Chapter 20 – The Sword Master of Namgung

Chapter 20 – The Sword Master of Namgung

“Should I put what I caught inside?”

“Yes, ah! I’ll feed that to them right away, so please hand it to me first.”

Tang Jae-shin handed the bamboo container he was carrying on his shoulder to Sawol and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The bamboo container, woven from bamboo, was filled with caught fish, and seeing the scales shimmering with a watery light, it seemed they had just been caught.

“Isn't it my turn today?”

“That's true, but you worked hard from early morning. I will do this.”

Watching that sight, my expression gradually contorted in confusion.

“Why are you two coming in together?”

“We met right out front. He returned earlier than expected, right? He said he went out from a very early dawn.”

“Greetings, Young Master. Did you rest peacefully last night?”

Now, Tang Jae-shin's face, which was seen every day in the annex as much as Sawol's, was familiar. I greeted him half-heartedly and whispered into Sawol's ear.

“I'm asking why you keep bringing him here.”

“Young Master, excluding others is a bad thing.”

Sawol replied as if reproaching me and headed toward the inner courtyard with Tang Jae-shin.

“…Huh?”

Since the two of them seemed to be getting along well, it was a relief for now, but…

I clicked my tongue, looking at the situation, which had reversed from a while ago.

Just then, an admiring voice drifted from the tea room of the annex.

“Heh, as expected of Lady Dark Flower's family. A warrior of the family helping with work, completely regardless of status.”

The owner of the voice was Namgung Yeon. Poking his pale face out of the window, the joraengi rice cake kept babbling while looking at the backs of Sawol and Tang Jae-shin.

“Isn't that right, Brother?”

Although those two are the weak servant and the heinous martial artist you were talking about… If they look beautiful in your eyes, then so be it…

I decided not to shatter Namgung Yeon's glittering fantasy.

A few days had already passed since this joraengi rice cake started coming in and out of the annex.

This was because, on the day Namgung Yeon arrived, Tang Hae-soo had admitted the son of the Namgung Family, who had run away from home alone, into the guest hall of the inner castle.

—Alone? Then we must prepare a guest hall. If we do not even give a place to stay for a young master, would it not be said that the Tang Clan's hospitality is cold?

—Since the elders of the family and I will continue to be busy until the assembly, I will leave the hospitality of the Namgung Family's guest to you. I will contact the Lord of the Namgung Family separately, so do not worry. Yes, since you are of similar age, it would also be good for the two of you to form a bond of friendship.

Well. That joraengi rice cake wants to form a marital bond with me, not a bond of friendship…

Thus, Namgung Yeon came to stay in the guest hall of the Tang Clan Castle, but since everyone was out of their minds preparing for the assembly, the duty of taking care of the guest fell to me. Although I had originally intended to play along, what I thought would take only a few hours a day turned into the entire day.

“Brother, I heard there are so many dishes called the greatest delicacies in Sichuan. Won't you go with me?”

The joraengi rice cake really had a lot of words and many things he was curious about. Was that all? He also had many things he wanted to do.

Seeing him, whose eyes shined as if he had starved for three days despite being well-fed and well-rested, a dry laugh escaped me. On the mouth of Namgung Yeon, who had just finished a plate of tea confectionery a moment ago, the white powder of the served dried persimmons was smeared.

“Is this what it means to pour water into a bottomless vessel? I don't know where all these things are going.”

“The fact that the Tang Clan's cuisine suits my taste perfectly makes this younger brother think that he is destined to share a harmonious meal with Lady Dark Flower… Mph.”

I stuffed the mouth of Namgung Yeon, who threw flirtatious remarks as if breathing.

“Right, I get how you feel, so stop and let's go out.”

Fearing he would keep droning on about fate and destiny if left alone, I eventually stepped out of the Tang Clan Castle.

***

Walking along the road leading outside the outer wall, a bustling street revealed itself before long. Having been inside the Tang Clan Castle, which was always surrounded by high walls, stepping outside to an open view was refreshing.

“Have you been to the market often, Brother? Where is a good place to eat?”

“Well, maybe twice? I've only been out with Brother Hae-soo, so I don't really know any good restaurants. Wouldn't a place with many customers be delicious anyway?”

