Vol 1 Chapter 2 – Heedowon Pt 1

Part 1

The Third Disciple had returned.

Heedowon of Heukcheon was thrown into a frenzy.

Though the residence was always kept neat and orderly, the entire compound grew even busier as they prepared to receive him. Even Seo Mun Geumryeong, the First Overseer and a direct aide to the Sect Leader, personally came to assist with the preparations.

What use was there in raising pillars with jade and roofing them with precious wood, when the master himself never stayed for long?

Heedowon was one of the many gifts Yae Jinrang had given to his youngest disciple. He had granted Kang Oh access to Heukcheon’s secret archives and allowed him to come and go freely from the treasure vault. With every change of season, new garments were tailored and sent, along with trunks of accessories suited to his style. That was just the beginning.

He personally summoned a renowned blacksmith to forge Kang Oh’s beloved sword, Dan-sa. On top of that, he gathered craftsmen from all over the nation to construct a pavilion with great care, then gifted the finished building to Kang Oh. That pavilion, Heedowon, now stood closest to Jinrang’s own quarters.

From the day it was built, Heedowon had been praised as the most beautiful structure in all of Heukcheon. The manpower, gold, and silver spent in its creation had not been small. The Lord of Heukcheon had poured every ounce of affection into his youngest disciple.

Those assigned to Heedowon knew exactly how deep that favor ran. It was clear and unabashed, like a parent doting on a long-awaited child. Because of that, everyone in Heedowon served the Third Disciple with meticulous care, never allowing the slightest slip.

But their master did have one small flaw. He was restless. He constantly sent out martial challenges to skilled warriors, and whenever a response of acceptance came, he would leave Heukcheon. It became a repeated cycle. Naturally, he spent more time away than at Heedowon. Most of the year, the residence sat empty.

What was the point of raising pillars with jade and roofing it with fine wood, when the master himself rarely stayed long?

There were times when Jinrang visited Heedowon more often than the person it was built for. He would stroll through the back garden, lightly brushing his hand along the railings of the pavilion. People said the Lord of Heukcheon came because he missed his disciple, but the servants at Heedowon were always on edge. They feared a single speck of dust might cling to the Lord’s hand.

That was why the upkeep of Heedowon was always meticulous.

Those who worked there regretted how rarely Yae Kang Oh returned. So much effort had been poured into Heedowon, yet the one meant to enjoy its beauty was always absent. Even the maids who usually kept such thoughts to themselves would prepare everything they could whenever the Third Disciple returned, hoping he might stay even a little longer.

The kitchen readied hot tea and snacks the moment they heard a cough, along with three fresh meals a day, special dishes, and occasionally medicinal tonics. The attendants who oversaw daily needs would stack firewood generously when snow fell. If the weather warmed, they would bring ice from the storage house and fan him by hand.

Though their master was a martial artist known for enduring cold and hardship, they pretended to forget that and served him with excessive care.

Cleaning was done diligently, every morning and evening. All of it took place while Kang Oh was at the training grounds. They were concerned that the sensitive hearing of a martial artist might be disturbed by the sound of people moving about.

Even the servants who served the first disciple or Yae Jinrang were never this excessive. But Heedowon held a special place within Heukcheon.

Because Jinrang cherished Kang Oh to such a degree, some had begun to whisper dark things. Among those with looser tongues, secret speculation spread that Jinrang had not taken in a disciple, but a favored boy.

However, none of those who spread such rumors were still alive.

Jinrang had torn out their tongues while they were still breathing and hung them from the gates of Heukcheon until they withered and died. No water was given. They died slowly.

At the time, Kang Oh had been away from Heukcheon, engaged in a duel with a master who had accepted his challenge. Everyone suspected Jinrang had waited for that moment to wipe out the rumor entirely.

The intent of Yae Jinrang, the man who stood at the peak of the demonic martial world, was unmistakable. Anyone who brought harm to Kang Oh would be killed. And the killing would not be kind.

