HSA 8

Several hours had passed since Ak Mujin had maintained his silence. But even as the sun set and the surroundings were dyed red, there was no sign of people or even the sounds of wild animals. Jin Geum-ryeon, who couldn’t bear Ak Mujin’s silence for even half an hour, had started to whine and fuss about going to his mother from that point on.

Ak Mujin, utterly exhausted, ended up staring blankly at Jin Geum-ryeon, who had fallen asleep on the rock.

And he thought.

‘…When is this damn guy coming?’

‘If you don’t come, I’ll go and find you.’

Ak Mujin, driven by spiteful thoughts, began to climb the towering rocky mountain.

Where was this place?

It was somewhere on Heavenly Mountain, where the protagonist’s master from the original work lived in seclusion.

Ak Mujin had wasted several days going back and forth on that mountain, waiting for ‘Mae-yeong.’ Thinking that he might appear at night, he had even stayed up all night. But since he hadn’t shown his face, he was starting to get tired.

Jin Geum-ryeon was no different. Every day, Ak Mujin would take him up the mountain and then come down without doing anything, so he was just curious about what he was doing and bored. Moreover, going back and forth was quite tiring, and sometimes tears would well up in his eyes as he descended.

Of course, at first, Jin Geum-ryeon was happy when Ak Mujin took him up the mountain because he could see his mother. But as the days passed and the corpse began to rot, Jin Geum-ryeon couldn’t bring himself to approach his mother anymore. So, Jin Geum-ryeon’s purpose for going to that mountain had disappeared.

Ak Mujin was running out of time because his safety would be threatened if he didn’t return to Heavenly Mountain soon, so he couldn’t delay any longer.

In the end, he forcibly picked up the boy, who didn’t want to go, and decided to head directly to Mae-yeong’s house.

Delivery!

Ak Mujin had arrived at the foot of Heavenly Mountain with great enthusiasm, but he couldn’t help but get angry when he looked at the towering peak.

Why would you build a house in a place like this?

But that setting was also created by Do-hyeon himself.

Damn writer.

Jin Geum-ryeon had no idea what Ak Mujin was waiting for, or where he was going. The boy simply closed his eyes tightly, clinging to Ak Mujin’s neck whenever his body swayed. The scenery below, which he occasionally saw, was dizzyingly high.

Suddenly, Jin Geum-ryeon remembered. Ak Mujin had said that it would be better for him if he died. So, was he going to take him to a high place and push him off?

The boy’s face turned pale in an instant, and he clung even tighter to Ak Mujin’s neck, trying not to fall off his body.

“Cough.”

It wasn’t a strong force, but Ak Mujin choked as his throat tightened the moment he tried to swallow. He coughed several times while clinging to the rock, and only after he finally calmed down and his chest subsided did he start climbing again.

So, he’s afraid of heights even though he used to talk back so much?

Ak Mujin chuckled at the boy’s childish behavior, but his priority was to climb the mountain as quickly as possible.

Thanks to Ak Mujin’s well-trained body, they were able to reach the summit in no time.

“Wow….”

When he finally reached the top of the cliff after struggling for a long time, Jin Geum-ryeon, who had been closing his eyes the whole time, couldn’t help but gasp in admiration at the sight that greeted him as soon as he opened his eyes.

Before their eyes lay a forest of red plum trees. Korean winter plum trees, blooming with red flowers even in winter, stretched for dozens of kilometers.

Ak Mujin had only been focused on taking the boy there, so it was only after facing this scene that he could recall that Mae-yeong had created such a spectacle at his home.

The sight was truly beautiful, befitting the home of a reclusive expert.

“Wow….”

Ak Mujin, showing no signs of fatigue despite climbing the high rocky mountain, loosened his belt and set Jin Geum-ryeon down. Jin Geum-ryeon, seemingly forgetting his earlier trembling, took a few steps and looked around the plum blossom forest.

Jin Geum-ryeon had been busy hiding since childhood. Sometimes he spent months in a farmer’s stable, and other times he camped out with his father for days. His mother, Jin Sang-aeng, would occasionally tell him about beautiful landscapes, but he couldn’t even imagine such places existed.

It would have been much better if Mae-yeong had shown him this scenery. Coming with an enemy like this would only hinder his appreciation.

Indeed, Ak Mujin had no intention of giving the child time to enjoy the plum blossom forest.

