ch 10

 

Chapter 10

He must have dozed off.

Munpyeong threw back his head, which had nearly pitched forward, and let out a long yawn. Sitting still in the warm, quiet room, drowsiness kept creeping up on him. Was it because he’d overexerted himself yesterday? Even after lying down properly for a short while, the fatigue hadn't lifted.

`This is no time to be dozing so peacefully.`

Munpyeong clicked his tongue and sighed deeply. Last night. There had been no word from Yun Seung-hyo, who had disappeared down the valley. Worried that Yun Seung-hyo wouldn’t be able to find the physician he was relying on, Munpyeong had even gone back to the inn where they’d stayed to leave his contact information. But there was no news from him, nor from the inn that had promised to contact him upon Yun Seung-hyo’s return. It seemed Yun Seung-hyo still hadn't come back.

`Is he still chasing them? Don't tell me he's run into those 'Geonyeja' things again?`

Munpyeong was genuinely worried for Yun Seung-hyo’s safety.

"I should have gone with him then."

Unable to overcome his worry, Munpyeong muttered to himself. At the time, he hadn’t followed, fearing he would be a cumbersome burden and hold him back. But looking back now, he regretted it, thinking that he should have gone with him regardless.

Wouldn’t it have been better for Yun Seung-hyo’s sake as well? He should have just pretended not to hear any talk of being a burden, closed his eyes, and followed. That would have been better than sitting here, worrying about how things turned out.

`...But if I had, I wouldn't have been able to save this child. He would have surely died if he'd spent just one more day in that sack.`

Munpyeong's gaze fell upon the child sleeping on the bed. The child slept silently, as if dead. He had released the pressure point he’d used to forcefully put the child to sleep, as it didn’t seem right. But the child was so exhausted that she didn't wake easily. Perhaps she wasn't just sleeping but had lost consciousness altogether. The child had remained asleep even as the physician set her shoulder and splinted her broken arm.

According to the physician, the child's condition was truly dire. She hadn't eaten properly for a very long time, and her body was a wreck from constant abuse. As one would expect, her stamina was also critically low. The physician said that an arm that would normally heal in a month or two for an ordinary child might not heal for nearly half a year for this one. The physician clucked his tongue, wondering how a young child could have ended up in such a terrible state.

"But the bigger problem is that the child also has a chronic illness."

After treating the external wounds and checking her overall condition by taking her pulse, the physician added worriedly.

"Her pulse is cold and slow. On top of that, her meridians are blocked in several places. There might be something wrong with her heart or spleen. If she’s very unlucky, it could even be a case of Severed Meridians."

At the mention of blocked meridians, Munpyeong recalled the conversation between the men Yun Seung-hyo had killed. They, too, had said this child had severed meridians. Their words and the physician's diagnosis had much in common. If so, the child might truly be suffering from a meridian disease. Realizing this, Munpyeong felt even more pity for the child.

The famous meridian disease, known as the Nine Yin Severed Meridians (Gu-eum-jeolmaek), primarily appeared in young girls. It was a rare disease caused by the blockage of several yin meridians among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and the Twelve Main Meridians.

Munpyeong wasn't a physician and didn't know the details, but according to rumors in the Jianghu, a child born with this condition was said to be exceptionally beautiful and talented, a prodigy capable of understanding a hundred things upon hearing one, not just ten.

However, neither that beauty nor that talent could ever be properly used. Once a girl with the condition passed the age of ten, the symptoms would slowly begin to manifest, and there was no ordinary method to cure it.

That was why the meridian disease was also called "Cheonhyeong"—Heaven's Punishment. It was not a disease contracted by chance but one a person was born with. It was called that because one was fated to live in tremendous pain and inevitably lose their life.

Occasionally, a child would overcome the disease, but such children were mostly from incredibly wealthy or powerful families. This little girl’s situation was completely different from those children who had devoted parents willing to spend a fortune on divine elixirs to save their dying child.

`I thought I was born with nothing, but you have it even worse than I do.`

Munpyeong sighed, lost in thought. What on earth should he do with this child? Gazing at the injured child with no one to rely on, Munpyeong's heart was simply heavy. If every meeting in the world is a twist of fate, then his meeting with this child must be fate as well. But for now, he couldn't understand why such a fate had brought them together.

"Ahem. Ahem. Sir, it's Physician Park. May I have a moment?"

While he was deep in thought, the physician's voice came from outside the door. Snapped back to his senses, Munpyeong rose from his seat.

`What is it? Could it be news of Seung-hyo?`

Hoping against hope, Munpyeong quickened his pace.

"What is it?"

Opening the sliding door, Munpyeong looked out. The good-natured physician looked up at him, his face filled with unease. When Munpyeong tilted his head, not understanding, the physician glanced outside and spoke reluctantly.

"There are some people outside looking for you, sir."

`’Some people,’ not ‘a person’? But I don't know anyone who would come looking for me here.`

"To be precise, they're looking for someone who was brought in last night with serious injuries. They insist they have information that such a person was admitted to our clinic. They don't seem to have good intentions, but I think you should meet them."

The physician answered with almost foolish honesty. Hearing his words, a sense of foreboding washed over Munpyeong. He answered with a short "I understand" and returned to his room to retrieve the saber he had set aside. He briefly considered taking his long spear as well, but he couldn't wield two weapons at once, and in a confined indoor space, the shorter saber would be better. He left the spear.

As Munpyeong armed himself, the physician grew tense. It seemed that even though he knew Munpyeong was a martial artist, it hadn't truly sunk in. Now, seeing him reach for his blade at the first mention of visitors with ill intentions, his expression became one of alarmed realization.

Munpyeong smiled wryly to himself. It seemed he was dragging ordinary people into his troubles. The only thing the physician had done wrong was to accept him as a patient.

Munpyeong went out to the front courtyard where the men were waiting for him. The courtyard, which should have been bustling with patients, was eerily empty, without a soul in sight. On the flatbeds set out for patients, five men were seated.

Munpyeong recognized them and stopped in his tracks. The men also spotted Munpyeong and rose from their seats.

"It's been a while."

The leader of the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan, Tang Jeok-hyeong, acknowledged him, his voice as cold as ever. After glancing at the men who rose imposingly and took their positions, Munpyeong greeted them with a light cupped-fist salute.

"If it isn't the gentlemen of the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan. But you said you were looking for me?"

"To be precise, we weren't looking for you, but for a martial artist who was brought in last night with severe injuries... But your leg doesn't look well. When were you injured?"

Tang Jeok-hyeong asked, his slick eyes scanning Munpyeong's body. He had already seen Munpyeong's injured leg as he walked over, so what was his motive for asking now? Munpyeong gave a cold smile at Tang Jeok-hyeong's sinister nature.

"I was injured last night."

"Last night? Where?"

"The brothers of the Tang Clan always ask me so many questions when we meet. I believe I told you last time, if you have a question, state your reason for asking first. Am I supposed to answer unconditionally just because you ask, without even knowing why? Or are you perhaps in the middle of chasing a suspicious group again?"

As Munpyeong retorted sarcastically, Tang Jeok-hyeong's gaze fixed squarely on him. Munpyeong thought his emotionless eyes were just like a snake's, eyeing its prey.

"Well said. Let me ask you something. How is it that we always run into you whenever we're chasing a suspicious group?"

"I wonder. I don't know the answer to that myself. Who knows? Perhaps it's because you gentlemen are always chasing the wrong lead?"

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had been studying Munpyeong with a sharp gaze, raised an eyebrow when Munpyeong replied with a smirk.

"...Insolent whelp. Are you acting this way because you have Hero Yun to rely on?"

"Don't be absurd. Would I rely on someone who isn't even here? I rely only on my own righteousness."

Tang Jeok-hyeong seemed to be misunderstanding, but Munpyeong was telling the truth. If Yun Seung-hyo had been present, Munpyeong would never have shown such an arrogant attitude. Munpyeong didn't want to create an awkward relationship between Yun Seung-hyo and the Tang Clan because of himself, so if he had been with him, he would have maintained a polite and courteous demeanor, trying not to fall for the Tang Clan's provocations.

But the situation was different now. Yun Seung-hyo was not by his side, and Munpyeong now stood before a predator without the shield that had protected him until now. If he showed even the slightest weakness, his opponent would not hesitate to tear into his throat.

Munpyeong watched the Five Venoms, his inner tension taut. Tang Jeok-hyeong looked at him with eyes that seemed to want to tear him apart alive.

"Have you ever heard the name 'So Manor'?"

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had been glaring menacingly at Munpyeong for a while, suddenly spoke. He unexpectedly mentioned the So Manor. Munpyeong frowned and looked at Tang Jeok-hyeong. Why the So Manor? Could there possibly be a connection between the mysterious group that turned children into Jiangshi and the Tang Clan, a member of a prestigious orthodox sect?

"I've heard the name. But why do you ask?"

Munpyeong didn't hide it and admitted the truth straightforwardly. As Yun Seung-hyo had said, he had been loitering around the place without even changing his clothes, so anyone in the know would be aware that Yun Seung-hyo was interested in the So Manor's affairs. The Tang Clan was bound to know this fact.

"Surprising. You have no intention of hiding it?"

"Didn't you come here already knowing? I assumed the Tang Clan would have that level of information-gathering ability."

Of course, what Munpyeong meant by "knowing" was the fact that Yun Seung-hyo was interested in the So Manor's affairs. But Tang Jeok-hyeong interpreted his words with malicious intent. It was only natural, as he had come for that very purpose.

"No matter how excellent the Tang Clan's information network is, it's hard to uncover the truth of a bloody massacre that happened just last night. When it comes to last night's events, we surely know less than you do. That's why we've come this far to ask."

"A bloody massacre? What massacre are you talking about?"

"Are you going to tell me you don't know about the horrific massacre that occurred at the So Manor last night? Last night, every soul at the So Manor was slaughtered. Not just the martial artists on guard duty, but even the servants who knew no martial arts were all killed, and the children from the orphanage the So Manor was supporting have all disappeared. Even the lord of the manor and his entire clan have gone missing. A whole estate has essentially vanished, and we are pursuing the culprit. We received a notice from the authorities this morning."

Just as river water does not invade well water, well water does not invade the river. Crimes committed by martial artists of the Jianghu were difficult for government officials to solve. That was why crimes known to be the work of Jianghu members were often referred to a prominent orthodox sect in the region for them to handle internally. It seemed the Tang Clan had been commissioned by the authorities in this manner.

Guizhou had never been a region where martial sects flourished, so renowned orthodox sects were rare, and even if they existed, they were not as established as the Tang Clan. From the local magistrate's perspective, it would have been more reliable to entrust the case to the Tang Clan, who happened to be passing by, rather than to some mediocre martial hall master.

Hearing Tang Jeok-hyeong's story, Munpyeong was shocked. It was the part about the servants who knew no martial arts all being killed. He knew that the orphanage children had disappeared and the manor lord's family had fled, but it was the first he'd heard of the innocent servants being massacred. Before Munpyeong had left the manor, the servants had been alive. The same was true for the clueless guard martial artists patrolling the outer perimeter.

`Could it be that after we left, the ones guarding the inner courtyard realized something was amiss and silenced everyone to cover their tracks?`

Faced with this unexpected situation, a cold sweat ran down his spine. He felt sick to his stomach, like he was going to vomit. He knew they were despicable bastards, but he never thought they would go that far.

It was unbelievable that they would slaughter people who had served their master in ignorance, just to silence them. They weren't martial artists, just common people. They would have posed no harm if left alone, yet they were all brutally murdered.

"Of course, the perpetrators didn't get away completely unscathed. There were signs of resistance throughout the outskirts of the manor. We examined the bodies and determined that some of the culprits must have been severely injured. So we've been going around to the clinics in Kaiyang, looking for injured martial artists. And what do you know? We find you here. You, Yun Seung-hyo's companion, who was hovering around the So Manor right up until the incident yesterday. And injured, no less."

Tang Jeok-hyeong no longer called Yun Seung-hyo "Hero Yun." He simply called him by his name, as if addressing a junior. Hearing his tone, Munpyeong's mind snapped to attention. Their reaction was unusual. It seemed they had a specific intention.

"What do you mean by that? I sense a considerable intention in your words, Young Master Dang. Are you suggesting that you believe Hero Yun was responsible for that massacre?"

Munpyeong glared at them, not hiding his vigilance.

`What are you trying to do? What do you want, to pull a stunt like this?`

In contrast to Munpyeong, who was openly baring his teeth, the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan were utterly relaxed.

"I am well aware of the reputation Yun Seung-hyo has in the Jianghu. But I cannot let go of the one who likely holds the most clues to this case just because of that reputation. Where is he? I believe this is a matter I should discuss with him directly, not you."

The sly, snake-like man feigned innocence as he pried for Yun Seung-hyo's whereabouts.

He didn't know where he was. He didn't know when he would be back. Knowing how his opponent would interpret any answer he could give, Munpyeong realized the situation was taking a difficult turn.

It seemed the Tang Clan intended to frame Yun Seung-hyo for this massacre. The reason the Tang Clan was not only taking on a case in Guizhou, far from their home in Sichuan, but also being so proactive about it was because they calculated they could gain a pretext to bring Yun Seung-hyo down.

With just a little manipulation of the facts by the Tang Clan, Yun Seung-hyo could easily take the fall. Since it was true that he and Munpyeong had been there right before the massacre, Munpyeong couldn't find a way out.

`What should I do?`

Munpyeong remained silent, glaring at the men with a guarded expression. Even though he knew full well how his attitude would be interpreted, he couldn't open his mouth, unable to predict how a careless slip of the tongue might come back to haunt Yun Seung-hyo.

Munpyeong had never been so resentful of his own lack of cleverness. If only his mind were as sharp as Poyeong's, or at least Imhak's, he would have been able to find a way out of this terrible predicament. But Munpyeong, uneducated and poor at improvisation, could only clench his teeth and glare at them, unable to offer any defense for Yun Seung-hyo.

"I asked where Yun Seung-hyo is now. Where is he?"

Tang Jeok-hyeong asked again. Munpyeong, who had been gritting his teeth in frustration, glared at Tang Jeok-hyeong—who seemed to have already decided Yun Seung-hyo was the culprit—with cold blue eyes and said:

"Hero Yun doesn't chase false leads like you people. He is pursuing the real culprits."

"The real culprits?"

"That's right. The real culprits. The true criminals behind the So Manor massacre are the same group who have been kidnapping children in places like Sichuan, Guangdong, and Fujian. Hero Yun came all the way to Guizhou to chase them. Unlike you, who were oblivious to what was happening right under your noses."

Knowing that a careless lie would be found out and used against him, Munpyeong told the truth as it was. Informing them that Yun Seung-hyo was not here and that he didn't know when he would return could have fatal consequences for him, but Munpyeong didn't care.

Tang Jeok-hyeong laughed fiercely, facing Munpyeong. He didn't believe a word Munpyeong said. His information was limited, so he didn't even know that children were disappearing in Sichuan. No children had disappeared near Dangjia Ta, where the Tang Clan held influence, and the reclusive Tang Clan didn't concern themselves with matters that didn't involve them.

"What a ridiculous ploy. Children disappearing in Sichuan?"

"You didn't know? How absurd, for a clan that claims to be the hegemon of Sichuan."

To Tang Jeok-hyeong's cold, mocking tone, Munpyeong returned the same derision. At that, Tang Jeok-hyeong's eyebrow twitched. True to his narrow-minded nature, it seemed he could mock others but couldn't forgive others for mocking him.

"Not just Sichuan, but Guangdong and Fujian as well, you say. Then why did no one else know? If it was happening on such a wide scale, there should have been people paying attention."

"It's just that the Tang Clan didn't know. The Beggars' Sect and the Haomun are already aware of it. Besides, the incident in Fujian province is widely known through the testimony of the great hero, the Jade Qilin."

The Tang Clan couldn't easily ignore the Haomun, let alone the Beggars' Sect and the Jade Qilin. When Munpyeong confidently mentioned those two names, Tang Jeok-hyeong hesitated. Not because he believed Munpyeong's words had any basis, but because the two names carried weight. The Beggars' Sect and the Jade Qilin, on top of Yun Seung-hyo. They were not opponents to be taken lightly.

However, Tang Jeok-hyeong was not about to readily accept Munpyeong's words. He believed that the names of people who weren't even present couldn't interfere with the Tang Clan's business, just as a dead Zhuge Hui-ryeon couldn't chase away a living Sima Yi.

The Five Venoms of the Tang Clan, who felt they had been humiliated by Yun Seung-hyo and Munpyeong, wanted to repay that shame, no matter the pretext. If Yun Seung-hyo wasn't here, they would settle the score with this insolent military officer. In reality, the true culprit of the massacre wasn't important to them. They just needed an excuse to pressure Yun Seung-hyo.

"This is incomprehensible. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that kidnapping incidents are occurring in various provinces as you claim. But what does that have to do with the massacre at the So Manor? Why would those who only kidnapped children in other provinces commit a massacre in Guizhou? And of all places, why the So Manor?"

"They realized Hero Yun's pursuit had reached the So Manor. That's why they cut off their tail."

"Hah. Are you saying the So Manor itself was in league with them?"

"That's right."

"Does that even make sense? The lord of the So Manor is Lord So Heon-su, renowned as a scholar of the Hanlin Academy. He is close with the magistrate of Kaiyang here and is a highly respected scholar throughout the Central Plains. And you're saying such a man is in league with kidnappers?"

Just this morning, Tang Jeok-hyeong had been specifically asked by the Kaiyang magistrate to ensure Lord So Heon-su's safety. He scoffed as if he had heard the most ridiculous thing.

He thought he was about to hear something significant, with the grand names of the Beggars' Sect and the Jade Qilin being dropped, but it turned out to be nothing more than a far-fetched, self-serving excuse.

Lord So Heon-su involved with people who kidnap and sell children? He might be desperate to justify the massacre at the So Manor, but this was too much of a stretch.

"Lord So Heon-su is one of the few distinguished scholars Guizhou has produced, revered not only in Kaiyang but throughout the entire province. To stoop to tarnishing such a man's name in your haste to justify your actions, your words are too excessive. You should consider yourself lucky that it is the Tang Clan here and not the martial artists of Guizhou. Otherwise, your head would already be rolling on the ground."

