The voices of the two rose with emotion. They traveled through the silent forest and reached the ears of those who slept lightly nearby.
Although two of the men who were sleeping soundly didn’t seem to hear anything, Tang Seon Yeong and Shin Ye Hwa had woken up at some point and were eavesdropping on the conversation.
He really is a greedy man.
And shameless too. In a world where capable men could freely take on multiple wives and concubines, it was hardly surprising. But that was only from a man’s perspective. Seen from a woman’s point of view, the story changed entirely.
A woman could pour out all her affection for one man, only to be repaid by being treated as just one part, not his whole. How unfair, how utterly unreasonable, was that?
But somehow… I think I already know Miss Jegal’s answer.
Even in the tender atmosphere between the two, she didn’t feel jealousy. She only allowed herself to wonder.
He had said it. That he liked her. If that were true, his confession would eventually come to her as well.
So she placed herself in Jegal Yeon Ji’s position and imagined herself in her place. If it were her, what choice would she make in that position?
It didn’t take her long to find the answer. And she was certain Miss Jegal’s answer wouldn’t be much different from her own.
Who could help but like that man?
If there was a single flaw, it was only a growing unease that the number of women he’d stand with might not end with her and Jegal Yeon Ji.
However, she trusted Baek Woo Jin. No matter the other women entangled around him, she believed he’d never let another woman take her place or forget to seek her out.
I’m confident I can make that happen.
Even in the slim chance that he ever did fall for someone else and stopped seeking her, she also had the confidence that she could bring him back.
In the heavy silence, a trembling voice broke through.
“Are you… really going to keep me by your side for life?”
“if you want so.”
A firm voice followed.
The sound of a cloak fluttering could be heard, and it wasn’t hard to guess that Jegal Yeon Ji had thrown herself into his arms. The two of them were now holding each other.
“Yes, yes… I’d like that.”
I’d love that so much, so very much.
The tearful note in her voice touched her heart and left a soft echo. The image of the two of them embracing stirred a pang of jealousy in Tang Seon Yeong, but she decided to let it go.
After all, she’d be next in line.
“Why, why are you doing that…?”
“Oh, no, I just suddenly felt a slight chill…”
Baek Woo Jin felt a shiver run down his spine.
While Tang Seon Yeong listened with a smile and was lost in her happy daydreams, Shin Ye Hwa, who was lying a little further away, had to swallow her frustration and her sleeves were wet with tears.
Why, why…
A complex wave of emotions she couldn’t put into words washed over her.
He was, without question, the person closest to her. And yet, he now felt so distant, as if he’d drifted far away.
She had been the one leading, but while she stumbled momentarily off the path, another runner had caught up in a straight line and taken her place.
“Woo Jin-ah… Woo Jin-ah…”
She kept muttering his name even though she knew he couldn’t hear her.
It was something she had prepared herself for to some degree. He had changed so much while she’d been lost and wandering. He had become that distant.
She had expected the pain, but it hit her harder than she imagined.
Watching someone she cared for deeply grow increasingly distant from her while drawing endlessly closer to someone else brought unbearable agony.
Her chest felt heavy and suffocating. It was as if a needle was being driven deep into her.
It hurts this much…!
What made it harder still was that her feelings for him, the very source of her pain, refused to fade in the slightest.
Only a bleak future stretched ahead. Bridging the distance between them was a challenge in itself, but even if she somehow restored their connection, she knew it would only mean competing among other women who were endlessly craving his love.
In letters from home, there were often mentions of marriage proposals from various families.
Some of them had vowed to love her passionately for the rest of their lives, and she thought that if she gave up on Baek Woo Jin, she could actually live a life where she would be truly loved by one man.
“But what am I supposed to do if I can’t let go!”
The problem was, even as she imagined this grim brutal reality, she couldn’t help but feel that if he reached out to her even just once, she would be fine with it.
“What am I supposed to do, what….”
Her mind had already shifted. She was consumed by one thought alone. And that is how to enter his inner circle.
As conflicting emotions twisted within her, the night passed swiftly.
…
…
…
…
Finally, the Divine Dragon Team who were now looking like a pack of beggars who had left to search for a new settlement at last reached Chengdu.
In their filthy state, they startled everyone passing by; people gasped, covered their noses, and fled in haste.
Deciding that the first priority was to wash off the exhaustion and grime built up on their bodies, they headed to an inn.
“Rooms, for a bunch of beggars? Get out of here, right now!”
The greedy innkeeper, whose plump flesh shook, spat on his hands and waved a club menacingly.
Baek Woo Jin could not stand it any longer, and with a cold smile, he pulled out the student medallion that identified him as a student of Jeongmu Academy.
“G-Gah!”
The innkeeper’s attitude shifted immediately.
“Oh, esteemed warriors! Please forgive my rudeness!”
With that, the divine dragon team secured a separate building at half the usual price. They drew hot water, washed themselves thoroughly, then enjoyed a hearty meal with enough food to nearly break the table legs before falling asleep early.
The next morning, as the team members gathered one by one around a modestly set breakfast table, Baek Woo Jin spoke.
