Before dawn, the darkest night. Outside the pavilion, Ice Palace people and Four-Directions Hall warriors were standing by.
Sohwa shut the window to block out that incongruous sight altogether.
There were plenty of empty houses, so it would be good if they went in anywhere and rested, but perhaps worried about their superior, they were setting their aura in front of the pavilion.
Tap.
Sohwa returned to the desk where silence had settled.
“The sun is rising, so you must make a decision quickly.”
Already for a full double-hour, the Four-Directions Hall Administrator and the Northern Sea Ice Palace’s Bloodline Master had kept their mouths shut.
“No matter that this pavilion is far from the harbor, if that many are outside, the island may take notice.”
Though Sohwa prodded them, still the Administrator and the Bloodline Master said nothing.
Namgung Jin cleared his throat and cut in.
“Even if the island sees, it will be fine. Did not Young Lady Tang say so? That they will not bring needless conflict with the Martial Alliance. From afar it is hard to tell affiliation; even if discovered, we can say all are Martial Alliance people.”
Sohwa’s chilly gaze slid sideways.
Pressed by the demand to have some tact, Namgung Jin turned his head.
It was not as if Namgung Jin liked wasting time either.
He merely feared listening to the conversation between the Administrator and the White Wind Cloud Adept.
Since that story involved his father, he was not prepared in his heart.
Tang Sohwa furrowed her brows as if she could no longer endure it.
“I know the two of you have a bad tie. However, this is no time to be bound by ties of the past.”
The Administrator’s pupils moved toward Tang Sohwa. It was not a favorable time and place, yet the instant Sohwa met her eyes, she began the conversation.
“Administrator, the Northern Sea is presently occupied by the Blood Cult.”
A crease formed between the Administrator’s brows.
“The Blood Cult has occupied the Northern Sea?”
Before she knew it, Sohwa scratched her own skin.
At the words that the Blood Cult had occupied the Northern Sea, Pang Shihyeon was greatly agitated.
It was too much a reaction to think she was simply surprised.
Observing the killing aura, Sohwa spoke.
“To begin with, there is no such thing as a Northern Sea Branch. The Blood Cult brought Central Plainsers into the palace to obtain information on the Central Plains, and now they have cleared them out.”
“However, every year the Northern Sea Branch sent letters to headquarters and asked for exchanges. Once, someone even came in person and I saw him myself. He was certainly a Central Planser.”
“It seems they sent someone to look into the situation at headquarters. And, with respect, Administrator, you cannot distinguish Blood Cult people from Central Plainsers.”
At Tang Sohwa’s words, the Administrator frowned.
Sohwa was not certain it was good to say this now.
Pang Shihyeon seemed not to know there were Blood Cult people inside the Martial Alliance.
If so, it would be rash to expose that there was an infiltrator at headquarters. The Administrator had worked at headquarters for a long time. She was unlikely to doubt headquarters on the word of someone she had seen but once. Rather, she might doubt Sohwa, who had been waiting for the Four-Directions Hall in the Northern Sea.
Instead of putting the infiltrator in her mouth, Sohwa presented other proof.
“The person beside you now is also blood kin of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, and at one time was a Blood Cult man.”
The Administrator looked at Baek Unhyeon with an expression of disbelief. Before she could open her mouth, Baek Unhyeon nodded.
In a calm voice, Sohwa said,
“It is an old matter. Now Great Hero Baek Unhyeon has gathered the Ice Palace blood kin and fled, and is living in hiding to avoid the Blood Cult’s pursuit.”
The anger that had flickered in Pang Shihyeon’s eyes receded. A confused gaze flowed toward Sohwa. As if to say, what in the world are you talking about.
Sohwa raised a topic that would subtly touch the Administrator’s heart.
“A few days ago, Young Clan Head Namgung Jin and I met the Ice Palace blood kin. Perhaps because they had gone long unfed, they were all in a weakened state. Especially the young children were in danger of their lives. If we do not drive out the Blood Cult as soon as possible, many will be sacrificed.”
Sagye Hall Lord and Four-Directions Hall Administrator. Though they held seats that audited the fifteen schools of the Martial Alliance, the members of the alliance could not belittle the two. It was not simply because the Alliance Leader had said earlier that they were martial people.
In the end, in their actions there were goodwill and justice. If one pointed that out, one oneself became the strange one.
If there was a difference between the two Administrators, the Sagye Hall Lord was hard to read, but the Four-Directions Hall Administrator did not hide her inside.
