Camellia 6

In a dim bathhouse. The man soaking in medicinal water asked slowly,

“So that’s how your face ended up like that?”

Jet-black hair clung to the golden-brown water steeped with herbs. His broad shoulders and firm chest were exposed above the wooden tub.

Si Pungjae answered awkwardly.

“…Yes, Master.”

“What do you think of my bride’s martial skill? To beat both Si brothers into pulp, he must have considerable qi.”

The man closed his eyes with a sigh, then opened them again. He slicked his damp bangs back and rose from the tub. Water splashed in every direction.

The Sect Leader’s bare body was covered in bluish spots. Though his muscular physique was well-defined without being excessive, the clusters of spots made him look almost inhuman. At a glance, he resembled one of the jiangshi¹.

Si Pungjae brought him a towel. The Sect Leader didn’t keep a separate attendant, he made use of whichever subordinate came to meet him. Among them, Si Pungjae had the privilege of serving Cheonsin more often than most. There was a particular bond between the two that went beyond Sect Leader and sect member.

Si Pungjae began carefully drying his hair.

“That’s enough.”

Water was still dripping, but the man brushed Si Pungjae’s hand away as if it were bothersome. He put on his sleep robe by himself without help.

Si Pungjae hesitated with the towel in hand, then spoke.

“Your back…”

His throat tightened the more he tried to speak.

“The flesh is starting to rot, Sect Leader.”

To Si Pungjae, the Sect Leader was someone he revered like the heavens.

More than his own parents, he owed everything to him. He had been saved from being buried alive in a pit, and even had his lost brother returned to him. To Si Pungjae, Cheonsin was a benefactor.

“Already?”

Cheonsin asked like it was no big deal. Si Pungjae nodded, he looked like he might burst into tears at any moment.

The reason he had sought a blood fiend bride was the spots that had begun appearing on his skin one day.

As the spots grew and multiplied, the yin energy in his body swelled and twisted his qi channels. The flow of qi tangled, forcing him to strike his own danjeon to cough up darkened blood and regain balance.

Still, it wasn’t quite a case of severed meridians. Unlike those with terminal meridian disorders, Cheonsin didn’t lose his qi or become frail and close to death. Aside from needing to live as a child for six hours every three days to cope with the yin energy, he remained the terrifying peak master of the martial world, Sahyeol Amje.

This misfortune had begun with the damned Yangcheonju gifted to him by the Divine Healer before their departure. A red-colored liquor that ominously pulsed with yang energy, drinking it replenished vitality, but it had an unexpected side effect: a sort of pseudo-reversal of age.

Not a true return to youth, but a transformation that only happened while intoxicated. Once the alcohol wore off, he returned to normal. It was inconvenient beyond words.

The Divine Healer had warned that Yangcheonju should be consumed only once every three days. So, every three days, for six hours, Cheonsin had to wander around Yurigung in the body of a child.

Bringing in a blood fiend was meant to end this hassle.

Those people were overflowing with yang energy, so much that their eyes turned red. He figured that by directly drawing out that heat, he could neutralize the yin in his body. That was why he pushed for marriage.

But then the brother showed up saying he would be the bride.

“Can I even bring myself to take a man into my arms…”

Technically, it was only about draining yang energy, so gender didn’t matter. Still, Cheonsin muttered to himself. The best way to extract yang was through sex.

To Si Pungjae, who revered the Sect Leader, this was excruciating.

People outside Yeonhu Mountain called Sahyeol Amje a murderous demon unmatched in the world. But to Si Pungjae, he was simply a man who had killed a lot of martial artists, yet was more righteous and admirable than anyone else.

Trying to offer some comfort, Si Pungjae said,

“His beauty is just as they say. Truly exceptional. The rumors about him being a peerless beauty were true.”

Cheonsin gave him a look that said, Go on.

“His hair is black with a hint of bronze, long enough to reach his waist, and soft like a fairy’s. His eyes are delicate and glimmer like jewels… and his eyelashes are so long that when he blinks, it looks like butterflies fluttering…”

“You’re describing him in such detail. Sounds like he’s perfect for you. Did you fall for him at first sight?”

“…Excuse me?”

Si Pungjae was flustered. Fall for him? That was a terrible misunderstanding. It made him sound like a rogue lusting after his superior’s bride.

He was about to clarify that he was just being objective.

“Pungjae.”

Cheonsin appeared silently and gripped his shoulder.

“I can’t get hard for a stiff man.”

“……”

“But maybe, if the hole is in good condition, I could at least put it in.”

He said this with an expressionless face.

“There won’t be a wedding. I’m not going to do any ceremony where two men vow to be together for life. We’ll just have the wedding night. So go in first and train the blood fiend’s hole. Make sure it can take it even if I shove it in while he’s bent over.”

Si Pungjae broke into a cold sweat. The hand on his shoulder pressed down like solid stone. The Sect Leader was ordering him to violate his bride.

Si Pungjae barely managed to speak.

“But, Sect Leader… I…”

“You swore to me that you’d prove your loyalty at every moment, didn’t you?”

It was a complete defeat. He had sworn to the man who saved him that he would live for him, and offer unwavering devotion.

As Cheonsin walked out of the bathhouse, Si Pungjae let out a sigh so heavy it could sink the earth. The beautiful face he’d seen earlier floated in his mind.

To be honest, it wasn’t the looks that rattled him. It was the martial power. There was no way he could possibly thrust into that man. The moment he tried, he would be torn limb from limb and die.

***

Finally, the regular servants arrived.

Not everyone in the demonic sect was a bloodthirsty maniac hellbent on destroying the martial world. As long as they followed the Amje, even those without martial skill could settle down and live out their lives here.

Of course, they had to earn their keep. People like that cooked meals, tended the gardens, cleaned, and served the martial artists.

“Your hair looks pretty left down like a street urchin, and it’s pretty tied low like the Sect Leader. Even half-up looks nice, so we can’t decide. What do you think, Sogyoju-nim?”

Two girls were fussing over Seolyeong in front of a dressing table. He asked abruptly,

“Why did you choose the Cheonma Divine Sect?”

It had nothing to do with the girl’s question.

“This doesn’t seem like a place for girls to live.”

His habit of butting in was showing again.

The girls burst into laughter.

“Then where do you think girls with no martial skill and no parents are supposed to go?”

Their hands brushing his hair were skilled.

“Are we supposed to wrap ourselves in red skirts and serve men in brothels? Or work as maids for noble families and hold our tongues while being groped by young masters?”

“……”

“At least here, the men behave themselves because they fear the Sect Leader. Isn’t that reason enough to choose this place?”

Seolyeong fell silent, lost in thought. It was near the end of the grooming session when he asked in a quiet voice,

“…What kind of person is the Sect Leader? If it’s hard to answer, feel free to ignore it.”

The other girl, who was fastening his necklace, finally spoke.

“…Cold, and extraordinary. Like a god to women, like a demon to men. At least, that’s how I feel.”

Seolyeong listened carefully, then nodded vigorously. He mumbled with a look of anticipation,

“In that case, we might actually get along quite well. We could become unmatched soulmates.”

…A demon to men, you know?

The girl nearly said it out loud, but stopped herself and just smiled politely. She was starting to think that maybe this noble from Yonyeong was a little slow.

1. Chinese hopping vampire or reanimated corpse found in East Asian folklore, especially Chinese. ↩︎