Chapter 31 - Without a Surname

"Ho ho. Don't worry so much, lads. My Soul-Chasing Flying Butterfly doesn't chase just any soul."

Tang Wu gave the warriors a light pat on their shoulders and entered the King's Hall. Needless to say, they flinched at his touch.

Perhaps because they had suffered at his hands only recently, the members of the Danri Family also shuddered at the sight before following him inside. Do Heo-ok and Tang Hwa went right after them.

And last of all, Dong Bongsu entered the King's Hall.

His eyes were still fixed on Do Heo-ok's back.

The interior of the King's Hall was surprisingly simple.

There were no noteworthy decorations, nor were there many people. It consisted of a single, enormous room, with long passages running along either side to other rooms.

At the far end, opposite the entrance, stood a low dais. On it sat a fairly large cedar chair—the only piece of furniture in the hall.

Seated in the chair was a refined-looking man in his fifties, dressed in blue.

This was Namgung Byeok, patriarch of the Namgung Clan. He had been conversing with a beautiful woman standing beside him in pale blue silk when he noticed Tang Wu approaching.

His face lit up, and he leaped down from the dais as though taking flight.

"Welcome, Uncle Tang. It has been far too long."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Just look at you, the patriarch of the Namgung Clan, bounding about without a shred of dignity. Hmph."

Despite his words, a faint smile had appeared even on Tang Wu's cold face.

"My apologies. But how can I help being pleased to see you? Ha ha."

"I couldn't come to your elder daughter's wedding. I thought I'd better at least wipe away your tears when you marry off the younger one, or you might stop calling me your uncle."

Namgung Byeok called Tang Wu his uncle not because they were related by blood, but because Tang Wu and his father, Namgung Pae the Sword Saint, had been sworn brothers. That was also why Tang Wu had given the last sword embedded in the roof of the King's Hall such a meaningful look earlier.

After Namgung Pae's death, Tang Wu had shut himself away in the Tang Family estate. This was his first venture back into the martial world since then.

"Ha ha ha. I'm glad you came. But how is it that you look younger than I do?"

"Tsk. You've turned into quite the old man since I last saw you. That's what comes of neglecting your martial training."

"The patriarch's duties keep me terribly busy. It has been so long since I last held a sword that I wonder whether mine has rusted."

At a glance, Namgung Byeok certainly looked older than Tang Wu. Such must have been the depth of Tang Wu's martial attainment.

As the two exchanged pleasantries after their long separation, a peerless beauty who looked barely twenty approached them. She was the woman who had been speaking with Namgung Byeok moments before.

Graceful eyes, black brows that seemed to resemble the night sky, a nose so sharply defined it lent her a cool air, lips and a finely sculpted chin that might have been lovingly shaped by a master craftsman without equal through the ages, long, lustrous hair, a rosy complexion, a long neck, and a slender figure. Could Daji or Yang Guifei truly have been this beautiful? If ever the phrase "a beauty who could topple a nation" suited anyone, it was this woman rather than either of them.

"Greetings, Granduncle Tang. My name is Hye."

Holding the edges of her pale blue silk robes, she bowed her head and waist with a grace so light she seemed about to take flight. Admiration appeared on the faces of every man gathered in the King's Hall. For Dong Bongsu, however, it was merely an outward show. His inner gaze remained utterly still.

This woman, whose beauty compelled admiration at first sight from anyone who was not an aberration like Dong Bongsu, was Namgung Hye, the First Beauty of Anhui. Namgung Byeok's second daughter, she was soon to exchange lifelong marriage vows with Do Heo-ok.

At her greeting, Tang Wu smiled, his expression an exquisite blend of coolness and warmth.

"So you're little Hye. You were just a tiny girl when I last saw you, and now you've grown into a beautiful young lady. Every bit as lovely as our Hwa. Ho ho."

The blush on Namgung Hye's face deepened at his praise. Her bashfulness was so lovely that it set the men's hearts burning once more.

"Ha ha ha. Uncle Tang, you should let us see Hwa's face behind that veil before making such a claim. My daughter, I'll have you know, is widely renowned as the loveliest girl in Anhui."

"Absolutely not. Our Hwa is so beautiful that without that veil, there's no telling what ghost might spirit her away."

Who said boasting about one's children made one a fool? As though to prove that being such a fool was perfectly acceptable when they were this lovely, the mood quickly grew warm and convivial.

Tang Wu and Namgung Byeok exchanged a few more casual inquiries about each other's lives, then withdrew to the patriarch's study within the King's Hall to speak in private. Before leaving, Tang Wu said a few words to Tang Hwa and took Danri Ganghae along with him. He meant to keep his promise.

Seeing this, Gi Daehyo and Gi Manji sighed in relief at having safely completed their mission. They then followed a Namgung warrior to the guest quarters.

