Chapter 9.1 When the Lotus Blooms

The White Virtue Clan's search party, led by Kong Yool, left Black Sky Clan territory without any results.

Since Kang-oh had lent a hand in the search for the missing Grandmaster of the White Virtue Clan, he showed up to see Kong Yool off and then hurried back to House of Joy. Normally, he would have headed to Honamgak, but lately, his restlessness kept pushing him back towards House of Joy.

The gatekeeper stepped aside at Kang-oh's arrival.

"Were there any visitors today?"

He asked with Mo Yong Yu-woon's subordinates in mind. The gatekeeper replied with a loyal expression.

"No outsiders have visited House of Joy."

Kang-oh gave a small nod and strode inside.

The first place his steps took him was to the pond built within House of Joy. Looking at the lotus that still hadn't opened its bud today either, Kang-oh felt his mood sink a little. He knew well that a flower, staying silent for so long, could suddenly bloom, like a baby who suddenly learns to speak. Sometimes, he even enjoyed the wait. But this summer, he kept hoping each day for the lotus to bloom, only to swallow disappointment each time.

During this time, because of the First Disciple, Kang-oh had been very on edge. Not only was he showing interest in Woo, but Mo Yong Yu-woon was also turning a blind eye to the slanderous rumors involving Woo's name. As if even instigating things, he sent his subordinates to guard the front of the House of Joy, which only made Kang-oh increasingly uncomfortable.

Day after day, he would snatch letters and gifts from the First Disciple's subordinates and deliver them to Woo. Fortunately, after Yeo Bul-hoe was locked into the penitentiary, Yu-woon's movements quieted down.

The First Disciple, who seemed to only occasionally visit the imprisoned Leader of The Hidden Blades, was now unusually quiet and reclusive in his own residence. If Kang-oh's ears had been more open to the Black Sky Clan, it would've been easier for him to grasp what was happening. But since he was always wandering outside, he could only gather surface-level details about the First Disciple's schedule.

He didn't regret avoiding direct confrontation. However, the clear limitations that resulted from that held Kang-oh back.

The fact that the First Disciple had been quiet for the past few days weighed on his mind. He knew that Yu-woon wasn't someone who would back down so easily. Hadn't he always suffered under the First Disciple's relentless pressure? Now that he had suddenly shown interest in Woo, Mo Yong Yu-woon would surely want to see things through to the end.

Standing blankly in front of Woo's door, Kang-oh buried his face in his own hands. There were more times he had loitered here than actually stepped past the threshold.

Today seemed to be another one of those days.

Yeon-jin appeared as she turned to the corner. She looked up without much thought but caught sight of Kang-oh and drew in a sharp breath. Sensing Yeon-jin's presence, Kang-oh glanced back and quietly brought his index finger to his lips. As Yeon-jin hurriedly lowered her body, Kang-oh brushed past her.

"..."

It was only after the Third Disciple had completely disappeared that Yeon-jin dared to lift her head again. She stretched her neck out, but when even Kang-oh's shadow was nowhere in sight, she finally sighed in relief and clutched her chest.

He was never an easy man to deal with, but lately it had worsened. Even the air seemed to grow heavy wherever the Third Disciple walked. What went on in the mind of such a high-ranking man was not something a mere servant like her could guess.

However, Yeon-jin felt like she understood it, even if only vaguely. While staying close to Woo, she came to realize it naturally, because the Third Disciple had gone through it too.

Ye Kang-oh's gaze had always been fixed on that utterly lowly servant. Even the smallest, most insignificant of his gestures. Though he firmly kept his lips shut as if trying not to show it, that very silence reveals much.

Yeon-jin felt a weight settle in her chest. She could vaguely see how this relationship would end. The future Woo had arranged for her meant he would soon be gone.

On the other hand, the Third Disciple was bound to the Black Sky Clan. As the most cherished disciple of the greatest figure in the Demonic Path, he could not live apart from the Black Sky Clan. The reason the Third Disciple was even allowed to roam the martial world was because there was a premise that he would eventually return to the Black Sky Clan. If his beloved disciple ended up bewitched by a mere servant and never returned, it was all too clear how the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan would respond.

In truth, even Yeon-jin believed that the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan was already keeping a close eye on Woo. The First Internal Officer couldn't possibly monitor Ye Kang-oh, the Grandmaster's youngest disciple, purely by her own discretion. So the fact that Seomun Geum-ryeong ordered Yeon-jin to watch Woo meant that Jin-rang had given his implicit permission.

Until now, Yeon-jin had intentionally avoided digging any deeper. Someone who had nothing and no power was always eliminated once they knew too much. So Yeon-jin had closed her eyes and blocked her ears. Seomun Geum-ryeong had to be the highest authority Yeon-jin knew.

But now, the story had changed. Yeon-jin no longer had to struggle just to survive because her life going forward was secured. That was what Woo's arrangement meant.

That she no longer needed to stop thinking or give up.

That alone made the world feel infinitely expanding. She also felt afraid. But it was also a pleasant thrill in its own way.

As she hurried to the door and opened it, Woo, who had been dozing off, lifted his head. The man who usually never showed pain or fatigue had recently started sleeping a lot. Dozing like a sickly chicken in the sunlight. Feeling uneasy at the sight, Yeon-jin smiled cheerfully and stepped inside to hide her true feelings.

"I brought today's medicine."

"Ah, is that so?"

Startled awake, Woo quietly touched his own forehead. It seemed he had a slight headache.

Having observed Woo closely, Yeon-jin had also come to know his habits and tendencies, and she pushed a warm medicinal decoction toward him.

"Drink all of this and get a good sleep. If your head hurts, it's better to sleep than to force yourself to stay awake."

"Oh no, I've been found out."

Woo smiled bitterly and accepted the bowl of medicine she handed him. Even though he felt the day of his death was not far off, he still took the tonic medicine without fail, only to put those around him at ease.

So he would appear as if he still planned to keep on living.

