HDCLSSRS Ch 76

Chapter 76 Ilgwang’s Plot (6)

When Seong Muyeon pressed him again, Ilgwang hesitantly opened his mouth.

“…The truth is, I was ordered to bring the Seventh Young Master back this time.”

With a dejected expression, Ilgwang explained the whole situation.

Seong Muryeong had given him the order to retrieve Seong Muyeon, and Ilgwang, watching for an opening, wrongly assumed that Baek Ryeoil had killed Wirim. Acting on that assumption, he had concocted this scheme in order to separate the two.

“It was Second Brother again?!”

“…Yes.”

Seong Muyeon pressed his fingers to his forehead.

Muryeong again.

At this point, it felt like he was being tormented on purpose.

Thanks to that, the Poison freak had escaped, and the Black Demon Matron had formed a grudge against him.

With a heavy thud, Ilgwang fell to his knees and bowed deeply to Seong Muyeon, knocking his forehead against the floor.

“Please kill me, Seventh Young Master! This lowly fool has failed to learn from his mistakes and once again disrupted your plans. I will atone with my life!”

“…Why is he being like this now.”

Seong Muyeon waved his hand dismissively.

“That’s enough, enough. Get up. I already have a headache because of my brother; don’t make me more annoyed. Hurry up and get up!”

“My apologies.”

Ilgwang rose to his feet.

“I don’t even want to see your face for a while. Get lost.”

“Seventh Young Master…”

Seong Muyeon stared at him in silence. Not a single trace of emotion was in his eyes. Only then did Ilgwang realize that he had never once obeyed Seong Muyeon’s orders without resistance.

Now that things had come to this, it would be safer for Seong Muyeon to remain in Mount Hua for the time being. Although the Black Demon Matron had lost her temper and acted irrationally for the moment, once she calmed down, she would come to realize that her opponent was a noble young master deserving of reverence and would act with more caution.

Until then…

Ilgwang quietly withdrew. He vanished into the shadows along with the members of the Black Shadow Unit.

“Haah…”

“You’ve really been through a lot.”

Baek Ryeoil patted him lightly on the shoulder in a consoling gesture.

All the way back, Seong Muyeon’s mood remained sour. Because of that, Baek Ryeoil didn’t even attempt to make conversation, and they returned to the Shaolin quarters in silence.

“I’ll rest for a while.”

“Huh? Ah… sure.”

Once holed up in his room, Seong Muyeon couldn’t sleep and paced the room restlessly.

‘Is this really okay?’

Baek Ryeoil hadn’t killed the Poison freak…

‘How could something like this happen?’

He was filled with unease.

Baek Ryeoil was the most crucial figure in this entire world.

The next leader of the demonic cult, Third Young Master Seong Muguk, had nearly conquered all of the Central Plains in the original story. When the world stood on the brink of falling under demonic rule, Baek Ryeoil emerged from seclusion and revealed himself to the world.

He gathered the scattered orthodox sects into a unified force, led from the front lines, and shifted the tides of war. His arrival changed everything.

People were drawn to his brave figure, always leading from the front without regard for his own life.

But if someone like Baek Ryeoil were no longer around?

‘That would unleash a nightmare too horrific to imagine.’

He needed to be a flawless hero…

If killing the Poison freak, going into closed-door training, receiving instruction from the Swordmaster—all of that was meant to lay the foundation for Baek Ryeoil’s journey to becoming a hero?

With that thought gnawing at him, Seong Muyeon couldn’t sleep for a long time.

Baek Ryeoil first checked on Majincheon’s health. As a martial artist, his recovery was swift. In a few days, he would be well enough to return to Mount Hua.

For some reason, Heosaeng and the other apprentices looked after Majincheon with unusual devotion. Baek Ryeoil didn’t read too much into it, assuming they were simply trying to make up for their past mistakes toward their senior.

But his mind was elsewhere.

‘…Seong Muyeon.’

Baek Ryeoil stared at the firmly shut door.

Several hours had passed since they returned, yet Seong Muyeon hadn’t stepped out even once. The sun had already set; he must be hungry by now.

Baek Ryeoil felt deeply unsettled.

‘Should I… bring him something to eat?’

That thought even crossed his mind. Ilgwang used to bring food to Seong Muyeon whenever it was mealtime.

But Baek Ryeoil had never once looked after someone else’s meals. He sometimes even skipped his own out of laziness. To be so concerned about whether someone else had eaten—this was a first for him.

Anxiously tapping his foot, Baek Ryeoil finally made up his mind. Rather than acting like a servant and delivering food, he would just ask—see if he wanted something to eat.

