Kugugugu…….
The floor trembled faintly.
The forefinger that had been stroking the serpent’s head, shaped like an inverted triangle, hesitated.
An earthquake? No.
The silvergray eyes stared blankly at somewhere far beyond the gate passage.
“Why is that so?”
The agent guarding his side glanced at Lee Joon. From the looks of it, he seemed not to have felt the faint vibration moments ago.
Lee Joon silently brought his palm to the ground. Seeing the sand grains on the floor shaking very faintly, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
‘Baek Lee Joon.’
About 20 minutes ago, a telepathy had come.
A telepathy that only he could hear, audible to no one else here.
Lee Joon knew who the voice belonged to and what situation they were in.
‘There’s been an accident. Send reinforcements.’
Suddenly, Lee Joon let out a dry smirk. Then the agent standing next to him cocked his head.
“Master Hunter Baek? Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
He grinned and started to stroke the snake again.
“It’s almost an hour now, and there are still three missing returnees.”
The agent glanced around the base and grumbled with worry.
Despite the announcement that the first search would last for an hour, Trickster, Black Flame’s Princess, Möbius, the figures of these three hunters were nowhere to be seen.
“Ah, there’s Hunter Möbius coming back!”
Someone shouted. Far away, Möbius was seen walking. Looking at his neat appearance without a scratch, it seemed that there was no major accident.
The snakestroking Lee Joon spoke quietly.
“You’re late.”
“I apologize. I lost my way.”
“Is that so? I’m glad you’re not hurt.”
“Thanks to Maestro, who put all the monsters to sleep.”
Möbius, who grinned, said, “Then.” and turned around. Lee Joon, who was watching his seemingly light footsteps, suddenly licked his lips.
“But.”
Suddenly, the finger stroking the snake stopped rigidly.
“Didn’t you see anyone on the way?”
Möbius involuntarily gulped at the voice so soft it was chilling. But that was only for a moment. In a short time, Möbius quickly composed himself and pulled up the corners of his mouth.
“People, you say?”
Lee Joon stared piercingly at him.
Ssssss…….
It felt like the fine hairs all over his body were standing up. As if tiny insects were covering his skin, the unfamiliar and uncomfortable sensation made Möbius swallow.
After a brief silence, Lee Joon raised his lips in a broad smile.
“It seems you didn’t see.”
Then, the agent beside Lee Joon spoke for him.
“Black Flame’s Princess and Trickster haven’t returned yet.”
“Ahhh…….”
Möbius hesitated for a moment and shrugged.
“What could go wrong when all the monsters are under Sleeping?.”
“Well, still…….”
The agent glanced at Lee Joon. Trickster aside, Black Flame’s Princess was a person closely watched by the association. It wasn’t just about her life or death; they had to know what she was doing and where.
For that, Lee Joon’s ability was essential. The association members knew that the snakes Lee Joon controlled acted as GPS. They didn’t know that he even shared sight and hearing with the snakes, though.
“Master Hunter Baek, can you locate her?”
At the agent’s question, Lee Joon shook his head with a slightly troubled smile.
“I don’t know what’s happened, but the signal’s been cut off since a while ago. As if the gate itself has collapsed.”
Thump.
Möbius shuddered his shoulders. No one noticed, right? Möbius quickly recovered his crumbling expression.
Lee Joon rose from his seat.
“I guess I’ll have to go check myself.”
“You mean, in person?”
The one who was startled was not the agent but Möbius.
It can’t happen. Not that.
“Is there a problem?”
Lee Joon turned his head smoothly. Möbius pretended not to notice the sweat running down his spine and barely licked his lips.
“Le, Leader, Master Hunter Baek, isn’t it better to avoid leaving the base unattended?”
“What’s the big deal? It won’t take long.”
“But they might come back in the meantime…….”
Moebius, who was faltering at the end of his words, suddenly twinkled his eyes.
“Ah, then I will search myself.”
“You will?”
“Yes. In the Hwarang Guild, we regularly conduct search training. Besides, isn’t my unique ability specialized in search operations? I’m sure it will be efficient, especially if the gate has collapsed.”
Lee Jun stared intently at Moebius. His ashcolored eyes scanned Moebius from head to toe, then slowly narrowed.
“…If you want.”
With his permission, Moebius nodded vigorously. There was no other way.
“Then I’ll be right back.”
Moebius quickly turned away. No, he tried to turn away.
“Leave the snake behind. It’s useless now.”
Shoosh.
Lee Jun gestured.
Was it some kind of signal? The white snake that had been wrapped around Moebius’s shoulder slithered towards Lee Jun as if attracted by a magnet.
Moebius gazed blankly at the departing white snake and then swiftly turned his head. Perhaps it was fortunate that the snake had become useless. At least he couldn’t understand everything.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
