By Zephyria 
“No, but we have to clear up the misunderstanding….”
Seong Mu-yeon made an excuse in a voice that barely rose above a whisper. He stealthily gauged Baek Ryeo-il’s reaction. When Baek Ryeo-il merely shrugged without reacting much, he gained a bit more courage.
“Since we’re on the subject, you know… I’m actually not that stupid. Though I can’t refute the part about being mean.”
He, too, had quite a few lingering grievances toward Baek Ryeo-il.
Baek Ryeo-il stared at him blankly for a moment, as if speechless, before letting out a hollow laugh.
“…You’ve been holding onto that all this time?”
Baek Ryeo-il pushed himself up and sat behind Seong Mu-yeon, wrapping his arms broadly around his back. Then, he rested his chin on Seong Mu-yeon’s shoulder.
“It seems you have a lot built up. If there’s anything you want to say, say it now. I’ll listen.”
“…I don’t really have that much built up.”
“Liar.”
“I’m serious.”
The two sat overlapped, side by side, watching the clouds drift leisurely across the sky.
…Is he really okay?
“You know, I used to think that good things would never come into my life.”
Perhaps sensing Seong Mu-yeon’s anxious glances, Baek Ryeo-il murmured after a long silence.
“But that was just a delusion I had on my own. I had parents who loved me unconditionally.”
“…….”
“I was too young back then, and thinking of them was so painful that I wanted to forget everything… but looking back now, those are the precious memories that made me who I am today. I’m glad I found them, even now.”
Baek Ryeo-il wore a soft smile, as if recalling memories spent with his parents.
“My parents are no longer in this world, but I’ve reached an age where I no longer need parents. Besides, I have my Master who raised me in their stead, and Senior Brothers who are like family… and above all, I have you, so I’m okay now.”
Only then did Seong Mu-yeon’s anxiety subside slightly. Peace and stability followed.
Just as the saying goes that the deeper the valley, the higher the mountain, the more unbelievable and sweet the fruit felt after such great pain.
The two kissed again and entwined their bodies. Unaware of the deepening night, they spent a long time talking, laughing, and chatting.
They lay tightly pressed against each other on the narrow bed, without a single shred of clothing on.
“The Family Head told you to inherit the clan?”
The topic that particularly heated them up was the Zegal Clan. Seong Mu-yeon revealed the secret of his birth to Baek Ryeo-il. He was still confused by a fact he hadn’t yet processed himself, but surprisingly, Baek Ryeo-il was not shocked by the news.
He rubbed his chin as if imagining Seong Mu-yeon as the Family Head, then spoke.
“…Has he lost his mind?”
“Exactly!”
Seong Mu-yeon exclaimed. Thinking about Jegal Yeom-gang’s visit the previous day made his chest feel tight, as if he had indigestion.
“The Jegal Clan Head wasted half his life searching for my mother for decades, and it seems Young Family Head Jegal Un has been ousted from power within the clan for hiding that fact.”
Seong Mu-yeon let out a heavy sigh.
“Even so, does it make sense for me to be the Family Head? The Zegal Clan will disappear from the map before long…. What should I do?”
“Go meet the Family Head and talk to him well. If his precious nephew desperately wants it, what’s a clan compared to that? He’ll grant whatever you want.”
Baek Ryeo-il, speaking with a smirk because it wasn’t his problem, was utterly obnoxious. However, Seong Mu-yeon couldn’t bring himself to get truly angry. The sight of Baek Ryeo-il lying on his side, propping his chin up with one arm and smiling languidly, sent a strange thrill through his heart.
“By now, Jegal Un probably wants to grind you up and drink you.”
Baek Ryeo-il whispered playfully into his ear.
Despite having just engaged in passionate lovemaking, the low vibration of Baek Ryeo-il’s laughter from deep in his throat stimulated Seong Mu-yeon once again.
“It’s all his own doing, so who is there to blame….”
Seong Mu-yeon answered vaguely, distracted by Baek Ryeo-il’s magnificent physique. As he shifted and pressed closer, their sweat-soaked, sticky skin met.
The smile vanished from Baek Ryeo-il’s face as well. Thus, untiring, they continued their lovemaking for the nth time that night.
Subconsciously, they both knew that this night would be their last private time together.
A mountain of problems yet to be solved lay ahead of them.
Seong Mu-yeon fell asleep while clutching each other, wishing that the sun would not rise tomorrow morning.
Contrary to his desperate wish, the heartless sun appeared on time without delay.
