By Zephyria Do You Like Me? (1)
“I wonder why the Senior Uncles keep giving me the same punishment when I don’t learn from it.”
He approached swaggeringly. He looked healthy, as if the aftereffects of Qi deviation were almost gone.
Even though he had been utterly defeated in a formal sparring match and his physical condition wasn’t normal, he didn’t miss the opportunity to provoke Baek Ryeo-il, showing great persistence.
In any case, Baek Ryeo-il was glad to see this rude Junior Brother for the first time. He gestured with a bright smile.
“Junior Brother Jang! Perfect timing! Come here!”
Jang Han-soo took a few steps back without realizing it. Seeing that radiant smile, he felt a creepy fear and goosebumps all over his body. But he quickly regained his composure and regained his composure.
Being afraid of Baek Ryeo-il was a matter of pride for him, so he approached with leisurely steps as if to show off.
The person whose heart sank at that combination was Wang Ho-jun, who was secretly watching them.
‘No, why is Senior Brother Jang picking a fight again?’
He, who loved peace and hated noise, squeezed his eyes shut.
Another incident was about to happen.
Since entering Mount Hua, he had suffered for over a decade because of these two constantly clashing. How many tears of sorrow had he shed during that time? He still regretted and regretted choosing the wrong Sect.
Jang Han-soo kicked the fallen leaves rolling around with his toes.
“Are you sweeping properly? You should sweep here too.”
Despite the blatant sarcasm, Baek Ryeo-il didn’t bat an eye.
“Yes, yes. I’m telling you to come closer.”
“What are you going to do? Beat me again?”
“Why are you saying such hurtful things? Why would I hit my Junior Brother? I have something to say. Closer. Come a little closer.”
Jang Han-soo stepped closer as if daring him to do something, and Baek Ryeo-il grabbed his collar.
‘Oh, no…….’
It was a touch-and-go moment when Wang Ho-jun was biting his fingernails.
Baek Ryeo-il’s eyes darted to the side.
At the end of his gaze, Seong Mu-yeon, whom he had been so eager to see, was standing awkwardly. But he didn’t look sick at all. On the contrary. He was frozen like a stone in the same posture as if he was trying to sneak away after being caught doing something bad.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
A gust of wind blew between the three.
“Is he scamming me again?! Hey! Seong Mu-yeon! Come here, stand still.”
“Why, why, why, why! D, don’t come!”
Baek Ryeo-il threw down the broom, and Seong Mu-yeon started running away in horror.
“Don’t you stop there?!”
“Ah, why are you being so annoying again! I didn’t do anything?”
“…….”
The two disappeared somewhere in an instant. Jang Han-soo, who was left alone, had a blank look on his face as if he couldn’t grasp the situation. Wang Ho-jun was just as dumbfounded.
‘What is this?’
Baek Ryeo-il, as he knew him, never backed down once he was fixated on something. Jang Han-soo knew that too, and often provoked Baek Ryeo-il on purpose to get him punished.
‘But he’s just leaving?’
Jang Han-soo stood blankly for a while, kicked the broom a few times, and then left the spot, and Wang Ho-jun also crawled out of the bushes.
‘Let’s go report to Master Ma…….’
In any case, it was clear that Baek Ryeo-il had left his post during his disciplinary period.
“Aaaagh!”
As a matter of course, Seong Mu-yeon was caught by Baek Ryeo-il before long. He pushed Seong Mu-yeon against the wall and trapped him by holding his arm.
“What kind of trouble did you cause again? Tell me right now!”
“Me? Ah, no?”
“Then why are you running away?”
In Baek Ryeo-il’s view, Seong Mu-yeon was guilty no matter what. If he hadn’t committed a crime, why would he be sweating so much and rolling his eyes, looking for a way out?
“That’s because the Master is chasing me so scarily!”
“You were sneaking around like someone who had committed a crime first! What is it! What did you do again! You even lied about being sick.”
Seong Mu-yeon sighed heavily.
“It’s true that I was trying to avoid someone, but it wasn’t the Master. Actually…….”
As he explained what had happened with Seomun Yuha, Baek Ryeo-il raged.
“What? That bastard did that again? I’m going to go and……!”
“Oh, please bear with it. He’s just a kid, isn’t he? Please bear with it, Master, who is old and generous. What’s the point of fighting with a child?”
“What’s the point! It’ll feel good! What do you mean a child? He’s as tall as a bean sprout. Did you catch it from his mom too?!”
“N, no, that’s not it.”
Even if it wasn’t because of the Flowering Bone’s allure, Seomun Yuha had a way of stimulating people’s protective instincts. So, even though it was something to get angry about, he was more easily forgiven because he was young and didn’t know any better.
Seong Mu-yeon shook his head wearily.
