HDCLSSRS Ch 60

Chapter 60 That Which Does Not Change (1)

Baek Ryeoil sprinted forward without a moment to catch his breath.

‘Master.’

In his mind, the face of his aging master, now bearing more and more wrinkles, appeared vividly.

Nothing will happen.

Let all of this be nothing more than Seong Muyeon’s groundless suspicions. Just like the last time, may it all pass without incident. It must be so!

Baek Ryeoil pushed himself to move even faster. Behind him, Seong Muyeon was also running in pursuit.

“Huff…! Huff…!”

Though he ran until his breath reached his throat, it was not nearly enough to catch up to Baek Ryeoil, who had already disappeared from view.

Eventually, his legs gave out. Just as he was about to fall spectacularly, caught by a stone underfoot, a firm hand seized him.

“Seventh Young Lord.”

“Ilgwang?”

To his surprise, the one who caught and helped him up was none other than Ilgwang.

“How are you here? Don’t tell me Second Brother again…?”

Seong Muyeon looked around in haste, but Seong Muryong was nowhere to be seen. Ilgwang shook his head.

“Please don’t misunderstand. This time, I am alone. Upon reflection, I realized that Your Lordship still had my sword. I came to retrieve it. I had been waiting for an opportunity, and fortunately, I came upon you.”

“Ah, that’s right. Here.”

As he handed over the sword, Seong Muyeon suddenly came to his senses.

“This isn’t the time for this! Ilgwang, help me! We must catch up with that man!”

“Pardon?”

“Hurry!”

Pressed by Seong Muyeon, Ilgwang supported him and leapt off the ground.

“That man—isn’t he Mujunggeom(Heartless Sword)? What is happening?”

Though Seong Muyeon could no longer see him, Ilgwang, with his inner energy enhancing his vision, could still spot Baek Ryeoil in the distance.

“Ilgwang, there’s a branch of our sect in Hanam, isn’t there? Who oversees it?”

“There is a branch operated by the Fourth Young Lord, but as you know, due to his sudden passing, a vacancy was left. I believe one of the other Young Lords hastily dispatched someone to run it in the interim.”

“Who was sent?”

“That much, I do not know.”

Seong Muyeon fell silent.

Even if they arrived now, he could not be certain that they would be in time to prevent Ma Jincheon’s death. If the man were to die, then at the very least, the events that would follow must be prevented.

‘I should have been more cautious.’

Preoccupied with his own problems, he had failed to be vigilant.

But regret was of no use now.

‘I can only hope Baek Ryeoil arrives in time.’

Seong Muyeon stared anxiously at the direction in which Baek Ryeoil had vanished.

Hanam, Luoyang.

“You’ve endured much.”

When Ma Jincheon emerged from Shaolin with his disciples after completing their business, night had already fallen. Though Shaolin had prepared lodging for them, the food did not suit their palate, so they had come down to find a restaurant.

Due to the hour, their usual establishment had almost no patrons. In a corner sat only two figures with their straw hats pulled low.

As they took their seats, a server came forward with the menu.

Though the restaurant was quiet, the atmosphere outside was slightly tumultuous.

“You there, server. What’s going on?”

From the kitchen, faint shouting could be heard. It seemed someone was in an argument. When Ma Jincheon inquired, the server glanced toward the kitchen with a troubled expression.

“Well… I am not quite sure myself.”

Since earlier, the server had been nervously peeking toward the back, unable to act one way or the other.

“It seems the cooks are in some kind of quarrel.”

The disciples paid it little mind and began to peruse the menu.

“Hold on.”

“Senior Brother, what’s the matter?”

“It doesn’t seem like just an ordinary quarrel.”

At his words, the disciples voiced their dissatisfaction.

“We’re hungry. Can’t we just eat first? It’s probably nothing. In places like this, all sorts of riffraff gather.”

“Exactly. Senior Brother, aren’t you being a bit too sensitive? Understandable though—those monks really were difficult. Anyway, let’s eat first. Luoyang is under Shaolin’s jurisdiction. What could possibly happen?”

“Even if something does, Shaolin will handle it.”

Ma Jincheon exhaled quietly. That, too, was true. His nerves were frayed from the disputes over the recent accord with Shaolin.

He tried to read the menu, but the faint yelling from the other side kept ringing in his ears like sharp needles, and he could not focus on the text.

Eventually, Ma Jincheon rose from his seat.

“I’ll go wash up a bit—just order something simple for me.”

“Cold noodles should suffice, yes? Go ahead.”

