By Zephyria 
HF 6
==
Ho-yeon also soaked in the hot spring, gently rinsing his hair and pouring water over his body. While the heat of the day still lingered, the evening chill made the water temperature just right.
As he sank up to his neck, a languid sensation washed over him, as if all the tension in his exhausted body was melting away. In the meantime, the horse—no, Tae-pyeong—had disappeared again. With Tae-pyeong gone, the silence became unbearably awkward, and Ho-yeon forced himself to scrape together some words.
“Did you know? There are no hot springs like this in the Ice Palace.”
Mu-gyeong was sitting on the opposite side, resting both arms on the edge of the spring. The naturally formed hot spring had small rocks scattered here and there, making it easy to sit. Ho-yeon was also sitting on a submerged rock, immersed up to his neck.
“Does the Ice Palace not have volcanoes?”
Ho-yeon’s eyes widened. To think he knew that a volcano was hidden within the frigid Ice Palace—that was a truth rarely known to outsiders.
“But they’ve blocked off the hot springs so they can’t be used, so it’s meaningless.”
For those practicing ice arts with frost energy attributes, hot springs were an absurdity. Ho-yeon reached out and gently stirred the water in front of him. Mu-gyeong felt the sensation of the ripples weakly flowing and brushing against his body.
“The Demon Sect’s intelligence seems to be even more impressive than I expected.”
Ho-yeon gave a thin smile, his face quickly flushing red.
If even the child of one of the five demonic elders knew about the volcano, he might know all the inner workings of the Ice Palace. Could he have found out that Ho-yeon wasn’t actually of the Ice Palace Lord’s bloodline? He could only hope not.
“Young Master Mu-gyeong, you must have seen the Cult Leader in person, right?”
Mu-gyeong remained silent, but it seemed to be an affirmation. Unlike typical members of the Demon Sect, he didn’t seem to have a particularly deep loyalty to the Cult Leader, so Ho-yeon thought he might get an honest answer. Ho-yeon began to chatter away.
“What kind of person is he? I don’t have the extreme yin constitution, so he wouldn’t kill me to take it, right? Is the divine physician Lee Chang-son… is that old geezer actually a divine physician? It makes no sense that a nine yang severed meridian could be resolved by taking an extreme yin constitution.”
Wasn’t all of this caused by the divine physician Lee Chang-son? Having become a sacrifice overnight because of a complete stranger, Ho-yeon harbored ill feelings.
Old geezer. Mu-gyeong let out a short, dry laugh.
“He shouldn’t be old enough to be called an old geezer.”
Since it seemed Mu-gyeong also had a connection with Lee Chang-son, Ho-yeon held his tongue.
“But I heard it’s been a very long time since the Cult Leader was actually called the Heavenly Demon within the sect. I heard that to ascend to the position of Heavenly Demon, one must discard human emotions…”
Ho-yeon’s voice trailed off naturally under the pitch-black gaze staring at him. Though Mu-gyeong was blunt, he seemed like a kind man given that he had saved him, yet there was a strange sense of dissonance.
Occasionally, it felt as though Mu-gyeong was observing him—not with the curiosity a person has for another person, but as if he were governing Ho-yeon’s very existence. It felt as if he had Ho-yeon placed in the palm of his hand, looking through him entirely.
Perhaps he felt this dissonance because Mu-gyeong was a member of the Demon Sect who wielded demonic energy.
“By the way, Young Master, how old are you?”
“There’s one year left, so twenty-eight, I suppose.”
Whenever he said things that Ho-yeon couldn’t quite grasp, it felt unsettling. However, since he might just be an eccentric person, Ho-yeon decided to only pick out the important parts.
“I’m older then.”
“Older,” Mu-gyeong muttered, looking at Ho-yeon. Though he looked as if he had barely passed the age of twenty, Ho-yeon’s appearance was exquisite, as if he had naturally bypassed the flow of time.
With cheeks reddened further by the heat of the spring, Ho-yeon spoke cautiously.
“Isn’t it a great destiny that I, who came from the distant Ice Palace of the outer regions, and you, who came from the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, met by chance like this? I believe such connections should be cherished.”
Fearing that Mu-gyeong might state that it wasn’t such a grand destiny, Ho-yeon quickly added:
“So… would it be alright if I spoke comfortably?”
There were a few blunt children in Eumbyeol Hall who didn’t express their emotions well. To get close to such children, speaking comfortably was essential. After all, formal language created distance.
Walking into the Demon Sect, often called the tiger’s den, Ho-yeon wanted to have at least one close companion by his side. After all, wasn’t Mu-gyeong his savior?
Ho-yeon looked at Mu-gyeong, brimming with tension.
“As you wish, Young Master Ho-yeon.”
The title ‘Young Master,’ mirroring his own, felt a bit embarrassing. Still, since it didn’t seem like Mu-gyeong was trying to keep his distance, Ho-yeon felt much more at ease.
