Book 22 Chapter 2
The centipede demon and the embodiment of unity
—Sighing Women
Click!
Yanbi, who had closed the door and entered, shook her head and clapped her hands. Her face looked as if she had just finished an unpleasant toilet cleaning. Eunseolran, who had come to visit Yerim and Yanbi's room during a break, asked cautiously.
“Young Lady Yeon, did something unpleasant happen?”
“Huh? I thought you were just going to the restroom.”
Lee Jinseol, who had come to visit her dear older sister Nayelin again, chimed in from the side. Yanbi sat down with an embarrassed smile.
“Hmm, I thought so too, but somehow I ended up chasing away a demon.”
“That’s a strange incident. Can you tell me in detail, Yanbi?”
When Nayelin asked with a serious expression, Yanbi reluctantly opened her mouth.
“I went into the restroom and felt strange, so I looked up… And lo and behold, a demon that looked like a centipede, soooo disgusting, was stuck to the ceiling, grinning at me? It was completely a demon.”
“Eek! Just hearing about it makes me feel sick!”
Lee Jinseol shivered and clung to Nayelin.
“Young Lady Yeon, you’re not serious, are you?”
Eunseolran asked with a serious face. If Yanbi’s words were true, especially if she had compared a human to a centipede, this was absolutely not something that could be overlooked.
“Yanbi, are you alright?”
Nayelin also seemed concerned. Yanbi, feeling a bit better, let out a chuckle.
“Ah, of course. Young Lady Eun, I quietly sent that demon to enlightenment, so it won’t appear again.”
“…Enlightenment?”
“Yes. After I disciplined it with a few secret techniques and carved its name in red letters on its forehead, it was enlightened. Demons fear their names being revealed more than anything.”
As Yanbi spoke so fluently, the three of them looked confused, wondering whether to believe her or not.
“By the way… what was its name?”
At Lee Jinseol’s question, who was tilting her head, Yanbi’s face became serious.
“Don’t you know just by looking? Pervert (變態).”
“…Pfft.”
The three, who had been momentarily speechless, burst into laughter.
“Oh my, this isn’t something to laugh about. Anyway, since coming to Macheongak, I seem to have unforgettable experiences every day. I don’t know if I’ll be able to forget them quickly.”
“Sigh… I heard the story. You received a proposal, didn’t you?”
Eunseolran said with a sigh. The real reason she had come to visit was because she had heard news of the Four Heavenly Kings’ exploits (?). Lee Jinseol’s eyes widened as she countered.
“Has the rumor already spread that far?”
“It’s everywhere.”
“……”
A moment of silence ensued among the four.
“Sigh… I’m sorry. That such a person is from Macheongak.”
Once again, with a long sigh, Eunseolran apologized. As if to compensate for Macheongak, which harbored such an incorrigible person.
“Well, at first, I suspected it was a new type of mental attack.”
Yanbi said with sincerity.
‘As expected, I can understand how she felt.’
“But it seemed to be real. Hmm, that was an even more fatal mental attack. Heh heh, it broadened my horizons. It was a life lesson in directly experiencing what ‘incorrigible’ means.”
While maintaining composure as if nothing was wrong, she smiled brightly.
At that smile, the three of them were left speechless.
‘She’s angry!’
They could be absolutely sure of that by a woman’s intuition.
“Ugh… I shouldn’t have just let it end with a warning! I should have explained it more clearly.”
Eunseolran covered half her face with her palm, feeling embarrassed.
“Why should Young Lady Eun be so embarrassed? Aren’t there strange men everywhere in the world, not just in Macheongak? Men, in general, are wolves nine times out of ten, so it’s best not to associate with them at all. Right, Rin?”
Yanbi’s words, seeking agreement as if it were obvious, made Nayelin fall silent for a moment before nodding.
“I understand, Yanbi. Nine times out of ten, they certainly are.”
“Oh, that sounds like something that shouldn’t just be dismissed lightly?”
Nayelin became somewhat flustered as Yanbi’s amber eyes stared at her, interrogating her. She glanced around and saw that Eunseolran and Lee Jinseol were both pretending to look elsewhere.
