《Water Containing The Moon》


 CH 1

    Translated by Wook


    Edited by Wook


    The boy ran. A group of people was following and shouting at him not far behind. An episodic chase was unfolding between the narrow alleyways.


    ¡°Hey, you bastard, don¡¯t just stand there!¡±


    ¡°Catch that rat! Yeah! That bastard!¡±


    Hearing the shouts of the mass, the boy quickly turned to the right. He went into the cobweb-strewn shrine and hid behind the altar. The lower part covered with the old cloth was sloppily padded with cracked wooden planks, and when pushed slightly, a space large enough for a person to fit in was cleverly hidden.


    The boy went in, crouched as low as possible, and then covered his mouth with both hands. He ran so hard that he was out of breath.


    ¡°Where did that bastard go?¡±


    ¡°Search all over and find him!¡±


    Not long after he hid, he heard the sound of something collapsing and breaking, coupled with harsh swearing. The boy blinked his eyes in the dark. Intermittent footsteps were heard near the altar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s around.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way. He must have gone this way.¡±


    ¡°Over there!¡±


    Soon the people disappeared. The boy pricked up his ears and did not relax his tension.


    More time passed before the boy felt relieved and exhaled carefully. He pushed the planks and fabrics so slowly that it made no sound, and crawled out.


    At that moment, a large hand grabbed the boy¡¯s collar and lifted him up. Akh! The boy screamed in surprise. The grip on his collar was so tight that he couldn¡¯t even breathe properly.


    ¡°I know this bastard is here.¡±


    The short man showed his yellow teeth and smiled. He then dragged the struggling boy out and threw him into the shrine. The boy¡¯s small body slammed into the floor and collapsed. All the beggars who were dressed the same way as the boy, with patchy clothes and ripped off fabrics down their waists came.


    The boy got up quickly and sat on his butt. His face, which was dripping with soup, was full of fear.


    ¡ªGo away, just go away!


    The pranksters and beggars smirked at the unfamiliar words that came out of the boy¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Is this a foreigner? Somehow I can¡¯t understand him. Hey, what is this bastard talking about?¡±


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of this language.¡±


    The beggars turned their gazes at the man as he wrinkled his brows with a frown on his face. The boy jumped up and ran out of the shrine without missing a moment. But soon he screamed again at the devastating impact on his back and fell forward.


    Beggars approached the boy and tied his hands tightly. He struggled and rebelled against it, but was soon silenced after being hit in the face.


    The boy frowned and licked the inside of his mouth, which tasted fishy, with his tongue. There was a pain near his left-wing bone that had been hit by something, and one of his cheeks was burning like a fever. What was even more difficult were the two wrists that were tightly tied with a rough cloth and did not allow blood to circulate properly.


    The boy, Eunhan, couldn¡¯t believe what was happening to him now. The beggars were rummaging through his toes, sleeves, and pants, extorting a few coins and cold dumplings. Eunhan, who was cleared out in an instant, burst into tears in sadness.


    It was hard enough to beg with hand gestures and footsteps as they couldn¡¯t communicate. As if that was not enough, everything is now being taken away? It was sad and embarrassing. What was even sadder was that one day, he suddenly fell into this strange world and became a beggar.


    When he first woke up here, Eunhan thought he was dreaming, or that he was currently in Seoul¡¯s musty semi-basement room.


    A street lined with buildings you would see only in movies, a 23-year-old couldn¡¯t have transformed into a boy. So it was not at all strange that he could understand the unfamiliar language, and the people here could not understand him. It was a world he wouldn¡¯t even remember when he woke up anyway. He marveled at the vividness of reality and looked around leisurely.


    However, this feeling did not last long. As time went on, his legs started to hurt and he started to feel hungry. Even though it was a dream, Eunhan thought it was strange because he was starving. Can you still feel clearly when you¡¯re experiencing a lucid dream?


    Then someone bumped into his shoulder. Eunhan frowned and patted his shoulder. It hurts.


    He tilted his head. It¡¯s just a dream¡­ Why does it hurt?


    In an instant, goosebumps erupted. Eunhan lightly pinched his cheek with his hand. It hurts too. But, why?


    He looked around blankly, still feeling hopeful. ¡®The fact that I ate poorly while working part-time yesterday may have affected my dreams.¡¯ Eunhan struggled to shake off his anxiety.


    Unfortunately, the dream did not break until sunset and sunrise again. Two or three more days passed, and he was still here. Hunger, thirst, and other physiological needs were rather strong. Eunhan finally realized that something was wrong with him.


    ¡®If I remember correctly, I was on my way home from working part-time at the convenience store¡­ No, did I ever return?¡¯ Eunhan paused for a moment. Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t remember the way home that night. Only the memory of changing shifts with another part-timer was clear.


    ¡ªWhat the hell happened? Why is this happening?


    Eunhan was terrified of not knowing where this place was. There were no modern civilizations such as street lights, convenience facilities, or high-rise buildings. What people were holding in their hands were fans or weapons, not smartphones, and carts led by horses and cows, not cars, moved over the road paved with stones.


    He had the courage to approach the people around and asked about the location of the nearest police station or fire station with hand gestures and footsteps, but no one understood what he said. Rather, they looked strangely at the little boy in the strange attire.


    ¡°This is my first time seeing clothes like this. What tribe are you from? Where are your parents?¡±


    Someone handed him a coin he had never seen in his life, instead of asking if he, who was obviously trembling from fear, was scared.


    Eunhan stared blankly at it, then approached an old woman selling hot noodles nearby and held it out. The food he put in his mouth after a few days had a bland and fishy smell, but the sensation in his throat was more vivid than ever. With tears in his eyes, he finally admitted that he had fallen into an unfamiliar world.


    Upon realizing this, he was now faced with the matter of where to sleep and what to eat. The clothes were stolen from a clothesline in a house, but there was no way to fix anything else.


    He had to work to make a living, but it was difficult because he couldn¡¯t communicate. He gathered his courage and looked around, but he was kicked out after only being called a beggar. In the end, he was begging like other beggar boys and had no choice but to sleep in a nearby abandoned shrine or abandoned house.


    However, even that was not easy as the beggars claimed it was their territory. When passersby threw coins at Eunhan, beggar boys appeared out of nowhere and pushed him before taking it. Fortunately, he still had enough money to buy one bowl of noodles.


    The problem was that adult beggars also plunder Eunhan. Aekoo and the other beggars had nothing more to shake off from Eunhan, so they began to think seriously among themselves.


    ¡°They say they need an errand runner in Hongru, we can just sell him, right?¡±


    ¡°Cheongsimpa says that if you bring a test object, they will give you 20 silver coins, wouldn¡¯t that be better?¡±


    Eunhan bit his lip and slowly got up. His heart was pounding because he thought he would be sold to the place they were talking about if he stayed like this. He glanced at them, then quickly got up and ran away.


    ¡°Eh? Hey, that bastard is running away! Catch him!¡±


    Eunhan ran blindly forward. He made his way through a maze of winding alleyways, rambling through the crowds of people on the boulevard. He ran out of breath, and his legs were getting weak. He had not eaten properly for several days, and his stamina was rapidly declining. In the end, he hadn¡¯t run far before he got caught once again.


    As soon as they grabbed Eunhan, they immediately swung their fists. Pak! His small body wobbled like paper and slumped poorly on the floor. The beggars caught their breath and ran to Eunhan to kick him.


    Pakk! Pak! Pak!


    ¡°This bastard!¡±


    ¡°Once we beat you hard enough, you won¡¯t be able to run anymore, right?¡±


    Eunhan curled up as much as possible, accepting their violence. It was throbbing here and there, probably because he had hit his head on the floor a while ago. It felt like something had exploded from his nose and inside his mouth, and tasted fishy. Everywhere he was trampled on was very painful.


    ¡®Maybe this is how I die.¡¯ He wished anyone could help him, but the onlookers whom he could see through his blurred vision were just biting their tongues. Eunhan looked at them in vain and then closed his eyes tightly at the beatings again.


    But suddenly, the pain was gone. Someone grabbed his arm and held him up. ¡®What?¡¯ Eunhan, feeling puzzled, managed to open his swollen eyes.


    For a moment, the world seemed to move very slowly. Voices echoed all around, and the landscape painted with opaque colors before him was crushed. In it, only a handsome man with a handsome face, who did not take his eyes off him, was clearly visible. He was truly a beautiful person with a straight forehead, clear facial features, tightly closed lips, and two cool eyes.

 CH 2

    Eunhan opened his mouth wide without knowing it. It was like watching a scene from a movie as the man moved his body so nimbly to avoid the beggars¡¯ attacks. Even the sun was shining down on him.


    Perhaps he had eyes in the back, as he kept his eyes on Eunhan and let the beggars come at him. With each swing of his sleeve, one beggar fell on the floor, and when he moved his legs, two or three beggars fell. Admiration burst out of the mouths of the onlookers who were in awe.


    ¡°Damn it, run!¡±


    As if they were frightened as they continued to be beaten up by the man, the group of children screamed and ran away. Eunhan let out a low sigh and looked at the man in front of him. Those who tormented him so much were being treated so one-sidedly. It was so overwhelming.


    ¡ªAh¡­


    Eunhan couldn¡¯t take his gaze off him. The man, who had a cold expression on his face the whole time he was dealing with the beggars, suddenly made eye contact and smiled. The cold appearance that exuded cool energy instantly became as warm as spring.


    Maybe it¡¯s because they were looking at each other from afar. The man¡¯s beautiful smile made his heart flutter. He was shining as if he had absorbed all the colors of the world. It was so enchanting that it was engraved in his eyes and heart.


    ¡°Sure enough, it¡¯s you. You were here all along.¡± The man whispered.


    Eunhan blinked his eyes stupidly at the voice that seemed to contain some joy.


    ***


    Eunhan was an orphan who didn¡¯t know who his parents were or what his real name was. All he knew was that he had been thrown into an orphanage at the dawn of a cold spring, wrapped in a large towel with the words ¡®The Axis of a Church¡¯.


    ¡°I thought someone threw the trash at our door.¡±


    Strangely, the woman woke up early that day and went outside to go to the mineral spring in the back mountain, and accidentally found a towel. She said he wouldn¡¯t have paid any attention to it if she hadn¡¯t suddenly heard a faint whimper from the towel.


    ¡°You were lucky. If I had found you a little later, you would have died.¡±


    And that was the only time Eunhan cried. Eunhan was gentle and quiet, and he did not cry like any other child. He was so docile that the caregivers often forgot to change his diaper.


    Life in the orphanage was rather ordinary. No one abused children or did anything horribly wrong like the news stories. However, Eunhan always felt lonely because the children were treated in a businesslike manner. He didn¡¯t feel like he belonged there.


    It was the same in his school days. The children had a crush on Eunhan, who had a pretty face, but when it was revealed that he was an orphan, they made fun of him as if it was his fault. There were one or two people hanging out with him, but most of them did so because of the teacher¡¯s orders. Basically, no one really wanted to get to know him.


    The adults used Eunhan as a ¡®teacher of misfortune¡¯. In volunteer work, they pointed to Eunhan and told their children about how miserable it is to be an orphan, living without parents. They should be grateful to be living with mom and dad. That was the price Eunhan paid for their cheap sympathy. No one paid attention to Eunhan¡¯s sadness as he looked at the back of those families as they returned to their cars while holding hands with their parents.


    By the time he reached middle school, Eunhan¡¯s world became narrower. The other children ran around after school in the PC room, cram school, and so on, but Eunhan had to return to the orphanage right away to help the nursery teachers. He didn¡¯t have time for himself. The nursery didn¡¯t see him as a child to be protected anymore, it was their argument that he had to do his part because he was this old.


    Sadly, in Eunhan¡¯s 23-year life, the only person who truly thought about him was the grandmother who lived next to the orphanage. She lost contact with her grown children and lived by picking up waste papers. By chance, Eunhan helped her push her cart, and they formed a relationship. The grandmother liked him very much, so she asked him to visit often or bought snacks for him with a few thousand won from selling her waste paper. She praised him for doing well if he did well on the exam, and she rejoiced as if it was her own happiness, and she sometimes forcibly poked the folded thousand won into his pocket, giving him pocket money.


    Whenever that happened, Eunhan didn¡¯t refuse. He used the money to buy soft bread or fruit that the grandmother liked and shared it with her. It was a happy time. It made him wonder what it would be like to have a family. To the extent that he earnestly prayed every night that this moment would last forever. Because no one else had ever given Eunhan such sincere warmth and kindness.


    However, the relationship between the lonely old woman and the lonely boy did not last more than several months. The grandmother died.


    The boy who wasn¡¯t lonely became a lonely boy again. His body, which had been thrown from the light to the dark in an instant, was miserable. His heart had lost its warmth, he felt vain and sad. And, Eunhan, who had become an adult without time to grieve, had to leave the orphanage.


