Chapter 28

On a night when clusters of stars embroidered the dark sky, Im Yeon stepped out from Baek Su-gyeong’s quarters.

There were four guards dispatched to Hidden Cloud Pavilion.

They guarded Baek Su-gyeong together during the day, and at night they took turns standing watch, one person per two hours.

Tonight’s first shift had been Im Yeon’s, so she had just been relieved.

‘Will he be all right?’

Im Yeon glanced back at the closed door.

Baek Su-gyeong, who had collapsed in broad daylight, still had not regained consciousness.

Just what kind of training had he received from the Heavenly Demon?

She knew she should not dare to be curious, yet she could not help worrying about Baek Su-gyeong.

Pushing her worries aside, Im Yeon headed toward the quarters assigned to her.

Since her shift was over, she needed rest. Only then could she give her best in guarding tomorrow.

“…Ah.”

She soon arrived at her quarters.

She reached for the door ring, then hesitated.

Come to think of it, today was the day she was to report on her surveillance assignment.

Im Yeon bit her lower lip lightly, then sighed and turned around.

She did not have the courage to disobey orders.

Leaping over a wall in one motion, Im Yeon headed for beneath Radiant Bridge, not far from Hidden Cloud Pavilion.

Her legs grew heavier the closer she came, but her steps did not stop.

Walking like that, she soon reached her destination.

With another sigh, Im Yeon descended below.

Someone was already waiting there. A man wearing a bamboo hat.

He was the Guardian Hall Head’s trusted aide and Im Yeon’s direct superior, so she cupped her fists first.

The man muttered in a low voice.

“You are late, Lady Im.”

“I came straight here after finishing my night guard duty.”

‘Lady’ was not the most appropriate form of address for a subordinate.

But neither the man nor Im Yeon paid it any mind.

“Begin your report.”

The bamboo-hatted man came straight to the point. He was the type who disliked useless talk.

Im Yeon hesitated briefly.

She couldn’t say nothing at all, so in the end she opened her mouth.

“Today the Seventh Young Lord received his first training from the Cult Leader. It was so intense he collapsed from exhaustion.”

The man simply stared at her, a silent pressure demanding further details.

Im Yeon pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head.

She did not want to speak of Demon Valley or the drinking with the Heavenly Demon.

“Not much worth reporting, I take it. Then speak about the Seventh Young Lord.”

“The Seventh Young Lord? Hm…”

After a brief pause for thought, Im Yeon continued.

“The Seventh Young Lord is easygoing.”

“…Easygoing?”

“Yes. He doesn’t stand on ceremony. He’s quite playful as well.”

“…”

“He has deep insight into martial arts, and… Ah! His perception is also outstanding.”

Baek Su-gyeong had immediately seen through the fact that she had been dispatched because of the Elder Council Lord.

And then there was the way he had behaved in Demon Valley.

“And he’s bold, and he doesn’t shrink back in front of the Cult Leader, and…”

“That is enough.”

The bamboo-hatted man cut her off.

Though his face was hidden by the hat, his expression was clearly not pleased.

It was because not a single important detail had come out.

Well, it was unreasonable to expect worthwhile information in just two days.

Moreover, Im Yeon was not someone he could treat carelessly, so he reminded himself of this and kept his expression in check.

“That will do for today’s report. You may return. Come to this place again three days from now, at this hour, Lady Im.”

“Yes. But, um…”

“What is it?”

“I don’t quite understand why we have to monitor the Seventh Young Lord. He doesn’t seem dangerous, as you said before…”

“It is not I who decided whether he is dangerous. We merely act according to orders. Your role is especially important, Lady Im. You must observe the Seventh Young Lord’s movements and identify anything that might become his weakness.”

“…”

“I am well aware you do not like it, but think of the negative views aimed at you. To break them, you must show results.”

It was plain fact, without exaggeration.

She knew well that many stories circulated within the Guardian Hall about her special recruitment.

That was why Im Yeon clung so hard to the Guard Manual and its rules.

She wanted to prove that her special recruitment had not been undeserved, and that she was a talent befitting the Guardian Hall.

“I hope you do not disappoint him. It is his wish that you firmly establish your place.”

“…Yes.”

“You may return.”

Im Yeon cupped her fists as she had when she arrived, then turned away.

On the road back to Hidden Cloud Pavilion.

Her mind was tangled with many thoughts.

Why had she been given such a task?

What exactly was she supposed to report, and what was off-limits?

Would she have to live in constant conflict like this from now on?

Im Yeon felt her chest grow tight.

The gap between the teachings she’d received upon joining the Guardian Hall and the reality she faced was too great.

