By Zephyria 
Among them, the greatest victim was undoubtedly his disciple, Baek Ryeo-il.
Ma Jin-cheon stepped outside with reluctant strides.
“F-Family Head Jegal, you cannot do this here…. Young Master Seong Mu-yeon is not here.”
“Let go of me! I must search for him myself!”
As the Family Head of the Jegal Clan—one of the five greatest families in the martial world—caused a scene, the young disciples were flustered, unable to do anything.
“Family Head Jegal, please stop tormenting my poor disciples and speak with me instead.”
When Ma Jin-cheon appeared, Family Head Jegal snorted loudly and swung his arm to shake off the Hwasan Sect Disciple who had been holding him.
“I have come to find my nephew.”
“I wonder why you are looking for Young Master Seong Mu-yeon among us….”
“Do you ask because you truly do not know?! I clearly saw the Heartless Sword of Mount Hua chasing after Mu-yeon, so where do you get off denying it?!”
“The fact that he was chased means that the Young Master was fleeing from him. As you can see, Young Master Seong Mu-yeon is not here. Is it not a fact known to all of the Central Plains that Young Master Seong Mu-yeon possesses skills and extraordinary talents far beyond what he appears? It seems my disciple was too dull to catch up to the Young Master….”
Ma Jin-cheon’s tone was slightly sharp, as he was already displeased because of Seong Mu-yeon. Anyone who knew him well would have noticed the subtle hint of sarcasm mixed in.
“Ahem… The blood of the Jegal Clan does not go anywhere, does it?”
However, Jegal Yeom-gang’s cheekbones actually flushed slightly, and his fierce expression softened noticeably. It seemed that only the words ‘possesses skills and extraordinary talents’ had reached his ears.
“…Then where is Mu-yeon?”
Jegal Yeom-gang asked in a much more mellowed tone. What a doting fool! Ma Jin-cheon was appalled, and his stomach churned as he thought about where Seong Mu-yeon might be.
‘He’s obviously with Ryeo-il!’
Despite his words, Baek Ryeo-il was a child who never gave up on something once he had set his mind to it, so he must have caught him eventually.
The problem was what came next.
He was worried about what kind of absurd, lovey-dovey nonsense the two of them were pulling to make one’s heart melt.
In his heart, Ma Jin-cheon wanted to throw away all dignity and etiquette just like Jegal Yeom-gang, grab the boy, and scream.
My kid changed because of your nephew, so take responsibility!
But that was only in his heart.
“How should I know….”
Ma Jin-cheon gave a vague answer and let out a heavy sigh.
Where on earth are these brats off to, slipping away together in a situation like this… Just wait until they return. I’ll break their legs.
Flinch.
“What is it?”
Seong Mu-yeon asked when Baek Ryeo-il suddenly shuddered. The two were lying close together, their naked bodies drenched in sweat, savoring the languid afterglow of a climax.
“N-no. It’s nothing…. I just have a bad feeling….”
Baek Ryeo-il rubbed his goosebump-covered arms and scanned the empty air for no reason. Seong Mu-yeon shrugged.
“We should probably get up now.”
The surroundings were already growing dark.
The two wiped their bodies and picked up their clothes. As Seong Mu-yeon put on his outer garment, the empty bed on the opposite wall entered his field of vision.
“…….”
Originally, this room had been assigned to Seong Mu-yeon and Owl, but unfortunately, they never ended up using it together.
‘I hope nothing happened.’
Seeing that he hadn’t returned even at this late hour, it seemed he had left for good. Perhaps because a great undertaking lay ahead, he felt even more concerned.
Noticing Seong Mu-yeon’s heavy mood, Baek Ryeo-il finished dressing and pulled him by the shoulder.
“Come here.”
Seong Mu-yeon buried his face in his chest. Baek Ryeo-il pulled him into a full embrace with his firm arms.
“Let’s look for him once this matter is settled. The Divine Demon Sect’s Qinghai headquarters isn’t that far, and thanks to the troops your brother brought, we have the numerical advantage, so it won’t take long.”
“Yes….”
Baek Ryeo-il gently stroked his hair.
“Before that, it would be best to stop by Xinjiang. We need to look for the medical book.”
Seong Mu-yeon’s eyes snapped open.
“Wait, that! What do you mean there is a medical book in Xinjiang?!”
“The secret vault where the Poison Freak was hiding. I suspect it was the secret vault of the previous Divine Physician. That guy said it was already empty when he discovered it. Your mother found it first. That’s why he couldn’t find anything.”
