Chapter 255: Chapter 255

Early in the morning, Namgung So-hye cleared the bowls people had eaten from and wiped the table.

Having tidied up like that, she went outside to wash the dishes, and then began cleaning the rooms.

Dan Woo-hyun’s room was originally clean and had nothing in it, so there was no need to even clean it, but because the others’ rooms were quite messy, there would not be even a single space to step if someone did not tidy them up.

In particular, Dan So-mi’s room was severe, which was because she was still a child and brought many different things to place inside.

When such cleaning was finished, it would already become lunchtime.

Now that Jang Sam-tae was here, she did not have to do it, but because it had become a routine, she helped with the preparation and set the lunch.

After eating lunch, she cleared them away again, took a breather, and briefly practiced her martial arts.

When the training was finished, before she knew it, night fell, and it was time to prepare dinner.

Once dinner was finished, swinging the sword again until late dawn was the daily routine Namgung So-hye was experiencing recently.

“…”

Namgung So-hye looked out the window while cleaning the room as usual.

She saw Dan So-mi, the White Tiger, and the White Cat running around and playing. On one side, there was Zhuge Yeon reading a book in an elegant pose, and Mae-hyang, who was blooming her brilliance while tag-along behind Jang Sam-tae, was also visible.

She stared at her own appearance for a moment.

Although it was the light training outfit she usually wore, traces of wear and tear were obvious here and there.

Rather than buying expensive clothes, she chose cheap and durable ones, and spent the remaining money buying delicious food for Dan So-mi or buying her clothes made of high-quality silk, so she herself had failed to properly care for her own appearance.

On her hands, which used to be beautiful and delicate, calluses and blisters had now taken place, and her skin was in a terrible state.

Who would look at the current Namgung So-hye and think that she had just passed twenty?

Since she could not dress up at an age when she should be doing so, she felt embarrassed to stand before peers of her age.

At least the one beside her was Zhuge Yeon, who did not say anything, but if she were to meet the other young experts of the Eight Great Families, Namgung So-hye would not even be able to lift her head.

“Whew…”

Zhuge Yeon felt noble and somehow pure. She looked as if she wore makeup yet did not, but when one approached her, the scent drifting implicitly stimulated one’s heart.

On the other hand, Mae-hyang was truly a single flower.

It was not heavy, but she clearly showed that she had dressed up.

Her lips adorned with red rouge seemed capable of stealing men’s hearts at once, and her clothes, which changed every day, showed off a charm completely different from Zhuge Yeon or Namgung So-hye.

Compared to that, Namgung So-hye was…

“Sigh…”

She let out a sigh again and shook her head.

Since doing housework and training was her daily routine, she did not need good clothes, and even if she wore them, they would only be cumbersome.

Applying makeup was the same.

What was the use of it when it would all be washed away after shedding a bucket of sweat?

“How did I…”

As she realized her pitiful situation, Namgung So-hye, losing her desire to work, stepped outside.

Unlike usual, she headed toward Yueyang without even carrying her sword.

She walked slowly as if taking a stroll, breathing in the outside air.

In fact, if one was a martial artist, it was correct to devote oneself more to training martial arts rather than dressing up.

However, she could not help but feel envious.

With a chuckle, she walked through the marketplace of Yueyang.

“There are exceptionally many people today.”

Yueyang was always crowded with people.

It was because many visited due to Dongting Lake. Although it was not common for there to be this many people, it was nothing particularly strange.

It was only natural that more people visited Yueyang due to the recent noisy events.

Smoothing her hair, Namgung So-hye regained her composure.

Then, something caught her eye.

It looked like a place that had not been established long. It sold various clothes, and the quality was so excellent that even at a glance, it seemed to have only the highest quality products.

In a word, they were luxury goods.

Stealing closer to look at it, she saw that it sold not only clothes but also various ornaments and things needed for women.

Because the shop itself was quite large, three or four clerks inside were welcoming customers. Perhaps most of the people stopping by here were wealthy, as even the clothes they wore looked good.

In the past, she would have bought without hesitating, and choosing three or four outfits would have been nothing.

“It’s pretty…”

“It is two gold yang.”

Namgung So-hye turned her head at the bluntly heard voice. A woman approached and muttered with an annoyed expression.

“Two yang?”

“Yes, it was imported from the Western Regions… and our shop is quite expensive.”

She gave a smirk.

It was filled with the feeling of ‘how could someone like you buy this?’

Since the look and expression were clear mockery, Namgung So-hye flushed with anger.

However, arguing over such a trivial matter was also ridiculous.

She merely gave an absurd smile and turned her head to ignore the woman.

She saw a small ornament.

It seemed it would suit Dan So-mi well if she gave it to her.

Except for the rather unusual pattern on it, it did not seem like it would be very expensive.

“How much is this?”

“It is twelve silver yang.”

“What?!”

“Twelve silver coins.”

“This small ornament is?”

“Yes, we are a bit expensive.”

In the tone she spat out, even a bit of annoyance was felt now.

Twelve silver coins was a fairly expensive amount. In other places, one could easily customize high-quality silk clothes, but twelve yang for just one ornament?

Namgung So-hye looked at the woman with a suspicious expression.

“Are you playing a joke…?”