The market, crowded with crowds of people, hummed with the lively smell of human life. Namgung Yeon, who looked excited like a puppy out for a walk, stood out uniquely even among the large crowds, and seeing the merchants of the market glancing at him, it seemed it was not just my eyes.

“Then it would be fine to try them all. How about over there?”

With his excitement fully visible, Namgung Yeon tugged at my sleeve and pointed to an inn filled with customers.

“Oh, young masters! There is just one table left, would you like to come in?”

At the quick-witted owner's invitation, I nodded and headed inside. With a highly satisfied expression, the owner guided Namgung Yeon and me to the innermost seats. Although we had deliberately worn clothes without any family emblems, it seemed he had spotted the sword tied to Namgung Yeon's waist.

Of course, even without that, his face carried an air of nobility. His pale, chubby cheeks still retained some baby fat, and on his well-managed, lustrous hair, a vivid blue jade was embedded in his topknot cap.

“Brother, this younger brother will pay, so order without worry. I brought my purse stuffed full… Mph.”

His appearance as a wealthy young master could not be hidden in the first place, yet I stuffed the mouth of Namgung Yeon, who went ahead to brag about the state of his purse, once again. However, I felt the surrounding gazes gathering, as if they had already heard those words.

Namgung Yeon, his mouth stuffed, gave me a look asking what on earth was going on. How on earth did this joraengi rice cake arrive safely all the way from Anhui to here without having his purse stolen? I looked at Namgung Yeon, who did not know how scary the world was, and said:

“Just, shut up for a second… and order the food. What do you want to eat?”

“Ummm, I don't really know Sichuan cuisine…”

As if it were some crucial decision, Namgung Yeon, who pondered with his chin resting in his hand, called the waiter.

“Waiter, give us everything you are confident in.”

“What? Hey, wait…”

And before I could stop him, he shoved in a limitless order. With a look that said he had hit the jackpot, the waiter quickly ran toward the kitchen.

Did this naive joraengi rice cake really come here alone? Did he perhaps come with a servant or a guardian but hid them somewhere?

I eventually had such doubts. Although eating to his heart's content in an inn like this would be nothing more than pocket change to him, weren't there many people in the world who targeted young and rich young masters? My theory was that there was no harm in being careful.

But the milk was already spilled.

Before I knew it, so many dishes began to fill the table that there was no empty space left, requiring plates to be stacked on top of other plates.

“Brother. Try some of this. I thought Dongpo pork could never match the handiwork of the chef at my regular restaurant, but this tastes just as good.”

“Are you really not full?”

I felt like food was filled up to my throat, but Namgung Yeon did not stop his chopsticks, making me wonder where all that food was going.

“This much is easy. Sssip, but this… Wh-what did you say the name of this dish was, sssip…?”

In the midst of this, seeing Namgung Yeon, whose face was bright red as if he had eaten something wrong, I burst into laughter.

“Lazi ji. It's spicy because it has a lot of Sichuan chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. Eat something else.”

Namgung Yeon, who had flushed as red as the bright red chicken dish, drank water while coughing repeatedly.

“Sssip, hah… No, by all means, a true man… hah, is supposed to, sssip… never give up.”

It seems your tongue has already raised a white flag, though.

As if he held a grudge against the Lazi ji, Namgung Yeon glared fiercely at the plate and forced the red meat into his mouth. Seeing the plate finally empty as he swallowed a piece of meat with every glass of water, he was indeed a joraengi rice cake with great fighting spirit.

“Heh, cough! Sssip… Does Lady Dark Flower also like spicy dishes? I, too… am like that.”

Sweating profusely as if that were not the case at all, Namgung Yeon muttered while wiping his swollen lips.

I had wondered why he was eating all of that, but it seemed to be a spicy courtship toward the flower of Sichuan. Thinking I should put something sweet in the mouth of this sturdy joraengi rice cake, I pretended not to notice and said:

“Since I ate something spicy, I want to eat something sweet.”

Perhaps because it was quite spicy, Namgung Yeon's face brightened.

