Chapter 94

“You’re asking me for advice?”

Yeon Ga-heun nodded.

It was so absurd I was left speechless for a moment.

I didn’t expect the Lesser Palace Lord, who’d been trying to kidnap the Heavenly Demon just a moment ago, to suddenly ask for advice.

“Why?”

Yeon Ga-heun’s shoulders trembled faintly.

“To be honest, my situation hasn’t been easy. Inside the palace, there are countless eyes watching my every move, and my master treats me harshly, so each day felt like walking on thin ice.”

“Harshly?”

I glanced at the Heavenly Demon.

If we were talking about this, this man couldn’t be left out.

How much he’d put me through across two lives, past and present.

‘He’s going to pretend he didn’t see it?’

Even though he must’ve felt my look, the Heavenly Demon didn’t meet my eyes.

Yeon Ga-heun continued speaking.

“Sometimes I wondered if my master wanted something to go wrong for me, but the young master saw straight through it at a glance.”

Yeon Ga-heun’s eyes grew moist.

It was pitiful.

‘I can’t trust this act.’

Of course, the content was probably true.

Because the future outcome proved it.

But Yeon Ga-heun was a hardcase who killed dozens and survived alone.

Someone like that wouldn’t show such a weak side.

It had to be an act to win sympathy.

Maybe she read the distrust in my eyes.

Yeon Ga-heun cautiously added.

“Moreover, seeing that you even saw through our girls’ Harmonizing Resonance, I realized something. Not only is your martial might high, you also possess keen insight that pierces the essence.”

So the method the Splendid Palace warriors used was called Harmonizing Resonance.

I smiled faintly and asked.

“A moment ago, you said everyone besides Master’s first, second, and third disciples were useless.”

“Which number are you, young master?”

“Seventh.”

“Now that I think about it, I believe I’ve heard that the Seventh Young Master possesses outstanding insight and character.”

It was so ridiculous I almost let out a hollow laugh.

She was as shameless as I was.

But that also meant her survival instinct was that strong.

‘I might be able to use this.’

In that moment, an incredible idea came to me.

I turned my gaze back to the Heavenly Demon.

He was standing firm, but cold sweat had beaded on his forehead.

‘Cold sweat on the Heavenly Demon.’

It was my first time seeing it, which was fascinating and worrying at the same time.

Releasing Demonic Qi and pulling it back in earlier must have put a heavy burden on his body.

“Master, are you having a hard time?”

“I don’t know such a word.”

“I think you do right now.”

The Heavenly Demon glared at me coldly.

For someone who looked like he was about to collapse, his eyes were vicious.

“Ahem. Anyway, aren’t you uneasy about us returning with just the two of us?”

“……What are you trying to do this time?”

I smiled brightly and reassured the Heavenly Demon.

“Just watch. I’ll guarantee your safety, Master.”

I turned my body toward Yeon Ga-heun, who was standing farther away.

“Fine. I can’t ignore someone in danger. But, are the palace warriors with you all people you can trust? It seems like sensitive talk is going to be exchanged.”

She answered in a bitter tone.

“Those children can’t see or hear anything. The moment they enter the palace, their sight and hearing are sealed. Only four have their senses intact. Those four deliver my orders to the other children. They’re like my life.”

“Hm. Is that so?”

“Can’t you trust me?”

“It’s not that. But from the Lesser Palace Lord’s standpoint, it’s better to be cautious.”

Yeon Ga-heun didn’t answer me.

Instead, she called a subordinate by name.

“Yeong-ji.”

“Yes, Lesser Palace Lord.”

“Will you crush your Cheonryeonggae for me?”

‘This crazy—’

A curse nearly slipped out on instinct.

Cheonryeonggae meant the skull.

An order to crush it meant to kill yourself.

“Yes.”

The woman named Yeong-ji didn’t blink once.

With a fist infused with deep-blue internal energy, she struck her own temple without hesitation.

“Wait!”

“Stop, Yeong-ji.”

Hwoong!

The woman’s fist stopped right before her temple.

Her hair whipped violently in the fierce fist wind. A thick hair tie snapped with a tuk.

If I’d been even a little late, her head would’ve shattered like a watermelon.

As if she was pleased about something, Yeon Ga-heun smiled.

