Jin Geum-ryeon was walking towards them with a blanket in his hands, but Seo Moon-gwang’s gaze towards Jin Geum-ryeon was quite different. He was now glaring at Jin Geum-ryeon with the eyes of someone looking at the worst of the worst, and Jin Geum-ryeon glanced at Seo Moon-gwang before staring intently at Ak Mujin.
“Have I perhaps made some mistake?”
While Jin Geum-ryeon politely asked the two, Ak Mujin couldn’t hide his embarrassment as he looked back and forth between Jin Geum-ryeon and Seo Moon-gwang.
He thought, looking at Seo Moon-gwang.
Suddenly falling in love? We just met today?
And then he turned to Jin Geum-ryeon.
Even Jin Geum-ryeon is showing up at this timing?
Ak Mujin, already tipsy, momentarily suffered a mental overload and didn’t know what to do. This Seo Moon-gwang seemed to have a quick-to-fall-in-love setting installed due to the influence of BL novels. Otherwise, how could he fall in love at first sight the moment Ak Mujin’s Veil Hat fluttered slightly?
Thinking that Seo Moon-gwang was quick to fall in love, he felt like he could look at him with some affection.
However, that was only when it remained a ‘setting’!
Because of this, the possibility arose that Seo Moon-gwang might become obsessed with someone, confine them, and ultimately destroy the object of his affection.
He thought he was chasing after someone who might be simple and good in relationships, but this lifeline might be a rotten rope!
Moreover, the target is me, another man!
At that thought, Ak Mujin fidgeted, not knowing what to do.
“I heard that you are restraining and binding Young Master Bang. I felt that way on the ship, but since Young Master Bang has directly appealed to me about his suffering, I can no longer stand idly by.”
Seo Moon-gwang said indignantly, taking Jin Geum-ryeon’s words.
No, no. Moon-gwang, wait a moment. Or was it Gwang?
Ak Mujin suddenly started to get confused whether Seo Moon-gwang’s family name was Seo or Seo Moon.
But that’s not important right now!
How can you suddenly rush in like that!
I-is it okay…?
Do I have to do this much to chase Jin Geum-ryeon away?
Ah, no. Can I chase Jin Geum-ryeon away now?
Ak Mujin was very confused and tore at his hair.
Jin Geum-ryeon’s expression seemed to twist strangely, and then he started to snicker, eventually holding his stomach and laughing.
“Haha, ahahaha!”
“…Why are you laughing? Do you find my words funny?”
“Hahaha, I didn’t know that Brother Bang would even try to use a seduction scheme.”
Jin Geum-ryeon now had tears in his eyes, wiping them away with his palm while still chuckling. Ak Mujin’s face turned bright red at the remark, and he bit his lip tightly. He was just trying to get some help from Seo Moon-gwang, but a seduction scheme? Ak Mujin’s face wasn’t that outstanding, but Jin Geum-ryeon’s statement was a bit of an exaggeration.
Seo Moon-gwang also thought that Jin Geum-ryeon had said something rude to Ak Mujin, so he tried to step forward.
At that moment, Jin Geum-ryeon spoke first.
“Don’t protect him so much. He’s not worthy of it.”
“That’s too much!”
Seo Moon-gwang shouted at Jin Geum-ryeon’s sarcasm.
“How dare you put down Young Master Bang like that! Young Master Jin is not worthy of holding Young Master Bang in his heart. Don’t be rude to Young Master Bang any further and leave this place immediately!”
Seo Moon-gwang spoke as if warning, then took out his iron fan from his chest and pointed it. The iron shone brightly in the moonlight.
Jin Geum-ryeon stared at him silently before shifting his gaze to Ak Mujin.
“Did you really grab him as an excuse to escape?”
When Jin Geum-ryeon asked him, Ak Mujin was embarrassed, but also puzzled, wondering if he knew something about Seo Moon-gwang.
No, Jin Geum-ryeon probably doesn’t know anything about Seo Moon-gwang. Jin Geum-ryeon just has a very good intuition.
Ak Mujin, who created Jin Geum-ryeon, knew that fact, so he was also uneasy about his decision to stick with Seo Moon-gwang.
“Young Master Jin!”
Seo Moon-gwang was about to jump up and attack Jin Geum-ryeon, so Ak Mujin grabbed his arm as if to calm him down.
Seo Moon-gwang suddenly looked down at Ak Mujin at the warm touch. Ak Mujin was still flushed with alcohol and looking up at him, and Seo Moon-gwang gasped, seeing how small and precious he looked.
Ak Mujin’s height is about 180cm.
“Calm down, Master Gokju.”
“No. Didn’t I say I would take care of it? I can no longer stand seeing Young Master Jin by Young Master Bang’s side.”
Jin Geum-ryeon, still with a smiling face, clasped his hands together on his sword hilt and looked at them.
Seo Moon-gwang glared at Jin Geum-ryeon once, then spread his fan wide and jumped out. At the same time, Jin Geum-ryeon also drew his sword from its scabbard and ran towards Seo Moon-gwang.
Clang!
The clear sound of swords and iron wires colliding echoed through Illusion Valley. Ak Mujin was left alone, forced to watch them fight.
What to do?
