Chapter 64. Fate
Namgung Gangchang frowned.
“Hey, hey, stop it. That maidservant just now suits you perfectly. Don’t embarrass yourself with weird thoughts and know your table.”
A martial artist from the Hwang Bo Clan sneered.
“It seems like the Young warrior is the one bringing shame to Namgung.”
“Exactly. The Namgung Clan must be having a hard time.”
“Oh, when we return, let’s pay our respects properly to our Great Elder.”
“Right. If I were born in the Namgung Clan, I’d have severed my limbs and become a monk immediately.”
“Agreed.”
Soon, light laughter broke out here and there.
"Young ladies, aren't your words too harsh!"
Namgung Gangchang couldn’t stand the insult and got angry.
"Ah, we were rude, weren't we? I apologize. It seems the rude way of speaking has rubbed off on us from being in this table."
When one of the Hwang Bo young ladies teased, the young men of Namgung also chuckled softly. Only Namgung Hyun remained silent.
He was still watching that Tang clan young lady, as if it were his sole purpose. He erased everything else around him.
Namgung Gangchang often provoked and tormented Namgung Hyun. To put it mildly, it was provocation and trouble, but most of the time it was violence severe enough to make it difficult for him to attend training.
Even when injured, the fellow never cowered, and just like now, he ignored Namgung Gangchang as if he didn't exist.
If he had laughed together while being teased, it wouldn’t have felt so bad.
But since Namgung Hyun erased his very existence, Namgung Gangchang’s anger flared up sharply.
Soon the anger turned in a familiar direction. Namgung Gangchang scowled at Namgung Hyun, grumbling.
At that moment, Namgung Gangchang caught sight of a maidservant coming this way behind Namgung Hyun.
The maidservant was carrying a tray as big as herself. It was filled with richly seasoned dishes like Dongpo pork, duck meat, and stir-fried vegetables.
Namgung Gangchang’s lips curled as he looked alternately at Namgung Hyun’s neat clothes and the food.
Namgung Hyun was still watching the Tang clan young lady crossing the bridge. That young lady had to pass right here to get to the Tang clan’s table.
Namgung Gangchang swallowed his smile.
And just as the maidservant passed beside Namgung Hyun—
Swish.
He waved his hand to stir the air. It wasn’t very strong, but for the maidservant struggling to keep balance, it was a dangerous gust of wind.
“Ah!”
Startled by the sudden gust that shook her skirt, the maidservant stumbled backward.
“Whoa, no! No!”
Losing her balance, the maidservant screamed and squeezed her eyes shut. Yet, after a long moment, no sounds came—no plates breaking, no shouting.
‘…What’s going on?’
Slowly opening her eyes, the maidservant blinked.
Instead of tilting, her body was perfectly upright.
Relaxing, she finally checked herself.
She flinched when she noticed a hand wrapped around her waist.
Looking up, the maidservant opened her mouth wide. A martial artist dressed in green was holding her waist with one hand and carrying the large tray with the other.
He looked down at her with concern and asked,
“Are you okay?”
The maidservant recognized him at once. Though wearing green robes instead of black uniform, he was clearly a member of the Black Tiger Unit.
‘Why is a Black Tiger Unit martial artist here?’
Flustered, the maidservant’s mouth moved, but knowing that martial artists of the Black, Red, Blue, and White Tiger Units were assigned to guard the inner courtyard during events and could not attend, she quietly lowered her head, not daring to acknowledge him.
“Th-thank you. Please give me the tray.”
But the martial artist frowned and didn’t return the tray.
“You don’t seem okay.”
Muttering to himself, he turned around.
“Young Lady, I think this girl has injured her ankle.”
‘Young Lady?’
Those watching the commotion flinched at the formal address. Their gazes slid to the martial artist, then landed on the woman in light green ceremonial robes standing nearby.
Seeing the woman, the maidservant’s face went pale.
“N-no! I’m really fine!”
“Wait and see if you’re fine. If the lady looks at it, it’ll heal soon enough.”
'Why would the Young Lady examine a maidservant?!’
The maidservant screamed inside, but she wasn’t brave enough to raise her voice in front of the Four Tiger Units.
Pouting, the maidservant took the tray and tried to step away, but the martial artist handed the tray to another maidservant who had approached beside her.
At that moment, Tang So-hwa, who had come nearby, lowered her gaze.
“May I take a look?”
"Huh? Yes? Look at what?”
The frozen maidservant creaked like a wooden doll. Then, a notorious member of the Nine Turns Pavilion narrowed his eyes and laughed.
“Well, since the leg is injured, it would be inappropriate to show it here.”
A gentle voice tickled her eardrums.
The maidservant was terrified.
She recalled rumors that if you offended the sixteen members of the Nine Turns Pavilion, you might suddenly die coughing up blood, or disappear without a trace—truly a pitiful death. Even worse, some said you’d be cursed to slowly lose your health and live a miserable life worse than death.