The Four-Directions Hall Administrator was weak toward the weak and infinitely strong toward the strong. Even if she performed a cruel act, people would think, of course, Pang Shihyeon must have had a reason to act so.
Sohwa brought up a story that could make the Administrator lose her reason.
It was a cruel subject that might prompt the Administrator to step forward and wreck the island.
“In the meantime, the Blood Cult has conducted experiments that must not be done.”
When she exposed the Blood Demon’s ghastly experiments, the Administrator’s face was contorted wretchedly.
When she spoke of the Northern Sea war as she had heard it from the Fourth Seat, expression vanished from Pang Shihyeon’s face.
Having provoked Pang Shihyeon, Sohwa laid out her plan.
“Just as the Blood Demon invoked the Outland Branch and used the Martial Alliance’s name, if we too use the Martial Alliance’s name, we can minimize bloodshed and neutralize the island.”
At Tang Sohwa’s words, Pang Shihyeon frowned as if in thought.
“However, that passage—does it not look like a kind of formation?”
“Yes. It is sorcery, but the principle is similar to a formation.”
Pang Shihyeon let out a hollow laugh.
“A formation that connects spaces—such a thing I have never heard of. It is hard to believe there exists a passage that connects spaces, and you say you will break it? Rather, I will go check the island, and if the Blood Cult has truly occupied it, with headquarters’ support...”
Sohwa quietly took the passage out of her sleeve. When she handed it to Namgung Jin, he set his hand on the Han Cheol.
When Namgung Jin’s internal energy swept through the formula, light burst forth.
Saaaa.
Where the light vanished, a great hole appeared.
Pang Shihyeon parted her lips as if flustered.
“What is this...”
“It is a passage linking Hubei in the Central Plains. As it is a long distance, they say it is difficult to keep connecting the same point. So though we do not know exactly where it will lead, it will not go beyond Hubei.”
With a calm face, Sohwa gestured toward the passage.
“They say seeing is better than hearing a hundred times, so please confirm it yourself.”
The Administrator knew no fear. Though she had reason to doubt, she stepped straight through the torn space.
Sohwa was about to add that it would close in half a quarter-hour and she had to return before then, but she stopped. It was because Pang Shihyeon returned at once.
Her face had gone white as if she had seen a ghost.
“By any chance, have you given me a heavy poison? Am I not seeing things now because I am drugged?”
The Administrator showed the same reaction to the Blood Cult’s sorcery as the Sagye Hall Lord.
“It is understandable you say so.”
“This is something that makes no sense.”
“I think so as well. That is why I wanted the Administrator to see it directly.”
When the passage vanished, Namgung Jin returned the Han Cheol to Sohwa. With an unchanged face, Tang Sohwa put it into her sleeve.
“The very fact that the Blood Cult has such a thing in hand is a great threat to the Central Plains.”
Sohwa’s gaze rose toward Pang Shihyeon.
“Inside the island there is a passage connecting to the Central Plains, and the Blood Cult occupies it. Thus, this is not merely a problem of the Northern Sea.”
The Administrator kept her mouth shut and waited for Sohwa’s words. Sohwa posed a question to her.
“In any case, you must obtain Binggeukjicho, must you not, Administrator? To obtain Binggeukjicho, you will have to go to the island, so please go in personally this time as well and check. After that, you may decide whether you will help us.”
Pang Shihyeon, her head aching, squeezed her eyes shut. Pressing her own brow hard, she asked,
“However, why is this man needed to enter that island? If we are in a situation of tracking the Northern Sea Ice Palace blood kin, would it not be dangerous for this man to enter the island?”
“I also think so, but it seems the positions inside the island are complicated. They say it is hard to know positions by map. These people will find the passage for us. Also, we do not know the Northern Sea tongue, so if a problem arises, they will help.”
“Even so, if they are recognized on the island, would not all be useless?”
Then Baek Unhyeon opened his mouth.
“If we hide our bodies in boxes and enter, it will do. For us, living in hiding is not so difficult, so once we get into the island, we will not be caught.”
The Administrator, perhaps undecided, let out a deep breath.
Sohwa could not afford to give time to think.
The hour of dawn drew nearer and nearer.
If they realized the boats were gone, the island might send new boats to break the ice, so she did not want to create variables.
Sohwa knew a way to make the Administrator decide quickly.
Pang Shihyeon was warlike, but toward commoners—toward people who were not martial—she felt deep compassion.
Though it bothered her, in a position once obliged by favor, to use that disposition, in the end Sohwa provoked the Administrator.
