[CONTENTID5]Chapter Twelve[/CONTENTID5][CONTENTID1]The Past Will Not Stay Buried[/CONTENTID1][CONTENTID2][/CONTENTID2][CONTENTID3]"Such a wondrous night. Did you have a nice stroll, mei mei?" The tall woman stood in the darkest corner of the room. Only her two almond shaped eyes were visible.

Myeongjin ignored the strange woman and turned her back to close the paper thin doors. After the doors were securely shut, she went to light a candle.

"Don't light it."

Myeongjin continued as if there was no one else in the room but her. She bent down towards the candle fearlessly.

A white bony hand flashed in and knocked the candle off the low table. "Don't you dare ignore me, Xinling!" The woman's steamy breath singed her coils of hair.

"Isn't that how you wish to be treated, jie? Always lurking around in the shadows like a hungry animal, not to be seen or heard."

"Oh my—you have a sharp tongue, mei mei." The woman's laughter was acidic and vile.

"Why have you come to trouble me, jie?"

"Trouble? Why—can't I visit my little sister?"

"We both know you are not here for a visit."

The woman circled her like a vulture. "Sweet mei mei, you are too stern looking." She suddenly swept in and blew a puff of air into Myeongjin's face. Myeongjin was unaffected as she lowered herself to the floor in a relaxed manner. The woman turned about and continued. "I am here for business—but that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun."

"You were never very entertaining—"

"Come now—don't sound like such a sour old hag. You know I love you dearly."

"Love? Do you poison the one you love?" She scoffed. "If so, jie, I don't quite grasp your kind of love."

"Dearest, are you still brooding over the berry incident? We were young and I was just having some fun."

"It nearly took my life."

"Nearly—but you're still alive."

"That is not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

Myeongjin put it bluntly. "You tried to kill me."

The woman sighed, letting her head rest against the wall like a poor damsel in distress. "Goodness me—why can you never get passed that? I'm not trying to kill you now and the present is what matters." She came over and sat down beside Myeongjin while tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Speaking of killing—you'll have to go find a new slave."

"I know and it is all very tiresome. Please finish your business quickly and leave."

"Right, my business. Shall I share with you the nature of my business?"

"I do not wish to know."

The woman slammed into Myeongjin's arm and hissed in her ear. "This jie will tell you anyway. I will be assassinating Joseon's weak king before you do." She pulled away sharply and laughed. "Oh, don't tell me you have forgotten the promise we made to our late father. We were sent to this nation to destroy it along with all its filthy pigs prancing around, clothed in riches." 

"I have not forgotten."

"But you plan to break the promise—you've been smitten by one of the pigs." She captured Myeongjin's chin and the side of her face. "No lie. I can taste it in your sweat." The woman released Myeongjin and looked up towards the doors. "I assume that handsome boy is still pacing out there, debating on whether or not he should jump the wall and rescue you from my evil grasp." She spun around and grinned. "Isn't it all very exciting? Let's go out and see him."

• • • • • • •

As they stepped out from the room, the two sisters saw Byeol standing on the other side of the courtyard. "What did I say, hmm? The handsome boy is here to save you. How exciting!" She glided down the steps. "What shall we do—" There was a mischievous bounce in her voice. "Shall we have some fun?"

A dagger sliced through the air in the direction of Myeongjin. She stood perfectly still, knowing the dagger was not meant for her. It was a distraction. The woman's real intention was buried in Byeol's flesh. She had flown across the courtyard and stabbed him in the side. "Focusing on the wrong object there. You still have much to learn, boy." Byeol shoved her away and stumbled backwards.

The woman shrugged. She flung the bloody dagger to the ground and turned to witness the expression change in her little sister. A chilling smile crept slowly across Myeongjin's beautiful face. A smile—born from ice.

Looking at that face brought the woman's anger to a boil. No feelings at all? Was she wrong again? "Mark my words. I will uncover your weaknesses. And then—I will exploit them all. Every last one of them until I have seen you dig your own grave." Drawing the hood over her head, she dashed gracefully to the ledge. One artful leap and the woman disappeared over the wall.

Myeongjin waited, making sure the woman was truly gone before she approached Byeol. "Let me see the wound." She reached out for him but he pulled away. "It's nothing serious." He crouched down and pulled the fabric tight across his chest.

"I know it is nothing serious, Byeol, but it still needs to be looked at. Now is not the time to play hero. Let me see it or I will be very cross with you." Myeongjin knelt down in front of him and pushed his hand away. Byeol sighed and gave in to her demand. "Well—be quick about it."

She began to carefully pull apart the slightly dampened fabric. "Why? Are you in a rush to leave me?"

"Yes."

Wrong answer.

Myeongjin stopped being gentle and tore open his shirt. "Good. If you are in such a rush then you won't mind the rough treatment."

"Wh—What I meant was. I—I need to go soon so that I may quickly return to—" Myeongjin did not let him finished and stuffed her handkerchief into his mouth. "No interruptions." She examined the cut closely. It was a clean incision with very little blood. The dagger had missed all major blood vessels as it entered and exited. Myeongjin reached into her sleeve with her left hand and pulled out a small oblong bottle. "This will sting." She removed the seal from its mouth and emptied the content onto his wound. With a clean cloth, she wiped up the excess fluid. Deep within the bottle layed a soaked needle and thread. With it, Myeongin began stitching up the cut. Byeol's eyes never wandered from her face. "I always keep a bottle like this one with me at all times. You never know when you need to sew yourself up." She answered his unspoken question.

Once she was done, Myeongjin noticed an interesting scar curving around his left side. She touched it. This scar—why did he have this scar? Was he in the same league as the other men who bore it? Was he sent to follow her as well?

The questions burned inside her. She needed answers. Myeongjin extracted the handkerchief from his mouth.

"Who was that woman?" Byeol questioned her first.

It was already getting late. "She is the gisaeng Yi Hanu from Hwanghae." Next time, she told herself. Next time, if they meet again, no matter what, she would extract the truth from him.

"You may leave now." And let us never cross paths again. Myeongjin retreated back to her room and left Byeol clueless and alone in the grey courtyard. [/CONTENTID3][CONTENTID4]footnotes: meimei - little sister (endearment) // jie - older sister[/CONTENTID4]