Chapter 137

Bukgung Yoon was startled to see Yeon Mujin sinking into the water.

Had he exhausted his strength? Was she worn out? Had he lost consciousness?

She tried to dive down after Yeon Mujin.

But Hongyeo would not leave her be.

As if repaying the one who had helped her, Hongyeo put Bukgung Yoon on her back and kept pushing her upward.

“No! Wait! Don’t push me!”

Bukgung Yoon could not possibly overcome Hongyeo’s strength.

Hongyeo inevitably succeeded in sending Bukgung Yoon up onto the shore.

Bukgung Yoon grabbed the edge of the pond like Yeon Mujin had earlier and looked down into the water.

She cried out Yeon Mujin’s name as if calling for a lost beloved.

“Captain Yeon!”

Then,

Swoosh!

A spray burst up as a figure leapt out.

Yeon Mujin shot out of the pond like a mountain spirit selling axes, kicking off the water.

“Manor Lord, I am in your debt. Do you think I would drown and die?”

Yeon Mujin shook his head like a wet dog and wrung out his clothes as he spoke.

Both of them were soaked from head to toe, looking like drowned mice.

Who in the world would see them like this and think one was the daughter of the greatest clan and the other her bodyguard?

“Ha, really…”

Bukgung Yoon’s legs went weak and she sank down where she stood.

Yeon Mujin, looking down at Bukgung Yoon, picked up the outer garment she had thrown off and held it out.

“Put this on for now.”

Only then did Bukgung Yoon realize how she looked.

The wet clothes clung to her, revealing the contours of her body.

Bukgung Yoon snatched the outer garment from Yeon Mujin’s hand, hurriedly wrapped it around herself, and said,

“…You saw, didn’t you?”

“What?”

“You saw it.”

“I didn’t see anything.”

“…Nothing at all?”

That stung her pride for some reason.

Did he mean he hadn’t seen anything at all?

“Don’t lie. I just saw captain Yeon scan my body.”

Yeon Mujin only stared at Bukgung Yoon without answering.

“What are you staring at like that?”

“I’m sorry.”

“See? After seeing it…!”

That wasn’t what she meant.

“From now on, I won’t let the Manor Lord do such dangerous things.”

Yeon Mujin knelt on one knee before Bukgung Yoon and bowed his head.

It was the first time Yeon Mujin had bowed his head before her.

“Raise your head.”

Yeon Mujin slowly lifted his head.

“I’m a little angry.”

“…Yes?”

“Never bow your head again. I cannot bear to see you bow. Do not apologize or beg in front of me—or anyone. That does not suit Captain Yeon. This is an order from your master.”

“…”

“Captain Yeon, remember. You were not swept away by your choice; I chose you. I am the lord and you are my subordinate. Not the other way around. If you apologize over my safety even once more, I will not forgive you.”

The young manor lord’s eyes were sharp.

“If it’s a dangerous task, I’ll do it no matter how dangerous. Even if it’s a hundred times more dangerous. This is the path I walk.”

“…The lord is right.”

Yeon Mujin readily admitted it.

“I crossed the line.”

“You know that well.”

“I will accept punishment.”

“I’ll let that slide.”

Bukgung Yoon added a word.

“Add the punishment for peeking at my body to that as well.”

“No, that’s…”

Before he could even finish saying it was unavoidable, he had to tense up.

The spirit beasts they’d passed earlier were running toward the entrance of the lodge.

Sword?

“None…”

It had long been discarded before she jumped into the black pond that was indistinguishable from scrap metal.

“What are the External Protection Troops doing?”

Yeon Mujin braced herself tensely. If necessary, she’d fight bare-handed to buy time.

But Bukgung Yoon was not nervous. Watching the incoming spirit beasts, she said,

“Wait a moment, Captain Yeon. Hold on.”

“Yes?”

“They don’t seem to be coming to fight.”

Once again, she was right.

The spirit beasts gathered around the pond, looked at Hongyeo, and let out long cries.

They seemed to be rejoicing that Hongyeo had recovered.

What happened next was even more surprising.

Large foxes, snakes, bears, and deer approached Bukgung Yoon and rubbed their heads against her.

“Hahaha! That tickles…”

“…”

These were creatures that had never once come close to Yeon Mujin or A-Bi-Gyu-Hwan before….

