Chapter 43
Siblings
Gogyo set out for the town carrying a small basket.
By now, it had become a habit for her to always carry the medicine box. Even when she wasn’t going to treat a patient, she brought it along. The secret within the box was far too important, and having it with her gave her peace of mind. Besides, she never knew when she might need to use the medicine inside.
Gogyo walked down streets filled with gambling houses, brothels, and martial arts schools.
Half an hour later, she stepped outside, rotating her right wrist and feeling refreshed.
Sweating profusely, she had removed her padded coat and was now wearing only a thin top.
“My hands have stiffened just from being away a few days.”
She sighed and turned back. She had intended to go to the shops to buy clothes for her grandmother and Jeonggong. But barely two steps in, she sensed something strange.
Someone was tailing her!
Gogyo lifted the corners of her mouth in a cold smile. She wasn’t the slightest bit surprised.
Good. If I’m not challenged enough, I might as well get some practice.
As she exited the alley, she stopped walking deliberately.
Those following her immediately halted as well, glaring at her warily.
Gogyo slowly turned her body and stared at them with icy eyes.
“Eight of you, right? Come at me all at once if you dare!”
The burly man who seemed to be the leader spoke coldly:
“You’ve got some nerve! Do you even know who we are?”
Gogyo stared arrogantly at him.
“What do I care who you are? Fight me if you want, or get lost.”
The leader snorted.
“Girl, Heuksuhang (Blackwater Alley) is no place for you. I’ll give you a chance to beg for mercy. Break your own right arm and promise not to interfere with our business, and I’ll spare your life!”
Gogyo’s patience was not for their benefit. She had already spoken her piece, but their attitude was still defiant. This was going to be annoying!
She dashed at them. Using one foot against a wall, she kicked several men in the face at once. The leader barely had time to react before collapsing.
“Brother!”
The rest were stunned.
Without giving them another chance, Gogyo pressed her palm against two men and knocked out two more behind them in a blink. Half of the attackers were down.
The remaining four rushed at her, but with one hand, she sent the first two flying and took down the remaining two at the same time.
All four men clutched their chests, coughing up blood, unable to believe they were defeated by a woman.
Gogyo brushed off her hands and was about to leave when another black shadow passed over her head.
Another one? And you can use Qinggong (lightness skill)?
Still, she had been underestimated!
She picked up a wooden stick from the ground, climbed the wall, and struck the man in black with all her strength.
The man fell backward, staring at her in confusion.
Miss, did I offend you somehow?
His eyes seemed to ask that question.
Gogyo said:
“Hah, pretending you don’t know won’t help.”
The man in black couldn’t understand what she meant.
I really don’t know you!
But Gogyo knocked him out in one strike.
Nearby, she sensed another person watching her. The man was highly alert and immediately disappeared into the crowd as soon as Gogyo noticed him.
“There’s an assassin over there!”
Someone shouted from outside the alley, and a few bodyguards ran over.
They assessed the scene: unconscious assailants and thugs sprawled on the ground. Were these assassins clashing with local gangs and getting injured? But this assassin was clearly a master. How could he lose to a few thugs?
“Miss, are you hurt anywhere?” one bodyguard asked Gogyo.
“No,” she replied.
Gogyo tilted her head, noticing that the bodyguards’ attire seemed familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.
While she was thinking, a carriage stopped at the entrance of the alley.
A pale hand slowly drew back the curtain, revealing the face of a frail young boy.
Gogyo’s eyes lit up. Wasn’t this the obsessive young master from Hubu?
Seeing Gogyo’s gaze, Go-Yeom realized she remembered him. The usually cynical expression on his face softened into a smile.
Seeing his smile, Gogyo’s mood lifted. She was about to approach and greet him when he quietly raised his index finger to his lips, signaling her to stay silent.
Understanding, Gogyo lowered her eyes and pretended not to notice anything.
The bodyguards were from the hot spring villa. They had never seen Gogyo before and didn’t recognize her. Not suspecting anything, they left to search elsewhere.
Once they were gone, Gogyo approached the carriage.
It was a common carriage, shabby and plain. This was enough to deceive the bodyguards. They would never expect the noble young master of Hubu to hide in such a carriage.
The coachman was a townsman, bribed with enough money to keep quiet.
Gogyo opened the curtain and looked at the boy.
“Why are you here, having shaken off your bodyguards?”
“I came to find you,” Go-Yeom said honestly.
“To find me? Are you unwell?”
Gogyo instinctively reached through the window to check his pulse.
But as soon as she touched his wrist, she realized he was the very Yao-dong (the herbal persona of the Hubei doctor).
She withdrew her hand.
A faint smile spread across Go-Yeom’s pale face.
“I knew it was you.”
Huh? How did he know? How was this exposed?
Gogyo scratched her head.
Go-Yeom laughed at her confused expression. The number of people who knew her secret was growing: the old man in the mountains, the second master, the hospital doctor… and now the young master of Hubu.
Gogyo hurriedly made an excuse:
“I didn’t heal you. This doctor at Huichun Hall did. I’m just his herbal assistant!”