“What?”
“He lived hundreds of years ago, but I’ve heard that the Divine Physician’s medical skills were legendary both then and now. There must be a way to treat your illness written in there.”
“No, no. What do you mean my mother found it? How does the Dojo know that?”
“Did I not tell you?”
Baek Ryeo-il tilted his head and briefly explained the encounter he had with Jegal Yeom-mi.
“…I had completely forgotten about it until now, but thinking back, I believe that was the medical book. So if we just find that book….”
“Why are you only telling me this now?!”
Seong Mu-yeon shouted.
“W-why are you like this? I told you. I told you to go back to the Demonic Cult and find the medical book.”
“If you say it in such a passing manner, who on earth would think, ‘Ah, I see,’ and travel all the way to the far corner of Xinjiang to look for it?! Who would just stroll there as if they were going for a walk?!”
Seong Mu-yeon exploded in frustration. He huffed and puffed, pounding on Baek Ryeo-il’s chest.
“No…. I meant I could just come back and we could go together….”
“You told me not to wait for you! Then how can we go together? Your words don’t make any sense!”
“I just meant there was a chance. There’s no way you’d die fighting a guy like the Third Young Master.”
“…….”
Seong Mu-yeon was speechless. If he was this confident, why had he suffered so much emotional distress?
“A-alright. I was wrong, so don’t be angry.”
“Sigh….”
Having lost his will to fight, Seong Mu-yeon leaned his forehead against his chest. A brief silence followed.
“Then I will do the opposite. Even if I die, please wait for me. You must never even look at another man and must remain chaste until your black hair turns white as scallions.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Promise me! That you will wait!”
“Alright. …But there is no one else anyway besides you.”
Baek Ryeo-il spoke in a low voice. It was a plain, unadorned tone.
“There really is no one else…. It’s only been you my whole life.”
That simple confession resonated deeply in Seong Mu-yeon’s heart. His heart raced. Stunned by the impact, Seong Mu-yeon could only blink for a moment, unable to regain his senses.
In the meantime, Baek Ryeo-il carefully captured his lips.
The two felt the urge to strip off the clothes they had just put on and stay locked in the bed all day.
Resisting the temptation and parting their lips felt like the hardest task in the world.
“But… as long as I don’t die, I will definitely return.”
It was a continuation of the previous conversation.
“I know.”
“And I won’t die easily. You know how I’ve endured until now, right? From now on, there will never be a time when I leave of my own will.”
“I know. I’ll wait.”
The two kissed again, dragging out the time because they didn’t want to leave. When their lips parted for the third time, there were no more excuses.
They left the room with heavy steps.
The cool night air snapped them back to reality. Seong Mu-yeon was thinking about the shocking details he had heard from Baek Ryeo-il.
‘To think my mother and the Dojo had met… And what is this medical book? Was there such a book in the study of my quarters?’
Seong Mu-yeon’s quarters had a study of considerable size. He had practically lived in that study at one point, but he had never seen such a book.
However, such an important item wouldn’t have been left randomly on a shelf. It might have been hidden somewhere.
“…It would have been better if you told me sooner.”
“True. If I had, would you be on your way back with your eldest brother right now?”
“…No.”
For Seong Mu-yeon, there was no rush. The medical book wouldn’t grow legs and run away, and his physical condition was better than ever thanks to the new pills working well. Naturally, Seong Mu-yeon would have chosen the more urgent matter.
“Your mother must have had a hard time raising you.”
Baek Ryeo-il clicked his tongue and shook his head as if he had expected as much. Just as Seong Mu-yeon was about to flare up, Baek Ryeo-il smiled and snatched his hand.
“You know what? Your mother told me the exact same thing.”
“Really? What on earth did I do?”
The Seomun Clan remained silent, as if the meeting was prolonging.
As they left the clan and returned to the Hwasan quarters, the two engaged in a blossoming conversation.
Lanzhou, where numerous martial artists were gathered, had a more chaotic atmosphere than usual. Even now, ahead of the battle, martial artists from various places were arriving one after another.
People ran in all directions to deliver news and search for necessary items. Arguments broke out in the corners of taverns.
Only Baek Ryeo-il and Seong Mu-yeon, as if they had stepped out of the world and into a realm of their own, conversed with relaxed faces and smiles.
Seong Mu-yeon listened to his stories, sometimes saddened and sometimes laughing.