Within Heukcheon, Kang Oh was both revered like an irreplaceable treasure and feared like a cursed soul. People believed that even touching him could bring misfortune.

They feared that if they became wrongly entangled in the favor shown to him, their household might be ruined.

The servants at Heedowon considered Kang Oh a good master, if not for how rarely he returned. Those who had met him up close could never understand why others whispered behind his back or kept their distance. To them, he was just a decent person.

For someone trained in martial arts, he was not rough. He never harassed lower-ranked attendants or threw tantrums while drunk. He did not flaunt his position or act arrogant just because he was favored by the Lord of Heukcheon. He did not send back meals just because they didn’t suit his taste, nor did he complain about the clothing prepared for him.

While at Heedowon, the Third Disciple spent his days doing nothing but training, morning and evening. Contrary to the rumors, he had no ambition to remove the senior disciple or claim the position of heir to the Lord of Heukcheon. The only people he ever met during his stays were the martial artists stationed with Honamdan. That alone was enough to show that he had no interest in the seat of succession.

Because of this, the attendants of Heedowon, who served a stable and undemanding master, were never shaken by outside rumors. They quietly and steadfastly guarded the residence.

The only dissatisfaction they ever felt was the lack of reward. No matter how flavorful the dishes they prepared, the Third Disciple’s face remained blank. Even when he strolled through the garden they had cared for with great effort, his expression did not change.

That was why, at some point, the servants at Heedowon began quietly competing to see who could draw even the smallest reaction from the Third Disciple.

The kitchen was especially determined this time, having obtained a rare bird’s nest and planning to prepare a nourishing soup with it. The garden staff boasted about acquiring golden carp and even transplanting a pine tree from a famous mountain, roots and all. The attendants in charge of Third Disciple Yae Kang Oh’s bedchamber had prepared a new set of bedding, and the most skilled maid had embroidered it with golden thread.

Everyone at Heedowon had made their own careful preparations as they waited for their master. He had returned to Heukcheon, and still, he had not shown his face at Heedowon. The wait kept growing longer. One maid joked that their necks had stretched so far they would soon look like deer.

Just then, as if summoned by her words, Yae Kang Oh appeared.

His stride was steady, his face as blank as always. But something about him was different. He was carrying a load of baggage.

The head maid of Heedowon swallowed her confusion. At a glance, the items looked far too coarse to belong to Kang Oh.

His steps were slower than usual. As they wondered at the change, a man appeared behind him. He was disheveled, restless, and dragged one leg as he walked.

It was Woo.

Kang Oh had appeared out of nowhere, told him that he was his new master, and brought him straight back to Heukcheon. At first, Woo had found the whole thing absurd. But he followed Kang Oh anyway, thinking it would be better to return and speak to the Lord of Heukcheon himself. Jinrang likely wouldn’t want him anywhere near Kang Oh in the first place.

The scenery blurred past them with every leap, and Woo, unaccustomed to the motion of qinggong, felt a faint wave of nausea. Even after stepping out of Kang Oh’s arms, his face remained pale. His body was weak, but more than that, the situation itself weighed heavily on him.

His shoulders were drawn in as he walked behind Kang Oh. Heedowon, the place he had only ever heard of during his time in Heukcheon, now stood before him. He had never imagined he would cross its threshold. How had things come to this?

Yeonjin, a servant of Heedowon, frowned at the sight of Woo. She was sure she had seen that man before. But when?

“I greet the Third Disciple.”

As Yeonjin swallowed her unease, the head maid stepped forward to receive Kang Oh.

“He’s the new guess I brought. Prepare a place for him near my quarters.”

“Yes..”

Kang Oh walked into the inner part of the pavilion, disappearing from view. Woo’s belongings went with him. Woo had a strange feeling he wouldn’t be getting them back. He nervously touched the edge of his robe.

The head maid, who had received the order, turned to Woo as he stood frozen in place.

“Come with me.”

