Chapter 49
“You’re really amazing. I’m no match for you at all.”
Yeon-Hwa stopped swinging her sword after unleashing all the techniques she could muster. Baek Mu-Gun’s skills truly impressed her.
“Lady So’s skills are amazing too. There are probably only a few people your age who can go up against you.”
“But you’re the first peer I fought, yet I couldn’t do anything against you.”
“Think of me as an exception. There are always exceptions to everything.”
“Can you tell me what sword art you used, Young Master Baek?”
“It’s the Celestial Moonlight Sword Art.”
“Is it the Baek Sword Sect’s martial arts?”
“It’s a newly developed sword art based on the Baek Sword Sect’s martial arts.”
“You didn’t develop it yourself, did you?”
“I did.”
“Oh my god. How on earth did you manage to accomplish that? To develop such a great sword art in your twenties... It’s something even the Shaolin Temple’s Divine Monk Dharma or the Wudang Sect’s Supreme Elder Zhang Sanfeng couldn’t do.”
“I’m actually pretty outstanding if I do say so myself.”
“Wow! That’s a bit annoying, but I can’t deny it.”
“Well, now that the sparring session you so wanted is done, let’s go our separate ways.”
“Where do you plan to go?”
“I’m going back to my family house in Wenzhou.”
“Can I come with you?”
“Do you plan to follow me around?”
“That’s right. I want to spar with you more, Young Master Baek. I feel like that would be much more helpful than doing it with other people.”
The spar was certainly important, but Yeon-Hwa was also fond of Mu-Gun as a man. She wanted to stay with him for longer.
“Hmmm...”
Mu-Gun briefly pondered Yeon-Hwa’s unexpected request. It wasn’t that hard for Mu-Gun to spar with Yeon-Hwa a few more times while he was heading to Wenzhou. However, there was no reason for him to do so. Although he saw Yeon-Hwa in a good light, he didn’t have enough affection for her to intentionally travel with her.
Nevertheless, he felt it would be a shame to reject her. She was the Putuo Sword Sect’s young matriarch. Based on his relationship with her, he’d be able to establish a friendly relationship with the Putuo Sword Sect.
In the future, the Putuo Sword Sect would be of great help in his plan to unite the Zhejiang Martial Alliance and fight a decisive battle with the Nine Celestial Demons Sect. It was a waste to just throw away such a good opportunity.
“Fine, I’ll travel with Lady So and spar with you along the way. However, I have a condition.”
“What is it?”
“As the Putuo Sword Sect’s young matriarch, I would like you to actively assist in establishing a friendly relationship between the Baek Sword Sect and the Putuo Sword Sect.”
“What do you stand to gain in establishing a friendly relationship with the Putuo Sword Sect?”
“I’m planning to unite the Zhejiang martial forces and oppose the demonic forces, including the Nine Celestial Demons Sect.”
“The Nine Celestial Demons Sect? Have they resurfaced?”
“You probably haven’t heard the news yet, but the Great Sima Family was revealed to be a disguised force of the Asura Cult, which is a faction of the Nine Celestial Demons Sect. The Great Huangfu Family and the Great Namgung Family destroyed them.”
“You’re not lying to me, are you?”
“Why would I lie about such an important murim matter?”
“The Nine Celestial Demons Sect resurfacing is a big deal.”
“That’s why gathering the murim forces’ power in Zhejiang is crucial. That would be much easier to accomplish with the Putuo Sword Sect’s support.”
“If the Baek Sword Sect does not intend to become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s leader out of personal greed, the Putuo Sword Sect will support the Baek Sword Sect.”
“Does that mean Lady So will actively cooperate, then?”
“If the Baek Sword Sect stays in the righteous path, then I will. However, I can’t give a definite answer. It’s up to the matriarch to decide on any important event concerning the Putuo Sword Sect.”
“That’s good enough. Now, let’s go.”
Mu-Gun and Yeon-Hwa left together. Mu-Gun chose to pass through Shaoxing, Xinchang, Linhai, and Yueqing to go from Hangzhou to Wenzhou. He expected the journey to Wenzhou to take ten to fifteen days, each of which he’d have to spend with Yeon-Hwa.
***
Mu-Gun and Yeon-Hwa arrived in Shaoxing the next day, though it was already dark. Hence, they looked for an inn first—finding the largest and most well-equipped inn in Shaoxing.
Unfortunately, there was only one room left.
The Shaoxing Wine Grand Banquet was currently underway. That meant the Shaoxing Wine, Shaoxing’s specialty product, was in store. Merchants from all over the Central Plains flocked to Shaoxing to purchase the wine, causing a scarcity of empty rooms.
Upon hearing the news from the waiter, Mu-Gun asked for Yeon-Hwa’s opinion with an awkward look.
