By Zephyria Growling (4)
“Don’t sulk and eat. I brought it thinking of you……”
Baek Ryeo-il nodded and began to empty the Food box. He used to eat like a pig every meal, so he must have been hungry. Seong Mu-yeon clicked his tongue as he watched the dumplings disappear quickly.
“What’s with that look? Couldn’t you have held back a little?”
“What.”
“Being locked up like this can’t be good, can it?”
The cave was cold and eerie. Every time he spoke, the sound hit the walls and returned, scattering like an echo. To think he had to spend three days in this place where no warmth could be felt at all. Seong Mu-yeon would have gone crazy.
But Baek Ryeo-il didn’t seem to care.
“Lock me up if they want! It’s not that hard. That old geezer……. He never liked anything I did, even before.”
“Do you do things like this just because you don’t like it? Why can’t you just live quietly? What if you get kicked out?”
“Then I’ll just get kicked out.”
“Yes?”
Is that even a thing to say?
“Why would you leave this great Sect and go somewhere else?”
“I’ll go anywhere. What difference does it make?”
He inhaled the dumplings peacefully, as if what he had just said was sincere.
“…….”
Seong Mu-yeon stared at him intently, feeling new.
Baek Ryeo-il wasn’t just causing trouble by adjusting it so he wouldn’t get kicked out of Mount Hua, but he really didn’t care whether he did or not, so he wasn’t controlling himself.
It was a strange feeling.
Clearly, if Baek Ryeo-il, with his skills, had his martial arts taken away by Mount Hua, he would quickly get back on his feet anywhere. Still, wasn’t Mount Hua the home he had lived in all his life?
But even in the original story, he disappeared like smoke without any regrets after avenging his master. Without leaving any clues, without leaving a successor to inherit his will. Just like that, suddenly.
Even if we assume that he has no affection for Mount Hua, fortunately, Ma Jin-cheon was here. His death was the driving force that moved Baek Ryeo-il. Now that he is alive, it will be even more so.
Seong Mu-yeon made a sound of air escaping and smiled faintly.
‘I’m glad I saved Ma Instructor.’
Anyway, Baek Ryeo-il will take up his sword for his master, whether he is dead or alive.
That’s all that matters. His heart felt relieved. It was a useless worry that Baek Ryeo-il might not become a hero.
Baek Ryeo-il, who felt Seong Mu-yeon’s gaze, stopped eating and suddenly glared at him.
“What are you staring at?”
“You always have to say things like that…….”
……Honestly, he was a bit annoying.
How easy must life be for Baek Ryeo-il?
He had the ability not to care about anyone’s opinion, not to be bound by rules or regulations. Damn, I’m jealous.
“If Instructor says so, it’s not my place to interfere. I’m leaving. I’ll see you when you get out.”
When Baek Ryeo-il finished his meal, Seong Mu-yeon packed up the empty Food box and got up.
“Okay. Don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone.”
“Who’s the one causing trouble?”
They didn’t say goodbye to each other. Outside, Seomun Yuha and the warriors were still chatting amiably. Seomun Yuha, after confirming that Seong Mu-yeon had disappeared into the bushes, said to the warriors.
“I enjoyed talking to you, brothers! I’m sorry, but forget everything we talked about. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry.”
“Sleep well, have good dreams.”
“Take care. Goodbye!”
Not long after Seomun Yuha left, the warriors looked around in confusion as if they had woken up from a dream, and then returned to their original positions as if nothing had happened, continuing their strict guard.
“Young Master Seong! Did you finish what you were trying to do?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Seeing two Mount Hua warriors with high martial arts skills fall for it right in front of his eyes, he thought that the power of Flowering Bone was more terrifying than he had thought. Perhaps that’s why the people of the Central Plains, frightened by it, rejected Flowering Bone even more?
‘They said as long as I don’t make eye contact…….’
Now, rather than worrying about being charmed, it was more important not to reveal that his vision was not perfect.
“Thank you, Young master. Then I’ll be going now……. Why are you following me?”
“It’s late at night, isn’t it? It might be dangerous, so I’ll escort you to your residence.”
Seomun Yuha said that with his characteristic grinning face and followed him closely.
“Can I ask what you delivered to Master Baek?”
“It wasn’t anything special. He couldn’t eat in Repentance Cave, so I just delivered a lunch box at Ma Instructor’s request. It’s a secret from Mount Hua.”
“Gasp, Young Master Seong. Don’t you know me? It’s me, me! Seomun Yuha! I’m all about loyalty! Don’t worry, I’ll never tell anyone.”
