Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 142

The main hall buzzed with excitement at the mention of Miss Pyo’s arrival. Soon, the maid who had gone out earlier returned with a woman dressed in modest attire, befitting a married lady.

She was not only beautiful but also exceptionally demure, exuding an inexplicable, subtle charm. The men in the guest room couldn’t take their eyes off her. Even the youngest, the fifth son, stared at her with wide eyes.

It seemed the Qin family men had long harbored feelings of admiration for Miss Pyo.

The moment Han Li saw the woman’s face, his foolish act crumbled. He suppressed his surprise and returned to his original expression.

The change was so fleeting, and everyone was so focused on the woman, that no one noticed.

A great wave surged in his heart. Though her appearance had changed, her eyes and round face were the same as before.

The woman known as Miss Pyo of the Qin family was none other than Moon Bong-mu, the second young lady of the Moon family, the girl who loved medicine. Moon Bong-mu blushed slightly as everyone’s gaze fell upon her.

“Ahem!”

Qin Eon cleared his throat, expressing his displeasure at his children’s unseemly behavior. The young men, who had been captivated by Moon Bong-mu’s beauty, quickly regained their senses and changed their demeanor as if they were all gentlemen.

“Pyeong-ah, come sit by me.”

“Yes, Third Aunt.”

Moon Bong-mu, expressing her gratitude in a gentle voice, approached and sat demurely beside the third wife.

“You shouldn’t always stay in your room. You should meet people, talk, and take walks sometimes. It’s good for your health.”

Qin Eon spoke in a warm tone, as if he felt very sorry for Moon Bong-mu.

“Yes, Uncle. I will keep that in mind.”

“Sigh…”

When she answered without even raising her head, Qin Eon sighed. He knew that this woman, who was like a granddaughter to him, would obediently answer in front of him but would return to her residence and remain secluded.

Worried about the child’s future, Qin Eon spoke again as if he had remembered something important.

“Pyeong-ah, this child is Han Li, the descendant of my benefactor. Greet him and call him ‘Older Brother Han’ from now on.”

Han Li had been observing Moon Bong-mu, and the moment he heard the name ‘Han Li,’ he noticed her body tremble. After a moment, she slowly raised her head, revealing her beautiful face and figure to Han Li. Then, with a very calm expression, she opened her mouth.

“It’s nice to meet you, Older Brother Han.”

It was as if she truly didn’t know Han Li. And Han Li, also looking as if he had never seen such a beautiful woman before, was stunned for a moment before finally mumbling, “Nice to meet you, Miss Pyo.”

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh at this scene. However, when Qin Eon scanned the room with cold eyes, the commotion subsided, and Han Li was left looking foolish and embarrassed.

The situation that followed was very simple. Qin Eon gathered his family and declared that Han Li would be staying in the Qin family from that day forward, and that anyone who looked down on him during that time would be severely punished.

* * *

Late at night, Han Li lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

‘Tap tap!’

At that moment, two soft sounds were heard, and Han Li slowly opened the door. Outside the door stood a woman completely covered in a cloak, who was none other than Moon Bong-mu, whom he had seen earlier.

When Han Li made way for her, she entered the room without hesitation. Even when he expanded his senses while standing at the door, it seemed that no one was nearby, so it was clear that Moon Bong-mu had come here with considerable caution.

After firmly closing the door and turning around, he saw her quietly taking off her cloak and sitting at the table without hesitation, looking up at Han Li.

Except for her similar face, the soft and warm girl from before was nowhere to be found, and only the appearance of someone who had changed after experiencing the hardships of the world remained.

“Should I call you Han Saje [Master Han], or Han Sehyung [Older Brother Han]?”

“Just call me Han Li, Miss Bong-mu.”

That answer caused a flicker of disappointment in Moon Bong-mu’s eyes, but she soon returned to her original cold expression.

“I don’t know, nor do I want to know, why Master Han has come to the Qin family residence as a cultivator. However, for the sake of my father’s old friendship, please kill one person for me, on behalf of Bong-mu.”

She waited for Han Li’s response with a tense expression. Han Li’s expression remained calm throughout. He neither refused nor agreed immediately. He poured the freshly brewed tea into a teacup, handed it to Moon Bong-mu, and then slowly opened his mouth.

“Do you want to kill the leader of the Five Colors Sect?”

Surprise flashed across Moon Bong-mu’s face. However, the surprise soon faded, and a slightly bitter expression took its place.

“It seems Master Han already knew about the Moon family’s affairs. It seems nothing can be hidden from a cultivator.”

“Miss Bong-mu, you are misunderstanding something. Anyway, if I, who have a connection with the Moon family, had known that such a big incident had occurred, I would have at least safely taken out some of the mistresses and taken care of their later years.”

Han Li was truly sincere when he said this. It wasn’t an explanation made out of fear that Moon Bong-mu would resent and hate him, but rather to tell her that he wasn’t someone who would turn away from people without a reason.

She nodded at his words and returned to her original cold expression, but it was unclear whether she truly believed him.

Han Li hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell her the truth. He originally didn’t want to mention the world of cultivators, but this was important to her.

“Actually, I heard about the Moon family’s incident later from Chae-hwan. That child was with the fourth mistress.”

“Yes? Are you saying that Chae-hwan and the fourth mother are really alive?”

As soon as those words were spoken, an excited Moon Bong-mu had a hard time believing it, but her cheeks flushed with anticipation.

“Yes, they are. It’s a place far from the world, but it wasn’t a bad place to live.”

After leaving Yeongnyeongbo, he had sent people to inquire, but when Yeongnyeongbo was empty, ordinary people had escaped the castle, and the whereabouts of Moon Chae-hwan and her mother had been unknown since then.

