Chapter 68: Boating
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 68: Boating
Seo-jun had slowly begun to give up on trying to understand the situation.
Most people would probably do the same if they witnessed the bizarre bartering unfolding right before their eyes.
"No, does this even make sense...? How is this happening...?"
"My, there was a reason this young hero praised them so much."
It was a one-for-one exchange of breasts and cheeks.
Pinching a cheek in a public place wouldn't draw much attention, but fondling breasts was an entirely different story.
Despite pretending not to look, the eyes of everyone in the inn were glued to Namgung Su-ah's chest, which was currently being squished and kneaded in Chun-bong's hands.
Shouldn't the title of 'Mad' belong to these two instead of me?
Standing there in a daze, Seo-jun subtly released his aura.
Sensing the fierce pressure, the onlookers hurriedly averted their gazes.
To be honest, he felt like his group was the one in the wrong for putting on such a show in public, but the crowd was staring far too blatantly.
Clutching his throbbing head, Seo-jun stood up.
"Um... since it seems like no one needs to rest, shall we just head out? Let's go to the Hao Sect."
"Hoho, shall we, young hero?"
Namgung Su-ah stood up, tidying her disheveled collar.
Chun-bong was still kneading the empty air with her hands, as if she hadn't quite recovered from the lingering sensation.
Seo-jun sighed as he looked at the girl.
"You too, kid. Seriously. How could you do that in a place full of people?"
"...Hey."
"Yeah?"
"It's insane. You should try touching—no, wait. Don't you dare touch them."
"What are you even talking about?"
Shaking his head, Seo-jun quickly exited the inn.
Nothing was ever easy.
"Let's see..."
Following his memory back to the Hao Sect, the first thing that caught his eye was a massive hole punched straight through the wall of the top floor.
"What the hell is that?"
They had hastily patched it up with wooden planks, but there was no hiding the sheer scale of the damage.
"I wonder what happened while we were gone?"
"Who knows..."
Frowning, Seo-jun headed toward the main entrance.
Since the place seemed to be operating normally, it probably wasn't a major disaster, but still...
"Ah, you've returned. Are you here to see the Guild Master?"
The woman he had met before approached with quick steps and bowed. For some reason, her attitude was much more favorable than last time.
"Ah, yes. But what's with that hole up there?"
"Just the usual rowdiness of a martial artist."
"Aha."
These Murim guys are really something else.
Murim master Lee Seo-jun shook his head and walked inside.
"I should head to the top floor, right?"
"Please wait a moment."
A man came down from the upper floor and signaled to the woman.
Nodding, she turned back to Seo-jun.
"The Guild Master says he will come down personally."
"Huh? Really? Is it okay for him to just show his face like that?"
"It is better if he remains as hidden as possible."
"Aha."
It seemed she was subtly telling him not to go around shouting to the whole neighborhood that this man was the Guild Master.
After waiting for a short while—less than five minutes by his count—a clean-cut, strikingly handsome man descended the stairs.
"It's my first time seeing you in person, Gwang-a-rang."
The man offered a mysterious smile, greeting Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah as well.
Seo-jun stared at him intently, tilting his head.
"You look a lot more normal than I expected."
"It's not as if I was hiding because my face was hideous."
"Well, true. ...Ah, I've got it. You have the perfect 'pretty boy' face."
"......."
The Guild Master pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a long sigh.
He felt like he was finally starting to understand the person known as Gwang-a-rang.
The comment wasn't meant to be an insult; it was simply the result of words jumping straight out of the man's mouth without passing through his brain. He probably even thought he was giving a compliment.
"It's not an insult, I mean you're handsome."
See? It was a compliment.
The Guild Master let out a hollow laugh.
"You're one to talk. You look like you've heard the 'pretty boy' comment quite a bit yourself."
"What?"
"Well, let's leave the talk about looks at that. You may call me Hyeon-wol."
"Hyeon-wol?"
Seo-jun glanced around the pavilion.
Wasn't the name of this place the Red Moon Pavilion—Hyeon-wol-ru? Did this guy have absolutely no intention of hiding his identity?
Hyeon-wol smirked, seeing Seo-jun's thoughts written clearly on his face.
"Oftentimes, being this bold is exactly how you keep people from noticing."
"Is that so...?"
"That's how it is. Enough of that, follow me. I'll lead you to a nice spot."
Hyeon-wol began to lead the way out.
Seo-jun scratched his head, trailing behind.
"Why leave this place and go somewhere else?"
"Because I want a change of scenery. Try being stuck in here all the time. Even you would be itching to go outside. I don't get many chances to leave except for times like this."
"Aha."
As Seo-jun nodded, the corners of Hyeon-wol's mouth curled up. His gaze swept over Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah before returning to Seo-jun.
"Furthermore, I don't think you'd be safe if we just sat around drinking with the courtesans here."
"It's not like I drink until I'm unconscious. I can react to a surprise attack in an instant, you know?"
"Ho, is that so? Anyway, let's go."
*
The place Hyeon-wol led them to was a pavilion beside a fairly large river.
"This river is a branch that splits off from the Yellow River. Do you see those boats?"
Following the tip of Hyeon-wol's finger, several boats could be seen gently floating on the water.
"Drinking on the river is truly exquisite. The sun will set soon, and if we wait a bit longer, we can enjoy the elegance of the night with the moon as our companion. If this isn't the Pure Land, what is?"
"Oh."
Seeing Seo-jun look genuinely intrigued, Hyeon-wol laughed heartily.
"Haha! Yes, you do understand the finer things in life! Let's go!"
As expected of the master of the Red Moon Pavilion, Hyeon-wol had already made arrangements. He quickly rented a boat and had all the necessary preparations for a proper drinking party set up.
