Chapter 66
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Those Who Caught the Scent (1)
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Bang!
Wi Hongryeon burst through the wide-open main gate.
“Young Master! I'm here! Let's have a drink... Huh?”
She blinked.
“Ah, were you cleaning?”
“...”
“Why are you so surprised all of a sudden?”
“*Hiccup.*”
Aeng-hwa's face was pale. Even the broom in her hand trembled, showing she was more than just a little startled.
Wi Hongryeon licked her lips.
“Where's the Young Master?”
“...”
“Hey, handmaiden!”
“Ye-yes!”
“I asked where the Young Master is. Hmm? Why can't I sense his presence? Is he not here right now?”
Being startled was one thing, but Aeng-hwa didn't know how to deal with the woman's rudeness.
How could someone barge into the residence of the Cult Leader's disciple so brazenly? She hadn't sent word beforehand, nor had she even knocked on the gate.
“The Young Master... isn't here right now...?”
“Who doesn't know that? I just said I couldn't sense his presence!”
“...*Hiccup.*”
“Stop hiccuping and tell me. Where is the Young Master?”
“He-he went to train.”
“Train? What kind of training?”
“I'm not sure...”
Wi Hongryeon grumbled.
“Damn, what a fussbudget. He's already strong, and he's still cooped up training? Give me a break.”
Aeng-hwa debated. Should she unleash a torrent of curses for this disrespect toward the Young Master, or should she just whack her over the head with this broom?
*Creek.*
Her grip on the broom tightened.
Just then, Wi Hongryeon shoved her face right in front of Aeng-hwa's.
“Hey.”
“...Yes?”
“When the Young Master returns, tell him the Commander of the Berserk Demon Unit was here. Got it?”
“...”
“I said, got it? Why aren't you answering... Huh?”
*Thump.*
Aeng-hwa fainted on the spot. She was so shocked that the realization of who she was facing—the Commander of the Berserk Demon Unit—had only just dawned on her.
Wi Hongryeon frowned.
“What a character. Of all the handmaidens he could have, he picks a strange one like this?”
She grumbled as she carried Aeng-hwa into a room. After all, she couldn't just leave her collapsed on the ground.
After carelessly tossing Aeng-hwa onto Seo Ryang's bed, Wi Hongryeon dusted off her hands and came back out.
Just then, a sword caught her eye.
‘Huh?’
A four-foot-long saber leaned against the wall. It was clearly the one Seo Ryang used.
“Look at this guy. He says he's going to train but leaves his saber behind?”
*Hmm.*
Staring intently at the saber, she shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, I guess he went to practice his fists. Dammit! I finally found some free time to visit, and this is what I get.”
Wi Hongryeon left the residence, grumbling all the way. Since things had turned out like this, she figured she might as well train her subordinates and have a drink while watching.
If she had arrived just one hour earlier, Seo Ryang would have had quite the headache. She would have undoubtedly insisted on training with him and tagged along.
At that moment, the transport team from the Garden of Joy was crossing the border between the Inner and Outer Sanctums.
* * *
*Clatter, clatter.*
The carriage moved at a moderate pace, neither too fast nor too slow.
Unless it was an urgent matter, no one sped within the cult's grounds. This was especially true in the Inner Sanctum, home to the Palace of the Divine God. It was necessary to be as quiet as possible.
Thanks to this, it took a surprisingly long time to get from the Garden of Joy to the border between the Inner and Outer Sanctums.
‘So slow.’
Perhaps because he was so eager to escape this place, the journey felt particularly sluggish.
Seo Ryang didn't realize his face was flushed. Of course, with his bamboo hat hiding half his face, there was no one to see it anyway.
‘Am I finally leaving?’
The corners of his mouth lifted on their own. Before getting into the carriage, he'd been worried about Aeng-hwa and Ma Dongpil, but now, he couldn't think of anything else.
His only thought was to get out of here quickly.
He was staring out the window for some time, trying to calm his racing heart.
“My apologies.”
Seo Ryang turned his head toward Juhwa.
