“Thank you for saving me and taking care of me, elders. Physician.”
Ak Mujin politely greeted those who had saved his life before leaving the pharmacy. Physician Noh and Jang Cheon-woo nodded and packed him a bundle of medicine, slipping a small vial into his sleeve as well.
Jang Cheon-woo lowered his voice and whispered so that only Ak Mujin could hear.
“It’s a Heat Cycle suppressant. Always keep it with you.”
Ak Mujin took it and smiled faintly. He felt bitter about his situation, having to carry such medicine, and deeply moved by the physicians who took such good care of him even knowing he was a member of the Demonic Cult.
Jin Geum-ryeon was waiting for Ak Mujin to finish his greetings. Ak Mujin bowed once more with his hands clasped before following Jin Geum-ryeon. He had grown attached during his few days of recovery, and his steps were somewhat reluctant as he departed.
The Martial Alliance was located in Hunan. The journey from Shanxi to the Martial Alliance was a distance that would take at least ten days of non-stop riding.
Jin Geum-ryeon had just descended from the mountain and didn’t have the money to buy a carriage or horse. Furthermore, Ak Mujin’s Qi was twisted, preventing him from using his lightness skill, so he anticipated that the journey would be even longer.
Ak Mujin suddenly felt worried.
He would inevitably be sharing a room with Jin Geum-ryeon, and even with the suppressant, what if his Heat Cycle suddenly triggered and Jin Geum-ryeon pounced on him? Or… what if he pounced on him?! This was truly something that should never happen in this fanfic!
There was already a main couple, so a side couple involving the protagonist was unacceptable. Even Ak Mujin, a foolish fan, would have to raise a torch in protest.
However, Ak Mujin’s worries were unfounded. They walked all day and reached a small village around afternoon. Jin Geum-ryeon decided to stay in the village for the night, as walking further might mean camping outdoors.
They headed to an inn.
“Just one room, and one bed is enough. Is it alright if one person sleeps in the stable?”
“Excuse me?”
The innkeeper’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. But the confusion quickly cleared.
“There’s a dog-pig here.”
This time, Ak Mujin’s eyes widened as he stared at the back of Jin Geum-ryeon’s head. Jin Geum-ryeon turned his head and gestured at Ak Mujin with his chin.
“He’s a member of the Demonic Cult. A very wicked one. I’m taking him to the Martial Alliance, so how could I possibly share a room with a dog-pig?”
“Heh heh. That’s right, young hero! Such a thing must never happen, of course!”
The innkeeper, upon learning that Ak Mujin was a member of the Demonic Cult, became excited and agreed with Jin Geum-ryeon, spitting as he spoke. Ak Mujin, who unknowingly ended up spending the night in the stable, was utterly dumbfounded. Well, since they wouldn’t be sleeping together, he wouldn’t have to worry about an unfortunate accident even if his Heat Cycle suddenly came on.
He didn’t know whether to be relieved or not, whether to be angry or not.
Jin Geum-ryeon paid for the room and came to Ak Mujin, tying his hands tightly with rope.
“So you don’t run away.”
Jin Geum-ryeon scanned the dining hall on the first floor of the inn. It was crowded with people, and there weren’t many seats available. He smiled kindly, for some reason. Then, holding the rope attached to the rope binding Ak Mujin, he pulled him like a cow.
“It can’t be helped. Let’s have dinner together.”
Ak Mujin was about to go crazy. If he was going to make him sleep in the stable, he shouldn’t even give him food. He should just pick one.
“I don’t really feel like it.”
“How can you take your medicine if you don’t eat?”
Ak Mujin glared.
“What, you’re even going to give me medicine?”
“The physician told me to take good care of your medicine.”
Ak Mujin felt like his insides were boiling and about to explode. Who created a character so rude and self-centered?
But he soon sat down and reflected.
He himself was the one who created this mess.
Clearly, in the original work, his protagonist delivered refreshing cider to the readers whenever he mocked and insulted the bad guys, but now that he was on the receiving end, he was going crazy. They said there were mouths that could induce Qi Deviation with just words, and Jin Geum-ryeon seemed capable of doing that if he wanted to.
“Innkeeper, bring us two bowls of noodles.”
“Yes~”
Ak Mujin was infuriated once again by the menu selection. How was he supposed to eat noodles with his hands tied? He sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair.