    Society was not easy. Most of them tried to take advantage of Eunhan¡¯s shyness. Some flirted with his pretty face, and some harassed him. Even if he tried to open their hearts, people did not show their sincerity to Eunhan. In a bleak society, everyone lived for themselves, and they were just strangers entangled in work. No one offered Eunhan a friendly hand like that grandmother, who would buy him soybean cake.


    Therefore, Eunhan was embarrassed by the strange man who was talking as if he knew him. After coming here, the only person he greeted was an old woman from the noodle stall. ¡®Who is this man? Did he mistake me for someone else? Is it possible that he is confused because I¡¯m dirty and have a swollen face?¡¯


    Embarrassed, Eunhan tried to get away, but the man came first.


    ¡°I am too late¡­ It must have hurt a lot.¡±


    Eunhan flinched at his sigh. The man¡¯s eyes, which had been mild a moment ago, were shining coolly as they passed through Eunhan¡¯s wounds. Eunhan was very puzzled as the man looked angry wherever he looked. The person who was beaten stood still, and he felt it was kind of funny that a handsome man with a rare appearance whom he had only seen for the first time today, was angry on his behalf.


    Even so, Eunhan felt flustered and opened his mouth, thinking that he should say thank you.


    Thank y¡­


    For a moment, he felt dizzy and his words were not clear. His stamina was low because he hadn¡¯t eaten properly for several days. He was also beaten so hard that he couldn¡¯t even walk now. His vision was gradually blurring, and he felt like he was going to collapse at any moment. Just then, the man said,


    ¡°Will you come with me?¡±


    Eunhan hesitated. ¡®You want me to go with you just because you saw me?¡¯ The man was doing Eunhan a favor as if he knew that he had nowhere to go. Eunhan did not understand his continued kindness. What he had done so far was enough. He was still holding him, even.


    ¡®What a weird guy.¡¯ Still, he didn¡¯t feel like pushing him and running away. Perhaps it¡¯s because he¡¯s the only one who came to his rescue when everyone was on the sidelines. Or perhaps it¡¯s because he got angry about the violence that happened to him as if it was his own. Eunhan himself did not know.


    As Eunhan hesitated, a look of nervousness lingered in the man¡¯s eyes. He smiled brightly again and urged softly. It was a colorful smile that was like a flower in full bloom. Eunhan looked at him, lost in his mind.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    The wind blew just in time. Eunhan frowned at the dust coming in, and the man raised his sleeve to cover his face. Due to the long hem of his robe, Eunhan could only see him through the shaded view. The man was waiting for his own answer.


    As Eunhan stumbled in the dizziness that came over him, the man quickly supported his body firmly. For a moment, the faint scent of his body was caught, tickling the tip of Eunhan¡¯s nose, and a cozy warmth touched his cheek. Eunhan, who was about to say thank you for helping him not to fall, frowned at the sudden growling.


    ¡®¡­ I feel like throwing up.¡¯


    He coughed dryly and swallowed the sour water that came up. He had been enduring it for a while, but suddenly his condition was rapidly deteriorating.


    There was pain anywhere in the body, but his head that had hit the ground hurt the most. Eunhan became impatient and anxious at his flickering vision and grabbed the man¡¯s forearm strongly. Red blood trickled down his lips.


    ¡°¡­ han? Calm down.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice rang out loudly. Eunhan fell forward. It really hurt. It hurts now more than when he was beaten up before. ¡®Why is this happening all of a sudden?¡¯ Suddenly, fear came over.


    In an instant, the wind blew past his collar. Through his shaking body, he realized that the man was holding him and running towards somewhere. A voice shouted, ¡°General Wei,¡± could be heard sporadically in his exhausted ears.


    Eunhan blinked his eyes a few times, then slowly closed his eyelids in the darkness that came in. He had to come to his senses, but his body was losing strength. ¡®I don¡¯t think I should sleep like this, but I keep getting sleepier.¡¯ He wanted to say something to the man, but no sound came out of his weakly open mouth.


    He could see the full moon, which had swelled up because of his blurry vision, floating faintly. Only the full moon was strangely clear. Why is that? Eunhan, feeling strange, reached out towards the moon, but obviously, he couldn¡¯t reach it.


    It was a fruitless effort.

 CH 3

    Danguk (ˆF‡ø) is the largest empire among the many countries located in the south. The day of the Wei (ί) family, a family that has contributed to the founding of this country, and a prestigious family famous for producing generals for generations, begins at dawn.


    Smoke was rising from the kitchen in the southeast hall, as food was being prepared. The large garden at the center of the estate, and the west hall where various miscellaneous rooms such as warehouses, magic rooms, and lodgings for servants, were crowded with people.


    In contrast, the east side, where the study, small garden, and guest quarters were located, was relatively calm and peaceful. But the most tranquil one was the main house, the residence of the head of the family, which stood magnificently by the large independence gate in the northwest.


    Hyun (Ðþ), the only servant who could freely move around the main house, walked silently but nimbly, with a small water jar in his hand. The water fluttering inside was the dew he had collected from the flower garden diligently since early in the morning. It had been raining for a few days, so he couldn¡¯t go to the flower garden, but today, it was sunny, and he was able to collect the dew. Hyun smiled as he remembered the master of the Wei family, who had tilted his head over and over again as he drank tea the other day, saying that he felt that the taste of the water was different from usual.


    It was one of his little joys to watch the man drinking tea with the morning dew that he had been waiting for. Hyun¡¯s cheeks were slightly raised as he felt proud for completing this important task today.


    It has been over a year since Hyun started collecting dew every morning. It started after thinking about whether there was anything to be done for the owner who likes to drink tea. Thanks to that, he had to get up early in the morning, but he quickly got used to it. No, compared to the owner who had brought an orphan who had no ties with him to his home, healed his wounds, and gave him a job, this was not a lot of hard work.


    Hyun carefully opened the middle door of the black lacquered main house, and then greeted the masked man standing next to the door with a slightly tense face. On the chest of the masked man whose whole body was tightly wrapped in black cloth other than his eyes, the words Wei (ί) were clearly embroidered.


    The man, Zhang Yu, asked in a soft voice.


    ¡°It looks like you got dew from the flower garden today.¡±


    Hyun quietly nodded. At the familiar voice, his stiff eyes slowly loosened. It seems he is on duty today.


    ¡®It¡¯s uncomfortable because you don¡¯t know who is who because of the mask.¡¯


    These masked people take turns guarding the main house, but they have similar physique and atmosphere, so unless the other side opens their mouth, you can¡¯t tell who they are. The man he spoke to today, Zhang Yu, was at least a little familiar with Hyun.


    ¡°Master is still sleeping, so give me the water jar.¡±


    Zhang Yu spoke kindly and held out his hand, and Hyun handed him the water jar.


    ¡°Warm up your hands and go in. It will be bad if you wake up the master with those cold hands.¡±


    Zhang Yu took out a bag of warm stones and handed it to Hyun.


    Hyun hesitated for a moment at Zhang Yu¡¯s favor, but accepted it in the end. Despite the passage of time, it was still difficult for him to speak up. If it was given to him by someone else, though, he would have shook his head and refused.


    Hyun replied to him in a slightly clumsy Danguk. The pronunciation was a bit inaccurate, but not to the point of being incomprehensible.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He hurriedly warmed his cold fingertips through the fabric. He had other work to do besides collecting the dew, so he had to hurry.


    Thinking that his hands had gotten a bit lukewarm, he handed the bag to Zhang Yu.


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    Zhang Yu took the bag and glanced at Hyun¡¯s white and pretty face. His cheeks and the tip of his nose were still red, and his lips were blue. Nevertheless, Zhang Yu did not recommend Hyun to warm up a little more, as he thought he¡¯d only feel more embarrassed if he tried to be more hospitable and took care of him more.


    Instead, he gently lifted his head and looked up at the sky. It was a clear morning, and the early morning light was completely gone.


    He asked the boy in front of him in a soft voice.


    ¡°Soon it will be time for the master to rise. What should be done?¡±


    ¡°Uh, umm¡­ I¡¯ll go.¡±


    After Hyeon answered Zhang Yu in a sullen tone, he walked to the largest room in the main house.


    Standing in front of the master¡¯s bedroom, he took a deep breath before opening the door and fiddled with the sachet hanging from his waist. Even though it is something he does every time, he was always nervous at this time. As soon as he was ready, Hyun exhaled a big breath and opened the door with a determined expression.


    With all the windows closed, the still dark room was filled with silence. Only the calm and subtle scent emanating from the incense burner drifted quietly around. Hyun first opened the window to ventilate, and then entered the bedroom covered by a thin middle door and thick curtains. A faint sound of breathing could be heard through the curtains. It was uttered by Wei Jeokmyung, the head of the Wei family and the master of the prefecture.


    Hyun pushed the veil with his hand and tried to step further inward. But the long sleeve that suddenly popped out came first. It grabbed Hyun¡¯s wrist and pulled his little body inward strongly. In an instant, his body was turned over and his vision was reversed. Hyun slightly opened his mouth to breathe as his face gradually turned blue from the taut cloth under his neck.


    ¡°M-Master!¡±


    At the urgent cry, the cloth that had been squeezing his neck loosened for a moment. Hyun gasped a little and called him back.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    His voice was so delicate that it seemed it might break. The owner of the hand pulling the cloth flinched in response to it. After a while, the fingers where blue veins had been bulging out were loosened one by one, and the silky silk lost its use and slipped out.


    ¡°Cough. Cough.¡±


    Hyun coughed a little and calmed his startled heart. His heart was pounding and it felt like it was jumping out of his throat.


    This is not new to him because it happens every time, but sometimes there will be dizzying situations like today. He was scared every time, even though he knew he would stop along the way. Still, what woke him up steadfastly was that this person was his benefactor.


    Two years ago, he was the only person who saved ¡®Lee Eunhan¡¯, who fell into this world and was beaten by beggars. This person didn¡¯t stop there, he even nursed him back to health. He later heard that if he had not been treated that day, he could have lost half of his body for the rest of his life.


    That alone was a blessing that could not be repaid for the rest of his life, and Wei Jeokmyung provided Hyun with a place to eat and sleep, as well as a job. Not only he never questioned where he came from or why he couldn¡¯t speak well, and took care of him like his own family, the name Hyun (Ðþ) was also given to him.


    If he hadn¡¯t met the formidable man that day, if that man had not saved him, he would have been sold somewhere and led a miserable life and eventually died. Aside from needing to adapt to this alien world, his body that suddenly became young was extremely weak. It was even more so when he thought of the strange symptoms that suddenly came to him after falling here. Maybe he would be treated like a monster and suffer terrible things?


    Even calling this man a life saver was not enough. So this kind of threat was tolerable.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Hyun reached out his hand over the shoulder of Wei Jeokmyung. The large, hard body flinched for a moment, but then it became still. As the string carefully pulled the opponent¡¯s shoulder, his muscles, which had been pulled tight by tension, loosened slowly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Hyun muttered softly and gently stroked his nape and back. Every time he did that, his chest swelled up and then went out.


    Wei Jeokmyung.


    A man who is a single sword, a general, and the emperor¡¯s nephew. The man with this great position and background was the head of the Wei family, a prestigious family in Danguk, and his beautiful appearance earned him a high reputation abroad. In particular, many people admired him because he was not only a great general who ended the war, but also a scholar who was excellent enough to have an argument with the best scholar in Danguk.


    Although he seems to have nothing to fear in this world, he has been suffering from insomnia and nightmares for years.


    The nightmares dreamed of by Wei Jeokmyung are so horrendous that he cannot wake up for a long time unless someone wakes him up. So, before, the servants took turns waking him up, but it was also very difficult, and everyone was scared.


    Wei Jeokmyung disliked the presence of others, so he kept others from approaching him. The problem was that it was triggered unconsciously and he attacked those approaching to wake him up. Thus, subordinates who came into his bedroom must be prepared to get hurt every time.


    But strangely, this sensitivity was an exception for Hyun. An attack that extends all the way to another person stops in the middle only for him. After learning about this by chance, it was up to Hyun to wake up Wei Jeokmyung.


    Hyun was very surprised when he first found out that Wei Jeokmyung was suffering from nightmares, because he thought the owner of the Wei family was a great person who had nothing to fear in the world.


    In fact, when it comes to the name of General Wei Jeokmyung of Danguk, he is a perfect man that everyone envies. How can such a person suffer from a mere nightmare and cannot wake up properly?


    Of course, there was no reason to feel sorry for him. Hyun did not envy him even with his natural background and strength. Nevertheless, he was deeply saddened by Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s suffering. Strangely, he didn¡¯t want to see him struggling. He wanted to do anything if he could help this great person, even in the slightest. Suffering a bit to wake him up, risking being attacked like today was still fine. It was because this man was the only one who held onto himself, who had been shaken by fear and loneliness of this unfamiliar world two years ago.


