Camellia 10

Seolyeong stood guard in front of the Sect Leader’s chamber like a bodyguard. He had originally planned to return to his quarters, but leaving someone who had lost consciousness alone didn’t sit right with his sense of duty as a martial artist, so he decided to stay.

Whenever he heard a rustle from beyond the door, he quietly slipped inside to check the situation.

Fortunately, the man, once he had fallen into a deep sleep, only shifted slightly from time to time and showed no unusual symptoms. The intense chill in his body had mostly subsided, and the bluish spots had noticeably faded.

Seolyeong stepped back outside, leaned against the cool doorframe, and sighed.

“Ha…”

His first night in the demonic sect had ended in a way that was anticlimactic.

There had been no mountains of corpses, no rivers of blood. He had climbed the mountain prepared for a brutal physical clash, yet apart from a few who had picked a fight upon his arrival, the demonic sect members had met him with little more than disinterest. The Si brothers had been a bit bothersome, but even that had felt almost charming. Compared to the youngest son of the Murong clan, their attitude had been positively endearing.

“Still, he really is the Sect Leader… right?”

The same question kept plaguing Seolyeong. Was the man behind the door really the infamous Sahyeol Amje? He was dying to get a clear answer.

Judging by the Qi and the poisonous aura he had sensed, he was certain the man was Sahyeol Amje, but life was unpredictable. Acting on blind certainty always led to regret.

Seolyeong resolved to wait until morning for confirmation, he fell asleep standing up. If he set his mind to it, he could sleep soundly even in a handstand, so it was no big deal.

But just after dawn, when Si Pungjae visited Gwanju Hall, he was startled.

The sight of a beautiful man sleeping upright against the door, head slumped forward and dozing quietly, was bizarre in a way he couldn’t quite explain. Through loose strands of hair, a perfect side profile was visible, like it had been painted.

Seolyeong slowly opened his eyes as he sensed movement. His tilted head straightened, and he stretched one long arm over his head. He yawned lazily and turned his gaze toward the presence.

There stood Si Pungjae, looking apologetic.

The solidly built martial artist offered a formal salute.

“…I’ve come to escort you, Sogyoju-nim.”

Truthfully, he was curious why the bride, after entering Gwanju Hall, hadn’t made it into the Sect Leader’s bedchamber. But he was tactful enough not to ask.

Seolyeong looked at him and spoke.

“Ah, perfect timing.”

His voice was lively.

Even fresh from sleep, Seolyeong carried the same vibrant energy as when he first arrived at Yeonhu Mountain. He walked forward with steady steps. As he approached, Si Pungjae instinctively stepped back. Despite the beauty of this deerlike figure approaching, he felt no welcome, only the urge to retreat.

“My husband, the Sahyeol Amje. What does he look like?”

Seolyeong grabbed Pungjae’s shoulder firmly, stopping him in his tracks.

“Pardon?”

Si Pungjae was bewildered. A question about the Sect Leader’s appearance? His master, sworn brother, and lord, no one had ever asked about his looks before.

Seolyeong pressed on.

“Is he passable, pleasant to look at, or so handsome you can’t believe your eyes?”

“…”

“For reference, the kind of beauty that makes you question reality is around my level. You’ve got eyes, you can tell.”

Si Pungjae knew that even among men, not just women, grooming was common these days. But a martial artist this obsessed with appearance? That was new. Thanks to this man who claimed to be the most beautiful in the world, Pungjae was experiencing many firsts.

When he failed to give an answer, Seolyeong began shaking his shoulder with alarming force. The violent motion made him dizzy. After just one day of dealing with the Sect Leader’s bride, Pungjae felt completely drained. His face had grown noticeably pale.

“How could I possibly…”

“How could you possibly what.”

“How could I possibly evaluate the Supreme One’s appearance. Please be generous with your thoughts, Sogyoju-nim.”

“Are you implying I’m being stingy now?”

That was exactly what he meant, but Pungjae grumbled inwardly. Wasn’t the point of indirect criticism that it would be received indirectly? Especially someone raised in a noble household should understand that. Responding so bluntly, like Seolyeong, felt far from gentlemanly.

“Then let’s do it this way.”

Seolyeong suddenly adopted a solemn tone.