“That’s what these children are like.”

“Wow.”

I got sick of Yeon Ga-heun in an instant.

It wasn’t easy for a beautiful smile to feel this merciless, but Yeon Ga-heun pulled it off.

‘And what’s with the person who just does it when told?’

I realized again.

That mentally warped people who obeyed blindly weren’t only in the Demon Cult.

I shook my head and said.

“Lesser Palace Lord.”

“Please speak.”

“You want to hear my advice?”

“Yes.”

“Then we need to make a deal.”

“What deal are you referring to?”

“Escort us.”

“Huh?”

A flustered look appeared on Yeon Ga-heun’s previously merciless face.

She blinked repeatedly.

“There could be another faction aiming for us too. Like Splendid Palace.”

I emphasized the words Splendid Palace.

Escorting the weakened Heavenly Demon back safely by myself was impossible from the start.

So I’d planned to go to the Demon Cult’s secret outpost and mobilize their people.

The problem was it would take about three days to get there.

The Heavenly Demon’s condition was worse than I expected, so I had to change the plan.

And then the best escort rolled in on its own.

“You want this young lady to escort the Heavenly Demon and the young master?”

“Looks like you don’t want to.”

“Do I have the qualification to do that?”

She used qualification as an excuse, but there had to be many things bothering her.

The contradiction of escorting former enemies, fear of the Heavenly Demon’s rampage, and the burden of directly defying Splendid Palace’s policy.

I snorted and asked back.

“Did you ask for advice because you had qualifications for it?”

I understood, but it was too self-serving.

She meant to take only what benefited her.

“You have a good eye for people, Lesser Palace Lord. I do have a way to keep you alive.”

“…….”

“I’m not saying you have to go all the way to the Divine Cult with us. It’ll be over in three days. Isn’t that doable? Is your life not worth that much?”

Yeon Ga-heun’s gaze wavered.

I deliberately pressed her.

“Decide. This place is right near Shaolin Temple. It wouldn’t be strange for martial monks to come down at any time.”

As if she finally made up her mind, Yeon Ga-heun nodded heavily.

‘Done.’

With that, I’d solved the biggest obstacle.

With this much force, most attacks wouldn’t be a problem.

“Good. I heard that if you take a big detour while heading toward Luoyang, there’s an old Guan Di Shrine. We’ll spend tonight there.”

“All right.”

Hearing her clear answer, I looked at the Heavenly Demon smugly.

“What do you think?”

“So like you.”

Was that an insult or praise?

It was ambiguous, but I didn’t care.

If it was to save the Heavenly Demon, what couldn’t I do?

“Let’s go.”

Once we started moving, something strange happened.

The fog the Splendid Palace warriors had brought followed us as we moved.

‘They deserve to be called a mysterious faction.’

So this was why Splendid Palace warriors didn’t stand out.

Any sane person of Murim wouldn’t go near such an ominous fog.

First, we headed to the farmhouse where we’d left our horses.

I added a generous reward and got the horses back, but the problem was the Heavenly Demon.

He looked unsteady even standing, so there was no way he seemed able to ride.

“Master, want to ride with me?”

A suggestion I made after steeling myself.

A firm refusal came back.

“No.”

“Why? You can rely on your disciple more.”

“It’s a hundred years too early.”

With his weakened body, the Heavenly Demon forced himself onto the horse.

Anyway, he was stubborn to the bone.

Being supported was fine, but riding the same horse wasn’t?

‘It just makes me more curious.’

What was the reason the Heavenly Demon wanted the Heart-Demon Qi badly enough to endure this state?

I swore I’d pry into it later in detail.

Traveling under the Splendid Palace warriors’ protection, it became evening.

We’d left the Heart-Demon Abyss at dawn, so we’d ridden for a long time.

‘He really is something.’

I clicked my tongue at the Heavenly Demon.

To endure until evening in that condition.

It was truly terrifying mental strength.

Before long, we arrived at our destination.

I supported the Heavenly Demon as he painfully dismounted and went into the Guan Di Shrine.

The Heavenly Demon sat in the middle in a lotus position.

“I’ll circulate and regulate my Qi.”

“Go ahead. I won’t interrupt.”