Parting from Kang Oh felt like a relief. Woo followed the maid.

The room he was led to was the smallest in all of Heedowon. Even so, it lacked nothing in luxury. Woo looked around the space, which was more suited for an honored guest than a servant, and shrank back slightly.

The head maid pressed her lips together. Since Kang Oh had ordered a room to be prepared nearby, it had to be one within the same building. But Heedowon had no servant’s room. Every part of the residence had been built solely for Yae Kang Oh. The workers assigned to Heedowon usually stayed in a separate building nearby, carefully positioned so as not to disrupt the landscaping. When the Third Disciple returned, they rotated in.

The threshold of Heedowon was not easily crossed. First, it was a lavish compound touched by the hand of the Lord of Heukcheon himself. Second, Kang Oh had no close companions. No one was invited. The only people who entered and exited the grounds were those who worked with him directly. At times, Honamdan came to carry out his orders, but even they had never been assigned a room here.

Now, a servant like this was the first to be given lodging inside Heedowon. It wasn’t something the others could openly protest, but none of them liked it.

“This is far too much. I would be fine beneath the porch.”

Woo stepped back, his voice low and uneasy. The head maid’s brow creased. She didn’t like it either, but a servant had no right to question the Third Disciple’s orders. Woo had no say in the matter, nor the right to refuse.

“It is the Third Disciple’s command.”

Her voice was calm and firm. Woo bowed his head. Being given such a room and still looking so hesitant didn’t sit well with her. Not that it would have been better if he had accepted it with open gratitude. She swallowed her dissatisfaction. It wasn’t her place to judge what her master commanded.

With Kang Oh’s name behind the order, Woo had nothing more to say. He stepped into the room, and the maid closed the door behind him and quietly walked away.

Woo looked around. In the past, a space like this might not have been enough. Now it only felt uncomfortable, like clothing that didn’t fit. He couldn’t bring himself to sit. Nothing here felt like it belonged to him. If he sat on the bedding while still covered in dirt, he would ruin the fine embroidery.

So he remained standing.

“Is this the place?”

He froze. Kang Oh’s voice came from outside. The door slid open, and he stepped in. Seeing Woo still standing where he had been left, Kang Oh gave him a look.

“What are you doing?”

Woo hesitated to speak, but Kang Oh waved him off.

He hadn’t expected him to accept anything easily in the first place. Wasn’t this the same man who broke branches by hand even when there was a perfectly good axe nearby?

“Prepare bathwater.”

“N-no, that’s not necessary. I’ll wash at the nearby stream.”

Woo’s face turned pale as he spoke. But Kang Oh didn’t take his words back, and the head maid, who had guided him here, gave a brisk bow and left at once.

Woo could only watch her retreat in stunned silence.

“You’ll need clean clothes too.”

“If… if you return the belongings you took earlier, I have some there.”

“Ah, those?”

Kang Oh frowned.

“I threw them away. They didn’t suit Heedowon.”

“…I see.”

“You’ll need clean clothes too.”

“If… if you return the belongings you took earlier, I have some there.”

“Ah, those?”

Kang Oh frowned.

“I threw them away. They didn’t suit Heedowon.”

“…I see.”

A faint shadow passed across Woo’s face. It made sense, in hindsight. It had been strange to see Kang Oh carrying such things. Woo had insisted on bringing them, and Kang Oh had allowed it. He simply hadn’t thought they’d be discarded so easily.

Thrown out?

Only then did Woo realize how much it stung. The bag hadn’t held anything valuable. Just two sets of clothes, a spoon, a few utensils, a whetstone, a knife, a cheap axe, and a coarse blanket. But somehow, he couldn’t let it go.

“There’s no need for them here. I’ll have better things prepared…”

Kang Oh trailed off. There was a flicker in Woo’s eyes. He always kept them lowered, but for a brief moment, something moved. It wasn’t defiance or anger. It was something quiet, rising beneath the surface like light skimming across water.

He paused.

