Chapter 182: Good Things Should Be Shared
"I thought you were kidnappers because the villagers pointed me here. Not that it was an unreasonable assumption..."
Hwamyeong looked toward the manor.
When he asked the villagers if they had seen any suspicious martial artists with children, they all pointed to this manor without hesitation.
Their insight had been so accurate that he couldn't blame them.
Hwamyeong was a man of manners and courtesy.
It would be clearly disrespectful to appear drunk before Hyeon-un, a far senior and elder.
Normally, he would have used his inner qi to instantly dispel the intoxication, but true to his nickname, Drunken Dragon, Hwamyeong made a different choice.
"I don’t have much left, so just have a taste."
Hwamyeong handed the gourd hanging from his waist to Hyeon-un.
Seeing this, the corners of Hyeon-un’s mouth twitched on their own. As someone renowned for his love of alcohol, it was obvious to anyone what the gourd contained.
Soon, Hyeon-un tilted the gourd above his mouth, and his throat gulped down the liquid.
"J-just a little. No, I mean just a little..."
Hwamyeong spoke with real urgency.
If he drank any more, he looked about ready to start cursing.
After tasting the liquor, Hyeon-un smacked his lips as if lamenting it wasn’t enough and said,
"Let’s find a time to sit down for a drink soon."
"Yes, once this mission is over, I’ll make a trip to Mount Wudang."
"Shouldn’t you visit the Murim Alliance first?"
"If they ask why I was late, I’ll just name-drop Elder and be fine. Hahaha."
Hwamyeong laughed heartily.
Hyeon-un laughed in kind.
The two men shared a strong bond forged through drink.
"Is Senior Drunken Blossom Sword doing well?"
"Of course. He’s probably drunk right now. And tomorrow. And the day after too."
Hwamyeong nodded in response to Hyeon-un’s question.
With a nickname like “Liquor and Blossoms,” it was easy to guess what kind of man Drunken Blossom Sword was.
"If that senior just drank a little less, he would have been the Murim Alliance Leader by now."
"That’s not possible. He’s someone for whom life doesn’t exist without liquor."
The two burst out laughing again.
As Hwamyeong was the second-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, his master was a first-generation disciple. In terms of the Wudang Sect, that made him of similar seniority and position as Oh Jeong-san.
It was already well known that Hwamyeong had received direct sword instruction from Drunken Blossom Sword, a senior respected even by the current sect leader and elders of the Mount Hua Sect.
As the two Daoists talked about liquor for a while, Baek Seol deliberately unfocused her eyes, pretending to neither see nor hear anything. Baek Sang covered Choi Jeong-myeong’s eyes and ears with his large hands.
Seeing this, Hwamyeong, who had been chuckling in amusement, soon wore a more serious expression.
"Still, to think something like that happened in Gamri Prefecture… it might not just be happening in one or two places."
He was talking about the missing children.
In Gamri Prefecture, the Black Path bastards at least paid money to take them, but in other villages, they were being outright kidnapped.
When the topic of the children came up, Hyeon-un also wore a somber expression.
"Is it really okay for us to be standing around like this?"
"I have to stay in this area for a while anyway. I can’t move until my team brings back information."
Since the children's whereabouts were completely unknown, the team had scattered across different regions to gather information.
Hwamyeong, on the other hand, couldn’t run around personally. If the captain flitted from place to place, the center of coordination would fall apart.
His role was to act once a suspicious report came in—he’d personally go and swing his sword.
Then Hwamyeong’s gaze turned toward Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom. His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"New young masters I haven’t seen before. Wow, all of you are quite good-looking. If you're traveling with Seomun, Baek Sang, and Baek Seol, that means…"
Hwamyeong narrowed his eyes.
Naturally, the most talked-about names and titles in recent days came to mind. Especially since Hwamyeong himself was one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes, it struck even more strongly.
"Are you Guest Dragon? And the grumpy chef from the inn?"
Seo Yu-gyeom briefly touched the Heaven-Slaying Dagger hidden in his sleeve.
Hwamyeong let out a loud, hearty laugh.
Back when the orthodox faction was in an uproar over a series of thefts, the prodigies who had gone to Yichang all said the same thing: Don’t mess with the chef at Seong-un Inn.
Even Poison Phoenix Tang So-yeon was often seen struggling helplessly in front of the inn’s chef.
Then, Hwamyeong’s eyes turned to Jin Seong-un.
There were even more stories about him—ones that weren’t mere street rumors.
