Chapter 222
Chapter 222
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 222
Chapter Title: Drinks on the Lake
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Suryeon suddenly hugged me tightly.
"If the injury is the problem, please heal it right away with Heavenly Tribulation."
"It's the kind of pain I don't want to inflict on others... It's best to hold back unless it's an emergency. Your spirit could end up in tatters."
"Ha, but still... I can at least have some alcohol..."
"Hey. Aren't you going to hold back your sect leader? Pouring booze into a wounded body for no reason will ruin her health."
While Number 1 held Suryeon, Gu Ok-kyeong grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
I let her lead me toward the interior of the Sado Pavilion. Her attendant maids had already vanished somewhere along the way, and there was no one else around.
"I've got everything prepared for you."
"What?"
"A drinking party. Just trust me."
The place she took me wasn't inside the building.
A lake bathed in clear moonlight. Amid the stillness, the occasional tok--- of bamboo could be heard.
It wasn't a garden worth noting beyond the lake itself. There was a small flower bed nearby, but no proper seating area.
The lake was a bit on the larger side, but it was far from the flashy, extravagant spectacles I'd seen before.
Gu Ok-kyeong pointed smoothly at a small rowboat floating on the lake. On it were food and extra bottles of liquor, prepared in advance.
"Doesn't kill the mood, right?"
"...Pfft."
"What? You laughed? You did laugh, didn't you? That's twice. Twice. You've laughed in front of me twice now. I'll make you laugh a third time next."
A rowboat.
Gu Ok-kyeong took the oars and slowly rowed us to the middle of the lake. There were no insects. The only sound in the quiet spot was the clear lapping of water.
"It's set up with a formation to keep flying bugs out."
"...Because of flying bugs?"
"You can't let bugs ruin the vibe at a nice spot, right? Imagine sipping some booze and picking at snacks, only to find a bug on it. Ugh. Hate that. No way."
She slid some snacks toward me.
"You like meat, don't you? I've seen it all this time. This is meat. That one's meat too. And just a bit of veggies out of courtesy. Don't like 'em? Skip it."
"...How'd you know?"
"I stared at what you were eating, didn't I? Think I wouldn't notice? Nothing in this world gets past me. Come on, kid. Just eat up nice and quiet."
Gu Ok-kyeong giggled and pinched my cheek.
"But first, a drink. Here we go... Here we go. Ding ding...!"
Gu Ok-kyeong shook the bottle, making the liquor slosh. But she stopped abruptly without even uncorking it.
"...What're you doing?"
"Getting my mind reverent. This is stuff I only get once a year. Ah. What a shame. I'm about to open it, but it's such a waste. If I don't drink today, I can have two next year?"
Gu Ok-kyeong slyly sloshed the bottle around.
"Two bottles next year... Mm... That'd be so nice... If you're still with me next year, we could each have one..."
"I'm fine with other booze."
"...You're falling for the bait, huh? Geez. Unbelievable."
---Pop.
With a crisp sound, an astonishing aroma wafted from the bottle. I couldn't help flinching in surprise.
The scent was incredibly sweet. But not purely so. A perfect blend of various fragrances tickled my nose with something I'd never smelled or heard of before.
"...This is..."
I swallowed without thinking. I wasn't much of a drinker. Never really knew the taste anyway.
But this was different. I could tell at once that this was something else.
Gu Ok-kyeong asked slyly.
"Kills it, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Pfft. Right? Told ya. When I first smelled this, I was like, whoa! Just whoa! Gotta drink it with First Demon---that's all I could think. For real!"
Excited, Gu Ok-kyeong poured out her words.
"And get this! Yeah! You can't just whip this up whenever. It's made from the most carefully selected ingredients, picked over and over... What? Where you looking? At the booze, not me."
"No."
Her excitement was childlike. A stark contrast to her usual carefree demeanor.
Seeing her so animated and explanatory was funny and endearing, so I smiled faintly.
"You're cute."
"...Oh ho. Starting something here?"
"...Wanna go for it? Right here? A spar?"
".......?"
".......?"
Gu Ok-kyeong slyly filled a cup.
"Drink first."
I tilted the cup. It truly lived up to the name 'fine liquor'-incredibly clean-tasting.
Not harsh at all. More like a beverage, really. But the crisp aftertaste was too refined for mere drink, and the lingering buzz was uniquely potent.
One sip made you crave the next. As I savored it, Gu Ok-kyeong closed her eyes, sipping slowly.
"...Haaah..."
Her heated breath sounded like she was truly relishing it. I quietly took the bottle and filled her empty cup to the brim.
"Hey, it's overflowing! Overflowing! Why fill it so full? Fill yours too!"
I filled mine. About half.
"...Not good?"
"No. It's delicious. Really."
"Then why only that much?"
"If I drink half, you can drink double."
"......."
