CMW | Chapter 2.1

Yoon Sidong’s name was surprisingly Yoon Sidong (尹是動). Although the meaning was different, it was still an interesting coincidence. Seeing Lee Hwasu’s curious expression, Sidong pouted and said, “I don’t like being teased because of my name.”bdd34e774ba789b6

“I have no intention of doing that. I was teased a lot for trivial things when I was young too,” Lee Hwasu said as he picked up his chopsticks after receiving his meal, making Sidong giggle.bc707aa666911730

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“You must have been teased for your beautiful appearance, being mistaken for a girl,” Sidong guessed.0626deef776811a1

Lee Hwasu paused while scooping rice and raised an eyebrow. “How did you know that?”4c0d65f52fb88e11

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“Isn’t it obvious just by looking? Among the young masters brought here by the Leader of the Demonic Cult, you are the most beautiful,” Sidong said with a smile, causing Lee Hwasu to put down his chopsticks.8c059c882687907e

“How many young masters are there besides me?”8546e424acb8ec67

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“The number keeps changing, so I’m not sure.”0f52e0d335bbd5fd

“It keeps changing?”a763dcc8ce9ff96a

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“Yes. Some die, and new ones come in.”cd77efb7f3681d92

Sidong mentioned death so casually that Lee Hwasu scrutinized him anew. Despite the shocked gaze, Sidong didn’t seem to notice any problem and kept smiling. Lee Hwasu reminded himself that Sidong, despite his ordinary appearance, was a follower serving closely under the Demonic Cult.e8572801153bb3a7

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“…Approximately how many are there?”d60a13ae56040cb9

“Currently, there are about forty.”fa745573ae371873

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Lee Hwasu’s eyes widened 81a94554b3 in shock at Sidong’s 9fa48d93fb response.915e7c46aea6a378

Forty! That many young masters f282c4c87a had been captured here? Even though a0340e9b14 the martial acbc2e5aee sects across 33c6e8559d the vast 7c864feb13 land of 6a0d71a5a0 Zhongyuan were cfb7e10970 limited, that c3dc07e5ed was still 7b05c47957 a staggering 0d9e439e1c number. The thought 54d0110601 that there 77cd6d7001 might be 4a13147b2e others he 3f76f422ae knew—besides Tang a6b6ff696b Seoran—made him 83546a00e0 swallow dryly. He hesitated before asking, c9b01896d3 “Are there young masters e2dcdae7c2 from Wudang or Kunlun 3c7c2724be here too?”910e2112c0687e54

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Sidong, who dd9f9449b4 had been 924ecd10be answering diligently ab836cb608 until now, 33f853a9ff didn’t respond. Instead, he e2033249d8 simply smiled. When Lee Hwasu looked 7813212183 at him questioningly, Sidong b1be5c6efe gestured toward the meal, 1f41bd63bc silently urging him to ff47ffd563 eat first.de3ed0e8caaffc7a

Without pressing further, 236ae88e9b Lee Hwasu picked 4e49522b63 up his chopsticks e638debbad and began eating c9b7829135 the rice and 2fed0b72f4 side dishes.548ec62121de4772

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“Does the food suit your taste?”d0a0ead22eea841a

“Yes, it’s delicious. There’s nothing to complain about.”281f1c2b21395c89

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“Please eat a lot and regain your energy. You’ll need a lot of strength to serve the Leader in the future.”304a6e5dd688a0bb

Lee Hwasu was so startled that he dropped his chopsticks. They clattered against the table and fell to the floor, but Sidong caught them like lightning. It wasn’t the movement of an ordinary person.a834601d52957abf

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Sidong wiped the chopsticks clean with a handkerchief and handed them back to Lee Hwasu. “If there’s any food you like, please let me know. I don’t know what you enjoyed eating at Mount Hua, but I can prepare most things for you.”6ed788d253aae6eb

Lee Hwasu couldn’t bring himself to take the chopsticks. Instead, his eyelashes trembled. “I didn’t come here to serve someone like Ju Ryongjin.”9c7c6e60a38e08a4

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“Yes, yes. I understand it wasn’t your intention.”2944e71220ba1831

Lee Hwasu slammed his fist on the table. “He dragged me here by force!”ef2d295a2aa497aa

