Chapter 35 "Sigh. As you know, Brother… the atmosphere within the clan has been extremely unsettled of late."
With that preface, Namgung Chu-myeong briefly explained what he witnessed in the marketplace.
"…Therefore, for Soyo's safety, I intended to confirm what wrongdoing this servant may have committed behind her back. Ah! This works out well. If you and Hui-myeong serve as witnesses, Brother."
Namgung Hui-myeong stepped forward to defend Seol-yeong.
"Second Brother. There must be some misunderstanding. That brat may be arrogant, but she would never betray Soyo—"
"Yes, Hui-myeong. Whether it is a misunderstanding or not can be determined here and now."
Cutting him off at once, Namgung Chu-myeong ordered Seol-yeong,
"Take out the item from your chest."
"..."
"At once!"
Seol-yeong kept her head lowered, silent. It was clear she waited for Yeo Il to resolve this predicament.
The message might or might not contain Namgung Chu-myeong's true identity. It might mention whether the Namgung Clan's Killing Register was genuine—or state that it could not be confirmed.
The problem was that, either way, it would reveal that Seol-yeong secretly gathered information about the Namgung Clan and communicated with outsiders.
And if that came to light, Yeo Il herself would inevitably be dragged into suspicion as well.
"If you will not take it out, we shall."
One of the guards searched Seol-yeong's chest and produced a small bamboo tube.
Namgung Chu-myeong untied the string and was about to withdraw the neatly folded paper within—
Tap. Tap.
At the same moment Yeo Il's slender fingers tapped the bedside, someone darted in from behind Namgung Chu-myeong like an arrow.
"Who goes there!"
As the guards and Namgung Hui-myeong instantly drew their swords, the intruder struck Namgung Chu-myeong's shoulder and entered the room with leisurely composure, tossing the bamboo tube aside.
The very tube he had snatched from Namgung Chu-myeong.
"What is this…?"
Everyone reacted in utter disbelief.
Namgung Hui-myeong, who recognized Jin Cheong-ak's face, was especially stunned.
"Hm. I see."
While the others were still processing what happened, Jin Cheong-ak calmly read the contents of the paper. Then he dropped it into the teapot and stirred it with his finger.
The paper dissolved in the warm tea and soon disintegrated into pulp, its contents unreadable.
A guard employed by the clan openly ignored the second young master. The situation was absurd.
Jin Cheong-ak fanned the flames further.
"Forgive the discourtesy. When the young master intercepted a confidential letter meant for me and attempted to read it aloud before so many, my sense of shame compelled my hand."
At such insolent words, all eyes turned to Namgung Chu-myeong.
Even he, known for maintaining composure in any situation, could not conceal his anger this time.
"Ha. Ridiculous! You expect me to believe that?"
"And if you do not?"
At the flippant reply, Namgung Chu-myeong's face nearly darkened with fury—
Until Jin Cheong-ak noticed Yeo Il's sharp gaze and abruptly changed his tone. Smiling amiably, he picked up the bamboo tube from the floor.
"If our Second Young Master cannot believe it… then I shall tell you what the confidential letter contained. Nothing extraordinary. It was information regarding the Eight Demons—specifically the Blood-Seizing Sword Demon."
"…The Blood-Seizing Sword Demon?"
"Our Miss Namgung encountered him recently and nearly lost her life. Is that not so?"
Yeo Il nodded, carefully observing Namgung Chu-myeong's reaction.
Something is off.
It was neither the reaction of someone who already knew nor someone who dismissed it as impossible. Rather, it was a strange, conflicted expression—Could it truly be? or So it has come to this?
"Ah. Is this the first you've heard of it? Was it meant to be a secret, Third Young Master?"
Namgung Hui-myeong scratched his neck, glancing at Namgung Chu-myeong.
"Well, I figured Brother would only worry needlessly, so I planned to tell him later… and I've been preoccupied with the tournament…."
"I do not believe it."
