Chapter 225

Tang Ha-ran was impressed by Jin Ja-gang.

Compared to Jin Ja-gang, she was truly a novice. The lowest of the low.

Tang Ha-ran realized her limitations and felt bitter, but at the same time, she also felt good.

Since she had known her own inadequacies from the beginning, she had wanted someone who could fill those gaps.

Jin Ja-gang was exactly that person.

“But if we light a campfire, won’t it be visible from too far away? Is that okay?”

“Since the campfire being visible means we’re there, it would make them feel at ease.”

“What do you mean by deceiving at the crucial moment?”

“When we really want to escape. I’m thinking of leaving the fire lit and running away. When they’re off guard.”

By lighting a fire every night, the watchers would see the firelight and feel reassured that Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran were there. Since they wouldn’t need to dangerously approach, there was a high possibility they would monitor from farther away than usual.

That would give Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran that much more breathing room.

“But since they know we’re going to Qingcheng Mountain anyway, the watchers probably won’t be too impatient. What I wanted was just to create more distance so my actions wouldn’t be interfered with.”

Tang Ha-ran spoke with a slightly awkward expression.

“For that, you’d need to create much more distance than now…”

Jin Ja-gang asked back, wondering what she meant.

“Pardon?”

“I think…”

Tang Ha-ran brought her face close to Jin Ja-gang’s and said seriously.

“Now is exactly that crucial moment.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

Tang Ha-ran nodded.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Ha-ran quietly, then nodded.

“I understand.”

They put enough firewood to keep the campfire from going out, and gathered branches and dirt to make a thick shape that looked like people were there.

“Let’s go.”

Tang Ha-ran’s eyes sparkled more than usual as she smiled like a mischievous child.

* * *

The watchers from the Zhuge family and Tang family were watching the campfire from different locations.

At first they wondered how stupid one could be to travel while revealing all their traces, but after discovering poison near that campfire, they couldn’t approach.

Was it confidence or a trap?

In any case, for the time being, just monitoring their location was sufficient.

The watchers spent the night in silence, watching the campfire’s light from afar.

However, by then Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran were no longer there.

* * *

“Hahaha! Ahahaha!”

Tang Ha-ran ran while laughing like crazy.

She also took deep breaths with all her might.

“Ahhh, I really feel good.”

She had a refreshing expression. Tang Ha-ran was now realizing for the first time that she had escaped the Tang family’s embrace and met complete freedom.

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t fully understand Tang Ha-ran’s feelings, but he could empathize. If the day came when Jin Ja-gang too completely escaped from the bonds of revenge, he would feel the same as Tang Ha-ran.

Tang Ha-ran looked down at her clothes and shrugged her shoulders.

“We’re still the same as when we came out.”

Tang Ha-ran in her torn wedding dress.

Jin Ja-gang still in blood-soaked clothes.

Tang Ha-ran grinned.

“Let’s steal some clothes.”

Tang Ha-ran went down to a private house and stole two sets of clothes.

It was a path that went in a completely different direction from the route to Qingcheng. It was rather somewhat back toward the Tang family. But Jin Ja-gang said nothing.

“You’re really good at this.”

Tang Ha-ran spoke in a cheerful tone while climbing the mountain.

“Following quietly without prying here and there.”

Jin Ja-gang smiled.

“It depends on the person.”

Tang Ha-ran made a sulky expression for no reason, then made a pleased “hmph hmph” sound.

* * *

Whoooosh…

The sound of a distant waterfall could be heard echoing through the valley.

Tang Ha-ran, familiar with the geography, climbed the mountain path without difficulty even at night.

The place they arrived at after quite a while was a strange hot spring area. Groundwater was bubbling up here and there.

Round springs were formed everywhere, and the moon was reflected on the surface of each spring.

“In the past, I often stopped here on my way home after missions were completed.”

Tang Ha-ran let out a long “whew” breath.

“I’ll wash first. Keep watch.”

“Pardon?”

Jin Ja-gang asked back. Not because he couldn’t hear, but because he was flustered. Tang Ha-ran was also flustered.

“Pardon? Then why do you think I suggested coming all the way here?”

“……”

Jin Ja-gang suddenly became speechless.

To keep watch meant he had to watch over Tang Ha-ran while she bathed, but he couldn’t quite gauge how far away he should be to avoid embarrassment.

Seeing Jin Ja-gang’s difficulty, Tang Ha-ran looked a bit incredulous.

“Spineless.”

“Pardon?”

Fortunately or unfortunately, in this awkward situation, they sensed people approaching.

Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran hid behind rocks.

Soon three young women came up, looking around, and began undressing in front of the spring to wash themselves while giggling.

It wasn’t far from the rock where Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran were hiding.

Jin Ja-gang was watching with wide eyes wondering if they might be pursuers or assassins who had followed them, when Tang Ha-ran suddenly glared at Jin Ja-gang.

“Look at me.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Ha-ran as instructed.

“……”

“Keep looking only at me like that until all those women leave.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Ha-ran as she instructed.

While he was used to staring into opponents’ eyes during fights to compete in momentum, it was only awkward to just make eye contact like this.

“It’s okay.”

Tang Ha-ran told him.

“It’s okay.”

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t understand why Tang Ha-ran kept saying it was okay. However, hearing that it was okay gradually put his mind at ease.