“What do you think we should do?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to get a room first?”
“Will you be fine with that?”
“You’re the one I’ll be sharing it with, so I’ll be fine.”
“You’re really fearless. Haven’t you heard of the saying that men are all the same? I’m no different.”
“But you’re not going to do anything.” Yeon-Hwa shrugged.
Mu-Gun shook his head and booked the room after seeing Yeon-Hwa’s naivety, who firmly believed in him despite not knowing him that well.
“By the way, have you ever drunk alcohol before, Young Master Baek?”
“Of course. What about you, Lady So?”
“Never. That’s why I’m curious. Why do men like drinking so much? How does it feel when you’re drunk?”
“Do you want to try drinking alcohol today, then?”
“Shall we?”
“Coming to Shaoxing yet not drinking Shaoxing Wine is no different from going on a fool’s errand. Since we’re here anyway, we should give it a taste.”
Shaoxing Wine was a liquor with flavor so excellent it could be used as an offering to the king at the royal court. Mu-Gun enjoyed it a lot in his previous life.
“I would love to.”
“Let’s wash up for now and head down.”
Mu-Gun and Yeon-Hwa paid a separate fee and took a bath in the inn’s bathroom. Afterward, they headed down to the restaurant on the ground floor. They then ordered Shaoxing Wine along with a plate of Shaoxing Drunken Chicken, a locally famous chicken dish boiled in Shaoxing Wine; xiaolongbao, a dumpling dish made with pork; and stir-fried noodles with vegetables and spicy sauce. The restaurant was full of customers, so it took quite a while for the food they ordered to be served. As they were waiting for their food while drinking warm green tea, they heard the conversation between the merchants sitting next to them.
“Have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
“It seems like the entire Great Sima Family has been wiped out.”
“By whom?”
“I heard it was the Great Namgung Family and the Great Huangfu Family’s doing.”
“The Great Sima Family had apparently been on a roll lately. It seems like they were still no match for the Seven Great Clans. Why did they do that, though? They wouldn’t have annihilated the entire Great Sima Family for no reason, would they?”
“I heard that the Great Sima Family was a disguised force of the Asura Cult, but I’m not sure if that’s true. Actually, there’s been a lot of rumors going around about that. Some state that the Great Namgung Family and the Great Huangfu Family plotted against the Great Sima Family to hold a dominant position in Jiangsu Province. The Lee Household and Taiyun Household both claim that.”
“Well, I doubt the Great Namgung Family and the Great Huangfu Family would recklessly stir something like this. If they exterminated the entire Great Sima Family just because they wanted to hold a dominant position in Jiangsu Province, the Nine Prominent Sects won’t stay still.”
“That’s true. Well, we’ll see what happens when the time comes. By the way, this could cause a storm of disturbance in murim.”
“Well, it’s been too peaceful lately anyway.”
Yeon-Hwa quietly listened in to the merchants’ conversation, then quietly asked Mu-Gun, “What do you think, Young Master Baek? Do you think the Great Sima Family is really a disguised force of the Asura Cult?”
“What do you think, Lady So?”
“Well, I don’t know much, but I doubt the Great Namgung Family and the Great Huangfu Family would’ve attacked the Great Sima Family under false accusations, like what those merchants said. If they really did so, they’d lose more than they gain. Anyway, I asked you first.”
“My thoughts are the same as yours, Lady So.”
“Isn’t your answer too insincere?”
Mu-Gun shrugged as Yeon-Hwa told him off. He didn’t bother telling her he had confirmed that fact himself since doing so could reveal the identity he had tried so hard to hide. Yeon-Hwa wouldn’t spread it, but it was better not to create any possibility of that happening in the first place.
While they were sharing a conversation, the dish they ordered as well as a ten-year-old bottle of Shaoxing Wine were served. The longer a Shaoxing Wine was aged, the stronger its aroma and taste. However, it also meant it would become that much more expensive. There was very little supply of Shaoxing Wine aged for more than twenty years, and most of them were auctioned off.
Five-year-old Shaoxing Wine was drunk on a regular basis, while those aged ten years were drunk if they wanted to taste a more high-quality Shaoxing Wine. Mu-Gun ordered a ten-year-old Shaoxing Wine for Yeon-Hwa since she was trying alcohol for the first time ever.
“Here! Have a drink.”
Mu-Gun poured Yeon-Hwa a cup first, then filled his own cup with the liquor.
“I’ll pour it for you.”
“Women shouldn’t pour alcohol carelessly.”
