By Zephyria 
HF 5
==
In truth, everyone had wanted to call him the Mad Demon, but because the words had come from the Cult Leader himself, he was granted the grander name of the Mad Heavenly Black Demon.
“Then instead of just standing around, we should send someone to Fog Valley!”
“I already have! Hahaha!”
The Left Guardian burst into a hearty laugh, claiming that I would be the one to win this time. It had long since become a bet between the two of them to see who could first locate the Cult Leader, who often vanished without a trace.
At the Left Guardian’s teasing, the Right Guardian snapped his fan shut with a sharp sound, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again.
“Very well, Left Guardian. What does it matter which of us finds him? All that matters is that the Cult Leader is found.”
“Is that so? I bet you wanted to find him first. I bet you did!”
As the Left Guardian circled around him, taunting him, a vein popped on the Right Guardian’s temple.
“Now, now, I shall stop teasing, so please compose yourself, Right Guardian! At this rate, you’ll suffer a qi deviation!”
Having teased the Right Guardian to his heart’s content, the Left Guardian bolted back the way he came, fearing he might be struck by the fan. To prevent his heart fire from truly igniting, the Right Guardian looked up at the full moon once more and calmed his mind. After all, finding the Cult Leader was the only thing that mattered.
* * *
After leaving Fog Valley, the mountain path continued for two straight days. Since Ho-yeon had regained consciousness, there was no need to ride in the cart, so he walked on his own two feet. The horse followed closely behind Mu-gyeong, even without anyone holding the reins.
However, the animal’s temperament was far from ordinary. It would kick stationary trees with both hooves, and rather than being startled by a snake, it would bite one and toss it aside.
Occasionally, it would abruptly stand on two legs and grumble. Ho-yeon had truly never seen such a horse in his life.
In the meantime, Ho-yeon learned more about Mu-gyeong’s background. He was the scion of a family far more prominent than Ho-yeon had imagined.
His father was one of the five Great Demonic Elders of the demon sect, and Mu-gyeong was the second son. He added that since the eldest son would inherit the family, he was free to wander.
He mentioned that on that day, he had been heading toward a courtesan house outside the demon cult headquarters when he spotted Ho-yeon being attacked. To be heading to a courtesan house at such a late hour—he seemed quite fond of the opposite sex.
In front of a cave where they would spend the night, Mu-gyeong was grilling a butchered wild boar over a flickering fire. Several skewers made from wood carved with a sword held pieces of boar meat, with fat sizzling and bubbling.
Not only that, but Mu-gyeong had stripped the skin off a snake after removing its entrails in one swift motion. The snake, skewered whole, had no head. Since the snake Mu-gyeong had caught was venomous, the venom glands had to be removed.
Ho-yeon felt fine when the head was being cut off, but his stomach churned when the skin was peeled away. Mu-gyeong tossed the remaining boar carcass anywhere nearby and sat on a low rock. Ho-yeon sat opposite him, staring at the firewood.
“I feel terrible for relying on you so much.”
Since Mu-gyeong was handling everything from procuring food to lighting the fire, Ho-yeon was filled with guilt. To make matters worse, since he could not use martial arts, he couldn’t even employ a lightfoot technique.
Whether he was unaware that Ho-yeon lacked martial arts or simply choosing to ignore it, Mu-gyeong said nothing about the martial prowess Ho-yeon had displayed. However, judging by how he watched silently during meditative breathing, he seemed to suspect there was a problem with Ho-yeon’s dantian.
Ho-yeon looked at the piece of boar meat offered to him. Unlike the tough leg meat, it was a piece from what appeared to be the most tender part.
“Thank you. As I said, I will surely repay your kindness.”
“The Cult Leader is the one who called you because he needed you; the Cult Leader can be the one to repay the debt.”
“The Cult Leader…”
A member of the demon sect who didn’t use honorifics for the Cult Leader—Ho-yeon felt a shiver of nervousness, wondering if anyone was eavesdropping.
“Even the Emperor is called ‘that Emperor fellow’ when he’s not around.”
Ho-yeon let out a small, belated chuckle and chewed on the well-browned boar meat. He had expected a strong gamey smell due to the lack of spices, but it was surprisingly edible. It seemed to be thanks to the mugwort burned along with the firewood.