"I saw the Third Disciple just outside. Maybe because he had just seen off the White Virtue Clan, he looked especially dignified."

Yeon-jin opened the conversation as if testing Woo. It was because she felt deeply uncomfortable seeing Kang-oh hovering from a distance. In the current situation, the only one who might protect someone as adrift as Woo was the Third Disciple. But since the relationship between him and Woo remained this distant and awkward, she was really worried. To Yeon-jin, it was clear that the two were hesitant and couldn't take even a single step toward each other.

Being awkward around someone doesn't necessarily mean you dislike them. When someone is too precious, you naturally become cautious. That's just how people are.

But Woo's reaction was beyond what Yeon-jin expected.

"…They've left."

Woo murmured. His voice sounded hollow.

He already knew that Kong Yool and his group would leave. They had searched from Gansu to Xinjiang, but still came up empty-handed. So it wasn't possible for them to remain in Black Sky Clan territory forever. Besides, the Kong Yool he knew was extremely active. He could be in the North Sea today and gallop off toward the southern lands of Nanman tomorrow.

Woo finally felt relief upon hearing he was out of the search area, but at the same time, he felt a heaviness in his heart.

It was because of death. Even if he no longer existed in this world, that fact wouldn't be known, so Kong Yool would continue his endless search. Just as he had for the past ten years, and perhaps for ten more to come.

If only he would give up.

The only bit of relief was that the First Disciple, Mo Yong Yu-woon, had completely stopped approaching him. The man who had spread unsavory rumors, made contact openly, and even sent gifts… Perhaps shocked by Woo's confession that he would soon die, he had kept silent since then.

To Woo, whose mind was already in turmoil, it was truly a relief.

No matter how composed he was, he couldn't help but be shaken by the fact that the end was near.

A man who should've died ten years ago had become a living ghost. How fierce must his desire be?

Lingering regrets trailed one after another. Of all things, seeing Kong Yool from quite up close thoroughly stirred up Woo's mind. There were so many things he should have taken responsibility for but couldn't.

And the last person Woo thought of was Kang-oh.

Ye Kang-oh.

How would he truly come to accept his end?

The past, when they had parted in the worst way possible, came to mind. The boy had thought that his only guardian died shielding him, and in the end, he shattered completely. To stitch together that ragged mind and barely allow him to survive, Jin-rang had used forbidden sorcery multiple times. As a result, all of Kang-oh's past memories had been completely sealed.

Jin-rang said that if by any chance the memories returned, even he couldn't say what would happen to Kang-oh. But he warned that, with high probability, Kang-oh would live on afflicted with madness. Since sorcery wasn't meant to heal humans, the side effects of it breaking could only be terrifying.

The world that Kang-oh had carefully built up could collapse at any moment.

No matter how much one tried to delay it, spring would inevitably arrive. It was like walking on thinly frozen water.

Carefully stepping one foot at a time on ice so thin and clear that you could see through it. You never knew when or where the ground beneath your feet might give way. In that endless anxiety, keeping one's balance was close to impossible. Such was the unending chain of precarious moments.

Truly, it was like walking on spring ice.

"Staring at the medicine bowl like that won't make the contents disappear unless you drink it first."

Though she didn't know the reason, Yeon-jin could sense that Woo's mood had sunk. She deliberately opened her mouth in a cheerful tone. Woo lifted his head and looked at her.

"But bitter things are… still unpleasant, after all."

It was a complaint he'd never made, even as a child. Yeon-jin, realizing that Woo was in good enough condition to match her rhythm, responded with a noticeably relieved face.

"Then I'll bring you something sweet. How about walnuts simmered with grain syrup?"

"That… that sounds nice too."

With a small smile, Woo brought the medicine bowl to his lips. It was so bitter that his brow furrowed instinctively. However, when savoring each scent, there wasn't a single medicinal ingredient that was harmful to the body, so he had to force himself to swallow it.

Shouldn't he endure for as long as he possibly could?

Not for himself, but for Kang-oh.

"It's… especially awful today."

Woo muttered as he showed Yeon-jin the now-empty medicine bowl, as if proudly presenting it. She let out a laugh.

"You did well."

"Do you remember the th-thing I said?"

"Of course. The Yonghwa Battlefield, the three birds, a high-ranking officer, talk of weather and red thunder, and return of the thirteenth scops owl."

Over the past few days, Woo had obsessively checked and double-checked whether Yeon-jin remembered the thing he whispered to her back then. Even though he knew full well she had already memorized it, he acted as if it needed to be engraved into her bones.

Yeon-jin knew his desperation was for her own safety, so she never found it annoying and always answered seriously. Even before sleeping, she would repeat the code over and over, knowing her life and future depended on it.

'The Yonghwa Battlefield, the three birds, a high-ranking officer, talk of weather and red thunder, and return of the thirteenth scops owl.'

"I will never forget it."

Like a warrior offering their sword to their lord, Yeon-jin spoke as though making an oath.

Only then, feeling a bit relieved, did Woo reach out to hand Yeon-jin the empty medicine bowl.

That was when it happened. His fingertips tingled, then went numb. The medicine bowl, which he had been holding securely, slipped from Woo's hand. Until then, fine. That much could've happened. But what was strange was what happened in the very next moment.

Clang! The sound of breaking should've reached the ears, but the medicine bowl was still falling to the floor. Woo saw Yeon-jin's lips part slightly. Right now, he felt like even the flutter of a bee's wings could be counted.

He felt cold sweat drenching his forehead and back, and suddenly it felt like the whole world was turning in slow motion.

It was clearly not a normal situation.

"Ah."

The moment he realized it, Woo's body swayed. Everything was moving in slow motion. Yeon-jin running toward him, the bowl falling to the floor.

The moment he closed his eyes, the loud clang! of the bowl shattering rang in his ears.

He had tried hard to hide it, but it seemed that the postponement period had finally ended. Afraid to face Kang-oh who would surely come upon hearing the news, Woo found himself thinking he'd rather not wake up.

