Chapter: 525
Around the time when a big problem erupted in the Tang Clan.
If we were to pick the busiest among them, it would obviously be the Poison King.
Surprisingly, there was someone else just as busy.
“No… What is going on?”
The one who couldn’t even move due to the incident that broke out in the morning was Mo Yong-hee, the precious jewel of the Moyong Clan.
In the guest quarters assigned to her, Mo Yong-hee kept rubbing her forehead.
“… Information. Any more information?”
She said, glancing sideways with a frown.
The person who was half-kneeling in response answered her.
“… This was a sudden incident, so we are currently gathering more information.”
“… Ugh…!”
At her subordinate’s words, Mo Yong-hee bit her lovely lips.
‘What is going on…?’
It was this chaotic right from the morning breeze.
In this absurd situation, Mo Yong-hee had to think quickly.
‘Suddenly beheading an elder?’
At the shocking information that came out of nowhere, Mo Yong-hee broke out in a cold sweat.
The leader of the Tang Clan was beheaded overnight. It is said that it was done by the Poison King himself.
‘What’s the situation?’
The chief elder of the Tang clan was a person who managed the entire inventory of medicinal herbs.
It was said this person had attained the level of Hwagyeong in his later years.
Mo Yong-hee knew this individual as well.
At one time, due to her own constitution, she had dealings with the Tang Clan.
Among those dealings, there were not only treatments but also exchanges of the medicinal herbs themselves.
It must have been the elder who oversaw that.
She had met him in person.
In Mo Yong-hee’s eyes, the elder was…
‘A rather suspicious character.’
She judged him to be a somewhat shady figure.
Apart from that, he was also considered quite capable.
Considering he managed so many medicinal herbs, his influence within the Tang Clan must have been substantial.
‘But beheading? Seriously?’
How can someone with such power be killed so easily?
As soon as she heard it, her head buzzed zzzzz.
Something must have happened.
There’s no way she wouldn’t know this.
‘I need more information.’
While she thought she might get a headache if she kept this up from the morning…
She had to do what needed to be done.
A massive problem had erupted in the Tang Clan. This was quite a significant issue for Mo Yong-hee.
‘How many projects do I have lined up for the future?’
A few collaborative projects with the Tang Clan were underway.
There were several things to expand upon, utilizing these aspects.
What if something happens to the Tang Clan right now? That would be quite troublesome.
Mo Yong-hee immediately devised various potential paths in her mind.
The fastest and clearest way among them would be to hold the Tang Clan responsible and wrap this up without any issues.
‘…’
However, at the thought of Tang So-yeol, she discarded that option.
She was not worried about him.
While it was true they had developed feelings for each other during their time together…
Mo Yong-hee knew such a friendship wouldn’t benefit her in the long run.
One.
‘That guy would hate it.’
If she handled this matter purely for her own calculations, she knew that the man, who stealthily looked out for his people, wouldn’t take it lightly.
So she’d have to endure it. What could she do?
Just as she was about to think of another plan…
“… Wait a moment…”
Mo Yong-hee recalled.
Last time she had visited Hyeon, that Guyangcheon had seemed to be hiding something.
That person had a look in his eyes that suggested he might cause some trouble again.
And not long after that, this current incident broke out.
Surely there couldn’t be any connection?
‘… No way, right?’
She wasn’t entirely sure.
But if there was anyone who could create a mess, it could definitely be him.
Thud. Mo Yong-hee stood up.
“Miss?”
“… I’ll be back shortly. Please gather more information in the meantime.”
“Understood.”
After urgently passing the message to her subordinate, Mo Yong-hee left her quarters and walked off as if she was sprinting.
The direction was toward that person, Guyangcheon.
‘It can’t be him.’
Mo Yong-hee fervently prayed in her heart.
Who am I working so hard for?
It’s not like he would cause trouble instead of helping.
She sincerely hoped so.
‘Still… I haven’t even finished my mother’s homework.’
She clenched her teeth grind.
Mother’s homework referred to work directly assigned by Baekhwadanju Mihyoran.
One day, a letter arrived from Baekhwa Sangdan addressed to Mo Yong-hee.
It contained discussions about business and a request to outline how to handle situations if they arose.
Having experienced something similar while working with the Moyong Clan, this wasn’t her first rodeo.
Under normal circumstances, she would have thought it was some bizarre remark and just ignored it.
If only the person who sent the letter hadn’t been the head of Baekhwasangdan.
Mihyoran wrote down this complex and challenging situation to send it to Mo Yong-hee.
Mo Yong-hee couldn’t help but grasp the meaning behind it.
‘It’s a test.’
This was a test.
