By Zephyria 
HF 19
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“I’ve never seen anyone like you before.”
Neither had I…
If Ho-yeon had not come to the demon sect, he would never have encountered Mu-gyeong. And until now, he had never seen a man like Mu-gyeong. To Ho-yeon, he was a one-of-a-kind existence. However, he found it difficult to speak. It felt as if his body were bound, unable to move an inch under an invisible pressure. Feeling that Mu-gyeong was suddenly too unfamiliar, Ho-yeon parted his lips, trying to say something.
“I suppose… you wouldn’t have had much occasion to meet an ice palace… inhabitant.”
Even though he was out of the water, he felt as if his breath were being crushed. Thud. At that moment, the oil-paper umbrella that had been leaning precariously fell to the floor, and Ho-yeon flinched as if he had heard a clap of thunder.
As droplets of water splashed, the two moles beneath his lip became damp.
“Try it.”
Mu-gyeong reached out and brushed Ho-yeon’s chin with his thumb. Unable to even blink or step back, Ho-yeon stared at him. Perhaps it was because of the flickering light, but for a moment, a red glint seemed to carve itself into Mu-gyeong’s pupils. Mu-gyeong, locking Ho-yeon’s gaze, slowly moved his lips.
“If you can get out.”
* * *
There had only been two times that Mu-gyeong had called him Wi Ho-yeon.
“The dragon spring silk embroidery artisan with the surname Wi staying at Eumbyeol Hall. Wi Ho-yeon, is it?”
The first time was when he had stepped out of the Neungra-bang, and the second was yesterday. However, unlike the first time, which had left a tingling sensation in his lower abdomen, yesterday had sent a chill down his spine.
In the end, Ho-yeon had merely glossed over it, saying, “Well… I suppose it wouldn’t be an easy task, would it?” After that, he had simply dried the moisture from his body and headed toward the bed amidst an awkward atmosphere.
Looking back, he had been short-sighted. He should not have mentioned things like the demon sect ignoring the ice palace to Mu-gyeong.
The person currently taking care of him was none other than Mu-gyeong. Saying that the demon sect had neglected him to spite the ice palace was effectively saying that Mu-gyeong was a nobody. Though unintentional, he had looked down on Mu-gyeong. He had been so deeply worried about Mu-gyeong’s safety that he failed to be considerate in that regard.
Regardless, Mu-gyeong was also a member of the demon sect… It was far too brazen to ask for something for the sake of an ice palace inhabitant like himself.
“It’s all my fault.”
If you can get out. There wasn’t a single wrong point in Mu-gyeong’s words. His plan had seemed plausible, but the demon sect was not such an easy place.
Ho-yeon looked at the empty bed and brushed back his hair. The one who was oblivious wasn’t Mu-gyeong, but himself. He had slept soundly even amidst yesterday’s unpleasant atmosphere. He usually slept a lot, but not to this extent… It seemed he had fallen into a dead sleep because the warmth of the person beside him was so comforting.
Seeing that Mu-gyeong was not there as soon as he opened his eyes, it seemed he had already set out to track the blood cult. From what was known, the blood cult was said to be the most cruel organization among the unorthodox sects. Since even the demon sect could not overlook their behavior and had resorted to executing them personally, he could imagine how vicious they were.
Ho-yeon only hoped that Mu-gyeong would be safe. He vowed that when he met Mu-gyeong, he would change his words and say that what he had said yesterday was nothing more than a mere complaint.
Ho-yeon poured some cold tea from the kettle to moisten his throat. After spending some time shaking off the remnants of sleep, he began his meditative breathing. If he did not periodically circulate the qi and blood of his body, the frost energy spreading outward would be more than enough to freeze everything around him. He was already prone to being misunderstood as having an extreme yin constitution; it would be troublesome to give them any more excuses.
Ho-yeon closed his eyes and circulated his qi and blood from the lower dantian, through the now-stabilized middle dantian, and up to the upper dantian. He wrapped the extreme yin energy hidden deep within him in internal power, over and over again.
Haa. The slow breath he exhaled formed a mist whiter than fog.
* * *
At the highest point of the demon sect headquarters, on a mountain where clouds hung low, stood the heavenly demon palace. The heavenly demon palace was positioned such that the entire foundation of the demon sect was visible at a glance, yet it was so towering that the cultists dared not look up.
