It’s None of My Business (2)
Fortunately for the captured North Sea Ice Palace warriors, Chung Myung only half accepted that stance.
He insisted, in a raised voice, that it would be much safer to simply knock them unconscious the moment they woke, but that was hardly the sort of thing a decent human being did. In the end, Dang Soso’s incapacitating poison was used to seal their internal energy, and the Ice Palace men were neatly subdued, bound with sturdy rope, and dumped in the storage shed.
After that, the Mount Hua disciples returned to the house and sat around the brazier once more.
“Cough!”
“Father... are you all right?”
“Mm.”
Hong Yi-myung coughed a few times, then reached out to pat Hong Jin-bo’s head.
He gave the child a small nod, reassuring him.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
“But...”
“I’m only a little tired. My coughing seems to be worse right now, so could you go fetch some Hwaeolcho to boil into a decoction?”
“I’ll go dig some up right away!”
“Yes. I’d appreciate it.”
Hong Jin-bo quickly put on his winter clothes again and hurried outside.
Watching him go, Baek Cheon frowned.
“Will he be all right? Digging herbs in this winter weather...”
“The roots of Hwaeolcho can be dug up even in the dead of winter.”
“But how is he supposed to do that in all this snow...”
“It’s better if he takes a little time. He isn’t ready to hear the truth yet.”
Hong Yi-myung stared quietly toward the door where the child had disappeared, then spoke.
“Let’s not drag this out. My real name isn’t Hong Yi-myung. It is Han I-myung.”
Hong Yi-myung—or rather, Han I-myung—let out a deep sigh.
“I was a warrior of the North Sea Ice Palace. Under the name Han I-myung, the Ice Fox, I had some measure of reputation in the North Sea.”
“Then...”
Han I-myung looked at Baek Cheon in silence, then nodded with a heavy expression.
“That’s right. I served the former palace lord.”
“I see.”
If there was a reason the Ice Palace warriors were chasing Han I-myung, that was surely it.
“But... are they still pursuing an old man just because he served the former palace lord? From the looks of it, you’ve laid everything down and are living in seclusion out here in the wild.”
At Baek Cheon’s question, Han I-myung smiled faintly, with a touch of bitterness.
“You have a rather roundabout way of speaking, don’t you, Daoist?”
“...”
“At this point, what is there to hide? I’ll tell you everything. As you said a moment ago, they aren’t chasing me.”
“Then they’re chasing that child?”
“Yes.”
Han I-myung gave a heavy, unmistakably heavy nod.
“Surprisingly, that child isn’t my son.”
His tone was solemn, as if he were revealing some earth-shattering secret. Yet the listeners didn’t seem especially shocked. They only stared at him blankly, as though he had just said something obvious.
Han I-myung tilted his head.
“You’re not surprised?”
“Did you expect us to be?”
“...”
“At this point, it’d be weirder if we didn’t know.”
“It’s too obvious. First of all, the two of them don’t look anything alike.”
“Exactly. That kid’s actually handsome.”
“...”
Flustered by the unexpected reaction, Han I-myung was dealt the finishing blow by Baek Cheon.
“Anyone with even a little eye for people would’ve figured that out...”
But then—
“What? He’s not his son?”
“...”
At the voice from beside them, everyone slowly turned their heads.
Chung Myung, who had been plastered against the brazier soaking up the heat, had his eyes wide as dinner plates and his mouth hanging open.
“Is he unaware of prejudice...?”
“...No, he just doesn’t have any sense.”
“He might not even have eyes.”
The Mount Hua disciples let out helpless sighs as if they were about to burst from frustration.
Han I-myung composed his expression and said gravely, “But that is not the whole of the child’s secret.”
His gaze hardened.
“Do not be shocked. That child’s real name is not Hong Jin-bo. It is Seol Yu-baek. He is the former palace lord’s son, and the rightful heir of the North Sea Ice Palace.”
At that, the Mount Hua disciples only stared at him with empty expressions.
Han I-myung asked, looking a little awkward, “...You’re not shocked again?”
“The Ice Palace warriors seem more concerned about the child than about you, old man.”
“Then it makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“...Only an idiot couldn’t tell there was some story behind this.”
But then—
“What? He’s the former palace lord’s son? My goodness!”
Again, every head turned.
Looking at Chung Myung, who had his mouth open in dramatic shock, everyone somehow felt a little sad.
“...There really is an idiot here.”
