Chapter 504
Chapter 505 – Just Hand It Over Once.
Degururu.
On the table, the wine bottles were rolling around, and empty plates were piled up high.
There were slight traces of food left in the dishes.
To put it another way….
It meant that all that food had been devoured.
By one person, no less.
“Keugh….”
A middle-aged man with white hair let out a satisfied burp.
He was even giving off a strong smell of alcohol.
“… Ha.”
The woman who confirmed that looked incredulous.
“Look at you. Are you even a martial artist?”
“Umm…?”
The man, who had been half-asleep at her voice, opened his bleary eyes.
And there she was. A beauty with long black hair frowning at him.
“Oh.”
Recognizing her, the man, Nangong Hyeong, shot up. It was a familiar face.
“Sister?”
At Nangong Hyeong’s words, the woman’s frown deepened.
“Ugh! The smell of alcohol!”
It was because the stench radiating from him was absolutely horrendous.
The smell of alcohol mixed with the dreadful aroma of food, making it unbearable.
Seemingly unable to tolerate it, the woman bit her lip.
Hooouuuk-!
She released a blast of mixed airflow from her body.
To rid the entire inn of that atrocious smell.
Whaaaaaaaaak-!
A rough wind swept through the space once.
Only after the smell dissipated a bit could the woman furrow her brows.
“… Ah, you crazy fool. Are you really a martial artist? How can you look worse every time I see you?”
“Aww…. I’m dying…. The hangover…. Sister, can you get me some water….”
“If you don’t want to die, get that alcohol out of your system. Shall I draw my sword here?”
“… Ugh.”
At the woman’s words, Nangong Hyeong closed his eyes as if he had no choice.
Then.
Shuuuu….
A faint mist arose over Nangong Hyeong’s shoulder.
It was a reaction caused by expelling the alcohol using Qi.
Seeing the clearly rising mist, the woman chuckled.
“How much did you drink for it to come out like this?”
“It’s a waste to let it all out….”
“You didn’t eat any meat, did you?”
The woman said while looking at the dishes on the table.
Her voice was laced with disbelief.
“This world is going crazy. How can a martial artist eat meat too?”
“How can a person live without meat? I had to eat a bit.”
“Sure, you can eat a bit, but if your master hears about it, he’ll be up in arms.”
“Hmph, you think that old man wouldn’t know? He just gave up on me.”
“Good for you, just wonderful. Such a boast.”
Her arrogant statement made the woman pinch between her brows.
After a while expelling the alcohol, Nangong Hyeong opened his eyes again.
Seeing the black-haired beauty before him, he squinted one eye.
Nangong Hyeong smiled slightly at that.
“It feels like it’s been about ten years. Isn’t that right, sister?”
“… You crazy fool. You haven’t changed at all.”
The woman, Baek Yeon-geom, said, and Nangong Hyeong grinned.
“You haven’t changed either, especially your face which looks just like back then.”
Compared to when they last met, Baek Yeon-geom had maintained her remarkable beauty.
As Nangong Hyeong reached out toward the bottle of alcohol in front of him,
The Baek Yeon-geom slightly shifted her body.
Then.
Screech-!
Crash-!
The bottle split in two with a sharp sound and fell to the floor.
“…”
Seeing that, Nangong Hyeong licked his lips as if wishing he could have it back.
“Why? Drink.”
“I was going to, but no matter how I look at it, it tastes more like swamp water than alcohol.”
Abandoning the idea of alcohol, he grabbed the water next to him and gulped it down.
Gulp gulping to quench his thirst, Nangong Hyeong then looked at Baek Yeon-geom and asked.
“What brings you here? We shouldn’t be seeing each other in a place like this.”
“Oh, I just happened to pass by when I heard that a crazy martial artist was causing a ruckus in this inn.”
“Wow, which crazy fool is that?”
“So I said. You crazy fool….”
“Oh, is that me?”
Realizing it was him when Baek Yeon-geom said that, Nangong Hyeong gave a sheepish smile.
“But what do you mean I caused a ruckus? All I did was drink….”
“What do you mean you didn’t cause a ruckus?”
Baek Yeon-geom turned slightly around at those words.
There, Jeomsosoi was peeking around cautiously.
Seeing that, Baek Yeon-geom sighed deeply.
“Can’t you see that because of you, the business is going down the drain?”
“Um?”
At that remark, Nangong Hyeong looked around and then understood.
There were absolutely no customers aside from him and Baek Yeon-geom in the inn.
Was it just a failing business? That couldn’t be, as it had been full of guests when he had arrived.
So, what had happened?
“They said you beat up everyone who tried to mess with you and chased them away.”
“Ah.”
Hearing that, Nangong Hyeong realized the situation.
There were some ruffians bothering him, as he happily enjoyed his freedom after many years.
Perhaps they didn’t like that he was drinking in a martial artist’s outfit, so they acted up.
That seemed to be the problem.
“… I don’t think I was that harsh though….”
“Among the ones you chased away, none could walk on their own.”
“Cough cough….”