Yeon-jin reached out her hand toward the collapsing Woo. However, Woo's fall was too far away for her to reach.

"Please, stay with me! Please!"

Woo didn't hear it. Her cry, as he fainted, reached Kang-oh, who was under the same roof, before anyone else.

As a martial artist, the man who was sensitive to presences and sounds, sprang up at the sound of something breaking. At the sharp scream of a woman, opened the door and ran towards Woo's quarters.

But what he witnessed there was completely unexpected.

"Th-Third Disciple—"

Yeon-jin, her face dampened in an instant, supported the collapsed Woo and looked up at Kang-oh.

He should've reacted right away, but it was as if his fingertips had frozen, he couldn't move. His thoughts and body felt disconnected.

A dizzying red hue spread across Kang-oh's vision. At the sight of Woo collapsed, blood at his mouth, something was on the verge of surfacing, tormenting him.

His arms and legs hung limp, his face was drained of color, and no matter how much he was called, his eyelids remained firmly shut.

It was as if Kang-oh had just discovered a knot deep within his heart, one that had always been there but never noticed. Kang-oh's heart pounded hard. He didn't know how to untie that knot, but he had an instinctive sense that beyond it lay a secret that could change his life.

But he couldn't afford to let time slip away like this. There wasn't much time left for Woo, who was pale as the daylight. This sense of crisis pulled Kang-oh out of his surreal daze and brought him back.

Even the slightest delay could have been as fatal to Woo as what had already passed.

"Physician! Call a physician!"

Kang-oh quickly pulled himself together and shouted. He saw Yeon-jin immediately respond and run off. As much as he wanted to carry Woo himself to the medical quarters, one must not recklessly move someone who has fainted.

Carefully cradling Woo's body, Kang-oh laid him on the bed. He was as light as if he were stuffed with feathers. That fact filled Kang-oh with dread. It felt like he might slip away just like this.

"Please…" Kang-oh murmured as he pressed his ear to Woo's chest. Though faint, he could feel a heartbeat.

'He's alive. He's still alive.'

As if trying to convince himself, Kang-oh muttered desperately. He grabbed Woo's wrist to administer emergency aid. He intended to transmit his internal energy. To transmit internal energy to someone who wasn't even a martial artist, and who hadn't sustained internal injuries… It was a waste.

Even so, he couldn't bear doing nothing.

Just as Kang-oh was about to send in his energy, he hesitated. Woo's meridians were a complete mess. It was to the point where one might suspect he had once trained in martial arts but fell into qi deviation and became messed up. His danjeon was completely empty, there wasn't even a trace of internal energy left.

Could his body being in such a poor state be the aftereffect of losing his martial arts?

Woo had always seemed unusual, but the possibility that he might have originally been a martial artist startled Kang-oh.

"I-I brought the physician!"

Yeon-jin, panting for breath, slammed the door open. The gatekeeper was carrying the physician on his back. Because the situation was urgent, the servant Yeon-jin acted with quick thinking and went to the medical hall with the gatekeeper of House of Joy, who knew martial arts.

Kang-oh stepped aside. The physician grabbed Woo's wrist and began taking his pulse.

"Hoo…"

Before long, a sigh escaped the physician's mouth. He spoke in a grave tone.

"His pulse has grown very weak. Blood isn't circulating properly to his hands and feet. If this continues, it'll be dangerous. I can apply acupuncture right away, but…"

"You can, but?"

Kang-oh pressed for an answer. The physician opened his mouth, his expression heavy as if he'd swallowed a stone.

"Tonight will likely be the critical point."

"..."

For a moment, his mind went completely blank. Like a blank sheet of paper, the first thing that came to Kang-oh's mind was the lotus. The flower that hadn't yet bloomed. They had made a promise to see it together.

"Save him."

Kang-oh spoke through clenched teeth.

"I'll give you anything in the House of Joy. I will even open the gate of Nangyeong Storage."

Nangyeong Storage was a treasure vault Jin-rang built because there were too many treasures he had bestowed upon his youngest disciple. It earned the name 'Nangyeong' because when you opened its jade-carved gate, every kind of treasure would shine brightly. Inside, it was said to be full of famed medicines and spirit pills rare even across the entire martial world, and overflowing with gold and silver treasures. Kang-oh never used what his master gave him carelessly, so he simply collected everything.

Today would be the first time the gates of Nangyeong Storage would be opened and something taken out from within. He had always only ever put new things in.

"I—I'll do my best."

The physician, being from the Medical Pavilion under Black Sky Clan, knew full well what Nangyeong Storage was, bowed with a flustered expression. At the same time, he was afraid that if the servant whom the Third Disciple was clinging to so desperately died, his own life might also be forfeit.

Kang-oh took his eyes off the physician and looked down at Woo's face, who was only letting out the faintest breaths.

They had only shared a single season of spring. It was just about to turn into their first summer.

They couldn't part just like this.

Please.

The summer solstice had only just passed. There were still so many things he hadn't done for Woo. There were also many words he had kept only in his heart. They were as countless as the morning dew that settled over the House of Joy before dawn.

It wasn't that he kept them to himself on purpose. He couldn't express them because he was being too careful. What can one possibly do with feelings so heavy they couldn't even be weighed?

Kang-oh's head drooped low.

***

Seo-mun Gumryeong, more hurried than usual, came to Ye Jin-rang's residence in the middle of the day. The Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan, leisurely casting an unthreaded fishing rod by the pond, turned his head and looked at his subordinate.

The First Internal Officer prostrated without delay and gave her report.

"The one residing in the House of Joy has collapsed."

Ye Jin-rang smiled.

"Right. The time has come."

From the beginning, what was in the porridge wasn't poison. Rather, it was closer to a tonic.

The porridge that had been sent daily was made to neutralize the Solitary Poison planted in Dan Woo-Hyo's body. Additionally, it was filled with all kinds of medicinal herbs to nourish a body that had become thoroughly weakened.

