The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns

Hwang Dongyeong followed Soyeon Sang into the Little Heaven Pavilion.

"..."

Soyeon Sang, who had not said anything since passing through the main gate, and Hwang Dongyeong also did not say anything in particular, so only silence flowed between the two.

And at that moment, Soyeon Sang, who was walking ahead, opened his mouth.

"It seems that Young Master Cheon Seong came to the Little Heaven Pavilion the day before yesterday."

"..."

"Is your visit this time related to that incident?"

Soyeon Sang asked with his gaze fixed ahead.

Although he had not asked Cheon Myeong about what had happened with Cheon Seong that day, it was true that he was concerned as an escort.

That's why Soyeon Sang had casually asked about it while guiding Hwang Dongyeong to Cheon Myeong.

"Well, I don't know what you two talked about the day before yesterday, so I can't say anything."

"..."

"Isn't it also the role of an escort not to get too involved with the master?"

As Hwang Dongyeong said that, Soyeon Sang's steps stopped slightly.

"Were my words perhaps offensive?"

"...No."

Soyeon Sang, who started moving again. Accordingly, Hwang Dongyeong also moved his steps again.

Thump-.

When they arrived at their destination, the two stopped walking almost at the same time.

And Soyeon Sang, leaving Hwang Dongyeong at a little distance, approached the door and said.

"Young Master Cheon Myeong, are you inside?"

"Come in."

As Soyeon Sang spoke from outside the door, Cheon Myeong's voice was heard from inside.

As permission was given, Soyeon Sang cautiously opened the door, and as soon as he opened the door, a smell that stimulated the appetite wafted out from inside.

Munch, munch-.

Cheon Myeong, who was chewing something with a large chicken leg in one hand. And next to him, Baekjo was also munching with something in its mouth, just like Cheon Myeong.

Seeing this, Soyeon Sang, as if he had made a mistake, stopped his steps to enter the room and said.

"You were eating. Then I will come back after you have finished your meal."

"It's okay."

Cheon Myeong said that and swallowed the meat in his mouth at once. And with a much clearer voice than before, he said.

"What's the matter?"

"A guest has come to see you, Young Master Cheon Myeong."

"A guest?"

"Yes, Young Master Cheon Seong's escort, Hwang Dongyeong, has come."

Hearing that, a lot of questions arose on Cheon Myeong's face.

Although he would understand if Cheon Seong had come to see him again, to think that his escort, Hwang Dongyeong, had come to see him.

Cheon Myeong had a face that said he didn't know what business that side had with him.

"Let him in."

He would know the business when he met him.

As permission was given, Soyeon Sang signaled to Hwang Dongyeong, who was standing nearby, with a nod of his head.

Hwang Dongyeong, who understood the signal and showed his face to Cheon Myeong. And he was able to confirm the appearance of the room.

"..."

After confirming the appearance of the room, Hwang Dongyeong swallowed his words for a moment.

What that bird is eating now... is it chicken?

Although he knew that Cheon Myeong was raising a bird, it seemed that he had not thought that the bird would eat meat, and Hwang Dongyeong looked at Baekjo, who was munching on meat, with a curious look.

But what was more curious to Hwang Dongyeong was Cheon Myeong's appearance.

'Somehow... he has changed.'

The sight of Cheon Myeong holding a chicken leg was unfamiliar to Hwang Dongyeong.

It seemed that he was not a person who would eat food with his hands like that in the past.

Now, to exaggerate a little, he was holding the meat greedily in a manner that seemed like something bandits would do.

Moreover, the bones that were piled up in front of Cheon Myeong.

He also wondered if Cheon Myeong had been such a big eater in the past.

'Well... it doesn't matter.'

It is not so strange for a person to change in a few years.

Wouldn't it be possible that Cheon Myeong had not been able to eat properly while he had been away from the main headquarters? It could be that he was releasing that grudge in that way now.

Hwang Dongyeong thought so and bowed his head to Cheon Myeong.

"I greet Young Master Cheon Myeong."

