SYM 118

Cheong-un’s face looked as if he would rush over and cut Seo Eun-hyeon’s throat at any moment, but he remained still.

Seo Eun-hyeon tilted his head, observing Cheong-un. The gesture was subtly seductive, causing Cheong-un to frown.

It was the first time he realized that Seo Eun-hyeon’s face could express such a thing.

Objectively, Seo Eun-hyeon wasn’t particularly beautiful.

Cheong-un pictured his Master in his memory.

An innocent and kind face. A sturdy body that hinted at diligence.

As he recalled his Master’s image, the creature smiling lewdly before him felt even more unpleasant and repulsive.

To wear such an expression, one that belonged in a cheap brothel, on that face.

Seo Eun-hyeon wore a triumphant expression when Cheong-un, whom he expected to rush at him, only frowned and didn’t move.

“There, you are still my Cheong-un.”

Cheong-un was dumbfounded and questioned himself as he looked at Seo Eun-hyeon smiling at him.

Was it possible to act like that according to the situation?

He couldn’t believe that he was an Undead.

It seemed more plausible that another soul had been summoned through a soul-calling ritual than that Undead Manipulation could achieve this.

“Cheong-un, come to Master. Master wants to see your face up close, hmm?”

Cheong-un frowned and turned his head away at the nasal tone, as if he were being coddled.

“Cheong-un!”

Seo Eun-hyeon’s face distorted, as he thought Cheong-un was almost completely under his control.

At the same time, Cheong-un launched himself into the air. Seo Eun-hyeon, who hadn’t anticipated such a move due to the lack of any preparatory action, opened his mouth in bewilderment.

Soaring like a bird, Cheong-un darted through the dark night sky, quickly distancing himself.

“Cheong-un! Cheong-un!”

Seo Eun-hyeon desperately called out Cheong-un’s name and leaped into the air.

He stepped on the rooftops and used his light body skill at his maximum speed, but instead of getting closer, he was getting further away from Cheong-un.

Soon, Cheong-un’s figure was obscured by the darkness.

Seo Eun-hyeon bit his lip as he chased after him.

The master’s command was to hold Cheong-un for as long as possible.

Since his opponent, Cheong-un, was the Cheonma, the leader of the Demonic Sect, he couldn’t possibly match him in skill. The master didn’t expect much from him either. He was merely asked to wear the shell of the object of his obsession and hold him for a few moments.

But to fail even that simple order. The master would surely see him as useless.

Judging from Cheong-un’s reaction in Seoan, he thought it was possible, but Cheong-un regained his senses too easily.

Still, the fact that he didn’t kill him directly meant that he couldn’t completely ignore this body.

Seo Eun-hyeon dashed across the rooftops of the quiet residential area, heading in one direction. Even if he couldn’t see him, there was only one place Cheong-un would go now.

Cheong-un felt disgusted.

It had been a long time since he had felt this bad.

He knew that the Hongbaek Sect used terrible Witchcraft, but seeing Seo Eun-hyeon’s face made him feel the worst.

The underground of Onghwa Palace, which the Third Prince had said was the Hongbaek Sect’s base, was a trap. The Hongbaek Sect had been there until recently, but it was clear that they had all withdrawn.

Then why did they do this?

There was only one reason. To lure him out.

And in the meantime, Jeong-hyeon would have gone to Eun-hyeon.

Thinking of Eun-hyeon, he felt frustrated that he couldn’t run faster, even though he was already circulating his Inner energy to the fullest extent to use his light body skill.

Eun-hyeon.

His Master, his lover.

Cheong-un murmured Eun-hyeon’s name as if rolling it around in his mouth.

Once, that body had given him a greater thirst than anything else. How much he had wanted and yearned to see that innocent face contorted beneath him, corrupted by pleasure.

Because he had desired that body for so long, he couldn’t take his eyes off it for a moment, even though he knew that the shell was the same but the contents were different.

It was like a long-learned craving.

But as soon as it started acting as Master, it felt dirty and insignificant.