Mihyoran was testing Mo Yong-hee.
How talented are you?
That’s what it meant.
If she showed it, what would change?
What was the purpose of this test in the first place?
It seemed obvious even without looking.
It was likely to see if she was worthy to be by that person’s side.
Mo Yong-hee frowned at the chilling sensation weighed with uncertainty.
‘I heard he isn’t her biological son…’
It was clear that Guyangcheon was not Mihyoran’s biological son, yet Mo Yong-hee couldn’t comprehend why Mihyoran was acting this way.
Still, since a not-quite opportunity had come along, she couldn’t just let it slip by.
In that scenario.
‘… Is this guy causing trouble?’
While she wasn’t certain yet… No, to be honest, Mo Yong-hee was convinced.
There was an undeniable feeling that he was entangled in the incident happening in the Tang Clan.
Every instinct screamed otherwise.
‘I’m busy enough as it is…!’
Mo Yong-hee gritted her teeth clenches and continued onward.
She needed to ask him directly what was going on.
That would be far better than her running around gathering scattered information.
Having that resolution in mind, she approached her destination.
“Huh?”
Someone appeared in front of Guyangcheon’s residence.
It was someone Mo Yong-hee knew well.
“… What are you doing there?”
“…!”
As that person hesitated to go in or not, Mo Yong-hee approached and asked. The woman peeking in flinched and shuddered.
In that brief moment, the woman’s light brown hair swayed whoosh.
“Oh, hello…”
The woman spoke to Mo Yong-hee, flaunting her characteristic golden eyes.
She still looked incredibly pretty.
Mo Yong-hee, who was acutely aware of her own appearance, couldn’t help but feel a tad lacking compared to this woman or Geom Mu-hee.
After trying hard to conceal her flustered demeanor…
Mo Yong-hee asked the woman, Wi Seol-ah, once more.
“What are you doing?”
“That is….”
“Do you have business with this person?”
“Oh, no… I don’t have a matter with the scholar.”
Though they weren’t specifically calling out anyone, they managed to communicate just fine.
“Hmm?”
So, Wi Seol-ah doesn’t have any business with Guyangcheon?
That was an answer that even Mo Yong-hee hadn’t anticipated.
Given her nature, it made sense to think that Wi Seol-ah had come looking for Guyangcheon.
‘If not, then who is it for?’
As far as Mo Yong-hee knew, there were three individuals residing here.
One was a secretive person. The other was that young man… what was the name? Cheol… something?
No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like Wi Seol-ah would have matters with anyone else.
She felt a strange sense of unease creeping in, but…
‘Well, that’s a relief if it’s not him.’
It was, in fact, good news for Mo Yong-hee.
Because she had business to deal with Guyangcheon.
“Then I’ll go in first. I’m a bit busy.”
“Oh…!”
As Mo Yong-hee made her way toward the quarters, Wi Seol-ah registered surprise once more.
Why that reaction?
While observing Wi Seol-ah, the moment she stepped into the quarters where Guyangcheon was staying…
What is this?
Mo Yong-hee felt something was off.
She sensed that the temperature had raised slightly.
Since her body temperature was unusually low, she felt particularly sensitive to it.
But urgency took precedence, so she didn’t dwell on it for now.
It was important to ask what kind of accident had occurred.
With that thought in mind, she moved to the room where Guyangcheon was.
“Sir Gu, are you there?”
-…
As she called out from the door, there was no response. On the way, she had asked the servants, and they confirmed that Guyangcheon was indeed inside.
Could he be sleeping?
Sleeping at a time like this? No matter how much of an individual he was, he wouldn’t sleep after causing such a mess.
So is he really not involved in this incident?
Just as that thought came to mind…
Tap.
Wi Seol-ah appeared from beside her.
Glaring at that, Mo Yong-hee narrowed her eyes.
“I said there’s nothing between us.”
“That is….”
Though she distinctly claimed to have no business with Guyangcheon.
What is this?
Is she trying to play mind games with her? Just as Mo Yong-hee was about to speak, unexpectedly…
Click!
Guyangcheon’s door swung open. That sound drew Mo Yong-hee’s gaze directly toward him.
“… Mister! Huh?”
Mo Yong-hee let out a surprised sound that didn’t fit her sophistication.
For the figure that appeared wasn’t Guyangcheon after all.
It was someone far bulkier.
A figure with a broad chest and shoulders, much more massive than Guyangcheon.
Mo Yong-hee found herself at a loss for words under that towering gaze.
It felt heavy.
Just being looked at caused a crushing sensation.
Gulp.
As the red light edged closer, Mo Yong-hee swallowed hard.