    After a while, the harsh breathing became still, and the muscles of his back, which had been shaking greatly, became tense. The surrounding air, which had sank heavily, was relieved in an instant. Whoops. Wei Jeokmyung, who was burying his face in the nape of Hyun¡¯s neck, took a deep breath and smelled the incense. Then his head slowly lifted.


    Hyun looked at him very quietly, not even breathing. Sharp, cool energy seeped into his eyes. This scene of gathering the last dot of reason while staring at a beautiful figure that was like a doll was always fascinating.


    For a moment, their eyes met. A face converges on his insensitive retina, and the fiercely sharp gaze softens for a moment. The air that had been weighed down became lighter.


    ¡°Haaa.¡±


    After a while, Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s lips opened with a small sigh. Hyun sighed involuntarily and pricked up his ears. What flowed into his ears was a heavy bass sound that resonated deeply like a cave.


    ¡°¡­ Ah Hyun (ƒºÐþ). Why are you waking me up again?¡±

 CH 4

    Hyun smiled awkwardly and looked into Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s eyes. He was usually dissatisfied with Hyun waking him from his sleep, saying it was dangerous. Hyun¡¯s innocent eyes gently bent to a half-moon shape. He was under great pressure as Wei Jeokmyung stared at him wordlessly.


    After a moment, Wei Jeokmyung sighed and got up. When the massive weight that had been pressing on him disappeared, Hyun quickly got up.


    ¡°Hyun, sit here and let me take a look.¡±


    As soon as Hyun approached, Wei Jeokmyung took out the ointment and tilted his neck. A reddish mark remained on Hyun¡¯s pure white neck. His eyes widened as he looked at it.


    After Wei Jeokmyung woke up from his sleep, he would always pay close attention to Hyun¡¯s body and treat him. He lessened his power at the crucial moment, so Hyun wasn¡¯t seriously hurt. However, Hyun¡¯s skin was delicate, so it looked vivid. There was no way Wei Jeokmyung, who was accustomed to wounds and injuries, could not have known that. Nevertheless, he did his best as if the things on Hyun¡¯s body were fatal wounds.


    It was the same today. Wei Jeokmyung stared seriously at the red marks left on Hyun¡¯s body, and then began to apply the medicine with a careful hand.


    Hyun¡¯s shoulders stiffened. He bit his lips tightly as Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s long fingers brushed his neck lightly. As the cold ointment was rubbed against his skin, he felt numb and his toes curled. Every time his warm hand brushed the nape of his neck, he shivered. It was an odd feeling.


    ¡°Your wounds are endless. From now one, I¡¯ll tell the captain to never let you in. I can¡¯t help it because you won¡¯t listen every time I tell you.¡±


    He said in a stern tone while wiping the ointment in his hand. Hyun, who had been staring at his face, was surprised and answered in a slurred tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I want to help you, Master.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s helping me that you¡¯re not hurt. So promise me that you won¡¯t wake me up tomorrow.¡±


    Hyun was perplexed by the firm remark. Even yesterday, Wei Jeokmyung didn¡¯t speak so strongly, but today he was very determined.


    ¡°B- But¡­¡±


    Hyun hesitated. The master, who had always been generous and kind to him, seemed to have set his mind for this matter.


    ¡°You wake me up with scars on your body, but what do you think of me looking at it? The reason you don¡¯t listen to me after I asked so many times is probably because punishment isn¡¯t scary. Will you finally listen to me when I¡¯m angry?¡±


    Hyun hesitated and avoided his gaze. He gets mad at something like this? That Wei Jeokmyung? He couldn¡¯t believe it. Wei Jeokmyung sighed at that pitiful appearance.


    ¡°You¡¯re being stubborn.¡±


    Hyun looked at the accusations that were hanging around his lips. Others would not care if anyone else got hurt or not because their work comes first, but Wei Jeokmyung puts the safety of the servant first. Can a person be that kind? What¡¯s the big deal with such a wound? You¡¯ll get better if you take the medicine anyway. The threat he made was a bit scary, but it was only a fleeting moment anyway. Rather, seeing Wei Jeokmyung kept holding back made Hyun want to help more and didn¡¯t want to give up.


    So, as soon as Wei Jeokmyung finished with the treatment, Hyun got up from his seat, bowed in silence, and ran out of the room. He didn¡¯t say he wouldn¡¯t do it until the end, so there was no promise. If he gets scolded for waking him up from a nightmare again tomorrow morning, just say, ¡°When did I ever promise that.¡± It was a bold move that Hyun could do because he knew that Wei Jeokmyung could not be angry with him in the end, even if he said it harshly this time.


    Anyway, he woke him up safely today, regardless of injured or not. Hyun was so proud of it that he smiled lightly as he ran down the hallway.


    ***


    Everyone in the Wei family knew that the head of the Wei family cared for one of his servants. No, the word ¡°care¡± was not enough. Except for Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s bedroom, the best room among the numerous rooms in the main house and most of the clothes and stationery provided by the Imperial Palace were used and occupied by Hyun. He ate like a young master of a restaurant, and when sick, a doctor who took care of the Wei family¡¯s immediate family made and decocted medicine for Hyun. His meals were served with Wei Jeokmyung, and on days when he was busy, a maid brought Hyun¡¯s food to his doorstep. The ingredients for Hyun¡¯s food were all the same as those on Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s table.


    While others were sweating from hard work, Hyun sat next to Wei Jeokmyung and drank expensive tea while learning to read. On the full moon of every month, even though he was ill and locked up in his room doing nothing, his salary still came out like other servants. There are no other servants with this kind of good luck in this world. Because of this, many people complained that they did not know whether they had hired a new servant or if they were serving a new master.


    Before entering the palace, Wei Jeokmyung asked Hyun to ¡°do nothing today and go back to your place to rest.¡± Following his words, Hyun returned to his room and laid down on the bed, sighing deeply. He rubbed his body with a melancholy look on his face.


    Hyun did not like the full moon every month. It was because of the strange symptoms that came only on that day. The strange symptoms that started all of a sudden were like hell for him. The pain that came was terrible, and he was afraid that this bizarre thing didn¡¯t happen to anyone else in this world. The scariest thing about it was that it only came on the full moon without any warning, as if he had to remember that the day he came to Danguk was during a full moon.


    A tragic secret that no one can tell. This is too strange to be called a disease, so he couldn¡¯t go to the doctor and get the pulse checked. Even the person who is going through it finds it hard to believe, let alone other people. Thanks to this, he couldn¡¯t even get any medicine, and had to suffer from exhaustion every time.


    ¡ªI¡¯m happy enough if they don¡¯t point fingers at me saying I¡¯m a monster.


    Hyun mumbled in his mother tongue and smirked, then rubbed his belly with his hand. He didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of his mood, but it felt like a dull pain was spreading from the inside out.


    When he first experienced this symptom, it started with abdominal pain like this. It started to throb little by little as if the muscles below were clumped up, and they soon became a great pain that weighed down the limbs, which continued until he was finally half-fainting.


    The continuous pain was so long and painful that it was perfect to drive people crazy. At first, you feel a small dull pain, and after a while, you feel a throbbing sensation in your bones, but as time goes on, it becomes so violent that you can¡¯t even come to your senses.


    Hyun clenched his teeth in the sudden pouring pain and grabbed the blanket as if he was about to tear it apart. His bones throbbed and his muscles and tendons ached as if they were on fire. It felt like his body was being beaten with a huge hammer. He took a deep breath and tried to ease his pain. Every time that happened, his tightened neck and clenched chin blazed like it was about to burst. The room was filled with scorching heat.


    ¡ªHeuphh¡­ Why is it like this today¡­


    Unable to finish speaking, Hyun swallowed a moan. The symptoms were particularly severe today.


    He sobbed and struggled. It felt like someone was pulling him up and down. The muscles and flesh that had swelled up seemed like they were about to burst. The strong veins wrinkled in color. Blood-stained eyes, lips dripping with saliva from pain, and arms and legs that were twisted oddly.


    There was something rattling in his body, moving little by little, very slowly. The sensation of delicately moving fine muscles and bones was terrifying. An invisible hand was framing his body like a doll. Dozens of times his shoulders twisted and re-fitted and his ankles turned and returned dozens of times. Heat rose from the skin and slipped out, stretching as if the skin was torn.


    The pain passed slowly with time. Hyun continued to faint and wake up repeatedly. In fact, there was no such thing as fainting. Whenever he was about to lose his mind, the pain came and forced him to wake up.


    ¡ªIt, It hurts so much¡­ Someone, please¡­!


    Hyun cried sadly. It¡¯s something that happens every month, but it¡¯s a pain he never gets used to. It was sad that he had to endure and keep it alone without being able to tell anyone. It was true that he was accustomed to loneliness, so it was okay to suffer on his own, but in the face of such pain, it was futile. ¡®How wonderful it would be if someone held my hand and endured it together.¡¯


    ¡°A, Aaagh! Aaaaagh!¡±


    In a moment, his arms suddenly grew longer with a crackling sound. Hyun could not even breathe properly due to the shock and opened her mouth wide. A faint shadow shook wildly in the whitish room where a single candle had not been lit. A scorching heat rises through his trembling body. Ba-dukk. Kwa-dukk. The sound of something clashing and hitting each other continued non-stop. A tearful scream was added in the end.


    After a while, a long hand fell under the bed with a thud. At the same time, silence came.


    In the end, the white hands that fell like a corpse, perhaps due to the owner fainting, were too long and graceful for a boy. The feet that stick out of the blanket were also those of an adult and are quite large. Surprisingly, the face drooping over the sweaty pillow was a rare beauty, and had the appearance of a full-fledged youth.


    The young man exhaled weakly and was unconscious for a long time. A stream of tears hanging from the tip of his long eyelashes grazed to the side of his ear, and the warm, sultry air descended over his sweaty naked body.


    After such a dreadful night, when dawn came, changes began to take place in his unmoving body. The sound of the body drooping without strength, the creaking, and the twisting of the bones continued again. His body jumped like a fish out of the water under the bizarre noise that seemed to tear the skin. The limbs that had been elongated were gradually shrinking. The knitted forehead, swollen lips from chewing, and round cheeks covered in sweat were pale and pitiful.


    Then the morning sun rose, and on the bed was not a young man, but a boy who might be around fifteen. His small hands and feet, long and slender limbs, and his small and fragile body were all tangled in the blanket and did not even move. Only the sound of breathing exhausted from pain continues thinly. It was as if the young man who had been lying on the bed a while ago was an illusion created by the full moon.


    He finally found peace.

 CH 5

    It was around shinsi (15:00 to 17:00) when Hyun woke up. He frowned at his throbbing body. The bones were tingling, the muscles were aching, and the skin was sticky. His eyes were swollen and hard to open properly, and his throat was so hoarse.


    ¡ªHuu¡­ I¡¯m so tired.


    As soon as he got up, he felt dizzy and leaned on the table for a while. His stomach was upset at the beginning, but as time passed, it seemed to be getting a little more tolerable.


    With a melancholy expression, Hyun dipped a dry cloth in the water he had prepared in advance and wiped his body and washed his face with difficulty. Then he gathered his wet clothes and blankets and changed into new ones.


    Even after two years had passed since falling to Danguk, Hyun was still unfamiliar with his youthful body. But, he knew he couldn¡¯t keep getting frustrated, so he struggled to survive. Behind him, he had the help of a great man who took good care of him. He was the only one who stood by his fearful side when he was feeling lonely in this world.


    Hyun didn¡¯t open his heart to Wei Jeokmyeong right from the beginning. Even though he did save him, he was a stranger, so how could Hyun believe him easily? Without knowing where he was or why he was here, he wasn¡¯t desperate enough to open his heart to the beautiful but merciless man.


    In the first few weeks he entered the Wei Estate, Hyun could hardly sleep. He understood what they were saying, but they were not able to understand what he was saying, and Hyun was afraid of the sudden change of environment. Deep in his heart, the thought that he might never be able to return to Korea again crept up. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t shake this ominous feeling.


    The taste buds that were accustomed to stronger seasoning could not accept the food here, the bed was very hard, and everything in life, including washing, was inconvenient. There was also a limit to communicating with gestures. He was gradually getting tired.


    He missed Seoul and Korea. He had no one waiting for him, but it was better than here, where everything was unfamiliar and awkward. He just hated everything.


    ¡®How long has it been?¡¯ Hyun was exhausted from fear and depression. Maybe his mind got younger along with his body, and his tears flowed like a child. Even though he was usually silent all day, he often burst into tears at the sudden surge of sadness.


    That day too, unable to overcome the sadness, he was squatting alone at the end of the corridor and crying. By the time he heard a sound, Wei Jeokmyung had already come closer. He looked at Hyun, whose eyes were swollen with tears, and suddenly reached out his hand. Surprised by the sudden contact, Hyun struggled hard and punched him in the shoulder, but Wei Jeokmyung did not care and gently stroked Hyun¡¯s back, letting Hyun vented his frustration just like that.


    ¡ªL- Let me go! Leave me alone!