“Anyway, that’s why I’ve been avoiding Young Master Seomun for the past few days.”
“So that’s why you said you were sick?”
“Yes……. I thought he would give up quickly if I pretended to be sick, but he chased me so persistently.”
‘I see. It was a feigned illness.’
A warm sense of relief spread through Baek Ryeo-il’s heart. He had been worried about Seong Mu-yeon without even realizing it.
Seong Mu-yeon, unaware of his inner thoughts, was thinking something else.
‘It’s better not to talk about that.’
The proposal Seomun Yuha had made that night.
〈I can heal you! I’m a Flowering Bone, you know!〉
〈……Pardon?〉
Seong Mu-yeon stared blankly at Seomun Yuha, wondering what nonsense he was talking about. Then he hit his chest as if frustrated.
〈You know how popular Flowering Bones were among the people of the Central Plains, right? They say it was a precious medicine that could revive the dead just by eating a piece of flesh! Don’t you understand yet?〉
Seomun Yuha rattled off such gruesome facts as if he were boasting.
〈So what……. So are you going to cut off a finger or something?〉
〈No, no. That’s not it. No way! You’re not coveting my perfect body, are you? I didn’t think you were that kind of person!〉
Then he exaggeratedly covered his chest and stepped back, bursting into laughter, looking like a madman.
〈Ahahaha. Just kidding, just kidding. Of course, I know that Young master isn’t the kind of person who would do that. What I’m proposing is something else.〉
〈Something…… else?〉
Seomun Yuha’s eyes became suggestive. He whispered softly as if sharing a secret.
〈If you practice the Art of the Bedchamber with me, severed meridians are nothing. I’ll heal you in no time.〉
……Not that again.
In the original work, there were many who coveted the flesh of the Flowering Demon, so he was always under the threat of assassination. Thanks to that, he even suffered from insomnia, turning an already crazy guy into a sensitive crazy guy.
From that point of view, Flowering Bone would definitely be helpful. But Seong Mu-yeon turned away cleanly.
〈No, thanks.〉
〈No, why? You said you’re going to die soon! You don’t want to die, do you?〉
〈Of course not. I don’t want to die either.〉
〈Then what’s the problem? Are you thinking of protecting your chastity because of the wife you’re going to marry later? How old-fashioned.〉
〈That’s not it either.〉
He had already lost his chastity. There was nothing left to protect……. He was terribly abused by a ruthless bastard. Seong Mu-yeon’s eyes welled up with tears of sorrow.
〈Then……. You don’t like me. You’d rather give up your life than be with me. Is that right?〉
Seomun Yuha sobbed. A tear that had formed in the corner of his eye trickled down his cheek. His appearance was so pitiful that Seong Mu-yeon grew cold instead.
〈Stop acting. It’s pissing me off.〉
〈Yes.〉
Seomun Yuha returned to his normal face as if nothing had happened. The thought of how many people he had deceived with that hateful face, including himself, made him furious.
〈Anyway, it’s not immediately dangerous, so I don’t want to do that. Is that a sufficient answer?〉
One person who forces him to throw away his chastity against his will because of his wretched body was enough.
Seong Mu-yeon turned around, but Seomun Yuha followed him, chattering.
〈It wouldn’t be bad. I’m pretty good, you know. It’ll be over in an instant without you even knowing what happened. I’ll make you feel good.〉
Listening to those whispering words made his stomach churn. Anyway, there wasn’t a single sane person in this martial world. Only the kind and sensible Peng Yuan-jin was the only hope in this madhouse.
That night, Seong Mu-yeon slammed the door in his face to show his rejection, but Seomun Yuha was not one to give up easily.
Seong Mu-yeon had to wander from place to place to avoid him because he kept sneaking into his residence. Just now, he had seen Seomun Yuha entering through the back door and ran out through the front door, only to run into Baek Ryeo-il.
After finishing his recollection, Seong Mu-yeon pounded his chest in frustration.
“Why is Young Master Seomun doing this to me? What am I! He keeps saying that he has to repay the favor because I saved him, but Master Baek saved him? But why doesn’t he do that to the Master and only does it to me?”
“That’s…….”
Baek Ryeo-il, who was about to open his mouth, suddenly closed it like a clam. Seong Mu-yeon tilted his head.
“……Why did you suddenly become quiet? Do you know something?”
“No. I don’t.”
“That’s suspicious…….”
However, once his mouth was closed, it would not open again.
Contrary to his calm face, Baek Ryeo-il was actually sweating buckets behind his back.
‘……Seong Mu-yeon doesn’t know that we were there.’
The day Seong Mu-yeon killed Wi-rim, Baek Ryeo-il and Seomun Yuha watched everything in that place. Because of that, Seomun Yuha learned Seong Mu-yeon’s secret and began to idolize him like a hero.