Chapter 23

Euigang, who’d been staring at the identification plaque with shaking eyes, slowly lifted his head. “This plaque... It’s not yours, is it?”
“Looks like I can’t fool you. You’re right. It’s my father’s.”
Wan’s father, Namgoong Mucheol, was the head of the Namgoong clan and one of the eleven strongest fighters in the martial world.
“But that means...”
Wan raised a hand, cutting Euigang off. “Don’t worry. I’ve already received permission from my father.”
Euigang was at a loss for words.
“He’d figured that with Divine Physician gone, he would never get the chance to use it, anyway. But now that we’ve found him... If the Divine Physician were to go into hiding again, what use would this thing be?” Wan leaned toward the table. “Euigang, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’ve sent my subordinates to keep an eye on the Divine Physician, but there’s no telling when he’ll disappear again.”
He sighed and righted himself when Euigang gave no response. “It’s your choice. I won’t pressure you.”
Euigang’s clenched his fists on the table, his knuckles turning white.
“Besides, I don’t intend to hand it over for free.”
He looked at Wan inquisitively.
“I have a favor to ask you,” Wan said.
“A favor?”
Wan let out a deep sigh, his brows pinching involuntarily. “It’s about... my son, Ryuchung.”
“Did something happen to him?” Euigang asked in surprise.
“No, nothing like that. If anything, that’s the problem.”
Puzzling through Wan’s response, Euigang hardened his expression at the voice calling from outside.
“Master Euigang, Master Euigang!”
“What is it?”
“Forgive me for interrupting, but... The mistress has sent a message.”
Euigang’s face stiffened even further. He had specifically instructed Eondu not to let anyone else in, so for him to report anyway could only mean that whoever had arrived had been extremely stubborn and unreasonable. Rising from his seat, he said, “I’ll meet them outside, so tell them to wait.”
“There’s no need for that.” Wan leaned back in his chair, his customary arrogance back on his face as he jerked his chin. “Send ’em in. Ha, I’m dying to hear it.”
* * *
The children trudged along in their fine silk clothes. Everyone who saw them quickly bowed their heads, but the children ignored them as though used to such deference, busy talking among themselves.
“Ugh, I thought I was gonna die of boredom. Why does Grandfather want us to go to school anyways?”
“He’s sending us there for our own good.”
“You didn’t want to go either!” Pyo shouted at Myung’s reply.
“Well, I don’t think it’s that bad,” Ak said.
“What? You traitor. Myung, what are you doing now? I’m itching for a spar!”
A few days ago, the time and frequency of the twins’ spars with the Baengri disciples had been limited to a strict schedule. At first the twins had been enraged, demanding to know who would place such a restriction on them, but as soon as they found out that it was their Uncle Euigang, they’d tucked their tails between their legs.
Myung smiled apologetically at them. “Sorry, I have to go see Riri.”
“Again? Just how long is she going to sulk?”
“Right. You must be annoyed, too. I mean, why’s she making such a big deal out of nothing? If it were up to me, I’d smack—”
“Enough, Pyo.”
He scoffed. “Fine.”
“She’s younger than you. Be kind to her.” Myung patted Pyo on the shoulder with a benevolent smile.
Ak snickered and interlocked his hands behind his head as he mumbled, “Yeah, Riri’s positively adorable compared to her.”
“Ugh, why’s that Yeon always around these days? It’s pissing me off.”
“It’s like she thinks she’s a real Baengri now. Unbelievable. She’s total trash who can’t even fight. Please.”
“Exactly! Why’s she coming to school? Is she crazy? I don’t want to be lumped in with her!”
“Pyo, Ak.” Myung called the twins, his voice filled with warning, before flicking his eyes toward their surroundings.
Pyo shut his mouth warily and Ak said with a hint of worry, “Myung, the gatekeepers—”
“It’s fine.”
