By Zephyria I need to get out of here. (4)
“You must have a lot of hardship at a young age.”
The man seemed to be only in his early thirties, yet he acted like an adult.
“It’s alright. It’s true that I grew up without lacking anything, thanks to him. So……”
Seong Mu-yeon frowned as he spoke.
“What’s wrong?”
He was poking at the fish on his plate. He took a large piece, but when he tried to eat it, there were too many bones.
“Just a moment.”
The man, who had been watching Seong Mu-yeon wage a life-or-death battle with the fish bones with a pathetic look, reached out and took the plate.
“The problem with fish is that it’s all good, but it’s hard to eat because there are so many bones.”
Then, with skillful hands, he neatly removed all the fish bones and pushed the plate back to Seong Mu-yeon.
“Here, eat. Judging by your appearance, you don’t usually eat well, so you should eat a lot when there’s something you like.”
He even gave a kind smile.
Seong Mu-yeon was moved.
To debone the fish for me…… You were a good person.
He scooped up a large piece of steaming white fish and put it in his mouth. The savory fish melted in his mouth.
“Is it good?”
Seong Mu-yeon nodded.
‘Indeed…… The Central Plains is a good place.’
As his stomach filled, everything looked beautiful. The scenery outside the window, where the willow tree swayed in the wind and scattered its long leaves, the man sitting in front of him sipping his drink, and even Il-gwang’s face, which was full of anger.
“Young master, now that I think about it, I don’t even know your name? We met like this, so I wonder if I could ask for your name?”
The man tilted the bottle and gave a deep smile at his question.
“You want to know?”
“Yes! I plan to stay here for a few days, so if you could be my companion again next time……”
“Baek Ryeo-il.”
“Yes?”
The man’s smile deepened. Suddenly, madness settled in the smile that had seemed so innocent.
“Baek Ryeo-il. That’s my name.”
The man was none other than the person Seong Mu-yeon should never have met.
The protagonist of Finger Sword Lone Battle, the best swordsman of Mount Hua, the one who would later earn the title of Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign……
It was Baek Ryeo-il.
Was this what it felt like to have all the blood in your body turn cold?
Seong Mu-yeon was already a cold person. But goosebumps rose all over his body, and his fine hairs stood on end, making him feel a chill that made him shiver.
The man in front of him, Baek Ryeo-il, slowly poured wine into his glass with a leisurely hand.
Drip, drip.
“Why are you suddenly like this? You’re not saying anything.”
A drop of cold sweat ran down Seong Mu-yeon’s spine.
“I, I see…… You’re Master Baek Ryeo-il. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Seong Mu-yeon tried hard to maintain a calm tone. Thanks to that, a fairly natural smile appeared on his face.
Baek Ryeo-il chuckled as if it were nothing and emptied his glass. Il-gwang’s cold face and eyes, standing behind him, met his.
Il-gwang poured out a silent rebuke to Seong Mu-yeon.
He had known.
That this man was no ordinary person.
Of course, he didn’t know that he was Baek Ryeo-il of Mount Hua, but he had realized that he was a highly skilled orthodox sect expert and was trying to warn Seong Mu-yeon. The problem was that Seong Mu-yeon hadn’t listened……
Seeing Il-gwang visibly nervous, unlike usual, Seong Mu-yeon’s hands were sweating. Suddenly, the air inside the inn seemed to freeze.
In an instant, Baek Ryeo-il looked different. His black eyes, which had seemed so cheerful, gleamed with the light of a beast, and his deep smile seemed to harbor murderous intent.
‘Stay calm. They say you can live if you keep your wits about you even if you’re caught in a tiger’s den.’
He calmed his mind.
“Oh my, is our Young master scared? Why?”
“Ha, haha…… W, why would I be scared! That’s absurd! It’s an honor to meet the famous hero of Mount Hua!”
“Your hands are shaking.”
As he said, Seong Mu-yeon’s hands were shaking so much that the tea water splashed from the teacup he was holding, soaking his sleeves.
“W, why is this……”
Fortunately, Baek Ryeo-il refilled his glass as if it were nothing.
Pour, pour, pour.
As the glass filled, Seong Mu-yeon’s throat became parched.
“By the way, Young master. Have you heard the story?”
“What story……?”
Seong Mu-yeon barely held his trembling hands and managed to sip a little tea. The bitter tea seemed to clear his head a little.
‘Right, Baek Ryeo-il doesn’t know anything. If I can just get through this moment, there won’t be any problems.’
“The rumor that the Demonic Cult Leader’s son is wandering around this area.”
“Pfft!”
Baek Ryeo-il was covered in the tea he spat out.