Han Li hesitated a little as he told her about the disappearance of Moon Chae-hwan and her mother. However, it seemed that just knowing that her blood relatives were alive in the world was enough to make Moon Bong-mu happy.

When Han Li told her what Moon Chae-hwan and her mother had gone through, Moon Bong-mu was on the verge of tears.

She also knew that Han Li had no reason to lie to her and that he was being polite to her because of their old connection. The excited Moon Bong-mu put her hands together in front of her chest and prayed, then finally returned to her original appearance.

Her gaze towards Han Li had also changed. She understood that if Han Li hadn’t helped them in Yeongnyeongbo, they would have been in great trouble.

“Thank you for telling me about Chae-hwan and the fourth mother. It’s the first good news Bong-mu has heard in eight years.”

And before Han Li could answer, she mentioned the previous story again.

“However, while Chae-hwan’s side is fine, I don’t know the whereabouts of my older sister or the other mothers. Most of them probably suffered that day. Bong-mu has no power, but I cannot stand still with such a great grudge. Please help me, Master Han.”

Her face softened, and her eyes instantly became teary. Han Li, scratching his nose at the sight, felt a headache coming on.

In fact, he thought that if he told her about Moon Chae-hwan and her mother, her obsession with revenge would lessen, but she was still so fixated on her enemies!

In fact, for him, killing a few Qi Refining cultivators right away was easier than killing a worldly criminal with a status.

From what he learned after entering the Yellow Maple Valley, most of the major cities in Yue were under the influence of the Seven Great Sects or powerful families.

It could be assumed that any worldly power with a history had cultivators backing them. Initially, the Moon family of Namju and the Dokpa Mountain Manor were new powers that had not been famous for long, so they had no contact with the world of cultivators. That was why Han Li did not get into any trouble even after killing Gu Yang Bi-cheon of the Dokpa Mountain Manor.

However, the Five Colors Sect was different. They had already established the foundation of their sect over a hundred years ago, and it was a place under the influence of the Spirit Beast Mountain, one of the Seven Great Sects. It was a great disaster for the Moon family to try to confront such a place.

As a disciple of the Yellow Maple Valley, it was not justifiable for Han Li to kill a criminal under the management of another sect without a proper reason.

However, now that the demonic cultivators had invaded Yue, it would be possible to deal with it without getting caught during this chaotic time.

Han Li, not showing any of these concerns, was just silently pacing around the room. After organizing his thoughts once more, he looked at Moon Bong-mu.

“Miss Bong-mu, normally, doing such a thing would put me in a difficult situation, but since it’s a special situation now, there might be a chance. However, if the situation is really bad, Miss Bong-mu must also give up on the idea of killing the leader of the Five Colors Sect.”

Moon Bong-mu shed tears of joy upon hearing Han Li’s words. When Han Li made the promise, Moon Bong-mu’s eyes were filled with joy and softened. She was quite moved, and without saying anything, she moved towards Han Li.

Soon, her soft lips lightly brushed Han Li’s cheek, and with her head bowed in embarrassment, she whispered quietly.

“Just having you promise that is more than enough for Bong-mu to be grateful.”

After speaking, the woman hurriedly left Han Li’s room. Han Li, who had unconsciously brought his hand to the cheek where her lips had just touched, had a slightly strange expression. It seemed there was something he needed to think about carefully.

The next morning, Han Li, who had spent the night in a cross-legged position without sleeping, sighed at what had happened the night before. If Moon Bong-mu had spiritual roots, he would have immediately taken her into the Yellow Maple Valley and trained with her.

Thinking such absurd thoughts, Han Li left his room. It was to familiarize himself with the layout of the Qin family residence and plan for the future.

However, as soon as he left his room, he encountered Jin Pyeong, who was grinning. Before Han Li could ask anything, he explained first.

“Under the elder’s orders, I will be serving the young master for a while. Please call me anytime if you need anything.”

Jin Pyeong expressed his joy with a respectful attitude towards Han Li. The reason he was happy was very simple.

Although Han Li was from the countryside, he was now favored by the head of the family, so if he served him well, he could gain the favor of the head of the family.

Jin Pyeong, who was calculating in his head, recalled what the maid next to the wife he was serving had said.

There was a high possibility that he was the head of the family’s illegitimate son, so the head of the family was not treating him carelessly.

Han Li had no reason to understand Jin Pyeong’s heart, and since he didn’t know much about the Qin family or Yue, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to receive help. Han Li looked at Jin Pyeong with a smile.

“Then, I want to look around the Qin family residence, so let’s go together.”

“Yes! Young Master!”

Jin Pyeong answered loudly at the first task given to him. Thus, with Jin Pyeong’s guidance, he began to thoroughly explore the vast Qin family, and he observed from afar the places where Han Li had difficulty entering.

“That is the entrance to the Bokgwi Garden, where the second elder’s family resides. The second elder’s two young masters also live there…”

Jin Pyeong explained in detail what he knew whenever they reached a building or garden, and Han Li nodded, carefully noting everything.

When they reached the residence of Moon Bong-mu, known as Miss Pyo, Han Li’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but he showed no other reaction.

Finally, Jin Pyeong led Han Li out of the Qin family residence, which they had roughly surveyed, to the most bustling area of Wolseong. By the time they had toured the Qin family residence and the famous places of Wolseong, it was well past noon.

Jin Pyeong, who had been excited at first, gradually lost his enthusiasm and was secretly groaning behind Han Li.

Anyone would be tired if they walked for several hours without rest and talked constantly. Now, he was even starting to regret following Han Li.