Tang Jeok-hyeong warned, smiling slickly as he gestured with his hand. At his signal, the other members of the Five Venoms put their hands in their sleeves and surrounded Munpyeong. Munpyeong gripped the hilt of his saber with his palm and glared at them. Tang Jeok-hyeong jeered at him.

"I can't listen to your nonsensical excuses any longer. If it were a plausible story, I might lend an ear, but your words make no sense. It can't be helped. You'll have to come with us for a while. Seeing your behavior, I think it will take some time for you to feel like being honest."

Tang Jeok-hyeong spoke in a tone that implied if he didn't become honest soon, he would be forced to. Munpyeong smiled coldly at their true colors, which became more apparent in Yun Seung-hyo's absence.

He knew they were not people who would listen to reason, but to be this unreasonable—the Tang Clan was truly something else. Like snakes that never let go of their prey once they've targeted it. They were the type to fabricate even the plain truth to achieve their goals.

Casting aside any lingering hope of resolving this with words, Munpyeong unhesitatingly drew his saber. The cheap saber, its blade chipped from last night's events, was revealed under the sunlight.

Even seeing him draw his weapon, the Five Venoms didn't flinch.

`They're daring me to attack? No, they're begging me to attack first.`

Their vile intentions were clear as day. If Munpyeong attacked first, they could make the excuse that they were forced to retaliate. They would be sincerely hoping to use that excuse. That was why they were provoking him in a way he couldn't possibly endure.

Munpyeong lowered his waist to stabilize his stance and looked at their faces one by one. It was the same whether he followed them willingly and was tortured to death, or resisted being taken and died here. If he was tortured into spewing lies that didn't exist and tarnishing Yun Seung-hyo's good name, it might be better to die here.

Having steeled his killing intent, Munpyeong infused his saber with qi from the very beginning. If he didn't end this quickly, he wouldn't be able to inflict any damage on them.

`I have to take at least one more of them down with me.`

As he smiled grimly with this deadly resolve, the Five Venoms also took their stances, preparing to attack.

"It is a very good habit not to judge a person by reputation alone, but unfortunately, Young Master Dang, you lack consistency."

It was a hair-trigger moment. The slightest move from anyone would unleash a storm of blood. Into the middle of this, a leisurely voice suddenly floated down. It felt like he had experienced this exact same situation before. Moreover, the owner of the voice was the very person who had appeared in a similar situation before and saved him. Munpyeong turned in surprise toward the voice.

"You apply that good habit to this Yun, yet why do you not apply it to Lord So? Could it be that you are the one making a mistake?"

At the most opportune moment, as if he had timed it in advance, the person who appeared was none other than Yun Seung-hyo. Dressed in the luxurious formal wear he always wore instead of his night clothes, as if he'd just come from the inn, he was casually fanning himself while perched on a tree branch. He leaned his entire body calmly against a finger-thin branch, unconcerned by its swaying in the wind.

It was a leisurely sight to behold, but those who could recognize the sublime level of the movement technique Yun Seung-hyo was displaying all lost the color in their faces. Tang Jeok-hyeong, who knew Yun Seung-hyo's actions were a form of a show of force, was even more affected; he found himself breaking into a cold sweat as he looked at Yun Seung-hyo.

"...If it isn't Hero Yun? When did you arrive?"

Just like last time, no one had sensed his presence. This clearly established the difference in martial skill between Yun Seung-hyo and the Five Venoms. Moreover, the level of skill Yun Seung-hyo was displaying now was a movement technique that had reached the realm of divinity. It was rumored that Yun Seung-hyo's martial arts were at the peak level, but perhaps they were even higher. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to thwart the Tang Clan's actions time and time again.

Tang Jeok-hyeong desperately suppressed his anxious heart as he recalled these unsettling facts. He felt as if he had walked into a trap he had set for others. How could he have known that Yun Seung-hyo was watching everything? Seeing his companion's reaction, he had assumed he had gone far, but to think he was this close.

Tang Jeok-hyeong couldn't shake the feeling of being deceived. He was certain that the officer and Yun Seung-hyo had conspired to lure them into a trap. Even a rabbit digs three burrows to escape, yet he had made the mistake of believing that cunning fox would leave his position without a backup plan.

"I arrived a little while ago. But when I got here, I found Young Master Dang engaged in a most interesting conversation with my companion. Curiosity got the better of me, so I listened for a moment. Please forgive my rudeness."

Behind the colored glass, Yun Seung-hyo's eyes narrowed. It was the same cheerful smile as always, but Tang Jeok-hyeong's heart was different as he watched. He swallowed his humiliation as if he had been openly mocked and looked up at Yun Seung-hyo.

Yun Seung-hyo straightened up from the branch and leaped down. His movements, seemingly unaffected by air resistance, were as graceful as a crane descending.

Yun Seung-hyo's light steps brought him to where the Five Venoms and Munpyeong were facing off. As he approached, despite the lack of any threatening words, the Five Venoms faltered and stepped back.

They looked to their leader for guidance. Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had a good grasp of his opponent's martial skill, silently ordered them to stand by.

"Since you've heard everything, it will be easy to explain. We were looking for Hero Yun because of the massacre at the So Manor. We have quite a few questions for you, so we would appreciate your answers."

When Yun Seung-hyo was absent, he had casually thrown his name around, but as soon as he returned, the respectful title was back in place. Annoyed by this spineless maneuvering, Munpyeong inwardly scoffed. To think that such people were the best of their generation in their sect, he was deeply concerned for the future of the Tang Clan.

"My companion has already answered all of that for you. I have nothing to add or subtract from his answers."

Yun Seung-hyo replied to Tang Jeok-hyeong's words as if it were nothing. Despite the fact that dozens of people had died and a high-ranking official had gone missing, Yun Seung-hyo's face was utterly serene as he mentioned the major incident.

Tang Jeok-hyeong, who had no desire or intention to believe Yun Seung-hyo's words, glared at him with cold, shining eyes. The poison in his heart seemed to have seeped into his gaze, as his eyes glinted with a blueish venom.

"So, Hero Yun, are you making the same claim as that officer? That the So Manor was linked to human traffickers, and the massacre last night was their doing, to cover their own tracks?"

"You understand perfectly. That is correct."

"Then what about Lord So's disappearance? Are you going to claim he joined hands with them and fled?"

"That is something I do not know. We don't even know if the Lord So who established the So Manor was the real Lord So, or someone else using his name. Lord So is certainly from Guizhou, but Kaiyang is not his hometown. This means there is no one here who can confirm if he is the real person.

Shall I speak my mind frankly? I find it highly suspicious that a retired scholar would settle in a place other than his hometown. If he was returning to Guizhou, why did he stay in Kaiyang instead of returning to his hometown of Liupanshui?"

Tang Jeok-hyeong's cynical attitude could not shake Yun Seung-hyo's composure. Yun Seung-hyo's demeanor was light but firm, and Tang Jeok-hyeong found it difficult to find any fault in his words or actions.

Yun Seung-hyo was not someone who could be suppressed by force or authority. By strength, it was even more impossible. To counter Yun Seung-hyo's logic, one needed a corresponding logic, but Tang Jeok-hyeong only had flimsy suspicions and no decisive evidence.

"You say some unexpected things. I heard that the magistrate of Kaiyang, Lord Qi, is a close friend of Lord So. Surely Lord Qi would not fail to recognize his own friend?"

"I heard that as well. However, I also understand that the friendship between Lord Qi and Lord So developed after Lord So established his manor in Kaiyang."

"If such a thing were truly happening at the So Manor, why was it that everyone else, except for you, was unaware?"

"Perhaps not everyone was unaware. They may have known from the start but simply lacked evidence. If your doubts persist, I suggest you go to the Kaiyang branch of the Beggars' Sect to confirm. I know that the Beggars' Sect is on high alert due to the kidnapping of children occurring in the southern parts of the Central Plains. You should be able to obtain considerable information if you ask them."

The Beggars' Sect was mentioned once again from Yun Seung-hyo's lips. He wouldn't speak with such confidence about something that could be easily proven false with a simple confirmation. That man must have his story straight.

Frustrated, he couldn't find a loophole. Swallowing hard, Tang Jeok-hyeong conceded defeat. He should have dragged that officer away before Yun Seung-hyo arrived. He had wasted time and given his enemy an opportunity. He had come to inflict humiliation but had been humiliated instead. Had he come all this way just to end up in such a state?

Believing he had been humiliated by the same person twice in a row, Tang Jeok-hyeong couldn't overcome his frustration. A deep-seated grudge against Yun Seung-hyo coiled tightly in his heart. He would never suffer such a fate again. He would not repeat the same mistake a third time.

Tang Jeok-hyeong did not acknowledge that he was the one being unreasonable. As he had been taught since childhood, he believed only he was just, and only he was right.

"...If Hero Yun says so, then I understand. We will investigate further to see if there is another truth to the So Manor affair. However, the fact remains that you are the most important witness, so I would appreciate it if you would refrain from leaving Kaiyang for the time being."

"The culprits have already left Kaiyang. We intend to pursue them."

"That will not do. If you act in such a way, an indelible stain may be left on your name, Hero Yun. Our misunderstanding may have been cleared, but the misunderstanding of the authorities still remains. If that is not resolved, it will have a negative impact on your family as well."

Though he had given up for now, it seemed Tang Jeok-hyeong was unwilling to let them go easily, picking at trivialities. He was saying that while they were fine with it, he should remain in Kaiyang for a while, for fear of the authorities' misunderstanding.

Knowing full well he was saying this out of sheer spite, Yun Seung-hyo simply smiled. Tang Jeok-hyeong, unaware of how frightening his smile could be, couldn't read its meaning correctly and furrowed his brow.

"How could this Yun not know the sincere feelings of the brothers of the Tang Clan? I will take all of your advice to heart. Ah, speaking of which, this is perfect timing. I have something I've been keeping to give to a member of the Tang Clan if I met one. I was so distracted by idle talk that I almost forgot. Please take this."

Yun Seung-hyo took a small box from his robes and imbued it with his qi. It wasn't quite at the level of retrieving an object from a distance, but the box, maintaining a steady speed due to the qi, flew smoothly towards Tang Jeok-hyeong.

Catching the box with ease, Tang Jeok-hyeong glanced down at it without much thought and was startled. This was because he saw the Tang Clan's seal stamped on the surface of the red pine box, and on the side of the box, a seal with the signature of the Yinsheng Escort Agency was affixed.

This was clearly part of the shipment they had lost. Tang Jeok-hyeong hastily opened the lid and looked inside. As he had suspected from the broken seal, there was nothing left inside.

"This... where did you find this?"

He had stumbled upon a clue he hadn't been able to find for days in an unexpected place. As if he had completely forgotten what he had been trying to do to Yun Seung-hyo, Tang Jeok-hyeong threw a question at him, unable to hide his urgency. Yun Seung-hyo, still smiling cheerfully, answered his question. His smiling face was without a single blemish, benevolent and gentle.

"I found it last night, while pursuing the ones who caused the massacre at the So Manor. They were in such a hurry to escape that they couldn't completely erase their tracks. I thought Young Master Dang might find it interesting, so I brought it."

Seeing the unexpected evidence, Tang Jeok-hyeong was at a loss for words. It was hard enough to believe that the so-called culprits of the massacre Munpyeong mentioned even existed, but the idea that they might be the same people who had robbed the Tang Clan's shipment was an even more unbelievable reality. How audacious must they be to dare to commit such an act?

Tang Jeok-hyeong, born after the Longzhong pact was established and accustomed to a peaceful Jianghu, had never expected his enemies to be more than simple bandits. He had only assumed that the ones who had stolen the opium were members of the Black Snake Society, mad for money, and had never imagined they could be part of a larger conspiracy.

"I'm sorry to ask, but were you able to confirm what happened to the contents of this box? We need to know what happened to the contents."

Tang Jeok-hyeong asked Yun Seung-hyo, unable to hide his anxiety. He was unhesitant, even though he knew what he was asking was officially a matter of internal secrecy. This was because he, too, was aware that Yun Seung-hyo had already guessed the whole story.

"It was already empty when I found it. I'm sorry to say, but the opium stolen from the Tang Clan has most likely all been used. The boat I was chasing last night had dozens of children on board, yet not a single cry was heard. It must be because they were all intoxicated."

Tang Jeok-hyeong's face turned deathly pale. He understood the implication of Yun Seung-hyo's words. Yun Seung-hyo was saying that the Tang Clan's opium had been used to kidnap children. The ones who had stolen the opium from the Tang Clan had used it to put the children to sleep, and as a result, the children had fallen into their clutches without even regaining consciousness.

If things had really turned out that way, this was no ordinary matter. It wasn't the Tang Clan's doing, but they couldn't avoid responsibility. It was entirely the Tang Clan's fault for failing to manage such a dangerous substance after purchasing it in large quantities.

Rising hastily from his seat, Tang Jeok-hyeong's eyes gleamed as he asked Yun Seung-hyo. His expression, which clearly showed his anxiety, was one of utmost urgency.

"Where were they headed?"

"I confirmed they were flowing down the Nan River before I lost them. It wasn't easy to keep up with a boat all by myself."

Before his words were even finished, the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan turned. They all leaped into motion and exited the clinic. It was as if the So Manor massacre was the last thing on their minds. Well, with their own house on fire, it was unlikely they'd be concerned with someone else's problems. Yun Seung-hyo clucked his tongue and watched their retreating backs.

Munpyeong observed Yun Seung-hyo with a steady gaze. The person he had been so worried about had returned, yet he didn't feel a ready sense of relief. For some reason, he felt a sense of disharmony. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was a subtly uncomfortable feeling.

It was a rough, irritating feeling, like a hangnail under his fingernail. Strange. I don't know what it is, but it's strange. Munpyeong tilted his head inwardly, unable to understand the source of the unease that touched his heart.

"Did you really lose them?"

Munpyeong asked, trying to hide the turmoil in his heart. Yun Seung-hyo, who had appeared at the most opportune moment and saved his life yet again, turned to look at him.

Beneath the colored spectacles, his blue eyes shone playfully. Yes. Those blue eyes... I know that even if he were to use a disguise, those eyes would not be easy to imitate. Munpyeong steadied his wavering heart. Seok Munpyeong. What are you thinking right now?

"Of course not. If I had lost them, I wouldn't have come back like this. I'm on my way back after confirming where they've hidden."

Yun Seung-hyo replied cheerfully, with the same attitude as always. His clear blue eyes sparkled. He seemed to be in a very good mood. It made sense. Now that he had finally uncovered the identity of the enemies he had been chasing, why wouldn't he be in a good mood? But even amidst that, a strange sense of unease gripped Munpyeong's heart and wouldn't let go.

`What is it? What on earth could it be?`

Munpyeong, not even knowing why he was so unsettled, managed a faint smile. The person he had been worried about had returned, yet for some reason, he wasn't happy. He felt an inexplicable distance from him. It was a feeling of meeting someone he knew well for the first time. It was as awkward as having sand in his shoe.

"How is your injury? Did they say it's nothing serious?"

True to his considerate nature, Yun Seung-hyo checked on Munpyeong's well-being first. Munpyeong stroked the bandaged thigh and gave an awkward smile. It wasn't a wound big enough to warrant such concern. Weren't injuries like this something one could get even during a real sword duel?

"I'm fine. You don't need to worry. It's not that serious of an injury."

"You shouldn't underestimate a small wound. Get it treated properly while you can. We plan to set off again this evening. So it would be best to get it treated before then."

Yun Seung-hyo said seriously and lightly patted Munpyeong's shoulder. Delicate and elegant fingers came to rest familiarly on his shoulder. Munpyeong flinched at the touch. He paused with a blank expression for a moment, then looked at his shoulder in puzzlement.

Just last night, his heart had pounded so fiercely, but now it was quiet. The same hand had touched his body for about the same length of time, but unlike before, it now felt as if an inanimate object had touched him, eliciting no feeling at all.

Munpyeong couldn't understand his own reaction. Until yesterday, he couldn't stand how he overreacted to Yun Seung-hyo's touch, but even then, he hadn't wished for everything to suddenly disappear like this.

This way was somehow strange. A confusion of the senses he couldn't comprehend himself. An unidentifiable discomfort asserted its existence from a place beyond Munpyeong's reach.

Something in his head must be wrong. Or maybe one of his senses. Munpyeong, suspecting he might have been poisoned by the blood of a Geonyeja without realizing it, stepped back. The oblivious Yun Seung-hyo looked at him with a puzzled expression. Munpyeong forced a smile onto his stiff face and said to Yun Seung-hyo.

"I brought the child you told me to save last night. He's been treated and is in the medical room now. Would you like to see him?"

He was trying his best to act nonchalant, but unfortunately, Munpyeong was not a good actor. His unusual demeanor was clearly read by Yun Seung-hyo. However, Yun Seung-hyo pretended not to notice his turmoil and smiled brightly.

"Then it would be best for the child to get ready as well. We plan to leave Kaiyang by this evening. It will be a long journey, so please prepare."

"You mean you're going to take the child? To the enemy's den?"

Surprised by the unexpected words, Munpyeong questioned Yun Seung-hyo's intentions. He couldn't understand why the man who said he couldn't even handle Munpyeong alone would now say he would take a sick child with them.

"No. We are going to Hubei. To Wuhan in Hubei province, where the Righteous Path Alliance is."

The... Righteous Path Alliance? Startled by Yun Seung-hyo's sudden declaration, Munpyeong's eyes widened. He had been steeling himself, thinking they had finally found the base of the hidden power, but now, out of nowhere, the Righteous Path Alliance? But Yun Seung-hyo, paying no mind to Munpyeong's reaction, nodded his head.

Yun Seung-hyo really intended to go to the Righteous Path Alliance. No, he intended to 'send' them to the Righteous Path Alliance.

"Yes. We're going to the Righteous Path Alliance."

He replied firmly, his voice laced with solid resolve.

***

He could see the figure clearly even from a distance. The person was sitting under the largest tree by the main road, legs stretched out, pretending to be a traveler resting his feet, but Cheonma, who had known him since birth, accurately recognized the traveler disguised as a merchant as his sworn grandson.

