I Decided to Give the Contract to the Male Vassal - Chapter 88

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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 88

– His breath had stopped.

With those words, the thread-like hope that had endured for over 10 years quietly snapped.

The expectation that he might be alive somewhere.

The imagination that someday they might meet again, and he could show his changed appearance.

He had no choice but to acknowledge now that it had all been nothing but illusion.

Silence stretched long.

“…What happened after that?”

Wicheonso’s voice settled heavily.

The man pressed his head deeper into the ground.

“The cart carrying the corpse went down the old road of Bungneung. Since the cart itself belonged to our escort agency, I don’t know their identity.”

“Then why did you hide all this time?”

“That day, I heard rumors that everyone who had been near Bungneung was killed. The moment I heard that, I thought it was their doing. I thought if they knew I was alive, they would come to kill me too.”

The man spoke as if sobbing, his forehead pressed against the ground.

‘Master…’

Wicheonso felt his heart collapsing.

He barely managed to harden his expression and maintain his composure.

Part of the emotions he had been desperately suppressing seemed ready to overflow and consume him.

Emptiness.

And despair that covered even that emptiness crashed over him.

Wicheonso asked no more questions and came outside.

As soon as he emerged, his subordinate stiffened and prostrated himself. Though he thought he hadn’t shown it outwardly, the flow of internal energy he had released seemed unusual.

“Extract all the information you can get from that man.”

If his master had died that day, he could delay no longer.

He could not forgive the Heavenly Tiger Alliance that had driven his master to death.

Revenge for losing his master was a disciple’s duty.

This was not the time to be consumed by overwhelming grief.

Yet his heart refused to move from where it stood.

It was a situation where he could fall into qi deviation.

“Don’t kill that man, just give him appropriate compensation for his trouble.”

“I shall obey your command.”

After saying this much, Wicheonso finally left that place.

The wind of Taehaengsan was still cold.

To Wicheonso, everything felt like empty void.

Chung-rin was gone.

Nowhere in the martial world.

The cottage in Shandong where he had lived with her had vanished without a trace, and no one even knew of her death.

In the midst of all this, someone had taken Chung-rin’s corpse away.

When his hope that she might be alive was severed, strangely, part of his heart went slack.

It was strange.

Over that empty heart, the image of Chung-rin flashed.

He thought that her boldness in proposing to give him the Mageyo, despite looking so fragile she might collapse at any moment, resembled his master Chung-rin.

‘…Stop.’

Wicheonso instinctively cut off the continuing thoughts.

To try to cover the void left by losing Chung-rin with another person – that could never be allowed.

Immediately after, Wicheonso set his departure for Cheonsan later than originally planned.

Though he appeared the same outwardly, something inside seemed to have broken.

Qi deviation directly affects the operation of internal energy.

Even to hide his shaken heart and maintain composure, he had to take a longer route.

❖ ❖ ❖

It was when several more days had passed while handling Cheongwolgung’s affairs.

Early in the morning, I received an edict from Gyojeon.

It said that Mahu Seoyeonwol was looking for me.

“What business could Mahu have in summoning the Palace Master?”

Sawol busily moved her hands, decorating my hair. Okxiang trimmed my nails and applied fragrant oil.

“Who knows.”

Mahu would be hoping I would uncover the truth.

Perhaps she wanted to press me about how close I had gotten to the truth.

Even though she had taken my side at the Cheonmu Festival, she was still Mahu.

Before her, I always had to be careful with my actions.

I needed to be firmly armed so no careless gaps would appear, so I entrusted myself to Sawol and Okxiang.

As soon as noon arrived, I boarded the carriage that Jeong Chongwan had prepared.

It was my first official outing from Cheongwolgung.

“Palace Master.”

Okxiang secretly handed me a letter. It must have been from Yeo Gyeong-o.

Today at early evening hour, at the place where we parted.

Though it was a brief message, it was certainly about something important.

‘Did he find something about the Ma Ryeonghwa Family?’

Hwaumgung’s banquet was in three days.

If Yeo Gyeong-o had obtained decent information, I would be able to observe carefully when I went to Hwaumgung this time.

Exactly one hour later, the carriage I was riding entered Gyojeon.

At that time, Eunwolgung was open.

If Eunwolgung had looked like a tomb before, now it had been decorated here and there, giving it a calm feeling imbued with autumn’s spirit.

It was a scene that revealed there had been changes in Mahu’s state of mind during this time.

“Welcome.”

Mahu Seoyeonwol and her close aide Lady Molyeon were waiting for me.

Lady Molyeon served me tea from Seolsan.

“I called you because I wanted to drink tea.”

I had expected her to interrogate me about how things were progressing, but she didn’t.

“I shall brew it.”

“No, I’ll do it.”

Mahu personally brewed the Seolsan tea and poured it before me.

“My skill is still clumsy, but I hope it suits your taste.”

I immediately took a sip of the tea.

Though she hadn’t perfectly captured Seolsan’s fragrance, it showed signs of her efforts during this time.

“It has Seolsan’s fragrance. And it feels very nostalgic.”

Though I had never actually been to Seolsan, this feeling was genuine.

