Ak Mujin’s appearance after leaving the Spirit Mausoleum could easily be described as monstrous. Despite washing himself daily with the underground water flowing through the Stone Cave passage, his appearance, having been deprived of sunlight for so long, was utterly haggard.
The fact that the first man he encountered upon emerging into the world treated him like a monster was enough to wound Ak Mujin’s heart. He felt strangely dejected, but the thought that he had finally made it out quickly overshadowed that feeling. He was overjoyed and happy. He wanted to quickly meet Seo-mok and Chun-wol, show them that he was safe, and alleviate any guilt they might be carrying.
However, the mountain was not so accommodating to Ak Mujin. Perhaps because he had been trapped in the Stone Cave for too long, he had lost his sense of direction and could not find his way out of the mountain no matter how far he walked. The joy he felt from the sunlight he experienced for the first time in a long time as dawn broke was fleeting, and he was in a difficult situation, still wandering through the mountains even after dark.
“Hey, but this is much better than being trapped in the Stone Cave. Even if my feet get blistered, if I keep walking, I’ll eventually find a village!”
Moreover, the mountain was full of things to eat, unlike the Stone Cave. He found some Cornus officinalis fruit, grabbed a handful, and chewed on them as he walked.
Having become incredibly optimistic, he happened to find a clear stream flowing through a valley and quickly stripped off his clothes to take a bath. He was reminded of the man who had run away as if his feet were on fire as soon as he saw him, and the fact that he had been sleeping with corpses for a long time.
The stream water in early winter was very cold, but not as cold as the underground water flowing through the Stone Cave.
But who would have known that he would meet this person again there?
It was clear that Ak Mujin and his protagonist, Jin Geum-ryeon, had some kind of intimate Doujinshi connection that even the original author himself was unaware of. Otherwise, no matter how coincidental, there was no way they could run into each other so easily and repeatedly in such a wide world.
Ak Mujin, who had been feeling like he was alone in the world for an unknown amount of time, couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed when he encountered a familiar face.
In this situation, wouldn’t anyone be happy to see even an enemy? Moreover, Jin Geum-ryeon, regardless of any grudges he might hold, was the protagonist Ak Mujin had created with his own hands. He was like his own son.
That must be why his heart was pounding like this. The ticklish feeling that he found Jin Geum-ryeon quite lovable from the moment he saw his face could only be explained by that.
A part of his mind wondered if he should be so complacent with Jin Geum-ryeon, but Ak Mujin couldn’t easily turn away.
“I knew it…”
As Ak Mujin was contemplating, a hoarse voice, filled with excitement, muttered towards him. Ak Mujin stared at Jin Geum-ryeon with a bewildered look. Jin Geum-ryeon’s subordinate, who was next to him, also stared blankly back and forth between Jin Geum-ryeon and Ak Mujin.
“I knew you were alive.”
Jin Geum-ryeon couldn’t take his eyes off Ak Mujin. As if Ak Mujin would disappear if he looked away even for a moment, he didn’t even glance at his subordinate, who seemed to be asking for an explanation.
Ak Mujin felt embarrassed and strange at this fervent reaction, and didn’t know how to respond. Just as he scratched the back of his head and was about to open his mouth, he felt his mouth being completely blocked by something soft and looked ahead.
Jin Geum-ryeon’s closed eyes were right in front of him.
No, what is this…?
No, why…?
Ak Mujin couldn’t understand how Jin Geum-ryeon’s actions had come about. He and Jin Geum-ryeon’s subordinate couldn’t hide their shock and widened their eyes. He was so surprised that he recoiled his shoulders greatly and tried to pull his lips away, but Jin Geum-ryeon’s upper body was as hard as a stone and didn’t budge at all.
No matter how much he tried to pull his head back, Jin Geum-ryeon held his arms tightly and persistently followed him. His head, pulled back to its limit, had nowhere else to go, and flesh began to pour into Ak Mujin’s mouth without hesitation.
A wet, smacking sound began to echo. The hand that was almost squeezing Ak Mujin’s arm stroked his back, went down, wrapped around his waist, and pulled him into an embrace. Jin Geum-ryeon and Ak Mujin’s upper bodies stuck together, and the subordinate, who unintentionally ended up watching the Ryeon Lord’s display of affection, quietly took a step back and moved a little further away.
The tongue that relentlessly occupied Ak Mujin’s mouth didn’t stay still for a moment. It was Ak Mujin’s even teeth, swept his tongue several times, and licked the sensitive spot at the base of his tongue, conquering it as if it were his own. Meanwhile, the sweet saliva that he hadn’t swallowed dripped down Ak Mujin’s chin.
