By Zephyria 
There was no way to avoid it. No way to block it.
‘Ah…’
Seong Mu-yeon closed his eyes, sensing the end.
They say a kaleidoscope of memories flashes before one’s eyes when death approaches, and it was true. In a fleeting instant, countless memories swept through his mind.
The innocent days of his childhood, the joyful daily life spent with his mother and Seong Mu-ryong, his mother’s face as she placed his beloved sword into the young Seong Mu-yeon’s hands, the final image of Seong Mu-ryong unable to hide his bewilderment, the back of Yak Seon clutching his head in agony at a sunlit table, the Rabbit Mask clutching a handful of bean leaves gathered from across the mountain to feed the rabbits, and even Owl fanning the brazier to brew medicine…
Among them, the face that occupied the most space was undoubtedly Baek Ryeo-il.
Thinking back now, he must have already known his identity.
Seong Mu-yeon had simply avoided him out of fear of facing him after stabbing a dagger into his chest and leaving, but Baek Ryeo-il had certainly known. Every sly action, expression, and manner of speaking had said as much.
Despite that, he hadn’t revealed it because of Peng Do-hwan, who was within arm’s reach.
Even while abandoned and deeply angry, he had been trying to protect him. Contrary to his wishes, it had ended up like this, but…
If he had known it would come to this, he shouldn’t have hidden. He should have seen that angry face one more time.
He should have just held hands and run away three years ago.
‘How foolish.’
Leaving Baek Ryeo-il had been a stupid choice. How long would he have lived even if he survived? What use were great ambitions or chivalry?
Since it was going to end this way anyway, instead of struggling and living in hiding, he should have enjoyed himself to the fullest with the time he had left.
Not that anyone would have acknowledged someone like him for doing so.
‘The Dojo…’
Knowing that he was not far away made the regret even deeper. If he could go back, he would never leave him. Of course, that was merely a vain hope.
As the death he had struggled so hard to avoid finally reached his doorstep, strangely, his body and mind seemed to relax and loosen.
Thwack!
The moment that felt like an eternity passed, and the chilling sound of flesh being sliced hit his ears.
“…….”
Had his soul already left his body?
Seong Mu-yeon waited for the coming pain, but even that wasn’t felt. In fact, it truly didn’t hurt.
Opening his eyes in bewilderment, the color drained from Seong Mu-yeon’s face.
“No……”
The attack hadn’t even reached Seong Mu-yeon in the first place. The tip of the sword, flashing with sharp energy, was right before his eyes, stained with bright red droplets of blood. He also realized that the target the sword had pierced was a small figure standing in front of him as if to protect him.
Owl, who had appeared out of nowhere, had taken the blow of Peng Do-hwan’s sword instead.
Seong Mu-yeon couldn’t breathe for a while. Peng Do-hwan, also caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, stood frozen as if time had stopped, staring blankly at the boy he had attacked.
“Brother!”
As soon as he regained his senses, Seong Mu-yeon let out a scream-like shout and shoved Peng Do-hwan violently. The momentum that had been like a raging storm until a moment ago vanished, and Peng Do-hwan was pushed back helplessly.
“I, no, I……”
Peng Do-hwan muttered frantically, looking back and forth between Seong Mu-yeon and Owl.
“I, it wasn’t me. I didn’t mean to… I……”
Muttering incoherently like a madman, he suddenly turned around and fled. But Peng Do-hwan was no longer in Seong Mu-yeon’s concern.
“…….”
Owl slowly lowered his head and stared blankly at the great sword piercing through his body. He didn’t seem to have fully grasped what had happened yet. Sometimes, people don’t feel pain immediately after an accident or injury until their brain perceives it.
“Do, don’t touch me. I’m fine, a wound like this is……”
Seong Mu-yeon tried his best to act calm, but his voice trembled miserably. His eyes burned with tears.
“I’ve found the Poison Freak’s base. I’ll go and bring Yak Seon. He can treat you. You know, right? He’s an amazing person.”
Seong Mu-yeon spoke, sniffing.
Owl’s injury was severe at a glance. The great sword had sliced through the ribs, pierced the heart, and protruded through the back. Such a fatal wound could not be saved even if a Great Immortal came, let alone Yak Seon.
Owl, who was better than most physicians, couldn’t possibly not know that those words were a lie. However, perhaps sensing his own fate, he said nothing.
‘Peng Do-hwan……’
Seong Mu-yeon felt a sharp rage toward Peng Do-hwan for doing this. Murderous intent flickered in his tear-filled eyes as he glared at the forest where the man had disappeared.
