Dragon-Phoenix Gathering (12)
Dragon-Phoenix Gathering (12)
"Pour! Drink!"
The first day of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering. Several matches followed, but people spoke only of Hwang Ryong-seong. The tournament bracket, reeking of someone's lobbying, was filled with relatively unremarkable figures apart from the match between Hwang Ryong-seong and Jang Geon. Most had earned recognition in their own regions — was that not simply how the world worked?
Just because you were recognized in one region, once you stepped a little beyond that world, hidden gems lay scattered everywhere. If you crammed all those awls into one pouch, there were bound to be geniuses that pierced through the thicker bundle again, and among them, those blessed with heaven-sent talent.
After talent was sifted against talent several times over, like filtering through a sieve, the ordinary geniuses and the true geniuses separated — a distinction clear even to a casual eye. If Hwang Ryong-seong belonged to the true geniuses, those who had come up from the provinces belonged to the ordinary geniuses.
Those who had believed their whole lives that they would dominate the martial world were forced to face reality in a single moment. Thus, the brothel after the first day of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering was split in two: young men drowning in miserable drink and wailing, and the Eight Trigrams Association drunk on victory.
"Uahahahaha! Who dares stand in the way of the Eight Trigrams Association!"
"To the future of our brother Hwang Ryong-seong!"
"To the future!"
Coincidentally, the inn we had come to for a meal was right next to the brothel where the Eight Trigrams Association was celebrating. The sight of them on the open upper floor, draping their arms over the railing or carelessly discarding their clothes — there was no other word for it but utterly undignified.
"Vulgar bastards."
Im Seo-ryeon wore an expression thick with discomfort, her face deeply furrowed. Seon-go picked up her spoon with a wry smile, and Zhuge Yeong-yu, who had naturally joined our meal, was looking at Im Seo-ryeon with a subtle expression. He kept glancing at me, clearly curious about why Im Seo-ryeon was here.
Truth be told, I was curious too. Im Seo-ryeon was sitting there, not even lifting a single chopstick to the food. She just sat stiffly, arms crossed, like a vegan who had shown up at a barbecue joint.
I looked at Im Seo-ryeon and asked.
"...Are you not eating?"
Im Seo-ryeon shook her head at my question and replied.
"For a Daoist practitioner, meals are unnecessary."
Then why did you come?
The question had risen to my throat, but I barely managed to hold it back. It felt like she would really be hurt if I asked. Then again, cold-hearted bastards who cared nothing for the wounds of others existed everywhere.
"Then why did you come? I understand you have a match scheduled the day after tomorrow. Wouldn't it be better to cultivate calmly in your room rather than disturb your spirit in a place like this?"
That was Zhuge Yeong-yu. For someone who always dealt with people in an easygoing and relaxed manner, it was a sharp reaction. Im Seo-ryeon flinched at Zhuge Yeong-yu's words, her face reddening, then averted her gaze and spoke.
"Th-that's not something a person of the Zhuge Family need concern themselves with, is it? Wh-what does it matter to you where I am and what I do?"
"Well, we are eating at the same table, so saying 'what does it matter' is a bit...."
Zhuge Yeong-yu reined in his sharp tone and put on a flustered expression. If he had been wary at first, now he looked dumbfounded. Im Seo-ryeon pouted her lips at Zhuge Yeong-yu's words, blinked her eyes, then looked at me and asked in return.
"Sect Leader, am I making you uncomfortable?"
Why was she turning the arrow on me?
When I looked to the side, Zhuge Yeong-yu was subtly putting pressure into his eyes in his own way. But what was I supposed to do? If I kicked Im Seo-ryeon out here for being uncomfortable, I might never get to bury my cock in Im Seo-ryeon's ass again. An inn was a place where many people came and went. I did not want to become the kind of arrogant figure who threw out a peak master in a place like this.
"It doesn't bother me. We are acquaintances, after all — isn't it a good thing to see each other's faces lightly, even in a situation like this? In a way, you made time to come see me despite your busy schedule. How could I possibly chase you away?"
"...Hmph."
Im Seo-ryeon lifted the corner of her lips at my words, looking pleased, then stared at Zhuge Yeong-yu. Zhuge Yeong-yu narrowed his brow at the sight, then turned his head again and directed his gaze toward the people on the street. Not stopping there, Im Seo-ryeon looked at the back of Zhuge Yeong-yu's head and spoke.
"Having lived in Hubei Province, in a fairly respectable family, I've heard many rumors. Shall I tell you an interesting story? The eldest child of the Zhuge Family was an outstanding and clever child, worthy enough to inherit the family, but he had one flaw...."
"...Alright. Alright, so please stop. It was my fault for trying to push you away on a good day."