    ¡°You can cry more if that can make you feel comfortable.¡±


    Hyeon, exhausted from the effort, eventually gave up on pushing him away and just cried, pouring out all his tears and runny nose. The occasional burst of Korean contained a lot of sadness.


    ¡®What did I do wrong to come to this place? I don¡¯t like those people who beat me, I hate this place, I hate everything. I want to go back to Korea. I want to go back. Please send me back.¡¯


    How many hours had he cried? Only after Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s front was wet with tears and mucus did Hyun become silent. Wei Jeokmyung continued to gently stroke Hyun¡¯s back as if to comfort him. Hyun looked at Wei Jeokmyung with his runny nose and tear-stained face. His face was full of pity for Hyun rather than displeasure.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Everything will be alright.¡± Wei Jeokmyung whispered, ¡°I will do everything for you, so don¡¯t cry alone. I will lend you my arms at any time. So don¡¯t be like this, okay?¡±


    Tears welled up again at the warm words. The sadness melted away at the reassurance that everything would be okay without even asking why. He thought he was alone here too, but this man didn¡¯t seem to think so. His warm embrace was a great comfort. His heart was melting at the sincere warmth that he had tasted for the first time in a long time, or maybe the first time in forever. Hyun thought why is this man so nice to him?


    After his neighbor¡¯s grandmother died, Hyun had been alone again. People who were longing for affection deliberately approached Hyun, and some others tried to exploit his cheap labor. Even orphans, their personal information could be money, and some orphanages approached them on purpose to receive some private loans.


    After knowing this, some orphans began to whisper that they didn¡¯t need a sponsor, and some others aimed for a deposit in a semi-underground rent room the size of a mouse¡¯s tail. Hyun, who was tired of loneliness, was delicious food for everyone.


    Still, he tried to trust and depend on people because he didn¡¯t like being alone. Until that one older brother, who worked in the same factory and became close friends with him, stole Hyun¡¯s money and stamps that he had saved for half a year. There was even a debtor who paid a visit because that friend had done something in Hyun¡¯s name.


    After suffering a lot from them, Hyun decided not to trust people anymore. He had a short life of twenty-three, and his neighbor grandmother was the only one who did not ask for conditions from him.


    So he couldn¡¯t easily believe in Wei Jeokmyung. ¡®He must have wanted something too. What kind of conspiracy does he have in mind?¡¯ He kept doubting that he brought him here to satisfy himself with his poor sympathy.


    Wei Jeokmyung did not reproach Hyun and supported him. He didn¡¯t think it was strange even if Hyun, who was not familiar with this place, made a mistake in everyday actions that anyone in Danguk should¡¯ve known. He explained one by one step by step as if it was natural for him to be this clumsy, and comforted him for being overly cautious.


    There was no pretense in Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s actions. He gave before Hyun asked for anything, and if Hyun was wary, he took a step back and smiled softly. Food, clothes, and things were tasted and used first by Hyun, and he did not feel lonely anymore. He was the one who strictly forbade others to enter the main building, but he allowed a maid to enter for Hyun¡¯s sake.


    As time passed, Hyun could no longer turn away from reality. It means that this world is real, and the fact that Wei Jeokmyung is sincere towards him. Also, this is the world in which he will live in the future.


    After being comforted in Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s arms, Hyun did his best to adapt somehow. He served alongside Wei Jeokmyung, trying to get used to his surroundings. However, as if to ridicule his efforts, in less than two months after he entered the Wei Estate, his body began to change, back to his original form, the state of an adult.


    In order to live in this unfamiliar world, he thought it would be better to be an adult than to look young, so he was very happy at first. It was definitely the case until morning, when he returned to his boyish form again.


    What was more painful was that this change was not a one-off. He didn¡¯t know if it was a means to remember his previous life, or if there was something wrong when he fell to this place, but this strange phenomenon, which regularly comes every full moon, made Hyun realize that he was strange. It was a terrible mockery of fate.


    Hyun did not disclose this symptom to anyone else. Even to Wei Jeokmyung, he was completely silent. He was afraid of what he would think if he found out that he could turn into an adult at certain times. He didn¡¯t want to be lonely anymore.


    Those were anxious days. He was anxious because he didn¡¯t know when the secret would be revealed. He locked himself in his room every night of the full moon on the pretext of being sick, but he could not be reassured as he was nearly caught once in his adult appearance by Wei Jeokmyung. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he could fool him.


    Hyun opened the door and checked the small foobox on the floor. Inside were meat porridge, seasoned stir-fried vegetables, and pills wrapped in paper. The food was delivered by Hyang, a maid who works in the kitchen, and the medicine was packed and sent by Wei Jeokmyeong via the general manager.


    Wei Jeokmyung did not know what kind of disease Hyun had, and each time after the night of the full moon, he made a pill to maintain Hyun¡¯s body. Hyun, who could not bear to tell the truth, had his conscience pricked, but, thinking of his sincerity, chewed the pill diligently and swallowed it. He had been starving the whole time he was sick, and even the bitter pills tasted very sweet.


    After a while, he left the room with the food box. He was thinking of bringing it to the kitchen.


    The northwest main building was the largest and most magnificent among the other places of the Wei Estate. Hyun had already been working here for two years, but he still didn¡¯t know every inch of this estate. He had heard that only people of the Wei family would have enough energy to cover every inch of this place, but he didn¡¯t believe it.


    Hyun tried to bow down to the masked man who guarded the door leading to the outside, but found blood in his uncovered eyes. Hyun frowned. It seems that this masked man was the victim who woke up Wei Jeokmyung from his sleep in place of Hyun today.


    ¡°Master will be leaving the palace soon. Where are you going?¡± Said the masked man while opening the door.


    Every time they saw Hyun, they informed him of Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s every move even if Hyun didn¡¯t ask for it. At first, Hyun was puzzled by their actions, but now that it had become a daily routine, these notifications had become very familiar.


    Hyun pointed at the food box in his other hand with his finger.


    ¡°Ah, you are going to the kitchen. Yes, I understand.¡±


    Hyun bowed to him and exited the middle door.


    Even in the pre-war period, the Wei family lived a modest and crude life compared to the size, fame, and wealth of the family. As a general, he focused only on his personal training ground, weapons, and magic, but only managed the landscaping of corridors, gardens, gardens, and ponds to the extent that he did not dislike it. The current view would not have been possible had it not been for the large-scale construction work of Princess Kiryo, the younger sister of the current emperor, when she got married to the Wei family.


    Hyun was passing through the neatly maintained garden, and when he heard the voice of someone calling him, he hurried his steps.


    ¡°Hyun! Ah Hyun!¡±


    He tried to ignore it by pretending he didn¡¯t hear it, but the main character of the voice came first. Hyun frowned at the wretched hand that grabbed his shoulder as the other party hurriedly approached him.

 CH 6

    The other party looked like a bear with a large, bloated body. He looked at Hyun¡¯s face for a moment and smiled faintly.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    The man, Dangchil, asked.


    Dangchil was the only child of his mother, a cook who could be said to be the leader of the kitchen, and was a prodigal with a quick-tempered and bad reputation. Every time he saw Hyun, he would blatantly flirted with, as it was not a problem having a lover of the same sex because the custom of Danguk tolerantly allows homosexuality (”àÐä).


    [”àÐä is literally ¡®broken sleeve¡¯ in Chinese. If you are familiar with CN novel, you will recognize this term as the way they describe ¡®homosexuality¡¯ in ancient times.


    The origin of this (short version by me): Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty was about to go to the Imperial court one morning, however, his sleeve was held down by Dong Xian, his lover, a male. The emperor was afraid of waking up his lover if he pulled his sleeve, so he cut it off with a knife, showing the depth of his love. Therefore, a broken sleeve.]


    Hyun often saw Dangchil blatantly flirting with other people other than him as well. It was simply disgusting, because he treats people like they were insignificant and acts depending on his mood. He even shouts when he¡¯s ashamed. Which one of those who have rejected him in the Wei estate have not suffered from humiliation? There were cases of minor violence as well, he was literally a little tyrant.


    Instead of answering, Hyun twisted in his grip and tried to get out of his hand. However, Dangchil used his strength and physique to relentlessly pull Hyun, so Hyun had no choice but to be embraced by him. Dangchil had just returned from working in the barn. His body had a foul odor.


    ¡°Every time I see you, I feel refreshed. How good would it be if you¡¯re as obedient as your gentle-looking face?¡±


    It was a terrifying sentence. Hyun, whose body was trembling from the absurdity, lost his reasoning, clenched his teeth and pushed him, but Dangchil did not move. Rather, he groaned and continued his words.


    ¡°You are reticent, but you are not dumb. Just saying ¡®yes¡¯ will look pretty with this face.¡±


    His gaze tenaciously scanned Hyun¡¯s neatly set front hair, round forehead, and his two swollen eyes and plump lips.


    Hyun was a great beauty. It was surprising when the skinny and unsightly boy, who was like a newborn baby beast two years ago, turned out like this after some care. Every time Danchil saw him, his heart was tickled. Even though Hyun was still young, Dangchil¡¯s eyes were drawn to him, and he was already looking forward to how much more beautiful he will become when he is fully grown and bloomed. When one is unsure, one should mark the target with their saliva in advance. However, Hyun is the master¡¯s only servant, so his position was a bit different from the start. And Dangchil was even more annoyed by that.


    ¡°By the way, yesterday was the full moon, wasn¡¯t it? Did you get sick again? Your pretty face is all damaged, it¡¯s hurting me.¡±


    ¡ªWhat is this bastard talking about? Keep saying shits.


    ¡°Oho, you have to say it in Danguk.¡±


    As Hyun cursed in Korean, Dangchil smiled and caressed Hyun¡¯s face. Goosebumps and nausea rose as his hand stroked Hyun¡¯s soft cheek.


    Hyun raised his hand again and slammed Dangchil¡¯s shoulder hard. The moment Dangchil¡¯s body moved back slightly, Hyun took the opportunity and dropped down from him. Every time he saw him, Hyun felt extremely uncomfortable. Hyun frowned in disgust as the shoulders and cheek that had been touched felt like there were cockroaches crawling.


    It was a world where it is ordinary to have men as concubines of the high-ranked people, but it is just truly disgusting if the other party is a man such as Dangchil, who is basically an ugly pervert. It was so unfortunate for other people that he could run around everywhere just because his mother had the trust of the general.


    ¡°Go away. Don¡¯t touch. I hate it.¡±


    As Dangchil requested, Hyun spoke in Danguk language while rubbing his cheek roughly with his sleeve. Dangchil¡¯s face contorted at the blatant refusal. As he took a step closer with a smirk, Hyun quickly took two steps back.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I was just worried. Why are you being so sensitive? I only touched for a brief moment to deepen our friendship. Why are you driving me away? How strange. Is worrying about others a sin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go over there. Let go.¡±


    Dangchil stretched out his hand, but Hyun pushed him hard and found a way out. Even if they were similar in height, Dangchil had a very strong physique as typical male servants had, which couldn¡¯t be compared to Hyun¡¯s skinny body. As Dangchil tried to wrap his shoulders, Hyun slapped his hand and tried to run away. But this time, Dangchil came first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of going anywhere!¡±


    He moved his body menacingly to block Hyun and growled fiercely.


    ¡°Akh!¡±


    Hyun grabbed his shoulder and screamed at the wretched hand that was twisting his arm. His small and light body was immediately dragged to Dangchil.


    ¡°You keep running away no matter what I say. Every time I see you, I smile and try to be nice to you, but you must think of me as a clown? Have I done anything to you? They only say you¡¯re pretty, but they can¡¯t see that you¡¯re evil!¡±


    Hyun moved his head back and hit Dangchil¡¯s chin with it before trying to get away from his grip. But soon, he was grabbed again by his back and slumped helplessly.


    ¡°Aish. I bit my tongue. Fuck. Hey, come here. How can you ignore me when all I¡¯ve done is just caring for you.¡±


    Dangchil held onto Hyun¡¯s chin and crushed his stomach with his knee. Hyun hit Dangchil¡¯s shoulder with his fist and pushed him, but he didn¡¯t even budge.


    ¡°Damn it, how could you be so pretty.¡±


    Dangchil looked at Hyun¡¯s face and muttered, feeling ecstatic. His eyes were hazy. A disgusting smell emanated from Dangchil¡¯s wide-open mouth. Hyun felt like throwing up, so he closed his eyes tightly and shouted out loud.


    ¡°Go away!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    With that loud scream, the weight that had weighed on his body disappeared in an instant. Hyun was startled and slowly opened his eyes. A familiar silk robe flaps gracefully in the wind as someone grabs his waist and lifts him up.


    Hyun opened his eyes wide in the large arms that were almost embracing him. Tilting his gaze, sunlight poured down as if on purpose, making his primal sense run wild. The sight, the touch, and the sweet, tingling smell. Hyun¡¯s cheeks blushed at the subtle and solid body scent on the tip of his nose.