The maidservant’s face went pale with fear. But then something even more frightening happened.
“Ahhh! Young Lady!”
The lady bent down and grabbed the maidservant’s ankle.
The maidservant paled and bent down with her. She started pleading through tears.
“Young Lady! I’m really fine. Please stand up. Your clothes will get dirty.”
“You look like you’re struggling to walk. How can you say you’re fine?”
Tang So-hwa lowered her eyebrows with a pitying expression and spoke softly. Then she pulled a small wooden box from her sleeve.
Inside the box were acupuncture needles and pills.
Those watching narrowed their eyes.
‘…Wait, someone’s carrying acupuncture needles at the Alliance of Noble Clans of Noble Clans?’
As the crowd’s attention blurred on this unusual item, the Tang young lady covered the maidservant’s flesh with the wide sleeve of her robe and carefully inserted a needle beneath.
Her movements were very skillful.
Then, a Hwangbo lady, with a shocked face, tapped her older sister’s arm.
“Gasp! Uh, sister, I think I know who that young lady is.”
“Who?”
“She’s the eldest daughter of the Clan Head of the Tang Clan! I overheard at the Peng Clan’s table earlier—they said the Clan Head’s eldest daughter just returned from the Shaanxi branch with the divine physician. They said she treated a Mount Hua Sect disciple… My goodness, I think it's true! Seeing her carry medical tools at the Alliance of Noble Clans of Noble Clans meeting, isn't that her?"
“The Shaanxi branch? Why would the Clan Head’s eldest daughter go all the way to Shaanxi to treat a Mount Hua Sect disciple?”
"I wouldn't know. But I heard yesterday that Elder Peng Sihyeon gave the Peng Clan kids a hint to try getting close to that eldest daughter. Apparently, Elder Muso of the Mount Hua Sect sees her as a noble person—like there’s something going on with her."
“That’s nonsense! Why would Elder Muso regard the Tang young lady as a noble person? The healing was probably done by the Divine Physician .”
“That’s not it! They said at the Shaanxi branch…”
Though whispered in low voices, the martial artists attending the Alliance of Noble Clans of Noble Clans, with their heightened senses, heard every word clearly.
The story about the Clan Head of the Tang Clan’s eldest daughter performing acupuncture spread quietly over the scene.
Listening silently to her sister, the young lady Hwang Bo frowned.
“That’s nonsense. She even visited the Hubei branch; how could she be right here before our eyes now?”
“If she traveled all night, wouldn’t it be possible? She arrived late to lunch, so I think the rumor might be true! I heard the Clan Head of the Tang Clan is strict about punctuality, so she must have had a good reason to be late.”
At that moment, Namgung Gangchang suddenly stood up.
With his strong pride, he boldly asked the question everyone was curious about.
“Young Lady, are you by any chance the eldest daughter of the Clan Head of the Tang Clan, Tang So-hwa?”
But Namgung Gangchang’s voice was shaky.
‘No! That young lady cannot be Tang So-hwa! She cannot be the Clan Head’s eldest daughter!’
Namgung Gangchang’s cheek twitched nervously, waiting anxiously for the answer.
The rumors about the Tang Clan eldest daughter circulating in Namgung were dwere different from those circulating elsewhere.
Talk of her being scorned or unattractive had long been overshadowed by the more sensational rumors in Namgung.
‘They say she’s involved somehow with Namgung Jin, the leader of the Namgung branch!’
Until just now, Namgung Gangchang had been dreaming vividly about becoming a son-in-law and controlling the Tang Clan, so hearing that she was the eldest daughter of the Clan Head of the Tang Clan felt like his world was collapsing.
‘How could I ever defeat Namgung Jin?’
The only man Namgung Gangchang considered above himself was Namgung Jin, the leader of the Namgung branch.
With anxious eyes, he waited for the Young Lady’s reply, and after a long moment, she finally spoke.
“Young warrior.”
But the woman did not answer the question and instead asked back.
“Before asking questions, shouldn’t you apologize to this child first?”
Her clear voice matched her elegant appearance, so it took a moment for Namgung Gangchang to realize it was a rebuke.
Regaining his composure, Namgung Gangchang frowned.
“Apologize? To whom?”
To the maidservant? Me?
He asked reluctantly, and Tang So-hwa nodded.
"I understand it's forbidden to use martial arts at the Alliance of Noble Clans of Noble Clans. Yet you attacked an innocent servant, who hasn't even learned martial arts."
"What? What martial arts did I use! I just sent a small breeze because I felt sorry for her sweating and struggling like that."
Tang So-hwa stared sharply at Namgung Gangchang, then turned to the maidservant and said,
“Don’t be too upset. I’ll inform your superior. For now, go inside and rest.”
"Oh no, Young Lady! Thanks to you, it really doesn't hurt anymore. I'm surprised as well."
The maidservant waved her hand and said.
