By Zephyria 
HF 28
===
* * *
Last night, the demonic cult headquarters was thrown into an uproar. Eum Yohwa had set out to find her missing son, Yeom Ji-gong.
It was not uncommon for Yeom Ji-gong to stay away from home for several days, but usually, he was merely drifting from one courtesan house to another; this was the first time his life or death remained unconfirmed. Eum Yohwa dispatched people in every direction to find him, and the last place he was witnessed was consistent across all reports.
“T-this humble servant only knows that on that day, Young Master Yeom followed after the seven-stringed zither player.”
The Ruju of the Jade Pavilion reported the facts while trembling violently. A golden thread extending from Eum Yohwa’s fingertips was coiled around the Ruju’s neck. Blood trickled down the Ruju’s burn marks, carved by the sharp wire. The internal energy infused in the thread was enough to slice the neck clean off with just a slight tug.
“A seven-stringed zither player?”
“Yes, yes! P-please save me! I have told only the truth!”
Eum Yohwa did not look like someone in her fifties. Having mastered the face-preserving art, she boasted smooth, wrinkle-free skin and jet-black hair. Those who did not know the cruelty of Eum Yohwa, consumed by demonic energy, often approached her lured by her beautiful appearance, only to be killed.
“Bring that wench before me this instant.”
“I beg your pardon for speaking, but it is not a wench, but a fellow… he is coming.”
A crease formed between the previously smooth brows of Eum Yohwa. She knew her son did not possess a gentle nature. Depending on his mood, he frequently killed cult members and then framed them by claiming they stole his money, or he simply settled matters with bribes.
Yet, to go to harm a zither player and then vanish? Did this zither player possess martial prowess strong enough to surpass her son? Even if that were the case, Yeom Ji-gong was no fool; he would not have attacked someone stronger than himself.
“Who else was at the pavilion that day?”
The Ruju knew she was not asking about Young Master Yeom’s friends.
“M-Master Do-gyeon was there. And there was a swordsman beside Master Do-gyeon whom I had never seen before.”
At the mention of Do-gyeon, Eum Yohwa’s expression soured further. The Ruju hurriedly recounted the events of that day.
“Young Master Yeom had rented out our pavilion, and there was a friction with Master Do-gyeon.”
No matter how much of a mad dog Do-gyeon was, there was no way he would have killed her son. Eum Yohwa grit her teeth. Yeom Ji-gong was merely missing; he could not be dead. Despite subconsciously recognizing her son’s death, she forced herself to deny it. Eum Yohwa screamed.
“Wench or fellow! Just find that zither player first!”
At this, the Ruju trembled even more. As Eum Yohwa twirled the golden thread in her hand once more, the Ruju pressed his hands together in a desperate plea. He wanted to fall to his knees, but doing so would result in his neck being severed by the taut thread.
“T-the zither player is currently recuperating due to illness, and I d-do not know where he lives. When we hire artists, we do not look into their residences, ack!”
Without even listening to the end of the Ruju’s sentence, Eum Yohwa yanked the golden thread. A red line was drawn around the Ruju’s neck, and the cleanly severed head thudded to the floor. Screams erupted from the artists and waiters working within the pavilion.
“Find that zither player immediately!”
Eum Yohwa’s voice was heavily infused with cultivation power. Those without internal energy clutched their ears and rolled on the floor in agony. However, if they failed to find the zither player, they would not only lose their hearing but their lives as well.
The only facts they knew about the zither player were that he was a pauper from Fog Valley and that he generally wore a bamboo hat during the day. They did not know his residence, and his name was known only as Yeon.
Still, they had to find the zither player, even if they had to crawl. Eum Yohwa’s subordinates had already set out to track him. With not a single shred of patience remaining, she could not calm her excitement despite having seen blood several times.
“We have found the zither player’s residence!”
The news arrived after a full day had passed, and the pavilion was littered with dozens of corpses—some sprawled, some with heads separated from their bodies. Eum Yohwa’s eyes were overturned with rage as she stormed out of the Jade Pavilion.
