SYM 44

The carriage rumbled and began to move. The carriage Madam Hwang had personally prepared was quite luxurious, with little shaking and plenty of cushioning.

Eun-hyeon admired the smooth ride and subtly glanced at Ha Yeo-un. Ha Yeo-un had his lips tightly shut and eyes closed, as if something had upset him.

He thought they had already agreed on this trip to Godeok Temple, so was he still upset about that?

As Eun-hyeon kept stealing glances at Ha Yeo-un, the atmosphere suddenly changed. External noise was blocked out, and the flow of air ceased.

“I’ve erected a Qi barrier, so if you have something to say, don’t just steal glances and speak. However, keeping the Qi barrier up for too long will raise suspicion.”

“No, it’s not that I had anything specific to say. It’s just…”

“Then I’ll speak.”

Eun-hyeon was a little surprised by Ha Yeo-un’s attitude and widened his eyes. Unlike his usual relaxed demeanor, he felt a sense of tension.

“…Is there a problem?”

“Before we departed, I sent someone ahead to Godeok Temple. I told him to scout the area and report back.”

The person Ha Yeo-un sent ahead was probably a subordinate of the Demonic Sect. Eun-hyeon nodded.

“But is there a problem?”

“Yes. An unexpected problem has arisen. I can’t reach anyone.”

“…Pardon?”

Eun-hyeon looked at Ha Yeo-un in surprise.

The person Ha Yeo-un sent was probably an Amhon, the Demonic Sect leader’s personal guard. But the Amhon hadn’t returned…?

“They are trustworthy individuals with no possibility of betrayal. Their skills are also considerable. They were supposed to return and report the situation before we departed, but there has been no contact so far.”

Was that why Ha Yeo-un’s expression was so heavy?

Eun-hyeon’s expression also turned grave. He didn’t know the exact extent of the Amhon’s skills, but the fact that not a single one of them had returned was quite shocking.

Just what kind of people are at Godeok Temple…?

“Whatever is at Godeok Temple, it’s clear that something far more dangerous than we thought awaits us. Do you still not want to turn back? Eldest Young Master?”

Ha Yeo-un’s voice sounded dangerous.

Eun-hyeon bit his lip.

“I want to see it with my own eyes. I am well aware that I am nothing but a burden to Great Hero Ha. But if I back out now, I doubt I’ll get another chance like this.”

“I understand. Just don’t blame me later.”

“Blame you? There’s only gratitude. And I trust in Great Hero Ha’s skills and abilities.”

Eun-hyeon smiled at Ha Yeo-un.

Eun-hyeon said that because he knew Ha Yeo-un was Heavenly Demon Cheong-un, but Ha Yeo-un didn’t feel so good hearing those words.

This guy acts like he knows everything, but he’s so naive when it comes to the important things. How long has he known him to place such blind trust in him?

…Without even knowing his true identity.

If he were to find out that he was Cheonma, how would this frail young master react?

Would he be scared and run away? Or would he curse and despise him as a crazy Demonic Sect follower?

Ha Yeo-un imagined Eun-hyeon’s reaction when he learned the truth and his mood sank.

What if the eyes that showed trust and affection, like a child looking at its mother, showed something different?

Imagining the contempt and horror in those eyes as he looked at him was more unpleasant than he thought.

Ha Yeo-un removed the Qi barrier and turned his gaze out the window.

Ha Yeo-un was lost in his own thoughts, and Eun-hyeon was lost in his own, making the carriage suffocatingly silent.

The carriage came to a stop. Noisy voices began to be heard from outside, and Soseo opened the carriage door and poked her head in.

“We will have a meal here before moving on.”

Eun-hyeon had deliberately not brought Hwahong to avoid provoking Madam Hwang, and perhaps because of that, Soseo was acting high and mighty.

“Shall I prepare the meal inside the carriage?”

“Isn’t Mother eating outside? I will have my meal outside with Mother.”

Soseo’s eyes widened in surprise at Eun-hyeon’s words, but she soon lowered her head. Voluntarily offering to eat with Madam Hwang was an uncharacteristic choice for Eun-hyeon, but Soseo was gradually getting used to this unfamiliar Eun-hyeon.

“Great Hero Ha, please join me as well.”

“Very well.”

Eun-hyeon got out of the carriage with Ha Yeo-un.

No matter how luxurious the carriage was, it was bound to feel stuffy after being inside for a long time. Coming outside and breathing in the fresh air made him feel a little refreshed. Eun-hyeon lightly stretched his body and looked around.

