HDCLSSRS Ch 20

Chapter 20 A Humble Man in a Noble Place (5)

 

A heavy thigh pressed down on his body.

“You see, I get angry when someone touches me in my sleep. You don’t want anything bad to happen to you either, right? Let’s just sleep quietly, okay?”

Seong Muyeon suddenly flailed and shouted.

“Our bodies are touching!”

“That’s because you’re resisting! You said you didn’t want to sleep on the floor! When someone shows you kindness, you should know how to accept it. That’s why those demonic cult bastards are like this. Tsk tsk.”

‘I will have my revenge!’

Seong Muyeon ground his teeth. Once he lay still, the leg that had been pressing on him moved away.

I will have my revenge!

Seong Muyeon forced himself to sleep. Tears welled up from the sorrow.

Thus passed the first night at Mount Hua.

…Or so he wanted to say, but there was an ambush.

“Urk!”

Just as he was sleeping soundly, stars exploded before his eyes.

He opened his eyes with a flash and saw Baek Ryeoil’s left arm resting on his chest. It seemed he’d been hit by a flailing arm while Baek turned in his sleep. There was no other reason for such aching pain.

‘What kind of sleeping habits are these!’

He tried to move Baek Ryeoil’s club-like arm, but no use. He couldn’t lift it. Just how much of a muscle mass was he…?

After struggling for a while, he eventually gave up.

So stupidly strong…

“Ugh!”

This time, Baek Ryeoil’s leg landed on his stomach.

The arm was heavy, but the leg felt several times worse. Now he truly feared for his life.

‘If I can’t move this leg… I’ll suffocate!’

At that thought, Seong Muyeon desperately twisted his body. Baek Ryeoil’s limbs were like boulders weighing him down, but he barely managed to turn to the side.

But when he came to his senses, Baek Ryeoil’s face was right in front of his nose, startling him. Their noses could practically touch.

His steady breath brushed across his face.

“……”

Now that he saw, Baek Ryeoil had very thick eyelashes. His eyebrows, which had always looked mean, now drooped in a soft curve, completely relaxed.

It irritated him for no reason.

‘He said he doesn’t like being disturbed in his sleep?’

What a joke. He’s dead to the world, couldn’t even tell if someone carried him off.

It was going to be a long night.

The next day. It was Seong Muyeon’s second day at Mount Hua.

As soon as Baek Ryeoil woke up, he remembered Seong Muyeon’s pale face.

‘Right, I brought back that weird guy.’

But when he looked beside him, the bedding was empty.

Baek Ryeoil shot up like lightning.

“That bastard ran away again…! Huh?”

He spotted someone curled up beneath the bed. It was Seong Muyeon.

Seong Muyeon was wrapped tightly in a blanket that had been half-jokingly thrown over him, curled into a tight ball. He seemed cold.

“Hmmm.”

Baek Ryeoil leaned down to scrutinize his face.

“Still weird, I tell you.”

There was a scent. The tracking incense had long dispersed, but the guy still had a peculiar smell. Because of it, Baek Ryeoil had a hard time falling asleep the previous night. Only once he got used to it did he finally drift off.

Everyone has a unique body scent, but Seong Muyeon’s especially stimulated his sense of smell.

“Hey.”

He nudged his shoulder with his foot. Seong Muyeon frowned and curled up even more in his sleep.

“Ugh…”

“Hey, hey.”

After a few more nudges, he finally cracked his eyes open. His face contorted with annoyance as he looked around, clearly not fully awake.

“Why are you sleeping down there?”

When asked, Seong Muyeon responded with even more blatant irritation.

“You pushed me off, didn’t you?”

“Me? When?”

“Oh, never mind. Just give me a separate room. I really won’t run away. If you don’t trust me, tie a leash around my neck or something.”

He groaned as he sat up, muttering something like, “Ah, my back.”

Baek Ryeoil let out a dry laugh. He was still young, acting like an old man. And despite being unable to protect himself, he always had a snappy comeback.

Normally, it would’ve annoyed him, but Baek Ryeoil was just dumbfounded. He was curious how far this guy would go.

Seong Muyeon let out a big yawn and opened the door to leave.

“Hey! Where are you going!”

“The toilet. Want to come with me? I won’t stop you.”

“Ugh, no! Go!”

“Yes, sir.”

Baek Ryeoil crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

Step, step. The sound of weak footsteps lingered in his ears. He made a proper stop at the latrine and returned.

“Can I sleep a bit more?”

