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Chapter : 21
Jiwon-hyeong had only meant it as a passing thought, but before he knew it he was emptying everything from his pockets to pay for the red crystal bracelet.
On the way back, however, doubt crept into his mind.
Would it really be appropriate to give something like this at a time like now?
The most splendid and expensive red items were interpreted differently by everyone. Some preferred something that would stand out to anyone’s eyes, while others replaced it with an item they personally cherished or something given to them by the one they held most dear.
Because the symbolism was so significant, he worried whether it would be acceptable for him to present a red-tinted object when his lord was about to hold a betrothal ceremony.
Of course, his lord might not choose the item he gave for the ceremony anyway…
But according to Jiwon-hyeong’s memory as a close attendant for several years, his lord didn’t have any suitable red items to use separately.
His lord had never cared for clothing or accessories—only martial arts and weapons interested him.
Jaeryeong had once decorated his surroundings with the finest goods under heaven and presented him with all sorts of gifts, but when his lord showed little enthusiasm, Jaeryeong soon lost interest.
Even the items that were given ended up being taken one by one by collateral daughters of the Namgung family and never returned. Eventually, Jaeryeong’s gifts shifted away from physical objects to privileges and benefits that directly profited the Namgung clan—and his lord seemed far more at ease with that.
As a result, his lord’s room now contained only basic necessities of good quality. There were no proper accessories or decorative items left.
Suddenly, Jiwon-hyeong imagined how brightly this single red bracelet would shine if placed among all those dark, black things, and his heart began to pound.
“Um…”
As Jiwon-hyeong moved his lips to speak, Yeonhwa—who had been stamping a seal on a document he was holding—set down her brush and lifted her head.
Only then did he realize he had been in the middle of talking.
She retraced her thoughts, trying to recall what she had been saying, and then it seemed to come back to her.
“The red item…”
The words came out almost simultaneously with Jiwon-hyeong’s attempt to speak, and they looked at each other.
Out of habit, Jiwon-hyeong closed his mouth and waited for her to continue first.
Yeonhwa accepted this as naturally as ever.
“Young Master Yu—Geonmyeong—said he’d look for something suitable among his own things for me, so I don’t need to worry about it.”
She tossed the words out casually, as if they were nothing, but Jiwon-hyeong felt a heavy weight settle in his chest.
“Ah.”
He let out a quiet sigh. After a brief hesitation, he released his hold on the red crystal bracelet.
“I see. That’s a relief.”
Jiwon-hyeong smiled.
It was fortunate that Young Master Yu was so considerate and kind.
Standing straight with his hands clasped behind his back, Jiwon-hyeong tightened his grip so hard that his fingers would never come apart.
* * *
Huff, huff!
A man ran through the back alleys of Uichang.
“You damned bastard!”
That idiotic junior disciple had turned out to be a spy for the Demonic Cult!
He ground his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.
“I need to run first and think about the future later.”
In truth, he only said that…
When he remembered the evil specter that had attacked his martial hall earlier—
“Ugh… revenge, my ass. If I make it out alive, I won’t even piss in Uichang ever again!”
The man shuddered as the image of his master and fellow disciples being torn apart flashed through his mind.
The Cheongpung Martial Hall had been fairly well known in Uichang, even producing several official warriors for the Murim Alliance—a respectable establishment in its own right.
High above, those from the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families might float among the clouds living in their own world, but for weeds like themselves clinging to the ground, even becoming a third-rate warrior in the Alliance was a massive rise in status and opportunity.
Yet their skill had drawn in a wolf cub from the Demonic Cult.
The cultists had tried to use the Cheongpung Martial Hall as a stepping stone—to gather information from Alliance guards or lure them in.
“But the only one at fault was that one guy!”
All they had done was boast a little, repeating bits of stories they heard from seniors and peers working in the Alliance—was that really such a terrible crime…?
Trying desperately to keep his fear at bay by thinking nonstop, the man suddenly noticed a new shadow appearing beside his own under the moonlight.