Since he would be living here for sixteen years anyway, wouldn’t he see enough of it to get tired of it? He was only thinking of quickly leaving the child in front of Mae-yeong’s house and returning to the main headquarters.

By now, the remaining members of the Crimson Kill Squad should have returned to the main cult. Any further delay would put Ak Mujin in a difficult position.

He felt somewhat hurried.

“You’ll see this place as much as you want, so let’s just take a quick look and go.”

Ak Mujin started walking ahead of Jin Geum-ryeon. But when he didn’t hear footsteps behind him, he inadvertently turned around.

Jin Geum-ryeon was staring blankly at Ak Mujin, who had turned to face him.

The black clothes standing among the red plums, the hair fluttering in the wind, and the sparkling eyes gazing intently at Jin Geum-ryeon. It was definitely a sight that would remain in young Jin Geum-ryeon’s heart for a long time.

Ak Mujin waved his hand towards him as if urging him on. Only then did Jin Geum-ryeon come to his senses and hurried after him with his small feet. Ak Mujin was walking briskly, making it somewhat difficult for the young Geum-ryeon to keep up.

“Where is this?”

Jin Geum-ryeon hesitated before finally asking. Only then did Ak Mujin slow down his pace a little.

“It’s where you’ll be staying.”

Jin Geum-ryeon was bewildered. He had never imagined he would have any connection to a place like this. Could he have relatives living here?

But if he could stay here, it would definitely be nice. The red plum forest had captured young Geum-ryeon’s heart that much.

‘I wish my mother could have come with me…’

Jin Geum-ryeon had noticed after spending a few days with Ak Mujin that he didn’t like talkative people. So this time, he swallowed his thoughts.

Ak Mujin looked down at Jin Geum-ryeon, whose eyes had quickly filled with tears, and sighed softly.

He must be thinking of his mother.

They walked for quite a while longer before they could find a small mansion. There was another large rocky mountain behind it, but Ak Mujin didn’t climb it this time. Instead, he went to the front gate of the mansion, sat Jin Geum-ryeon down in front of it, and used a Pressure Point Strike to prevent him from moving.

“Why, why again!”

“There’s no guarantee you won’t run away.”

“I can’t run away from here anyway!”

This place was full of cliffs, where could a child possibly run to?

But the plum blossom forest was quite large. If Jin Geum-ryeon got distracted and lost his way in the plum blossom forest before Mae-yeong found him, and if Mae-yeong couldn’t be found again, it wouldn’t be good for Ak Mujin.

Ak Mujin had come at this time because he remembered Mae-yeong’s dawn training schedule. He was only thinking of handing the child over to Mae-yeong this time.

Hand over the child, spend ten years living it up, and then die at the hands of the protagonist!

That was the resolution he had made.

“When someone finds you, act as pitiful as possible.”

“Why?”

“That’s how they’ll take you in.”

“Why?”

“You’ve lost your parents and have nowhere to go. So you have to rely on them here.”

“…….”

“Tell them everything that happened on the way here. Then that person will definitely feel sorry for you and take you in.”

Jin Geum-ryeon didn’t say anything despite Ak Mujin’s instructions. He just kept looking at Ak Mujin’s face.

“What’s your name?”

“What do you need to know that for?”

“So I can get revenge.”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Coward!”

Was his courage growing as the time to part drew near?

Ak Mujin smiled for the first time at Jin Geum-ryeon’s bold words. The child captured that face in his eyes as if trying not to forget it.

Should he tell him his name? He pondered for a while.

“Alright, fine. Just a name… It’s Ahn Do-hyun.”

Ak Mujin said.

“Ahn Do-hyun from where?”

“You’ll have to find that out yourself.”

Now was finally the moment to part with the child.

“Coward!”

Jin Geum-ryeon provoked Ak Mujin again, but Ak Mujin brushed himself off, stood up, and waved his hand at the child. Then, as if without any lingering feelings, he turned and walked away.

“W-where are you going?”

Ak Mujin walked on without answering.

Jin Geum-ryeon suddenly felt scared at the thought of being left alone in this vast place, and he rolled his eyes around, looking around.

“Where are you going!”

The child couldn’t even move his body, so his fear began to rise even more.

“Don’t go, waaaah!”

Ak Mujin never once looked back. He grew further and further away, now looking like a small bean.

Jin Geum-ryeon sat motionless in the spot where Ak Mujin had placed him and burst into tears.