Chapter 59 - Martial Arts Masochist

Cheongwol momentarily lost all her senses. Her entire attention was drawn to him. Unlike the other commoners, Han Seojin wasn’t looking up at the inn. He walked casually through the crowd, as if he had a different purpose, completely unfazed. Cheongwol's gaze, along with Tang Soran's, was directed toward him. Cheongwol quickly turned her head to gauge Tang Soran’s reaction. Fortunately, she hadn't yet noticed Han Seojin’s presence. Following an inexplicable impulse, Cheongwol forced a deep, artificial smile onto her face. With a smile, she struck up an utterly pointless conversation, “By the way, senior...” Yet, Cheongwol's focus remained firmly on Han Seojin. He weaved through the crowd, suddenly clearing his throat loudly and then started singing with a mediocre skill. It was a mess. His rhythm was off, and his voice cracked. Additionally, he lost the beat midway and embarrassingly restarted the song. The sight almost made Cheongwol laugh—it was oddly endearing, rather than foolish. However, she subdued her amusement when she thought of Tang Soran. Honestly, a part of her was frustrated. Wasn’t he the one who was nowhere to be found when she was looking for him, and now he was making a scene and singing in front of the inn filled with notable figures? What if he got caught by Tang Soran? …Or is that what he wanted to happen? She should’ve gotten angrier that day. "What? If you behave, we’ll play?" He’s crazy. What makes him think he’s so important? …There's no play happening in Songdo, so I'll see you back at Emei Mountain. Then I’ll really give him an earful. Cheongwol's eyes darkened. Yes, she needed to give him a piece of her mind. So, he'd never think of running away again. …So he’d never leave without warning. “...Wol-ah? Are you really okay?” “Huh? Ah, yes. I’m fine.” No matter what, she decided to ignore whatever antics he was up to at that moment. Cheongwol sneaked one last glance at Han Seojin. She was startled when she realized he was looking intently back at her. She concealed her momentary agitation by taking a deep breath. To hide her surprise, she softly pretended to look out the window. Despite this, her peripheral gaze stayed fixed on him. He, too, was watching her. Amidst the teeming crowd, Cheongwol couldn't shake the feeling that a strange connection was forming between them. Han Seojin gestured with his hands toward her. From his gestures, Cheongwol inferred what he was trying to communicate. Han Seojin pointed to the ground repeatedly. ‘...Today.’ He pointed at the sun high in the sky and moved his hand slowly westward. ‘...In the evening.’ Then he pointed toward the narrow alley connected to the inn. ‘...To that alley.’ Cheongwol's heart tightened. Was he inviting her to play? Was he commenting on her recent good behavior? …She found it laughable. That wasn’t her intention. She hadn’t behaved well to play. What on earth was Han Seojin misunderstanding? Nonetheless, her breathing quickened, and her fingertips tingled. He was once again inviting her into his world. This time, there would be no Tang Soran. A play to be shared by just the two of them. Her feet shuffled restlessly, her hands twitching. She knew she should’ve averted her eyes, yet she couldn’t stop watching his movements. Han Seojin brought his hands to his face and drew something. ‘...Wear a mask.’ Then Han Seojin turned and disappeared. What's he worried about? Of course, if she's going, she'd wear a mask... “...!” Cheongwol tightly shut her eyes. No. She wouldn't go. This was Songdo. The recent commotion surrounding archaic demons had been the fiercest lately. Pent-up desires, unresolved feelings, the complicated emotions regarding Tang Soran, irritation from encountering Mookryong, and the constant gaze of crowds and their ceaseless chatter were all weighing on her. If she were at Emei Mountain, she could find solitude. She could hide in the mountains where no one would come looking. But Songdo wasn’t like that. Perhaps it was more challenging for that reason. ...However, that didn't mean she wished to play even here. There were too many people around. Countless martial artists from the central plains had gathered here to see the prominent figures. A strict schedule was already set, and it wasn’t easy to shirk it. Even now, see for yourself. Voices pouring in from all directions worshipped her not as a mere human being but as something sacred. “Lady Cheongwol! Please smile just once for us!” “The world's greatest beauty!” “What are you saying? Lady Tang Soran is!” “Both are so beautiful they leave us blind!” “If you weren’t a nun of Emei Sect, I would've devoted my life to you!” Sarcasm disguised as humor, or perhaps countless expectations, were constantly aimed at her. And now, to enjoy this? If caught, everything would end. Everything she built would