Myung meant that the gatekeepers were all Grandmother’s men. Ak was visibly relieved at his older cousin’s answer. Myung hid his contempt at the twins’ foolishness. To think that they’d caused such a scene without even knowing whose people the gatekeepers were…
He recalled their interaction with Yeon earlier that day. “Do you know that bodyguard in the bamboo hat who was standing behind Yeon?”
One guard’s tattling likely wouldn’t be much trouble. After all, they’d acted discreetly enough to dodge any accusations against them. He’d only asked to confirm his guess, but Ak replied, “That wasn’t her bodyguard.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so either. Yeon came to school with that one servant and Uncle Euigang.”
“Really? Then was he just a guest?”
“Isn’t he just a nobody?”
“Yup. It seemed like he couldn’t even get through the gates.”
“I see.”
Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. Just looking at the uncontrollable twins gave Myung a headache. “Don’t do that again in front of others though, all right?”
“So long as she stays out of my sight.”
“Baengri Pyo.”
Pyo stuck his lips out and sprinted ahead by himself. Ak shouted behind him, “Hey, wait up!”
Myung sighed and shook his head, beckoning to the servant behind him. “Give that to me.”
In the hands of the servant who carried the twins’ books on his back was a box made of dark wood and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. It was the box that Yeon had given Pyo. Just as the servant was about to hand the box over, Ak snatched it away. Myung frowned at him in slight disapproval.
The younger boy flinched and explained, “I mean, what do you want this garbage for anyway? Riri would probably just want a toy instead. I’ll take one to her later.”
“Sure... Fine.” Myung smiled in resignation. He hadn’t wanted to deliver it, anyway.
“Hey, you, throw this away.” Myung turned away as Ak tossed the box toward the servant following them.
Passing through the garden filled with pear blossom trees and white peonies, and entering the circular door set into the white wall, he saw a fancy pavilion before him. A servant cleaning the stone stairs of the pavilion noticed him and quickly bowed.
“Where’s my mother?”
“She went to visit the mistress, young master.”
“And Riri?”
“The young miss is with her nanny and companion.”
Myung nodded and entered the pavilion. Inside the room was a middle-aged woman and two young girls. One of the girls, sitting in the woman’s arms wearing a beautiful dress, was too busy playing with her marbles to even look toward the open door.
The middle-aged woman politely greeted Myung before addressing the girl, “Young miss, the young master is here.”
“Riri.”
She immediately turned away as soon as he called her name. Myung sighed. “Riri, Your brother’s just come back from school but you won’t even say hello?” The girl glanced at Myung and pouted before turning away once more. Myung sat next to her and spoke to her gently. “Riri, guess who I saw at school today?” He didn’t wait for her answer. “I saw Hong and Yeongyeong, and Joah, too.”
Riri slowly started to turn her head toward Myung.
“Joah was especially sad that she couldn’t see you.”
She began to tear up when she heard her brother speak of her best friend, Kang Joah, but she puffed her cheeks and mumbled, “I-I’m still not going.”
Riri had cried and screamed for the past few days, refusing to go to school. Their father felt too guilty about yelling at her the other day to take a firm stand, and they couldn’t afford to raise a fuss, either. If word got out to Grandfather, Riri would only be in more trouble.
But she couldn’t use the excuse of being sick forever. The longer Riri didn’t go, the more Yeon would move ahead. After classes, Myung had held a meeting with his friends, all from renowned families. Some of them had started showing interest in the infamous Yeon. As a qi waste, Yeon herself might have been worthless, but her father Baengri Euigang was a completely different story. Myung couldn’t just stand by and watch idly.
He was still trying to coax Riri out of her sulk when the middle-aged woman, who had stepped out for a moment, returned. “Young master, young miss, the Grand Madam is looking for you.”
“Grandmother?”
“That is correct.”
Riri tossed her head when Myung looked back at her. “I’m not going,” she said.
“Riri.”
“No. She’s just going to tell me to go to school again. I’m not going!”
Myung, worn out from wheedling her for so long, sighed and stood up. “All right then. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Chapter end