Muk-yeong’s explanation was complicated and simple at once.

— Pigskin and bone. And Black Smoke Salve.

The pigskin and bone he could guess at; he remembered hearing somewhere that pigskin resembled human flesh. They would use them to shape the figure of a person.

But Black Smoke Salve was new to him.

“What’s Black Smoke Salve?”

— A salve made by blending lacquer-tree sap with sulfur.

Burn pigskin coated with the salve, Muk-yeong explained, and the sulfur threw off a foul stench. And once the lacquer sap had soaked into the hide and burned away, what was left had the texture of human skin charred black, scorched down like charcoal.

— But this will only serve as a brief deception. Under examination, it would be exposed as no true corpse.

Seo Woojin thought it over.

It didn’t need to be fine enough work to fool everyone. He only needed proof that they were all dead.

“Can you make this Black Smoke Salve even now?”

— If I can procure the materials, yes.

“Good. First, let me explain my plan.”

Seo Woojin laid out everything he’d been turning over. Muk-yeong gave a small, troubled shake of his head.

— It’s reckless. None of it is easy, but that part in particular…

Seo Woojin shook his head.

“Reckless or not, it has to be done.”

— To carry out what you’ve ordered, I won’t be able to protect you.

“I don’t think I’m weak enough to need protecting. As you know, this is the body that stood toe to toe with the Crazed Fiend.”

When Seo Woojin flashed a grin, Muk-yeong’s brow furrowed deeper. He glared at Seo Woojin for a long while, then moved his hands in a rapid flurry.

— You’re more willful than Brother Geonwoo.

“Oof. That one might actually sting.”

— And more hopeless than Sister Biryeong.

“Ngh. Am I really that bad.”

With a sigh, Muk-yeong moved his hands again.

— Though I do think it takes a temperament like that to become master of the Four Black Dragons…

“Then what’s the problem? This job can be the measure of it. Whether I’m fit to be your master — or whether you’ll only use me as a stand-in for the real one.”

Something wavered in Muk-yeong’s eyes.

A measure. A judgment. It was the word furthest from him — he had only ever moved on orders. As the thought landed, his hands trembled faintly.

‘…I need only follow orders.’

Seo Woojin was right. He was a substitute for the real one. Whether the true heir was found or never found, he was to be treated as the counterfeit. Give an order, and it was followed.

There was no reason to spill complaints like this.

‘Am I… worried?’

He couldn’t understand it. A few days was all — all the time he had spent truly facing the man. And yet here he was, harboring feelings like these.

Muk-yeong swallowed a low sound and moved his hands once more.

— I will follow your orders.

Seo Woojin found the shadow that had fallen over Muk-yeong’s face strange, but let it pass for now.

“Good. Then let’s head back to the Baek estate. Lucky we took a room nearby — otherwise we’d be in for another long walk.”

Seo Woojin tossed off the idle remark and headed out ahead of him. Muk-yeong followed a beat behind, forcing down the tangle in his chest.

After they reached the Baek estate, Muk-yeong went out again. Seo Woojin urged him to rest at least a day, but he refused, saying he’d have to hurry to meet the deadline.

He would have helped if he could, but from the next day on Seo Woojin would be busy himself. In the end he saw him off with an apologetic look.

Left alone, Seo Woojin went over the plan ahead — and before he knew it, he’d gone without sleep until the first light of dawn.

‘Ngh. Nothing wrecks your health like losing sleep.’

Living on Cloud Pavilion Mountain he’d always kept a regular routine, so this way of life still felt foreign.

Seo Woojin pushed the thought aside and went outside. Breathing in the dawn air, he felt the clutter in his head begin to clear.

After looking over the quiet estate grounds, he sprang up onto the roof of one of the halls.

Swish. Tak.

Landing lightly, he flopped down where he was. He meant to empty his head for a moment, watching the sun come up.

But that plan went awry from the very start.

“Heave-ho—!”

A childish voice came along with the sound of someone clambering onto the roof. He turned to look, and up came a girl — young-faced, though “child” didn’t quite fit her.

“Oh my. Someone’s already got the seat?”

She looked briefly surprised, then sat down beside him as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Seo Woojin barely swallowed the dry laugh threatening to escape.

