a pouch.
"Three Steps Fire Snake."
The venomous Un-nam snake that killed before three steps after a bite.
Eun Seo-ho, Seol-pung vice lord, wouldn't die from it—just a warning.
No backlash, and if caught, it could pass as the snake sneaking in on its own.
Maeng-hyeon opened the pouch and grabbed the snake.
As he reared to toss it inside—
"What are you doing?"
"Eek!"
Eun Seo-ho emerged from the first-floor space.
"Hyaak! Eek! Hiii!"
I sighed, watching Maeng-hyeon flail with the red snake.
Why the panic?
Moments later, he stomped the snake's head and cleared his throat at me.
"Ahem, ahem. Sudden snake out of nowhere..."
"I see."
I knew he'd meant to toss it in my room but played dumb.
"You've had something to say since yesterday, haven't you?"
"Ahem. Yeah."
Yeah?
This punk was getting casual.
"Why the informal speech? I'm not your underling."
"You're Seol-pung Palace's vice lord from the guardian clan of Buk-hae Bing-gung, aren't you? Makes you my junior."
"Does that mean Buk-hae Bing-gung is beneath Chuk-yung Palace?"
The young man behind him jumped in fast.
"No! That's not what he means—don't twist it."
Quick on sensitive questions.
"And who are you?"
"Ah! I'm Hae-hong, vice head of Chuk-yung's guardian clan."
Hae? Like the outer steward who greeted us.
"Related to Outer Steward Hae Dal-man?"
"My father."
"I see."
"To explain: our guardian clan also serves the Palace Lord directly. That's what he meant."
"Got it. Seems there's a misunderstanding, then."
I continued.
"Seol-pung Palace and Buk-hae Bing-gung are equals, not lord and vassal."
"Equals?"
Maeng-hyeon echoed.
"Yes."
Does this idiot lack brains? Still casual after warnings?
One more, then...
"Buk-hae Bing-gung's lord treats me with respect. Unless you outrank her, Vice Lord Maeng, mutual respect seems proper."
"..."
Not totally brain-dead—he switched to formal and bowed.
"My apologies."
"It's fine. Just mind it going forward."
"But..."
He said to me.
"You're not just Bing-hae-rin's guard, are you?"
"Why ask?"
"You're a distraction. As you know, in Chuk-yung Palace, the strong claim their desired partner."
"I know."
"I've marked Bing-hae-rin as mine. You're in the way."
"Naturally."
I pressed on.
"Bing-hae-rin is Buk-hae Bing-gung's. And their women don't marry."
He scoffed.
"No official marriage, sure. But they tumble with men they like—think I don't know?"
I nearly snorted in disbelief.
Clear insult to Buk-hae Bing-gung.
Hae-hong behind him fidgeted, aware of it.
This fool needed re-education.
With the Lord's promise, no issue.
"I can't tolerate anything Bing-hae-rin dislikes."
"She might say no but like me anyway?"
Like talking to a brick wall.
"I hear Chuk-yung Palace strictly follows the law of the strong."
"Correct."
That duel-marriage custom was part of it.
"Perfect. No point in lip service—let's settle it with martial arts, fair and square."
"Just what I want."
Fine, even if he's thick-headed.
I'd beat sense into him.
"Any wide, secluded spot away from prying eyes?"
As he pondered, I nudged.
"Saw a deserted area while touring today."
"That place..."
I prodded again at his hesitation.
"Can't have interruptions in a real man's duel, right?"
"True."
He turned decisively.
"Follow me."
I clenched my fist inwardly, cheering.
Hook, line, and sinker.