Book 13 Chapter 13

A listless Eun Seolan

A woman's delicate, jade-like fingers opened the window. Bright, cool sunlight, uninvited, stormed into the lady's room through the open window. The warm, cozy morning sunlight. The woman's gaze turned towards the outside. The woman had just woken up.

The wide city visible through the window. Many people bustling to and fro. Martial artists, armed with weapons, were noticeable here and there. A glimpse of plum blossom patterns on cloaks. But none of it stirred any particular emotion in her.

Shifting her gaze from the people busily coming and going, carrying their burdens, she looked a little higher. Beyond the horizon, the grand and majestic shape of a mountain range, like a folding screen, was revealed.

Her gaze fixed on one of the peaks.

The mountain was called Huashan (華山). A famous mountain unknown to no one in the Central Plains. Huashan, the Western Peak (西嶽) among the Five Great Mountains of the Central Plains (中原五嶽). The peak was named Tianwu Peak (天武峯).

Eun Seolan was a bit sulky at the moment. She had a prim expression, looking petulant. This was because she couldn't accompany them to Tianwu Peak, where the Huashan Convention was to be held. She had been left behind at this Plum Blossom Pavilion with Han No. Even though Chairman Hui had gone with them!

She understood. It was only natural that she couldn't be taken. In fact, the fact that they had accompanied her this far could be considered a departure from the norm. Accompanying them to Tianwu Peak without being qualified… it was realistically an impossible and absurd notion. The fact that she had come this far was already a repeated departure from the norm, made possible by her stubbornness, using her beauty as a ploy, and Bi Ryuyeon's assistance.

However, while she could understand it intellectually, she couldn't accept it emotionally. Moreover, a problem that had no apparent solution, and above all, a deeply dissatisfying one, was tormenting her.

"I'm bored!"

A single exclamation, mixed with a sigh from the beautiful woman, escaped her lips, her brows furrowed with worry. Her cheeks caved in, and her lips, red and alluring like a pomegranate, pouted.

A gentle autumn breeze, full of the season's charm, softly blew, rustling the hair by her ear and lightly tickling her pale cheeks. Her eyes, like obsidian, once again turned towards Tianwu Peak.

She pictured the faces of the many people who would be somewhere on that peak. Naturally, a smile formed on her lips. But it was a capricious smile, quickly fading into dejection.

"Miss So, who is so interesting to watch just by observing her with her surprisingly profound innocence, though she is chillingly taciturn… she's not here…"

And Dokgo Ryeong, a woman as sharp as a sword guarding a narcissus, who was so intriguing, was also not here. And Lee Jinseol, who was always energetic, full of vigor, and never lost her smile, was not here either. She was always a child who spread smiles to others… Of course, she was going through a hard time because of Gongja Hyo, but she thought that Jinseol would overcome it with ease.

'Gongja Hyo… no, Gongja Gal!'

As she thought of Hyo Ryong, a man connected to him by blood naturally came to mind. As always, her heart felt heavy again, as if a lump of lead had been placed in a corner of her chest. Her smile, which had been as bright as spring blossoms, receded like the tide, and the pale light of a cold winter descended upon the woman's face, casting a chilling shadow.

As tears began to well up in her eyes again, the woman composed herself and firmly retied the knot of her resolve.

'I decided not to cry anymore, didn't I? Lan, you must not cry!'

Because of her own vow and resolution, she was forced to cry without tears.

The pain of her still-bitter wounds remained in her heart like an indelible scar. This sorrow, cruelly, seemed unwilling to fade easily.

Just then, with a knock on the door, an old man entered.

Eun Seolan's driver and unseen bodyguard, Han No. He was her steadfast protector and a reliable advisor who offered loyal and appropriate counsel. Therefore, her trust in him was immense.

The old man held a basin of water for washing her face. Although it wasn't necessary, the old man was always faithful to his duties. Eun Seolan reluctantly accepted his service, saying it was unnecessary, but the old man's words that not doing so might arouse suspicion from others made her acquiesce.

Han No looked at Eun Seolan's turned profile. She tried her best to put on a bright expression, but the shadow from a moment ago had not yet dissipated. A look of concern appeared in the old man's eyes.

'She was cheerful and lively when other young ladies were around…'

Left alone, she naturally had more time to think, and it seemed that the past wounds, which she had tried to lock away and bury deep in her heart, were resurfacing, hurting her tender heart.

