Sohwa nodded. She trusted Namgung Jin completely when it came to sleeping outdoors. Namgung Jin untied his pack, took out a blanket, and picked up several stones from the ground. Sohwa did trust him, but she had no idea what he was trying to do. Raising her eyebrows slightly, she watched from behind as Namgung Jin also picked up a rock about the size of his palm. Soon he placed the smaller stones over the blanket and, putting strength into his arm, struck them with the larger rock.
Clang.
Amazingly, the smaller stones drove into the rock wall and held the blanket in place.
“......”
Sohwa stared with her mouth slightly open at the man who seemed like a monster. Unfazed, Namgung Jin hammered in several more stones so that the blanket was fixed across the entrance like a windbreak. Then, turning around and catching Sohwa’s expression, he said proudly, “If we make a barrier like this, it’ll block the cold air from coming in and keep the light from leaking out.”
It seemed Namgung Jin planned to light a fire inside. He said he would go find wood that hadn’t been soaked by snow and told Sohwa to go inside first.
The eldest son of the Namgung Clan was so skilled at camping that one couldn’t tell whether he was a nobleman or a wandering beggar.
Sohwa lifted the blanket and went inside. The cave was low enough that she had to slightly lower her head, and the air was filled with cold dampness. Before Namgung Jin returned, Sohwa cleared the snow piled on the floor and stacked some small stones in the middle to make a brazier. Taking a piece of solidified oil from her bag, she placed it in the brazier.
Just then, Namgung Jin returned. “It seems the snow has been falling for a long time; it’s hard to find wood dry enough to burn.”
Despite his words, he was carrying an armful of wood of various thicknesses and lengths.
“That looks more than enough to last the night.”
While Namgung Jin set up the area, Sohwa laid thin twigs over the oil and arranged the thicker logs around the brazier.
Click.
Sohwa used a fire tong to light the oil. The amount was just enough to maintain the flame.
“While the oil burns, the wood will dry.”
Finishing his arrangements, Namgung Jin leaned against the cave wall near the entrance and smiled. “Ah, you brought oil with you.”
He took a large stone and lifted the edge of the blanket slightly so that the smoke could escape outside. Through that small gap, the forest, now completely dark, was visible.
Sohwa understood now why Namgung Jin had said not to search for more than two days.
Even though they hadn’t done much, once night came, exhaustion settled in.
Sohwa took a small pouch from her pack.
“What’s that?”
“A medicine that replenishes energy.”
Namgung Jin accepted the pill Sohwa handed him and swallowed it. Sohwa also took one herself.
Watching her, Namgung Jin gave a short laugh.
“...Why are you laughing?”
“I just realized I took something from a member of the Tang Clan without even checking what it was.”
It wasn’t the most appropriate thing to say in front of a Tang Clan woman, but Sohwa’s lips curved faintly. She was used to that kind of suspicion; she’d received it endlessly until the day she died.
The Sichuan Tang Clan never sent food when offering gifts to other sects. Unless the other side specifically requested medicinal ingredients, they sent specialties of Sichuan or jewels instead.
Tang Clan people didn’t take offense at such suspicion.
They actually liked it.
She didn’t know if every Tang Clan member did, but at least the ones she knew did. The Medical Division Head, Tang Hae-han, and the Grand Elder, Tang Min, would look proud and mock the courage of others whenever people grew fearful of them.
Reflecting on the past, Sohwa frowned slightly.
'Now that I think about it, maybe those two were just insane.'
“I misspoke. My apologies.”
But Namgung Jin, misunderstanding her expression, apologized instead.
Sohwa shook her head. “No, it’s fine. The Tang Clan doesn’t speak only good things about Namgung either, so you don’t need to apologize.”
The eldest son of the Namgung Clan raised his thick eyebrows, seemingly offended. “...And what does the Tang Clan say about Namgung?”
Normally, one would smooth things over by saying it was just a joke to save face, but Tang Sohwa lacked that sort of social grace. If she had it, she wouldn’t have suffered so much in this second life from lack of information.
In a calm tone, she replied, “Don’t they say Namgung is two-faced? They compare themselves to the heavens, calling themselves upright and pure warriors, yet in truth they crave wealth more than anyone and act as if sitting low would be disastrous.”
