Chapter 54: Silver River Pawnshop (2)
At the same time, at the Grand House of Wi in Guangdong.
The grand gate of the Grand House of Wi, which had been firmly shut, creaked open without strength.
A man and woman stepped inside through the gate, their appearances utterly disheveled. Covered in dust and dirt, the two looked like they had been through a storm. Everyone who saw them bowed their heads with sympathy etched across their faces.
“Clan Head, Madam! You’ve returned!”
One of the servants quickly ran up and handed them a towel soaked in water.
Without a word, Wi Jeonghan reached out, took the towel, and began wiping the dust from his face.
“Has anything happened?”
“There’s been nothing unusual, Clan Head.”
“It’s because of my foolishness. I’ve been away so often that you all must’ve had a hard time.”
“Not at all, Clan Head.”
There was deep sorrow on the servants’ faces as they looked at Wi Jeonghan.
“Where’s Chief Steward Jo?”
“He’s inside attending to his duties.”
“Phew\...”
Wi Jeonghan lifted his head and looked up at the sky with a hardened expression.
“Again…”
Han Sang-a let out a deep sigh.
They had turned Sichuan inside out this time, hoping for a lead, but not a single trace of Wi Yeonho could be found.
They had issued a bounty through the Hao Clan and sent word to the Beggar Sect, even scoured the world personally—but nowhere could they find even a shadow of Wi Yeonho.
“Yeonho…”
“Sang-a.”
Wi Jeonghan couldn't bring himself to console her.
How could anyone possibly comfort a mother who had lost her child?
Five years.
It had already been five years since Wi Yeonho disappeared.
Time enough for the rivers and mountains to change, yet Han Sang-a still hadn’t given up.
With a forlorn expression, Han Sang-a spoke.
“He’s still alive somewhere, isn’t he?”
“I’m sure he is.”
“If only we hadn’t sent him to the academy back then…”
Wi Jeonghan let out a deep sigh.
If only he hadn’t decided to send Wi Yeonho to the academy that day, the boy would likely still be lazing around in his room.
‘That would’ve been better.’
Even if it meant Wi Jeonghan’s insides boiled with frustration, it wouldn’t have torn his heart to pieces like this. How could laziness be compared to not even knowing whether someone is alive or dead?
He used to scold the boy for being a slacker and even thought of sending him to an academy to fix that laziness, but now it all felt like a vain, selfish ambition.
What did it matter if he was lazy? As long as he grew up healthy, that should’ve been enough.
His desire to raise a proper son seemed now to have driven his child to death. The guilt was unbearable.
“If I’d known this would happen, I never would’ve scolded him for being lazy.”
“…”
“That poor child… what kind of suffering must he be enduring…”
“Sang-a.”
Wi Jeonghan patted Han Sang-a on the shoulder. Then he looked up at the sky.
‘Are you even still alive, you little brat?’
Wi Jeonghan already knew the answer. If Wi Yeonho were alive, he wouldn’t have gone five years without sending even a single message. As painful as it was, Wi Jeonghan thought it was time to accept the truth.
But Han Sang-a didn’t seem ready to let go just yet.
“Next, let’s try Hainan.”
“Sang-a…”
“Just that one last place, please. Alright?”
The outcome was obvious, but who could speak cold logic to a mother who had lost her child? Wi Jeonghan simply nodded in silence.
He knew all too well that Han Sang-a soaked her pillow with tears every night. Telling her to stop would be too cruel.
“Alright.”
“He’ll be there, right? He will, won’t he?”
Wi Jeonghan couldn’t answer.
“If we’re going to Hainan, you need to rest first. Look at yourself.”
“How can I rest when we don’t know what our child is going through...”
“You need to have strength to find him, don’t you? Wash up and eat. We’ll rest for a few days, and then we’ll go to Hainan with renewed energy.”
“…Alright.”
“Come on now.”
Wi Jeonghan supported Han Sang-a.
Feeling the thinness of her shoulders at his fingertips, Wi Jeonghan swallowed hard. The emotional strain had worn her down to the bone, and the long journey had left her emaciated.
At this rate, Han Sang-a would collapse before they ever found Wi Yeonho.
‘I need to do something.’
It was time to let go. But keeping that thought hidden, Wi Jeonghan supported her and walked with faltering steps back into the house.
“C-Clan Head! Clan Head!”
Just then, Wi Jeonghan furrowed his brows as he saw Jo Bang sprinting toward him at full speed.
Jo Bang was usually so composed that he’d hold back even when Wi Jeonghan grew angry or tried to rush things. It was thanks to that composure that Wi Jeonghan had entrusted him with all household affairs while he searched outside.
For someone like that to appear in such a panic?
“What is it?”
“A-a letter! A letter has arrived, Clan Head!”
Wi Jeonghan bit his lip slightly.
“And what of it? What’s so important that you’d be running around like this?”
“It’s just—the person who sent the letter!”
“The person?”
“T-the se-se-second Young Master…”
“What?”
In that instant, Han Sang-a dashed forward at a speed that would put lightning to shame. No one would believe she lacked martial arts training if they saw her now.
Grabbing Jo Bang by the shoulders, she shouted.
“Yeonho?!”
“Yes! Yes, Madam!”
“W-where’s the letter?”
“I—I was shaking so much I didn’t dare bring it. It’s in the Clan Head’s office…”
Before he could even finish, Wi Jeonghan lunged forward, almost lifting Han Sang-a into his arms, and sprinted toward the office.
