"Strange, isn't it? Maybe 'cause she's a girl too? Kinda nice, actually."
"Hey, let’s take her with us. Once we get to the main base, we can toss her into the cleaning or laundry crew."
"True, they’ve been short on hands over there."
The river bandits concluded their little discussion and turned to Seolhwa.
"Hey, you. From now on, you’re the youngest hand on this boat. This guy’ll tell you what to do. And especially—"
The one with the headscarf pointed at Hwarin.
Hwarin flinched and shrank back.
"That kid—make sure she doesn’t cry. If we hear a brat wailing on this boat, she’s fish food. Got it?"
"...Yes."
The bandits chuckled and left the storeroom, slamming the door shut behind them.
As soon as they were gone, Yugang let out a long sigh.
"What were you even thinking..."
He was about to question her, but Seolhwa’s full attention was on Hwarin.
Brushing dust off the girl’s small fra, Seolhwa spoke in a quiet, flat voice.
"You heard them, right? If you cry, I’m going straight into the river."
Yugang’s mouth fell open.
"Hey! Don’t say that to a scared kid!"
He rushed forward and stepped between them, carefully straightening Hwarin’s crumpled clothes and gently wiping away the tears and snot from her face.
"There, there. It’s okay, sweetie. Don’t cry. Everything’s gonna be fine. Oh, what’s this? When did this nasty bit of straw get stuck here? Bad straw!"
Hwarin, who had seed about to burst into tears again, suddenly giggled at his antics, as though she hadn’t cried at all.
Watching Yugang soothe the child with such ease, Seolhwa’s expression turned unreadable.
They hadn’t even known each other for half an hour, and yet Yugang and Hwarin already looked like true siblings.
‘At least she won’t end up in the river.’
Watching the child laugh, as if she’d forgotten she’d been kidnapped, Seolhwa leaned her back against one of the ship’s pillars.
"...?"
Sothing was in her pocket. She reached in and pulled it out—it was the hair ornant she had ant to give Hwarin for her birthday.
Staring at it for a mont, Seolhwa walked over to where Hwarin was playing with Yugang.
"...?"
Hwarin looked up at her. Her lips parted slightly, then closed.
‘She rembered I told her not to call that.’
Seolhwa sat down in front of the girl.
Then she took Hwarin’s hand and gently pressed sothing into her palm—a cute hair ornant shaped like a rabbit.
"I was going to give this to you on your birthday."
Hwarin blinked her wide, round eyes.
"I’ll protect you. When we get ho, let’s buy a dress that matches the hairpin."
Seolhwa gave her a soft smile and stroked her head.
Don’t let her get scared. Don’t let her feel alone. Don’t let her cry.
"Good girl."
Seolhwa half-expected Yugang to scold her again, but he said nothing.
‘That’s a relief.’
She felt a little flustered beneath Hwarin’s sparkling gaze, which seed far too bright for soone so small.
Hwarin’s lips kept twitching, like she wanted to say sothing.
"You can call ‘Unnie,’ if you want."
Hwarin’s face lit up instantly, and she threw her arms around Seolhwa.
"Thank you, Unnie."
Her voice was tiny and delicate.
"I’m not scared at all now that you’re here."
She was so small, so very small, that Seolhwa didn’t know what to do.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yugang mouthing sothing.
Pat, pat. Pat, pat.
Understanding his gesture, Seolhwa awkwardly patted Hwarin on the back.
It was the first ti in all her lives that she had held a child like this.
Warm. A little ticklish.
No matter what it takes...
She had to protect Hwarin. Keep her safe. Keep her from being hurt.
Keep her from ever experiencing the things Seolhwa had endured.
As she held the warm, tiny child in her arms, Seolhwa made a silent vow.
****
That night, after Hwarin had fallen asleep, Seolhwa and Yugang stepped out onto the deck.
From the direction of the cabin ca loud voices and raucous laughter—clearly a drinking party was underway. A few bandits were still tending to the ship.
Following Yugang’s lead, Seolhwa began wiping down so of the deck’s cargo. As she worked, she glanced up at the sky, now cloaked in darkness.
The ship that had departed from the waterway leading from Soho was heading south, toward the Yangtze River.
Even for the Namgoong Clan, catching a pirate ship won’t be easy.
