“I can’t breathe, I really can’t breathe!” Seo Ryang kept grumbling as he boarded the carriage heading to his residence.
Ma Dong-pil awkwardly spoke up. “That’s disrespectful toward the Sect Leader…”
“What’s disrespectful about it? Can’t I even say that I’m suffocating with my own mouth?”
“Still…”
“And it’s not like I said the Sect Leader is suffocating, right? I’m just saying the situation is suffocating. You try sitting across from him and see if you don’t feel the same.”
Ma Dong-pil seemed to understand, though it wasn’t something he could agree with.
“Tch, at least I got some liquor. That’s a relief.”
“Liquor?”
“Yeah.” Seo Ryang pulled out a liquor bottle from his pocket.
“Honestly, this is ridiculous. Forget how tiny it is, but who gives someone a half-drunk bottle as a gift?”
Thud!
Seo Ryang blinked in surprise.
Ma Dong-pil quickly snatched the bottle and began examining it with a serious expression.
Considering how excessively polite he usually was, this was an incredibly rude move, but he didn’t seem to notice.
Ma Dong-pil’s eyes widened as he stared at the bottle, gradually turning bloodshot.
Seo Ryang, who had been watching him blink in shock, absentmindedly rubbed his hand.
“Ouch, your hand’s rough.”
“…”
“It hurts.”
“…”
“Ahem! Dong-pil?”
Ma Dong-pil’s face had turned as stiff as a wooden doll. Not even an eyelash moved.
Seo Ryang kicked him lightly. “Hey, what’s with you? What’s so special about this?”
“…The Six Heavens Divine Wine.”
“What wine?”
“This… this is the Six Heavens Divine Wine!”
“Do you know this wine? It tastes pretty good.”
Ma Dong-pil’s mouth dropped open. “You don’t know the Six Heavens Divine Wine? The Six Heavens Divine Wine! It’s the Six Heavens Divine Wine!”
“So what is it?”
“It’s the wine personally bestowed by the Sect Leader!”
“So what?”
“It’s an honorable wine!”
Seo Ryang was baffled. “Honorable and tasty wine, that’s all?”
Ma Dong-pil looked at him in utter disbelief. His expression was so dramatic that it almost made Seo Ryang feel sorry for him.
“The Six Heavens Divine Wine! It’s the finest wine of our sect, enjoyed only by past Sect Leaders! It’s specially bestowed upon those who have achieved great merits. Just drinking this wine is an honor spanning three lifetimes!”
“It’s just a drink. Why bring up three lifetimes of honor?”
“It depends on who gives it! And this is a divine wine personally brewed by the Sect Leader! It’s priceless and shouldn’t even be measured in money!”
“It’s still just wine, isn’t it?”
Ma Dong-pil was practically foaming at the mouth. “Young Master! Do you think the disciples of our sect would desire the elixirs bestowed by the sect or the Six Heavens Divine Wine given by the gods?!”
“The elixirs.”
“Ugh!”
They weren’t on the same page.
Ma Dong-pil was from the Law Enforcement Hall, known for its deep loyalty and devotion to the sect. On the other hand, Seo Ryang wasn’t even a disciple, so naturally, he had no such devotion.
Seo Ryang took the bottle back from Ma Dong-pil.
“As long as it tastes good, that’s all that matters. At least I got a decent bottle of wine.”
Heretic! He’s a heretic!
Ma Dong-pil wanted to shout that. If it weren’t for the fact that Seo Ryang was the Third Young Master, he would have.
“Young Master, what exactly happened to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you say you lost your memories after falling into demonic qi deviation?”
“…Yeah.”
“But how come you’ve forgotten everything about the sect? Your martial arts are still exceptional, and you’re full of experience, so why only forget the important things…?”
“Enough with the nonsense. Let’s go to my place and have a drink.”
“I can’t. My duty ends after escorting you to your residence. I must return to the Law Enforcement Hall.”
Seo Ryang shook the bottle of Six Heavens Divine Wine.
“You’re not drinking this?”
“…”
“Then suit yourself. It’s a masterpiece.”
Ma Dong-pil’s eyes wavered.
“Y-you’re offering to drink that precious wine with me?”
