Out of the Blue
It came out of nowhere.
I rushed back to my quarters and packed my things with Danhui. A change of clothes and a hefty coin purse.
“Ah, damn it. Not a carriage, but riding horses?”
I’d learned to ride as a child, so that wasn’t the issue. Still, the thought of galloping nonstop across that distance already made my back ache.
But I didn’t even have time to grumble. This Dragon and Phoenix Assembly wasn’t just some friendly gathering—it was the stage where I needed to get a head start on the variables heading my way.
Once my bag was ready, I headed straight outside.
“Everything’s prepared, Young Master.”
Muyoung brought two horses. They looked sturdy at a glance.
“Let’s go, Muyoung.”
I swung into the saddle and spurred the horse toward our destination—Mong Family Villa—riding hard for the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.
The Mong Family Villa stood in Mount Myobang, Hubei—a grand estate nestled amid beautiful scenery and gentle mountain slopes. This was where the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly would be held.
It was a gathering of the rising talents from the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families, a place to glimpse the future of the martial world. The Mong Family was known for its generosity and intolerance of injustice, which was why so many young talents were heading to Mount Myobang for the assembly.
Of course, not everyone could participate. Only the dragons and phoenixes of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families—or those with comparable fame and skill—were invited. It was a stage reserved for the heirs and rising figures who would one day lead the martial world.
The main gate of the Mong Family Villa opened wide. From early morning, carriages came and went, announcing the arrival of the young talents.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
The first to arrive was Namgung Sang of the Namgung Family. He was the eldest grandson of Namgung Yeom, the family head, and the firstborn son of Namgung Heon, the young master. In other words, he was the future head of the Namgung Family. His character was said to be outstanding as well, making him immensely popular in Anhui.
“Welcome, Young Hero.”
A woman approached Namgung Sang as he surveyed the villa and offered a polite bow. Her neatly braided hair shone like fine silk, and her striking figure, delicate face, and refined features made it clear at a glance that she was no ordinary beauty.
“Ah, Lady Yeo-rin. It’s been a long time, haha!”
Namgung Sang immediately cupped his fists and greeted her respectfully.
Mong Yeo-rin, the only granddaughter of Mong Yu-baek, master of the Mong Family Villa. Her beauty had already spread across the Central Plains. Namgung Sang’s face flushed red; he looked completely flustered, clearly smitten.
“To receive such hospitality from Lady Yeo-rin, the greatest beauty of Hubei, I hardly know what to do with myself.”
“……”
She didn’t recall offering any special hospitality……
Yeo-rin smiled and lowered her head.
“It’s all thanks to my grandfather’s generosity. Ah…… I heard this morning that the others have already entered Hubei. Please look around, and when lunch is ready, come to the rear garden. Don’t be late.”
“Ahaha! Of course! Then…… if you have time, perhaps you could show me around……”
“Hehe, you’ve visited often enough. I need to prepare for the other guests.”
“Ah, right. Then I’ll see you again when the chance arises.”
With that, Yeo-rin smiled and walked away. Namgung Sang stared after her, dazed.
“She’s…… truly incredible.”
A beauty so stunning it made his head spin. He’d thought she was extraordinary even as a child, but to possess such looks before even reaching adulthood—it was nothing short of devastating. Her natural grace and impeccable manners only deepened his admiration.
“Hehe, I’ll have to urge Father when I get back.”
Namgung Sang was also of marriageable age. If he could take Mong Yeo-rin as his bride, he wouldn’t envy anyone in the world.
He was lost in his own fantasies when an unpleasant voice cut in.
“What’s this? You’re alone?”
A burly man swaggered in like a bandit, a massive saber slung across his back. It was Paeng Uk of the Paeng Family, known as the Tiger of Hebei. Beside him stood his sister, Paeng So-ryeo.
“You should’ve come earlier.”
Namgung Sang shot Paeng Uk a glare, then cupped his fists lightly toward Paeng So-ryeo.
“You’ve grown a lot, So-ryeo.”
“It’s been a while, Brother Sang.”
Paeng So-ryeo returned the gesture politely. She too possessed striking looks and presence. Tall and robust, she radiated healthy vitality and wore clothes that boldly showed off her strong physique. Of course, anyone foolish enough to approach her based on appearance alone would quickly learn why few men dared to try.
“Hey, you got here way too early. Damn it.”
Paeng Uk let out a rough complaint. His fiery temperament was the very image of a typical Paeng clansman—exceptional stamina and an unyielding fighter who never gave up once his eyes were set on something. That was Paeng Uk, the quintessential rugged hero.
He was clearly displeased that he hadn’t been the first to arrive.
“Coming early isn’t a bad thing.”
Paeng Uk shook his head at Namgung Sang’s words.
“Damn it, this makes us look like we’re here to greet those Daoist bastards from the sects. That’s embarrassing, really embarrassing.”
Thud!
Paeng Uk drove his massive saber into the ground and snorted loudly. He looked exactly like a wild boar.
“By the way, where’s Lady Yeo-rin? I thought I caught her scent here just a moment ago.”
Paeng Uk sniffed around like a dog.
“Hah, you can actually smell that? You really are……”
Namgung Sang was at a loss for words. That crude, simple-minded fool sometimes displayed bizarre talents—like his abnormal sense of smell.
“She went inside to prepare for the guests. You should’ve come a little earlier.”
“Really? Damn, what a shame.”
In truth, Paeng Uk’s main reason for coming all this way was to see Mong Yeo-rin. Meeting her even once was no easy feat.
Namgung Sang watched Paeng Uk’s slumped shoulders as he turned away and smirked disdainfully.