    The owner of the estate and the most beautiful and elegant man in Danguk was holding him in his arms and was pressing down on the servant of the family with his feet.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    Hyun called him with a voice full of relief. He was embarrassed to be seen like this in front of him, but on the other hand, he was relieved as he recalled the same warm arms that saved him from the beggars two years ago.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Asked Wei Jeokmyung.


    He must have just left the palace. He was dignified and beautiful in a neatly dressed uniform.


    Hyun gently nodded. He felt a slight tingling in his stomach that was crushed by Dangchil, but other than that, he was fine. Dirt on the cheeks could be washed later. Moreover, seeing Dangchil squirm like a worm under the feet of Wei Jeokmyung was delightful and hilarious.


    Dangchil was panting loudly with a pale blue face. He trembled and tried to swallow his saliva with his dry throat.


    There was no one who didn¡¯t know that Wei Jeokmyung loved Hyun. Is he not someone who only let his parents, the late princess and the prince consort, get close to him? Therefore, everyone was expecting Hyun to rise to a higher position sooner or later, perhaps something like a general manager.


    [prince consort: a princess¡¯ husband. So, basically. WJM¡¯s mother is Princess Kiryo the emperor¡¯s sister, who is mentioned in the last chapter. She married into the Wei family with WJM¡¯s father, making him the prince consort. This makes the emperor WJM¡¯s uncle, which is mentioned in Chapter 1.]


    Dangchil is one of those people who think that way, so he had an insidious idea of seducing Hyun in advance and making him his own. He thought that if Hyun became his concubine and spoke well of himself to the master, he wouldn¡¯t have to clean up horse dung any more.


    ¡®However, Master sees something like this¡­¡¯


    Dangchil was sweating profusely. If Hyun hadn¡¯t just screamed, he wouldn¡¯t have kicked him. He barely opened his mouth with a trembling voice to clear up the misunderstanding.


    ¡°M- Master, you are mistaken. I didn¡¯t do anything to Hyun.¡±


    ¡°Did he do anything to you?¡±


    With a cold voice, Wei Jeokmyung handed Hyun a handkerchief and beckoned him to wipe his face. Dangchil¡¯s lips were almost flattened to his left cheek. Hyun, who had a frown on his face, blushed in embarrassment and rubbed his cheek with the handkerchief. Every time the silk fabric moved up and down, the subtle scent of Wei Jeokmyung slowly permeated, dissipating the uncomfortable feeling.


    Wei Jeokmyung gave more strength to the foot that was crushing Dangchil and questioned him strongly.


    ¡°Then what did I just see?


    ¡°T- That¡­ I just¡­¡±


    Dangchil quickly shook his head. It was true that he was pressing Hyun¡¯s body. To the undeniable truth, he sweated profusely and uttered crude excuses.


    ¡°Because I longed for Hyun¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    At the absurd remark, Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s eyebrows twitched wildly.

 CH 7

    Dangchil looked into Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s eyes and made up his mind. He thought it would be better to act shamelessly this way. He is the one who is trusted by the governor, who knows what kind great things he will be trusted with in the future. Above all, marriages between family members are very common, so if Hyun had the heart, even his master, Wei Jeokmyung, would not be able to stop it. Dangchil smiled at Wei Jeokmyung and disguised his intent.


    ¡°I- I was out of my mind for a while because I couldn¡¯t overcome my overflowing heart. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¨C What kind of bullshit are you talking about?


    Hyun, who had regained his senses, unknowingly made a loud noise, but Dangchil didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I love Hyun with all my heart. So please, allow me to marry Hyun. I will cherish him for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡®What is that pervert bastard talking about now?¡¯ Hyun exhaled harshly and clenched his fists. ¡®Is the way he treats someone he longs for by forcefully pushing himself onto that person if they don¡¯t even like him?¡¯ Moreover, he directly appealed to Wei Jeokmyung. Dangchil did not even care about Hyun, the other party who was directly involved. With an unhappy heart, Hyun lifted his gaze and looked at Wei Jeokmyung. Hyun was so angry that he couldn¡¯t even speak out. Fortunately, Wei Jeokmyung did not turn away from his injustice.


    ¡°How could it be a mistake to harass someone forcibly? If you like Ah Hyun so much, you won¡¯t treat him so roughly even if he doesn¡¯t like you.¡±


    A cold voice penetrated Dangchil¡¯s ears.


    ¡°H- Hiiyy! I- I didn¡¯t mean that.¡±


    Dangchil trembled and begged for forgiveness. His body felt like it was going to collapse at the intangible energy that was pressing on him.


    ¡°I am not the one you need to apologize to.¡±


    ¡°Hyun ah, I- I¡¯m sorry. Master, forgive me. Please have mercy on me.¡±


    Dangchil, who was now having a hard time even just to breathe, cried and begged. But, Wei Jeokmyung was not moved.


    ¡°How dare you wag your tongue recklessly to deceive Hyun and me. Seungjo!¡±


    A black shadow suddenly appeared at Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s call and bowed down in front of him. On the man¡¯s back was embroidered a large inscription Wei (ί).


    ¡°Did you call, my lord?¡±


    ¡°Take him away and beat him with 50 lashes. Put him in a pit and starve him for 3 days. Not even a drop of water should be given.¡±


    ¡°I- I was wrong! P- Please forgive me!¡±


    ¡°Silence! Carve your sins deep in your bones.¡±


    Realizing that there was no way out of Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s severe sentence, Dangchil wept like a child. Since he was raised dearly, he had never been properly beaten in the calf even by his mother. 50 lashes of whip might break his flesh, or perhaps break a bone. This punishment was too harsh for just teasing a young servant. But Wei Jeokmyung was a cold-hearted man who had no mercy for anyone other than Hyun.


    ¡°Take him away.¡±


    ¡°As you command.¡±


    Seungjo lifted Dangchil, who was crying under Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s feet. After suppressing his struggle, they disappeared somewhere.


    ¡®Serves you right for speaking nonsense.¡¯


    For a brief moment, Hyun thought that the punishment was excessive, but then he shook his head. Considering the fact that Dangchil has been harassing not only himself but also other people, this punishment was appropriate.


    ¡°You look unhappy. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Hyun slightly shook his head at Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s question. He felt uncomfortable showing him such a bad look, but what more could he do?


    ¡°Why are you lying to me when your beautiful eyes are drooping?¡±


    Hyun avoided his gaze at Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s soft voice as he gently stroked his cheek. He couldn¡¯t fool Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s eyes either.


    Wei Jeokmyung suddenly took something out of his sleeve and put it in his mouth. Hyun¡¯s eyes widened as it entered his mouth. It was candy.


    Although he was sick of Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s meals, which include seasonal ingredients, fruits and sweets, to eat. Hyun liked him for taking care of himself like this every time. He even felt that those foods had changed his taste buds, as he originally did not like them.


    Wei Jeokmyung, who was watching Hyun as he happily rolled the candy in his mouth, said in a sarcastic tone.


    ¡°It still hurts to see that one candy makes you feel better.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m just smiling.¡±


    Hyun stuttered as his hand touched the corner of his mouth. Well, it¡¯s true that he was feeling better.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even greet this master who just returned from the palace. You like candy better than me.¡±


    Hyun immediately tried to bow his head at his teasing, but Wei Jeokmyung stopped him. ¡°Heh, you can¡¯t even joke around,¡± the words that followed filled Hyun with embarrassment.


    ¡°Did you get sick all night? You look worn out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°It looks like there¡¯s still low fever.¡±


    There was a slight feeling of weakness and slight throbbing all over his body, but it was better than last night. Above all, he didn¡¯t want to worry Wei Jeokmyung anymore. When Hyun resolutely said that it was okay, Wei Jeokmyung brought up a sentence that would appeal to his ears.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we go outside for a while to refresh ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Outside? Now?¡±


    ¡°I heard that today is the last day of the Spring Lantern Festival. If we prepare and go out now, it will not be too late. Unless it¡¯s hard on your body. So, what do you think?¡±


    The Spring Lantern Festival was the most grand and splendid of the spring festivals held in Gyeongwi, in which flower lanterns containing wishes were sent to the gods above. In particular, it was famous for lovers to confess their love while enjoying the river scenery. As a servant, who couldn¡¯t go out often, there was no reason to refuse such a good opportunity.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung grinned at Hyun¡¯s reply.


    He reached out and grabbed Hyun¡¯s hand. Hyun quickly blinked his eyes a couple of times at the warmth of his touching hand. His heart fluttered at the thought of an outing with Wei Jeokmyung.


    ***


    A red light spread across the sky, and the soft light descended calmly on the faces of people who were filled with excitement and anticipation. Hyun grabbed hold of Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s sleeve and stared blankly at the surrounding scenery. Behind the scenery gently painted by the sunset, people¡¯s voices tangled up in a loud noise. The wind was blowing gently.


    On one side of the road, a wandering musician sings loudly while playing pipa, and on the other side, a street performer spouts fire from his mouth and solicits. The surrounding area was quite noisy with an old woman selling various sweet snacks, and a merchant selling cheap trinkets and calling on young women to buy. The trees near the spring river were already lit one by one.


    Wei Jeokmyung protected Hyun through the crowd as if he knew the way well. After walking for a while, he stopped and made eye contact with Hyun. His eyes were very kind. As the rare handsome man smiled softly, the pace of passerby slowed and the number of glances at him increased. Many women covered their faces with their sleeves, cooling their reddened cheeks.


    ¡°What do you want to see first?¡±


    ¡°Ehm¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you going to walk as your heart leads?¡±


    At Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s words, Hyun licked his lips and hesitated. In other words, walking ¡®at will.¡¯ How could he dare drag Wei Jeokmyung around? Hyun was very used to his position, because the world was especially cold for orphans without money. The only thing he gained in life was the patience to endure scorn and insults. So it was very difficult for him to assert himself against someone like Wei Jeokmyung.


    Wei Jeokmyung, unaware of Hyun¡¯s hesitation, continued to look at his eyes at the same eye level. Hyun wiggled his hand inside his sleeve and bit his lip slightly. It¡¯s impossible to keep Wei Jeokmyung bending down on this crowded riverside.


    ¡°Hmm, I must have troubled you.¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung slowly straightened his back. He was tall and had a strong stature, so his head stood taller than the others.


    He smiled with a rare smile, the corners of his mouth widened as if he was pleasantly surprised by the troubled young servant. Hyun stared at it, lost in his mind. The gorgeous smile of the handsome man with the beautiful colored sunset behind him was difficult to bear. Like those people who were gasping and squealing around them, Hyun felt dizzy and was on the verge of collapse. His heart was beating as if he was running. If it hadn¡¯t been for the spring breeze that just passed by him, his cheeks would have been burned out sooner.


    ¡°Fine. Then we will do what I want. Are you okay with it?¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung asked affectionately while pulling the hair from Hyun¡¯s cheek with his fingers. Hyun nodded his head.


    ¡°Where would you like to be? Oh, right. Let¡¯s go to the night market. There must be a lot to see there.¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung said in a more cheerful tone than usual. It was different from his usual dignified appearance. Hyun then realized that he was only a young man of twenty-nine years old. He was too young to be considered a leader of a large family like the Wei family.


    Wei Jeokmyung. His surname is Wei (ί), name Jeokmyung (³àã‘), and alias Baekmi (°×β).


    Danguk¡¯s single sword and most handsome man. Wei Jeokmyung, who had been rolling around the battlefield since he was 10 years old and being called a demon by his enemies, was truly a cold-hearted man. He did not tolerate anyone approaching him, and he made reward and punishment clear with an overly fair attitude, which earned the fear and respect of his subordinates at once. Even the prince who was close to him, rated Wei Jeokmyung as an extremely cold-hearted being that could freeze others.


    Every time Hyun heard the rumor, he was puzzled. Wei Jeokmyung, who was reflected in Hyun¡¯s eyes, often stroked his hair tenderly, as well as his troubles.


    He was a kind man who took care of everything, so he wondered if the rumors outside were only made up because he was reluctant to let people close. To his eyes, the demon of Danguk didn¡¯t have a frozen heart like in the rumors.


    Wei Jeokmyung reached out and grabbed Hyun¡¯s little hand. Warmth came from his large hand. Hyun glanced at the man and slowly followed him. The tall man, with a large body and very long legs, had a stride similar to that of a young child that barely reached an adult¡¯s waist, allowing Hyun to admire his surroundings with great ease.


    So Hyun was unaware that Wei Jeokmyung was barely enduring the noisy environment instinctively, wriggling his fingers several times a second. Nor did Hyun realize that the muscles of Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s back were tense as if they were going to stretch out every time someone passed by behind him. The person who had just passed by roughly, almost hitting Hyun¡¯s shoulder, was knocked over by a tanji ball secretly shot by Wei Jeokmyung. Hyun was also not aware of a thief getting dragged by a person who was escorting them from afar, as he tried to pickpocket them.


    He didn¡¯t even notice that someone was staring at Wei Jeokmyung and himself from the high hall up there. Also, what was contained in that gaze was surprise and low curiosity.

