Baek Mun-do
"Give me some vegetable side dishes too, Boss."
"Cook 'em yourself, you brat."
Hehe..........
"Yes, Boss."
Yang Jeong came into the kitchen, scooped some vegetables onto a plate, and carried them back out. It was just then that someone was seen crossing the Stone Bridge.
"Boss. We have a customer........."
Before Yang Jeong could even finish speaking, Jiang Zhou hurried outside.
"Welcome."
The customer who had come late at night was the very same man who had visited a few days ago alongside that remarkably handsome middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man cleared his throat with a haggard look on his face.
Ahem.........
"Could I get something to eat?"
"Of course, honored guest. Please, have a seat."
As Jiang Zhou showed him to a table, Baek Mun-do sat down and cast a discreet glance at Yang Jeong's face.
What a strikingly handsome fellow. I have never seen a man more handsome than my own son—until now, here of all places.
Just as he was marveling inwardly, Jiang Zhou asked, "What will you be having?"
Ahem......
At that question, he cleared his throat yet again.
His original purpose was the liquor, but flatly demanding a bottle outright somehow felt grating—like something was caught in his conscience.
"Bring me whatever you do best."
"Very well. One moment, please."
Jiang Zhou bowed his head and studied the middle-aged man in turn. Whatever the man had been up to these past few days, his face was utterly drained of vigor.
There was no doubt in Jiang Zhou's mind: the man had come not for the cooking, but for the liquor steeped with spirit herbs.
Not a chance he's getting any liquor.
*
Back in the kitchen, Jiang Zhou prepared Dongpo Pork. Since he had been about to sit down to his own meal anyway, it was simple enough to spoon rice and pork into a separate bowl and serve it up.
"Bring out a bottle of liquor as well."
"I'll take care of the drinks, Boss."
It was Yang Jeong who took the middle-aged man's order.
Baek Mun-do was curious about the identity of this exceptionally handsome young man.
"Are you the proprietor of this inn?"
"No, sir. I'm the Boss's younger brother, actually."
At Yang Jeong's answer, Baek Mun-do nodded. So this inn was apparently run by the two brothers together.
Truly handsome, the both of them. The older one has a refreshing, striking look, but the younger brother is practically without equal.
Hihihing...........! Hihing.........!
Just as he was lost in admiration, a horse's whinny rang out from the back yard. The moment he heard it, Baek Mun-do's interest was piqued.
In his youth he had roamed every corner of the jianghu, and he had laid eyes on more than a few horses renowned as famous steeds. The Murim Alliance kept many horses as well, some of them fine mounts indeed.
"Would it be all right if I took a look?"
Before Jiang Zhou or Yang Jeong could even answer, Baek Mun-do was already rising from his seat.
"Go right ahead."
Yang Jeong, busy bringing out the liquor, waved him off without a second thought.
Baek Mun-do moved at a leisurely pace, walking toward wherever the whinnying was coming from. When he reached the back yard, he found two horses in the act of mating.
Ho ho.........
The first thing to catch his eye was the mating itself, but soon his gaze followed the stallion's dynamic movements.
His frame is a bit lean, but he's overflowing with power. A colossus of a horse might tire on a long run, but a beast like this will run all day without breaking a sweat. A famous steed, without question.
Baek Mun-do coveted the stallion. Every foal born of that bloodline would be born a legendary mount.
He watched the mating for a while, then returned to the inn and took his seat.
"Have you any thought of selling me that stallion?"
Jiang Zhou and Yang Jeong, who were setting the table, stared at him blankly.
"Take him."
"He's not for sale, though."
Two different answers burst from their mouths at the same time.
"What do you mean, not for sale? You brat."
"That horse isn't mine, Boss. He belongs to Father."
Jiang Zhou would have gladly sold the beast off on the spot. The thing ate its fill and did nothing but mate all day long—it was enough to drive a man out of his mind. But since the horse belonged to his master and not to Samryong, he couldn't just force the sale.
Baek Mun-do looked Yang Jeong up and down. Apparently the owner of that stallion was this staggeringly handsome young fellow.
"I'll offer a thousand nyang of silver. What say you?"
An ordinary horse went for around forty or fifty nyang. And yet here was not a hundred nyang, nor even five hundred—a full thousand nyang of silver.