“I think he just has zero interest in other people.”
“Ah, that might actually be it.”
Everyone sighed in unison.
“Then that child is the current palace lord’s nephew?”
“That’s right.”
Han I-myung’s eyes grew dark.
“The current palace lord, Seol Cheon-sang, does not have the full support of the Ice Palace warriors. That is why the child’s existence is so deeply irritating to him. Someday, when that child grows up, he may come back to reclaim his place.”
Baek Cheon nodded with a grave expression.
Of course, they couldn’t take everything Han I-myung said at face value. But if it was true that the former palace lord had ruled wisely and that the hearts of the North Sea people still leaned toward him, then when his son appeared, there would be no small number willing to support him.
“Mm.”
The atmosphere turned a shade more serious.
They had more or less guessed as much already, but hearing it from Han I-myung himself still left them with a strange feeling.
“Then...”
Chung Myung looked at Han I-myung with an unreadable expression.
“Then what, that kid is like the prince of the North Sea or something?”
“...It is a little much to call him a prince, but...”
“Oh?”
A faint smile touched Chung Myung’s lips.
The sight of it sent a ripple of unease through Baek Cheon’s heart.
That’s the face this bastard makes when he’s thinking up something bad.
Just what was he planning?
“So the people of the North Sea still feel some longing for the former palace lord?”
“...That’s right. Knowing that, Seol Cheon-sang keeps trying to hunt that child down.”
Chung Myung grinned and nodded.
And then—
The door burst open, and Seol Yu-baek, who had gone out, came back in brushing snow from his clothes.
“Father. The Hwaeolcho was nearby...”
Before the child could even finish speaking, Chung Myung sprang forward. In one motion, he grabbed Seol Yu-baek and tucked him under his arm like a sack, then hurried back to his seat.
“Hey, you!”
“What are you doing!”
But Chung Myung ignored the protests with perfect ease and examined Seol Yu-baek from every angle, smiling with open satisfaction.
“So this is the North Sea Ice Palace heir, huh?”
“Hey! You’re not supposed to say that!”
Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—Seol Yu-baek seemed too flustered to properly hear Chung Myung’s words. Completely overwhelmed by the greedy gleam in Chung Myung’s eyes, the child trembled, not understanding a thing.
“D-Daosim?”
“Heh heh heh.”
Chung Myung clicked his tongue as if he were already salivating.
“How should I use this?”
He kept turning the child this way and that, as though appraising an object.
Baek Cheon was horrified.
“Don’t do anything weird and put the kid down, you idiot!”
“Sasuk, Sasuk!”
“What?”
“Couldn’t this be useful somehow?”
“...”
What the hell are you planning to use a child for, you lunatic?
“...Chung Myung, calm down for now.”
“No, I mean... if it’s really useless, maybe we could take him to the Ice Palace and get on good terms with them?”
“No, you insane bastard!”
“For God’s sake, act like a human being for once!”
Seol Yu-baek was now almost on the verge of tears. At last, Chung Myung clicked his tongue and set him on the floor.
“Tsk. What a shame.”
As soon as he was released, Seol Yu-baek ran at full speed and hid behind Han I-myung. Seeing the terrified little eyes peeking out from there, everyone let out a synchronized sigh.
“Sorry.”
“My conscience hurts...”
“We should’ve locked him up first.”
It felt exactly like letting a vicious dog off its leash and watching a child get bitten.
To prevent any further disaster, Yu I-seol and Dang Soso quietly stepped in front of Chung Myung, who was still clicking his tongue.
“That child...”
Baek Cheon looked again at Seol Yu-baek, who was now hiding anxiously behind Han I-myung.
He had guessed it already, but hearing the truth made the child seem a little different.
A child who lost his home because of the Demonic Sect.
In a strange way, it overlapped with Mount Hua’s own situation.
Well, of course...
“Do you maybe want to go sightseeing in the Ice Palace?”
“Would you get the hell out of here, you lunatic!”
“He’s gone mad! He’s trying to kidnap a child!”
“The Ice Palace’s not nearly as scary as you are!”
“Amitabha! The demons are better than this! Demons, I’m terribly sorry for comparing you all this time!”
...Chung Myung was apparently not included in that category at all.
Baek Cheon cleared his throat and sincerely apologized to Han I-myung on behalf of Mount Hua.
“...I am truly sorry.”
“...No. From the looks of it, even you lot can’t manage him.”