At Baek Yeon-geom’s words, Nangong Hyeong coughed awkwardly.
Well, I must have hit them a bit hard.
Baek Yeon-geom smirked at him.
“I’ve known a lot of people, but you were always the one who looked so different from your appearance. That hasn’t changed.”
You could say the same about you.
He wanted to say that, but Nangong Hyeong held it in.
“… So what brings you here specifically?”
“I just happened to be passing by and heard a rumor that sounded exactly like you, so I came to see your face. And I’m glad I came.”
Baek Yeon-geom’s eyes casually scanned the table.
“All the Wudang martial artists I know are all neat and tidy, but here you are.”
“That’s why Wudang is boring. The folks who are supposed to cultivate their skills are too busy pampering themselves.”
“That doesn’t seem like something a famous Wudang martial artist should say.”
“I’m fine since I’m just an exposed individual! Kekek!”
Nangong Hyeong laughed heartily. In the process, the food stuck in his teeth was clearly visible.
“You have chives stuck in your teeth.”
“I was saving them for later.”
“… If you’ve eaten all that, get out of the inn and stop harming it. She’ll die if you keep this up.”
Not that she would actually die, but she looked like she might wither away waiting.
At that remark, Nangong Hyeong turned his gaze to Jeomsosoi.
Jeomsosoi jumped back startled, meeting Nangong Hyeong’s sharp, cool eyes.
Seeing that, Nangong Hyeong smiled broadly.
“My apologies! I’ll make sure to pay back what I owe you for your business!”
“Ah, ah…. Th-thank you.”
As Jeomsosoi’s expression brightened at the unexpectedly smooth resolution, Nangong Hyeong paused, digging through his pockets to pay.
Suddenly, he froze.
Noticing this, Baek Yeon-geom asked with an anxious expression.
“… What’s wrong?”
“Um. I see. I seem to have forgotten something for a moment.”
“What is it?”
“I forgot that I have no money on me.”
“… What?”
“So, sister.”
Nangong Hyeong looked at Baek Yeon-geom, squinting one eye as he foolishly asked.
“Could you lend me some money?”
At that cheerful phrase, Baek Yeon-geom smiled radiantly and immediately punched him on the top of his head.
Pak-!
After Baek Yeon-geom pulled out the money and settled the bill for the inn’s daily earnings.
She dragged out a figure that looked like a total disaster.
“… That hurts.”
Nangong Hyeong rubbed his throbbing head, wondering if he’d gotten a bump.
Luckily, it didn’t seem that he did.
‘That’s even scarier, isn’t it?’
The shock he received earlier was enormous, and he thought he was about to faint.
That there was no bump meant he had just received a solid hit.
‘This sister hasn’t aged a day.’
Although she looked the same as ever, her skills seemed to have greatly increased.
While Nangong Hyeong was showing some internal respect, Baek Yeon-geom looked at her empty purse with a pained expression.
“What… you crazy fool, how much did you eat?”
All the money she had painstakingly saved when scolding her younger brother had vanished.
Ah, of course, she had spent a lot in between, but never to the extent of losing it all at once.
It was all thanks to that martial artist disguised as a pig who had devoured everything.
Additionally, with the cost for the furniture he broke while causing a ruckus, there was nothing left.
“Ah, I ate well.”
Nangong Hyeong was following her, picking his teeth with a toothpick.
Seeing that, Baek Yeon-geom had to wonder whether to hit him again.
“… Sister.”
“What?”
“I sense a murderous aura in your eyes. Maybe you should lower your hands.”
“…”
Busted.
He was nothing if not observant.
” Hoo….”
“Don’t worry. I’ll pay you back.”
“… With what?”
“…”
There was no answer.
Nangong Hyeong knew it as well. He hadn’t a clue how he could repay her in cash.
“… I’ll think about that later….”
“Curse you.”
“It’s nice to see your face after such a long time, isn’t it? We haven’t seen each other in over ten years.”
It was infuriating, but he decided to let it go for now.
“Well, I won’t bother asking what you’ve been up to…. Rumors float around often enough.”
Nangong Hyeong, having heard the tales of the Master of Wudang, didn’t feel it meaningful to inquire.
Rather.
“Shouldn’t it be me asking what you’ve been up to, sister?”
It was something he should have asked Baek Yeon-geom, who had been hiding away for the past ten years.
Perhaps aware of that, Baek Yeon-geom wore a bitter smile.
Was it his perception, or was it due to something else?
Nangong Hyeong slightly turned his head.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. I’m not particularly curious anyway.”
To some extent, this was sincere. Nangong Hyeong wasn’t particularly interested in others’ lives.
“Now, let’s move on. So, what brings you to Sichuan?”
“Oh, just thinking about helping my nephew with his love affairs.”
“… What do you mean by that?”
Nangong Hyeong frowned.
He didn’t understand what kind of nonsense that was.
It was literally as straightforward as it sounded.
“Your nephew should be the daughter of the Sword Master.”
