By Zephyria Detoxification (4)
Baek Ryeo-il sneered.
“I don’t need your money. Leave the sword. Go to the battlefield tomorrow and get a voucher in the name of Mount Hua.”
The innkeeper was sweating profusely. He didn’t want the voucher or the sword. But with two fierce martial artist glaring at each other, he was so nervous that he just wanted to send them to their rooms quickly, so he nodded.
“Ah, yes. Then the sword…”
“No need for that. Sleep in my room. No need to be so troublesome.”
“Should I?”
Baek Ryeo-il shrugged as if it were nothing. But his heart was elated. No matter how much that bastard acted up, Seong Mu-yeon was on his side.
Il-gwang’s face turned red and blue.
“Shall we go?”
Baek Ryeo-il took one of the keys the owner handed him and put his arm around Seong Mu-yeon’s shoulder. Il-gwang’s face turned completely pale at the sight.
“Innkeeper! Three rooms!”
Il-gwang shouted and threw the money down as if discarding it.
The innkeeper gave them three rooms next to each other. They decided to rest until morning and went to their respective rooms.
Baek Ryeo-il, who was meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly felt a disturbing presence and slyly opened one eye. Black shadows surrounded the building… It was the Black Shadow Unit.
He twitched his eyebrows.
If you’re going to hide, hide completely. If you’re going to reveal yourself, do it coolly. This neither-nor presence was extremely annoying.
‘Hmm?’
Looking down below the window, he saw the man named Il-gwang contacting the Black Shadow Unit. They seemed to be having a serious conversation.
Baek Ryeo-il, who was quietly spying on them, quickly hid behind the wall when Il-gwang looked this way warily.
‘Something’s up. I need to warn Seong Mu-yeon…’
Thinking of him made his heart flutter uncomfortably. Nothing went his way when it came to things related to him.
This incident left an especially deep impression. The pale face that took the poison from his Master’s body wouldn’t leave his mind. Moreover, he had even ruined his plan.
He stared intently at the wall of the room next door where Seong Mu-yeon would be.
He didn’t like owing debts, but he owed Seong Mu-yeon a big one anyway.
If you owe a debt, you just have to repay it.
Baek Ryeo-il got up from his seat. Just as he was about to open the door, he felt Il-gwang coming up the stairs. He quietly held his breath.
Knock knock.
Seong Mu-yeon got up from the bed at the sound of someone knocking on the door.
“Young master, it’s Il-gwang.”
“Come in.”
He had already prepared steaming porridge and tea on a tray and brought it in.
“You haven’t been eating properly lately, so you need to take care of yourself.”
Seong Mu-yeon chuckled. He couldn’t figure out Il-gwang’s intentions. On the surface, he seemed to be taking care of him as if he were serving his lord, but when it came to important moments, he didn’t listen to his orders at all.
However, it was clear that his attitude had improved somewhat since the Seong Mu-ryong incident. But that was only to the extent of changing from taking care of a stranger to taking care of someone he knew a little.
“Young master, I have something to tell you.”
Of course. It didn’t seem to be pure goodwill.
“I heard earlier that you’re looking for a way to cure your illness. Why are you looking for it outside? I know Second young master has prepared a Spirit Pill.”
“Are you talking about the Soul Confusion Spirit Pill?”
“Yes. Why didn’t you take it? I don’t understand. It’s the same with you wandering around other Sects outside the main Sect like this. What are you thinking?”
“……”
Seong Mu-yeon put down his spoon. Il-gwang had a naive expression as if he really didn’t understand, not as if he was picking a fight.
“Would you even understand if I explained it? Forget it. If it’s so good, you eat it.”
“A lowly person like me can’t even imagine such a precious thing. How can you say such a thing?”
“……Il-gwang, do you even know that?”
“Know what?”
“Do you know what my brother was trying to do to me in exchange for giving me the Soul Confusion Spirit Pill?”
Seong Mu-ryong was trying to cast a spell on him that would allow him to control him at will in exchange for curing his illness. Fortunately, Baek Ryeo-il, like a bomber, made a scene in time, so he was able to avoid it.
“Are you talking about the Soul Seizing Restriction? I don’t know what the problem is at all. You know that Second young master would never harm Young master, right? And it’s better to be protected and safe in the Sect than to live dangerously outside.”
“That’s not the problem… Stop it. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Young master…!”
“Do you want to see me get indigestion?”
Il-gwang had no choice but to shut his mouth when Seong Mu-yeon picked up his spoon again, but he was full of dissatisfaction.
“By the way, how is my brother doing?”
