Guide of the Sichuan Tang Clan C58

Chapter 58

A man dressed in black bowed deeply before Cheongwoo.

Well, this is awkward.

Still holding Eunmyeong in his arms, Cheongwoo looked at him.

“What is it?”

“There is something that must be reported immediately. Traces of the Demon Cult have been found near the Sichuan border—”

The man glanced briefly at Eunmyeong before stopping himself.

Although he knew Eunmyeong was someone who had recently caught Cheongwoo’s interest, he still wasn’t certain whether he had truly become one of Cheongwoo’s people.

Seeing his hesitation, Cheongwoo gestured lightly.

“We’ll continue this elsewhere.”

“As you command.”

In the blink of an eye, the man vanished.

“What…?”

Startled, Eunmyeong hurriedly looked around the flower field, but there was no sign of the man anywhere.

Carrying Eunmyeong, Cheongwoo stood up.

Contrary to expectation, instead of leaving immediately, he spent his time squishing Eunmyeong’s cheeks.

“Ahju-nim.”

“Not Ahju. Gaju.”

His pronunciation came out slurred from having both cheeks squeezed. As though correcting a child’s speech, Cheongwoo calmly corrected him.

Eunmyeong glared.

“Leh go of me!”

“My peace of mind requires this.”

Why are you looking for that from me?!

His lips wriggled left and right, trying to escape Cheongwoo’s hands.

“Oh?”

Instead of helping, the movement only amused Cheongwoo even more.

His cheeks weren’t released until they’d been kneaded thoroughly enough to turn bright red.

The moment Cheongwoo let go, Eunmyeong immediately covered both cheeks with his hands.

They were burning.

“Why are you kneading my face like you’re working rice cake dough?!”

“When did I ever do such a thing?”

“Just now! Just now!”

Cheongwoo merely shrugged innocently.

“Really? I don’t remember doing that. Wasn’t it Ahju-nim instead?”

“Clan Head!”

“I know many kinds of rice cakes. I’ve simply never heard of kneading one.”

“Agh!”

He never let himself lose an argument.

Around everyone else, Eunmyeong was usually the one teasing people.

But before Cheongwoo…

He never stood a chance.

Only after Eunmyeong let out an exasperated sigh did Cheongwoo raise both hands in surrender.

It was his signal that he would stop teasing.

“Looks like Ahju-nim should be going now.”

Even so, the playful smile still lingered on his lips.

Holding Eunmyeong securely, he rose to his feet.

“There are far too many interruptions. Either you’re the one attracting them, or Sichuan is unusually noisy.”

“You’re just busy, Clan Head.”

Rolling around in flower fields and blushing on top of Cheongwoo’s lap had drained every bit of strength from him.

Eunmyeong leaned his head against Cheongwoo’s chest.

“This isn’t even the first time. You were busy with meetings before too.”

He’d meant to tell him it was fine.

Instead…

It came out sounding like a complaint.

Embarrassed by himself, Eunmyeong buried his face deeper.

At that moment, Cheongwoo bent down slightly.

Soft lips touched Eunmyeong’s forehead.

“Then think of me a little as well.”

Looking up, Eunmyeong found Cheongwoo smiling sweetly.

A breeze stirred, swaying his neatly tied hair.

“Even while busy, I still came to see you.”

“…”

“I’ve willingly let you wander outside. Surely I deserve at least that many bonus points.”

Only moments ago the man had been warning him to return soon.

Now he was openly asking to be thought of kindly.

And this was none other than the Head of the Tang Clan—a man who could move countless people with a single word.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“…Yes. I believe I spoke too harshly earlier.”

“Hmph.”

Too late.

Pouting, Eunmyeong hid his face against Cheongwoo’s chest again.

Despite insisting it was too late…

His heart was pounding.

It was all because of that ridiculously handsome face.

Tang Mujin.

Tang Cheongwoo.

Both of them knew exactly how to use those faces whenever they needed to.

Just as Cheongwoo turned toward the direction of Mujin’s residence, Eunmyeong muttered quietly,

“I’ll… think about it.”

It was barely more than a whisper.

But it was enough.

Tightening the arm around Eunmyeong, Cheongwoo ended their midnight outing.

* * *

The mention of the Demon Cult from the previous night refused to leave Eunmyeong’s mind.

‘The Demon Cult shouldn’t be appearing yet. Why do they keep being mentioned?‘

In the original novel, after the Heavenly Demon died two hundred years ago, both the Cult Leader and Vice Leader disappeared.

Their followers vanished as well.

The martial world searched desperately for them.

After combing through the entire Central Plains, they eventually concluded that the Demon Cult had disappeared completely.

Of course, everyone believed a few remnants must have survived somewhere.

But every time martial artists searched for them, villages that had once suffered under the Demon Cult trembled in fear.

‘Now that I think about it… the novel was written entirely from the Orthodox Sect’s perspective.‘

The villages had merely been an excuse.

More realistically, they had simply run out of time and money.