Since most of the boats on the river were small skiffs, Seo-jun expected theirs to be modest as well, but it was surprisingly large and lavish.
"Oh, ooh...!"
Chun-bong, now standing on the deck, stomped her feet in excitement as she peered over the railing at the rushing water.
"It's floating...! This huge thing actually floats!"
What is with this kid? Is she trying to give me a heart attack?
Her cuteness was reaching lethal levels.
As Seo-jun clutched his chest in mock agony, Namgung Su-ah, who was standing beside him, giggled.
"She's so cute, I really want to make her my younger sister."
"Ahem, Chun-bong is my sister. You can't have her."
"Then I can just be your older sister, young hero."
"What?"
When Seo-jun reacted with exaggerated shock, Hyeon-wol, who was walking over with two courtesans, let out a dry laugh.
"You lot certainly live interesting lives."
"Wait, why are the courtesans here...?"
"Did you intend to enjoy yourself with a flower in each hand while I sat alone? That's too cruel. I need someone to pour my drinks too, don't I?"
"Aha."
Accepting the logic, Seo-jun sat down at the table with Hyeon-wol.
A courtesan sat on either side of the Guild Master, while Namgung Su-ah took the seat to Seo-jun's right.
Chun-bong was still busy exploring the boat in high spirits.
"Have a drink. It's on me today, so drink to your heart's content."
Hyeon-wol poured a cup, and Seo-jun, taking the bottle, poured for Hyeon-wol and Namgung Su-ah in return.
Seeing this, the courtesans shyly held out their cups with expectant eyes.
"Young master, what about us?"
"Won't you pour for us as well?"
When Seo-jun subtly handed the bottle back to Hyeon-wol, the man laughed loudly.
"Haha! Fine, I'll pour for them instead of my friend here."
After filling the courtesans' cups, Hyeon-wol raised his own.
"A single petal flutters away, and spring is diminished; ten thousand blooms blown by the wind truly sadden a man. Let us watch the flowers before they are all gone; do not loathe the wine that graces the lips, even if it brings harm."
"What?"
"It means forget your troubles and just drink."
"Oh... that sounded pretty impressive."
"That's why one learns poetry."
Laughing aloud, Hyeon-wol drained his cup in one go.
Seo-jun also emptied his cup instantly.
"Kaaah... Whoo, that's got a kick."
"You're still young."
"We probably aren't even that far apart in age, what are you talking about..."
"Is that so? Well, thank you for the compliment."
Leaning back in his chair, Hyeon-wol let out a soft sigh.
"Did you see the hole in the pavilion wall?"
"Uh... is it okay to talk about that here?"
When Seo-jun gestured toward the courtesans, Hyeon-wol simply nodded.
"It's fine. They are also members of the Hao Sect."
"Oh, so you really are the boss. Anyway, yeah, I saw the hole. What happened?"
"A crazy old man punched straight through it and left. I looked into it later, and he turned out to be a real big shot. The Soul-Stealing Demon, Hyeok Mu-gang. Have you heard of him?"
"I've cracked his head open before."
"Phew... Wait a moment. I shouldn't be drunk already."
Hyeon-wol made eye contact with the courtesans. They giggled and nodded.
"You heard him correctly, Guild Master."
"Good grief."
Hyeon-wol naturally pulled the courtesans on either side of him into an embrace.
Seo-jun looked genuinely impressed.
"Wow, you really look like a total playboy."
"...Is that also a compliment?"
"Of course not."
"I see."
Namgung Su-ah chimed in subtly.
"Young hero, are you envious?"
"No?"
"That's a shame."
Namgung Su-ah pulled back again, a playful glint in her eye.
Hyeon-wol let out a hollow laugh.
"Actually, I was going to warn you about him... but if he's already become a ghost of the afterlife, there's no need."
"He seemed like a nice old man, though?"
"...That arch-demon?"
"Yeah. He gave me everything he had before he left."
"Is that how it works? They do say madmen recognize their own kind."
"What did you say, punk?"
"Haha! Just a joke."
Hyeon-wol stretched out his arm while remaining in his relaxed posture.
"The sun is setting."
Turning his gaze in the direction Hyeon-wol pointed, Seo-jun saw the sun dipping into the river, dyeing the water's surface in brilliant shades of orange and gold. It was a magnificent sight.
Staring blankly at the scenery for a moment, Seo-jun suddenly shouted.
"Hey, Chun-bong! Stop playing around and come here! You'll regret missing this!"
"Huh? What is it?"
Chun-bong came running over, her jaw dropping as she looked at the riverbank bathed in the twilight.
"Whoa..."
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
"...Yeah. Hehe."
Smiling cutely for once, Chun-bong hopped into the empty seat next to Seo-jun.
"Want a drink?"
"Ugh... no way."
"Right, right. Our Chun-bong should stick to water. The adults will handle the alcohol."
"What did you say, you jerk?"
Chun-bong flared up and reached for a cup, but then she remembered passing out immediately after taking a single sip last time. She quietly put it back down.
Chuckling, Seo-jun raised his cup.
The clear liquor shimmered in the porcelain, having been refilled before he even noticed.
"Come on, let's have a toast."
"Don't you know any poems?" Hyeon-wol teased.
"Poems? Hmm.... One star for Mother, one star for Chun-bong.... Hmm. Let's just drink, shall we?"
"Haha! Let's do that."
"Cheers, sister."
"Cheers?"
As their cups clinked softly, Namgung Su-ah giggled.
"Yes, cheers."
"Hey! Me too!"
"Oh, right. Cheers for our Chun-bong too."
Seo-jun clinked his cup against Chun-bong's water glass and grinned.
"Bottoms up."
In other words, down it in one shot.
After gulping down the burning liquor, Seo-jun chuckled.
Good wine, good food, and good people.
The Murim had its decent parts after all.