The Sting of Poison II

"You must have heard about how our dear master is so beautiful and enchanting that he can bend the hearts of both men and women. Isn't that what has happened to you?"

The statement had caused him to retreat to his thoughts, as it echoed endlessly within him.

It was true that he'd occasionally dared to think that his master was the most beautiful person he'd ever laid eyes on, even when he was being cruel and negligent towards him, but he didn't think it was at the level where he could say his heart had been captured by him, though the mere notion had caused his heart to begin racing.

"Ever since master became an elder, people gossiped about him, saying that he charmed his way to the top, and that the way he looks is a result of a curse placed on him at birth."

As soon as Yan Bohai uttered those words, Yong Kyubok could not help but to gaze upon his unconscious master in his arms. He was guilty of having such thoughts as well from the first time he'd ever seen him. 

"'The charming curse' they call it."

Yan Bohai continued, his expression turning aloof as he narrated, eyes fixed on Roh Ki.

"Even if that much isn't true, his white hair is proof enough that he's under a curse placed on him even before his birth. Most likely his pregnant mother upset some nefarious people. After all, other than ascension and old age, that's the only other way for a person to acquire such hair."

As much as Yong Kyubok was curious, and somewhat pleased to be learning such information about his master, he was not in the habit of gossip, especially not in a situation like this. He used every muscle in his body to hold in a sigh as he shifted his master's position in his arms.

More than the unnecessary narration Yan Bohai was busy spouting, he was most concerned about the state of his master. He was still breathing, and his pulse didn't feel too bad, but the fact that he suddenly went unconscious while speaking meant that Yan Bohai definitely did something to him, and that concerned him.

Watching on as Yong Kyubok's expression shifted as he gazed at their master, he couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he punctuated his narration with a sentence.

"Apparently, even men have professed their love to him. That is why he currently practices the way of abstinence."

The silence afterwards hinted clearly at what Yan Bohai intended to imply. Had the situation been different, perhaps Yong Kyubok would have allowed his blood to rush to his cheeks, however, there were things more significant than his emotions at the moment, so his brain ignored what he considered useless gossip.

"Are you pointing a sword at me just so you can badmouth our master while he is unconscious? Instead of narrating something unnecessary like this, just state what it is you really want."

He spoke, interrupting Yan Bohai's reminiscing. The glare from his fiery orbs were enough to cause Yan Bohai to flinch a little.

Yan Bohai let out a loud sigh before gesturing to Roh Ki with his sword.

"Drop him and leave."

Cocking a brow, Yong Kyubok replied, tightening his grip on Roh Ki.

"Why would I do that? It is obvious you do not have any good intentions with master. What do you want with him?"

"That much isn't for you to know. I'll give you one last chance, leave him and go."

Yan Bohai stated, a hard frown forming on his face.

"There is no need to give me such chances. My answer will always be the same, so let us just move on to what comes next."

Saying that, Yong Kyubok gently placed Roh Ki against a nearby tree and picked up the practice sword he had been using during training.

Staring at Yong Kyubok in both amazement and amusement, Yan Bohai let out a light laugh.

"Are you joking? What are you intending to do with a blunt practice sword?"

"This practice sword is more than enough."

Yong Kyubok stated, without a hint of hesitation or doubt in his voice.

His tone only served to infuriate Yan Bohai to an extent where the grin he had on his face faded away into a hard glare.

"Just because master picked you up from the back streets you suddenly think you are something?"

Yong Kyubok didn't bother responding, and instead raised his dull sword in preparation for defense.

Seeing this, Yan Bohai plastered a smirk on his face before spouting,

"Very well. It looks like I have gotten your answer."

Before his statement was finished, he charged at Yong Kyubok quickly, clashing his sword against his.

Yong Kyubok had managed to defend against his sword thrust easily, but Yan Bohai didn't relent in his counter attack, consecutively clashing his sword against Yong Kyubok's.

It wasn't until the fourth interaction, that Yan Bohai's nerves grew strained as he realized that even with a blunt sword, Yong Kyubok had managed to defend against eight of his advances with ease, including the feints and counter attacks he thought were well placed.

He started to get a bit nervous as he watched Yong Kyubok's calm expression. It seemed clear that he thought he was definitely going to win, but given the situation, how did he expect to do so?

"It seems you actually have some talent, huh?"

Yan Bohai spoke.

"Very well then. I won't hold back any longer."

Adding qi into his sword movement and feet placement, he began another wave of attacks, this time, Yong Kyubok struggled against them a bit, as he defended while using very little of his own qi.

