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Episode 9: Reading People’s Hearts
Unsa, east of Luoyang.
Waryong Mansion.
The warriors of the White Tiger Corps discovered that Yeon Jeokha had escaped at dusk the next day. A guard carrying the routine food basket found the side door broken.
“What did you say? Jeokha broke the door and escaped?”
Yeon Mudok, the Administrator of Waryong Mansion, abruptly stood up from his seat.
Baek Jeonggi, the White Tiger Corps Leader, bowed his head.
“Until last night, the side door was intact, so he must have escaped during that time.”
“You’re saying it’s already been a day?”
“Yes.”
“How is it possible that the White Tiger Corps Leader was watching and that brat still escaped?”
“I have no excuses. After ten years without incidents, it seems we became a bit lax.”
Yeon Jeokha had not tried to escape even once in the last ten years. As a result, the surveillance around the warehouse had become lax.
Administrator Yeon Mudok was anxious to know Baek Miju's reaction, the one who dominated Waryong Mansion.
“What did Baek-nim say?”
Baek Jeonggi’s lips curled slightly. Unlike the Yeon Family, everyone in the White Tiger Corps knew the relationship between Yeon Mudok and Baek Miju.
“She ordered to search within a three-day travel radius from Unsa.”
“Three days, huh...?”
“Three days seems too much. He’s not a child trained in martial arts, so he probably hasn’t left Unsa.”
“But still...”
Yeon Mudok had an uneasy expression. It was no wonder, as his secret in Waryong Mansion was about to be exposed.
“What if they don’t find him?”
In fact, as the Administrator and uncle, he shouldn’t be asking the White Tiger Corps Leader this. But the truth was that Baek Miju and the White Tiger Corps controlled everything now.
“She said she would consider it a case of escape.”
Yeon Mudok nodded in understanding.
“Then, I will withdraw.”
Baek Jeonggi stood up, saluted respectfully, and left.
Yeon Mudok collapsed in his chair, lost in thought.
“It can’t be that he took action before the arrival of the guests from the Namgung Family...”
Yeon Mubaek, who had been sent to the Namgung Family ten years ago, was returning after long training.
If it were only Yeon Mubaek, it wouldn’t be a problem. The problem was that members of the Namgung Family were coming with him.
If they discovered that Yeon Jeokha had been imprisoned for ten years, Waryong Mansion’s reputation would plummet. Baek Miju would not allow it.
Could she have taken action against Jeokha before his arrival?
“Hmph!”
Yeon Mudok let out a sigh. Baek Miju was capable of that and more.
The White Tiger Corps would do anything by Baek Miju’s order. Breaking the side door and claiming Jeokha escaped was nothing.
Thinking that Yeon Jeokha might be dead, he felt a pang of conscience.
“Ah! Brother, sister-in-law. I’m so sorry. I’ll beg for forgiveness on my knees in the other world.”
After briefly apologizing to the deceased, Yeon Mudok shook off thoughts about Yeon Jeokha. The dead are dead, and the living must move on. Since Baek Miju took absolute control, his position had been reduced to that of a mere steward.
As expected, Administrator Yeon Mudok did not put much effort into searching for his nephew. He thought it was just a facade.
Three more days passed.
The warriors of the White Tiger Corps and Waryong Mansion returned empty-handed after combing the area.
Baek Miju made a fuss about not finding a child, but it didn’t go beyond that.
To Baek Miju, Yeon Jeokha’s life had no value. A child who had been locked up in a warehouse for ten years couldn’t do anything useful.
-----------------
A week after Yeon Jeokha’s escape.
The main gate of Waryong Mansion, which had been closed for so long, opened wide.
Baek Miju was busy, like the day she received the guests from the Namgung Family ten years ago.
At noon, a carriage stopped in front of Waryong Mansion.
A man and a woman got off the carriage and looked around instead of entering immediately.
Namgung Cheon, the Blue Sky Swordsman, stretched and said:
“Ah! My bones! Everything hurts. Yeon, why don’t you go in quickly and greet them?”
Yeon Mubaek, now an adult, stroked his budding beard and murmured.
“I thought Waryong Mansion would be huge, but I’m surprised at how small it is.”
“Stop being surprised. Now that you’ve returned, it will be the largest in Luoyang.”
Yeon Mubaek laughed heartily.
“Ha, ha! Luoyang? No. My goal is to be the largest family in Henan Province.”
“The dominion of a province is not achieved alone. Do you think it’s easy to become one of the most powerful families in Murim? Right, Yeon?”
Namgung Yeon did not respond to Namgung Cheon. He looked melancholically at the low wall of Waryong Mansion.
The gatekeeper, seeing the couple, ran inside.
Shortly after, Baek Miju, followed by members of the Yeon Family, hurried out.
Seeing Yeon Mubaek from afar, Baek Miju’s eyes widened.
The young Yeon Mubaek emanated the presence of a high-level expert. Raised in a martial arts family, Baek Miju immediately recognized that her eldest son had returned as a master.
“Mubaek!”
Hearing his mother’s call, Yeon Mubaek quickly ran and bowed deeply.
“Mother, I have returned after ten years of study.”
Yeon Mubaek’s face radiated pride as he straightened up.
