83 – Aung (3)

Growl (3)

Of course.

The Jangryeong Disciples of the Great Mount Hua Sect were elites who had received thorough training from a young age. They were busy with Sect affairs, so when would they have time to cook?

“What were you trying to make?”

“I was going to make some dumplings…”

“Ugh, step aside.”

Seong Mu-yeon reluctantly rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward. He sorted through the ingredients that had miraculously survived the war and threw away the rest. Then, he made the dumpling filling and began to knead the flour, which was about half of what he had started with. Since there was a lot to begin with, it was just enough.

“Young master, you know how to cook?”

Ma Jin-cheon, who had washed up in the meantime, asked with wide, surprised eyes. As the Young master of the Demonic Cult, Seong Mu-yeon would have been raised as preciously as Ma Jin-cheon, without ever having to lift a finger, so it was a mystery where he had learned to cook.

“I just picked it up here and there. Instructors, come and help me make dumplings.”

“Ah, yes.”

Ma Jin-cheon and Gang Woong began to make dumplings as Seong Mu-yeon instructed.

Ma Jin-cheon kept glancing at him, as if he was amazed. Seong Mu-yeon, who couldn’t possibly miss his gaze, didn’t show it but laughed inwardly.

In his past life, he had grown up in a family where everyone sat around making dumplings and sharing them during holidays. So, this was not a difficult task for him.

“Young master always surprises me.”

“As much as Master Baek? I was so surprised. Why is he so extreme?”

Seong Mu-yeon grumbled, and Ma Jin-cheon smiled bitterly.

“He’s been like that since he was young. Ever since he lost his parents like that… Anyway, no one could stop him.”

Ma Jin-cheon, realizing that it was not an appropriate thing to say in front of Seong Mu-yeon, cleared his throat and changed the subject.

Baek Ryeo-il’s parents had lost their lives to the Demonic Cult. Although Seong Mu-yeon was now sitting face to face with him and talking, it was not a topic to bring up openly. It was an awkward topic for Seong Mu-yeon as well, so he naturally changed the subject as if nothing had happened.

“But he listens to Ma Instructor, doesn’t he? I saw him caring quite a bit before.”

“Of course. I raised him… But that’s it. When he’s really angry, no one can stop him. You can guess that since you saw him today.”

Indeed.

Baek Ryeo-il held his head high even in front of his superiors, to the point where Seong Mu-yeon was nervous just watching him, and he didn’t hold back anything he wanted to say. Cleverly, he did as he pleased and expressed his will, skillfully walking the line, so the only punishments Hwasan could give him were Seclusion Training or chores. Would they expel him, or cripple his limbs?

“If it were other children, they would try not to make the same mistake after being scolded once, but Baek Ryeo-il, for some reason, would cause even bigger accidents on purpose. We thought he would mature as he grew up, but now that he’s almost thirty, everyone has given up.”

There’s a saying that you give one more rice cake to the one you hate.

The Hwasan Disciples had already reached a tacit agreement to avoid touching Baek Ryeo-il as much as possible. It was better to eliminate the aftermath than to try to appease and coax him, only for him to retaliate.

“It’s fortunate if he causes problems with insiders like my martial uncle today. It’s a problem that can be solved within Hwasan. But if he gets involved with other Sects…”

Ma Jin-cheon shuddered as if he didn’t even want to think about it.

The three of them put the dumplings they had made into a hot steamer and cooked them evenly. Seong Mu-yeon carefully packed the finished dumplings into a Food box.

“Don’t worry. It’s called punishment, but it’s just a show, so no one will be guarding him.”

Seong Mu-yeon nodded at Ma Jin-cheon’s words.

“You two stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Seong Mu-yeon headed to the Repentance Cave alone, taking advantage of the darkness. It was a cave naturally formed in a rocky mountain and carved out. The area around it was said to have the densest natural Essence, so a training cave where Disciples could undergo Seclusion Training was also attached. It was a delicate arrangement by the ancestors to help with training even while being punished.

But Ma Jin-cheon’s prediction was wrong.

‘…There are people guarding him?’

Two warriors were vigilantly guarding the area in front of the training cave. Seong Mu-yeon hurriedly hid in the bushes. Even though it was late at night, they were on high alert, and tension flowed in the air. It seemed they were worried that Baek Ryeo-il would escape this time.

‘What should I do?’

If anyone tried to approach the Repentance Cave, they would firmly stop them. Moreover, everyone knew that Seong Mu-yeon was always with Baek Ryeo-il. There was no way they would let him in.

Just as he was thinking about giving up and going back,

“What are you doing here?”

