TSBIRBV Ch 127

Chapter 127 A Stolen Kiss (4)

 

“Hm?”

At once, a fishy scent pricked Yegyeol’s nose, and he instinctively turned his head.

It smells like blood…

“What is it over there?”

Haryang’s arm settled around his shoulder as he asked.

“No, I thought I heard something. Must’ve been my imagination.”

Though not as bad as Hangzhou, Seonyeong’s law and order was far from perfect.

I thought Senior Brother was being overly cautious, worrying so much when I wasn’t even with an escort. Maybe it’s just me being numb to danger.

Quickening his pace to distance himself from the back alley, Yegyeol soon found himself at the edge of the marketplace.

Here, Seonyeong’s horse market stretched wide before him. Yegyeol craned his neck and looked about.

From robust stallions to sturdy packhorses, rows of various breeds filled the spacious pens.

Merchants who had clearly come from afar inspected the animals, feeding them hay, checking their teeth, and examining the condition of their hooves.

“You seem rather taken with the horse market,” said his Senior Brother as they walked side by side.

Yegyeol smiled and shook his right sleeve playfully.

“It isn’t me—Bambaemi’s the curious one. Ever since getting close with Red Thunder, whenever we pass a place full of horses, it pokes its head out and tickles me.”

“Cheonghae is rich in fine horses.”

Haryang fell into thought, then added,

“Even Hongye, I first met in Seonyeong.”

“In Seonyeong?”

Truthfully, though he had spent the most time with Samrang, Yegyeol felt the greatest fondness for Hongye.

It was Yelü Hongye, who had been assigned as his escort on the journey to Kunlun, who had given him the flute that summoned Red Thunder. Without Red Thunder, Yegyeol’s second life might have ended buried beneath the eternal snows of Kunlun’s peak.

Whether traveling between Sichuan and Cheonghae, striking at Tang Seo-ak from behind, or journeying to Hangzhou with his Senior Brother, Hongye and his steed had always been a great help.

“Yes.”

Lowering his gaze in thought, Haryang continued,

“Hongye comes from a nomadic tribe that roamed the borders of Cheonghae and Xinjiang.”

“Then he must’ve been here to sell horses?”

But Haryang shook his head.

“No. Hongye did not come here as a merchant. But if you wish to know more, it is best you hear it from him, not from me.”

Even if it was his subordinate, Haryang had no intention of revealing Hongye’s personal story without permission.

“Hmm. Hongye’s not easy to see… If I get the chance next time, I’ll ask him.”

“So you’re fond of Hongye. Samrang might feel left out.”

His tone was as soft as silk.

Yegyeol swallowed his desire for a hint of jealousy from his Senior Brother and replied instead,

“Hongye’s very quiet. Samrang’s unbelievably noisy.”

Adding that it was really no joke, Yegyeol shook his head.

Curious, Haryang asked,

“And Jin-yeong?”

“His expressions are noisy.”

Scrunching his nose playfully, Yegyeol complained.

“I see. But in the end, it’s this Senior Brother you love most, isn’t it, Gyeol?”

Yes! Exactly that.

Struggling not to appear too delighted, Yegyeol nodded demurely.

“Yes. For me, Senior Brother is always the first priority.”

“That makes me glad.”

Haryang smiled with a kind face.

The two returned to the Trading Group’s headquarters together, side by side as they had set out. It was not the moment for some great leap in their relationship, yet as in Hangzhou when they had strolled the markets, a tender, tingling air lingered between them.

Still, for Senior Brother to make a surprise visit while working… I’m so happy.

Buoyed by warmth, Yegyeol crossed the threshold. With a return to the manor ahead, it seemed the day would end perfectly.

“Huh?”

The front courtyard of the headquarters was filled with noise.

Something happened while we were gone for a short while?

As the one nominally in charge here, the thought of handling the aftermath made him dizzy.

What about my chance to leave early…?

His smile, bright with anticipation of walking home arm-in-arm with his beautiful, foxlike, deerlike, rabbitlike Senior Brother, froze solid.

The courtyard—once a courtyard—now resembled a marketplace, stacked with goods. The difference was, everything was wrapped in fine silk cloths or sealed in sturdy chests.

The head steward hurried over as soon as he saw Yegyeol.

“Master.”

“A-all this… what is it?”

Yegyeol stammered without meaning to.

“They’re gifts from the branch master of Black Spot in Sichuan.”

Gesturing at the mountains of goods, the steward’s face held both bafflement and joy.

“Black Spot…?”

Behind Yegyeol, Haryang’s lips parted. The whisper brushed the back of his neck, and a chill spread over his skin.

“Se-Senior Brother.”

Slowly, Yegyeol turned.

Haryang wore a mild, almost puzzled expression, as though wondering how things had come to this.

But seeing that serene, natural face—belonging to the very man who had orchestrated this intricate “coincidence”—Yegyeol felt his heart drop.

