The RoFan Novel Fan Has Reincarnated Into A Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 43: Decision

Yeon and Cheongang slipped out of the auction house, leaving behind the feverish energy that had consumed the room. Thanks to the auctioneer, who discreetly revealed a hidden passage, their exit was effortless.

In one hand, Yeon held the box containing the necklace; in the other, the defensive vest. She lifted them both slightly, as if weighing them.

“Cheongang, did we do the right thing?”

“Are you worried about the jade?”

“No, I just didn’t realize it was that expensive.”

“To be honest, I was surprised as well. May I take a closer look?”

Cheongang reached out his hand, and Yeon passed him both the box and the vest. He opened the box first and examined the necklace.

“I didn’t get a proper look earlier, but it really does emit a chill. Faint as it is, it may be of some help to you, Lady Yeon, considering your use of Lightning Energy.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Hm...”

“Would you like to try it on?”

At Cheongang’s suggestion, Yeon hesitated.

“You could wear it until you figure out how to use it. It’s a four-hundred gold necklace—losing it would be a disaster.”

That was only half true.

With such a minor chill, the necklace was unlikely to have any meaningful effect. But the blue gem embedded in it was beautiful—he’d thought it would suit Yeon from the moment he first saw it on display.

“Well... why not?”

With an awkward nod, Yeon accepted the necklace and brought it up to her neck. But trying to clasp it on her own proved difficult. Her hair kept getting in the way.

Cheongang watched for a moment before asking, “Shall I help?”

“Oh—yes.”

Setting down the vest, Cheongang stepped behind her. Yeon handed the necklace over and lifted her hair, revealing the pale line of her neck.

Startled, Cheongang swallowed hard. He’d never fastened a necklace on a woman before. He hadn’t expected this. He could feel his face warming as he moved quickly to clasp it.

Click, click.

But it wasn’t as easy as he thought. His fingers fumbled, both from ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ unfamiliarity and the sudden rush of nerves.

Even as he worked, his thoughts were entirely consumed by the nape of her neck. The slender curve of it, the stray strands of hair that had fallen free, the faint scent of her skin—it made it hard to think straight.

This isn’t what I meant to do...

Click.

At last, he managed to fasten it. Doing his best to sound composed, he said, “All done.”

“Thanks.”

Yeon let her hair fall, covering the back of her neck once more. But the image remained seared into Cheongang’s mind. That fleeting glimpse of bare skin had shaken him far more than it should have.

“Let’s go.”

He discreetly shook his head, as if to clear it, and walked alongside her. Without saying it aloud, the two began heading north—toward the Hwangbo household.

Then, a thought crossed Cheongang’s mind.

Is Lady Yeon planning to send me home too?

The image of Gongye and Tang Soso’s retreating backs rose unbidden. In a flash, Cheongang imagined half a dozen excuses. Yeon hadn’t said anything... but just in case, he decided to speak first.

“Lady Yeon.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry we had to use the jade. I didn’t expect us to fall short by two hundred gold.”

“What are you talking about? It wasn’t even fully mine to begin with. If anything, I should be the one apologizing.”

She waved it off and then asked, “By the way, when did you get that much money together?” frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

“I exchanged for vouchers at the bank yesterday. I’d heard many auctions here only accept cash.”

“Oh, of course...”

Yeon looked at him with surprise, and it filled Cheongang with a small sense of pride. Even though they had already agreed to track down the traces of the Cult together, some part of him still wanted to prove he was useful.

“So that’s why those two backed off so easily. I was wondering why they didn’t say anything about vouchers.”

“You mean Namgung Myeong and his sister?”

“Yeah. Especially Jihyeon—I was sure she wouldn’t give up that easily. I only put the jade up because I was ready to go all the way.”

“Hm.”

As Cheongang nodded, Yeon continued.

“Isn’t that why you started the bid at a hundred gold?”

“That’s right. There would’ve been no point offering silver.”

“Still, I was a little shocked when you went to two hundred. That was Namgung Myeong’s limit, wasn’t it? I thought you’d go for maybe a hundred and fifty...”

Yeon had a point, and Cheongang fell silent.

The amount Namgung Myeong had scraped together was 130 gold. Even 150 would’ve done the trick. He hadn’t expected Namgung Jihyeon to butt in.

The real reason he’d bid two hundred?

In truth—though it was absurd—he just wanted to look cool in front of Yeon. That fat man in the monkey mask had said the Namgung Clan had the deepest pockets, and that had gotten under his skin.

No way I’m ever admitting that.

Then Yeon asked, “Did you think Jihyeon would join the bidding?”

“Ah... yes, I did. Though I didn’t expect her to take off her ring, of all things.”

He answered smoothly, and inwardly, sighed in relief. But the moment passed, replaced by a deeper question.

What’s gotten into me?

These thoughts, these actions—they weren’t like him. Wanting to impress someone? That was foreign territory. And accepting Namgung Myeong’s provocation? That was also a first.

Are you thinking of giving it to her as a gift?

And what if I am?

The fact he’d even entertained such an embarrassing thought seriously—was this because of the mask? Maybe it brought out some other persona. But blaming the mask felt cheap, especially after what had happened at the House of Pleasure.

He remembered approaching Yeon, asking if he could be just a little more shameless.

Drunk on wine and incense or not, the old him would’ve never dared. That moment of vulnerability, so unlike him, still left him reeling.

Just then, Yeon spoke again.

“Doesn’t matter what you paid—as long as we got it. I just hope this necklace is the one the elder’s been looking for.”

