“Ugh...”
Dang Soran groaned.
Her body felt as heavy as if it were soaked in water, unable to move.
Right before her eyes, Cheongwol and Han Seojin were clinging to each other affectionately.
Han Seojin’s hand swung sharply toward Cheongwol’s rear.
That plump, firm backside played freely in Han Seojin’s grasp.
“Ha... don’t...”
Dang Soran cried out, but her words scattered powerlessly.
The two, hearing nothing of it, only grew more intense in their play.
Han Seojin asked.
“...I like it. I like it, Clan Leader.”
Cheongwol replied in a coquettish tone.
Before she knew it, Han Seojin was completely naked.
That sturdy body she had seen by the lake was pressed tightly against Cheongwol.
Cheongwol seemed ready to die of shame, yet she refused to abandon her position.
Instead...
“Ugh... ugh...”
Her gaze turned toward Dang Soran.
Dang Soran squirmed on the bed, but the nightmare would not break.
“Senior.”
Cheongwol said.
“...The Clan Leader is mine.”
“Hah!!”
Only after hearing Cheongwol’s selfish declaration could Dang Soran finally bolt upright in bed.
“Haa... haa...”
It was early dawn.
She had gone to bed with a broken heart to prepare for tomorrow... only to plunge straight into such a nightmare.
Sweat poured down like rain, and her heart pounded as if she had just witnessed that scene.
Her hands and feet were numb.
...Was it because she had neglected herself?
Even her heart demon felt like it had grown larger.
The more she dwelled on it, the more depressed she became.
How could she neglect herself like this?
What about my heart demon? Why only Cheongwol’s?
Why did he only dote on Cheongwol? Why did he only spank Cheongwol?
What about me?
She had thought she was close to Han Seojin.
...To be honest, she had thought no friend was closer than Han Seojin.
For him to neglect her now doubled the pain.
Dang Soran examined her bed.
...Just a little while ago, Han Seojin had been sitting right there.
Sitting and spanking Cheongwol’s...
“...”
Unknowingly, Dang Soran was stroking the spot where Han Seojin had sat.
As if searching for the warmth he had left behind.
Dang Soran, who had placed her hand there with sinking eyes... soon furrowed her brow.
“...I hate you.”
Dang Soran whispered.
She would get angry.
Starting tomorrow—no, today—she would torment him as much as she was angry.
Until he begged for forgiveness.
“...”
...And until he once again... only for me...
Dang Soran shook her head to dispel the thought.
She steadied her momentarily weakened resolve.
Until he could never ignore her again.
****
Six shadowy figures gathered in the darkness.
“You know we’ve been found out. Things won’t go as smoothly as planned.”
“What about Wi Cheonsang, the division head?”
“He’s dead. No choice— we’ll have to scout someone else.”
“Heavens, how did we get exposed?”
“...Are you suspecting me right now?”
“Little Victory didn’t mean it that way. Hmm, looks like the Tang Clan of Sichuan has some sharp ones.”
Yeongcheon sat deep in thought.
How had they been found out?
It shouldn’t have been a connection that could be exposed.
And if the link between Baek Sahyeon and Wi Cheonsang was exposed, how many other already compromised connections were there?
This was bad news while they were still building their forces.
Just when they needed to inflate as much as possible, someone had stuck a needle in.
Who?
Who did it?
Who was interfering with him?
Who had seen through Wi Cheonsang’s intentions?
“...”
Still, he didn’t dwell on it long.
If they had stumbled once, they just had to stand again.
He had been thinking it was about time to act anyway.
“Where should we strike?”
As Yeongcheon whispered, the gazes of the remaining five turned to him.
“Division Head. Are we striking now?”
“Yes, it’s finally time.”
“Are we really doing this?”
Yeongcheon spread out a map and continued his deliberations.
He wanted to target the Wudang Sect the most, but they weren’t ready yet.
He needed a place substantial enough to break, yet one whose fall would cause a massive uproar.
That way, sympathetic forces would join them.
A place weak enough, yet prestigious enough.
Yeongcheon pointed to a spot on the map.
“Let’s issue a declaration of war.”
****
Heee-haw! The donkey wailed pitifully the moment it saw me.
Chattering away like it was tattling.
It brayed, neighed, and even croaked.
“...Heh.”
It had good reason.
Overnight, a highway had appeared in the donkey’s stylish black mane.
Its head hair was shaved bald on top, making it look like it was wearing an ugly bald cap.
And the characters written on its body.
Birds of a feather flock together.
...Was it trying to say I was just as ugly as that homely donkey?
I looked around.
“...”
“...”
I hadn’t expected her to be here, but there she was, not far off.
It was still early morning, yet she was bustling about.
Peeking her head out from the corner of some shabby inn.
“What’s this? You’re not a kid.”
When I asked, Dang Soran flinched... then whipped her head away.
“Hmph. You acted childish, Young Master—you were even more childish yesterday.”