Zhuge Yeong-yu turned his head back, filled his wine cup, and said that. When he readily admitted his fault and even apologized, Im Seo-ryeon immediately closed her mouth. I glanced at Zhuge Yeong-yu for a moment, but hearing about his 'flaw' made all sorts of weird thoughts pop into my head, so I decided to just erase it from my memory. If it was a rumor quietly circulating among the influential families of Hubei Province, it was probably just gossip.
That he was a lecher, or that he had strange and perverted tastes.
For some reason, both of those seemed to apply to Zhuge Yeong-yu in a distorted way, which sent a shiver down my spine.
If it had been a truly lethal weakness, Zhuge Yeong-yu would not have been able to show his face and be active like this. Rumors that could make the other person uncomfortable simply by being curious about them were better off erased from memory.
Im Seo-ryeon turned her gaze back to me and said.
"You openly picked a fight with the Eight Trigrams Association, so there will be many who look unfavorably upon the Sect Leader. If those bastards try to pick a fight in some strange way, I would appreciate it if you definitely came to find me. In a situation like this, there is no harm in borrowing the name of the Hengshan Sect."
Zhuge Yeong-yu drank a cup of wine and interjected at Im Seo-ryeon's words.
"With the Zhuge Family standing firmly by your side, is there any need to borrow the name of the Hengshan Sect? I mean no disrespect to the Hengshan Sect, but in Hubei Province, local connections are what matter. The name of the Zhuge Family will settle everything, so there is no need for Miss Im to worry so much."
Im Seo-ryeon raised the corner of her lips at those words. It was a smiling face, but her eyes were not smiling. She looked straight at Zhuge Yeong-yu and spoke.
"Ah, I have connections in Hubei Province too. It's not a family as large as the Zhuge Family, but rather than borrowing the power of the Zhuge Family all the way over in Longzhong, I could borrow power right here, right now from...."
"Now, let's stop. Gathering on a fine day only to talk about our families. Is this what adults should be doing? Arguing over whose family is stronger — isn't that a game for children? Instead of that, let's have a light drink and share some enjoyable stories."
I cut off the conversation between the two of them. Watching them talk, it seemed like it would soon escalate into bragging about their fathers, boasting about their ancestors, and even personal attacks. The way fights broke out at drinking parties was not that complicated.
At this rate, swords would be drawn, fists would be swung at each other, and bloodshed would erupt. The Eight Trigrams Association was partying quietly and moderately — if rumors spread that the Hengshan Sect and the Zhuge Family started brawling, grabbing each other by the throat, it would be a disgraceful spectacle.
Whether it was Im Seo-ryeon or Zhuge Yeong-yu, both seemed to sense something in my words. They fell silent and adjusted their postures.
Im Seo-ryeon cleared her throat and said.
"Ah, no, that.... I made an unsightly scene...."
"No, the fault is mine. Being friendly and socializing on a day like this is perfectly natural. I am the one who should be sorry."
Zhuge Yeong-yu also cleared his throat, trying to calm his flushed face. The atmosphere, which had been about to erupt into a fight, finally settled down. Seon-go, watching the two of them, delicately picked at her food, then took a sip of wine and asked Im Seo-ryeon.
"By the way, if your family home is here, I take it you didn't arrange separate lodgings?"
When Seon-go spoke to her warmly, Im Seo-ryeon nodded. Though her expression was a little awkward, since they had exchanged a few conversations before, the answer flowed out without much reserve.
"Ah, yes. That's right."
"Then, do you also not take meals at your family home?"
Im Seo-ryeon looked puzzled at Seon-go's question and answered.
"Th-that's right?"
Seon-go glanced around, then asked Im Seo-ryeon in a small voice.
"Did you bring the oil by any chance?"
"...."
Zhuge Yeong-yu just tilted his head at the word 'oil,' not understanding, while Im Seo-ryeon's face rapidly heated up and she hung her head deeply. I covered my mouth with my hand to hide the rising corner of my lips, and Im Seo-ryeon carefully raised her hand to her waist and flicked her wrist.
Challang.
The sound of the oil-filled bottle shaking echoed,
and Im Seo-ryeon nodded her head.
"Oil? No, what kind of oil?"
Zhuge Yeong-yu still wore a clueless expression, and Seon-go looked at me, narrowing her eyes in a smile. Then she stretched her other hand toward Im Seo-ryeon and said.
"She said she's staying the night."
"Huh."
Zhuge Yeong-yu stared at Im Seo-ryeon with an even more shocked expression. Im Seo-ryeon wore a subtle smile, her face dyed bright red, then took Seon-go's hand and shook it as if in a handshake.
Im Seo-ryeon's flaw was her lack of honesty.