Chapter 105: The Old Temple
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 105: The Old Temple
As morning broke, the campsite stirred to life.
This was partly because the investigation team from the Shaolin Temple had arrived at dawn, swelling their numbers, but also because the survey of the old temple was scheduled to begin early in the morning.
Countless people bustled about. Among them was the investigation team from the Hundred Flowers Sect, which I was a part of. They, too, looked busy carrying various supplies.
Of course, as a guest of the Hundred Flowers Sect, I had no reason to do menial chores, so I perched on a suitable rock to rest.
Just then, the investigation leader approached me.
“Good morning, Great Hero Kang.”
“Yes, well… the weather’s nice.”
“That’s a relief. But, um…”
The investigation leader glanced at Cheon Yeo-hwa before whispering to me.
“Are… are you alright?”
“…What about?”
“Your neck…”
I sighed lightly and waved a dismissive hand at him. Sharp as he was, he said no more. Taking the hint, he quietly backed away.
The investigation leader wasn't the only one interested in me. Everyone who passed by couldn't help but stare in surprise. And every one of their gazes was fixed on the nape of my neck.
‘…I want to cover it up.’
The nape of my neck, covered in hickeys and bite marks, was more than enough to draw people's attention. After all, no one would mistake them for insect bites.
To explain how I ended up like this, I need to go back in time a little.
After parting with Yoo Sowol, I returned to my tent around what felt like a little past one in the morning. As I carefully entered, I came face to face with Cheon Yeo-hwa, who was sitting on the bed and exuding a strange aura.
-You're late.
-...I went for a long walk.
-Hmph…
With a skeptical expression, Cheon Yeo-hwa patted the spot next to her. A chill ran down my spine at the sight, and I broke into a cold sweat, but I tried my best not to show it as I walked over.
Thump—
The moment I sat on the bed, Cheon Yeo-hwa pounced on me. She was so fast I couldn't even react.
Pinned by her, I couldn't move an inch. Cheon Yeo-hwa said nothing. She simply buried her face in the crook of my neck and inhaled my scent for a long time.
After a few minutes, she suddenly sat up and looked at me with eyes that seemed to hold molten roses.
-Hyun-woo.
-...Yeah.
-Did I not tell you not to lie to me?
-…
-I will give you one last chance. Why were you late?
-...I was late because I was meeting a woman.
-A woman… You mean that wench from the Mount Hua Sect?
-You knew?
-Let me ask you this instead.
Her crimson eyes shone with an bewitching light.
-Why would you think I wouldn't know? Even now, the strong scent of plum blossoms clings to your body.
Cheon Yeo-hwa buried her face in my neck again. This time, however, she didn't just smell it.
Lick. She licked all over the nape of my neck. She was like an animal marking its territory. Crunch. A sudden pain shot through me.
-Hmm, this should last until tomorrow afternoon.
Cheon Yeo-hwa wore a satisfied expression as she gazed happily at the spot she had bitten. She continued to leave bite marks on my neck, watching my reaction.
-This is both a punishment and a mark to show that you are mine. So don't even think about hiding it in front of everyone tomorrow.
I couldn't say a word. I just nodded silently and counted the stains on the ceiling.
-Mwah… This isn't so bad, either.
As if remembering how I had once left hickeys all over her body, Cheon Yeo-hwa skillfully left them on my neck.
By now, the nape of my neck was so covered in bite marks and hickeys that not a single patch of white skin was visible.
The gazes of the passersby turned to me and Cheon Yeo-hwa, who was sitting beside me. Even though she wore a veil, almost no one was ignorant of the fact that she was a stunning beauty.
This was because the rumors about yesterday's duel had spread in a strange way.
The story went that the Sword Dragon had fallen for Cheon Yeo-hwa at first sight and challenged me to a duel.
Two young masters dueling over a single woman.
In a world with little entertainment, there was no more interesting topic of conversation. The false rumor spread through the entire campsite in an instant.
If I listened closely, I could hear people chattering amongst themselves about me, the Sword Dragon, and Cheon Yeo-hwa.
They were mostly curious about my identity and the face behind Cheon Yeo-hwa's veil.
The piercing stares were so uncomfortable that I forced myself to look up at the sky. It was a bad move. It only made my neck more visible. Pleased by this, Cheon Yeo-hwa wrapped her arm around mine and rested her head on my shoulder.
At the sight, the gazes of the men around us sharpened. It was the same old jealousy and envy.
As I was trying to ignore their ugly emotions, I felt a familiar presence.
“Ah, Young Master!”
Stepping out from the crowd was none other than Yoo Sowol. She had a completely different air about her than when we met under the moonlight. Her refreshing smile stood out.
Yoo Sowol called me "Young Master." With so many people around, she must have been embarrassed and called me that instead.
‘I'll have to remind her later when we're alone.’
I decided to put the issue of titles aside for now.
Yoo Sowol, who had been running toward me, came to a halt. Her gaze was fixed on Cheon Yeo-hwa, who was clinging to my arm.
“…”
For a moment, I had the illusion that Yoo Sowol's eyes had turned cold.
‘…Was it an illusion?’
Probably. I hoped I was right.
“…Hello.”
“Hmph… A pleasure.”
Yoo Sowol greeted Cheon Yeo-hwa. Cheon Yeo-hwa slowly looked Yoo Sowol up and down before greeting her with a meaningful smile.
It was hard to grasp the meaning behind that smile, but judging by the way their gazes clashed in mid-air, it didn't seem friendly.