“We’ve been through a lot together. You think I’d just send you off like that? That’s not how people should treat each other.”
“…”
“If it’s against the rules, then fine. I guess organizations have their discipline.”
Seo Ryang put the bottle back in his pocket.
Ma Dong-pil bowed his head deeply.
This might be the greatest honor of his fifty-year career in the sect, and he was about to let it slip away?
Did he really have to?
“…I’ll report the completion of my mission and come back.”
“There’s a time for everything. By the time you get permission, it’ll already be in my stomach.”
“…”
“It’s fine. There’s plenty of good wine in the world.”
Ma Dong-pil raised his head.
Seo Ryang, who had been teasing him with a grin, now looked at him with pity.
In that short moment, Ma Dong-pil seemed to have aged ten years from the intense internal struggle.
“…May I have just one drink here?”
Seo Ryang chuckled.
“Go ahead and say you’re taking a break. I’ll prepare some food too.”
“Th-thank you! Thank you, Young Master!”
“You’ve been pretty rude to someone you’re thanking, haven’t you?”
“Ah…!”
Ma Dong-pil bowed his head deeply.
“I apologize. I was too excited and acted disrespectfully toward you.”
This kid, he’s got a knack for teasing.
Seo Ryang laughed heartily and was about to pat his shoulder when Ma Dong-pil knelt on the ground.
“Please kill me.”
…I shouldn’t joke around with him anymore.
After calming him down, Seo Ryang suddenly turned his gaze to the side.
“This kid’s got a good heart.”
Beside Seo Ryang, a little fox was curled up, fast asleep. It hadn’t woken up once since they entered the grand hall of the Demon Palace.
‘Its nose feels nice.’
As Seo Ryang gently stroked its nose, the fox raised its paw to block him. It was unbearably cute.
Soon, the carriage arrived at Seo Ryang’s residence.
“Hmph.”
Seo Ryang let out a bitter laugh as he got off the carriage and took in the sight.
“It’s been a while.”
The surroundings were desolate. The original owner of this body must have wanted to live in seclusion, as the residence was located far from the other tightly packed houses, even within the inner sect.
It was a scene he had longed to return to while in the Bamboo Forest, but at the same time, it was one he had dreaded.
Ma Dong-pil, who had also gotten off the carriage, bowed his head.
“This marks the official end of my mission.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“I apologize once again for any hardships you endured due to my inadequate protection.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“And I am eternally grateful for your magnanimity in overlooking my shortcomings.”
Seo Ryang waved his hand dismissively.
“Enough already. Aren’t you going to drink later? Don’t act like we’ll never see each other again.”
Ma Dong-pil smiled.
“Understood. I’ll stop by the Law Enforcement Hall and return. Please rest well.”
“Alright. Be careful on your way back.”
Seo Ryang watched as the carriage drove away, then stretched his arms wide.
“Ack!”
At the cute sound, he looked down to see the little fox, now awake, sitting at his feet and looking up at him with bright eyes.
Seo Ryang chuckled.
“Cute little thing. Alright, I’ll take responsibility since I brought you here.”
“Ack!”
“You can’t understand me, can you?”
“…”
“Guess not.”
He picked up the little fox and held it in his arms.
“Let’s go in. We’ll clean up and lie down on a warm bed!”
Creak.
As Seo Ryang stepped inside the gate, he suddenly froze.
“Huh?”
The interior was eerily quiet.
It wasn’t dark yet, as it was still early evening, but something felt off.
The house looked perfectly fine, yet it felt as if it had been scorched by fire.
Seo Ryang tilted his head.
‘Why does this feel so unsettling?’
It wasn’t just the unfamiliarity of returning after a long time.
Whoosh.
His senses expanded rapidly.
‘One person. Just one. Their martial arts are mediocre, and their internal energy is weak. It’s Aenghwa.’
The only presence he could sense in the entire area was Aenghwa. Using the first form of the Heavenly Net Six Paths technique and the Transcendent Body Observation, he was certain.
But why did it feel like there was someone else?
‘…There’s definitely no one else.’
There had been someone.
There was no presence, no sight or sound, but there was a reason he could detect traces of the past.
It was the smell. A strange, unfamiliar scent was wafting from the rooms and storage areas.