`I told him to stay out of my sight for a while. Why has he appeared again?`

Cheonma frowned in puzzlement and stopped his movement technique in front of his sworn grandson. As a cloud of dust he had intentionally kicked up billowed out from his feet, Yun Seung-hyo got up from his seat with an exaggerated cough. In the guise of a peddler with a nose reddened from drink, he looked quite the part.

"What is it?"

Cheonma curtly asked Yun Seung-hyo's business. With a beet-red nose, Yun Seung-hyo smiled faintly. The starkly white teeth revealed against the old, shabby face were strangely incongruous. If you're going to use a disguise, you should do it perfectly. What was this? Cheonma, who had taught Yun Seung-hyo the basics of disguise, clucked his tongue in disapproval.

"I was waiting here to give you something, Grand-uncle. I had people stationed on the other road just in case, but thankfully you came this way."

Yun Seung-hyo said, a fresh smile on his ugly face.

He had something important to tell him. Could it be about the Jade Qilin?

Recalling what he himself had requested the last time he met Yun Seung-hyo, Cheonma urged him on with his gaze. If you have something to say, say it quickly. Yun Seung-hyo, without erasing his smiling expression, casually opened his mouth.

"A little while ago, I met your companion in the guise of Yun Seung-hyo. I thought you might be in for a nasty surprise if you went without knowing, so I waited to tell you in advance."

"...What? Why on earth?"

Yun Seung-hyo met Munpyeong as Yun Seung-hyo. The moment Cheonma heard those words, his stomach churned.

"What do you mean? What possessed you to dare do such a thing?"

Cheonma glared at Yun Seung-hyo with a look that threatened to strike him dead if he didn't give a proper answer. It was Yun Seung-hyo's turn to be surprised by his eyes, which were practically radiating killing intent.

Yun Seung-hyo was inwardly flustered by Cheonma's reaction, which was even more violent than he had expected. He knew he would be angry about what he had done, but he hadn't expected him to be this furious.

He wasn't a gentle person, but he also wasn't so impatient as to fly into a rage over such a small matter. Why was he like an active volcano today?

"O-Of course, it wasn't without reason. The Five Venoms of the Tang Clan came looking for your companion and were causing trouble. It was obvious they were trying to frame you and your companion for the So Manor massacre, so I couldn't just stand by and watch... I truly had no choice but to step in. Please understand, Grand-uncle."

I might really get beaten to death. Yun Seung-hyo hastily added an excuse. But Cheonma's rage did not easily subside.

"Is that really the only reason, Seung-hyo?"

"Yes. It seemed you cared for your companion, Grand-uncle, so I couldn't just leave him."

"I told you not to come near, yet you were watching everything. Were you spying on me, Seung-hyo? Why? Did you think I would commit some treachery in your guise?"

Cheonma's cold, sarcastic tone was incredibly sharp. Yun Seung-hyo, who was a distant junior by several generations—not even a nephew but a grand-nephew—and thus one of the few people Cheonma showed some leniency to, found this attitude very unfamiliar. It felt as if Cheonma, who always seemed to keep the leash loose, had suddenly tightened it.

The presence of a man who had lived his entire life as an absolute ruler was suffocatingly oppressive. Yun Seung-hyo tensed up, feeling a sense of crisis that he might find himself in a truly difficult situation. At times like this, Cheonma was not his grand-uncle but truly the greatest under heaven.

"You took a special interest in a matter, Grand-uncle, so naturally I became interested as well. It's a matter that Cheonma, the greatest under heaven, is personally investigating, even borrowing someone else's identity. What matter in the world could be more important than that? The Haomun is an information organization. It is a place where we must know more than we don't know."

"So, you spied on me?"

"Yes. But why are you acting as if this is the first you've heard of it? Weren't you already somewhat aware of it, Grand-uncle? No matter how secretive my people are, they couldn't have escaped your notice. I understood it as your tacit approval. If you truly disapproved, you would have made your feelings known."

Cheonma preferred the bold to the polite, the honest to the well-mannered. Knowing this, Yun Seung-hyo openly pleaded his case.

As he said, there had indeed been a kind of unspoken agreement between Cheonma and Yun Seung-hyo. Yun Seung-hyo had loitered around Cheonma to gather information, and Cheonma, not knowing when he might need what kind of help, had let the Haomun loiter around. He couldn't very well pick a fight over it now. It was too petty, like bringing up a past favor that had since soured.

Reason, which had been suppressed by his fiery anger, belatedly raised its head. Mulling over Yun Seung-hyo's words, Cheonma had to admit that he hadn't done anything particularly wrong.

The fact that Munpyeong had met the real Yun Seung-hyo was still unpleasant, but he couldn't take that frustration out on Yun Seung-hyo. It was true that Yun Seung-hyo had acted a bit excessively, but if it had saved Munpyeong's life, it was something to be praised, not reprimanded.

Cheonma gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing his boiling anger. He had never had difficulty controlling his emotions before, but today, it was hard to move his heart.

He barely managed to rein in his inexplicably fierce anger and hardened his face. Yun Seung-hyo furtively glanced at his expression. Cheonma glared at him with a gruff attitude.

"...Did he show any sign of recognizing you?"

This was the first time Munpyeong had met the real Yun Seung-hyo. After being with his fake self all this time, he was worried that Munpyeong might have noticed the difference.

Yun Seung-hyo immediately understood what Cheonma was worried about. He had seen with his own eyes that Cheonma was paying unusual attention to his companion. For Cheonma, who was always self-centered and had not a shred of interest in others, to show such surprising interest in his companion, it was impossible for the quick-witted Yun Seung-hyo not to notice.

"Of course not. Who would recognize it? They may not know the face, but they have eyes. It's a disguise that even my little one didn't see through. There's no way someone who has only been with you for a fortnight could see through it."

Yun Seung-hyo replied with confidence. As he said, people would never suspect that Yun Seung-hyo's appearance could be a disguise. The bone structure of the face could be changed with bone-shrinking arts, but his unique colored irises were difficult for anyone else to imitate.

Even Yun Seung-hyo himself would have found it impossible to disguise himself as someone else if Cheonma hadn't modified the Thousand-Face Transformation Art for him. The people of the world did not know that there existed a peerless art of disguise that could even change the color of a person's eyes.

Throughout the Central Plains, the only person who could disguise himself as Yun Seung-hyo was Cheonma. And Cheonma, when in his identity as the master of the Haomun, was also the teacher of disguise who had taught the Thousand-Face Transformation Art to Yun Seung-hyo, who went by the moniker of Thousand-Faced Human Fox.

When Cheonma disguised himself as Yun Seung-hyo, it was so perfect that even Yun Seung-hyo himself would doubt his own identity. For anyone to see through the difference between the two was impossible unless they were a high monk with an enlightened mind's eye.

"Your 'little one' is only twelve years old now, isn't he? You can't compare the discernment of such a young child with that of a grown adult."

Even though he knew the situation well, Cheonma couldn't shake his doubt. Yun Seung-hyo, unsure whether he wanted the other to notice or not, smiled awkwardly and replied.

"He's thirteen now, since the new year. Though he doesn't look it... He really didn't seem to know. If he had, he would have surely reacted. He did seem to act a bit overly sensitive whenever I touched him, but I hear he does the same when he's with you, Grand-uncle."

"Touched him? You're saying you laid a hand on his body?"

Just as he was starting to calm down, the story of him touching Munpyeong's body reignited the fire in Cheonma's eyes. Startled, Yun Seung-hyo quickly tried to de-escalate the situation.

"It sounds strange to say I laid a hand on him, but really, I just patted his shoulder. Only the very tips of my fingers touched him. Lightly. Very lightly. I wasn't trying to touch him for any particular reason, I swear."

Seeing Cheonma get so sensitive about a little finger touching a shoulder, it seemed it would be better to keep quiet about the fact that Munpyeong's reaction had been a little strange. There was no need to come forward and confess something that wasn't even certain. Surely that ordinary man hadn't really noticed. He must have just felt a vague, instinctual sense of disharmony.

Yun Seung-hyo tried his best to believe that, swallowing the rising anxiety. He didn't dare speak of this fact to Cheonma, fearing he would get a truly life-threatening scolding.

"What else? Did you do anything else? I doubt you would be satisfied with just that. I already suspect you took advantage of revealing your face to cause as much trouble as you wanted. So spill it. What else did you do?"

Though he had gotten needlessly angry about the matter with Munpyeong, Cheonma was no fool. Just as Yun Seung-hyo knew Cheonma, Cheonma knew what kind of person Yun Seung-hyo was. He looked down at Yun Seung-hyo with a face full of sarcasm and urged him to confess his other crimes.

At Cheonma's accurate accusation, Yun Seung-hyo smiled again. Hahaha. The awkward smile on his stiff face was quite a sight.

"I sent the Five Venoms of the Tang Clan down to the mouth of the Nan River. I used the opium from the So Manor as bait, and since the bait was properly taken, all the Tang Clan lackeys in Guizhou will have flocked there."

If they're unlucky enough to find the right place, they'll pay the price for daring to persecute “Yun Seung-hyo.” Yun Seung-hyo grinned, looking pleased at the mere thought. Cheonma had no desire to reprimand him for that. If he'd had the time, it was something he would have wanted to do himself. Cheonma nodded and pressed him about his next misdeed.

"And?"

"I urged your companion to prepare for a journey. Along with the girl we rescued from the clutches of the So Manor. I also told them our destination is Wuhan in Hubei province and had them prepare three horses. Now that you've found their base, I thought it was time for you to go to the Righteous Path Alliance... I didn't make a mistake, did I? Did I overstep my bounds?"

Yun Seung-hyo asked Cheonma, looking sheepish.

Cheonma let out a low, disbelieving laugh, "Ha," and glared at Yun Seung-hyo. He had done everything he wanted, and now he was acting as if he was seeking his approval. It was utterly ridiculous. The skill with which he framed it as if he had done it all for him, when it was clear he had a purpose in mind.

Cheonma, who had wished for such a sly cunning in his own disciples, clicked his tongue, realizing that while it hadn't sprouted in the ones he'd hoped for, it was flourishing in his sworn grandson.

Cheonma, for whom nothing in the world was impossible, had never been able to get the education of his successors right. He had taken in four promising disciples, but the one who had grown up most to his liking was not a disciple he had painstakingly raised, but a side branch, his sworn grandson, whom he had only watered from time to time.

He couldn't very well drag him into the Demonic Cult, nor could he use him for his own purposes. Cheonma clicked his tongue. It was a shame he couldn't use such a talent as he wished.

"No. You handled it well. You've made it so I don't even have to lift a finger, so leaving will be easy. But I am curious about your reason for doing my work for me. You're not one to meddle in others' affairs without reason. What is it? Is there a separate reason you want to send me to Hubei?"

From last night's events, Cheonma had figured out what Gwak Hyo intended to do with the kidnapped children. At that point, his interest in the kidnapping case had already vanished.

Since Yun Seung-hyo had cleverly sent the Tang Clan there, saving the children who would be sacrificed was now the job of the so-called righteous sects. The final cleanup Cheonma had planned for this incident was to go to the Righteous Path Alliance and report the truth of what had happened in Guizhou.

But Yun Seung-hyo had handled things neatly, as if he had read Cheonma's mind in advance. It was a handling as smooth as the tongue in one's mouth, but the motive for such an act was highly suspicious.

"It's not that I want to send you to Hubei. A matter has arisen that requires you to go there, Grand-uncle."

Yun Seung-hyo began, then smiled faintly and looked into Cheonma's eyes. Though his face was smiling, his eyes were utterly serious. Knowing that whenever he had this look in his eyes, he would only spout troublesome nonsense, Cheonma rolled his eyes, wondering what foolishness he would come out with this time.

"Do you remember what I told you when we last met? About the strange rumors of the Qilin Plaque spreading in the Hebei region. Those rumors have spread like wildfire and have reached Hubei. In fact, Qilin Plaques have been appearing here and there, causing disturbances that have already resulted in dozens of martial artists being killed or injured. The public sentiment throughout the Jianghu is becoming unsettled. I have a feeling that something bigger than this is about to happen soon."

An extension of a story he had heard before continued from Yun Seung-hyo's mouth. Cheonma was annoyed that a topic he had rejected once before was coming up again. He scoffed coldly and replied with a sharp edge.

"It is their own fault for hastening their deaths with uncontrollable greed. Are you telling me to get involved in that foolish fight?"

"No, of course not. That's not what I'm saying. What I want to tell you is that the Jade Qilin's party is drawing attention amidst their conflict. With fake Qilin Plaques popping up everywhere, the whereabouts of the real one have become even more important. It has long been known that the Jade Qilin is tracking the Qilin Plaque, so it is only natural that those who have failed to find it would start to circle around the Jade Qilin."

Yun Seung-hyo's analysis was flawlessly smooth.

"Right now, it's only a few dozen, but it could soon grow to hundreds. In that situation, if the Jade Qilin were to get his hands on the Qilin Plaque, it is as clear as day that the lives of his entire party would be in danger. It's unlikely that a future so clear to my eyes would not be visible to the Jade Qilin's. That is why the Jade Qilin is now changing course and heading down to Wuhan. To formally request help from the Righteous Path Alliance. If you arrive in time, you will be able to naturally join the Jade Qilin's party. This is why I made preparations in advance for you."

Yun Seung-hyo, who knew Cheonma's temperament well, was just as good at currying favor with him. His conduct, in which he took care of all his own interests without getting reprimanded, was perfectly befitting of the master of the Haomun.

"Ah, and take this robe. They already saw me wearing it during the day, so you should keep the attire consistent."

As if he were completely oblivious to the fact that Cheonma was silently fuming, unable to find fault with him despite his displeasure, Yun Seung-hyo grinned and handed the bundle he was holding to Cheonma.

Cheonma, who had been wearing only his trousers with a torn top due to not having time to change, silently accepted the clothes Yun Seung-hyo offered. Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he pulled out a white cloth tucked into his waistband.

It seemed to have originally been an undergarment worn inside his top, as the needle marks were still visible. On the white cloth, a detailed map was drawn with charcoal.

"I almost forgot. Deliver this to the Beggars' Sect. It's the place where the kidnapped children are being used as ingredients for living Jiangshi."

"Jiangshi, you say?"

Yun Seung-hyo, who had followed Cheonma and Munpyeong but had never actually encountered a Geonyeja, winced at the mention of living Jiangshi. He had heard stories of martial artists being kidnapped and turned into Jiangshi, but he had never heard of children who weren't even ten years old being used as ingredients for such things. But since Cheonma had stated it, it must be true. Cheonma was not a man to speak of things that were not certain.

"It's a Jiangshi made by having children who have not yet lost their virginity absorb the essence of other children. From what I saw, it seemed they were being made much like one would make gu. It would take dozens of other lives to make one, so their numbers won't be large, but each one is at a level that is difficult to face unless one is a transcendent master. Even their blood is a deadly poison, killing anyone it touches, so be sure to warn them of that in advance."

Gu originally referred to a peculiar poisonous insect from the southern barbarian lands, but in the Central Plains, there was a different kind of gu that could be created by man. Though it couldn't control people with its spiritual power like the southern barbarian gu, the gu of the Central Plains was known to be even more toxic. It was made from five representative poisonous creatures: venomous snakes, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, and toads.

The method of making it was not very difficult. The five incompatible poisonous creatures were placed in a sturdy earthenware jar, which was then sealed and buried in the ground. The poisonous creatures, trapped in the narrow jar without food, would fight fiercely for their lives, and the strongest one would devour the rest and survive to become gu.

The gu created this way would absorb the venom of the other poisonous creatures and become incredibly potent, so much so that a single drop of its poison was said to be able to kill five oxen.

Hearing that people, not mere creatures, had suffered such a fate, a shiver ran down his spine. How many innocent children had been sacrificed to create a single one of those damned Jiangshi? A stunned Yun Seung-hyo bit his lip and looked up at Cheonma.

"How many of the children survived?"

"Only the last batch that was moved, perhaps. There won't be many."

"I will go at once. We must save them, at least."

"It's not something that will happen so quickly, so there's no need to rush. You said you sent the Tang Clan, so they should be safe for a while. If you're going to send a message to the Beggars' Sect, time it well. Make sure they arrive after the Tang Clan has already clashed with the living Jiangshi."

Unlike the anxious Yun Seung-hyo, Cheonma was cold. From the moment Yun Seung-hyo had mentioned sending the Tang Clan there, a plan had formed in his mind. He believed that the Tang Clan, which specialized in poison, should be the first to encounter the living Jiangshi. That way, they would not only inflict appropriate damage on the Tang Clan but also gain an opportunity to gather information about the Jiangshi's blood.

The selfish Tang Clan might withdraw regardless of the children's lives if their own losses became too great. To prepare for that possibility, he would send in the Beggars' Sect, whose sense of justice could at least be trusted, to follow up. After the initial clash with the Tang Clan, it would be easier to enter the valley where the hidden figures were. Moreover, with the map drawn by Cheonma himself, saving the children shouldn't be too difficult.

"Grand-uncle!"

For a matter of such gravity, Cheonma's attitude was excessively dry. If Cheonma himself had stepped in instead of leaving it to others, the children would all have been rescued by now. To have gone all that way only to confirm their location and return—it was just too much.

He didn't expect Cheonma, a man of the demonic path, to uphold the same righteousness as the heroes of the orthodox sects, but even so, any human should have some compassion. How could this man turn a blind eye even to innocent young lives? He was angry and disappointed. He even felt a sense of resentment. Yun Seung-hyo looked at Cheonma with disappointed eyes.

"No need to shout. Weren't you the one who, until recently, had no interest in the fate of the missing children? It's not as if you were unaware of what a terrible situation this would become, so what's with this sudden resentment? Don't you think it's a bit too late for that?"

Cheonma shot a cold sneer at Yun Seung-hyo's ridiculous reaction. This is why you're a hypocrite. Just because you couldn't see it with your own eyes, did you think nothing was happening? They only took children who wouldn't be missed, so did you truly not know this would happen?

