Yeomryun-gong-4

The violence, masked as retribution, cast a chill over the bustling market.

Unlike Soyou, who was smiling radiantly, her face and clothes bore the crimson marks of violence.

She scurried over to Inho and nestled into his arms.

A small weight settled on Inho, and he found it burdensome.

Her embrace didn’t last long.

The market’s commotion drew soldiers, and soon Soyou, the instigator, and Inho, who was associated with her, were taken to the government office.

It was the first time in his life that Inho had been taken into state custody, and he was somewhat frightened.

But as if to mock his worries, the incident was resolved more trivially than he had expected.

Untouchable by the government, untouchable by the government—they had only heard the words, but when it was revealed that the two men and women the soldiers had brought in belonged to the Murim, they showed a nonchalant attitude.

‘But Master beat up a regular person.’

A regular person with no power was beaten so badly that they couldn’t even stand properly, and they’re just letting it go like this?

The weight of conscience pressed down on Inho’s chest, and he felt uneasy.

“……”

After leaving the government office, Inho remained silent.

Inho returned to the market. As if the earlier incident had spread throughout the market, people began to whisper as they saw him and Soyou.

He hadn’t returned to work again. He was just there to get paid for the work he had done in the morning.

He returned the delivery confirmation and yellow band to the broker.

The man with the bushy beard quickly checked the confirmation and roughly took money from his pouch, handing it to Inho.

“The calculation should be correct. No, it’s actually a bit more.”

“Oh, why?”

“Just take it. But don’t come back from tomorrow. Someone else has filled the position…”

He spoke cautiously, wary of someone behind Inho.

Knowing what that behavior meant, Inho nodded silently.

“I understand. I’m sorry for causing a disturbance.”

As he bowed, the man waved his hand.

“No, no! It’s just that, well, there are circumstances on this side. I’m sorry. Wahahaha.”

Afraid of offending the person behind him, the man bowed even lower to Inho.

Although he received money that made the pouch he brought feel heavy, Inho’s mood didn’t improve.

He walked straight down the road, heading somewhere.

“Where are you going?”

Soyou, who had been following him, smiled brightly, and people still whispered as they watched them.

He continued to walk, leaving the market and heading to the outskirts.

After a long time, his feet stopped, right in front of the house of the person who had been thoroughly beaten by Soyou.

It was thanks to finding out the address before leaving the government office.

“Master is over there.”

Inho pointed to a tree a little away from the house.

Soyou puffed out her cheeks slightly at Inho’s forceful attitude, but still moved as he said.

She figured it wouldn’t be a big problem since she was still showing the appearance of a disciple here.

“Are you there?”

After confirming that Soyou was far away, he called out, and a young-looking boy came out from inside.

“Who are you?”

As the boy spoke without letting his guard down, Inho bent his knees to match his eye level.

“Aren’t your parents home?”

At Inho’s question, the boy’s gaze flickered slightly toward the house.

“My mother is out working, and my dad came home a little while ago. But, he can’t come out.”

He seemed to want to say something more, but Inho could see the boy fidgeting and holding back.

“Ah… I didn’t come to see your father either. Will you take this for now?”

Inho handed the money pouch to the boy. The boy cautiously accepted it.

“This is….”

The boy wasn’t stupid enough not to recognize the money pouch.

“Um, will you tell your dad something for me? Tell him I’m sorry about today. You have to tell him, okay?”

Inho gave a bitter smile and ruffled the boy’s hair a few times.

The boy agreed without knowing anything and went back into the house.

“……”

Inho looked at the house for a moment and soon moved on.

He passed by where Soyou was, and Soyou naturally followed behind him.

“Why did you give away the money you worked so hard to earn?”

Soyou, who had been watching the situation from afar, asked, and Inho didn’t give a particular answer.

The two continued to walk.

“Why are you so quiet?”

Soyou asked innocently, and Inho, who had been suppressing his anger to the limit, finally exploded.

“…How can you hit someone who has no power? Is this the righteousness and chivalry that Master always talks about?”

Inho glared at Soyou and snapped.

Despite his fierce momentum, Soyou tilted her head, puzzled.

“Did I hit someone who was innocent?”

“Yes?”

Inho’s mouth dropped open at the pure question.

Soyou asked Inho again with a clear face.

“That guy hit you, no less. You, my disciple. Are you saying that I, as your master, should have just let it go?”

“…It was just a slap.”

“So? The fact that you were hit doesn’t change. I’m the only one in the entire world who can touch you. You’re not telling me to stand by and watch someone dare to lay a hand on what’s mine, are you?”

“Still, you went too far.”

At Inho’s words, Soyou laughed out loud.

Soyou took a step closer to Inho. It was a form of looking up from below, but she was not intimidated.

“Too far?”

As if asking again, as if blaming, as if accusing, Soyou growled, and Inho closed his mouth again.

“Do you know what’s really too far?”

Soyou’s slender, long index finger started from Inho’s chin, went down his neck, and headed to his chest.

She traced his body as if skimming the surface of a smooth porcelain.

“It’s really too far to flirt with other women when you have a master who feels like she’ll suffocate and die without you.”

Inho quickly realized what Soyou was talking about.

“That wasn’t flirting, they were the ones who spoke to me first….”

“Shut up. I saw you subtly showing off your body and seducing women.”

“No, Master.”

“Anyway, how much righteousness and chivalry do I have that I didn’t take the lives of those bitches even after seeing that? In my heart, I’ve already torn them to shreds a thousand times over.”

The hand that had been caressing Inho’s chest moved up to his cheek.

-Stroke, stroke

Soyou carefully stroked the cheek that was slightly swollen from being hit.

Soyou’s red eyes gleamed from under Inho’s chin.

“So. Be careful with your actions from now on. If you don’t want me to do something too far.”

Unlike the soft touch, the words that came out of her mouth were quite violent and sharp.