She no longer wanted to carry out this assignment that meant betraying the very man she was to protect.

But she had no choice.

As mentioned before, she lacked the courage to refuse an order.

---

Soft sunlight filtered in through the window.

I squinted at the sudden light, then slowly opened my eyes.

I frowned and narrowed my eyes.

‘My room…?’

For a moment, I had no idea what situation I was in.

Then, the scene right before I lost consciousness flashed through my mind.

-Is that so?

I’d heard the Heavenly Demon say that, and seen some unfamiliar sight, that was my last memory.

‘…Is it morning?’

How many hours had passed?

It had been afternoon when I blacked out.

‘My body’s fine too?’

I moved my arms and legs, then raised my upper body.

I had pushed my body so hard I should have been bedridden for days.

Yet I felt no pain, but rather refreshed instead.

Only then did a foul medicinal scent sting my nose.

It seemed a physician had been here.

“Have you awakened, Young Lord?”

Just then, Im Yeon’s voice came.

I reflexively looked her way and saw her folding a small booklet.

No doubt it was the Guard Manual.

“What time is it now?”

“It is the morning of the day after you collapsed.”

So it was morning after all.

“Is your body all right?”

“It’s much better than I expected. A physician must have come, right?”

“Yes, but it was not an ordinary physician. The Ink-Needle Hall Lord came personally.”

Im Yeon swallowed audibly as she spoke.

The name she mentioned carried that kind of weight.

‘…The Ink-Needle Hall Lord came here?’

I paused without realizing it.

It was surprising.

The Ink-Needle Hall Lord was someone who would not move unless the Heavenly Demon ordered it.

In other words, her coming here meant the Heavenly Demon had ordered her to treat me.

‘What’s gotten into the Heavenly Demon?’

He was a zealot of grit and effort second to none.

Especially regarding physical training, he viewed any outside aid negatively.

That included medical treatment.

Yet he hadn’t just called an ordinary physician, but sent the Ink-Needle Hall Lord herself. I couldn’t understand it.

Was my condition really that serious?

Naturally, that also explained why my body felt so excessively fine.

Alongside the Life-and-Death Divine Physician, the Ink-Needle Hall Lord was one of only two divine physicians in Murim.

Unlike the Life-and-Death Divine Physician, who was famed purely for medical skill, she was more notorious for poisons. The Ink-Needle Hall Lord’s belief was that the extremity of poison led to medicine.

Hence her nickname, the Myriad Poison Immortal, and befitting that, she must have treated me with medicine made from vicious toxins.

Her skill, at least, was unquestionable.

‘This isn’t good.’

However, there was a problem.

Unlike the very taciturn Heavenly Demon, the Ink-Needle Hall Lord was extremely talkative.

They said that anything that reached her ears would soon reach the ears of every cult member.

Protecting a patient’s secrets as a physician?

I could say with certainty that such a concept was about a hundred million light-years away from the Ink-Needle Hall Lord.

To the point people twisted her original nickname and called her the Myriad Poison Gossiper.

‘That’s not her true face, though…’

I knew the Ink-Needle Hall Lord’s true nature.

In my previous life, the Ink-Needle Hall Lord’s disciple, who had used me for all kinds of human experiments, had told me what she was really like.

Outwardly, she chattered foolishly about anything and everything, but inside she was thoroughly calculating, a person who would casually spill others’ secrets for her own benefit.

That was the Ink-Needle Hall Lord.

And that woman had taken my pulse and treated me personally.

She must have realized that I had True Blood Severed Meridians.

Given that the Heavenly Demon had sent her himself, the odds were high she would keep the secret, but you never knew.

She might babble about it to the Elder Council Lord, then brush it off as a mistake.

‘I’d better go see her.’

A dull throb pulsed in my head.

I had to visit Ink-Needle Hall anyway, but I had not wanted to meet the Ink-Needle Hall Lord in the slightest.

The one I’d originally meant to see was her disciple.

‘Ha… Things had been going smoothly until now.’

In the end, I had gotten the training time reduced to six hours.

I should have been purely happy that I got what I wanted, but of course an unexpected obstacle had to appear.

Nothing ever goes smoothly, not a single thing.

“Guard Im.”

“Yes?”

“Why are you so restless?”

Even while my head throbbed over the Ink-Needle Hall Lord, Im Yeon kept catching my eye.

For some reason, she kept folding and unfolding the Guard Manual, moving as if to tuck it into her clothes and then stopping.

“Ah, I-I wasn’t restless.”

“Hm. That’s strange.”

I eyed her suspiciously.

She quickly averted her gaze.

“Ah. I know. It’s that, right?”

“T-that what, exactly?”