Soon, the innkeeper brought the steaming noodles. Ak Mujin suddenly had an idea and looked around the inn. There were a few dark-skinned people who seemed to be martial artists, but most of them seemed to be civilians.
But when he realized that there were only two women in this large inn, he frowned, feeling a sense of incongruity.
“Are there usually not many women in the martial world?”
“……?”
Jin Geum-ryeon glanced around at Ak Mujin’s question.
“That’s true, in this inn.”
What did he mean, ‘in this inn’? The number of women in this world was absolutely small.
Well, Jin Geum-ryeon had been training in the mountains all this time, so he might not have noticed.
“How did you know that? Pervert.”
Jin Geum-ryeon tossed those words out casually, stirred his noodles once, and began to slurp them down. Ak Mujin was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even speak.
Seeing him eat made him hungry, so he struggled to pick up the chopsticks and tried to eat the noodles somehow. It wasn’t as difficult as he thought.
“Brother Jin, did you hear?”
“What?”
The inn was noisy with people, but the conversation at the next table was very clear. Ak Mujin tried his best not to listen in order to respect other people’s privacy, but he couldn’t help but hear what came into his ears.
“About Habuk Village, upstream of the river. They say it’s been completely devastated. Old people and children, they’re all dead.”
“What? Who did that?”
“Who else? The Demonic Cult did it.”
Ak Mujin blinked and looked at Jin Geum-ryeon. Jin Geum-ryeon was silently filling his stomach with noodles.
“Why? Did they have a grudge against them?”
“I don’t know. That’s why the Martial Alliance dispatched some people to investigate the truth.”
“Heh.”
Ak Mujin, after hearing the story, lost his appetite and put down his chopsticks. It seemed that the Demonic Cult had been dispatched because of his disappearance in that area. He knew their methods well. They must have been killing people under the guise of investigation. Ak Mujin’s head began to ache.
Jin Geum-ryeon, after hearing the conversation, also put down his utensils and rinsed his mouth with tea.
“…Your Demonic Cult members.”
His expression didn’t change, but it seemed that the prejudice in his mind had been further strengthened. Ak Mujin couldn’t say that not all members of the Demonic Cult were like that, so he could only clear his throat.
He suddenly felt a little worried. Going to the Martial Alliance with Jin Geum-ryeon wasn’t a welcome prospect, but returning to the Demonic Cult was something he wanted to avoid even more.
“Isn’t it too conspicuous to take me around like this?”
Jin Geum-ryeon glanced at Ak Mujin.
“By now, they must have sent people to investigate my death. It won’t be good for you if I reveal my face too much.”
“I can just cut them all down.”
“You?”
Ak Mujin laughed.
Jin Geum-ryeon looked at him as if asking why he was laughing, but he couldn’t respond to Ak Mujin’s next words.
“You haven’t killed anyone yet. Even letting Cheon Dan-ho live proves that.”
“…….”
“Isn’t that why you can’t kill me either?”
Jin Geum-ryeon listened quietly and then laughed.
“There’s some truth to that. I haven’t killed anyone yet.”
He stroked his chin as if deep in thought. His lowered eyelids cast long shadows, making him look melancholic.
“But if my first kill is for the revenge of my parents, that would be quite meaningful.”
Wouldn’t it? Jin Geum-ryeon’s golden eyes stared straight at Ak Mujin. Ak Mujin felt as if something had gripped him tightly, preventing him from moving.
“…If you send me to the Martial Alliance, you won’t be able to do that either.”
He said, trying not to be intimidated. Jin Geum-ryeon seemed to ponder for a moment at those words.
“Well, let’s buy a mask for you in the village tomorrow morning. It’s not that I can’t defeat the small fries of the Demonic Cult, but running into them before even reaching the Martial Alliance would be a hassle.”
Jin Geum-ryeon finished speaking and got up to go to the counter. The innkeeper took the money for the noodles and then guided him to the room he would be staying in.
“The room for the young hero is the fourth room on the second floor. You can freely take a bath by coming down to the first floor. If you need bathwater, please let us know anytime.”
While the innkeeper was chattering, Ak Mujin clung to Jin Geum-ryeon’s side, but he was not assigned a room. Jin Geum-ryeon went up to the second floor, and Ak Mujin actually entered the stable.
…….
Am I really sleeping here?!
The smell of horse manure is insane!