He hadn’t sensed any presence at all…
Was it just the crooked walls of the alley casting strange shapes on the ground?
Or a tree branch jutting over the wall?
He kept convincing himself it couldn’t be a person.
Maybe he was seeing things.
But reality, no matter how one tried to deny it, could not be escaped.
A hand burst out from the shadow, grabbing the side of his face and slamming him into the wall on his right.
Crash!
With the sound of a skull cracking, the man’s limbs convulsed.
Desperately trying to escape, he wrung out every ounce of strength and flailed the dagger he held in a reverse grip—but it was useless.
Crunch, crack!
A rain of kicks flattened him like a worm, bones snapping one by one beneath crushing blows.
“I—I… I’m… n-not a… spy…”
He barely lifted his head, lips trembling as he spoke to the demon-like figure that seemed to have risen from the shadows.
Backlit by the moon, the figure was barely illuminated—and yet even the darkness seemed to fade, as if it feared the specter.
That ash-gray hair… those gray eyes… I’m scared… but they remind me of someone… wh-who was—
The man never finished the thought. He died with his face buried in the cold dirt.
The one called a demon showed no emotion, turning away and moving toward another presence.
Fweeeee!
Fwee! Fweeeee!
The shrill whistles echoing from all directions shattered the night.
That day, several martial halls along Uichang’s main streets—and the brothels and back alleys where fleeing survivors had hidden—were drenched in blood and corpses, a gruesome sight beyond description.
“Spare me! Please spare me!”
“We didn’t say anything! We really didn’t know—didn’t know anything!”
The gaze looking down on the pleading figures held not a trace of warmth.
Thud! Crack!
One man’s chest caved in under a blow; another’s neck was crushed, his head separated from his body.
“Any faction that harbors a spy will be destroyed without exception.”
It wasn’t directed at anyone in particular—more like a muttered declaration—but everyone nearby heard it clearly. Even though it had nothing to do with them, chills ran down their spines and sweat drenched their bodies.
“Is this the end here?”
At Tak Museong’s question, Changhee—the commander of the Mugyeongdae—sheathing a bloodstained sword, hurried forward.
“Yes!”
All necessary information had already been gathered before the raid. Today’s assault was meant as an example—to demonstrate what happened to those who accepted spies—so the mission could be considered perfectly accomplished.
Still… that exalted person…
It felt deeply unsettling that someone who could turn the tide of war with a single movement—an absolute being who fought alongside the great demonic leaders—had personally come to deal with trash like this.
But who could stop Lord Muryeong once he decided to act?
Changhee stood respectfully behind Tak Museong, awaiting his next command.
At that moment, someone approached from the opposite side, raising a hand in greeting.
“Hey! I wondered why things were so noisy compared to other hunting days—turns out you came out yourself!”
One of only two people in the world who could treat Muryeong like an ordinary friend.
With a bright smile that made even this blood-soaked night and the heavy stench of gore feel distant—Jaeryeong Yang Uijin.
Tak Museong looked at him.
“You.”
A single word—but even that much courtesy spoke to who the other person was.
As if waiting to be asked, Yang Uijin shook the luxurious wooden box in his hand.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to get this, but I barely managed to make it in time! I was so excited I went to pick it up myself!”
Tak Museong was about to lose interest—assuming he had bought something strange again—when Yang Uijin opened the box.
For a moment, those nearby thought the moon had fallen from the sky into a pool of blood.
A massive red gem radiated dazzling brilliance as it revealed itself.
“Wow…”
“I’ve never seen anything like that!”
Gasps broke out everywhere after a moment of stunned silence.
Most of the people present were men with little knowledge of gemstones, but even they understood that the rarer something was, the more valuable it tended to be.
“This is a Blood Jade—one of a kind in the world. No one but me could’ve gotten it.”
Not even the Emperor himself.
Tak Museong couldn’t tear his eyes away from the hair ornament set with the Blood Jade in Yang Uijin’s hand.
To him as well, it looked incomparably beautiful and precious.
And yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
That red glow felt ominous beyond words.