Only then did Jin Ja-gang realize his expression had been stiff from tension.

Splash splash.

The sound of the women swimming and playing in the water could be heard from behind the rock.

“So you see, I…”

“Oh my, really?”

The sound of their giggling while talking about young men from the neighborhood they were interested in continued.

However, Jin Ja-gang didn’t move and only watched Tang Ha-ran. Tang Ha-ran also continued looking at Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang was now able to slowly examine Tang Ha-ran’s face.

Her eyes seemed somewhat fierce in impression, but her large eyes and straight nose felt cute and charming. Completely different appearance from his own. Different feeling.

The women still hadn’t left.

Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran were still looking at each other. Jin Ja-gang, who had been awkward at first, now felt much less awkward.

Jin Ja-gang unconsciously said in a small voice.

“This is the first time I’ve looked into someone’s eyes for so long without fighting.”

Tang Ha-ran suddenly burst out laughing with a “pfft.” She covered her mouth with her hand but it was too late.

“What was that sound?”

“Someone must be there?”

“Kyaah!”

The women were startled by Tang Ha-ran’s laughter and hurriedly gathered their clothes and ran away.

When the women ran away, Tang Ha-ran laughed even louder. She held her stomach and laughed until tears came to her eyes.

“Ahahaha! Ahaha! What to do. This person really is a fool who only knows how to kill people.”

Whether being told he only knew how to kill people was good or bad, Jin Ja-gang had strange thoughts.

Tang Ha-ran jumped up onto the rock.

“Anyway, they’re all gone so it’s our turn. You just keep watch from behind that rock there. If you peek at me, I’ll scold you. It’s punishment for making me laugh.”

“Why is that punishment?”

“Because if you don’t think it’s punishment, I’ll get angry.”

Tang Ha-ran grabbed her wedding dress with her hand and threw it off forcefully.

The torn red wedding dress fluttered over Jin Ja-gang’s head.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran each washed themselves and changed into the stolen clothes. Since there were only men’s clothes, they were loose on Tang Ha-ran. Tang Ha-ran skillfully tied the clothes with cloth made from tearing the wedding dress so they wouldn’t be baggy.

Then they found a small cave and sat together at the entrance.

It was still deep night.

Tang Ha-ran lightly leaned her head on Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder.

After staying like that for a while, Tang Ha-ran took out the ring Tang Gui-ok had given her and played with it.

“Do you know what this is?”

“I remember it as the ring great-aunt gave you. She said to sell it and use it for travel expenses.”

Tang Ha-ran chuckled.

“Of course you could do that. But when this ring is given to a daughter of our family, there are various reasons.”

Tang Ha-ran rolled the ring around in her hand.

“As you probably know, if you marry a woman from our family, you have no choice but to become an adopted son-in-law. The man must also live as a Tang for life.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“But a man who wasn’t originally of our family’s blood might be tempted by another woman and betray us at any time. He might be enchanted by beauty and sell our family’s secrets.”

“Such things happen even in married relationships?”

“Yes. There have actually been several such incidents. It probably happened more because Tang family daughters don’t have docile personalities.”

Tang Ha-ran spoke while rolling the ring.

“We women born into this family grow up hearing such words until our ears are sore. And we’re educated on how to control men so they don’t betray us. What we put the most effort into is bedroom arts.”

Tang Ha-ran twisted the ring.

With a click sound, tiny pills like sesame seeds rolled out of the ring.

“That’s when we use this aphrodisiac. In our family, we call this aphrodisiac Heart-Stealing Pills.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at the pellets that had spilled into Tang Ha-ran’s hand.

“No matter how stone-hearted a man is, if he takes this aphrodisiac, his lust will be aroused and he won’t be able to resist. It doesn’t give any room to look at other women. It also serves to quickly continue the family line for our family that values descendants.”

“I see.”

Jin Ja-gang thought for a moment, then said to Tang Ha-ran who was leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Great-aunt naturally gave it knowing what it was.”

“Right. So giving me this ring also means our family hasn’t given up on me yet.”

That’s why Tang Ha-ran had so firmly refused when Tang Gui-ok mentioned “one hundred days.”

Within one hundred days, either make Jin Ja-gang into a Tang family person, or kill Jin Ja-gang.

Then an opportunity would open for Tang Ha-ran to return to the Tang family.

“But I’ll never go back. Even if I end up being abandoned by you.”

Tang Ha-ran’s forced smile had a strange melancholy to it.

“I’ll understand even if that happens. I’m someone born from an enemy family of your family and sect.”

Tears gradually welled up in Tang Ha-ran’s eyes, and before long she cried sadly.

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t console Tang Ha-ran and just watched blankly.

The circumstances of their relationship had become as difficult to unravel as warp and weft threads woven in a complex pattern.

Tang Ha-ran, who had been crying, bit her lip and tried to throw away the Heart-Stealing Pills clenched in her hand.

Then Jin Ja-gang grabbed Tang Ha-ran’s wrist.

Tang Ha-ran looked at Jin Ja-gang in surprise. Jin Ja-gang opened Tang Ha-ran’s hand, picked up the Heart-Stealing Pills, and put them in his own mouth.

Then he quietly gazed into Tang Ha-ran’s eyes and said.

“That won’t happen. Absolutely not.”