Chapter 29
“Phew, that was really exhausting.”
Unyeong let out a long sigh after finishing her energy circulation training.
A lot had happened today.
Meeting the old friends of the Sword Ghost from the past was a welcome event. But perhaps because she was the only one who remembered that past, Unyeong’s heart felt unsettled. She had poured a great deal of mental energy into hiding her emotions, leaving her more fatigued than she expected.
“Still, thank goodness for the Hyangyuk mushrooms.”
There were still many things Unyeong needed to do.
The problem was that she was still young and confined to the Seol household, which meant she had no freedom to move about. But she couldn’t rely solely on Sogyo for everything that needed doing outside.
“Since Grandfather liked it, I should slowly start managing the merchant group and expand our trade contacts. I have to find some way to go outside, no matter what.”
Meeting Jegal Dam and Namgung Hwi earlier than planned wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There were plenty of things she needed to say to both of them anyway.
“It’s that clever one who’s the problem… I never thought I’d have to get into a battle of wits with that guy. Ugh, what kind of situation is this.”
Considering how rushed everything had been, she had accomplished quite a bit.
“I’m better at improvising than being a military strategist. Yeah, I did well today too.”
“Good job, good job,” she praised herself.
As she retraced what had happened and laid out plans for the future, her eyes slowly drifted shut.
‘Damn this weak body, I can’t even hold on…’
That was Unyeong’s last thought before she fell into unconscious sleep.
A deep night with no moon. A strange presence stirred Unyeong from her sleep. There was someone else in her room, where she should have been alone.
‘A nighttime visitor?’
Her body instinctively tensed, and her combat senses awakened. If she were still the Sword Ghost, she would’ve launched a strike immediately.
But there was no need for that now.
A presence that was unfamiliar yet familiar.
It was a presence that brought her peace above all else.
‘It’s you, Elder Deung Noya!’
A silent sigh of relief came from within. The one she’d been waiting for had finally come to see her.
It was a bit more aggressive than she had expected, but that didn’t matter.
She was just glad.
‘Of course. Just doing things the easy way wouldn’t be like our Elder Deung. He must’ve been dying of curiosity about this body by now.’
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
“Elder.”
Still not opening her eyes, she quietly called out to Deung Noya. No answer came.
Joy, longing, guilt, gratitude.
An overwhelming swirl of emotion surged through her. Holding back the lump in her throat, she spoke slowly.
“May I open my eyes?”
Thankfully, her voice remained calm.
She felt Deung Noya retreat from the side of the bed.
It was a deliberate motion.
If he wanted to hide, no one in this world could sense him. Revealing himself like this was his way of giving permission—Unyeong knew this.
Carefully, she opened her eyes.
She wanted to light a lamp and see his face, but that wasn’t allowed. Deung Noya wouldn’t know who she was right now.
That sorrow returned—the same she’d felt when seeing her family again. If only she could simply rejoice in seeing him.
She shook her head slightly and turned toward him.
“You’ve got good instincts, kid.”
“I was waiting for you, Elder.”
Hearing that beloved voice again made Unyeong’s lips curl into a smile.
“Bold, aren’t you.”
“Kind of, I guess? I had someone who taught me not to be afraid, even in the dark.”
It was you, Deung Noya.
Her calm demeanor, unbefitting of a child, left Deung Noya momentarily speechless.
“Could you put up a qi barrier?”
There were experts in the Seol household. No one could know that Deung Noya had come here.
Though he gave no reply, Unyeong—keenly sensitive to qi—felt the entire room sealed by a barrier. No one would sense anything happening inside now.
She slowly sat up and bowed her head.
“I greet you. I am Unyeong of the Seol household.”
She couldn’t see anything, but she knew he was watching her bow.
“You’re a strange one.”
“That may be true.”
“You dared to steal from me. Do you even know whose it was?”
“I merely took payment for information, Elder.”
“Information?”
“Yes. Information about something you didn’t know.”
“…And what would that be?”
She had gotten him to ask. Unyeong clenched her fist.
She knew Deung Noya’s personality well, but she didn’t know what he was like at this time in the past.
She’d been worried—this was a Deung Noya who had not yet experienced that deep hole in his heart. But from his reaction, it seemed she could proceed as planned.
“Wouldn’t you prefer to take a seat?”
“That won’t be necessary. Speak.”
“The night is long. How about a fun little tale, Elder?”
“You’re playing games. Do you not realize your life’s at stake?”
“Not at all. My dream is to live longer than anyone, actually.”
“Hah. Cheeky brat.”
That was enough. That was permission.
Taking a deep breath, Unyeong began again. Convincing Deung Noya would take a long story.
“There was once a thief who wanted to steal the world. But how could anyone steal the world? It was an absurd idea.”
No response came. She caught her breath and continued.
“So the thief stole from those who moved the world.”
“Hmm…”
When she first met him, Deung Noya had never told her who he really was. But spending time with him had made it easy to guess. And later, he told her himself—he had no choice.
“They say he stole only what caught his interest. There was nothing he couldn’t steal if he set his mind to it.”
“What are you…”
This story was about the regrets he carried.
She needed to tread carefully—but could be a bit more daring too.
“But the most valuable things held by those who moved the world… were things that should never have come into the world. So the thief made many enemies.”
Moo-yeong-shin-tu (無影神偸), Deung Cho-chan (鄧初贊).
The legendary thief without a shadow.
Everyone knew of him, but no one truly knew his identity: Deung Noya’s real name.
“Being a great thief doesn’t mean you’re great at protecting things. He couldn’t protect what mattered most. Maybe it was inevitable—perhaps he didn’t even know it existed.”
He could always escape alone. No one could ever find Moo-yeong-shin-tu.
But without realizing it, he stopped being alone.
Because he had a daughter he didn’t know about.
He only found her right before she died. And she left behind an infant son. This story… was about that grandson.
“You little—!”
His voice came, full of fury.
It was only natural.
His secrets mattered, but his grandson was his greatest sore spot.
But she couldn’t stop now.
“Elder, wouldn’t you like to hear a bit more?”
She could feel his sharp glare even in the dark. But Unyeong continued without blinking.
“The thief had someone to entrust his treasures to. A merchant who had managed his wealth for years. Greedy enough, capable enough—a rather decent merchant.”
Talking openly about his secret was dangerous, even for Unyeong. But no gain came without risk.
She didn’t explain how she knew all this. To move Deung Noya, she had to stake a lot.
His killing intent swept toward her.
He was furious.
‘Come on, old man, let’s keep this civil. Ugh, you’re ridiculously strong…’
She clenched her trembling hands and circulated energy to shield her body.
“It was a good deal. The thief saw no problem. The merchant was competent—he built the greatest arsenal in the south using the thief’s wealth. And he took good care of the grandson too.”
The world’s greatest thief had many treasures. Gold and silver were the most common.
The merchant had grown the business with those, and everything technically belonged to Deung Noya. In truth, the actual owner of the Myunggeum Arsenal was his grandson.
“But merchants—or people in general—are like that. Even if they know something isn’t theirs, they can’t help but desire it.”
To protect his grandson, Deung Noya kept his distance. He never told the boy the truth.
“But what might the merchant be thinking now? The thief is old. The grandson has no business talent. If he chips away at the arsenal bit by bit, would anyone notice?”
No reply came from Deung Noya.
“Perhaps half of it—or more—has already fallen into the merchant’s hands. People too, maybe.”
Haa… Unyeong let out a small sigh. What she was about to say was heavier.
“By now, don’t you think the merchant might be wondering?”
She paused and clenched her fist again.
“What if the grandson… disappeared?”
