“Stay there for a second!”

“No, what is it with this leech!”

Chung Myung took off right away, and Tang Soso was chasing behind him.

It was weird.

Bizarre even.

Of course, Tang Soso was the daughter of Lord Tang. Even if she didn’t have her family’s legacy passed down to her, and her foundation in martial arts was weak, her using a footwork technique wasn’t a strange thing.

The actual strange thing was…

‘What kind of person wearing a skirt can run this fast!’

Running at that speed with so many ornaments on their body, with movements which would be difficult for a woman, and all of that being done so elegantly!

Chung Myung didn’t want to know the truth behind this!

“Seriously, just stand still for a bit!”

“…”

“You think it will just end if you run from here? I am going to come to Mount Hua to kill you!”

“Ugh!”

Chung Myung finally took a deep breath and stood still. And then looked at Tang Soso.

“Finally, you stopped.”

Tang Soso came and stood in front of him, took a deep breath, and pulled out something small wrapped around her waist.

“Uh?”

‘A bottle?’

Tang Soso took out a bottle and a glass, and then poured tea in it and gave it to Chung Myung.

“Have this.”

“…what is this?”

“A refreshing tea. You must be thirsty from running away, so have something cool.”

Chung Myung closed his eyes.

‘Did this woman prepare this as she chased after him?’

‘…she is seriously unique.’

“Hurry.”

“Ah.’

Chung Myung took the tea offered by Tang Soso and drank it all the way down.

“Kuak!”

The tea was really cool.

Seeing that, Tang Soso smiled.

“Refreshing, right?”

“Umm.”

“Now, let’s talk frankly! Why are you running around as if you hate me?”

“…”

Chung Myung frowned.

‘I am not scared of you; it is the marriage I am scared of!’

‘Usually, when such stories of arranged marriage come up, in most cases, the women cry and scream, saying that they don’t like it! Why are you so active in this?’

‘It is so difficult to convince these seriously unique people who keep coming into my life!’

“Am I ugly?”

“Uh… not that.”

“Does my personality seem bad?”

“Doesn’t look like it.”

“Then why do you keep running away like that? It is rare to find a match like me! A pretty face! A good personality! And a strong family!”

It’s all true, but you don’t have to overdo it.

It was excessive.

Of course, it might have been difficult for others, but the Tang family behind her surely was an amazing family to ge…

‘Ack! Damn it! I would rather just die!’

“Excuse me!”

“Yes.”

“I really don’t have any intention of getting married.”

“Everyone is like that. But they change their mind later.”

“I am a Taoist.”

“I heard Mount Hua allows their disciples to get married?”

“True, but I don’t have any intention of doing so.”

Chung Myung spoke firmly.

“After all, we don’t know each other, so don’t waste your time in vain. Find a better marriage partner because I never want to get married.”

And Tang Soso looked at Chung Myung with a strange look.

“It cannot be that, right?”

“Uh?”

“Do you have feelings for that Sago?”

“…Uh?”

Tag Soso pointed her finger at Chung Myung.

“And that is why you are trying to push me away, right?”

‘Wow.’

‘How far would she take this?’

“Obviously! She is pretty! There is no way any man can resist a beautiful woman like her!”

Chung Myung sighed.

‘Do you know how old I am? I am old!’

‘A beauty?’

‘Ah, she is one!’

‘But if I got married, then the woman would have to call me grandfather!’

No matter who he messed with, he could never joke around with someone who was only old enough to be his granddaughter.

‘What?’

‘Beauty??’

Chung Myung smiled.

Who could understand his situation?

When Chung Myung didn’t give an answer to her, Tang Soso clenched her fist.

“Am I right?”

“…don’t speak.”

Chung Myung took a deep breath.

“I just have no thought of marriage and stuff, so don’t bother me and look for someone else.”

“Do you think I will just give up?’

“… Uh?”

“I am desperate too! I will show you my charms!”

“… don’t bother.”

“I am older than you.”

Tang Soso looked at Chung Myung, and he sighed.

‘Can’t you just give up?’

It wasn’t like he could just kill people because they were annoying, right?

‘Maybe if there was proper reason…’

-Idiot! The stupidest in the world!

“Ah! I won’t! I won’t!”

“Uh?”

“… nothing.”

Chung Myung waved his hands.

