"It was. Really helpful—thanks."
"Then that’s good to hear. I’m glad to see you alive again. I don’t like hearing about the death of soone I’ve t."
Seeing him alive like this, it seed he’d safely dodged the danger.
"By the way, how..."
"Rather than standing here talking, how about we go inside?"
The man looked like he had a lot of questions.
And I had no intention of refusing.
"I’ve been wanting to fill my empty stomach with so morning drinks."
...
...
"Pwah—conversation really needs alcohol, doesn’t it? You’re sure you’re still alive, young hero?"
"Haha, what’s so hard about treating my lifesaver to a drink? Don’t worry and enjoy it."
"Well then, what are you curious about? I’ve got my drink and it’s been a while since I last saw you—ask away."
I said that, but I already had a rough idea of what he’d ask.
"...How did you know?"
It was predictable enough even without foresight.
"Were you attacked while washing?"
"That’s right."
"Haha... I’m not sure if ’glad’ is the right word, but I’m relieved. My predictions go off the rails pretty often, you see."
From what I’d seen in my reading, this man was fated to die that night—stabbed in the back by an assassin while washing his face.
It’s not even grand enough to call it fate; it was sothing he could easily avoid.
"Didn’t I tell you? I’m a fortune teller—a trickster who uses sorcery to receive the energy of the heavens and peek at its records. Is it so surprising that a fortune teller can see the future?"
"No... It’s not that, but..."
"Just think of it as good luck. You were fortunate enough to et a skilled fortune teller and survived because of it."
I’d realized it while reading his fortune yesterday—his overwhelming misfortune looked so intense because it was finally tapering off.
They say life is a series of unexpected turns, don’t they?
Misfortune’s a coward—once you fend it off properly, it doesn’t dare co back.
But if you only half-defeat it, it keeps clinging to you.
"Speaking of which, since it turned out this way, how about we exchange nas?"
"Oh, right, we haven’t done that yet. I’m Namgung Jin."
"Oh, a noble son from a prestigious family."
I’d suspected as much, but the Namgung family?
He was from a far more distinguished lineage than I’d thought.
Though, judging by the assassin sent after him, it didn’t seem like his family treated him well.
"Well, I’m the black sheep. They give the bare minimum support, but I don’t really feel like part of the family."
"By the way, your speech has gotten pretty lively."
"That’s because back then, you were just so suspicious stranger."
"Fair enough, I’ll give you that."
It seed Namgung Jin had let down his guard toward after yesterday’s events.
That was good news for —I had a favor to ask him.
"By the way, is this ’leaking heavenly secrets’ thing really that scary? ’Be careful of water’—isn’t that a bit too vague?"
"Hmm... How scary is leaking heavenly secrets, you ask..."
He was probably annoyed that I’d given him such a vague warning.
"Let’s use an example. If I’d told you yesterday, ’Namgung Jin, young hero, be careful—an assassin will target you tonight while you’re washing,’ then..."
"Then it’d be impossible to know when, where, or how an assassin might co for your life next."
"You an even your fortune-telling can’t see that?"
"That’s the basics. In fact, it’d beco harder to survive than the original fate I saw. Call it the punishnt for daring to leak heavenly secrets. For instance, if the assassin you faced was second-rate, the next one targeting you would be first-rate."
If you try to defy fate by leaking heavenly secrets, the heavens prepare an even harsher fate in response.
"Of course, I’d get struck by heavenly retribution too."
"What kind of heavenly retribution are we talking about?"
"Haha, it’s better if you don’t know."
Heavenly retribution.
A punishnt sent down by the heavens.
The retribution for daring to leak heavenly secrets is truly harsh.
"And even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn’t."
"Because that, too, would be leaking heavenly secrets."
Put nicely, it’s receiving the energy of the heavens and spreading it around; put harshly, it’s daring to peek at the heavens’ records and defy them.
Truly, it’s a form of sorcery.
...
...
"You’re planning to go to Shaanxi?"
"Yes. It seems safe there, and business should do well too."
"It won’t be easy for an outsider with nothing to start from scratch all alone. I’ll write you a letter of introduction to a rchant I t on the way here and a contact in Shaanxi—take it with you. Here’s so money too."
Namgung Jin turned out to be a better person than I’d expected.
Not only did I receive a generous sum, but the rchant he introduced to happened to be heading to Shaanxi and let ride along in his carriage.
After a long journey, I finally arrived in Shaanxi.
I headed to the training hall with the letter of introduction Namgung Jin had written for .
What was her na again...?
"Oh, Tang Ayeon."
With a family na like Tang, I wondered if she was from that Tang Clan I’d heard of.
His connections are broader than I thought.
Then again, Namgung Jin was from one of the Five Great Families himself, so it’s not surprising he’d have ties to the Tang Clan.
Still, soone from the Five Great Families attending the training hall was a bit beyond my imagination.
For , though, this could be a huge help.
I should ask her to spread so rumors for .
With high hopes, I made my way to the training hall and was greeted by buildings of an impressive scale.
It must really be an important place.
There are guards at the entrance.
I was pondering how to approach them when one of them spoke up first.
"What brings you here?"
"...I ca to find soone."
"Ah. We can’t just let outsiders in, you see. If you have a letter or sothing, I can pass it along for you."
...They were kinder than I’d expected.
...
...
I take back what I said earlier.
Namgung Jin is a crazier bastard than I thought.
That lunatic, lunatic, lunatic, lunatic!
"So... you’re here on Namgung Jin’s introduction, right?"
I sat in a teahouse, bowing my head to the woman who’d been summoned after receiving Namgung Jin’s letter.
It’s not like they didn’t know each other or had never t. They were friends. That part was true, but...
"I never thought I’d hear that guy’s na again in my lifeti..."
"..."
It was only after eting her that I learned the nature of their relationship.
["He confessed to back then, and I rejected him, suggesting we stay friends. So, yeah, we’re friends."]
Is this guy seriously insane...?
Back when Namgung Jin was at the training hall, he confessed to Tang Ayeon.
Got rejected.
And then dropped out.
...That was their story.
Did he have so grudge against or sothing?
He wouldn’t still be sore about not giving him more details because of heavenly secrets, right?
No, really, this is just...
"Uh... To be honest, I’m not that close with Namgung Jin..."
"It’s fine. It was in the letter. You saved his life, it said."
Damn it. He drove the nail in even deeper?
This is going to complicate things...
According to the rchant I traveled with, starting a business around here without any backing was next to impossible.
The land was pri, and the rchants already had their own tight-knit network—outsiders couldn’t just barge in.
Now, not only might I not get help, but I’d be lucky if she didn’t sabotage instead.
What do I do? Should I kneel and beg?
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