Chapter 53
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Not a Peaceful Conversation, but an Affectionate One
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Turning back toward the lodging, I found them in the middle of a meal.
Seeing Biyeong sitting there with a completely nonchalant face, casually eating his rice, my anger boiled over on its own.
“How could you just ditch me smack in the middle of someone else’s sect and head back first!”
Even as I jabbed my finger at him, Biyeong—still peacefully working his chopsticks—patted the empty seat next to him.
“Come eat.”
Gurgle.
My starving stomach let out a rumble, so I gave up on further scolding and plopped down beside Biyeong, picking up my spoon.
Of course, I kept grumbling under my breath the whole time.
“What if I got lost in someone else’s sect and ended up a wandering orphan, huh?”
“Who knows. But the guy who was always glued to your side didn’t seem like the type to let his junior wander around lost in the Jade Void Palace.”
Biyeong brushed off my griping with a deadpan retort, and out of nowhere, Bihwan’s eyebrow twitched.
“Weren’t you off to train at dawn? Does the Grand Senior have a friend in the Wudang Sect?”
“Hmm. From what I saw, it’s less ‘friend’ and more…”
Biyeong trailed off like he was dangling some juicy bait, and the moment he did, Bihwan whipped around to me.
“What’s your relationship? No, before that—what kind of guy is he?”
“The kind I made a sparring promise with four years from now?”
Bihwan shot Biyeong a look of utter dismay at my sunny reply, and she shrugged.
“I didn’t agree to it either way.”
“So that guy’s the one chasing after the Grand Senior? What kind of weirdo with bizarre tastes is he?”
“Tell me about it. He seemed perfectly normal-looking, though.”
I tuned out their back-and-forth worrying over Baek Geon’s mental state and recalled his words instead.
To someone with a reputation for a foul temper, being called ‘affectionate’ was music to my ears.
Come to think of it, hadn’t Namgung Seheon remembered me that way too? Of course, the problem was the damn qualifiers he’d tacked on.
“Didn’t realize I was such an affectionate guy.”
Muttering seriously around my spoon at this sudden epiphany, I was instantly met with sharp glares from all sides.
“You wouldn’t know. Because you’re not.”
“Why’s he suddenly like this?”
“No idea. Is he patting himself on the back for ‘kindly’ only using basic Six Harmonies Sword against that Wudang third-gen disciple in their bout?”
“That’s not kind consideration—that’s mockery on the level of ‘your skills are basic swordplay.’ Better to just get beat outright.”
“Grand Senior, you do know what ‘affectionate’ means, right?”
“Hope all the affectionate people freeze to death…”
Biyeong’s disgusted mutter capped off the whispers.
What’s with the reactions? Isn’t this too much?
For my true nature to be recognized not by my fellow disciples—who were like family after all our ups and downs—but by some guy from another sect.
Guess I failed as Grand Senior in raising my martial brothers. Boundless merit to none.
“Whoever told you that, tell them to go see a physician. Either their eyes or their head’s gone wrong—one or the other.”
Biwon, face full of pity from the side, twirled a finger by his temple.
I smashed my left fist into that guy, then solemnly declared a name change.
“From today on, this fist isn’t called Peace—it’s Affection.”
Haven’t you learned even after being hung upside down from a tree?
Always earning a beating with that mouth of yours.
* * *
A short week passed, and the Dragon-Tiger Assembly drew to a close.
After the matches—the true highlight of the assembly—ended, the third-generation disciples like us had no real schedule left, aside from the busy adults.
So we just hung out.
At first, we’d been pushed by the elders to mingle with the Wudang third-gen disciples, but that didn’t last.
After a debate on Wudang martial arts versus Mount Hua martial arts ended with Mount Hua losing 13 to 17—and we got mocked for it—a brawl broke out, and the adults stopped forcing the bonding.
Instead, after hearing why we fought, the adults’ chatter dropped off sharply… and their eyes burned with something fierce…
“Tomorrow we head back to Mount Hua.”
Finishing my breath regulation and slowly opening my eyes, I turned toward the regret-filled voice beside me, drawing in the dawn air.
“You can sleep in—no need to see us off.”
Baek Geon chuckled playfully and shook his head at my indifferent reply.
“Regrettably, I’d rather steal one more look at your face than sleep in.”
“Tch. Was gonna knock one off your debt for that.”
I clicked my tongue in disappointment, and Baek Geon drooped the corners of his eyes like he was hurt.
“We won’t see each other for four years. It’s already hard enough now because of that brawl.”
“Ugh, that Baekyun punk—tell him to learn one more martial art instead of wasting time on fancy swordplay.”
I grumbled, blaming the instigator of the brawl.
Who else but that guy would rub our Mount Hua loss in our faces? And he got wrecked by my Six Harmonies Sword.
“Tell me about it. That guy’s no help to my life at all.”
Baek Geon turned away with a cynical sigh.
His face—once so unfamiliar at our reunion, now familiar after a few meetings—and his straight nose caught my eye.
I blurted out,
“Beat him up?”
