Chapter 89 The woman, beyond exhaustion, watched the old woman blankly before turning her head away.
"Isn't it strange? If one were to visit one of Hangryong's four branches—including Chwihyang Garden—there would be no need to suffer like this. Yet each of them has some unavoidable reason to climb all the way up to Hangryong…."
Namgung Jeok-myeong agreed in an indifferent tone.
"I have heard that the fees demanded by Hangryong are not small. I am surprised there are more people than expected."
"Because of that, those with means send servants to wait in their stead or even tolerate buying and selling positions in line. At times, it feels like a marketplace."
Her explanation flowed smoothly.
After describing the various scenes unfolding before them for Yeo Il, Namgung Jeok-myeong clicked his tongue briefly.
"To merely observe such a situation without intervening. It seems the Gate Master of Hangryong has an even more troublesome disposition than expected."
His instincts are sharp.
Bang!
The tightly shut main gate, which had remained closed since Yeo Il and Namgung Jeok-myeong entered, suddenly swung open. A man strode in, face flushed with fury, and raised his voice in protest.
"How dare you tell me to leave when I have come under the command of the Taesang Gaju!"
All eyes turned toward the disruptive guest.
"Vice Gate Master! Come out and explain yourself! Do you know how much the Taesang Gaju of the Jegal Clan, Lord Jegal Yong-hyeon, has invested in Hangryong—how can you cast us out— Hrk!"
A sudden gust of wind struck, and the man's body was helplessly shoved back out the gate.
He tried desperately to cling to a pillar, but it did not appear he would last long.
As though unwilling to show his face to the man, Namgung Jeok-myeong quietly turned his back and asked the woman,
"Do the two gates behind Bodhidharma carry different meanings?"
The woman answered calmly, as if such commotion were nothing new.
"Of course. The left gate is for ordinary people like us, who wait endlessly for an answer. The right gate is only for those qualified to meet the Gate Master directly."
This time, Yeo Il spoke first.
"Then why were we directed to the left gate?"
"Hmm? Ah, well. I too have come to make a request, so I would not know such de—"
Before she could finish, Yeo Il produced a letter from Seol Seorin.
"It is a letter from the Master of Chwihyang Garden."
"..."
"Now that you have tested us, perhaps we should go inside."
In an instant, all surrounding noise vanished. Silence settled like dawn mist.
Within that silence, the woman accepted the letter and unfolded it. Namgung Jeok-myeong stepped closer to Yeo Il, drawing her shoulder in.
"You recognized her identity well."
Yeo Il replied lightly,
"You had already noticed and kept speaking to her, Brother."
"To a degree. But to think that…"
His gaze shifted to the long line stretching from the gate to the grand hall.
Those who had been standing in neat rows were now parted to either side, forming a path while watching them.
"…that every single one of them belongs to Hangryong. Though I have never met the Gate Master, that person must be both sinister and thorough indeed."
Returning the letter to Yeo Il, the woman smiled in a voice now sweet and gentle.
"Were you surprised? It was the Gate Master's instruction. We were told not to accept clients for eight days, as distinguished guests might arrive."
[This road has been as quiet as a dead mouse lately… Be careful. One should not travel a road devoid of people.]
Then that spy must have belonged to Hangryong as well.
"By 'guest,' do you mean Uncle Namgung Pae?"
"Hmm. I would not know about that. In any case… please follow me. I will escort you inside."
A distinguished guest of none other than the Gate Master of Hangryong. It did not feel promising.
Yeo Il subtly lifted her elbow to confirm the position of the sword at Namgung Jeok-myeong's waist.
As they moved inward, she pretended to wipe sweat from her brow with her sleeve while carefully surveying the structure of the corridors connecting the shrines. Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—the layout of Hangryong remained unchanged.
A door opened.
Soon, they were guided into a space so warm it felt as though flesh might melt.
All light was blocked out; only a soft yellow lamp illuminated the room. The walls were filled with old Buddha statues.
…This room.
This would become troublesome.
No sooner had they sat than over a dozen women entered, laying out lavish dishes, wine, and tea.
"The Gate Master is currently with another client who arrived earlier. Please rest comfortably. I will return shortly."
Clack.
Once the women withdrew,
Yeo Il immediately heightened all her senses. As she sensed Namgung Jeok-myeong quietly lifting a teacup beside her, she reached out and seized his wrist.
"There will be poison."
"…Poison?"
"Not only the tea. All the food here."
After a brief pause, Namgung Jeok-myeong slowly set the cup down.
"You seem familiar with this place. Have you come here many times?"
"No. I have simply heard many things from various sources."
"Then may we assume the Gate Master intends to eliminate us?"
"I cannot be certain yet. This is merely one of the Gate Master's methods of selection. Only distinguished guests are brought to this room."
"To serve poison to distinguished guests—that is Hangryong's way? Truly perplexing. Could it be related to Uncle Pae?"
"It likely has nothing to do with him."
Probably.
After a moment of silence, Namgung Jeok-myeong spoke quietly.
"One question."
"Go ahead."
"If this is a method of selection, does that mean we must act according to the Gate Master's desired direction? For example."
His fingertips lightly touched the cooling teacup.
"That one of the two must swallow the poison."
"..."
"The Gate Master of Hangryong is said to know everything in the world. Surely that person would already know you have been in this room before."
"I clearly said I have never been here."
Namgung Jeok-myeong paid no heed to her lie.
"And yet the same method is repeated… It leaves little choice but to think we are being forced into one."
At his keen deduction, Yeo Il smiled faintly.
"That is correct. The Gate Master likely wants a hostage. It makes steering the conversation easier."
"A hostage? You? Or me?"
Obviously you.
But Yeo Il kept her silence. Even as a precaution, she intended to eliminate any suggestion that she had prior acquaintance with the Gate Master.
"Who can say?"
"I did not ask before, as it seemed unnecessary… but Soyo, you climbed all the way here because of something ultimately related to Uncle Namgung Pae. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Then I will drink the tea."
He lifted the cup without hesitation. Yeo Il grasped his hand again and asked, her voice stripped of warmth,
"What of mine do you trust, to entrust your life so readily?"
"What do I trust? Have you already forgotten who said that one must enter the tiger's den to catch the tiger?"
The warmth of his hand gently lowered hers.
"We have already entered the den… Now all that remains is to catch the tiger cub."
With that, Namgung Jeok-myeong swallowed the tea without the slightest hesitation.
Thud.
A dull sound followed as the table trembled.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Namgung Jeok-myeong's upper body collapsed across the table. Yeo Il looked down at the back of his head, motionless as if dead.
"There was no need to fall so immediately."
"..."
"Good enough. Once you hear my voice, begin regulating your qi. I will ensure not even an ant can enter, whether it is the Gate Master or anyone else."
Namgung Jeok-myeong had offered his life. Yeo Il would respond in kind.
Even if she did her utmost, she would not promise success.
The Gate Master of Hangryong. If that person truly recognized her—
Coming all the way to Hangryong may have been a grave mistake.
She drew the sword from Namgung Jeok-myeong's waist and stepped out of the room.
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