Camellia 41

“Agh, my head…”

Seolyeong regained consciousness, he tried to understand why someone like him, who rarely dreamed, had such a vivid and realistic dream. As a mere creature, there was no way he could fully comprehend the will of the heavens, but after some reflection, he came to a rough conclusion.

It must be Wonsi Cheonjon encouraging me not to give up.

Saying, Didn’t you already recover a ruptured danjeon twice before? This time too, the light will shine on you.

Seolyeong once more expressed his gratitude to the Twin Sword Master of Cheonghae, who, originally a member of the Kunlun Sect, had become his teacher and led him to follow Wonsi Cheonjon. He steeled his wavering heart.

“Right. I won’t let myself think this is hard. Honestly, I haven’t even lived a particularly difficult life. I’ve always received more kindness than I deserved.”

To be fair, Seolyeong was tired. Members of the demonic sect often looked at him coldly, his so-called husband had split open his lower abdomen, and the disciple he had tried to raise had disappeared without a trace.

If Seolyeong hadn’t once been granted a miraculous opportunity that gave him the strength to live, he might have unconsciously grumbled that the heavens were truly indifferent, cold, and unkind.

But no one had received more help from the heavens than he had, so even when faced with storms, he didn’t waver. He knew that any hardship would pass eventually, and that he would overcome it in the end. That belief allowed Seolyeong to remain calm. He was someone who believed in his fate, one in which, every time he was on the verge of collapse, the heavens would reach out a hand.

And so, Seolyeong threw himself into external martial training. Even though his internal Qi had been shattered, he still had his body.

At the crack of dawn, he went out to the backyard and began doing push-ups. The ground was frozen stiff, cold air rising from it in waves, but he steadied himself.

Three thousand times with one arm behind his back. Then thirty-five hundred times using only his fingers. As he continued, Choseon appeared at the side door.

Hwang Choseon, wearing a blue silk skirt embroidered with silver thread, looked calm and composed as he greeted him, whether or not he knew he was now part of the demonic sect.

“Did you sleep well, Ahyeong? Thanks to that pretty physician, I got to bathe in a luxurious hall last night and sleep on a silk mattress that feels like it would slip right out from under you if you so much as touched it.”

Still doing push-ups, Seolyeong answered.

“That physician takes care of the Madu, so don’t even think about getting ideas. You know this place is Sipman Daesan, right?”

“What ideas? And with snow everywhere, how could I not know? This is Yeonhu Mountain, where the venomous snake coils, right?”

Choseon snapped at him with a glare.

Famous as the most beautiful person in Sacheon, Hwang Choseon was actually not a woman but a man, and not a male courtesan either but a lecher. As soon as he wiped off his makeup, he would swagger around like a dandy, always causing scandals with women.

At the same time, he was of Murong blood. An illegitimate child who could never inherit the Murong name.

Born from a moment of lust when the younger brother of the current Murong family head coveted a servant girl, Choseon didn’t even have a real name and was simply called Mumyeong (Nameless). Treated like he didn’t exist, he had lived thinking that was normal. That was, until the tiny danjeon he had barely managed to form was completely destroyed.

Every illegitimate child unrecognized by the Murong family had to go through that process. While the noble young masters and ladies underwent ritual cleansing and rebirth, the children born from a father’s indiscretion were trampled mercilessly.

After losing his martial arts, Mumyeong packed a simple travel bag and left Yonyeong behind.

He only the blood fiend siblings, who had been his closest companions within the household, that he was going to his mother’s hometown in Sacheon. His aunt worked at a courtesan house there, and he planned to do chores to save up money. He said if he ever got a house like a palace, they should come visit.

Seolyeong gave a vague response.

‘Yeah, Mumyeong. If you get your hands on expensive liquor, make sure you share it with me.’

‘How the hell would I hide it without getting caught and beaten to death?’

‘That’s for you to figure out.’

‘You bastard, can’t you at least say “take care” like a decent friend…’

‘If anyone bullies you, don’t keep it to yourself. Tell me. I’ll go beat them up for you.’

And from the very next day after his friend left, Seolyeong began regularly visiting Sacheon day and night.