Because of Woo-Hyo's special condition, it couldn't be entrusted to any other physician. So Jin-rang had to personally mix the ingredients and decoct the medicine each time.The reason he had gone to the First Internal Officer's office at dawn was because of that.

But if one refuses to eat such things and keeps throwing them away, how could the body possibly survive?

"Poison, huh… Truly laughable. Ridiculous."

Jin-rang was no Buddha. He hated Dan Woo-Hyo with all his heart.

He wasn't so poor at calculation that he'd go so far as to poison someone he had revived with rare elixirs and painstaking effort.

To explain this madness, one would have to go back a full ten years.

At the time, Dan Woo-Hyo, who had fallen from the cliffs of Mount Qilian, was barely clinging to life. Due to reckless internal energy use, his danjeon and meridians were damaged to the point where falling into qi deviation would have been better. As soon as he regained consciousness, he was dying from loss of body temperature. Crawling into the cave to survive had left his arms and legs in tatters.

And so, Dan Woo-Hyo lost nearly everything and became the servant Woo. Even his own martial arts, respectable face, and once-healthy limbs. All gone. Jin-rang had to spend two full years nursing Dan Woo-Hyo. It was around this time that he ended up practically living in seclusion from the affairs of the Black Sky Clan.

Jin-rang was desperate. He couldn't just let him die.

Even he couldn't explain why he was so determined to save the son of his enemy. But without even the time to examine his own feelings, Jin-rang spent all his days and nights in that cave. Even while fixing Kang-oh's memories, he would rush over to keep Dan Woo-Hyo alive.

Even during the fights against the Blood Cult, he had never been this frenzied.

Dan Woo-Hyo's physical balance had collapsed, so something was needed to stabilize it. So Jin-rang poured every single yeongmul inner elixir he had into him. If they hadn't discovered the elixirs the Blood Cult had gathered over generations, Dan Woo-Hyo wouldn't have lasted ten years.

Even his first disciple, Mo Yong Yu-woon, hadn't been given as much elixir as Dan Woo-Hyo had taken. While it's widely believed in the martial world that elixirs are unconditionally good, Jin-rang knew that taking more than one's vessel can handle leads to serious problems. Energy the body cannot handle inevitably harms the person. Some lose their martial arts due to side effects, and others even die. That's why it's best to take elixirs suited for one's capacity.

However, Dan Woo-Hyo had already lost his danjeon. The elixir wasn't to boost his internal energy. Rather, the elixirs had to be poured into him like an offering to the grim reaper, just to keep his barely clinging life tethered to this world. A strength that would have shaken the world if wielded by a martial artist was instead breathed into the fingertips of someone losing his life.

The problem occurred after that. With his meridians damaged, Dan Woo-Hyo couldn't regulate his energy on his own. So if he took an elixir with a strong attribute, he had to be given another with an opposing attribute. For instance, the fiery inner core of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Pear had to be taken together with the Golden Ice Snow Branch, which held cold energy.

The two opposing forces rampaging in his body must have been painful, but because Dan Woo-Hyo had lost the ability to neutralize the elixir's energy through breathing techniques, if he hadn't done it that way, he wouldn't have absorbed either properly and would have died.

'If you can't endure it, then that too must be your fate.'

Thinking that, Jin-rang stayed up through the entire night. He wiped Dan Woo-Hyo's sweat with a damp towel, and when his limbs curled from the cold, he brought a brazier closer and even massaged him to warm him up.

If Dan Woo-Hyo were someone who couldn't endure pain, he would've collapsed on the very first attempt. But true to being the son of that vicious Seol Bu-yong, he endured.

That's why Jin-rang was able to continue with the second and third attempts.

To someone who couldn't even use it with internal energy, refined Qingxin oil, millennial fire pear, golden ice snow branch, and millennial fleeceflower were all administered one after another. The hundred-year fleeceflower was fed almost like water. There has probably never been such waste throughout history.

What they couldn't use no matter how hard they tried was the inner core of the human-faced ground spider. If he fed it to Woo, he could easily die. That's how dangerous it was. How could that hopeless body withstand Solitary Poison?

But no matter how skilled Jin-rang was, there was nothing he could do about a shattered danjeon.

With all kinds of energy in his body forming a precarious balance, Dan Woo-Hyo was no different from a walking spiritual being. But unless one were insane, they wouldn't tear off a passerby's flesh to eat and drink their blood. No one noticed the energy dwelling in the body of a mere servant.

Who in the world would carefully examine an ant they could step on without even noticing? It was like hiding the most precious thing in the most humble place.

Barely clinging to life, Dan Woo-Hyo managed to live another ten years. Watching Woo-Hyo continue his miserable life, Jin-rang finally had the time to look into the emotions he had put aside while caring for him.

Jin-rang simply wanted to hate the man. Far from doing harm, he had saved a dying life, and all he wanted to do was resent him.

That face resembling that woman, and sometimes smiling like the man he remembered, drove Jin-rang crazy.

Even so, if Woo had just never met Kang-oh, he could have lived on without becoming this unstable. But he ended up reuniting with Kang-oh.

Seeing his nephew, whom he had barely suppressed his madness by sealing his memories, react to Woo, his heart dropped. Watching Woo enter the House of Joy at last, Jin-rang realized he had to make a choice.

He summoned Woo and implanted Solitary Poison into his body. Even though he knew it would only make things more complicated and troublesome, he couldn't stop himself.

Because he had the intuition that if he didn't, he would end up losing Kang-oh. Just like how Seol Bu-yong had taken Dan Baek-hoon from him, he had an unexplainable anxiety that he would lose his nephew to that man's son, and it unsettled Jin-rang's heart.

Normally, Solitary Poison wouldn't harm its host unless the host disobeyed its command. Since its original purpose was to control people, it would be troublesome if merely containing it caused harm.

However, Dan Woo-Hyo's body condition was unique. Various energies were barely holding a fragile balance, and it was precisely that power that allowed Woo to survive. Since Solitary Poison, an entirely new energy, was implanted into someone like that, it was only natural that there'd be more things to monitor.