No matter how fast or sturdy their vessels might be, they couldn’t match the speed of river bandits on their own waters.
These people lived and breathed the river. Of course they had the advantage.
And since we’re moving with the current, it’ll take ti for them to even find a boat to give chase. Which ans...
On land, it might’ve taken a day or two at most to catch up. But on the river, the delay would be several tis that.
They were lucky if they didn’t lose the trail entirely.
Seolhwa pulled a steel pellet from her pocket, infused it with internal energy, and flicked it from her fingers.
It zipped across the air, snapping a branch on the far shore and embedding itself deep in the trunk.
It was the only way she could leave a trace behind for now.
I hope they notice.
"Hey, rookie. You planning to just stand there all night? You’re supposed to scrub here, like this."
Yugang had co over and was now vigorously wiping the railing with a cloth.
He’d been grumbling at her, but clearly he was just doing her share of the work.
Back in the storeroom, too—he’d kept Hwarin company until she fell asleep, and now he was quietly looking after Seolhwa as well.
Instead of answering, Seolhwa grabbed the cloth from his hands and began scrubbing the railing herself.
Yugang stamred, “Wha—?” for a mont, but then fetched a mop from sowhere and started cleaning the floor beside her.
Escape before we reach the main base.
Seolhwa’s voice rang clearly inside Yugang’s head.
The mop in his hands froze mid-swipe. Then, after a beat, he broke into a bright grin and resud cleaning like nothing had happened.
— That's what I was going to say.
— I'm stronger than you. Did you forget?
— And I'm better with kids. Didn’t you notice?
— What does that have to do with anything?
— What if I run off alone and the others throw you into the river?
— Then you just keep running and don’t look back...
— Not you. Hwarin. What happens if she’s left behind? You may be strong, but you can’t do this alone.
This ti, Seolhwa’s hand stilled.
Would she be able to calm little Hwarin by herself if Yugang were gone? She wasn’t sure.
— Seems like Hwarin feels safer with than with her own family. Isn’t that right?
— ...
— See? How am I supposed to walk away, leaving my little sisters behind?
Yugang grinned and gave Seolhwa’s stiff shoulder a light pat before heading off elsewhere.
There was no arguing with him. She had told him to run—but sowhere in the back of her mind, she hadn’t actually envisioned a scenario without him.
...What a hollow warning.
A quiet laugh escaped her lips, bitter with self-awareness.
She hated to admit it, but it felt as if she was relying on him.
It must be the mories of my past life.
Seolhwa turned her eyes toward the opposite side of the deck, where Yugang was now chatting cheerfully with a few of the river bandits.
For a mont, the silhouette of another man overlapped with Yugang’s.
A man silently climbing the mountain, his back burdened with the corpses of their fallen martial brothers.
****
They arrived at the river gang's base two days later, just after the hour of Horse began (between 11 AM and 12 PM).
As the form of the base drew closer in the distance, Seolhwa’s expression grew increasingly grim.
Guiyeong Stronghold (Ghost Shadow Stockade).
Of all places, it had to be this one.
Guiyeong Stronghold was connected to one of the Six Blood Lords of the Blood Demon Cult.
Specifically, the Sixth Blood Lord—the one known for his hound, ng Deungho, the Black Slaughter Demon.
Though much about the Six Blood Lords remained hidden, the Sixth was sowhat known to the world.
The Supre Chief of the Eighteen River Clans of the Yangtze.
It was no secret. The Blood Demon Cult had openly declared the entirety of the Yangtze's river clans as their territory the mont they expanded their reach.
And the man the Sixth Blood Lord treated as his personal enforcer was none other than «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» the current master of Guiyeong Stronghold—ng Deungho.
The problem was...
I don’t know what state the river gang is in now.
She couldn’t be sure if the Sixth Blood Lord had already taken full control of the entire river alliance, or if ng Deungho was still operating as a subordinate.
There was only one thing she could say with certainty.
The fact that the river gang targeted Namgoong at this ti... it’s because of .
The only major change from her previous life was her return to the Namgoong Clan. And now, a river faction tied to the Sixth Blood Lord had abducted a child of Namgoong.
She didn’t know why they had taken Hwarin and not her, but...
I am their real target.
That much was clear.
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