The old man watching couldn't help but worry about the young lady's well-being. He hoped she wouldn't destroy herself under the weight of her sadness. However, there wasn't much he could do.

"Young lady! The weather is incredibly fine. How about going out for a bit? I will accompany you."

Eun Seolan, who had been sitting by the window, gazing at the forlornly blue sky beyond the open window to soothe her melancholy, turned to look at her steadfast protector, who had always guarded her since she left the nest and had been by her side like an invisible shadow. Her eyes were filled with affection and deep trust.

With a bitter smile, as if about to dissipate in the mist, she nodded her head.

"I seem to have caused you worry. I am sorry."

She bowed her head lightly and apologized politely. This intelligent woman had sensed that she had made her companion worry by indulging in sentiment for a moment.

"N-Not at all!"

Han No waved his hands together vigorously. He always found himself flustered at times like these.

Eun Seolan quickly composed herself. Her rapid recovery indicated excellent self-control.

"The weather is nice. The wind carrying the rich scent of green from Huashan is also cool. It's a shame you can't share news from my friends, but it can't be helped. Shall we go out then?"

"Yes! Young lady. That's a good idea."

The old man bowed his back slightly.

It was when she turned the corner of a large intersection. She hadn't had a specific destination in mind when she went out, so she was walking wherever her feet took her.

Just being immersed in the hustle and bustle of the many passersby provided a light change of mood. She let her body be carried by the flow of the crowd. Of course, she had covered half of her face with a veil to avoid unnecessary commotion. However, it was undeniable that every step she took drew countless gazes towards her.

At that moment, one side of the street became noisy and agitated.

Naturally, people's eyes were drawn to that direction. The clashing sound of metal reverberated, accompanied by curses that were too vulgar to utter. It seemed that some martial artists had gotten into an argument. A crowd formed a barrier around the epicenter of the incident, so Eun Seolan couldn't clearly see what was happening inside.

It was a disadvantageous fight, five against one. Five strong men, seemingly in league, surrounded a young man. From the few words they spoke, which were more than 80% curses, Eun Seolan quickly realized that the young man had gotten caught up in a pointless quarrel. It seemed these five strong men were in a desperate situation, lacking the money to pay for the brothel where they had spent the previous night, and were now seeking to "procure" it.

Their villainy seemed to be well-known. From someone in the assembled crowd, she heard that the leader of the five was a friend of a friend of a first-generation disciple of the Huashan Sect. In this village, the backyard of the Huashan Sect, such a status allowed them to exert their influence. Despite the absurd quarrel, the young man offered no reply. The quieter the young man became, the more ferocious the five strong men grew. They seemed to think that the young man was too afraid to speak, cowed by their imposing presence. They had no sympathy. They had always enjoyed persecuting those who could not resist. At that moment, the young man's lips, firmly closed like granite, moved. Due to the distance and the noisy crowd, Eun Seolan couldn't hear, but the onlookers near the young man could clearly see the movement of his lips.

"Scum!"

The young man's lips clearly said so.

The faces of the five scoundrels turned scarlet with anger. It seemed to have been a long time since they had been so utterly ignored.

"Die!"

The sunlight glinted menacingly on the blade. However, the tense air, about to explode, suddenly became still.

Silence.

Everyone watching shut their mouths. The silence spread with a strong contagiousness.

What was happening? But due to the veiled barrier of people, Eun Seolan couldn't see what was unfolding inside.

The crowd parted, and a man walked out. There were no signs of injury anywhere. The young man, with an indifferent expression, walked towards the inn next to him. The onlookers, including the innkeepers, quickly bowed their heads and welcomed him. Their bows, bent at a right angle, were exceptionally respectful.

Eun Seolan's phoenix-like eyes, revealed above the veil, widened. That gait, that back.

For some reason, the back view seemed familiar.

"That person?!"

Her large phoenix eyes trembled.

"Young lady! Is something wrong?" Han No asked, sensing Eun Seolan's bewilderment. Her gaze was still fixed in the direction he had disappeared.

"Young lady?"

When asked again, she finally replied.

"Ah, no. I just had a feeling I saw someone very familiar."

"If you say someone you know… have you perhaps made an enemy in the past?"