The person emerging from Guyangcheon’s room was quietly gazing at Mo Yong-hee.
A few seconds of silence dragged on.
After managing to blink, Mo Yong-hee quickly glanced inside the room.
This caused her to be surprised once more.
‘… Why is that person here again?’
Positioned inside Guyangcheon’s room, sitting cautiously at the table, was a figure shaded in mystery, Geom Mu-hee.
Something’s off.
What on earth is this atmosphere?
Mo Yong-hee’s sharp mind whirred quickly.
Even so, the time was short, and she had only one option left to consider.
She took a deep breath.
She spent a whole second doing so.
Her astonished heart didn’t calm down easily.
She tried her hardest to conceal her shaking and tense body as she formally introduced herself.
“… The bloodline of the Moyong family greets the head of the Gu Clan. I am Mo Yong-hee.”
Fortunately, her voice didn’t tremble. That was her good fortune.
The man receiving this introduction was Gu Cheol-woon.
A figure she had seen before.
How could she not know?
When starting on this journey, her father, Baekcheon Sword Master, had endlessly warned her to be careful around the clan head.
She remembered a few words exchanged with her aunt, Baekryeongeom.
Not to mention, he was Guyangcheon’s father.
Though it was an unexpected meeting, she couldn’t show a disgraceful side.
“…”
As Mo Yong-hee greeted him, Gu Cheol-woon’s eyebrows subtly twitched.
Though he couldn’t see her because she was bowing her head, Mo Yong-hee knew.
He was examining her.
“… I am pleased to meet you. My name is Gu Cheol-woon.”
“I apologize for visiting so suddenly. It’s not anything else… I came in haste because I had some urgent business with Mister Gu.”
Why is the clan head here? I didn’t voice that curiosity. It was hard to resist asking, but she had to hold back.
That was a last resort.
“If it’s concerning my son, unfortunately, I don’t believe this is an appropriate moment to talk.”
“Excuse me?”
As soon as he uttered those words, Gu Cheol-woon turned slightly to offer a view of the inner room.
There, she could see Guyangcheon lying peacefully under a blanket.
At first, she thought he was just sleeping, but Mo Yong-hee realized right away.
He wasn’t just sleeping.
Something must have transpired.
‘Did he get injured again?’
She worried rather than pondering the situation at hand.
That guy tends to get hurt rather easily.
As Mo Yong-hee’s thoughts were swirling…
Gu Cheol-woon’s steady gaze fixed on her.
“First, you should come in.”
“Yes?”
“If you’re in a hurry, you can go back, but if it’s alright with you, please come inside and wait.”
“…”
Mo Yong-hee flinched at Gu Cheol-woon’s words.
If she went in now, it meant she would have to keep Guyangcheon company while waiting alongside Gu Cheol-woon.
‘What to do?’
Though Mo Yong-hee was more than capable of handling difficult situations, she wasn’t sure she could withstand that kind of atmosphere.
She felt tempted to ask for permission to leave and retreat.
‘But there’s that guy.’
She hesitated as concern for Geom Mu-hee loomed over her, halting her steps.
However, there wasn’t much time to deliberate.
Mo Yong-hee collected her thoughts and replied to Gu Cheol-woon.
“Then… I’m sorry, but may I take a moment to excuse myself?”
At her words, Gu Cheol-woon nodded.
Then he turned his gaze toward Wi Seol-ah.
Wi Seol-ah hastily bowed to Gu Cheol-woon as well.
“I greet the lord.”
“It seems you too have a similar matter. Please, come in as well.”
“Ah… yes.”
With that, Gu Cheol-woon stepped into the room, and the two women followed him.
The atmosphere grew heavy with an unsettling pressure.
For reference, until Guyangcheon woke up…
The four of them exchanged not a single word of conversation.
So.
“… What is this situation?”
The moment I sat up, I scanned the room with trembling eyes.
What is happening?
Why is my father, who was supposed to be dealing with the King’s matters, in my room?
And why are those three people here?
Even all three of them seemed to be bowing their heads in what looked like deep shame.
‘I thought it was a dream…’
Of course, the context didn’t feel realistic at all, so I thought maybe it was a dream and lay back down, but…
Realization struck me very quickly that this was definitely not a dream.
With the intense gazes locking onto me, the suffocating sensation felt unbearably real.
Finally, after sitting up in a cold sweat, I looked directly at my father and asked.
“What… is going on?”
It was a concise question, but it communicated enough.
Taking a sip of tea, my father replied.
“Baekryun Sword reported that you had collapsed.”
“Ah.”
When I passed out from the recoil of using Brainiac, it appeared Baekryun Sword had gone to inform my father.
