By Zephyria I need to get out of here. (3)
“……”
Suddenly, he realized that he was covered in blood and yet felt nothing. Even more, the mangled pieces of corpses were scattered at his feet.
A chill ran down his arm belatedly.
Before he regained his past life’s memories, he too had seen such brutal scenes without a second thought. Whether he liked it or not, it was a common occurrence in the Demonic Cult.
‘That’s why I can’t stay in the Demonic Cult.’
It was a bizarre place where extraordinary scenes became commonplace. He was even disturbed by his own insensitivity to human life.
“Young master.”
Il-gwang was using his title for him again.
“Did you enjoy the show?”
Il-gwang looked tired. He fixed his gaze on the retreating backs of the three family members and said, “If they escape, they might spread rumors about the Black Shadow Unit. We must eliminate them for security.”
Just as the Black Shadow Unit was about to leap into action at Il-gwang’s command, “Wait!”
Seong Mu-yeon shouted in alarm.
“What are you saying, Il-gwang! Do you not know why I intervened?”
Seong Mu-yeon took out a clean handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped his face and hands. He was annoyed, and his hands kept slipping.
‘Seriously, these Demonic Cult guys just don’t know when to stop.’
“I went to the trouble of saving them, and now you want to kill them again? I want to crack open your head and see what’s inside. Then all my efforts would be for nothing.”
“But no one must know that you are currently in the Central Plains, Young master.”
“Who would believe what they say?”
“Young master!”
“Ugh, fine. We can just go somewhere else. Don’t worry about it. Let’s leave tomorrow.”
Il-gwang didn’t argue further and bowed his head. The Black Shadow Unit also retreated and disappeared into the shadows.
“I need to go back and wash up right away. This blood is making me feel disgusting.”
Seong Mu-yeon deliberately spoke harshly, urging him on. Il-gwang, thankfully, gave up on chasing the family and quietly followed.
He glanced sideways at Il-gwang with dissatisfaction and shook his head.
Anyway, he didn’t like it. The Demonic Cult was a place that didn’t value human life. He, too, had grown up in such a Demonic Cult, so he hadn’t thought much of it, but now that he had recalled his past life, he could no longer tolerate such actions.
“Let’s go back quickly. I’m tired from walking.”
They left the mangled corpses behind and left the place as if nothing had happened.
Only the cart abandoned by the three people and the bodies of the dead thugs remained, proving what had happened there.
And Seong Mu-yeon didn’t know. Neither Il-gwang, nor the Black Shadow Unit, nor anyone else noticed.
That there were eyes watching them from afar.
Those meaningful eyes stared at the back of Seong Mu-yeon’s head as he walked away.
The next day, the carriage carrying Seong Mu-yeon left the city.
“Ugh, my back.”
As he rode in the carriage that had been running all day, a groan naturally escaped his lips.
“Young master, shall we rest for a bit?”
Il-gwang approached quickly and asked, leaning in through the window. Seong Mu-yeon waved his hand.
“No, it’s fine. If we want to sleep comfortably at an inn in Seongdo tonight, we need to get there today.”
“That’s right. Then please bear with it a little longer.”
Il-gwang moved away again, and Seong Mu-yeon sank deep into his seat.
‘That ghostly bastard.’
Il-gwang was a highly respected expert even within the Cult. He didn’t know why such a guy volunteered to be his bodyguard, but it wouldn’t be easy to shake him off.
Moreover, there were about seven or eight members of the Black Shadow Unit secretly positioned around him. The problem was that he had no way of knowing where they were or exactly how many there were.
Il-gwang rarely left his side. It was bad news for Seong Mu-yeon. It was truly 24-hour close protection, leaving no room for escape.
But soon, a heaven-sent opportunity arrived.
The carriage, which had been running diligently, stopped in a certain city.
“This inn is the most famous place here. They say their Sichuan cuisine is excellent, so let’s stay here.”
“Alright.”
Seong Mu-yeon quickly got out of the carriage. Standing on solid ground made him feel at ease.
“Welcome! We have a good spot upstairs. I’ll show you the way.”
It was a splendid inn from the outside. It was dinnertime, so the first floor was bustling with customers.
Seong Mu-yeon followed the Server’s affable attitude and went up to the third floor.
Normally, he would have avoided crowded places and had the food brought to his room. But today, he was unusually delighted by the lively scenery and didn’t want to go into a room. He was also relieved that there were no customers on the third floor.
“You’ve come at just the right time. The sunset view from here is the most beautiful! It’s the pride of our establishment.”
As the Server said, the ambiance was excellent. Sitting at the round table near the window, he had a clear view of the wide lake outside. A large willow tree at the edge of the lake was swaying its leaves near the water’s surface.
