Chapter 25 With an uneasy expression, Namgung Hui-myeong peered into the empty house, then seized the passerby again.
"May I ask the cause of death?"
"The cause? I wouldn't know. Hm… I heard the body was horribly mutilated. Other than that, I know nothing."
After the man left, a heavy silence settled.
If the information had simply been wrong and they had come for nothing, that would be one matter. But death—this had never been part of the plan.
At moments like this, not being able to see Namgung Jeok-myeong's expression was deeply inconvenient.
As if voicing what Yeo Il could not, Namgung Hui-myeong spoke gravely.
"Who could it be, Brother?"
"..."
"I don't understand what is happening. Fine, we can say the ambushes along the way were not especially strange."
"..."
"But the house owner dying? How? How could anyone know who Soyo's relatives are and act before us?"
As Namgung Hui-myeong burst out in frustration and Chang-a anxiously clutched Yeo Il's hand, Namgung Jeok-myeong replied calmly,
"We cannot question a corpse about its circumstances. It would be best to inquire about related news first."
They all agreed.
Splitting into pairs, they moved between neighboring houses and inns, gathering what information they could.
Yet contrary to expectation, they gained almost nothing.
Not little—rather, people seemed unwilling to speak of it at all.
The only common points were these: the man had lived alone, was quiet, rarely left his house, and had no apparent reason to incur resentment.
Growing impatient, Namgung Hui-myeong suggested,
"Let's sneak in after sunset, Brother. Soyo's attendant and I can manage it."
At that moment—
"You there."
A strange old man stopped them.
"Are you the outsiders who arrived suddenly and have been digging into the truth about this house's owner?"
He gestured toward the abandoned house, displeasure evident.
Namgung Jeok-myeong stopped Namgung Hui-myeong from stepping forward and bowed instead.
"If we have caused discomfort, please forgive us, Elder. We had no intention of troubling the village. We merely made inquiries for personal reasons."
"Personal reasons? What reasons would those be?"
This time Yeo Il stepped forward.
"He was a relative of mine. I came to ask about my mother… and was told he met misfortune in the meantime."
"Hm? A relative?"
The old man studied her in disbelief, then sighed.
"Huh! So that fellow did have blood relatives after all? Family coming to find him."
He knew the house owner.
Maintaining a respectful posture, Yeo Il asked,
"If it would not be rude, may we hear even a brief account?"
"…There is little to tell. I knew almost nothing about him."
"We have traveled a long way. Please, even a little."
After a moment, the old man lowered his voice.
"He was a strange one. Appeared alone ten years ago and settled here. Had almost no dealings with neighbors. I heard he was a scholar, yet there wasn't a single proper book in his house… No one came looking for him, and he sought no one."
"..."
"Most thought he was a fugitive from somewhere far away. Still, he was quiet and caused no trouble, so we accepted him. Then three days ago, suddenly… he was found cold. Blood everywhere outside the house—impossible not to notice. Looked as though he tried to flee in haste."
Ten years of quiet living, barely interacting. Practically hiding.
How did Namgung Jeok-myeong manage to find such a man?
Leaning on his cane, the old man approached and pushed open the tightly shut door.
"It pains me to deliver such news to blood who've come from afar. I cannot allow you to stay long—finish your business and come out promptly."
"Thank you, Elder."
Once the old man left, Namgung Hui-myeong entered first and signaled to Seol-yeong.
"You, attendant. Wait at the door with the young maid. Keep watch in case of trouble."
Seol-yeong looked displeased but nodded obediently. After witnessing Namgung Hui-myeong face one of the Eight Ghosts, his attitude had softened somewhat.
The house was eerily quiet.
Yeo Il and the Namgung brothers entered what appeared to be the bedroom.
"Let's begin by looking for anything related to the clan. Hui-myeong, check the right side."
"Very well. Though rummaging through the home of the deceased feels… strange, Brother."
"If you find anything suspicious, inform me immediately."
"Of course. Soyo, you… sit here."
Yeo Il sat quietly on a chair near the lattice door while the brothers searched thoroughly.
She sharpened her hearing and focused.
In the darkness, she sensed their movements clearly.
Namgung Hui-myeong was careful.
Each time he found folded garments in drawers or worn household items, he inspected them closely.
Namgung Jeok-myeong, by contrast, moved with less hesitation. It was less searching and more confirming—as though he already knew what he was looking for.
"I believe I have checked most of this side. I will examine the next room."
After Namgung Hui-myeong left, Namgung Jeok-myeong reexamined the items his younger brother had inspected.
Yeo Il spoke lightly.
"What are you searching for so diligently?"
His movements slowed.
"If you tell me, I will assist. I may lack sight, but I still have hands and feet."
The reply came after a brief pause.
"You speak as though you can see my actions clearly."
"I can hear them. How much clearer would it be with eyes? Lord Hui-myeong may have left first out of consideration for you."
"It seems you have grown quite close to Hui-myeong in just a few days."
"Lord Hui-myeong is honest. It is comfortable to be around him."
"Ha. Among us brothers, Hui-myeong is indeed the most honest and pure… But Soyo."
A drawer opened with a soft sound as Namgung Jeok-myeong called her name.
"Do you remember that there was one condition for permitting your journey to Hubei?"
"Of course. Was it not that I travel secretly by carriage without guards?"
"Hardly. That was for your safety. It was not the condition I set."
She had expected as much. Still, it was petty.
"How surprising. I believed you were entrusting your own life as collateral to send me here."
"Collateral? An interesting expression. If someone heard you, they might think you and I were bound only by pretense rather than blood. Would they not?"
The counter-question turned cold. His movements ceased entirely.
"I am not unaware of why you speak so."
He rose leisurely and approached. His steps stopped directly before her.
Yeo Il focused every nerve.
Especially on the area at his waist, where his sword hung.
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