Namgoong Family – Part 2

Inho took out a rope from the luggage compartment and skillfully tied the bandits’ hands together.

They were tied up like dried fish, following behind Inho’s horse in a line, all panting from the horse’s speed.

The groans of the bandits running on the rough road were low and constant.

“Hey, be quiet.”

Inho, who was riding the horse, said something to the continuous groaning, and the noise subsided a bit.

“We’ve gained an unnecessary tail.”

Soyou, sitting in front of Inho, grumbled, and Inho laughed.

“We can’t just kill them, can we?”

“That’s what I mean by being soft. What will change if we hand them over to the government?”

She didn’t like Inho’s lenient approach.

“They’ll be punished according to the law, right?”

Inho replied as if it were obvious, and Soyou sighed deeply.

“It’s after that. Bandits aren’t summarily executed; they’re locked up for a few days and then flogged. What do you think they’ll do after that?”

“At least they won’t be bandits anymore.”

“No, they’ll be bandits again. In the end, the evil won’t decrease.”

“So, you’re saying we should kill them?”

At Inho’s words, the bandits following behind trembled.

“That’s what the Martial Artist should do.”

Soyou said with firm conviction.

However, Inho didn’t agree with his Master’s words.

“I don’t know. There’s a country, and there are laws. Should an individual be allowed to execute them?”

“An individual? I’m a Martial Artist.”

“Still, it’s an individual. The Martial Arts Alliance, the Demonic Alliance, they’re gatherings of Martial Artists, but… in the end, they’re gatherings of individuals with vested interests, aren’t they?”

“It’s different from official duties.” Inho said firmly.

“The concept of non-interference of martial arts in government affairs is unfamiliar to me.”

“Hmm… you’re the only one who says that while belonging to the Martial World.”

“Maybe it’s because I wasn’t born a Martial Artist.”

Inho shrugged.

-Clatter, clatter

The horse’s light hoofbeats echoed through the forest.

The group, which had been passing through a lush forest until just now, gradually moved towards a place where traces of people were visible.

“You guys are lucky.”

Soyou, sitting in front of Inho, said to the bandits.

“You’re alive because my disciple has such a soft personality.”

-gulp

The bandit leader swallowed at Soyou’s words, which weren’t a threat but simply a statement of fact.

-Clatter, clatter

The carriage and horse emerge from the forest.

In the distance, a castle with densely packed houses comes into view.

Anhui.

They had returned to Anhui after a year.

“But it’s not another martial arts competition. What brings you here this time? You don’t usually go to places with so many people.”

They had been helping people by traveling through mountain villages.

Unless it was Grand Master’s official business, they didn’t usually go to cities, so Inho wondered if it was another matter for the Martial Arts Alliance and asked Soyou.

“Well, it’s not official business… or is it? Should I consider it official business?”

Inho tilted his head at Soyou’s ambiguous words.

“What’s that supposed to mean? It’s either official business or it’s not.”

“It’s not the Martial Arts Alliance.”

“Then where are we going?”

“The Namgoong family.”

“Huh?”

“And Master doesn’t have any special business. This visit is for me.”

“I thought you weren’t affiliated with a family once you joined Yomryun Skill.”

“That’s right.”

“Is there someone in your family who’s sick?”

Inho asked, wondering if someone was in critical condition or had died, but Soyou shook her head.

“It’s not bad news. It’s actually a celebration.”

“A celebration? Oh, that’s good.”

“The family head’s daughter is having a birthday.”

Soyou said calmly, gazing at the distant Anhui Castle.

Inho thought that Soyou, whose back was all he could see, seemed somehow melancholy and lonely.

“So, a niece?”

“A cousin.”

Just as Inho was about to ask Soyou something, a voice came from the carriage.

“Soyou.”

At Grand Master’s call, Inho steered the horse to the side of the carriage.

“The road splits from here, so hand the criminals over to the government office. I have a place to stop with Young Miss Jegal, so go to the family estate first.”

“Yes, I understand. Then, Young Miss Jegal, I hope to see you again.”

Soyou greeted the carriage, and a soft voice was heard from inside.

“Yes, I hope to see you again. Ah, I hope to see Young Master Kang again too.”

“Haha. Yes, I’m also eagerly looking forward to seeing you again, Young Miss Jegal.”

Inho greeted brightly, and Soyou glanced back at him.

Inho steered the horse past the carriage.

The bandits followed behind the horse like a string of candy.

“You’re grinning from ear to ear.”

On the way back from handing the bandits over to the government office, Soyou rebuked Inho.

“Huh? What is it? Oh, the chicken skewers? These are delicious.”

Inho, thinking that eating chicken skewers from a street vendor had upset his Master, replied blankly.

At that cheerful answer, Soyou unknowingly let out a long sigh.

“I’m not talking about the chicken skewers.”

“Then what?”

“Young Miss Jegal.”

Soyou opened her mouth with a surge of emotion.

“Young Miss Jegal? Why? What did she say?”

“You were talking very intimately. ‘I hope to see you again?’ Anyone would think you were promised lovers.”

Soyou narrowed her eyes.

“No… well, it’s not like that.”

“Even on the way here, she was like that. She was just a bodyguard, but she asked what foods you can’t eat, what foods you like.”

Soyou’s fist lightly hit Inho’s stomach.

“Just in case. She might get sick from eating something.”

Whether he had become trained from being hit so much, Inho continued without showing any signs of pain.

“So… why are you worried about that?”

“I… I understand. I was wrong.”

Inho was about to retort, but he suppressed his anger and declared defeat.

He didn’t want to add any more to his Master’s increasingly prickly demeanor these days.

When Inho quickly surrendered, Soyou nodded a few times as if she liked it.

“Yes, yes. From now on, don’t be unnecessarily kind to people.”

“As a Martial Artist?”

“Yes, as a Martial Artist. If personal feelings enter into a mission, it will go wrong.”

“I understand. By the way, are we going the right way? Is that wall in the distance the Namgoong family estate?”

Inho said, pointing to the huge wall in the distance.

“That’s right. Tidy up your clothes before we go in. And eat that chicken skewer quickly.”

“Yes, yes.”

Inho tilted his head back and stuffed the remaining chicken skewer into his mouth.

He chewed on the juicy chicken and tidied up his disheveled clothes.

With his mouth full of chicken, Inho asked with inaccurate pronunciation.

“But what are we supposed to do when we get there?”

“Simply give our greetings and say happy birthday.”

“What about me?”

“You too. I’ve already sent a letter saying you’re my disciple.”

“Oh… you’re not hiding it anymore.”

“Everyone who needed to know already knew during the martial arts competition last year. There’s no reason to hide it anymore.”

Soyou said, recalling the martial arts competition last year.

“We’re not actually seeing the daughter, are we? Since she’s a baby, it doesn’t seem right for outsiders to see her.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m only seeing the family head, and then I’m going back to the main house.”

“I see. Ah, but what’s the daughter’s name? I can’t just keep calling her ‘daughter’ when I talk about her.”

“I doubt you’ll have a chance to open your mouth, but… it wouldn’t hurt to know.”

When they arrived at the gate, Soyou said.

“The eldest daughter of the head of the great Namgoong family, Namgoong Hyun. Namgoong Soyeon.”

“……”

Inho, upon hearing the name, froze like a stone statue.