The Terminally-Ill Side-Character Inside of a Martial Arts Novel

As I returned to the room with my tired body, Hyuk Dojin, who had returned first, smiled and opened the door.

At his welcoming smile, I would have normally responded with a smile too, but now the corners of my mouth didn’t move at all.

Hyuk Dojin stared blankly at my face and carefully opened his mouth.

“Are you very tired?”

“A little. How about you, Dojin? Are you okay?”

I was in the position of following Jeok Biwol and serving her, so I only had to deal with Jeok Biwol, but Hyuk Dojin had to take on physical labor.

Most people rebelled against Jeok Biwol’s order to cover their faces and do hard labor unloading goods from carriages, but Hyuk Dojin’s face was nonchalant.

“Yes, it wasn’t difficult. Rather, I thought it was quite manageable at that level.”

“I guess…”

People who don’t know Hyuk Dojin might worry if he can do physical labor because he looks pale like a scholar, but there’s no need to worry.

For a Demonic Realm master, simple labor wasn’t even considered physical work in the first place.

In fact, he didn’t look particularly tired now either.

I stared blankly at his clean face, then plopped down on the chair next to the bed.

Hyuk Dojin filled a cup on the table with water and handed it to me.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I’m just a little tired. By the way, have you eaten?”

“I ate something simple. How about you, have you not eaten yet? If you haven’t, I’ll have something brought.”

“It’s okay. I don’t feel like eating anything right now…”

I looked up at the ceiling and sipped the water. Quite some time had passed since we left Anhui. The sloppy disguise, which made me doubt if this was really hiding, was surprisingly effective.

We hadn’t been caught in any trouble, and wherever we went, just mentioning Jeok Biwol’s name allowed us to pass through safely.

What’s more surprising was that Jeok Biwol wasn’t using her own name, nor was she using the Golden Blood Sand Sect.

Even though she was just using a different identity, we could move around freely without any problems in Zhejiang and Fujian where evil sects were powerful.

Thanks to that, all my expectations that it would be a quite difficult journey were off. We could have comfortable and cozy sleeping quarters, contrary to my thoughts that we would have to sleep outdoors in the mountains.

Apart from that, it was an uncomfortable fact that Jeok Biwol was viciously using me, but it couldn’t be helped.

I had to endure the discomfort because I had to perform the role of Jeok Biwol’s maid in name.

As I was blankly looking up at the ceiling, something suddenly came to mind and I opened my mouth.

“Come to think of it, I heard we’re leaving Zhejiang tomorrow. They say Fujian is right in front of us.”

“I heard that too. According to the original plan, we thought it would take more than ten days just to leave Zhejiang, but it seems we’re about three days ahead of schedule. I think we arrived quickly by moving along roads people use instead of rough mountainous areas.”

“That’s fortunate. Arriving quickly.”

“It is fortunate. However…”

Hyuk Dojin trailed off and rubbed his chin. When I tilted my head slightly, Hyuk Dojin narrowed his eyes and spoke quietly.

“I’m concerned that it’s too peaceful. It’s so quiet that I suspect someone might have set up this situation.”

“I guess. Actually, I had such thoughts a little too. No, it would be strange not to think so. It might be because we haven’t had peace recently. I’d like to forget everything and feel at ease, but I can’t help being suspicious.”

As I spoke, I smiled quietly, and Hyuk Dojin also smiled back, approached, and slightly bent his knees to meet my eye level.

He stared blankly at me, then slightly lowered his gaze to look at my belly before speaking quietly.

“…May I touch it?”

“Again? Isn’t it too much touching when it’s not even certain yet?”

“What does it matter? And even if it’s not certain, our child might be sleeping there. Even if it’s not, I want to touch it as if practicing in advance.”

At his words, I shook my head while letting out a low laugh.

Since that day, after I told Hyuk Dojin, he stroked my belly whenever he had the chance. He wanted to ask Ji Seok or a trustworthy doctor for an examination right away, but he had to hold back because I stopped him.

It was a conclusion I reached thinking that if such facts became known in a situation where the road to the Demon Cult was far and we didn’t know what might happen, it would hinder our plans.

Hyuk Dojin stroked my belly for a long time, then raised his head and spoke with a very excited face.

“Will it be a son or a daughter?”

“Which do you think would be better?”

“Personally, I think a daughter would be nice.”

“Why?”

A son was essential to continue the position of ruler of the Demon Cult where power was authority.

The reason was simply that because martial arts of the Demon Cult were full of yin energy, girls who inherently possessed yin energy grew slower in demonic arts.

That’s why the number of female masters was overwhelmingly higher in the righteous sects than in the evil sects or Demon Cult. So if you want to continue the glory of the Hyuk family, it would be more helpful to have a son rather than a daughter.

The question filled with such pure curiosity disappeared like dust at Hyuk Dojin’s light words.

“Because I think it would be very lovely if she resembled Sowol. That’s why.”

“What’s that? Is that all?”

“It seems too happy to call it ‘just that’. If I live my whole life with Sowol and a daughter who resembles Sowol, I can endure the current hardships a hundred or thousand times over. So…”

Hyuk Dojin got up from his seat, bent his waist, and gently pressed his lips. Warm and soft lips approached and touched, then slowly parted, and Hyuk Dojin’s pupils felt even clearer.