“Hurry!”
“Got it!”
The solid door came into view, but Wi Jeonghan wasn’t calm enough to open it slowly. As he reached the door, his leg shot out without hesitation.
Crash!
The door shattered, and his eyes immediately landed on the letter sitting atop the desk.
He gently set Han Sang-a down and, with trembling hands, tore open the letter.
To Mother and Father,
-It’s me.
-Somehow, I’m only now able to contact you after five years. First, please forgive my unfilial ways. I truly had no way to get in touch until now.
-Before picking up the brush, I had so much to say. But now that I’m writing, I don’t know what to write.
-To explain my situation... After I was separated from my brother, I encountered a demon. I ended up stuck in a cave with that demon for five years, learning martial arts.
-I was just about to be released when I found out the demon had placed a restriction on my body, so I can’t return home yet.
-For now, I think I’ll have to travel a bit more. So I’m sending this letter just to let you know I’m alright.
-Honestly, I want to return home right away, but it seems I’ll have to endure a little longer. Once I complete my training safely, I’ll come home immediately. So please don’t worry too much.
-There’s so much I want to say, but I don’t even know where to begin.
-So for today, I’ll leave it at this. I’ll send another letter next time.
-Until the day we meet again, please both stay healthy.
-Yeonho.
Wi Jeonghan’s hands trembled.
The fact that Wi Yeonho was alive brought such joy that tears welled up on their own. But what followed in the letter made his chest burn with fury.
“Who!”
Wi Jeonghan shouted in rage.
“Who dared to place a restriction on my son!”
His thunderous voice shook the very roof.
“How dare they!”
Though he was known throughout the Central Plains as the Righteous Hero Sword, Wi Jeonghan now radiated anger unbefitting that honorable title. Yet within his fury, a thread of relief still lingered.
Han Sang-a clutched the letter and wept endlessly. Wi Jeonghan embraced her and spoke.
“He’s alive! That rascal Yeonho is alive, Sang-a!”
“Yeonho…”
Wi Jeonghan turned to look at Jo Bang.
“Who brought the letter?”
“That... it came from the Hao Clan…”
“The Hao Clan?”
“It was delivered by the Hao Clan’s Kaifeng Branch. The Young Master himself visited there and wrote the letter.”
“Kaifeng!”
Wi Jeonghan nodded.
“When did the letter arrive?”
“Well, about a month ago…”
“Then why didn’t you inform us immediately?!”
“We couldn’t find either of you no matter how hard we tried.”
“Grrng!”
Wi Jeonghan waved a hand.
“No matter. First! First, um… right! We’ll go to Kaifeng! No, Sanho! We must inform Sanho first! And Suryeon too… no, forget that. First we go to Kaifeng!”
“Please calm down, Clan Head.”
“Do I look like I can calm down right now?!”
Despite Wi Jeonghan's outburst, Jo Bang couldn’t help but smile widely.
“This is exactly when you need to stay composed.”
“Yes, yes, you’re right. Composure. Chief Steward Jo, send a letter to Suryeon and Sanho immediately.”
“Yes, sir!”
“And I’ll… um… ah! No. I must calm myself first!”
At that moment, Han Sang-a suddenly sprang to her feet.
Then she ran toward her quarters.
“Sang-a? What are you doing?”
“Packing, of course.”
“Packing?”
“We’re going to Kaifeng, aren’t we?”
“Right! My goodness, what was I thinking? Packing! Chief Steward Jo!”
“Yes, I’ll prepare everything at once!”
Wi Jeonghan took a deep breath and read the letter once more.
“…That damn demon.”
If even the delicate Wi Yeonho referred to someone as a demon, then it was obvious he had encountered a truly wicked martial demon. On top of that, he had the nerve to place a restriction on Yeonho’s body.
“That demon! Not only did he imprison my son, he bound him with restrictions too?! I’ll tear him apart! If he’s dead, I’ll rip his corpse to shreds!”
A dangerous misunderstanding was beginning to take root.
Just then, a sharp voice rang out.
“Are you not going to pack?!”
“Right! What am I doing?! Chief Stewaaaaard!”
“Yes, Clan Head! Preparations are underway!”
“To Kaifeng! Now!”
And so chaos erupted in the Grand House of Wi in Guangdong. The long-silent Grand House stirred again, surging toward the Central Plains with terrifying momentum.
Unfortunately, for the Central Plains, it was not a welcome development.
* * *
Knock knock!
Jin Yeran raised her head at the sound at the door.
‘Who could it be at this hour?’
For a moment, she wondered if it might be a thief—but what kind of thief knocks politely? Perhaps a robber? But if the robber had any sense, they wouldn’t target the Sacred Hand Grounds.
Cautiously, Jin Yeran opened the door.
“Hm?”
But there was no one outside. Tilting her head in confusion, she noticed something left at the doorstep.
“Oh…”
Jin Yeran let out a soft gasp. She raised her delicate hands to cover her mouth.
“This is…”
She reached out toward the item on the floor with trembling hands.
Three promissory notes, and a necklace placed atop them.
It was her mother’s keepsake—something she thought she’d never see again. At the sight of it, tears welled in Jin Yeran’s eyes.
“Who… who left this here…”
She looked around, but no one was in sight.
The moon only smiled faintly in reply, offering no answer.