“Hmm, I meant that there are some decent people occasionally.”
“Oh, for example?”
Yanbi, suppressing a mischievous smile, urged her for an answer.
“…For example, Young Master Moyong, Young Master Hyoryong, and then…”
Yanbi wanted to ask, ‘And who else?’, but seeing Nayelin, she held back. Nayelin, with her long eyelashes cast down, was lost in thought, drawing circles on the rim of her teacup with her finger. The atmosphere was such that she seemed about to sigh. But it was Eunseolran who actually sighed.
“Whew…”
It was a low but quite complex and subtle sigh.
“Oh my, why is Young Lady Eun sighing again? Do you have any worries?”
“Ah! Did… did I?”
It seemed she was unaware. It was a severe case.
“I… I don’t have any worries. It’s just…”
“Just?”
“It’s just that I haven’t seen Young Master Moyong lately. He wasn’t there yesterday, and he’s not here today, so I’m curious…”
Even without the power of discernment, there was no difficulty in reading the disappointment in her words. Lee Jinseol, who didn’t usually need much time to think, quickly chimed in with sparkling eyes.
“Heh heh, no wonder Young Lady Eun has been visiting for two consecutive days…”
“Ahahaha. Wh-why would you think that…”
She seemed startled, as if her innermost thoughts had been precisely hit. Yanbi, happy that the subtle atmosphere had been broken, also smiled mischievously. With a face that screamed, ‘Caught you!’, Yanbi pretended to whisper to Nayelin.
“Hoho, Rin, Young Master Moyong, is he surely that…?”
“Ahem, ahem.”
Nayelin nodded slightly, and Eunseolran cleared her throat.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. If you’re coming anyway, it’s a win-win, killing two birds with one stone, isn’t it?”
“Is… is that so? Really? That’s right?”
Eunseolran, finally able to breathe, was delighted by Yanbi’s words. Her slightly flushed cheeks looked adorable.
“Pfft, but if you’re looking for Young Master Moyong, I heard he’s been in his room or by the well lately. Right, older sister Yerim?”
“That’s right, it seems to be the third day already. It’s truly amazing.”
What was amazing? The doubt planted in Eunseolran’s heart grew larger and larger.
“The… the well? What on earth is he doing there? For three days at that?”
As an unexpected place was mentioned, Eunseolran’s eyes widened.
“Ah, that’s precisely…”
Lee Jinseol said after a pause.
“Cleaning.”
“Ah!”
Eunseolran was momentarily convinced. It was indeed a fitting task for him.
* * *
Gongson Jeolhwi was grumbling and shuffling around his lodging, his mouth hanging open, mopping the floor. As the heir of the renowned Gongson family, this was a state he had never imagined for himself.
‘Chiljeol Singeom Moyonghwi!’
Just the name made his teeth grind.
‘Indeed, he is an enemy I must defeat!’
Gongson Jeolhwi gnashed his teeth. He recalled that infuriating face that had brought him to such a miserable state.
‘Does being handsome mean anything! You’ll see! I will never forget this grudge!’
Once again, it was proven that he and Moyonghwi were incompatible.
“Sigh…”
Thinking back to what had happened a few days ago, a shadow of despair fell upon him again. That event, which he was too afraid and ashamed to even mention to his grandfather and father. How could he face his father, who had handed over the family’s precious sword? The family’s treasure, a mere… a mere…
‘Kgh! No more! Don’t think about it anymore!’
Gongson Jeolhwi hastily cut off the playback of his memories. If the frustration continued any longer, he risked becoming mentally incapacitated.
“Because of that damned germaphobe!”
Gongson Jeolhwi trembled his fists, vowing revenge.
“It’s brutal.”
Three days ago, the germaphobe had mumbled strange words while scanning the assigned room. This was the beginning of the incident where the upright youth Moyonghwi, who would be remembered in history, had coerced his junior into cleaning with some kind of wicked weapon(?).