 CH 8

    The vicinity of the river was very crowded with people buying and selling things here and there, as well as lovers giving each other flowers. There were a number of fast food stalls with tents set up around them. After ordering a cheap drink, the diners looked at the moon and recited poems.


    The sky¡¯s a river of stars, and the earth¡¯s a river of the moon. Near the riverside with unknown flowers, there were people who whispered their words. Flowers were covered in darkness, their presence only made known by their smell, and weeds were sticking out of the worn-out stones with many traces of it. On top of that, the melody of the geomungo, which was played by an unknown musician, rang loudly.


    (geomungo)


    Under the twinkling starry sky, warm willow cotton swayed with wild flowers. Excitement rose and died with the wailing moon. Romance was flowing in the pavilion built on the shore. People stumbled wildly, drunk by the mellow scenery. Whenever that happened, Wei Jeokmyung lifted up his sleeve and hid Hyun in his arms. As always, his embrace was firm and comfortable.


    Hyun moved his head wildly and looked around. The scenery of the lanterns hanging from the trees, moving in the sky in the gentle spring breeze is a very beautiful sight, but it became such a wonderful sight when miscellaneous things such as various ornaments and toys made of porcelain and silks were added together.


    Suddenly, Hyun¡¯s gaze rested on a group of women. Dressed in fine skirts, colorful lanterns, which bloomed like flowers, were tightly held in their arms.


    ¡°You are looking at the flower lantern (»¨Ÿô). It is said that if you light a lamp and make a wish by floating it in the river, it will come true.¡±


    At the same time, several lanterns floated along the river. A pure white lantern, reminiscent of a magnolia, was filled with warm light, illuminating the dark river. Then, beautiful flower lanterns of pink, yellow, and red flowed one after another. There were also women running wildly, blowing their own lantern, fearing that it might get caught on a rock or the bridge. The river embroidered with lanterns was another heaven on earth.


    ¡ª¡­ It¡¯s beautiful.


    ¡°Would you like to make a wish too?¡±


    Hyun, who had unintentionally mumbled in his mother tongue, was asked by Wei Jeokmyung. Hyun hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.


    There is always a price to pay as an equivalent exchange of good fortune. When he lived in Seoul, his life always paid a harsh price for happiness, which eventually became more miserable and cruel than before. So he didn¡¯t want to break the current serenity by making a frivolous wish.


    At that moment, a passerby bumped into Hyun. The man was so large in stature that Hyun¡¯s body was bounced.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    A long hand grabbed his waist and pulled him lightly before he fell forward. Hyun opened his mouth and took a deep breath.


    ¡°That could¡¯ve been dangerous.¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung whispered in Hyun¡¯s ear. It happened so quickly that he didn¡¯t even have time to react. Had it not been for Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s wits, he might have fallen straight into the river.


    As Hyun put his hand above his startled heart, Wei Jeokmyung suddenly knelt down on one of his knees and met his gaze. Wei Jeokmyung opened his mouth while lightly patting Hyun¡¯s back, who was breathing heavily.


    ¡°I think you slip more easily because your health hasn¡¯t recovered yet. Do you want to go back now if it¡¯s too hard for you?¡±


    Hyun shook his head. He wasn¡¯t seriously sick, and he only almost slipped once. It would be a pity if the outing was canceled because of this.


    ¡°Then we will go like this.¡±


    ¡°Waaa!¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung gently hugged Hyun¡¯s body as if he was holding a child. With a short scream, Hyun grabbed his hard neck as blushed appeared on his cheeks.


    Wei Jeokmyung often hugged Hyun even in the Wei estate, and each time he did, Hyun felt a strange feeling. Although he looks like a boy of about 11 years old, he is originally a young man of 25. It couldn¡¯t have been easier for a grown man to be held in the arms of another man.


    Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s arms were very wide and large without doubt, it was strong enough to feel good when leaning on it. But even that depends on the time and place. It was very embarrassing to be treated like a child in such a crowded place.


    ¡ªUwah¡­ To be seen by other people¡­


    Hyun murmured in shame and bowed his head over Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s broad shoulders. His cheeks were lightly pressed against his hard body, and his characteristic soft scent and body odor permeated his nostrils. His hand supporting his hip was strong, and the body temperature transmitted through his collar was warm.


    After coming to the Wei family, he no longer had to worry about what to eat and what to wear. Hyun still felt uncomfortable with Danguk¡¯s culture, but he no longer had to walk a long way to make money, or worry about utility bills. Parting with the wallpaper where mold was growing in the semi-basement room was also a nice thing.


    Still, there were times when he felt empty. Is it because he is an orphan? Hyun was always hungry for emotions. Sometimes the emptiness of his heart was more bitter than an empty stomach. During those moments, he could only deceive himself as if he was living well because he was busy making a living.


    However, it was said that when the human heart tricked itself, as the body became more comfortable, useless emotions would be raised to their heads instead. It was only when he came here that Hyun realized that he had been lonely to death. This is all because of the kind and compassionate Wei Jeokmyung. He awakened his loneliness. If there was any real truth to Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s kindness, Hyun would have taken a big bite, like trying to fill in the gaps.


    Even during this peaceful time, people kept bumping into them. Even the subordinates who secretly blocked passers-by so as not to obstruct Wei Jeokmyung and the Hyun¡¯s way couldn¡¯t fully restrain them.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this General Wei? To think that you out of all people showing up at this kind of place.¡±


    At this sharp, mocking voice, Wei Jeokmyung quickly hid Hyun into his arms. Then, he patted him on the back to calm him, who was bewildered by this sudden action.


    ¡°Quiet. Stay like this for a moment.¡±


    Still holding Hyun, Wei Jeokmyung slightly bowed his body.


    ¡°King Ya.¡±


    The man¡¯s, who was called ¡°King Ya¡±, forehead twitched wildly at his dry manner of greeting.


    King (Íõ) Shangguan Zhanya (³£¿îÑÜ).


    [Please read the Translator¡¯s note at the end of this chapter for a more detailed explanation.]


    The current empress¡¯s nephew and the emperor¡¯s favourite. The feudal king was narrow-minded, ferocious, insidious, and very ambitious. He often had a confrontation with his half-brother, the Crown Prince, by repeatedly provoking the prince in the hopes of becoming the next emperor. So, as the Crown Prince¡¯s right hand, Wei Jeokmyung had a very bad relationship with this man.


    [I am not sure how the empress¡¯ nephew can be the crown prince¡¯s half-brother at the moment, unless the empress¡¯ sister was one of the emperor¡¯s concubines.]


    ¡°If the emperor sees you now, he must be very happy. General Wei, who is reluctant to meet people, suddenly casually walks through the crowd. If the emperor asks when did you get better, I¡¯ll explain it to him in your place.¡±


    The feudal king stared at the small body in Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s arms and blatantly sarcastically sneered at him.


    Wei Jeokmyung was famous in Danguk for his eccentric character. He could not stand the presence of people. Neither his parents nor the Crown Prince had ever seen him in close proximity. However, the emperor closed his eyes, and the prince and other vassals came forward and defended him, so it¡¯s not a big deal.


    But how can someone with such an inclination be walking casually on a street where there are a lot of people while hugging someone?


    The feudal king, who had been drinking leisurely in the high pavilion, couldn¡¯t believe his eyes at first.


    ¡®Huh, is that Wei Jeokmyung? The one who is smiling softly at someone?¡¯


    So, he wanted to know who is the one who made that cold-blooded person called the demon of Danguk, as gentle as spring. Hopefully this person would be Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s weakness, so he could trouble him.


    ¡°That is more than I deserve, but this general doesn¡¯t need that kind of help.¡±


    ¡°Ay, don¡¯t be like that, General Wei. We don¡¯t need that kind of courtesy between us.¡±


    Since the emperor¡¯s sister, Princess Kiryo, was the mother of Wei Jeokmyung, the feudal king and he could be said to be relatives. Of course none of them admit it, though.


    ¡°To remember this only at this moment, this general can¡¯t help but admire King Ya¡¯s brilliance.¡±


    ¡®Haha. This motherfucker.¡¯ The feudal king laughed in a low voice. While others admired Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s ability, the feudal king was wary of Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s sharp tongue, as it was as bitter as the sword he wielded. In particular, his sarcasm towards his opponent was excellent.


    ¡°Are you going to turn my offer down? You don¡¯t have to. Isn¡¯t this something the emperor will know someday?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At the mention of the emperor, Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly. The emperor was a distrustful person, and he would definitely try to confirm if Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s eccentricity didn¡¯t work only on certain people. Maybe he¡¯d even doubted his intentions. Knowing this, the king smiled in triumph.


    ¡°There are no perfectly hidden secrets in the world, General Wei. This king will help you. So stay still.¡±


    The king gave a glance to those who were guarding him. Then, his sturdy escorts approached Wei Jeokmyung.


    In an instant, Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s body moved backwards and he swung his sleeves in a wide arc. The hem of his robe immediately slapped hard on the cheeks of the king¡¯s escorts, and they were all thrown around. It happened so quickly that there was no time for a counterattack.


    Shangguan Zhanya raised the corners of his mouth and shouted as if he had been waiting for this moment.


    ¡°Oh my, are you rebelling? You dare attack this king¡¯s subordinates.¡±


    ¡°I was startled and just defended myself because they suddenly came and tried to touch me. I hope you can understand.¡±


    ¡°Of course I understand, but that is no reason to disobey this king¡¯s order.¡±


    However, the feudal king¡¯s spare time was shattered once the jade hanging from Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s waist was shown. It was a token personally given by the emperor to promise that no one other than himself could touch Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s body.


    ¡°The Emperor has also given me his blessing. Under Danguk¡¯s sky, no one doesn¡¯t know about the order that no one can meddle with Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s body.¡±


    As his order was no higher than the emperor¡¯s, the feudal king kept his mouth shut. His power came from the emperor¡¯s favour, so he did not dare to act in vain.


    The king looked at Wei Jeokmyung with his cold eyes. Wei Jeokmyung did not avoid his gaze either. A sharp tension flowed between them.


    After a moment, the king burst out laughing out loud. He took a step back and barked out as if he had seen something absurd.


    ¡°Hahaha! General Wei, why are you making such a fuss? Who doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m merely saying that. As a son, how can I ignore my father¡¯s jade tally (ÅÆ)?¡±


    The king forced himself to calm his anger and spread his fan. He was annoyed at the jade hanging from Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s waist, but there was nothing he could do. The emperor cherishes the feudal king, but he also cherishes Wei Jeokmyung very much.


    He used to close his eyes for all but a few things. It was because Wei Jeokmyung was the son of the emperor¡¯s most beloved sister, the late princess.


    However, if he retreated just like this, his pride would be hurt, so the feudal king narrowed his eyes and stared at Wei Jeokmyung. He sneered and said sarcastically,


    ¡°Right, who would dare to touch General Wei¡¯s body? Even I, this prince (ÓHÍõ), can¡¯t do it right now.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get rid of these people.¡±


    ¡°However, General Wei. Don¡¯t you think the jade tally entrusted to you by the emperor is not applicable to the one you hold in your arms?¡±


    T/N:


    As I have repeatedly said. The setting of this novel is a made-up Korea/Chinese era, more inclined to the Chinese side, so I will explain who King Ya is, for those of you who are not used to Chinese novels.


    A king, in ancient Chinese where an emperor is the absolute monarch, is treated more like a duke (this novel uses the term feudal king or feudal lord), who rules only a certain area. Usually, when the emperor¡¯s son reaches a certain age, unless they are the crown prince, they will be given a land to govern and a ¡®King (Íõ wang)¡¯ title.


    Translators from C-drama or C-novel sometimes translate this directly into Duke, as the concept of king in Chinese culture can be confusing for westerners.


    Then we have a new term, which is Prince (ÓHÍõ jin wang), as how King Ya addresses himself. If King  (Íõ wang) is a given title, then Prince (ÓHÍõ jin wang) is his born identity. This term is used for sons of the emperor.


    So, basically.


    King = Duke = Prince (ÓHÍõ jin wang)


    Shangguan Zhanya, King Ya, is a biological son of the emperor, the half-brother of the Crown Prince.


    He is Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s cousin, as Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s mother is the emperor¡¯s sister, the late Princess Kiryo.

 CH 9

    ¡®Hoo, look at this.¡¯


    The king narrowed his eyes and licked his lower lip. As soon as he mentioned the person in his bosom, Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s momentum changed quite a bit. Different from before, even the hairs on his body stood up as Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s aura turned sharp.


    He, who discovered Wei Jeokmyung holding someone in his arms, tried to accuse him of deceiving the emperor by pretending to have a unique quirk. However, he couldn¡¯t take Wei Jeokmyung in directly as he was capable of beating down his subordinates. If it had been someone else, he would have taken him straight to the Imperial family. What a pity.


    So, he turned and talked about the existence in his arms. King Ya was narrow-minded and impatient, but he wasn¡¯t stupid.


