Chronicles of the Silver Dragon, Chapter 47
Even after that, there were several instances of women seducing Jehwa, drunkards making passes at Hong Yuhwa… or people picking fights.
Hong Yuhwa handled those who tried to seduce Jehwa and those who pestered her, while Jehwa took care of everyone who picked a fight.
Having eaten some rather delicious food and enjoyed themselves until dawn, the two returned to the Sichuan Tang Clan lodgings late at night.
Of course, they scaled the walls as a matter of course.
Hong Yuhwa said that when going out at night, vaulting walls was something like an aesthetic.
“Is it because you’ve got nothing else to call an aesthetic that you treat that as one?”
Jehwa returned to the room and fell straight asleep.
And ended up oversleeping.
“What? How long are you going to sleep? Get up.”
Unable to stand it any longer, Sa Wollin opened his door to wake him.
But the moment she did, she froze stiff.
“Kyaaah!”
With a shriek, Sa Wollin strode up and kicked the bed directly.
Crack! Smash!
The bed broke apart.
“Mm? What?”
Jehwa opened his eyes at the sudden commotion.
“You two! Why are you sleeping in the same bed! No! Hey, Hong Yuhwa! Why are you in Jehwa’s bed!”
“Huh? When did you get here?”
“Tch!”
Hong Yuhwa frowned and looked at Sa Wollin.
Perhaps the fortunate thing was that both of them were fully clothed?
In any case, the moment she entered the room and discovered Jehwa and Hong Yuhwa sleeping in the same bed, Sa Wollin exploded.
“So what? It’s not like anything happened.”
“T-that may be true… but it’s still a problem! A man and a woman sleeping in the same bed!”
“Do you hold such outdated notions?”
Though the flustered Sa Wollin shouted, Hong Yuhwa merely snorted lightly.
“Don’t you have any awareness of being a woman? How can you sleep in a man’s bed so nonchalantly?”
“I have plenty of awareness that I’m a woman. And what’s wrong with sleeping next to the man I like?”
“Goodness, what kind of woman…”
“Let’s just say it’s because we come from different places. Where I lived, the strong take everything. Wealth, fame, power… even the lover they love.”
“It is similar to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult……”
“It’s a different civilization. I simply have a more open mind than humans.”
“You speak as if you’re not human?”
“Of course, I’m not human.”
“Then what are you? A ghost?”
When Sa Wollin asked with a scowl, Hong Yuhwa smiled and answered.
“No, a devil.”
“…….”
For a moment, Sa Wollin’s face stiffened slightly.
But after a moment, she spoke with a smile.
“Well, you are as vicious as a devil, so that fits.”
“Oh my? Do you want to die?”
“Hmph! Try killing me then!”
“Tch!”
Sa Wollin knew all too well that she couldn’t kill her.
Just as Hong Yuhwa was making an expression of slight annoyance, Jehwa’s voice rang out.
“I’m sleepy.”
“Huh?”
“Get out. Now.”
Having said that, Jehwa threw Hong Yuhwa and Sa Wollin outside, wrapped the blanket around himself, and fell back asleep.
On the broken bed, no less.
Kicked out by Jehwa, Hong Yuhwa and Sa Wollin bickered even outside before returning to their respective lodgings.
***
While Jehwa was sleeping late like that, another group disturbed his rest.
Knock, knock.
“Young Hero, are you inside?”
It was none other than several rising stars of the Righteous Faction, including Jegal Hwan.
“Mm?”
Jehwa, who had been sleeping, briefly reacted to Jegal Hwan’s call, but only for a moment; he promptly buried his face back in the bed and resumed his deep sleep.
“He doesn’t seem to be here.”
“It seems so.”
Behind them, wearing troubled expressions, I Seolhye’s voice was heard.
“What brings you here?”
“Ah, Miss I.”
A smile appeared on Jegal Hwan’s face at I Seolhye’s appearance.
“Do you know where Jehwa is?”
“He’s sleeping in his room. Earlier, Wollin and Hong Yuhwa woke him up, so he’s probably not in a good mood; I wouldn’t wake him if I were you.”
At I Seolhye’s words, Jegal Hwan’s face stiffened.
“I-I see……”
Given that unruly personality, if they had made even a little more noise, he would have burst out and overturned everything.
After a moment, Jegal Hwan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and opened his mouth.
“By the way… where do the three of you plan to go from now?”
Looking at Jegal Hwan, who asked with a slightly puzzled expression, I Seolhye said.
“One of our companions suggested going to Liaoning, so I am considering heading there.”
“If it’s Liaoning……”
“That’s where the Moyong Clan is located. Do you have business with the Moyong Clan?”
Jegal Hwan muttered, looking at Moyong Sinu, and Moyong Sinu smiled and asked I Seolhye.
“Ah, no… He said he’s going to a place called Gaeju in Liaoning?”
“Gaeju? Why Gaeju……”
It was not a place with famous sights, nor did it house any renowned martial arts sects.
They couldn’t understand why anyone would go to Gaeju, which was just an ordinary county.
