“Young master Bang Cheol-yong is here, Master.”
“Bring him in at once.”
As the woman who had guided Ak Mujin to the room asked from the doorway, Seo Moon-gwang’s voice echoed from within. Ak Mujin, growing weary of the name Jin Geum-ryeon had arbitrarily given him, glanced up at the ceiling.
It was time to come up with a new name!
He wanted the coolest name possible.
Guo Jing?
Mook Hyang?
Zhang Wuji?!?!
The names of figures he had admired and considered cool floated through his mind.
“Did you rest well, young master?”
As the door opened and Ak Mujin stepped inside, Seo Moon-gwang stood in the doorway to greet him. Ak Mujin could now see his face clearly, realizing anew how much the face covering had obstructed his vision. Indeed, with a clearer view, moving around was easier, and there were no restrictions on his actions.
Thanks to this, Seo Moon-gwang also gazed at Ak Mujin’s clearly revealed face and stood there blankly for a moment. Then, after a short pause, he smiled brightly and stepped aside to allow Ak Mujin to enter.
“Please, sit here. It’s late, so we were just having drinks with some snacks. If you’re hungry, I can have them bring some food.”
He spoke in a gentle voice, lightly placing his palm against Ak Mujin’s back, as if worried he might stumble from lingering fatigue.
Ak Mujin, overwhelmed by Seo Moon-gwang’s kindness, sat in the seat he was guided to. Had Jin Geum-ryeon ever shown such meticulous care? Such actions should be shown to a patient, right?!
He had been driven like an ox; of course not.
“Did you rest well?”
Jin Geum-ryeon, who was already seated, spoke slowly towards Ak Mujin, but Ak Mujin ignored him and looked at Seo Moon-gwang.
“I apologize for falling asleep so suddenly. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble…”
“Trouble? Jin So-hyeop told me that the two of you haven’t stayed in a proper place for several days. As I mentioned earlier, Illusion Valley has many empty rooms, so you are welcome to stay as long as you like.”
Seo Moon-gwang smiled and handed him a cup that had been left for Ak Mujin.
On the table were peach blossom cakes, meat stir-fried in oil, and roasted peanuts. The room was a little darker than the brightly lit hallway, giving it a cozy feel.
“Now, now. Now that we’re all here, let me offer a toast. Thank you for coming to Illusion Valley.”
As Seo Moon-gwang poured wine into his glass and raised it, Jin Geum-ryeon and Ak Mujin also filled their respective glasses. Then, the three of them simultaneously tilted their glasses and drank.
Ak Mujin took a sip of the wine, and the feeling of the warm, spicy liquid passing down his esophagus quickly made him feel better, and his face relaxed. Only then did he feel inclined to pay attention to Jin Geum-ryeon, looking at his face.
“Thank you for carrying me all the way here. You’ve worked hard.”
Then, he poured another drink and raised his glass to Jin Geum-ryeon. Jin Geum-ryeon looked at him with a smiling face for a moment before pouring his own drink in response.
“You slept all evening, so I don’t know if you’ll be able to sleep at night,” Jin Geum-ryeon said after emptying his glass.
Ak Mujin shook his head.
“If there’s such good wine, I think I’ll be able to sleep comfortably. Besides, it seems like I’ll be using a room alone. Is that right, Master Seo?”
“Yes. It’s not like we’re short on rooms, so I couldn’t possibly have the two of you stay in the same room.”
Seo Moon-gwang replied as if it were obvious, and Jin Geum-ryeon pressed the inside of his cheek with his tongue before throwing a peanut into his mouth.
Ak Mujin smiled at Jin Geum-ryeon as if to show off. He was beaming because things had been going so well since he met Seo Moon-gwang.
“What were you talking about before I arrived?”
“Ah, it was just a continuous stream of talk about Mae-yeong and Illusion Valley. It seems like it will be more enjoyable now that young master Bang has arrived.”
Seo Moon-gwang replied with a good-natured smile. Ak Mujin was determined to stay in Illusion Valley as long as possible. If possible, he would be even happier if staying here prevented him from going to the Martial Alliance, so he looked at Seo Moon-gwang and asked again.
“You said during the day that Illusion Valley is a good place for recuperation, right? I’d like to know more…”
At that moment, Jin Geum-ryeon interjected.
