Chapter 53

Come to think of it, he had completely forgotten due to being subjected to such terrible treatment as soon as he woke up. After losing consciousness from Rin-rin's venom, he was being transported in a carriage to an unknown destination. As he was about to get off the carriage after tidying up his collar and disheveled appearance once more, Dang Ran-yeong reached out his hand to stop him. Then he extended his hand towards Cheong-ra's neck.

"What?"

As Cheong-ra looked at him tensely, having been through what he had, Dang Ran-yeong smirked and once again pulled out the snake that had been stealthily hiding behind his collar.

"Rin-rin, that's enough surveillance."

So it was indeed placed there for surveillance. Well, he had thought it strange to leave a spirit beast snake unattended for so long. The snake's black, gleaming eyes stared intently at Cheong-ra, then flicked its tongue and crawled into Dang Ran-yeong's sleeve. Having doted on the baby snake for days without knowing anything, Cheong-ra was left with a bitter feeling.

'To Dang Ran-yeong, I'm nothing more than a toy to play with as he pleases.'

No matter how much he enjoyed being defeated and submitting, such a situation couldn't be pleasant. Nevertheless, Cheong-ra couldn't easily refuse or resist the other. He realized that from the moment he had followed Dang Ran-yeong underground, he could no longer defeat him.

A mouse and a cat? No, not even that. A mouse and a tiger. To that extent, no matter how much he struggled and resisted against the other, he would ultimately have no choice but to submit.

But that was exactly what Cheong-ra had longed for all this time. To be overwhelmed and submit to such a strong person. So, like a butterfly lured to a flower, he too was inevitably fascinated by the other and could only be swayed at will.

Even so, Cheong-ra did not forget the mission he had received from the Sect Leader and kept it firmly in his heart. He had a duty to uncover the mastermind behind those who had secretly infiltrated Moon Lake Sect and harmed the expelled disciples.

Steeling his resolve, Cheong-ra followed Dang Ran-yeong out of the carriage. Looking back, he saw another carriage behind the one he and Dang Ran-yeong had ridden. Nam Gang-ryong and Hwan-hong got out of that carriage. However, it was just the two of them; Wi Je-ho, the other close associate, was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing them, Cheong-ra's ears reddened slightly, wondering if they might have heard the noises from inside the carriage with Dang Ran-yeong. As he was once again checking his attire for any remaining traces,

Dang Ran-yeong took out a veil from inside the carriage and put it on Cheong-ra's head. Looking around, Cheong-ra saw that there were quite a few people walking about, so he quietly accepted the veil and asked,

"Is this carriage heading to Mount Heng?"

"Yes."

Although he had agreed to go to Mount Heng, to be put in a carriage like this while unconscious...

'No, did he order Rin-rin to make me lose consciousness on purpose?'

It seemed plausible, since spirit beasts, unlike ordinary snakes, were said to understand human speech. As he was frowning, Nam Gang-ryong approached. Cheong-ra thought he might suddenly ask Buddha for mercy on this pitiful being like last time, but unexpectedly, he expressed concern for Cheong-ra.

"Devotee Baek Ri, are you feeling alright? We were worried when you didn't wake up even after a day had passed."

Hearing him speak like this, he didn't seem at all like the eccentric monk he was said to be, but rather a compassionate one. Feeling somewhat touched inwardly, Cheong-ra answered Nam Gang-ryong.

"Thank you for your concern, Monk Gang-ryong. I ended up like that because I was bitten by Rin-rin. I didn't know that a Venomous Horned Serpent could use paralytic venom."

"Oh my, the Venomous Horned Serpent is a spirit beast, so even if it's a baby, its venom must have been quite potent. Where were you bitten? Let me take a look."

Where had Rin-rin bitten him? As Cheong-ra examined the back of his hand, he saw two red dot-like wounds remaining on the back of his left hand. He was about to answer that it was fine since the color hadn't changed and it wasn't swollen, when Nam Gang-ryong, who had come closer to look at the wound, said,

"Devotee Baek Ri, how about escaping? I'll pretend I didn't see."

"Pardon?"

Cheong-ra looked up in surprise to see Nam Gang-ryong's face was very serious. It was a face filled with deep sympathy and compassion, looking at Cheong-ra as if he were living the most unfortunate life in the world. Or as if he were about to live such a life.

"If I hadn't known you at all, it would be different, but now that our paths have crossed, I simply cannot turn a blind eye. This humble monk always feels a devastating sadness whenever I see a lotus die. So I urge you to escape even now, if possible."

Cheong-ra was extremely flustered. Was he suddenly saying that he would die in the future? Was it because he was a monk and had some kind of foresight, or was he insulting him in a unique way, or was he threatening to kill him if he didn't leave? Unable to understand, Cheong-ra was confused. Dang Ran-yeong suddenly put his arm around Cheong-ra's shoulder and retorted to those words.