“Second young master is very busy. With the sudden vacancy of the two young masters, he’s working day and night to fill it, and he’s even worried about Young master…”
“He must be having a hard time. Oh, how about Master Baek? Did he eat something?”
Seong Mu-yeon only thought of him after eating half of the porridge. Il-gwang sneered, glaring in the direction of his room.
“How would I know? He’ll eat on his own. He can buy something to eat with the money he got from pawning the sword.”
Seong Mu-yeon finally put down his spoon.
“Il-gwang. Do I have to take your money pouch myself?”
His voice was low with fatigue. There was no trace of the considerate tone he usually had. Il-gwang stiffened, facing his eyes that were as deep as the middle of a deep lake.
That night, the image of Seong Mu-yeon scattering light like a sun alone in the darkness came to mind, and cold sweat formed on his back. But he couldn’t back down like this.
“But young master…”
“You must have noticed it by now, right? I’m not being held captive by Mount Hua, Mount Hua saved me. In particular, Master Baek Ryeo-il is a benefactor who has saved my life several times. What will become of my reputation if you treat him like this?”
“……I’m sorry.”
“I can’t trust your apology. Go to the kitchen right now and order food for Master Baek.”
“I understand.”
Il-gwang looked displeased, but he didn’t openly refuse the order. Seong Mu-yeon added one more word to the back of his head.
“Bring a bottle of good wine too.”
“Wine? Young master doesn’t drink, does he?”
“Of course. Master Baek will drink it.”
Il-gwang once again sent a look of contempt in the direction of Baek Ryeo-il. But he soon sighed and nodded.
“I understand.”
As Il-gwang left the room, he ran into Baek Ryeo-il, who was about to enter. Baek Ryeo-il raised his eyebrows at the fiercely glaring eyes.
“What are you looking at?”
Il-gwang, who was about to protest something, swallowed his words, remembering Seong Mu-yeon’s request.
As Il-gwang left, a strange silence filled the room.
Baek Ryeo-il, who had come with something to say, just stood there awkwardly. Seong Mu-yeon tilted his head at his unusual appearance, as if he was choosing his words.
“Master Baek? Do you have something to say?”
“No, well…”
He scratched the back of his head. But he soon thought that hesitating was not in his style, so he returned to his usual self and plopped down on his bed.
Baek Ryeo-il eventually hid his true feelings and changed the subject.
“But that guy. Why is he still sticking around without going back, even though he said he met you by chance?”
“Are you talking about Il-gwang? The situation was urgent, so there was no time to argue. Now that things have settled down to some extent, he’ll be leaving soon.”
“Tell him to leave quickly. Especially that guy, he’s suspicious because his eyes are strange, so be careful.”
Seong Mu-yeon just shrugged.
“……By the way, how’s your body?”
“What about my body?”
“Still, poison is poison, so didn’t any aftereffects remain? Has your condition gotten worse?”
At those words, Seong Mu-yeon quietly assessed his condition. He was tired, but there was nothing particularly uncomfortable. Baek Ryeo-il quietly watched and subtly leaned his upper body towards him.
“Tell me if you need anything…”
“Excuse me?”
Baek Ryeo-il coughed loudly.
“No, well… Because of Master’s matter, tell me anytime.”
Wasn’t he sending a subtle look while saying that?
Seong Mu-yeon awkwardly moved his body back.
“I’m fine now.”
“Really? Take a good look. If you don’t realize it and it gets worse later…”
“Take your hand off.”
Baek Ryeo-il removed his arm from his shoulder when Seong Mu-yeon spat out coldly.
“I’ll tell you when I need it, so you don’t have to worry. Food will be delivered to your room soon. Eat and sleep.”
“Just have them bring it here.”
In the end, Baek Ryeo-il ate and lazed around in his room as usual. He only lifted his heavy butt after Seong Mu-yeon, who was fed up with it, shouted at him to leave after the sun had set.
“By the way, I have something to say…”
Seong Mu-yeon looked up at him questioningly.
Il-gwang sat upright in the middle of the bed, waiting for the night to deepen. It was dawn when the moon rose and all the drunken people who had been tilting their glasses disappeared.
He finally got up from the bed.
His toes were lighter than feathers, making no sound at all.
He stood for a moment and focused his senses on the surrounding movements. He could feel the presence of the two people in each room, without any movement. Baek Ryeo-il must have fallen into a deep sleep too.
He carefully opened the door and stood in front of Seong Mu-yeon’s room.
‘……I’m sorry, Young master. Second young master told me to bring you back no matter what.’
The excuse that he came to get the sword was just a pretext. He had been staying near Mount Hua on Seong Mu-ryong’s orders to take Seong Mu-yeon back to Xinjiang if the opportunity arose.