Transcendent Body Observation. A miraculous technique that sharply enhances the five senses to a level beyond that of beasts. Detecting a lingering scent was child’s play.
‘The scent is still strong, so it must have been less than half a day.’
Seo Ryang’s eyes narrowed.
‘Did someone sneak in here and then disappear? Why?’
He couldn’t figure it out. The homeowner was him, so the reason for hiding must have been related to him. But why did they suddenly vanish?
‘…Hmm.’
After pondering for a moment, Seo Ryang shrugged.
He didn’t have the habit of worrying over the scent of someone who had disappeared. Especially since it wasn’t a woman, but a group of men.
The unfamiliar traces in his home after eight months dampened his mood, but he decided to think about it later.
He cleared his thoughts and stepped inside.
“Hey! Aenghwa!”
The door to the main hall swung open, and Aenghwa came running out in a fluster.
“Y-young Master?!”
“Yeah, I’m back.”
Aenghwa immediately prostrated herself on the ground.
“May the sect remain undefeated, and may all demons be vanquished! Aenghwa greets the Third Young Master!”
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
“Do you really have to greet me like that? It’s so grand that I don’t know how to react.”
“Young Master…”
“Heh. Get up. It’s good to see you, kid.”
Aenghwa stood up respectfully.
Seo Ryang’s expression softened. Though it had only been three months, it felt like a hundred days.
Moreover, she had been quietly taking care of him during his stay here. Of course, he was happy to see her.
“Huh? What’s this? You look a bit thinner since I last saw you.”
“I apologize.”
“Stop apologizing. Are you eating properly?”
“Yes.”
Aenghwa’s eyes reddened.
Seo Ryang scratched his head. While he was happy to see her, her reaction was unexpected. She must have had a hard time taking care of someone who was barely sane.
He ruffled her hair.
“Kid, you’ve styled your hair into an art form again.”
“Y-young Master.”
“It’s more human when it’s a bit messy. Relax from now on, okay?”
“Yes, yes!”
Her face brightened instantly, and after hesitating for a moment, she closed her eyes and shouted.
“Y-young Master, you look much healthier now!”
It was a bold statement for her. How could she dare say such a thing to the Sect Leader’s disciple?
But based on her memories from eight months ago, the Young Master seemed to prefer a more casual and friendly attitude over excessive formality.
Her guess was spot on.
“Right? I’ve been through hell to get this body in shape. You noticed, huh?”
“You’ve changed so much.”
“Do I look more dashing?”
“Yes! You look amazing!”
“Hahaha! Thanks!”
Seo Ryang looked around.
“The house has been empty for eight months, but it’s spotless.”
“Yes! I came by every other day to clean. So you could rest comfortably whenever you returned.”
Seo Ryang’s eyes curved into crescents.
“Is that so?”
He was genuinely moved.
Ma Dong-pil was one thing, but Aenghwa had been separated from him for eight months. Just the fact that she hadn’t forgotten him during that long period was touching, but she had even cleaned the place for him.
This was the first time someone had taken care of him like this. He was grateful for her effort and deeply moved.
“I’ll close the gate first.”
“Huh? Oh, I can do that.”
Before he could finish, Aenghwa was already running toward the gate. Her hurried figure was full of energy.
A warm smile spread across Seo Ryang’s face again.
This kid, she’s really something.
Thud!
After closing the gate, Aenghwa quickly ran back.
“Young Master, I received the message late, so I haven’t prepared warm water yet. Would you like to eat first?”
“No, let’s bathe first.”
“Ah, yes! Please wait a moment. I’ll heat the water.”
“Should I?”
“Yes!”
“Alright. Let’s go in.”
Seo Ryang walked ahead, with Aenghwa following closely behind in small steps.
Aenghwa maintained a respectful posture but kept glancing at Seo Ryang.
More precisely, at the little fox in his arms.
‘So cute.’
She wanted to ask where the Young Master had gotten the fox, but she held back. She needed to prepare the warm water first.
Once inside, Aenghwa hurried off to heat the water.
Seo Ryang stretched luxuriously. He couldn’t remember the last time he had this much leisure.
“Alright!”
He decided to save his thoughts for later. Today, he would eat, drink, and collapse into a deep sleep without a care in the world!