I Decided to Give the Contract to the Male Vassal - Chapter 87

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 87

Six days ago from now.

After finishing my outing with Yeo Gyeong-o, I returned to Cheongwolgung with Yujumyeong.

Jeong Chongwan was so flustered by the fact that I had returned with an unplanned dependent—a young boy with a strange appearance at that—that his face went blank.

Ignoring Jeong Chongwan’s reaction, I had the deeply shaded area behind my residence renovated into a dark room.

Sunlight was like poison to Yujumyeong, so he had to stay inside until his eyes became accustomed to light.

On the first day, he remained constantly vigilant of his surroundings and wouldn’t let Amhamason’s weapon leave his body.

He must have been anxious. The world he emerged into after eleven years would have been too bright.

Even at night, when the moon rose, he said it was too bright and refused to come out. When I tried to go outside, he grabbed my sleeve with a wistful expression.

So on the first day, I had no choice but to stay by his side.

I comforted Yujumyeong so he wouldn’t feel rushed, and decided to train him to gradually adapt to light using very dim lamps over the next few days.

Even if it took time, I believed time would wait for him.

Moreover, when I first brought him out on the night two days later, I learned that Yujumyeong was more knowledgeable about geography than expected. In darkness, he recognized objects and people better than anyone.

Surprisingly, he was also curious and wanted to follow me to explore my residence.

“Sorry, but you can’t enter my room carelessly.”

At my words, Yujumyeong tilted his head and asked back.

“Why? I want to be near Chung-rin. That shadow gets to stay together.”

Yujumyeong pointed to Hyeonjyo hidden in the shadows.

“Hyeonjyo is my guard, so it’s fine. He’s skilled in stealth techniques.”

As if struck by the word “guard,” Yujumyeong’s eyes sparkled.

“Then I want to learn stealth techniques! I’ll become Chung-rin’s guard too.”

From that day on, Hyeonjyo had to endure Yujumyeong’s intense stare attacks.

Watching Yujumyeong gradually adapt with a pleased heart, I focused on handling internal affairs of Cheongwolgung. When day broke, I also gave advice on the warriors’ formation training.

Correspondence with each palace also took place during this time.

The night I returned to Cheongwolgung after meeting even Hyeoncheonggungju Yuhwa.

“Chung-rin!”

Yujumyeong was waiting for my return under the moonlight.

“Jumyeong, don’t your eyes hurt?”

“Yeah. This much is fine. I’ve gotten much more used to it.”

After patting Yujumyeong’s shoulders, I entered the residence.

Today too, I could hear Yujumyeong pestering Hyeonjyo to teach him stealth techniques.

It seemed that even Hyeonjyo, a master of stealth techniques, couldn’t avoid Yujumyeong’s eyes that were accustomed to detecting presence.

“Hm?”

It was when I was about to enter. Yujumyeong raised his head.

A wolf with spiritual energy revealed itself from the darkness.

“Sorang!”

Sorang, whom I had sent to Wicheonso, had returned.

He must have brought his letter.

When I welcomed Sorang happily, Yujumyeong made a frightened expression.

Perhaps because their first meeting wasn’t very good, Sorang and Yujumyeong seemed to be wary of each other.

With me in the middle, Sorang and Yujumyeong began to observe each other.

“Sorang, this is Yujumyeong. He’s my person, so you can’t hurt him.”

“Woof!”

As if understanding, Sorang barked briefly.

Yujumyeong, who had been behind my back as if frightened, cautiously poked his head out.

“Does that thing bite?”

“I’ve told him well, so he won’t bite. Sorang is very clever.”

Unless Wicheonso commanded it, Sorang was intelligent enough that he probably wouldn’t bite Yujumyeong.

“May I take the letter?”

When I pointed to the message tube and asked Sorang, he raised his head high as if telling me to hurry up and take it.

I carefully took out the letter from the message tube while stroking Sorang’s neck.

Sorang raised his neck a bit more as if pleased.

Though I was curious about what Wicheonso had sent, I tucked the letter into my clothes for now.

“Jumyeong, get along well with Sorang. You too, Sorang.”

The two beings watched each other, then Sorang took the first step and approached Yujumyeong.

As if he would make the concession.

Yujumyeong also mustered courage and approached Sorang. The two became a bit closer.

It didn’t take long after that for Sorang and Yujumyeong to start playing together in the garden.

“Hm? You’re thirsty?”

Before I knew it, Yujumyeong was even offering water and food to Sorang.

“This is meat, Chung-rin gave it to me. The old man said I should cook it before eating too, but when I was hungry, I just ate it raw.”