“Anyway, I…”

“Don’t run away and come here today; let’s talk a little more calmly. If we go to a good tea house in Chengdu, have a cup of tea, and watch the sunset together, you will develop feelings of love that didn’t exist before.”

‘No, I hate it!’

‘I don’t want to!’

It was then.

“…noona.”

“Uh?”

Tang Soso turned her head at the voice and saw Tang Zhan approaching them.

“The Lord is looking for disciple Chung Myung.”

“Why?”

Tang Soso frowned. She was hoping to make sure this happened later, but Tang Zhan spoke with a firm face.

“It seems to be important.”

“Um.”

As if she didn’t like it, Tang Soso looked at Chung Myung and said.

“Is it really that important?”

“You can take this to the Lord and ask him directly.”

“Phew, well, Zhan.”

“Yes, noona.”

“You take disciple Chung Myung to father and hold onto him and make sure he doesn’t run away. After that is over, bring him to my place.”

“…”

“Get it?”

“…yes.”

Tang Soso nodded and made way for Chung Myung to leave. But before that, she didn’t forget to add on to her words from before.

“Don’t go anywhere else and bring him to me straight away!”

“…”

Chung Myung followed Tang Zhan with a face that seemed to have lost all emotions, and Tang Zhan looked sadly at him.

“Is it hard?”

“…senses.”

“Uh?”

“… not a single person in the Tang family is in their right senses.”

“…”

It was a sad statement that couldn’t be countered by Tang Zhan.

Tang Soso, who looked at the back of the people who were just with her, bit her lip.

‘I don’t have time.’

Soon Chung Myung would leave, and although she was desperately holding onto him, he wasn’t even responding to her. Moreover, the moment the man leaves, her chance for freedom would also crumble upon itself.

“I need to do someth…”

“No.”

“Ack!”

Tang Soso became startled at the voice that came from behind her.

After confirming the voice of the person, she lowered her hand with a sigh.

“…what is it?”

“Let’s talk.”

“Uh?”

Yu Yiseol looked at her firmly and said.

“I need to talk to you.”

“…”

‘Uh… she seems a bit strange.’

She threw a stone which created a ripple in the pond.

Tang Soso looked silently at the spreading waves.

“I get it. It is hard to see, right?”

“…”

“But it isn’t because I like doing it, do you get it? It looks like I am trying to flirt with him, which might make me look a little rude.”

“A sajil.”

“Uh?”

“He is just my sajil.”

Tang Soso tilted her head and looked at Yu Yiseol.

It was difficult to know what this woman in front of her was thinking. She was a woman who had enough beauty to forget about everything in the world.

“No relationships, right?”

“Yes.”

“He doesn’t show any feelings for a woman who is as beautiful as you?”

“He only shows interest in martial arts.”

“… oh my.”

‘Even if he was a Taoist, how was this possible?’

“Phew. That is tough.”

Like Yu Yiseol said, Chung Myung really didn’t seem to show any interest in them. Which meant that she wouldn’t be able to entice him and get married.

“It is my loss.”

Tang Soso took a deep breath. And Yu Yiseol looked at her and said.

“You don’t seem to have feelings for him either.”

“…”

“Am I wrong?”

Tang Soso nodded her head.

“Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t mean to take advantage of him. I really wanted to do my best and get married to him.”

“It did look like that.”

“But it seems like a lost cause.”

Yu Yisel looked at her and said,

“Why are you obsessed with marriage?”

“Uh?”

“I think you are good enough? Even if you don’t get married.”

Tang Soso burst into laughter at that. Everyone who saw her life from the outside would’ve probably thought that.

“Do you know what kind of place the Tang family is?”

“…”

“The rules of the family are strict. There is only one path for me from here. Getting married to a groom whom the Lord wants. What I am doing now is a little rebellion against it. I will be forced to get married either way. If I am going to get married, I want to do it on my terms. I need to like that family too.”

“Other ways….”

“There is no other way. This is the Sichuan Tang family. A woman from the Sichuan tang family can neither learn the legacy of the family nor live as she wants, especially if she is the daughter of the Lord.”

Tang Soso shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, it isn’t like I have great dissatisfaction. Thanks to the status of being the daughter of the Lord, I have been treated well. If I think of this as the price I have to pay, it makes me feel relieved. But…”

She looked at the pond far from them and said.

