Chapter 10
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"
The rooster belonging to the village chief, known for its forgetfulness and tendency to crow at odd hours of the night, surprisingly crowed right on time today. It seemed quite proud of itself, continuing to crow for over half an hour until the chief finally scolded it.
And so began another peaceful day in Sodam Village.
The weather was exceptionally clear today.
"Hehe!"
Squish, squish, squish.
A little girl with snow-white skin and rosy cheeks was intently focused on something, her large eyes fixed in concentration. Her tiny hands were busily working on whatever had captured her attention.
"So-yul? Where are you, Yul?"
Her mother's voice called from outside.
Normally, she would have rushed out excitedly to jump into her mother's arms. But today, for some reason, she didn't budge an inch. If anything, she seemed to concentrate even harder.
Her lips had unconsciously puckered out in focus - a habit she had clearly inherited from her mother.
"Oh? There you are, Yul."
Paeng Seo-yeon soon found her daughter.
So-yul was perched on top of her father Yeo Un-hwi's stomach as he still slept in bed.
But even as Seo-yeon entered the house, So-yul's concentration remained unbroken.
Seo-yeon tilted her head curiously.
"I wonder what our Yul is doing that's got her so focused she's ignoring Mommy?"
Unconsciously moving more carefully, Seo-yeon tiptoed up behind her daughter.
As she peeked over So-yul's shoulder, she had to stifle a laugh.
"Pff-haha!"
The object of Yul's intense focus was none other than Yeo Un-hwi's face.
Mnya. Mnya.
Un-hwi's face was already covered in black scribbles.
Completely oblivious, he simply smacked his lips in his sleep.
It seemed Yul had been playing with some cold charcoal from the yard. She often liked to draw on small rocks or paper with charcoal-stained hands, but it appeared she had found a new canvas this time.
That new "canvas" seemed quite pleased, smiling contentedly in his sleep.
It was such an amusing sight.
Unable to resist, Seo-yeon joined in on Yul's doodling.
"Yul-a, here. We should color this part too. And here."
"Okay, okay!"
Before long, Un-hwi's face was completely covered in charcoal, without a single spot left untouched.
"Mmm?"
Yeo Un-hwi slowly opened his eyes as he began to wake up.
He blinked at the two grinning faces inches from his own and scratched his cheek.
"...What are you two up to?"
"Oh, nothing at all. Right, Yul?"
"Yep! Nothing, Daddy!"
"Huh?"
As Un-hwi tilted his head in confusion, the two quickly scampered out of the room.
Though puzzled, Un-hwi couldn't help but smile. Whatever they were up to, he was simply happy to see them.
He sat up and stretched with a big yawn.
"Whew."
Come to think of it, when was the last time he had slept so deeply and peacefully?
He felt refreshed, the fatigue in both body and mind completely washed away.
This was something he could never have imagined during his time as the Blood Demon.
Back then, he was always on edge, either chasing someone or wary of being chased himself.
Even when he did rest, it was never for more than two or three hours at a time.
He would sleep lightly, immediately changing locations if he so much as opened his eyes.
The truth was, even if he had wanted to sleep deeply, he couldn't.
Whenever he closed his eyes, he would hear his wife and Yul crying out for him in the darkness.
How could he possibly sleep with those voices echoing in his mind?
But now...
Un-hwi pressed his lips together tightly.
That was in the past. No, it was something that had never happened.
Something that would never happen.
"Alright then."
Shaking his head to clear away the unpleasant thoughts, Un-hwi slowly made his way out to the yard to wash up.
But then,
"Ack! What in the world?"
Un-hwi finally noticed his face reflected in the water.
Seo-yeon, who had been watching and giggling with Yul, quietly approached with a towel.
"...Haha. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Yul was just having so much fun."
"You seem to have been enjoying yourself just as much."
"Oh my, was it that obvious?"
Un-hwi playfully rolled his eyes as he took the offered towel and began wiping his face.
Just then, Yul came over and looked up at him with a worried expression.
"Daddy, are you mad?"
"Hm? No, no. Daddy's not mad at all. It's okay."
Un-hwi smiled gently and patted his daughter's head.
Yul's face immediately brightened.
"Really? It's okay?"
"Of course!"
"Then... can I do it again?"
"Uh, Yul-a. That's..."
"Pffft!"
Seeing Un-hwi at a loss for words with their daughter, Seo-yeon burst out laughing. Un-hwi couldn't help but join in.
Hahaha!
The small house in Sodam Village rang with the sound of joyous laughter.