Of course, the room assigned by Macheongak was by no means brutal. It was just that the building had been vacant for years due to the absence of the Thirteenth Generation, and although it was managed regularly, old grime and dust in the corners had not been completely removed. At the very least, only the delegation members would consider such a state brutal. In any case, Moyonghwi suddenly turned his head towards Gongson Jeolhwi, who had unintentionally been assigned to the same room, and said with sparkling eyes.
“Well, let’s begin. The time has finally come to take them out.”
‘What are you talking about?’ Gongson Jeolhwi was about to ask when Moyonghwi walked briskly to where he had placed his luggage, took something out, and arranged it neatly on the table. Then, he quickly assembled what seemed to be a new weapon. He didn’t know why he was doing this all of a sudden, but Gongson Jeolhwi felt his heart pound unconsciously and watched his hand movements intently. When the assembly was finished in the blink of an eye, he was shocked.
“Gasp! Th-this is… a broom and a duster?!”
“Hmph. Can you recognize its true value? I acquired it specially not long ago. It's excellent not only in functionality but also in portability. It can be disassembled and assembled in three stages, and you can adjust the length by pressing here. It's made of hollow special metal, so it's light yet sturdy. Especially this part here, it's made of the finest horsehair, soft but durable. This horsehair part can even be replaced. And its elegant appearance! According to reliable information, it's also supplied to the imperial palace. Isn’t it amazing? The era of broomcorn and bamboo is over!”
Looking at Moyonghwi, who spoke passionately with the eyes of a general who had obtained a fine steed, Gongson Jeolhwi fell into confusion.
“That… so how is it used? Like, pretending to clean and then turning the handle to fire a hidden weapon…”
“…What on earth are you talking about? You seem very tired too. Let’s just clean until midnight today and get some rest.”
Then, Moyonghwi wrapped his head and waist with a white cloth he took from his luggage and tied the cuffs of his sleeves with string to roll them up. It was a perfect, full-fledged stance.
“……”
When Moyonghwi picked up the whisk and turned his back, Gongson Jeolhwi quietly turned away. He intended to escape first and then report Moyonghwi’s serious condition to someone for help. Until the lethal whisk, the duster, was pointed at his back.
“Where are you going at such an important time?”
“Kgh!”
Gongson Jeolhwi groaned, looking at the whisk aimed at him.
‘Important, my foot!’
But the words only echoed in his mind, not escaping his lips. Was it because of some resolute and persistent determination in the whisk? If he moved even an inch, it felt like the hairs on the whisk would be fired like projectiles at lightning speed.
“Damn it.”
Gongson Jeolhwi unconsciously reached his right hand towards his left hip. When his fingers touched the hilt of his sword, he felt a sense of relief.
“Does that mean you don’t want to clean?”
“Of course not. Such things should be left to the servants. I am someone who has never cleaned before.”
“Alas. Self-cultivation and managing the household are the duties of a gentleman. Isn’t managing the cleanliness of the place where you reside part of managing the household? Can you entrust such matters to others?”
“I can.”
It was an unwavering, immediate answer.
“It’s nothing to brag about. I have always cleaned myself whenever possible. How about it, wouldn’t you like to expand your horizons by practicing household management yourself?”
He then held out the whisk. It was as if it were a key to a new world. But the answer was already decided.
“Do it yourself!”
Gongson Jeolhwi flatly refused without any room for negotiation. And at that moment, Moyonghwi’s tone subtly changed.
“I can’t help it. Draw your sword.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your sword. If you can break this whisk with your sword, you can do as you please. But if you cannot, you will have to clean yourself from now on.”
“…Was that, after all, a special weapon?”
“Are you still saying that? Snap out of it. This is just a newly developed, assembled whisk.”
Gongson Jeolhwi laughed hollowly. Whether it was newly developed or assembled, to block a sword with a whisk. This person was truly not normal.
“Then do not regret that decision!”
Moyonghwi nodded silently. And the situation ultimately led to a forceful resolution, as befitting martial artists: a clash between the ancestral sword of the Gongson family and the newly developed assembled whisk.
Clang!
The sword was drawn. The pure white blade glowed with a bluish light. There was no need to test its strength; the superiority of the weapon was evident. The immense, vast gap was not something that could be bridged by mere skill.