“As soon as you finish eating, head straight to the regional branch of the Moorim Alliance and submit our report.”
With that, he handed Jegal Yeon Ji four pieces of the demonic stones he had pre-cut the night before, along with a map that marked locations where demons were likely to be, based on information provided by the Hao Sect.
“It’ll need to be verified, but focusing on these marked areas should make it easy to find the demons. Taking Baek Ho with you should make things perfect.”
The baby white tiger, which they had thought was only adorable, had proved unexpectedly useful. It had the ability to detect demons; the moment a demon entered its range of smell, it would race to locate it with pinpoint accuracy.
Whine! Whimper!
Baek Ho struggled desperately to return to the comforting embrace it had left.
“Baek Ho, help us just this once, alright?”
At Baek Woo Jin’s earnest plea, Baek Ho finally seemed to understand. It stopped resisting and settled into Jegal Yeon Ji’s arms.
“Haa…”
Jegal Yeon Ji let out a soft gasp. She was excited by the adorable sight of the obedient white tiger resting quietly in her embrace.
Jang Sam, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, raised his hand.
“Team Leader, are you planning to head to the Tang Clan?”
“Yes. It won’t do us any good to delay that visit.”
“Hmm. According to my fortune-telling, Team Leader’s luck is rather grim today. Your lucky color for today is blue…”
“Should we clear the table if everyone’s done?”
When he heard that, Jang Sam stopped his rambling and began to stuff food into his mouth.
They’d come to know that he was indeed a descendant of the Mosan Sect and had the unique ability to see spirits, but his fortunes had yet to be accurate, not even once.
Once they had all eaten enough, they left the inn. Baek Woo Jin and Tang Seon Yeong then separated from the rest of the group.
“You’ll be moving with the Demon Slaying Brigade, so there shouldn’t be too much danger, but take care of yourselves.”
He glanced at Jegal Yeon Ji, who was holding Baek Ho close with a slight pout.
“While I’m gone, Miss Jegal will act as team leader in my place. Lead the team well.”
“Yes…”
He leaned close to her ear. He could still see the discontent in her face.
“When this is over… let’s make some time just for the two of us.”
She finally smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically.
“Ju-Just trust me!”
She was so excited that her words came out a bit stammered.
Next, he looked at Shin Ye Hwa, who seemed oddly subdued. Without Baek Woo Jin around, her role would be crucial if they encountered any demons.
“Ye Hwa.”
“Y-Yes…”
He briefly wondered why she wouldn’t meet his gaze, but he didn’t have the time to dwell on it.
“Take care of the team. I’m counting on you.”
Why did that simple phrase—just that “I’m counting on you”—make her feel so happy?
Unconsciously, she nodded with a bright expression.
Right, I’ll make myself someone essential to Woo Jin first.
Ideally, she’d become someone irreplaceable to him out of love, but if that wasn’t possible yet, she resolved to become the most reliable and useful person by his side.
With Jegal Yeon Ji and Shin Ye Hwa newly determined, they set off toward the local branch of the Moorim Alliance.
As he watched their backs with the heart of a mother bird watching her fledglings take flight, Baek Woo Jin felt a sharp jab from Tang Seon Yeong’s finger in his side.
“Hmph… what did you say to Miss Jegal to make her walk off so energetically like that?”
Baek Woo Jin gave an awkward smile at her teasing tone.
“It was just a simple word of encouragement as their leader…”
“Am I supposed to believe that?”
“I’m asking you to let it go…”
“Well… alright.”
When Baek Woo Jin lowered his head slightly, he noticed her slender hand trembling faintly in his line of sight. She was pretending to be fine, but the thought of heading to the Tang clan was clearly making her nervous.
Quietly, he reached out and wrapped her hand gently in his.
“…Thank you.”
Her trembling eased a little at his touch.
When he gave her hand a gentle tug, they began to walk side by side. Chengdu was a vast and bustling city befitting the prestigious standing of the Tang Clan, but it wasn’t long before their relaxed pace brought them to their destination.
The trembling that had stopped for a moment returned. She looked up at Baek Woo Jin with uneven breathing and asked.
“Come to think of it… I don’t think I ever heard anything about a plan…”
It was only when they were nearly at the Tang clan grounds that she realized it. He had told her the goal but hadn’t shared a single word about how they would achieve it.
In response to her belated question, Baek Woo Jin flashed a confident smile.
“First, we charge in. Then, we’ll find the answers.”
“What…?”
While she was still reeling in shock, Baek Woo Jin strode quickly toward the grand entrance of the imposing Tang clan.
“Halt. Who are you… hmm?”
A martial artist from the Tang clan, who was standing at the gate with his hand raised to stop Baek Woo Jin’s approach, frowned when he noticed a familiar face beside him.
And it was then—
Baek Woo Jin stopped in his tracks, took a deep breath, and let out a thunderous call.
“Come here—!”
Seeing him cause a commotion the moment they arrived, Tang Seon Yeong who was standing beside him went pale as a sheet.
Leave a Reply