“I didn’t know the spot was taken. I’ll go down, so—”

“No, no. I said ‘someone’s got the seat,’ but the truth is I came up on purpose to meet you. Isn’t it funny — a delicate, adorable little girl like me hauling herself all the way up somewhere this high?”

That finally dragged the laugh out of him — to describe herself that way.

Seo Woojin gave a slight shake of his head and asked who she was.

“If you climbed up on purpose to meet me, I ought to ask who you are first.”

“Hehehe. Who do you think? Care to guess?”

Seo Woojin snorted and played along.

“Free to roam the grounds of the Baek estate — Ningbo’s foremost house. Fine clothes, an untroubled face… You’re the daughter Clan Head Baek is said to cherish most.”

“Tch. No fun. Who guesses it in one go?”

Seo Woojin shrugged.

“Believe it or not, I absolutely hate to lose. I always give it my all to seize the win.”

“Ha! Must feel great, beating a little kid like me!”

At her sulking face, Seo Woojin let out a small laugh.

“Heh. Then would you tell me your name?”

The girl had turned her head away, lips pursed. But she gave in soon enough and introduced herself.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly. The Baek Clan’s spark of life! The Baek Clan’s sunshine! The Baek Clan’s spring-breeze darling! I’m Baek Soeun!”

It was rather much for an introduction, but Seo Woojin took it with a smile.

“A pleasure. I’m Seo Woojin.”

Baek Soeun shook her head, as if something about him displeased her.

“What’s with that little-old-man way of talking? You realize that voice really doesn’t suit that handsome face of yours? And you don’t look much older than me, either.”

Seo Woojin let out a small sigh. He had never met anyone quite like her.

‘Even the girls back in White Cloud Village weren’t this rambunctious…’

But what could he do. He’d already decided to play along, so he’d have to see it through.

Seo Woojin cleared his throat and nodded.

“All right. Then I’ll speak plainly, I suppose.”

Only then did Baek Soeun look satisfied.

“Hehe. Now this’ll be worth talking.”

“So — may I ask now? Why did you want to meet me?”

Baek Soeun grinned and looked at the sun just climbing into the sky.

“It’s just, my nanny and the maidservants who work here were all in a fuss. That a handsome fellow had come to visit the Baek Clan. More handsome than our own brothers, they carried on. How could I not be curious? I decided I had to see for myself, so I waited!”

Ah. So that was why she’d told him to speak plainly — so she could too.

There was more than a point or two he wanted to raise, starting with her calling him “brother,” but he gave it up. He’d already judged she wasn’t an opponent he could beat with words.

“So? Now that you’ve seen me up close. Worth all the fuss?”

Baek Soeun narrowed her eyes and studied his face closely.

“Hmm… Handsome, sure, but your eyes are too sad. A man full of melancholy has no appeal.”

“Well, excuse me. I’ll have you know every woman in my village wanted to marry me.”

“Your village must’ve been really small. That’s why they’d settle for the likes of a ‘brother.’ Makes sense.”

The sheer gall of it drew a laugh out of him.

Had he ever, in his life, been criticized for his looks? He’d only ever been praised, and he’d always brushed it off as nothing — but now that it was actually thrown at him, he felt oddly riled.

“You’re a real nasty little brat.”

“Hmph! Who’s a brat! Is there anything you won’t say to a lady!”

“A lady, please. Looks like you just barely grew out of being a snot-nose.”

“Ha! So petty. Getting all sulky over one word from a kid?”

“As if a kid’s opinion means anything. Doesn’t faze me in the least. If it looks like sulking, that’s only because you started sulking first, so everything looks that way.”

Baek Soeun’s mouth fell open, as though struck.

“Wow. That just now was really childish. Now I can’t tell who the real kid is.”

Struck where it hurt, Seo Woojin’s face flushed a little. He raised his voice needlessly and snapped at her.

“Why did you even come up here? If your business is done, want to go down? I came up here to rest, you know.”

“Nyah—! No way. I’m the daughter of the master of this house, so wherever I am is my own business.”

When Baek Soeun stuck out her tongue and taunted him, Seo Woojin whipped his head away and lay flat where he was.

‘What an infuriating brat. Nothing like Clan Head Baek Gyeong at all. No doubt the Clan Head raised her spoiling her rotten.’

Grumbling inwardly with his eyes shut, he was soon overtaken by self-reproach.