“Ah, yes…….”
Seong Mu-yeon tried hard not to make eye contact with him. Whether he knew it or not, Seomun Yuha chattered on cheerfully. It was trivial small talk, such as how his first day at Mount Hua was, and that his parents had sent him a letter full of curses when they found out he had disappeared.
“But are you sick somewhere?”
“Yes, yes? Me? No.”
“No, you keep not raising your head and your back seems bent, if you’re not sick, then why are you doing that? Did something happen in Repentance Cave?”
“I’m, I’m fine.”
Seong Mu-yeon was embarrassed. This young man had a naive expression as if he didn’t know his intention to avoid him at all, but he was quite persistent. He even suspected that he was acting on purpose.
“Young master Seong Mu-yeon!”
Fortunately, Gang Woong and Ma Jin-cheon, who were wandering around the yard, called his name, and he was able to escape from that devil’s clutches. Seong Mu-yeon ran to them quickly with relief.
“Was everything alright?”
“I delivered it well. But unlike what you said, there was a guard.”
“Really? But how……. Didn’t they stop you from entering?”
“I helped him!”
Seomun Yuha, who had not left yet, raised his hand from over the fence. Ma Jin-cheon, who held an important position, recognized him at once.
“Ah, it’s Young Master Seomun. You helped Young master Seong? Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Hehe.”
“That’s good. I made some more dumplings with the remaining ingredients, so Young Master Seomun, come in and have a bite. I can’t just send you away after you helped.”
“Then shall I?”
Seomun Yuha didn’t refuse and went inside with Ma Jin-cheon.
Gang Woong, who didn’t have a good first impression of him, frowned with a displeased expression, but he couldn’t dare to interfere with what Grandmaster was doing, so he kept his mouth shut.
Seong Mu-yeon wasn’t happy to let him in either. However, seeing the cheerful back of Seomun Yuha, he let out a laugh as if the air was escaping from his lungs.
Seeing him so happy, he must have been lonely adapting to a strange place where he didn’t know anyone.
‘Anyway, I have something to give him.’
It’s better this way.
Thus, Seomun Yuha took a seat at the dumpling feast that took place in the middle of the night.
“It may look like this, but it tastes good. Eat up.”
“Wow, I’ll enjoy the meal!”
Seomun Yuha was a person who knew exactly where to lie down. He acted politely like a gentle sheep in front of Ma Jin-cheon, and Ma Jin-cheon liked him.
“Hahaha! Mount Hua’s rules are strict? Of course, you might feel that way compared to Saga. But if you spend just one day in Wudang or Kunlun, you won’t say that.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I often visit the Nine Great Sects for work, and Kunlun is the strictest of them all. Every time I come back from there, I feel grateful for how well I did in entering Mount Hua.”
Ma Jin-cheon was excited, and his voice became louder and he talked more than usual. Although his disciple Baek Ryeo-il was guilty and locked up, he seemed to be enjoying the time he spent with friendly people.
As the night deepened, Seong Mu-yeon’s heart gradually softened. It’s possible to have this much fun without a drink.
In the middle, the young Gang Woong nodded off, so he was sent to his room, and the three adults remained and continued their pleasant conversation.
How much time had passed? Ma Jin-cheon got up first.
“Oh my, my. It’s already this late. I should go now.”
He repeatedly thanked the two Young masters and returned to his residence.
“I’ll go now too. I have to go out for training again from dawn tomorrow…….”
Seomun Yuha shuddered as if he was fed up with it. Seong Mu-yeon patted him on the shoulder as a sign of encouragement.
“Oh, wait a minute. Young Master Seomun. I have something to give you. Would you like to follow me for a moment?”
“What is it?”
Seong Mu-yeon took him to his room. And he took out the box he had kept well and handed it to him. An unexpected expression appeared on Seomun Yuha’s face as he opened the box and checked the contents.
“This is……. a whip?”
That’s right. Seong Mu-yeon decided to hand over Wirim’s Divine Whip to Seomun Yuha.
“As you know, it will be difficult for Young master to achieve great success with external martial arts due to your constitution, so it will be difficult to handle a sword or blade. So I thought about it. Since the whip is a weapon where skill is important, it might suit you well.”
He said that, but it wasn’t just a baseless decision. The weapon that Seomun Yuha, that is, Hwahwagwi, liked to use in the original story was the whip. He used good things enough at that time, but Wirim’s Divine Whip is better, so Seomun Yuha’s power will be greatly improved.
Seomun Yuha’s face went blank.