“Then please prepare for me to go out right away. There’s a place I need to go.”
At Ak Mujin’s words, Cheong-aeng nodded as if she understood.
“I will bring you your going-out clothes, so please wait a moment. You must not leave any of the honey water and drink it all.”
Leaving those words behind, Cheong-aeng took the tray and left the inner chamber.
Although having an escort was somewhat bothersome, it was much better than not being able to go out at all. Ak Mujin didn’t want to be confined anywhere anymore, so he was trying to find a way to escape Jin Geum-ryeon’s grasp as much as possible.
After a while, Ak Mujin received his going-out clothes from the servants sent by Cheong-aeng, finished preparing to go out, and waited for a while in the courtyard of the residence. Then, he saw Cheong-aeng walking towards him with a man.
As the figure got closer, Ak Mujin frowned instantly.
“This is Cheon-myeong. He is a swordsman from the Evil Cult who will be guarding you.”
The man introduced as Cheon-myeong nodded and gave a silent bow to Ak Mujin.
He was wearing plain black martial attire, seemingly trying not to stand out, and he wore a Jade Token on his waist that seemed to signify that he was a member of the Evil Cult. But despite his efforts, he was very tall, and even a fleeting glance at his handsome face was enough to attract the attention of many people.
This is ‘Cheon-myeong’? It’s Jin Geum-ryeon no matter how I look at it!
Jin Geum-ryeon, who didn’t show the slightest bit of sincerity in hiding himself, wasn’t even wearing a bamboo hat on his head. He won’t imprison or confine me, but he will keep an eye on me, is that it? As Ak Mujin looked at Jin Geum-ryeon with sharp eyes, ‘Cheon-myeong’ avoided his gaze for no reason and put one arm behind his back.
“I don’t care where you go. However, we will follow you, so please leave any small errands to us.”
Cheong-aeng said calmly without changing her expression. Jin Geum-ryeon also kept silent, pretending to be taciturn, and stood behind Ak Mujin.
Ak Mujin, who somehow swallowed the sigh that was already trying to escape, closed his eyes tightly and then opened them. Now that he had fallen into Jin Geum-ryeon’s grasp, there was no way around traveling with him unless he let him go. He turned his head and looked at Cheong-aeng, who was standing quietly.
“Can we go to Hubei? I have business at the Fragrant Flower Pavilion.”
Now that things had come to this, Ak Mujin didn’t need to hide anything. Jin Geum-ryeon clenched his fist tightly at those words, as if he was a little shaken, but he didn’t say anything.
Cheong-aeng glanced at Jin Geum-ryeon and said.
“It’s a bit far from here, but it’s not impossible to go. We’ll arrive quickly if we change horses. I’ll prepare now.”
Leaving those words behind, Cheong-aeng looked at Jin Geum-ryeon for a moment, gave a silent bow, and then disappeared back towards the residence. Ak Mujin watched her disappear, sighed softly, and turned to look at Jin Geum-ryeon.
“…Do you give me travel expenses?”
“I will give you as much as you want.”
It was a good answer. Ak Mujin nodded a couple of times. And then he asked one more question.
“You’re not thinking of letting me go, are you?”
At those words, Jin Geum-ryeon closed his mouth and stood still for a moment. Soon, he opened his mouth.
“How could I let you go?”
Jin Geum-ryeon’s gaze, which had been looking straight ahead, turned directly to Ak Mujin. He took a step closer.
“It’s been a full 3 years. There hasn’t been a single moment in those 3 years that I haven’t thought of you.”
Even after hearing those harsh words last night, Jin Geum-ryeon’s thoughts hadn’t changed. There wasn’t even a slight smile on his face.
Ak Mujin just swallowed a sigh inside. He was very curious as to what had happened to Jin Geum-ryeon that had changed his personality so much, and how he had become the Evil Cult Lord. If the protagonist’s fate had been turned upside down like this, it would be a natural curiosity that the original author of the work could have.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak to Jin Geum-ryeon, Cheong-aeng and a coachman came towards them, holding the reins of three horses. Cheong-aeng first handed Ak Mujin a black horse, and then Jin Geum-ryeon a white horse.
“Let’s go.”
*
Starting from Xinjiang, they crossed Qinghai, changing horses along the way. During that time, they stayed at inns for several days, but Jin Geum-ryeon and Ak Mujin never shared a bedroom. Somehow, Jin Geum-ryeon seemed to be trying extremely hard to keep his distance from Ak Mujin.
However, when they crossed the water and reached the edge of Sichuan, there were so few empty rooms that they had no choice but to share the same room.
