Vol 2 Chapter 5. Past Ties Part 5

Dan Woo Hyo was only one man, yet the work that fell on him came in waves like a mountain crashing down.

“So, what brings you here?”

He pressed his fingers lightly against the corners of his tired eyes as he spoke. Paeng Soso hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Do you remember the boy you brought back with you?”

Woo Hyo’s hand paused. Of course he remembered. That boy was like an old text he hadn’t dared to open, one he kept putting off again and again.

The final journey Dan Baekhun ever took before his death had been to bring that boy to Baekragung.

Woo Hyo looked down at his own palm.

He remembered the last time he had seen his father. On that day, Dan Baekhun had transferred half of his fully cultivated inner energy into him. Had he sensed his own death drawing near? Or had there been another reason Woo Hyo still didn’t understand?

The one person who could have answered was already gone to the afterlife. There was no way to find the truth now.

When Woo Hyo had first found the boy, he’d been shocked twice. Once by the boy’s physical condition, and again by the age he gave. For someone said to be sixteen, his frame was far too small. He was only nine years younger than Woo Hyo.

At one point, Woo Hyo had even wondered if the boy might be Dan Baekhun’s illegitimate son. If so, should he say something to his mother? The thought had left him wavering. But the boy, who had supposedly been brought to Baekragung to help investigate Dan Baekhun’s death, knew absolutely nothing about him. He said he had lived with his birth mother until her death, and it was only after being left alone that he happened to meet Dan Baekhun by chance. That was all he knew.

Woo Hyo had brought the boy back to Baekragung for the time being. He assigned a servant to look after him and buried himself in official affairs. Just then, two sects within Baekragung’s territory had broken into conflict, and mediating between them had left him so swamped he barely had time to breathe. Naturally, the matter of the boy was pushed aside.

“I remember him, of course.”

While handling Baekragung’s affairs, Woo Hyo had searched Dan Baekhun’s writings whenever he could. But nothing led back to the boy. Dan Baekhun had always been a quiet and stoic father, but Woo Hyo had never imagined he would keep something like this so deeply hidden. With each passing day, his sense of disappointment grew.

“I beg your pardon for speaking out of turn, but I believe you should take a look.”

Woo Hyo frowned. The one speaking was Paeng Soso, the leader of Ikhyeong. She wouldn’t be pressing him if it were something trivial, especially when she knew how busy he was. He rose to his feet immediately.

“I’ll go now.”

As he walked with light, quick steps, Paeng Soso explained the situation.

Apparently, a boy had been lingering alone, drinking water over and over at the well, as if trying to fill an empty stomach. His clothes were newly made, but the creases suggested they hadn’t been changed regularly. His hair was messy and lazily tied up, which caught her attention enough to approach. But the moment the boy saw her, he darted off like a startled animal and hid among the trees.

When she asked a passing servant, they said he was the one the Lord of Baekragung had brought back. He was extremely shy around strangers and barely ate, always turning his head away from meals. They said he behaved like a wild creature, wouldn’t listen to instructions, and had been making life miserable for them ever since.

Only then had Paeng Soso realized who the boy was, and she had come to see Woo Hyo the very next day.

“I don’t understand. He seemed like such a gentle child.”

After hearing the full account, Woo Hyo sighed. The boy had always been scruffy, but attentive. Though wary around others, he never lashed out. He simply stayed low, observing everything.

And yet now they were calling him a troublemaker.

It didn’t make sense.

“This way,” Paeng Soso said, leading Woo Hyo to the place where she had first seen the boy. Baekragung was vast, but its reputation was matched by how thoroughly every corner was maintained. Even the outer garden here was no exception.

Woo Hyo spread his qi and quickly located the boy’s presence. As he moved toward the brush, a patch of soft black hair peeked out from the green undergrowth.

Strangely, it reminded him of the fine down on a fledgling.

“Hey, little one.”

His lips felt unusually dry as he called out. The boy stirred at the sound, then lifted his head. Large, dark eyes met his gaze. The moment he recognized Woo Hyo, he sprang up and ran straight toward him.

They had only met a few times, yet the boy’s eyes gleamed the instant he saw him.

The boy stepped closer, lips moving in a small mumble. But his voice was too faint to hear. Fortunately, Woo Hyo was a martial artist—he could hear even the wind brushing against blades of grass.

“Lord Dan…”

It seemed he only remembered the surname Dan. Watching his lips move, Woo Hyo crouched down, brought their eyes level, and clearly told him his name.

“Woo Hyo. Dan Woo Hyo.”

“Dan Woo Hyo,” the boy repeated.

His voice carried a little more strength this time. Woo Hyo gently stroked the boy’s hair, then wrapped an arm around his waist and lifted him up.

Just like the day he had brought him back, the boy’s body was still light.

“Why are you here all alone? Where’s the one who’s supposed to be looking after you?”

Startled by being lifted so suddenly, the boy’s eyes went round. But he lowered his head at the question.

“I don’t know. They left.”

“She left…?”

