“Their fashion is absolutely killer.”
“Isn’t that practically child abuse?”
Though a drunken couple whispered amongst themselves, their words carried clearly to Sori Hwa’s ears.
Sori Hwa, however, had no intention of reprimanding them.
It was clearly fueled by jealousy and envy.
A soft hum of contentment escaped her lips, a sound that came instinctively.
Since inhabiting this body, Sori Hwa couldn’t recall ever venturing out with such a substantial sum.
The old adage, that a heavy purse makes for a light body, was proving itself true.
With the clock striking eleven at night, the hospital, clothing store, and supermarket she had intended to visit were, predictably, on the verge of closing or already shut.
Nevertheless, Sori Hwa managed to acquire all her necessities before boarding a bus.
Fearing she might miss the last bus, she subtly employed ‘Gyeonggong’ (TL Note: A martial arts technique allowing for light-footed movement and enhanced speed), deftly avoiding the authorities, and barely managed to board.
Sori Hwa sat in the very back corner.
As it was the final bus of the night, a steady stream of people boarded and disembarked from the voluminous vehicle.
They were all ladies and gentlemen in suits.
Either concluding their late-night work shifts or wrapping up company dinners.
The scene felt less like the traditional Jungwon (TL Note: The Central Plains, often referring to China in a wuxia context) and more akin to a main bus route in Seoul during rush hour.
Her interest in these non-martial artists waning, Sori Hwa leaned gently against the window frame, gazing out at the passing scenery.
The dazzling, stimulating glow of neon signs and LED lights, ubiquitous in the urban landscape, began to weary Sori Hwa’s highly developed senses.
[ This stop is Xi’an Memorial Park, the final destination. All passengers please disembark. ]
Sori Hwa, who had been absently observing a landscape not vastly different from Seoul’s, was abruptly jolted back to awareness by the bus’s final stop announcement.
Upon glancing around, she realized that the numerous passengers had, at some point, all disappeared.
The profound silence, a stark contrast to the previously cheerful and somewhat chaotic announcements, unexpectedly filled Sori Hwa with a sense of melancholy.
One might expect the bus driver to at least inquire about a young girl disembarking at a closed cemetery at such a late hour, yet he deliberately avoided eye contact, seemingly unwilling to get involved.
Beep—
As the bus’s rear door hissed open, Sori Hwa slowly stepped out.
Immediately upon disembarking, her gaze fell upon a large rock marking the entrance to Xi’an Memorial Park.
[ Xi’an Memorial Park ]
[ Xian Memorial Park ]
The iron gate was firmly shut.
The memorial park operated until 5 PM, and with the time now half past midnight, its closure was entirely expected.
She drew a sharp breath, then slowly exhaled.
Sori Hwa closed her eyes and breathed deeply.
This was the crucial task of suppressing her ‘gigam’ (TL Note: A martial arts term referring to one’s spiritual or energy presence).
From this point, ordinary individuals would likely not perceive Sori Hwa unless they physically collided with her.
While she had extended her ‘gigam’ to ascertain the absence of people nearby, she still couldn’t simply waltz in.
This was because the memorial park also had all its modern security systems operating.
A small gasp escaped her lips.
Sori Hwa’s right eyelid twitched.
She had unleashed a portion of the frigid energy from her ‘Gu-eum-jeol-maek’ (TL Note: A rare, debilitating condition often associated with powerful but dangerous internal energy), which she had painstakingly kept suppressed within her body.
Her body instantly turned cold.
Enduring the searing pain as the frigid energy coursed through her body, Sori Hwa sprang upward, easily clearing the five-meter-high wall.
Mercifully, no lights flared on, suggesting she had successfully evaded the thermal cameras positioned to monitor the top of the wall.
Once inside, there weren’t many CCTVs, so she could move freely.
Sori Hwa headed down a familiar path.
The path within this memorial park was always set.
In the dark of night, surrounded by countless small gravestones, the cemetery felt eerily quiet.
Though it was undeniably eerie, Sori Hwa felt no particular fear.
Indeed, she found the prospect of being hounded for overdue grave maintenance fees during the daytime, when the park was officially open, far more unsettling.
[ Sanyang Su Family (山陽蘇家) Burial Ground ]
Within this memorial park, sections were divided.
This particular section housed the family of the Shaanxi Sanyang Su Family, Sori Hwa’s ancestral lineage.
After descending the mountain, one of Sori Hwa’s primary curiosities revolved around her own family background.
She was also curious about the Sori Hwa’s parents who wrote the letter.
Finding her own family was easier than expected.
A simple search for the family martial arts she had mastered in the cave quickly yielded results.
However, the wiki stated that the Sanyang Su Family was a ‘muga’ (TL Note: A martial arts family or clan) that had naturally faded into obscurity fifty years prior.
The fact that they were even mentioned on Wikipedia suggested they were once a rather renowned martial family.