Should I stop the fight?
If I stop them… will it work?
Ak Mujin fidgeted, stamping his feet at the BL-like rapid development, watching them. Soon, he was mesmerized by Jin Geum-ryeon’s straightforward and clean Azure Moon Sword technique and Seo Moon-gwang’s incredibly flashy fan attacks.
Seo Moon-gwang’s fan had a short attack range, but he began to steadily and skillfully push Jin Geum-ryeon back. As expected of Mae-yeong’s friend, he was a master worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
However, Jin Geum-ryeon also steadily blocked the attacks without falling behind, and whenever Seo Moon-gwang showed even the slightest gap, he persistently chased after him and thrust his sword.
According to the original story, Jin Geum-ryeon had entered the martial world because of his master Mae-yeong’s grudges, but he had never been able to properly show off his skills. However, he seemed to be fully displaying his swordsmanship because his opponent was Mae-yeong’s friend, Seo Moon-gwang.
Ak Mujin was now in a state where he wanted to spread out a mat, sit down, and pour himself another drink. Where else in Ak Mujin’s life, which only had a downhill path left, would he have the opportunity to watch a duel between such masters?
Honestly, before the fight started, he didn’t think that Jin Geum-ryeon, who had descended the mountain a year early, would be a match for Seo Moon-gwang. But Jin Geum-ryeon had become even stronger than when he fought Ak Mujin, and he was wielding his sword against Seo Moon-gwang with great momentum.
Ak Mujin looked around a bit, then found a large rock that was perfect for sitting on and settled down.
“Indeed, Mae-yeong’s disciple!”
“Master Gokju’s skills are by no means inferior to your teacher’s.”
They exchanged a word each, then repeatedly collided and separated, cutting through the wind as they continued to fight.
The fight continued for quite a while longer.
He didn’t have a clock, but it must have been at least an hour. If they were left like this, they could fight for three days and nights. That meant that their skills were equal, and unless one of them declared defeat first, the duel would not end.
Ak Mujin, who had enjoyed a good show for a long time, finally felt full and got up from the rock, intending to stop their fight.
“Master Gokju! Young Master Jin! Stop now and come back!”
Seo Moon-gwang faced Jin Geum-ryeon’s sword and thought that he was indeed worthy of being Mae-yeong’s disciple. He had somewhat underestimated Jin Geum-ryeon, thinking that he was only about nineteen or twenty years old. He was once again feeling the bitter truth that there were countless masters in the martial world, regardless of age or gender.
Seo Moon-gwang, hearing Ak Mujin’s voice, finally turned to look at him once, then withdrew the iron wire he had thrown towards Jin Geum-ryeon’s cheek and took a breath. At the same time, Jin Geum-ryeon also withdrew his sword from Seo Moon-gwang.
Since it wasn’t a fight to the death, they stopped moving and walked towards Welcoming Water Pavilion, where Ak Mujin was.
“At this rate, there will be no winner.”
Jin Geum-ryeon said, putting his sword back into its scabbard. Seo Moon-gwang was thinking the same thing, but he was taking it more seriously than Jin Geum-ryeon.
How can I separate Jin Geum-ryeon from Young Master Bang? If things continue like this, the duel is a draw, so Jin Geum-ryeon won’t back down. As he stood there with his brow furrowed, Jin Geum-ryeon slowly opened his mouth first.
“Since it has come to this, let’s hand over the choice to the person in question.”
At those words, Seo Moon-gwang’s eyes flashed as he looked at Jin Geum-ryeon. Ak Mujin’s gaze also naturally fell on him.
Suddenly?
Me?
Ak Mujin had been having too much fun since they started fighting, so he didn’t care who would win. Even though his fate was at stake, he was just watching the fight. So, he was quite embarrassed when he suddenly had the opportunity to choose the situation himself.
“Haha, is that really okay?”
Seo Moon-gwang said with a somewhat arrogant attitude, looking at Ak Mujin, as if he had something to rely on. However, he was embarrassed when he saw Ak Mujin. Ak Mujin’s face was clearly full of anxiety.
As mentioned earlier, Jin Geum-ryeon has good intuition.
Seeing him speak so confidently, he must have felt something from Seo Moon-gwang. He didn’t know what it was, but if Jin Geum-ryeon came out like this, it probably wouldn’t be good for him.
He imagined the worst-case scenario.
Being dragged to the Martial Alliance and tortured to death while having even the Demonic Cult’s secrets that he couldn’t even remember squeezed out of him for the rest of his life. (This is a foregone conclusion.)
VS
Being caught by someone who might be an obsessive yandere and tormented to death for the rest of his life. (He might be dragged to a brothel.)
Isn’t this really too much of a balance game?
Ak Mujin, feeling uneasy, began to bite his nails. He couldn’t ask his kind friend Seo Moon-gwang, “Are you perhaps an obsessive type?”
“How about it? Will you stay here, or will you come with me to the Martial Alliance?”
Jin Geum-ryeon asked Ak Mujin in a calm and polite tone.
What to do?
What should I do?
“I…”
Ak Mujin opened his mouth with difficulty.
“I,”
Jin Geum-ryeon and Seo Moon-gwang’s gazes were all on Ak Mujin.