By Zephyria 
“N-no. It’s nothing…”
Under Seong Mu-yeon’s sharp, piercing gaze, Seong Mu-jae changed his mind about trying to persuade him once more.
‘It would be better not to tell him that a battle is about to break out.’
If he did, there was no telling what kind of bizarre method Seong Mu-yeon would come up with to attempt an escape. It seemed safer to keep him in the dark until everything was over.
“What is it! You have no business here, yet you just come to stir things up… Prepare dongpo pork for dinner! If you bring any other food, I won’t eat it! Do you understand?!”
Seong Mu-jae let out a faint sigh as he watched Seong Mu-yeon screech like a child going through puberty.
‘I have to fix that mindset of his somehow before he faces the Third Young Master.’
After the precarious encounter with his immature youngest brother, Seong Mu-jae headed toward the supply warehouse.
Once the low-ranking subordinates counted and recorded the number of items, Seong Mu-jae had to take the ledger and cross-check everything one by one.
If such a task were left to subordinates, half would work honestly, but the other half would inevitably line their own pockets when no one was looking.
In that sense, Seong Mu-jae was the perfect talent for this position. He possessed a sense of ownership and wouldn’t embezzle items, yet he lacked power—making him the ideal housekeeper.
‘Food is overflowing. How much cotton cloth and Golden Sore Ointment are left…’
He was so absorbed in verifying the ledger that he didn’t notice the people leaving one by one until the area became deserted. He was so immersed that he failed to notice a suspicious person enter with their head bowed low, naturally blending into the surroundings.
Since so many people were staying in Demon Subjugation Valley, Seong Mu-jae couldn’t recognize everyone’s face. Had he not lost his dantian, he would have sensed the suspicious presence immediately, but unfortunately, he no longer possessed any sensory perception.
The suspicious man secretly followed Seong Mu-jae as he moved around checking the ledger.
Only a few people remained in the warehouse. As Seong Mu-jae headed toward a dim corner, the man finally seized his opportunity, lunging from behind and covering his mouth.
“Mmph!”
Seong Mu-jae struggled frantically, causing the ledger in his hand to tumble to the floor. However, it was not enough to escape the opponent’s firm grip.
“Please be quiet, Sixth Young Master. It is I.”
The intruder whispered low and fast. It was a strangely familiar voice.
Struggling to identify the person behind him, Seong Mu-jae fell silent, forgetting to resist upon seeing the unexpected face. The intruder then let him go.
“It is I. Bang Gyeom.”
Bang Gyeom smiled shyly.
“H-how… you…”
Overwhelmed by joy and surprise, Seong Mu-jae stammered for a while, unable to form a proper sentence. However, once he regained his composure, he burst out in anger.
“You shouldn’t be here!”
Why was everyone so anxious to throw themselves into the jaws of death?
Having shouted instinctively, Seong Mu-jae flinched and looked around. A few subordinates seemed to be checking toward them after hearing the noise.
Seong Mu-jae shut his mouth tight and dragged Bang Gyeom further into a secluded, deserted corner.
“I went through the trouble of sending you away and telling you never to return, and yet…”
Only after moving to a safe spot could Seong Mu-jae examine Bang Gyeom closely. He was naturally disguised in clothing that low-ranking subordinates would wear—obtained from somewhere—and even had a sword strapped to his waist.
Seong Mu-jae could not hide his disappointment at Bang Gyeom appearing fully armed. He had cast him out in the hope that he would leave the martial world and lead an ordinary life, yet here he was again.
After becoming practically confined to Demon Subjugation Valley, Seong Mu-jae had wanted to know Bang Gyeom’s whereabouts, but since communication with the outside world was difficult, he had no choice but to live without knowing. It was only after three years that he heard from Seong Mu-yeon that Bang Gyeom had escaped safely, and he had just begun to feel relieved.
At the same time, a corner of his heart had ached with the thought that they might never meet again.
And yet, less than three days after hearing the news, he appears right before his eyes! There is no betrayal greater than this.
“How did you even find this place!”
“I have been searching for your whereabouts this whole time. When Young Master Jegal contacted me, I knew immediately. That you would be here.”
“…….”