"If I had saved them alone, it would have ended quietly, without any rumor. Then the Central Plains would have forgotten, without even knowing the sins they themselves had committed. No one knew that thousands of children had disappeared? They didn't really not know. They pretended not to know because it had nothing to do with their own interests. You are no different. Didn't you also place more importance on the whereabouts of the Qilin Plaque than on the hundreds of missing children?"

Cheonma smiled as sharply as an ice pick and made his declaration. Yun Seung-hyo could not dare to refute his words. He, too, knew that what Cheonma said was the unvarnished truth.

"With what right do you blame me for such a thing? If you are truly resentful, then spread the word. About the consequences of the matters they turned a blind eye to. About the fate of the lives that those who preach justice with their mouths pretended not to see. Make all of that known to the world and shame the hypocrites like yourself."

Yun Seung-hyo's paltry sense of justice shriveled before the ruthless truth that Cheonma presented. Though he had blamed Cheonma with his words, in reality, if it hadn't been for Cheonma, he wouldn't have been involved in such a matter either.

Yun Seung-hyo closed his eyes with a heavy heart. The words 'too late' were true. He had known but had not acted, so he had no right.

Looking down at his sworn grandson, who stood silent with a dark expression, Cheonma shook his head. At least this one had a conscience left. The other guys in the orthodox sects didn't even have that, unable to admit their own wrongdoing even when faced with the truth of it. Pathetic, foolish fools who were so intoxicated by the words they spewed that they couldn't see their own actions.

They had turned their own noble words into trash. That was why Cheonma hated the orthodox sects.

***

`Was I dreaming?`

Munpyeong tilted his head, looking at the back of the man riding ahead of him. The man, riding his horse at a leisurely pace as if on a scenic tour, was undoubtedly Yun Seung-hyo.

Yes. It was Yun Seung-hyo. The one who was so familiar and dear to him. The very man who made his heart pound whenever their eyes met. The man before him now was the Yun Seung-hyo he knew. All his senses told him so.

The sense of disharmony that had confused Munpyeong for a while had vanished without a trace when he had finished his business and returned to the clinic. It had simply disappeared. Without any reason or explanation. As suddenly as if it had never been there in the first place.

It wasn't a feeling that had arisen from a clear reason to begin with. So perhaps it was only natural for it to disappear without any warning. Nevertheless, Munpyeong's mind was not at ease. He felt he was missing something important. An instinctive, primal warning from his senses.

Back on the battlefield, it used to manifest mainly in life-threatening situations, but now that life was more comfortable, it seemed to have broken down and was going off randomly. Munpyeong felt the kind of frustration one feels when an itch is in the middle of one's back, just out of reach, and unconsciously scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh, oh!"

"Ah. Sorry. Are you all right?"

Absorbed in his strange thoughts, he had forgotten about the child sitting in front of him on the saddle. The child, riding a horse for the first time in his life, was terrified and had been clutching Munpyeong's sleeve. When he moved his arm, the child lost his grip and swayed precariously.

Realizing the child's presence belatedly, Munpyeong quickly reached out to steady the small body. The child's body was so small. Just spreading his hand wide was enough to cover the child's entire back. A frail body supported by bones so thin they felt like they would break if held too tightly. Supporting the child's shoulder, he felt as if he were holding a fledgling bird, its bones not yet fully grown, in his palm.

"I'm sorry. I was lost in thought... Why don't you hold on to the saddle horn? If that's more comfortable, you can do that."

Munpyeong, feeling awkward, was about to offer a clumsy excuse when he realized his words would not reach the child's ears at all. The child, instinctively afraid of the large man, was too scared of Munpyeong to even lift his head. Feeling the small shoulder he was touching tremble like a leaf, he removed his hand with a heavy heart.

Once he let go, the child's trembling subsided somewhat. The child, without even looking back at Munpyeong, gripped the saddle horn tightly with her small hands. The veins on the back of her pale hands stood out, so tightly was he holding on. It seemed she now disliked even holding onto his sleeve.

It would have been nice if there was at least a woman in our party. Munpyeong thought this was a shame. Having been subjected to rough treatment by men, the child had come to fear the very idea of men. To him, a party of just two men was, in itself, a source of terror.

In Munpyeong's opinion, the child needed the warm touch of a woman. A warm-hearted woman who could embrace the child generously, like the mother she was said to have lost, and blow on her painful wounds to make them better.

"Where are you going without me? Are you trying to run away from me now?"

...The one I was hoping for was definitely not a thoughtless little brat like this.

As if someone had read his thoughts, a woman's voice was heard at the most opportune moment. However, the speaker was only a woman by gender; she was young, brazen, and clearly a runaway.

Munpyeong looked down at the girl who had blocked their path, panting for breath. Ja Myorang. The girl with the sharp, cat-like eyes befitting her nickname, "Cat Lady," had her pointed nose held high as she glared at them.

"Miss, have you still not returned home?"

It seemed Yun Seung-hyo had had the same thought as Munpyeong. He voiced the words Munpyeong had only thought and looked down at the girl calmly. A pretty girl in a green top and red skirt facing a young man in white scholar's robes on a white horse—from the side, it looked as picturesque as a painting.

But if you looked at the inner workings, the girl was trying to pounce on the young man to make their relationship a fait accompli, while the young man was cautiously avoiding her. It was a train wreck of the highest order.

"I've already graduated, so it doesn't matter."

"If you are truly from the Joyful Pavilion, shouldn't you have passed not only the Spring Gate but also the Autumn Gate? As I understand it, according to your Pavilion's customs, graduation is only officially recognized after passing both the Spring and Autumn Gates."

He was speaking in circles, but the meaning was simple. I know you're a runaway, so go home quickly. But the girl didn't budge even after hearing his words. He didn't know what she was relying on, but her attitude was overly confident.

"I've already passed both the Spring and Autumn Gates. I'm officially graduated."

Ja Myorang claimed with a shrug of her shoulders. Yun Seung-hyo frowned slightly at her words.

"But, Miss, are you not just twelve years old? I heard it takes at least four years to complete both the Spring and Autumn Gates."

Spring Gate? Graduation? The conversation was completely incomprehensible to Munpyeong, who knew nothing about the internal affairs of the Joyful Pavilion.

"I'm thirteen. The new year has passed."

"And yet you've officially graduated?"

"Yes."

"You must be a genius, Miss. As far as I know, no one in your Pavilion has ever passed the Spring and Autumn Gates in such a short time. Even the current master, the Sky-Soaring Tiger Butterfly, took two and a half years to complete them."

Yun Seung-hyo muttered as if to himself. Munpyeong, who had been listening intently to their conversation, was so startled when Ja Myorang admitted with her own mouth that she was only thirteen that he almost fell off his horse.

`Thir-thirteen? At that height and with that face, she's only thirteen?! She wasn't thoughtless, she was just precocious. Only thirteen. At that age, she's not even a maiden, she's just a child.`

Munpyeong, who had guessed she was at least sixteen or seventeen from her tall stature and mature face, was flabbergasted.

But now that he heard it, he thought he remembered hearing something like that.

Ja Myorang had claimed that she and Yun Seung-hyo had promised to marry when she was ten. She had then said that only two years had passed since she received the bracelet, yet Yun Seung-hyo had changed his mind. Putting the two stories together, her age added up perfectly. Munpyeong had been blinded by her appearance and had made assumptions; the girl had been stating her age from the beginning.

"There is very little known about our Joyful Pavilion to the outside world, yet you know a great deal for an outsider. What's the matter, big brother? Have you decided to acknowledge me again?"

Ja Myorang shot back with a sharp attitude. When they first met, she had at least pretended to be polite, but not anymore. It seemed she had accumulated a lot of grievances in the meantime, as she now bared her sharp thorns at Yun Seung-hyo, just as she had with Munpyeong.

"What I know is the Joyful Pavilion, not you, Miss. Do not misunderstand."

"Are you going to play dumb until the end? Do you think you can ignore me like that?"

"This Yun has never once ignored you, Miss. Rather, it is you who have ignored me. If you had listened to just one word I've said so far, we wouldn't be having this argument. We don't have time to waste like this, Miss. Please step aside."

"I won't. If you're leaving Kaiyang, take me with you."

The stubbornness of a pampered child was formidable. Ja Myorang stubbornly insisted, blocking Yun Seung-hyo's path. Now she wasn't just secretly following him, she was demanding he take her with him.

Ja Myorang's will was firm, insisting she wouldn't move unless he took her with him. Yun Seung-hyo quietly looked down at her. A flash of cold blue light momentarily passed through his blue eyes.

"We are going to Wuhan in Hubei. Will you still come with us?"

To the common people, Wuhan in Hubei province was famous for the East Lake, but to the people of the Jianghu, it was more renowned as the location of the headquarters of the Righteous Path Alliance, the general headquarters of the Central Plains' orthodox sects. For the young mistress of the Joyful Pavilion, infamous as a heretical sect, to go there was nothing short of a suicide mission.

But Ja Myorang didn't even consider the circumstances and just nodded her head. She would follow. From her small face, a firm resolve could be seen, as if she would follow Yun Seung-hyo even to hell.

"I'll go with you."

As if a nod wasn't enough, Ja Myorang added her words to convey her intentions.

Yun Seung-hyo looked down at Ja Myorang with a cool gaze, then flicked his eyes to look over her shoulder. Wondering what was there, Munpyeong also cast his gaze in that direction, but he couldn't see anything unusual. At most, a porter was resting his legs in the distance, but there was nothing that warranted turning to look at.

"...If you insist. We happen to have one more horse. If you need it, you may use that one."

Yun Seung-hyo, who seemed unlikely to give his permission, suddenly changed his mind. It was a surprise to Munpyeong, who had assumed a long argument would be needed to get rid of the girl, but it seemed to be an even bigger surprise to the stubborn girl herself.

Ja Myorang's eyes went wide as she looked up at Yun Seung-hyo. Her narrowed eyes scanned his expression, as if doubting his true intentions.

But Yun Seung-hyo, with an unreadable expression, just smiled faintly, without explaining why he had made such a decision. Not only that, but he went a step further and even asked Munpyeong to give her the horse.

Ja Myorang, though bewildered, mounted the horse. The horse Ja Myorang was riding had originally been brought for the child; it was a young mare that had never even been bred. It had been chosen specifically for its gentle nature for the child who was not used to riding, but even that was too much for the child from the slums who had never seen a horse before, let alone ridden one.

So Munpyeong had no choice but to place the child in front of him. But as described before, it was an uncomfortable companionship for both of them. The child would startle noticeably whenever their bodies accidentally touched, and the child's reaction would in turn startle Munpyeong, creating a continuous cycle.

"As a substitute, of sorts, Miss Ja. I will entrust that child to you. He is a difficult child for Munpyeong to handle, so please take care of him. On that condition, I will permit you to accompany us."

After Ja Myorang had mounted the horse, Yun Seung-hyo spoke again. As if she had only just noticed the child's existence after hearing his words, Ja Myorang looked back at Munpyeong with a puzzled gaze. The child shrank her small shoulders before her gaze, terrified of her even though she was also a girl. It was only then that Ja Myorang, who finally spotted the child looking even smaller sitting in front of the large Munpyeong, smiled faintly.

"What a tiny little thing. I can certainly handle that much. Hey, kid! Come here. Sit here. I'll take care of you from now on."

In terms of age, there seemed to be only a few years difference, but she seemed to feel like a complete adult. Ja Myorang spoke with confidence and beckoned to the child with her finger. The child flinched in fear at the gesture.

But Ja Myorang, without a care for the child's feelings, ended up putting him in front of her. The child, trembling with fear but unable to say a word, was helplessly dragged along by Ja Myorang and became her companion.

Munpyeong's shoulders felt lighter now that he was free from the child who would startle at his slightest movement. He hadn't realized it, but he must have been quite tense. Munpyeong let out a sigh, relaxing the tension in his stiff back. Yun Seung-hyo turned to him with a smiling face.

"It should be a more comfortable ride now, shouldn't it, Munpyeong? Let's pick up the pace. At this rate, we won't even reach Yuqing by this evening."

Even though his burden had doubled, not just one, Yun Seung-hyo's face was strangely bright. It was an attitude as if he had passed off his burden to someone else, not taken on someone else's. Munpyeong, though puzzled, followed him and set his horse in motion.

Three horses ran side by side along the main road.

One was a pure white horse without a single stray hair, and the other was a black horse with broad, imposing shoulders. The small mare followed diligently a little behind. Though smaller in stature and with shorter legs than the other horses, its steps were light, perhaps because the weight it carried was lighter.

Of course, the riders were Yun Seung-hyo's party. Yun Seung-hyo, dressed in splendid silk formal wear that made him look like a young nobleman even from a distance, rode the white horse. Munpyeong, in simple blue robes, rode the black horse. The dolled-up Ja Myorang and Ja-ok rode the mare together.

From the picture alone, it looked like Munpyeong, a bodyguard, was escorting the children of a wealthy family led by Yun Seung-hyo. The people at the inn where they had stayed had thought so, and passersby saw it the same way. It was a misunderstanding, but it didn't really matter. Since people made their own assumptions without him needing to explain, there was no need to worry about a disguise.

"I'm hungry. Let's eat before we go."

A slender girl's voice came from behind. It couldn't have been Ja-ok, whose tongue seemed to be stuck to the roof of his mouth. It was Ja Myorang, who had no hesitation in making her desires known.

Munpyeong turned to look at the girl, who never failed to complain about being hungry at mealtimes, with a wry smile. She was at a growing age, but it was the first time he'd seen a girl so obsessed with food. He hadn't known, but it seemed that not just boys, but girls too, had such a good appetite during their growth spurts.

"There's no town for another ten li. Can you wait until then?"

"There's an inn right there. Let's just go in there."

The place Ja Myorang pointed to was a simple inn for travelers. A shabby shop located by the main road with a few tables set out, making a living off of passing customers. You couldn't expect much in terms of taste, but it seemed you could at least fill your stomach.

"What do you think, Seung-hyo? Shall we have a bite there and go?"

Munpyeong asked for Yun Seung-hyo's opinion. Having to travel with Ja Myorang, who thought the sky would fall if she missed a single meal, he had learned how to keep the child quiet.

Feed her when she needs to be fed, and let her sleep when she needs to sleep. Unlike her appearance, she was still a child, and if her basic needs weren't met, she became difficult to handle. It seemed Yun Seung-hyo had also realized the truth Munpyeong had learned, as he did not object to his suggestion.

The party stopped their horses in front of the simple inn. It was a place where the owner did business alone, without even a waiter, so naturally, no one came out to greet them. Ja Myorang, leading Ja-ok, dismounted and handed her reins to Munpyeong. Munpyeong, who had dismounted without thinking, turned to look at her in puzzlement.

"What's this?"

"What do you mean, what's this? It's the reins."

Ja Myorang seemed just as puzzled as Munpyeong. She tilted her head, not understanding why Munpyeong wasn't taking her reins, then simply let go of them.

Munpyeong, who had caught her reins in a daze, only realized he had become a horse groom after watching Ja Myorang's back as she turned away without even a word of thanks. She was casually passing off her own duties to him.

If she had done it intentionally to insult him, Munpyeong would have been angry. But Ja Myorang had done it without any awareness. She still didn't know what she had done wrong.

It seemed she regarded Munpyeong as her subordinate. As if he were a servant or a maid who was supposed to do whatever she asked.

"Give them to me. I'll tie up the horses."

Yun Seung-hyo, who had been watching Munpyeong's plight from the side, said calmly and extended his hand. He wasn't showing any particular sign of displeasure, but the fact that he was offering to tie up the horses himself suggested he didn't find Ja Myorang's attitude pleasing.

"No. It would be better to call Miss Ja over and have her do it. One must learn to do one's own work."

Yun Seung-hyo, who had extended his hand to Munpyeong, then changed his mind. Yun Seung-hyo, who was strict in matters of principle, was really about to call Ja Myorang over. Munpyeong, not wanting to cause an unnecessary scene, managed to stop him.

"It's fine. Since I already have them, I'll tie them up today. She's a young lady, so she probably doesn't know how to tie up a horse."

A man's pride is always important. Munpyeong, unable to show himself being looked down upon by someone so much younger, and on top of that, whining about it in front of the person he had a crush on, spoke with feigned magnanimity.

"If she doesn't know, she should learn. If you leave her be just because she doesn't know, she'll never learn."

It was a sound argument, but it didn't seem likely to work on Ja Myorang.

"It's fine to let it go just once. Please, just go inside. I'm hungry, so I would be grateful if you could order some food first."

No matter what, arguing with a child just didn't sit right with Munpyeong, so he decided to let it go just this once and tied the horses to a tree. Yun Seung-hyo watched him with a displeased look but didn't stop him any further.

When he returned to his seat, he saw bowls of Dan Dan noodles, one for each person, on the table. It seemed they didn't sell any other food, as there wasn't even a single dumpling in sight besides the Dan Dan noodles.

Dan Dan noodles were a specialty of Sichuan, a spicy noodle dish. It seemed to be popular in Guizhou as well, which was also known for its spicy cuisine, as you could occasionally find places that cooked it like this. Since it was a spicy dish, it didn't spoil easily even in hot weather, so it was probably suitable for selling on the street.

"Could you bring some more chili oil? It's a bit bland."

Munpyeong hadn't even sat down yet when Ja Myorang spoke to him. This time too, she tried to order him around with the tip of her nose, without even a word of courtesy.

Munpyeong's face stiffened slightly. Yun Seung-hyo turned to look at Ja Myorang with a cool gaze. But the clueless girl didn't know why the two men were staring at her and tilted her head.

"Chili oil, don't you know? The stuff you sprinkle on Dan Dan noodles. Everyone in Sichuan eats it like that."

`That's not what we don't know, young lady. It's your attitude that's the problem.`

Perhaps because Munpyeong had refused her once, this time Yun Seung-hyo didn't say anything either. He was just looking at Ja Myorang calmly, but for some reason, his attitude was quite intimidating. It was a feeling of 'I'll see how far you go.' Munpyeong, feeling that he might get scolded himself if he didn't handle it right, cleared his throat.

"If you need something, why don't you go get it yourself? I haven't even picked up my chopsticks yet."

"What's the big deal about doing it while you're up? It's not like I asked for something difficult."