Only Dong Bongsu, Tang Hwa, Do Heo-ok, and Namgung Hye remained in the King's Hall.

Only then did Tang Hwa approach Namgung Hye and greet her.

"Sister Hye. It's been so long."

"It has, Sister Hwa."

Their families had visited each other since the two were young, and they were close enough to call each other sisters.

"After all this time, aren't you even going to show me your face?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sister. I'm so used to wearing this that I forgot I had it on. Hee hee."

Only at Namgung Hye's gentle reproach did Tang Hwa remove her veil.

Her finely drawn brows and sharp nose were no less lovely than Namgung Hye's. Her somewhat fuller lips, white-jade skin, and eyes as large as an owl's gave her a faintly western look compared with Namgung Hye's innocent beauty. Yet those features were balanced rather than exaggerated, making her truly beautiful.

Where Namgung Hye was an innocent-looking beauty, Tang Hwa possessed a cool, intelligent beauty. Both were so lovely that anyone would have struggled to judge one above the other. Had the men of the Danri Family seen the face behind Tang Hwa's veil, they probably would not have slept tonight. No, surely some would lose sleep merely from having seen Namgung Hye.

As soon as Tang Hwa removed her veil, Do Heo-ok approached and cupped his fist in his palm, as though he had been waiting for that moment.

"Things were so hectic earlier that I had no chance to introduce myself. I am Do Heo-ok."

"I'm Tang Hwa, Brother-in-law. You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"

"S-Sister Hwa... Not yet..."

At Tang Hwa's use of "Brother-in-law," Namgung Hye blushed again, both cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

"Ha ha ha. Brother-in-law, is it? I like that."

"I truly never imagined someone as bashful as Sister Hye would marry before me."

"Y-You..."

Embarrassed once more, Namgung Hye hid behind Do Heo-ok. From their behavior, it was difficult to tell which was the older sister and which the younger.

"Hee hee. If she's this shy, I wonder how she'll manage her wedding night."

"S-Sister Hwa... How can you say such a thing..."

"Ha ha ha. That's enough, Lady Tang. If Hye runs away on our wedding night, I may have to hold you responsible."

"Hee hee hee. I'm sorry. But surely she wouldn't do that?"

"Isn't it always the things you say could never happen that get you? Ha ha."

Namgung Hye lowered her head, growing still more embarrassed under their continued teasing.

"Sister Hwa, stop..."

Her face had gone beyond merely red and was now flushed as scarlet as a strawberry. At last, she shot Tang Hwa a reproachful look and protested.

Tang Hwa stuck out her tongue playfully at her.

"Well, who told you to get married so soon? Hee hee."

"... By the way, who... is this gentleman?"

Unable to bear any more, Namgung Hye forced a change of subject, indicating Dong Bongsu with her eyes.

Tang Hwa looked at Dong Bongsu and frowned faintly.

"Oh, he's..."

She faltered for a moment, uncertain how to introduce him. Tang Wu seemed to have great expectations of this man, but in truth, she was not yet convinced. Above all, however heaven-gifted his aptitude might be, he was far too old. She had never known anyone to begin learning martial arts at such a late age and achieve greatness. There might have been a few in the entire history of Murim, but none that she knew of. Besides, the family elders had yet to grant their approval.

While she was still hesitating, unable to continue, he spoke.

"My name is Sosam."

Dong Bongsu introduced himself. His reasons for calling himself Sosam were simple. First, it was the answer Tang Hwa wanted. Second, he thought the longer she hesitated, the more Do Heo-ok's attention would turn toward him. Even so, he had already anticipated that he could not prevent Do Heo-ok from taking an interest. Whether he was Sosam or Tang Sam, he was certain to strike Do Heo-ok as an oddity.

"Sosam? What is your surname?"

Puzzled by his answer, Do Heo-ok asked for his surname. Most people in the Central Plains had one. Even among the lowborn, nearly everyone had a surname.

"I don't... have one yet."

Dong Bongsu lowered his head, deliberately letting his words trail off.

"Not yet?"

For the first time, a curious glint appeared in Do Heo-ok's eyes as he looked at Dong Bongsu. His gaze swept rapidly over him from head to toe.

He wore clean black clothes that looked newly purchased, but they seemed awkward on him somehow. His body was painfully thin from malnutrition, and his hair was so disheveled that it would hardly have been surprising if a bird nested in it and laid eggs. Nothing about him suggested someone fit to accompany Tang Wu or Tang Hwa. Indeed, he did not even look like someone who would be admitted to the temporary reception pavilion.

Strictly speaking, servants and laborers delivering congratulatory gifts, as well as porters from escort agencies, were not guests of the Namgung Clan and had no need to enter the reception pavilion. Those admitted had to be martial artists of sufficient skill or renown to stay in the guest quarters as guests of the Namgung Clan, or members of their parties.