The Rabbit's Den and the Mister's Son
High on a hill overlooking the Guan Clan Residence, the Dark Shadow Demon Lord and Woon-hyeon crouched behind a dense thicket, eavesdropping on the conversation drifting through the open window between Guan Yun and Yeon-woo.
They had come to inspect what sort of man had bought Yeon-woo, to overhear why he had summoned her, and to see whether the girl could properly explain her current predicament. At least, that had been the plan.
Glaring through the brush at the compound below, Woon-hyeon finally snapped and turned to the Dark Shadow Demon Lord.
“Do we truly have to lurk like this? Wouldn't it be far simpler to watch from the sky as we did before? No one down there would ever notice!”
“Now, now—sit down, sit down. Someone might see you.”
The Dark Shadow Demon Lord pressed a hand onto Woon-hyeon's shoulder. His grip was so deceptively heavy that Woon-hyeon, halfway to his feet, found himself firmly pinned in place.
“I am asking who could possibly see us! As far as I can tell, there is no master of that caliber within the Guan Clan…!”
“Shh!”
The Dark Shadow Demon Lord pressed an index finger against Woon-hyeon's lips. Woon-hyeon grimaced in deep disgust, instantly slapping the hand away. But just as he opened his mouth to berate him, Guan Yun's voice drifted up from the estate.
“So. Has anything unusual happened?”
Woon-hyeon's gaze snapped toward the residence.
Unusual?
He swallowed hard. Could Yeon-woo explain that assassins were hunting her? And how would the Guan Clan respond to her being targeted? With those tense questions hanging in the air, both he and the Dark Shadow Demon Lord fixed their eyes intently on the study window.
“Nope.”
The instant Yeon-woo's carefree reply rang out, Woon-hyeon shot to his feet.
Beside him, the Dark Shadow Demon Lord clutched his stomach, muffling fits of hysterical laughter.
Nothing unusual, my foot!
“I am going down there myself!”
As Woon-hyeon stormed down toward the Guan Clan Residence, the Dark Shadow Demon Lord merely offered a jaunty wave of his hand.
Knock, knock.
“Father, it is Hyeok.”
Hearing the voice from the other side of the door, Guan Yun smiled warmly.
“Enter.”
The door clicked open, and someone stepped into the room. A boy of about ten years old, Gwan Hyeok possessed sharp, upright features that clearly mirrored Guan Yun's own, though the softness of youth still lingered on his cheeks.
They look so alike, Yeon-woo thought, staring in fascination.
Thick eyebrows, round eyes, and a straight nose—it was as if someone had carved a miniature copy of Guan Yun. While she sat blinking blankly at the resemblance, Gwan Hyeok's gaze shifted.
He shot a frosty glare straight at her.
Yeon-woo tilted her head. It had lasted only a fraction of a second, yet the hostility was far too thick to be imagined.
Before she could ponder it, Gwan Hyeok smoothly clasped his hands together in a respectful martial salute toward his father.
“Father, a guest has arrived.”
“A guest? Who might that be?”
“He claims to be the guardian of this child.”
“A guardian?” Guan Yun glanced at Yeon-woo with genuine curiosity. “Is he an elderly gentleman?”
“Yes. However, he is wearing a black half-mask, so I could not be entirely certain. How should we proceed?”
“A half-mask?” Guan Yun's brow furrowed. He had known an old man lived with Yeon-woo, but why would he appear masked? “Show him in for now.”
“Could he not be dangerous?”
“It will be fine. Let him enter. After all, how many people in this vicinity even know Yeon-woo?”
Fewer still knew she lived with anyone at all; if someone came claiming to be her guardian, it was almost certainly that old man.
“Understood.”
Gwan Hyeok bowed once more to his father before turning around. In that brief turn, Yeon-woo caught him glaring at her again.
Chewing thoughtfully on her dried fruit, she stared at his retreating back until he crossed the threshold. Guan Yun's voice quickly drew her attention away.
“It seems your grandfather is here.”
“Grandpa?! Here?”
“Yes. I told them to send him in, so he should arrive shortly…”
Mid-sentence, an icy chill crept down the nape of Guan Yun's neck.
His body reacted before his mind did, shooting out of his chair. His eyes locked onto the door, every muscle coiled tight.
…What is this?
Something was approaching. A massive, terrifying pressure, like a great predator slinking out of the dark toward its cornered prey with unsheathed claws.
Click.
Guan Yun's hand closed around the bow resting behind him.
Knock, knock.
He drew a sharp, silent breath. Before the door opens… I must nock an arrow…
“Grandpa?”
“Wait—!”
Before Guan Yun could stop her, Yeon-woo hopped down from her chair and scampered over to throw the door wide open.
Shock froze Guan Yun where he stood. A split second later, panic rushed in. Damn it!
Just as he threw himself into a combat stance, the suffocating presence that had threatened to crush his windpipe vanished as though it had never existed.
The terrifying aura disappeared the exact moment the man crossed the threshold.
—Forgive me for revealing my qi so indiscreetly.
A crisp Telepathic Transmission echoed directly inside Guan Yun's mind.
Swallowing hard, Guan Yun stared at the figure standing in the doorway. It was a man clad in noble attire, wearing a black half-mask, with both hands resting calmly behind his back.
One look at his poised bearing was enough to shatter any assumption that this man was a vagrant. To utilize Telepathic Transmission meant he was an accomplished martial artist, and the unmistakable dignity radiating from every line of his posture suggested he hailed from an illustrious lineage.