“......”
“Rather than being openly calculating, they’re worse because they want others to ignore their dark side while demanding praise for their bright side. I’ve heard many people mock them for that.”
Namgung Jin’s lips parted. “I didn’t know other clans criticized Namgung like that.”
“They probably wouldn’t dare say that to the Young Clan Head’s face.”
Lowering her gaze to the ground, Sohwa added quietly, “Seeing you, though, it seems those rumors about Namgung were wrong.”
He was sitting right there on the dirt floor without hesitation. While telling her to stay inside and warm herself, he remained alert, ready to step outside at any moment.
Sohwa spoke in a bitter tone. “It seems I’m the one who hasn’t spent enough time down among the common folk, not Namgung.”
Namgung Jin closed his mouth. After a moment, he ran a hand through his hair awkwardly.
“I’ve been reflecting too. The tonic you gave me works better than the jerky I brought to recover strength.”
“I’m glad the medicine suits you.”
Watching Namgung Jin clutch his pack, Sohwa slowly lifted her eyes.
“Actually...”
“Yes?”
“I smelled sulfur in the gorge.”
“Sulfur? Is that a problem?”
Worried the quick-witted Young Clan Head might notice her own constitution, Sohwa decided to explain what she had hidden in the mountains.
“Sometimes, when sulfur leaks out, it means there’s a hot spring nearby.”
“Oh, do you want to go to a hot spring?”
At his innocent question, Sohwa let out a short laugh. “No. I’m not saying I want to take a bath in the middle of all this.”
She voiced the thought she had been keeping to herself. “If sulfur melted by the earth’s heat has risen to the surface, there must also be areas where the ground holds geothermal warmth.”
Namgung Jin didn’t understand what she meant, but precisely because he didn’t, he kept silent and listened.
Fortunately, Tang Sohwa continued. “I don’t know exactly what the gorge’s structure is like, but if warmth flows beneath the ground, it might be possible to cultivate crops using that geothermal heat. It might not be enough to eat well, but it could sustain life.”
“You’re saying there could be a village inside the gorge?”
“That’s what I’m thinking... but it’s a contradictory idea. If the sulfur concentration is high, anyone exposed could die. Sulfur is often used when creating poison vapors.”
“When Young Lady Tang says that, it suddenly sounds much more convincing.”
Taking his words as light humor, Sohwa gave a faint smile. Though in truth, Namgung Jin hadn’t been joking, he wisely stayed quiet.
Sohwa sighed in frustration and ran a hand through her hair. “That’s why I can’t settle my thoughts. Judging from the rope marks leading down, it’s clear someone comes and goes, but if commoners have settled inside, they might have a defense system in place.”
If the commoners had moved their homes into the gorge to avoid the Blood Cult’s eyes, it would mean the Cult’s oppression had become severe. They might react aggressively to outsiders.
They could lose their lives to the locals’ defense system even before getting a chance to request a meeting with the Northern Sea bloodline.
After a short silence, Namgung Jin spoke. “Whatever the case, wouldn’t it be better to at least go see for ourselves? Even if we asked the Baekgeumgak people, their words can’t be trusted, so in the end, I’d have gone alone anyway.”
His answer came easily, almost too easily.
Though his thought process differed from Sohwa’s, the conclusion was similar.
Whatever the case, one could only trust what they saw with their own eyes.
'So we must go ourselves.'
Namgung Jin was right.
Sitting and speculating was meaningless.
Only by seeing could one know—and believe.
Sohwa let out a short sigh. “I’m glad I asked you, Young Clan Head. It seems in the end we’ll have to go ourselves since there’s no one we can trust.”
“I’m glad it eased your mind.”
Leaning back against the wall, Namgung Jin added, “Get some sleep. Even a little rest makes a big difference the next day.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask one more thing.”
“Go ahead.”
Namgung Jin, still leaning against the wall, turned only his head toward her, waiting for her to speak.
After a moment’s hesitation, Sohwa said, “Do you remember when the Alliance Leader said that the Blood Demon doesn’t exist?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“The Alliance Leader lied. The Blood Demon does exist.”
At her words, Namgung Jin furrowed his brows. “What are you saying?”