Flatly rejecting Jin Cheong-ak's claim, Namgung Chu-myeong turned a cold gaze on Yeo Il.
"I am sorry, Soyo. Not only your servant but even this newly arrived guard engages in suspicious behavior. For your sake, I cannot overlook it. Take the two away."
"As you command."
As the guards surrounded Jin Cheong-ak, Namgung Hui-myeong rushed forward.
"Brother! Why such haste? Calm yourself. Jin Dae-hyeop truly did kill the Blood-Seizing Sword Demon. I witnessed it myself!"
At that, the guards cast dubious glances at Jin Cheong-ak.
That such a ghostly figure met his end at the hands of this slick man was difficult to believe.
Namgung Hui-myeong briefly recounted what occurred at the outskirts of Hubei Province. Yet Namgung Chu-myeong did not accept it readily.
"You are the one who must come to your senses, Namgung Hui-myeong! The Eight Demons vanished while you were unconscious. Did you see the Blood-Seizing Sword Demon's corpse with your own eyes?"
"Ha! Listen—one doesn't need to see it to know! Soyo, you saw it yourself, didn't you? Answer me. Brother Ak killed him, did he not?"
"How admirable, questioning a girl who cannot see."
"She may not see, but she knows everything! This is maddening…."
At that moment—
Clang.
The heavy sound of metal cut through the rising voices and landed in the center of the room.
A sword.
An old but well-maintained longsword.
As everyone stared in shock, Namgung Jeok-myeong picked it up, examining the hilt and blade with admiration.
"This is… no ordinary weapon. A sword steeped in a most unpleasant aura for many years. Could it be the Blood-Seizing Sword Demon's blade?"
"Indeed. It is the beloved sword of the Eight Demons' Blood-Seizing Sword Demon, once a scourge of the black path, O Great Sogaju (Clan Heir)."
"Oh? You have brought back something quite interesting."
"Yes. Not a famed blade perhaps, but decent spoils. I took it after killing him. Even those without discernment can consult an expert to confirm its authenticity."
As he spoke, Jin Cheong-ak looked at Namgung Chu-myeong.
"I planned to sell it soon anyway. Since matters have come to this, why not purchase it yourself, Second Young Master? It benefits us both. You determine whether I lie, and I make some coin. Two birds with one stone."
Though nearly mocking, Namgung Chu-myeong kept his composure.
"…A rather flimsy explanation. All the more reason you should reveal the contents of the bamboo tube to dispel suspicion."
"Must we really escalate this? Can you not simply let it pass?"
With a long, weary sigh, Jin Cheong-ak waved a hand.
"Ah, very well. If it must be revealed… I confess. Half of that letter was a love letter. That is why I concealed it. Satisfied?"
A love letter.
"Love letter?"
Namgung Chu-myeong's expression froze.
"…A love letter?"
Jin Cheong-ak glared at him as though exhausted beyond measure.
"Yu Rim of the Mount Hua Sect. The sender of this confidential letter. From our first meeting, she took a liking to my face and has been pursuing me. She even pries into my private affairs. Is that satisfactory?"
"..."
Silence fell.
"Honestly. If little Sister Yu Rim learns of today's events, how humiliated she will feel. Yet when one's life is threatened, what choice does one have but to reveal it? Is that not so, Miss Namgung?"
"..."
"If you still doubt it, send someone to Mount Hua to confirm. Yu Rim of the Mount Hua Sect. Yu. Rim."
Perhaps it had gone too far.
This is exhausting.
Feigning labored breaths, Yeo Il suddenly collapsed limply.
"What? Miss Namgung?"
Jin Cheong-ak, the first to notice, seized her shoulders and cried out,
"Forget Yu Rim—our precious Miss Namgung has suddenly fainted! Wake up, Miss Namgung! You must not die so meaninglessly, leaving me behind!"
When one wished to muddle an inconvenient situation, fainting was always the most effective method.
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