The Beast's Body and the Sage's Brain
On the road to Kaifeng, the truth was that Cheong didn't usually bother memorizing people's faces. But it was the beginning of spring, and the weather wasn't all that different from winter just yet. A man stood there with his top completely stripped off, flexing his muscles in a pose that proudly displayed his massive bare torso to the world outside. In Cheong's mind, recognition hit instantly—Ah, that guy.
"Excuse me, waiter. By any chance, is that Jegal up there..." Ah. But what was his name again? All she could remember was that he was from the Jegal clan. "What was it? His nickname was Beast Man?"
The waiter's eyes narrowed. "Are you referring to Maengsin-hyeonnoe, the Great Hero?"
"Yes! That's it. Maengsin-hyeonnoe! The body of a beast and the brain of a sage! Wow, I think I only heard it once, but I got it right. That's correct, right?"
"I was the one who told you, you know," the waiter replied, staring at the spot behind her veil with an expression that asked where her conscience had gone.
"Then could you go up there and ask if he remembers Noona? If he does, just see if he can make a little space for us. We'll buy our own food."
"That is... he is a very important person. How could someone like me possibly..."
The waiter had been consistently polite, so Cheong read his discomfort and didn't push the issue. If you thought about it, it was like telling a fresh recruit who had barely shed his yellow tag, Hey, tell your battalion commander—whatever his name is, I don't remember—that I'm here. It would sound pretty suspicious.
That was when Dang Nan-a stepped forward, pointing her finger in classic villainess style.
"Hey, waiter. Who do you think you are, just a waiter, hesitating when our Cheong is speaking? Go tell your little brother Jegal that the Understanding Poison Flower of the Great Sichuan Tang Family has arrived."
"Ah! Yes, understood!"
The arrogant, overbearing tone, the mention of the Sichuan Tang Family, and calling him "little brother." This was exactly the attitude that gave the waiter the confidence of Ah, this young lady is definitely someone important.
"What? You know Jegal?"
"Just by face. I've seen him twice? What about you?"
"I've only seen him once too. He's a bit talkative, but he seemed nice."
"Really? He was pretty friendly. Didn't act annoying at all."
He really did have a unique personality. There had been no prior appointment, and they weren't particularly close. Yet the moment he received the message, he came running down himself. It spoke volumes about his character.
Though Cheong couldn't help thinking it might have been better if he had put on a shirt first.
"No way, Tang Noona! What brings you all the way to Wuhan! You must be heading to the Murim Tournament! But how did you know I was here! Ah! How embarrassing—this little brother must have been seen emitting heroic spirit while gazing across the region! And the person next to you looks familiar. Ah! Noona, it's you, right! The one I saw in Luoyang!"
He asked the questions and answered them himself, even correctly identifying the veiled Cheong. This was the terror of the Divine Jegal, the fearsome power of the Jegal clan's brain.
Of course, anyone with a sharp eye could have figured it out quickly from her tall stature and generous chest. How many women in the Central Plains possessed both a rare height and an equally rare bust at the same time? Covering her face actually made her even easier to recognize.
"Hey, Jegal. Long time no see? You remembered me?"
"How could I possibly forget? A woman skilled in debate is rare in this world. Now, let's not stand here like this. Please, come inside."
"Uh, is that okay? We're not bumping other customers' reservations or anything, right?" Cheong asked as she stepped into the building.
Jegal Ihyeon laughed heartily. "Noona is truly kind! But the restaurant only goes up to the fifth floor, so there's no need to worry. The sixth floor is used by the clan as an observation tower, so I occasionally stop by to use it for training. Of course, it's also a place to entertain honored guests. Like right now."
"Oh."
It was the Jegal Clan that kept rebuilding the Yellow Crane Tower every time it burned down. One might wonder why the building burned so regularly, but the Yellow Crane Tower had originally been built as a watchtower for surveillance and an important military facility. Military facilities tend to burn whenever the world falls into chaos, to the point where people joked that the first thing to catch fire when the Blood Sect or the Demonic Cult appeared was the Yellow Crane Tower, sending up the signal beacon.
Each time they rebuilt it, they increased the number of floors using advanced architectural techniques and, while they were at it, opened the lower levels as a restaurant for leisure. Only the highest floor served as the watchtower, the clan's resting area, and banquet hall combined.
In modern terms, it was basically a penthouse.
"Ah, so now you're Seomun Noona! To think you have become the disciple of the Grand Matriarch Seomun Su-rin! Oh, then doesn't that make you the same generation as the sect leaders of the Nine Great Schools! In that case, this little brother should greet you with a deep bow!"
"Come on, we're not that formal with each other."
"Haha, then this little brother will have to serve you today with the etiquette befitting a sect leader! Didn't you originally not enjoy gourmet food much? When it comes to Hubei, it's all about the rivers and lakes, and Wuhan is at the center, so today I'll make sure to exhaust the entire supply of fish in the area."