Gu Ok-kyeong scooted closer, pressing her shoulder right against mine.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Just be my personal physician. Here. For real. I'll treat you great. No hard tasks. Won't send you to battlefields. If you hate the attention, I'll hide you well. Yeah? Let's live together."
"You know that's not possible."
"That precious, huh?"
"Precious."
I lightly clinked my cup against hers.
Gu Ok-kyeong pressed relentlessly.
"What if that Suryeon girl or whatever heals up completely?"
"I'll head to the Gu Society first. That group drifting on the fringes of the orthodox sects."
"Their leader's an acquaintance of yours, right? Gu... Gu... Gu something?"
"Gu Hwa-rin."
"Pretty?"
"Pre...tty?"
"Hmm."
Gu Ok-kyeong sipped her cup. She popped a snack into her mouth.
"Well, no one's prettier than me, so whatever."
".......?"
"And? After sorting out the Gu Society?"
"Still thinking. Between two options."
"What're the two?"
"One... going back to the cult."
"The other isn't staying with those orthodox bastards, right? Ugh. Don't. Just come back here! Make that option two."
"The second is pursuing Jin Baek-cheon to the end."
Gu Ok-kyeong blinked. She paused the conversation briefly.
"...True. That was the original mission, yeah? Jin Baek-cheon? That guy's that strong?"
"Strong. To the point where even now, I can't be completely sure I'd win."
"You think so? A monster like that not taking over a faction-what's he doing? Waste of power. Tsk tsk."
"Can't figure out Reverse Heaven's intentions. Or why they're keeping the martial world in chaos."
"What reason do madmen need? They're just crazy bastards. Here. Ahh."
I accepted the snack she offered and ate it.
Gu Ok-kyeong giggled.
"Say you chase Jin Baek-cheon. No leads, right?"
"Guess I'll have to gather them again..."
"Want me to investigate instead?"
"Nah. I'll handle it. Chasing that group could put you in danger."
"Oh, drawing lines now. Fair enough. Hard for me to make contact inside Murim Alliance territory. Damn. Pissing me off. Hey! The cult's so damn far! How am I supposed to visit?!"
"That's..."
Parting with her, who'd crossed frontlines with me, felt a bit regrettable for me too.
Started out as necessity, but eventually, affection grew.
She took good care of me, and I liked how she did. Awkward at first, but now...
Definitely a friend.
"Me too."
"Huh?"
But saying it out loud felt a touch embarrassing, so I averted my gaze without thinking.
Was my voice ever this quiet?
"I'm reluctant too. Ok-kyeong."
".......?"
Gu Ok-kyeong turned to look at me. Her slightly widened eyes stared straight at me.
I awkwardly reached for my drink. But she smacked my hand away.
"Almost spilled."
"That matter now? That booze? Doesn't matter at all anymore. After what you just said. You really..."
Gu Ok-kyeong narrowed her eyes.
"...Won't be mine? Asking seriously."
"I answered. Can't."
"But you say that? Wanna die?"
"It's the truth."
"...Doing this again. Damn. This guy's driving me insane. Unbelievable. You... What do I do with this? What? Seriously. Ugh!! I'm losing it!"
The boat rocked with Gu Ok-kyeong's outburst. Afraid it'd capsize, I hurried to steady it.
"No rampaging on the lake."
"You made me rampage! You bastard! Just... Just stay here! I'll take care of everything!!"
"N-No one's around!"
"Call everyone here! Merge the cult and Sado Pavilion!"
"I'm not the Heavenly Demon...!"
"Be the Heavenly Demon! Bastard! Be it! You're Heavenly Demon material! Bring First Demon too! Right now!"
"Th-The booze is spilling! It's expensive!"
"That matter?!"
"You said it does?!"
I hurriedly snatched the precariously tipping bottles from the air. Gu Ok-kyeong clung to my waist, whining.
"Just stay. I'll build you a palace. Yeah?"
"No...!"
"Ugh... Maybe I should seriously think it over... We couldn't tell fake from real this time, kinda soured me..."
"Ok-kyeong?"
"Tabled for now. Hey. While you're here, stick right by my side. Got it? I'll assign the best physician to that Suryeon girl or whatever."
Gu Ok-kyeong pressed her cheek against my waist and growled.
"Gotta look at you a ton while you're here so I remember you even after you're gone. Yeah? So stick by me."
"That... I like."
"Huh? Like it?"
"Suryeon needs a physician right now. And for me, seeing your face a lot before we part..."
I slowly set down the bottles I'd grabbed.
"...Would be great."
"......."
"Ok-kyeong?"
"Come here. Come here now?!"
"W-Wait! The boat's flipping...!"
"Get over here!"
The boat flipped in the end. The fine liquor mixed with water, impossible to drink anymore.
We ended up drenched in cold water. But it didn't feel bad at all. We even laughed, seeing each other sopping wet.
If anything...
It was nice.