〈…Be careful of that man.〉
The conversation he had with him a few days ago came to mind.
〈It means he is no different from an untamed beast. In the end, he will not only harm himself but put those around him in danger.〉
Peng Do-hwan had once said these words, referring to Baek Ryeo-il.
How ridiculous. Who was lecturing whom now? It was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
“Brother……”
The anger quickly transformed into deep remorse. With trembling hands, Seong Mu-yeon couldn’t bring himself to touch the hilt of the sword embedded in Owl, only pacing around him.
“Because of me……”
Thick tears streamed down his cheeks.
Seong Mu-yeon felt as if his heart were breaking.
If he had known that an innocent person would suffer such a calamity because of his own foolishness, he would never have played at such petty sympathy.
The days when he had struggled to call the servants—who were far younger than him—’brother’ or ‘sister’ after suddenly becoming the youngest servant under Yak Seon had now become a distant memory.
Suddenly, Owl raised his hand and pulled the great sword out of his body.
“What are you doing! You mustn’t touch it!”
A horrified Seong Mu-yeon screamed.
Preparing for the massive hemorrhage that would surely follow, he hurriedly reached out to block the wound. Or rather, he tried to block it.
“The blood… isn’t coming out.”
Only a slight trace of blood was visible on the abdomen; there was no noticeable bleeding. Even the great sword, which should have been drenched in pouring blood, only had a reddish tint on it.
“Why isn’t it coming out? It shouldn’t be like this.”
He was so shocked that his tears even dried up.
Seong Mu-yeon couldn’t understand. It was a massive sword wound that had practically split the body. It must have penetrated the heart; how could there be no bleeding?
“I’m not dying.”
Owl dropped the extracted great sword carelessly and spoke to the stunned Seong Mu-yeon.
“If you have bandages, give them to me……”
Looking at him now, it seemed Owl wasn’t out of it due to shock, but truly felt nothing. Even though a great sword the size of his own body had just been plunged into him, his posture remained steady and his voice was perfectly fine.
Owl pulled open his front clothes. Seeing the exposed scar, Seong Mu-yeon became even more confused. A thick vertical line running down his chest was the only thing proving that what had just happened was real; the wound didn’t even gape, as if it had already healed over several days.
“Youngest.”
When Owl called him again in a low voice with a sigh, Seong Mu-yeon snapped back to his senses. His expression suddenly hardened, and he jumped back away from Owl.
“Who… what are you people?”
He asked, not hiding his wariness.
He had vaguely known that Owl and the other servants were not ordinary beings. But after this incident, Seong Mu-yeon began to think they might be far more bizarre than he imagined. First to mind was the Corpse Control Art, known as the pinnacle of cunning evil sorcery.
Could it be that Yakseon Daein, the renowned master of pharmacology, had done something unforgivable to his servants?
Was the reason he cherished the servants so much not simple affection, but because they were the results of his secret research?
“I can’t tell you right now.”
Despite the secret being exposed, Owl remained unfazed and calmly shook his head.
“‘Right now’?”
“You’ll find out when the time comes, but there’s something more important right now……”
“…….”
Seong Mu-yeon searched Owl’s eyes, cautious about whether he could trust him. Owl reached out to him with a nonchalant attitude, completely unchanged from his usual self.
“Bandages.”
“……Here.”
Seong Mu-yeon cautiously handed over the bandages without letting down his guard. Owl then began to wrap the wound on his chest.
However, wrapping a bandage around one’s own chest was not easy. Especially for someone of Owl’s age, whose arms were short and head was large relative to his body, making it difficult to secure a clear line of sight.
Owl struggled for a while, but his hands kept slipping, and every time, the bandage he had managed to wrap became loose.
“Give it to me. I’ll do it.”
Eventually, Seong Mu-yeon practically snatched the bandages away.
While Seong Mu-yeon wrapped the wound, Owl remained silent. He showed no sign of trying to make excuses or persuade him, as if he didn’t care what the other thought of him.
“……Why did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Why did you block my path? Why did you take the sword for me? Do you… not even feel pain?”
Owl gave a light nod in response to the last question. But Seong Mu-yeon’s brow furrowed, feeling even more displeased.
Even if he had a body that couldn’t feel pain, if he recklessly threw himself in front of a great sword imbued with Pure True Qi and damaged his spine, he wouldn’t be able to walk.
Why are there only people like this around me?
Every single one of them were people who threw away their bodies without hesitation. That was the part Seong Mu-yeon didn’t like.
What on earth could be more important than their own lives?
He felt that if they were going to be like that, they might as well have given that devotion to him.