Receiving direct instruction in swordsmanship from Drunken Blossom Sword, the Mount Hua Sect’s top expert, meant he was essentially the designated future sect leader of the Mount Hua Sect.
Naturally, he had access to more information than most.
What stood out most was the evaluation given by Supreme Strategist Sima Baek.
—The title of Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes has lost its meaning.
The title originally referred to the eight strongest prodigies. But with the emergence of Jin Seong-un, that label became meaningless and even laughable.
With a sly smile, Hwamyeong said,
"Guest Dragon, let’s have a match. I’m dying to know. Just how strong are you, that people say you’re the best among the prodigies? Are you stronger than Monk Dragon or Ice Phoenix?"
Monk Dragon and Ice Phoenix were widely considered the strongest among the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
Hwamyeong assumed that the upright Baek Sang or Baek Seol would try to stop him after such a challenge.
So he was pondering a convincing reason to persuade them when—
"Oh, that sounds like a great idea."
Baek Seol instead egged him on, and Baek Sang nodded enthusiastically beside her.
Seomun Ak didn’t even need to be asked. He had already handed Jin Seong-un a sword from who-knows-where, urging him to fight.
Meanwhile, Guest Dragon himself simply looked at Hwamyeong with a face that clearly said, what a pain.
That expression only stoked Hwamyeong’s pure curiosity even more.
"Hehe, I really can’t hold back now. You look so reluctant, so how about this? I heard you run an inn. If you beat me, send me ten bottles of your own brewed liquor. Drink it, serve it to important guests—do as you wish."
At that, Hyeon-un, who had slightly stepped back from the conversation among the prodigies, suddenly stepped in—swallowing his saliva.
"Seong-un, go ahead and do it. It’s the right thing to do."
"What kind of liquor is it to make you say that?"
"It’s a drink called Plum Blossom Wine, and I’d say it’s the best I’ve ever had in my life."
"Ooooh…"
Hyeon-un was a well-known connoisseur.
He had surely tasted every famous liquor under the heavens. For him to speak so highly meant the wine was truly extraordinary.
Jin Seong-un looked at Hwamyeong with fresh curiosity. Hwamyeong smiled and casually tossed him the gourd from his waist.
"Don’t drink it all—just a taste, just a taste."
Jin Seong-un took a gulp.
His eyes widened instantly.
The flavor journey resembled the life of a plum tree. The first taste brought a dull woodiness that was soon overtaken by the fragrant aroma of plum blossoms, ending in the plum’s signature sweet-sour tang and refreshing finish.
Even after swallowing, the aftertaste lingered, begging another sip.
So he drank again.
Gulp, gulp.
At that, Hwamyeong, startled, cried out urgently.
"Hey, hey you bastard!"
Just as the gourd was getting noticeably lighter—
Jin Seong-un stared seriously at it and said,
"...Let’s duel."
"I knew you'd say that. You see, my parents ran a fairly large brewery. Talent like that doesn’t disappear—liquor that passes through my hands turns out damn fine. Not the kind of thing a Daoist should brag about, I suppose, but hey—my nickname is Drunken Dragon, what can you do? Ahahahaha!"
Jin Seong-un thought the man called Drunken Dragon sure talked a lot and gave a half-hearted nod.
Then Hyeon-un spoke up.
"Hwamyeong, you do understand this is just a friendly duel. Don’t get carried away and hurt anyone—mind the line."
"Of course, Elder."
With that, Hwamyeong drew his sword.
Suddenly, the constables and villagers turned into spectators, watching with eager curiosity.
The name Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes was so renowned that even commoners of the time knew it well.
Each one of them was expected to become a pillar supporting the orthodox Murim world in the future.
Especially the rumors about Guest Dragon had been rampant of late. As an ordinary innkeeper, he had been crushing one prominent martial artist after another—it was no wonder.
What’s more, regardless of his intentions, his actions had always ended up helping the common folk. Naturally, the villagers were cheering for Guest Dragon.
Leaving behind the cheers from villagers hoping for his victory, Hwamyeong stood across from Jin Seong-un with a sly grin.
As he took his stance, the blade of his sword began to shimmer with a subtle rosy glow.
Plum Blossom Sword Art (梅花劍法).
Even Jin Seong-un, not particularly knowledgeable about Jianghu, had at least heard of this sword art. It was renowned as the most beautiful sword style in the world.
True to its fame, the blade shimmered a delicate pink, captivating every eye instantly.