"Don't talk nonsense, you bald monk. Who speaks like that about the dangerous work ahead? What if the already cowardly Young Master Baek Ri runs away after hearing that?"

"May Buddha take pity on this poor being and watch over him. Amitabha."

Nam Gang-ryong chanted his familiar words again, but this time the subject was Dang Ran-yeong. Cheong-ra realized that Nam Gang-ryong hadn't been saying such things every time because he disliked him. Whether Dang Ran-yeong glared at him silently or not, Nam Gang-ryong steadfastly met his gaze.

"Even one born as a demon can do good, Lord Owner Dang."

Nam Gang-ryong criticized Dang Ran-yeong without hesitation, saying he had been evil since birth. Cheong-ra thought Dang Ran-yeong might take out his whip, but he just laughed mercilessly.

"I don't want to hear such nagging from someone who's going to fall into hell."

"Indeed, that is so. This humble monk will probably fall into the Hell of Crushing Mountains after death."

Surprisingly, Nam Gang-ryong didn't deny it. The Hell of Crushing Mountains is where sinners who have committed the sin of killing go. In other words, Nam Gang-ryong had essentially admitted to breaking the precept of not killing and committing murder. So his words from earlier could indeed have been a threat.

But the face that had looked at Cheong-ra with pity seemed sincere no matter how he looked at it. To the confused Cheong-ra, Dang Ran-yeong said,

"Nam Gang-ryong is a bit crazy. Look at that pitiful dog listening to a sermon from a bald monk just to get some jerky."

When Cheong-ra turned his head, it was indeed as Dang Ran-yeong had said. Nam Gang-ryong had already taken out some dried jerky and was reciting sutras while giving small pieces to a dog wandering around the village. The dog, not understanding what the other was saying, was just wagging its tail. Having somehow heard Dang Ran-yeong's words from afar, he replied,

"The great compassion of Buddha resides in all things. Therefore, showing mercy to a stray dog can also be considered a path to enlightenment for all beings... Isn't there a possibility that this dog might become a spirit beast later and gain enlightenment based on its current memories? And thus, through karmic connection, it might even give teachings to Lord Owner Dang."

It did seem true that Nam Gang-ryong engaged in eccentric behavior. While it wasn't clear if he was mentally unstable, it was evident that he was good at subtly criticizing Dang Ran-yeong under the guise of compassion, implying he was 'someone who could only learn from a passing dog.' Dang Ran-yeong snorted and started walking. Since he had been keeping his arm on Cheong-ra's shoulder all this time, Cheong-ra had no choice but to follow. Instead of telling Dang Ran-yeong to remove his arm, he fell into deep thought before speaking.

"What Monk Gang-ryong said sounded as if either he or you, Dang Ran-yeong, would end up killing me."

"The words of a deranged defrocked monk are a bit harsh. It means that the work we'll be doing on Mount Heng from now on could be dangerous."

After answering in a leisurely voice, Dang Ran-yeong lifted Cheong-ra's veil. He brought his face close between the white, semi-transparent fabric and continued, saying, "One." Cheong-ra tensed up as the handsome face came near.

"Perhaps, depending on the situation, it could turn out that way."

Under the veil, Dang Ran-yeong's eyes darkened and shone ominously. The other was too close.

"What kind of situation?"

"If Young Master Baek Ri becomes my enemy and tries to take my life, or tries to harm me."

Frowning, Cheong-ra pulled the veil that Dang Ran-yeong had lifted, closing it again, and retorted,

"If you're an enemy of Moon Lake Sect, I'd have no choice but to be your enemy too, Young Master Dang."

The most precious thing to him was Moon Lake Sect. So no matter how fascinated he was with Dang Ran-yeong, Cheong-ra could never let him be. He felt this way even knowing he would surely lose if he picked a fight with him.

But when he actually thought about becoming enemies with Dang Ran-yeong, his heart seemed to sink. He believed that Dang Ran-yeong wasn't behind the Enlightened Mind Tea incident, but he also knew that didn't prove Dang Ran-yeong was a good person. In fact, he didn't look good to anyone.

Cheong-ra waited for a denial from the other. However, Dang Ran-yeong just lowered his arm from Cheong-ra's shoulder and turned his head to ask Hwan-hong, who was following behind.

"Hwan-hong, where is it?"

"It's that building right on your right, Lord Owner."

"Ah, this one?"

Dang Ran-yeong swiftly entered the inn. Cheong-ra, with a hardened face, followed him inside. Fortunately, wearing the veil meant he didn't have to manage his expression. He didn't want to show how shaken he was by the other's words.