## Chapter 105 – 105. Contemplation
#105. Contemplation
As morning broke, the campsite was bustling.
This was partly due to the investigative team sent by the Shaolin Temple arriving early in the morning, increasing the number of people, but also because the investigation of the ancient temple was scheduled to begin in the early morning.
Numerous people moved about busily. Among them was the investigative team from the Hundred Flowers Clan, to which I belonged. They also seemed busy carrying various supplies.
Of course, as a guest of the Hundred Flowers Clan, I had no reason to do menial tasks, so I sat on a suitable rock and rested.
Just then, the head of the investigative team approached.
“Good morning, Great Hero Kang.”
“Yeah, well… the weather’s nice.”
“That’s fortunate. But, um…”
The head of the investigative team glanced at Chun Yeo-hwa and whispered to me.
“Are you… alright?”
“…About what?”
“Your neck…”
I sighed lightly and waved my hand at the head of the investigative team. Being quick-witted, he didn’t say anything more. He quietly retreated, watching my reaction.
It wasn’t just the head of the investigative team who was interested in me. Everyone who passed by was busy being surprised when they saw me. The gazes of these people were all fixed on my neck.
‘…I want to cover it up.’
My neck, covered in hickeys and bite marks, was enough to attract people’s attention. It was clear to anyone that they weren’t insect bites.
To explain why I was in this state, it was necessary to rewind time a bit.
It was around 1 AM when I left Yoo So-wol and returned to my tent. As I carefully entered the tent, I was confronted with Chun Yeo-hwa, who was exuding a strange aura on the bed.
-You’re late.
-…I went for a walk a bit far.
-Hmph…
Chun Yeo-hwa, wearing a suspicious expression, lightly patted the spot next to her. My spine tingled at the sight, and I couldn’t help but sweat, but I tried my best not to show it as I moved my feet.
Thud-
No sooner had I sat on the bed than Chun Yeo-hwa pounced on me. It was so fast that I couldn’t even react.
I was subdued by Chun Yeo-hwa and couldn’t move an inch. Chun Yeo-hwa didn’t say anything. She simply buried her face in my neck and smelled it for a long time.
How many minutes had passed? Suddenly, Chun Yeo-hwa raised her body and looked at me with eyes that seemed to have roses melted into them.
-Hyun-woo.
-…Yeah.
-Didn’t this Mistress tell you not to lie?
-…
-I’ll give you one last chance, why are you late?
-…I was late because I was meeting a woman.
-A woman… are you talking about the girl from the Mount Hua Sect?
-You knew?
-Let me ask you instead.
Her crimson eyes gleamed eerily.
-Why would you think this Mistress wouldn’t know? Even now, your body reeks of a strong plum blossom scent.
Chun Yeo-hwa buried her face in my neck again. But this time, she didn’t smell it.
Lick, she licked various parts of my neck. Like an animal marking its territory. Crunch- Suddenly, I felt pain.
-Hmm, at this rate, it will last until tomorrow afternoon.
Chun Yeo-hwa wore a satisfied expression and looked pleased with the spot she had bitten. After that, she continued to leave bite marks on my neck, watching my reaction.
-This is both a punishment and a mark that you are this Mistress’s. So don’t even think about hiding it from people tomorrow.
I couldn’t say anything. I quietly nodded and counted the stains on the ceiling.
-Smooch… this isn’t so bad either.
Remembering that I had left kiss marks all over her body before, Chun Yeo-hwa skillfully left kiss marks on my neck.
Now, my neck was covered in bite marks and hickeys to the point where no white skin was visible.
The gazes of passersby were directed at me and Chun Yeo-hwa, who was sitting next to me. Even though she was wearing a veil, almost everyone knew that she was an incredibly beautiful woman.
This was because the rumors about the martial arts contest yesterday had spread strangely.
The rumors said that Sword Dragon had fallen in love with Chun Yeo-hwa at first sight and had requested a martial arts contest with me.
Two young masters fighting over a woman.
In a world without proper entertainment, there was no more interesting story than this. The false rumors spread throughout the campsite in an instant.
If you listened carefully, you could hear them talking about me, Sword Dragon, and Chun Yeo-hwa.
The main topics were about my identity and curiosity about Chun Yeo-hwa’s face behind the veil.
The gazes were so piercing that I forced myself to look up at the sky. It was a bad move. It made my neck even more visible. Chun Yeo-hwa seemed to like it, as she hugged my arm and rested her head on my shoulder.
At that sight, the gazes of the men around me sharpened. It was common jealousy and envy.
As I tried to ignore the ugly emotions and pass the time, I felt a familiar presence.
“Ah, Young Master!”
Walking out from among the people was none other than Yoo So-wol. She exuded a different atmosphere from when we met under the moonlight. Her refreshing smile stood out.
Yoo So-wol called me Young Master. It seemed she was embarrassed to call me by my name because there were so many people around.
‘I’ll have to let her know again when we’re alone later.’
I decided to postpone the issue of honorifics for later.
Yoo So-wol’s footsteps, which had been heading towards me, stopped. Her gaze was fixed on Chun Yeo-hwa, who was hugging my arm.
“…”
For a moment, I had the illusion that Yoo So-wol’s eyes had turned cold.
‘…Was it just my imagination?’
It probably was. I hoped my thoughts were right in my heart.
“…Hello.”
“Hmph… nice to meet you.”
Yoo So-wol greeted Chun Yeo-hwa. Chun Yeo-hwa slowly scanned Yoo So-wol up and down, and then greeted her with a meaningful smile.
It was difficult to grasp the meaning behind that smile, but judging from the way the two women’s gazes met in the air, it didn’t seem to be a good sign.