He had the First Internal Officer entice one of the House of Joy's servants, sent rice gruel every day, occasionally summoned them to check on Woo-hyo's condition and give new prescriptions. Since the House of Joy had originally been arranged by Jin-rang, everything going on there was within the palm of his hand. Jin-rang even knew what was served to the guest from the kitchen, which food was left over, and which was completely eaten.

The Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan had practically become a personal physician. Like a doctor who even pokes through leftovers to check what effect it might have on the body.

"What shall we do?"

"What do you mean what shall we do? Just leave it as it is."

Jin-rang replied halfheartedly to the First Internal Officer's question.

Jin-rang didn't feel any particular need to reconnect the delivery route once the gruel had stopped being delivered.

He found it quite amusing. The contradictory situation where removing the gruel, whose ingredients were unknown, to protect Woo-hyo had actually been an act that could kill him.

It was also interesting. If someone, acting out of sincere concern, ended up killing the person they cared about, how would that person fall apart?

Perhaps after his spite had passed, he might have looked for another method. Woo-hyo wouldn't reject anything sent by him, and tampering with the House of Joy was as easy as tampering with his own residence.

But at that moment, Jin-rang learned about the threat Kang-oh had delivered to the servant.

"If I see that bowl of porridge placed in front of Woo again... I will eat it."

In the end, that child had come to realize just how despicable a person he was, and how utterly helpless he was to do anything about it.

The anxiety he felt while sowing Solitary Poison had quickly became a reality. Jin-rang had simply resolved not to take action regarding Woo Hyo.

Neither hatred, nor resentment, nor even the inexplicable obsession with keeping him alive.

He hated Dan Baek-hoon's son. And yet, unless he borrowed someone else's hand, he couldn't even lift a finger against him.

They say you can see ten fathoms into water, but not even one into a person's heart. Jin-rang had no idea what his own heart was made of.

Jin-rang's world had collapsed too many times for him to know how a whole person thinks and lives.

Once, when he lost both parents amidst chaos. Once, when his only support, his twin sister, was captured after protecting him. Once, when he heard the man he trusted and opened up to was marrying another woman.

And once more, when he had just barely reached the point of pretending to move on, only to see Dan Baek-hoon's face.

The saying that aging dulls pain was a lie. At least, it didn't apply to Jin-rang. He only chewed and chewed over his wounds.

For example, Jin-rang hated his own face. It was because seeing that smooth, well-fed face that looked exactly like his twin sister's made his stomach twist. And that face, untouched by time, would constantly drag him back to the past every time he tried to move forward, making him falter.

He didn't keep a mirror in his residence, but when his face was reflected in something like a pond, even fleetingly, it gave him goosebumps. That beautiful face everyone praised wouldn't even age into something ugly.

Unlike Dan Woo-Hyo, he didn't burn that face with fire, solely so he could remember his twin sister. When he was young, he would think, "If she were alive, she'd probably look like this at this age," and it gave him a clue. So even though Jin-rang despised his appearance intensely, he couldn't bring himself to get rid of it because of longing.

Only after a very long time passed did Jin-rang begin to somewhat grasp his own feelings. The reason why he didn't dig into his true feeling even though he finally had the leisure to catch his breath, was because he instinctively knew just how hideous the thing lurking at the bottom of it was.

The reason the name he habitually brought up whenever he hated Dan Woo-Hyo was Seol Bu-yong was because it was the easiest to bear. What sense of betrayal could he possibly feel toward someone who was merely a close stranger? The Princess Yongrin simply wanted to survive.

And so, at the bottom of that hatred, Dan Baek-hoon was always lying beneath it.

That unbearably heavy name of three syllables.

***

Mo Yong Yu-woon's face, as he looked out the dim window, was expressionless. His emotions were so tangled that he even stopped purposely smiling to fool the fakes.

Ever since parting with Dan Woo-Hyo… no, with the servant, Woo, Yu-woon had been replaying his words over and over in his mind.

To forget.

How could someone who stood in the supreme position of the White Virtue Clan's Grandmaster speak so regretlessly of dying as just a servant? Was he not even afraid? Of being forgotten by others, trampled on, and dying with nothing in his hands?

Yu-woon feared that. The Mo Yong household's head, his mother, and the elders were all ruthlessly killed by the invaders. Yu-woon's siblings, though all noble and with outstanding talent, were nothing but worms crawling on the ground before the masters of the Blood Cult. Yu-woon had seen what a wretched death truly looked like. Yu-woon learned what a miserable death was. Because, curled up under the floor, holding his breath and trembling, he had watched as hot blood sprayed in every direction.

For Dan Woo-Hyo to simply accept death, it made Yu-woon angry instead. It shouldn't be that way. Dan Woo-Hyo, the White Virtue Clan's Grandmaster, was the only ideal Yu-woon had ever known. If all he could do was watch such a collapse without even being able to do anything..

What…What should he do?

Yu-woon buried his face in his hands. His thoughts were in turmoil.

Thinking that he couldn't just remain bound to someone who was about to die, he even considered going to Yeo Bul-hoe. He had to do something, anything he could. But perhaps because he had been rowing hard for over thirty years and suddenly stopped, no sharp solution came to mind.

If this were merely an internal matter within the Black Sky Clan, it might be smoothed over somehow. But what the Hidden Blades' leader had meddled with was smuggling. There was no way Ye Kang-oh would sit back and watch Yu-woon rescue Yeo Bul-hoe. And even if he managed to rescue him, the chances were high that the fact Yeo Bul-hoe brought in goods from the Western Region and used them as bribes would be exposed to the authorities.

No matter how far and wide Yu-woon had extended his influence, it wasn't to the extent that it reached the government offices. Moreover, if it were revealed in broad daylight that Yeo Bul-hoe, the leader of the Hidden Blades, had done this, the only way to silence it would be to kill every witness. Furthermore, the Black Sky Clan would come under direct scrutiny from the Emperor.