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“Oh dear, how shocking,” 65486fb00f Sidong said, clutching his 5452d2d9ba chest and sighing deeply. “I know. You didn’t 61e190a4a5 come here 6ff1a76e42 willingly. None of the dabf56b9c6 young masters did. But most have fd624b8a81 adapted and are e6096743cb doing well here. Look at Young 2483d2b272 Master Tang Seoran—he’s d878ef91b7 favored by the edcf0e4cf8 Leader and thriving….”87f935b5028c77cb

“I’m different 8cc069c697 from Young 56a5a785dd Master Tang a9b20e2b75 Seoran! He… he…!” Lee Hwasu’s 6306e298f0 face flushed red as 142673a2c5 he recalled Tang Seoran’s 3a4a84164b coquettish behavior in Ju 2222ec33e3 Ryongjin’s arms. No matter how 44f9580c2d hard he tried, 847e8997c6 he couldn’t wrap eca746c9c2 his head around e74571358f it. His fists clenched and e82f45a294 unclenched as he muttered da8d3349a3 under his breath.5b624d740b4a2e44

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“Surely… Young Master 24ac7b17ab Tang Seoran didn’t ddb44132d0 do it willingly. He must have been 285249f7f3 threatened or brainwashed… something eea4401535 must have happened for e14710daee him to end up 7f7018d5a3 like that… How could 2b04059b96 the ‘One Laugh, One 28212b1073 Kill’ Tang Seoran be 72031eaee8 with someone like Ju f51aea9f6d Ryongjin….”a85f1f8c322f861a

As Lee Hwasu wrestled 572516a180 with his confusion, Sidong 951fbb23c7 casually offered the chopsticks b5b49bca09 again. “What I’m ab460a9aa7 saying is, a01a6177e7 since you’re d9e2cab7a4 here, it 10b21652ee wouldn’t hurt f1d6e5ccbe to get bdc974692b on the 9dba973eff Leader’s good 899d96f468 side. If you 937193da24 stubbornly oppose 1bb8a81028 him, you 00de6cab88 might end a8552b3cb5 up thrown a5237f6a1d into the d2835408a3 Firefly Abyss. Ah! Just so you d8b1edf31a know, there’s a 11b30c7584 monster in that 37cec8604d pond, so don’t 90fe900631 even think about e47b36a69a dipping your feet bd3ef253a3 in or swimming.”247e557dd490ce1b

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“A monster?”a45dba2ad96cc88a

“It’s an alligator the Leader keeps as a pet, named Maengkkong.”7af640b965012942

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“Ma-Maengkkong…?”abe2df06866584a3

“That creature has developed a taste for humans and sometimes crawls into the garden, so be careful.”ee29b26b7acb205b

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The more Lee Hwasu listened, the more absurd the stories became. He slapped away the chopsticks Sidong offered and said, “I’ve lost my appetite. Leave!”b88fe50268e4f153

“Oh no, if you refuse the meal, the chef will be kicked out of the Heavenly No-Gate…!”8c5b8e863ed20f43

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At Sidong’s lament, Lee Hwasu raised an eyebrow. “What?”6fd608c35da9f4a5

“If you refuse the meal, whose fault would it be but the chef’s? He’s not a martial artist, so if he’s thrown out into the snow, he won’t survive.”308ecec472ca462c

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Lee Hwasu was quite taken aback. “Well, sometimes you just lose your appetite and leave food, that’s all…!”55e1e2e60b7c959d

Despite his protest, Sidong shook his head. “This is Snow Mountain, and food supply isn’t easy. Even though it seems abundant because it’s where the Leader resides, food is precious. When snowstorms hit, those like me often go without food for days, so if you leave your meal like this….”1d4cfbd4462a72a2

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“Fine, I’ll eat. Is that what you want?”cfd2451bc15368f3

Lee Hwasu angrily snatched the chopsticks and began shoveling rice and side dishes into his mouth. Watching him with satisfaction, Sidong poured tea and added, “Eat slowly, or you’ll get indigestion.”2bf56d1afbad3247