Woo Hyo murmured and met Paeng Soso’s eyes. She sent him a silent message through sound transmission.

[After I checked on the boy yesterday, something felt off, so I looked into it. At first, the assigned servant cared for him properly. But after the first few days, she abandoned his duty. Witnesses say she seemed attentive, but one of my men tracked him going in and out of a tavern outside Baekragung.]

“That bitch…”

Hearing his voice, the boy in his arms lifted his head and began to move his lips.

“…That…”

Realizing what the boy was about to echo, Woo Hyo panicked and quickly covered his mouth. Wide, puzzled eyes blinked up at him, full of confusion.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

The boy, who had been quietly resting in his arms, nodded after a beat. It seemed he had already forgotten what Woo Hyo had just muttered.

That truly was a relief.

“Then let’s go have a proper meal.”

Woo Hyo sent a sound transmission to Paeng Soso. “Bring that bitch to me.”

At the command of her young lord, the leader of Ikhyeong cupped her fists and stepped away.

——

The quarters Woo Hyo brought the boy to was a complete mess. From the outside, it looked respectable enough, but the interior had not been cleaned at all. The clothes Woo Hyo had specifically ordered to be delivered were crumpled in a corner. There wasn’t even a soft bedding mat in sight. There wasn’t even a proper bedding mat. He hadn’t asked for anything luxurious like silk or embroidered cushions. Just something simple and soft should have been there, yet even that was missing.

This was a quarters within Baekragung, and even the most modest quarters were supposed to maintain a certain standard. But the furnishings that should have been there were completely gone.

Unbelievable.

Neglect was bad enough. Now there was theft on top of it.

It was at that point that guilt began to weigh on him. He had simply found someone to assign and left the boy in their care, then forgotten all about it. There had been so much to deal with, and as someone who had only just ascended as Lord of Baekragung, Woo Hyo had been barely keeping up. But to think things had reached this point filled him with shame.

Woo Hyo felt strength unconsciously gather in his hands. If what he was holding were an object and not a young child, he would have crushed it in that moment.

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

He swallowed the curse that almost slipped out and spoke calmly to the boy. The child, who had been quietly looking up at him the entire way, gave a small nod as if it didn’t matter to him either way. Looking into those dark, clear eyes, Woo Hyo gently stroked the boy’s hair and began walking toward his own quarters.

Even within Baekragung, the residence of the Lord stood out in both scale and dignity. Though its master had yet to return, the guards stationed there remained dutiful at their posts. When Woo Hyo appeared, they silently stepped aside. Some of the guards were surprised to see a child in the Lord’s arms, but none showed it openly.

Striding through the halls, Woo Hyo reached his residence and gave a command to the servant who opened the door.

“Bring something to eat.”

The servant bowed silently and hurried off to carry out the Lord’s order.

Woo Hyo felt some of the weight in his chest begin to lift. He had carried a knot in his gut the whole way back. The boy’s limbs felt like brittle twigs in his arms, and his weight was so light it didn’t seem real. He didn’t look sixteen in the slightest. He looked closer to ten.

Thinking to let the boy eat without delay once the food arrived, Woo Hyo gently set him down on the floor.

The child, having been carried the whole way, now stood on his own feet once more.
His eyes rolled curiously as he looked around the room. It was clear he was mesmerized, as if this was the most splendid place he had ever seen.

Seated at the table, Woo Hyo quietly watched as the boy wandered around. He tensed for a moment when the child walked toward the side where a treasured sword had been placed. But then he recalled that at that age, he had already been handling live blades. If the boy was going to live in Baekragung, it would do no harm for him to grow accustomed to weapons.

The hilt of the sword was a deep navy, and the name of the blade was engraved into it.

Dan-sa.
Two characters that meant Thought Sunderer.

“Do you like it?”

The boy flinched and quickly turned his head, then shook it side to side. After a moment, he walked over and dropped to the floor right in front of Woo Hyo.

“You shouldn’t sit on the floor.”

Woo Hyo lifted the boy by the waist and set him down on the chair beside him. The boy’s eyes were now fixed on Woo Hyo. Just as that gaze began to feel a little too intense, Woo Hyo sensed the presence of a servant outside.

The door slid open, and the servant who had gone to the kitchen returned with food and placed it on the table. There were savory dishes laid out. Crispy pancakes, skewered meat, and other side plates, all neatly prepared.

“Go ahead. Eat.”

The boy’s eyes widened at the sight. He had simply been staring at the food, but now his voice trembled slightly.

“I–is this for me?”

“Of course.”

“But there’s so much… and it’s all fresh…”

The boy mumbled to himself as he stared at the food, his eyes never once leaving the plate.

“You might be used to scraps, but this is proper food.”

Woo Hyo picked up a wheat pancake, cut into a size easy to eat, and popped it gently into the boy’s mouth. For a moment, the child froze, then slowly began to chew. His little lips moved like a bird’s beak, making Woo Hyo think of a fledgling.

A crow, maybe? No, something smaller, softer, something downier than that.