But Tang So-hwa gently admonished her in an unusually kind voice.
"Weren't you startled? If you're worried your colleagues might struggle, go to the cook's tent and help them instead."
The maidservant, who was actually scared of staying near Namgung’s table, quickly accepted the offer.
“Yes, I will. Thank you.”
The maidservant, after a quick glance around, left the spot.
Watching this, the Hwang Bo Young Lady quietly leaned toward her sister’s ear.
“...Hey, I think you were right. Like Elder Peng Sihyeon said, she really is a noble person.”
“Right?”
Hearing the whisper, Han-won clicked his tongue inside.
'...These young ladies need to be careful not to get fooled. A noble person? Who, exactly?'
Han-won wore a perplexed expression at Tang So-hwa’s behavior, which he couldn't quite adapt to.
Tang So-hwa slipped the palm-sized wooden box back into her sleeve and walked silently. But her gaze lingered briefly on someone—the Namgung clan’s illegitimate son who kept watching her.
A heavy silence fell.
It was because the Tang young lady had openly looked at the Namgung Young warrior.
That moment could certainly not be called fleeting. It was long enough to feel the tension.
Suddenly, Han-won grimaced as if he had seen something he shouldn't have.
It was because Tang So-hwa lowered her gaze and smiled, as if she felt a hint of shyness.
'Wow, what did I just see? Where's the water, water? I want to wash my eyes.'
He couldn't understand the Young Lady's intentions. He almost wanted to check if she was a member of the Blood Sect wearing a human skin mask.
The moment Han-won left Namgung’s table, he asked with a troubled expression.
“...Why in the world are you acting like this?”
“What do you mean?”
"Your every action isn't like you, Young Lady. You seem like a completely different person."
At that, So-hwa lips curved.
It was a genuine smile, not the pretense she showed at the Namgung's table.
"So, I seemed like a completely different person?"
"Yes, I apologize for saying this, but it doesn't feel right."
"That's a relief."
That I didn't seem like myself.
So-hwa swallowed those words.
As they neared the Tang Clan’s table, Han-won couldn’t hold back and asked again.
“Why are you acting like this? Usually, there’s a reason behind the Young Lady’s behavior, but this time I really don’t understand.”
“The reason for acting this way at the Alliance of Noble Clans is obvious, isn’t it?”
“What is it?”
So-hwa answered with sincere voice.
"To forge a fated connection."
"...I think I misheard you."
Ignoring Han-won’s words, So-hwa kept walking.
As she recalled, this year’s Alliance of Noble Clans was very difficult for the Tang Clan.
Because the only son of Namgung's Grand Elder was poisoned.
On the first day’s lunch, that son bullied a maidservant, who was then accused as the culprit, causing great trouble for So-hwa’s father.
There was no evidence, and even the Clan Head of Namgung did not suspect the Tang Clan, but So-hwa’s father comforted Namgung by giving valuable items.
At the time, So-hwa thought the Clan Head of Namgung wanted to let it pass quietly due to their friendship with her father, but now it seemed he knew who the real culprit was.
That day, the Grand Elder’s son didn’t just bully the maidservant; by using her, he insulted Namgung Hyun—so there had to be one more suspect.
So-hwa let out a bitter chuckle inside.
'That cunning snake.'
He dealt with the Grand Elder’s son without dirtying his own hands.
So-hwa recalled how her father’s pride was hurt by the incident, and how he had to be cautious at the Alliance of Noble Clans for a while.
Her eyes grew cold.
"Starting tomorrow, keep a close watch on Namgung Gangchang."
She didn’t know the full story, so she had no intention of saving Namgung Gangchang—but neither was she about to lend the Tang Clan’s hand.
"Young Lady, about that."
Suddenly, Han-won asked in a serious voice.
"...You're not trying to forge a fated connection with Namgung Gangchang, are you?"
When Tang So-hwa shot him a frosty glare, Han-won flinched.
"A-ah, no, it’s just… You said you were here to forge a fated connection and then you told me to watch Namgung Gangchang carefully, so I…"
Overwhelmed by her presence, Han-won stammered.
Still, this reaction actually comforted him.
Now he could rest easy. That icy gaze of hers confirmed her mind hadn’t gone off the rails.
'...No.'
This doesn't seem normal either.
"Don’t get any weird ideas. Just keep an eye on what he eats, where he goes, and make sure he doesn’t end up dead."
“What? Dead? Are you saying he’s marked?"
Tang So-hwa let out a long sigh.
"...I should have brought Cheolho. If only Cheolho were younger, I would have had him disguise himself."
"Wait, what’s Cheolho got to do with this now?"
As Han-won frowned, So-hwa gave a small shake of her head and moved toward the Tang Clan’s seats to sit down. Han-won couldn’t say anything more and sat beside her.
His expression was full of dissatisfaction.
But Han-won wasn’t the only one among the Tang Clan unhappy with So-hwa’s strange behavior today.