SYM 9

 A dark figure suddenly appeared in front of the sleeping Eun-hyeon.

Anyone who saw a person emerge from the shimmering empty space would have been startled.

Moreover, not even the slightest rustle was heard as the figure leaped from mid-air and landed softly on the floor.

The one who appeared using this mysterious footwork technique was Ha Yeo-un, the White-Robed Divine Dragon. 

Ha Yeo-un sat on the edge of Eun-hyeon’s bed.

Eun-hyeon was sleeping curled up on the bed.

Even sleeping in his own room, he seemed uneasy; his brow was deeply furrowed and he was continuously emitting groans.

Ha Yeo-un reached out and rubbed Eun-hyeon’s forehead. It smoothed for a moment before furrowing again.

“Amhon.”

“Yes.”

A voice answered Ha Yeo-un’s call from the empty space.

Although Ha Yeo-un’s departure from the Demon Cult and his travels under a hidden identity were top secret, he didn’t travel alone.

The Amhon Unit always followed the Heavenly Demon like shadows. Known to very few even within the Demon Cult, the Amhon Unit was always close by to assist the Sect Leader and carry out secret missions.

They only followed the orders of the Sect Leader and specialized in stealth and covert operations.

“Whose doing is this?”

Ha Yeo-un asked, staring intently at the bandage on Eun-hyeon’s wrist.

“It was Madam Hwang’s doing. She pretended to hold his hand, then scratched it with her nails and dug into the wound.”

“Tsk.”

Ha Yeo-un clicked his tongue upon hearing the report.

The arm with its sleeve rolled up due to the bandage was pale and slender, almost like a woman’s.

It was cruel to harm such a delicate wrist that looked like it could snap with a simple twist.

“Pampered all this time, and now she thinks there’s nothing to fear anymore. She’s becoming quite a nuisance.”

“…Shall this subordinates take care of her?”

“No need. Though she’s displeasing, she might still be useful…”

Ha Yeo-un shook his head, clicking his tongue repeatedly.

The conversation about whether to eliminate the precious daughter of the Golden Pavilion said to be the wealthiest place outside the imperial palace, and the mistress of the Namgung family, were exchanged casually.

Even though Ha Yeo-un said it was unnecessary, his displeased expression didn’t soften.

After leaving Eun-hyeon’s quarters last night, Ha Yeo-un had assigned one of the Amhon Unit members to watch over Eun-hyeon.

He didn’t believe what Eun-hyeon had said.

A physician he met as a child? 

It was an absurd lie.

Unbeknownst to Eun-hyeon, Ha Yeo-un already knew everything about the Namgung family.

From the secret martial arts manuals in the Namgung family’s treasure vault, unknown to the outside world, to the personal details of the maids working in the Namgung household.

Perhaps Ha Yeo-un knew more about the Namgung clan than even the clan leader or matriarch.

So far, seven physicians had examined Namgung Eun-hyeon. Two of them belonged to the Namgung family, three were sent by the Jegal clan when Jegal Yeonhwa was still alive. One was a famous physician invited from outside, and the last one, currently Namgung Eun-hyeon’s personal physician, was sent by the Golden Pavilion.

There was no such old physician as the one Eun-hyeon mentioned.

It was unclear what Namgung Eun-hyeon was trying to hide, but it was certain she was concealing something.

That’s why he had set the Amhon Unit to watch him and cast out a fishing line, but what came up was something unexpected and irrelevant.

“Was there anything suspicious?”

“The young master didn’t seem particularly suspicious, but there was something odd about the actions of a maid named Soso.”

“The maid is suspicious?”

“I saw her writing a note and putting it in a jar by the well. It didn’t seem to be on the young master’s orders. Since you commanded me to stay by the young master’s side, I didn’t pursue it further.”

“Hmm. If it wasn’t ordered by the young master, then it must mean she’s a spy sent by someone else. The one who would send a spy to Namgung Eun-hyeon is likely from the Golden Pavilion.”

“Should we investigate that side further?”

Before answering, Ha Yeo-un briefly looked at Eun-hyeon lying on the bed.

His breathing was rough and his muscles were tense, as if he was having some kind of bad dream.

As Ha Yeo-un brushed the sweat-soaked hair away, a smooth and round brow was revealed. As he rubbed his furrowed brow with his index finger, he suddenly noticed Eun-hyeon’s tightly clenched fist.

He had gripped it so hard that the wound had reopened, and blood was seeping through the bandage.

“Yes. Tell them to investigate the Golden Pavilion side. Start with Madam Hwang’s maids and messengers.”

“Understood.”

Ha Yeo-un unwrapped the bandage that Soso had tied around Eun-hyeon’s wound.

Judging by the crimson blood soaking through the bandage, the wound had clearly reopened.

If she were a spy, she should have at least known how to properly tend to a wound, but she couldn’t even manage that.

There was nothing about the Namgung clan that pleased Ha Yeo-un as he clicked his tongue in displeasure.

The wound on the wrist was deeper and more serious than expected. It wasn’t just scratched; it had been gouged. If it wasn’t treated properly, it could impair the use of the hand, and Ha Yeo-un’s expression darkened.

What a vicious woman.

She was the daughter of a merchant, with no martial arts training, yet her cruelty rivaled that of the most ruthless practitioners of the Demon art.

It wasn’t easy for someone untrained in martial arts to cut and gouge living flesh like this.