Yeon-Hwa reached her hand out to Mu-Gun as he was pouring himself a drink, but Mu-Gun shook his head and filled his own cup. Secretly moved by Mu-Gun’s behavior, she looked at the liquor in her cup. The Shaoxing Wine had a brownish-yellow color that made it look like a medicinal concoction. Yeon-Hwa was very curious about its taste.
“Shall we?”
Mu-Gun raised his cup first as if he had read her mind. Yeon-Hwa raised her cup as well, lightly clinked it against Mu-Gun’s, and took a sip. She frowned as the liquor passed her lips due to the unique musty smell of fermented liquor. It was nothing like the taste she had expected. She endured and swallowed it, which caused a burning sensation in her throat. Various scents filled the insides of her mouth. It tasted somewhat abstruse.
“How is it? Is it worth drinking?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“You start drinking alcohol without understanding it. However, at some point, you’ll learn to savor its taste.”
“Young Master Baek seems familiar with the taste of alcohol.”
“I’m not so sure about that. But I do know that those who don’t drink are missing out on one of the pleasures of life.”
“Listening to you makes me want to learn to enjoy the taste of alcohol.”
“Someone said this before, ten percent of the taste of alcohol lies in the alcohol itself, while the other ninety percent is the person sitting opposite.”
“Are you saying that whom you drink with is more important than the kind of alcohol you drink?”
“Yes. Alcohol also opens people’s hearts. If you can make a lifelong friend with a glass of alcohol, what could be more valuable than that?”
“Can we become friends with a drink, then?”
“It would be an honor to befriend a beautiful woman like you, Lady So.”
“Why don’t we become friends with the next round, then?”
“Fine with me. I’d love that.”
Mu-Gun and Yeon-Hwa shared another cup of liquor. With that, they had become friends. After sharing another cup to commemorate their friendship, they began to eat the dishes they ordered, which were famous in Shaoxing, but they didn’t really suit their palate.
The xiaolongbao, which was a regular dumpling dish, was decent at the very least. Perhaps because of that, they ate all of the xiaolongbao but left behind nearly half of the Shaoxing Drunken Chicken and stir-fried noodles.
“What do we do about this? It’s not good to leave food behind.”
“I can’t eat it anymore because it doesn’t suit my palate. Let’s just eat some as a side dish with the wine and leave the rest.”
“It’s such a waste. They’re so expensive, too.”
“There’s no helping it. If you force yourself to eat something you don’t like, you’ll get sick. Don’t worry about money and let’s just drink,” Mu-Gun replied while lifting the bottle of wine.
Yeon-Hwa nodded and raised her glass. They drank cup after cup. Mu-Gun, who was already familiar with the taste of alcohol, drank each cup while savoring it. Yeon-Hwa also began to enjoy its taste the more she drank.
They quickly finished the first bottle they ordered. Mu-Gun ordered another bottle of alcohol and got up from his seat.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
He wanted to go to the lavatory to relieve himself. Yeon-Hwa immediately understood and nodded.
“Go ahead.”
While Mu-Gun was in the lavatory, Yeon-Hwa thought about him. The journey across murim of the Putuo Sword Sect’s young matriarch wasn’t just about enhancing their martial arts. The Putuo Sword Sect’s matriarch had to spend her whole life unmarried in the Putuo Hermitage. In short, they had to give up their life as a woman. The Putuo Sword Sect didn’t force it, however. Rather, their sect left the choice to them. The journey across murim was a process for that decision.
Most of the Putuo Sword Sect’s disciples were orphans who entered the Putuo Hermitage at a young age. They then cultivated Buddhism and concentrated on martial arts training. Hence, they naturally wouldn’t know any man. They never even thought about life as a woman. The journey across murim was an opportunity for them to experience things they couldn’t do before. Based on that experience, the Putuo Sword Sect’s disciples would decide their fate.
Most of the previous Putuo Sword Sect’s young matriarchs chose to become a matriarch. After all, they had a lot of affection for the Putuo Sword Sect, which they had been a part of since they were young. However, it was also because they couldn’t meet a man capable of captivating their hearts.
Yeon-Hwa lived her life thinking that it was her destiny to become the Putuo Sword Sect’s young matriarch. However, after meeting Mu-Gun, that thought began to waver. She wanted to be the Putuo Sword Sect’s matriarch, but she thought it wouldn’t be bad to be with Mu-Gun either.
She couldn’t understand it herself how Mu-Gun, whom she had only met three days ago, took up as much weight in her heart as the Putuo Sword Sect. She decided to process her feelings slowly while spending time with Mu-Gun. She could just be confused since he was the first man she met since becoming an adult, or what she was feeling could just be admiration as a martial artist herself due to Mu-Gun’s extremely exceptional martial prowess.
“Lady! If you don’t mind, may I sit down for a while?”
Just then, she heard a man’s voice from the side.
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