Namgung Hye-yeon headed towards the world’s best boarding house leaving behind Jung So-myeong’s opposition.
As she entered through the door, the voice of Geom Woo-bin greeted her.
“Please welcome!”
Throughout the time she rode the horse carriage, she thought several times about returning home.
Among the five noble families which are second only to fame in the Gudaemunpa (Guardians of the Moorim), her father is the head of the Namgung Se-ga family who is vying for the top rank. It was illogical for a girl of such a status to come and meet a waiter.
Geom Woo-bin made a strong first impression, but it can’t be a good reason.
Nevertheless, Namgung Hye-yeon came into the boarding house.
“It’s just that I feel special because my daily life is boring. It’s just how it is.”
The Geom Woo-bin she met again, may seem to be nothing more or less than a little waiter.
Do Yang-sik who followed Namgung Hye-yeon as a rearguard was a thirty-five-year-old quiet man.
Once Namgung Hye-yeon sat on a corner, the chair beside her was occupied by Do Yang-sik. Soon Geom Woo-bin came running after.
“What would you like to eat, Miss?”
“What’s delicious here?”
Names of the foods came out one after the other from Geom Woo-bin’s mouth, and Namgung Hye-yeon just picked one out of course.
Do Yang-sik ordered dumplings and Sōmen (thin noodles).
Geom Woo-bin was busily wandering here and there taking orders to the kitchen. He was proficient in greeting the customers and welcoming new customers. It has barely been two months since he started working, but he had a skill that seemed beyond two years.
All the customers there liked Geom Woo-bin too.
Geom Woo-bin was a rare character who had an affinity in his spirit.
Namgung Hye-yeon asked Geom Woo-bin who was bringing the food.
“When will your work be done?”
“Sorry? I’ll be done in two hours, but why do you ask that?”
“Nope. Go ahead and do your work.”
Namgung Hye-yeon was observing Geom Woo-bin while she barely ate the food that arrived. He was a diligent worker who didn’t stand still even for a single moment.
If he does it excessively, the owner would stop him by asking him to take it easy.
“Working makes time fly faster. Hehe!”
Two hours were quite a long time, but as she was watching Geom Woo-bin, it passed by without boredom.
“He’s a diligent guy.”
Do Yang-sik opened his mouth after a long time.
“Is that all you felt when you saw Geom Woo-bin?”
“What else do you mean?”
“It’s not very hot, and he’s sweating a lot and moving diligently, but his hands and feet are heavy. He seems to not have any sickness but he’s very exhausted for some reason. He wouldn’t be working hard in the night… maybe he’s practicing martial arts?”
“Even if you’re right, that seems little like a leap.”
“That’s right. I’m just talking about one of the many possibilities.”
Or it could be a wish.
Although she doesn’t know why Geom Woo-bin wants to learn martial arts.
Finally, Geom Woo-bin greeted the owner saying, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“Let’s also get going.”
Namgung Hye-yeon left quickly and said to Geom Woo-bin who was walking out of the boarding house.
“There is something that I have to ask.”
“What?”
Do Yang-sik frowned at Geom Woo-bin who spoke informally.
“Kid, watch your manners.”
Geom Woo-bin was bold even at Do Yang-sik’s tone that gives out chills.
“I don’t think I was rude?”
“The lady in front of you is……!”
Namgung Hye-yeon motioned her hand and stopped Do Yang-sik from talking.
“Earlier you spoke to me in honorifics, but now why are you talking to me informally?”
“That was because I was a waiter and you were a customer. However, the moment I finished my work I took off the clothes of the waiter and kept them in the boarding house. So you and I are just people from the same age group.”
Namgung Hye-yeon was frequently told that she was immature for her age since she was eight. But Geom Woo-bin seemed more immature than her at that age, and of course, than her of today too.
“I’m three years older than you.”
“So?”
“Hahaha!”
Instead of anger, she let out a laugh.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Must be a child of a noble family.”
“Why do you think so?”
“As you’re wandering with a rearguard.”
“How did you know that this person is my rearguard?”