Even though the martial world and the authorities had a mutual non-aggression agreement, the situation was different for the Demonic Path. The authorities tended to try to crush the Demonic Path martial world whenever they had the chance.It was understandable, since bandits who called themselves the Green Forest Path or pirates like those in the Yangtze River Alliance could be considered part of the Demonic Path. The Demonic Path martial world of the past engaged not only in smuggling but also made a living through murder, theft, and even human trafficking. How could that be overlooked?

Yu-woon wanted to become the Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan. What he wanted included maintaining the current prosperity and ensuring the Black Sky Clan remain free from government scrutiny. You can't cut off your arm to save your hand. So Yeo Bul-hoe naturally became the card to discard.

So Yu-woon felt conflicted regarding the Leader of the Hidden Blades. Since most were gauging the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan's mood, few openly supported Mo Yong Yu-woon. Among the few, Yeo Bul-hoe had significant influence. He had once been a significant figure in the Sama Clan, but after the war with the Blood Cult, he quickly changed sides and rose all the way to become a master under the Black Sky Clan. Since he was the first to attach himself to the First Disciple, it was no exaggeration to say Yeo Bul-hoe's future was a smooth road.

But that same man, the one who swaggered around in arrogance had his corruption exposed and was suddenly thrown into the abyss. How could it not feel strange?

Now that Ye Kang-oh, whom his master doted on, had bared his claws at him, it wouldn't be odd if he someday ended up seated right next to Yeo Bul-hoe.

Even though he should be making a move right away, Yu-woon felt a dreadful sense of helplessness. No matter how much he struggled, it felt like Ye Kang-oh had already been chosen as the winner.

Still, he had no intention of just standing by and watching. Yu-woon fiddled with his sleeve. Something solid brushed against his fingers.

"F-First Disciple!"

Mo Yong Yu-woon's subordinate came rushing in, panting. It was rare for someone to suddenly barge in while he was spending time alone. Yu-woon quickly composed his expression and looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"What's the matter?"

"A physician from the Medical Pavilion entered House Of Joy! They say a maid who showed up at the Medical Pavilion with the gatekeeper practically dragged the physician there by the collar! Something serious must have happened!"

"What?"

At those words, Yu-woon shot up from his seat.

"Because I… will die soon."

The words Dan Woo-Hyo had said during their final meeting flashed through his mind like a thunderbolt.

"First Disciple?"

Startled by his master's sudden, brisk steps, one of Yu-woon's subordinates called out. But Yu-woon didn't look back.

"Where are you going?"

"The House of Joy."

The sound of the man sucking in a breath could be heard. It was clearly an impulsive decision, uncharacteristic of him. If Dan Woo-Hyo was going to die anyway, it would have been wiser to wait until Ye Kang-oh was shaken by the death of his beloved maid and use that moment to strike.

Even so, Yu-woon had no choice but to commit this foolish act.

Night was drawing near, yet the House of Joy was as bright as day. The gatekeeper slightly furrowed his brow at the sight of Mo Yong Yu-woon's subordinate, who was often seen around, but immediately bowed when the First Disciple appeared behind him.

"I greet the First Disciple."

"Is the youngest disciple inside?"

"If you mean the Third Disciple, he is. However—"

Seeing the hesitant expression, Yu-woon smiled kindly.

"I need to have a word with Kang-oh."

The gatekeeper didn't step aside, but he had no way of stopping the First Disciple as he nearly pushed past him. How could anyone raise a spear against the Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan's first disciple? Even touching the hem of his robe would demand extreme caution.

Sensing anxious footsteps following behind him, Mo Yong Yu-woon scoffed. Indeed, it was no exaggeration to call the House of Joy the master's den. If that gatekeeper had truly been someone under the youngest disciple, he would've done everything to stop the First Disciple from entering. But the gatekeeper served Jin-rang, so there was no way he could stop Mo Yong Yu-woon, the first disciple.

Even in such a minor matter, it was clear just how indifferent the youngest disciple was about his standing in the Black Sky Clan.

Every time Mo Yong Yu-woon pushed in without hesitation, the servants and guards of the House of Joy would drop to their knees with a thud. Rather than this, entering Honamgak where those lowlifes are gathered would be even harder.

"F-First Disciple!"

However, there was still one last gatekeeper who blocked Mo Yong Yu-woon's path.

Her hand, gripping her robe so tightly it turned white from tension, yet the maid in light green clearly stood in his path.

"T-Today is not a g-good time to visit. If you would please return, our Third Disciple w-will send someone to you…"

"Ah, right. Yeon-jin, was it?"

Yu-woon opened his mouth. Just hearing the First Disciple utter the name of a mere servant made the woman's shoulders shrink in fear. She had already been trembling like an aspen leaf.

"I came to see your master."

"Th-The Third Disciple is…"

Yeon-jin opened her mouth calmly, but she felt her mouth go dry under Mo Yong Yu-woon's gaze.

"You know very well that I didn't come to see the youngest disciple, don't you?"

"…"

She couldn't hide the change in her expression, but she didn't back down. Because of that steadfastness that was better than the gatekeeper stationed at the main gate of House of Joy, Yu-woon held back a sigh.

Even without revealing he was the White Virtue Clan's Grandmaster, Dan Woo-Hyo had managed to captivate people like this, and it was enough to stir admiration. He wasn't like Yu-woon, who would extend his hand after calculating the other person's interests and losses, nor did he corner people into situations where they had no choice. As someone of servant status, he wouldn't have had the means to do so anyway.

He had won hearts purely with his own heart. Seeing the servant standing there was proof of that, and for a moment, Yu-woon's chest burned black for a moment.

I want him.

"First Disciple."

It was Kang-oh's voice that snapped Yu-woon out of his dazed thirst. Unlike the proud and confident appearance he last saw, his face now looked truly exhausted.

As if Dan Woo-Hyo were truly in danger.