‘Ha. What am I even doing? Even I think this is pathetic.’

Cracking his eyes open, he found Baek Soeun’s gaze turned toward the sun as before.

While he was debating whether to speak up, Baek Soeun opened her mouth first.

“You came from the Dark Alliance, didn’t you?”

At her changed tone, Seo Woojin frowned.

“Uh, huh? Yeah. What of it?”

“No reason.”

And she fell silent again.

Just what was she thinking. Seo Woojin soon sighed and closed his eyes.

She’d sought him out because she had something to say. So he need only wait — until she was ready to say it.

As expected, she opened her mouth again.

“My father is truly amazing.”

“How so?”

“In every way. He runs the businesses the clan operates without a single hitch. Though… lately it’s been a bit hard.”

Baek Soeun’s voice dimmed for a moment, but soon she brightened again.

“Do you know how many disputes break out at the harbor? Being seafarers, they’ve got fierce tempers, the whole lot of them. They don’t even fear warriors. And yet those same people go weak at a single word from my father. That’s why every merchant in Ningbo respects him and follows the Baek Clan.”

It did seem that way.

Ordinarily it was the government that held the greater sway over common people’s lives. Yet even with a corrupt official like Yun Giwon sitting in office, the people of Ningbo wore bright faces. That meant a murim family or sect held real influence here — proof that the Baek Clan, first house of Ningbo, was filling in where the government fell short.

“My father’s martial prowess is amazing too. I never learned martial arts, so I don’t really know, but our clan’s warriors — and even my brothers — can’t beat him. Uncle Myung told me once that if Father had kept devoting himself to training, he could surely stand comparison with the heads of the Seven Families.”

Seo Woojin privately agreed. That sturdy build alone showed the man never let his training slacken, even now. Whether he could truly measure up to a head of the Seven Families, he couldn’t say — but he could tell the man was a formidable master.

“Sometimes the government comes to our house, too. They ask for escorts when shipping important goods by boat, or hand over complicated matters.”

By now his puzzlement had only grown. Seo Woojin opened his eyes and looked at her.

The sunlight stung, but he saw it clearly — the tears running down her cheek.

“That’s how important my father is to this Ningbo. If Father were to vanish, a great many people would be made miserable, don’t you think?”

Baek Soeun turned her head and grinned. Bright as a child — yet somehow, it was a terribly sorrowful smile.

“If I had never been born, my father would surely have climbed higher still.”

“You—”

Seo Woojin couldn’t get the words out.

Baek Soeun rose to her feet, then knelt down toward him.

“My father’s crime is a crime he committed because of me. So it’s only right that I be the one to pay its price, too.”

She bent at the waist and bowed her head low.

“I beg you, please. With my life, forgive my father’s crime. Please… save my father and our clan.”

There was something close to fear in the faint tremor of her voice.

How much courage must it have taken a child that small to say those words.

Only now did he understand why she had picked a fight the instant she saw him. She had meant to rattle him somehow, to snuff out any pity he might otherwise feel.

It was the best a child like her could think to do.

Krk.

Seo Woojin ground his teeth and raised her up. Then, looking into her eyes, he broke into a grin.

“The nerve on you for a little brat. Just how big a fool did you take me for?”

“Y-yes…?”

“You dared pick apart my face and thought you’d get away clean? I’ll have you know I’m a candidate for Dark Alliance Lord.”

Seo Woojin ruffled her hair.

“You’ve committed a grave crime, so I’ll be handing down a very grave punishment. And what punishment is that? The punishment of being my conversation partner until I’m sick of you. Well? Can you bear it? If you carry out your responsibility, then I give you my word. I’ll protect your father and your clan.”

“Ah…”

Baek Soeun’s eyes went wide. And in those big eyes, water began to well.

“Thank you… thank you. Thank you.”

Over and over she poured out her thanks.

Seo Woojin stroked her head and soothed her. But somewhere along the way his own eyes had gone cold. That their malice had reached even this small child set a fury boiling in him.

‘I’ll smash every last one of them. Whatever they’ve prepared.’

Beyond the aim of taking these people as his own faction, he now had another reason — to give this child back her bright, untroubled smile.

Quietly, inwardly, Seo Woojin steeled himself for the fight.

(End of Chapter 28)