That was the first thing he said upon returning.

“I barely slept last night because of you. Move over a little, will you?”

He pushed Baek Ryeoil, who was sitting in the middle of the bed, to the side and crawled into a corner.

“I’m going to sleep for just one more hour…”

His breathing soon quieted. Only the cocoon-like blanket rose and fell steadily.

‘Is he fearless, or just bold?’

Baek Ryeoil shook his head.

Keeping an eye on Seong Muyeon was nothing for him. But there was a problem.

Baek Ryeoil stared at Seong Muyeon intently. Eventually, the weight of that gaze made Seong Muyeon lift his head with a wince.

“…What is it?”

“I’m supposed to do morning training, but I can’t go because of you.”

Outside Mount Hua, he could live however he wanted, but now that he was back at the main sect, it was only right to follow the daily routine. Every disciple trained before breakfast. Baek Ryeoil was no exception.

“So what do you expect me to do? I told you to just leave me here.”

After spending the night on Baek Ryeoil’s shoulder during the journey to Mount Hua and then being tormented by his nasty sleep habits, his whole body was still screaming in pain.

“Hmmm…”

At that, Baek Ryeoil wavered slightly. The entire Mount Hua sect was surrounded by disciples. What could that guy possibly do to escape?

Still, he couldn’t feel at ease.

After scratching his chin for a while, Baek Ryeoil finally came up with an idea.

Young disciples were heading to the dining hall in groups after finishing their morning training.

Then, they heard a strange noise.

“…Huh? I think I’ve heard this before?”

Tracing the source of the sound, the boys found it was coming from Chwijungjae.

They cautiously stepped into the yard. On one side, a person was tied tightly to a tree with ropes.

“Baek Ryeo-iiiiiil! I won’t let you get away with this! Mother… must I live like this… sob…”

He flailed, cried, and raged in turns. He looked completely mad.

“Let’s go, senior. Master said not to talk to that person.”

“I know. But still…”

Mount Hua was full of monks wherever one looked. In such a serene place, a scene like this was a rare spectacle.

The boys peered with only their eyes from behind cover to watch the man.

After a while, he suddenly stopped his rant and turned his head toward the boys.

“Eek!”

“Wait, don’t go! Please come over here, masters! I won’t hurt you! I’m not dangerous!”

The scattering boys hesitated at the earnest plea and began to gather again.

The man smiled, trying his best to look friendly.

“Just come a little closer. I won’t hurt you, I promise. That’s it. Just a bit more.”

The boys cautiously approached, careful not to enter his reach.

“…Why are you like this?”

The man let out a deep sigh.

“What’s your name, master?”

“I’m Kang Woong.”

“Master Kang. My name is Seong Muyeon. Yesterday…”

“Yes, I know. You’re the demonic cult… person that Baek Ryeoil brought.”

Seong Muyeon’s face brightened, and he nodded enthusiastically.

“But why are you tied up like this…?”

Kang Woong looked him over with a puzzled expression. His hair was disheveled, his outer robe missing, and he was bound dozens of times with thick rope.

“Who else would’ve done this? Baek Ryeoil, of course. That man’s personality is awful. He said I might escape during his training, so he tied me up like this! Does this make any sense?”

Kang Woong and the boys burst into laughter.

“That’s just how senior Baek is.”

“He’s scary!”

“Yeah.”

The boys instantly let their guards down and sat in a circle around Seong Muyeon.

“But are you really a young master of the demonic cult?”

“Yes, really.”

“I thought demonic cult people would look like monsters.”

The boys openly stared at Seong Muyeon with curious eyes. He had become a spectacle, but that wasn’t important now.

“By the way, masters, can’t you untie me?”

The ropes were so tightly wound that Seong Muyeon couldn’t move at all. He could barely wiggle his fingers or bend his legs.

The boys looked troubled.

“If senior Baek tied you up, we’re not supposed to mess with it. We’ll get in big trouble. Sorry.”

They glanced anxiously at the door, worried that Baek Ryeoil might return any moment.

“No need to apologize. It’s not your fault. It’s my misfortune to have crossed paths with such a brute. Don’t worry about it… Actually, being tied up like this isn’t all bad. I kind of feel like I’ve become a part of Mount Hua this way.”

The boys stayed a little longer before heading off to breakfast. They seemed reluctant but afraid of Baek Ryeoil’s return.

Whoosh.

Only the cold morning wind from the summit of Yeonhwabong remained at Seong Muyeon’s side.