"What's wrong? Are you not so confident anymore?"

Yan Bohai taunted, layering attacks as he pushed Yong Kyubok back.

Squeezing his brows and letting out a sigh, Yong Kyubok started circulating his qi, allowing it to flow through his meridians and become aura. 

It wasn't that he didn't know any proper qi circulation techniques that went well with his sword arts, it was that Roh Ki hadn't had the time to properly instruct him on proper qi moderation techniques as he had only just become his core disciple. 

He didn't want to push too far as he didn't yet know how to properly control his fierce qi, but the situation seemed to call for it, so he couldn't worry about the finer details just yet. He only knew he had to take care of Yan Bohai here in order to get his master to the sect healer.

As Roh Ki lived a life of solitude close to a hermit's, other than the servants that helped around the estate during the day, there was no one else around the path between his mansion and the training grounds, so he couldn't call for help.

He only hoped that the commotion he and Yan Bohai would cause now that he'd started using his aura field would alert the other members of the sect that something was going on.

"What could master have possibly seen in you?"

Yan Bohai spat as he and Yong Kyubok traded sword strikes.

"You're nothing, but a street urchin. Did he think just because you can hold a sword he can turn you into a cultivator?"

Yong Kyubok was used to hearing words like this on a daily basis since he was a child, and he was good at keeping calm and ignoring such words, however, for a reason he would not come to understand until much later in life, he was angry.

Taking a breath, he feinted going for Yan Bohai's left side, causing his opponent to move for defense, but instead smacked him hard across the face with the blunter end of his dull sword.

"Agh!"

Yan Bohai cried out, cupping his right cheek in pain.

While he was distracted, Yong Kyubok prepared his next attack, this time landing a kick to his torso.

"Gaahh!"

Yan Bohai yelped as his body landed on the ground.

Feeling threatened as Yong Kyubok approached him with a hard glare on his face, he threw his sword to the side and put his hands up in surrender.

"Wait wait wait... dear junior brother, I've realized my mistake. I'm sorry. I don't know why I even did that. Please believe me."

Upon hearing his words, Yong Kyubok couldn't help but scrunch his nose up in disgust. He knew clearly that he was only feigning repentance, so his words only made him cringe.

Still, he had something more important to do, so he chose to ignore him and moved to collect his master still laying unconscious against a tree. 

"Hah. To think the street urchin actually has some hidden talent. I'm impressed. Maybe that's why master decided to take you in? Or maybe it's because of your father?"

Yan Bohai said, slowly picking himself up from the ground, dusting away his clothes as he rose.

Hearing Yan Bohai's words, Yong Kyubok halted his motion and turned to him, shocked to hear anything about his father from his lips.

"What do you mean?"

Yong Kyubok was curious. He grew up on the streets of the town of Yong An as an orphan who never knew anything about his parents. It wasn't until he turned eight that someone claiming to be the leader of a cultivation sect came to him suddenly and insisted that he had sword talent. That was how he joined the sect on sect leader Heo Kwan-Ah's recommendation.

He wondered if Yan Bohai was just spouting any random thing to get under his skin, or if he actually knew something about his father.

Yan Bohai was quick to note the change in Yong Kyubok's expression, and continued.

"Ah, don't tell me master never bothered to tell you?"

"Master?"

Yong Kyubok uttered, turning his attention to where his master lay.

''What does master have to do with my father?''

Yong Kyubok pondered as his eyebrows twisted in knots. 

Quickly taking advantage of Yong Kyubok's distracted gaze, he reached for the dagger hidden in his inner sleeve.

Turning back to Yan Bohai, he noticed the dagger now in his hands, and readied his sword to block it, but the dagger's path was aimed a few meters from him, in the direction of his master that lay unconscious behind him.

"No!"

Yong Kyubok exclaimed as he raced to where his master was, swiftly clutching the dagger with his hand mere moments before it hit Roh Ki.

"Hahahaha!"

Yan Bohai broke into a fit of laughter.

"Wow~ I must say. You have really been captured, huh?"

Yong Kyubok was geared to smack the ugly smirk on Yan Bohai's face off as he stood up and took heavy steps towards him, but could not get very far as his vision began to get blurred.

Glancing down at the dagger wound he sustained on his palm from catching the dagger, he noticed the mixed scent of his blood and something else. The dagger had been laced with a sleeping agent.

"Have a good rest~"

Yan Bohai chuckled as he watched Yong Kyubok slowly fall unconscious.

With the last remaining strain of his consciousness flitting away, he looked to his master who lay beside him with hopes that he would remain safe, however means possible.