By Zephyria 
HF 18
===
“I’ll give it a try.”
Ho-yeon had prepared other words, guessing that he might refuse, but it had been a waste of effort. Once again, Ho-yeon found himself at a loss for words.
Regardless, it was a satisfying answer, so Ho-yeon stripped off all the undergarments he was wearing. Despite having just inwardly scolded Mu-gyeong for not dressing properly, Ho-yeon was now completely naked. He even twisted his hair upward and secured it with a wooden hairpin. Then, a question occurred to him belatedly.
“By any chance, do you know someone called Young Master Yeom?”
Mu-gyeong was the only person from whom he could comfortably obtain information about the demon sect. Ho-yeon stood before Mu-gyeong, his white body flawless and bare.
“As if there’s only one person with the surname Yeom,” Mu-gyeong replied, pouring a bit more oil into the lantern.
“I heard he’s Eum Yohwa’s son.”
Mu-gyeong seemed to recall who it was for a moment before giving an answer.
“I’ve heard he has a son.”
Since Young Master Yeom practically lived at the pleasure houses, Ho-yeon wondered if Mu-gyeong might be acquainted with him, but it seemed he had never met him in person. Ho-yeon, who had intended to ask more about Young Master Yeom due to a lingering feeling of unease, quickly dropped the thought.
“Sounds like his mother has quite a headache over there too. Just like your father.”
With a mischievous smile, Ho-yeon walked with small steps, still naked. He then slipped himself into a large jar placed between the bed and the kitchen.
The valley water filled to the appropriate level in the jar, splashing gently around Ho-yeon’s neck without overflowing. He shuddered from plunging straight into the cold water, but compared to the cold of the North Sea, it was nothing.
“So, where are you going tomorrow?”
Mu-gyeong let out a short hum. He looked at the small face poking out of the jar and slowly moved his steps. Ho-yeon looked at Mu-gyeong with a gaze that seemed to ask if he intended to wash again despite having already done so. The jar was just the right size for one person; there wasn’t a hand’s breadth of space for him to enter.
As a hand reached out, Ho-yeon pulled his body back slightly toward the rear of the jar. Even though they had spent a fair amount of time together, Ho-yeon still felt nervous whenever Mu-gyeong approached so silently. Mu-gyeong dipped the back of his hand halfway into the water. A red glow gathered on the back of his hand where the veins bulged, and heat gradually began to spread through the water.
Just as he had used internal energy to blow away moisture before, he converted his internal power into heat. The water soon turned into a warm hot spring. The surprise at seeing him utilize internal power in such various forms was short-lived. Another thought flashed through Ho-yeon’s mind. Was he trying to get on his good side in advance because he planned to visit a pleasure house with the money Ho-yeon gave him?
“By any chance, the pleasure house—”
“I’m tracking the blood cult, so I plan to leave the main sect for a while.”
Ho-yeon’s mouth hung open, unable to finish his sentence. It wasn’t because the water droplets were vanishing from Mu-gyeong’s hand like evaporation as he withdrew it. Ho-yeon simply couldn’t close his mouth, wondering if he had heard correctly.
The blood cult was known to have been annihilated by the demon sect a very long time ago. However, Ho-yeon did not voice his simple doubt. He judged that Mu-gyeong, a member of the demon sect, would have more accurate information, and that the blood cult, thought to have disappeared, must be active again.
“Is it… because of your father?”
If he was tracking the blood cult to achieve a feat and appease Mu Seong-pyeong’s wrath, it was far too dangerous.
“Something like that,” Mu-gyeong answered vaguely, reading Ho-yeon’s intent. Even to a hot-blooded demon sect member like Mu Seong-pyeong, the blood cult was a target to be eradicated.
“That’s too dangerous. I heard they build internal energy by killing people and turn the corpses into jiangshi.”
“You speak as if it’s someone else’s business.”
It clearly was someone else’s business. Yet, as Mu-gyeong’s eyes looked directly at him, Ho-yeon opened his gentle eyes even wider than before. Splash, he raised a hand and pointed to himself. It was a silent question asking if he was also involved.
“If the ones who attacked the ice palace were the blood cult…”
Mu-gyeong casually let out the inner workings of a massive truth. Ho-yeon was so startled that water overflowed from the jar.
“The blood cult… attacked our ice palace?”
Just as he was thinking Why on earth?, Ho-yeon stood up with a clatter. Having been immersed in hot water, goosebumps broke out all over his body. A frost energy more severe than when he had entered the cold water rushed over him. His body, having known warmth, was now rejecting the cold.
He knew he shouldn’t get used to such warmth, but Ho-yeon did not force himself to endure and sank back into the hot water. Unlike his limp body, his mind was fortunately working sharply.