Rather than wasting resources hunting a vanished enemy, it was more worthwhile to return to their own sects and raise the next generation.

The latter half of the original novel was entirely about the hidden Demon Cult finally reappearing—and the martial world fighting back.

‘Did I really change something that significant? Why has the timeline advanced?‘

Aside from climbing Mount Sichuan and visiting the flower field last night, Eunmyeong hadn’t stepped outside the Tang Clan once.

Naturally, the only thing he’d truly changed from the original story was saving Seowon and Mujin.

‘Neither of them has even left for the Central Plains yet… This doesn’t make sense.‘

Just as Eunmyeong absentmindedly rubbed his lips while organizing his thoughts—

A spoon came flying from somewhere.

Thunk!

It struck him squarely in the forehead.

“Ack!”

He couldn’t even cry out properly.

His eyes went wide.

“Eunmyeong.”

“Physician, that’s not—”

Mujin and Seowon, who had been arguing moments earlier, froze simultaneously.

Both men stared at Eunmyeong.

Time seemed to slow.

At least…

For the spoon resting against Eunmyeong’s forehead.

A grain of rice clung to the golden spoon as it slowly slid downward.

The instant it fell—

A bright red mark appeared on his forehead, burning as though branded.

“Physician! A-Are you alright?!”

Seowon instinctively stepped toward him.

“Where do you think you’re touching!”

Mujin barked immediately.

Even as the argument resumed, Eunmyeong remained completely silent.

Not because he had nothing to say.

But because he was so angry that nothing good would come out if he opened his mouth.

‘Haven’t I tolerated enough? How much longer do I have to live like this?‘

This had gone on for an entire week.

Every night he’d been stretched apart like smoked squid.

He couldn’t even eat a peaceful meal.

Even after regaining the use of his limbs, he still hadn’t been able to return to the training grounds.

Recalling everything…

Eunmyeong suddenly lifted his head.

Clink.

The golden spoon finally dropped onto the floor.

“Freeze.”

His low voice instantly silenced both men.

The unusual atmosphere made them flinch.

“I asked for some time, didn’t I, Young Master?”

His gaze settled on Mujin.

Unable to meet those sharp eyes, Mujin slowly looked away.

“I never said it’d take this long.”

“Would it have changed anything if I had?”

Eunmyeong replied coldly.

“You hated the idea from the beginning.”

A direct hit.

Mujin fell silent.

Eunmyeong turned toward the second ticking bomb.

“Inspector… no. Senior Brother.”

“…Yes.”

“Tell me honestly.”

His eyes narrowed.

“You’re fine now even without holding my hand, aren’t you?”

“……”

As expected…

No answer came.

Unable to look him in the eye, Seowon quietly nodded.

After all the guiding Eunmyeong had done—practically serving as a living tonic—his dependence should already have faded.

And yet…

Seowon shamelessly continued sticking to him.

‘I really misjudged him.‘

After glaring at both men, Eunmyeong rose from his seat.

The instant he turned toward the door—

Both men stood as well.

“Where are you going?”

“Physician, where are you going?”

Grinding his teeth, Eunmyeong spun around.

Their faces looked completely at a loss…

Yet their hands had already settled onto his shoulder and waist.

It had become an automatic reflex.

Eunmyeong bent down and picked up the golden spoon that had struck his forehead.

“So… neither of you has even a shred of conscience left?”

Holding it like a weapon, he pointed it toward them.

It looked as though he’d smack the backs of their hands at any second.

“Don’t you think you’ve gone too far?”

“……”

“You cling to me day and night! You fight during meals! Even little Yuseong behaves better than this!”

The more he listed, the angrier he became.

As he waved the spoon furiously, both men slowly withdrew their hands.

Then…

They quietly clasped them behind their backs like children being punished.

Standing before them, Eunmyeong bounced in place.

“I’m going on strike!”

Marching toward the door, he declared,

“If either of you has even a mouse-dropping’s worth of conscience left… don’t come looking for me.

Please!”

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

Running footsteps echoed down the hallway.

But neither Mujin nor Seowon chased after him.

Mujin already knew that once Eunmyeong was truly angry, he wouldn’t calm down easily.

As for Seowon…

He simply felt far too guilty to stop him.

Silence filled the room.

With the spoon-wielding Eunmyeong gone, only two enormous men remained standing awkwardly.

Unable to accept how things had turned out, Mujin raked a hand through his hair and glared at Seowon.

“So… all that whining like a stray dog was just an act?”

Still hanging his head moments earlier, Seowon slowly straightened.

Gone was the guilty expression.

Tilting his head with the smugness of a villain, he faced Mujin.

“If whining lets me hold his hand even once… isn’t it worth doing?”

The corners of Seowon’s lips lifted into a broad smile.

“If you’re so jealous… perhaps the Young Master should try it himself.”

Eunmyeong never realized…

That all the fighting so far had only been the result of both men desperately holding themselves back.

Had he known he was the only dam keeping everything contained…

He never would have declared a strike.

Unaware of any of that…

Eunmyeong continued toward his sanctuary.