“When you sit at a boarding house it’s normal to sit facing each other, but that man sent you towards the wall and sat next to you so that it will be easier to protect you.”
Have you ever seen such an undepictable kid?
“This is not the first time I’m seeing you. Some time ago…”
“You were riding in the horse carriage, right?”
Namgung Hye-yeon was surprised.
“Did you see me?”
“I also know that you tried to help the little beggar.”
“But, why did you interfere? If I would’ve helped, it would’ve ended without you having to worry about getting hurt.”
“Maybe. After you left with the pride of helping the weak, you would’ve soon forgotten that pride. However, because of that, the remaining little beggar would be afflicted greatly by those martial artists for a quite long time.”
That was something Namgung Hye-yeon hadn’t realized.
“But, since you followed those guys, eventually it’s the same thing.”
Geom Woo-bin scratched his head.
“Right. I don’t know why those guys just left. I was prepared to fight.”
Geom Woo-bin didn’t know the magnitude of his spirit.
“Are you learning martial arts?”
“Why do you ask that?”
“If you have a will for martial arts, I can introduce you to a good place.”
Although it was an impromptu decision, if it was for Geom Woo-bin, he could be an excellent student of the Namgung Se-ga family.
“I already have a great master.”
“But, it’s Namgung Se-ga?”
She thought Geom Woo-bin would fall for that name, but his unenthusiastic expression didn’t change.
“Thanks for the suggestion. Is there anything left? Since my house is far I have to hurry up.”
Namgung Hye-yeon was embarrassed.
She even thought if she would have this kind of a feeling when she confesses her love and gets dumped.
“He was stupid enough to reject the fortune that came rolling, I see.”
As she was angry for no reason she screeched and then turned away.
If she part ways with him now there can be chances of not meeting him again.
“Geom Woo-bin!”
Geom Woo-bin who was going away turned his head with an expression that he seems to not know the reason for.
“Come to Namgung Se-ga later! I’m Namgung Hye-yeon, daughter of the head of the family!”
“Although I can’t make a promise, I’ll remember it.”
Yeon Geum-hong only kept let out a burst of meaningless laughter in front of Geom Woo-bin.
“Priestess Yeon, what’s wrong?”
“Abolition, you’re a real man.”
“Sorry?”
“Hahaha! Nothing. Today I’ll teach something else instead of martial arts. In a way, it’s more important than martial arts.”
“What’s that?”
“Has it been like two months since we met? In the meantime, how many times have you thought of killing me?”
“Jeez, why would I kill you? There is nothing as such.”
“No one knows what will happen in Moorim. Since Moorim is a place where things like today’s friend will be the enemy of tomorrow happens frequently.”
“But still…”
“Zhongyuan is a place where there is a son who will stab his father in the back to become the head of the family, and it is also a place where there are many couples who kill their husbands and are embraced by paramours.”
“Are you trying to tell me that no one can be trusted in this world?”
“That’s right. So, every time you get a chance, you have to think about how you can kill someone close to you, especially someone stronger than me. Since you never know when and how a relationship can be messed up. For example,”
Yeon Geum-hong held the Norigae from her clothes and continued talking.
“When I received this Norigae as a present from you I didn’t doubt it at all. If this Norigae was either poisoned or it had a recording device, the probability of succeeding would’ve been very high. Or pretending to hurt your leg when you & I are together. If you get on my back, there wouldn’t have been a better chance than that. And…”
“How will you kill me”
“Sorry?”
“Tell me right now how you can kill me.”
There were more than a hundred ways to kill Geom Woo-bin, who is infinitely weaker than himself. However, it was embarrassing to even tell out one of it.
As Yeon Geum-hong hesitated Geom Woo-bin smiled radiantly.
“See. Even you feel horrible with just the thought of killing me, don’t you?”
“Nope. It’s just that there are so many ways.”
“Is that so? But no matter what happens, I will not do anything that will hurt you all.”
Yeon Geum-hong looked serious.
“Don’t make such assurance. Nobody knows what’s ahead of a man.”
“No matter how brutal the Moorim is, won’t such conversations take place in a parent-child relationship?”
