When a Man Falls for a Man (1)
"What brings you here, Sect Leader?"
"Well... on my way over, I spotted a young fellow who looked to be the owner of that inn, washing dishes down by the stream. This old man knows a thing or two about geomancy, so I told him the spot was ill-fated—and the young whelp flew into a temper at me."
Hehhh............
Baek Mun-do put on a look of studied sympathy.
"Why would you do such a thing, Sect Leader? Even to my eyes, the young owner seemed to have quite a prickly temperament."
Mmmm.........
A pained groan escaped Sin Pung-gae's lips of its own accord.
He had loudly declared that he would never stoop to begging for a meal at that inn—so how had he come to seek the place out in the first place?
But he quickly swept the worry from his heart.
A beggar's face was tougher than any iron plate, and no matter how formidable a man might be, he would yield in the end. It was simply the way of things.
Sin Pung-gae erased the matter of the inn from his mind and brought up a different subject instead.
"The reason this old man has come all the way to the Murim Alliance is the unsettled currents stirring through the murim."
Baek Mun-do's expression turned grave as he received the words.
"Tell me."
"According to the reports from my beggars, suspicious-looking martial artists were spotted moving through a village in the north some days ago. There were roughly twenty of them. One of my beggars approached to learn their identity—and vanished without a trace. And the direction those men are traveling in... it seems to be toward this very place."
Baek Mun-do sank into thought, his face heavy.
"Does something trouble you, Alliance Leader?"
When the silence stretched too long, Sin Pung-gae spoke up. At that, the Alliance Leader wiped the shadow from his features and asked a question of his own.
"Among those martial artists—was there by any chance a large man carrying a great saber?"
At that question, Sin Pung-gae's eyes flickered with a strange light.
"How could you possibly know that?"
Haaa.............
Baek Mun-do let out a long, deep sigh.
"It seems... the Blood Cult has been revived."
The moment he heard the answer, Sin Pung-gae's eyes went wide with shock.
"Th... this can't be... the Blood Cult, revived? Is that the truth of it?"
The Blood Cult?
It was a name he never wanted to think of again—a name he never even wanted to utter.
The war against the Blood Cult had been so horrific that countless martial artists had lost their lives. In the end, the Hundred Heroes had defeated them, but most of those heroes never returned from the battlefield.
Baek Mun-do kept his voice calm and steady.
"Do not worry too much. The murim is enjoying years of abundance unlike any before."
True to his words, the martial world was flourishing on an unprecedented scale. Outstanding young prodigies were emerging one after another, taking up the mantle of the Hundred Heroes.
Sin Pung-gae recovered his composure as well.
"This old man trusts in you too, Alliance Leader. But if the beggars' reports are true, those unwelcome guests will assault the Murim Alliance before long."
"We will be thoroughly prepared."
The Murim Alliance had hardly been idle all this time. Ever since the war with the Blood Cult, it had steadily stockpiled its strength—enough now that even if the cult had returned, they could give battle in earnest.
"Come to think of it, it reminds me of that Blood Cult bladesman, Buk Yeomra. Could he not have been one of the cult's masters as well?"
Some two and a half years ago, a master named Buk Yeomra had swept across the northern murim like a storm. His martial arts were so overwhelming that the entire martial world had been thrown into great alarm.
But overnight, he had been slain by someone—and his subordinates annihilated along with him.
"We dispatched masters from the Alliance at the time. But all we could do was collect the corpses of the man and his men. Nowhere did we find a single shred of evidence tying them to the Blood Cult."
Kkik kkik....
As if recalling something amusing, Sin Pung-gae suddenly broke into a mischievous grin.
"Do you also believe, Alliance Leader, that the one who slew Buk Yeomra was the head of the Eon Clan?"
After Buk Yeomra and his men had been wiped out to the last, the Eon Clan of Jinzhu had spread it about that the deed was the work of their clan head. Thanks to that, the Jinzhu Eon Clan's reputation had soared, and its fame endured to this day.
At his question, Baek Mun-do smiled bitterly.
"I doubt it. While Buk Yeomra was running rampant, the Jinzhu Eon Clan was cowering as quiet as dead mice."