Juhwa had her head bowed. Though she was seated, her posture was exceedingly polite.
“I was unaware you were the Third Young Master. This humble servant was rude to you.”
“Did the Lord tell you?”
“Yes.”
“By the way, when were you rude?”
“I speak of the first day.”
Seo Ryang let out a small laugh.
“You people make such a fuss over nothing, always talking about being rude or sorry.”
“...”
“It's fine, so forget about it. I wasn't even thinking about it. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for barging into your room.”
“Your words are too gracious for me to bear.”
Bear them or don't.
Seo Ryang paid her no mind. He would keep his promise to check on her condition along the way, but right now, he was too busy trying to manage his own excitement.
‘How long has it been?’
Nearly a year had passed since he'd awakened in the body of the Divine Cult's Third Young Master.
It was a time both short and long. After a year that had felt like a decade to Seo Ryang, he was finally breathing the outside air again.
And this wasn't just an outing; if he played his cards right, it could be a permanent escape.
‘I feel bad for the Lord of the Garden of Joy, but oh well.’
What can you do? In the end, the world is meaningless if 'I' don't exist in it.
The world only exists because I'm alive. If I apologize for every little thing, I'll never be able to live the life I truly want.
Seo Ryang rubbed his hands together.
‘The destination is near Gangseo, right?’
His nostrils flared. The corners of his mouth had been turned up for a while, the back of his neck tingled, and goosebumps prickled all over his body.
For a moment, he almost pissed himself.
‘The destination isn't bad, at least.’
He had two safe houses in Gangseo Province.
Of course, both were quite far from the areas adjacent to Guangdong Province.
The further south one went, the closer one got to the territory of the demonic martial world, so there had been no reason to venture any further south than that.
But they weren't terribly far, either. At his current skill level, he could reach them in roughly four days and nights of non-stop running from the adjacent region.
If he could just get that far...
“Young Master.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you once again. If it weren't for you, Young Master, I would have been trapped in the swamp of qi deviation for the rest of my life.”
Seo Ryang snorted.
“No need to thank me. I just knew the method. The one who saved you with that method was Lord So.”
“Still...”
“That's enough, stop.”
Juhwa clamped her mouth shut. She could read the genuine annoyance in Seo Ryang's tone.
‘...He's a difficult person to read.’
I know he's hiding something. I've also realized that the Third Young Master of today is far more formidable than the one from the past.
But it was difficult to grasp anything beyond that. While you can't judge a person's character after meeting them just once or twice, the Third Young Master was particularly ambiguous.
*Clatter, clatter.*
“...”
Aside from the sound of the carriage, there was only silence.
Some time passed like this.
“Huh?”
At Seo Ryang's sudden, dumbfounded sound, Juhwa looked up.
His eyes were hidden by his bamboo hat, but it was clear at a glance that he was quite surprised.
“Wha-what?”
“Young Master? What is it?”
Seo Ryang didn't hear her. All his senses were focused beyond the carriage window.
‘Huh? Huh?’
What is this familiar presence? This hopelessly heavy, yet straightforward and honest aura...
‘No way... it can't be, right?’
A moment later.
“I am Yeon-i, the leader of this transport team.”
“I am the leader of the Third Squad. My Third Protector Squad will escort you to your destination and back.”
“We received the official notice three days ago. We'll be in your care.”
“Don't mention it. We'll open the way immediately.”
*Rumble!*
There was the sound of something massive opening. It was the gate leading to the Outer Sanctum.
At the same time, the voices of people talking could be heard. As the gate opened, the gate guards were conducting a final check of the permits.
Seo Ryang's mouth opened and closed like a fish.
‘What? Third Squad Leader? The Third Protector Squad?’
The Hall of Protectors escorts the transport teams? If that's the case, why even have a transport team? Isn't the team itself a temporary organization made up of skilled demonic practitioners?
No, forget all that.
“Of all people, why Dongpil?!”
“Pardon?”
Startled, Seo Ryang looked at Juhwa. She was staring back at him with a puzzled expression.
“...It's nothing. By the way, Head Attendant Ju, how is your body?”
