78. You've Got That Cute Protruding Forehead
'Byeok Gyoo Un, was it? Why the hell is that bastard with Yeo-wol?'
Won Seung's eyes gleamed with a fierce blue light.
At that moment, Hwa Yeo-wol's voice rang out.
"Why are you following me out here in the middle of the night?"
From the looks of it, Byeok Gyoo Un had trailed behind Hwa Yeo-wol.
There was a note of wariness in her voice. She wasn't beaming with joy like she had been when she first heard people from Geom Yak Jong had arrived.
Hwa Yeo-wol had seen through Elder Yang Gwan's ulterior motives.
"It's night, so I followed. Word is two of Sangyang's black dao leaders got killed in their own bedrooms last night. How could I not worry about you heading out alone?"
"This is right in front of Cheongsu Gate. You don't need to worry about that."
"You never know with people. More importantly, who are you off to meet at this hour?"
Hwa Yeo-wol bristled at the rude question, her tone turning icy.
"Whoever I meet is none of your business, Byeok Gongja."
"Do you really not get how I feel? I want to make you my wife, no matter what."
What? Wife? That punk? I'll castrate the bastard.
A slew of castration poisons flashed through Won Seung's mind.
"I told you I'd give you my answer after the three-way duel."
"Marry me, and Cheongsu Gate's safety is all but guaranteed. Who'd dare touch the family of Geom Yak Jong's disciple?"
Byeok Gyoo Un seemed utterly smitten with Hwa Yeo-wol.
At first, he'd just thought she was pretty, but learning she was a talented martial artist and scholar had tipped his heart completely.
Elder Yang Gwan's prodding had helped, too.
So he'd poured his heart into persuading her, but Hwa Yeo-wol wouldn't budge.
"If we relied on someone else's reputation to secure Cheongsu Gate's safety, my father would be ashamed. Don't ever say that again."
Hwa Yeo-wol cut him off coldly.
"And it's safe here, so please go back."
"Who the hell are you meeting...? Ah, you're going to see that boy from before, aren't you?"
Byeok Gyoo Un clicked his tongue as if he'd pieced it together.
"I looked into him. He's full of exaggerations. Probably targeting Cheongsu Gate through you."
Hwa Yeo-wol opened her mouth to snap back in anger, but Won Seung's voice cut in from the side.
"Oh ho? And how'd you figure that?"
Won Seung slipped out of the shadows smooth as silk.
Byeok Gyoo Un flinched in surprise, then glared at him.
"So you practice martial arts. Fooled us all completely."
No ordinary civilian could've hidden their presence like that.
Hwa Yeo-wol was stunned, too.
'Seung's a martial artist?'
She hadn't suspected a thing while they'd hung out...
Byeok Gyoo Un's gaze flicked to Won Seung's Solar Meridian point.
"And a high-level expert with open Ren and Du meridians... Suspicious as hell."
Won Seung probably wasn't at the realm of Ilgapja Bangakwi-jin, so he'd guessed open meridians. Made sense—Byeok Gyoo Un had achieved it himself through some stroke of fortune.
"Spot on. I'm an expert."
Won Seung said it with arrogant flair.
"And a con man trying to seduce Hwa Yeo-wol."
Byeok Gyoo Un couldn't hide his embarrassment at Won Seung's words. Caught red-handed slandering him where no one else could hear.
Hwa Yeo-wol barely stifled a laugh bubbling up inside.
Won Seung's mouth was as sharp as ever...
She'd known it, but seeing the haughty Byeok Gyoo Un cornered again felt damn satisfying.
But then.
Won Seung strode over boldly and slung his arm around Hwa Yeo-wol's shoulders.
She flinched but didn't shove him off. More like frozen in shock.
She'd never expected him to be this bold.
"I'm not like some guy who uses family safety as an excuse to force himself on a woman who says no."
Then he planted a loud, smacking kiss on her forehead.
"All you need for love is moonlight... and a true heart."
Why bring up the moonlight?
The night he'd shown her the Moonlight Beauty Sword under a full moon made her legs go weak just thinking about it.
Caught off guard by the kiss again, Hwa Yeo-wol ducked her head. Her heart pounded—no room for thought.
In front of Byeok Gyoo Un, no less...
She couldn't lift her face.
Byeok Gyoo Un's expression hardened terrifyingly at the sight.
"Hwa Yeo-wol, I'm disappointed. Meeting a man in the dead of night..."
Before he could say "woman," Won Seung cut in.
"So you're the pathetic creep who follows a woman out at night begging for her love?"
"You little shit!"
Byeok Gyoo Un roared and cocked his fist, but a shout came from the side gate watchpost.
"Miss! What's going on?"
Byeok Gyoo Un lowered his fist, unable to swing.
Causing a scene at night—and being caught following Hwa Yeo-wol—could reach Hwa Cheon-un's ears. Bad news.
The guy already disliked him; he might nix the marriage outright.
He whipped around with a parting shot.
"We'll settle this later."
"Sure thing."
Settle what? I won't be here after tomorrow.
Won Seung glared at him like a wolf watching a retreating dog until the shadows swallowed him up.
That's when Hwa Yeo-wol realized his arm was still around her shoulders.
Thwack!
"Ugh!"
