The Price of a Son
Clatter.
The stone fragments falling beside me were highly distracting.
And what about the wall that looked ready to collapse at any second? It was a remarkably thick wall, yet it stood so precariously that a gentle nudge might bring it down.
As I watched it with growing anxiety—
Crunch.
The pale arm embedded deep inside the wall began to move.
She pulled her hand out of the stone as if it were nothing.
Pat, pat.
She casually brushed off the dust with her other hand.
Fortunately, the wall didn't collapse, though it could hardly be called a wall anymore.
"..."
As I stared blankly at the wreckage, the culprit spoke.
"I'm certain I told you not to call me that. Why do you never listen?" The culprit who had reduced the wall to this state spoke in a thoroughly displeased tone.
"Do I really need to fold your tongue in half for you?"
"...That was a mistake."
Moyong Yeong-sun had detested her own name for as long as I could remember. But what could I do? It was her name.
"Hmph."
Yeong-sun snorted and glared at me. Her gaze was as sharp as ever.
[My, my,] Yoo Chun-gil remarked, watching the scene with fascination. [What a fierce little girl.]
I couldn't tell if that was a compliment or an insult. It was probably both.
[If she is a Moyong... she must be of the Star Heaven Sword's bloodline.]
The "Star Heaven Sword" Yoo Chun-gil referred to was likely the former family head.
Star Heaven Sword Moyong Baek.
He was the father of the current Moyong Family Head—one of the Five Kings of the Realm—and a retired master currently whiling away his days in Yoryeong.
[A pretty thing like her doesn't seem to resemble that cold bastard at all. How fortunate. Tsk, tsk, tsk.]
I had never met the Star Heaven Sword myself, but I could certainly agree with the "cold" part.
Everyone in that family looks exceptionally cold.
The current Moyong Family Head was like that, and so was Moyong Yeong-sun standing right in front of me. If the members of the Dang Clan were known for looking fierce, the Moyongs were famous for looking frigid.
Just locking eyes with them made you feel like you were freezing solid. And Yeong-sun's eyes were especially potent in that regard.
She scares the living daylights out of me.
Her face was one thing, but her temper was downright vicious.
As I stared at her warily, she held out the letter she was holding.
"Here."
"..."
She acted as if the display of wall-shattering violence had never happened. Her eyes warned me: Mention it, and you're dead.
I took the letter. Seeing this, Yeong-sun offered a faint smile, then suddenly turned around.
"Well then, see you later."
"Huh?"
She was leaving? My eyes widened in surprise.
Seeing my bewildered reaction, she let out a soft chuckle.
"Why? Do you want me to stay?"
"No..."
I definitely didn't want her to stay. But still, it was baffling that she was leaving immediately after going through the trouble of tracking me down. Why did she even come? As I stared at her with confusion written all over my face, she spoke.
"Don't worry. I have no intention of letting you go."
"...What?"
"I'm just letting you off easy for now because there's no need to rush."
Her smile was terrifying. The thorns hidden behind that beautiful smile had always terrified me, and seeing it again after all this time only made it worse.
"It's not like you can run away anymore, anyway."
A shiver ran down my spine. The sheer certainty laced in her sweet voice hit me loud and clear.
"See you later."
With those parting words, Yeong-sun took a single step.
Whoosh!
She vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
"Ha..."
I slid down the wall and slumped onto the ground.
"I'm fucked..."
I muttered under my breath. There was really no other way to put it.
At that moment, a voice called out.
"Young Master Bang...!"
Dang Ye-ran and several other martial artists appeared at the end of the alley. Seeing me collapsed on the ground, Ye-ran gasped and rushed over.
"Ah, I'm fine—argh."
I tried to act nonchalant, but I accidentally jarred my bandaged arm. Seriously, nothing was going my way.
While the Dang Clan martial artists approached Bang Seong-yeon to handle the situation, Moyong Yeong-sun watched from the roof of a nearby building, crouching slightly.
Her eyes were fixed on Seong-yeon as Dang Ye-ran helped him to his feet.
"..."
A vein throbbed on Yeong-sun's forehead.
"What does she think she's doing...?"
How dare she lay her hands on him? She gritted her teeth. She wanted nothing more than to leap down, tear them apart, and unleash her fury, but she barely managed to restrain herself.
The past few years had taught her a valuable lesson.
Raccoons are timid creatures.
A clever raccoon was easily spooked. If she approached too quickly or showed even a hint of threat, he would instantly vanish into the shadows.
So, she had to endure.
It would be troublesome if he ran away again.
She had gone through hell to track him down. She couldn't let him slip away here. There was no telling what kind of trick that clever man would pull to disappear next time. That was why she was forcing herself to hold back.
Just then, a voice transmitted directly to her ears.
—My lady.
Yeong-sun slowly stood up.
"Yes."
—Will you be alright?
"About what?"
—Young Master Bang... It seems the Poison Flower has feelings for him.
"Yes, I can see that."
Yeong-sun cut the man off. She didn't want to hear it, nor did she need to. She could see it with her own eyes.
Unlike that clever yet foolish raccoon, Yeong-sun was incredibly sharp. The Poison Flower, Dang Ye-ran. The way that girl looked at Seong-yeon was highly suspicious. It was obvious what was going on.