    The idea seemed to have worked as he saw Wei Jeokmyung, who was always calm, standing there. Intrigued, the feudal king relaxed his voice and spoke in a soft tone.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s proof that the general¡¯s eccentricity is advancing, it¡¯s something to celebrate. But who is that person to not pay their respects to this king? Isn¡¯t this a disrespect for this king?¡±


    Who the hell is the one Wei Jeokmyung casually holding in his arms? Those who knew his eccentricity would be surprised to find out.


    Hyun, who was holding his breath in the strange atmosphere and listening to their conversation, flinched slightly when the unfamiliar man pointed at him. Even though keeping his head down in Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s arms is frustrating, he thought there was a good reason, so he didn¡¯t move. But the other party is a king.


    Two years of Danguk life. He is still a bit clumsy, but he knows roughly how this place works. This place, which looks like something out of a historical drama, was thoroughly divided into the crown prince, the princes, aristocrats, commoners, and slaves under the emperor who ruled the country. Of course, there was severe discrimination based on class.


    Wei Jeokmyung was the son of the Emperor¡¯s beloved sister, the late Princess Kiryo. Since his mother was outside the family due to marriage, right now, Wei Jeokmyung was only a military deity in front of the feudal king. Therefore, originally, he should not have attacked the subordinates who had been ordered by the feudal king, but he had overcome the crisis by using the jade as an excuse. But if this keeps going on, he will surely take more risks to get over this matter.


    ¡®What do we do? Should I get down now?¡¯ Hyun didn¡¯t want Wei Jeokmyung to get in trouble because of him. How can one defeat a king as a general? However, Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s gesture of pressing his head lightly was so firm that he couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s in a state of deep sleep, he has no manners, so please be gentle with them.¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung casually spit out a lie. King Ya smirked through the fan. Originally, the right thing to do was to beat the sleeping person awake so they could pay their respect, because the status of the person before them is a king by law. If the person in front of him had been an ordinary official, the feudal king would most likely have used it as a pod to rob him.


    But Wei Jeokmyung was not a nobody. His cause was not enough to pressure him with his position, and it was difficult to intimidate the person who followed Wei Jeokmyung with power. The situation was annoying in many ways, so the feudal king made a fuss.


    ¡°Is he sleeping so deeply? I see. I¡¯m not sure, honestly. I wonder if that¡¯s really the case.¡±


    ¡°Is the king attacking this humble official now?¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung asked in a cool tone. The frown on his forehead was engulfed in anger. The king shrugged his shoulders and answered savvily.


    ¡°General Wei, don¡¯t get me wrong, I was just wondering if the person in your arms really fell asleep. Of course, I can get them up close and take a look, but you won¡¯t like it. So, I have no choice but to clear my doubts in this way.¡±


    Hyun took a breath in surprise at their conversation. It seems that Wei Jeokmyung prevented the voice¡¯s owner from trying to harm him. He didn¡¯t know why the conversation suddenly turned towards him, but he should greet him now before things get worse.


    Hyun gently tapped Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s arms urgently. But, pretending not to know, Wei Jeokmyung gave strength to the arm holding Hyun and whispered in a low voice, ¡°Keep still like this.¡±


    ¡°Or do you want him to see your sleeping face? Then don¡¯t fuss any more.¡±


    Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if everything could be over by showing your face? However, Wei Jeokmyung was stagnant. Hyun could not understand why Wei Jeokmyung was trying to hide himself from his opponent. Is there any reason to do that? Hyun bit his lip in his nervousness.


    ¡°Is the king intimidating this humble official by his position, or are you asking me as a relative?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If this official refuses to obey King Ya¡¯s orders, what are you going to do?¡±


    As Wei Jeokmyung faced him head-on, the king gave strength to the hand holding the fan. It seemed as if he wanted to consign Wei Jeokmyung and take him to the Imperial family and beat him with a whip.


    ¡°It is against the way of a gentleman to persecute people with personal feelings. Hopefully, the king of the world will not be stubborn to see the face of the insignificant.¡±


    The king managed to raise his chapped lips.


    ¡°General Wei has a knack for making a big deal out of small things. What did you mean by persecuting people? It¡¯s very sad that you think of this king like that.¡±


    ¡°On the battlefield, small things tend to turn into big things, so it seems that it has become a habit.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Is that so?¡±


    In an instant, something brushed past the king¡¯s cheek. Kwajik. The king looked back in surprise. Behind him, there was a small hole in the center of the pole where the lamp hung from.


    ¡°T-The bead¡­¡±


    One of the subordinates muttered with a blue and tired face. The king looked at Wei Jeokmyung with sharp eyes.


    ¡°This official had no choice but to use this method to return the beads. But it seems that I am using too much force. Please forgive my rudeness.¡±


    He said it was a mistake, but a thick pillar the size of an adult man¡¯s waist was pierced at once. What if it had gone closer to his face? Or what if Wei Jeokmyung was looking elsewhere? A goosebumps flowed down the back of the king¡¯s back.


    Wei Jeokmyung entered the battlefield at the age of only ten and defended the country for seventeen years. The Emperor highly praised the achievement and gave him another undisputed power. He who has this sword shall not be guilty of murdering the Imperial family.


    Therefore, the king was not too concerned about his success or failure regarding this matter. He gritted his teeth low and then took a deep breath.


    ¡°Haha, what rudeness. How can I receive General Wei¡¯s apology?¡±


    The king smiled wildly and waved his hand. But his eyes were unnatural, not smiling. The king looked at Hyun¡¯s back with his cool snake-like eyes and said.


    ¡°But even in such a commotion, the person in your arms doesn¡¯t even move.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s still a child, so once asleep, he won¡¯t wake up easily.¡±


    The feudal king¡¯s face twisted strangely in response to Wei Jeokmyung. His men also looked at each other as if in awe. At first glance, it was a boy with very long arms and legs. It could never have been a child.


    The feudal king only thought that Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s audacity was absurd.


    ¡°Looking at his clothes, he looks like a normal kid, but what if he causes an ugly rumor for the general like this?¡±


    Hyun took a small breath in surprise when he was mentioned again. He thought he¡¯s simply cuddling, that could be a problem too?


    The reason why Wei Jeokmyung was not caught up in a scandal even though he did not get married until he turned 29 was because everyone knew his sensitive nature. How can someone who hates people approaching them share the same bed with others?


    But is such a person holding someone? The rumors that had been suppressed until now spread in an instant. And the king was very adept at such hierarchies. He did not hide from Wei Jeokmyung that this event would be the starting point of the rumors.


    But Wei Jeokmyung did not back down despite such warnings.


    ¡°Unless you¡¯re a fool, there¡¯s no reason to care about nonsense. I know King Ya is a fun-loving person, but this official doesn¡¯t enjoy it.¡±


    At Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s words, the feudal king gritted his teeth. One couldn¡¯t feel good when they were told that it was only them who believed in rumors and enjoyed it. Despite his provocation, Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s expression remained the same.


    ¡°¡­Why are you being so hard? That will make you sound like a boring person.¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung replied in a sullen tone.


    ¡°Because this official doesn¡¯t like it.¡±


    It was a very arrogant attitude. The king clenched his fists and struggled to swallow his wrath.


    ¡°¡­ Haha, sure enough, One can¡¯t dare insult the Great General¡¯s honor unless they want to die.¡±


    Managed to keep his composure, King Ya laughed out loud and folded his fan. Contrary to the smile on his lips, his eyes, cold as ice, flashed sharply.


    ¡°But sometimes there are people who do not know how much they have and tease their tongues and risk their life on such petty nonsense.¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with this official.¡±


    ¡°Really? This king likes such a story very much. It will be very refreshing to catch someone like that and cut off their tongue.¡±

 CH 10

    Hyun swallowed his breath at the terrifying remark. ¡®What¡¯s with the tongue?¡¯ Anxiety rose for a moment, and he tried to look up at Wei Jeokmyung, but his hands were still holding Hyun firmly. As if saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it was very surprising to meet you in an unexpected place today.¡±


    The strength of Feudal King Shangguan Zhanya is that he can easily resign from work that is judged to be of no benefit. Conversely, if he wanted to capture a weakness, he would bite and hang like a cunning wolf. He had no choice but to step back thinking that he would not be able to win today, but he continued to be filthy until the end so he won¡¯t have any regrets.


    ¡°All right then, I will go and enjoy the festival. Come and chat with this king sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I will do it when the opportunity arises.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why people say you¡¯re inflexible. Can¡¯t you just agree even if it¡¯s just empty words?¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung did not answer, even though King Ya blatantly suppressed his tongue. The king frowned and glared at him once, then reluctantly bit his servants.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave.¡±


    As he felt the king passing by, Hyun tightly closed his eyes. In case the king noticed he was awake.


    Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s hand, which was lightly pressing on Hyun¡¯s body, fell when the feudal king¡¯s shadow disappeared in the distance.


    Hyun carefully raised his head and looked up at Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s face. Long eyelashes fluttered, and large, wet eyes appeared and disappeared repeatedly. His full, raised lips continued to mumble as if he wanted to say something.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing for you to worry about.¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung quickly noticed Hyun¡¯s heart and patted his head as if to reassure him.


    ¡°So let¡¯s keep looking around.¡±


    ¡®He said to cut off your tongue, saying something so horrendous, yet you said it¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡¯ Hyun realizes once again that this is a world with different values from Seoul. After all, don¡¯t even passersby wear all kinds of weapons around their waists?


    Danguk was a country ruled by the emperor, but there was another world within it that coexisted with the government and together, they formed a strange relationship. People who have cultivated various weapons to the extreme were called warriors, and the world where the warriors were gathered together was called Moorim.


    [T/N: Moorim is like Jianghu in Chinese culture. A term used for the ¡®world¡¯ of fighters.]


    The Moorim people have taken root not only in Danguk but throughout the world, especially in Gyeongwi, the capital of Danguk. This is because the Moorim Alliance, which is basically a group of warriors, exists here. During the reign of the late emperor, he was assisted by the Moorim people, and they asked for the establishment of Moorim Alliance in return.


    ¡°What shall we see now?¡±


    Hyun turned his head to Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s question. Talking casually, he didn¡¯t look like someone who just had a nasty conversation with a stranger a while ago. He was still soft and gentle.


    Is he supposed to be so carefree? That guy¡¯s voice just now was very bad. Considering that he attacked him for not saying hello, he must have bad grudges. What if there is a problem with this?


    ¡°Hyun ah, would you like to see that? Have you seen that?¡±


    Said Wei Jeokmyung. Hyun, who was lost in thought, turned his head and looked in the direction he was speaking. He did not know what he was referring to as the designation of ¡®that¡¯ was not clear.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That one. Can¡¯t you see it?¡±


    Hyun followed Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s gaze and turned his head again. But he still didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. Hyun was held in the arms of Wei Jeokmyung, who is one hundred and ninety centimeters tall, so the view was raised and the surrounding scenery was clear, but it was confusing because there were so many people passing by.


    ¡°There. You¡¯ll miss it at this rate. That one over there. Right there.¡±


    Hyun, who became frustrated, unknowingly grabbed his chin and met his gaze. As if telling him to explain properly. He couldn¡¯t speak fluently because he didn¡¯t have a lot of vocabulary, so he felt cramped to the point of death.


    ¡°Where? Over there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that one over there.¡±


    Hyun frowned slightly. The place Wei Jeokmyung pointed out was just an empty plain. There was nothing. ¡®What, what do you want me to see?¡¯


    ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha.¡±


    After a moment, Wei Jeokmyung laughed.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s just rude.¡±


    Hyun¡¯s face was filled with tenderly wet eyes as if watching a child¡¯s jokes. Hyun then realized that Wei Jeokmyung had deliberately teased him in an attempt to relieve his tension. The person he had met before had disappeared from his mind.


    Hyun realized his disrespect later and tried to lower his hand, but Wei Jeokmyung stopped Hyun.


    ¡°You can do it more.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, come on.¡±


    His whispering voice was so thick that it seemed like it would melt away. Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s cheeks that were touched by his fingertips were also as smooth as silk. He has such a strong body, so Hyun thought his skin would be the same, but it was surprisingly soft. Hyun engraved the image of Wei Jeokmyung in a big way without blinking an eye.


    Who can see him as a cold general of Danguk? He¡¯s just so soft and sweet.


    Although he showed a sharp attitude toward others, he was always kind to himself. Enough to play pranks like this to relieve tension.


    He allowed him to do anything, and he always prioritized him. How could an orphan receive such a unique treatment?


    After a moment, Wei Jeokmyung laughed. Hyun felt his mouth dry at that smile. His cheeks and earlobes were hot, and he was out of breath at the beauty before his eyes. His heart pounded rapidly, and his strange impulses surged.


    Hyun moved his fingers slowly as if possessed, touching Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s lips, which were positioned near Hyun¡¯s jaw, emanating a warm breath as they slightly opened.


    It seemed as if time had stopped like this.