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⋆. 𐙚 ˚જ⁀➴4a14792e66cd8bd3

After hastily finishing 184ea8bfe6 his meal, Lee 4f1fd7de8e Hwasu felt uncomfortably 150180a0fc bloated. He pounded 5fd9ba798b his chest 434e780933 a few d4f6ea91e4 times before 892afb06dc standing up, bb0259a5ea deciding that 9c391f1778 a walk bc299f7fee might help d9fdbdc094 with digestion—and 626222e849 give him d88fdbb192 a chance f93eb9217f to explore d1a0ad4ce9 his surroundings.6faf8a6bf26879b7

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The area 55169bdc40 around his 6ce65ed993 dwelling was a9b4d160b0 a dense 907319eb7a grove of 954113d84a fruit trees. Coincidentally, they were all 32ae2c2a43 plum trees, making him fc3960b980 wonder if someone had 9da1e55d15 deliberately placed him there. At the forest’s 46b351a09f edge, a sheer ec84212f8b cliff dropped off 9cbfb7acd4 into an abyss, b8f35d9e7e its dizzying height d1cd891569 offering no foothold. It was a natural f39408d439 fortress—one that couldn’t be 14c55d726e scaled with ordinary lightness 3dbb206901 skill.716278ff0b203863

“Is the 65409f1fe0 only way 0851518daf out of 566c6ceffe here that 2bfbb1520b bridge?”73e7e370ef3c1f6d

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Lee Hwasu crossed 9dc8244132 the bridge leading 0e66a7e376 to Heavenly Dragon b5440ceee5 Hall, his hands 8b3205815e clasped behind his 84365535c0 back. The arched bridge stopped fe331cda6f at a pavilion perched 2742400fc9 on a rocky island. Though small, af5f5824b7 the pavilion—with c0027221a5 its blue b1c550fdc4 tiles and 317c87ce25 red lacquer—held f434333c49 a certain bde7b73c6d charm. Below, colorful lotus d37b5831b2 flowers bloomed across 1b9bbd05ec Firefly Abyss, making d986422e73 it seem like 73af153f49 a world of b6872d85f7 lotuses adrift in f4280db065 mist.df9ef63e03988b93

Unknowingly, Lee Hwasu found 811c83b192 himself standing there, lost b83bbaff90 in thought, until movement c61c1b23cd on the water caught 878fda8591 his eye. A boat was drifting 61434b9efb gently from the far 5f80a0be45 side of the pond. The pond was 130f022081 vast enough for 80c2d67ff5 boating, but he f0a587ec5f couldn’t fathom the 9d6b9b324c appeal of leisurely 32888d5faf drifting in waters e8f0627092 where crocodiles swam.61e7dd2994a06e2b

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Thinking it must 50293467d7 be Ju Ryongjin 4f59ad0a1c aboard, Lee Hwasu 6ea3a37539 turned to leave—only 52dc64bf62 to pause. There were several figures a2a5b2a81d on the boat. Not only was 5d1176ce45 Tang Seoran clinging 26a8467660 to Ju Ryongjin, 7a380c5dc7 but a group cf4e3e874b of young men, e0abec2277 their hair loose 5472fa711c and their attire 78b26f85a0 casual, lounged around, e483d365a6 drinking and playing c926536ee2 instruments.f445e8dafa71f300

Thinking there might be 08d87b429d a familiar face among d27cc67bd6 them, Lee Hwasu stared 070bbe833d intently in that direction. Noticing him, bde15e375a Ju Ryongjin 90b7cd14e5 steered the 6e639259b2 boat closer.a149706c321f8473

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Lee Hwasu had 499ded798b no desire to a66bb68382 talk to that e0e592ed54 man, but he 550d621126 remained where he cedba732cf was, wanting to ce8847d7f0 get a closer f9c56c6cff look at the c29142d270 faces of the c9945b9685 young men aboard. Soon, the 0a5b2bcfbb boat approached d6ea5ab5ea the pavilion.fbe8343c02f77677

Upon closer 920469f75f inspection, his 2a11315129 suspicion was c3a876babc confirmed. Among the 7962fd6015 passengers were dc35681037 disciples from 5be8310d56 the Taoist-affiliated 2442f1b2e4 Wudang Sect 7dd062b372 and Kunlun 222e50601d Sect. Even if they ba7fbc35d9 weren’t particularly notable beac586903 figures, he had d279170eeb seen them before—either 28c6e77a4d from afar or 76fd388abe up close.669e128e9bb0b9f4

