**Chapter 116**
* * *
After checking the condition of the martial artist at the medical hall, Yerin headed back to her quarters.
Along the way, she noticed a conversation between two low-ranking martial artists.
The two were whispering to each other, clearly finding something amusing.
“Ah, I had a terrible dream last night,” one of them said.
“A dream? Why?” the other asked.
“Well, I had to go near the Goeamjeong area yesterday.”
The martial artist who spoke shrugged slightly.
“As expected, I had a frightening dream.”
“That place is really strange, isn’t it?”
“Just passing by Goeamjeong gives me the chills. I don’t know why.”
As the two continued their hushed conversation, they noticed Yerin and bowed their heads respectfully as they passed by.
‘Goeamjeong, huh?’
Yerin remembered the name.
‘If passing by that place gives chills and nightmares…’
Something seemed to click in her mind.
The ‘something’ was not very reassuring, though.
“Madam!”
At that moment, a familiar voice called out to her, and Yerin looked up with a start.
It was Doyul.
Yerin widened her eyes in surprise.
“What? Were you waiting outside?”
It was as if he were a little puppy.
Doyul, grinning, responded playfully.
“I missed you so much. Shouldn’t the one who misses someone come out to meet them?”
“Oh my, have you become quite the smooth talker recently?”
“I am sincere, though.”
Doyul, without blinking, continued as he walked closely beside Yerin.
“By the way, I heard you had a duel? I heard it ended in a draw.”
“Already reached your ears? The rumors travel fast.”
“Everyone’s talking about you.”
The incident where Yejun had attacked a martial artist nearly causing a fatal injury, and the fact that Yerin had ended in a draw with Yejun—news of it had spread quickly.
“How is the martial artist?”
“Fine. But if the treatment had been delayed even a little, there might have been some after effects.”
“Oh, was it that severe?”
Doyul narrowed his eyes.
‘A head of a clan not valuing people’s lives…’
At that moment, Yerin asked a question.
“What about Somi?”
“Not yet arrived.”
Doyul responded with a somewhat sullen expression.
It was understandable.
While Yerin was dueling with the martial artists, Doyul had to stay at the quarters because of Somi.
If Somi had returned with a letter and no one was in the quarters…
– ‘It’s frustrating to be the contact person, how can you leave me behind?’
Doyul had to endure Somi’s grumbling all day.
So, it was better for one of them to stay at the quarters.
Yerin felt a bit apologetic.
“Still, you should come along. It must be frustrating to stay at the quarters…”
“It’s alright. I know the martial artists of the sect are uncomfortable with me.”
Doyul shrugged lightly.
Even though the sect lord had invited him, the old animosity between the Northern Sea Ice Palace and the Four Heavenly Gates wouldn’t disappear overnight.
So, Doyul decided it was better to minimize potential conflicts by staying behind.
What Doyul was more curious about was another matter.
“The draw… was it intentional?”
With almost certainty in his voice, Yerin nodded with a bitter expression.
“Yes, that’s right.”
When the duel ended and Yerin was surrounded by the martial artists of the sect, the look on Yejun’s face at the end was still vivid in her mind.
The eyes full of grievance and frustration.
“Actually, I hoped to give the him a bit of face in front of the martial artists.”
A sigh mixed with Yerin’s voice.
“It seems I can’t prevent Yejun from holding a grudge against me.”
“Well, it’s not something you should blame yourself for.”
Doyul answered soothingly.
And then, at that moment.
“Woof! Woof!”
The loud barking of a dog erupted.
Somi, who had dashed up to them, puffed out his chest and announced grandly.
– ‘I have arrived!’
“Oh, you’re here?”
Yerin greeted Somi with a smiling face.
Somi continued proudly.
– ‘Do you know how much I suffered?’
“Oh dear, really?”
– ‘Yes! So praise me more! More!’
Somi puffed out his shoulders and urged Yerin.
Well, it was true that he had made several trips back and forth acting as a messenger.
Yerin hugged Somi and patted him.
At that moment, Yerin paused.
“Hm?”
“What’s wrong?”
“It seems like you’ve gained some weight.”
From what she could feel, Somi’s body had become quite plump.
Moreover,
“You also seem heavier than before?”
Somi, who had some guilty feelings, flared up in response to Yerin’s suspicious tone.
– ‘Gained weight! This is just my fur getting fluffier!’
Hyuk Min-woo had adored Somi and always prepared treats in anticipation of his visits.
And all those treats had gone into Somi’s stomach.
Yerin, confused, asked,
“But it’s getting warmer. Shouldn’t you be losing fur instead?”
“Grr…!”
“Alright, alright. You haven’t gained weight.”
Seeing Somi grumbling, Yerin waved her hand.
“I need to read the letter, so please be quiet.”
– ‘Be quiet! If the contractor hadn’t slandered me, I wouldn’t be so upset!’
“I said I understand.”
Yerin tried to calm Somi and move on, but:
– ‘There’s no other spirit as cute and smart as I am.’
Somi’s heartfelt mutter made Yerin look down at him with a bewildered expression.
What on earth is he saying?
“Look at this? Crossing the line?”
– ‘Crossing the line!’
Somi glared back at Yerin with fiery eyes.
“Hyuk Min-woo, right? He said I’m the cutest and smartest!”
“……”
Yerin was left speechless.
Regardless, Somi turned his head with a pout.
– ‘That person has good taste.’
“Alright, alright.”
Yerin shook her head and unfolded the letter.
Somi, who had been cautiously observing Yerin, jumped off her lap.
He trotted up to the desk.
‘Have I really gained that much weight?’
Somi, who was examining his own face closely, concluded with a cat-like wash of his face.
– ‘Well, I’m just cute.’
“……”
“……”
Despite receiving incredulous looks from Yerin and Doyul, Somi remained proudly defiant.
* * *
After realizing that both the worker and the women had gone missing, Hyuk Min-woo didn’t just leave the investigation to others but personally got involved.
During his investigation, Hyuk Min-woo noticed a peculiar fact.
That was:
“There are far more people involved in the disappearance than expected.”
According to Hyuk Min-woo’s findings, nearly thirty people had gone missing.
Furthermore, the fact that people had gone missing had already begun to spread as rumors within the city.
“So, this is why the city was so on edge when we first arrived.”
Reflecting on this, Hyuk Min-woo gave a friendly smile to the elderly man sitting in front of him.
The old man was said to make a living by setting up a small stall in a corner of the city.
“Do you happen to know who the missing people are?”
“Well, most of them are from the underclass or poor people.”
The old man, who drank the liquor Hyuk Min-woo had bought him, picked up a well-cooked chicken leg and continued.
“Honestly, I’m relieved.”
“Relieved?”
“Yes, indeed. Think about it.”
The old man bit into the chicken leg, making his pronunciation somewhat unclear as he chewed.
Swallowing the meat, the old man narrowed his eyes.
“Those underclass people always rush in and take their share of fees and protection money every time I set up my stall.”
“Does this mean that almost no one is looking for the missing people?”
“Who would go out of their way to find such trash?”
The old man shrugged as if to demonstrate his point.
“Families might be searching a bit, but honestly, are there any decent families among the underclass? They’re all the same.”
From this conversation, Hyuk Min-woo realized the commonality among the missing individuals.
They were poor people who received no attention or those who were disliked and considered nuisances in the city.
Such people were mainly the ones who had disappeared.
“Still, I assume the Four Heavenly Gates will investigate the missing persons?”
Hyuk Min-woo poured more liquor for the old man and asked.
The old man shook his head.