    Then there was a rumble in the stomach. Hyun opened his mouth in a circle with a look as if he had just woken up from a dream. The flat stomach rumbled again, knowing no shame.


    ¡°Ah¡­? T-This isn¡¯t¡­ ¡±


    Hyun quickly wrapped his arms around his stomach with a bright red face. He had been starving for a whole day and a half because of the disease, and then he could only eat a bowl of porridge, so he was hungry. However, he didn¡¯t know why the stomach only made sounds right at this moment. ¡®Is the stomach really that clueless?¡¯


    ¡®Ah¡­ Seriously.¡¯


    The hot sensation that touched Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s lips had already disappeared, leaving his fingertips in vain. Hyun felt it was such a pity.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t eaten dinner, so I¡¯m very hungry.¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung looked at Hyun¡¯s blushing face and muttered calmly. He suggested in a soft tone, as if he had not heard the sound of Hyun¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Would you like to go to a nearby restaurant and have a meal?¡±


    Hyun covered his face with both hands and barely nodded his head. Hyun¡¯s nape was redder than that of a flower lantern. Wei Jeokmyung smiled silently and walked towards the restaurant that looked crowded.


    People were swarming in front of not only the restaurant next to the river but also the temporary eatery. Children were gathering in front of a vendor selling bamboo shoots and sweet snacks, and drinkers were sitting and drinking in front of a restaurant that sold Immortal Bamboo Shoots (Öñ¹SÕý¹û), and the savory aroma of roasted beef with green salt (œ[ salt) and hocho (ºú½· pepper) caught people¡¯s feet.


    Wei Jeokmyung entered the store and headed straight to the second floor. Since he rented the whole floor, they were alone without anyone.


    Suddenly, a loud noise was heard nearby. At the end of the stairs on this floor, a young man who appeared to be the waiter was blocking someone with a puzzled look.


    ¡°No, why can¡¯t we go up to this floor? There are plenty of seats left up there!¡±

 CH 11

    Translated by Wook


    Edited by Wook


    In the unexpected commotion, Hyun pulled his head out wondering what was going on. Wei Jeokmyung frowned, but then spoke in a soft tone as if he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Why don¡¯t you keep eating? Isn¡¯t it delicious?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Nevertheless, Hyun¡¯s gaze did not depart from there. It was because the main character of the voice pushed the waiter and strode to the place where they were. No, he came, but later stopped as Wei Jeokmyung pulled out his chopsticks and lifted them up and shot them quickly towards the person¡¯s feet.


    Ta-tak!


    ¡°If you cross that line, I will not forgive you.¡±


    At the cool warning, the strange man, who almost had a hole in the back of his foot, flinched. After that, a few people who had gathered there also opened their eyes wide at the wooden chopsticks that were deeply stuck on the floor. Most of them were unaware that the wooden chopstick was shot by someone.


    ¡®How could anyone have such great martial arts skills,¡¯ they thought. Looking at his appearance, they thought of Wei Jeokmyung as a rich man, and quickly put their hands on their weapons with nervous expressions.


    ¡°I am Mok Gilchun, the 15th disciple of Jongan Clan, and I would like to ask you a favor.¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°How about being generous so that us swordsmen can use one side of this floor?¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t feel like it?¡±


    At Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s answer, the swordsmen frowned. If it was a lowly swordsman, he would have given up his position after they threatened him with a little martial arts. However, their opponent was a master several ranks higher than them. Even if they attacked at once, victory could not be guaranteed.


    ¡°¡­ Then, may I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t feel like it too?¡±


    The atmosphere in the place turned sharp at the disrespectful remark. Hyun swallowed dry saliva at Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s callous attitude. ¡®Why do you keep taunting them?¡¯ Frustrated, he looked at Wei Jeokmyung with worried eyes.


    What if this becomes a fight? All the strangers had weapons, and they were large in stature and had the numbers. What if they get angry and rush in all at once? It was a thought that could be made because he did not know the weight of the name ¡®Danguk¡¯s First Sword¡¯.


    Wei Jeokmyung didn¡¯t seem to notice Hyun¡¯s worried gaze, and focused only on the fact that he stopped eating.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat more? It looks like you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    Hyun was restless at Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s attitude of ignoring his opponent. At this point, Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s guards should have appeared to help their master, but what are they doing? One can¡¯t even see their shadows. Hyun himself was weak and helpless, unable to help Wei Jeokmyung. It would be lucky if he wasn¡¯t a burden.


    ¡°Iiik! Seeing that he couldn¡¯t reveal his affair, he must be a bastard of Sapa! Are you also aiming for the treasure of Golden Ears?¡±


    The man who introduced himself as Mok Gilchun screamed and drew his sword, and those standing behind also drew their weapons at once. Shreung! Several swords were pointed at Wei Jeokmyung.


    Hyun looked at Wei Jeokmyung with a face that was blue because of the sharp, flashing sword. At this point, he had to reveal his identity and let them back down, but Wei Jeokmyung calmly pulled Hyun into his arms. He gently caressed Hyun¡¯s shoulders, which were trembling with fear, and said in a whisper.


    ¡°Why are you so scared? There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Looking at your lack of answers, it seems like you¡¯re truly that!¡±


    They exclaimed with enthusiasm, but did not rush to step forward. It was because they found it scary to make the first move towards Wei Jeokmyung. Nevertheless, their triumphant expression did not fade, because they had one thing to believe in. They didn¡¯t dare to face the man before them, but the person who¡¯s going to be here soon will be able to scold this guy. Because he is the greatest master and sword genius the sword has ever produced.


    Wei Jeokmyung grinned as if he knew them well. At the same time, he swung his sleeve around the bowl of chopsticks lying on the table, making them float in the air. Tung- When he lightly flicked the bowl with his finger, the wooden chopsticks in it were shot in all directions.


    Pu-dokk!


    The men swung their swords in confusion, but the result was unsatisfactory. Even if they used a clever move or sometimes raised a sword to block it, the power in the chopsticks is so great that they often dropped their weapon as it is.


    ¡°What is this!¡±


    ¡°Khu-huk!¡±


    ¡°T-This!¡±


    Mok Gilchun, who dropped his sword, tried to retreat quickly when the last chopstick shot aimed at his forehead, but it was too late. As he was wondering if his forehead could be pierced by it, someone pulled the nape of his neck back and blocked his front. Tung- A dull sound erupted from the wooden chopstick that hit the sword.


    ¡°Young Master, have mercy on your hands.¡±


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    The people of the swordsman group gathered at the man who suddenly appeared with great remorse. He was a young man who looked like he had just turned twenty, and was a handsome man with a cool-looking face.


    ¡°I have no intention of seeing blood here either.¡±


    At Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s words, the young man took the initiative. He only blocked the wooden chopstick attack, and his entire palm was tingling. He was very fortunate to hear that the master in front of him said he had no intention of using any more hands in a situation where he could cause serious damage.


    ¡°Thank you for your mercy.¡±


    ¡°But, Senior!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Unless you want to get everyone killed, then back off. No more rude behavior.¡±


    Everyone frowned at his resolute words and picked up their swords. They felt dissatisfied with the attitude of their senior who backed away without knowing the reason.


    The man asked Wei Jeokmyung in a polite tone without hesitation.


    ¡°I am Seol Chimsin, the 9th disciple of Jongan Swordsmanship School. On behalf of these juniors, I apologize for their disrespect. If you allow it, can we just step back?¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung didn¡¯t want to cause any more commotion in this store. So he allowed it in a sarcastic tone.


    ¡°As you please.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Hyun couldn¡¯t take his eyes off because it was so strange that so many people were stuck at Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s words and left. Wei Jeokmyung was empty-handed, while the enemies were holding swords, but they couldn¡¯t even get close enough to get hit. The newly appeared handsome man also showed a low attitude toward Wei Jeokmyung and dared not attack, and only left after asking for his permission. Hyun looked at their backs and Wei Jeokmyung alternately with his eyes wide open.


    Hyun then realized why Wei Jeokmyung was so casual. This is what he had heard so many times before. This is the person who is called Danguk¡¯s First Sword.


    ¡®They were not joking. He¡¯s so great!¡¯


    He thought he was watching a scene from some movie.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so cool!¡±


    He¡¯s been here for two years, but today is the first time he¡¯s really seen Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s in action. On their first meeting, he was hit too hard and he couldn¡¯t afford to see how Wei Jeokmyung saved him. Even his memory is fuzzy.


    Wei Jeokmyung smiled a little at Hyun¡¯s, who was looking at him with bright eyes, gaze.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re not afraid.¡±


    ¡°Before, there were so many scary people¡­¡±


    ¡°So, were you worried about me?¡±


    Naturally. If Wei Jeokmyung gets hit, he¡¯s sure he¡¯ll suffer too. Hyun nodded.


    ¡°Right. It is natural to be afraid of the Moorim. Hyun ah, if you run into people like that, you must avoid them. They¡¯re outlaws who know no law. They¡¯re dangerous.¡±


    It was a bitter and cold review. Hyun realized that Wei Jeokmyung didn¡¯t like the Moorim and tilted his head. Wei Jeokmyung also learned martial arts, so it¡¯s not that he¡¯s doing anything different than them. But why does he hate it so much?


    Come to think of it, didn¡¯t they mention that a lot of Moorim people have come to the capital these days? The other day, one of the servants working in the Wei family said that he was scared to death because of the evil of the Moorim people.


    ¡°There are still a lot of scary people out there.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°There have been a lot of Moorim people lately. Do you want to know why?¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung gently reached out to Hyun who was sitting next to him. Hyun naturally got up and walked over to his arms. He had gotten used to this gesture in the last two years. Wei Jeokmyung lifted Hyun, placed him on his lap and made him rest his back against his chest.


    Wei Jeokmyung usually read various miscellaneous books or told stories in the name of telling Hyun to write. Hyun pricked up his ears in Wei Jeokmyung¡¯s comfortable arms.


    ¡°A month ago, a lieutenant suddenly collapsed and died, and a piece of old parchment was found in his arms.¡±


    The man whose life was on the verge of death shouted loudly as if he wanted everyone to listen to him before he died.


    ¡°I found the location of the treasure hidden by Golden Ears, but because of those wicked people, my dream could not come true. Alas, I¡¯m filled with regrets.¡±


    His will was enough to catch the footsteps of those passing by.


    Golden Ears.


    A colossus known to have accumulated more wealth than the Emperor of Danguk a long time ago. He was so rich that rumors circulated that he could build a country with his fortune.


    During his lifetime, he took an interest in many rare objects and collected them frantically. He also had a wide variety of books, porcelains, martial arts secrets, medicinal herbs and famous swords, treasures, and so on. He wore it all his life, and before his death he hid it in a secret place known only to him, without the knowledge of his family.


    It was so tightly hidden that even his descendants could not find his treasure chest. So now, it has come down to folklore like a legend.


    But the man was talking as if the treasure of Golden Ears was real. It was enough to arouse everyone¡¯s curiosity, whether it was true or false.


    The people looked into each other¡¯s eyes, trying to see from a distance the parchment the corpse was holding.


    An instantaneous tension enveloped everyone. If someone moved, it would explode like a fuse.


    The one who broke the tension was Thousand Li Flying Demon (ǧÀïïwħ), who happened to pass by the road. Renowned for his outstanding ¡®flying¡¯ skill, he jumped out in an instant, slashed the corpse¡¯s wrist with his sword, and fled with that parchment. With his skills worthy of his Moorim name, he easily outran those who were pursuing him.


    [T/N: I believe this is his alias Moorim name. The latest hanja ħ can be translated as ¡®magic¡¯ or ¡®demon¡¯ but as a title/name, I find demon makes more sense.]


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t long before he lost the piece to someone from another faction, but that was enough time to figure out the truth of the map. He made it clear before his death.


    ¡°The map of Golden Ears is real. However, that piece is not the finished version. You need to collect the last piece to get the treasure. The first piece is just a clue to the location of the second piece.¡±


    All of the treasures of Golden Ears have tremendous value, but none of them are as good as ¡®Water That Has Received the Spirit of the Moon¡¯. This is an elixir that has only been passed down in legend, and it is said that if you drink it, it will cure all ailments, become a material for immortality, and give the warrior the strength to conquer the world.


    ¡°Thousands of people have gathered to find the treasure of Golden Ears. Moorim people in particular are very interested in the martial arts secrets and elixirs in his treasure chest.¡±


    Wei Jeokmyung burst into laughter at the sight of Hyun¡¯s twinkling eyes at the word ¡°treasure¡±.


    ¡°What? Are you also interested in the treasure of Golden Ears?¡±


    Hyun nodded his head eagerly. He couldn¡¯t help but be excited that someone had hid enough wealth to buy the country in an unknown place. It¡¯s also interesting that the way to find it is via the treasure map. It¡¯s like watching an adventure movie or novel. Well, the martial art secrets and elixirs inside would be useless to non-Moorim.


    Wei Jeokmyung asked with a smile.


    ¡°Then, do you want me to find it?¡±