* * *
Breathing heavily, Ho-yeon pushed through the midday crowds, searching for Mu-gyeong. The only remaining trace was the blood in the courtyard; outside, there was no sign of Mu-gyeong anywhere.
His long, white hair fluttered like snowflakes, making him easily conspicuous. The cult members could not take their eyes off the pure white existence they had never seen before in their lives.
His face was fairer and smoother than freshly pressed tofu, and the two moles beneath his lips, slightly parted from his heavy breathing, captured their attention. However, as he quickly ran past them, they were left feeling as if they had seen a hallucination.
Ho-yeon passed through the vast commercial district and raced toward the foot of Heavenly Demon Mountain, where the Heavenly Demon Palace resided, toward the Elders’ Hall. The vast land where the forces of the five Great Demonic Elders resided was divided into five sectors. And in one of those sectors lay the Demonic Shadow Martial House of Mu Seong-pyeong, Mu-gyeong’s father.
Ho-yeon’s sense of foreboding grew. Since he hadn’t even managed to take his sword, something terrible must have happened to him. At this moment, the only person he could think of to help Mu-gyeong was Mu Seong-pyeong.
Ho-yeon had not yet released the seal on his internal energy, but even if he did, his lightfoot technique was abysmal. Since it was too far to go on foot, he used the gold coins in his hand to obtain a horse from a relay station.
The station master could not take his eyes off Ho-yeon even as he handed over the horse. It was as if a heavy snowfall covering a mountain had unfolded before his eyes. Ho-yeon was like white snow that had not yet been soiled by human footprints. The owner belatedly handed back the change, but Ho-yeon mounted the horse without even looking.
With his oil-paper umbrella tucked into his waist, Ho-yeon galloped away. He lost his way several times, forcing him to ask cult members for directions. In a blur of desperation, the massive gates of the Demonic Shadow Martial House finally came into view.
Ho-yeon urged the horse faster. As if to showcase the prestige of the clan, it took a considerable amount of time just to reach the visible gates.
Two warriors guarding the gate with spears widened their eyes as they saw Ho-yeon hurriedly dismounting from his horse.
“I must see Elder Mu Seong-pyeong! I must see the Elder!”
Normally, they would have asked who he was to think he could just meet the Elder, but the two warriors instinctively sensed something unusual. A mere cult member would not act this way unless they were mad, and Ho-yeon’s peculiar appearance played a part.
One warrior told Ho-yeon to wait a moment and went inside the gate. Ho-yeon wanted to follow immediately and scream that Mu-gyeong was in danger, but he struggled to maintain his composure.
He tried to calm himself while soothing the face of the horse, which was panting from the excessive exertion, but it was not as easy as he hoped. He only wished to be let inside as quickly as possible. Truly, every second felt like three years.
“Please come inside.”
Once the warrior who had gone inside granted permission, Ho-yeon headed inward, leaving his horse untied. The first thing visible upon entering was the massive training ground he had seen before.
In his haste, as Ho-yeon tried to rush past the training ground and further inside, the martial artists nearby seized him. Pressed to the ground by several hands, Ho-yeon raised his voice, demanding to be let go.
“Release him this instant!”
At the booming resonance of a man’s voice, the hands suppressing Ho-yeon vanished as if by magic. Ho-yeon hurriedly pushed himself up and looked at the man who had appeared in the training ground.
The imposing man dressed in a deep blue robe was Mu Seong-pyeong. Mu Seong-pyeong had come out in a single bound upon hearing that a white-haired handsome man had come to see him, and as expected, it was Wi Ho-yeon. However, he was alone, with no one by his side. Mu Seong-pyeong looked at Ho-yeon with a puzzled expression.
He had wondered if the boy had been dyeing his hair dark to avoid people’s eyes, but now, his loose hair was no different from eternal snow. It was a look that openly revealed he came from the North Sea Ice Palace. Before Mu Seong-pyeong could ask why he had come, Ho-yeon shouted.
“Elder! Mu-gyeong… Mu-gyeong is in danger!”
A look of absurdity crossed Mu Seong-pyeong’s puzzled face, but it quickly vanished.
“In danger? What on earth are you talking about?”