He asked this, just in case, although he expected that this young lady would not have such a thing, because in human affairs, there is always a possibility.

"Yes?"

As a bewildered question returned, Han No was relieved for the moment.

'There's no way that person could be here…'

Before she knew it, her steps had drawn her closer to where his shadow had disappeared. Drawn by curiosity like a magnet…

"That place seems to have a very bad relationship with the Plum Blossom Pavilion."

"Indeed, it does."

The place Eun Seolan looked up at was a magnificent inn, as luxurious and brilliant as the Plum Blossom Pavilion, showcasing its splendid architecture.

It was clearly a fierce competitor, locked in a fiery rivalry with the Plum Blossom Pavilion in terms of scale and profit. The possibility of the two inns having a good relationship was one in a hundred, no, one in ten thousand.

"Feng Mei Inn?"

Eun Seolan knew nothing about this place, but Han No seemed to. Looking around, several warriors were guarding a considerable number of carts.

"Young lady, this is the inn where the escort agents of the Central Plains Escort Bureau are staying," Han No whispered in her ear.

'Central Plains Escort Bureau?'

Of course, she knew well what that was.

The "Number One Escort Bureau in the Central Plains" was enough to explain everything. However, as far as she knew, that person had no connection with the Central Plains Escort Bureau.

'Is it just a simple lodging? Or did I mistake the person…?'

She couldn't just let it go. The shadow of suspicion grew larger and larger in her heart.

At this moment, Eun Seolan had momentarily forgotten that human curiosity sometimes leads to danger.

'Is this really the grandeur that ordinary escort agents would possess?'

Sharp gazes, an imposing aura, contained energy that was not released carelessly, a seamless unity based on command.

Upon careful observation over time, there were more than one or two suspicious points. Due to the severity of their aura, one could simply admire it as the "Number One Escort Bureau in the Central Plains." However, something felt strangely off. The most suspicious point was the sheer number of high-level experts. Even without getting close, their mere posture was enough to infer it.

'What on earth do they need so many experts to guard?'

She felt she couldn't find the answer until she confirmed what they were guarding. To do that, she would need to perform several illegal acts. While she was quietly contemplating this matter.

Naturally, if someone were to keep circling the inn and watching intently, the people there would find it suspicious. Moreover, Eun Seolan's appearance was too conspicuous, like a white egret among crows, like a lotus in the mud.

A gang leader, with a fierce face and radiating an intimidating aura, approached. Eun Seolan quickly turned her head, but it was too late. Han No was not by her side at the moment, having gone to attend to some business.

"Young lady?"

Her body flinched at his arrogant question.

"Do you have any business here? You've been watching for quite some time and haven't left."

His voice was filled with intimidation. She reflected on her careless actions. Then she replied in a quiet voice.

"I have no particular business. I was just wandering around for a moment, waiting for someone. Have I done something wrong?"

"Gasp!"

The fierce expression on the gang leader's face melted away in an instant, like snow in spring sunlight, as if he had changed masks, turning into a warm spring breeze. His eyes went slack, like a fish that had been out of water for three days. This was because, as Eun Seolan answered his question, she had removed her veil and smiled radiantly. Not many men could maintain a fierce expression while looking directly into the smile of Eun Seolan, the "Flower Among Evil" (邪中花).

However, her smile was exceptionally potent. So much so that this gang leader felt like rushing at her.

But even to look at, the noble demeanor emanating from Eun Seolan was that of a noble lady from a high-ranking family. She was not someone a mere martial artist could carelessly accost without regard for propriety.

'On this escort mission, all personal actions are forbidden. Absolutely no trouble! Even the slightest incident will be severely punished. Money, women, alcohol, gambling. Abstain from everything! First, assuming your life is precious. Of course, I'm also looking forward to meeting those brave souls who don't value their lives. But I'll save that for later enjoyment.'

It was a threatening warning that if she caused even a little trouble, she would have an intimate(?) time later that would make her soul flee.

'Tch! But for a beauty like this, I might risk my life once…'

Although the chief leader, Gyeokgwang, was as terrifying as a ghost, the goddess before him dispelled that fear. Suddenly, the man's heart ignited with useless courage. Eun Seolan trembled with instinctive revulsion at the man's snake-like gaze.

At that very moment, reason and desire were locked in an endless battle within the man's heart. At the crucial moment when the outcome was about to be decided.

