A Man's Drink
"Yeop Pung, what the hell did you do?!"
Beom Undae's head was spinning. No matter how he turned it over, he could not believe Yeop Pung had engineered this situation all by himself. Well — not entirely by himself. That dog had to be counted too.
He recognized it at a glance. The enormous golden hound was no ordinary beast. And the man groaning on the ground, sprawled and twitching, had clearly been a terrifying expert — yet now he looked ready to breathe his last at any moment.
Worse still, this was Nagun Peak. It was no abandoned ruin that anyone could simply wander into. It was a forbidden zone, a place that hid an abyss beyond all measure.
Yeop Pung looked at him. The golden Profound Qi that had settled in his body began to surge once more.
This was the man who had orchestrated everything six years ago. Most of the humiliation Yeop Pung had endured since then could be laid at this one's feet. If he had the strength right now, he would grind Beom Undae into dust. Unfortunately, he was still only at the 1-Vein Profound Realm.
Mercy, in any case, was not something he intended to offer.
"Beom Undae. Get the hell off Nagun Peak. This is no place for the likes of you."
Beom Undae clenched his teeth. He was far more cunning and far more calculating than the three already down on the ground, and the scene before him had veered wildly beyond anything he had anticipated. Lingering here even a moment longer was dangerous. Whether Yeop Pung had some hidden card left to play, or whether that dog was stronger than it appeared — either way, withdrawal was the wiser move.
"Yeop Pung… you'd do well to spend the rest of your life hiding here like a rat. The instant you set one foot off Nagun Peak, I will not let you go. Hmph!"
He turned without a backward glance. The welfare of Oh Gang and the others did not so much as cross his mind. Killing a fellow disciple was forbidden within the Cheonun Sect — and yet the cold-bloodedness of the man still sent a chill through anyone watching.
He had only just turned when a great, whiskered face reeking of liquor loomed up and blocked his path.
"Heh heh. You haven't even had a drink yet. Where do you think you're going?"
"You—!"
The sudden appearance of Maeng Chang-haeng made Beom Undae cry out in shock.
"Who the hell are you?!"
A blur. Maeng Chang-haeng's hand shot out like the wind. Before Beom Undae could even register what had happened, a dull thud sounded — and he crumpled, unconscious, to the ground.
So strong.
Watching from a distance, Yeop Pung could only marvel. He had already known Maeng Chang-haeng's skill was extraordinary, but he had not imagined it was like this. Maeng Chang-haeng and Bone were experts of a realm Yeop Pung dared not even guess at. They were likely terrifying powerhouses who had long since surpassed the Profound Realm and stepped into the Spirit Realm.
"Bone. What's the story with that one?"
Having put Beom Undae to sleep, Maeng Chang-haeng strolled over to Jin Ung, whistling. The once-renowned assassin was foaming at the mouth.
Bone looked down at him and let out a low growl.
"An ignorant human who doesn't know his place. I don't even want to bother speaking to—"
"You! This beast… urk!"
In the end, Jin Ung's breath simply stopped — as if the sheer contempt in Bone's eyes had been more than he could bear.
"Aigoo, I can't even remember the last time Nagun Peak was this lively!"
Maeng Chang-haeng stretched, gave Jin Ung's corpse a few idle prods with his foot, then grabbed the dead man by the ankle and flung him off the side of the peak.
He turned to Yeop Pung, grinning so wide his yellowed teeth showed.
"Not bad, kid. Taking down three at the 3rd Meridian Mysterious Realm when you're only 1-Vein Profound Realm yourself — as expected, the one the Founder chose is a different breed! Heh heh!"
"It was thanks to your help, Martial Grand-Uncle."
Yeop Pung bowed his head in genuine gratitude. If Maeng Chang-haeng had not stopped Beom Undae, he would have been the one trampled today. The thought only made the hunger to grow stronger burn hotter in his chest.
Maeng Chang-haeng flashed him a grin and said nothing. Then he turned to Bone.
"Clean up."
"Arf??"
Bone blinked.
"Damn it, if you don't do it, you think I will?"
A growl.
Bone looked at Yeop Pung.
"Right, him too. Haha — I forgot, since you usually handle all of it. Yeop Pung, drag those bastards along and follow me."
Yeop Pung's mouth twisted. He glanced at Bone, who was growling at him with bared teeth, then wordlessly grabbed Beom Undae and the others and started hauling them after Maeng Chang-haeng toward the far side of Nagun Peak.
Maeng Chang-haeng flicked out a spiritual seal. A Cloud Ascending Device came flying in from the opposite peak, and the two of them loaded the four unconscious bodies onto it.
He reached out and produced a yellow gourd flask from somewhere. The moment he popped the stopper, a liquor smell sharp enough to sting the nose rolled out.
"Martial Grand-Uncle, what is that?"
"Gotta get these bastards to drink."
Maeng Chang-haeng pinched Wang Maeng's nose shut and poured the liquor down his throat in a gurgling stream. When the man showed no particular reaction, he moved on to the next.
"What kind of liquor is it?"
Yeop Pung was thoroughly curious.
"Heh heh. Brewed it myself. One sip and they'll forget everything that happened today, clean as a whistle. You think I've got time to fuss over nonsense like this?"
So that was it. No wonder not a single rumor about Nagun Peak had leaked out all these years. Anyone who had run afoul of his master and Bone had been made to drink this peculiar brew.
"There's actually liquor like that in this world? What's it called?"
Maeng Chang-haeng, who had been riding a mild buzz, flinched. The moment he heard the question, his expression transformed. A cold, unreadable dignity settled over his face, and for an instant he seemed like an entirely different man.