“…It’s delicious.”

The boy murmured. Even before the wonder in his eyes had faded, his hand was already reaching for the next pancake, bringing it eagerly to his mouth. There were chopsticks laid out, but he wasn’t using them. Either he wasn’t used to them, or the food had simply enchanted him.

Woo Hyo watched his fingers glisten with oil, yet felt no irritation. Normally, he was rather particular for someone in the martial world. He disliked anything dirty or disorderly, yet when he watched this boy eat, he felt no discomfort at all. Instead, a quiet sense of satisfaction settled in.

“Slowly now. Eat slowly. Here, have some tea as well.”

Woo Hyo tilted the teapot and poured into the cup as he spoke. Once the wheat pancakes were gone, the boy reached for the meat skewers. When Woo Hyo brought the teacup to his lips, the boy drank the tea quietly.

His appetite wasn’t just healthy, it was surprising. Seeing such a thin boy eat like that made Woo Hyo’s chest ache.

He felt ashamed of having thought it would be fine just because he had brought the boy to Baekragung. He had yet to fully inherit his father’s position, nor had he secured full control over the forces beneath him. So what kind of confidence had made him think a servant, left out of his sight, would care for the boy properly?

It wasn’t too late. From now on, he would look after the child himself.

Woo Hyo quietly watched as the boy sipped his tea and finished the rest of the food. His eyes went round every time he tasted something new, and that startled look was endearing. As he chewed, the faint sparkle that flickered in those dark eyes reminded Woo Hyo of starlight.

Realizing he would not be returning to the study, Woo Hyo ordered that the matters he had yet to attend to be brought to his quarters.

Before long, the boy, who had managed to polish off the table full of food, began nodding off. Eventually, he slumped over and fell asleep. Woo Hyo felt the small weight lean against the hem of his robe. Though his mouth was still messy with oil, Woo Hyo simply laid the boy down more comfortably. The hem of his robe was stained in an instant, but he didn’t mind.

No matter how fine the silk, it was nothing compared to the comfort of deep sleep.

It was past midnight when Woo Hyo, busy tending to affairs, finally noticed something was wrong.

He turned at the sound of movement, thinking the boy might be having a bad dream, and was startled. The face that had been sleeping so peacefully was now drained of color, soaked with cold sweat. Even if he had been preoccupied with work, it was infuriating that he hadn’t noticed something was wrong until it had gotten this far.

Ugh… ngh…

The boy, still unconscious as if in a faint, vomited up everything he had eaten. After that, he could only gasp for breath in ragged wheezes. Had Woo Hyo not supported his head, the boy might have choked with his face fallen into the vomit.
But even with that crisis averted, the boy couldn’t even hold himself upright.

Woo Hyo crouched beside him, not knowing what had gone wrong. He had never once fallen ill in his own childhood, and he had no idea what could be causing this. All he could manage was to remember that he needed to find a physician.

He threw open the sliding door with a loud clatter.

“Bring a physician!”

At the command of the Lord of Baekragung, the servant dashed off in a panic and returned shortly after with a physician still in sleeping robes.

Woo Hyo had laid the boy on the bed and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and the remnants of vomit from the corners of his mouth with his sleeve. He stepped aside, doing his best to mask his anxiety.

The physician, clearly confused at being made to examine a child rather than the lord, was met with a gaze so sharp it felt like it was scorching his cheek. The physician, clearly confused at being made to examine a child rather than the Lord, was met with a gaze so sharp it felt like it scorched his cheek. He composed himself and began taking the boy’s pulse.

“Tell me. Is it poison?”

Woo Hyo asked in a low voice. While waiting, he had run through countless possibilities. The most likely one was that the boy had been poisoned.

Attempts to poison him were nothing new. His mother, Seol Buyong, had been of royal blood, and from a young age Woo Hyo had been trained to develop resistance to toxins. Such tricks had never brought him down. Even more so now, after cultivating his martial strength to an exceptional level.

But fools would always exist, and their attempts occasionally came close to reaching him.

Had it been any other time, Woo Hyo would have laughed at their foolishness and tracked down whoever was behind it to shake the truth out of them. But with the boy lying in front of him, pale-faced and soaked in cold sweat, all he felt was helpless.

It was the first time he had ever tried to protect someone. And now he realized, painfully so, just how unprepared he truly was.

“No, it’s not poison.”

The physician, who had been dragged from sleep at the Lord’s summons, withdrew his hand from the boy’s wrist and shook his head.

“He has simply overeaten.”

“Overeaten?” Woo Hyo repeated, the tension draining out of him all at once.

“Yes. Judging by his poor nutritional state, eating too much at once certainly contributed, but more than that, it seems he is not used to rich food. That is likely the cause of his current condition.”

Woo Hyo was speechless. All the boy had eaten were a few meat skewers. He could still see the way those wide eyes had lit up as he tasted them. That look had stayed with him. The sparkle was so sincere it made him regret not having cared for him sooner.

“What… what should I do now?”