Han I-myung, who had already nearly figured out what sort of person Chung Myung was, shook his head again and again.
“So, what do you intend to do now? Staying here will be dangerous.”
At Baek Cheon’s question, Han I-myung smiled.
“I’m not so foolish. I’d hardly have only one hideout while running from the North Sea Ice Palace’s pursuit. We’ll simply move to a new place now, so there’s no need for you to worry about us.”
“Ah... then that is a relief.”
Baek Cheon let out a quiet breath. The unease in his chest eased a little.
“...We’ve delayed too long. I should prepare to leave.”
At that not-quite-an-order to get out, the Mount Hua disciples rose to their feet. Han I-myung’s movements were clearly slower than before, as if he were still unwell.
“Your body still isn’t fully recovered.”
“It’s fine. This much is nothing.”
Han I-myung smiled faintly.
“For years, I’ve lived while evading the Ice Palace’s pursuit. I’ve dealt with this sort of thing more times than I can count. This time was certainly dangerous, but not so much that I can’t handle it, so don’t worry.”
Han I-myung bowed his head toward the Mount Hua party.
“You were dragged into this for no reason, and I can’t begin to express how sorry I am. If anything goes wrong because of me...”
“Don’t worry about that.”
Chung Myung shrugged.
“We were the ones who decided to help, so we’re the ones who take responsibility for it.”
“...Thank you.”
“So, since it’s come to this, want to come with us?”
“...I’ll decline.”
“Aw, why?”
“I decline absolutely.”
It was the firmest Han I-myung had sounded since they met.
“Then...”
“Take care, and please refrain from telling the Ice Palace too much about us.”
“If it comes up, I’ll just say I heard nothing.”
“That would be appreciated.”
“If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”
The Mount Hua group waved as they pulled the cart and left Han I-myung behind.
“Sasuk, what about the Ice Palace warriors we stuffed in the storage shed?”
“Soso. How long does the poison last?”
“Without an antidote, at least seven days.”
“...They won’t die from that, will they?”
“Of course not.”
“Come on. Right. Even if they’re martial artists, there’s no way they’d die from being tied up for seven days.”
Hye Yeon, who had quietly listened to the exchange, squeezed his eyes shut.
Normal people would die, normal people! You fiends!
How had it come to this? These people seemed to become more and more severe with every passing day.
Hye Yeon was deeply worried that he might already be getting infected by them.
Of course... that worry was already far too late.
“Seven days... Then we should reach the Ice Palace before them. We can just say there was some misunderstanding.”
“Yes. Since no one was actually harmed, they won’t be able to do much to us, especially since we came under the introduction of the Beast Palace Lord.”
As he watched Han I-myung waving back beside Seol Yu-baek, Baek Cheon murmured quietly, “What a strange fate.”
“It is.”
He kept sighing at the odd, lingering pang of pity he felt.
But then...
“You really don’t want to go to the Ice Palace?”
“Th-that madman!”
“...Let’s hurry, Sahyung. At this rate, we’re going to see him actually kidnap the kid.”
“No matter how crazy he is, that’s a bit much.”
“Are you sure?”
“...Let’s go.”
The cart lurched forward with a violent jolt and moved on.
Perched atop the pile of luggage, Chung Myung clicked his tongue and stared after the receding figures of Han I-myung and Seol Yu-baek.
The heir, huh...
— Are you the Plum Blossom Sword Saint?
“Huh. He really did look disturbingly alike.”
Chung Myung leaned his head against the luggage pile.
Hong Jin-bo’s face was as if the North Sea Ice Palace Lord he had seen in the past had simply been stamped onto it.
He had felt something odd at first glance, and sure enough.
Pitiable, though.
The Demonic Sect was infamous for leaving no loose ends when it acted. The former palace lord’s other family members were probably all dead by now.
In other words, that child had no family left at all, and the only relative remaining was an uncle who wanted him dead.
Chung Myung watched Seol Yu-baek, already reduced to a speck in the distance.
“Hm.”
A slight curve touched the corner of his mouth.
“Well, you never know what’ll happen in this world.”
He shoved a hand into his robes and pulled out Baek Ah.
“You remembered, right?”
Baek Ah’s black eyes gleamed as it nodded vigorously.
“If I tell you to find him, you can do it?”
It nodded again, just as vigorously.
“You’d better not fail. I’ll turn you into a scarf.”
Chung Myung smirked.
Depending on how things played out, this might turn into a rather entertaining connection after all.