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Chapter 40
“Even if Father tries somehow to set the family straight, as long as my elder brother is the Soga-ju, everything will inevitably return to how it was. If you were to marry into a family like this, it’s obvious you’d suffer for nothing.”
“I see.”
Sa-yeol nodded.
“You understand well, don’t you?”
“I understand very well. Then all that’s left is to turn that man into a cripple.”
“Yes, that’s righ—… What?”
Jegal Gang-o had been nodding along when he suddenly looked at her, eyes wide.
“If he’s turned into a cripple like my father, wouldn’t that make you the Soga-ju?”
“No, miss, it’s not something to think about so lightly. Even if he’s not on the level of your elder brother, the Namgung young hero, Kyung-o hyung is quite strong.”
“And who do you think it was that did that to your father?”
“Pardon? Well, that would be the former head of the Namgung clan—”
Sa-yeol finished her tea and set the cup down with a firm clack.
“It doesn’t matter if that’s what you believe.”
“…Don’t tell me.”
Jegal Gang-o stiffened, his face hardening in disbelief. Seeing that expression, Sa-yeol gave a faint smile.
‘He really does look like a turtle….’
Jegal Gang-o spoke again.
“This is impossible. Miss, no matter what, to do something like that to the head of a clan—”
“You may return now, Young Hero Jegal.”
“Y-Yes?”
“I will see to it that the marriage proposal is properly withdrawn. Now, please leave.”
Clack.
“Huh?”
Having thus been dismissed, Jegal Gang-o could only trudge back with a vacant expression. Sa-yeol pondered for a moment, then called for So-hwa.
“Call Wol.”
“Wol? Yes!”
So-hwa left the guest room and went straight to Wol’s room not far away, bringing him back to Sa-yeol’s quarters. Wol looked displeased, as though he had heard the entire conversation.
“It’s rude to eavesdrop on others.”
“Then you should have put up a sound barrier.”
“How shameless.”
“The martial world is a place where you can’t afford to let your guard down.”
“You’re good with words.”
Sa-yeol idly turned her teacup as she spoke.
“I need information on the Jegal clan.”
“Is that why?”
“Yes. If it’s rotten, cutting it out is the right thing to do.”
“Why go that far?”
“Because the help I seek isn’t from a rotten clan.”
“…I see.”
“Can you find out?”
“And why do you think I can?”
“I noticed you have people moving with you.”
“……”
“I won’t ask further. Lend me your help.”
Wol remained silent for a long while, then finally nodded.
“Alright.”
“Half a day should be enough, yes?”
“More than enough.”
With that, Wol rose from his seat and left the guest room, and Sa-yeol waited for him. She herself had only learned recently that Wol was commanding others—back when they were heading to Wuhan. She hadn’t seen them directly, but she had sensed their presence. She couldn’t identify exactly who they were, but it was clear they followed Wol.
‘What exactly is Wol’s identity?’
He couldn’t be the Heavenly Demon she was searching for. After all, he had been her lover in her past life.
‘There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize him.’
To begin with, his face, the color of his eyes, even his age were all different. At most, she could only speculate that his eye color might link him to the Ice Palace. Either way, it didn’t matter. All she had to do was exact revenge for the Ice Palace—her own revenge. She wasn’t curious about where Wol’s path ultimately led.
Sa-yeol went to her bed, sat in the lotus position, and began circulating her inner energy. Her internal energy was steadily accumulating little by little over time, but there was still no significant change. To truly increase it further, she would definitely need an elixir.
‘What did I do in my previous life?’
Back then, she wandered constantly and consumed all sorts of things she picked up along the way, so nothing clear came to mind. And now wasn’t a time when elixirs would conveniently appear just because she wandered around.
‘Once I meet Ma Wol-hu, I should ask why my inner energy remains intact in this body.’
Sa-yeol believed that Ma Wol-hu had played a major role in her reincarnation. Since he was someone who dealt with ears—information—he must have used some method or another. It was even possible he still possessed her corpse.
‘Even a corpse that’s a hundred years old would have had its uses.’
Sa-yeol slowly exhaled and opened her eyes. She sensed a presence outside. Judging by the time, the promised half day had already passed. Without calling out to her, the person outside slid open the paper door.
It was Wol.
“I’ve looked into what you asked.”
“How was it?”
“A complete mess.”
“In detail.”
What Wol described of the Jegal clan was utter ruin. Not financially ruined, that was—rather, they were excessively bloated with wealth. Like an unorthodox sect, they squeezed the blood from the surrounding common folk, owned several large brothels, and turned a blind eye to women being forcibly dragged in through bribes.
And among them, all the beautiful women ended up in the former clan head’s hands. Whether those women lived or died was none of the brothels’ concern. Sa-yeol frowned.
“And the Soga-ju isn’t much different, either.”
“A very common kind of snake.”
“At least, they say the one currently sitting as the acting clan head has stopped squeezing the commoners.”
“Is that so?”
“From what I’ve found so far, yes.”
“I see. Since his son is a turtle, I suppose he’s not a very seasoned man.”
“A turtle?”
“There’s such a thing.”
After saying that, Sa-yeol added very simply,
“I’ll take the Soga-ju’s head here.”
“The reason?”
“The martial world has no need for someone like that.”
“…I see. Understood.”
“You may go back now.”
Just as she was about to part ways with Wol, a commotion arose outside. Wol and Sa-yeol looked at each other, and So-hwa went out briefly before returning with news.
“The Sichuan Tang Clan has arrived.”
“The Sichuan Tang Clan?”
“Yes!”
Sa-yeol rose from her seat. Since it was the Sichuan Tang Clan, it seemed worthwhile to at least get a look at their faces. When Sa-yeol stepped out, Wol naturally followed, and Dowi also emerged from his room, having apparently heard the news.
“Were you two together?”
“Yes. I had something to ask him.”
“I see…?”
“More importantly, brother.”
“What is it?”
“I hear the Jegal clan’s Soga-ju is proposing a marriage with me, so please send word to refuse it.”
“…What? The Jegal Soga-ju?”
“Yes.”
“…That—”
Dowi deeply furrowed his brow. It was obvious they were holding a grudge over what had happened earlier. Since the clan would try to sell her off anywhere they could, it was right for him, as the Soga-ju, to step in and stop it. Dowi nodded and headed outside first.
“Welcome, members of the Jegal clan.”
It seemed today was a hard day for the innkeeper. Given that each of them belonged to important clans, it wasn’t something that could be handled carelessly. Sa-yeol, Wol, and Dowi watched from behind as the Jegal clan members handed over their horses and were guided to another guest room.
Green robes fluttered in the wind. Riding that wind, Sa-yeol caught the scent of poison. Their blood always carried the smell of poison. At that moment, someone turned their head and looked at her. She lifted her gaze to meet theirs.
“……”
“……”
It was a woman with jet-black hair tied up and black eyes. She looked to be around Sa-yeol’s age. Then Dowi spoke as if something had just occurred to him.
“Come to think of it, that child is Dang Hye.”
“Dang Hye?”
“She had exchanges with the Namgung clan when she was young. I’ve met her a few times myself. You must have seen her too.”
“I’m not sure.”
Sa-yeol tilted her head. She didn’t recall anything in particular. As Sa-yeol quietly continued to look at the woman called Dang Hye, the woman soon turned away and entered the guest room. Sa-yeol tilted her head once more, tracing back her memories.
‘I saw her when I was young…?’
But they couldn’t have been close. After all, she was a filthy bastard child, neither of the direct line nor a collateral branch.
‘Then why did she look at me like that?’
The emotion contained in those black eyes—she couldn’t make sense of it.