He followed the server’s guidance to a large water basin behind the establishment and washed his face.

Suddenly, he realized what had been making him feel so uneasy. The face of his disciple, Baek Ryeoil, kept surfacing in his mind. That disciple, always sullen and brimming with resentment toward the world.

And yet last time, for some reason, he had behaved completely out of character. He had accompanied his master on the journey, serving directly at his side.

He had always been like a wild beast—constantly on guard, quick to distrust, always prepared to react swiftly. It was a fine trait for a warrior, but it also meant constant trouble.

That day had been particularly bad. He had been so tense, as if expecting an attack at any moment, that Ma Jincheon had been sweating in anxiety. Even when asked, he offered no explanation.

‘Could he have heard something from that Young Lord?’

Otherwise, Baek Ryeoil would never have acted so uncharacteristically.

Uncertain, he must have said nothing, but clearly, something was afoot.

As his mind grew increasingly perturbed, Ma Jincheon decided to investigate the source of his unease.

He turned toward the kitchen.

Inside, people were still faintly arguing. Because Baek Ryeoil’s atypical behavior had left such a vivid impression, Ma Jincheon felt he would not be at ease unless he confirmed even the smallest suspicion.

At last, he carefully approached the wall and pressed his ear against it. Voices began to filter through from within.

“Leader! We cannot live like this! Why must we endure such indignity?”

A gruff voice filled with rage and resentment burst out.

“…Even so, what can we do? As degrading and humiliating as it is, we must endure.”

“How could we allow this, after all the effort the Fourth Young Lord put into establishing this branch? It’s intolerable.”

Ma Jincheon’s pupils narrowed.

‘Fourth Young Lord.’

The title was reminiscent of the honorific used within the Demonic Cult for their young lords. However, it was not exclusive to them, so Ma Jincheon strained his hearing even more, hoping it was not as he feared.

“Though the Fourth Young Lord has now passed from this world…”

Startled, Ma Jincheon stepped back several paces.

‘Surely not—could this restaurant have been a business operated by the Demonic Cult?’

He recalled the information Seong Muyeon had recently shared regarding the cult’s internal affairs.

The cult leader’s fourth son was dead. Along with Seong Muyeon’s claims, Mount Hua had verified it independently—it was a confirmed fact. Thus, the “Fourth Young Lord” being mentioned must indeed refer to the deceased fourth son of the Demonic Cult’s leader.

He had known that the cult had embedded itself in various places, but never imagined it would be this close.

Of course, their operations were typically discreet and trouble-free. Like other major sects, the Demonic Cult required substantial funding. By placing figureheads in front of their businesses, they ensured an appearance of normalcy, making discovery difficult without thorough investigation.

Listening closely, it became evident that due to the Fourth Young Lord’s death, internal power shifts were causing unrest among his former subordinates.

‘This is not a trivial matter. I must alert Shaolin at once.’

Ma Jincheon quietly turned away.

For Baek Ryeoil’s sake, he needed to exercise greater caution. Though dozens of cultists were gathered inside, as long as they were not provoked, there would be no immediate confrontation.

‘The rest is for Shaolin to handle…’

He made his way back to the restaurant to retrieve his disciples.

“Everyone, let us skip the meal and return for now.”

“What? Why?”

“There’s a reason. I’ll explain later.”

“What’s going on, Senior Brother? Our stomachs are clinging to our spines.”

The disciples who had already argued with Ma Jincheon once began to grumble again.

His face hardened. It was not the first time his authority had been disregarded, but even at a time like this…!

Ma Jincheon gave up on persuading them. Better to cancel the order and lead them out by force if necessary.

Fortunately, the server was just heading toward the kitchen to relay their order. It appeared the food had not yet been prepared.

“You there, server. Just a moment, please.”

“What are you doing, Senior Brother!”

The disciples rose in a flurry, shocked that Ma Jincheon actually intended to cancel their order.

The server seemed not to hear the call. Growing anxious, Ma Jincheon quickly stepped toward him.

The moment he grabbed the server’s shoulder, the kitchen door swung open with a bang.

“Hey! I told you not to interfere—!”

An angry man stormed out, shouting at the server—only to freeze upon spotting Ma Jincheon standing there. His gaze fell on the plum blossom emblem engraved on Ma Jincheon’s chest. Behind them stood three more martial monks of Mount Hua, glaring with stern expressions.

“Mount Hua Sect!”

No sooner had someone shouted than a dense, murderous aura exploded in an instant.