“Your loyalty is something I acknowledge. If words are too hard, use your fingers. If you believe the Cheonsin is male beauty incarnate, make a heart shape with your hands. But if he’s not even at the level of a chicken among roosters, then do this pose…”

He placed his hands beneath his chin like flower petals and batted his thick eyelashes dramatically.

“Use my face for comparison. It means, I’m better looking.”

It was in that moment Si Pungjae realized just how humanely the Cheonsi had always treated him.

He knew he wouldn’t be left alone until he gave an answer, so he reluctantly formed a heart with his fingers. It was mortifying. The gesture felt needlessly cute.

“Haha. You really are adorably sincere, aren’t you? I didn’t think you’d actually do it. Honestly, you’re even more obedient than my family’s little puppy.”

As Seolyeong pinched his cheek while saying nonsense like that, Si Pungjae truly wanted to die. Even for someone known for his love of men, dealing with a lunatic was too much. What good was an attractive shell when the inside was like a senile old man, no, one clearly halfway into dementia?

Still humming, Seolyeong eventually shooed Pungjae away. He declared that he would not move a single step until his husband spoke, he stubbornly refused to leave. Exhausted, Si Pungjae hurriedly disappeared. But he used concealment techniques to monitor him from a distance. He was worried the lunatic might do something inappropriate to the Cheonsin.

Seolyeong, fully aware that Pungjae was clinging to the ceiling of Gwanju Hall like a cicada, pretended not to notice. Seeing the demonic sect member glaring at him with such intensity only confirmed it, the man he had seen at dawn really was the Sahyeol Amje.

But no matter how long he waited, the bride could not meet his groom.

Just as he was about to open the bedchamber door to check if the man was still asleep, a slim young man flew in through the window of the corridor and greeted him with a polite salute.

“Please proceed to the rear garden, Sogyoju-nim. The Cheonsin awaits you.”

Judging by his appearance, he was Nabisalsoo, one of the Ten Devils. Known for spreading an invisible net with sound techniques and then poisoning his paralyzed targets in one swift blow, he carried a massive pipa on his back.

Seolyeong asked back,

“…The rear garden?”

“Yes. You must head there at once. My humble lord does not wait long.”

The meaning was clear. Stop asking questions and move. His pale brown eyes gleamed with killing intent.

Seolyeong let out a low hum and smiled lazily.

“Your lord was lying in bed not long ago…”

“…”

“Did he teleport using a shifting formation? Just how many formations are crammed into this cramped Yurigung? If they overlap, everyone here could end up exploding.”

Si Pungjae, familiar with Nabisalsoo’s impulsive nature, grew nervous as he watched. If a fight broke out, Nabisalsoo would be the one beaten senseless. He didn’t want to see his friend get schooled by a madman, Pungjae was about to step in and mediate when it happened.

“Yurigung may be cramped, but my lord Sahyeol Amje does not make mistakes. His formations are never broken, never dulled, and never malfunction. That is why they are called unbreakable stone walls. He usually moves through formations inside the palace. Keep that in mind, Sogyoju-nim. And if your curiosity has been satisfied, please make haste. As I said, the Cheonsin is not one to enjoy waiting.”

For once, Nabisalsoo had backed down. His tone, for him, was almost courteous.

Relieved, Si Pungjae leaned his head back against the ceiling again, only for Seolyeong to suddenly look up at him.

“Hey, Pungjae.”

Caught red-handed, Pungjae’s face collapsed into an awkward expression.

“There’s poison in your breathing. If you don’t train properly, you won’t be able to use concealment techniques, or even something like ‘deungshin technique.’ So starting tomorrow, learn inner cultivation from me.”

There was no ‘deungshin¹ technique.’ Seolyeong had just made it up to mess with him.

“I’ll take you as my first disciple. This is the great opportunity you’ve been waiting for, so grab it tight. No need to give anything in return. Your respect for me is enough.”

Even while preparing to meet his groom, Seolyeong couldn’t help but nag.

Naturally, Si Pungjae bolted like a rabbit. The Sogyoju’s nonsense was one thing, but the way Nabisalsoo glared at him with his dead-black eyes was another nightmare entirely.

Other than the Supreme One, Sahyeol Amje, no one could be their master. Pungjae, sweating nervously, desperately wished the lunatic bride would stop acting friendly toward him. He wanted nothing more than to stay far, far away.

1. 등신 (deungshin) idiot or fool. ↩︎