Chapter 122 - Don't You Know Why I'm Angry?

I had assumed the woman the Ghost Adept married was wicked. Yet the woman before me now seemed nothing of the sort.

"I've heard how hard you've been working on the Ghost Gate's secret arts. Please don't push yourself too much."

"Thank you for saying that."

At Im Hyang's concern, the Ghost Adept grinned from ear to ear.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"I am."

"Let's eat before we go."

The Ghost Adept, Im Hyang, and the martial artists accompanying her entered our inn. They took seats near us, so we could hear every word of their conversation.

"I'll be honest with you. My parents actually opposed this marriage. They said the Ghost Gate's successors have devoted themselves exclusively to research for generations, and that you would leave your wife lonely."

"Ah, you've misunderstood. That will never happen. I promise you. I will never leave you lonely."

I had never heard the details of why the Ghost Adept's marriage had fallen apart. When we parted for the last time, he had said his married life was an even worse hell, so they must have still been living together then.

What if it had happened because his research into the Great Art of Regression had left her lonely? What if that was the reason?

'Ghost Adept, you won't be able to keep the promise you're making now.'

Of course, that might not have been the reason. Judging by the way he was looking at Im Hyang now, I could have wagered my entire fortune that he would abandon his family's work if she asked him to run away with her. He loved her this much, so why had their marriage become hell?

Yi An sent me a sound transmission.

"Those are the two whose wedding you want to stop, aren't they?"

"Yes."

"How can we stop them when they're so in love? Won't they hate us if we try now?"

Not just hate us. They would become our bitterest enemies.

We turned our attention back to the couple's conversation.

"My father might treat you rather coldly, Young Master. If he does, please try to understand."

"Of course. I know how dearly the sect leader cherishes you, Miss Im."

Could their parents have driven them apart? Finding out the reason had to come first.

They ordered their meal.

"I'm not fond of stir-fried dishes."

The Ghost Adept hastily responded to Im Hyang's firm preference.

"That's wonderful. Neither am I."

"Really?"

"We must be a match made in heaven!"

But I had seen it: his split second of hesitation. His regret at thinking, But I like them.

Poor Ghost Adept. No more stir-fries for you. Still, in his current state, he would probably have gladly agreed if she'd asked him to live on fasting pills for the rest of his life.

Once they began eating, we started a conversation of our own. I kept my voice up to draw their attention.

"Do you want to get married?"

For people about to wed, marriage would surely be the most compelling topic. Sure enough, I could feel the Ghost Adept and Im Hyang listening.

"I'm not going to."

"Why?"

"Marriage comes with a great deal of responsibility, doesn't it? I'm not confident I can be responsible for someone else. Taking care of myself is hard enough."

I couldn't tell whether she really thought that or was answering that way because she knew I wanted to stop their marriage.

This time, Yi An asked me.

"Do you want to get married?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I just want to live freely."

"What about children? Don't you want to have children?"

"Children..."

I had been asked that question only once before, by the Ghost Adept's younger sister, Seo Jin. My answer back then had been obvious. I had been consumed by guilt and rage over being the only survivor. Children had been the last thing on my mind.

"I'm not confident I could raise them well."

"True. Not every parent raises their children well."

Yi An's expression darkened slightly. Setting aside the Ghost Adept's situation, I asked something I had wanted to ask her.

"Do you resent your parents?"

"I did when I was little."

Her parents had abandoned her when she was very young. She had eventually found her way to the Cult without knowing who they were.

"And now?"

"I don't think much about them now. Hating them only hurts me."

I had deliberately asked about her parents so she wouldn't bury that hurt in her heart.

Instead, I wanted her to dig it up and talk about it, regret bringing it up as she kicked her blankets, then think, I've already talked about it, so why not talk about it again? That way, it could become something that no longer felt so immense.

Only after going through that process several times would an emotional wound begin to fade. Simply bury it in your heart and forget? Not a chance. However deeply you bury it, it won't rot away. It won't disappear.

Yi An grinned at me.

"My parents are probably living comfortably somewhere, eating well and enjoying themselves."

It was then that someone spoke.

"I don't think they are."

Im Hyang had been unable to keep herself from joining in.

"I don't know your circumstances, but your parents must be heartbroken, my lady."

She was as definite in expressing her opinions on matters like this as she was about her taste in food.

Yi An answered gently.

"Not all parents love their children. Some think that because they gave birth to a child, that child should make money for them. There are parents who beat and abuse their children, and even sell them, aren't there?"

Her last words troubled me. Perhaps Yi An had lived all this time believing her parents had sold her.

"Surely that's only a tiny minority of parents. Yours must have had some other reason, miss."

Im Hyang looked at Yi An with pity and sympathy in her eyes. Despite her simple, unassuming appearance, she clearly had no qualms about showing her emotions even to someone she had just met.

Yi An could have taken offense if she'd chosen to, but she responded gently.

"Thank you for trying to comfort me."

"No, I shouldn't have interfered. I'm sorry."

Im Hyang apologized, and Yi An replied just as politely.

"Not at all. You meant well, and I was too sensitive."

And so they apologized to each other.

Only then did Im Hyang introduce herself.

"I'm Im Hyang, a daughter of the Im Sword Family."

Im Hyang introduced the Ghost Adept, and Yi An introduced me.

"This is my senior brother."

That was how she generally introduced us to new people. Since we had learned the same martial art, it wasn't technically untrue.

"As an apology, let me treat you to drinks. It seems the two of you are seeing each other for the first time in a while today, so let's meet tomorrow or the day after, whenever you have time."

Im Hyang shook her head at Yi An's offer.

"No, if anyone's buying drinks, it should be me."