With a single stroke, that detestable new product whisk would become irreparable scrap, and the cleaning fanatic, the enemy of his family, would not escape unscathed. Gongson Jeolhwi believed so, but he overlooked one thing. The fact that no matter how sharp a sword, it cannot cut what it cannot reach.
“Huh?”
His mouth let out a gasp of astonishment as he swung his sword. The thrust had missed. At that moment, Moyonghwi struck his sword with the whisk.
Thud! Metal rang with a clear sound.
Whizzzz!
Not missing the opportunity, the whisk’s bristles wound around the majestic sword as if it were silkworm silk. In an instant, Moyonghwi darted into Gongson Jeolhwi’s embrace, who had created an opening.
Thump. Wobble!
With a light footwork, Gongson Jeolhwi lost his balance, and his world spun around.
Crash! With a loud noise, his back and spine groaned in unnatural pain. His opponent had removed any chance of counterattack by taking away his leverage, so the shock hit his back and its central axis directly.
“Now, shall we clean?”
Moyonghwi said calmly, looking down at Gongson Jeolhwi, who had fallen ungracefully.
“Kgh…”
Gongson Jeolhwi shuddered inwardly. Despite his meek appearance, he realized he shouldn't have let his guard down. He was painfully frustrated by his own pathetic inability to even drop a whisk, despite wielding a real sword, the ancestral sword of his family.
“Learn this first.”
Moyonghwi abruptly handed him two items as he straightened up. A piece of pure white, fluffy cloth, and a small scroll.
“First, learn the basics with the rag I’m giving you, and familiarize yourself with the precautions written on the scroll. I originally prepared this to enlighten someone who was in prison, but I didn’t expect to give it to you first.”
Gongson Jeolhwi numbly accepted the white cloth called a rag and the scroll. The scroll, which looked like a martial arts manual, was neatly inscribed with ‘Sip-i-do of Cleaning Method (淸法十二道)’.
“Whew… Hyoryong also looks unwell these days. They say they hear constant scrubbing and sweeping sounds from the room next door, Young Master Moyong’s room, until midnight. Moreover, whenever Young Master Moyong goes to the well, they hear the sound of Gongson Gong grinding his teeth alone in his room, so they can’t get proper sleep. Their dreams are also disturbed.”
“Sigh, it would be nice if he did it in moderation…”
Eunseolran responded to Lee Jinseol’s complaint with a sigh.
“When it comes to cleaning, the concept of ‘moderation’ is out of the question for Young Master Moyong. You could call him stubborn, or obsessive…”
Yanbi’s retort made Eunseolran’s body stiffen for a moment.
“Oh my, Young Lady Yeon, you seem to know quite a lot about him?”
Unusual eyes turned towards Yanbi. Yanbi felt a twinge inside but instead let out a chuckle.
“Don’t you know at a glance? Just by seeing a man keep his stark white clothes without a single speck of dust, you can tell he’s not the type to do things ‘moderately’. He even cleaned his cabin while on the boat. Above all, his face… his countenance looks like he wouldn’t yield an inch when it comes to cleaning?”
“Hmm, that’s certainly true.”
Nayelin also agreed from the side, but Eunseolran still hadn’t dropped her suspicious gaze.
“No, why does Young Lady Eun keep looking at me like that?”
“I thought you were observing him quite closely. And yet, we haven’t known each other for long.”
This is why one should be careful with their words. Yanbi decided to make her final move.
“Pfft, don’t worry. I just thought he was a bit eccentric, but he won’t be a competitor to Young Lady Eun, you know.”
Before Yanbi could finish speaking, Eunseolran’s face flushed crimson.
“Wh-what are you talking about! I-I’m definitely not that kind of person…”
The more she protested, the softer her voice became, eventually turning into a big sigh.
“Sigh… Why him of all people?”
No one could answer her lament.
Human hearts cannot be measured by any yardstick and are powerful enough to overcome the power of reason. Therefore, wasn’t controlling one’s heart the aspiration of seekers?
Eunseolran, with a look that seemed both troubled and strangely excited, rose from her seat. The human heart is truly simple yet complex.