"This isn't a good time to receive guests. Please go back for today. I'll come to you first, First Disciple."

It was practically a dismissal. But Yu-woon shamelessly lifted the corners of his lips and replied,

"Why do you call me a guest? Don't people say that disciples who served the same master are no different from family?"

"How surprising. That the First Disciple would come to the House of Joy first today, for the first time, and that I would even hear the word 'family'. This junior is truly moved."

His words were smooth and eloquent, but his face was utterly devoid of expression. The reason Ye Kang-oh didn't even bother pretending to cry was that both sides knew it was a lie anyway.

"If the First Disciple truly considers me his younger brother and treasures me, then please leave now. I fear I might let my guard down at your words about me being like family and end up acting disrespectfully."

Even with that tired face, he still knew how to stab the dagger in.

With a tongue that sharp, he must've been itching from keeping it hidden in his mouth all this time. But if it was a tongue that could hurt others, Yu-woon had one too.

"So what, is that man really about to die?"

At the straightforward interrogation, Kang-oh's eyes widened slightly. That reaction was no different from an affirmation.

"Impressive. Truly impressive."

Mo Yong Yu-woon sneered.

"Then just hand that man over to me."

At that moment, Kang-oh thought about whether this was what it felt like for one's blood to surge upward in reverse. He even wondered whether he should tolerate such arrogant remarks being tossed around about Woo, as if he were some item for trade.

It was the first time he found himself agreeing with Yu-woon's words. He truly was a son of a bitch who didn't know his place. He was merely pretending to be indifferent by turning his head away, but if it ever posed a threat, he wouldn't hesitate to snap his neck.

A chilling murderous intent flashed in Kang-oh's eyes.

"You seem very interested in something that belongs to the disciple you always call 'the youngest' and dote on."

Although Yu-woon had provoked him first, Kang-oh's reaction was much more explicit compared to anything he'd shown before. A slight agitation stirred in Yu-woon, but he didn't show it and calmed himself inwardly.

Compared to the days when Kang-oh wandered with that dull and lifeless expression, indifferent to everything, the current Kang-oh was better.

Thinking back to how he never reacted no matter how much you hit or provoked him, it was even amusing to realize he was human after all.

"Yours? You have to completely grasp it in your hands and protect it for it to be yours. If someone else can reach out and take it, or harm it, can you really say it's yours?"

Yu-woon sneered.

"There was only one person who blocked me from entering the depths of House of Joy. So what exactly are you protecting, and what are you claiming to keep safe here?"

Only then did Kang-oh's gaze shift to Yu-woon's appearance. Despite it being a situation where no outsider should be allowed in, he was dressed far too neatly.

He hadn't been dragged in, hadn't entered covered in the blood of someone who tried to stop him, hadn't struggled or gotten injured coming in.

Even the spotless, wrinkle-free hem of his robe made that clear.

"Just because the Master gave it to you, do you really think the House of Joy is yours?"

Yu-woon drove the nail in.

"In the end, you're just dancing in the palm of his hand."

Kang-oh didn't respond immediately and looked at Yu-woon. Even though he called him First Disciple, sometimes he felt more distant than a stranger.

Even when he came to him like this, offering what seemed like concern or advice, it was still necessary to see through the hidden intentions beneath. That was the nature of their relationship now.

Since he couldn't shake the Master's affection for the youngest disciple, Yu-woon was trying to shatter Kang-oh's trust in Jin-rang.

The funny thing was, even considering all that, Kang-oh still thought Yu-woon's words made sense. He no longer felt the House of Joy was safe. At least, not for Woo.

Yu-woon felt a rising sense of anxiety when Kang-oh remained silent without responding. He couldn't just keep staring at Kang-oh's well-shaped lips. He needed to provoke some kind of reaction to shake him. But the youngest disciple only looked tired, his face was so expressionless it gave nothing away.

If Yu-woon and Kang-oh had shared a deeper relationship, he would have realized the youngest disciple was on edge. Some people become expressionless when they're extremely angry. But Yu-woon only knew Kang-oh on a surface level.

That's why, when Kang-oh's well-shaped lips finally moved, Yu-woon's heart dropped.

"Is that all the advice you have, First Disciple?"

Though it was masked in politeness, the words was harsh.

"...Your attitude is extremely disrespectful."

"I apologize."

Kang-oh said.

"As I've said, today is not a good day to receive guests. Please visit again another time."

Kang-oh bowed his head. While he appeared polite, his words, firmly asserting Yu-woon as a mere guest, carried a sharp edge.

"Are you really saying you're going to stake that servant's life on Master's fingertips?"

Yu-woon asked in a challenging tone. Even he didn't know why he was stepping forward like this. Coming directly to the House of Joy and causing trouble was a dangerous move in itself. If he was going to take the risk, he had to shake Kang-oh accordingly to make it worthwhile. But for now, it was hard to tell how much the youngest disciple had been swayed.

The spark had been thrown. Now it was time to wait for the flames. Even though Kang-oh had formally dismissed him and it was time to leave, strangely, his feet wouldn't move.

Why?

Only now did Yu-woon realize that ever since he had heard the news of Woo collapsing and rushed toward the House of Joy, he had no real plan. It was an impulsive decision, unlike him who usually laid out careful calculations with every step. The more laughable thing was that he just now realized he'd come to the House of Joy entirely driven by his own desire.

He was becoming foolish over someone who was about to die.

"I won't see you off. Take care."

"Sure."

Yu-woon turned his back roughly. Kang-oh watched him for a moment, then turned and walked back to Woo's quarters. Just then, the sliding doors opened, and the physician stepped out. His face looked haggard, as if he had used his own life force instead of his medical techniques.

"I-I've managed to stop the worst of it for now."

The physician wiped the cold sweat from his temple and spoke.

"From this point on, it'll be up to the patient to endure. What's important now is to continue watching over him."

"I understand."

"I shall go prepare the medicine. I will go decoct the medicine. I've already removed all the needles, so please let him lie in as comfortable a position as possible."