“That’d be rebellion against seniority. Strict on precepts as Wudang is, rebellion’s impossible.”
“Then why’s that guy—who was strutting around the rear gate and mouthing off to you—watching you so carefully now?”
Baek Geon turned back to me, his lips curving softly upward.
“Just trampled his lofty pride a bit in front of his martial brothers, that’s all.”
I nodded, impressed by the method, though a little surprised.
How badly must I have tormented the kid for that timid, gentle boy to turn this dark? Reflect on it, Baekyun.
“Definitely the best way to break someone’s spirit. I know from experience.”
Leaning back to lie on the ground, an arm suddenly wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me in.
I went limp, letting the pull tilt me sideways until I ended up lying with my head pillowed on Baek Geon’s lap.
Staring straight down at me, Baek Geon asked in a voice that had deepened.
“Who tormented you?”
“Guys with egos too big to just accept the youngest as Grand Senior. Well, they all acknowledge me now.”
Heh.
I grinned smugly, and an inevitable short laugh escaped Baek Geon’s lips.
Baek Geon’s delicate fingers gently brushed my bangs aside.
His warm fingertips tapped my now-bare forehead.
He murmured languidly.
“Your martial brothers suck.”
“They did. But the problem was our Grand Senior—who went around beating them black and blue every day—was no saint either.”
At the intruding voice and the shadow falling over my face, I lifted my gaze slightly.
Biyeong was looking down at us crookedly, sword slung over his shoulder just like I often did.
“If you came out at dawn to train, Baek Geon Sa-hyeong, maybe you should train? Oh, or are you like your martial brothers—where ‘training’ means chasing girls?”
Baek Geon flinched at Biyeong’s thorny words, with extra emphasis on ‘sa-hyeong.’
“No, it’s not that… Please don’t misunderstand…”
Where’d that energy go that shut Baekyun up?
Why’s he back to being timid all of a sudden?
Did Biyeong intimidate him?
I patted Baek Geon’s thigh as he trailed off and flailed his hands in panic.
“Don’t wimp out. You’d win even in a bout anyway.”
“Biyeon, that’s not the issue…”
Eh, first time he’s called my name.
Thought he’d forgotten how, since he never used it.
Baek Geon made an ‘oh crap’ face at my surprised look and asked,
“By the way, your courtesy name—”
“Still Biyeon.”
Cutting him off, I swiftly replied and grabbed Biyeong’s outstretched hand, pulling myself up.
Biyeong dragged me off, saying let’s go, but even as I stumbled after him, I waved a farewell.
Baek Geon smiled and waved back.
“See you, Yeon. Tomorrow.”
“It’s Biyeon.”
Only Mount Hua elders get to use nicknames for me yet.
Baek Geon froze at my cold correction.
Biyeong bit his lip to stifle a laugh at the sight, then lightly scolded me once we were away from the training ground.
“Why lie with your head on someone else’s leg?”
“His head wasn’t heavy, and it was comfy. Why lie on the dirty ground when he’s offering himself as a pillow?”
“You’ll be the death of me.”
Biyeong pressed his forehead.
“Junior, there’s no such thing in this world as kindness without strings.”
Says the one who’s living proof otherwise.
I was picked up by Mount Hua folks just because I was dumped in front of their sect, and raised drowning in their love and attention.
But I got what Biyeong meant.
“He’s a Daoist anyway, so no romance for him! Not for me either!”
I replied brightly, and Biyeong sighed.
“I hope not, but please don’t bolt from Mount Hua later claiming you’ve found true love.”
“Pfft, what a random worry.”
Biyeong’s hand suddenly gripped mine tight at my carefree reply.
As if telling me not to go anywhere.
The next day, at the Wudang Sect’s mountain gate.
Amid the Wudang disciples seeing us off, I gave a small wave back to Baek Geon waving at me.
“Our little Yeon’s even made a friend in another sect. He’s all grown up already.”
I shook my head firmly at Uihyeon’s emotional mutter.
“Not a friend—just someone I booked a match with four years from now.”
My standards for ‘friend’ were strict.
First off, had to see their face at least ten times.
So Baek Geon—total of nine meetings including four years ago—failed the first criterion. Not a friend yet.
Uihyeon looked down at me with a complicated expression at my firm declaration, then patted my shoulder, saying if they exchange greetings, that counts as friends.
“What kinda stingy criteria is that? Sounds like you’re not close enough to even call friends.”
Uiseong, who’d consistently denied his friendship with Cheonghwi, backed me up.
Then he spotted Cheonghwi behind the waving Baek Geon and scowled.
“What, that’s Cheonghwi’s disciple? If you don’t beat him four years from now, you’re in for it.”
“Whoa, no way you’re siccing me on him for proxy revenge ‘cause you’ve got no confidence beating Cheonghwi Sa-hyeong next time—”
“—you think? This damn brat’s holding a ritual for my defeat again.”
Dodging Uiseong’s hand as he ruffled my hair while grumbling, I bolted out of the Wudang mountain gate.
Twelve days after leaving the main sect, we returned to Mount Hua.