Mu-gyeong chewed on the skewered snake meat with a rhythmic chomp. Even though he couldn’t taste it, Ho-yeon’s face instinctively crumpled.
“Is the boar not enough? I don’t eat much, so I don’t think you necessarily need to eat snake…”
Because he was facing the glowing embers, Ho-yeon’s white cheeks were flushed as he trailed off. As he chewed the meat in his mouth, the two moles beneath his lips moved in a suggestive manner. He seemed unable to openly state that the snake was revolting.
“It’s not that it’s insufficient.”
Ho-yeon gave him a questioning look, wondering then why he was eating it.
“I caught it, so I eat it.”
Then again, he had heard that snake was good for the body. Especially for stamina…
Since he was a man who even prepared a mask to visit a courtesan house behind his father’s back, it made sense that he would be very interested in stamina. Just then, the horse approached, snorting loudly. The eyes of the horse, which had disappeared for a while, seemed even more crazed in the reflection of the fire.
Mu-gyeong glanced at the horse and stood up.
“I suppose it found a hot spring.”
The horse nudged Mu-gyeong with its head. It was as if the horse had understood the words. More importantly, a hot spring—something rarely heard of in the snowy mountains of the North Sea.
Though no further explanation was given, Ho-yeon also stood up. As the horse led the way, pushing through patches of thicket, a steaming hot spring miraculously appeared. It was quite large, enough for several men to fit inside. Ho-yeon looked back at Mu-gyeong in admiration.
“I thought there were many mountains, but I suppose there was a volcano.”
He had barely managed a quick wash at the inn, so his body felt grimy. The hot spring before him was more than welcome. Ho-yeon wanted to express his gratitude to the horse, but he felt that if he approached, he might be kicked by its hind legs.
When leaving the village, he had been forced to hold the reins because the horse would glare as if to bite any mare or man who passed by. Thus, Ho-yeon had intentionally avoided the horse during their journey. But now, the horse was the one nudging its head toward Ho-yeon first.
“May I… touch it?”
Mu-gyeong nodded. When Ho-yeon reached out and gently stroked the mane, the horse leaned its head in further. Though its eyes were still abnormal, its behavior was docile. Feeling a sudden sense of intimacy, Ho-yeon more confidently scratched the mane.
“It’s gentler than I thought.”
“It spends more time running wild, though.”
Startled, Ho-yeon clenched his hand and instinctively stepped back.
“It’s on the docile side right now.”
Mu-gyeong seemed to be a man with a mischievous streak. Ho-yeon opened his hand again and stroked the mane.
“What is this fellow’s name?”
“Hmm, I’ve never given it a name.”
To not give a name to such a clever horse—that was too indifferent.
“Then how about giving it one now?”
“As you wish.”
Ho-yeon had suggested Mu-gyeong name it, but the authority had been passed back to him. Since he had made the suggestion, Ho-yeon pondered for a moment before naming it.
“Tae-pyeong. How about Tae-pyeong?”
Mu-gyeong chuckled, as if Ho-yeon’s naming skills were abysmal. Ho-yeon found himself captivated by the man who rarely smiled.
“It’s not because he’s actually peaceful… but since he has a bit of a temper, I named him Tae-pyeong in the hope that he becomes peaceful.”
Mu-gyeong began to undress as if it didn’t matter. His upper body, which looked thick even through clothes, was even more imposing once revealed. Not just his looks, but every part of his physique drew the eye.
Mu-gyeong, whose towering height suggested he had mastered external arts, was as imposing as a sheer cliff. Ho-yeon thought that if one were to capture the feeling of the demon sect’s hundred thousand great mountains in a single glance, it would be like this.
Since it would be strange to stare at him undressing, Ho-yeon also averted his gaze and began to remove his own clothes. He neatly folded the long-sleeved robe from which he had drained the blood and took off the gold garments he wore underneath. Finally, he set aside the oil-paper umbrella he had brought.
As if possessed, Ho-yeon was drawn toward the hot spring, a sight rarely seen in the ice palace. Right before him was the broad back of the man, already half-submerged in the water.