The only daughter of Baek Cheon-geomju, Moyong Tae, thus implying…
‘Could it be she’s related to him?’
The icy presence that had been living in the North Sea crossed his mind.
He didn’t know the details, but she felt somewhat related to him.
More specifically, she was likely more connected to his disciple, Woo Hyeok.
‘Hmm, it should be fine.’
He thought somehow that it wouldn’t be a problem since his disciple seemed disinterested anyway.
It also happened that he was planning to go to the North Sea for that purpose.
The Sword Master’s daughter.
The fact that those who lived in the same era were starting to have children and stake their claim to their positions was somewhat incredible to Nangong Hyeong.
So perhaps.
“Ah, now that you mention it.”
One story sprang to mind for Nangong Hyeong.
“Mm?”
“I saw the son of Gu Clan Leader.”
“…!”
When that sudden statement slipped from Nangong Hyeong’s mouth, Baek Yeon-geom’s eyes widened.
The son of Gu Clan Leader meant only Gu Yangcheong, after all.
“You… did you see that child?”
“Um? You know him too?”
“…”
Of course, she knew him.
She had even been following him around while guarding him.
Besides, it was that boy who had caught her nephew’s fancy.
Unbeknownst to Nangong Hyeong, Baek Yeon-geom was reminded of Gu Yangcheong and began talking animatedly.
“He’s amazing. They say like father, like son… blood doesn’t lie, huh?”
“… What did he do?”
“No, there were various reasons behind it, but we ended up sparring.”
“What?”
Upon hearing this from Nangong Hyeong, Baek Yeon-geom’s eyes turned cold for a moment.
A sparring match, you say?
“… Sister, with what eyes do you intend to kill a person?”
“You mean a decrepit old man beat the child?”
“I didn’t beat anyone! I lost!”
Nangong Hyeong shouted indignantly as Baek Yeon-geom paused in her words.
“… You lost?”
“Yeah, I got beaten up and lost!”
It wasn’t exactly something to be proud of, but the underlying meaning was grave.
‘… Lost? He?’
The rumors were absurdly exaggerated.
Once a contender for the title of Sword King, and Baek Yeon-geom knew just how powerful Nangong Hyeong was.
Gu Yangcheong might have extraordinary talent, but he surely could not surpass Nangong Hyeong now.
“His punches were so fierce…. I almost cried after getting hit…?”
“…”
Listening to Nangong Hyeong, Baek Yeon-geom shook her head disbelievingly.
She thought it was nonsense.
Nangong Hyeong hadn’t ever been one to dwell on victory or defeat.
His pride as a martial artist was not particularly strong either.
After all, he had a habit of declaring that he had lost to a seven-year-old kid in the neighborhood.
It was likely the same this time.
‘But still, it seems he really did see that child.’
It did appear true that he laid eyes on Gu Yangcheong and recognized his talent.
It was no wonder.
That kind of talent was something Baek Yeon-geom had never seen before.
Moreover.
‘He’s a child full of secrets.’
Beyond that talent, he seemed to hold many things.
His eyes were fierce and passionate yet also conveyed a dryness and desolation.
Just like.
He resembled that person she had followed back in the day.
Though their personalities were remarkably different.
That thought perhaps was shared by Baek Yeon-geom too.
“He was very much like his father.”
Nangong Hyeong echoed the same sentiment.
“Well, sister, you know him better than I do.”
“…”
At the casual words, Baek Yeon-geom slightly turned her head.
While talking to Nangong Hyeong, memories of the past bubbled up.
For every recollection that arose from the past, he was always woven in.
The passionate yet cold man along with the women surrounding him.
Fond memories of the things they did together, simultaneously bringing forth a single feeling.
Longing? No, more than longing.
‘Regret.’
A deeply rooted sense of regret.
There were so many things left unsaid and undone.
Of course, even if she recognized this.
‘I won’t be able to visit him.’
Unless she unshackled those lingering emotions, it seemed she could never see him again.
Already, she had a history of visiting Hanam without seeing him, only running into Mi Hyo-ran.
Still far away.
As Baek Yeon-geom pondered that while looking at Nangong Hyeong.
“Wait?”
Nangong Hyeong exclaimed with a peculiar voice.
His eyes were wide, and he rubbed them as if he had seen something unbelievable.
“What’s wrong?”
Baek Yeon-geom asked, seeing that.
Nangong Hyeong pointed with his finger, exclaiming.
“That’s… the Gu Clan Leader, isn’t it?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? No way, even if that’s possible, such a prank…!”
As Baek Yeon-geom turned to look where Nangong Hyeong was pointing, her body instantly froze like stone.
Someone stood there with their hands clasped behind their back, staring at the two.
A red martial robe adorned with golden embellishments.
A simple tie of black hair.
And burning red eyes.
Locked in a gaze, she exhaled, caught between wanting to see him while fearing it.
Nangong Hyeong’s breath hitched upon seeing that.
Gu Cheolun spoke with an expressionless face.
“It’s been a while.”
At the sound of that voice,
Baek Yeon-geom’s world stopped.