Kang-oh nodded and walked past the physician. As the physician watched the Third Disciple's gloomy back, the physician thought that none other than Ye Kang-oh looked like the grim reaper.

It was a crazy thought.

Slapping his own cheeks, the physician hastily quickened his pace. It was fortunate he could slip away under the excuse of preparing medicine. What if, by staying nearby, he got caught up in the fallout of someone dying...

Yeon-jin was waiting by Woo's side. When Kang-oh entered, she naturally tried to step back. But Kang-oh's words stopped her.

"I won't forget what you did today."

"…I simply did what I was supposed to do."

"You're quite suited to be the gatekeeper of House of Joy. No, with the spirit you've shown, it wouldn't even be a waste for you to guard the gates of the afterlife."

Yeon-jin thought she saw a faint smile brush across Kang-oh's lips for a moment. But just as quickly as it appeared, the smile vanished.

Only, what remained on Kang-oh's face after the smile faded was a deep warmth and concern. Strangely enough, Yeon-jin was able to read that.

It was only possible because the Third Disciple, someone who once seemed so far above her that she couldn't even imagine looking up to him, was now showing concern for someone like her.

"Go get some rest. I'll look after Woo."

"But…"

"Go on."

At Kang-oh's words, Yeon-jin bowed her head and withdrew. Behind her, the door closed with a soft sliding sound. The heavy, silent night began to draw its hem from the window, gradually filling the room with stillness.

Even as the darkness quietly began to spill over, Kang-oh looked down at Woo without lighting a single candle. It was because he feared the light might disturb the one barely asleep. Perhaps even the moon read Kang-oh's concern. It hid itself behind the clouds and did not reveal its faint figure.

Fortunately, this level of darkness did not obscure his vision. Thinking it a relief that he had vision sharp enough to even read the sound of Woo's breathing, Kang-oh kept watch at his bedside.

Woo's face was paler than usual, and his breathing was somewhat too rough to belong to someone merely asleep. As he gently wiped away the cold sweat with a wet cloth from time to time, Kang-oh silently waited for him to awaken.

There had never been a time he had desperately longed for the morning to come as much as today. Earnestly wishing to see Woo's face smiling in the clear sunlight, all the sorrow he endured through the night washed away, Kang-oh gently laid down Woo's limp arms.

When he cautiously laid his hand over Woo's, he could still feel some warmth.

Just as Kang-oh turned to get a wet towel to wipe away the cold sweat gathering at Woo's temple once more—

"Don't… go…"

Woo's arm suddenly reached out and grabbed Kang-oh. To be precise, he snatched the hem of Kang-oh's robe as he turned. His eyes remained closed, and a faint groan escaped from his lips.

"Is… he okay?"

Kang-oh, as he leaned down, let his breath touch Woo's face. Under half-opened trembling eyelids, eyes wandering in a faraway place were visible. Because he was worried about the condition of the patient who had woken up for the first time since collapsing, Kang-oh rose, thinking he had to call a physician.

"Woo?"

But the hand gripping Kang-oh's collar was trembling violently. It was a frailty he couldn't bring himself to shake off. So Kang-oh let himself be pulled along by that delicate hand. It was too dark to tell, no moonlight even, but it seemed Woo's cheek was wet. But Kang-oh couldn't bring himself to check.

Because of the sensation he felt against his lips.

The first thing that came to mind was how parched he seemed, likely from a prolonged illness. His lip skin was all peeling, crackly, and rough, but Kang-oh liked the feel of it.

Even though it was his first time sharing a kiss with someone, Kang-oh instinctively tilted his head to explore inside. After brushing against Woo's lips a few times, as if thirsty, in the damp breath, Woo's teeth parted slightly. Not missing this gap, Kang-oh inserted his tongue inside. Grabbing Woo's waist and carefully hugging his seemingly breakable shoulders, their bodies pressed close with no empty space.

Woo's breathing tickled Kang-oh. Woo's breath, so faint yet persistent, was still there, and its relentless presence was so lovely he couldn't stand it. No matter how many times he indulged in it, he didn't think he would ever grow tired of it. He wanted to swallow all of Woo's breath and make it his own.

Kang-oh's kiss was as rough as his impatient heart, but the fingers holding Woo trembled and slipped over and over again.

It was a kiss as hot as summer.

"..!"

In that moment, Woo's eyes flew wide open. The one who had been unconscious all this time, unable to tell dream from reality, had finally come to. Kang-oh's facebrightened.

But that relief shattered in an instant.

Woo gasped, then the next moment his whole body twisted and shook violently. His eyes rolled back, and his lips parted.

Unable to even distinguish whether the man before his eyes was Kang-oh or someone else, only endless pain settled into his gaze and died away in darkness. The tips of his fingers kept turning blue, then pale, in cycles.

Seeing him grit his teeth from a pain so great he couldn't even scream, Kang-oh urgently thrust his own hand into his mouth. If he had a seizure and accidentally bit his tongue, it would be very serious. A tremendous pain surged from the right hand he mainly used to wield a sword, but Kang-oh didn't care.

"Ah…"

As the pain in his hand gradually lessened, Kang-oh's mouth quivered, as if he was about to scream. He hoped Woo would keep biting down with force.

"No. No…"

He couldn't even put into words what wasn't allowed or why. It didn't reach his lips. He just shook his head desperately. He begged Woo over and over.

Telling him not to give up. That even if he had to cut off his own hand and tear every tendon, it was fine. Just don't give in to the pain. Please, live.

Just as Woo's sobs were subsiding, his body suddenly convulsed, then collapsed. As Woo slowly slipped from his arms, Kang-oh quickly gathered him and held him tight.

"Please…"

Why, after telling me of a summer I never experienced, are you leaving like this? Why?

Kang-oh's face crumbled. His expression resembled the boy from ten years ago, begging Jin-rang to save Dan Woo-Hyo as he held the man who had fallen while embracing him.