Chapter 127

Tell me I'm sorry? What do I have to be sorry for?

"Say you're sorry for not recognizing my affection, and that from now on, you'll follow me and treat me well like you used to..."

Yeon Jeok-san panted as he lowered his head. His face, which had come so close it seemed he might kiss Cheong-ra at any moment, was flushed red. His eyes were filled with reverence and fascination for the beautiful face, even in its filthy state. His dreamy gaze, lost in some imagination, suddenly changed. It was that of a madman.

"Say it, hurry!"

Yeon Jeok-san, who had been acting impatiently, belatedly remembered the Poison-Resisting Bead in Cheong-ra's mouth. He forced his fingers into Cheong-ra's tightly closed lips. It was an action to remove the Poison-Resisting Bead to hear an answer, as if he didn't care if Cheong-ra was poisoned by the centipede's evil venom.

As the dirty and disgusting finger tried to enter his mouth, it felt like an insect was trying to crawl in. Cheong-ra turned his head sharply and struggled to prevent Yeon Jeok-san from forcibly taking the Poison-Resisting Bead, then gritted his teeth. He spat it out of his mouth before becoming even more pathetic than he already was.

And he answered by spitting blood-mixed saliva on Yeon Jeok-san's face.

"Uh..."

Yeon Jeok-san's face, which had been frozen in a daze for a moment, twisted strangely. He reached into his bosom to take something out, but hesitated greatly. Even as his breath was choked by the centipede's poisonous energy that engulfed his body after spitting out the Poison-Resisting Bead, Cheong-ra recognized the shape of the protruding object.

'...A flute?'

Just as Yeon Jeok-san finally grasped the flute and was about to take it out, a truly terrifying killing intent surged and heavily pressed down on them. Belatedly, Yeon Jeok-san pulled his body back, but with a faint "shik" sound cutting through the air, his right arm instantly flew off.

"Aaaagh!"

Yeon Jeok-san screamed and hurriedly tried to stop the blood gushing from his shoulder stump. As he groaned and looked at his attacker, a fearful expression appeared on his face. He hesitated for a moment, looking at Cheong-ra, then fled without looking back.

Unlike Yeon Jeok-san, Cheong-ra couldn't move at all despite the sky-piercing sharp killing intent. It was because the centipede's poisonous energy was invading his weakened body after spitting out the Poison-Resisting Bead. His lungs felt like they were burning, and dark red blood surged up.

Is this how I die...? In such an ugly state, next to this giant insect he so despised and feared... Along with deep sadness and fear, the faces of the people he loved like family in Moon Lake Sect flashed before his eyes.

And the last to appear was Dang Ran-yeong. His face flickered before Cheong-ra's eyes. ...No, it wasn't just flickering, but actually visible in his sight. The terribly chilling killing intent had already disappeared.

"...Beauty."

Cheong-ra looked up blankly, gasping for breath. An expressionless face was looking down at him. Did this person know how deeply relieved he felt the moment he saw this face? Dang Ran-yeong picked up Cheong-ra, who was covered in the centipede's bodily fluids, without any hesitation. As he moved, the centipede's poisonous energy gradually receded.

After setting Cheong-ra down in a safe place, Dang Ran-yeong raised his hand and bit his thumb. He let the blood flowing from his thumb drip into Cheong-ra's mouth while taking out a small, well-wrapped pill from his bosom. After unwrapping it, revealing a strong scent of refreshing medicinal herbs, he pushed it into Cheong-ra's blood-covered mouth.

"Swallow."

He urged, pressing Cheong-ra's tongue with his bleeding thumb. As Cheong-ra slowly swallowed, barely maintaining his fading consciousness, a faint smile appeared on Dang Ran-yeong's face. Even in his dazed state, Cheong-ra was completely captivated by that smile.

"...Well done, Beauty."

As if that voice was permission, Cheong-ra's consciousness finally broke completely. As his head fell to the side, the last thing his vision captured was the giant centipede insect, wriggling as it died.

Chapter 5

The day was particularly hot and humid. Still, Cheong-ra stubbornly persisted in the shade of a tree where people wouldn't easily notice him. His young face, beaded with sweat, was filled with a gloomy and pitiful expression. It seemed he might burst into tears at the slightest touch.

"Young Master, were you here?"

Cheong-ra, who had been sitting curled up small, raised his head. The maidservant approached him with small steps and carefully opened her mouth.

"The Lady is looking for you."

"...Mother?"