A look that said, What's wrong with you that you can't even do that? was returned. This young lady didn't even seem to grasp the root of the problem.

Flabbergasted, Munpyeong opened his mouth to say one more thing. But Ja Myorang beat him to it. She looked down at the beet-red Ja-ok, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and made a fuss.

"Oh my, look at his face. It's like a red pepper. The Dan Dan noodles must have been too spicy. Sir, please bring some tea. He's going to ruin his stomach at this rate."

Munpyeong could also see that Ja-ok was struggling with the spiciness. The young child, unable to even say it was spicy, was on the verge of tears, his eyes welling up. Feeling sorry for him, he turned to get some tea without thinking. From behind him, Ja Myorang shouted again. She was a person who never missed an opportunity.

"Oh, and while you're at it, bring the chili oil too!"

Munpyeong, who was running to the owner, paused at her words. But since he was already on his way, bringing one more thing was no trouble at all, so he gave up. When Munpyeong brought the tea and chili oil, Ja Myorang accepted it as if it were her due. Munpyeong said nothing, just sighed and sat down at the table.

`Idiot.`

Cheonma, who had been watching the whole scene, muttered with just his lips at the hopelessly foolish Munpyeong.

Looking at that guy, the saying 'you make your own fate' came to mind. To be looked down upon by a strong-willed child like Ja Myorang from the very beginning—what was he planning to do? From the looks of it, he was likely to continue being her doormat.

He would stand his ground until he broke in front of the strong, yet he was so soft in front of those weaker than him. He had never seen someone who handled himself so poorly in his life. He had held his own against him, so he thought he would at least be able to fend for himself. Had he been wrong about him?

...It seemed he had been wrong. The incident at the simple inn marked Munpyeong's complete transformation into Ja Myorang's subordinate. Ja Myorang would naturally pass off any necessary tasks to Munpyeong, and Munpyeong, with a dumbfounded expression, would accept all the child's requests without being able to refuse.

In his own mind, he was probably just trying to avoid fighting with a child, but from Cheonma's perspective, he was just doing one foolish thing after another.

`Fight back. You have to refuse. You're not a paid servant, so why are you doing everything she asks?`

Cheonma watched with wide eyes, waiting for Munpyeong to refuse. What was so hard about it? Wasn't this the same Munpyeong who had said what he wanted to say even to him? Cheonma did not give up hope that Munpyeong would be able to shake off Ja Myorang's oppression.

But for some people, it seemed a thoughtless child could be more difficult than the greatest demon under heaven. For several days, Munpyeong failed to say what he needed to say to Ja Myorang.

Cheonma, unable to wait any longer, exploded with frustration, his anger reaching the top of his head.

`Oh, so that's how it's going to be?`

Cheonma, who had a tendency to do the opposite when angry, became stubborn. He also started to order Munpyeong around.

Thanks to that, Munpyeong became the party's official servant. He didn't know why not only Ja Myorang but also Yun Seung-hyo was acting this way, but he silently endured his lot. No, in fact, he couldn't say anything because he knew why Yun Seung-hyo was doing it.

Munpyeong, who interpreted everything Yun Seung-hyo did in a positive light, didn't think for a moment that he was taking out his anger on him, but rather that he was rebuking him for being unable to refuse. So Munpyeong actually felt sorry for Yun Seung-hyo.

***

"At this rate, we should be able to reach Shaoyang County by noon. If we eat lunch and arrange for a boat, we can depart by evening."

After leaving Kaiyang, they had traveled two hundred li a day and entered Hunan province in five days. The horses Yun Seung-hyo had chosen were all swift-footed, and the martial-artist riders did not feel tired even after riding all day. If there hadn't been a sick child in the party, they might have gone even faster.

Munpyeong, who knew why Yun Seung-hyo was in a hurry, silently followed his lead. Ja Myorang, who had initially complained that they were going too fast, stopped complaining after Munpyeong told her why they were going to Wuhan.

"No, Munpyeong. We will be staying in Shaoyang County tonight. We depart tomorrow morning."

Yun Seung-hyo said decisively after hearing Munpyeong's opinion. Munpyeong tilted his head at his words. They had previously agreed to take the official road to Shaoyang County and then find a boat to take them down the Zi River to Dongting Lake. But this was the first he was hearing of resting there for half a day.

Munpyeong turned to look at Ja Myorang as he rode. Was it you who pleaded? was the question. Ja Myorang shook her head vigorously in denial. The child, whose face was pale with fatigue, was out of the question. The child hadn't opened his mouth once since they started their journey. The child didn't even speak to Ja Myorang, who was of a similar age and the same gender, but just cowered like a sick bird, which made Munpyeong, who was secretly concerned, feel upset.

"Do you have some business there?"

Not him, not Ja Myorang, and certainly not the child. That meant the reason for resting in Shaoyang County was Yun Seung-hyo. When he asked again out of curiosity, Yun Seung-hyo smiled. Then he once again spoke in riddles, piquing his curiosity.

"Even a master would be tired after riding a thousand li without a horse. So we must let him rest for a day, mustn't we?"

Munpyeong also knew well that riding a thousand li without a horse would be excruciatingly tiring. But he had no idea who he was talking about. Munpyeong looked back with a questioning gaze.

There was no one who seemed to be specifically following them. There seemed to be a human figure in the far distance, but it was an official road, so it was only natural for there to be passing travelers.

Yun Seung-hyo didn't solve Munpyeong's curiosity and just urged his horse on. Munpyeong followed him, thinking that he was a truly inscrutable person. Perhaps it was his enigmatic nature that made him even more attractive. People often feel a sense of mystery before a being they cannot understand.

`For a first love, he's a pretty cool guy. The only problem is that he's a man.`

Munpyeong thought with a sigh and kicked his horse's belly. The startled black horse neighed loudly and quickened its pace. Only the sound of hooves echoed loudly on the quiet official road.

***

Shaoyang County, located in the central part of Hunan province, was at the confluence of the Zi and Shao rivers, and thus had developed its waterways early on. It was a place with good water, but also good mountains, boasting famous mountains like Mount Liang.

The streets of Shaoyang County were bustling. The market street, which had formed from the outskirts near the pier, encircled the entire northern part of the county, and merchants raised their voices, trying to sell their goods. Hunan province was famous as a breadbasket since ancient times, with abundant water for farming and fertile land. With a river with a plentiful water supply as well, the market was even more lively.

Well-dressed women carried baskets and shopped. Even the children running around the market were more often cleanly dressed than beggars. It was as friendly as it was noisy. Munpyeong slowly passed by the people on his horse. The road was narrow, so he couldn't pick up speed.

"Let's find an inn first and then move. After we leave the horses, you have a place to go with me, Munpyeong."

Yun Seung-hyo's voice cut through the clamor. Munpyeong turned his head to look at him. But before he could open his mouth, Ja Myorang cut in.

"Me too, me too. I want to go with you."

Ja Myorang even waved her hand as she spoke enthusiastically. She was desperate. It seemed she thought joining the party was her chance, as she was trying every trick in the book to change Yun Seung-hyo's mind.

To Munpyeong, who had feelings for the same person, her attitude was so proactive it was annoying, but he couldn't say anything to her. He was naturally weak to beautiful women and women in general, and Ja Myorang's age also held him back, making it difficult for him to open his mouth.

Ja Myorang was now thirteen. Just thirteen. Munpyeong, who had turned thirty-four since the new year, didn't feel like seriously competing with a girl who was not even a third of his age.

Since he had no intention of confessing his feelings to Yun Seung-hyo and was just hoping they would fade away, the appearance of a much younger rival didn't inspire a will to fight, but rather a sense of self-loathing, thinking, What am I doing at this age? He was already embarrassed to be infatuated with someone nearly ten years younger than him, and for his rival to be a girl more than twenty years younger than him, it was no wonder he had no energy.

Munpyeong smiled faintly and nodded at the girl who was eagerly signaling with her eyes, 'Tell him to take me with you.'

"I don't know where it is, but what about taking her with us? It's not like we can leave the children alone at the inn."

That's not to say that Ja Myorang was entirely welcome. Munpyeong, knowing full well that Ja Myorang hated it, deliberately called her a 'child.' He was trying not to show it, but as a human, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of spite.

At his words, Ja Myorang's face soured. She hated it when people reminded her of her age, as she was desperately hoping to set up a bridal chamber with Yun Seung-hyo as soon as possible.

For some reason, she had come to believe that the reason Yun Seung-hyo was rejecting her was because of her young age, and she considered her age an obstacle between them.

"Wouldn't it be a bother to take the children?"

Yun Seung-hyo echoed Munpyeong's words.

"Why do you keep calling us children? I've already finished the Spring and Autumn Gates."

Ja Myorang grumbled from the side, but Yun Seung-hyo didn't even acknowledge her. He looked at Munpyeong with a serious gaze, asking only for his opinion.

"She says she wants to go. It can't be helped."

And so Ja Myorang's accompaniment was decided. Because Ja Myorang was going, Ja-ok also ended up going with them. No one in the party wanted to leave Ja-ok alone at the inn.

After leaving their luggage at a suitable inn, the place Yun Seung-hyo brought Munpyeong to was none other than a fabric store.

`Hasn't something similar to this happened before?`

Munpyeong felt a strong sense of déjà vu as he entered the fabric store with Yun Seung-hyo. He had definitely come to a fabric store with Yun Seung-hyo before. That was when he had first met that audacious little girl, so it was a memory he couldn't possibly forget.

"What's the business here? A fabric store? Do we have to infiltrate somewhere again?"

The last time he had visited a fabric store, it was to buy silk clothes to infiltrate a gambling den in Kaiyang. Recalling that memory, Munpyeong asked suspiciously. Yun Seung-hyo confirmed his suspicion with a cheerful attitude.

"Yes, we do. It's one of the most ruthless places in the world. To survive there, you need a weapon to match."

After finishing his answer, Yun Seung-hyo asked the clerk to bring out the best silk. At the mention of silk, Ja Myorang's eyes lit up. She pulled Ja-ok by the hand and approached, her eyes shining.

"Are you going to have silk clothes made for us, big Seung-hyo? Are you going to have them made for us too?"

Ja Myorang asked in a sweet tone, her tail practically wagging with delight. Unlike the affectionate Ja Myorang, Ja-ok, who had followed her hesitantly, just kept her head bowed and said nothing. She seemed to have no interest in fine clothes, as she didn't even glance at the beautifully dyed, colorful fabrics shining around her. The child's small shoulders looked shabby. Munpyeong shook his head inwardly at the sight of the child.

"Miss Ja, you already have several beautiful outfits, so I don't see the need. But Ja-ok will need one. The clothes he is wearing now are too shabby and are attracting unnecessary attention."

Yun Seung-hyo's attitude in response to Ja Myorang's words was consistently kind and calm. But for that very reason, it also seemed even colder. Ja Myorang, her pride hurt after being rejected despite her affectionate display, pouted and stepped back. Yun Seung-hyo, pretending not to notice, turned and accepted the silk the clerks brought out.

"No, not this. Do you have any silk from Suzhou? Preferably with Su embroidery."

Suzhou was so famous for its silk that it was nicknamed the "Capital of Silk and Satin." Suzhou silk was treated as the most precious among all the silks produced in the Central Plains, with only the silk from Hangzhou being its equal.

Perhaps because of this, the art of embroidery had developed in Suzhou since ancient times. Suzhou embroidery, known as Su embroidery, was so exquisite and beautiful that it was considered the best among the four great embroideries of the Central Plains. Thanks to this, Suzhou silk with Su embroidery was so popular that it was traded for its weight in silver.

When Yun Seung-hyo sought such a prestigious silk, the clerk's face suddenly lit up. It was a silk that commanded a huge price even in its place of origin, so it would be even more expensive having crossed provincial borders.

The clerk, with a lively face, quickly ran to the warehouse. As if he had overheard, even the owner, who had been standing at a distance, approached to curry favor with Yun Seung-hyo. Munpyeong, flustered, tugged at his sleeve.

Yun Seung-hyo, who had been holding a piece of silk he had once rejected, saying it would be fine for a child, up to Ja-ok, turned his head to look at Munpyeong.

"What is it, Munpyeong?"

"No, it's just, I'm asking just in case, but Seung-hyo, are you looking for Suzhou silk to have clothes made for me?"

It would be embarrassing if he said no, but he had to ask. Munpyeong hesitated and threw the question timidly. Yun Seung-hyo, hearing his difficult question, tilted his head in puzzlement. It was an attitude of not knowing why he was suddenly asking such a thing.

"Isn't that obvious? I just told you a moment ago. I came to get you a weapon, Munpyeong. I have some decent clothes. It is you who has nothing of his own."

"Where on earth are we going that requires such excessive preparation? Are we entering the imperial palace?"

"The place we must go is more frightening than the imperial palace. It's a place where you're not even treated as human without fine clothes and a plausible appearance. I can't bear to see you looked down upon even there, Munpyeong. It wouldn't do for you to be treated like a servant there as well."

From the way he spoke, it didn't sound like he was talking about a good place. Far from a good place, he sounded like someone with a grudge. Feeling an inexplicable personal motive simmering beneath his carefully maintained gentle tone, Munpyeong blinked. He didn't know why Yun Seung-hyo was so worked up.

`I thought we were on our way to the Righteous Path Alliance, but was that not it? Are we stopping somewhere else in between?`

"Here it is. The Suzhou silk you were looking for. Among Suzhou silks, this is a top-quality product with Su embroidery done by a renowned artisan over several months. It's not a boast, but our shop is the only one in all of Shaoyang County that has Suzhou silk of this quality."

The clerk proudly presented seven bolts of silk. It seemed he had brought out all the Suzhou silk in his warehouse.

Red, blue, yellow, crimson, jade, white, and purple. A dazzlingly beautiful array of seven-colored silk was spread out before Yun Seung-hyo. Flowers bloomed and butterflies flew before his eyes. A lifelike praying mantis scurried over a pattern of camellias, their heads bowed demurely.

Gazing at the silks, which shone like completed works of art in themselves, Munpyeong was entranced. He couldn't even begin to calculate how much money it would cost to have clothes made from such silk.

"Ah, this is totally mine. This silk is for me!"

Ja Myorang, who had been sulking after being told in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't buy her anything, suddenly made a fuss and came forward. The beautiful silk she picked up with delight was an impressive pale yellow, like forsythia flowers. The embroidery on the silk was the cat pattern, the most famous of all Su embroidery patterns.

On the yellow silk, white cats were breathing with life. The cats, embroidered so delicately that every single strand of fur seemed real, were tumbling and playing with each other in their silk playground.

Ja Myorang, completely forgetting that she had been sulking, rubbed her cheek against the silk with a captivated expression. Her two cheeks flushed a lovely shade of red. She spoke to Yun Seung-hyo in a voice full of affection.

"Buy this one for me, big Seung-hyo. This is all I need."

Yun Seung-hyo looked at her silently. Without a word of agreement or refusal, he just watched her actions.

Ja Myorang, who had momentarily forgotten the situation in her excitement at finding a silk she loved, only remembered that he had said he wouldn't buy her any silk when she met his quiet gaze.

"No, I mean, this is..."

Ja Myorang's mind snapped back to reality. She was embarrassed and her pride was hurt. Why did I forget that? She bit her lip, regretting the mistake she had unconsciously made. She had forgotten her resolve not to speak to Yun Seung-hyo until tomorrow in an instant and had brought this humiliation upon herself.

It wasn't even a private moment; that annoying Seok Munpyeong was there too. Ja Myorang, who considered Munpyeong a rival because he had slept with Yun Seung-hyo, was upset about her ruined image in front of her rival. She also felt resentful towards Yun Seung-hyo, who continued to ignore her even though she was begging him like this. It was too much. How could someone be so cold-hearted?

"I, I just made a slip of the tongue. I was going to buy it myself, but I just forgot... How much is this? I'll buy it."

To salvage her shattered pride, Ja Myorang quickly changed her words and turned to the clerk. The clerk, who had been looking at her with a strange expression, told her the price of the silk.

"Three taels of gold."

Ten taels of silver could support a family for a month. Three taels of gold was sixty taels of silver. An enormous amount that could feed a family for half a year.

It was unlikely that a young girl would have that much money. She had some travel expenses, but it was just a few silver pieces. The girl, who had grown up wealthy but had never bought anything herself, was flustered and her face changed color.

Munpyeong, watching from the side, felt sorry for the girl's predicament. It was an excessive humiliation for a young girl at a sensitive age. He knew Yun Seung-hyo was being intentionally cold to make her give up, but still, wasn't this too much?

Unable to watch any longer, Munpyeong signaled to Yun Seung-hyo with his eyes to do something. But Yun Seung-hyo showed no reaction. He had lost interest in Ja Myorang the moment she had offered to pay for it herself. He was busy looking at the silks, contemplating which one would suit Munpyeong better, and paid no attention to anything else.

"What about this jade-colored silk? The subtle bamboo pattern is elegant, and the color suits you well, Munpyeong."

While the girl stood beside him, her face flushed with shame and frustration, on the verge of tears, Yun Seung-hyo was completely absorbed in choosing silk. He was torn between the jade-colored silk and a blue one. Not satisfied with holding each one up to Munpyeong's shoulder in turn, he even ended up draping both over his shoulders at the same time to compare them.

As he had said, the jade silk was embroidered with bamboo, and the blue silk with an elegantly stretching sea pine. It was hard to say which was better, as both were beautiful fabrics, and so Yun Seung-hyo's mind didn't seem to be easily made up.

"But the blue is not inferior to the jade. What should I do? It's not an easy decision. Should I just choose both? It would be better to have a change of clothes than to get by with just one."

As if he were doing it on purpose, Yun Seung-hyo kept saying things that grated on Ja Myorang's nerves. Munpyeong was flustered, wondering why he was acting this way. Ja Myorang's beet-red face turned pale. She looked at Yun Seung-hyo as if she had been slapped. A bluish moisture welled up in her black eyes. Oh dear. She's going to cry.

"That silk, is the young lady going to buy it?"

Someone spoke to Ja Myorang, who was precariously holding on, on the verge of tears that would fall with a gentle touch of her shoulder.