Thus, she anticipated a considerable struggle in locating the parents of this body, yet, surprisingly, she found them almost instantly at the Xi’an Public Cemetery, where the Sanyang Su Family members were interred.
[ Su Ik-seon (蘇翊善)’s Grave ]
[ My only daughter. Rihwa. I will love you forever. ]
[ 1841 ~ 1902 ]
“Hello.”
Sori Hwa took off her black Supreme hat and politely greeted.
“It’s been a while.
Work has been incredibly demanding lately, so I can only visit at night.
Still, better to visit at night than not at all, wouldn’t you agree?”
A faint whistling sound, whether a phantom drifting amongst the graves or merely the passing wind, reached her ears, but Sori Hwa paid it no mind.
Instead, she retrieved a few crumpled pear blossoms from the pocket of her (fake) Louis Vuitton pants and placed them before the gravestone.
“Rihwa (梨華, Pear Blossom) is here.
It means the same as my name, you know.
I had initially planned something grander, but I thought you might appreciate this more.
Oh, and I brought food today!”
Sori Hwa smiled and placed the freshly bought hamburger, milk tea with tapioca, and buffalo wings, along with the pear blossoms, in front of the gravestone.
She didn’t particularly want to play family.
It was merely a repayment for teaching her martial arts.
“Do you see how successful I’ve become?
My hat, clothes, pants, shoes—everything is branded, you know.
This is all thanks to you, Father, for saving my life.
I haven’t fully cured the Gu-eum-jeol-maek yet, but I feel I’m close.
So please, don’t worry too much.”
Sori Hwa quietly closed her eyes and pressed her palms together in a respectful gesture.
A fleeting thought crossed her mind: ‘Is this truly appropriate?’
But then, what choice did she have?
There was no one else to perform this duty.
After a brief silent prayer, Sori Hwa wiped the gravestone with her sleeve, then bowed her head again.
“Next time, I’ll come in even prettier clothes.”
The wind blew through the graves once more.
With the wind, Sori Hwa vanished, leaving behind only the familiar stillness in the Sanyang Su Family burial ground.
Only the food laid out with the pear blossoms felt unfamiliar.
****
Today’s outing didn’t require dressing up like yesterday.
A simple black Supreme cap, paired with a matching black tracksuit, sufficed entirely.
Though a plain ensemble, its very ordinariness ensured she drew no undue attention, unlike the previous day.
“Hmmmm.”
Sori Hwa turned on her phone and checked today’s checklist.
She had obtained the meridian seizure sedative, settled her overdue rent and utility bills, and since food and water would be ordered online, those matters were also resolved.
Now, only one item remained on her checklist.
* Buy clothes
Though a simple phrase, Sori Hwa stared at it with an almost piercing intensity.
Considering she already possessed the martial uniform from her time in the cave, the black tracksuit she’d retrieved from her wardrobe, and a complete set of luxury attire for when she wished to make a statement, she questioned if further clothes shopping wasn’t an unnecessary indulgence.
But Sori Hwa hadn’t bought clothes for two years.
This was because she had supplied everything by raiding the clothes cabinet.
Even for Sori Hwa, who was well-acquainted with poverty, the clothes from the wardrobe inevitably carried a lingering sense of unease.
This certainly wasn’t how things were in her previous life in Korea.
She had, therefore, been resolutely planning a clothes shopping trip for some time, and today was finally that day.
“Right, I’ll buy some.”
Though she grappled with the decision until the very end, she eventually clenched her fist, resolute.
It was that significant a decision.
[ Shark Lady ]
Why was it such a significant decision?
Because until now, Sori Hwa had only worn gender-neutral unisex clothes.
Even now, wasn’t she just wearing a tracksuit?
Yet, at this very moment, she stood before the storefront of ‘Shark Lady,’ a brand specializing in women’s apparel.
Sori Hwa had now inhabited this body for a full seven years.
Believing she could not indefinitely deny her changed gender, she had ultimately decided to visit a women’s clothing store.
“……Hello.”
Just as she had at the memorial park yesterday, Sori Hwa suppressed her presence as much as possible, offering a greeting barely above a whisper.
Ding-a-ling!
However, the doorbell chimed with an unexpectedly grand flourish, and a woman with a perpetually smiling face swiftly approached her.
She appeared to be in her mid-forties, possessing an air that suggested she might be rather tenacious.
“Hello, customer! Are you looking for anything?”
Aghast, Sori Hwa felt an overwhelming urge to scream.
Of all times, Sori Hwa was the only one in this clothing store right now.
She had arrived at a very unlucky moment.
“Oh, uh, I just came to look at some clothes.”
“What kind of clothes? Dresses? Knits? Skirts? Jeans? Field jackets? Leggings? Oh, underwear?”
The proprietress, a woman who appeared to be in her forties, managed to utterly disorient Sori Hwa within a mere five seconds.