“Ahaha, haha! T, t, t, the Demonic Cult Leader’s son! Don’t say such scary things!”
Seong Mu-yeon rummaged through his pockets and handed him a handkerchief, but Baek Ryeo-il roughly wiped his face with his sleeve.
“Indeed. It’s a scary thing. How dare he set his dirty feet here.”
After wiping away the tea, Baek Ryeo-il had a frighteningly cold face. As if all the kindness he had shown so far had been a lie.
“Don’t you think?”
‘I’m dead.’
“So, I still don’t know Young master’s name? I told you my name, so shouldn’t you reveal yours too?”
Seong Mu-yeon rolled his eyes and met Il-gwang’s eyes, who was standing quietly.
It was the moment when Il-gwang shook his head very slightly.
Bang!
“Ugh……”
Before he knew it, Il-gwang was crushed under Baek Ryeo-il’s feet.
His senses were so sharp that he had detected his subtle movements behind him and reacted instantly.
The movement was so fast that Seong Mu-yeon didn’t even see him subdue Il-gwang.
Seong Mu-yeon swallowed hard.
“Name.”
Baek Ryeo-il’s cold voice pressured him.
Seong Mu-yeon knew him well. There was absolutely no mercy from Baek Ryeo-il in situations like this.
In the story, Baek Ryeo-il was the person the demonic cultists feared the most. His hatred for the Demonic Cult was unimaginable, and he didn’t hesitate to risk his life when dealing with the Demonic Cult, even earning the title of Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign in the process of overcoming all sorts of deadly crises.
But.
‘Not yet.’
The current Baek Ryeo-il was young. The story hadn’t even properly started yet.
His hatred hadn’t reached that point yet, and no matter how high his martial arts were, his level wasn’t beyond reach.
And Baek Ryeo-il had a weakness. He had prepared something for times like this. If he had met him a few years later, he wouldn’t have even been able to try.
Seong Mu-yeon sighed lightly.
“You already knew, didn’t you, Master Baek?”
Baek Ryeo-il’s eyes lit up at his attitude, as if he had given up on everything.
“There’s no point in pretending I don’t know any longer. That’s right. My name is Seong Mu-yeon. As you expected, I am the Demonic Cult Leader’s son.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
The kind and friendly young man was nowhere to be seen, and Baek Ryeo-il, as fierce as a yaksha returned from hell, muttered through his teeth.
“Why did you set foot in the Central Plains? What dirty tricks are you trying to pull?”
“It may be hard to believe, but I really didn’t come here to do such things. As I said before, I came for recuperation. Please believe me.”
“You’re good at telling sweet lies. I don’t believe what a Demonic Cult bastard says.”
“Of course, I understand. But please listen to me just once.”
“Don’t try any tricks and tell me the truth. What’s your purpose?”
Baek Ryeo-il scoffed. His hand muscles twitched as if he were about to reach out and twist Seong Mu-yeon’s neck at any moment.
Seong Mu-yeon took a deep breath.
‘I didn’t want this to happen……’
He rummaged through his sleeve and took out what he had prepared for the worst.
Thud.
“T, that’s!”
Baek Ryeo-il’s eyes widened as he saw what Seong Mu-yeon had placed on the table.
What he had taken out was none other than a white bottle of alcohol.
“It’s Hundred Flower Dew. Do you see the red band?”
A red band was tied around the mouth of the dazzling white bottle.
“Top quality.”
Baek Ryeo-il muttered like a man in a dream.
Hundred Flower Dew. An alcohol brewed with the dew of a hundred flowers. It was a precious alcohol that was as difficult to obtain as plucking stars from the sky, even with money. Moreover, it was of the highest quality. An item of this grade could be said to be something that even the emperor would only take out and drink little by little on special days.
“H, Hundred Flower Dew……”
Baek Ryeo-il’s pupils shook incessantly. Seong Mu-yeon smiled with satisfaction.
Baek Ryeo-il’s only flaw was that he was a huge alcohol lover. No, beyond that level, he would go crazy and rush at any alcohol.
‘He caused a lot of accidents because of alcohol in the original story too.’
Of course, he was a little less so when he got older.
As Seong Mu-yeon moved the bottle to the left, Baek Ryeo-il’s face also turned to follow the bottle. He had a dazed look as if he were about to drool at any moment.
Seong Mu-yeon cleared his throat to get his attention.
“Although my origins are humble, may I offer this Hundred Flower Dew to Master Baek? I’m not asking for anything else! I just hope that you can taste this good alcohol.”
Seong Mu-yeon opened the bottle. Then, a fantastic aroma of alcohol instantly enveloped the space.
The muscles on Baek Ryeo-il’s face softened much more than before. He was definitely wavering.