Chapter 45
“It’s a pretty mark.”
“Yes, this is...”
Hong-seol hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“It’s a mark that shows how much my mother loves me.”
Yuhwa grew puzzled.
‘Didn’t this child say she was abandoned by her mother?’
It was an incomprehensible statement, but she did not want to hurt the child by pointing out the truth.
“I see.”
Perhaps sensing that Yuhwa’s words lacked sincerity, Hong-seol mumbled as if feeling wronged.
“It’s true! Really... my mother used to sing me lullabies while saying that. She said, ‘This mark means that I love you, Hong-seol.’”
Hong-seol could still vividly recall the touch of her mother’s hand gently brushing the stray hairs from her forehead.
“Even though I was very, very young. People say it’s an age I shouldn’t be able to remember, but that’s not true!”
“...”
“Really... my mother told me she loved me.”
Whether it was the truth or a fantasy the child had created, she did not know.
If such memories existed, the current situation where her mother had abandoned her would only be more painful.
Thinking of the snow that had fallen white over the footprints of her own mother who had left, Yuhwa lowered her eyelashes listlessly.
“I see. Shall we begin the pulse reading now?”
“Yes.”
Hong-seol held out her arm weakly. Yuhwa closed her eyes and focused on the pulse.
And after a long while.
Only then, having reached a conclusion, she lifted her blue eyes.
“We must summon the Hefei Branch Master of the Beggars' Clan at once.”
The Beggars' Clan, where the beggars gathered, was effectively the intelligence organization of the Central Plains.
To think she would call for the leader who oversaw the entire Hefei region.
Hong-seol asked with a bewildered expression.
“For what reason?”
“There is someone we must find to cure your illness. It is my master, the Immortal Physician of Ten Thousand Miles.”
* * *
“Jeok, don’t bury your nose in the porridge bowl!”
“Father, did you sleep well last night?”
“Ah, Brother! That’s my chopstick.”
“Seol-ah, try eating this. It’s crunchy.”
Hong-seol looked around, holding a ceramic spoon topped with pickled radish in one hand.
‘Since when did it become like this?’
The morning at Changcheon Pavilion was bustling. It was a change that had occurred since Hong-seol arrived.
Thanks to this, Mrs. Lee from the kitchen had double the work, but she was always beaming.
“The family has finally started to look like a family.”
Namgung Ho said as he slurped up his egg porridge.
He had just returned after attending the Martial Alliance’s Elder Council for several days.
“So, Yuhwa, you asked the Hefei Branch Master of the Beggars' Clan to find the Immortal Physician of Ten Thousand Miles?”
“Yes. However, he seemed reluctant. The Immortal Physician of Ten Thousand Miles rarely stays in one place, and he is quite averse to revealing himself...”
Yuhwa trailed off with a look of concern.
“Hmm. Money is no object, so why not ask them to issue a total mobilization order to the Beggars' Clan?”
“That is...”
Yuhwa bowed her head. That was not something she hadn’t already considered.
“They say they cannot reach the Beggars' Clan Leader.”
The Beggars' Clan Leader, Cheontonggae.
The only person capable of moving the hundred thousand members of the Beggars' Clan at once.
He was prone to hiding away in places no one knew to avoid troublesome matters.
It was common for it to take three or four years to make contact once he had tucked himself away.
“That damn old geezer!”
Namgung Ho, who had blurted out his inner thoughts, felt the gazes upon him and cleared his throat.
“Ahem, ahem. Since he can cure our Seol-ah’s illness, we must find the Immortal Physician of Ten Thousand Miles, even if it takes years. We must find him, indeed.”
At those words, Hong-seol’s heart felt ticklish once again.
Feeling shy, Hong-seol hurriedly shoveled egg porridge into her mouth to hide her feelings.
“By the way, what will you do about this year’s <Anhui River Crossing>?”
What is <Anhui River Crossing>?
Hong-seol, curious, perked up her ears. Noticing this, Namgung On smiled gently.
“The Anhui River Crossing means that the martial families of Anhui Province gather after crossing the river. Or, it can mean gathering in the height of summer by using the character for ‘summer’ instead.”