From fear?

No—from sheer, overwhelming joy.

So that’s why you came.

The realization dawned easily. He had been beaming with happiness simply because his Senior Brother was here, only to fall into a carefully laid trap.

Like a rollercoaster, his back went cold and sweat dampened his skin. His heart pounded mercilessly, his lips went dry.

“Th-there must be some mistake. I never asked for anything… surely this is an error.”

Since returning to Cheonghae, Yegyeol had clung to the manor, using the travel ban as an excuse. A few letters had come through the Trading Group from Black Ghost, but he had ignored them all. It was calculated.

But this? This was not in the plan.

You won’t just laugh it off, will you?

The very moment Yegyeol had declared to Black Ghost that he would no longer meet privately, Haryang had pulled him back into the same game.

A shiver ran through his chest.

“Mistake? First, let’s see what’s inside,” said Haryang, his words gently but firmly pushing Yegyeol forward.

With his wits half scattered, Yegyeol nodded.

“Y-yes. Yes.”

If one stripped away the hidden cards and read only the surface: a disciple secretly harboring forbidden desires had now been exposed for consorting with another man.

Black Ghost had proven he could reach Yegyeol anytime. Now Yegyeol would have to live in fear of when threats might come, all the while staying vigilant that Haryang might not grow curious about that man.

Turning toward the mound of gifts, Yegyeol felt as though he were facing a mortal enemy.

He didn’t even need to act nervous; his legs trembled like those of a newborn fawn with every step.

He reached out and opened one of the chests stacked on top.

“This is…”

Light dazzled his eyes. Blinking several times, Yegyeol realized what lay inside.

A luminous pearl¹.

And not just any—by far the largest he had ever seen in the Central Plains. Nearly the size of an infant’s fist, its glow was visible even by day. This was a treasure among treasures.

Ah. That luminous pearl I mentioned in bed back then.

He recalled Black Ghost’s words, offering to take him before the vaults of Black Spot and let him choose anything. Heat flushed Yegyeol’s face.

He had never thought it was an empty promise. But he had declined subtly, ending things that way. Yegyeol had given no thought to pearls afterward.

“A luminous pearl… Too precious to have been sent by mistake,” murmured Haryang. His gaze fell, heavy with thought.

Yegyeol hurriedly shut the chest.

“We must return it at once.”

His face pale, his shoulders tightened—until Haryang’s hand rested gently, reassuringly, upon them.

“Don’t worry. If it was sent by mistake, you bear no blame.”

Under his Senior Brother’s calming touch, Yegyeol pressed his lips together and nodded.

“First, let us send a letter.”

Through Haryang’s mouth, Black Ghost forced a brush into Yegyeol’s hand. A silent dare: Go on, ignore me again.

But like a good disciple, Yegyeol nodded obediently.

“I’ll explain everything clearly.”

“Good. That will do.”

Haryang said nothing further, but his gaze pierced Yegyeol’s face.

Anyone could see he still had something to say.

“If there is anything in your heart, please speak it plainly. I will listen with an open mind.”

Only after Yegyeol invited him did Haryang lower his eyes and speak softly:

“I will not forbid you from befriending people, whether orthodox or unorthodox. But…”

A brief silence hung.

“Martial artists are dangerous beings. Do not get too close.”

“Yes. Since it is your word, Senior Brother, I will always hold it in my heart.”

Yegyeol forced a bright smile, desperate not to let his Senior Brother glimpse the anxieties buried deep inside.

“That will suffice.”

Haryang stroked his head. Yegyeol smiled foolishly, gauging him.

But the man with the tender hand carried eyes shadowed with gloom.

“In any case, with matters like this, it would be difficult to keep you tied down in Cheonghae.”

“Tied down? Senior Brother, staying by your side was always my own choice.”

Feigning ease, Yegyeol quipped.

“If you say so, then…”

Haryang embraced him lightly, like handling something infinitely precious, before letting go.

“Never forget that this elder brother is always worried for you.”

Where sincerity passed, echoes lingered. Yegyeol pressed his lips shut and nodded.

So the travel ban was lifted earlier than I expected.

Thinking of Samrang, he decided he’d laugh and say, What, a hundred years? when next they met.

Glancing back at the courtyard stacked with gifts, Yegyeol’s thoughts raced.

Haryang must think he’d dash to Sichuan immediately, leash removed, compelled to confront the one who had sent such ostentatious tributes.

But.

After parting that way with Black Ghost, running back so quickly would be awkward.

His mind whirled. Such an opportunity could not be wasted.

Since Namgung Un happens to be in Seonyeong, perhaps I’ll spend some time with him instead.

¹Luminous Pearl (Yamyeongju / 夜明珠): A legendary night-glowing pearl often appearing in Chinese and wuxia lore, symbolizing wealth and rarity.