“Bang hyung, we have places to go. If we stay too long, Master Seo will surely be uncomfortable.”
“No, it’s alright. I would be more than happy if someone like young master Bang stayed in Illusion Valley for a long time.”
Seo Moon-gwang immediately retorted, looking back and forth between the two of them with a smile.
“Herbs grow well here, so it will be easy to obtain medicinal ingredients. The valley water is also clear, and beyond the waterfall, there is a bamboo forest perfect for taking walks, which young master Bang will surely like.”
Listening to him, one could indeed hear the sound of a waterfall flowing in the distance. It would be wonderful to recuperate and recover his energy here before leaving.
Of course, he would have to repay Seo Moon-gwang’s kindness someday, but given his kind and warm nature, he probably wouldn’t want any repayment. This was actually a good thing for Ak Mujin. It’s not like he was deliberately planning to freeload when the other person was willingly offering!
If that were the case, he should travel all over the country.
Ak Mujin had always regretted not being able to properly see Mount Hua, even though he had started in Shaanxi. Seo Moon-gwang and Jin Geum-ryeon were watching Ak Mujin, who was busy scheming, each with their own thoughts.
“Indeed, I think it would be good to stay here longer and build a closer friendship with Master Seo.”
“Haha, would you really?”
Ak Mujin said jokingly, but Seo Moon-gwang replied as if he welcomed the idea. It seemed that persuading Seo Moon-gwang wouldn’t be too difficult.
Ak Mujin only had to open his mouth, and he agreed to everything, ready to grant him anything.
*
Ak Mujin originally had a high tolerance for alcohol and didn’t get drunk easily, but since his energy and blood flow had become disrupted, he had become somewhat sickly, and he quickly felt intoxicated and his chest felt stuffy. His cheeks were nicely flushed, making him look every bit the drunkard.
However, he had learned to drink properly. He wasn’t the type to cause trouble when drunk, so he sat quietly, watching Seo Moon-gwang and Jin Geum-ryeon talk.
“Where are the two of you headed?”
“We’re on our way to Dongting Lake. Bang hyung has always said he wanted to visit Yueyang Tower.”
“Ah, that place is famous for its scenic beauty. Young master Bang will surely enjoy it if he sees it.”
“Of course. Now that we’ve seen this place, I have to show him other scenic spots.”
“But wouldn’t it be better if you recovered your health a bit before going?”
“Haha, it’s alright. I have relatives living near Dongting Lake. I’m a little embarrassed to say this, but their residence is quite large. It even has a pharmacy attached to it.”
“Is that so? If you need any herbs, you can gather some here.”
“It’s alright. The market there will have everything we need. I don’t want to cause any more trouble.”
They weren’t really having any meaningful conversation. Rather, it sounded like they were keeping each other in check the more they talked.
Regardless, Ak Mujin, unable to overcome the drowsiness that was washing over him, rubbed his eyes and yawned, hiding his face so they wouldn’t see.
“Young master Bang, are you tired?”
Seo Moon-gwang quickly noticed Ak Mujin’s condition and looked at his face as he asked.
“Yes, I’m feeling a bit tipsy. I think I’ll feel better if I get some fresh air.”
As Ak Mujin said that and stood up, Seo Moon-gwang also stood up, as expected.
“Ah, it’s alright. I’ll go alone.”
“No, how can I let you go alone at this hour?”
Ak Mujin, confirming that Seo Moon-gwang was moving according to his intentions, swallowed his satisfaction.
“I’ll go too.”
But his joy was short-lived. Ak Mujin’s mood soured as he saw Jin Geum-ryeon following them. Since he hadn’t expected to be able to shake him off in the first place, Ak Mujin nodded, and the three of them walked out of Illusion Pavilion side by side.
“The scenery is amazing. I didn’t realize it because I was sleeping earlier, but I didn’t know it would be this beautiful.”
Outside, the moon was up instead of the sun, so the scenery wasn’t clearly visible, but the view from above the waterfall was definitely a sight to behold. If it was this good at night, how wonderful would it be during the day?
Ak Mujin was determined to stay here for a while, so he thought he could take his time to look around. He kept looking for opportunities to be alone with Seo Moon-gwang, but each time, Jin Geum-ryeon would interfere like a gnat, not giving him any chance.
