The Absolute One's Pure Affection (2)
Baek So-cheon arrived at the thatched hut.
Beyond the low fence, the yard held drying grains, with animal meat and hides hanging nearby. In one corner of the yard, various goods were piled up, wrapped in silk—likely gifts sent by Yeom Hwa-sin.
"Anyone home?"
The door creaked open, revealing a woman.
She appeared to be in her early thirties, with sharp, distinct features.
Surprisingly, she wasn't a stunning beauty. "Ordinary" suited her better than "beautiful."
Then again, Yeom Hwa-sin must have grown weary of flashy beauties. To him, looks probably meant nothing.
"Who are you?"
Her face was filled with surprise and wariness. This was likely the first man other than Yeom Hwa-sin to visit.
"I'm Baek So-cheon."
The woman stared intently at his face.
"I'm from the righteous faction."
Baek So-cheon quickly added it, but he thought it might backfire. No righteous man had reason to come here.
Standing at the yard's edge without entering, Baek So-cheon kept reassuring her.
"I know it's hard to believe, but I'm with the Murim Alliance. My current rank is captain of the Hyun-cheon-dae."
She finally spoke.
"I'm Yeop Sa-mi."
She'd introduced herself, but her guard remained up.
Baek So-cheon sat on the bench near the yard entrance.
"I'll sit here and talk."
Standing tended to heighten wariness.
"I know you can't trust me yet..."
Then she said something unexpected.
"I know you."
"Pardon?"
"I know who you are. I fought in the Righteous-Evil Great War too."
"Ah, I see."
Just moments ago, Yeop Sa-mi had been shocked enough to freeze. The wrong person had come to this place.
"Why are you here?"
Her earlier wary glare stemmed from suspicion that he might be a traitor.
"I was captured by the Black Heaven Alliance Lord for reasons unrelated to you."
"What reasons?"
She pressed him.
Baek So-cheon sensed that hiding the truth would never win her over.
So he told her everything: how the Alliance Lord and he had fallen for a scheme, and the Black Heaven Alliance Lord had as well. Of course, he kept Cheon-geuk and Na-sa-rin anonymous.
"This must stay absolutely secret from the outside world. For your sake too—don't breathe a word."
Yeop Sa-mi gave a bitter laugh.
"As you can see, I have no 'outside'."
"Be careful if you ever do."
Her eyes questioned if there even would be a "later."
"Why did he send you?"
"He was curious why you hate him... but probably wants you to change your heart toward him."
Baek So-cheon revealed his honest guess.
"Since I've told you this much, if it doesn't work out, he'll kill me."
"...I'm not afraid of death."
But her voice trembled.
How could anyone not fear death? Even he and Cheon-geuk had thought the same—yet when the moment came, fear would grip anyone.
Her words stemmed from desperate resignation.
"Don't you miss your family?"
Tears welled in her eyes at the word "family."
"My father and mother must think I'm dead."
"But you're alive, aren't you?"
She stared at Baek So-cheon.
"What are you trying to say?"
"Handle it wisely, and you can survive."
"My body will be defiled."
"Yes. But you'll live. You'll see your family again. You might even start a new one someday. Have a pretty daughter like yourself."
Her eyes wavered. He wasn't persuading her for Yeom Hwa-sin's sake. He genuinely wanted to save this woman.
"I don't know much about you. Not what values you've lived by. But I'll say this: surviving is winning. As long as there's somewhere to return to, as long as your family waits for you, survival must be your top priority. Chastity matters, pride matters—but not more than living to see them again. And... I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"If I'd killed him in that war, this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry."
"I heard... you lost your martial arts."
"Yes. That's why I'm here. Survival is my highest value too."
"Why for you?"
"Even now, there's someone I miss. Things I want to do ahead. So I'll survive no matter what. I won't let a villain like Yeom Hwa-sin ruin my life."
His words moved her.
"What should I do?"
"I don't know. I don't know why he likes you."
"I don't either. He's never said."
"Just follow your instincts as a woman."
"My instincts?"
"Yes. No need to suddenly act sweet, or build a total wall. Like a skilled woman—capture his heart, play push and pull."
"Until when?"
After a pause, Baek So-cheon replied.
"Until I come to save you."
Their gazes locked in the air. Seeing his earnest expression, Yeop Sa-mi felt not doubt about his lost inner power, but a desire to trust and wait for this man. Perhaps because he was a war hero, or due to the strange trust he inspired.
Finally, she steeled herself.
"Alright. I'll try."
She'd thought her life was forfeit anyway—but now wanted to make one last effort.
Until now, she'd drowned in utter despair. Here, she'd thought only of death.
Don't show fear. Die with at least some dignity. That's all she'd clung to.
But talking with Baek So-cheon rekindled longing for forgotten people. She wanted to live, return to her family. To tell them she'd survived facing the Black Heaven Alliance Lord.
Baek So-cheon rose.
"Good luck, then."
As he turned to leave, she said,
"You can't go yet."
"Pardon?"