Ja Myorang, blinking her eyelashes furiously to keep from crying, turned to the person who had spoken to her. Behind her, a slender figure had approached at some point. It was a woman in her mid-twenties, tall and slender with beautiful, clear eyes.

The woman pointed to the yellow silk that Ja Myorang was still holding in her arms. Realizing what she wanted, Ja Myorang bit her lip in frustration. But there was no way for her to keep that silk. She took a ragged breath and put the silk down.

"No. Now that I look at it, I don't like it. The fabric is rough and the embroidery is shoddy."

She grumbled in dissatisfaction, but no one was unaware that she wasn't speaking her true feelings. The woman smiled faintly, picked up the silk Ja Myorang had been holding, and paid the clerk.

It was an item Ja Myorang couldn't buy no matter how much she wanted it, yet the woman so easily produced three taels of gold. Beside her, Yun Seung-hyo also paid. Seven taels of gold. It seemed he had bought both bolts of silk in the end.

She had lost out to Munpyeong, of all people. He wouldn't buy her even one bolt, yet he bought and gifted that man two.

Ja Myorang glared at Munpyeong, who had received the gift of silk, with sharp eyes. Even the gaze of a main wife looking at a newly brought-in concubine would have been softer than that. Ja Myorang's eyes were filled with jealousy, like a legitimate wife watching a courtesan concubine coax her husband into buying her trinkets. If Yun Seung-hyo hadn't been there, she would have likely clawed at him.

"Hey, little lady?"

What should I do with this one? This monster who sticks to big Seung-hyo's side and interferes with everything? Ja Myorang, who was glaring at Munpyeong as if to eat him alive, turned around annoyed when someone tapped her shoulder.

When she turned her head, she saw that the young lady who had snatched the silk she wanted was still there.

She had snatched someone else's property right in front of her, and now what more did she want to bother her with? Ja Myorang, who was filled with venom, replied to the young lady with an attitude dripping with malice.

"What do you want? Tall lady?"

"I called you because I have a favor to ask. I bought it because the yellow was pretty, but now that I think about it, I don't think this silk will suit me. The pattern is too cute, so I think it would suit someone smaller and more petite. Fortunately, there's a suitable person right in front of me. If you don't mind, would you like to have this silk? I don't need the money."

Is she trying to make fun of me? Ja Myorang's eyes shot up. Her gaze became so fierce it was more like a wildcat's than a domestic cat's, and she yelled at the young lady in a sharp, high voice.

"If you want to throw it away, throw it on the street. Why are you trying to throw it at me?"

Her sulky voice was off-puttingly cold. But the tall young lady didn't seem to be offended and just smiled faintly at Ja Myorang's attitude.

"Throw it away? It's precious silk. Even if I can't wear it, someone should."

"You must have a lot of money. If you really want to, then return it. That should do it."

"How can I do that with something I've already bought? Please just accept it."

"I've never seen such a strange person. Why should I accept someone else's charity? Do I look like a beggar to you?"

"No. Not a beggar, but a very small and pretty cat lady. That's why I'm giving it to you. It's pretty, isn't it? This cat pattern. It looks just like you, miss."

The tall young lady, with the patience of a Bodhisattva, said this, then placed the silk in Ja Myorang's arms and took a step back.

Ja Myorang, who was about to fly into a rage, flinched at the words 'cat lady.' It was just a phrase thrown out to be nice, but an indescribably subtle expression crossed the young girl's face when she heard it.

"...Why, why do you call me cat lady? By what right?"

Ja Myorang asked in a listless tone. Though her attitude was still unpleasant, it was clear to everyone that her confident demeanor had been broken. The tall young lady tilted her head and smiled gently.

"Oh dear. Did I hurt your feelings? I just called you that because that's how you looked to me. I didn't mean anything else by it. I'm sorry if I made you angry."

"Of course I'm angry. Why do you call people such things so casually?"

"I'm sorry. Then please accept the silk as a sign of my apology. That should be all right, shouldn't it?"

Ja Myorang couldn't say anything, her lips just moved. The tall young lady looked down at her with a benevolent gaze.

How long had they been like that? The tall young lady, after stroking Ja Myorang's head once with her slender hand, seemed to have no further business and naturally turned to leave the shop. As if she had come in from the beginning just to buy Ja Myorang the silk.

She seemed kind, but objectively, her meddling was a bit excessive.

Even after the tall young lady left, Ja Myorang was silent for a while. As if lost in thought, she quietly stroked the silk in her arms, occasionally glancing at Yun Seung-hyo.

He didn't know what memory she had recalled, but Ja Myorang's face looked uncharacteristically wistful. Her longing gaze was so poignant it made even the uninvolved Munpyeong's heart ache, but Yun Seung-hyo seemed completely unaffected by her gaze and didn't budge.

"...Dotard."

Yun Seung-hyo just moved his lips, cursing someone.

`Huh? A dotard?`

Munpyeong, who had been holding his breath, watching the strange war of nerves between Yun Seung-hyo and Ja Myorang, couldn't understand the meaning of his muttering. A dotard? Why a dotard all of a sudden? He looked around, wondering if someone nearby was boasting about their own child.

`So, in the end, who was that young lady?`

Munpyeong was walking down the street, deep in thought about the incident that had just occurred at the fabric store.

No matter how he thought about it, the identity of that tall young lady was suspicious. Wasn't it strange? To just hand over a piece of silk worth three taels of gold to a complete stranger and leave. To just throw away such an expensive silk without any conditions, as if buying a steamed bun for a hungry child. Even a person with a heart as generous as a Bodhisattva wouldn't give charity in that way.

`She was very suspicious to be just a passerby, as she claimed. The way she was overly kind to the little lady, and her attitude as if she knew a lot about her... Was she a person sent from the Joyful Pavilion? They sent out their young mistress alone and then attached a guard because they were worried, I suppose?`

Of all the things Munpyeong had come up with, that was the most plausible conclusion. A bodyguard sent from the Joyful Pavilion for Ja Myorang. She was also a woman, and a master of the Jianghu carrying a sword, so it seemed like a pretty good guess.

Munpyeong nodded seriously, convinced of his own thoughts. Yes. She must be a female master from the Joyful Pavilion. Otherwise, there's no way she would have taken care of the unrelated Ja Myorang like that.

`For that, she was a pure and beautiful woman. Her cheeks were fair, her fingers were fair. Her eyes were gentle... But I feel like I've seen her somewhere. Strangely familiar. If I had met such a beauty before, I wouldn't have been able to forget her. When did I meet such a young lady? I've hardly ever left the Heavenly Mountains in the last 10 years.`

To be more precise, it wasn't her face that was familiar, but her presence. As if she were someone he had met once before. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't remember meeting such a beauty before.

He entered the bustling street, absorbed in his thoughts. He was returning to the market they had passed through on horseback earlier. He held a piece of chalk in his fingertips. The chalk, already more than half worn down from repeated use, shone smoothly in his hand.

Today was the day to leave a black flower symbol, which came around every three days. Munpyeong, who had made a suitable excuse to Yun Seung-hyo, had come out to the street and was looking for a place to leave the black flower. It had to be a place that wasn't too conspicuous, but where the pursuing Demon Shadows could confirm it.

Munpyeong looked around the market street, which was slowly closing down, and gauged where would be appropriate. He spotted a suitable place. He had found an apothecary, a shop that was unlikely to have more than two in a single village.

Munpyeong took a step to leave a mark that looked like graffiti at first glance under the shop's sign. He was just about to stand under the sign, with only a couple more steps to go, when a telepathic message suddenly struck his ears.

*"Turn left at that spot."*

A grim voice devoid of any emotional inflection. Munpyeong flinched but didn't show it, slowly slowing his pace.

*"Left at the next alley. Walk to the end of that path, then turn right again. Don't try anything funny. I'm right behind you."*

A cold voice whispered a warning.

Who is it? Who the hell are you? Feeling a cold sweat run down his spine, Munpyeong gripped the chalk. In his fingertips, the chalk crumbled into a fine powder and scattered. Shaking his hand as if to dust it off, Munpyeong naturally placed his hand on his hip and started walking again. The voice came from behind him again.

"If you're thinking of drawing your blade, Demon Shadow No. 43, I warn you, you will regret it."

It was not so much a cold warning as a simple statement of fact. The tone, being so dry, was all the more chilling. Munpyeong realized his opponent had been targeting him for quite some time. He had clearly been waiting for an opportunity when Munpyeong was alone.

Demon Shadow No. 43.

That was the unit number he had received directly from Poyeong before coming down from the Heavenly Mountains. Of course, he didn't think that 'No. 43' meant there were forty-two other Demon Shadows before him. All information about the Demon Shadows was top secret. It was unlikely they would expose the most important information of all, their numbers, in such a ridiculous way.

Since he knew his unit number, the opponent was a Demon Shadow. Probably a member of the Demon Shadow Corps that was following him. He seemed to be relieved that it wasn't someone who was after his life, but the sudden summons was still unnerving.

He walked as commanded by the voice from behind him. He entered the alley between the apothecary and the paper store, then took the left path. Then he turned the corner and went right.

Following the directions, he found himself in a dead-end, secluded alley. A gloomy path made up only of walls, as the houses strangely backed up against each other. It was only when he reached there that he could finally meet his opponent. To be precise, he made contact with his opponent.

"Ugh."

Without warning, the back of his neck was grabbed and his head was slammed into the wall. The man, whose presence he hadn't even sensed, had appeared from nowhere, twisted his joints, and pressed his forehead against the wall.

Munpyeong, caught off guard and forced into a humiliating position, bit his lip without thinking. His forehead split open, and blood spurted out. A warm trickle of blood flowed down his eyebrow and onto his cheek.

"What is this? What is this sudden..."

Munpyeong, who had been suddenly attacked, raised his voice in anger. But his protest died before it could be finished. The hand gripping his neck tightened threateningly. The opponent, with a grip strong enough to break his neck with his bare hands, conveyed his intentions clearly just by applying pressure with his fingertips.

"Do you dare to protest to me? You, who have completely forgotten your mission and are just enjoying the scenery?"

A voice as devoid of warmth as a grim reaper's whispered low. The tone of a judge who had already made up his mind before the trial had even begun. The hard tips of his fingernails dug into his throat, leaving marks. Munpyeong, unable to breathe, gasped for air and glared fiercely.

"Forgotten my mission? How could I? I found out what the kidnapped children were being used for. I also found out where they were being held. I even sent a report from the Kaiyang branch. Did you not receive it?"

"Did you think that was your mission? To find the whereabouts of some insignificant orphan children?"

"That was the order I received. Shall I show you the secret message I received?"

"Don't talk nonsense. The Lord of the Secret Pavilion's message was not to track the kidnapping case, but to find the shadow of Cheonma that might be revealed while tracking the case. The highest priority is the Cult Leader's safety. Do you think you have the right to live after neglecting that?"

The Demon Shadow rebuked Munpyeong in a strong tone.

`Oh, of course. For you people, that's how it is. Only the Cult Leader, the Cult Leader, the Cult Leader.`

Fed up with the Demon Shadows' obsession with the Cult Leader, Munpyeong let out a sharp sneer. In return for that laugh, his neck was gripped even more tightly, but Munpyeong did not regret his action.

`What do you want me to do?`

Munpyeong wanted to ask the Demon Shadow, who was persecuting him using the Cult Leader's whereabouts as a pretext, in return.

`Did I run away in the middle of it? Did I deliberately avoid Cheonma when he was right in front of me?`

It was the Lord of the Secret Pavilion who had told him to track the children's kidnapping case and find Cheonma who was tracking it. He had only followed the Lord of the Secret Pavilion's orders. He had chased the dog as he was told, but it wasn't his fault that he hadn't found the cloud or the dragon. Why was he being blamed for the mistake of the person who had given the order in the first place?

If he still had the gu in his stomach, he might not have been able to be so bold. But thanks to Yun Seung-hyo, he was free from the gu, and he had been able to take a step back from the influence of the cult that had tormented him so relentlessly.

Munpyeong didn't think he had any reason to be interrogated by a Demon Shadow. It was true that he hadn't actively sought out Cheonma's presence, but that didn't mean he had neglected his mission. Whatever anyone said, he had done everything Poyeong had told him to do. The fact that he still hadn't found Cheonma was not his fault, but Poyeong's.

"So, you believe I should have made a judgment on my own, senior? That I should have disobeyed the Lord of the Secret Pavilion's orders and handled the matter on my own authority?"

"Are you denying that you neglected your mission? From what I see, you seem to have no regard for your mission because of your love affair."

"Love affair? What love affair have I had?"

"Hero Yun, was it? That young friend you're traveling with, your relationship doesn't seem ordinary. I know there's a certain relationship between you and the Cult Leader, but I was surprised to see you do the same even after coming to the Central Plains."

The Demon Shadow sneered in a cold tone, as if to crush Munpyeong's rebuttal. He was a man of the Demonic Cult, and a member of the Demon Shadows who had hovered at Cheonma's closest side. Given that history, it was not surprising that he knew about the relationship between Cheonma and Munpyeong.

Perhaps he had even witnessed the scene of Cheonma and Munpyeong having intercourse. Even if he had, it wouldn't have been surprising. Cheonma didn't care about the eyes of others even when he was having sex.

What angered Munpyeong was not that he had mentioned Cheonma. His patience snapped because Yun Seung-hyo's name had come out of that man's mouth.

To Munpyeong, Cheonma and Yun Seung-hyo were beings who existed on completely different planes. Cheonma was just someone who had toyed with his body for fun, but Yun Seung-hyo was the one and only benefactor who had saved and understood him.

Munpyeong couldn't stand the fact that those two were mentioned in the same breath. Yun Seung-hyo was not a being who deserved to be belittled in that way.

"I apologize if I have caused you any surprise, senior. You must have been so shocked, thinking you were seeing two men fooling around. But don't worry. I may have played along with the Cult Leader's hobby, but I haven't been tainted that far."

Munpyeong spoke with venom. The Demon Shadow who heard his words gritted his teeth. In return for insulting another's love, his own faith was insulted, and he warned Munpyeong in a deadly tone.

"Insolent. Shall I cut out that tongue of yours for speaking the name of a precious person so carelessly?"

"I didn't know. Were you the one who had the authority to decide my punishment, senior? If I had known, I would have been more careful. One must make a good impression on the one who holds their life in their hands."

Qi flowed from the hand gripping his neck. It stung where he was held, like static electricity. The state of his arm, twisted behind his back, was even worse. The arm was twisted horribly due to the opponent's strong grip, as if trying to pull the joint out of its socket.

Munpyeong, who had barely managed to hold back a scream, smiled sardonically. He had been a part of this place for 10 years, but now he was sick and tired of everything related to the Demonic Cult.

A thick killing intent rose from behind him, as if he really wanted to kill him. If the opponent put a little more qi into his hand, his neck would snap. But as Munpyeong had pointed out, the opponent who was intimidating him did not have the authority to decide his life or death.

The Demon Shadow, revealing his still-hot killing intent, released the hand that had been gripping Munpyeong's neck. Munpyeong, his forehead against the wall, coughed and massaged his own neck. The place where he had been held by the Demon Shadow throbbed. Below his Adam's apple, a faint trace of blood showed where his fingernails had torn the skin.

"Remember that you are being kept alive because you are still useful. If you speak carelessly one more time, I will punish your insolent tongue, even if I have to face the consequences myself."

Cheonma's blind dog barked. Munpyeong twisted his lips and swallowed a laugh.

`Go on, bark. Barking is a dog's instinct, how can I stop it?`

But in his smiling eyes, a deadly stubbornness gleamed.

`I will not forget this humiliation. What you did, your voice. I will remember it even in death.`

"I know that your party is heading to Wuhan. When you arrive at the Righteous Path Alliance, you will be able to see the Jade Qilin. No matter what happens, make sure to join his party. The Jade Qilin is now the only clue to track the Cult Leader's whereabouts."

After trampling him like a rag, the Demon Shadow gave him a new order. Munpyeong wiped the blood trickling down his forehead and turned around. A blurry black shadow stood behind him. Even this close, it shimmered like a heat haze, and he couldn't make out the opponent's exact features.

The Cult Leader's shadow, who had dedicated his all to Cheonma, did not show his full form even when revealed in broad daylight. Munpyeong could not understand this kind of devotion that the Demon Shadows offered to Cheonma. A life satisfied with being another's shadow. How vain and futile.

"I will obey your command."

Munpyeong deliberately and politely offered a cupped-fist salute to his opponent. The overly ornate courtesy only emphasized his insolence. A courtesy that was directly proportional to the respect his opponent had shown him.

Leaving a cool killing intent behind, the Demon Shadow disappeared. He had been right in front of him just a moment ago, but in the next instant, he was gone without a trace, as if he had melted into the air.

It felt like he had been in a dream. If it weren't for the physical traces left behind, he might have mistaken it for a waking dream.

Gripping his sore neck, Munpyeong glared into the empty air. He stared intently at the spot where his opponent had disappeared, as if he could see his vanished trajectory.

But his eyes still couldn't follow the Demon Shadow. Like Cheonma, who had vanished without a trace, the shadow of Cheonma had also left without leaving a single clue.

***

"Ahem. Munpyeong. It's me. Are you inside?"

Yun Seung-hyo's voice came from outside the door. The habitual clearing of his throat to announce his presence sounded friendly. Munpyeong, who was treating the wound left by the Demon Shadow with wound powder, looked up at his voice.

"Yes. I'm inside."

"May I come in?"

Munpyeong hesitated for a moment. If he had his way, he would have told him not to come in. He was tired, and in his current state of mind, he didn't want to face anyone. But Yun Seung-hyo was not someone you could avoid just by trying. Whether he faced him tonight or tomorrow, the result would be the same.

The wounds were on his face and neck, places that couldn't be hidden by clothes, so Munpyeong, unable to hide his injuries, sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Come in."

As soon as permission was granted, Yun Seung-hyo entered the room. He was dressed very lightly, as if he were about to go to bed.

"I'm sorry it's so late. I came to discuss tomorrow's schedule. But, what is that wound on your forehead? And what happened to your neck?"

Sure enough. Yun Seung-hyo did not just let Munpyeong's wounds go. The man, who had come over with his own business in mind, immediately changed his focus upon seeing Munpyeong's face and asked urgently.