crumble. Not even the most lustful courtesan would dare such folly. It was unrealistic, unsensible. As a nun, she especially shouldn’t. That’s when Baekdam, a martial artist from the Huashan Sect, made a proposal to everyone. “With not much time left before we part ways, how about sharing a drink tonight?” Cheongwol knew that it wasn’t just about sharing a drink. In part, it was a proposal to forge bonds. Everyone seemed to have the same thought and nodded in agreement. “What about Lady Cheongwol...” Cheongwol was the last one remaining. ...Yes. This was the right thing to do. Here, promising young talents from prestigious families and sects had gathered. What harm could come from getting closer to them? It was not a connection to be discarded for Han Seojin’s antics. This was for the best. Cheongwol felt relieved by Baekdam’s proposal. She no longer needed to engage in trivial conflicts in her mind. Everything she had done in the past few days, even the forced actions, were for herself. For the prestige of the Emei Sect. It wasn't done for that play. **** “Phew...” I calmed myself. I just have to hope the plan goes well. I’m not even sure if Cheongwol will come. Cheongwol was the one who went wild in Songdo, claiming that engaging in an SM play was insane. Frankly, I wholeheartedly agree with her on that. It was a plan I concocted in desperation. Yet, a promise is a promise. Whatever the reason, Cheongwol had kept a low profile over the past few days, even making peace with Mookryong. Whether it was all for preserving her own reputation or not, I was bound by my commitment. Breaking promises is a privilege reserved for the strong; the weak have no choice but to humbly follow through once a promise has been made. My heart raced, driven either by fear of Cheongwol's possible arrival or... the anticipation of a new play? I honestly couldn't tell. It's at times like these that I realize how impossibly complex humans are. Cheongwol still terrified me to no end, but my genuine interest in SM play meant I couldn’t help but hold a faint hope. Please, Cheongwol, you crazy girl, don't show up. …Or no, please do show up. No, maybe not. Or maybe come so we can… The streets of Songdo were filled with a cacophony of voices spilling from the crowd. Songdo had been a literal festival site for the past several days. I’d heard tidbits about how the Tang family generously spread money around to make people happy, despite it not being abundant. Unlike other sects, the Tang family, with their sales of poisons and hidden weapons, was quite wealthy. In the world of martial arts, theirs could arguably be called the most commercial family. Perhaps because they had gathered post-reform talents and Tang Soran was maintaining active engagements, it seemed the Poison King was working hard to elevate the atmosphere. ...Did I pick the wrong day? It seemed like there were more people gathered than usual. Assuming Cheongwol appeared, I would need to manage the entire play scenario. Would it even be possible? I waited for quite some time. ...But Cheongwol didn’t show up. As the orange sky darkened, the city streets were beautifully illuminated by red lanterns. As people’s spirits heightened, the streets became increasingly crowded. That’s when I thought. ...I guess she's not coming. She was right. Who would engage in such antics here in Songdo? I peered out from the narrow alleyway, listening to the sounds carried by people’s voices. "They say the post-reformation talents have forged connections!" "Did you hear? There's no better match than them, right? Although Namgoong Yeon seems a bit awkward..." "Still, with Millennium Flower and Dokbong in the gathering, isn't it? They call it the Hidden Dragon Meeting! A name worthy for such a meeting!" I let out a deep sigh. ...Cheongwol in the Hidden Dragon Meeting? Is this for real? She's more suited for the Seven Heavens of Demonic Cult... Or perhaps she’d do both. That seems problematic in its own way... “They say they’re gathered at Chuiunru, having drinks! We should go have a look! When could we see them all gathered like this again?” I nodded. Cheongwol was probably sipping tea with them at the gathering. Good. That brings me peace. Whatever the case, I kept my promise. If Cheongwol didn’t come, that’s on her. "Oh, but I heard Millennium Flower isn't there." "Huh? But she made peace with Mookryong..." ...Huh? What do you mean— —Thunk! At that moment, something seized my shoulder. “Ugh!” Startled, I spun around. It was a narrow alleyway where only one person could pass through. Behind me, a woman blocked my path. Different colored clothes from that day. A different colored mask. Yet I knew all too well who she was. “...” “...” Neither of us spoke. An awkward air hung between us. But even amid the silence, we both knew why we had gathered... We both understood all too well.