Chapter 210
“Hahaha!”
Jin So-baek said he needed to rest for a while, then staggered back to his quarters, and Yeo Un-hwi grabbed his stomach and burst out laughing.
“Are you having that much fun?”
“For some reason, teasing him is especially entertaining.”
Yeo Un-hwi had told him Hong Yeon’s true identity because he had nothing to hide from Jin So-baek and trusted him more than anyone.
Jin So-baek had already heard about the Four Guardians of the Heavenly Demon Divine Church from Yeo Un-hwi.
They were said to be astonishingly powerful experts, comparable to the Twelve Supreme Venerables.
If anyone else had told him that, he would never have believed it.
To think that the Four Guardians, the secret weapons of the Heavenly Demon Divine Church, possessed such incredible martial prowess.
How could anyone believe that so easily?
But since it had been Yeo Un-hwi who told him, he had no choice but to believe it.
And he had thought to himself.
He absolutely had to be careful around them.
He had been firmly resolved to do so, but as it turned out, the woman who was Yul’s new bodyguard was one of those very Four Guardians.
Jin So-baek had been trying to greet someone he was seeing for the first time with the dignity befitting the Hao Sect Leader, so naturally, he had been utterly horrified.
It was fortunate that he had not foamed at the mouth and fallen backward.
Watching Yeo Un-hwi enjoy himself so much, Zhuque also felt something strange.
That the Heavenly Demon could laugh so freely over things happening to people around him.
In many ways, Yeo Un-hwi always showed her a side of himself different from what she had imagined.
“Phew, I’ve had a good laugh. Hmm. Come to think of it, have you had dinner?”
“Not yet.”
“I see. Then come with me for a moment.”
Zhuque followed him without a word.
Before long, they arrived at a market not far from the Peng residence.
The market was filled with the boisterous voices of people finishing their day, with lanterns illuminating it here and there.
Leading Zhuque, who looked around curiously, Yeo Un-hwi entered an inn on one side of the market, clearly familiar with the place.
“Oh! Welcome! It’s been a while since you last came.”
“Have you been well?”
“Yes, yes. You hadn’t been coming by much, so I thought you might have forgotten about our inn.”
“Of course not. Hahaha!”
“As it happens, your usual corner table is empty. Let’s go over there.”
“Thank you.”
Once they were seated, Yeo Un-hwi asked Zhuque,
“I’m going to have the meat noodles. What about you?”
“Huh? Ah. I’ll have the same.”
“Boss, two bowls of meat noodles and one plate of shredded pork in Beijing sauce.”
“Yes, right away.”
Before long, the food they had ordered arrived.
Every dish, from the meat noodles to the shredded pork in Beijing sauce, looked absolutely delicious.
“This is your first time here, right?”
“Yes.”
“Try it. I come here to eat sometimes too, and the meat noodles are excellent.”
“Ah. Yes.”
But Zhuque could not bring herself to pick up her chopsticks.
She was puzzled.
The Peng family served excellent food as well, so she could not quite understand why Yeo Un-hwi would make time to come all the way here for a meal.
“Hmm?”
Perhaps reading Zhuque’s thoughts, Yeo Un-hwi took a bite of his meat noodles, then smiled faintly as he spoke.
“How should I put it? Sometimes you want to take a step back from the life you usually lead and simply watch how people live. When I sit in an inn in a market like this, eating a bowl of meat noodles while watching the people around me, my mind becomes peaceful and I feel more at ease.”
As he spoke, Yeo Un-hwi slowly gazed out at the market and continued.
“Being Yul’s bodyguard is your job, but you should occasionally walk around places like this and see how the world is going. See how ordinary people live—both enjoying themselves and fighting hard. Don’t spend your whole life being crushed beneath your responsibilities.”
“I’m fine. Just being able to serve you is enough for me……”
“Take this to heart. Even if having room to breathe seems like nothing special, it’s truly important. There are walls in life that you can overcome only when you have it. The same is true of the realm of martial arts.”
“…Is that so?”
“Of course. You can trust me.”
It was truly fascinating.
Though Yeo Un-hwi had once been the Heavenly Demon and was powerful beyond compare, Zhuque sometimes sensed in him thoughts and depth beyond his years, along with emotions like profound regret.
He was truly a fascinating man.
In every respect.
He was far too different from the image of the Heavenly Demon that she and the other Guardians had imagined for so long.
Of course, they were simply glad that he was different.
In any case, Yeo Un-hwi was not someone who would say anything meaningless, so Zhuque decided to take his words to heart.
Leisure.
For her and the other Four Guardians, could there be any word that felt more distant?
They had always lived fiercely.
They had lived like shadows, waiting without even knowing when the Heavenly Demon would come, with no end to that waiting in sight.
Their long-cherished goal in life had been to meet the Heavenly Demon and spill the blood of hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of people for his sake.
Even when they finally heard that the Heavenly Demon had appeared, they had believed without a doubt that things would turn out that way.
Yet now, she was sitting across from Yeo Un-hwi, eating meat noodles.
Looking back, every day since meeting Yeo Un-hwi felt like a dream.
An unbelievable, ordinary, and awkward life.
But she did not dislike that awkwardness.
Zhuque felt as though something warm were gently welling up from a corner of her heart and beginning to bloom.
“All right, let’s finish eating. The noodles will get soggy.”
“Yes.”
Soon, Zhuque also began eating the meat noodles with Yeo Un-hwi.
As the two of them continued their leisurely meal without saying anything,
“Ah. Come to think of it, you said you had something to tell me, right?”
