By the ti I finished looking at the paintings of Choryeon that Hwahong had gathered, listened to Tang Juyeop’s performance, and returned to the Tang estate, it was late at night.
I cracked open the annex door as quietly as I could—and there sat Tang Jung with a sullen face.
“You’re back?”
“G-Grandfather... You were in the annex?”
“I heard from Geunmyeong. You went to Moon-Fragrance Pavilion?”
“Uh... yes....”
I smiled awkwardly and rolled my eyes around. Was he going to scold for going out without permission?
Tang Jung walked over, looked up and down, then casually patted my head.
“It would’ve been making a fuss to go fetch you. I waited because I wanted to see you co back in, then leave.”
I’d been sure I was about to get chewed out, so my eyes went wide.
He waited because he was worried.
“You were worried about ?”
“That idiot Juyeop isn’t stupid enough to harm you in the middle of Chengdu.”
“Hehe. Then did you miss ?”
I asked with a big grin, and Tang Jung pinched my nose and shook it.
“So now you’re trying to tease your grandfather.”
“Ow— that hurts.”
“Did you have fun?”
“Yes. It was fun.”
“Then that’s enough.”
It had been an outing made of nothing but incidents, but I nodded like I’d just had a nice ti.
It seed better not to ntion the Hao Gate.
If you ever need help, send a letter at any ti, young lady. It would be my pleasure.
Hwahong’s captivating smile—how she’d seen off—flickered in front of my eyes.
What kind of relationship did she have with Choryeon, that she’d help Choryeon’s daughter without even asking questions?
I should look into my mother’s story, too.
...Wait. Co to think of it, I didn’t even find out what Tang Juyeop was doing at the brothel in the first place.
No matter how I looked at it, I’d probably have to drop by Moon-Fragrance Pavilion again soon.
*****
What happened at Moon-Fragrance Pavilion spread fast.
After hearing the full story, Tang Jung brushed it off, saying it was fine as long as I hadn’t beaten Tang Yeongho.
Tang Un told I should still treat Yeongho like an older brother and tried to talk into it.
And Tang Juhee was...
“Little sister! I heard you had it out with that half-wit?”
“Who said that? It’s a misunderstanding. How could I possibly throw hands with an older brother who’s as lofty as the sky?”
“You’re shaless. The rumor’s all over Chengdu. Anyway, why won’t you spar with ? Spar with too!”
She spent the entire day throwing herself at , demanding a spar.
Damn it. I should’ve made sure it didn’t reach Tang Juhee’s ears.
When I pretended not to hear and started tending my throwing knives, she started whining instead and hooked her arm around my neck. She was so strong I could barely breathe.
“Just one second. Yeah? Just one second.”
“Deokju.”
“Yes, young lady. Excuse , Young Lady Juhee.”
At my call, Deokju—who’d been standing quietly—picked Tang Juhee up in one clean motion and peeled her off . Tang Juhee puffed her cheeks out.
“Again with the guard? When are you going to spar with ?”
“If I get hit by your fist, I die. Wait, like... ten years.”
“I said I’ll go easy. You don’t trust ?”
Uh. I don’t.
When I flopped down on the ground to show I refused, Deokju stepped up onto the training grounds in my place and gave a formal fist-and-palm salute.
“Please be satisfied with .”
“Tch.”
Grumbling, Tang Juhee retied her hair and crooked a finger at Deokju. Deokju lowered her body with a blank face, kicked off the ground, and shot forward.
KWAA-KWAA-KWANG!
Their fists collided with a sound like lightning striking. Hugging my knees, I rubbed my arms, covered in goosebumps.
When the dust settled, Tang Juhee was there with her teeth showing, grinning as she laughed under her breath. It was the perfect mad cackle for soone nicknad the Tang Clan’s Mad Dog.
How am I supposed to spar with that? I’m scared she’ll show up in my nightmares.
As if showing off a trick, she flipped backward through the air—then charged Deokju with crazed eyes.
Tang Juhee’s punches, her flashy long robe whipping, were astonishingly controlled.
If you watched the way every joint in her body moved like it could disassemble and reassemble, it made you wonder how a human could move like that at all.
Tang Juhee would’ve been good as an idol or a dance singer. Or gymnastics. No matter how I looked at it, she was talent born in the wrong era.
Thinking pointless thoughts, I watched the spar. They moved so fast it felt like watching a video at triple speed.
I rolled my eyes around trying to track their blurred motion when soone quietly ca to stand beside .
“Grandfather, you’re here?”
“I wondered why you weren’t coming. So there was an uninvited guest.”
Tang Jung spoke, eyes narrowing.
“Why is Juhee in your annex every day? I’m starting to think she lives here.”
Seriously. Why does she co every day?
Tang Jung settled in as if it were natural and folded his arms. He watched Tang Juhee with an openly displeased stare.
“With movents that big... she’s just begging to get pounded wherever she goes. Honestly. Who taught her?”
“That’s... her? I can’t even see properly.”
“Then it seems I’ll have to make you train your eyes too.”