"This old man thinks the same as you. The Beggars' Sect searched for the master who slew Buk Yeomra as well, but we never found so much as a footprint. Even now, the mere thought of it leaves me sorely disappointed."
"He is most likely an old master living in seclusion, hidden away from the world. That would explain why he has never shown himself."
As dusk began to settle, Baek Won-young led a black mare out of the Murim Alliance.
He had no idea why his father had told him to bring the horse, but he supposed he would learn the reason once he reached the inn.
One bowl of noodles for one silver tael... is it really worth that much?
When he had first heard the story from his younger sister, he had simply laughed it off. But when the tale of that inn came out of his father's own mouth, a genuine curiosity had taken hold of him.
After a long walk, he arrived at the edge of the forest and led his horse across the Stone Bridge.
A crumbling wall. A gate with no door. Where in the world was the entrance supposed to be?
The moment he stepped inside leading the horse, a strikingly handsome man came running out.
"Welcome."
Baek Won-young bowed in return to the courteous greeting. The moment he raised his head, he met the eyes of the handsome young man.
What deep, clear eyes.
The inn was no better than a roadside stall, but the young owner's first impression was far from bad.
"Take any seat you like."
"Is there not a stable where I might tie my horse?"
Baek Won-young looked around, searching for one. The young owner pointed toward the back.
"There's a back yard. You can leave her loose there."
"Thank you."
Following the owner's directions to the back yard, he saw a horse crouched low, sitting on the ground. The seated horse looked utterly exhausted.
Baek Won-young released the mare into the yard without even tying her reins.
"Rest here."
The paths were so well-worn that there was no fear of her running off.
When he returned to the inn, the young owner asked politely,
"What will you have?"
"I've heard the noodles here are delicious. One bowl of noodles, please."
Baek Won-young ordered the noodles exactly as his father had described. The young owner asked again.
"We have Chicken Noodles—would that be all right?"
"Yes, that will do. Ah—and if you have liquor, a bottle as well, please."
"One moment, please."
The young owner disappeared into the kitchen and began pulling noodles by hand.
Thwack...! Thwack........!
Baek Won-young watched through the wide opening in the wall.
His noodle-pulling technique seems quite skilled...
After watching quietly for a while, he let his gaze wander. A roughly furnished table and log stools, and a roof thrown up with only the barest covering. A truly shabby inn.
Yet with no walls, there was a strange, refreshing openness to the place.
Whooooosh...
The wind blowing through from the forest truly did feel as though it were sweeping away the weight pressing on his heart.
How refreshing.
He knew many prodigies of his generation, and knew them well. But there was not one among them he could call a true friend, one with whom to share his heart.
Son and eldest of the Alliance Leader. He had to outshine everyone else—and so he had never had the time to make friends.
Tap.
The sound of a wooden plate being set down snapped Baek Won-young out of his reverie.
Goodness... I didn't even sense a person approaching this close. I still have far to go, Baek Won-young.
He chided himself. Lost in thought though he may have been, failing to even notice someone drawing near was reason enough for harsh self-reproach.
"What are these?"
On the table sat no fewer than three dishes of seasoned vegetables.
"Seasoned Wild Greens," the young owner replied as he set down a bottle of liquor and a cup.
So different from any other inn, in every way.
Other establishments served vegetables stir-fried in oil, but these greens carried not a trace of grease. Baek Won-young picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. The moment he chewed, a fragrant freshness spread through his mouth.
Ahhh............
It feels as though even my mind is growing clearer.
So this was what dignity looked like?
There was something about the handsome young customer that set him apart from everyone else. Beneath his gentle speech lay a firm core, and his face—handsome enough to rival even Samryong-i's—seemed to give off a faint, quiet glow.
The world is full of remarkable people.
He had felt that same majesty and refinement from the two middle-aged customers who had visited before. But their dignity had amounted to nothing in the face of the torrent of profanity and murderous glares they hurled at each other.
Why is this brat taking so long?
Samryong-i had ridden off into the forest and still had not returned. That fellow would no doubt come shuffling back only when it was time to eat.