"Our Jegal sure knows how to say all the right things."
Then Dang Nan-a linked arms with her from the side. "I-I can buy you tons of food too, you know? I'll call the greatest chef in the world and—"
"No, why would you bother people who are just trying to run their business?"
"Sworn sister, I'll work hard to earn money." Gyeon Po-hui clung to her from the other side.
"You all share such deep bonds! Now, this is the top floor of the Yellow Crane Tower—the Chocheon Pavilion. The name comes from the end of the sky that Sun Zhongmou once envisioned in his heart. There are many states called Cho, but considering the historical period and the figure's characteristics, the academic consensus is that it refers to the Chu of Xiang Yu..."
"Wow. It's pretty cool."
In Cheong's memory, he had been a huge, talkative musclehead, and the impression was spot on. Since she wouldn't understand or care about what he was saying anyway, she let the words flow in one ear and out the other while savoring the view from on high.
She had stopped at famous sights along the way, but none had been this open and refreshing. Built high atop one of the few mountains rising above the lowlands of rivers, lakes, and endless flat plains, it felt like a skyscraper. The view from the top was inevitably spectacular.
"Ugh, it's in the way."
Cheong casually pulled off her face veil and handed it to Gyeon Po-hui as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Gyeon Po-hui took it just as naturally.
Jegal Ihyeon made a fuss. "Ah, Noona! My goodness, the Five Flowers of Murim will have to become the Six Flowers! However, as you know, five is a perfect and auspicious number, but six is not so good. Hmm, how interesting. One of the existing Five Great Beauties might unfortunately have to relinquish her title."
For all the fuss, his attitude was surprisingly straightforward. Dang Nan-a immediately growled like a chihuahua. "What the hell? Are you hitting on our Cheong right now?"
"How could that be? Don't you already know, Tang Noona?"
"Know what?"
"Oh dear. Have you not heard? Isn't this little brother famous for valuing a person's inner beauty far more than their outward appearance?"
"Hmph. All men say that. That character matters more than looks, or whatever."
"Hmm? Character, you say? It's difficult enough for a person to truly know their own mind, so how could one possibly judge another's character as good or bad? And originally, the human heart is lenient toward those it knows. So if it's the character shown to the person one cherishes most and who cherishes them in return, wouldn't any lover in the world call it beautiful?"
Dang Nan-a looked slightly fed up. It was obvious she was thinking, Why does he talk so much?
"Uh, what was that about inner beauty?"
"That's right! A person's inner self! A person's beauty is undoubtedly their inner self! Doesn't it come from the skeleton and muscles! A strong, healthy body is what is truly beautiful!"
At the same time, Jegal Ihyeon folded his arms like scythes, thrust both elbows up horizontally, twisted at the waist, and proudly displayed his rippling back muscles.
Looking at the sight, Cheong thought, Honestly, it's pretty cool. Even at the peak of that actor-turned-governor back home, he probably hadn't looked this impressive.
Then a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Does Jegal have a thing for women like Paeng Sojeo?"
"Ah! It's embarrassing, but this little brother once passionately admired her. However, there was an age difference, and Paeng Noona said she had already married into the Daoist path and had no room left in her heart for another man. So it's just a beautiful memory from my immature days."
Jegal Ihyeon calmly reminisced about his past love.
This guy definitely has style. Cheong nodded.
In fact, the Jegal Clan's love for physical perfection was well-known. After all, his third stepmother—his mother, Hwangbo Ran—had the hidden nickname of Great Bear Woman, a large lady built like a massive bear. There was even a joke that if a girl had a strong frame, you should teach her external arts and then have her loiter in front of the Jegal Clan gate.
However, perhaps due to some bloodline curse, among the direct male descendants of the Jegal Clan, there had never been one who possessed both outstanding physique and outstanding intellect at the same time. In the clan's thousand-year history, only Jegal Ihyeon. He surpassed all his illustrious older brothers, who willingly yielded the position of young clan leader, saying the future of the clan rested on him.
Of course, Cheong didn't know this, and neither did Dang Nan-a, who had never left the land of Sichuan in her life.
"Ah, that's right. What about that short guy?"
"Are you referring to Brother Uncheok? My brother is naturally at the main house in Jinan. Ah, have you not heard the news? They have chosen an auspicious date this autumn for his wedding. He will attend this Murim Tournament together with his prospective sister-in-law."
"Oh. Should I scatter some candy?"
"Haha, since Noona is a great senior of the Daoist sect, if you attend and grace the occasion, my brother will be very pleased."
"Perfect timing."
After the Murim Tournament, she could take Jangmyeong with her. But where was the venue? It shouldn't be too far, right?
For reference, though Cheong didn't know this—and really didn't know much in general—the Hwangbo Clan's location was in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. Going down the Yangtze River it was close, but the return trip was long, so the probability that the Sinnyeo Sect Leader Wang Juhee would allow Jin Jangmyeong to go out was about fifty-fifty.