Yeon Mujin suddenly wanted to smack each of those beasts.

“Lord!”

Soon, members of the External Protection Troops and the people of Ghost Valley Manor arrived from afar.

People were aghast to see Bukgung Yoon surrounded by spirit beasts.

“Get away from our manor lord!”

“Calm down, it’s all over now.”

“Yes?”

“The manor lord saved Hongyeo.”

The one most surprised by that was none other than Bukgung Dam-deok.

“Huh, how did you do it?”

Bukgung Yoon held out the carp’s shed skin she had been gripping in her right hand until then.

“It’s because of this.”

“W-what is this?”

“It’s Hongyeo’s shed skin. Hong-yeo was suffering because she was shedding her skin.”

“Sh-shedding skin?”

Though stammered and confused, that last retort came not from Bukgung Dam-deok but from Hwan Bija.

“Normally carps are not creatures that shed skins?”

“Ordinary carps aren’t that large either.”

Only then did the External Protection Troops notice the carp in the pond and cry out in amazement.

“What kind of carp is that…”

“It looks bigger than me?”

A-Bi-Gyu-Hwan was also startled to see Hongyeo shedding her skin.

“I don’t recall it being this big…”

“The shed skin was constricting her body and causing pain. She kept rubbing herself against the pond to try and remove it. A carp has no hands or feet, so she couldn’t remove the stuck skin by herself.”

Having shed the skin, Hongyeo’s scales were glossier and her body larger than before.

She swam freely, rising and dipping through the surface, expressing the joy of shedding in every movement.

Pshhh!

She sprayed water toward the people.

Bukgung Dam-deok watched the rainbow formed by droplets breaking in the air and said to Bukgung Yoon,

“Yo, Yoon.”

“Yes, brother.”

“I… thank you so much. It’s because of you that we were able to save Hongyeo. From now on, if you ever need help—whatever it is—I’ll help you at least once.”

“Ugh.”

Bi Mokja brought a large jar on his arms and set it down before the people.

It was astonishing how he could lift such a large object with those short arms.

Thud!

“Elder, what is this?”

Bi Mokja smiled broadly and answered Yu Se-gwang’s question.

“It’s a treasure of Hundred Ghost Mountain Manor.”

“A treasure?”

“It’s the liquor our youngest made.”

When the jar’s lid was opened, a clear, refreshing aroma wafted out.

Even those unfamiliar with liquor swallowed and smacked their lips at the scent.

“Wow! What a wonderful aroma!”

When Yu Se-gwang praised it without reservation, Ai Ja blushed and cleared her throat.

“It’s a reward for saving Hong-yeo.”

As people eagerly surrounded them, Gyu Guja ladled the liquor into bowls and handed them out to the External Protection Troops members.

Gulp. Gulp.

“Kaha!”

“Whoa!”

“Wow, what is that aroma…?”

With a sip, a floral, piquant scent spread through the mouth.

It was different from drinking tea; there was a unique aroma that only matured liquor gives.

When Bukgung Yoon’s eyes widened in delight, A-Bi-Gyu-Hwan rejoiced as if he were one with her.

“I’ve never had anything like this!”

“Don’t drink too much.”

“It’s fine. Rose Wine is a medicinal wine. It slightly enhances internal qi. And it has no hangover.”

The mention of increasing inner power made the External Protection Troops members’ eyes light up.

No longer worried about appearances, they began guzzling the Rose Wine.

After several rounds of drinking, the group’s mood relaxed.

When they had left the Bukgung Family initially, they had been wary and hostile toward one another…

But crossing Hundred Ghost Mountain and sharing hardships, a fondness had grown between A-Bi-Gyu-Hwan and the External Protection Troops.

“Brother, did you know this?”

The drunken Gyu Guja said this to his brothers.

“Our younger brother Ha’s hometown is said to be Gui Province. He’s from the same region as us.”

A-Bi-Gyu-Hwan was pleased to hear they were from the same Gui Province.

“Ha’s parents were herb gatherers from Gui. And brother, do you remember? He says you saved his life when he was a child.”

“What do you mean?”

Gyu Guja relayed the story he had heard from Ha Do-yeop at Deathly Cave exactly as it was.

Hwan Bija’s eyes flickered upon hearing the tale.

“You’re the son you saved back then?”

“Yes, Elder. You saved my life.”