A Tavern Brawl in Sangju
Sangju. Or, more precisely, the commercial hub known as Shangzhou. It sat close to Xi’an, the heart of Shaanxi Province. If one were to be exact, it lay squarely between Mount Hua and Zhongnan Mountain.
“Come on, let’s have another drink.”
In a tavern in that very city of Sangju, I found myself tilting a cup of liquor. I watched Mu Yeong, who sat across from me with a bright grin as he downed a shot of baijiu, and gave a slow nod in return.
Gulp—
“Krrgh.”
“Mm.”
The sharp, bitter aftertaste lingered pleasantly on my tongue. Maybe it was because I hadn’t touched alcohol in such a long time, but a strange sense of excitement began to rise within me. I reached for the porcelain bottle on the table and poured myself another cup without hesitation.
Glug glug—
“Still, we didn’t really do much this time. Feels a bit shameless to be eating and drinking this well before heading back,” I said.
“We came here for exactly this. What’s the problem?”
“Well… that’s true.”
At my senior brother’s words, I let my voice trail off in mild agreement. Mu Yeong let out a small snort of laughter and continued in a leisurely tone.
“Our only job was escorting the outer sect disciples who run businesses here in Sangju. If there’s no external threat, of course there’s nothing for us to do.”
“By the way, I’m still curious why the sect leader sent us outside the sect at all.”
When I voiced my doubt, Mu Yeong gave a slight nod and answered.
“You’ve been skipping meals and sleep, burying yourself in training nonstop lately, haven’t you? Even our master—who usually doesn’t interfere much with his disciples’ habits—probably sent us out to give you a change of pace.”
“Mm, I suppose that makes sense…”
“Since opportunities like this probably won’t come again anytime soon, let’s enjoy ourselves as much as we can while we’re here.”
“……”
That stings my conscience a little.
At Mu Yeong’s innocent remark, I gave a bitter smile but outwardly showed agreement. Just as he said, I had indeed been obsessing over training recently. So his suggestion to rest now that we were outside the Mount Hua Sect wasn’t wrong at all.
Only…
It feels like a waste to go back like this.
I tilted my head. It wasn’t that I was sad we couldn’t play more. The problem was that it had been far too boring. Strangely enough, absolutely nothing had happened. We had been tasked with protecting the businesses located in Sangju, yet there had been zero external attacks or crises.
Not that I actually want trouble to show up.
I shook my head. I hated anything that became a hassle. Overdoing things was strictly forbidden. That was the situation.
“Here come the snow cakes and dumplings!”
“Ooh.”
Scrape—
The sound of dishes sliding across the table briefly filled the air. A generous plate of snow cakes—crispy rice treats—and steaming dumplings were placed before us. Feeling my mouth water, I picked up my chopsticks.
While I focused on the meal, Mu Yeong—who had already filled his stomach with the earlier appetizers—gave the new dishes a half-hearted glance before casually asking the waiter standing nearby.
“By the way, have you heard any interesting rumors floating around the marketplace lately?”
“Rumors, you say…?”
“Anything that could make money, or information that would catch anyone’s interest. Stories about rising young masters making a name for themselves around here would be fine too.”
“Ah! If that’s what you’re after, I’ve got plenty for you.”
Clink—
When Mu Yeong flicked a few iron coins with his thumb, the waiter’s eyes widened. He quickly snatched the coins out of the air and tucked them into his sleeve. After clearing his throat once, he began to speak.
“Ahem. It’s not exactly a rumor that’ll make you rich, but there is one story that’s been heating up the streets of Sangju lately.”
“…What is it?”
The waiter paused dramatically. He pretended to ponder deeply for a moment before continuing.
“They say that recently, several renowned masters have been appearing one after another near Unhaeng Mountain, which is about half a day’s travel from Sangju.”
“…Masters?”
“I don’t know the reason myself, but word is that Blood Wolf and Lightning Blade—both first-class experts who walk the line between the righteous and demonic paths—have been spotted around Unhaeng Mountain.”
“Hoo…”
While I was wolfing down dumplings and rice cakes, Mu Yeong was the one showing clear interest in the waiter’s words. To be honest, I wasn’t particularly moved by what I was hearing.
It’s not that unusual for first-class experts to show up nearby from time to time.
Labeling a first-class martial artist as a local ruler was far too hasty. Of course, in remote provinces or tiny villages, they could certainly dominate the area. But in a place like Sangju, it was quite a stretch for a first-class expert to claim supremacy.
Knowing this well, I didn’t hold much expectation. Only a peak-level master could be considered truly difficult for a region to handle.
In that sense, it’s likely that Blood Wolf and Lightning Blade simply happened to pass through the area by coincidence.
Having concluded that the two weren’t appearing with any clear purpose, I tuned out the conversation between the waiter and Mu Yeong and continued focusing on my meal.
