Chapter 111: A Thief Enters (3)
It was a warm spring day. Flowers were beginning to bloom, and the gentle sunlight in the sky warmed the heart.
Il-gwang patrolled the palace fortress with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression unusually bright.
“Ah, how nice.”
Five hundred men, half of the constabulary’s guards from Hanzhong, were currently on their way here. Until they arrived, he had been appointed as the chief of security, responsible for Chang’an’s safety.
The weather was beautiful and the breeze was cool, putting him in high spirits. Above all, had he not broken through the barrier of the Flower Realm? He felt as though he could fly. The sensation was amplified as the natural energy perceived by his superhuman body stimulated every nerve.
A soldier standing guard ahead spotted him and stood at attention.
“Greetings, Centurion!”
“Mm, yes. Which unit are you with?”
“Group 16 squad of the sword infantry corps, sir!”
“Right. I was in Group 16 squad of the sword infantry corps when I first started, too.”
The soldier looked startled, his eyes filling with a sense of honor. He seemed proud to share the same former squad as him.
Il-gwang felt a surge of pride as well—until he heard the soldier’s next words.
“Th-then was Commander So-mu in Group 16 squad of the sword infantry corps too?”
“Ha…”
His good mood threatened to sour instantly, but he forced it down. After all, his reputation was not yet comparable to So-mu’s.
But from now on, things would be different.
“Remember this name well: Il-gwang. In the future, you will consider it an honor to have spoken with me.”
The soldier barely managed to suppress his laughter. Rumors circulating in the army designated Il-gwang as the most ferocious character in the Wolf Fang Squad. How could he dare bare his teeth in front of him?
“Yes, sir!”
“Right. Carry on.”
The soldier stood at attention once more and saluted.
“Have a safe patrol, sir!”
Il-gwang simply waved a hand over his shoulder in response and continued down the quiet path.
After walking for another quarter of an hour, the Snow Flower Academy came into view ahead. The faint whispering of children drifted from the spacious flower garden in front of the pavilion.
“Let’s see if those little rascals are behaving.”
His gaze drifted over the low side wall. The children were hidden behind the pillars and out of sight.
However, a familiar woman caught his eye. Dressed in elegant, soft scarlet robes, she sat gracefully in the flower garden, painting.
‘Is today painting day…?’
Il-gwang stared blankly at Yeon Cho-hee. The warm, radiant light reflecting off the flowers illuminated her entire body, and floating seeds danced like sparkles around her in the gentle breeze.
He could not tear his eyes away. Though she was the one painting, the scene itself was like a masterpiece. The superhuman senses he acquired upon reaching the Flower Realm picked up her faint, sweet scent.
How long had he been watching? He tried to turn away, but decided to linger just a bit longer.
It was then.
“What are you looking at, Uncle?”
A familiar voice spoke. Startled, Il-gwang looked down.
It was So-so. No matter how distracted he was, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed his own niece approaching. It was only because her presence was so familiar that he had let his guard down.
But that wasn’t the main problem. Standing on her tiptoes, So-so was clinging to the wall and peeking over. A bright smile spread across her face as she prepared to call out.
“Teac—”
Il-gwang hurriedly covered her mouth. He had only meant to block her lips, but his massive hand ended up covering her entire face.
“Shh, stay still.”
“I… I can’t breathe.”
Panicked, Il-gwang parted his fingers slightly to give her room to breathe.
“Th-there is a thief nearby. If we make noise, he’ll run away, so be quiet.”
As soon as he released his grip, So-so whispered back.
“A thief?”
“Yeah. I’ll go this way, so you go around that way and search.”
So-so nodded with absolute gravity.
“Okay, Uncle.”
“He’s wearing black clothes. If you spot him first, scream. I’ll come running to help.”
“You be careful too, Uncle.”
Stealthily moving away, So-so drew a small, blunt wooden training sword from her waist.
She crept along the base of the wall and searched the area, but of course, there was no thief to be found.
“Hmph… He must have run away somewhere else.”
Disappointed that she couldn’t find a single trace of the thief, she assumed he must have fled the area. She spent the next two hours wandering all over the palace grounds in search of him.