Ak Mujin offered the remaining room to Cheong-aeng and intended to stay with Jin Geum-ryeon. Cheong-aeng was at a loss, looking at Jin Geum-ryeon, but it was also strange for her, a woman alone, to sleep with men. Jin Geum-ryeon’s expression stiffened for a moment, but Cheong-aeng was so sorry that he shook his head and sent her to her room first.
“…There will be nothing untoward, so please don’t worry.”
The first words that came out of Jin Geum-ryeon’s mouth were ridiculous. Who would worry about that? Ak Mujin calmly opened the door and entered the room first.
“If you’re so worried, you can just sleep in the stable.”
Ak Mujin said, recalling something that had happened sometime in the past. At the time, it was a very annoying and uncomfortable memory, but now that he thought about it, it had become a memory, and it was ridiculously funny.
But Jin Geum-ryeon stopped abruptly as he was about to follow Ak Mujin inside, then closed his lips tightly and immediately turned to leave the room.
“…Then I will sleep in the stable. Rest comfortably.”
Ak Mujin was startled by those words and turned to look at Jin Geum-ryeon. Jin Geum-ryeon was already far down the hallway without the slightest hesitation. Ak Mujin quickly followed and grabbed Jin Geum-ryeon’s wrist. It was an action he had taken without realizing it, so when he made eye contact with Jin Geum-ryeon, who had turned to look at him, he was embarrassed himself and hurriedly released the wrist he had grabbed.
Jin Geum-ryeon was also looking down at him with surprised eyes. Eventually, after hesitating for a moment, Ak Mujin said this.
“…Come in and sleep.”
Even so, he didn’t feel comfortable letting Jin Geum-ryeon sleep in the stable. Also, even though there was only one bed in the room, there was enough space for one more person to lie down, so why would he make such a choice?
But Jin Geum-ryeon’s face looked a little gloomy. Only then did Ak Mujin realize that he was recalling the past and regretting it. A sigh came out on its own.
“I’m…”
“I said come in and sleep. But the bed is mine. I’m tired from riding a horse all day.”
After saying that, Ak Mujin turned around and went back into the bedroom. Jin Geum-ryeon, who had been staring blankly at him, seemed to hesitate for a moment before following him inside.
The room he had re-entered didn’t look so good to Ak Mujin. There were so many guests at the inn that they didn’t have time to clean the rooms, it seemed.
He clicked his tongue once, then checked that the bed and the silk blanket were clean, and plopped down on the spot. It was definitely true that he was tired from riding a horse for several days. His buttocks, which had been in contact with the saddle, were so stiff that he thought it would be better to go by Light Body Skill.
Jin Geum-ryeon looked around. He seemed to be wondering where to settle down, holding an extra blanket that the clerk seemed to have put on the table.
Ak Mujin said.
“That side has a window, so it’s drafty, so wouldn’t this be the best place?”
‘This place’ was right next to the bed. Jin Geum-ryeon hesitated again.
“I’m…”
“Come here.”
Only then did Jin Geum-ryeon slowly approach and lower himself to the spot next to Ak Mujin. Ak Mujin sighed again. What on earth had turned Jin Geum-ryeon into such a puppy in the meantime? He didn’t know what it was, but Ak Mujin somehow resented the fact that his protagonist had become like this. Jin Geum-ryeon, who had maintained his easygoing personality even though he had gone through all sorts of hardships from serialization to completion.
Besides, how could this situation be possible?
He was even the Evil Cult Lord, but he didn’t have a bed, so he was trying to curl up on the floor with only a piece of blanket to cover himself. Moreover, the floor was quite dirty, covered in footprints and dirt. Ak Mujin didn’t like this situation at all, so he bit his lip tightly and then released it.
Unable to bear it, he said this.
“…Come up.”
Jin Geum-ryeon’s eyes widened as he was just about to lie down and fold his huge body into a crumpled position. Then, lying on his side, he raised his head slightly and looked up at Ak Mujin, who was lying on the bed.
“…Yes?”
“I said come up.”
Even after the repeated words, Jin Geum-ryeon was still hesitant, unable to believe it, which was all visible to Ak Mujin. It was frustrating. These words came to mind on their own.
‘Is this how I raised you!’
“Please just sleep comfortably.”
Still, that’s right. The bed is for one person. Jin Geum-ryeon judged that two people could not sleep on it.
“Do I have to go to the stable for you to come up?”
Ak Mujin didn’t back down either. Only after those words came out did Jin Geum-ryeon’s thoughts move a little, and he slowly got up from his seat and sat on his knees. Then, he let out a small sigh.
“…If I…”
Jin Geum-ryeon paused for a beat and continued.
“What are you going to do if I can’t hold back…”