High Treason

Seol Ah-heon changed his clothes, trembling with indignation. It was a relief that the man had no intention of touching him further, but he truly had a knack for saying things in the most obnoxious way possible.

“Follow me.”

The moment Seol Ah-heon finished dressing, Baek Geon-ha began to walk. Seol Ah-heon followed him out of the bathhouse.

“Leave those there.”

At his command, Seol Ah-heon gently set down his wet garments. Thinking he would likely never set foot in this bathhouse again, he felt a flicker of regret over losing a perfectly good set of clothes.

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Baek Geon-ha entered the bedroom with a bold, effortless stride. Since it was his own space, he could act with total confidence, but Seol Ah-heon found himself treading carefully with every single movement. As he hovered hesitantly by the doorway, Baek Geon-ha looked back at him.

“I told you I wouldn’t eat you.”

“Ah, it’s not that I doubt the Young Cult Leader’s word…… I’m simply worried that the water dripping from me might soil the bedroom.”

“How tiresome you are.”

Baek Geon-ha clicked his tongue and approached. Seol Ah-heon retreated reflexively, only to have both shoulders seized by the man.

“Uh……?”

His palms were incredibly warm. Baek Geon-ha naturally had a high body temperature, but this was beyond that. It felt as though a balmy spring breeze was enveloping his entire body.

An energy similar to the warm air of a hairdryer swept over Seol Ah-heon. Before he knew it, his hair and skin were completely dry and soft.

“How did you do that?”

“I activated the Solar Yang Qi.”

“Such an application is possible?”

Baek Geon-ha didn’t answer. He likely felt that since he had clearly just done it, the question was redundant. However, one question remained in Seol Ah-heon’s mind.

‘Then why bother having the servants attend to you?’

Having the maids wipe away the moisture was surely convenient, but it paled in comparison to the efficiency of the Solar Yang Qi. It wasn’t as if Baek Geon-ha lacked the internal energy to do so.

High-ranking people and their incomprehensible logic, Seol Ah-heon thought, swallowing his complaints.

“……Thank you.”

Regardless of his inner thoughts, he offered his thanks like a gentle lamb. Baek Geon-ha let out a short, sharp laugh.

“Dim-witted, aren’t you?”

“No, I was just asking because I didn’t know……”

“Just go shove yourself into a corner.”

Baek Geon-ha spoke while pointing somewhere. Following the direction of his finger, Seol Ah-heon saw a wide bed—the very same bed he had tumbled around on once before.

‘You called that a corner?’

He was utterly flabbergasted. Since the man’s words and actions were so contradictory, he didn’t know which to believe. In times like this, choosing the safest option was best.

Seol Ah-heon hesitated toward the actual corner of the room. Immediately, a voice tinged with a hint of irritation struck his back.

“Where do you think you’re running off to?”

“Running? Not at all. I was simply moving so as not to be an obstacle to the Young Cult Leader……”

“Stop talking and just lie down.”

It was the first time in his life that being told to lie down felt so unwelcome. Seol Ah-heon swallowed a sigh and lay on the bed.

The soft silk bedding supported his body. It was a bed so comfortable it wouldn’t have lost to a modern mattress—in fact, it felt even better.

‘This is all well and good, but why did he call me here?’

Would it be okay to ask? Seol Ah-heon’s eyes shifted slowly as he tried to read Baek Geon-ha’s mood.

Just then, a familiar voice echoed from outside the door.

“I have come at the Young Cult Leader’s summons.”

“Enter.”

The door opened and a man walked in. As Seol Ah-heon had guessed from the voice, it was someone he knew.

‘Mu Il-yeong!’

Seol Ah-heon hurriedly dove under the blankets to hide. The sight of him lying in Baek Geon-ha’s bed—no matter how you looked at it, it was suspicious.

But as he buried himself in the covers, he realized this was equally suspicious.

In truth, the moment Mu Il-yeong entered, any chance of acting appropriately was already gone. With Mu Il-yeong’s keen senses, he would have known Seol Ah-heon was there before even opening the door. Most importantly, he was the one who, in the secret cave while searching for the Blood-Mad Demon Sword……

‘Argh!’

The sudden memory of the past tormented him. Seol Ah-heon barely suppressed the urge to kick the blankets in frustration. He must have been temporarily insane back then. He had no idea why he had suggested the Art of Yin-Sucking and Yang-Nourishing to Baek Geon-ha, only to be subjected to humiliation ever since. His body suffered, and his social standing was in tatters.

“I greet the Fifth Young Master of the Divine Cult.”

While Seol Ah-heon was quietly writhing, Baek Geon-ha and Mu Il-yeong began their conversation.

“Il-yeong, do you know what happened while you were away?”