‘I never knew you could have a staring contest while wearing a veil.’
I was already the center of the campsite's attention, but with Yoo Sowol's arrival, it intensified even more.
“Haa…”
I sighed and turned my head away. The flood of attention was overwhelming.
Just then, someone approached me.
“Do you have a moment?”
He was a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a rather solid build.
The martial arts uniform he wore was similar to that of the Mount Hua Sect, but it was predominantly blue. Moreover, the emblem on his chest wasn't a plum blossom.
“…You must be an elder of the Zhongnan Sect.”
“Oh, you know of this old man?”
“I don’t, really. But it’s impossible not to notice.”
“Haha, this old one is called No Wicheon.”
It wasn't just a guess based on his clothes and the situation.
‘…Another monster.’
I was looking right at him, but I couldn't fathom the depths of his skill.
If I tried to peer into his inner self, I felt an unnerving sensation, as if I would be swallowed whole by it.
It was a similar feeling to the one I got from the Mount Hua elder I met yesterday.
“You have sharp senses, child.”
The Zhongnan Sect elder's eyes glowed blue as he looked at me.
‘I was secretly hoping for some pushover like Su Yanggeon…’
It seemed the title of "Elder" in a major sect, one of the pillars of the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance, wasn't won in a card game.
My calculations told me I couldn't win even if I fought with all my strength. No matter how ignorant he was of magic, this was not a wall I could surmount.
Just as I was able to overwhelm the Sword Dragon in our duel despite knowing almost nothing about martial arts, the fundamental difference in our abilities was simply too great.
“You praise me too highly.”
“Humble, too. It couldn't have been easy to reach such a level at your young age… Could you tell me your master's esteemed name?”
“I do not know my master's name either. From the day we met until the day he passed, he told me to call him Nameless (無名).”
“…A reclusive master.”
“Yes, I believe so. Thanks to him, I've heard nothing about my own martial school.”
I recited a setting common in wuxia novels, and the Zhongnan Sect elder nodded. It seemed he'd bought it.
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Yoo Sowol, a second-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.”
Yoo Sowol, who had been in a staring contest with Cheon Yeo-hwa, gave the Zhongnan Sect elder a cupped fist salute.
“Yoo Sowol… Yoo Sowol… By any chance, is your master the Hwahyeon Sword (花賢劍)?”
“How did you…?”
“Haha, that crazy woman… I mean, your master, boasts about her disciple every time we meet.”
Yoo Sowol's face turned red at the elder's words. She seemed embarrassed.
After chatting with Yoo Sowol for a while, the elder's gaze suddenly shifted to Cheon Yeo-hwa. A cold sweat ran down my back. If he were to realize Cheon Yeo-hwa's true identity…
‘…I'll have no choice but to kill him.’
An elder of the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance, known as a pillar of the Orthodox Faction, was unlikely to let the daughter of the Demonic Cult's leader go peacefully. A summary execution might not happen, but she would certainly be imprisoned somewhere.
That was out of the question.
However, I wasn't confident I could beat him alone.
‘If Cheon Yeo-hwa and I fight together, we might be able to win, but…’
The problem was that No Wicheon wasn't the only one here. There was the Mount Hua elder from yesterday, and among those who arrived from Shaolin at dawn, there was another monster of his caliber. Furthermore, the disciples dispatched from each sect were a force to be reckoned with.
If we focused on escaping, we might be able to get away, but another variable was that Cheon Yeo-hwa wasn't in good condition.
Late last night, Cheon Yeo-hwa had suddenly suffered an attack.
The poison of the Heavenly Heart Extreme Yang Flower Poison Lotus had run rampant through her qi and blood. Cheon Yeo-hwa had collapsed, coughing up blood, but thanks to the neutralizer, she had managed to survive the crisis.
But I could never forget that sight.
The sight of Cheon Yeo-hwa, who had been in my arms, suddenly spitting blood and collapsing.
‘…Hoo.’
A cold wind from somewhere cooled my head. Thanks to it, I was able to calm the magic power that had been churning with my turbulent emotions before anyone could notice.
Fortunately, No Wicheon quietly withdrew without another word. Judging by his reaction, it didn't seem like he had recognized Cheon Yeo-hwa's identity.
He didn't speak to her because it was considered rude to carelessly address a veiled woman. Only then could I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Um, Orabeoni.”
“…Orabeoni?”
Cheon Yeo-hwa reacted to Yoo Sowol's voice calling out to me.
“What is it?”
“…It's nothing.”
After a short silence, Cheon Yeo-hwa turned her head away. Seeing this, Yoo Sowol smiled triumphantly, likely thinking Cheon Yeo-hwa had backed down.
But out of Yoo Sowol's sight, Cheon Yeo-hwa was stroking my thigh. Through the gap in her veil, I could see the corner of her lips curve up slightly.
Unaware of this, Yoo Sowol took a seat next to me and started making small talk.
The stares from those around us grew a little more intense.
In the distance, that bastard Sword Dragon was glaring at me with murderous eyes before he got smacked by the Mount Hua elder.
On a clear, cloudless day, the investigation team left the campsite and headed for the old temple.
*
“Great Master. The target has begun to move.”
A single small torch illuminated the area.
Water dripped from the ceiling, and the stench of blood filled the air.
The alien atmosphere emanating from those gathered inside the cave silenced even the bats. There was none of the vitality that should have been present in living creatures.
A voice like fingernails scraping a chalkboard echoed.
“Today, we hunt the White Wolf.”