"If I change my mind too easily, it'll hurt his pride."
Her woman's instincts were already kicking in.
A woman who accepted his advice so quickly and surely... perhaps one day he'd return to take her away.
Baek So-cheon smiled at her.
"Exactly."
Two hours later, Baek So-cheon emerged from the hut.
Yeom Hwa-sin waited by the stopped carriage.
"What took so long?"
Baek So-cheon snapped back louder.
"What else? It was all about you."
"So what'd you say?"
"Told her mainly to survive you. Dying to a villain like you means nothing."
Baek So-cheon was frank. No point deceiving someone like him. Sure enough, Yeom Hwa-sin grinned instead of raging.
"And?"
"Want to kill you?"
"You don't know yourself at all."
"Meaning?"
"Normal folk wouldn't even dream of killing you. Even I sigh, unsure what to do with you."
"So?"
Yeom Hwa-sin eyed him with interest.
"Talked a lot about family. To survive for them. She misses them."
"Why she hates me?"
"Go hear it yourself."
"Myself?"
"She wants to talk to you. I persuaded her over two hours—don't ruin it with pettiness."
Yeom Hwa-sin headed to the hut.
Yeop Sa-mi waited inside, brewing tea.
"First time. You offering me something."
"Couldn't get poison. Shame."
Yeom Hwa-sin chuckled and sipped the tea.
"Why the change of heart?"
"No change. Just didn't want trouble for that visitor."
Before leaving, Baek So-cheon had advised her: Yeom Hwa-sin wasn't sharp about subtleties—be direct. Even without it, she sensed his nature.
Gazing at his cup, Yeom Hwa-sin said,
"This is his price for your life."
"He said good things. So don't kill him."
"Worried about others now?"
"Seems so."
She smiled faintly.
That smile reminded him of a girl from long ago—his childhood first love.
Looking back, his father was mad. Forcing him to kill her himself, to sever all human ties and claim the evil supreme throne.
Terrified of his father, Yeom Hwa-sin had done it.
He killed his father later, of course.
It worked as planned. He became a monster without love or family loyalty—a war maniac.
To beat his father, he should've rejected becoming that man... but it was done.
Yeop Sa-mi resembled that first love perfectly. Like her grown up. He'd frozen in shock at first sight, surprised emotions lingered in him.
"If you're not killing me today, give me time."
"Time?"
"Need time to know you. I don't think a man like you does this just for my body. So we need time to learn each other."
"Want to know me?"
"Honestly? I'm scared."
"Of?"
"...That time passes, feelings grow... and I understand you."
Staring at her, Yeom Hwa-sin set down his cup.
"I'll visit sometimes."
Yeom Hwa-sin left the hut.
Only then did Yeop Sa-mi exhale the breath she'd held. She'd nearly died of trembling.
But she'd resolved: to try her best to live.
Returning to Baek So-cheon, Yeom Hwa-sin blurted,
"Impressive as expected."
"As you said, I've stabbed a sword in your heart. What'd she say?"
"Doesn't matter."
"No way? You didn't kill her?"
"What if I did?"
"Fits you."
"That's it?"
"Want me wailing? Can't even put out fire on my own feet. I'm not that good a guy. Just got pushed to you."
"Right. My first mistake, wrong button. How about surrendering to me now?"
"Just reconciled with our Alliance Lord. Bad timing."
"Hahaha."
Yeom Hwa-sin laughed heartily.
Anyone else, and this would've been impossible—exposing his weakness.
But sharing with Baek So-cheon didn't feel bad. He wanted to confide, but no one fit. Plenty died for him gladly, but none to bare his private scars to.
The two rode back to the Black Heaven Alliance.
That night, Yeom Hwa-sin visited Baek So-cheon.
"Leave tomorrow."
"The promise?"
"I'll keep it."
He handed over the manual.
The last supreme lightness skill Baek So-cheon sought.
Pung-sin Haeng-gong.
"You get exactly half an hour. Memorize what you can."
"Half an hour's too short!"
"Thought chattering two hours would let you take the whole thing?"
"Three hours. No, just two."
"Time's ticking."
Baek So-cheon dove in immediately, reading fast.
He focused utterly, committing it to memory.
Precisely half an hour later, Yeom Hwa-sin reclaimed it.
"All memorized?"
Baek So-cheon glared angrily.
"All of it?"
"Hahaha. You tasted it—that enough? Spoil a woman with gifts like this, she gets spoiled."
"Clear those goods from her yard first!"
"Ha! Your woman—you protect by throwing yourself."
"You're the world's biggest bastard!"
"I kept my word."
Yeom Hwa-sin left, beaming.
As he went, a faint smile curved Baek So-cheon's lips. With total focus, he'd memorized the whole manual in half an hour.
Yeom Hwa-sin had underestimated his freakish memory for martial arts.
Thus, Baek So-cheon secured the final technique dubbed "supreme through the ages."
Yes—my woman, I'll protect myself.
Eyes closed, Baek So-cheon etched the contents into his mind.