Soon, the three of them sat down to eat breakfast together.
The weather was nice, there was a pleasant breeze, and the soup his wife had made tasted especially delicious today.
As they were eating, Un-hwi suddenly spoke to his wife.
"By the way, I need to make a quick trip to the neighboring... village."
"Hm? Today? What about dinner?"
"I'll probably eat before I come back."
"Alright then."
Seo-yeon nodded, not thinking much of it.
Un-hwi occasionally went to teach writing or do odd jobs in the next village over, so she didn't find it particularly strange.
What Seo-yeon didn't realize was that the "neighboring village" Un-hwi was referring to now was quite different from before.
*Well, if I can get there and back quickly, it's basically the next village over. Right, of course.*
Un-hwi tried to soothe his guilty conscience after stretching the truth about his destination.
He soon finished his meal, emptying a full bowl of rice.
Then he set off for the "neighboring village."
Which was actually Sichuan.
"Mmm."
On an extravagantly ornate bed, a half-naked man slowly sat up.
It was Tang Gu-hwi, a man with sharp eyes and a decadent air about him.
His head throbbed and his body felt heavy.
Perhaps he had drunk too much the night before.
Still groggy, he reached for the water cup beside the bed and gulped it down.
Whew.
Finally coming to his senses, Gu-hwi called out:
"Is anyone there?"
"You called, Young Master?"
As a servant entered, Gu-hwi asked for the time.
The servant answered carefully, head bowed.
"Hmm."
Gu-hwi let out a long sigh.
It seemed he had slept quite late, so he would need to head out soon.
Normally on a day like this, he might have allowed himself to rest. But he had an important drinking engagement today that he couldn't miss.
*I must win them over to my side today. If I can do that...*
Gu-hwi soon got up and began preparing to leave with the help of his servants.
Lately, his days and nights had become almost completely reversed.
It was certainly not a lifestyle befitting the Young Master of the Sichuan Tang Family, one of the Five Great Families representing the entire martial world.
His behavior had only worsened since Tang Jin-woo, the Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Family known as the Poison Rain, had entered closed-door training two years ago.
With the only person who could rein in his willful nature gone, Gu-hwi acted as if the world was his playground.
He listened to no one.
After a final adjustment to his clothes in the mirror held by a servant, Gu-hwi left his room.
Just then,
"Brother."
Gu-hwi's previously expressionless face immediately twisted in annoyance at the voice that stopped him.
It was his younger brother, Tang Mu-jun.
"Are you... going to Cheonghwaru again?"
"Why, do I need your permission for every little thing I do now?"
"That's not it."
Mu-jun shook his head at Gu-hwi's cold response.
"Mother is very worried. She's concerned that rumors might spread if you keep frequenting Cheonghwaru every day. Perhaps it would be best if you refrained for a while..."
"Enough!"
Gu-hwi, who rarely showed such emotional outbursts, suddenly shouted.
"Are you trying to lecture me now, using Mother as an excuse?!"
"Brother...!"
"You clearly think you're above me, don't you?"
"B-Brother! How could you think that?"
"Don't call me brother!"
Mu-jun froze at those words.
Tang Mu-jun.
The greatest prodigy the Sichuan Tang Family had ever produced.
He was not only acknowledged by the current Family Head Tang Jin-woo, but was also well-known throughout the martial world as the favorite grandson and disciple of the previous Family Head, the Poison Venerable.
As such, the pressure and feelings of inferiority that Gu-hwi, the Young Master of the Sichuan Tang Family, felt towards Mu-jun were far from insignificant.
Though they were brothers, Mu-jun was the person Gu-hwi hated most in the world.
No, hate wasn't a strong enough word - Gu-hwi utterly despised Mu-jun's very existence.
But for now, he was a damn nuisance that Gu-hwi couldn't do anything about.
Gu-hwi glared at Mu-jun with gleaming eyes.
"No matter how much people praise you as some once-in-a-generation genius, I am the heir to the Sichuan Tang Family. How dare you try to tell me what I should or shouldn't do?"
"...Mother misses you greatly."
"That's for me to deal with. It's none of your concern."
"Get out of my way. I don't want to see your face any longer."
Gu-hwi roughly shoved past Mu-jun.
Mu-jun slowly turned his head.
He stood there, watching his brother's retreating back as he quickly walked away.
His eyes held an indescribable look of devastation.
Mu-jun squeezed his eyes shut.
*Father. What am I supposed to do...*
The rift between him and Gu-hwi only seemed to grow wider with each passing day.
Once again, his worries deepened immeasurably.