Woo had already lowered his head, making it impossible to confirm anything without forcing him to look up. But Kang Oh had seen it. The glint in his eyes had caught the light, like sunlight glancing across the surface of a pond.

He didn’t know what left him more unsettled. The faint trace of wetness in Woo’s eyes, or the way it had slipped past his guard.

He could have dismissed it. He could have called it pathetic. But something about it stayed with him.

He wanted to believe that giving him something better, something more refined, would be enough to clear that expression. Just like the sky brightening after a storm. He told himself that would be enough.

“Wait here.”

Kang Oh clenched his jaw and left the room. Woo, who had just barely steadied his emotions, watched his retreating figure in confusion.

“Your bathwater is here.”

As soon as the master of Heedowon disappeared from view, two large attendants appeared, each carrying a tub of hot water. Steam was still rising from the surface. There hadn’t been enough time to heat fresh water from scratch, which meant the hot water must have been prepared in advance. It seemed Heedowon always kept it ready so that Kang Oh could have it whenever he needed it.

“Th-thank you.”

“You should wash before it gets cold.”

The two attendants stood politely, waiting. Woo hesitated, unable to bring himself to take off his clothes.

““A-are you not leaving?”

One of them replied with quiet formality.

“We have a duty to attend to the one the Third Disciple has brought.”

“That’s right.”

“I-it’s really fine. I’m just not used to this sort of thing. Please… I would appreciate it if you could leave.”

Woo spoke with a face that looked close to tears. This was absurd. A luxurious room, hot water, and now someone to bathe him?

He couldn’t take any more of this.

“Then we’ll wait just outside. If you need anything, please call.”

The attendant quietly withdrew. Woo nodded and bent into a deep bow. Only after the door had fully shut behind them did he begin to undress.

Slowly, he lowered himself into the steaming water. It had been a long time since he last bathed in hot water. Even in the dead of winter, he had washed in the stream, using cold water. When the frost ran deep and the water froze over, he sometimes went for a month or two without bathing at all.

His muscles gradually began to relax. He kept the burned arm outside the tub. Fortunately, a scab had already formed over the injury on his back, so soaking didn’t cause any pain.

Woo slowly washed off the dust that had clung to him during their short journey. He soaked his hair and splashed water on his face. Just as he was finishing up, the door slid open.

He sank further into the water, nearly to his neck. The one who stepped inside was Yae Kang Oh.

“I brought your things.”

Woo’s worn bundle was set down on a polished wooden table. It was exactly as it had been when Kang Oh stubbornly insisted on carrying it from the hut.

Woo’s eyes widened.

He said he threw it away.

“Th-thank you.”

His voice barely rose above a murmur. His eyes stayed fixed on the bundle, unwilling to look away.

“You were bathing.”

It was only after entering the room that Kang Oh realized Woo was still washing. He rubbed his forehead and let out a quiet sigh.

He had come to say that he hadn’t thrown the bundle away. That once he arrived at Heedowon, the sight of those shabby things had simply bothered him, so he hid them. But then he saw Woo, naked in the water, and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. The unexpected intrusion had made him feel guilty.

Perhaps out of shame, he sank himself into the water. The water only slightly distorted the outline of his skin, and yet, it felt more awkward now than when Kang Oh had seen his bare back by the stream.

He turned away.

Once Kang Oh’s gaze left him, Woo felt a wave of relief settle over his body.

“Your arm seems to be healing. How is your back?”

Kang Oh’s voice was calm. Woo answered carefully. “It… it’s much better. Thanks to your grace, Third Disciple”

Even in the bath, Woo instinctively lowered his head. Between his words, the sound of water rippling could be heard.

“That’s good to hear. The attendants waiting outside… are they the ones who helped you bathe?”

Though Woo couldn’t see it with Kang Oh’s back turned, he could sense that his expression was not a pleasant one.

“Yes. It’s… far more than I deserve.”

---

Heedowon – Literal meaning: House of Joy (Kang Oh’s residence)