He had thought she was just an ill-mannered girl who didn’t know her place because Hwang Ok-san had spoiled her, but now he realized she was more like a venomous viper.

“If left like this, it will leave a scar.”

Even though the Namgung clan was known for possessing all kinds of rare medicinal herbs, the Namgung family’s young master didn’t even have proper wound medicine, so the wrist injury was likely to leave an ugly scar.

The location of the wound was particularly unfortunate. It was in an area frequently used, making it prone to further injury and likely to leave a scar that could easily be misinterpreted by others.

That vicious woman probably had this in mind when she did it.

Ha Yeo-un pulled a small vial from his pocket, barely the size of a fingertip. When he opened the lid of the gourd-shaped bottle, sealed tightly with beeswax, a fragrant scent spread out strongly. It was a rich and powerful aroma that was hard to believe came from such a small bottle.

Ha Yeo-un tilted the bottle and let a few drops of oil fall onto Eun-hyeon’s wound.

This medicine was a wound-healing ointment made by Ha Yeo-un, the Heavenly Demon himself. Unlike typical wound powders, this one was a sticky oil that immediately absorbed into the wound upon contact.

Ha Yeo-un had retained the habit of gathering herbs with his master in the mountains during his childhood and occasionally made medicines like this.

As the medicine touched the wound, Eun-hyeon groaned in pain and tried to pull his arm away, but Ha Yeo-un held it firmly.

“Even a paper doll would be in better condition than this.”

His wrist was so thin, and his skin so delicate.

Even compared to the maids in the Demon cult, they would likely be healthier than this.

In contrast, Eun-hyeon’s appearance was too striking. Although Ha Yeo-un usually found most beauties unremarkable, he found himself unconsciously drawn to Eun-hyeon.

As he absentmindedly stroked Eun-hyeon’s smooth and soft skin, like silk woven with meticulous care, Ha Yeo-un’s thoughts drifted.

Though the Heavenly Demon evaluated Namgung Eun-hyeon with cold, piercing eyes, his touch while applying the medicine was surprisingly delicate and gentle.

“I’ve been lost in thought over a child whose fontanel has barely closed.”

Eun-hyeon, who had just passed his coming of age, was merely a naive child in Ha Yeo-un’s eyes.

Yet, this young child was the heir to the Namgung family name and carried the blood of the Jegal clan. Even though Eun-hyeon’s current situation was pitiful, these were undeniable truths.

The demon cult and the righteous sects were incompatible.

Even if Eun-hyeon were to die like a wounded animal, it should not evoke any emotions in Ha Yeo-un. So why did he keep lingering in his mind?

“Hnngh… No, no…”

Eun-hyeon murmured as he tossed and turned, lost in a dream. When Ha Yeo-un restrained his wounded wrist to keep him still, Eun-hyeon began to sweat and groaned in distress.

“It’s alright.”

Ha Yeo-un patted Eun-hyeon, who was whining like a puppy.

After whimpering for a while, Eun-hyeon calmed down upon hearing Ha Yeo-un’s voice. Ha Yeo-un found this both amusing and pitiful.

Namgung Eun-hyeon, who should have wanted for nothing as the son of the Namgung family head and Jegal Yeonhwa, known as the most beautiful woman in the world, was in reality no different from an orphan.

Eun-hyeon was the spitting image of Jegal Yeonhwa. This was likely why the Jegal family was trying so hard to take Eun-hyeon away.

Eun-hyeon’s jet-black hair, as smooth as the finest silk, was scattered on the bed. His body was curled up like a pill bug in the corner of the bed.

Thinking back to how defiant he had been toward Ha Yeo-un, he didn’t seem like someone with a meek personality. Yet now, he appeared no more than a helpless child.

“Bandage.”

At Ha Yeo-un’s word, a bandage dropped from the ceiling.

The bandage smelled of medicine. The bandages supplied to the Amhon Unit were infused with medicinal herbs to help wounds heal faster.

Ha Yeo-un skillfully wrapped the bandage around Eun-hyeon’s wrist.

With his own wound ointment and the Amhon Unit’s bandage, this should prevent scarring.

Even though he felt he had done all he could, Ha Yeo-un found it hard to leave.

Was he really such a soft-hearted person?

That couldn’t be. Among those who joined the demon cult, was there anyone without a tragic past? Even within the cult, there were many younger and more unfortunate than Eun-hyeon.

He himself had a much harsher childhood than Eun-hyeon.

Yet, he couldn’t understand why he felt this way here, when he never felt this way about others.

Ha Yeo-un sighed briefly and placed his hand on Eun-hyeon’s head, specifically the Baihui acupoint, and gently channeled his internal energy through his palm. Because Eun-hyeon’s meridians were in such disarray, she could only accept a tiny amount, so he had to transfer it slowly, bit by bit, to the point of boredom.

As he did so, Eun-hyeon’s furrowed brow gradually relaxed.

He slowly continued to guide the energy from the Baihui down to the Huiyin acupoint, forcefully circulating it through the Major Circulation cycle.

Although most of the small meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians were blocked, making even this difficult, Ha Yeo-un patiently continued to push his inner energy.

After several cycles, Eun-hyeon’s breathing gradually became steady, and his cold body began to warm up.

Ha Yeo-un watched over Eun-hyeon’s bedside for a long time before finally rising.