Especially under the descending nightfall, the splendor was all the more striking.
Choi Jeong-myeong suddenly shouted,
"Pl-Plum Blossom Swordsman is so cool...!"
Even grown adults were letting out gasps of admiration—so for a child like Choi Jeong-myeong, it was natural to be dazzled.
Baek Seol pressed her forehead. The Mount Hua Sect was a rival of the Wudang Sect in the contest for the world's greatest sword sect. So such comments were quite sensitive...
Still, children’s words were usually forgiven.
Soon, Jin Seong-un raised his iron sword to face him.
He merely moved the plain sword slowly and aimed it forward.
In that instant, the atmosphere shifted. Hwamyeong’s presence seemed to fade, and it felt as though the center of the makeshift dueling stage had transferred to Jin Seong-un.
Hwamyeong instinctively sensed this duel wouldn’t last long.
Which was a good thing. The sooner it ended, the more time there would be to drink.
"Alright then..."
Hwamyeong surged forward in a flash.
His movements were graceful and light, like plum petals dancing in the wind. It almost resembled the dance of a skilled performer.
Swish—!
As he closed the distance, Hwamyeong thrust out a single sword strike.
It was a dazzling sword technique that perfectly blended speed and deception. Along the sword’s path, a rosy mirage trailed like a ribbon.
Clang-clang-clash—!
Three strikes exchanged in an instant.
Jin Seong-un easily blocked them with a sword that held no visible qi. Seeing this, Hwamyeong grinned as if delighted.
"As expected of Guest Dragon! Then let’s take it up a notch."
Hwamyeong unleashed a torrent of sword qi.
It looked as if hundreds of rosy plum blossoms were surging on the wind.
Everyone gasped at the majestic spectacle.
It was truly beautiful.
Even Jin Seong-un momentarily lost himself. Could a sword meant to kill really be this resplendent and gorgeous?
The subtle plum fragrance tickling his nose made him feel as though he were standing in a blooming plum orchard.
Of course, the reality was a storm of sword qi blades.
"Drunken Dragon!"
Hyeon-un’s stern voice rang out.
At that, Hwamyeong realized he had overdone it in his excitement.
After all, this was the friend of friends—he couldn’t go injuring someone.
Just as he began to withdraw his energy—
Something reddish blazed up between the plum petals. The flames quickly spread, tearing through the rosy sword qi with fierce intensity.
Fire Dragon Escape Sword (火龍遁劍).
Jin Seong-un recalled a story often told by Sword Immortal. The Mount Hua Sect’s founding ancestor Hak Dae-tong was said to be one of Sword Immortal’s many disciples—or more precisely, a disciple’s disciple.
And at the moment the two sword qis collided—
Jin Seong-un realized that story was true.
The rosy plum waves of Plum Blossom Sword Art and the crimson blaze of Fire Dragon Escape Sword bore uncanny resemblance.
But there was no doubt which was the origin.
Kwaaaaaang—!
The plum blossoms were shredded apart.
Even the perpetually intoxicated Drunken Dragon sobered instantly and swung his sword.
But he couldn’t withstand the immense recoil and was hurled backward.
Along the way, he let go of his sword.
A typical swordsman wouldn’t let go due to pride, but he did so deliberately—he didn’t want to risk hurting people by flying through the air while holding a blade.
Thud.
Drunken Dragon landed sprawled out on the ground before everyone.
He realized in that final moment that Elder White Cloud Sword’s shout hadn’t been to warn Guest Dragon but out of concern that he might get hurt.
He also realized why Baek Sang, Baek Seol, and Seomun Ak had all been so eager to instigate this fight.
A brief silence swept over the area.
From a short distance away, Seomun Ak’s voice rang out, "You crazy bastard. What’d you go and unleash that for, with everyone watching?"
It was, quite literally, the moment Drunken Dragon had been utterly, overwhelmingly defeated by Guest Dragon before everyone.
Any normal martial artist would’ve been humiliated or deeply hurt in pride.
But not Hwamyeong.
"WAHAHAHAHA!"
He laughed heartily, still flat on the ground.
His laughter carried not just delight but pure joy.
Apparently in no rush to get up, Hwamyeong spoke clearly from where he lay:
"I’m done with this Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes thing."
Supreme Strategist Sima Baek had been right.
That title meant nothing anymore.
He now had only one strong desire—to arrange duels between Jin Seong-un and Monk Dragon and Ice Phoenix as soon as possible.
After all, good things are meant to be shared.