Even Yang Jeong wavered slightly. But he shook his head almost at once.
What kind of horse was this again? The beast had gobbled down no less than two quarter-chunks of a Thousand-Year He Shou Wu, for heaven's sake.
"I told you, he's not mine to sell."
*
Stubborner than he looks, this one.
Baek Mun-do picked up his chopsticks with considerable disappointment.
Munch munch..
But the moment he lifted a slice of Dongpo Pork to his mouth, the disappointment melted clean away. The Pork Noodles he'd eaten before had been delicious, but this Dongpo Pork was a taste from heaven itself. It was so springy and rich that it dissolved on his tongue and slid naturally down his throat.
Sluuurp...
Savoring the flavor, he filled his cup with liquor and downed it in one go.
Haah......
As the fierce hard liquor burned its way down, it felt as if flames were roaring up his throat. Hurriedly stuffing another piece of meat into his mouth, he savored it while looking at Jiang Zhou.
"That fiery liquor of yours is fine in its way, but what I'd really like is that medicinal liquor I drank the other day."
At Baek Mun-do's request, Jiang Zhou's face twisted slightly.
"What you drank the other day was everything we had, honored guest."
"Boss. You sold even that precious liquor to this customer?"
Before Baek Mun-do could get a word in, Yang Jeong jumped in, his face flushed red.
"Why are you getting worked up and spouting nonsense?"
"No, Boss, honestly! How could you sell that liquor without saying a single word to me?"
Yang Jeong, unlike his usual self, couldn't contain his excitement. And with good reason—that liquor was meant to be drunk by him and his Boss.
"What have you ever done to deserve—"
When Jiang Zhou's eyes turned venomous, Yang Jeong barely managed to rein himself in.
That was close.
If he'd thrown any more of a tantrum, he was certain to get the beating of his life.
Hehe......
"I'm sorry, Boss. I don't know what came over me—the nonsense just kept pouring out."
Baek Mun-do watched the scene with a deeply awkward expression.
I suppose it won't be easy to bring it up again.
He'd asked once and nearly started a domestic war; ordering the medicinal liquor now felt impossible. But he did not want to give up here. In just a matter of days, his long-strained relationship with his wife had grown close again in a rush.
"I have eaten at countless inns in my day, yet never have I tasted a dish to rival this. I would like to know your name."
He asked for their names first, and so Jiang Zhou gave his.
"My name is Jiang Zhou."
"And I'm Yang Jeong."
One after the other, they introduced themselves.
Brothers, yet different surnames?
"Ah, you must be half-brothers, then."
Baek Mun-do voiced his guess without a second thought. But at those words, the faces of Jiang Zhou and Yang Jeong twisted viciously.
"Are you insulting my mother right now?"
"Are you insulting my mother, sir?"
The two of them demanded an answer in perfect unison.
Baek Mun-do was flustered inside, but revealed nothing of it on his face.
"Ah......... You said you were brothers, so I merely drew the obvious conclusion. I am Baek Mun-do, Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance."
The moment he revealed his identity, the fierce look in Yang Jeong's eyes instantly turned docile.
"W-well... Yang Jeong pays his respects to the Alliance Leader."
He pressed his palms together and bowed his head to the floor. Jiang Zhou, however, was a different matter.
"So what of it? What difference does that make?"
Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance or not, the insult to his mother remained an insult.
Heheh.........
Baek Mun-do let out an awkward laugh. Just what in the world did the owner of this inn believe in, to stand so unbending?
He rose from his seat, pressed his hands together, and bowed with careful formality.
"I owe you an apology."
Even as he begged forgiveness, Baek Mun-do suddenly felt how strange his own behavior was.
The Alliance Leader of all the Murim, bowing his head.
Apart from his youth, he had never once lowered his head to anyone. There had never been occasion to commit a wrong, and every soul in the jianghu had revered and venerated him.
As if nothing had happened at all, Jiang Zhou's face smoothed into warmth.
"Thank you, Alliance Leader. Please, eat your meal before it goes cold."
".........Thank you."
The Alliance Leader picked up his chopsticks once more and slowly savored the Dongpo Pork. Jiang Zhou and Yang Jeong likewise laid out a meal at their own table and began their belated supper.