Munpyeong gave an awkward smile to Yun Seung-hyo, who had come over in a single stride to examine his wounds. Yun Seung-hyo's shock made him feel sheepish. It wasn't like anything was broken or a major gash, but Yun Seung-hyo's reaction was intensely immediate.

"There was a brief misunderstanding while I was taking care of some business, and we had a scuffle. It's not a serious wound to worry about, so please don't mind it."

"It doesn't look like a wound from a brief scuffle. The marks are left in the exact shape of a hand... What happened, Munpyeong? What on earth happened to you to get in such a rough state?"

If he had been cut by a sword or hit by a hidden weapon, it would have been believable that it was due to a fight. But what was left on Munpyeong was a more sinister trace. The mark of being unilaterally crushed by overwhelming force. To be grabbed by the neck from behind meant he had been intimidated and overpowered by force.

"An unresolved connection from the past caught up with me. I had already prepared myself for something like this to happen once or twice, so please don't worry. It's a relief it ended at this."

Munpyeong had not yet confessed to Yun Seung-hyo that he was a member of the Demonic Cult. No matter how broad-minded a person was, he wasn't sure if he could understand even that fact, and the danger that still hovered around them was ever-present.

Yun Seung-hyo probably had his own suspicions, but he didn't ask any further about it. A hidden secret that they both knew about but pretended not to see. This time too, Munpyeong refused to reveal that secret. Yun Seung-hyo said nothing, just looked at him silently.

Unlike Munpyeong, who believed he had kept his secret to the end, Cheonma figured out the whole truth just from his vague words.

Since he said it was an 'unresolved connection,' the opponent who had intimidated him was from the Demonic Cult. It was unlikely a member of a secret branch in the Central Plains would treat a martial artist directly from the main headquarters like that, so the opponent must also be from the main headquarters. For an opponent to have the skill to grab the vital point of a first-rate master like Munpyeong's neck, he must be a highly skilled martial artist from the main headquarters.

Narrowing it down like that, the culprit was obvious. One of the Demon Shadows his disciples must have sent with him. There was no other being who could have done it.

`Which bastard son of a bitch did this to my boy's neck? If he's a Demon Shadow, he couldn't have been unaware of his status, so who would dare?`

Cheonma internally gritted his teeth. He himself only left marks when they were having sex and otherwise treated the boy delicately, without even laying a finger on him. For another man to have left a scratch on him, he couldn't help but be angry.

Even when you hit a dog, you look at its owner first. And Munpyeong was not a dog, but a concubine. Knowing full well that he was a concubine that Cheonma himself favored and kept by his side, for someone to lay a hand on him—what was that bastard thinking?

He had been out and about to pass on the title of Cult Leader, and the discipline of the cult had become unbelievably lax. His disciples were feeding people gu, and his subordinates were daring to grab him by the neck and shake him. What a spectacle. Cheonma was enraged, feeling as if he had been subjected to the same treatment himself.

He had a particularly strong attachment to what was his, to his people. He decided he would tighten the reins as soon as he returned to the Demonic Cult and suppressed his rising resentment.

He was a man who held grudges and never forgot something once it was on his mind. He would let it go for now, but there was no guarantee it would stay that way.

"This is not a time to be saying it's a relief."

Cheonma, who had developed a considerable resentment towards Munpyeong for constantly being pushed around like a pig's bladder, said coldly and took the wound powder from his hand. He had been treating it himself without a mirror, so the medicine was applied messily.

A clumsy oaf doing a good job. He frowned in disapproval and took some of the wound powder.

As his finger touched the scraped skin, Munpyeong winced as if it stung.

`Then who told you to get into such a state?`

Feeling spiteful, Cheonma deliberately pressed harder as he treated the wound. Munpyeong just smiled wryly and silently accepted his treatment.

"How can you say it's a relief when you're in such a state? There is no situation where this is natural. Why do you just accept it when you've been treated unfairly? Do you not have the courage to call out something that is wrong? Do you think it's enough to just be wronged and suffer alone?"

He wasn't just talking about this incident. With Ja Myorang, and with himself in the guise of Yun Seung-hyo. Cheonma, who knew Munpyeong had foolishly suffered losses more than once, wanted to take this opportunity to correct his foolish behavior.

It was annoying to see Munpyeong suffer unnecessary losses, but he was also getting tired of having to witness such a sight right in front of him.

Cheonma, who had rarely ever suppressed his own feelings in his life, had a short fuse. If he kept seeing things like this, he might get a stress-induced illness himself.

"Seung-hyo."

"I like you, Munpyeong, but I just can't bring myself to like that part of you."

Before Munpyeong's eyes, Yun Seung-hyo's blue eyes narrowed. His beautiful eyes, clearly showing his anger, had a darker hue than usual due to the intense emotion. As a result, his pupils looked not jade but indigo. A transparent indigo, like dye dissolved in clear water.

Munpyeong quietly looked into the eyes of Yun Seung-hyo, who was getting angry as if it were his own affair.

Like a mother nagging a child who had come home after being beaten up, his tone was chiding, but his heart was filled with concern. Munpyeong liked those kind eyes.

To be honest, Munpyeong liked everything about Yun Seung-hyo. He liked the elegant curve of his nose, like the eaves of a roof. He liked his clever lips, sometimes sharp, sometimes full of wit. He liked his meticulous white fingers, which applied the medicine carefully even as they pressed down to cause pain. Everything about him was beautiful. Munpyeong loved all of him.

The emotions he had been steadily accumulating rose to the brim. Every part of his body was filled with feelings for him. Not just his bones and flesh, but his heart too. On his skin, which held his body heat, and even in his meridians.

The emotion grew, filling every available space until his body could hold no more. Until it overflowed, unable to be contained by his own strength alone.

"...I like you, too."

Munpyeong muttered as if to himself. Yun Seung-hyo's fingers, which had been applying the medicine, paused.

Munpyeong, knowing that it was not words but emotion flowing from his lips, did not stop. Munpyeong whispered again. The feelings he had resolved never to convey to him flowed out with surprising ease, soaking the ground at his feet.

"I like you, Seung-hyo. I love you."

The 'like' he spoke of was different in nature from the 'like' Yun Seung-hyo had spoken of. It was an emotion more appropriately expressed as 'cherish' or 'adore.' Something purer and more poignant than lust was hidden in those words. Like all first loves, the emotion was fresh and wistful.

Cheonma was silent for a moment. He felt like he had been hit over the head. In a moment like this, without any warning. He had never expected him to confess so suddenly, and he couldn't figure out how to take this situation.

`Crazy bastard. Is he really confessing?`

The first emotion that came to Cheonma was displeasure. Displeased that Munpyeong had confessed to 'Yun Seung-hyo,' he hardened his face and pulled his hand back. His mind became sharp, as if doused with cold water.

He had thought Munpyeong would continue to hide his feelings, as he always had. He was fundamentally a coward, and a weak-willed person at crucial moments, so he had thought it unlikely he would confess his feelings to Yun Seung-hyo, who was not only a man but also his benefactor.

He had been able to ignore the deepening of Munpyeong's one-sided love because he was sure it would end there.

But Munpyeong had shattered his conviction. Knowing that no fruition would ever come of it, Munpyeong confessed to Yun Seung-hyo. Whether it was impulsive or not didn't matter. The problem was that he had actually done it. Thanks to that, Cheonma could no longer pretend not to know about Munpyeong's feelings, which were directed not at him but at 'Yun Seung-hyo.'

"...What do you mean by that?"

Cheonma opened his mouth in a tone that made it clear he wasn't asking because he didn't know. Though his voice was soft and calm, Cheonma knew how to deliver a slap with such a voice.

Munpyeong saw a curtain form in the once-kind eyes. A curtain that could be called 'rejection' cast a shadow between them, who had been so open with each other.

"It's not a statement of meaning, but a statement of the heart. It's a statement that finds satisfaction in just being conveyed, so please pay it no mind."

He had already started it. He could have stopped in the middle, but the fact that he hadn't was perhaps intentional.

"If you were in my shoes, Munpyeong, could you hear such words and not take them to heart? I want to know the reason why you said such a thing."

"Seung-hyo."

"Did you say you like me?"

"..."

"Does that mean you lust after me, Munpyeong?"

A sharp word, one he didn't want to believe had come from Yun Seung-hyo's mouth, clawed at Munpyeong's heart. Lust after him. So that's how it was. Munpyeong thought with a bitter smile.

`I suppose that's how it would be. For a man to cherish another man, it would be taken no other way by anyone.`

But Munpyeong didn't want to express his feelings with such a word. Though it couldn't be adorned only with the pretty colors of a young man and woman's love, it was still love.

A first love as clear as the sky after rain, as transparent as freshly fallen dew. A fine-grained first love that everyone can only have once in their life.

"I just love you. With a pure heart, without a single other color mixed in, I just love you like that."

He didn't think he would be understood. He wasn't asking him to. He just wanted to let him know that it had simply overflowed. That what had welled up beyond what he could contain in himself had just happened to spill over in front of him. He wanted nothing more.

There was an unidentifiable scent coming from Munpyeong, who spoke of his feelings calmly, without any agitation. A faint scent that was not noticeable at first but was hard to ignore once one became aware of it. Cheonma knew that the scent was emanating from Munpyeong's heart.

He had forgotten, dismissing it as a weed. But a wildflower was still a flower. No matter how insignificant a weed, when the time comes, it blooms. A flower that is shabby and humble but dedicates everything to the one who looks back at it.

The wildflower Munpyeong had bloomed was simple but beautiful. Cheonma learned for the first time that something like this could bloom even at his own feet.

Perhaps because he had watched the bud form and the petals bloom, he felt the flower was particularly lovely. He had thought it would be nothing special even when it bloomed due to its shabby appearance, but he was wrong. In full bloom, it was lovely and desirable. So much so that he was angry that such a beautiful thing was not his.

`Yun Seung-hyo has done nothing for you. I was the one who saved your life, and I was the one who got rid of the 'gu' from you. I was the one who bought you silk clothes, and I was the one who treated your wounds, and I was the one who watched over you when you were struggling. All the reasons you fell in love were created by me, so why did you fall in love with someone like Yun Seung-hyo?`

It was originally his, but it had been snatched away by some other guy. Cheonma was angry, feeling as if a treasure had been stolen from right under his nose. Wasn't it true? The one who had taken care of and cherished Munpyeong all this time was not Yun Seung-hyo, but Cheonma.

Munpyeong had only seen the real Yun Seung-hyo once, and even then, he hadn't recognized him. So the person he should really love was not Yun Seung-hyo, but Cheonma. Since he had fallen in love because of the things he had done, his love should naturally be directed towards him.

"Is it my appearance that you like, Munpyeong?"

Cheonma ventured, wondering if his liking for 'Yun Seung-hyo' was because of this pretty, girl-like face. Munpyeong smiled faintly and shook his head.

"I do like your appearance, Seung-hyo, but I don't like you because of your appearance."

"If not my appearance, then do you like my status? Because I am the son of a powerful family and my mother is a princess of a royal house?"

"If I were to fall for someone because of their status, I would have fallen for the Emperor from the start, not you. Why are you thinking such strange things?"

Munpyeong thought Yun Seung-hyo was asking a foolish question, unlike him. He was asking only strange things, like someone who had never been in love before.

"This is incomprehensible. Then what is it about me that you like? What have I done that a man can say he loves another man?"

"What I fell for was your kindness, Seung-hyo. The kindness that couldn't turn away even after seeing the danger of someone who had nothing to do with you. I also like your wit. I like your sometimes unmanageably eccentric nature, and your strength to say harsh things with a smile. If I had to say, I like your inner self more than your outer self. I love all the bones that make up the foundation of the person that is Yun Seung-hyo."

Hearing Munpyeong's words, Cheonma frowned. Listening to the details, it didn't sound like he was specifically talking about liking Yun Seung-hyo.

Munpyeong said he liked his inner self, not his outer shell, but that inner self was, to put it bluntly, Cheonma himself. Of course, the real Cheonma was the type to pretend not to see another's danger and didn't have the personality to spout honeyed words like Yun Seung-hyo, but that didn't change the fact that the core was different.

`Then his feelings wouldn't change even if I revealed who I am, right? He says he likes the inner self, not the outer self, so it wouldn't matter if the shell changed.`

A subtle spite began to stir in Cheonma's heart from that point on. He was displeased that Munpyeong dared to hold another person in his heart besides him, and he was annoyed that the feeling was a pure, unblemished love.

What man would be at ease seeing the person he had secretly marked as his own having an affair right in front of him? The problem didn't escalate because the person he was having an affair with happened to be himself, but if it had been a real affair with another man, he wouldn't have left Munpyeong or his partner alone.

Cheonma was displeased with this whole affair in many ways. Though the affair hadn't been realized due to a coincidence, the intention itself was the problem. Cheonma knew Munpyeong wasn't cheating, but Munpyeong himself didn't know that. He had given his heart to another man without even feeling a sense of guilt. It seemed he had no awareness of his own position.

`If he has no awareness, I'll create it for him. Raising a flower isn't just about giving it water. You have to prune the wrongly grown branches and cut the straying roots. Before it grows out of control in the wrong direction.`

Cheonma's spite led him in a strange direction. Believing that Munpyeong should be hurt as much as he had been, he cruelly racked his brain for a way to make him more heartbroken instead of rejecting him.

A child who doesn't know the fear of fire only learns after getting burned. To dissuade a reckless attempt at playing with fire, fire can be a greater medicine than water. Cheonma wanted to teach Munpyeong that kind of lesson.

"Do you mean that, sincerely?"

Cheonma looked into Munpyeong's face with Yun Seung-hyo's blue eyes. Frail and frightened. Or as if about to break, pitifully. He deliberately amplified the defensive rejection he had put up, while not forgetting to show a weak side.

Munpyeong looked at Yun Seung-hyo's lightly trembling lips with a bewildered gaze.

"Are you not just saying that to test me? You already knew the feelings I held for you, Munpyeong, so you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Cheonma put on a deliberately resentful expression. Munpyeong was still uncomprehending, sitting in a daze. He didn't know why Yun Seung-hyo was suddenly blaming him.

"Or are you trying to mock me? Are you trying to rebuke me for the wicked desire I hold for you, Munpyeong?"

Yun Seung-hyo's voice grew louder. A voice that was broken in places, as if suppressed emotions were bursting forth.

Munpyeong couldn't hold back any longer and asked.

"...What are you talking about?"

"If that's not your intention, how could you confess so suddenly? Without any catalyst, as if the thought just suddenly occurred to you. ...These are words I couldn't even bring myself to say because they were too heavy. Words I buried in my heart, hoping they would just be forgotten, because they were so painful and difficult. How can they be so light for you, Munpyeong?"

A light tone of accusation was even present in Yun Seung-hyo's voice. Munpyeong flinched at his words.

He had been prepared to be blamed by Yun Seung-hyo. But the blame he was throwing was not the kind Munpyeong had been prepared for. A reaction he had not expected came from him.

Heavy, suffocating. A feeling as if something suppressed had barely managed to squeeze out. Something like damp clay fell onto the top of his foot. Compared to the water-like emotion Munpyeong had let flow, it was much more viscous and sticky.

Yun Seung-hyo said that was his heart. That his true heart, which he had hidden for fear of being found out by Munpyeong, was just that, he admitted with difficulty.

"What do you mean by that?"

He had heard it with his own ears, but he couldn't be sure he had heard correctly. Munpyeong, barely managing not to stutter, asked for Yun Seung-hyo's true meaning. He didn't want to make a rash misunderstanding. He didn't want to be laughed at for foolishly assuming things in his own favor.

But Yun Seung-hyo didn't answer and just looked at him. In his pained eyes, emotions that he couldn't dare to speak with his mouth were clearly contained.

"I'm saying I love you. I, you. Unlike you, I also lust after you. I have hidden these feelings for a man. I pretended to be your best friend while protecting you, who knew nothing, from the side. If you want to blame me for that, you can. I know well that these feelings are not normal."

Yun Seung-hyo whispered, his pale lips trembling. Though he spoke as if he were in pain and distress, to Munpyeong, his words were nothing but sweet. He loved him, and he loved him back. They were both men, yet their hearts had connected.

Munpyeong had never dared to imagine such an ending even in his lonely nights. A dream he hadn't even dared to dream for fear of being sad when he woke up, yet for such a thing to happen not in a dream but in reality was utterly unbelievable.

"...I don't blame you. I have the same feelings, so how could I blame you for them, Seung-hyo?"

"They are not the same feelings. They are much filthier."

"Is the feeling of one person loving another filthy? Is it filthy because a man loves a man?"

"It's filthy because I thought of kissing you. Because I thought of taking off those clothes. I told you it wasn't just a matter of the heart. In my heart, there was also your body, Munpyeong."

He confessed with difficulty, like a sinner confessing his own wrongdoing.

"You wouldn't know what I spent my time imagining in my head, Munpyeong. I undressed you, I spread your legs. I remembered with pleasure the time I was forced to open your body because of the aphrodisiac and relived it. I imagined forcibly opening the body of a sick person and forcing my way in. I lusted over the memory of holding you, and even secretly wished for a situation where I could hold you for an unavoidable reason like that time."

The traces of desire Yun Seung-hyo revealed were stark. A fierce, primal lust, different from the blatant desire Cheonma had shown him.

A shiver went down Munpyeong's spine. Unlike him, who was leisurely growing flowers, Yun Seung-hyo was captivated by carnal desire.

Did he have this side to him? Munpyeong, who had thought of Yun Seung-hyo as a part of the heavens, was lightly shocked to learn this fact.

"...Seung-hyo."

"Can you understand me like this, Munpyeong? This is my true nature. I put on the pretense of being a saint, but my inner self is endlessly vile and vulgar. I am nothing but a hypocrite and a petty person. Can you love such a person, Munpyeong?"

It was true that Cheonma thought of Yun Seung-hyo as a hypocrite. He knew the kid tried to practice what he preached as much as possible, but his view was narrow and overly influenced by the orthodox sects' perspective, so he couldn't be said to be maintaining a middle ground.