“Well, that’s true, but……”
“I think of your priests as my family. It’s the first time I’ve ever had…”
Geom Woo-bin’s face fluttered as if he was going to shed tears any moment.
“Augh! Our abolition, you’re so soft-hearted…”
Yeon Geum-hong embraced Geom Woo-bin out of pity. Geom Woo-bin spoke as he rested his chin on her shoulders.
“If in this posture, I will have a chance to kill you, right?”
“Sorry?”
Geom Woo-bin smiled at Yeon Geum-hong who was startled.
“Don’t worry. No matter how tough the world is, I’m not someone you can push around.”
Yeon Geum-hong gazed at Geom Woo-bin and eventually giggled.
Geom Woo-bin walked out of the room saying, “I’ll go to priest Seo Seok-san and be back.”.
“I don’t know if he’s naive or clever. Or if we’re worrying for no reason…”
Yeon Geum-hong was going to teach about the heartlessness of Moorim but Seo Seok-san gifted Geom Woo-bin a five-stringed ‘Hyang Pipa’ (Korean lute – Traditional Korean Music Instrument).
“Music has breath and a woman has a heart. For a man music and a woman is like breathing, that is like life.”
“Priest Seo seok-san, I’m just eight years old.”
“That’s why you need to be prepared. I knew a woman at the age of ten. As you only have a period of two years left, you have to work hard constantly starting from now.”
Seo Seok-san started to play his flute.
The melody that’s flowing faintly, stimulated Geom Woo-bin’s emotions subtly.
He has lived only eight years, and among that, a period of two years cannot be remembered at all. Nevertheless, the past years just flashed by, and when he recalls the time he spent with Master Hwa Jeok-san, he felt like crying.
Seo Seok-san’s performance was so outstanding that it made a child’s heart skip a beat and moved him into tears. As the performance ended Geom Woo-bin took a deep breath.
“It’s really good.”
Seo Seok-san looked at Geom Woo-bin delightfully.
“If you can feel this, you already have outstanding talents. In the future, you will be able to take off skirts of many wom…no, win the hearts of many women, right?”
“One person is enough.”
“Hahaha! Although you say that now, several years down the road, you will realize the words ‘the more, the better”
“With this music, I can win the hearts of all men and women.”
“Huh? What are you going do by winning the heart of a man? Music is enough to get a woman. You just have to kill the man.”
“Kill people with music?”
Seo Seok-san plucked the string of the lute that’s on the edge as far as he could. As he did so, the teapot behind Geom Woo-bin shattered into pieces.
“With music, you win a woman’s heart, and with music art, you take away the man’s life.”
Thud!
“Do Pyeong-su who returned, put up twelve thick books on the table.”
“There were quite a lot of books in that guy’s study. I brought all the books that had the two words written.”
Yeon Geum-hong checked the books and sighed.
“Eight of these are different books with only similar words!”
Seo Seok-san helped Do Pyeong-su.
“Yet, he brought four books accurately. There were three of ‘Moorim’s Art of War’. But, what’s this? The author is indeed Manbak Seon-in. ‘Various Treasures’? Looks like he’s a guy who loves author Manbak Seon-in a lot.
Seo Seok-san’s eyes gleamed as he went through the book.
“This doesn’t look like an ordinary book.”
“What’s it about?”
Seo Seok-san opened a page of the book and showed it to everyone. Illiterate Do Pyeong-su asked out of frustration.
“What is it?”
“A place that’s more likely to have anything related to the ten-thousand-year-old ‘fleece flower root’, and it also has records of those who have it. The resurrection elixir also has the thousand-year-old ‘heal-all’ plant (Prunella Vulgaris). And of course, Sanghuang (Phellinus linteus).
As Seo Seok-san went through few more pages, something related to weapons showed up.
Not swords, knives, spears, bows, or wheels, but the famous arms were in full coverage in Moorim.
“I didn’t know Mang Oh-do was at Byeoksan-jinpa.”
Yeon Geum-hong was going through the bookshelf and she stopped at the darker side. Then, she smiled at the name she found.
“‘Seongrin Yoohyunchim’. You were here, I see.”