CHAPTER 72: GOLDEN ORCHID TAVERN (3)

A cloak concealing the face entirely. It reminded her of a troublesome hero from her previous world, but he couldn’t be here—a coincidence, likely. Perhaps it was angled cleverly or made from a mystical creature’s hide.

"So what? If you can’t see his face, it’s a gamble. I might be desperate, but you think I’d stoop to that?"

"It’s not about his face... It’s hard to explain. Maybe woman’s intuition, but there was something about him."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Just being near him felt... comforting. Like a delicious scent or something."

"...Hmm."

Was he one of her kind? In her old world, she might’ve thought incubus, but that couldn’t exist here. More likely, he was one of her own, wielding some charm. Either way, it sounded intriguing—especially since he’d brought another woman. What expression would she make if I stole her beloved right before her eyes? It’d been ages since she’d found such a promising source of entertainment.

+

Han Soyeon’s POV [Not Flashback]

Step... Step...

It felt like trudging through a desert. Who am I? Where am I? After waking in death’s cold grip, I’d wandered, searching for Yuseong, with no clue where he—or I—was. I followed my instincts blindly.

Step...

No amount of water quenched the burning thirst in my throat. I knew instinctively how to sate it: blood. Sink my teeth into a human’s throat, let their struggles and screams whet my appetite, and drink their fresh blood. The urge transcended instinct.

Even now, my body screamed to bite the neck of a passerby. But I held back—not because it felt inhuman, but because, if I had to drink blood, it would be Yuseong’s. No one else’s. Even if forced down my throat, I’d spit it out.

Press.

I pulled the blood-colored cloak—taken from where I awoke—tightly around me. My appearance had changed drastically, setting me apart from the Central Plains’ norm. Standing out wouldn’t help. My eyes had turned red, my once-black hair now streaked with crimson, like a Western barbarian. The vibe was different from when I was alive, but it had its charm.

What mattered was Yuseong’s opinion. If he found these red eyes repulsive, I’d pluck them out myself—though that’d mean I couldn’t see him, so I hoped it wouldn’t come to that. What if I swapped eyes with him? Then he’d have one too, and maybe he wouldn’t mind. I didn’t know if it was possible, but it felt like a decent idea.

Creak...

I pushed open the door to my destination. A noisy atmosphere hit me instantly. A rough-looking man near the entrance chewed on something.

"What’s your business?"

"...I’m looking for someone."

"Got a letter of introduction?"

Tap.

I pulled a token from my pocket—a red heart emblem with incomprehensible numbers etched on it.

"...Hm. So you came through that connection."

He examined it briefly before handing it back.

Wave, wave.

"Follow me."

I trailed him into a room where the outside chaos faded to calm silence.

"Name, age, appearance, last known location—tell me everything. Need paper and a brush?"

"...No. His name’s Dan Yuseong. His age..."

Pause.

I didn’t know how much time had passed since my death. The world seemed normal—no Demonic Cult takeover—but I had no clue how long it had been.

"...What year is it now?"

"Starting from there?"

He sighed and gave me the year. I calculated Yuseong’s age.

About ten years had passed...

"He’s probably in his early twenties now."

"Name’s Dan Yuseong... Early twenties... Appearance?"

"..."

Too much time had passed. Little, adorable Yuseong could be a strapping young man now.

"...I don’t know. It’s been too long. But when he was younger, he was small and cute."

"...Not helpful, but I’ll note it. Anything else?"

"Ten years ago, he was with the Huashan Sect. I don’t know what happened after."

"Tch... If it’s one of the Nine Great Sects, the price might go up."

"...If it’s not enough, let me know. I’ll take a job to cover it."

"We’d love that, but... How do I put it... The person who gave you that token was a troublesome client. Always paid late, barely scraped by... Put us in a tough spot."

"So what are you getting at?"

"Maybe we’ll need payment upfront. This isn’t a physical good—once you hear the info, that’s it, right?"

"...Tch."

She’d been more useless than I thought. I had little money, and the papers I’d found were in illegible script. The only lead was her Hao Clan connection, but it was this messy.

Clink.

"This is all I’ve got."

"Hm... This won’t come close."

"...Get to the point."

"I like your straightforwardness. It’s nothing big—just a favor. Your aura suggests you’re handy with a blade."

An assassination job? I’d never done it, but if it meant finding Yuseong, I could kill without guilt.

"Who do I need to cut down?"

"Whoa, you’re eager. It’s not exactly killing... More like delivering a warning."

"A warning?"

"Yeah. There’s a place called the Golden Orchid Tavern, two days by carriage from here. It used to be tight with the Hao Clan, but lately, they’ve stopped paying, stopped cooperating. They’re thriving, sure, but it’s annoying for us."

I understood. A tavern tied to the Hao Clan was pulling an independence move.

"I’ll be back soon, so you’d better have the information ready."

"Of course. We do our job properly once paid."

Leaving him behind, I stepped outside, sinking into thought. Ten years had passed—enough time for Yuseong to have grown into a sturdy young man. I wondered how much he’d changed. With his looks, he must be striking now. Yet, a pang of regret hit me. I preferred the Yuseong I remembered—small, adorable. If he’d grown healthy... that was fine. You can’t stop growth. If he was bigger, stronger, I could just chop off his arms and legs to match my memory.

Yuseong... Your big sister will find you soon... Stay alive...

Even if someone else had claimed him. Even if he’d been tainted. I’d kill whoever it was and take him back, no matter what.

Just wait a little longer.