No wonder, he had spent ten years perfecting his martial arts in the renowned Namgung Family, considered the best among the Murim Families.
“I’m proud of you, my son. And those who accompany you are esteemed guests of the Namgung Family, aren’t they?”
Baek Miju glanced quickly at Namgung Cheon and Namgung Yeon.
Although ten years had passed, their faces still had traces of their youth, allowing her to recognize that they were Namgung Byeok’s children.
Namgung Cheon, now twenty-eight years old, looked like a martial arts master, just like the late Yeon Muryong in his youth. Indeed, in the world of Murim, no one was unaware of his nickname, the Blue Sky Swordsman.
Beside him was the beautiful Namgung Yeon, eighteen years old. Her figure was so impressive that even other women would feel envious.
Namgung Cheon bowed respectfully.
“Aunt, I am Cheon.”
Namgung Yeon, for her part, simply bowed without saying a word.
Baek Miju, admired by Namgung Yeon’s beauty, recalled her peculiar temperament and smiled inwardly. Just like ten years ago, it seemed she hadn’t changed.
Yeon Seolju and Yeon Seungbaek, who were behind Baek Miju, approached timidly.
“Big brother.”
“Hello, brother.”
Yeon Mubaek smiled and nodded.
“Yes, it’s been a long time. I’m glad to see you all well. Seolju, have you progressed in the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship?”
“More or less. And you, brother?”
“With our uncle’s help, I have reached the sixth level. He told me I could reach the tenth level in ten years, but... I’m not sure.”
Hearing that her brother had reached the sixth level, Yeon Seolju’s eyes widened.
“The sixth level? Wow!”
She had heard that her father, Yeon Muryong, had reached the ninth level when he retired from Murim. At just twenty-four years old, her brother had achieved a level comparable to her father, considered a prodigy. The much-desired prosperity of Waryong Mansion was not far off.
Baek Miju, proud of the conversation between siblings, exclaimed:
“Oh! My poor memory. Come in, come in everyone. Guests, please follow me.”
Baek Miju treated the guests of the Namgung Family with the utmost deference.
Namgung Cheon looked uncomfortably at Namgung Yeon.
However, she showed no expression of displeasure.
‘Why isn’t she bothered if she doesn’t like being treated this way?’ thought Namgung Cheon, surprised.
Just as he was about to move, Namgung Yeon grabbed his sleeve.
Namgung Cheon was startled and looked at her.
Namgung Yeon looked at Yeon Mubaek, Yeon Seolju, and Yeon Seungbaek, then looked back at her brother.
Then, Namgung Cheon understood.
“Aunt, it seems I don’t see the younger brother.”
Namgung Cheon couldn’t remember the name of the fourth son.
Baek Miju sighed.
“Ah! He escaped a few days ago. It seems he was stimulated by his elder brother’s successful return... He had done nothing but lock himself in his room.”
“Escaped?”
Namgung Cheon didn’t find it strange.
He himself had run away a couple of times.
But suddenly he felt a chill.
He looked surprised at Namgung Yeon, who was radiating murderous intent.
Namgung Cheon quickly patted his sister’s shoulder.
“Ha, ha! Yeon, don’t worry so much. I ran away once too, didn’t I?”
“Hmph!”
Namgung Yeon let out a snort of disdain that made Yeon Mubaek tremble.
“Why are you like this, sister?”
Yeon Mubaek felt as if his heart had collapsed.
Namgung Yeon, four years younger than him, was infinitely superior in martial arts. He couldn’t stand up to her.
Only Namgung Cheon could control her. But Namgung Cheon would do anything for his sister. If she got angry, no one could stop her.
‘Why is she so upset? When she gets angry, it can last for years...’
Honestly, Namgung Yeon was the person Yeon Mubaek feared the most in the Namgung Family.
In Jianghu (Martial Arts World), her nickname was Beautiful Flower, Poisonous Heart. Although some mocked her silence, everyone agreed that she could read people’s hearts.
However, Namgung Yeon paid no attention to Yeon Mubaek.
Suddenly, Baek Miju also stopped, surprised by Namgung Yeon’s coldness.
‘What’s wrong with this girl?’
Baek Miju, forcing a smile, asked:
“Yeon, is there something bothering you? Tell me.”
Namgung Cheon intervened instead of his sister.
“Ha, ha, it seems she’s been surprised by the news of the escape. Don’t worry, she sometimes does this at home.”
But his explanation didn’t help much.
‘Damn! How much does she look down on our Waryong Mansion to behave like this?’
Baek Miju, holding back her frustration, spoke calmly.
“It could be. I was also surprised that Jeokha escaped. Young people’s thoughts are unpredictable... Maybe I’m not his biological mother, so I have a hard time understanding them.”
After a pause, Baek Miju continued in a compassionate tone.
“After that, I sent people to search all over Unsa for days, but...”
Before she could finish, Namgung Yeon walked past her and quickly entered the mansion.
Namgung Cheon, surprised, hurriedly followed her.
Baek Miju and the members of the Yeon Family rushed to follow them.
Baek Miju looked at Namgung Yeon with eyes full of resentment. Ten years ago, it was the same, and now it seemed she was still hostile towards her.
‘How is it possible that we can’t get along?’
It seemed impossible that she could be her daughter-in-law.