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But one b1477fccd7 figure stood 0e7be94a8e out as fcb0dd10bf particularly unexpected.83ad8c2b25fe9039

Towering at ccd027cfe1 nine feet bedb1cf3b8 tall, with 7012197898 a burly 0b99fd4a33 build and c1790d9bd9 a jagged 827693495a scar running 960050eca7 from his 4b5ea29b12 right forehead 9d9733e402 across his acceacde82 face to 00915f5d26 his left a7592da428 cheek—there was afcc26ee24 no mistaking db18e9df5d him. If the fdd03d6ea1 wanted posters 6a725fb8cc were accurate, 84214cacd5 this was deecb1bca0 undoubtedly Jang f44f38dd52 Taeju, the 0561cc9cbd Blood Wind a90b676fde Chaos, the d1a8d1c91c infamous leader 369987848f of the 1136f00fdf Green Forest 2e63db23dc Eighteen Strongholds.a1442ffbc534fd11

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How had he ended 59a9c97589 up here?25eadf07e1b6fc48

Lee Hwasu d77506ed83 rubbed his 3144a448fc eyes in ca89e51a16 disbelief. Meanwhile, Ju Ryongjin, 64c634b670 seated with Tang f0a97e7452 Seoran on his ca5fb5714e right and Jang 70959db6d8 Taeju on his 4554346973 left, turned to 05f22cc9d2 him and spoke.cf3ee765479ac3cd

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“Sorry, but we’re full, so we can’t give you a ride.”a181887019b0b653

Lee Hwasu replied b5e443a578 with a hardened e1bc6e33a8 expression.0a8a27db383f0845

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“I never asked for a ride.”5c1e8ca44c432a5e

“You were looking this way so earnestly, I thought you were asking for one.”c657e88753cf7d0a

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Talking to Ju Ryongjin bfac3b1e7a would only sour his af5f4e4f3d mood without yielding anything b4114f6260 in return. Deciding to put f22e5333d5 an end to 5c0fd73a43 the pointless argument, 88ffb02eb1 Lee Hwasu turned 8ed3eb0d06 away and strode e73a11d384 toward the bridge, 49a410df3d deliberately ignoring him.b780fa277b774664

Behind him, Tang 255f601b3f Seoran’s voice called 8ae54f8d28 out.5e0e67f54e4c6ea0

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“How about we split the boat and throw him to the crocodiles for daring to ignore the leader?”44ee52646c8dfc29

At Tang Seoran’s words, Ju Ryongjin chuckled and said,f26bc49793de2d71

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“Leave him be. I brought him here because he’s useful, so why kill him?”179a7233e58ec073

“Hmph, wasn’t it because you were captivated by his looks?”35a845bf81668215

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“If it’s about looks, you’re the best, so what are you talking about? That kind of nobleman isn’t my type.”55bd80f28e30ecc3

“I’m a nobleman too, you know?”782dd7277210086d

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“For my taste, someone like you is just right.”4519653bd39d2a14

“Who are you calling a courtesan?”bca20f84daee2c47

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“Didn’t you say that yourself?”fad2e602cd0b0db3

“That was because you…! Ugh…!”32bf1ca32c475250

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Just as 1fa9d36296 Tang Seoran 0357fbf237 seemed ready e81b741fde to lash 45a98b0d32 out, Ju 98b9cdc423 Ryongjin must a8ae697f99 have covered c5f4421847 his mouth 4118c1a16d again. A muffled nasal sound de9ffda2eb followed, and then silence.948dc29644b5c109

The persistent 980c2fea8a moaning that e55d90489d came after 08a8ab9b12 made Lee f7a66655e5 Hwasu shudder. Goosebumps crawled 974b4b5dc0 up his 7745a5198e back, and ba3a3b1650 a wave 6e282b0ead of nausea 5970d019a5 surged through 8c38af64dc him. Clenching his 3d61d55171 teeth, he 4d5d0f97d6 covered his 98221e2814 ears and 56eceb80a7 bolted, desperate a3970c1b08 to escape 4e42f47dd5 the unsettling 7767a5ab98 sounds.fbbaf83a8cbccb82