Leaving him alone, I went outside.

Normally, I should stand guard close by, but there was no need right now.

The shrine was so small my senses reached from end to end, and there was only one entrance.

‘Of course, this isn’t enough.’

I told Yeon Ga-heun to set up a camp that surrounded the Guan Di Shrine.

It was using the camp itself as a massive escort formation.

Yeon Ga-heun agreed without complaint and issued orders to her subordinates.

“Cheong-byeok, take the children and set up the Lure-Trigger Array and the Sound-Thunder Bombs. Dan-yeong, erase all our traces within a radius of a hundred meters, and Muk-jin and Yeong-ji—”

She’d been reigning over the palace warriors with lofty dignity, but she personally handled every small and large matter.

“You’re unexpectedly meticulous.”

“Did you think this young lady would do nothing?”

“Honestly, I did.”

Yeon Ga-heun smiled faintly.

“When you’re upheld by many, you fall into a delusion. That you’re someone chosen by heaven, and that you can treat those below you however you like.”

“That’s why those above bear so much responsibility.”

“You’re right, young master. That’s why I must find a way to live. Not only for myself, but because these children also have a fate to be with me.”

“If something happens to the Lesser Palace Lord, do those palace warriors end up that way too?”

“That is Splendid Palace’s law.”

Her faint smile turned into a bitter smile.

I looked at her, then asked the most important question.

“Why is the Palace Lord trying to kill the Lesser Palace Lord?”

I knew the outcome of the incident.

But if I could learn the motive, things might unravel more easily than I thought.

And I was personally curious too.

What kind of story makes a master decide to dry her disciple to death?

Yeon Ga-heun let out a deep sigh.

“It’s because of a man.”

“……A man?”

An answer I never expected.

What the hell is this now?

“There’s a man. The leader of a faction that has friendly relations with Splendid Palace. He kept showing interest in me. But then, the Palace Lord had feelings for him.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. After learning that, my master began to hate me. I had no feelings for the man, so I politely expressed my refusal. Even so, his courting didn’t stop, and my master’s anger only kept growing.”

It was a story that was hard to believe.

That the cause of the Splendid Palace Lord killing Yeon Ga-heun was a man problem.

But it wasn’t a lie.

In Murim, the more a story made you think “How is that even possible,” the more likely it was to be true.

“Funny. To tell me something this intimate when we just met.”

“We’re not simply strangers meeting for the first time.”

“Then what are we?”

“Who knows. Maybe… people who… protect each other.”

What I’d meant to say was ‘people who were hostile to each other.’

But since she was escorting us now, I didn’t say it for fear of ruining the atmosphere.

“People who protect each other… not bad. Hehe. You said there’s a way to save me, didn’t you?”

“There’s Plan One and Plan Two, but Plan One won’t work. Problems of passion are hard to solve. How big is the gap between the Lesser Palace Lord and the Palace Lord in martial might?”

“Like heaven and earth.”

“And your support base inside the palace?”

“Like Mount Tai and the ground.”

Better than the martial arts gap, but still an overwhelming difference.

“Then it’s better. You won’t have any lingering attachment.”

“Lingering attachment?”

“If I were the Lesser Palace Lord, I wouldn’t go back to Splendid Palace.”

Yeon Ga-heun’s eyes widened.

“Did you get afflicted by a poison, or do you have some circumstance where you have to take an antidote regularly?”

“No, but it’s a perspective I never even considered.”

“That makes sense.”

For a long time, Yeon Ga-heun couldn’t continue.

I couldn’t tell if she was sunk in her thoughts, or if she was speechless at the absurd idea.

“Is it possible?”

“Wouldn’t you know that better than me?”

“…….”

Yeon Ga-heun turned her head toward the distant sky.

“To be honest, there were many times I wanted to leave the palace. I had a dream.”

“What was it?”

“To create a sect of my own. A place where we don’t capture children and make them kill and be killed, where we don’t take their sight and hearing, a place where everyone grows up smiling and helping one another.”

“Do you feel guilty for being the only one who survived?”

A bitter smile formed at Yeon Ga-heun’s lips.

“You knew about our palace’s rite.”

“I’ve heard about it.”

She spoke in a voice she tried to keep calm.