The first thing Seong Mu-yeon saw upon opening his eyes was the back of Baek Ryeo-il, who had already woken up and was getting dressed.
He has to go back now….
Reality rushed back in. When he asked if he could stay just one more day, Baek Ryeo-il shook his head.
“We’ve already used too much time. In the meantime, the Nine Great Sects have continued preparing to deal with the Demonic Cult behind the scenes. Until now, they were waiting quietly because there was no significant incident to move the orthodox sects, but this incident was like throwing a stone into still waters.”
“…….”
“A full-scale war will begin now. Mount Hua will be fighting on the front lines, so I must rejoin my Senior Brothers.”
“…Do you really have to go? Is this truly something the Master wants you to do?”
Seong Mu-yeon asked hesitantly. A heavy sense of guilt pressed upon his chest. He remembered that Baek Ryeo-il had sworn absolute obedience to the Sect Gate’s orders just to save him.
“Who actually enjoys going out to fight in a war?”
Whether he knew his heart or not, Baek Ryeo-il countered with a light chuckle.
“This is a path I chose, not because of you. Once I decided to take up the sword, it was the same as giving up the hope of dying peacefully in bed and swearing to die fighting on the battlefield.”
Having lived his entire life as a martial artist, Baek Ryeo-il was composed, as if this were only natural. Seong Mu-yeon could only remain silent.
The short journey back to Lanzhou was quiet.
Eventually, as they got close enough to see the inn where the Hwasan Sect was staying, Seong Mu-yeon, who had been subdued the whole way, urgently tugged at his sleeve.
“…Shall we just run away? Even without us, someone will surely save the world.”
The original Baek Ryeo-il had spent most of his life in the middle of battlefields, except for his training period. He likely lived a life punctuated by revenge and slaughter, never tasting the sweetness of life. Seong Mu-yeon felt that it didn’t necessarily have to be that way this time.
Baek Ryeo-il widened his eyes in surprise. But soon, his eyes curved into a smile.
“You’re about three years too late for that.”
Baek Ryeo-il seemed to be joking casually, but Seong Mu-yeon’s heart sank.
“No, I didn’t mean it like that….”
Seeing his expression, Baek Ryeo-il looked quite flustered and glanced around. He soon led Seong Mu-yeon under the shade of a lush tree to avoid people’s gazes.
Baek Ryeo-il pinned Seong Mu-yeon against the wall, bracing his arms on either side of his face.
“I wasn’t saying that to blame you. I mean that I am not the same person I was three years ago. I finally understand what people mean when they say they ‘have no regrets even if they die.’ Will there ever be another day more satisfying than this? Just feeling this way makes me feel like I’ve found meaning in my life….”
Seong Mu-yeon, who had been avoiding his gaze, looked up. Baek Ryeo-il gently lifted Seong Mu-yeon’s pale chin.
“That’s why I must go. The world must be safe for you to be safe.”
Baek Ryeo-il carefully pressed their lips together. Unlike the countless kisses of the previous night, this one was soft and solemn.
As they pulled apart, he met the straight, determined eyes reflecting Baek Ryeo-il’s firm will.
“I understand what you mean.”
Before stepping out, the two lingered, unable to part easily, sharing short kisses before finally returning to the road.
Seong Mu-yeon also steeled his resolve. He didn’t have the power to sway the war, but if he could be of even the slightest help, he was prepared to throw himself into the fire.
However, upon reaching the entrance of the inn, which was being strictly guarded by Hwasan Sect martial artists, Seong Mu-yeon realized things were going differently than he thought. The Hwasan Sect martial artists stepped aside for Baek Ryeo-il, but as Seong Mu-yeon tried to follow, they firmly blocked him.
“What is this?”
“From this moment on, entry for outsiders is forbidden. I’m sorry, but the Young Master cannot enter.”
“What? Master Baek! These people won’t let me in! Come over here and talk to them!”
But Baek Ryeo-il did not move. He simply stood there, staring quietly at Seong Mu-yeon, with no sign of intending to help him.
“Master…?”
“You go back from here.”
“What? What do you mean? Where am I supposed to go?”
“Go to Yak Seon’s laboratory or the Zegal Clan.”
“I don’t want to. I’m coming with you.”
“What can you even do there? What if you run out of medicine or it spoils again like last time? There is nothing for you to do here with the Hwasan Sect anyway.”
“…….”
Those words pierced his chest as sharply as a dagger.