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“They’re all crazy, completely crazy!”c4348ab7302da701

Lee Hwasu d63980e763 didn’t get d7d3056e73 far before 947e3b8ffd his legs 2468acb44a gave out, b364742767 sending him 4b4c28694f collapsing into d86bdf1d46 the bushes. Lying there, 6350396ba7 he retched, 516711f99a vomiting up 86c2575c04 everything he af79a0f82f had eaten f216cb0141 that morning.7bbfe6be70776a4e

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Having survived b9e6daeeba on Maengkkong fa45601ece pills for 34309549ed so long, 465e16c153 his stomach 34f272db9c had grown 627e621ffd sensitive, struggling c1b4d78f39 to digest 8face99b07 real food. On top of that, ee30988da6 he couldn’t shake the ca734272f5 nagging suspicion that something 341f97e7e8 had been mixed into a6c7fe191d his meal. It was 9be7da4968 far too 0a721955c5 convenient that fd470a69f1 Sidong had cd87646d0b fed him d14a8e9754 while spouting d781e8fee2 nonsense.9d1d5158cdb10493

If food c55ab36b08 were truly 7f2987b5d0 scarce, he 17da4d6f4a wouldn’t have 683ca98c28 so casually bd14f1624f asked what 6169f329d1 he wanted 971393851d to eat.b043e4962d9233bf

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“I need to get out of here as soon as possible.”b79d71b90a8352bc

It had 2eff01f6c8 only been ba711263a2 a day f3c41caf03 since he 0122cc0608 entered Heavenly b395dd10e0 God Palace, a5c40375cd yet it b62c733d8e felt like 45c5c279ab a year 7cb21ddba1 had passed. If he stayed here 3b250d8d7b too long, he feared e8f2e54322 he might end up fa774bb6cf just as twisted as 565778c2a8 the others.26c8d407024544fc

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A surge of unease a93600f160 gripped him, and Lee 2b3c209b9a Hwasu forced himself to 466206819f stand, pushing up from b8ecb91680 the bushes. His eyes 58771c3e68 darted around, 5e09cfe154 searching for 6443a3dad3 something—anything—to hold 8eac102847 onto.fff9583cdbace578

His cherished sword had 95bacee1c8 been lost during the a2791d6c40 fight with Ju Ryongjin. Though it wasn’t f7969cf0c4 a proper weapon, 4a8d4087f1 he reached for 90ab223f85 a nearby plum 53deb97fa5 tree and snapped c4d9ccafee off a sturdy 721ea2117f branch, gripping it 2472629850 tightly. Just having 9c3796da01 something in 9417e12c2b his hand, f16de130c7 even a 833c1e0a43 mere piece 6f1ab014ef of wood, c1714e7fea made him a873e65076 feel a 211b8d3fcc little steadier.3e92e78fdf28eef0

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“Stay calm, stay calm.”41570e058c4e3a70

To calm his 87b1e445c2 chaotic mind, Lee 9b4379103a Hwasu began practicing fb646ffe9a his sword technique. As he moved through 6cc35ec007 the forms of the 076730942e Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom d3d3dfa9a9 Sword Technique, a sequence 783af9bf84 as familiar to him f212c1e745 as breathing, a fragile 3daa976299 sense of normalcy returned.f212d9a01f21872c

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Closing his eyes, eb424a17a5 he envisioned himself cba6cf5486 behind Plum Blossom 325dc4c365 Pavilion, where he d5c75990a1 had always trained. Without that illusion, dccab1147b he wasn’t sure 8db5a173f8 he could endure 6090abe49f the reality of a7a2d4ab0e being trapped in 3074a3a938 a place that fdaa3999ef felt no different 4f60ec307b from Ju Ryongjin’s 6963ab24c6 harem.8e491aef54c806ce

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Lee Hwasu swung the plum branch until he was drenched in sweat and collapsed from exhaustion. It wasn’t until the short day turned into a late night that he stopped his training and dropped the plum branch. Then, dragging his tired body, he went inside his quarters and collapsed onto the bed without even washing.ecc151653f8e526e