“I just received the report. I heard the Council of Elders summoned you without prior notice.”

“Yes, they questioned me regarding the Blood-Mad Demon Sword. It was a mere formality, though.”

“Is that so?”

“I have already polished the evidence quite nicely. They won’t be able to press the issue.”

Having unintentionally become an eavesdropper, Seol Ah-heon was speechless. He was impressed, though in a negative sense.

From what he heard, it seemed Baek Geon-ha had been summoned by the Council of Elders. In modern terms, it was like a public hearing. The Elders were the judges or jury, and Baek Geon-ha was the suspect.

‘And he fabricated the evidence for such a place……?’

It was the typical brazenness of someone who had broken the Cult’s laws to unseal the Blood-Mad Demon Sword. But while he expected that from Baek Geon-ha, he wondered about the Council of Elders who were actually being fooled by it.

As if reading Seol Ah-heon’s doubt, Baek Geon-ha spoke.

“Of course, those old monsters aren’t unaware that I obtained the sword. But they don’t seem to have any intention of making a case of it. At least, not yet.”

It seemed they were turning a blind eye despite knowing the truth. It was a deeply unfair situation. One person was punished for unsealing a fake, while another faced no sanctions despite unsealing the real thing.

Actually, the situation was favorable for Seol Ah-heon. If Baek Geon-ha couldn’t maintain his power, Seol Ah-heon would also be in trouble. The best future for him was for Baek Geon-ha to become the Heavenly Demon, just like in The Record of Mount Hua.

Even so, the reason he couldn’t be purely happy was that his inner sense of justice was shouting, ‘Isn’t this a bit wrong?’ His lingering resentment toward Baek Geon-ha probably played a part too.

“Do you know what was truly interesting? There is a change even in those old, stubborn monsters. It seems they can no longer shield the Fourth Young Master. To be precise, they can no longer shield the Cult Leader who shields the Fourth Young Master.”

“That simply proves how pathetic the Fourth Young Master is.”

“Indeed. In truth, who other than the Cult Leader would throw their weight behind the Fourth Young Master? It was a mistake from the beginning for that fool, who hasn’t even properly mastered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, to rise to the position of Young Cult Leader.”

Seol Ah-heon sucked in a sharp breath at the unrestrained words.

‘Please, watch your mouth……!’

Even if this was Baek Geon-ha’s pavilion, this was the headquarters of the Demonic Cult. It wouldn’t be strange if there were listening ears everywhere. Seol Ah-heon was the one feeling anxious because Baek Geon-ha took so little care. Furthermore, there was one more point of concern.

‘Is this something I’m allowed to hear?’

Baek Geon-ha’s tirade didn’t stop. He was currently insulting the Elders of the Demonic Cult. He poured out insults without hesitation, saying they had survived not through high martial arts but through their superior ability to suck up to others, and that as they aged, they only grew more greedy rather than wise.

‘I’d rather not know this.’

The content was far too heavy for him to handle. If this leaked out, would the Elders really only take revenge on Baek Geon-ha? No, the blood would splatter onto Mu Il-yeong and himself as well. While Mu Il-yeong was guilty of playing along, what on earth had Seol Ah-heon done wrong?

“That courtesan provided unexpected help. Thanks to her, we learned that the Fourth Young Master has been frequenting the entertainment districts and was involved in human trafficking.”

“Stupid fellow. There are plenty of people within the Cult he could use and discard, yet he goes through the trouble of wearing disguises to roam outside.”

“It’s likely because it’s no point of pride that he must consume fresh hearts to stay alive as a side effect of his training in the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Had this been discovered sooner, he would have lost his qualification as Young Cult Leader.”

As the conversation grew increasingly dangerous, Seol Ah-heon’s heart pounded wildly.

He had absolutely no desire to know the inner workings of the Demonic Cult in such detail. Information was important, of course, but it was just as dangerous.

Unable to bear the anxiety, he covered his ears with both hands. Even so, the voice laced with a sneer pierced through to his ears.

“The great master of this Divine Cult is blinded by fatherly affection and cannot see his son’s flaws. Therefore, I believe it is my duty as his disciple and the Young Cult Leader to help him do what is right.”

It was an arrogant declaration. At this, Seol Ah-heon bit his lower lip hard.

There was no need to be surprised by Baek Geon-ha’s ambition now. He had known for a long time that Baek Geon-ha would stage an act of insubordination. He also believed he would succeed (or more accurately, that the possibility of success was very high). But the problem was……

‘Please, just watch what you say! At this rate, even the maids outside the door will hear everything!’

Seol Ah-heon shouted loudly in his mind. Was he particularly faint-hearted? No, it was definitely that Baek Geon-ha was particularly bold.

Just then, the blanket was whipped away.