It was at that exact moment.
Creak—
The sound of hinges turning echoed through the room.
“…Hm?”
The rough way someone was flinging open the sliding door caught my attention. I tilted my head. From within the commotion, a group of five or six men stepped into view.
…Jongnam Sect?
I stared at the six martial artists with a puzzled gaze. They were all dressed in the distinctive attire of the Jongnam Sect, each carrying a well-maintained sword at their waist. Their auras were far from gentle—they carried the unmistakable tension of men ready for a fight.
Perhaps sensing the danger, it wasn’t the waiter but the tavern owner—a plump middle-aged man—who came hurrying out in his socks. He bowed deeply.
“M-may I ask what brings you gentlemen here?” the owner asked cautiously.
“I heard there are two experts from the Mount Hua Sect here.”
“…Pardon?”
“Lead us to them.”
The Jongnam disciples spoke without the slightest hesitation, directly naming both me and Mu Yeong. Being suddenly called out like this, I could only make an odd expression.
…What’s going on?
The situation was suddenly becoming rather intriguing. In that tense, ice-thin moment, the troubled-looking owner shook his head once and answered.
“I-I’m terribly sorry, but… we don’t check the identity of every single guest who walks through our doors…”
“Hah! Mount Hua experts would have entered wearing their distinctive robes. Don’t play dumb with me.”
“……”
When the owner fell silent like a mute who had swallowed honey, I clicked my tongue inwardly. As I did, Mu Yeong—who had been talking with the waiter—turned with an incredulous look before letting out a faint laugh and rising from his seat.
Shhh—
In the sudden silence that fell over the tavern, the moment Mu Yeong stood up alone in the corner, the six pairs of eyes from the Jongnam group snapped toward us. Then Mu Yeong shouted loudly.
“Stop harassing the innocent tavern owner and come over here if you have something to say. Let’s talk face to face, shall we?”
“……!”
Only then did the Jongnam warriors hear him. They frowned and began walking straight toward us. Watching their approach, I set down my chopsticks and shook my head. I sent a transmission to Mu Yeong, who had boldly jumped to his feet.
[Senior brother, this doesn’t seem to be heading in a good direction. Wouldn’t it have been better to quietly slip away at a moment like this?]
When I asked, Mu Yeong let out a soft chuckle and replied through transmission.
[I can’t show my back to these Jongnam bastards who are acting no different from demonic sect thugs. Today, I’m ready to settle this once and for all.]
“……”
Did senior brother somehow become mortal enemies with the Jongnam Sect…?
For some reason, Mu Yeong’s attitude toward the Jongnam Sect went far beyond mere contempt—it was practically the hatred of sworn enemies.
Well, given that he is essentially their enemy, it makes sense.
Even so, Mu Yeong always seemed to appear whenever an incident involving the Jongnam Sect occurred. Just like last time, his habit of casually crushing Jongnam disciples was like a lion teaching a pack of wolves a harsh lesson.
“From the looks of it, you’re a group dispatched from the Jongnam Sect. What business do you have with me and my junior brother?”
The moment Mu Yeong essentially declared war with those words, one of the glaring Jongnam disciples growled in response.
“This area is practically our Jongnam Sect’s front yard. Why are you Mount Hua dogs trying to stir up trouble in Sangju?”
“…What?”
“Sangju has been heavily under the influence of the Jongnam Sect for decades. Just look at the geography—it’s much closer to Jongnam than to Mount Hua. The reason should be obvious.”
“And?”
“To build businesses in Sangju—our front yard—without permission is a direct infringement on the authority of the Jongnam Sect!”
“……”
“That’s right! Exactly!”
The other Jongnam disciples shouted their agreement from behind. Seeing their brazen attitude, Mu Yeong seemed momentarily at a loss for words. He nodded once, then offered a surprisingly frank apology.
“Mm, I’m sorry about that.”
“Hmph, as you should be.”
“How would you like to be compensated?”
“Compensation… Obviously, you’ll hand over the business and pay a hefty sum of gold to the Jongnam Sect’s main mountain.”
At the utterly shameless demand from the Jongnam disciple, Mu Yeong let out a soft “Ah,” and nodded once. Then he spoke.
“Ah, just so we’re clear—by compensation, I naturally mean the cost of the mess that’s about to happen right here.”
“……?”
Mu Yeong twisted the corner of his mouth, then lightly clapped his hands together.
A single, lightning-fast palm strike exploded forward with terrifying force.
Thud—!
“Kugh…!”
“W-what the—?!”
The Jongnam disciple who had been arrogantly demanding compensation was instantly launched into the air, slamming deep into the ceiling. The rest of the Jongnam group cried out in shock. Yet Mu Yeong simply opened his mouth again with the same relaxed demeanor.
“Who’s next?”