HDCLSSRS Ch 21

Chapter 21 A Humble Man in a Noble Place (6)

 

Seong Muyeon shivered as the chill seeped into his bones.

How miserable.

It had only been the second day, and he was already in this state. He dreaded to imagine what might befall him next.

Not long after, Baek Ryeoil returned. Once again, he showed up shirtless.

With a gaze that seemed to say, “You’ve been behaving yourself, I see,” he looked Seong Muyeon up and down, then walked inside to change into fresh clothes before finally untying him.

Rubbing his numb arms, Seong Muyeon protested.

“You’re not planning to do this every morning, are you? I’m a human being too.”

“I don’t have a choice.”

Baek Ryeoil shrugged.

And Seong Muyeon could understand. Martial arts were the exclusive domain of the sects. It was only natural that outsiders were not allowed to witness the disciples’ training.

“He probably doesn’t want to take me along, but he’s also afraid I’ll escape if he leaves me behind.”

But understanding didn’t mean he had to be okay with it.

Feeling upset was another matter entirely.

“Tuck in your lips.”

“…Yes.”

With meals delivered to their quarters three times a day, there was no need to go out, so Seong Muyeon and Baek Ryeoil spent all their time holed up in Chwijeongjae. Though it was technically Baek Ryeoil’s residence, for Seong Muyeon, it was essentially a place of confinement. Any trips outside were strictly forbidden. Naturally, Baek Ryeoil never let him out either.

Each morning, Seong Muyeon was tied to the same tree. After Baek Ryeoil exchanged a few casual words with Kang Ung and the other boys who passed by at the same time every day, the routine would continue with his return.

After three days, Seong Muyeon began to feel a deep dread as soon as he opened his eyes in the morning.

“I… I don’t want to be tied up.”

It was a basic human right—not to be tied to a tree every morning. And besides, the weather was steadily growing colder.

“You’re getting used to this now, aren’t you?”

“Yes… I suppose so.”

Yet like a well-trained dog, the moment Baek Ryeoil brought out the rope, Seong Muyeon would instinctively step over to the tree.

Baek Ryeoil smiled in satisfaction.

He, who once watched with hawk-like vigilance for the slightest sign of escape, was now acting so relaxed—that was the reward for Seong Muyeon’s obedient behavior over the past three days.

Seong Muyeon had only been waiting for Baek Ryeoil to lower his guard.

This is the moment!

“Ah! Look! It’s the sect leader!”

“What?!”

As Baek Ryeoil turned his head in alarm, Seong Muyeon seized the moment to grab a handful of sand from the ground.

“What the—there’s no one there! You scared me—”

Splat!

Baek Ryeoil staggered, sand splashed across his face.

“You little—! Ptooey! Ugh!”

As Baek Ryeoil struggled to clear the sand from his eyes, nose, and mouth, Seong Muyeon snatched the rope and quickly wound it around his body.

“What are you doing! Seong Muyeon! Are you out of your mind?!”

After tightly knotting the rope, Seong Muyeon slammed his shoulder into him with all his strength. The body of Baek Ryeoil, who seemed immovable, toppled backward.

“Seong Muyeon! You—!”

Though Baek Ryeoil thrashed about, the rope didn’t budge. The rope he had acquired just to tie Seong Muyeon was so sturdy that even a seasoned martial artist would have trouble breaking it. This was karma.

“That’s what you get. Think of it as punishment for treating someone like a sack of goods!”

“Hey! Where are you going! Hey!”

Seong Muyeon turned on his heel and ran for his life. At first, he burst into laughter, overwhelmed with satisfaction.

But it didn’t take long for that laughter to fade from his face.

“…Why did I do that?”

He had only wanted Baek Ryeoil to come to his senses and stop tying him up. He thought that if the guard was lowered, they could have a proper conversation.

But somehow, the entire sequence—throwing sand, tying him up, and escaping—had happened so swiftly, as if his body moved on instinct.

“Ha… It’s a bad habit now.”

He had been on the run from Baek Ryeoil for so long that his body must have simply reacted on its own.

“Still, he’s the one who started tying people up!”

Regret and remorse came quickly.

“I’ll go back, apologize, and explain everything properly.”

Yes, that would make Baek Ryeoil forgive him. After all, Baek Ryeoil hadn’t been all that reasonable, either.

Seong Muyeon immediately turned around to head back to Chwijeongjae. He hadn’t gone far, so he could already see the wall of the residence.

Baek Ryeoil was climbing over it. Still bound in the rope, he had failed to untie it and was now descending using only his legs—until he lost his footing and fell with a thud.

