Chapter 189

“H-How?”

Stunned by the defeat of Gong Ha-seong, whom he had trusted, Lee Ja-myeong stammered.

Gong Ha-seong’s martial arts were not much different from his own.

Although Lee Ja-myeong was a half-step above, the difference was negligible. That was why even Lee Ja-myeong couldn’t be certain he could definitively overpower Gong Ha-seong. Yet Seol Ha-jin had done just that.

While Gong Ha-seong was a battered mess, Seol Ha-jin’s body showed no major injuries.

It meant that Seol Ha-jin was decisively stronger than Gong Ha-seong.

“How did you learn such martial arts?”

“I naturally got stronger while wandering All Under Heaven and carrying out commissions. If you want to get stronger too, Senior Martial Brother, you should leave Jinmen Island. A whole new world opened up once I left.”

“Hmph!”

“Well, I suppose no matter what I say, you won’t be able to do it, what with you being so mindful of Master’s opinion.”

Lee Ja-myeong could not refute Seol Ha-jin’s words.

No matter what she said, Lee Ja-myeong had no intention of leaving Jinmen Island.

His master was now too old, with only retirement left. Once his master retired, everything on Jinmen Island would fall squarely into his hands, so there was no reason to run off.

With the man he trusted, Gong Ha-seong, so miserably defeated, he could no longer threaten her.

Lee Ja-myeong looked at Woo Pyeong Dojang with pleading eyes.

“Hmph!”

However, Woo Pyeong Dojang turned his head, avoiding his gaze.

It was true that he had promised to show them favor in exchange for the Gukbo, but that agreement did not include meddling in a dispute with a Junior Martial Sister.

Woo Pyeong Dojang’s intention was firm.

Settle your own affairs within Jinmen Island.

Lee Ja-myeong no longer dared to plead with Woo Pyeong Dojang.

The Junior Martial Sister he once thought he could control at will had grown up in the blink of an eye and slipped from their grasp.

To command her as he pleased, he would have to be much stronger than he was now.

No matter how much they claimed Seol Ha-jin had committed the sin of Betraying the Master and Destroying Ancestors, it was useless if people didn’t accept it.

Moreover, the so-called sin of Betraying the Master and Destroying Ancestors was, in truth, a cowardly scheme to secure the sect’s finances by forcibly marrying a young girl to a rich old man, so it was more likely to draw the condemnation of the Jianghu.

Lee Ja-myeong helped Gong Ha-seong up and said.

“Phew! Let’s go back.”

“Senior Martial Brother!”

“I don’t want to be humiliated any further. I hate to admit it, but our Junior Martial Sister is much stronger than us.”

“But…”

When Gong Ha-seong still hesitated, unable to let go, Lee Ja-myeong said with a bitter smile.

“Don’t escalate this problem any further. If you want to protect what little honor we have left…”

“Damn it!”

In the end, Gong Ha-seong had no choice but to follow Lee Ja-myeong’s will.

Lee Ja-myeong approached Woo Pyeong Dojang and held out an object wrapped in silk brocade. It was the Gukbo he had brought as a gift for Cheongjin Jin-in.

“This is a gift for Cheongjin Jin-in.”

“You won’t go yourself?”

“I’d rather not make any more of a pathetic spectacle of myself. I trust you will keep your promise, however.”

“Do not worry. This Woo-pyeong always keeps his word.”

“I will trust you and go. Well then…”

Lee Ja-myeong gave Woo Pyeong Dojang a Fist-Palm Salute and withdrew.

In that brief moment, his face seemed to have aged ten years.

Before leaving, Lee Ja-myeong said one last thing to Seol Ha-jin.

“Junior Martial Sister!”

“……”

“I’m sorry. But at the time, we had no other choice. Someday, you too will understand my and Master’s decision.”

Lee Ja-myeong made excuses to the very end, and Seol Ha-jin no longer listened to his words.

In the end, Lee Ja-myeong had to support Gong Ha-seong and depart forlornly.

Once they were out of sight, Seol Ha-jin said in an exaggerated tone.

“Let’s drink, drink! On a good day like today, we have to drink. I’ve shaken off that tiresome yoke, so I’m going to get dead drunk.”

Suddenly, her gaze turned to Pyo Wol.

“Let’s have a drink together today… Ah, you don’t drink. Damn it! On a day like today, I have to drink.”

Seol Ha-jin muttered with a look of disappointment.

Her mental state seemed unstable in some way.

Although she had cast off the yoke she had been carrying, her heart could not be completely at ease.