“The doctor said there’s nothing seriously wrong with you. But are you feeling alright?”
“… Yes, I’m fine.”
“Then that’s good.”
My father nodded.
Upon seeing this, I immediately followed up with another question.
“… Father.”
“Speak.”
“They… No, why are those young ladies acting like this…?”
I spotted the three women, utterly paralyzed in fear, unable to even lift their heads.
At my question, my father glanced in their direction and then said, “I told them to be at ease, but it seems they found it uncomfortable.”
As soon as my father uttered those words, the three women popped their heads up in surprise.
“No, absolutely not uncomfortable!”
“… It was fine…”
“It was really comfortable.”
“…”
I found myself at a loss for words in the face of their flustered expressions.
What could possibly have caused this?
They didn’t seem like this originally. There was an odd vibe in the air.
“So why are you all here?”
I barely managed to break through the confusion and asked. Namgung Bi-ah was the first to respond.
“… You suddenly… collapsed… and we were worried…”
I could understand what Namgung Bi-ah was saying.
I had fainted after the martial arts sparring and the lip smack, so they must have been quite shocked.
‘… Don’t tell me you think I fainted after just a kiss?’
I really hoped that wasn’t the case. That would be terribly embarrassing.
[Like you’ve never been through worse!]
Just then, Shin Noya chimed in, quick to defend against any spectral interpretations.
Was it because I collapsed after the competition?
I turned to look at Mo Yong-hee who was nervously glancing at Gu Cheol-woon.
Then this time, Mo Yong-hee spoke up.
Mo Yong-hee cautiously addressed me while occasionally sneaking looks at her father.
“… I heard there was an incident in the Tang Clan. I thought you might have some insight, so I came here.”
The elder of the Tang Clan was reportedly beheaded by the Poison King.
To others, it seemed like an overnight incident, yet Mo Yong-hee came to inquire about it.
‘Does that mean she immediately guessed I was involved?’
Whatever the case, she was perceptive. Quick on the uptake, that one.
How long had passed? That remained unclear.
‘… I would have been in trouble if they were actually enemies.’
If Mo Yong-hee were the adversary, it truly would have been a severe problem.
If Cheon Yu-rang manufactured a way back that pushed an opponent into a hopeless dead end just to let them wither away in fright, then Mo Yong-hee would surely act like a knife—cutting them off without a second chance.
Every movement seemed to follow a meticulous plan.
Regardless, if both of them were foes, it would have been too much hassle to handle.
Thank heavens that wasn’t the case, or I’d be in for it.
“… But… that…”
Suddenly, Mo Yong-hee’s gaze wavered.
I had a feeling I understood what she was about to say.
She’d shown up to ask me something, only to find me lying unconscious with my father present, which understandably startled her.
Yeah, it would be a shock.
On the contrary, how flippin’ shocked must I have been?
I still could not shake off the sight I encountered upon awakening.
‘But then.’
What about her?
There was another person seated before me, who hadn’t taken a sip of tea but kept fixated on the table.
It was Wi Seol-ah.
It was hardly a familiar face, considering I’d just seen her the other day—a long-lost acquaintance, but still.
“… Do you have business with me too?”
This was a rather peculiar pairing given the circumstances.
What on earth would Wi Seol-ah be needing from me?
As I gazed at her, mixing questions with my curiosity, she spoke.
“… I… didn’t come to see the scholar.”
“Huh?”
Not me?
It came as a natural assumption, so I was briefly taken aback by Wi Seol-ah’s response.
She didn’t look at me but instead faced my father.
“… After seeing that the master had arrived… I came to extend my greetings…”
“What?”
I found myself even more surprised at that revelation.
She wasn’t here for me after all, but rather, she had come to see my father?
When had she seen him?
Only a select few knew of my father’s arrival.
Was she saying Wi Seol-ah was one of them?
Amidst this, I could see my father’s expression shift slightly at her words.
“Hmm.”
It was a brief sound, an utterance, yet it changed the air.
“…!”
“… Goodness.”
Upon hearing that, I could see Namgung Bi-ah and Mo Yong-hee jump in place.
A look of “Uh-oh!” washed over their faces.
Why are they reacting like this…?
As I attempted to glean the reason behind their behavior, a voice unexpectedly cut through the silence.
-I won’t delve deeper into your life.
My father’s voice resonated.
-It feels like three is perhaps too many.
“…”
Caught off guard by that sudden pronouncement, I found myself struggling to hold back several remarks that threatened to surface.
At first, I held back statements about it not being three at all.
Then,
I held back, thinking such comments weren’t something my father should be voicing.
I could just envision the reprimand I’d receive if I dared to let it slip out.
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