“I heard a major incident occurred there…… I’m not really sure, either.”
“I see.”
At I Seolhye’s words, Moyong Sinu nodded and glanced at Jegal Hwan, who also nodded slightly.
“Then let’s meet again later.”
“Huh? Ah, yes……”
Though I Seolhye made a puzzled expression at the words “see you later,” she soon stopped worrying about it and nodded.
***
“Gaeju in Liaoning?”
“Yes, it seems Miss Hong Yuhwa has business there.”
Cheong Deungun fell into contemplation at Jegal Hwan’s words.
“Hmm… come to think of it, that Miss Hong Yuhwa was quite formidable as well, no?”
“Yes, she was a possessor of extraordinary martial arts.”
“What could it be?”
“Well, I do not know the exact details either……”
“Jegal Hwan and Moyong Sinu, follow those children.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
As Jegal Hwan and Moyong Sinu nodded at Cheong Deungun’s words, Paeng Okryeong spoke.
“Me too! I want to go too!”
“If they’re going from Sichuan to Liaoning, they’ll pass through Shanxi, right? I’d like to go too, and see Ran’s face while I’m at it.”
At Paeng Okryeong’s words, Dokgo Ryeong also smiled and said.
“I’ll go to the Moyong Clan too. And see the sights in Beijing while I’m at it. Hehehe!”
As Paeng Okryeong smiled sheepishly, Cheong Deungun thought for a moment and then nodded.
“As long as you are with that young hero, nothing too dangerous should happen, so go ahead.”
“Wow~”
Paeng Okryeong and Dokgo Ryeong rejoiced at Cheong Deungun’s words.
***
“You’re saying we’re going to a place called Liaoning?”
Jehwa, who had woken up at some point, asked with a drawn-out yawn.
“Yeah, Hong Yuhwa has some business there.”
“Hmm… because of what that lady mentioned?”
When Jehwa tilted his head and asked, Hong Yuhwa nodded.
“Yeah, I can’t just leave it all to them. It was originally my matter.”
It wasn’t exactly to his liking, but Hong Yuhwa was still a companion.
Besides, since they didn’t have a particular destination in mind, going to Liaoning was no big deal. If they discovered movements of the Blood Cult at any martial arts sects or clans along the way, it wouldn’t be bad to wipe them out either.
“It wouldn’t be bad to go take a look.”
Looking at Jehwa, who spoke with an indifferent face, Hong Yuhwa smiled gently.
***
News that Jehwa’s group was leaving the Sichuan Tang Clan reached Jegal Hwan’s party.
“Young Hero Jehwa.”
“Hmm?”
Jegal Hwan called out to Jehwa, who was just about to pass through the main gate of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
“If you’re going to Liaoning, won’t you go together with us?”
“Why?”
It was Hong Yuhwa who answered Jegal Hwan’s question.
Seeing Hong Yuhwa making an expression of clear displeasure with a strangely furrowed brow, Jegal Hwan was slightly bewildered when Moyong Sinu opened his mouth.
“The Moyong Clan is located in Liaoning. If our destination is the same, it wouldn’t be bad to travel together.”
“That’d be a hassle.”
Hong Yuhwa’s subtly furrowed face twisted mercilessly.
Sa Wollin and I Seolhye were well aware of Jehwa and Hong Yuhwa’s strength.
But the people before them were not.
Jegal Hwan and Dokgo Ryeong seemed to have some grasp of Jehwa’s strength, but that was not even one-tenth of his true power.
He had clearly grown much stronger than before.
In that state, having people who couldn’t properly gauge Jehwa and Hong Yuhwa’s strength cling to them as companions was out of the question.
Sa Wollin seemed to feel the same; though not as much as Hong Yuhwa, she openly wore an uncomfortable expression.
Traveling with I Seolhye was an exception, but thinking of going together with the Righteous Faction was extremely unpleasant.
With the two women showing such reactions, the only ones Jegal Hwan’s party could rely on now were Jehwa and I Seolhye.
“I don’t really mind.”
“Me neither.”
At Jehwa and I Seolhye’s words, Hong Yuhwa sighed and spoke.
“We mind.”
“Right, right.”
For the first time since meeting, Hong Yuhwa and Sa Wollin agreed on something.
“Then let’s just not go together.”
At those words, Jegal Hwan let out a deep sigh and clutched his head. He seemed to have somewhat expected this outcome.
“Then, since we’re heading the same way for now, would it be alright if we followed behind?”
“Do as you please.”
Hong Yuhwa smiled at Jegal Hwan’s words.
That is, if they could keep up with their speed at all.
***
A few hours after Jehwa and Jegal Hwan’s party left the Sichuan Tang Clan, a carrier pigeon arrived from the Murim Alliance.
Cheong Deungun, who had been about to head toward the Murim Alliance, received the carrier pigeon and unfolded it with a puzzled expression.
And a moment later, his face stiffened hard.
“Wh-what!”
The message on the carrier pigeon was simple.
It stated that all the people living in Gaeju, Liaoning had been killed by someone, without a single survivor remaining.