“About that—I meant to tell you. I looked into who put the necklace up for auction.”

“Seriously? I didn’t even think of that! What would I have done without you?”

Yeon beamed at him. Seeing her smile lit something inside Cheongang, and the worries that had tangled his thoughts just moments ago quietly unraveled. He couldn’t help but smile back, subtly.

“When did you even ask?”

“While you were retrieving the defensive vest. I asked the auctioneer. He said he wasn’t supposed to tell me, but I pressed hard enough that he finally gave in.”

In truth, the auctioneer had been quite the chatterbox. He must have believed that Cheongang and Yeon were new VIPs.

According to him, the person who had put the necklace up for auction was a simple herbalist. When Cheongang asked if the man had any martial training, the auctioneer assured him he was a complete civilian. He even added that this one transaction might change the man’s entire life.

Yeon tilted her head, puzzled.

“A herbalist?”

“Yes.”

“That’s... a little odd, isn’t it? Doesn’t make sense that a key sought by a cult master would end up with a herbalist.”

“I thought so as well. But gems that emit cold energy are extremely rare—that part does add up.”

“That’s true.”

“Don’t worry. As soon as we reach Shandong, I’ll look into it myself.”

With that, Cheongang casually made it clear he’d be accompanying her all the way to the Hwangbo household. It felt like the words were spilling from his mouth of their own accord.

Ever since he’d told Yeon about his mother, his emotions toward her had started slipping beyond the bounds of reason. The lines he’d always tried to keep clear when he was with her—were starting to blur.

He found himself asking:

Is this really okay?

Until now, his life had revolved around a single goal: avenging his mother.

But ever since meeting Yeon, something had changed. The world, once colored only in gray, began regaining its hues. Emotions he thought long dead were stirring again. For the first time, he had discovered the quiet joy of traveling with companions.

Gongye and Tang Soso weren’t like the martial artists he’d known from the righteous sects. They were eccentric—sometimes even ridiculous—but at the very least, they were trustworthy. Worlds apart from the entitled heirs of prestigious clans.

They hadn’t been together for long, and yet their faces already floated vividly in his mind. Cheongang, who had rarely smiled, had laughed more with them than he could remember. He’d shared sorrow, and been moved. They might just be the first true friends he’d ever made.

And all of it had been possible because of Yeon. She was the one who had breathed life back into his hollow world.

Realizing that, the question in his heart shifted.

Do I even deserve to be this happy?

Fear gripped him.

What if—bit by bit—his mother’s vengeance stopped feeling so important? What if, one day, he stopped dreaming about the way she died? What if he started forgetting her—his mother, who’d died so tragically?

“What are you thinking about so hard?”

“...Pardon?”

“You, Cheongang. You’ve been lost in thought for a while now.”

“...It’s nothing.”

Yeon made a soft, curious noise and stared at him. Under that gaze, Cheongang felt himself disarmed all over again. If he kept looking at her, he’d make another mistake—so he turned away.

His emotions were shifting too fast for him to grasp. To cover his fluster, he quickly changed the subject.

“Do you think the monk and Lady Tang are doing alright?”

Yeon studied him for a beat, then turned her face away and replied.

“Oh, the monk? I doubt we need to worry about him. He’s probably having the time of his life. Actually—wait. He didn’t have any money at all, did he? What if he’s out begging?”

“He’ll be fine. I gave him some travel expenses before he left.”

“...Wow.”

Yeon clapped her hands with mock admiration, clearly impressed.

“As for Soso, she’s with her father, so I’m sure she’s safe... but still, I can’t help but worry.”

“Yes.”

“I wonder when we’ll see them again. I still have to give her that defensive vest.”

She kicked a small stone on the path as she walked. She missed them, too.

“Do you want to see them?”

“Of course I miss Soso. The monk, though... not even a little...”

Her words trailed off into a laugh.

“Well, okay. Maybe a little. It’s not like I’ll meet another monk like him again.”

“He’s quite the character.”

“Right? Always doing exactly what the temple told him not to—yet he doesn’t seem to care about money at all. I still can’t figure him out.”

In Cheongang’s mind, he pictured Gongye grinning like a fool, pouring just enough liquor to perfectly fill the cup. He couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Lady Tang is no less unusual.”

“True. The Tang Clan head we met at the estate—that’s probably what most people imagine when they think of a Tang martial artist. If the rest of the clan is anything like that, I can see why Soso struggled.”

“She didn’t seem eager to return.”

“You noticed that too?”

“Yes.”

Yeon didn’t say anything for a while after that. Her eyes were fixed far ahead, the fading sun glinting off her lashes and dancing across her irises.

The light her pupils couldn’t hold fell onto her long lashes and spilled down her cheeks—pale, soft, and glowing. Her lips moved faintly, murmuring thoughts he couldn’t hear, and Cheongang felt his heart tighten.

What would it feel like to bite into those red lips? Would they burst, or would they melt?

Cheongang tore his eyes away. Every time he let his guard down around her, he ended up like this.

As he shook his head clear, a single thought suddenly rose, unbidden.

I don’t want to be separated from her. Not for any reason.

With that, the knot of confusion that had tangled inside him began to unravel.

He would never forget his vow to avenge his mother. But neither did he want to force himself to leave Yeon’s side. And if happiness brought guilt, then he’d stand just close enough to her—never crossing that line, but always staying near. Until, one day...

With that quiet truth buried deep in his chest, Cheongang lifted his gaze.

Side by side with Yeon, he walked forward. And before them stretched a road with no end in sight.