"Boss, this Dongpo Pork is absolutely divine. I missed this flavor so much I couldn't even eat properly at home."
"For the love of—just shut up."
Hehe........
Baek Mun-do ate in silence, quietly observing the two of them.
What peculiar fellows.
Never in his life had he seen men eat so naturally at ease in the presence of the Murim Alliance Leader. Were these seats occupied by the Alliance's later-stage prodigies, they would have been so daunted they could barely move their chopsticks.
Poking about in his breast pocket, he produced a banknote from his money pouch and laid it on the table.
"There is a thousand nyang of silver here. Just one cup of that medicinal liquor is all I ask."
Jiang Zhou and Yang Jeong turned to look at him. And in perfect unison, they delivered their answer.
"We don't have any."
"I told you, there's none left, Alliance Leader."
On both their faces was written an ironclad resolve: not a drop would ever be served.
But Baek Mun-do had no intention of retreating just like this.
"The Alliance Leader of the Murim is begging you like this, and still no?"
At his question, Jiang Zhou shot one back. "If it were your liquor, Alliance Leader, would you sell it for a mere thousand nyang?"
Baek Mun-do found himself unable to retort. It was a fair point. If it had been his own, he wouldn't have offered the liquor at all—he'd have drawn his sword and taken the man's head instead.
That liquor was worth more than any martial manual of the jianghu. No—it was worth more than any secret text in all the world. Even the Emperor sequestered deep within the Inner Palace, were he to grasp the true value of that liquor, would gladly part with ten million nyang of silver for it.
"Truly, there's nothing to be done?"
"It's not that we won't—the liquor simply doesn't exist anymore."
Ughhh...
A groan of deep despair escaped Baek Mun-do's lips.
And here I meant to show my wife that Mount Hwahwa-erupting strength of mine one more time.
*
With heavy, listless steps, Baek Mun-do dragged himself back through the gates of the Murim Alliance.
"We greet the Alliance Leader."
"We greet the Alliance Leader."
The warriors guarding the main gate bowed in unison. But their voices never reached him.
The Dongpo Pork and rice had been delicious. So delicious, in fact, that he had polished off no less than three bowls. Paired with a single cup of medicinal liquor, it would have been the finest banquet of his life. Alas, the liquor never came.
Should I bring them a useful martial manual and demand the liquor? Or teach them a worthwhile sword technique and demand it? No—perhaps I should simply take them in as my disciples. Both of them looked to have exceptional talent in their bones and frames. Handsome, too.
Lost in a dozen tangled thoughts as he walked, he found himself before his own hall before he knew it. Just as he was about to enter, he stopped in his tracks.
"Where have you been at this hour, Father?"
He turned to see his insufferably impressive son offering a respectful bow.
"Ah......... Won-young, is it. What business keeps you up so late?"
Baek Won-young, bowing before him, was his eldest son and his pride. His martial arts surpassed those of the later-stage prodigies, his character was upright, and his looks were striking into the bargain.
"I was training and have only just returned."
Baek Mun-do nodded, and was about to head into his chambers when he stopped.
"A new inn has opened between the Alliance and the village. Are you aware of it?"
"Yes, sir. I heard Ha-young carrying on about it. She says the inn's owner is a swindler and that she'll drive him out before long."
Baek Mun-do's face contorted as his voice boomed out. "What did you say.........! That girl is as reckless as ever! Whoever does she think she is, daring to speak of driving out an innkeeper!"
At his outburst, Baek Won-young tilted his head in confusion. According to his sister, the inn's owner charged a full nyang of silver for a single bowl of noodles. Even if he wasn't driven out, that was swindler enough by any measure.
"Has something unpleasant happened, Father?"
"Nothing of the sort. Before you judge anything rashly, go to that place yourself and have a meal."
"Understood, Father."
Having delivered his admonition with gravity, Baek Mun-do turned back toward his hall. Then, struck by some thought, he turned around yet again.
"When you go to the inn, see to it that you ride a sturdy mare."
".......I beg your pardon? What do you mean by that, Father?"
Baek Won-young could not fathom his father's meaning.
"You will understand when the time comes. Do exactly as I say, no matter what."