‘I didn’t know you could have a staring contest even with a veil on.’
I was already the center of attention at the campsite, but with Yoo So-wol joining, it became even more intense.
“Haa…”
I sighed and turned my head. The pouring attention was burdensome.
Just then, someone approached me.
“Do you have a moment?”
It was a middle-aged man with graying hair and a fairly sturdy build.
The robes he was wearing were similar to those of the Mount Hua Sect, but there seemed to be more blue overall. Moreover, what was attached to his chest wasn’t a plum blossom.
“…You’re an elder of the Jongnam Sect.”
“Oh, you know this old man?”
“Actually, I don’t know you well. But I can’t not know.”
“Haha, this old man is called No Wi-cheon.”
It wasn’t just guesswork based on clothing and intuition.
‘…There’s another monster.’
I’m seeing it with my own eyes, but I can’t gauge his skill at all.
Even if I try to peek into his inner self, I’m overcome with the anxiety that I’ll fall into it.
It was a similar feeling to what I felt from the Mount Hua Sect elder I met yesterday.
“You have a good sense.”
The eyes of the Jongnam Sect elder, who was looking at me, shone blue.
‘I was hoping a guy like Soo-yanggeon would come…’
It didn’t seem like he had earned the title of elder of a large sect that was one of the pillars of the Nine Great Sects with Hwatu.
I calculated that I wouldn’t be able to win even if I fought with all my strength. No matter how ignorant the opponent was about magic, this wasn’t a wall I could overcome.
Just like how I was able to overwhelm Sword Dragon in the martial arts contest despite knowing almost nothing about martial arts, the difference in basic skill was too great.
“You flatter me.”
“You’re even humble. It wouldn’t have been easy to reach that level at such a young age… Can you tell me the name of your master?”
“I don’t know my master’s name either. From the first time I met him until he passed away, he told me to call him Nameless.”
“…A hermit recluse?”
“Yes, that’s what I think too. Thanks to that, I haven’t heard anything about my sect either.”
As I recited a common setting that often appears in martial arts novels, the Jongnam elder nodded. It seemed to have gone over well.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Yoo So-wol, the second disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.”
Yoo So-wol, who had been having a staring contest with Chun Yeo-hwa, clasped her hands towards the Jongnam elder.
“Yoo So-wol… Yoo So-wol… Could it be that your master is Flower Virtuous Sword?”
“How did you know…?”
“Haha, that crazy woman… no, your master, how much she boasts about her disciple every time we meet.”
Yoo So-wol’s face turned red at the elder’s answer. She seemed embarrassed.
As the elder was talking with Yoo So-wol for a while, his gaze suddenly shifted to Chun Yeo-hwa. I couldn’t help but sweat. If he were to recognize Chun Yeo-hwa’s identity…
‘…I have no choice but to kill him.’
It didn’t seem likely that the elder of the Nine Great Sects, who was called the mainstay of the righteous faction, would let the daughter of the Demonic Cult Leader go easily. A summary execution wouldn’t happen, but it was certain that she would be imprisoned somewhere at the very least.
I didn’t want that to happen.
However, I wasn’t confident that I could fight and win against him alone.
‘If I fight together with Chun Yeo-hwa, I might be able to win…’
The problem was that No Wi-cheon wasn’t the only one here. Starting with the Mount Hua Sect elder I met yesterday, there were monsters of similar caliber in the Shaolin Temple that arrived in the morning. Moreover, the disciples dispatched from each sect were also a force to be reckoned with.
If I focused on escaping, I might be able to get away somehow, but another variable was that Chun Yeo-hwa’s condition wasn’t very good right now.
Late at night, Chun Yeo-hwa suddenly had a seizure.
The poison of the Heavenly Heart Extreme Yang Flower Lotus was running rampant through her meridians. Chun Yeo-hwa coughed up blood and collapsed, but she was able to avoid the crisis thanks to the neutralizing agent.
But I couldn’t forget that sight.
The sight of Chun Yeo-hwa, who was in my arms, suddenly spitting out blood and collapsing.
‘…Hoo.’
A cold wind blew from somewhere, cooling my head. Thanks to that, I was able to calm the magic power that was fluctuating due to the heightened emotions before someone noticed it.
Fortunately, No Wi-cheon quietly retreated without saying anything. Judging from his reaction, it didn’t seem like he had recognized Chun Yeo-hwa’s identity.
The reason he didn’t speak was because it wasn’t polite to speak carelessly to a woman wearing a veil. Only then could I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Um, Older Brother.”
“…Older Brother?”
Chun Yeo-hwa reacted to Yoo So-wol’s voice calling me.
“What is it?”
“…It’s nothing.”
After a brief silence, Chun Yeo-hwa turned her head. At that sight, Yoo So-wol wore a triumphant smile. It seemed she thought Chun Yeo-hwa had taken a step back.
But Chun Yeo-hwa was stroking my thigh at an angle where Yoo So-wol couldn’t see. The slightly raised corner of her mouth was visible through the gap in the veil.
Unaware of that, Yoo So-wol sat down next to me and started talking about this and that.
The gazes around me became a little more piercing.
In particular, Sword Dragon was glaring at me with murderous eyes from afar before getting hit by the Mount Hua Sect elder.
On a clear day without a single cloud, the investigative team left the campsite and headed for the ancient temple.
***
“Chief. The target has begun to move.”
Only a small torch illuminates the surroundings.
Water droplets drip from the ceiling, and the stench of blood permeates the area.
Even the bats held their breath at the alien atmosphere felt by those gathered inside the cave. No vitality was felt from the living creatures.
A voice like fingernails scratching a chalkboard echoed.
“Today, we hunt the White Wolf.”