Faced with Bang Gyeom’s solemn attitude and sincere expression, Seong Mu-jae momentarily lost his voice. It had been so long since he had seen a gaze so full of loyalty. For a moment, he felt a longing, as if he had returned to three years ago, before his status had plummeted.
“If you mean Young Master Jegal… does that mean Jegal Un is here?”
For some reason, Seong Mu-jae felt restless and flustered, unable to look him in the face.
“Yes, Young Master Jegal needed someone to verify the internal situation. As someone from the Demonic Cult, I was perfect for infiltrating without being caught. So, how is the Seven Sons doing? Is he safe?”
“Yes, he’s so safe it’s a problem. B-but since when did you start exchanging messages with that man?”
“It just happened that way. During the time I was struggling alone, he recognized me first and contacted me. He is a grateful person who has provided much help, including this current matter.”
“I-is that so? It seems you’ve been through a lot.”
It seemed many meaningful stories had unfolded between the two during the time he didn’t know. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant feeling.
He had let him go so he could be a free man, but wasn’t this just like swapping an old master for a new one?
“Yes, many things happened. There was a time when I suffered a severe injury and barely survived by a miracle, and above all, the Young Family Head served as a witness to our wedding…”
“Wedding?! You got married?!”
At Seong Mu-jae’s violent reaction, Bang Gyeom’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Yes…”
“To whom?!”
Bang Gyeom smiled softly and briefly told him the story of what had happened.
During the Hubei Blood Snake incident, Bang Gyeom had caught the Third Young Master’s eye and was abandoned with injuries so severe he was on the verge of death. The person who found him before it was too late was her.
“If it weren’t for Suran, I would no longer be of this world.”
“Suran… you mean that woman who helped us when we were hiding in the hut?”
Seong Mu-jae remembered her too. She was the person who brought food and rescued them when they had been deceived by the tavern owner, left penniless and unable to even beg.
“Yes. After we parted at the tavern, she knew we had entered the Zegal Clan, but she couldn’t bring herself to visit and only lingered around. Then, seeing the tavern owner gathering people, she secretly followed them to the vicinity of the Zegal Clan.”
At the time, Seong Mu-yeon had ordered Bang Gyeom to flee. But he couldn’t do that. With the Sixth Young Master and then the Seven Sons falling into crisis, he couldn’t run away just to save himself.
Instead, while trying to seek help from a Demonic Cult branch, he was captured by the Third Young Master and severely injured. However, Suran, who had been lingering around the Zegal Clan, witnessed Bang Gyeom being dragged away and searched the forest everyone had left, finding him while he was half-dead.
“While living with her… embarrassingly, we had a child… So we had a modest wedding and are living together.”
“A-a child?!”
It was a series of shocks.
Seong Mu-jae felt ashamed of his previous anger. It seemed Bang Gyeom was doing much better than expected. Looking healthy, married, and even having a child… he was far better off than Seong Mu-jae, who was merely tasked with menial chores.
“Yes, a son who looks exactly like me. …I want to talk more, but there is no time. Let us catch up later. Tonight, the Paeng Clan will storm in. Sixth Young Master, please find a safe place to hide with the Seven Sons before things break out. Then we will find you.”
“…….”
“Sixth Young Master?”
Seong Mu-jae couldn’t answer immediately. He doubted whether the Paeng Clan alone could truly bring down Demon Subjugation Valley. Moreover, if he left like this, the possibility of curing his dantian would become slim.
Bang Gyeom, thinking he was frightened, comforted him in a gentle tone.
“Do not worry. We will manage somehow. And once this is over, would you return with us and name our second child?”
A second?!
“Y-your relationship as a couple seems to be very good…”
Bang Gyeom’s cheeks flushed even deeper.
“Listening to the village ladies, it seems the second one is likely a girl. I can’t tell, but they say the shape of the belly is different. I’ve already told my wife. That the Sixth Young Master will name the second child.”
“M-me? Would that be alright? Who am I to do such a thing.”
“Please do not say that. Sixth Young Master, you are my eternal Lord and the benefactor who saved my life several times. My wife was so happy at the news that she might find the Sixth Young Master.”
Seong Mu-jae was dazed. He never thought a time would come in his life where he would name a child. That was an honorable request usually reserved for a deeply trusted mentor or Master. As that thought occurred to him, his face flushed red.
“Stop hesitating now and come with me.”