She shoved him away and punched his side.
"What the hell?"
"You... you... what the...?"
She couldn't get the words out.
After a moment composing herself with her head down, she spoke coldly.
"Do that again, and I won't see you anymore."
"Protruding forehead."
"What?"
"You've got that slightly protruding forehead. Guess that's why I couldn't help myself."
Hwa Yeo-wol was dumbfounded by the lame excuse. Then she realized her hand was on her forehead.
She yanked it down in a hurry.
"Whatever. Don't do it again."
"..."
"Why aren't you answering?"
"I'm leaving Sangyang tomorrow."
Won Seung dodged, changing the subject.
"Came to say goodbye."
"..."
Hwa Yeo-wol's heart sank at the news.
"Why? They find out who you are?"
"Not yet, but things are getting dicey. I'll head out right after the three-way duel."
She bowed her head. The sudden farewell left her feeling empty.
She remembered first seeing Won Seung that spring at the Cloud Flower Banquet.
Climbing the stairs with her Cheongsan Academy seniors, some boy was glaring at her like she'd wronged him.
Asking why led to sharing plum blossom wine... and a whole lot after.
The biggest shock was what her father and uncles had done at Yongga.
For Hwa Yeo-wol, who dreamed of venturing into the martial world as a righteous heroine, it was too much.
Then tensions with Gwangeonbang brewed... Dosanrim and Geom Yak Jong got involved, and now it wasn't just Cheongsu Gate's safety—she worried for her blood kin's lives.
For the first time, her heart ached, and she'd leaned on Won Seung without realizing. He always cheered her up.
To her, he seemed born to a fine family but down on his luck. Yet he lived carefree and mischievous, untouched by worldly woes.
"And I have something to tell you."
"..."
His words barely registered.
"It's important. Tied to Cheongsu Gate's safety, so make sure you tell your father."
Hwa Yeo-wol snapped to.
"You heard about Sangyang's black society boss dying last night? He's a fake. The real one's Deung Noya, head of the Shipowners Association. And it looks like Sangyang's black society is colluding with Seongwangbu to seize Sang River dominance through this three-way duel. No hard proof, but that'll tip your father off."
She relayed what he'd said about Ilgwon Pasan Cheon Seok-san frequenting Gwangeonbang, too.
Hwa Yeo-wol listened intently, realizing how well-versed Won Seung was in martial world intel, then asked,
"But how? You hid your martial arts perfectly."
"Just didn't flaunt it. I'm humble by nature."
"Hah! You, humble? Sangyang's dogs would laugh."
Won Seung suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Hey, what're you—"
He gripped tighter as she tried to pull away.
"I'll come back next spring. Wanna roam the jianghu together then?"
Once he got back, he'd wipe out the assassin camp and lay low awhile. No fun solo. Hwa Yeo-wol along would be perfect.
"Really?"
Her eyes sparkled.
The jianghu adventure she'd dreamed of since girlhood chased away the gloom.
Won Seung hooked his pinky with hers.
"Promise."
"Deal. I'll wait."
Then a figure emerged from the shadows.
Hwa Ugeuk stared coldly at their linked pinkies. Out on night patrol, drawn by voices—now wearing a look like he'd seen something he shouldn't.
Hwa Yeo-wol flushed awkwardly, unhooking her pinky and bidding farewell.
"I'm heading in."
She scurried off.
Won Seung wasn't thrilled with Hwa Ugeuk.
'Bastard... third-wheeling. What's with the glare?'
But he was her cousin... Hard to complain.
Won Seung threw Hwa Ugeuk a perfunctory fist salute and turned away.
Baekhwa Pavilion's parlor.
Blue incense smoke wafted from the censer in the corner.
Sangyang's muggy summer night felt clearer thanks to the fresh scent of Cheongyeon incense.
"Ahem, ahem..."
Yong Jo-un cleared his throat awkwardly.
Jong Bi was nowhere in sight, so he'd come straight to Hyeol Hwa's study himself.
The two sat in the parlor overlooking the night garden... Alone with a woman late at night felt off.
Hyeol Hwa was a rare beauty. To Yong Jo-un, raised in the mountains training since childhood, she seemed a celestial fairy.
Even a martial fanatic like him had to admit it. And... that made it burdensome.
Yong Jo-un spoke.
"You can go now."
"Hmph! Think I'll come and go at your command?"
Hyeol Hwa shot back coldly.
Yong Jo-un blinked in confusion, then nodded.
"Fair enough. You'll need to stay a bit longer to treat the details. Feng Yun-saeng's medicine is impressively advanced for his age."
Hyeol Hwa's eyebrow arched sharply.
"Yong family boy."
The sudden casual address made Yong Jo-un flinch.
"How old are you? What's with that old-man talk, like some geezer who won't die?"
"..."
Caught off guard, Yong Jo-un had no reply.
What the hell is with this woman?
"I admit I screwed up. Gwangeonbang..."
She trailed off, grinding her teeth.
"Getting played by those bastards was pathetic. But don't think you saved me. That day, I..."
"I know."
Yong Jo-un said.
When he'd been poisoned with Mumu Fragrance, Hyeol Hwa could've killed him with a poisoned needle. But she'd approached with a dagger instead.
"Why'd you do it?"