‘No matter what, Lady Yeo-rin will be mine.’
Plenty of men had their eyes on her. But Namgung Sang had no doubt he would be the one to claim her. He was the scion of the prestigious Namgung Family of Anhui and the future young master. The Paeng Family was also a great house, but he couldn’t imagine Mong Yeo-rin pairing with someone as crude and ignorant as Paeng Uk.
“Brother.”
Just then, Paeng So-ryeo blushed and shyly held something out to Namgung Sang. He glanced at it and clicked his tongue.
“Brother said he liked this……”
“……”
What she pulled from her robes was a bottle of liquor.
“What is this?”
“When you visited our family before, you said you wanted to try it…… It’s our family’s secret one-grade brew……”
“Tsk, tsk.”
Namgung Sang frowned and clicked his tongue. Paeng So-ryeo bit her lower lip.
“Are you out of your mind? Bringing our family’s liquor to a grand banquet like this?”
“B-But……”
“Put it away. It’s disrespectful to the hosts.”
Namgung Sang spoke coldly and turned away. Paeng So-ryeo watched his retreating figure with a sullen expression.
Crack!
The neck of the bottle snapped off in her hand.
“Damn it…… What a waste of good liquor.”
She tossed the broken bottle into the bushes and walked off, her earlier shy demeanor completely gone.
More and more young talents from the great families and sects began arriving at the Mong Family Villa.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Two horses carrying two men galloped forward in a cloud of dust. They moved so fast that they vanished from sight almost instantly.
“I can see it.”
Muyoung and I rode up Mount Myobang. We had ridden like madmen for three days and nights, switching horses along the way. Since we had both reached the Peak realm, going without sleep for three days was possible—just exhausting.
Still, we’d made it in time. From Nanchang in Jiangxi to Mount Myobang in Hubei.
We reached the village at the foot of the mountain and dismounted. Horses weren’t needed for the climb.
The Mong Family Villa came into view in the distance.
Just then, I sensed a presence and stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
Muyoung gripped his sword hilt and scanned the surroundings warily.
“Someone’s there?”
It wasn’t hostility or killing intent. Curious, I approached the source of the presence.
“Hic, sob, sob…… This is so annoying……”
It was a woman. Empty liquor bottles lay scattered around her, and the smell of alcohol hung in the air.
“Huh? Who are you?”
She noticed me and looked up. The moment I saw her face—
‘Paeng So-ryeo.’
I recognized her instantly.
Paeng So-ryeo. She was Paeng Uk’s sister, famous for her straightforward and hot-tempered personality. Her somewhat violent nature often led to misunderstandings, but neither of them had a bad heart. If anything, they were closer to being simple and honest.
‘Ah, damn it.’
My expression twisted immediately. In my previous life, Paeng So-ryeo had chased after me relentlessly. Not because she liked me romantically—she had fallen for my martial arts at first sight and begged me to take her as a disciple, hounding me without end.
“Who the hell are you, you creepy bastard?”
“Creepy bastard?”
“Yeah. Haven’t you ever seen someone drinking before? Why are you staring down at me like that?”
“……”
Ah, my face must have twisted because of my past-life memories.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry? Sor-ry?”
Whatever it was that annoyed her, Paeng So-ryeo stood up and strode toward me. Up close, the smell of liquor was even stronger.
“Why are you speaking informally?”
She glared at me with fierce eyes. I let out a small sigh and shook my head.
‘Getting tangled up with her will be a pain.’
It wasn’t fear—it was just messy.
“My apologies, Miss. Please forgive my rudeness.”
Muyoung looked more surprised than she did.
“Hic, fine. That’s better. Hey, you—come here for a second.”
Paeng So-ryeo grabbed my hand without warning and pulled me down. Then she pulled out yet another bottle from her robes. Three bottles were already rolling around, but she clearly intended to keep drinking.
‘One-grade brew.’
It was a legendary liquor that could rival the Geumpum Hongju from the Ju Family. Even within the Paeng Family, it was considered precious—worth more than ten taels of gold per bottle. The bottle itself was tiny; three sips would finish it.
“I have things to do……”
“I’ve got things to do too, you know? So listen to what I have to say first.”
Ha, that damn drinking habit. It brought back all those dizzying memories from my past life. I gave up and sat down beside her.
“Sob, sob, just listen to me. You see…… Namgung…… the young master……”
“……”
Ah, that tiresome story. A common tale of a young girl’s unrequited love. The Five Great Families maintained close ties, so they visited each other often. Paeng So-ryeo had fallen for a scion of the Namgung Family. Despite her rough and fierce appearance, she had a surprisingly tender heart. Namgung Sang probably had no interest in her at all. I remembered from my past life that she had been deeply hurt by him and wandered for quite some time.
Paeng So-ryeo rambled on endlessly about Namgung Sang and her own feelings—for half an hour straight.
“Hey, kid. What do you think?”
“Well…… From what I can see, it looks like you have terrible taste in men, Miss.”
“Wh-What?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking? Young Master Namgung Sang doesn’t seem interested in you at all.”
Paeng So-ryeo stopped hiccuping and stared at me with wide eyes.
“You little…… What the hell……!”
She blurted that out and then toppled backward, immediately starting to snore loudly.
“……”
“I’ll carry her, Young Master.”
Muyoung quickly stepped forward and hoisted Paeng So-ryeo onto his back. She was wearing the Paeng Family’s distinctive attire, so he had guessed her identity without needing to ask.
“Let’s go……”
What a draining way to start things off. We finally arrived at the Mong Family Villa, exhausted.