The young and pretty face that spoke those words was filled with fear. The maidservant looked at Cheong-ra with a pitying gaze. Everyone in the Baek Ri household felt sorry and pitiful for Cheong-ra. Blinking his eyelashes, which seemed wet even though he hadn't cried, Cheong-ra lowered his head deeply. His pleasantly plump, soft cheek was pressed against his arm.

"Oh, Young Master. Were you that hot? You've sweated a lot."

Unable to contain her pity, the maidservant squatted down and gently wiped the sweat from Cheong-ra's face with a kind and careful touch. Cheong-ra, startled, asked the maidservant,

"Am I dirty?"

The maidservant answered that he wasn't at all, but when the child couldn't be reassured, she comforted him, saying,

"Then would you like to wash up before seeing the Lady?"

"Yes... I want to change clothes too."

Nodding, Cheong-ra stood up and tightly grasped the maidservant's hand with his small fingers. He sniffled a little while the maidservant washed him with lukewarm water, and dawdled with a somewhat resigned look while getting dressed.

The place where Cheong-ra's mother, Baek Ri Yeong-hye, stayed was an annex separate from the main building. The head of the Baek Ri family had decorated the annex beautifully, as if it were a peach blossom spring, for Baek Ri Yeong-hye, his precious youngest daughter. However, unlike the beautiful scenery, the annex was always filled with a strange silence, and the faces of the maidservants coming and going were dark.

Before entering, Cheong-ra checked his face and carefully examined his attire once more in the mirror, then gathered his courage and opened the door of the annex.

"Mother..."

His young voice trembled slightly with extreme nervousness. Hearing that voice, the woman turned around and smiled brightly.

"My baby has come."

Baek Ri Yeong-hye was a dazzlingly beautiful woman, befitting her former title as the most beautiful woman in the Central Plains. Reassured by that smile, Cheong-ra ran and buried himself in his mother's embrace. As he buried his face in her fragrant bosom, his hand grasping her clothes was already damp with cold sweat.

"My cute Cheong-cheong, did you have lunch?"

"Yes, Mother."

"And did you study hard?"

"I studied hard too."

Cheong-ra answered obediently while hugging Baek Ri Yeong-hye tightly. He loved the warm caress of her hand.

"My lovely and cute little jade."

Her voice, calling her son by his pet name, was full of affection. After asking various questions, Baek Ri Yeong-hye sat her beloved son on her lap. She smiled brightly as she carefully combed Cheong-ra's hair in front of the dressing table.

"Look at this. Cheong-cheong looks just like your mother. These small eyes, nose, and mouth are exactly the same. How well you've grown."

Her well-groomed fingertips playfully tapped Cheong-ra's eyes, nose, and mouth. Cheong-ra giggled, wrinkling his eyes. After neatly combing his hair, Baek Ri Yeong-hye seated Cheong-ra properly.

"Now, do you remember well what I taught you last time? What does our Cheong-cheong have to memorize diligently every day?"

"You said it was the Moonlight on Snow, Mind and Heart Formula."

"That's right. If you recite it every day, you can always be beautiful like your mother."

Cheong-ra diligently recited the unfamiliar formula verses along with Baek Ri Yeong-hye. He didn't understand the meaning of the verses well. He just thought it was a type of study his mother had taught him. After the study was over, Baek Ri Yeong-hye had the maidservant bring out snacks.

"I've bought lots of sweets that our Cheong-cheong likes."

Cheong-ra indulged in his mother's embrace, eating his favorite snacks to his heart's content. He took a nap on the bed as she patted his chest while studying, and played with a silk ball in a cool, shaded pavilion.

Before they knew it, it was nearly sunset. Nothing happened until dinner time with Baek Ri Yeong-hye. Today will pass safely, just happily and joyfully... Just as Cheong-ra was feeling relieved in his young heart,

"Cheong-cheong. Why is this like this...?"

Baek Ri Yeong-hye asked in a trembling voice, having discovered something, and Cheong-ra's face instantly turned pale. The corner of the silk ball he had been playing with earlier had broken off, perhaps because a fingernail had broken.

"Th-this is..."

Cheong-ra, terrified, tried to make excuses hurriedly but dropped his chopsticks as his hands trembled. Unfortunately, as he did so, some food seasoning splashed onto his sleeve, and Baek Ri Yeong-hye frowned. Cheong-ra became even more frightened. Baek Ri Yeong-hye didn't get angry. She just smiled beautifully and brightly.

"Cheong-cheong, it seems this mother's teachings were still lacking."