Perhaps it was because Eokmu had sent me a letter a few days ago.

He said he would return to Seolsan for a while but would come back to see me again.

Though I wasn’t really family, reading the words in his letter conveyed his affection for me, making my feelings strange.

That was probably why I felt this way.

“I hear you’re attending Hwaumgung’s banquet?”

That Mahu knew this fact meant she had investigated me.

She had been the one who refused to act, secluding herself in Eunwolgung until now. That made this change all the more surprising.

“Yes, that’s what happened. The Hwaeum Gungju treats me well. I… have almost no one I could call a friend in Cheonsan, having been confined for 10 years.”

“‘Almost none’ means you do have some.”

Mahu smiled slightly.

“The Third Prince, perhaps.”

‘No, that can’t be right.’

Swallowing that thought, I carefully began to speak.

“Miss Yeonriri of the Yeomhwa Family was very kind to me.”

“Wasn’t that the place that kept you confined?”

Mahu also seemed to have heard news about Yeonhopyeong, as she slightly furrowed her brow.

“I heard that the members of the Yeomhwa Family are under house arrest due to the apostate issue.”

“Yes. But I heard that Miss Yeonriri blocked the apostate in front of Gyojeon.”

I subtly conveyed the fact that not all of the Yeomhwa Family were apostates.

As if understanding my meaning, Mahu showed a faint smile at the corner of her mouth.

“You wish for that friend to be safe.”

“How could I dare make such a request to Mahu?”

I bowed my head.

Just mentioning it once was enough.

Since the Leader had no intention of expelling the Yeomhwa Family, both Yeonjo and Yeonriri would eventually be released.

“I was just worried that Miss Yeon might not be able to participate in the Cheonmu Festival, where the pillars of our sect compete in strength.”

“That much I can arrange for you.”

“I’m grateful just for your words.”

“It’s not just words. I called you here to fulfill your wish.”

I was a bit surprised because Mahu’s words were unexpected.

Both during the Cheonmu Festival and when we met afterward, she had been somewhat cold toward me.

But now that we were alone together, even the way she looked at me was different.

“I like you. But since it could make things harder for you, I simply didn’t show it.”

Mahu explained the part I would be curious about first.

“I can only be grateful. I will strive to be of help to Mahu.”

When I stood up and bowed, Mahu nodded and gestured for me to sit comfortably.

“Don’t worry about your friend’s matter, and tell her to prepare to show her skills at the Cheonmu Festival.”

This meant she would also allow me to exchange letters with Yeonriri.

After repeatedly expressing my gratitude, we had a pleasant conversation about life in Cheongwolgung.

And when it was time to return, she said:

“You told the Leader that you don’t want the position of Young Leader to remain vacant.”

“It’s for the future of our sect.”

“Indeed.”

She nodded as if hearing something else in my answer.

“I heard that the Third Prince completed his mission recently. Hasn’t he returned to Cheongwolgung yet?”

“Pardon? I haven’t heard any news.”

Since he hadn’t sent a letter, I thought it would take longer.

The thought that Wicheonso might have returned to Cheongwolgung made me feel pleased.

On top of that, the fact that he hadn’t sent me news of his return strangely bothered me.

❖ ❖ ❖

After leaving Gyojeon, the place I headed to was a path under the northern ridge of Cheonsan, where pine tree shadows stretched long.

The wind was cold, and it was a quiet place where not even footsteps echoed.

On the day I returned from Mujingyeop, I had parted with Yeo Gyeong-o on that path.

I arrived there with my face covered by a silk veil.

A man wearing a bamboo hat sat on a rock, emptying a water bottle.

“Did you wait long?”

“No.”

He checked the now-empty water bottle and let out a shallow sigh.

From the looks of it, despite his answer, he seemed to have waited quite a while.

“Are you keeping the Death Core safe?”

“I’ve stored it in Chomundan’s secret vault. No one but me can see it.”

When he removed his bamboo hat, it revealed not the Chomundan Leader but Chung-rin.

“Still, thanks to it, I was able to understand the structure of the Ma Ryeonghwa Family a bit more.”

His throat seemed parched as he fiddled with the water bottle cap.

“Did you confirm the relationship between the Ma Ryeonghwa Family and Hyeolcheon-gyo?”

“Not completely, but I found connections in records about Hyeolcheon-gyo.”

Yeo Gyeong-o handed me a scroll. It was transaction records written by Hyeolcheon-gyo.

“The records of them buying medicinal herbs seemed more like records of buying people. It might be possible to connect it with the Ma Ryeonghwa Family.”

The illusions and undead I saw at Mujingyeop came to mind.

“To know for certain, we’d have to investigate the Ma Ryeonghwa Family.”

“If I go to Hwaumgung, I’ll observe the Second Prince’s movements.”

When the topic of Hwaumgung came up, Yeo Gyeong-o frowned.

He already seemed to know that I had accepted Hwaumgungju’s invitation.

“You’ll need to be careful. The Second Prince is a cunning snake.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I was about to turn and leave after answering.

Yeo Gyeong-o took a deep breath and added, as if exhaling:

“About Sobaek, whom you asked me to find… that person might be alive.”

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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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