Wooyun frowned as he looked at the list Auntie Lim had handed him.
Many of the items on the list seemed completely useless and unnecessary—just another excuse to get him out of the house long enough for her to concoct her evil plans. Wooyun shook his head. She was one persistent cockroach, unyielding and unwilling to die.
The market was bustling with people, even this early in the morning. Wooyun managed to gather half of the things on the list in record time before having to go to a town over for the rest. The eastern region consisted of three major towns: Sea City, where most of the trade and merchant activities took place; Sky City, the capital of martial arts, where aspiring martial cultivators from all backgrounds migrated to make a name for themselves; and White Lotus City, where the sleeping giants resided.
Han Seo-yoon and the Han Clan had always lived in Sky City but moved to Sea City once their business began growing. Her grandfather had always said it made no sense for a merchant family not to live near all the potential business opportunities.
Fortunately, the next town over was Sunny Peak, which only took an hour to get to. The old Wooyun would've complained about having to walk such a long distance, but since his training, he'd been able to cut the time in half. Still, it sucked having to walk.
"I wish they had Ubers here, or at least a taxi," he grumbled.
There was the option of riding a carriage or whatever they were called, but Wooyun didn't have any money to hire one for himself.
Though the family did have their own carriage, there was no way Kang Choon-hee would let him ride in one of those. Such things were beneath him. He didn't waste any time and started walking toward the town.
He was halfway through his journey when he heard a rattling sound followed by galloping.
A horse? he thought.
He turned around and saw a carriage coming his way. Since he was walking in the middle of the road and there was no one else around, he didn't expect to be obstructed. That was one of the perks of not being in a metropolitan city—the roads weren't infested with cars.
Wooyun stepped to the side, expecting the carriage to pass, but instead of passing him, it seemed to slow down. Wooyun furrowed his brow. He paused for a moment, staring at the vehicle before continuing on. Every step he took, the carriage seemed to follow.
This went on for ten minutes until Wooyun had enough. He fully stopped, turning to face whoever was inside. "Do you have business with me or something?" he yelled.
The person driving the carriage shrugged and pointed toward the back—indicating that he wasn't the one with business, but the person inside was.
Wooyun figured that was the case and frowned. He didn't know anyone who would want to associate themselves with him or Han Seo-yoon, so who could they be?
Was it someone Kang Choon-hee had sent to harass him? No, that couldn't be. The madam was evil, but she would never involve an outsider in her family affairs. So who was it?
The other person remained silent even after Wooyun had yelled out to them. The young man started to grow annoyed. "Hello?" he called again. Nothing. Wooyun sighed as he was about to turn around and go on his way when a voice emerged from inside.
"Apologies for getting in your way, but I am in desperate need of help. I am traveling to Sunny Peak City and was hoping you could give me directions," the person—who sounded like a man—said. His voice was clear and pleasant to the ears, which made Wooyun's face soften.
"…Oh. Then you should've just said so. All you need to do is keep going straight, and you'll see the town a few kilometers ahead. I'm actually on my way there right now," he said.
There was silence on the other end, making Wooyun believe the man hadn't heard him. Just as he was about to repeat himself, the man spoke again.
"If we're heading the same way, why not join me then? You seem familiar with the region, and it would be helpful to have a guide," he offered.
This surprised Wooyun—he hadn't expected to come across such a charitable person. He couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. Wooyun was from the modern world, after all, and there were all kinds of dangers lurking around. Someone offering a ride just because they were going the same way definitely set off alarm bells in a sound mind.
"It… it's fine. The town isn't far from here, as I've said. I don't wish to be a bother, but I thank you for the offer," he said, giving a curt bow before starting to walk away.
The man inside the carriage was stunned. Normally, when offered the chance to ride in a carriage—especially in the blazing sun—people would jump at the opportunity. But this young fellow had refused. It was a first. The man couldn't help but be curious about the boy. On the other hand, the man sitting next to him couldn't help but wonder what had possessed him to offer someone a ride. He wasn't known for being kind or charitable, so what was with this sudden change of heart?
"Please," the man called again, making Wooyun stop in his tracks. "I insist. Think of it as payment for showing me the way."
Wooyun's brows furrowed. Though the person's tone sounded genuine, he could detect a slight edge in his voice—as if he was truly insisting, and if Wooyun didn't accept his offer, something bad might happen.
A foreboding feeling invaded his senses, and he frowned in confusion. What was this feeling? It was as though he was facing someone he couldn't afford to offend.