"..."

Seeing Hwang Dongyeong bowing his head to him, Cheon Myeong gave a look to Soyeon Sang.

Then, Soyeon Sang, who moved out of the way on his own. And as the door closed, only Cheon Myeong, Hwang Dongyeong, and Baekjo, who was concentrating only on the meat, remained in the room.

"What business do you have with me?"

As the door closed, Cheon Myeong asked.

Then, Hwang Dongyeong, who had raised his bowed head, answered the question.

"I came to deliver Young Master Cheon Seong's words."

"...Seong-i's?"

"Yes, he asked me to deliver this letter to you, Young Master Cheon Myeong."

With those words, Hwang Dongyeong took out a letter from his bosom.

Seeing this, Cheon Myeong's face became quite serious, and he put down the chicken leg he was holding and held out his right hand to Hwang Dongyeong.

"..."

Hwang Dongyeong, who understood the meaning, walked closer to Cheon Myeong.

When he got close enough, Hwang Dongyeong held out the letter to Cheon Myeong, and Cheon Myeong received the letter with his right hand, which was covered in grease.

'What's this letter all of a sudden?'

Could it be that it contained the content that he had changed his mind about not taking his hand?

Yes, in the first place, the act of refusing his proposal there was an act that could not be understood.

If he were to change his mind and reflect on himself from now on, Cheon Myeong was willing to accept Cheon Seong.

Swish-.

Thinking so, Cheon Myeong unfolded the letter.

However, the content of the letter was completely unrelated to Cheon Myeong's expectations.

'What on earth does this mean?'

No, it wasn't that he didn't understand the content of the letter.

The reason why Cheon Myeong had that thought as soon as he read the letter was because he could not understand the intention of Cheon Seong, who had sent this letter.

"...Hey."

"Yes."

"What on earth does this mean?"

Cheon Myeong said that and showed the letter he was holding to Hwang Dongyeong.

Hwang Dongyeong silently read the letter that Cheon Myeong was showing him with his eyes, and said in a calm voice.

"He is asking you to come to the Red Demon Training Ground at the hour of the rat today."

"Did I ask you to read the characters?"

"..."

"Why on earth is Cheon Seong calling me to that place at that time?"

What Cheon Myeong could not understand was that point.

If he had something to say, couldn't he just come to see him like last time?

But the fact that he was calling him in this way through a letter, which was troublesome, Cheon Myeong could not understand.

So he had asked Hwang Dongyeong, who had brought this letter directly, but Hwang Dongyeong answered in a calm voice as if it were natural.

"I don't know that either."

"You don't know?"

"Yes, I only heard from Young Master Cheon Seong to deliver the letter, and I didn't hear anything else besides that."

"..."

Hearing those words, it seemed that it was meaningless to ask any more.

As if he had thought so, Cheon Myeong folded the letter he was showing to Hwang Dongyeong and put it down.

"You're right."

"..."

"I've received the letter for sure, so you can go now."

Although Cheon Myeong said that, Hwang Dongyeong did not move.

"...May I ask you one thing, Young Master Cheon Myeong?"

"What is it?"

"This is a question I'm asking because I happened to read the letter... what are you planning to do, Young Master Cheon Myeong?"

"Are you asking if I will go to the Red Demon Training Ground at the hour of the rat today?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Why are you curious about that?"

As Cheon Myeong asked, Hwang Dongyeong did not answer immediately.

Cheon Myeong, who was looking at such a Hwang Dongyeong without a word. Then, as if he couldn't help it, Hwang Dongyeong opened his mouth.

"Actually, I asked that because the face of Young Master Cheon Seong, who gave me this letter, came to my mind."

"...What do you mean?"

"When he gave me the letter, Young Master Cheon Seong looked very worried. I could tell that he was in a very disturbed state just by looking at him."

"..."

"The person he found in that state is you, Young Master Cheon Myeong. So I hope that you will come to the Red Demon Training Ground, Young Master Cheon Myeong."

Hearing Hwang Dongyeong's words, Cheon Myeong did not say anything for a long time.