“Moreover, the commoners of the Northern Sea are also in a bad situation now. They say, to seize the blood kin on the island, they are controlling the Northern Sea people. They are blocking exchanges with the outside and even controlling food.”
“What? Martial people are intimidating commoners? How can they be so lawless...”
As expected, the Administrator’s eyes changed.
“Yes. The commoners who were in this harbor also seem to have been butchered by the Blood Cult’s trick.”
At those words, Pang Shihyeon’s eyes darkened. As if she had seen something, a layer of sorrow covered her anger.
“If we turn our backs on the Northern Sea, countless commoners will lose their lives to the Blood Cult’s trick. At the very least, if we fetch food from the island and leave it on the shore, we can at least share food with the commoners.”
“...”
“Administrator, please lend us the Martial Alliance’s name so that we may enter the island. If the situation flows badly, we will not cause a disturbance and will only obtain food and come out.”
Of course, Tang Sohwa had no thought to give up the passage. Once she entered, she meant to find the passage no matter what.
Even if she gave up the passage, with stubborn Namgung Jin at her side she could rest easy.
This official was the sort who would smash the passage and come back even alone.
Sohwa’s gaze slid to Namgung Jin sitting beside her. As expected, he could not hide his displeased expression. It seemed he was disappointed in the Administrator who was hesitating.
'At times like this, it is reassuring that he is single-minded.'
Turning her gaze forward again, Sohwa flinched before she knew it.
It was because the Administrator was sending a curious look.
Looking back and forth between Namgung Jin and Tang Sohwa, she asked,
“Do you know how dangerous what you are doing now is?”
Unable to understand why she asked something so obvious, Sohwa waited for the words to follow.
Would it not be stranger not to know? They were entering enemy lines.
However, the Administrator shut her mouth, and Baek Unhyeon beside her asked in her stead.
“I did not know you were supposing failure... and yet you intended to go in knowing that?”
Baek Unhyeon parted his lips.
“Because of food?”
Food was not particularly important.
Because Baekgeumgak had brought in a heap of useless things for a storehouse’s sake, there was plenty of food, and even if it were lacking, it would suffice to go to Hubei using the passage made of Han Cheol.
However, the two martial people opposite met each other’s eyes and let out hollow laughs.
“My... It seems the passage was a pretext.”
“Indeed, the Central Plains is not in a situation to bear a grudge against the Blood Demon, so I wondered why you would risk your lives to break the passage. It seems that, having been away from the Central Plains for a few years, I forgot that Central Plainsers hide their insides this complicatedly.”
“Well now. Could Central Plainsers possibly catch up with you in the ability to hide one’s inside?”
Baek Unhyeon let out a faint laugh and shook his head.
“I did not mean it in a bad sense. I said it because I have seen one who hid goodwill beneath a fighting spirit.”
The Administrator shut her mouth.
But the Bloodline Master, as if he had seen nothing at all, said,
“Even if we fail to break the passage, I will never give up. There will be a next time, so your sacrifice will not be in vain.”
“...”
“...”
In a blink, the two of them became people going to the island to die.
Namgung Jin and Sohwa exchanged a reluctant look. The mood was flowing strangely.
Did they not just see that we have a passage to return to Hubei? If we flee to the Central Plains, that is enough—why stake our lives.
Just then, Baek Unhyeon rose from his seat.
“It seems decided, so let us depart at once.”
“I have not yet said I am going.”
The Bloodline Master let out a hollow laugh.
“Do I not know Pang Shihyeon? Seeing her face, it looks as if she is itching to go quickly.”
“...”
“Counting me, I will take two people, so lend me three sets of the Martial Alliance’s robes. Something could happen, so we must bring clothes to change into.”
“Do so.”
As soon as he heard the answer, Baek Unhyeon went outside, and the Administrator also left the pavilion.
In the pavilion grown quiet, Namgung Jin’s voice rang.
“At any rate, it seems they have reconciled.”
“Yes. They said it was a bad tie, and yet the harmony came faster than I thought.”
Namgung Jin tilted his head.
“However, if they were going to reconcile so quickly, why did they fight so harshly?”
Tang Sohwa’s hazy gaze moved sideways.
“...You are not asking thinking I would know, are you?”
“Truly. What did I ask Young Lady Tang... Please pretend you did not hear.”
Direct lines of two of the three great families, who knew nothing of the feeling between man and woman, tried to understand their leaders’ actions, but in the end, they did not.