“Phew…”
Before she knew it, her class time at the Snow Flower Academy had already passed. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“I missed him… sniff…”
Wandering around for so long had made her stomach rumble.
So-so looked around, searching for a place where she could beg for a snack.
Soon, a familiar small pavilion came into view.
“Uncle Yang…”
It was Yang Yeon-jeong’s residence. She could sense a few people inside.
But that didn’t matter. There was nowhere So-so couldn’t go.
“Uncle, it’s So-so!”
The door swung open, and Yang Yeon-jeong appeared.
“Haha! Well, look who’s here. Welcome, So-so.”
He scooped the child up with both hands and carried her inside. Two guests were seated around a circular table in the room.
They were Yang Gang and Yang So. They were his younger brothers, who had recently escaped from the underground dungeon by the skin of their teeth. Having recovered, their complexions looked healthy and normal.
“Haha! Look at this adorable little thing.”
“You came at the perfect time, So-so.”
The brothers of the Yang family welcomed her with broad smiles and warm hospitality. It was only natural, as she was their savior.
The room was small, and there was no other place to sit, so the four of them ended up sitting around the table together.
“You came because you’re hungry, aren’t you?”
Yang Yeon-jeong retrieved a handful of snacks he had set aside from a cabinet and placed them on the table. They were the traditional confections So-so loved.
“Hehe. Thank you for the food!”
So-so was busy eating snacks. The three brothers held their teacups and continued their conversation.
Yang Gang, the fourth brother of the Yang family, spoke.
“I never dreamed Shaanxi would be successfully defended, let alone that we would reclaim Chang’an. You have worked tirelessly, Brother.”
Yang Yeon-jeong stroked So-so’s head as she munched on her snacks and replied,
“I only lent a hand. It would have been impossible without our General, and of course, this child’s father, who has become the hero of Shaanxi.”
“We saw him as well. Truly… he is a martial artist whose depth is unfathomable.”
“You’ll understand once you experience it yourself. He is so remarkable that even Zhao Yun would have to bow in respect.”
“It is a true blessing that he is our ally and not our enemy. In any case, I am overjoyed to be reunited with you, Brother.”
“That also means if we lose a battle, the three of us will die on the same day. So, my brothers, let us do our utmost for the General to ensure our winning streak continues.”
Yang Gang and Yang So nodded in unison.
“Yes, Brother.”
“We will make sure to contribute and bring no shame to our family name.”
A satisfied smile graced Yang Yeon-jeong’s face.
He stood up, poured some milk from a rustic ceramic pitcher, and handed the wooden cup to So-so.
“Drink slowly, or you’ll get indigestion.”
“Thank you!”
So-so seemed to be thirsty so she gulped the milk down in one go.
As Yang Yeon-jeong wiped the milk mustache from her mouth, the youngest brother, Yang So, remarked,
“I never knew you had such a gentle side, Brother.”
It was only natural for Yang So to be surprised. As the youngest of the family, he had never received such tender treatment from his elder brother.
“She is a child with the power to change the world. How could I not cherish her?”
“What kind of power does she have?”
After a brief hesitation, Yang Yeon-jeong revealed his secret.
“Brothers, have you ever heard of a commander in history who led a volunteer army and crushed the enemy at such a young age?”
Yang Gang and Yang So stared at him in sheer disbelief. They knew better than anyone that their brother was not one to tell tall tales.
“Pardon?”
“A volunteer commander?”
Yang Yeon-jeong smiled.
“It is in the past, and since it was so absurd, I kept it to myself… but they say the leader of the Shaanxi Volunteer Army was none other than this child. Even now, I find it hard to believe.”
Yang Gang stared at So-so in awe.
“Although she is suppressing her qi, I can feel a profound and heavy internal energy within her. But how could a little girl lead the volunteers…?”
“It seems the volunteers mistook her for a master who had undergone rejuvenation. If the truth ever gets out, many people won’t be able to handle the shock. I’m still debating whether to keep it a secret forever.”
Yang So chuckled, finding the whole situation utterly absurd.
“Since she was born with the aura of a hero, the world will find out eventually. At this rate, she might grow up to be the Supreme General of the Realm.”
“Indeed…”
So-so smiled brightly as if she was embarrassed when all eyes were focused on her.