Yeo Un-hwi asked after setting down his chopsticks.
Zhuque, too, had somehow already emptied her bowl, apparently enjoying the noodles.
“Yes. I should have told you sooner, but I was delayed.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“The other Guardians are coming here.”
At those words, Yeo Un-hwi’s eyes widened.
“Huh? So suddenly? Did something happen?”
“No. They simply set out on impulse because they wanted to see you.”
“Really? Hahaha!”
Yeo Un-hwi laughed heartily.
“Is it really all right for you to leave your posts empty like that? Leaving only the Holy Maiden behind?”
“The Heavenly Demon Divine Church has completely shifted to a system devoted to supporting the Heavenly Demon and is now consolidating its internal foundation. So……”
“You mean there’s no need to worry.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
In truth, the Church Leader, his blood relatives, and even the Ten Demon Stars had already met their deaths at Yeo Un-hwi’s hands, so taking control had probably not been especially difficult.
Besides, there were three Guardians as powerful as the Church Leader, so it was only natural.
But cleaning up the chaos and creating a fresh start was not as easy as it sounded.
As expected, Holy Maiden Wi Seollin was proving her exceptional ability, just as Yeo Un-hwi had seen that day.
“So it seems they waited all this time, unable to bear it any longer, then received the Holy Maiden’s permission and set out because they wanted to see you.”
“Good grief. I should have stopped by at least once along the way. I’m sorry.”
“No. You must have been very busy. The Guardians are the childish ones.”
Zhuque firmly shook her head.
“They came running here whenever they felt like it just because they wanted to see you. I told them repeatedly that each of them had a position they needed to guard, but they wouldn’t listen. Honestly, what are those old men thinking? Tsk.”
Zhuque shook her head as though they were beyond saving.
Then,
“That’s a little hurtful, you know. Zhuque?”
Three men had just entered the inn.
All four of the Heavenly Demon Divine Church’s Guardians had gathered in this inn.
Fortunately, they had all carefully reined in their power, so to everyone else, they looked like nothing more than ordinary wandering martial artists.
“We greet you, my lord.”
“Hahaha. Welcome, all of you.”
Yeo Un-hwi greeted this long-awaited reunion with the Four Guardians with a delighted smile.
For Yeo Un-hwi, these four Guardians were currently the greatest fighting force he had at his disposal besides himself.
“Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“Good. That works out. What would you like to order?”
“Anything is fine.”
“Good. Boss, three bowls of meat noodles, one serving of sweet-and-sour pork, and one plate of shredded pork in Beijing sauce.”
“Yes! I’ll have it out in no time!”
“My lord.”
“Hmm?”
When Zhuque spoke cautiously, Yeo Un-hwi looked at her as if asking what was wrong.
“I’d like another bowl of meat noodles, please.”
“Really? I guess they suited your taste.”
“Actually, Zhuque isn’t eating a lot because she likes it. She just eats anything well, so she’s the biggest eater among us… Gack.”
Bai Hu laughed heartily as he revealed Zhuque’s secret, only for Zhuque’s elbow to jab hard into his side.
“Be. Qui. Et. In front of our lord. Got it?”
“…Uh. Sorry.”
Zhuque glared fiercely at him, and he scratched his head and obediently nodded.
“Hahaha.”
Could it be because she was still adjusting?
Unlike her somewhat stiff appearance at the Peng family residence, Zhuque looked extremely at ease when she was with the Four Guardians.
She looked as though she were with her family.
No—after training together for so many years and enduring every hardship while supporting one another, they truly were closer than anyone else in the world: family.
Before they knew it, the table was filled with warm, easy smiles.
“Ahh! The broth is incredible.”
A short while later, Qinglong and Xuanwu drained even the broth as they finished their meat noodles.
Bai Hu, however, looked a little disappointed.
“It’s not really my taste. It’s a little greasy, I suppose. If only the broth were lighter……”
“This is my lord’s regular place. Are you rebelling against his taste?”
“…Huh? Ah, ah!”
Bai Hu’s face drained of color as he apologized to Yeo Un-hwi.
“I’m sorry! My lord. I spoke out of turn without knowing any better!”
“That won’t do. Do you think you can commit such impudence and be forgiven so easily?”
“Yes. You must show your sincerity. My lord, forgive him after cutting out his tongue.”
“…No. I’m fine with it. Everyone’s tastes are different, so don’t worry about it.”
But when Yeo Un-hwi readily forgave him, the other Guardians clicked their tongues in disappointment.
“Since our lord has shown you mercy, make sure you never forget that favor.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
“Of course. Thank you, my lord.”
“……”
Why were they all so violent?
Yeo Un-hwi had momentarily forgotten that these people were the Four Guardians of the Heavenly Demon Divine Church.
Their loyalty to the Heavenly Demon was so excessive that it overflowed.
Even Zhuque, who looked more rational and composed than anyone, was no different from the other Guardians.
It seemed she still had a long way to go before she could laugh and chat normally like everyone else.
In any case, Yeo Un-hwi and the Four Guardians continued their enjoyable meal while eating the remaining dishes.
Laughter filled the inn.
***
At the same time.
“Here we are.”
Following the Tracking Demon Hound, Crimson Yaksha and his subordinates had just arrived in Hebei.
“It seems to be over there.”
The Tracking Demon Hound, which had been sniffing continuously, pointed toward a bustling corner of the market in the distance.
“Hmm. So that’s where they are.”
A sinister smile spread across Crimson Yaksha’s face.