“Ah, Young Master Mu-gyeong, please continue as you were. I may be older, but I don’t mind at all.”
Ho-yeon spoke quickly, fearing his intention might be misinterpreted. But once the words were out, it sounded as if he were indirectly telling Mu-gyeong to keep using formal language, making the situation awkward. Just as he was about to scramble for another excuse…
“You are quite generous.”
“Huh?”
“You really are an older brother.”
His tone was so nonchalant that it wasn’t clear whether he was offended by the casual speech or if he was fine with it. Since he couldn’t afford to be on bad terms with Mu-gyeong, Ho-yeon quickly backed off. He was already a burden to the man; he couldn’t risk being branded as someone tactless.
“If it’s uncomfortable, I won’t speak casually.”
“Is there ever a case where a senior speaks formally to a junior?”
“I’m not exactly your senior, Young Master Mu-gyeong.”
“If you’re older than me, you’re a senior in life.”
Still submerged in the water, Ho-yeon read Mu-gyeong’s expression. Feeling as though he was being pushed to speak comfortably, he gained a fair amount of confidence.
“Then… is it really okay if I’m… comfortable?”
However, his confidence evaporated right at the end of the sentence.
“By all means.”
With his permission, Ho-yeon was finally able to let go of his nervous heart. Feeling as though his body would be completely cooked if he stayed any longer, he rose with a wide smile. As he did, his damp, long hair precariously covered his white, naked body. Since the water wouldn’t come out unless herbal medicine was used, his hair was still the color of an acorn.
However, he was quite troubled as there was nothing to dry himself with. He wondered if he should just wait until his body dried on its own, but then he heard the sound of water dripping nearby.
Turning reflexively, he found Mu-gyeong right beside him. Just like the surface of the steaming hot spring, steam rose from his body. Ho-yeon didn’t know what to do with the man standing so close. Should he move out of the way first? But there was plenty of room to exit on either side…
“Didn’t you say you’d be comfortable?”
At the whispering voice, Ho-yeon froze, unable to even tell him to move aside. Fortunately, Mu-gyeong passed him by and exited the spring first.
Not understanding why he had been so nervous, Ho-yeon followed after him through the water he had parted. It was just as he stepped onto the stone floor. Suddenly, Mu-gyeong placed his palm against Ho-yeon’s back.
“Wh-what…!”
Startled by the touch of the large hand, Ho-yeon jumped like a fish out of water, but he gasped as he felt the flow of internal energy from the hand.
Mu-gyeong forcefully blew away the water droplets clinging to Ho-yeon’s skin. The droplets, reflecting the moonlight, scattered like a misty rain. Ho-yeon couldn’t hide his amazement at the delicate release of internal energy. After removing his hand, Mu-gyeong used internal energy on his own body to remove all the moisture.
“Th… thank you. Thanks to you, I won’t catch a cold.”
His wet hair was still as it was, so after thanking him, Ho-yeon squeezed the water out with his hands. Feeling embarrassed that he might have overreacted to the kindness, he muttered that he had just been surprised.
Mu-gyeong didn’t react particularly, removing the remaining moisture from his own hair in a similar fashion. He then picked up the light armor he had set aside. However, Ho-yeon found his gaze repeatedly drifting toward the lower body that matched the man’s large frame. It was so imposing that it seemed a fitting size for a man who liked snakes.
“The Cult Leader won’t just leave those who attacked me alone, right?”
Ho-yeon deliberately diverted his attention. Since they had acted against the Cult Leader’s orders, the ferocious Heavenly Demon would surely not leave the attackers alone. Furthermore, Ho-yeon wanted to avenge the Seol-yeong squad, even if it meant borrowing the hand of the Heavenly Demon.
“The Cult Leader is such a hideous ugly man that he can’t even show his face due to an inferiority complex.”
Ah, no, why suddenly such slander… As Ho-yeon was too flustered to continue, the corners of Mu-gyeong’s mouth curled up.
“And his personality is so eccentric… well, enough to make even Tae-pyeong cry.”
Mu-gyeong stroked the mane of Tae-pyeong, who had reappeared. Whether he had been rolling around or causing a ruckus somewhere, vines were messily tangled across Tae-pyeong’s long face. If the Cult Leader was both ferocious and eccentric, would he be able to survive, let alone get revenge?
Ho-yeon’s face turned pale as he watched Mu-gyeong pluck the vines away with a series of snapping sounds.
“Hearing you say that… suddenly, he sounds terrifying. I won’t be in big trouble as soon as I arrive, right?”
It wasn’t a question asked for an answer, but rather a complaint.
“So, are you going back to the Ice Palace?”
Ho-yeon shook his head firmly.
“I was sold here, so I can’t go back.”
For some reason, a look of interest flickered in Mu-gyeong’s eyes.