The Scent of the Peach Blossom Wine
The words “Miss Yeo-un, you seem to know the author as well.” hung in the air like a question left unanswered.
Yeo Chang-dong watched Sa Yeo-un’s face for the slightest flicker of intent.
She regarded him steadily, as though measuring the man before her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s only because the person I know has a similar face.”
“Even so, Miss Yeo-un, you looked terrified the moment you saw him.”
“So I tried to confirm it—and let it slip through my fingers! I didn’t even try to grab him!”
Sa Yeo-un’s voice came out as an irritated mutter. Yeo Chang-dong let out a low chuckle, the sound carrying clear relief.
“There is a much simpler, more certain way. Why waste precious time and manpower when I already have the clue?”
His statement was not entirely false.
Setting up the Heavenly Net took more manpower and resources than anyone realized. In pursuit, the fastest method was never to chase the target, but to anticipate where he would go and wait there instead. If you located the places he was connected to, the hunt became far too easy.
“What exactly is this clue of yours?”
“This.”
Yeo Chang-dong lifted the liquor bottle he had been holding.
Sa Yeo-un examined it and tilted her head.
“That isn’t the gourd you carried around every day. Has the flower-tea already graduated?”
“There is no truth to that. This is the wine the man left behind. Such fine liquor cannot be easily faked. If you follow this clue, you will find him sooner than you think.”
“What is the name of the liquor?”
“Peach Blossom Wine, I believe. Of course, there is still a chance it is a lie…”
The moment the name escaped his lips, Sa Yeo-un’s expression hardened. Her gaze drifted, almost of its own accord, toward the mountain where Yoo Eunhyeon had vanished.
“So this is how it’s going to end, is it?”
The voice was soft, almost gentle, yet it carried an unmistakable resonance—like someone quietly coming to a certain, unshakeable conclusion.
The smile that slowly spread across Yeo Chang-dong’s lips went unnoticed by anyone but him.
“Would you care for a cup of tea, Miss Yeo-un? I have some very good osmanthus tea on hand.”
The meaning was unmistakable. With Chang-hae and the others present, it was a signal to speak privately.
“I don’t mind. I have something to say myself.”
Sa Yeo-un nodded once.
Yeo Chang-dong glanced around and raised his voice slightly.
“As you can see, I and Miss Yeo-un have been assigned this task. Until the matter is settled, I ask that you keep your mouths tightly sealed.”
He had effectively gagged the entire Chang-hae contingent and their companions. With that, Yeo Chang-dong and Sa Yeo-un rose and left. The remaining people exchanged uneasy glances, then slowly drifted apart. No one had truly understood what was being discussed, and thus no one had been able to speak.
*
Having successfully shaken off the Demonic Cultists, Yoo Eunhyeon immediately drew upon his lightness skill and began racing across the mountain in the opposite direction from the capital.
The choice of route was deliberate—to confuse any possible pursuit.
For a long time he weaved through the forested slopes, until finally he caught the unusually thick, turbulent flow of natural energy at a large lake deep in the mountains. He slipped behind a massive boulder nearby.
That was the very reason he had fled into the mountains. In a small town or city, natural energy was too thin to conceal himself, but in the wilderness he could hide without difficulty.
After catching his breath, Yoo Eunhyeon narrowed his eyes.
“There is no scent of pursuit.”
In the mountains, even the slightest movement of a person disrupted the natural energy’s flow. By sensing those subtle shifts, he could detect an approaching enemy long before they came close. Yet no matter how much time passed, no trace of anyone chasing him appeared. Just in case, he lingered for nearly half a shichen, studying the situation. When nothing changed, he deliberately exposed a portion of his body.
“Why aren’t you chasing me?”
Honestly, there was no reason not to.
Which was precisely why the lack of pursuit struck Yoo Eunhyeon as deeply suspicious.
“Did the Yeo-un girl recognize me?”
He thought for a moment.
“No. Even so, that’s impossible. She wouldn’t simply let me go after deciding to kill or spare me.”
Yet the surroundings remained perfectly silent.
In the end, Yoo Eunhyeon brushed the dirt from his clothes and began to move with caution. If anything changed, he would hide again. He took a long detour around the mountain trail, but even after nearly escaping the range, no pursuer appeared.
“I even suppressed my martial energy on purpose… Did that work?”