Ah. I shouldn’t have said that.
After casually increasing my training load, Tang Jung rummaged in his sleeve with a sullen face.
“Want a dried persimmon?”
“Just one.”
“Say ‘Ah.’”
I obediently opened my mouth, and Tang Jung plucked off the stem and popped it in.
When I bit into the deep red dried persimmon dusted with fine powder, the soft flesh lted in my mouth.
“Ah.”
“Nom.”
“Ah.”
“Nom.”
As I accepted the snack he fed , I studied their movents.
Unlike Tang Juhee’s irregular, unpredictable motion, Deokju’s was honest. But honest didn’t an weak.
When Tang Juhee spat out fierce forms in impatient bursts, Deokju blocked every move calmly and precisely.
It was wild that you could see soone’s personality even in their forms.
When every attack got shut down, Tang Juhee got irritated and sped up.
But whether Tang Juhee was slow, or Deokju was fast, it just... didn’t work. Nothing landed.
Deokju kept slipping around the incoming kicks, then tried—quietly—to drift toward the edge of the training ground as if to step out.
Tang Juhee scread.
“Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done!”
Tang Jung pointed at her, clicking his tongue as he watched.
“You can’t fight like that. Thrashing around like a wild boar spooked by an arrow only drains your strength. It’s a bad example. Watch and rember.”
I’m watching. I just can’t see it, Grandfather. Tang Juhee’s way faster than Tang Yeongho.
“Raise your internal energy and gather it to your eyes. Then you’ll see a little.”
...Did I say that out loud? I didn’t think I did.
Blinking, I asked.
“Grandfather. I’ve been wondering for a while... do you read minds?”
Tang Jung pressed his temple like he was fed up.
“...This old man is worried. If you et soone with a deep, careful heart, you won’t just get your thoughts read—you’ll get swallowed whole. What am I supposed to do, sending you out into the world like this?”
“Then don’t send out. I’ll live with you forever.”
“Nonsense. At your age, if you’re a martial artist, you should dream of becoming the Number One Under Heaven or unifying the martial world. What are you going to do living with an old man? Eat this.”
Grumbling, Tang Jung tugged my cheek outward.
But he looked like he didn’t hate it—he was smirking as he pushed a sugar-pickled plum into my mouth.
The Number One Under Heaven is already decided, though. I’ll be satisfied if I can go around without getting beat up.
Co to think of it, how strong was Namgung Hwi? If he could drop those street thugs in one hit at the night market, he was already at a high level. Was he stronger than Deokju? Or still weaker than Deokju?
I chewed the sweet plum while recalling that jerk’s swordplay—and in the blink of an eye, Deokju got kicked and tumbled out of the training ground.
KUDANGTANG!
Tang Juhee climbed right on top of her and drove down a nail-guard coated in poison.
Deokju twisted her shoulder to dodge, and Tang Juhee—smiling in a way that made my skin crawl—punched Deokju square in the face.
“Deokju!”
Startled, I scread and ran at them.
“No—Unni! How can you hit her in the face?! Deokju, are you okay?”
I yanked them apart in a panic, and Tang Juhee complained.
“Tch. Boring.”
Still, the fact she ca along when I pulled ant she probably didn’t intend to hit Deokju any more.
Deokju got up on her own, calm as ever, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and stared ahead. A dark bruise was already blooming around her eye.
Tang Jung clicked his tongue again.
“Foolish. Why offer your face? An arm or a leg would’ve done.”
...She let herself get hit on purpose to end it. I’m sorry, Deokju.
“Oh my, Ancestor Jonghyeon is here? Juhee greets the family’s Ancestor Jonghyeon.”
The mont she saw Tang Jung, Tang Juhee beca ek and offered a polite greeting.
It was impressively courteous for soone who’d just put a fist-sized bruise on soone’s face.
“Mm.”
Tang Jung returned it flatly and lifted his chin.
Watching, I had to bite back laughter—because Tang Juhee, head bowed, was a full handspan taller than Grandfather.
Tang Jung looked at Deokju for a mont, then spoke.
“Sohae. How much of the dical texts have you read with Un?”
“Uh... I finished Divine Farr’s Materia dica.”
“Then it’s ti you /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ tried handling herbs. Take Deokju and go to the dical Hall. Her internal energy’s been stirred up—make her drink a dicinal decoction, and help out with the dical Hall’s work while you’re there.”
“dical Hall work?”
Is there anything I can even help with? I don’t know anything.
Unlike , Tang Juhee looked thrilled.
“Oh my, really? So I can play with little sister? Perfect. There are tons of herbs that need trimming!”
“Bring her back before mid-morning.”
“Yes. I’ll rember. Little sister—co on, hurry.”
Tang Juhee grabbed my hand and tugged.
“What? Huh? Unni, I haven’t even washed! My martial uniform’s soaked in sweat! Let change—hey! I said let wash!”
Even while I flailed, Tang Jung only waved like he was telling to go and co back safely.
Why is she so strong?
I got dragged out of the annex, practically skidding, held tight in Tang Juhee’s iron grip.
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