Chapter 24. Sword Demon Clan (5)
Becoming Hyeonri's guard went smoothly.
Because of that, Hyeonri's maids and servants spent the entire day trembling as though they had been forced to live with a monster.
“Is that the strange man named Bi Anso?”
“The one who brutally killed Phantom Cloud Sword Jong Mu?”
“That is him.”
“I heard he tore off all four of Jong Mu's limbs in front of everyone!”
Whenever I passed somewhere, whispering spread around me.
They probably thought they were speaking too quietly for me to hear.
But assassins happened to be very good at listening to things they were not supposed to hear.
Whether I wanted to or not, every insult reached my ears clearly.
The rumors seemed to have changed quite a bit.
I had not killed Phantom Cloud Sword Jong Mu.
I only destroyed his dantian.
And I had not touched his limbs.
Wait.
Did I break his wrist?
I could not remember clearly.
“That is not all.”
“I heard he made the Tiger Sword Unit Leader a eunuch!”
“My heavens.”
“That handsome young man cannot function as a man anymore?”
“Poor thing.”
Tiger Sword Unit Leader?
That was the man I destroyed in the second examination, right?
Strange.
I only shouted that I would crush them.
I did not actually do it.
This rumor seemed far worse for him than for me.
“Be careful not to meet his eyes.”
“He may kill you just for looking at him!”
“I heard he enjoys eating human flesh...”
“Why did Madam Hyeon accept a monster like that as her guard?”
“I should quit working as a maid.”
This was actually perfect.
Even though I attracted too much attention during the examination, now no one wanted anything to do with me.
That was exactly what I had intended.
At that moment, Hyeonri appeared from the opposite direction.
“Ah, there you are, Great Hero Bi.”
“Were you looking for me?”
“You could have sent someone.”
“I would have come.”
“The servants are terrified of you.”
“I feel too guilty sending them.”
“That is fair.”
“Do you need something from me?”
Hyeonri checked that no one was nearby.
Then she lowered her voice.
“We may soon get a chance to investigate Lady Woo's residence.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Seven days from now, the clan will hold a large banquet.”
“It will welcome the newly hired outside martial artists, and important figures from other Demonic Clans will also attend.”
I see.
If powerful guests from other clans were coming, Lady Woo would have to help the Clan Head welcome them.
She was, after all, the mistress of the Sword Demon Clan.
“Most of the clan's martial artists will be assigned to security for the banquet.”
“The guards around Lady Woo's residence will be greatly reduced.”
“Then we can investigate during that time.”
“But I am Madam's guard.”
“Would it not look suspicious if I do not appear at the banquet?”
“I will say I ordered you to remain confined as punishment.”
“As you know, Great Hero Bi, your reputation has spread throughout the entire clan.”
“It would probably be better if I did not appear at the banquet anyway.”
Excellent.
There was finally some value in spreading such an ugly reputation.
I never expected it to become useful so perfectly.
“Still, you must be careful.”
“Even if security becomes weaker, it is still the residence of the Sword Demon Clan's mistress.”
“Many guards will remain even during the banquet.”
“Do not worry about that.”
“Infiltration happens to be one of my specialties.”
Hyeonri smiled bitterly.
“Great Hero Bi.”
“If something goes wrong, can you abandon me and still protect my son?”
“...Pardon?”
“If this plan fails, Lady Woo will definitely kill both me and my son.”
“The Clan Head is already under the influence of some evil technique, so he may not be able to stop her.”
“...”
“So I am asking you.”
“You may abandon me.”
“But please save my son.”
“Please save Kang.”
Tears gathered around Hyeonri's eyes.
This was a strong woman.
Even while frightened, she had acted boldly to maintain control.
She was the kind of woman capable of creating schemes if necessary to survive.
Yet now she was shaking.
Was this maternal love?
That mad kind of love that allowed a mother to throw away even her own life for her child?
I had been abandoned in the slums from the moment I was born.
Hyeonri's maternal love felt unfamiliar.
Yet strangely, I also felt a sense of kinship with her.
How could someone like me, who had never experienced maternal love, feel that?
“It will become very difficult from now on.”
“But remember this.”
“You have to become the Prince Consort of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult if you want to protect this child.”
Wolyeong came to mind.
Her slightly swollen belly.
My hand remembered the warmth I had felt when I touched it.
That gentle warmth, like spring sunlight melting thin ice, still remained inside my heart.
“...You understand this is a dangerous request, Madam Hyeon.”
“If something goes wrong, it may be difficult even for me to protect my own life.”
“I know.”
“But our lives are already in your hands.”
“That is why I am shamelessly asking.”
If this had been during my Three-No Sect days, no, even before I met Wolyeong, I would have rejected such a request without giving it any thought.
Human life was not worth as much as people liked to believe.
At least for an assassin like me, another person's neck had never held much more value than an animal's neck.
A poor beggar.
A noble young master.
A famous hero.
At every moment, unknown people were dying in unknown places.
Hyeonri and her son were the same.
If they died, it would certainly be unfortunate.
But what did that have to do with me?
Their deaths might make me gloomy for a few days.
Then it would end.
That was what being a stranger meant.
I had never been a man who cared deeply about the deaths of strangers.
Yet strangely, the words of refusal would not come from my mouth.
My tongue did not move sharply as it usually did.
My heart beat as if a friend were in danger.
“Mencius said that a man without compassion is not human...”
Perhaps the old me had been little more than an animal who could not understand a mother's heart.
But I was different now.
As the father of a child, how could I fail to understand her?
Using the words of Mencius, I had finally become human at the age of thirty.
“I promise, Madam Hyeon.”
“Even if everything goes wrong, I will protect your son as far as my strength allows.”
“...Thank you.”
“Truly, thank you, Great Hero.”
Watching her lower her head with tears in her eyes, a strange fullness spread through my chest.
Around three days passed.
I stayed near Hyeonri like a shadow and focused on guarding her.
I wanted to investigate Lady Woo.
But I could not move carelessly.
Lady Woo was surrounded by many people.
Her residence was guarded like a fortress.
For now, remaining quiet was wiser than moving and creating unnecessary suspicion.