The eaves of the heavenly demon palace soared toward the sky like sharp daggers, and black dragon statues were carved everywhere. Past the heavy doors engraved with the seal of the first heavenly demon, black iron pillars—looking as if they had been carved by giants—lined the long corridor. The carvings of demonic hands on each pillar provided an overwhelming sense of intimidation.
The poisonous mist that lingered in a space exposed to demonic energy for centuries became toxic just by breathing it in. It was the palace of the heavenly demon, a place where an ordinary person would not even dare to enter.
Past dozens of black iron pillars, in the deepest part of the palace, the throne of the heavenly demon resided within the heavenly demon great hall.
The hall was as high and wide as a sheer cliff on all sides, yet there was no extravagance to be found. With all external sound and light blocked, it felt like a space no different from the underworld. The massive obsidian throne placed at the center looked like the heart of the underworld itself.
Below the throne, at the bottom of the sixteen steps, the left guardian stood to the left and the right guardian to the right. They looked up at the throne with awe for their lord. The cult leader sat within the shadows.
“The plan for Haeun Express is proceeding without a hitch. I believe half a year will be sufficient for Haeun Express to enter Sichuan.”
The left guardian, Ji Hyeok-gyeong, the cult’s chief strategist, reported to the cult leader. A few years ago, Ji Hyeok-gyeong had acquired a place called Haeun Express in Qinghai, where the Kunlun Sect is located.
Since it was a failing express agency with only thirty couriers, it was easy to purchase and did not attract much attention. Over the next few years, Haeun Express grew in size and became the most renowned agency in Qinghai. No one expected the demon sect to operate an express agency in the lands of the orthodox sects.
The plan was to gradually expand the scale of Haeun Express from Qinghai to Sichuan, and through Gansu to Shaanxi. After finishing the regular reports regarding various other agendas, Ji Hyeok-gyeong wore a very apologetic expression.
Ji Hyeok-gyeong, who usually enjoyed wearing flamboyant red clothing, insisted on wearing achromatic colors only in front of the cult leader. Because of that, the dark circles under his eyes looked even blacker today.
“Disappearances are occurring one after another within the cult.”
“There is no clear physical evidence, but based on the circumstances, it is presumed to be the work of the blood cult.”
The right guardian, Il Gang-gun, who was holding a folded fan, added to the conversation. Soon, the cult leader sitting on the throne rose. Ji Hyeok-gyeong and Il Gang-gun instantly lowered their bodies and bowed their heads.
Seeing the cult leader in simple black light armor, Il Gang-gun could not hide his regret. The cult leader must have a deep reason for residing in a crumbling thatched cottage with Wi Ho-yeon, but he greatly missed the sight of him draped in a cloak over a long robe embroidered with black dragons. Of course, regardless of the cult leader’s appearance, Il Gang-gun’s loyalty remained steadfast.
“Who is Eum Yohwa’s son?”
“Pardon?”
Il Gang-gun felt like biting his tongue for daring to question the cult leader’s words. However, the cult leader paid no mind. He simply walked down the sixteen steps from the throne.
“He is called Yeom Ji-gong,” Ji Hyeok-gyeong answered instead, and Il Gang-gun ground his teeth inwardly, wondering how to deal with that annoying fellow. However, he could not fathom the intention behind asking about her son rather than Eum Yohwa herself. But to hastily presume the cult leader’s will was a grave sin.
“Shall I have him captured?”
Ji Hyeok-gyeong seemed ready to bind Yeom Ji-gong immediately.
“For what reason.”
The cult leader’s tone, as always, carried no particular emotion. Il Gang-gun thought Yeom Ji-gong had offended the cult leader, but that didn’t seem to be the case. While the two guardians exchanged glances, unsure of what to do, the cult leader gave an unexpected order.
“Send a courier to the ice palace.”
“I shall do so. May I ask about the matters that need to be investigated?” Ji Hyeok-gyeong asked. When sending a letter to the ice palace a few months ago, they had used foreign merchants instead of Haeun Express. This was because all links that could connect the demon sect to Haeun Express had to be severed. However, since it was the cult leader’s command, Ji Hyeok-gyeong did not offer any objections.
On the surface, Haeun Express was nothing more than an organization that transported cargo, but in reality, it was acquired to collect information on the Central Plains. Since an express agency could travel here and there under the pretext of deliveries, it was a perfect mask.
“Everything regarding Wi Ho-yeon, from the beginning to the end, without missing a single detail.”
“As you command!” The two guardians shouted their loyalty to the cult leader as he passed them by.