After stepping out of the inn, Namgung Yeon, who quickly polished off fruit skewers coated in starch syrup and fried rice cakes soaked in honey, patted his stomach as if finally satisfied.

On both sides of the market, various shops were lined up, from fabric shops displaying polished silk to inns emitting delicious smells, pottery shops selling ornaments, and mat shops where people wove mats with bamboo in front.

The scenery of human life must be similar everywhere, yet Namgung Yeon wandered around, shifting his gaze here and there like a puppy out in the world for the first time. A funny guy, indeed. Watching him, I asked the question I had been curious about all along.

“Why do you want to marry the Dark Flower?”

“Did I not already tell you, Brother? Her beautiful appearance that hides the moon and shames flowers, her noble courage, and…”

“Not that. The real reason.”

At that, Namgung Yeon, who was walking at the same pace, stopped in his tracks all of a sudden.

“…”

Then, without a word, he looked at the children gathered in front of the poultry shop, watching rabbits. There was no particular change in his expression, but I could tell right away.

I did not rush his answer, standing beside Namgung Yeon and waiting for his response.

Like that, a brief silence followed.

The quiet Namgung Yeon opened his mouth.

“When I first heard the rumors… I simply thought of her as a wonderful woman. Standing on the side of the weak is something that requires courage, after all. But the more I looked back on those rumors, the more it kept weighing on my mind.”

“Weighing on your mind? Why?”

“Because I had heard that name for the first time. For a direct descendant of a noble family living in the Jianghu to make her name known for the first time must mean that her martial prowess had been nothing remarkable until then, would it not? If she then gathered courage and stood forward despite the danger… If so, then that heart of hers is truly…”

Pausing for a moment, Namgung Yeon parted his lips as if trying to choose the right words.

“I thought it was far more grand. It was not because Lady Dark Flower defeated a rising star, or because she was as beautiful as a flower. It was because, even from the position of the weak, she did not hesitate to stand on the side of the weak, which I found deeply respectable.”

Namgung Yeon smiled softly with his eyes curved, calmly revealing his inner thoughts.

“That is all.”

Namgung Yeon did not add any further explanation to those words, but I could vaguely guess that something had happened in his past. For such memories that were not easily forgotten would reveal themselves in swaying eyes like this, even if one tried to hide them.

‘He doesn't seem to want to talk about it, so there's no need to ask.’

I glanced at Namgung Yeon, who had taken his eyes off the children, and began to walk a step ahead. Ever since we had left the inn, I felt a persistent gaze trailing behind us.

Looking at the now calmed Namgung Yeon, I spoke quietly.

“No matter how weak someone is, they can help someone even weaker than themselves, and conversely, a weak person can help someone stronger than themselves. It is not simply because one is strong… but because we are human that we help others. That is the righteousness and chivalry I believe in.”

“…Since your heart, Brother, is also as upright as the young lady's, how could I not respect you? This younger brother will live with the righteous and chivalrous spirit of you two in his heart.”

“No… What I want to say is that there is no need to feel ashamed of receiving help from someone. Just as strong power is not justice, someone with a stronger heart than yours can protect you.”

Namgung Yeon nodded slightly, matching my pace.

As we walked along the path, the bustling surroundings grew noticeably quieter before we knew it. Trees lined up like street trees and grass grown near the ankles gave off a faint scent.

“This place should do, right?”

“Yes, Brother. You do not need to step forward.”

At Namgung Yeon's calm reply, I tilted my head and asked back:

“Two in front, three in the back. Are you okay on your own?”

The moment those words left my mouth, black figures revealed themselves behind Namgung Yeon and me. They were the owners of the gazes that had been persistently felt since earlier. The bastards dressed in black clothes approached closely, cornering Namgung Yeon and me as if hunting.

“Do not worry, it is more than enough.”

His face, which had been gently relaxed, instantly cooled down.

Namgung Yeon's hand slowly wrapped around the sword hilt.

“…This younger brother will show you the sword of Namgung, Brother.”

Behind the unhesitating voice, a chilling sound of tearing wind rang out.

Clang!

The peach-blossom-like appearance of Namgung Yeon was gone.

Here stood only the clear blue swordsman of the Namgung Clan.