“You don’t need to worry about anything. I’ll make sure something like that day doesn’t happen again, and if it does come, I’ll swing my sword without any hesitation. From the day I swore to protect you, I’ll bet my life on all the time we have left ahead of us combined.”

As if the words I had said before were imprinted in his mind, he spoke forcefully while holding my hand.

I quietly looked at that appearance, then smiled softly and nodded my head. As I watched him step back, something suddenly came to mind.

“By the way, is there still no news related to the Namgoong clan?”

Hyuk Dojin’s legs, which were approaching the window, stopped. He turned his gaze from the window to look at me again, then briefly nodded.

“Yes.”

“I see…”

I rubbed my chin at Hyuk Dojin’s answer.

After the incident at the Huai River, I had tried to contact Namgoong Seolbyeok.

This matter could be resolved safely partly due to Namgoong Seolbyeok’s help.

So I tried to convey words of gratitude to him, but for some reason, no contact could be made with Namgoong Seolbyeok.

Even with Jeok Biwol’s help.

“Jeok Biwol said it’s as if he disappeared somewhere. She said no trace of him could be found as if he never existed…”

“It’s probably nothing. And you don’t need to worry too much. Who would dare touch the Murim Alliance Leader’s disciple? He’ll appear again like usual. Although it’s not welcome.”

Hyuk Dojin smiled saying not to mind, but I couldn’t help but worry. He said who could touch the Murim Alliance Leader’s disciple, but if given a justification, there were people everywhere who wanted to pull him down.

It was none other than he who helped me safely obtain the herb by helping the Demon Cult.

That was an act of rebellion and treason. It was also enough to be punished for betraying his master in a situation where they were hostile to the Murim Alliance.

Knowing that, I couldn’t help but worry. He had said he wished to die himself, and hoped that I would be the one to kill him.

Of course, I wasn’t feeling any other complicated emotions. However, Hyuk Dojin didn’t like that part.

Although I understood his displeasure at me caring about a man who had strange feelings for me, I still wanted to fulfill my moral obligation for the help he gave at the risk of his life.

“I’ll tell you as soon as information reaches us.”

I nodded my head slightly, then closed my eyes. I took a brief rest in the illusion that I could somehow hear the voice of Namgoong Seolbyeok.

* * *

Jeok Biwol had me prepare to move early in the morning. She used the time tightly to match her plan to cross over to Fujian before sunset.

Following behind her and moving busily while checking the situation, I spoke quietly when I had become somewhat free.

“By the way, what’s the reason for being in such a hurry?”

“Why? Aren’t you eager to go home? Or have you grown attached to this place and want to stay?”

“That’s not what I mean. It just seems like you’re unusually rushed today. There doesn’t seem to be a need to go to Fujian before sunset. Wouldn’t it be fine even if it gets a bit dark?”

The roads were not quiet or remote mountain paths, but wide-open routes. She said there was nothing particularly dangerous since numerous people travel between Zhejiang and Fujian.

Still, her hurry seemed strange. Jeok Biwol clicked her tongue as if finding my words ridiculous and shook her head.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? If the sun goes down, we’re all dead.”

Her words didn’t make sense, and I slightly furrowed my brow.

Jeok Biwol turned completely to face me. After glancing around, she lifted her veil and lowered her voice.

“Have you heard? There’s a madman living in Fujian.”

“No. I’m hearing this for the first time.”

“…I expected as much. That’s why you’re talking about it so casually.”

Jeok Biwol ran her hand through her hair and let out a small sigh.

“Listen carefully. Each region has several sensitive issues they strictly observe. For example, in Luoyang, there’s a saying not to knock on the Murim Alliance’s door at dawn, and in Liaoning, there’s a warning not to go north at night. These aren’t just rumors, but warnings that are followed because they’re dangerous. Similarly, there are widespread stories about a madman living in Fujian.”

“The Liaoning story is simply because barbarian tribes live in the north.”

“It’s the same here. On a quiet night when the moon is out, they say an inhuman madman comes out in Fujian and indiscriminately harms people. These stories are especially prevalent on the obscure paths connecting Fujian and Zhejiang.”

Internally, I let out a cynical laugh. I never expected Jeok Biwol to say such things.

In fact, everything she said was just a ghost story. Urban legend. Lots of talk, but without any reality.

I thought she was just being unnecessarily scared, but Jeok Biwol was quite serious.

“Laugh now, but if we end up walking that road on a late night after the sun has completely set, that laugh will dry up instantly.”

“But even so, with a master of the Demonic Realm…”

“Even a master of the Demonic Realm can’t guarantee their life.”

Jeok Biwol covered her face with the veil again and let out a slight laugh.

“Don’t think I’m just saying this based on formless rumors. I don’t believe such false stories.”

Her eyes were curved pleasantly.

“Currently, there are eight known masters of the Glowering Realm, and seven of their locations are confirmed.”

“…”

“The unlocated master’s traces were cut off in Fujian. And he was a master skilled enough to be one step ahead of Namgoong Baek, who was struggling right in front of the current boundary, unable to cross the wall. What if such a person, trying to cross the current boundary, fell into demonic possession and went mad?”

She scoffed and turned her gaze to look at the distant Hyuk Dojin.

“I wonder if even the Young Cult Leader could win against a master who recklessly approaches the current boundary without caring for their own body.”

Jeok Biwol’s mocking laugh brushed past my ears.