Although it seemed that he had many things to think about inwardly, Cheon Myeong soon smiled lightly and said to Hwang Dongyeong.

"I understand. I will do so."

"...Thank you."

As if he wanted to convey his gratitude to Cheon Myeong, Hwang Dongyeong bowed his head with his words.

And at the moment Hwang Dongyeong raised his head again, Cheon Myeong asked, still maintaining a relaxed smile.

"But why didn't you give Seong-i the medicine I told you to give him last time?"

"..."

"Come to think of it, it seems that you didn't even bring it up in front of Seong-i. If you were so worried about Seong-i, shouldn't you have given him the medicine?"

"...I'm sorry."

He had thought that he would say some excuse. Hwang Dongyeong immediately apologized.

If he hadn't said that, he would have thought that he might have forgotten.

"Does that apology mean that I can take it that you intentionally did not give Seong-i the medicine?"

"...That's right."

"Why did you do that?"

Although it had become a bit of an interrogation atmosphere, since he had been planning to ask about this someday, Cheon Myeong looked straight at Hwang Dongyeong and asked.

Then, Hwang Dongyeong, like a criminal who had committed a grave sin, could not look Cheon Myeong in the eye properly and barely opened his mouth.

"No matter how much I said it, I didn't think that Young Master Cheon Seong would accept the medicine that you gave him, Young Master Cheon Myeong."

"That's why I said you don't have to say that I gave it to you."

"Even excluding that point... I thought that the medicine from the Demonic Medical Hall would be more effective than the medicine you gave me, Young Master Cheon Myeong..."

"..."

So in a word, he didn't give him the medicine because he couldn't trust him?

Well, since Hwang Dongyeong would not know that he had the knowledge of the Medical Supplement Manual, he could certainly think so.

'I was treated like a quack.'

Thinking so, a hollow laugh came out of Cheon Myeong's mouth.

He couldn't say that he was the one who had cured the Blood Death Disease that even Jong Seojun had not been able to solve.

After all, the only people who knew that fact were Jong Seojun, Jong Shingeon, and Hong Yeorin.

Since he didn't want to reveal the card he was holding to the outside, he had told those three not to mention the fact that he had cured Blood Death Disease.

Well, although it was a card that would be revealed to the world someday if he continued to use it like this... but still, wouldn't it be better to hide it as much as possible until then?

So even if he was treated like a quack like this now, Cheon Myeong had no choice but to endure it inwardly.

"I know what you mean."

"Thank you for understanding..."

"It would be a big deal if Seong-i's wound got worse because of the medicine I gave him. Right?"

"That's not it..."

"No, it's okay. I understand enough, so you can go now."

"..."

It seemed that that 'enough' was not that 'enough'.

However, it seemed that if he were to talk more here, the situation would only get worse.

'It can't be that he won't come to the Red Demon Training Ground because of this, right?'

Although he had a slight anxiety, it seemed that asking that one more time would cause unnecessary anger.

"Then... I'll be going."

Saying that, Hwang Dongyeong, who was leaving the room. At the same time, the smile completely disappeared from Cheon Myeong's face, and a rather serious look appeared.

"Baekjo."

Cheon Myeong called Baekjo, staring at the door.

Then, Baekjo, who took its beak out of the meat it was buried in and barely raised its head.

"Don't you smell something?"

"Peep?"

"I'm saying there's a smell, a smell..."

"Peep, peep-!"

"...No, not your fart smell. More than that, you fart too?"

Cheon Myeong said that and looked at Baekjo as if he were dumbfounded.

"Peep, peep, peep-!"

Baekjo, who was flapping its wings and hurriedly making an excuse.

Although it was a little interesting that a bird was farting, that was not what was important now.

Cheon Myeong shook his head and turned his gaze to the door again.

"...I'm saying there's a smell of someone selling something."

"Peep?"

Although Baekjo asked what that smell was to Cheon Myeong's words, Cheon Myeong did not say anything more.

(End of Chapter)