“It is just…”

She sighed.

Yu Yiseol looked at the face of Tang Soso dyed in the setting sun, she said.

“There is a way.”

“… Uh?”

“There is always a way. It is just that you aren’t thinking about taking it.”

Tang Soso bit her lip.

“Stop talking as if you know everything. I don’t need to be comforted like this.”

“I will open it up. That path.”

At that, Tang Soso looked at Yu Yiseol wide-eyed.

‘She will open the way?’

‘Yu Yiseol?’’

“…”

Regardless of whether it was possible or not, there was another even bigger question.

“Why would you help me?”

“Because I was the same.”

‘Without being able to see my path.’

No matter how hard she tried, it felt blocked.

But when her path opened one day, she walked to Mount Hua on her feet.

The messiest road in the world.

And now she never got lost.

So…

“There’s nothing different.”

She looked at Tang Soso with a determined face.

“At least you can make other choices.”

Tang Soso, who was staring at Yu Yiseol, stretched out her hand. And Yu Yiseol took it up.

“Comrades.”

“let’s see the bottom of this.”

“Sure.”

Tang Soso smiled brightly.

“But can I ask you one thing?”

“Ask.’

“Do you really have no relationship with that man?”

“…”

“Really?”

After a low sigh, Yu Yiseol turned and headed back to her room.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Tang Soso wasn’t going to back out now.

Tak!

Chung Myung closed the door and stared at Tang Gunak.

“…you look busy.”

“Thanks to someone.”

“…I won’t apologize.”

“Ugh.”

Chung Myung took a deep breath and sat across from Tang Gunak.

“Why did you call for me?’

Tang Gunak took a moment to choose his words and then sighed as he spoke with a heavy voice.

“I have a request to make.”

“Uh? Request?”

Chung Myung narrowed his eyes.

“Wah, are you seriously doing this? For giving me one pill?”

“It isn’t that.”

Tang Gunak raised his hand and touched his forehead.

“Since the talks about that have already happened, let’s deal with this matter first. We have already secured the route for your travel. We are preparing the route from Chengdu to Yunnan too. I told you that I would make it happen.”

“When?”

“Probably, the next day or so.”

“Faster than I expected, thank you.”

Tang Gunak let out a sigh.

“And… my request.”

“Yes.”

“What happened is…”

Tang Gunak began to speak about everything that happened in the elders’ meeting. He abstained from saying some things and added some other things, but he made sure to not sway too much from what happened. He recounted the conflict between him and them to Chung Myung.

‘It will be fine.’

Chung Myung wanted to be close with the Tang family.

And if he was a true friend, he would accept the request coming from his side calmly.

“…and that happened.”

Tang Gunak looked at Chung Myung.

If it was the Chung Myung he knew, he would try to…

‘Um?’

Tang Gunak flinched.

On the face of the child sitting in front of him, there was an expression he had never seen before.

“…so.”

A low voice escaped from his mouth.

“It sounds like the elders are holding the Lord by your ankles.”

“It is true.”

“Ankles.”

Chung Myung’s lips twitched.

-if I had trusted and supported my father rather than going against what they said, maybe they would have been a little strong, and then… then maybe I could have saved another… *

-So, after this war ends, this time, I will head back to help the Lord a little. I have been given the title of elder, but I have never really taken good care of them. *

‘… of course, there is no way you brought me here.’

The dead are already dead. There is no such thing as carrying out the will of the dead.

Yet, Chung Myung couldn’t ignore this because of the memory in his mind.

“You called it a request?”

“Yes.”

“I refuse it.”

Tang Gunak had a disappointed face.

He couldn’t force this child…

“Instead!”

“…Uh?”

Chung Myung’s eyes shone brightly.

“I will give you a present.”

“A present?”

“Yes.”

Chung Myung nodded his head.

However, this wasn’t a present from Chung Myung. He was just passing the present from someone else.

This was a gift that would be given after a long period of time, and it would be from an old elder of the family, Tang Bo, to the present Lord, Tang Gunak.

“Please proceed as planned. And no matter what I do that day, do not get involved.”

“…what are you going to do?”

“Well, it’s simple.”

Chung Myung chuckled.

“I’ll do what I do best.”