Wooyun had no choice but to accept. He cautiously approached the carriage, silently praying that this wasn't one of those cliched moments where he'd hop in and be spirited away, never to be seen again. To incur such a fate would be the greatest embarrassment of all. He offered a silent prayer to whatever god might be listening and peeked his head inside. What he saw stunned him.
Staring back at him was a beautiful man with otherworldly features—features that Wooyun couldn't help but find familiar. His eyes flashed with a knowing expression. He remembered the man from the market a few days ago.
"It's you!" Wooyun exclaimed.
The man lifted one of his perfectly shaped eyebrows. "It's me? Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked.
"Yeah, you're the guy who stole my candied hawthorn last time!" Wooyun said, still feeling slighted by the incident.
The man was confused for a moment before a knowing look appeared on his face. "Ah, the germ boy. It's nice to see you again, and under such circumstances. Looks like we were fated to meet," he said, a shadow of a smile adorning his lips.
Wooyun didn't know how to take that answer. Meeting someone twice could be considered a coincidence, but he wouldn't call it fate. This country was small compared to the rest of the world, so it wasn't strange to meet someone you'd already encountered. But Wooyun kept those thoughts to himself, seeing the smile on the man's face. He felt it would be a shame to take it away.
He entered the carriage, making sure to thank the man as he did so. That's when he realized there was someone else inside. He had been so focused on the man before him that he hadn't sensed another presence. The other man was also a looker, with silky black hair that stopped at his shoulders.
His inky eyes gave Wooyun a simple glance before looking away. Wooyun could tell, having studied people for a long time, that his presence wasn't welcomed. But just as Wooyun had awareness, he also had thick skin and didn't let it bother him. It wasn't like he was the one who insisted on getting a ride. He had refused at first, but the person wouldn't take no for an answer. Who was he to deny him?
As soon as Wooyun sat down next to the beautiful man, the carriage started moving. Throughout the ride, Wooyun could feel the man's gaze on him and couldn't help glancing between the man and the road. Wooyun was no stranger to people staring at him—it came with the job—but being stared at so blatantly like this made even Wooyun, known for his thick skin, feel a little shy.
"Is there something on my face?" he couldn't help asking. A grin formed on the man's face, and he calmly shook his head.
"Of course not. I apologize for staring."
Wooyun furrowed his brow but said nothing.
He craned his neck out of the window and saw they had entered the town. His eyes scanned the plaza, recalling how it had been described in the story. Though smaller than Sea City, it was still bustling with people. His gaze followed the crowd, analyzing the more populated shops and keeping them in mind. He made a mental note to check them out once he was done with his errands.
Meanwhile, the man's gaze never left Wooyun, taking in his every reaction. The man next to him followed his line of sight and wondered what he found so interesting about this fellow. A young man who was only a fledgling, undeserving of the attention of an Emperor. He sighed internally as he pondered his leader's actions.
"Oh! Mister, you can drop me off here!" Wooyun yelled at the driver, who gave a grunt in response.
The man glanced out the window and saw they had stopped in front of a market selling fresh produce. "Is this where you're getting off?" he asked.
Wooyun turned to look at him and nodded. "I have a couple of things I need to buy. I'll be getting off here." He then jumped out of the carriage. "Thank you for taking the time out of your day to drive me here. Though I have nothing in exchange to give you, I hope my appreciation will be enough for now."
Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he heard the creaking of the door followed by the sound of light footsteps. His eyes widened when he saw the man had stepped out of the carriage and was now standing next to him.
"Um?"
"I suddenly wish to walk as well. Do you mind if I join you?" the man asked.
Wooyun's eyes widened even more, and the man still inside stood up in surprise.
"Lor—I mean B-Brother Chunho…w-where are you going? Don't you have that reservation soon?" the man stammered.
Chunho gave him a pointed look, making him recoil. "I'll attend to those matters later," he said in a low voice.
"I-I see. Then I shall join you as well." But before he could take another step, the man known as Chunho lifted his head.
"It's fine. I have this little young master who will keep me company, right?" His gaze landed on Wooyun, and though it was soft, Wooyun could detect a slight air of authority, as if he had no right to refuse. All Wooyun could do was open and close his mouth before nodding. He then felt the other man's sharp gaze on him and quickly looked away.
"See? I won't be alone. You go and run along—as a matter of fact, I believe you can take my place for the appointment. I'm sure the madam won't mind," he said.
The other man said nothing, offering a strained smile. "Yes, I'm sure she won't." But he already knew the trouble that awaited him when he would show up to the appointment without his leader there. He could only sigh in defeat as he sat back down and alerted the driver to continue.
It wasn't until the carriage had moved far enough that Chunho turned to face Wooyun.
"Now, shall we get going?"
Wooyun could only blink as he wondered what had just happened.