‘Hey. What are you doing here?’

Mumyeong was flustered at first, but soon got used to Seolyeong’s persistent intrusions.

Seolyeong watched everything from the start, how the nameless boy started out as a laborer, caught the eye of the madam of the courtesan house, and suddenly began dressing in women’s clothes.

When Seolyeong asked why he had suddenly started dolling up, Mumyeong answered without hesitation.

‘The madam took me in as her adopted daughter. So from now on, you have to call me Hwang Choseon. I need to live under this name to fulfill my role as her daughter.’

‘But your mother is in Yonyeong, isn’t she?’

‘Can you really call someone who abandons their child a mother? I get that she didn’t have a choice, so I won’t say anything harsh… but the wound she left me will never go away. The only thing that might help it heal is money. The madam said my face will bloom even more with age, that I’m destined to become the most beautiful flower in Sacheon. If I do, I’ll make a ton of money, so when that happens, you bring Seolhyeon and come live in Sacheon. Let’s be a family and live without envy. I’ll marry Hyeon.’

‘Hyeon doesn’t like you.’

‘I don’t like your Hyeon either, you mutt.’

‘Then don’t tell me you like me?’

‘…You two are the closest thing to family I have. I just want us to be real family. Is that so hard to understand?’

Choseon had laughed bitterly then, but over time, he simply became a pervert who enjoyed dressing up.

“Hey, Ahyeong–”

As Seolyeong focused on his training, ignoring him, a heavy weight suddenly dropped onto his back.

“What are you doing?”

He asked irritably. Choseon, who had sat squarely on him, replied with a hum.

“You seemed to be training, so I thought I’d help. Five thousand push-ups with me on your back. How about it, Young Master Murong?”

“Who’re you calling Murong?”

“You stuck with that family for so long, and even married into it as their representative. You don’t have the surname, but you’re Murong all the same. At this point, even the head of the clan should recognize you as kin.”

“Cut the nonsense.”

Seolyeong scolded him and threw Choseon off.

“Aagh!”

Choseon screamed, but Seolyeong continued his push-ups as if nothing happened. When he didn’t get the reaction he wanted, Choseon suddenly quieted down. Still sitting in the snow, he asked.

“Hey. What if your wound reopens from all that movement?”

“Go ask the physician. Shoo, shoo.”

“It was the Madu, wasn’t it?”

“……”

“The man who’s supposed to be your husband did that to you, didn’t he?”

Choseon murmured softly.

“…You really have no luck with men, huh. First the Cheonghae Swordsman, then Murong Jeongui, now the sect leader.”

He always called the swordsman who once taught Seolyeong the “Cheonghae Swordsman” as he pleased.

Choseon grabbed a handful of snow.

“…Ahyeong. I want us to be happy. Honestly, we’ve had it so hard. I don’t know why misfortune keeps falling on us. Other people cry and laugh and find joy even in sadness, but why do we never get to have that? Did we commit some great sin in our past lives?”

Seolyeong responded dryly.

“You’re doing just fine, living happily.”

“…No, I’m not.”

“Why, didn’t you say men line up to be with you? Go settle down with one and live in a mansion or something.”

Choseon threw a snowball at him. Seolyeong teased him, saying it didn’t even tickle, but then got repeatedly kicked in his wounded belly. Choseon watched him with glee as he groaned and collapsed, until he suddenly sensed a gaze. Choseon turned his head, and nearly fainted.

“Ahh! My liver almost fell out!”

Si Pungjae was sitting calmly atop the side gate, watching them with an awkward expression.

“Pardon me, Sogyoju-nim, but… may I ask what your relationship is?”

Seolyeong, who had been pressing down on his bleeding wound in the snow, got up slowly at the polite question. Brushing snowflakes from his hair, he asked back:

“What’s it to you?”

“I can tell you two share a long history, but if you’ve promised each other a deep and serious relationship…”

“If we have?”

Si Pungjae’s gaze turned sharp, revealing a murderous aura.

“This disciple has been ordered to kill the Sacheon Flower right here. Obey Heaven and live, defy Heaven and perish. For the sake of the sect leader, who transcends the heavens. Ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years.”