“Ba, Baek do…!”

Seong Muyeon gasped and rushed forward to help. But as Baek Ryeoil stirred and got up, he spotted Seong Muyeon at once.

“Eep…”

Seong Muyeon could swear, in that instant, that he had seen a demon.

“…Seong Muyeon…”

Baek Ryeoil’s eyes gleamed with a terrifying light. His hair was wild, covered in sand, and his upper body was still bound in rope. It was a sight fit to haunt one’s dreams.

“…Seong Muyeon. Seong Muyeoooon!”

Suddenly, Baek Ryeoil hurled himself toward him. Seong Muyeon turned and bolted.

“Aaaaaah! I’m sorry!”

The plan to apologize and explain everything was already long gone from his mind.

Seong Muyeon ran and ran.

Until his breath was caught in his throat and his lungs burned with pain.

“I’ve gone insane!”

He should’ve just submitted. He should’ve let himself be tied up quietly. If he had, he could be peacefully lying somewhere now, watching the clouds drift by and contemplating his past and present lives.

“I won’t let you go! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

“Aaaaaaah!”

As rows of pavilions came into view, Seong Muyeon dashed into one at random and slammed the door shut behind him.

“Hah… huff… hah…”

He listened intently for sounds outside. This area had many narrow alleyways, so it was unlikely Baek Ryeoil had seen exactly where he had entered.

Relieved, he began to slump to the ground—only to meet the gazes of several pairs of eyes staring straight at him.

“…Who are you?”

It wasn’t an empty building. In the spacious room sat a long table, and about ten people were each holding papers or books. They had clearly been in the middle of work when this uninvited guest barged in.

Seong Muyeon awkwardly stood up and tidied his clothing.

“Ahem, I am Seong Muyeon. My apologies for the intrusion.”

“Ah, you’re that—! From the Demon Sect!”

“Yes, yes. But… what is this place?”

As he stepped forward, they defensively shielded their documents. They must have been sensitive materials.

“This is not a place an outsider may enter! Leave at once!”

“I’m terribly sorry. Then I’ll just sit here quietly for a short while and be on my way.”

Though they glared at him with triangular eyes, Seong Muyeon was already used to Baek Ryeoil’s scolding, so it didn’t faze him much. He tried to appear as harmless as possible and calmly sat in a corner with his knees tucked under him. Gradually, their guard eased.

Click, clack.

“…Baek senior said he was keeping an eye on him. How did this happen? He’s wandering all over Mount Hua.”

…This is my first time escaping, actually.

Click, clack.

“Stop grumbling and get to work! If we don’t meet today’s deadline, we’re as good as dead!”

“Yes, sir…”

The clicking sound came from abacuses being used. Each person had their head buried in their work, tapping away at calculations. Finished documents were stacked neatly to one side, while a towering pile of yet-to-be-processed papers loomed on the other.

Click, clack.

It appeared this place managed the finances of Mount Hua. The rhythmic sound of the abacuses filled the air pleasantly.

Then suddenly, one of the daoists met his eyes.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing. I wasn’t looking.”

Seong Muyeon hastily lowered his gaze. He had no desire to be accused of spying on Mount Hua’s sensitive internal affairs.

The gaunt-faced daoist, after burying his face in documents again, suddenly spoke to Seong Muyeon.

“…Young master, do you know arithmetic?”

“Hey, junior! What are you saying…! He’s an enemy!”

“That’s not certain yet! Senior, I’m desperate! I haven’t seen my little disciples’ faces in seven days and nights! How are we supposed to organize all these ledgers and complete the verifications in time? He’s a noble from the Demon Sect, isn’t he? Surely, he knows at least basic arithmetic!”

“…You have a point.”

Even the daoist who had shouted earlier turned to look at Seong Muyeon, his face weary. One by one, they all approached, their eyes dull and lifeless.

“…Wh-what are you doing?”

“Do you know how to do arithmetic?”

“Not anything difficult, but simple stuff, yes.”

“You just need your fingers.”

Seong Muyeon was guided to a seat by their hands.

“Here, this is the ledger. This column shows the total sums. Please recalculate and verify that the totals match.”

“…”

Glancing around for cues, Seong Muyeon picked up the abacus. Cautiously, he moved his fingers and worked the beads.

“Ohh! He’s using the abacus!”

“So he does know how!”

Praises poured in from all directions. Encouraged, Seong Muyeon began calmly working through the figures in the ledger.

Click, clack…

“I’m done.”

When he looked up after finishing a sheet, he found the daoists huddled around him, gazing at him with expressions of deep, overwhelming emotion.