Sori Hwa felt so utterly drained of ‘qi’ (TL Note: Life force or energy) that she wondered if this woman had perhaps mastered the legendary ‘Heupseongdaebeop’ (TL Note: A mythical martial arts technique capable of absorbing an opponent’s internal energy).
“Just generally…”
“Ah, generally! Well, that makes it difficult to choose.
Allow me to offer some recommendations.
Would you perhaps consider removing your hat?
You see, fashion often harmonizes with one’s skin tone and overall appearance.”
“Is, is that so?”
Drained of all ‘qi,’ Sori Hwa slowly removed her hat, her eyes devoid of life.
The moment Sori Hwa’s face was revealed, the store employee gasped, covering her mouth in astonishment.
Though obscured by the tightly pulled-down black cap, her long silver hair, large crimson eyes, delicate nose and mouth, and skin so pale it was almost translucent, rendered her appearance truly doll-like.
“Oh my, oh my! Customer, you are truly cute!”
“Ah.
Thank you.”
Sori Hwa, however, responded rather nonchalantly to the sincere compliment.
This was because it was one of the most common remarks she had heard since descending from the cave.
She had heard it so many times that she was numb to it.
“You look really young, how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-two.”
“Eh, really?
You’re a complete baby!”
“It’s true.”
Had Sori Hwa been attempting to purchase alcohol or cigarettes, she would have been met with a gaze of intense suspicion, perhaps even prompting a demand to see her ‘hopae’ (TL Note: A traditional Korean identification tag).
However, the clothing store owner lacked such authority.
“You truly have a baby face.
Since you’re generally petite, feminine, cute, and flowy styles will likely suit you.”
The proprietress moved around the entire store, beginning to drape clothes, one hanger at a time, over her arm.
While Sori Hwa had indeed brought a substantial amount of money, she hadn’t intended to buy everything, which left her feeling flustered.
“I, I’m not going to buy that much.”
“I’m just picking out things that might suit you.
At least try them on.
Of course, you don’t have to buy anything.”
“Ah, alright.”
Her words offered a slight reassurance, but the proprietress had already collected over ten hangers.
Blouses, blazers, shirts, dresses, skirts…
With the clothes crumpled together like that, Sori Hwa wondered if it was really alright.
But what Sori Hwa truly needed was something else entirely.
“Ah, madam.
First, about the underwear…”
“Yes, yes! I was just thinking about that!
These days, you know, underwear is fashion.
You know that, right?
Honestly, if I wear boring underwear, my husband won’t even look at me!”
The proprietress playfully tapped Sori Hwa’s arm, seemingly embarrassed, but Sori Hwa was deep in thought, pondering why she had to listen to someone else’s private life in a clothing store.
Ding-a-ling!
Just then, someone thankfully entered.
It was a beautiful woman in a light green ‘gyeongjang’ (TL Note: A light, often tight-fitting martial arts uniform).
From her appearance to her attire, she exuded an air of nobility.
With an imperious gaze, she surveyed the store, then walked directly toward Sori Hwa.
“Hey!
What are you doing!
We’re late for the train!
Come on!”
The woman in the green ‘gyeongjang’ shouted, her voice sharp and piercing.
Sori Hwa blinked, but the woman snatched her wrist, attempting to pull her out.
Naturally, the proprietress wouldn’t stand idly by as her ‘caught fish’ tried to escape.
The proprietress grabbed Sori Hwa’s other arm, her eyes wide with bewilderment as Sori Hwa was being pulled away.
“What do you think you’re doing!
To our customer!”
“What am I doing?
Are you crazy, old woman?”
The woman in the green ‘gyeongjang’ said coldly.
Even Sori Hwa, who was still dazed from being caught, thought her tone was incredibly rude.
This beautiful woman in the ‘gyeongjang’ looked to be in her early twenties, yet she was speaking so harshly to a woman in her forties.
The proprietress, her feelings clearly hurt, glared and seemed about to argue, but the woman in the ‘gyeongjang’ thrust the watch on her wrist in front of the proprietress’s eyes.
Sori Hwa, standing beside them, also saw the golden characters ‘Sichuan Tang Clan’ (TL Note: A prominent martial arts clan known for poisons and hidden weapons) inscribed on the watchband.
Upon seeing this, the proprietress immediately fainted from shock.
“The, the Sichuan Tang Clan?”
“That’s right.
I am a member of the Tang Clan.
You are currently interfering with a Tang Clan event.
If we miss our train, will you take responsibility?
Can you even take responsibility?”
The woman tilted her chin slightly, her eyes haughty.
Sori Hwa looked up at her, intrigued.
This was the first time she had encountered such a familiar surname since arriving in this Jungwon.
“Why is the Sichuan Tang Clan in Shaanxi…?”
“We’re here because we have business.
Are you going to keep holding my companion?”
“Ah, no!”
The proprietress exclaimed in surprise, releasing Sori Hwa’s arm.
Unwittingly, Sori Hwa was led out of the store by the Tang Clan woman.
She had no idea what was happening.