Pyo Wol said to Seol Ha-jin.

“If you want to drink, go to your companions.”

“And you?”

“I have an appointment with the Wudang Sect.”

At Pyo Wol’s words, Seol Ha-jin finally came to her senses and looked at Woo Pyeong Dojang.

“Ah! I, of Jinmen Island—no, Seol Ha-jin, greet the Daoist Master of the Wudang Sect.”

“There is no need for such excessive courtesy, Miss Seol! I have a rough idea of the circumstances, so please don’t mind me or the Wudang Sect and compose yourself.”

“Thank you.”

At Woo Pyeong Dojang’s warm consolation, Seol Ha-jin’s face filled with emotion.

Of course, Tae-gwang, watching Woo Pyeong Dojang, muttered that he was the picture of thick-skinned shamelessness.

Seol Ha-jin gave Woo Pyeong Dojang a Fist-Palm Salute and returned alone to her lodging, the inn.

Woo Pyeong Dojang stared blankly at Seol Ha-jin’s receding back.

“Every sect has its stories, but Jinmen Island has truly made a wrong decision. To think they tried to use such a martial artist, regardless of gender, as a mere tool for a political marriage. Tsk!”

“The future of Jinmen Island is obvious.”

It was so bad that even Tae-gwang clicked his tongue in agreement beside him.

“If you lack a discerning eye, you are bound to lose much. This will be a chance for the Lord of Jinmen Island to learn that fact painfully.”

“A discerning eye… I don’t think that’s something you should be saying, is it?”

“Ahem!”

Woo Pyeong Dojang turned his head and let out a needless, dry cough.

Soma watched the two of them with a curious expression.

He found it fascinating that a master and disciple could converse so informally.

Not only the Small Thunder Sound Temple, but all the sects he had encountered emphasized strict discipline.

A master and disciple being so casual with each other was something he couldn’t even imagine.

He was even curious as to how a master and disciple could be so close.

Just then, Woo Pyeong Dojang turned his head to Pyo Wol and said.

“Well then, shall we go get something to eat? There happens to be a good restaurant nearby. The prices are cheap, and the portions are generous, so you’ll be able to eat your fill.”

He led the way forward.

Tae-gwang shook his head for a moment, then said to Pyo Wol.

“Let’s go. Just as my Master said, it’s cheap and the portions are large, so it’s worth a try. You’re not a picky eater, are you?”

“I eat even insects without being picky.”

The moment he saw Pyo Wol’s emotionless eyes, Tae-gwang realized he was telling the truth.

“Haha! You’re joking… You’ve tried them, I see. You must have gone through a lot, huh?”

“……”

“Hehe!”

Tae-gwang subtly distanced himself from Pyo Wol.

Soma frowned slightly at Tae-gwang’s overly bright and cheerful demeanor.

“That hyung-ah is weird!”

＊＊＊

The restaurant Woo Pyeong Dojang led them to was a favorite among the people of Baokang, located in a secluded spot that outsiders like Pyo Wol would never find.

The restaurant was extremely shabby.

The building and its furnishings were so old they looked like they could collapse at any moment. Yet, it had quite a few customers.

For a place to be this crowded outside of mealtimes meant its taste was well-recognized.

“Welcome.”

When Woo Pyeong Dojang appeared, the restaurant owner came running out to greet him.

It was a scene that showed the extent of the Wudang Sect’s influence in Baokang.

The restaurant owner guided Woo Pyeong Dojang to the best table. There was already a customer there, but he asked for their understanding and had them switch seats. The previous customer also gladly gave up his seat to Woo Pyeong Dojang.

Thanks to this, Woo Pyeong Dojang, Pyo Wol, and the others were able to sit at the best table in the restaurant and order their food.

“Now that we’re inside, how about you take off that cumbersome scarf?”

He looked at Pyo Wol with eyes full of curiosity.

It had been a while since he met Pyo Wol, but he had yet to see his face and was curious.

All he knew about the man before him were the two characters of his name, Pyo Wol.

He knew nothing else.

Not his sect of origin.

Not his purpose.

Not even his face.

Any martial artist who entered Hubei would show courtesy to the Daoist Masters of the Wudang Sect.

Even if they didn’t respect the Wudang Sect, they would take a step back, considering their influence in Hubei. But Pyo Wol showed no sign of this.

Pyo Wol’s martial arts were certainly strong.

So strong that even Woo Pyeong Dojang had taken a step back out of a sense of unease. But it would be a grave miscalculation to think that was enough to surpass the entire Wudang Sect.