"This is my most treasured creation, so of course the name is magnificent. It is…"
"The Wine of Oblivion?"
"Pretty badass, right?!"
Yeop Pung looked up at the sky. Suddenly he had nothing to say.
The four who had drunk the Liquor that Knocks Out Even a Donkey in One Cup were nearly to the opposite mountain when Maeng Chang-haeng's kicks sent them flying, one after another, to smash into the mountainside. Already badly injured, they were now wounded all over again.
Yeop Pung felt not a shred of pity. He followed Maeng Chang-haeng back to Nagun Peak.
That evening, after all the twists and turns of the day, Yeop Pung at last found himself at the drinking table with Maeng Chang-haeng and Bone. Officially, the gathering was to celebrate Yeop Pung. In truth, Maeng Chang-haeng had simply wanted an excuse to drink.
Yeop Pung raised his cup in respect.
"Martial Grand-Uncle. Thank you, truly, for your help today."
Bone, sitting beside him, promptly knocked the cup over. He had already emptied half a jar; his face was flushed a deep red, and his eyes were no longer as cold as usual. The look of canine contempt, however, had only grown thicker.
"Puhahaha!"
Maeng Chang-haeng slapped the table, roaring with laughter.
"Bone says the thing he hates most is humans putting on airs. Yeop Pung, I know you didn't come to Nagun Peak by choice — but there's only one thing you need to remember here."
The words struck Yeop Pung square in the chest. For far too long he had locked himself inside a shell. Caught between cold hearts and a colder world, he had all but sealed himself off. All he had wanted was to grow strong enough to smash it all to pieces.
He had never imagined that someone would simply hold out a warm cup of liquor and offer it to him.
Isn't it exhausting? Of course it was. He was exhausted to the point of madness.
All this time, there had been no one he could open his heart to. Now, looking at the man and the dog sitting across from him, he felt something well up in his chest — an impulse he could no longer hold down.
"Martial Grand-Uncle…"
"Don't call me that. It's awkward."
"…Old… Old Geezer Maeng?"
A knuckle cracked down on his skull.
"You mannerless little brat — if you're not going to call me Martial Grand-Uncle, you think you can call me Old Geezer Maeng? Have you lost your mind?!"
Growling with laughter, Bone collapsed onto the floor, unable to hold it in.
"Heh heh."
Yeop Pung burst out laughing too. He was laughing from the heart.
He drained his cup in a single swallow. The heat sliding down his throat seemed to reach all the way into his chest. He had never felt anything so clean, so thoroughly satisfying.
He slammed the cup down on the table.
"That's the stuff! Ha — now that hits the spot!"
There had been a time when Yeop Pung was a young man full of spirit, a fellow with a generous, open-hearted bearing. He had not always been this cautious, this small. But a single cup of a man's drink had brought the hero in him back to life. For this moment, at least, he wanted to set everything down and simply give himself over to the warmth of the wine.
"Puhahahaha!"
Maeng Chang-haeng threw his head back and laughed.
"Good — now you look a little more like yourself. Come on, Yeop Pung, let's go! Tonight, whoever loses at drinking is a dog!"
A snarl. Bone clamped down on Maeng Chang-haeng's leg.
A dog? You dare look down on this noble one?
"Ow! Bone, let go. Leave me a little dignity, would you? I said let go…"
Another growl.
"Hahaha!"
Yeop Pung clutched his stomach and laughed. He could not remember the last time he had laughed this freely.
The three of them drank late into the night.
In the deep hours, Yeop Pung realized his tolerance was far stronger than he had thought. Or rather — Maeng Chang-haeng's liquor was not like the harsh spirits of the mortal world. The more he drank, the more a gentle warmth spread through his body, without ever clouding his mind.
This is no ordinary wine…
Whether from the wine or something in the brew itself, the Profound Qi within him began to circulate faster. With every breath, a thrilling current of power seemed to gather toward his second meridian.
A pleasant haze that never went too far. A clean warmth that did the body no harm. That was the wondrous virtue of Maeng Chang-haeng's liquor.
And there was another effect that came of men drinking together: the distance between them simply… closed.
Late in the night, Bone fell asleep. Forgetting the years between them, Yeop Pung and Maeng Chang-haeng sat like old friends, arms slung over each other's shoulders, leaning against Bone's warm bulk as they gazed up at the moon.
"Old Man Maeng."
"Hic… What, you want another bottle?"
"No. I'm fine."
Yeop Pung waved a hand, smiling.
"There's something I wanted to ask."
"What is it?"
"That cliff behind us. Was it really that tall, once? Was what I saw in my dream the real thing?"
"Of course it was!"
Maeng Chang-haeng grew animated.
"The Nine Heavens Cloud-Spirit Wall was a treasure of our Cheonun Sect. Heh heh — so it showed up in your dream! There was a time I didn't even have the right to come here. And by the time I finally earned it, the wall had already fallen… already fallen…"
"Damn it — Old Man Maeng, it's all right. I'll ask the Founder myself and find every last star chart up there. Our Cheonun Sect will rise again. I swear it will."
"Hahaha. This kid — you're drunk!"
Maeng Chang-haeng staggered to his feet and patted Yeop Pung's face.
"Go wash up and get some sleep. If you really could meet the Founder… that would be something…"
With that, he weaved his way toward his room. In the moonlight, his retreating back looked somehow lonely.
And in that moment, a true resolve bloomed in Yeop Pung's heart for the first time.
I want to help Old Man Maeng. I want to restore the Cheonun Sect to its former glory.