Cheonma meant someone who had mastered the principles of how all things in heaven and earth worked. The five senses of someone who had reached the realm of Cheonma should be able to understand the operating principle of Witchcraft the moment they saw it. But he couldn’t figure out how the Undead that Jeong-hyeon had created moved.

Everything in the world seemed to move randomly without rules, but that wasn’t true. The sky had to follow the laws of the sky, and the earth had to follow the laws of the earth.

This was the heavenly secret, the truth by which all things in the universe moved.

But regarding that Undead, it was as if his eyes were covered with a black cloth, and he couldn’t see anything. This was the first time this had happened since he became Cheonma.

That Undead was an unsolvable mystery to Cheong-un. Even if it did nothing, its very existence made him feel unpleasant and disgusted.

It felt like he had encountered something that shouldn’t exist in the world.

He spread his senses behind him. Then he felt it diligently following him.

His instincts screamed at him to turn around immediately and cut off its head.

But instead, Cheong-un moved his feet even faster. It was because he was worried that if he broke it into pieces, it would have a bad influence on his Master.

…His Master, like a fragile sugar sculpture.

The fact that Jeong-hyeon had lured him to Onghwa Palace and that the Undead in Seo Eun-hyeon’s body had tried to hold him back all pointed to one thing.

Jeong-hyeon had come to the Third Prince’s residence.

Cheong-un clenched his fist tightly.

He should have brought Eun-hyeon with him.

He shouldn’t have left Eun-hyeon behind, trusting the guards of the royal palace or Amhon. This was all happening because he had left Eun-hyeon behind. He could have protected Eun-hyeon himself.

Cheong-un belatedly regretted it and flashed his eyes.

What on earth was that cunning Jeong-hyeon up to?

A chilling sensation that he had never felt since becoming Cheonma grabbed the back of his head.

It was an emotion called fear.

* * *

“You’re determined to find and drink poison. I’ll give you one last chance. Come to your senses now and accept my offer.”

Eun-hyeon stared steadily at Jeong-hyeon.

Unlike his previous composure, Jeong-hyeon was now glaring at Eun-hyeon with a flushed face.

Eun-hyeon liked the change and raised the corner of his mouth.

“Why are you in such a hurry all of a sudden, Eldest Senior Brother? You were so relaxed just a moment ago.”

“…Because I don’t intend to waste any more time. Make your decision now.”

“Didn’t I already say that I’ve made my decision?”

Eun-hyeon only smiled lightly at Jeong-hyeon’s pressure.

Jeong-hyeon began to circulate his energy without saying anything. A mist-like substance rose around Jeong-hyeon.

“It’s definitely not the energy of Kunlun. It seems that Eldest Senior Brother now has more of the Hongbaek Sect’s energy than Kunlun’s.”

The energy of Kunlun, a Sword clan, was so cold that it felt chilly, yet it was clear and pure.

But what about the energy of Jeong-hyeon, the leader of Kunlun, now?

The energy covering Jeong-hyeon’s body was sticky, had a faint reddish glow, and reeked of a fishy smell.

Because of that, it felt like a mist made of blood.

“I don’t know what you’re relying on. Ah, could it be that you’re relying on your disrespectful disciple? Your disciple will never return to you. I gave him what he wanted most. That guy is spending happy time with his Master, like a hungry stray dog pouncing on a piece of meat.”

The smile that had been lingering on Eun-hyeon’s lips disappeared. He glared at Jeong-hyeon.

“Junior brother, it’s too late to regret it now. It’s been a while since I’ve corrected your bad habits. Let’s see if your insignificant body can withstand it.”

Jeong-hyeon reached out to Eun-hyeon.

At that moment, Eun-hyeon lightly waved his hand. Then Jeong-hyeon’s hand stopped in its place without reaching Eun-hyeon. It was as if he was being held by something invisible with a powerful force.

Eun-hyeon chuckled and shook his head.

“Say that again, senior brother. What were you going to do?”

“You, you bastard. This…!”

“Senior brother. I’ve already figured out all your tricks, so let’s stop.”

“What are you talking about? You’re going to be in big trouble from now on…”

“Stop talking nonsense. This is a dream.”

The moment Eun-hyeon said those words, Jeong-hyeon’s mouth closed.