“The Alliance Leader used Oseoksan [N O V E L I G H T] to distort people’s memories. That’s why everyone believes the Blood Demon doesn’t exist.”
“Young Lady Tang, that kind of joke isn’t funny. Why would you say something like—”
He stopped mid-sentence. After a long pause, as if recalling something, he spoke again.
“Some time ago, when I mentioned Oseoksan to my father, he refused to hear me out and denied its existence entirely.”
His voice turned cold. “If someone is brainwashed by Oseoksan, do they automatically deny anything related to it?”
Sohwa nodded. “Depending on the depth of the brainwashing, yes.”
Namgung Jin closed his eyes, as if his head hurt. “This is... confusing. It’s true the Blood Demon doesn’t exist, and I’m sure you’re lying, but... thinking of my father leaves me unsettled.”
“Your reaction is normal. Oseoksan was designed to dull the mind. In about a month, you’ll regain your memories—just wait a little longer.”
“The brainwashing from Oseoksan lasts only a month? That’s a relief. I’ll talk to Father again once I return.”
Sohwa hesitated before saying, “The Clan Head probably won’t recover even after a month. When first exposed to Oseoksan, one regains memory after a month, but repeated exposure erases it forever.”
Silence fell. Only the sound of burning firewood filled the small cave.
In a low voice, Namgung Jin asked, “Then... could I also lose my memory permanently?”
“I want to believe not, but honestly, I can’t promise that.”
Even though Namgung Jin had lived in the sealed cave for two years, he had never shown signs of realizing he’d been deceived by Namgung Hyun. That made it more likely he hadn’t been exposed to Oseoksan—or that he’d been brainwashed too deeply to ever recover.
Sohwa spoke again. “I know you can’t believe in the Blood Demon’s existence right now. You probably think I’m trying to deceive you. But let me ask you something.”
Namgung Jin’s gaze lifted heavily. Sohwa met his dark eyes.
“May I tell you the truth?”
“Didn’t you say I wouldn’t be able to believe it even if you did?”
“Even if you can’t believe the Blood Demon exists, I hope you can at least believe there’s a reason I’m lying.”
“......”
“That belief is enough.”
Sohwa spoke sincerely, holding his gaze.
The Young Clan Head of Namgung had trusted her and come to the Northern Sea. Even though she had skipped countless explanations, he had believed her and followed her into the snowy mountains to find the Northern Sea people. Yet now, he sat by the dangerous entrance as if it were nothing, telling her to rest her eyes while he stayed alert.
Namgung Jin was clearly different from the members of the Namgung Clan she had known.
Tang Sohwa didn’t want him to die—not because she feared Namgung Hyun becoming Clan Head, but because she didn’t want to lose the first true companion she’d ever had.
So even knowing that revealing her body’s secret and her connection to the Blood Demon might put her in danger, she decided to tell the truth without caution.
After a moment of silence, Sohwa spoke. “Even if you think Tang Clan food is poison and refuse to eat it, I hope that just as you took the pill I gave you without doubt, you can believe in me even if you can’t believe in my words.”
“......”
“I don’t want a misunderstanding to destroy that trust and lose you, Young Clan Head. Since you trusted me and came to the Northern Sea, I’ll do everything I can to make sure you don’t die.”
At her words, Namgung Jin gave a quiet laugh despite himself.
'Who could protect whom?'
The thought crossed his mind, but he didn’t dislike it. The eldest daughter of the Tang Clan rarely showed emotion, yet when she spoke with such tension and sincerity, it earned his trust.
In truth, he already trusted Tang Sohwa. After all, he had just swallowed the pill she’d given him without question—a thing that would have shocked every Namgung retainer.
“How could I refuse after you say it like that?”
With a sigh, he straightened from the wall. “I don’t know how long it’ll take, but I’ll stay awake and listen.”
Namgung Jin had meant it as a joke, but Sohwa took it seriously and tried to explain, as briefly as possible, what had happened between the Blood Demon and the bloodline of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
Though he said he wouldn’t believe her, Namgung Jin soon found himself absorbed in the story of the Outland Five Palaces. From time to time, he even asked questions, and the conversation stretched on longer and longer.
In the end, the two direct heirs of great martial clans did not close their eyes that night. They spent the entire night in the frozen North, discussing the lost history of the Outland Five Palaces.