“Ah, it's fine.”
“Did you circulate your energy today?”
“I did for about two hours this morning.”
“Let's do it one more time, just in case.”
“Ye-yes?!”
“*Hmph!*”
Seo Ryang quickly grabbed Juhwa's wrist pulse point.
The movement was natural, but so fast she couldn't avoid it. Of course, daring to dodge the Third Young Master's hand was unthinkable anyway.
“They say sleep is the best medicine. Just get some rest. Alright?”
“Th-Third Young...”
*Thump!*
Juhwa collapsed. The carriage was so spacious that there was plenty of room for one person to lie down.
At the same time, with an urgent expression, Seo Ryang secretly gathered his true energy.
[Hey!]
Ma Dongpil flinched at the sharp telepathic message that shot out like an arrow.
‘Hmm?’
What is this familiar voice?
‘...Young Master?’
He looked around before shaking his head inwardly.
‘Hmm, am I hearing things?’
It made sense. He had been training too much lately. Lost in the joy of honing his martial arts, he had been swinging his sword without sleep.
He'd rested yesterday, but perhaps the fatigue hadn't fully dissipated.
“Thirty-one members of the Garden of Joy transport team and fifty-one members of the Third Protector Squad, a total of eighty-two people, have been confirmed. Travel safely.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
*Clatter, clatter.*
The numerous carriages and mounted riders passed through the Outer Sanctum's gate.
Just as Ma Dongpil was about to ride past the carriages toward the front of the procession...
[You bastard! Are you ignoring me?]
“Gasp!”
Startled, Ma Dongpil once again scanned his surroundings.
‘Wha-what?’
Am I hearing things again? No? This is definitely the Third Young Master's telepathic voice.
But I have no idea where he's sending it from. I can't feel the Young Master's presence at all.
Just then, the window of the last carriage slid open.
[Where are you looking, you half-wit? I'm over here!]
[Gasp! Young Master?]
[Yeah, you punk!]
[Y-Young Master, how are you here...? Don't tell me you're part of this transport team?]
[...Something like that. But what about you? Why is the Hall of Protectors escorting the transport team?]
[Th-that can't be? Your name definitely wasn't on the documents. So why...?]
[This bastard, I'm asking a question and you're just rambling. Hey, you punk! Why is the Hall of Protectors handling the escort? No, why is the transport team being escorted in the first place?!]
[Huh? Ah, that's... The Festival of Papiyas is just around the corner, and the atmosphere in the region is said to be tense...]
Seo Ryang chewed on his lip.
‘Dammit!’
He'd felt bad for leaving without saying goodbye, but now that he saw him, his vision went dark. With someone who knew him around, an easy escape was out of the question!
[Young Master.]
[What!]
[Did you perhaps receive a secret mission from the Cult Leader?]
He had no official position, so there was no mission to speak of. But who other than the Cult Leader would grant the Third Young Master permission to leave? Ma Dongpil's assumption was only natural.
Though hesitant, Seo Ryang decided to play along.
[Well... you could say it's something like that.]
[I-I see.]
[Anyway, you can't let these people know I'm here. Got it?]
[Huh? B-but...]
[I said don't tell them, you bastard!]
Ma Dongpil replied out loud without realizing it.
“Ah, yessir!”
Instantly, all eyes focused on Ma Dongpil. His face flushed bright red.
Quickly ducking his head below the window, Seo Ryang pounded his chest.
‘That idiot!’
I called out to him because I thought it'd be better than getting caught by surprise later, but what's with this viciously naive reaction?!
‘I must be crazy, I'm absolutely crazy.’
I knew things were going too smoothly. I never imagined that the deepest connection I'd made in the cult would be the one to trip me up at the last minute.
At this rate, even if I get a chance, I won't be able to just bolt!
“...Damn, my life is getting so tangled.”
An hour later, the transport team and the Third Protector Squad passed through the outer gate of the Outer Sanctum.
It was the moment Seo Ryang, who had tasted hell for a year in the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon, left the cult for the first time since his rebirth.