After watching them each insist on paying, the Ghost Adept stepped in.

"As it happens, I was planning a modest celebration with a few close friends tomorrow. I'd like to invite you both."

"We couldn't intrude on such a special occasion."

When Yi An declined, Im Hyang intervened.

"No, please come. I think I'd feel much better if you did."

With Im Hyang insisting as well, Yi An accepted their invitation with a show of reluctance.

"All right. We'll visit tomorrow."

A little later, the Ghost Adept and Im Hyang finished their meal, said their goodbyes, and left the inn ahead of us.

Once they were gone, Yi An couldn't resist showing off.

"Didn't I do well?"

"Splendidly. So well that I could leave this to you and go."

"Oh! You can't do that. I still don't understand why we need to stop them from marrying!"

Yi An watched them receding into the distance outside the inn. Even as they walked, the Ghost Adept couldn't take his eyes off Im Hyang.

I recalled his final moments.

["Is it still hell?"]

["An even hotter hell. I know I've no right to ask, but please. If I refuse to listen to the very end, rip my dick off."]

["It's that bad?"]

["Worse."]

If I was determined to stop him, it wasn't impossible. But I worried that forcing them apart under these circumstances might only make him more miserable. They did say that nothing was more difficult than matters between men and women.

"I still don't know what I should do, either."

* * *

The following afternoon, Yi An and I visited the Ghost Gate.

As we followed our martial-artist guide into the inner grounds, I sensed ghost qi in various places.

"Yi An, can you feel that qi over on the left?"

"Yes. I've never felt anything like it before."

"That's the Ghost Gate's ghost qi."

It felt different from the Soul-Seizing Demon's ghost qi.

"You have to be extremely careful when dealing with people who use ghost qi like this. You never know what they'll spring on you, so the most important thing is not to panic. If you panic, you die."

"Yes. I'll remember that."

When we entered the inner grounds, we saw three people talking in front of a flower garden.

They were the Ghost Adept, Im Hyang, and the person I had so dearly wanted to see: Seo Jin.

"Don't trust my brother. Once he gets absorbed in his work, you could hold a sparring match right beside him and he wouldn't notice. That's my brother for you."

Im Hyang laughed, taking Seo Jin's words as a joke.

"I'm not joking."

"Then I'll have to put on a spectacular match. One impressive enough to make him turn his head toward me."

As they chatted, our arrival drew their attention.

Seo Jin's eyes met mine.

Originally, I had met her much later than this. That made the Seo Jin before me feel so unfamiliar.

So you had a time when you were this young and fresh, too.

She had been so well suited to the rough life of a wandering martial artist. She was intelligent, thoughtful, and loyal.

Nothing about her now brought that woman to mind. Now she was a bright, cheerful girl who had grown up surrounded by love in a distinguished family.

Yi An's sound transmission reached me.

"You didn't look like this even when you saw those beautiful courtesans at Thousand Flowers Pavilion. There's something different about the way you're looking at her."

As always, Yi An knew me best.

"No jealousy, please."

"Your Majesty! It is not jealousy, but curiosity!"

Indeed, how could my gaze be ordinary when I looked at Seo Jin?

My friend.

In this life, I won't let you grow cold in some nameless field. As you lay dying, you said you were satisfied with your life, but I won't let you meet that end. That's my promise as your friend.

We approached them, and the Ghost Adept introduced us to Seo Jin.

Once the introductions were over, she showed an interest in Yi An.

"Your eyes are so beautiful. Why are you wearing a veil?"

I gave Yi An a look, urging her to show her face. Time for a beauty trap, Yi An!

Catching my meaning, she removed her veil.

The two women exclaimed in admiration, but surprisingly, our target, the Ghost Adept, was barely moved.

I asked him,

"Young Master Seo, isn't my junior sister pretty?"

I had meant to show him that the world held women this beautiful, too.

"She is beautiful. Beautiful, yes, but my Miss Im is more beautiful."

I could tell he meant it sincerely.

They said love was blind, but this went beyond rose-colored glasses. He might as well have been under soul-seizing sorcery.

I sent Yi An a sound transmission.

"Ugly girl! Put your veil back on."

"I already have. What's with that man!"

"I was hoping a beauty trap might stop the wedding, but that won't work."

"Why stop them when he's so in love? It's lovely to see."

Just then, Im Hyang looked at the Ghost Adept, her expression stiff.

"What's wrong, Miss Im?"

"Don't you know why I'm angry?"

"I'm afraid I don't."

The Ghost Adept looked utterly bewildered.

"Why can't you be honest? That young lady is more beautiful, isn't she? Did you think saying that would please me?"

Even she thought Yi An was more beautiful, so she assumed he had lied.

"To my eyes, you are more beautiful."

"That's a lie, isn't it?"

"No. You truly are more beautiful. I could swear it to Heaven."

"Really?"

Only after confirming that did Im Hyang's expression soften.

At that moment, I became certain.

The way she'd interrupted our conversation yesterday, and the way she was acting now—she had a forceful personality, if that was the word for it. She had to get to the bottom of things that could easily have been let go before she could move on.

What if she had suffocated the Ghost Adept with that personality? Sooner or later, his rose-colored glasses would have come off.

Once he grew sick of her, he would have escaped reality through his research into the Great Art. And that would have made their relationship even worse.

This wasn't her fault alone. She wasn't hiding who she was; she was showing him plainly. The Ghost Adept himself simply couldn't see it.

Even now, he was smiling at Im Hyang, though I couldn't imagine what pleased him so much.

Good grief, Ghost Adept. What am I supposed to do with you? Do I really have to rip your dick off?