“Customer, we do not play jokes with prices. Everything in our shop is of the highest quality, and they are luxury goods among luxury goods that are even supplied to Beijing.”

“…”

She had nothing to say.

In the first place, how could Namgung So-hye, who had never lived in Beijing, know the market price there?

If she made up her mind to buy it, she could easily do so, but rather than buying such a luxury item, it was more comforting to buy several necessary goods.

Just as she turned her back to leave the shop.

She heard a snort.

As she glanced back, she saw the woman who had embarrassed her just now looking at Namgung So-hye with a full mock on her face.

Her anger rose to the top of her head, but she soon held it in.

“Oh? Isn’t that Namgung So-hye?”

“I think you’re right.”

At that moment, there was a voice suddenly heard.

Surprised, So-hye turned her gaze without realizing it. From the damn shop she had just come out of, four brightly dressed men and women revealed themselves.

Looking at them, Namgung So-hye’s face turned pale.

They were definitely the children of the Eight Great Families.

Why were they in a place like this?

“Why are you here…?”

“That is what we want to ask. Even when the Alliance sent a letter to the Namgung Family, there was no reply… so why are you in a place like this?”

The eldest son of the Hwangbo Clan, Hwangbo Gwon, frowned and looked at Namgung So-hye. He knew well that the Namgung Family was currently undergoing reconstruction, but Namgung So-hye, a young expert he had been close to, had disappeared and could not even be contacted.

But to meet her in a place like this.

Even her past appearance was nowhere to be found.

Those who usually envied the Namgung Family wore sneers.

“Hoho, they said the Namgung Family is in difficulty, and it seems to be true.”

In particular, the ridicule of the Hwangbo Clan, which had been on bad terms with the Namgung Family for a long time, was even more blatant.

Hwangbo Gwon’s younger sister, Hwangbo Yeong, giggled and threw a sneer at Namgung So-hye.

“Ahaha… it’s not like that…”

Namgung So-hye laughed awkwardly and brushed it off.

She did not want to cause unnecessary trouble.

Because the power of the Hwangbo Clan was by no means a level to be underestimated.

“Then why are you here in that state? Are you working as a housemaid somewhere?”

Jin Yeonhwa, the daughter of the Guangdong Jin Family, asked.

Although her expression was blunt, the tone she spat out seemed to look down on Namgung So-hye.

To those present here, the majesty of the Namgung Family, which was once called the strongest, was not in their minds at all.

“…”

However, on the contrary, there was also a woman who did not say anything. Dang Munhye, the daughter of the Sichuan Dang Family, was just quietly looking at Namgung So-hye.

Namgung So-hye wore an even more bitter expression.

She did not know about the other families, but the Dang Family and the Namgung Family had a special relationship.

Originally, among the places called the Five Great Families, the Zhuge Family, the Sichuan Dang Family, and the Namgung Family had a close bond for a long time and had never clashed even once until now.

Since the daughter of such a Dang Family did not say anything, she felt hurt for no reason.

Namgung So-hye let out a small sigh.

“Since the Sword Emperor passed away and the family fell, you also look terrible. As I mentioned last time, why don’t you marry me instead?”

Hwangbo Gwon urged Namgung So-hye as if pressing her.

Not only the Eight Great Families but even the men of the Nine Sects and One Gang had a special interest in Namgung So-hye. She had received countless courtships until now.

Among those people, Hwangbo Gwon belonged to the quite persistent side.

He had even run to her saying they should marry since childhood.

It seemed that persistence had continued until now.

“Hoho, brother. Why do you say such words? Don’t you know that our family is the one losing out even if you marry her? She is not the So-hye sister of the past.”

Hwangbo Yeong burst into laughter again.

The sound was so loud that it echoed throughout the Yueyang marketplace. It was to the extent that people stopped walking and stared, wondering what was going on.

Even the clerks of the shop from earlier understood the situation and giggled in mockery.

Namgung So-hye’s face turned red.

Then, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

‘The past me?’

What kind of person was her past self?

Although she had gone a bit wrong since she met Dan Woo-hyun, Namgung So-hye was a woman who stood out exceptionally among the young experts and had even risen to the position of a unit leader.

Although the name of the Namgung Family must have had an influence, nevertheless, many could not ignore her.

It was not that dressing up like now was important, but she had lived traveling the Martial World diligently in order not to disgrace the family’s name.

“Haa…”

Namgung So-hye looked up at the sky.

The sky was exceptionally clear today.

Lowering her gaze again, she looked at Hwangbo Yeong.

“I am very grateful.”

“For what?”

“For reminding me.”

“Eh?”

At the moment Hwangbo Yeong wore a blank expression at the meaningless words, Namgung So-hye moved.

Disappearing from everyone’s sight in an instant, she appeared in front of Hwangbo Yeong and threw a palm strike.

Thud!

“Kyaaa!”

The body of Hwangbo Yeong, who was hit squarely, flew up.

If Hwangbo Gwon had not caught her right before she fell to the ground, she would have collapsed in a disgraceful manner.

Namgung So-hye swept back her hair.

“You haven’t forgotten, right? I am Namgung So-hye.”

With a much lighter expression, she felt as if she had nothing to hold her back now.

“And… since you dared to insult the name of the Namgung Family and me, you must be prepared to take responsibility, right?”

Namgung So-hye’s eyes sank coldly.

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