Go-Yeom smiled:
“Alright, Yao-dong. Come sit in the carriage. If you don’t, they’ll find me.”
Gogyo pondered for a moment and then got in, sitting beside him.
The carriage was uncomfortable even for her. How could the Hubu young master endure this hardship?
But Go-Yeom didn’t mind at all. As long as he could meet her, he could endure anything.
He extended his pale wrist with protruding bones and said:
“Yao-dong, check my pulse, will you?”
Gogyo, expression unchanged, replied:
“I’m not confident I can do it accurately.”
He nodded with a faint smile.
“Alright.”
She checked his pulse. It was much more stable than last time.
She opened her small medicine box and took out a stethoscope.
“What’s this?” Go-Yeom asked, curious.
“A stethoscope. Please take off your clothes.”
Go-Yeom was startled.
“…”
But Gogyo ignored him and placed the stethoscope on his chest.
Although improved, there were still arrhythmias and murmurs. The cardiotonic medicine he had taken wasn’t miraculous enough to completely fix it.
“Does it hurt much?”
Gogyo removed the stethoscope and asked.
Go-Yeom lowered his head, revealing pale fingertips as he opened his clothes.
“It doesn’t hurt. Really, it’s much better than before.”
Having suffered from heart disease for years, he had never known comfort like normal people. Even a small reduction in pain felt like relief.
“I troubled you with the jade ring incident.”
Startled, Gogyo frowned. She had forgotten about it until he mentioned it. In truth, it was trivial. It didn’t matter to her who misunderstood it.
“I took the ring, so I should apologize first.”
He didn’t want awkwardness between them.
“I don’t want your apology.”
Gogyo smiled faintly and changed the subject:
“Why did you shake off the bodyguards?”
“They were being a nuisance,” he said with a smile.
Gogyo peeked through the curtain at the man in black on the ground.
“But there could have been an assassin waiting for you, sir,” she said.
Go-Yeom chuckled:
“That man is not an assassin. He’s my secret bodyguard. He’s the one who shook off the others.”
Gogyo blinked, pretending not to know.
“But he got hurt by the thugs. Unlucky for him,” she said.
The secret bodyguard had collapsed, coughing up blood…
Miss, are you going to lie with your eyes wide open?
“Yes.” Go-Yeom chuckled.
“Don’t worry about him. He’ll get up when he wants to.”
Gogyo regained her composure:
“Is there only one secret bodyguard?”
He kept smiling:
“Two.”
The one who had just run away must have been the secret bodyguard. If he had collapsed too, it would have been troublesome.
Gogyo felt awkward.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
Go-Yeom replied:
“Gogyo.”
She was surprised.
“Your surname is Go too? Mine is Go-Yeom. Five hundred years ago, we were from the same family.”
Gogyo laughed. The young master of Hubu was lowering his status to mingle with commoners. If Huya or the Hubu family found out… how would they react?
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
Having set out early, Gogyo’s stomach was indeed growling.
The western side of town was quieter than the east. There were no restaurants nearby, and it took them a while to find a small but decent one.
“Have you been here before?” Gogyo asked as she got out of the carriage.
“No,” he replied honestly.
Raised like a delicate, ill little bird, Hubu surely would never have allowed him into these streets.
Previously, Go-Yeom hadn’t been interested in such matters. He had neither the strength nor the desire for hardship.
But now it was different. He wasn’t in pain and, most importantly, he wanted to see her.
They found a secluded spot to sit. Go-Yeom’s appearance and aura drew attention, but he didn’t care as long as he was with her.
The restaurant workers, having never seen such a noble, didn’t even greet them.
Go-Yeom ordered a lavish spread.
Gogyo frowned:
“Will you be able to eat all this?”
There were dishes like Braised Pork with Rock Sugar, Red-Braised Lion’s Head Meatballs, and Steamed Assorted Preserved Meats. His condition required careful diet!
He rested his chin on his hand and said casually:
“I’ll help you eat it.”
“….”
Gogyo tried to restrain herself, but all the dishes he ordered were her favorites. In truth, he had long desired them but refrained because the doctor advised against it.
While Gogyo ate heartily, Go-Yeom had only rice porridge.
Yet watching her eat filled him as if he himself had eaten. He had never experienced such satisfaction before.
After the meal, Go-Yeom paid, and Gogyo checked her medicine box again.
Sure enough, the cardiotonic medicine appeared again. She unwrapped it, placed it in several small ceramic bottles, and labeled the dosage instructions.
When Go-Yeom approached, she handed him the medicine.
“Are you almost out?”
He looked at the medicine in her hand, pondering for a moment.
Gogyo hurriedly made excuses:
“The doctor gave it to you!”
“Ah…”
“You must take it on time. It’s fine to go out and get some fresh air, but never shake off your bodyguards again. Especially your secret bodyguards—they’re not very robust. Collapsing in one blow…”
She noticed him smiling faintly at her seriousness and got nervous, regaining composure:
“I didn’t hit anyone. Not me! I don’t hit people!”
Not that she was trying to deceive him.
Go-Yeom silently laughed to himself.