“...What are you going to do about my donkey? It’s crying.”
“...Why don’t you ignore it like you ignored me yesterday!”
“...”
This brat.
What a headache first thing in the morning.
I had saved her from those weirdos, and this was how she repaid me?
The holy city was abuzz with one piece of news today.
Overnight, Jegal Yong had left the city.
Officially, there was no connection to Dang Soran, and everyone predicted it was chaos stirred by Wi Cheonsang to delay the wedding.
Yet here the person in question was.
With nothing better to do, she hovered around me.
“Haa.”
Just ignore her.
If I acted nonchalant, she’d slink away on her own.
I felt a bit relieved.
Her revenge might be more annoying than expected, but the intensity seemed lower too.
Maybe my life wasn’t in danger or anything.
I pulled a blade from my luggage bundle.
In front of Dang Soran, I shaved my morning stubble, then gave the ugly donkey a trim.
“Time for a new look, right?”
I gently stroked the donkey and spoke to it.
Fortunately, the donkey seemed pleased, its sorrowful expression easing as it grinned, gums bared.
“...Tch.”
An annoyed sound came from Dang Soran’s side, and by then, she had vanished.
.
.
.
“Uncles. I’ll step out to the outhouse for a bit.”
“Go ahead.”
I was eating lunch with the uncles when I headed to the outhouse.
In my hand was a small bowl.
Today’s meal was porridge Gu Yeong Uncle had gotten by selling info on Jegal Yong.
I clutched the bowl close and went to the outhouse.
No sense leaving food near the uncles—they might polish it off while I was gone.
At the outhouse, I checked my surroundings.
Fortunately, no one was around.
I didn’t want the foul smell seeping into my food, so I hid the porridge bowl in some bushes beside it and quickly handled my business.
“Phew!”
After a satisfying cleanup, I washed my hands in the outhouse water barrel and stepped out...
“...”
There was Dang Soran again.
She held my porridge bowl and glared at me.
Amid my disbelief, I barely managed to speak.
“...Miss Soran. Don’t you have anything to do today?”
“Tormenting you is my job.”
Look at her, saying it so boldly.
The eldest daughter of the Tang Clan of Sichuan now?
I had tried to think it was nothing at first, but now it seemed things might be more tangled than I thought.
“...They don’t bother dogs while they eat. Hand it over.”
“Pfft. You call this food? Isn’t this donkey chow?”
“...”
“Beggar. Total beggar. If I had to eat this every day, I’d stick my face in the plate and die.”
“You ate bug-ridden porridge just fine during our month of travel.”
“I only endured it for a month. But you? It’s your whole life. Idiot. I clearly gave you a chance to rise in status yesterday, but you turned it down. Now you can cry all you want—I won’t allow you by my side. Remember that.”
“...Yesterday wasn’t a joke?”
What? Did she seriously propose marriage...?
It wasn’t just her usual prank?
Dang Soran froze, bowl raised.
Her lips twitched, then she suddenly exploded.
“Of, of course it was a joke!! Who would marry a beggar like you!! No woman in the world would like a guy like you!! If one did, she’d be crazy!! And if there was one, I’d drag her back to her senses until I died!! You’ll live alone forever and die lonely—and I’ll watch!”
Of course.
I caught my breath and said.
“Got it. Now give me my food.”
“Pfft. After all that abuse, you still beg for food like a coward. Who leaves food in a place like this?”
“Give it back. I’m hungry.”
Dang Soran extended her hand as if to return it, then suddenly turned away and pulled it back.
She made a little devilish face and opened her mouth.
“Ptooey...”
Clear saliva dripped into my bowl.
Her eyes curved sharply.
Then, wiping her lips with her sleeve, Dang Soran offered the bowl with a satisfied look.
“Here. Eat up. It’s for you, Young Master.”
...Unbelievable.
“Good grief.”
Saliva? That’s nothing to a beggar like me.
We eat mushrooms caked in dog shit.
But from the Tang Clan’s eldest daughter... well, her mouth’s cleaner than anyone in the Central Plains. What’s the problem?
“Eat carefully.”
I took the bowl and dug back into my food with the spoon.
“W-Wait...!!”
Dang Soran panicked and clung to my arm.
“D-Don’t eat it!! It’s dirty!!”
“Not dirty. Go away. Stop interrupting my meal.”
“C-Come to the Tang Clan of Sichuan!! I’ll feed you!!”
“...You’ve got something weird prepared again.”
Dang Soran flinched guiltily.
Probably spicy food, given the region.
I wanted no part of it. Entangling myself with her pranks would be foolish.
I looked down at Dang Soran and kept shoveling food demonstratively.
To tease her, I said.
“It tastes even better with your saliva.”
“Eek!!”
Dang Soran flushed red watching me eat her spit...
Let out a groan.
“Di-Dirty! Beggar! Beggar Young Master!”
She shouted and fled.
Her sleeves fluttering as she ran.