The Blood Moon Strike technique Yeo Chang-dong had used was originally one that spread through flying blood droplets as its core. Yet techniques that used blood were rare, and especially the Blood-Dispersing Gong left an unmistakable trail if used even once. Yoo Eunhyeon had simply replaced the blood with mud particles as the core. The fact that Chang-hae had attacked and been repelled without realizing it was also a deliberate calculation on his part—to avoid spilling blood.
“Well, there might be a large group coming later. Let’s head back first.”
As he muttered and stepped forward, Yoo Eunhyeon suddenly fell silent.
“What if soldiers suddenly pour into the capital…”
The ominous thought lasted only an instant before he shook his head.
“Ah, it’s fine. What’s the point of worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet? It’s my own loss.”
In truth, he wasn’t even certain whether Sa Yeo-un had truly recognized him. There was no way to confirm it.
So he dropped the thought entirely and turned his steps toward the capital where Ju Yu-ryeon and Ho Won-jik waited.
*
Yeo Chang-dong led Sa Yeo-un to his quarters to discuss matters. The room was no larger than the one Yoo Eunhyeon had used during his apprenticeship, and inside it was crammed with dried flowers and honey-preserved blossoms prepared for making flower tea—far too many for two people to move comfortably.
The moment the door opened, Sa Yeo-un’s face twisted.
“We’ll talk outside.”
She hadn’t even finished speaking before she pinched her nose and marched out. Yeo Chang-dong stood stunned for a moment, then scratched his head and sighed. Soon he boiled water, floated a few osmanthus blossoms, and stepped outside with the teacups.
“Miss Yeo-un, the first time I see you in two years and you already say such things? This is genuine osmanthus fragrance.”
“Fragrance is fine. It’s soothing and pleasant. But there’s something more under it. You wouldn’t know that yourself.”
Sa Yeo-un frowned as she continued. “So you should get married too. You’re already late, and you’re wasting time here?”
She muttered absentmindedly, then added, “Well, I’m not one to lecture others about marriage anyway.”
She let out a long sigh. When the topic of marriage came up, her headache was immediate. Yeo Chang-dong smiled faintly. “You seem to have brought that up first, Miss Yeo-un.”
“It has nothing to do with today’s conversation.”
At that, Yeo Chang-dong’s eyes flickered with genuine interest.
“Let’s finish the tea first, shall we?”
Sa Yeo-un accepted the cup. The osmanthus tea had cooled just enough to release its delicate fragrance. When she took a sip, a faint smile curved her lips.
“Mmm. It’s been a while since I tasted this.”
“Osmanthus tea carries a cooling energy, so even when hot it refreshes the stomach. The aftertaste is wonderful.”
“Hah… It does calm me down.”
Sa Yeo-un exhaled. “I was going to speak casually anyway.”
She set the cup down halfway and sat cross-legged, fixing Yeo Chang-dong with a direct gaze.
“You already know I have a marriage contract, don’t you?”
“I’ve heard rumors.”
“And your father chose the groom.”
“Indeed.”
Sa Yeo-un paused, then spoke again. “Even so, I had no intention of staying silent. The groom is someone I have to at least get to know, after all.”
“Utterly natural, my lady.”
“Most of the information came from your father, though.”
She tapped the edge of her cup with her finger. “Among them, one piece of information was about Peach Blossom Wine.”
Yeo Chang-dong’s expression stiffened. “…Yes.”
“Your father was very proud of it. Said it was the wine personally brewed by the future groom.”
Sa Yeo-un’s eyes narrowed. “But listen. Who was the man who left that Peach Blossom Wine behind?”
“Yeom Geum-hyeon, I believe.”
“Yeom Geum-hyeon. Right.”
A twist formed at the corner of Sa Yeo-un’s mouth. “The groom you told me about is Yoo Eun-hyeon. Yeom Geum-hyeon, Yoo Eun-hyeon… Doesn’t something seem off?”
Yeo Chang-dong slowly repeated the two names.
“The liquor’s owner doesn’t have to be the one holding it.”
His tone was characteristically cautious.
“However, Miss Yeo-un, if the face was familiar….”
“That’s exactly why I’m more certain.”
Sa Yeo-un cut in. A brief silence followed.
“…There is a sufficient possibility. But there is one thing that bothers me.”
Sa Yeo-un’s gaze sharpened. Yeo Chang-dong spoke slowly. “You know why the Cult Leader wishes to make that man your marriage partner, don’t you?”
Even after finishing, his eyes remained fixed on Sa Yeo-un.