Now that her belly was full, she had no further business here. She climbed down from her chair, politely folded her hands, and bowed.
“Uncles, I’ll be going now!”
“Mm, go on. Come visit again, and we shall play a game of chess.”
“Hehe. I’d love to!”
Once So-so left, Yang Yeon-jeong grabbed his long spear standing in the corner.
“Let’s head out as well. It’s been a while; let’s see how much your Yang Family Pear Flower Spear techniques have improved.”
“It won’t be as easy as before, Brother.”
The Yang brothers headed to the courtyard to spar. They watched So-so’s tiny figure waddle away in the distance.
Her stomach full and satisfied, So-so headed to her next destination. She was most curious about whether Uncle Il-gwang had caught the thief.
She checked the Wolf Fang Squad’s training grounds, but only the other uncles were there. That meant he was likely in the barracks.
She quickly ran to the Wolf Fang Squad’s barracks and flung the door open.
Creak—!
Sure enough, he was back in the barracks, all by himself. But Uncle Il-gwang was acting strange. He lay flat on his back, hands clasped behind his head, staring blankly without moving an inch. It was as if his soul had left his body.
“Uncle, did you catch the thief?”
Il-gwang replied, his eyes remaining unfocused.
“Hmm? What did you just say?”
She waddled over, squatted down by his head, and placed her tiny palm on his forehead.
“Are you sick?”
Martial artists rarely fell ill due to their strong immune systems. How could someone who had reached the Flower Realm possibly be sick?
“No.”
“Is it because you couldn’t catch the thief, then?”
“Yeah. I missed him…”
So-so sighed, blaming the thief.
“Phew… Mean thief. What did he steal?”
Il-gwang closed his eyes and mumbled softly,
“My heart…”
So-so blinked her large eyes even wider, completely bewildered.
“Your heart?”
“Ah, no. I misspoke.”
Still squatting and tilting her head in confusion, So-so looked toward the entrance of the barracks. She could sense footsteps approaching.
Screech—!
The barracks door opened, and a soldier stepped inside with a nervous look.
The soldier’s eyes wavered slightly. Of all people, Centurion Il-gwang, infamous for his fierce temper, was the only one here.
But rumors were just rumors. Now that he was here, he couldn’t just back out.
“G-greetings, Centurion! I apologize for disturbing you.”
When Il-gwang didn’t answer, So-so stood up and approached.
“What is it, mister?”
The soldier sighed in relief and said,
“Ah, you were here. The teacher from Snow Flower Academy asked me to guide her here. She said she was worried because you didn’t show up today, and she has something to tell you.”
Il-gwang, who had been lying still, bolted upright. He grabbed So-so’s collar, pulling her back.
“Step back for a second.”
“Why? He said she came to see me.”
Il-gwang shielded So-so behind his massive frame and cleared his throat.
“Ahem! Tell her she may enter this humble place.”
The soldier turned back to whisper, and an elegant woman appeared. Yeon Cho-hee stepped inside and looked around.
“Hello… So this is the Wolf Fang Squad’s barracks…”
“Teacher!”
Delighted to see her, So-so tried to run forward, but Il-gwang blocked her with his left hand behind his back. Scratching his head with his right hand, he said,
“Aha, So-so has been obsessed with playing hide-and-seek lately. What brings you to this humble place…?”
“I… I was worried because she didn’t show up at Snow Flower Academy today, so I came to check on her. I’m glad to see she’s alright.”
“Haha, please don’t worry. I’m taking excellent care of her.”
“You are a very kind uncle…”
Il-gwang beamed.
“Well, I’ve always had a soft spot for children.”
“Tomorrow is the day of our picnic. The cherry blossoms are blooming beautifully…”
“I love cherry blossoms too. Perfect weather for a stroll, isn’t it? Haha.”
Cho-hee gave a slightly awkward smile and said,
“I was wondering… if you could make sure she doesn’t forget to come tomorrow morning…”
“Rest assured. I’ll personally bring her in the morning.”
“Ah, yes… Then I shall take my leave.”
After a brief nod of farewell, Cho-hee departed, and Il-gwang let out a deep sigh.
“Phew.”
Then, he turned around. So-so stood there with her arms crossed, glaring up at him with a deeply suspicious look.