Jiang Zhou placed noodles and chicken into a bowl and ladled the broth over them. Then he set it down on the young customer's table.
"Your Chicken Noodles."
The young customer, who had been savoring the greens, started in surprise. But then, without missing a beat, he spoke in his mild voice.
"The Seasoned Wild Greens are wonderful."
Haha........
"Thank you."
No one disliked hearing their cooking praised. Jiang Zhou accepted the words with a smile.
The young customer lifted noodles and meat with his chopsticks and brought them to his mouth. Then his face registered utter astonishment, and his chopsticks began to fly.
Slurrrp......chomp, chomp.....
In no time he had emptied the bowl and held it out.
"Could I have another bowl?"
"Of course. I'll bring it right out."
Jiang Zhou smiled and returned to the kitchen.
This was the first customer who had ever lifted his spirits like this.
Now he thought he finally understood what his father had meant when he told him to try a meal at this inn.
One bowl of noodles for one silver tael. When he had first heard it, he had laughed—but there was nothing to laugh at now.
The chicken in the Chicken Noodles was at once springy and tender, and the noodles and broth chewy yet clean and delicate.
To draw out a flavor like this from chicken and noodles. The silver tael is more than worth it.
Having eaten noodles here, he realized that everything he had eaten before had not been noodles at all.
Mmmh...
Baek Won-young tipped back his cup, the wild greens serving as his drinking snack. While he was inwardly, impatiently awaiting his Chicken Noodles, a dazzlingly handsome young man entered the inn—accompanied by a scrawny horse at his side.
Baek Won-young could not take his eyes off the handsome young man's face.
The world truly is full of striking men.
His own face was handsome beyond comparison with other men, yet it fell short of the man holding the horse's reins.
And when the strikingly handsome young man opened his mouth, Baek Won-young was startled all over again.
Hehehe.....
"Big Brother, I'm back."
How could a man so handsome laugh in a way so utterly silly?
"What were you doing that you're only now getting back?"
The young man emerged from the kitchen where he had been cooking, glaring with both eyes. To any onlooker, he looked ready to throw a punch on the spot.
At that, the dazzlingly handsome young man began offering excuses.
"Well, you see, this creature kept nothing but stuffing her face with grass. That's why I'm a little late."
But the man from the kitchen did not believe a word of it.
"N... no, Big Brother! It really is this creature's fault. I'll go tie her up right away."
The dazzlingly handsome young man scurried off. Once he was gone, the man from the kitchen wore a faint, soft smile.
Ahh...
The moment he glimpsed that smile, a warm flush stirred in Baek Won-young's chest.
What truly devoted brothers.
He waited for his Chicken Noodles with a contented feeling.
"Big Brother, I'll serve your dinner first."
Yang Jeong came into the kitchen, scooped wild greens onto a wooden plate, and carried them out. While he set out the evening meal, Jiang Zhou placed a bowl of Chicken Noodles before the young customer.
The young customer paused his chopsticks halfway between the noodles and meat and looked up at Jiang Zhou.
"Were you by chance a royal chef at the palace?"
He had never tasted noodles like these anywhere in the murim. If an inn serving food this exquisite had existed in the martial world, word would have spread far and wide long ago.
Yet there had been no word at all—which meant this young owner had been a chef somewhere else entirely.
Haha........
Before Jiang Zhou could answer, Yang Jeong cut in abruptly.
"My Big Brother didn't cook at the palace—he cooked in the mountains. But his skills are far greater than any royal chef's."
Baek Won-young nodded. Certainly, he was far too young to have been a palace chef.
Hihihing........!
Just as he lifted his chopsticks toward the Chicken Noodles, a horse's neigh rang out from the back yard. Jiang Zhou furrowed his brow and turned to Yang Jeong.
"Go take care of it. Now."
Yang Jeong wasn't the least bit worried.
"It's fine, Big Brother. I drained every last ounce of her strength all day long."
"If you drained her strength, why is she neighing like that?"
"She must be tired."
At that answer, Jiang Zhou's face twisted.
Because that neigh was not the cry of an exhausted animal—it was the whinny of one in a state of wild excitement.