Tsk.
He's already wagging his tail.
Her irritation was directed at Seong-yeon, not Ye-ran.
Seriously.
That handsome face of his was the root of all evil. If half of it had been properly scarred, he wouldn't attract so much trouble.
Should I have done it back then?
It was a terrifying thought, but Yeong-sun was somewhat sincere.
A handsome face was nice to look at, of course. But...
I should have hidden him away where no one else could see.
At this point, his looks shouldn't have mattered to her. ...Or did they?
Well, handsome is always better.
It was better to be good-looking than ugly. The only problem was that his handsome face kept drawing other women like moths to a flame.
It was so much easier to handle things back in Yoryeong.
The moment he left her grasp, the pests started swarming. Look at this.
"I let him out of my sight for a second, and he's already attracted a massive hornet."
If it were just a common bee, she wouldn't care. But Dang Ye-ran was a rather large hornet in Yeong-sun's eyes.
"Hmm."
Seeing Ye-ran's flushed ears and blushing cheeks as she gazed at Seong-yeon, Yeong-sun scoffed.
"Hmph."
She turned her back on the scene.
—My lady...?
The man sounded puzzled by her reaction, but Yeong-sun's expression had already returned to its usual calm.
"Don't worry about it."
Dang Ye-ran? She was pretty. Anyone could see that. Her family background was prestigious, too. If she were a Namgung, Yeong-sun wouldn't have cared, but the Sichuan Dang Clan was a bit troublesome. She didn't know her personality well since they had never spoken, but...
She doesn't seem malicious.
She didn't seem like a bad person. And that was exactly why Yeong-sun could turn away so easily.
She won't last.
A girl like that wasn't even worth keeping an eye on. Someone with Ye-ran's gentle temperament could never endure a man like Bang Seong-yeon. Thus, there was no need to pay her any mind.
Besides, she already had enough on her plate without adding Dang Ye-ran to the mix. The events in Henan before she came to Sichuan were still a headache.
...That wretched wench.
Yeong-sun cursed inwardly. She recalled the "mistake" she had made when she went to Cheongwol Gate to find Seong-yeon. Yes, it was a mistake. If not for that...
I wouldn't have given that bitch the chance to make her move.
Grind.
Wol Mu-hui. The rising star of Cheongwol Gate. Yeong-sun clenched her fists at the thought of her. If anyone was a true threat, it was a woman like her. Dang Ye-ran, on the other hand, was barely worth noting.
"So go ahead and try."
No matter how hard she tried, Dang Ye-ran would never be able to handle him. Confident in this assessment, Yeong-sun leaped away.
I returned to the Dang Clan estate. The first thing I did upon arrival was open the letter Yeong-sun had given me. Normally, I would have attended to other matters first, but knowing who sent this letter made it impossible to ignore. The sender was Bang Cheon-ho. The three syllables of my father's name—a name so embarrassing I hated to even mention it.
"..."
Tense, I unfolded the unnecessarily ornate letter. A familiar handwriting met my eyes.
My precious son, how have you been?
Your beloved and respected father is doing wonderfully.
I am eating well and defecating well. I am so healthy that even my chronic constipation has been cured—
Rip.
"..."
I barely stopped myself from tearing the letter to shreds. Damn it, I had almost ripped it reflexively. Suppressing a sigh, I forced myself to keep reading.
Wait! Do not rip this.
If you are reading this, you have likely met Lady Moyong by now.
I am sure you are furious with me, but your father had his reasons.
Reasons? What reasons? I wondered what kind of "reasons" could justify selling out one's own son. I read on.
To be honest, with the amount of money she offered, even you would have sold—
You absolute piece of trash. In the end, he really did sell his son for money. My head throbbed.
What on earth am I supposed to do with this man?
To think he calls himself a father. How could anyone sell their own son for money? And of all people...
To my ex-fiancée.
It wasn't even a current fiancée, but someone I had broken off an engagement with long ago. Selling his son to her was pure madness.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Yes, it was my mistake.
I forgot that my father is completely out of his mind.
There was no way that man could ever be normal. What was I thinking when I trusted him? Well, if I trusted anyone...
I trusted her father, not mine.
The Moyong Family Head. I had put my faith in him, but...
Both of them are out of their minds.
It was enough to drive me insane.
Suppressing my rage, I forced myself to keep reading. The rest of the letter was mostly useless drivel. I'm doing well. Are you doing well? The house is a mess. Hurry up, become successful, and come back. As if I'd ever go back. The pointless rambling went on for so long that I was seriously considering tearing it up, when—
"...Huh?"
My hands froze. Something written near the very end of the letter caught my attention.
Oh, by the way.
Your sister sent a letter to the house.
She said she sent one to you as well, though I doubt you received it.
If you did, send a letter back home to let us know.
"...What?"
My sister. The smart one who had escaped the family long before I did. It was news about her.
"Out of nowhere?"
Why was he suddenly bringing up my sister? As I stood there, bewildered by the unexpected news, a knock sounded at the door.
Knock, knock.
"Excuse me."
"The Family Head has requested your presence at a gathering. If it is not too much trouble, we would like to know if you intend to join."
Hearing the servant's voice, I folded the letter. It seemed the Poison King had finally finished his business.