"Yooooooung lady!"

From across the street, Han No was running, out of breath. It was unlikely that such a master would run in such an awkward posture… Currently, his appearance gave the impression of a sixty-year-old man running with all his might to prevent his master from waiting.

At this moment, the man was on the verge of falling into sweet, dark desire.

"Young lady. I, I have kept you waiting."

And then, without giving him a moment to catch his breath, he turned to the gang leader Gok Seong and began to speak with a voice that sounded like he was about to choke.

"B-But… do you have any business with our young lady? Surely, nothing outrageous has happened to our young lady, has it? Has she encountered thugs while this old man's eyes were briefly elsewhere, or has some lecher, blinded by her beauty, tried to harass her, warrior?"

Gok Seong, who harbored a fleeting thought that something like that might have happened, though it hadn't, showed a guilty expression.

'Perhaps this old man is surprisingly sharp…'

He continued to lament in front of him, this old man he didn't like at all.

"If anything were to happen, this unworthy old man would have nothing to say to my lord. Sob sob sob, I would commit suicide due to negligence in front of my lord. Sob sob sob."

The old man's voice, unlike his age, was loud enough to echo all around.

Naturally, people's gazes were drawn to this spot.

Under the intense scrutiny of everyone, gang leader Gok Seong was in a difficult position. No matter how he looked at it, he was being accused of being a scoundrel who tried to harass a young, beautiful lady from a noble family – an inaccurate assessment, but not entirely wrong.

"What's going on?"

One of the escort bureau personnel, sensing the commotion, came running from that direction.

'This is not good!'

Gok Seong's face clouded over.

He knew that the chief leader would surely reprimand him if he found out that such a commotion had occurred because of him. He expected to be docked a month or two of his pay. And given the atmosphere of this escort mission, he might face even harsher punishment. The ghost-like face of Chief Leader Gyeokgwang flashed in his mind. He suddenly felt a chill and shivered.

He clearly remembered what had happened to the five escort agents who had mishandled one of the carts. He never wanted to go through something like that again.

'Damn it, I've stepped in it!'

It seemed he had bad luck.

"Young lady! Sob sob sob! Nothing really happened, did it?"

Eun Seolan, who had once again covered her face with her veil, making Gok Seong wistfully regret it, supported the old man and said.

"Now, now! I'm perfectly fine, Han No! Come on, get up. People are watching."

Gently coaxing him in a kind voice, the old man, who had been almost on the verge of collapsing on the ground, reluctantly brushed off his clothes and stood up. His tear-stained eyes turned towards the burly man.

"Will it be alright for me to escort the young lady away, warrior?"

He wanted to say no, but the circumstances didn't allow it.

"Y-Yes, that's fine."

"T-Thank you. Let's go, young lady."

Bowing almost at a right angle, the old man respectfully greeted them and quickly led Eun Seolan out of the crowd that was focused on them. Gok Seong, left behind, was doing his best to explain and gloss over the current situation to the approaching fellow gang leader.

And after walking for quite some time…

His back, which had been bent under the weight of years, straightened like bamboo, and his eyes, which had been tearfully innocent, were now filled with a sharp gleam.

It was hard to believe that this person had been crying and making such a fuss like a child just moments before.

"We almost got caught!"

At Han No's sigh, Eun Seolan lowered her head deeply. She was ashamed. The old man stopped walking. As the old man ahead stopped abruptly, the woman also stopped in her tracks.

"The surveillance is unusual. Please be very careful!"

It was a polite but sharp admonition. The old man did not look back, but she could fully sense that his eyes were shining sharply, like a sword blade honed on a whetstone.

"I'm sorry. I've caused you worry."

Eun Seolan lightly bowed her head, expressing her sincere gratitude for being rescued from the predicament.

"Not at all, young lady!"

The old man's face had returned to that of a weak and innocent driver. The old man and the woman began walking again.

"There is something I would like to ask of you."

The old man continued walking as if he hadn't heard, as if nothing had happened. Eun Seolan continued speaking, unperturbed. Her suspicions had not yet been completely resolved.

"It seems like the stars will be bright tonight."

"……"

The old man remained silent, offering no reply. Eun Seolan continued in a low voice, unconcerned.

"There is something you can do for me."

The old man nodded his head slightly, almost imperceptibly. That was enough.