Il-gwang ordered the food. Soon, the Server brought a steaming cup.
“It will take some time for the food to come out, so I brought you something to cleanse your palate.”
Smelling it, it was a very strong liquor.
“Our Young master doesn’t drink. Take it away.”
“Ah, yes! I understand. I’ll bring tea instead.”
Just as the Server was about to take the cup back, someone snatched it away.
“Kuh!”
A man who suddenly appeared downed the strong liquor in one go and slammed the cup down with a thud.
“Good stuff.”
Il-gwang’s face hardened.
“……What are you doing?”
He spoke in a warning tone, but the man didn’t care and emptied the other cups as well.
“Don’t be so uptight. It wasn’t like you were going to drink it anyway, right? What does it matter who drinks it?”
“This is incredibly rude……!”
“Il-gwang, stop it.”
Seong Mu-yeon stopped him. Then he spoke politely to the man.
“I won’t make an issue of you drinking my liquor, so don’t worry. That seat over there looks good too. Server, please show him to his seat.”
“Yes, please follow me.”
The Server, who had been standing there blankly, came to his senses and bowed to the man.
“Hmm, unlike his bodyguard, the Young master is generous.”
But he didn’t follow the Server and instead sat down in the chair opposite Seong Mu-yeon.
“Since we’ve met like this, let’s introduce ourselves.”
The man smiled with an affable attitude. It was a charming smile that would surely make anyone’s heart flutter, but Seong Mu-yeon was annoyed instead.
He had no desire to flirt with a stranger.
“I only intend to eat and then leave. I’m tired from traveling. I wouldn’t be a suitable conversation partner, so please find someone else.”
He indirectly conveyed his intention to be left alone. But whether the man was oblivious or doing it on purpose, he leaned his chin on the table and observed him with interest.
“Don’t think so hard about it. It’s boring to eat alone.”
“I’m not bored.”
“You will be.”
“I won’t be.”
Do normal people even exist in this world of martial arts?
Seong Mu-yeon was annoyed but smiled. The other person seemed to be several years older than him, so how could he act rashly? The Confucian values ingrained in his head were unavoidable.
“If you’re looking for a conversation partner, why not find a travel companion instead?”
“I’d like to, but I’m just wandering around as I please.”
The man naturally leaned back in his chair and casually crossed one leg over the other. Then he cracked open the peanuts that were served as snacks and nonchalantly tossed them into his mouth.
“What do you want to talk about?”
“I’m just curious why the Young master is here with such a boring bodyguard.”
The man gestured with his head towards Il-gwang, who was standing behind him. Now that he looked, Il-gwang was sending Seong Mu-yeon a silent gaze with a serious expression.
It seemed he was displeased that the person he had to protect was dining with a stranger.
‘Always so uptight.’
He noticed his signal but pretended not to and turned his head away.
“I’m traveling for recuperation.”
He even kindly answered the man’s question on purpose.
It was a good opportunity to get back at Il-gwang, who was always interfering in everything. As expected, Il-gwang’s face twisted even more fiercely. He was very satisfied.
“Recuperation? You must not be feeling well. Hey, Server! Bring me some Zhuye Qing wine!”
“Yes, yes. Coming right up!”
The man made himself comfortable and drank. Now that he looked closely, he was a handsome man with long, well-proportioned limbs. His long hair was tied back in a single knot, and whenever he tilted his head, his abundant hair cascaded over his shoulder.
Seong Mu-yeon gloomily looked at his own skinny limbs. If he hadn’t been sick, he could have trained hard and had a body like that too.
“So, Young master. You can’t drink?”
“Yes, my health isn’t good, so my body doesn’t take it well.”
The man clicked his tongue briefly.
“That’s too bad. You can’t drink this good stuff? But good liquor can be medicine too.”
“There’s nothing I can do about it.”
Soon, a table full of food was served. Seong Mu-yeon had various conversations with the man while eating, and surprisingly, he was an excellent conversationalist. He led the conversation without being boring with his amazing eloquence.
“So……. Your father isn’t interested in you, and it’s as if you’ve been abandoned by your family.”
Seong Mu-yeon laughed awkwardly.
‘Somehow, I’ve ended up telling him all sorts of things.’
That was because Seong Mu-yeon hadn’t had anyone to talk to all this time. What could he talk about with Il-gwang, who was as stiff as a wooden block? Or would he talk to the invisible Black Shadow Unit?
Still, by glossing over the fact that his father, who had abandoned him, was the ‘Demonic Cult Leader’ and his place of origin, he was able to disguise it as a common family affair.