No sooner had Namgung On finished speaking than Bing Yuhwa’s explanation followed.
“The Anhui River Crossing is attended by one elder from each clan and young rising stars around the age of ten. Shouldn’t you usually explain things like this instead of just defining the characters?”
The final, barbed remark was clearly aimed at Namgung On.
For a moment, Namgung On and Bing Yuhwa’s eyes met with a sharp spark.
Heuk and Jeok sighed with expressions that seemed to say, ‘It’s starting again.’
Namgung Baek was sipping his hot tea with an expression of indifference.
“Goodness.”
Namgung Ho pressed his temples as if he had a headache.
But Hong-seol was lost in deep thought.
‘Could it be that the Myo Clan... will come too?’
The mere thought made her heart ache. Namgung Ho’s heavy voice rang in Hong-seol’s ears.
“They say this year’s Anhui River Crossing will be held at the Yuseong Gate.”
The Yuseong Gate was a small-to-medium sect located in Hefei.
It was less than half a day’s journey from the Namgung Clan’s estate.
“Since it’s not far, why don’t you go this time, Yuhwa? It’ll be a chance to show your face to people after a long time.”
“I will do so, Father.”
While the adults were talking, Namgung Heuk whispered triumphantly to Hong-seol.
“Jeok and I went last year, too!”
“What do you do there, Brother?”
“The adults just drink, and the kids play games.”
“Games? What kind of games?”
“It changes every year. The elder of the hosting clan decides. Last year, I think it was archery, right, Jeok?”
“...”
There was no answer. Hong-seol was puzzled.
Now that she thought about it, Jeok, who was usually as bubbly as an excited puppy, was unusually quiet today.
“Hey! Namgung Jeok!”
“Yes? Yes! That’s right, it was archery.”
Startled, Jeok answered only after being called twice by his brother.
Then, he immediately returned to his sullen expression.
Leaning over the table, Heuk whispered lowly.
“Hey! Are you still thinking about that time your pants accidentally fell down?”
“A-ah, no, I’m not!”
As he said that, Jeok looked toward Hong-seol with his round, teary eyes.
He was worried she might hear.
‘Poor thing.’
Hong-seol had already heard everything, but she pretended not to know.
Just then, Namgung Ho’s voice rang out.
“Baek, how about you participate in the <Anhui River Crossing> this year, too?”
His voice seemed to carry a subtle expectation.
The gazes at the table gathered on Namgung Baek, who was drinking tea. He answered without hesitation.
“No. I will not go.”
Bing Yuhwa sighed and said.
“Baek, sometimes you need to show your face at such events...!”
“...I do not wish to play along with such children’s games.”
“I see. I understand your intentions.”
Namgung On, as the Clan Lord, quickly settled the situation.
At that moment, Namgung Jeok raised his hand high.
“I-I want to skip this time as well...”
“What are you saying, Jeok! You have to go.”
Though he dropped his gaze to the floor immediately at Bing Yuhwa’s words.
Once Namgung Jeok’s rebellion was easily suppressed, Namgung On spoke up.
“They say more martial families than usual will be attending this year. They say the Myo Clan will be coming as well.”
At those words, the little cat’s heart plummeted.
Hong-seol, who had been fiddling with her teacup, opened her small lips without realizing it.
“Who… who is coming from the Myo Clan?”
Could it be her younger sister, Ga-ryeong?
“They say the brothers Geum-myeong and Eun-myeong are coming.”
“...!”
At those words, every nerve in Hong-seol’s body stood on edge.
‘Geum-myeong and Eun-myeong are coming?’
The branch family brothers from the Myo Clan who used to feed her water steeped in rotting weeds.
The nasty faces that used to cackle at her vividly came to mind.
Feeling nauseous, she could no longer put the egg porridge she was holding into her mouth.
It felt as if the porridge smelled of rotting weeds.
Hong-seol set the bowl down on the table with trembling hands.
Namgung Baek watched her closely.
“And they say the Mistress, Jeok Galseon, is coming as well.”
‘Mother...?’
It was a name she hadn’t heard in a long time.
In that instant, Hong-seol’s mind turned into a complete mush.
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