Madam Hwang seemed to have brought quite a few servants as well as guards. These were all unfamiliar faces to Eun-hyeon, who had spent almost all his time in his room when he was at the family estate.

But he could sense that the servants’ energy was unusual. They seemed more like martial artists than servants. It was as Eun-hyeon was examining the surrounding servants.

“Eldest Young Master. If you look at others like that, they will misunderstand.”

“…Yes?”

Eun-hyeon turned his head at the sudden remark and saw Ha Yeo-un smiling mischievously.

“I wouldn’t mind if you looked at me like that, but I get jealous when you look at others with such adoring eyes.”

“Wh, what are you talking about?”

“So it seems the Eldest Young Master has a hobby of admiring men’s bodies?”

“No, why are you saying such things? Others will misunderstand if you say that.”

Eun-hyeon panicked and tried to cover Ha Yeo-un’s mouth, but Ha Yeo-un only chuckled.

“You looked me up and down with such passionate eyes when we first met. I thought it was because you liked me. But now I see…”

“Please stop joking and let’s have lunch. Ah, there’s Mother over there. Let’s go that way, Great Hero Ha.”

Eun-hyeon grabbed Ha Yeo-un’s hand with a flushed face.

He couldn’t hear everything that was being said around him, but he knew that the servants surrounding him and Ha Yeo-un were saying something.

“Eldest Young Master. I am a very jealous person, so please be careful when looking at other men in the future.”

Eun-hyeon glared at Ha Yeo-un, who continued to joke, but he couldn’t shut him up.

“Why do you keep making such silly jokes? What if strange rumors start spreading?”

“What kind of strange rumors? That the Namgung family’s Eldest Young Master is actually a homosexual, or something like that?”

“Su, surely, there aren’t really such rumors, are there?”

“Well. I don’t know yet, but if the Eldest Young Master keeps looking at men with such adoring eyes, rumors may soon spread.”

Eun-hyeon realized that Ha Yeo-un was teasing him and lightly glared at him.

And he belatedly realized that Ha Yeo-un was giving him a warning in his jokes. He must have been too obvious in examining the servants.

Those servants were probably all martial artists that Madam Hwang had brought from outside.

“Stop with the nonsense and let’s go eat.”

Eun-hyeon deliberately didn’t look at Ha Yeo-un and strode towards Madam Hwang.

“Mother. I came because we stopped for a meal. I brought Great Hero Ha with me as well.”

A large table was already set up in front of Madam Hwang and Namgung Eun-gwang. It was hard to believe it was a simple meal outdoors, but Eun-hyeon nonchalantly took a seat across from Madam Hwang. Ha Yeo-un soon followed and sat next to Eun-hyeon.

“Madam Hwang, Eun-gwang Gongja, thank you for inviting me to the meal.”

An absurd expression flashed across Namgung Eun-gwang’s face. No one had invited him, but he was dumbfounded by the audacity of the guest who had come uninvited, claiming to have been invited.

But he couldn’t exactly tell someone like Ha Yeo-un to get lost, so Madam Hwang reluctantly nodded.

“…Very well. Let’s eat together.”

No sooner had Madam Hwang’s words fallen than a servant girl next to her placed tea and cutlery on the table.

Eun-hyeon felt Madam Hwang and Namgung Eun-gwang’s gazes, but he nonchalantly picked up the tea.

“The tea has a good fragrance. The first taste is bitter, but it has a sweet taste when it goes down the throat, so it must be Sweet Dew Tea.”

“…Yes. It’s Sweet Dew Tea that my family sent me. I’m glad it suits your taste.”

“Ah, I knew the fragrance was rich and deep. It was tea sent from the Golden Pavillion.”

Eun-hyeon nodded. He thought the tea had a good fragrance, and it turned out it was tea sent directly from the Golden Battleground.

Madam Hwang’s eyes were filled with surprise in many ways as she looked at Eun-hyeon.

She never expected the timid and fearful Eldest Young Master to approach her like this. He always ran away in fear, but now he was holding his head high, making her wonder if he was really the Namgung Eun-hyeon she knew.

Seeing the changed Namgung Eun-hyeon, she began to feel a strange sense of unease. But Madam Hwang soon chuckled.

Even if Namgung Eun-hyeon had changed, the fact that he couldn’t practice Martial Arts remained the same. Today was the day she would finally strip away the facade of the Eldest Young Master, who was like a pearl on a pig’s neck.

“Eldest Young Master. If you like Sweet Dew Tea, I’ll send you some when we return to the family estate. This Sweet Dew Tea is something my father specially obtained and cannot be found anywhere else.”