As Yujumyeong murmured softly as if having a conversation with Sorang, Sorang also looked at Yujumyeong with a serious expression.

Seeing that, I thought it would be fine for me to step back now.

“I’m tired, so I’ll go inside now. See you later, Jumyeong.”

“Okay.”

Perhaps because he had made a friend at his eye level, Jumyeong’s expression had brightened considerably.

When I returned to my residence, Sawol and Okxiang welcomed me.

After washing my body clean and changing clothes, I entered the bedroom.

Then I checked the letter.

Do as you wish, my lady.

Though the letter I had sent was also brief, his reply was simple too.

It meant he trusted me.

Imagining Wicheonso’s voice saying that made my chest feel ticklish.

I think I was happy about the fact that there was someone who believed in me.

Under the flickering lamplight, I picked up a brush.

When will you return, my lord?

I stopped after writing that much.

I felt like I would be putting unnecessary burden on someone who had gone outside Cheonsan due to a mission given by the Leader.

So I stopped the reply I was going to send him and wrote a different letter instead.

I will accept the banquet invitation.

The recipient was Hwaumgungju Nosoggun.

The banquet was in seven days.

Nosoggun would want me to bring Wicheonso, but I had no intention of taking him.

Not only was he conveniently away, but even if he returned, I had no intention of moving together unless there was a special reason.

Before I knew it, the lamp flame cast long shadows.

I sat cross-legged and recited the Cheonryusimbeop that Wicheonso had taught me.

My internal energy had accumulated quite a bit after visiting Mujingyeop.

Though it was still lacking compared to Yuhwa and Nosoggun, with this level of internal energy, I should be able to protect myself even if I went to Hwaumgung.

❖ ❖ ❖

Three days after clearing up Bloodletting Hall, Wicheonso entered an inn in a small village slightly away from the western outskirts of Taehaengsan.

Wicheonso covered his face with a veil and wore simple black clothes.

When he entered the inn and placed chopsticks on top of a teacup, a servant approached and whispered.

“Sir, the meal has already been prepared in the guest room. Please follow me.”

And he guided Wicheonso elsewhere.

Wicheonso silently followed him.

The place the servant led him to was a shabby warehouse behind the inn.

Inside the warehouse was a middle-aged man. His eyes were unfocused, and he was trembling like an aspen tree as if he had experienced something terrible.

As soon as the man spotted Wicheonso, his eyes widened and he hid himself in a corner. As if being in the light would spell disaster.

“My lord.”

A figure emerged from the shadows and prostrated before Wicheonso.

He was a warrior from Geukryeondang and a subordinate of Wicheonso, whose role was to operate outside and gather intelligence closely.

He was also someone who had been searching for traces of his master Chung-rin for Wicheonso over the past 6 years.

“This man is….”

Wicheonso’s gaze settled coldly.

“That day, he was a porter from a piaoguo moving around the Northern Ridge of Mount Taishan in Shandong. It seems he witnessed the situation at that time.”

A witness.

The moment I heard those words, my heart raced.

All those who had been near the Northern Ridge at that time had vanished without a trace. Until now, there had been no witnesses.

But after years of searching and inquiring, they had finally found this man.

The man, as if he had been pursued by someone, had changed his name and spent the past 10 years hiding in a small village.

When Wicheonso took a step closer, the middle-aged man knelt first and bowed his head.

His face bore the marks of time, and his hands had deep calluses. Outwardly, he looked like an ordinary porter.

“Speak.”

Wicheonso’s voice trembled.

“Our piaoguo was taking a brief rest at the foot of Taehaengsan. But then… we saw a warrior in black clothes and a porter coming down from the ridge.”

The man said he had briefly left his post to relieve himself.

When he finished and returned to the camp, all the escorts and porters were dead.

The man said he barely held back from fainting and quickly hid himself in the bushes.

“I saw porters in black clothes loading something into a chest in our cart. It was a limp woman.”

Wicheonso’s heart began to beat wildly.

“She had a pale face, and her hair reached down to her waist. She was dressed in white martial robes, and wore a ring on her pinky finger.”

Everything pointed to his master Chung-rin.

At the thought that he had found traces of her, his heart felt like it would burst through his chest.

“But….”

The man hesitated.

“They said not to leave alive anyone who had seen this corpse.”

“Corpse… you said?”

Wicheonso’s dry lips twisted as they opened.

“Yes. I’ve done corpse transport work before, so I know well. That woman had drowned or something—her fingertips and face were pale, and her breath had stopped.”

Thud.

His wildly beating heart suddenly seemed to stop and roll down to the ground.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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