Seomun Yuha, who was passing by, accidentally found him crouching in the dark and approached him.

“Shh!”

Seong Mu-yeon grabbed his collar and hid him under the bushes.

“W-What are you doing?”

“What are Young Master Seomun doing wandering around at this late hour?”

“P-Personal life!”

“I know, so lower your voice. We’ll get caught.”

Seomun Yuha immediately shut his mouth, and fortunately, they weren’t caught.

“…What are you really doing?”

His voice, asking again, was as small as a mosquito’s. Seong Mu-yeon also lowered his voice.

“I need to deliver something to Master Baek, but I didn’t know there would be guards.”

“Ah, you’re going to sneak in? There?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not difficult.”

Seomun Yuha suddenly stood up without warning. Thanks to that, his figure was clearly revealed in the moonlight. The warriors immediately found him and shouted sternly.

“Who is it! This area is restricted, so leave immediately!”

Seomun Yuha didn’t care and approached them with a very relaxed gait. He looked like someone who had come out for a walk in the moonlight. The warrior looked at his clothes and said.

“You’re an Outer Sect Disciple? This is the Repentance Cave. I don’t know what business you have, but…”

“Are you on guard at this late hour? It must be so hard.”

A clear voice, out of place in the tense situation, spoke. It also contained a slightly coquettish tone. The two warriors were dumbfounded and just blinked.

“Well… We can’t help it since there’s a special reason.”

As one warrior blankly answered, his companion nudged him in the side.

“Hey! What are you…”

“Master is also having a hard time.”

Seomun Yuha strangely twisted his body.

Seong Mu-yeon, who was watching the scene while hiding, was speechless. What is he doing?

…Did he do that to me too?

Seong Mu-yeon recalled what had happened at the Seomun Clan before. He didn’t remember well, but Baek Ryeo-il had stopped him from using the Flowering Bone’s charm ability on him. The thought of Seomun Yuha wriggling like a squid on a grill in front of him made him feel sick.

“The moon is so bright tonight. Isn’t it?”

The second warrior also loosened his face and muttered.

“I-Is it a full moon…?”

“Come to think of it, it’s almost the Spring Festival, isn’t it? How do Masters spend it? I’m going home to spend it with my parents.”

At that moment, Seomun Yuha gestured behind his back. It was a signal to go in. Seong Mu-yeon was suspicious but carefully crawled out of the bushes. As the warrior’s dazed gaze tried to turn to Seong Mu-yeon, Seomun Yuha raised his voice.

“Oh! What did you have for dinner, Masters?”

Then, the warriors’ gazes were fixed on Seomun Yuha again.

‘…What a convenient ability.’

Even though there was no context in the conversation, the warriors nodded with blank faces and responded enthusiastically. Seong Mu-yeon blatantly passed them and approached the stone door of the Repentance Cave, but they were busy listing the side dishes for dinner and didn’t notice at all.

And so, Seong Mu-yeon safely entered the Repentance Cave…

“Why is it so heavy?!”

A heavy stone door stood firmly in his way. No matter how much he tried, the door wouldn’t budge. Seomun Yuha’s eyes, watching him, seemed to flash with a hint of exasperation.

“Excuse me, Masters. Could you open the door for me?”

The warriors even fought each other to open the door. When they lightly pushed it, the stone door, which wouldn’t budge no matter how much Seong Mu-yeon tried, easily slid open.

‘Sigh.’

And so, this time he was really able to safely enter the Repentance Cave.

The long, narrow cave was dark with not a single ray of light, but there were occasional luminous pearls embedded in the ceiling, so he could barely make out his surroundings.

There were several black holes on both sides. After looking through a few of them, Seong Mu-yeon found Baek Ryeo-il, who was sitting cross-legged in the dark with his eyes closed.

Feeling his presence, he slightly opened one eye. After confirming the face of the person who had entered, he raised one eyebrow.

“What is it. How did you get in… You came to see the sights, didn’t you?”

“Geez, what’s there to see that I would come all the way here to see the sights? I came at Ma Instructor’s request.”

Seong Mu-yeon grumbled and took out the Food box. Fortunately, it was still warm. When the steaming dumplings appeared, Baek Ryeo-il’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Master asked you to?”

“Yes, so eat quickly. I have to take the Food box back before they find out I came in.”

“…Is this dumplings?”

The dumplings that Seong Mu-yeon made had a consistently round shape, but the dumplings that Ma Jin-cheon and Gang Woong made had burst sides or were lumpy.

Baek Ryeo-il picked up one of the ugly dumplings that Ma Jin-cheon had made. The filling spilled out through the torn dumpling skin.