I cannot fathom the depths of his martial arts.
Guan Yun could not tell how strong he was, nor whether assembling every warrior in the Guan Clan would even suffice to stand against him.
Just who on earth is he?
He had never heard rumors of such a formidable master living nearby. Was he a hidden hermit keeping a low profile? No, that aristocratic grace was simply too prominent to hide.
How in the world does she know someone like this?
Guan Yun cast a furtive glance at Yeon-woo. The man had evidently targeted his overwhelming aura solely at Guan Yun, for the girl was greeting him without the slightest hint of fear.
—…May I ask your esteemed identity, Senior?
—Circumstances prevent me from disclosing who I am.
It was the answer Guan Yun had anticipated ever since that crushing aura had pressed against the door. That display had been an explicit warning: do not pry, and do not seek to know.
—Though I cannot reveal my identity, so long as you harbor no intention of harming Yeon-woo, I shall harbor none toward you.
The inverse was equally clear: the moment he intended harm toward Yeon-woo, that immense power would turn lethal.
Guan Yun gathered his internal energy. A fierce surge of qi whipped around him, rippling through his robes.
—Could you truly shoulder the consequences? Facing every single warrior of the Guan Clan?
In response, the energy Woon-hyeon had withdrawn began to stir once more. Unlike the earlier display, it rose in utter silence, yet it was vast enough to swallow Guan Yun's turbulent qi whole in a single breath. Guan Yun felt as if an endless, boundless sky had unfurled before his eyes, dwarfing him entirely.
From beneath that noble serenity came a low telepathic whisper.
—Would you care to test that?
Silence hung heavy as their gazes locked in taut standoff.
A moment later, Guan Yun quietly withdrew his inner energy. Woon-hyeon's immense pressure vanished just as swiftly, erasing all trace of its existence.
—Yeon-woo is an important child to our family as well.
It was his answer: the Guan Clan had no intention of harming her.
Woon-hyeon gave a curt nod. He looked down at Yeon-woo, who was tilting her head, staring with wide, curious eyes at his mask.
“Yeon-woo. Go outside and play for a while. I have an important matter to discuss with this gentleman.”
Yeon-woo looked back and forth between Woon-hyeon and Guan Yun before asking, “Will you wait for me?”
“Yes. We shall head back together when we are finished.”
“Okay!”
Yeon-woo dashed over to the desk, scooped up the remaining dried fruit into her hands, and waved cheerily at Guan Yun. “Mister, I'm going!”
“R-Right.”
Guan Yun desperately wanted to call her back. Seeing the child skip away with such carefree innocence felt downright cruel.
Thud.
The door shut tight, leaving only Guan Yun and Woon-hyeon in the study.
The instant the girl left, a soundproof Qi Barrier seamlessly sealed the chamber. Guan Yun felt an overwhelming urge to weep. Was this how a cornered rabbit felt inside a tiger's den? Though in truth, the tiger had marched straight into the rabbit's burrow.
I never should have let him in.
“Shall we sit?” Woon-hyeon asked.
“…This way.”
“Hey, you little beggar.”
A sneering voice called out from behind as Yeon-woo stepped into the courtyard, happily munching on her dried fruit.
I wonder where the dining hall is? she wondered, humming softly under her breath.
“Hey!”
She continued walking, her steps light.
“I'm talking to you!”
Only then did Yeon-woo pause and glance over her shoulder. Standing there were two boys around ten years old: Gwan Hyeok, the son she had seen in the Family Head Hall, and his young attendant page.
Seeing her turn, Gwan Hyeok smirked condescendingly. “So you do know you're a beggar brat.”
Yeon-woo stared blankly at him for a moment, then tilted her head with knitted brows. “Who…?”
“You just saw me! In Father's study!”
She tilted her head to the other side, thinking hard. “Ah!”
The mister's son!
“What do you mean, 'Ah'?! It hasn't even been fifteen minutes since you saw me!”
Yeon-woo popped another piece of dried fruit into her mouth as she watched him fume. “Son, did you need something from me?”
“Don't call me 'Son'!”
“But you are the son, aren't you?”
“T-That's…!” Gwan Hyeok spluttered, turning red. It was technically true, but still! “I don't want to be called that by a squirt who's younger than me!”
“Son, do you know how old I am?” Yeon-woo asked curiously. Because she certainly didn't.
“Father said he bought an eight-year-old beggar three months ago, so you must be nine now!” he snapped, since the New Year had just passed.
“I see. Thanks for letting me know.”
I should remember that, she noted mentally. Seeing her casually chewing her snack without a shred of shame only infuriated Gwan Hyeok further. He glared, his face flushing crimson.
Yeon-woo merely blinked. What was his problem?
“A-Anyway…! You, follow me!”
“Why?”
“Stop talking back and just follow me!”
Gwan Hyeok turned on his heel and marched forward, huffing with every step. The young attendant page cast nervous, apologetic glances at Yeon-woo before hurrying after his young master.
Yeon-woo debated her options. What a drag. I really wanted to go see where they serve food.
Then, sudden enlightenment struck her like lightning. Her eyes went wide, and a bright grin spread across her face as she broke into a trot behind him.
Her cheerful voice echoed across the front courtyard of the Family Head Hall.
“Are you taking me to get delicious food?!”
“No, I'm not!!”