“Back then, I had no choice. If I didn’t kill, I would have died. I just want my children to live the rest of their lives safely. Without feeling the anxiety of not knowing when they’ll die.”

Why was it?

In the moment she said this, it felt sincere.

“But if you care about the palace warriors, weren’t you too ruthless earlier?”

I meant the order she’d given to Yeong-ji.

Yeon Ga-heun widened her eyes, then started laughing.

“Did you really think I meant to kill her? I believed you would tell her to stop.”

“Come on. Honestly, that sounds like a lie. If I’d been a little late, her head would’ve been shattered.”

“That wouldn’t have happened. I sent a signal beforehand with Harmonizing Resonance. To stop on their own.”

“Ah.”

So she never intended to kill her from the start.

Did Yeon Ga-heun trick me?

“So what will you do? Will you leave?”

Yeon Ga-heun didn’t answer.

She said she’d often wanted to leave the palace, but she still seemed unable to make up her mind.

So I added one line.

“A shackle isn’t something another puts on you. It’s something you put on yourself.”

“……!”

Yeon Ga-heun parted her lips slightly.

Her expression looked like something she’d believed to be obvious for a long time had collapsed.

For a while, she stared into the distance without speaking.

What decision did she make?

Soon, a mysterious smile spread across her face.

After that, I traveled with Yeon Ga-heun’s group for four days.

At a place about half a day away from the Demon Cult’s secret outpost, I said goodbye to her.

If we went deeper, the secret outpost’s location might be exposed, so we parted at an appropriate point.

Maybe she’d grown attached over the past few days, because her expression held regret.

“If I happen to want to see you, young master, where in the Divine Cult should I go?”

“Why would you want to see me?”

“Much later, you might suddenly fall ill with lovesickness.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Why do you think that? Is it because I don’t please your eyes? Am I not pretty enough?”

Tsk, I clicked my tongue.

Was this the time for me to be judging who was pretty and who wasn’t?

I had to catch up somehow to the Heavenly Demon, who was getting stronger by the day and even absorbing Heart-Demon Qi.

“I’m very busy. If you really need help, send someone to Hidden Cloud Pavilion. I can’t guarantee I’ll help, though.”

“That’s enough. It means our tie hasn’t been cut.”

“Cut the pointless talk. Have you decided?”

Yeon Ga-heun nodded.

“I decided to follow your advice.”

“Then you’re leaving Splendid Palace?”

“Yes.”

“Good decision.”

“You untied my shackles, young master. Thanks to you, I realized the path I must walk.”

I felt a strange emotion.

Until we met outside the Heart-Demon Abyss, whether Yeon Ga-heun lived or died had nothing to do with me.

I’d thrown out all kinds of things just to steer the situation in my favor, and ended up here, but when she actually did what I said, it felt weird.

Had Yeon Ga-heun’s tragic future changed?

“Where will you go?”

“Who knows. I don’t know the Central Plains well. Is there somewhere you’d recommend?”

“I don’t know either.”

“True, since you’re the Heavenly Demon’s disciple.”

“If you have nowhere to go, come to the Divine Cult. I’ll keep today’s matter sealed.”

“If I truly have nowhere to go, I’ll seriously consider it.”

At the joke, Yeon Ga-heun smiled faintly.

And for the first time, she glanced at the Heavenly Demon.

“The relationship between you and the Heavenly Demon seems very special. I’m jealous.”

“Do Master and I look special?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

I almost let out a hollow laugh.

If she knew my past life, those words would disappear fast.

Because the Heavenly Demon and I were a relationship no less than Yeon Ga-heun and the Splendid Palace Lord. Master and disciple had taken each other’s lives.

“I’ll look forward to the day we meet again, young master.”

“Sure. Thank you for the past few days.”

That was how I parted with Yeon Ga-heun as she smiled.

Watching the fog recede, I spoke to the Heavenly Demon.

“Master, the Lesser Palace Lord says our relationship looks special.”

“Is that so?”

“Are we an okay master-disciple pair?”

“I don’t know.”

Can’t you say yes, even as an empty phrase?

Not that I’m expecting anything.

Anyway, the Demon Cult’s secret outpost wasn’t far.

We’d probably arrive within today.

If nothing special happened.