“The report.”

“…!”

Im Yeon’s mouth dropped open.

Then she belatedly shook her head.

“I-I do not know what you mean.”

She really was a terrible liar.

“What did you report? Did you tell them about going to Demon Valley and about me collapsing yesterday?”

“T-that…”

Her lips opened and closed in denial, then she let out a long sigh.

“As expected, I cannot deceive your insight, Young Lord. Just as you guessed, I submitted my report last night.”

“And the contents?”

“I only reported that you collapsed.”

“Really? Nothing else?”

“When he asked about you, I said you were easygoing, playful, gifted in martial talent, and perceptive.”

“Come on. You only praised me like that? Sounds like a lie.”

“It is the truth!”

Im Yeon practically jumped.

Judging by that reaction, it seemed she really was telling the truth.

“Why didn’t you report the important parts? My trip to Demon Valley will spread as a rumor sooner or later anyway.”

“I just… didn’t want to. And it was also a secret mission from the Cult Leader…”

“Hm, really? Got it.”

“That’s all?”

Im Yeon looked at me with wide rabbit eyes.

“What do you mean, that’s all?”

“You are just letting it go like this?”

“And what exactly am I supposed to do if I don’t let it go?”

“I thought you would scold me harshly, at least.”

Her shoulders shrank, as if cowed.

I looked at her for a moment, then spoke as if it were nothing.

“You’re not doing this because you want to, Guard Im. What kind of bodyguard in this world wants to monitor their charge with bad intentions? And I more or less know the mindset with which you carry out your duty. How could I scold you?”

I laid it on thick with pretty words.

It’s not like I can change my bodyguard, or stop the reports.

Saying unpleasant things would be meaningless.

All I could do was treat her kindly and hope she kept adjusting the report content in my favor, like yesterday.

“Young Lord…!”

Im Yeon’s eyes sparkled. She looked deeply moved.

So easy to handle.

She’s going to get swindled a lot.

“Do you ever get weird people coming up to you on the street? Saying something about your ancestors and that they need to perform a ritual or something?”

“Gasp. How did you know? My ancestors seem to have endless troubles in the afterlife. My coin pouch never has much left…”

Seeing her instantly droop made me want to laugh.

As expected, she really was easy to scam.

‘Right, I should mention this.’

“Next time you go to make your report, make sure to pass on this message.”

“Uh, what message, exactly?”

Im Yeon asked in a tense tone.

“Tell him to give me a carriage. The one I rented with my own money has an outrageous fee. It’s five taels a day.”

“Ah, y-yes.”

Relief washed over her face.

Looks like she thought I was going to declare some sort of war.

“Will you stand guard for me? I think I should circulate my qi and regulate my breathing.”

“Understood. I’ll do my utmost to protect you so you can rest easy, Young Lord!”

“Thanks.”

I sat cross-legged and circulated the Nine Heavens Demon-Ascension Art.

I’d half-hoped the Heavenly Demon might have made me take some miraculous elixir, but no such luck.

My dantian was unchanged.

The amount of internal energy I could use hadn’t increased, but with Perfect Demonic Qi, I should be able to use it more efficiently.

“Hoo.”

I let out a long breath, finishing my breathing and circulation.

Once I stopped, hunger hit me. It was probably because I hadn’t eaten all night.

‘I’ll grab a quick bite, then head to Ink-Needle Hall.’

In this situation, I had no idea when the Ink-Needle Hall Lord might spill my secret.

It seemed today’s training would be skipped, so I should seize the chance to visit Ink-Needle Hall. With the Demon-Gathering Stone in hand.

“Guard Im, I’m going out after I eat, so get ready—”

“Young Lord, the Sixth Young Lady has come to visit!”

Just then, a loud voice rang from outside the room.

The Sixth Young Lady… that would be my little sajeo¹, Wi So-rang.

‘What did she come for?’

My brows furrowed.

I needed to eat quickly and get to Ink-Needle Hall. If Wi So-rang latches onto me, my schedule would almost certainly be delayed.

“Sajae²! I heard you were sick and flew here like the wind!”

Kwang!

Wi So-rang kicked the door open as if to break it and burst in.

“Hey, you can’t just kick someone’s door like—”

—that? Was what I was going to say, but it got stuck in my throat.

Because the luxurious cloth bundle in Wi So-rang’s hand immediately caught my eye.

“What’s that? Looks like there’s something expensive inside.”

“Medicine I bought for you. How much was it again?”

“Eighty taels in silver.”

The bodyguard who had followed Wi So-rang in answered.

And I spoke as well.

“Thank you for gracing this lowly one with your visit, Sajeo.”