It was only because it was Woo Pyeong Dojang that he let a slight insult pass amicably; if it had been anyone else, a major incident would have occurred.

Woo Pyeong Dojang wanted to confirm it.

What exactly was it about Pyo Wol that made him feel so uneasy? To do that, he first had to see Pyo Wol’s real face.

He wanted to know what kind of face was hidden under that scarf.

Woo Pyeong Dojang was sure that a rugged yet strong-featured face was hidden there.

Pyo Wol pulled down his scarf.

“……”

For a moment, Woo Pyeong Dojang was at a loss for words. The same went for Tae-gwang.

It was a long while before they spoke.

“What the… Damn it!”

“Wow! The world is so unfair.”

In all his time in the Wudang Sect, he had seen countless people, but no man possessed beauty like Pyo Wol’s. He felt he had never even seen a woman prettier than Pyo Wol.

Woo Pyeong Dojang shook his head from side to side and said.

“My apologies. Would you mind putting the scarf back on? If I keep looking at that face, I feel so burdened I don’t think I’ll be able to eat.”

“What does it feel like to live with a face like that? Do women just flock to you?”

“You brat! Is that something a Daoist Master should say?”

“Ah! Are Daoist Masters not human?”

“Still, this punk…”

“Tch! If I hadn’t been tricked by Master into becoming a Daoist Master, I’d be living a sweet life with a pretty wife and family by now.”

“That’s like ‘save a man from drowning and he’ll ask for your luggage.’ And for the record, even if you hadn’t become a Daoist Master, you would never have met a pretty woman.”

“Why not?”

“Take a good look in the mirror. You’ll see a monkey in there. That’s the reason women aren’t interested in you.”

“Master!”

Tae-gwang finally shouted loudly.

At his disciple’s cry, the master felt a strange sense of pleasure and gave a sinister smile.

Pyo Wol silently watched the two of them.

They were certainly a type of human he had never experienced before. And so, he became interested.

The two continued to bicker and argue for a long time after that.

After a while, Woo Pyeong Dojang came to his senses and apologized.

“Ahem! My apologies. We invited a guest and then just talked amongst ourselves.”

“It’s fine. It was quite an interesting sight.”

“If so, that’s a relief. By any chance, could I know your martial sect?”

“I don’t have one.”

“No, your martial arts are anything but ordinary, so how can you say you don’t have a martial sect? Don’t be like that, just tell me quietly. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Are you always this meddlesome? You’re interested in a lot of useless things.”

“Ahem! I do hear that about myself sometimes. Why else would my Senior Martial Brother and Master have told me, ‘If you just kept that mouth shut and focused on your cultivation, your achievements would be twice as great as they are now’? Haha!”

“So you’re saying your achievements are only at this level because you talk too much.”

“Ahem! Why must you speak so coldly? It’s because of people like me that the Wudang Sect feels like a place where people actually live. Everyone else is so quiet, it’s like a separate monastery. I bet even the Shaolin Temple isn’t that silent.”

As if he had been waiting for the chance, Woo Pyeong Dojang poured out his words.

He lacked the characteristic sense of superiority or refined atmosphere that disciples of established, prestigious sects possessed. That made him feel even more unfamiliar.

“Get a grip.”

“Ahem!”

At Tae-gwang’s rebuke, who could no longer stand it, Woo Pyeong Dojang wore an awkward expression.

“Aigoo! This is why I can’t leave my Master alone.”

“Stop your nagging.”

“I can’t help it when I see what you’re doing, Master.”

“My ears are going to fall off, you brat!”

“You’re no better, Master.”

“Honestly, what a pain I’ve brought on myself by taking in one bad disciple.”

“It’s hard for me too, having to manage you, Master.”

Tae-gwang didn’t back down and retorted to the very end. At that, Woo Pyeong Dojang looked fed up.

As it seemed the two’s argument would drag on, Pyo Wol cut in.

“If you two are going to keep fighting, we’ll be leaving.”

“No! My apologies. Please, calm down.”

Woo Pyeong Dojang wore an apologetic expression.

Tae-gwang also read the mood and clamped his mouth shut.

Woo Pyeong Dojang’s atmosphere turned serious.

“If you don’t want to tell me your martial sect, then tell me where you came from. You can tell me that, can’t you?”

“Sichuan Province.”

“I knew it. You were the Reaper of Sichuan.”

Woo Pyeong Dojang’s atmosphere had changed in an instant.