Ak Mujin was starting to get annoyed.
“It’s chilly, perhaps because it’s autumn,” Jin Geum-ryeon said, stepping forward to stand next to Ak Mujin.
What if it’s chilly?
‘Don’t even think about trying to stay here any longer.’
‘…When did I ever?’
Jin Geum-ryeon spoke through Telepathic Transmission. Ak Mujin was startled and cleared his throat.
‘It’s not good to keep delaying it. It’s better to get it over with sooner rather than later.’
What are you talking about? That beating is one I’ll have to endure for the rest of my life! The later I delay it, the less I’ll get beaten!
‘Keep in mind. I will take you to the Martial Alliance.’
‘Whatever.’
Ak Mujin scoffed and turned his head away. Then, Seo Moon-gwang looked down at Ak Mujin and smiled.
“The two of you seem closer than I thought.”
“Yes? No, that’s not it at all.”
Ak Mujin said, waving his hands. Then, rubbing his arms, he said to Jin Geum-ryeon. It was definitely chilly now that the sun had gone down, just as he had said earlier.
“It’s getting chilly. Bring me a blanket.”
Jin Geum-ryeon’s eyes widened as he looked at him as if to ask if he was serious.
“Huh? Ryeon-ah.”
Ak Mujin called out to Jin Geum-ryeon. Then, Jin Geum-ryeon looked at him with a complex expression, and Seo Moon-gwang, who Ak Mujin thought wouldn’t ask someone else to do it, just looked at Jin Geum-ryeon without saying a word. One way or another, Jin Geum-ryeon, who had been set up to have a crush on Ak Mujin, had no choice but to go back inside Illusion Pavilion.
Only then did Ak Mujin let out a long sigh and relax his shoulders. He didn’t know how long it had been since he had been separated from Jin Geum-ryeon.
“…Is Jin So-hyeop uncomfortable?”
“Sigh, he’s restricting me, so of course I’m uncomfortable.”
Seo Moon-gwang blinked.
“But isn’t young master Bang traveling with Jin So-hyeop because you also have feelings for him?”
Ak Mujin hesitated slightly.
“…There’s no way. Jin So-hyeop is suppressing me with his strength, so I have no choice but to travel with him.”
“Is that so.”
Seo Moon-gwang said with a serious face.
“I thought he was a good person because he studied under Mae-yeong, but he was a scoundrel.”
“Yes, well…”
Ak Mujin felt sorry for making Jin Geum-ryeon out to be a bad guy for some reason, but what did he care if he was going to end up at the Martial Alliance if he stayed like this?
Seo Moon-gwang continued to ask.
“Why didn’t you contact your family?”
“Ah, my family considers Jin So-hyeop a very trustworthy martial artist. They even want to connect me with him. So I have no choice but to…”
Ak Mujin sighed and turned his head away from Seo Moon-gwang. Seo Moon-gwang was silent for a moment.
Hmm…. Is he not going to get involved in romantic affairs?
It was then. Seo Moon-gwang’s hand grabbed Ak Mujin’s chin and turned him to face him.
“Young master Bang. Will you trust me?”
His gentle eyes shone as he stared intently at Ak Mujin.
“Yes? About what…”
Ak Mujin could only look back at him with innocent eyes.
“I will take responsibility for young master Bang.”
Huh?
Uh….
Huh?
There’s no need to take responsibility….
As Ak Mujin’s pupils trembled with a hint of bewilderment, Seo Moon-gwang blinked once and continued.
“I saw young master Bang for the first time today, but I fell in love at first sight.”
“Yes?”
Ak Mujin asked again.
“I saw your face through the face covering. The way you threw yourself to protect the weak was so beautiful that just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine.”
The weak? The two Junior Brothers aren’t weak.
As Ak Mujin could only stare at Seo Moon-gwang with a dazed face, unable to say anything, Seo Moon-gwang smiled, thinking that he was just shy. After all, Ak Mujin’s face was flushed pink with intoxication.
“I know it’s sudden. I will work hard until you open your heart to me. I will take care of Jin So-hyeop, so please stay in Illusion Valley.”
As Ak Mujin stared at Seo Moon-gwang with his mouth agape, he heard footsteps approaching from the Welcoming Water Pavilion.
“How do you intend to deal with me?”
😂😂