In a place that didn’t suit the situation, Ak Mujin felt a strange sexual exhilaration rising from his stomach like a heat haze. He was even on the verge of losing strength in his legs.
Only after Ak Mujin started panting for breath did Jin Geum-ryeon lower his head and look down at Ak Mujin from right in front of him. His lips, somewhat swollen from the kiss, drew his gaze.
Ak Mujin’s dazed eyes were once again filled with shock.
Jin Geum-ryeon opened his mouth again towards him. Ak Mujin could feel his voice trembling.
“Until now, where have you been…? No…”
Jin Geum-ryeon started to ask something, then chuckled as if he had thought of something and closed his mouth tightly.
“Were you avoiding me because you resented me…?”
What on earth was going on? What was he talking about?
What reason would Ak Mujin have to resent Jin Geum-ryeon? It would be different if he had entrusted his life to him, but they weren’t even on friendly terms in the first place, were they?
But what Jin Geum-ryeon had just done was extraordinary. A kiss as soon as he saw him. How could this happen? Was this a Jin Geum-ryeon and Ak Mujin Doujinshi? But according to Ak Mujin’s past memories, no one had ever paired the ‘extra’ Ak Mujin with Jin Geum-ryeon!
No matter how he thought about it, this route was not ‘normal’. Was that why Ak Mujin had become a Yin Person, been trapped in the Spirit Mausoleum, and suffered all sorts of hardships?
While Ak Mujin, overwhelmed by shock, was sorting out all the thoughts pouring in, Jin Geum-ryeon looked down at him and examined his clothes.
It was early winter. But all he was wearing was a single layer of old, worn-out white Jeoksam. Jin Geum-ryeon’s brow furrowed as if he were in pain.
“…Did you hate me so much that you went around looking like this?”
Every line that came out of Jin Geum-ryeon’s mouth was like a jewel, delivering shock.
Hadn’t he hated and resented Ak Mujin more than anyone else? That was why he had taken Ak Mujin to the Martial Alliance to avenge his parents, wasn’t it? Also, wasn’t that why he had been so disappointed the day after that unfortunate incident between them? Countless questions floated in Ak Mujin’s mind. He narrowed his brow and opened his mouth for the first time.
“I…”
His voice, which he had made towards someone after a long time, felt strange even to himself. Ak Mujin closed his eyes tightly. He had to pull himself together, especially at times like this. The protagonist Jin Geum-ryeon was ‘lost’. In his memory, there were developments where he fooled around with Mae-yeong or Namgung Eui, but there was never a development where he fooled around with ‘Ak Mujin’.
Above all, Ak Mujin was not from this world. Even if things went wrong and Ak Mujin couldn’t return to his original world, it seemed better to correct him to ‘normal’ for Jin Geum-ryeon’s sake.
Ak Mujin touched his lips with his fingertips, where Jin Geum-ryeon’s lips had been just a moment ago. Then he let out a soft sigh.
“I am not someone that the likes of you can dare to touch.”
He spoke in his usual arrogant voice from the Demonic Cult, speaking clearly so that Jin Geum-ryeon could hear him. Although he was looking up at Jin Geum-ryeon, the attitude on his face was as arrogant as his voice.
Jin Geum-ryeon’s expression was subtle, but somehow pathetically distorted. Ak Mujin, who keenly noticed this, coldly pushed his arm away and dusted off his clothes.
“Even if my constitution has changed to a Yin Person, it doesn’t mean I’m just anyone to be trifled with.”
Ak Mujin spat out the words carelessly, openly expressing his annoyance.
“I dare not touch you as you are now… but consider yourself lucky that I didn’t slap you across the face. Don’t ever touch me again. No… don’t ever appear before my eyes.”
After saying those words, Ak Mujin turned around and started walking away. To be honest, he was on the verge of losing strength in his legs, but he tried his best to maintain a straight posture. Fortunately, Jin Geum-ryeon didn’t seem to be chasing after him.
How many more steps had he taken? Ak Mujin suddenly stopped walking.
He looked at his tightly held wrist once, then glanced back. Jin Geum-ryeon had stopped him by grabbing his wrist.
“…Do you know what I vowed?”
Ak Mujin somehow couldn’t look at Jin Geum-ryeon’s face. With his gaze downcast, he listened to what he had to say.
“If I ever meet you again, I will never let you go again.”
At those words, Ak Mujin slowly raised his head and faced Jin Geum-ryeon. Jin Geum-ryeon’s complexion was darker than before, but he looked very serious.
“I will not allow you to move even one step away from my side…”