Besides, he was good at being sneaky. A man over twenty was holding onto a thirteen-year-old and talking about fate and whatnot. To be honest, Cheonma doubted the mental state of a guy who believed a thirteen-year-old boy who dressed as a woman was his fated partner.

Whatever his inner thoughts, the declaration of being a hypocrite, filled with sincerity, worked on Munpyeong. Munpyeong, mistaking the kind of sincerity Cheonma was showing, thought he was being self-deprecating and felt pity.

A promising young man had been walking a bright path and had misstepped. As a result, he had descended into the shadows and witnessed the scene beyond the light for the first time. Yun Seung-hyo seemed to be shocked by the scene he had never seen before, but to Munpyeong, who had been through thick and thin, it was nothing.

That's how men are. It was a bit surprising that Yun Seung-hyo was like that too, but wasn't it the nature of men that when their hearts were moved, their other parts were moved as well?

"It is perfectly natural for a grown man to have such feelings for someone he loves. If I were a sixteen-year-old girl, I might not have understood, but I am ten years older than you, Seung-hyo. That is the nature of men. Do not blame yourself."

Munpyeong soothed Cheonma in a calm tone.

"Did you say you understand?"

Cheonma took Munpyeong's hand and kissed the back of it as he asked. Munpyeong, who hadn't expected him to suddenly make physical contact, flinched and curled his fingers. Pretending not to notice his reaction, Cheonma asked again.

"Will you understand even if I want this?"

Thinking he couldn't be sensitive about just a kiss on the back of the hand, Munpyeong nodded. Having obtained a positive answer, Cheonma made a more daring move. He intertwined his fingers with Munpyeong's and put his fingers in his mouth.

Perhaps because it had been a while since he had tasted this body, Munpyeong's hand had an overly sweet scent of flesh. Come to think of it, he hadn't had sex in a long time. Cheonma, feeling his body, not just his head, starting to heat up, asked slyly.

"Even if I want more than this, will you forgive me?"

Munpyeong was weak between his fingers. He was mainly weak at the connection points of his body, such as behind his ears, the nape of his neck, and the inside of his elbows, but the easiest place to conquer was the soft flesh between his fingers. Cheonma skillfully found that spot and licked it with his tongue.

Struck directly in a sensitive spot, Munpyeong swallowed a low moan and gasped. His face flushed red in an instant. Cheonma covered his lips, which were moving as if to say something, with his own.

"Will you forgive me? Whatever I do. Will you accept my love?"

He whispered forcefully, embracing Munpyeong with passionate movements like a young man consumed by love. His words were so clever that Munpyeong couldn't answer quickly.

Flustered by the man who was suddenly pouncing on him, Munpyeong couldn't bring himself to say no. He was afraid that if he rashly said no, Yun Seung-hyo would mistake it as a rejection of his confession.

`W-wait, let's calm down first...`

Munpyeong, who had no intention of jumping into bed just because their feelings were mutual, grabbed his shoulder with his other, un-intertwined hand. But that level of protest was not enough to handle a man who was pouncing on him like a starving beast.

Yun Seung-hyo held Munpyeong's body tightly and moved as if to push him towards the bed. Before Munpyeong could collect himself, he was laid on the bed, and before he could stop him, his clothes were stripped off in an instant. Being young, everything was done in a flash.

Looking down at Munpyeong, who was being undressed without being able to respond, Cheonma's eyes shone coldly. Though he was intentionally deceiving him, it was also annoying how easily he was deceived.

`You're going to die tonight.`

Gritting his teeth at Munpyeong, who was just looking troubled without resisting, even though he knew another man was laying him down, Cheonma resolved to release all his accumulated frustration and lust and pounced on him. If he so wished for another man's embrace, he would grant that wish. So thoroughly that he would never think of it again for the rest of his life.

The person who had given Munpyeong his first experience with a man was Cheonma, a seasoned veteran who had completely mastered the arts of the bedchamber. He possessed the astonishing skill to insert his horse-like member into Munpyeong's body without causing any strain, and the experience to make him feel pleasure even with that enormous thing inside him. Thanks to him, Munpyeong, who was not only having his first experience with a man but also had a sense of burden about it, was able to feel pleasure in that relationship.

Munpyeong had done little in that relationship. He had embraced his shoulders when told to, and spread his legs when told to. He had never done anything other than what he was told, nor had he ever felt the need to.

But his relationship with Yun Seung-hyo was different. The desire of the young man was clumsy and rough, unlike Cheonma's, and Munpyeong felt a sense of crisis. He couldn't shake the feeling of having a huge, unruly beast on top of him.

If he let this continue, he didn't know what terrible state he would be in. He had seen before that Yun Seung-hyo's member was no less impressive than Cheonma's. If he had to endure that without any preparation, he wouldn't even be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning.

"W-wait!"

Munpyeong shouted at the man who was greedily devouring his lips and embracing his back. As if he wanted to peel off his skin with his palms, Yun Seung-hyo was rubbing his body roughly. It was an attitude that seemed to want to crumple Munpyeong into his hand, and to be honest, it was very painful.

"B-but, do you know how to do it with a man, Seung-hyo? Do you know how to do it without causing strain to each other?"

His waist was held by Yun Seung-hyo's firm arm, and his chin was held by his other hand. A hot tongue swept across the nape of his neck. A heat that felt like it would burn him flowed down his neck.

Munpyeong, trying to regain his senses for even a moment, asked Yun Seung-hyo. Yun Seung-hyo, who seemed to be preoccupied with licking and sucking his neck, answered him.

"Hah. Hah. I know. We've done it once before, haven't we?"

A partner who was limp all over from an aphrodisiac and a partner who was in his right mind were clearly different, but Yun Seung-hyo seemed to have never considered that fact and was full of confidence. The sound of his urgent gasps felt ominous.

`He's going to kill someone at this rate.`

Munpyeong anxiously wrapped his arms around Yun Seung-hyo’s back. Never had Yun Seung-hyo looked so young as he did in that moment. Munpyeong felt a sense of despair, wondering how he was supposed to guide this young, immature man.

"The... the scented oil..."

"Scented oil? Why all of a sudden? Should I rub oil on your back?"

Munpyeong, in a desperate state, looked for the essential item for relations between men, but Yun Seung-hyo didn't even know why he was looking for it.

You've allowed me to do this, you are truly a good person. The young man, panting happily like he had finally gotten the bone he had been longing for, was busy slobbering all over the bone that had become his.

A hand that couldn't control its strength pinched Munpyeong's chest painfully. Even if it was the hand of the person he loved, pain was pain, and Munpyeong let out a moan without realizing it. At that, Yun Seung-hyo seemed to enjoy it more and squeezed his chest with his fingers.

The soft nipple was toyed with at will between his fingers. The tender flesh turned red from the painful pressing and rubbing.

"You need scented oil for it to, ugh, go smoothly. A-a man's body is different from a woman's, without oil it's too much, ahh."

Before his words were even finished, Yun Seung-hyo's fine hand grabbed his member. Suddenly, without any prior indication. He took Munpyeong's average-sized member in one hand and began to stroke it with his white, pretty hand.

Held in a stranger's hand, the member angrily stood up. It wasn't a skilled touch, but it strangely stimulated only the sensitive spots, and with just a few strokes, he was easily brought to erection.

Due to his careless movements, his sensitive parts were rubbed raw. He even scratched the round, swollen tip of his urethra with his fingernail, and squeezed the tip of his glans, the part where Munpyeong was most sensitive, with his palm.

The saying 'an inexperienced shaman kills a person' was true. Sparks flew before his eyes. Munpyeong twisted his hips and let out a moan. He didn't want to let out a moan of pleasure in front of Yun Seung-hyo, but his human self-control was not enough to endure it.

"You need oil, you say. Hmm. I see."

Yun Seung-hyo replied as if he were hearing it for the first time. Yet his hand still held onto Munpyeong's member and wouldn't let go. Thick veins began to form on the tautly erect shaft. Even while being handled roughly, Munpyeong's member, as if enjoying it, became erect to its limit.

"But what should I do? I don't have any oil now. I'd have to go outside to get it, and I don't want to do that."

It was a tone that said, How can I get up and leave in the middle of a feast when a delicious meal is laid out before me? But Munpyeong desperately needed the scented oil. The enormous size of the hard member already pressing against his thigh made him crave the oil.

`Are you trying to kill me? What are you relying on to be so bold when you have no experience?`

Munpyeong thought, a cold sweat running down his back.

"But without scented oil, you can't even put it in, ugh."

"That won't do. I must put it in."

Yun Seung-hyo replied firmly, as if he had heard something terrible.

`A-are you really going to put it in? Isn't that a bit too much...`

Yun Seung-hyo's reply was so confident that Munpyeong felt like refuting it. There was no rule that said you had to have penetrative sex just because you were having relations between men. Even Cheonma had sometimes finished him off with just his mouth or fingers, and there had been times when he had just borrowed his thighs because he was lazy.

Considering its enormous size, such an act was truly a sign of caring for one's partner. The idea of putting something like that in someone else's bottom was a selfish one.

But Yun Seung-hyo was a person who 'must' do what he 'must' do. Yun Seung-hyo, who had been deep in thought while his hands didn't rest, finally seemed to have made a decision. He let go of Munpyeong's body and flipped him over like a pancake.

Munpyeong, who had been rolled over in a daze, hit his head on the bed and was bewildered. Before he could regain his senses, Yun Seung-hyo spread his legs and approached from behind. His buttocks were grabbed by Yun Seung-hyo's two hands. His buttocks, which were firm and toned thanks to long years of training his movement technique, seemed to be very attractive to Yun Seung-hyo, just as they had been to Cheonma.

Yun Seung-hyo, who had positioned himself between Munpyeong's legs, let out a pleased sigh. He grabbed both sides of his buttocks and spread the cheeks. Munpyeong, realizing his anus was exposed to his partner's view, twisted his hips in embarrassment.

"B-Seung-hyo."

"...Have you ever seen your own behind, Munpyeong? Do you know how pretty and cute it is?"

Yun Seung-hyo whispered as if in a trance. Munpyeong's face turned beet-red at his words. No matter how pretty and cute it was, an asshole was an asshole. Munpyeong, who had never expected to be praised for the beauty of his asshole in his life, wanted to crawl into a hole and gripped the blanket.

"What are you? Seung-hyo!"

"It's a lovely peach color. As coy as if a peach blossom petal were attached to it, and every wrinkle is delicate and deep. It seems to have gotten even prettier than when I last saw it. It's as if you've put on makeup."

To Munpyeong, it seemed Yun Seung-hyo's personality had changed.

`Was he this kind of person? I knew he had an eccentric side, but I never thought he would suddenly lose his mind like this.`

Even if it was someone he loved, he felt a little creeped out. Even Cheonma's dirty talk was no joke, but Cheonma was that kind of person to begin with, and Munpyeong had no expectations of him, so he had never thought of it as a problem. But Yun Seung-hyo was different. Munpyeong, who had regarded him as a green, plant-like, herbivorous creature due to his gentle appearance and demure behavior, could not easily accept the reality that he was, in fact, an ordinary young man consumed by lust, and a bit of a pervert on top of that.

"That place, ugh!"

Munpyeong, who had opened his mouth to try and divert his partner's attention, couldn't finish his words and let out a moan.

A hot sensation was felt in the place that had just been the object of the man's ardent praise. A hard tongue licked his wrinkles. As if to taste the delicate wrinkles he had been admiring, the tongue flowed along the wrinkles, then reached the central point where they all converged.

Munpyeong was horrified by Yun Seung-hyo's direct licking of his rear. To have his rear licked by Yun Seung-hyo, of all people. A sacrilegious pleasure, as if he had committed blasphemy, seized Munpyeong.

If he didn't hold back, a shriek of ecstasy would burst out. Munpyeong bit his lip until it felt like it would burst and buried his head in the blanket. A dazzling thrill shot down his spine. Every time Yun Seung-hyo's tongue moved, stars fell in Munpyeong's closed eyes.

"What are you doing, ugh, s-stop."

Munpyeong both loved and respected Yun Seung-hyo. Thinking it was not right to have such a person lick his bottom, Munpyeong tried to stop him. But Yun Seung-hyo did not stop his actions. He was completely absorbed in it, acting as if he couldn't even hear Munpyeong's words.

When Munpyeong tried to lift his hips, he grabbed his dangling member with his hand. Munpyeong, his most sensitive part caught, couldn't pull away.

Unable to do either, he raised his hips, and Yun Seung-hyo, as if he liked that posture even more, even helped him spread his knees to maintain it stably. Munpyeong ended up with his upper body on the floor, presenting his bottom to his partner's face. Munpyeong felt so embarrassed he wanted to die.

An active hand, as if masturbating, played with Munpyeong's member. All the while, his tongue seriously and concentratedly licked the wrinkles of his bottom. Yun Seung-hyo sucked not only his wrinkles but also his testicles below. His already taut testicles became even harder under his hot tongue.

Yun Seung-hyo's tongue tapped against the inner wall. Though it was a hole that had seen a few foreign objects, such as a finger coated in scented oil, or even a brush, besides a penis, it was the first time a man's tongue had entered.

A hot, active muscle probed Munpyeong's hole. The tightly closed hole could not withstand the persistent invasion and unlocked itself.

Munpyeong gritted his teeth and his hips trembled. A different kind of pleasure, distinct from the intense pleasure of penetration, engulfed his lower body. If the sensation of penetration was a fierce heat like a burning log, being licked from behind was like small sparks flying from a charcoal fire. **Tadak, tadak.** The constantly flying, delicate sparks heated his nerves.

The intermittent, repeated, peripheral thrill made his mind go dizzy. It was only after feeling such a sensation that Munpyeong realized his anus was a kind of sexual organ. If it weren't a sexual organ, he wouldn't have felt such a sensation just from being licked.

A salacious foreplay continued until his rear was slick. Yun Seung-hyo was obsessively focused on one thing, and Munpyeong could not stop his obsession. His jaw ached from clenching his teeth for so long. His lips, bitten to hold back moans, were also tattered.

That's enough now, I hope he's satisfied, Munpyeong thought. Not just the wrinkles, but even the inside of the hole had been thoroughly licked and bitten, so there was no more place to be caressed.

But Munpyeong was mistaken. Licking his rear was not the entirety of what Yun Seung-hyo wanted. In fact, Yun Seung-hyo had done this preliminary work to get what he really wanted.

The price of his mistake was severe. Though his body was ready due to his mistaken thoughts, his mind was not prepared at all, and he had to accept something enormous. Munpyeong, who had been momentarily relieved that the hot tongue had finally retreated, had to accept something even bigger. Yun Seung-hyo's member, as large as a child's forearm, thrust into his body at once.

"Aaargh! Aaaargh!"

An object of immense size was pushed in without any technique. A size so enormous that even the muscles that had been loosened by long licking could not handle it. Feeling the illusion of his internal organs being flattened, Munpyeong screamed. It was not a cry of pleasure, but a clear scream of pain.

Yun Seung-hyo's member was truly big. Really, immensely big. It felt even bigger when experienced with his body than when seen with his eyes. It was something he could only accept when he wasn't in his right mind; in his right mind, it was impossible. That thing dug into Munpyeong's bottom.

Though he could feel his partner's desperate desire to insert it even an inch deeper, it still hurt. If it had been anyone other than him, who was used to Cheonma, they would have surely fainted in the middle of the insertion, it was so incredibly painful.

Munpyeong, feeling as if his internal organs were being twisted, gasped for breath and relaxed his hips. Since Yun Seung-hyo didn't seem like he would give up trying to insert it, he had to adjust. Fortunately, thanks to his experience with Cheonma, he knew the knack of inserting a large object.

"It hurts, Munpyeong. Why are you tensing up so much?"

Without a thought for the pain he was inflicting on the other, Yun Seung-hyo blamed Munpyeong. Without a care for Munpyeong's efforts to accommodate that enormous object into his body, he whined resentfully, as if Munpyeong were deliberately pushing him away.

`You're in pain? I'm in more pain.`

If it hadn't been Yun Seung-hyo, he might have turned around and punched him, Munpyeong thought, gritting his teeth. He was letting him off because he was still young. Why was he complaining to him, without even considering his own size?

"Hah... hah... gently, do it gently. I'll relax as much as I can, so you too, Seung-hyo..."

He wanted to say, If someone is talking, you should listen. Yun Seung-hyo, ignoring the advice of the experienced person, began to thrust vigorously. To Munpyeong, who was barely adjusting to the fact that it was inside him, it was like a bolt from the blue.

A huge object, like a lit rolling pin, went in and out of Munpyeong's bottom. Being young, his hip strength was particularly good, so every time he thrust, his whole body was pushed.

It was already a deep-penetrating position, doggy style, and with his partner desperate to thrust even deeper, Munpyeong was in absolute hell.

He was only enduring it because he loved him. If Cheonma had held him like this, no matter how much he was the greatest under heaven and the master of the world, he would have run away long ago. Munpyeong had never felt his love for Yun Seung-hyo as keenly as he did at this moment.

It was a miracle it didn't tear. From the way Yun Seung-hyo was acting, it wouldn't have been surprising if it had become a sea of blood, but thanks to his hole, which had been trained by Cheonma, he was at least spared such a catastrophe.

Yun Seung-hyo thrust into him as if his only purpose was to torment him. Munpyeong, thinking that he didn't know why it hurt more the more he did it, shed a tear.

It was a thought he shouldn't be having at a moment like this, but he missed Cheonma. To be precise, he missed Cheonma's considerate care and gentle technique. He was sorry to say it, but Yun Seung-hyo needed to go and learn from Cheonma. It was unavoidable since he was still young and inexperienced, but Munpyeong, who had to pay the price for his youth with his own body, was not entirely generous.

It was a terrible and painful night. A night that was somehow painful, even though his feelings for the person he loved were reciprocated. Fortunately, Munpyeong did not know that the night had only just begun. If he had known, he wouldn't have been able to stay conscious until the end of the act.

But to mock Munpyeong's spirit of sacrifice, the man's act did not end with just one time. Yun Seung-hyo was excessively young, and Munpyeong had underestimated his youth. Thanks to that, he had to be tormented by the man until he learned that the sky could indeed look yellow.