He had heard that the blood cult had been driven to the brink of extinction by the demon sect. For the blood cult, the demon sect must be their sworn enemy.
They must have also heard the rumor that the demon sect leader had the nine yang severed meridian, so they wouldn’t have just stood by while the ice palace moved toward the demon sect. They likely viewed him as an extreme yin constitution and attempted to kill him.
“I heard the attackers used demonic art.”
“The roots of the blood cult are in the demon sect, so it’s not strange.”
This meant that the blood cult was fully capable of performing some of the demon sect’s martial arts. Suddenly drained of energy, Ho-yeon rested his chin on the rim of the jar. After the demon sect, now the blood cult—just how big was this situation becoming?
“Still, there’s no need for you to put yourself in danger.”
“You seem to have forgotten who the person protecting your safety is.”
“……!”
In other words, Mu-gyeong intended to find and eliminate the blood cult because he feared for Ho-yeon’s safety. To think he cared for him this much… Ho-yeon felt his chest grow hot.
He had thought Mu-gyeong was merely a libertine who only cared for female beauty, but Mu-gyeong was the one with the deepest heart of all. Looking back, he hadn’t just passed by when Ho-yeon was in danger; he had even saved him.
Would it be a good time now to tell Mu-gyeong about the plan he had been devising? Ho-yeon lightly bit his lower lip with his front teeth. Since Mu-gyeong cared for him this much, he might grant the request. He didn’t know when the leader would emerge from closed-door cultivation, so there was no benefit in delaying further. Ultimately, Ho-yeon decided to bring it up very cautiously.
“Listen… if I were to die, wouldn’t you no longer need to track the blood cult?”
An emotion was etched into the eyes of Mu-gyeong, who usually seemed to be in a state of quiet immersion. Ho-yeon swallowed hard. Mu-gyeong’s eyes currently felt as if they were honed like a sharp blade.
“No, I just mean as a hypothetical. I’m not saying I’m actually going to die.”
Ho-yeon added the excuse, feeling as if that blade were pointed directly at him. Mu-gyeong strode toward Ho-yeon. Given Mu-gyeong’s usual personality, Ho-yeon thought he would simply dismiss it as nonsense and move on, but it was different from his expectation.
Did Mu-gyeong think he might actually commit suicide? He felt he should reveal his true intentions before the atmosphere became any stranger. Above all, he was deeply concerned for Mu-gyeong, who was willing to find and destroy the blood cult for his safety.
“So… I don’t know what you’ll think, but there’s a way that would be good for both the demon sect and the ice palace. Before the leader emerges from closed-door cultivation, I’ll become a dead person. Like I said, I’m not actually going to die, but I want to pretend…”
Only after speaking did Ho-yeon’s heart race, and he cast his gaze toward the window. Outside the house, everything was buried in the pitch-black darkness of the mountains. Naturally, Mu-gyeong was the only one listening. However, having asked him to betray the leader, Ho-yeon couldn’t bring himself to look at Mu-gyeong and instead aimlessly flicked the water with his hand.
“The reason the leader called for me… is likely retaliation against the ice palace for not handing over the extreme yin constitution.”
Ho-yeon brushed his cheek with his warm hand.
“Look. Your sect is treating me, the son of the palace master, as if I don’t even exist. No matter how I look at it, it only seems like an intention to insult the ice palace. So, even if I die, they won’t care much.”
Ho-yeon’s judgment was far off.
In the first place, it was the right guardian and left guardian who suggested bringing a hostage from the ice palace. They strongly argued that the ice palace was hiding the extreme yin constitution and that they must bring the palace master’s child. Mu-gyeong had not added a word, as everything had always been the same.
The entire flow changed only after he received Ho-yeon’s portrait.
“I didn’t think as far as the blood cult, but if I disappear, wouldn’t the friction between the demon sect and the blood cult caused by me vanish?”
And honestly, I’m worried about you. This was Ho-yeon’s greatest sincerity, though he couldn’t put it into words.
“So, I think it would be good if I suffered from a lingering illness for a while and then just died. What do you think?”
Having laid all the groundwork, Ho-yeon finally revealed his true objective and looked up at him.
But why… is he smiling?
However, it was closer to a sneer than a smile of amusement.
“I’m not saying I’ll actually die like that, but that I’ll mimic it, pretending to be dead.”
It was just as he was about to mention that he was quite proficient in the ghost breath method.
“Wi Ho-yeon.”
With a low call, Mu-gyeong leaned toward Ho-yeon. At the call of unfathomable depth, Ho-yeon felt his heart drop. Ssh, Mu-gyeong’s sliding hair cast a veil like the darkness outside.