But when he reached the door to Seong Muyeon’s room, he hesitated again.

‘Should I knock?’

He was still haunted by the look on Seong Muyeon’s face the last time they saw each other. What if he barged in like he usually did and got an earful…

‘So what if I do?!’

Baek Ryeoil scolded himself harshly.

Caring about what others thought? The great Baek Ryeoil? Let them yell if they want!

“Seong Muyeon!”

With that, he threw open the door without restraint.

The room was pitch dark, not a single candle lit. But darkness was no hindrance to Baek Ryeoil—his eyes quickly adjusted, and he saw the man curled up on the bed, and felt a wave of relief.

Seong Muyeon was asleep.

Unconsciously, Baek Ryeoil closed the door quietly behind him and tiptoed toward the bed.

He rested his chin on the edge and gazed at Seong Muyeon in the darkness. The slow, even sound of his breathing soothed him. After the past few days of hardship, his face was a little pale, and his hair slightly disheveled.

‘I really should bring him something to eat.’

So thinking, Baek Ryeoil slowly reached out to tidy his hair.

At that moment, Seong Muyeon’s eyes snapped open.

“…Headmaster?”

This little beast had sharp ears even in his sleep.

Baek Ryeoil straightened up, trying to act natural, and grumbled gruffly in embarrassment.

“You weren’t eating, just sleeping, so I came to wake you up! What of it!”

“I see. I am hungry, actually.”

Seong Muyeon slowly sat up.

“Could you light a candle?”

He was going to do that anyway.

Baek Ryeoil didn’t even need a firestarter—he simply extended a finger, and a small flame sparked to life and passed to the candle.

The room was quickly filled with a warm orange glow.

“What do you want to eat? I heard from the master that Shaolin food isn’t worth much. I could go out and buy—”

When Baek Ryeoil turned around, Seong Muyeon was still sitting slanted on the bed. Something about him felt strangely off, and Baek Ryeoil frowned.

“…Seong Muyeon?”

“Anything’s fine. But really, could you light a candle? It’s too dark in here.”

“…What are you talking about? I just lit it.”

It wasn’t dark. The candle Baek Ryeoil had lit was clearly illuminating the room in a soft orange hue.

“Stop messing around. Ugh, I’ll do it myself.”

Growing frustrated at Baek Ryeoil’s silence, Seong Muyeon reached into the air to find the candlestick. As he fumbled his way off the bed toward the desk, a firm hand seized him.

“Seong Muyeon. Look at me.”

“Light the candle first, then we’ll talk.”

Baek Ryeoil’s voice had grown deadly serious.

“No. The candle isn’t out.”

“…What?”

“You can’t see it.”

Seong Muyeon’s heart dropped like a stone.

“W-What do you mean by that?”

An overwhelming sense of dread gripped him. It wasn’t that the light was out—he had lost his vision.

Even though he knew the room contained nothing dangerous, he clutched Baek Ryeoil’s arm tightly. It felt like if he took even one step forward, a bottomless abyss would open beneath him and swallow him whole.

“Why… Why…”

His mind went completely blank. When he staggered, a strong arm caught him around the waist.

“Sit down.”

Baek Ryeoil guided him back to the bed. Suddenly blinded, Seong Muyeon clung to him as if he were a lifeline. He couldn’t even walk on his own and had to be led by Baek Ryeoil like a child.

Only after sitting down on the solid bed did he feel a little bit safer.

“Let me see.”

Baek Ryeoil took his wrist. Even that small gesture made Seong Muyeon flinch hard.

“…It’s not good.”

He could feel the turmoil in Seong Muyeon’s inner energy.

“I’m not… going to be blind forever, am I?”

“…I can’t say.”

Baek Ryeoil couldn’t promise anything. He wasn’t a physician, but from experience, it seemed like a case of minor deviation in internal energy. It was something all martial artists feared most. Fortunately, Seong Muyeon hadn’t suffered physical debilitation or lost his life.

He had fallen deep into thought before sleeping, and using internal energy again to wield Wirim’s whip had likely triggered it. That’s what led to this. Even though such deviations were a common danger for martial artists, Seong Muyeon had never imagined it would happen to him.

“It was from overexertion. I-I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

He spoke calmly, but his voice trembled violently. He reached out for Baek Ryeoil, but not knowing where he was, he grasped at empty air.

Soon, a warm hand took his. Seong Muyeon felt a deep sense of relief from its heat.

He pushed Baek Ryeoil down onto the bed.

“Take your clothes off. If we… if we do it, I’m sure I’ll feel better.”