Clink.
A bottle rolled across the table, surrounded by a stack of empty dishes. Each dish showed faint traces of food, as if the contents had been thoroughly devoured.
In other words…
All that food had been consumed.
And by just one person.
“Urp…”
A middle-aged man with silver hair burped in satisfaction. The scent of alcohol wafted heavily from him.
“…Hah.”
A woman, witnessing the scene, let out an exasperated sigh.
“Look at you. Are you really a Daoist?”
“Hmm…?”
The man, who had been drifting off to sleep, cracked one eye open in response to her voice. Through the haze, he saw a striking woman with dark hair and a scowl on her face.
“Oh.”
Recognizing her, the man, Namgung Hyeong, sat up abruptly. It was a familiar face.
“Big sister?”
The woman’s scowl deepened at his words.
“Ugh! The stench of alcohol!”
The smell coming off him was overpowering, a potent mix of alcohol and food that was almost unbearable.
Clearly struggling to hold her composure, the woman clenched her lips tightly.
Whoosh!
An aura infused with qi radiated from her, dispelling the foul air that permeated the inn.
Fwoosh!
A harsh gust swept through the room, and only after the stench had somewhat dissipated did the woman allow herself to relax.
“...You idiot. You're a disgrace! Every time I see you, you look worse. You pathetic ragamuffin!”
“Ahh… I’m dying here… this hangover... Big sister, could you get me some water…?”
“If you don’t want to die, sober up. Or should I pull my sword out here?”
“...Ugh.”
Namgung Hyeong sighed and closed his eyes, resigned to her command.
Hissss…
A faint heat shimmer rose from his shoulders as he used his qi to purge the alcohol from his system.
Watching the visible shimmer, the woman chuckled dryly.
“How much did you drink to end up like this?”
“Such a waste… And to think I have to get rid of it all.”
“You didn’t also eat meat, did you?”
She glanced at the plates on the table, her voice filled with disbelief.
“Well, isn’t the world a strange place? A supposed Daoist eating meat?”
“How’s a person supposed to live without meat? Can’t a guy have a bite now and then?”
“Sure, a bit here and there. But if your master found out, he’d probably throw a fit.”
“Hmph. That old man probably knows all about it and just gave up on me.”
“Well, aren’t you proud? Quite the achievement.”
She pressed her fingers to her forehead in exasperation at his unapologetic response.
Namgung Hyeong finally opened his eyes after purging the alcohol, squinting at the dark-haired woman in front of him. Noticing her expression, he grinned.
“It feels like it’s been about ten years, hasn’t it, big sister?”
“…Idiot. You haven’t changed at all.”
The woman, known as the White Lotus Sword, rolled her eyes as Namgung Hyeong smirked.
“You haven’t changed either, big sister. Especially your face—it’s exactly the same as before.”
The White Lotus Sword looked as beautiful as the last time he’d seen her. Watching her, Namgung Hyeong reached for a bottle on the table.
The White Lotus Sword subtly shifted her stance.
Slice!
Clink!
The bottle split cleanly in two, and the pieces fell to the floor with a sharp sound.
“…”
Namgung Hyeong clicked his tongue in disappointment as he looked at the shattered bottle.
“What’s the matter? Go on, drink.”
“I was about to, but on closer inspection, that looked less like wine and more like water from the River of the Dead.”
Giving up on the drink, he grabbed a glass of water instead and gulped it down, quenching his thirst before turning to the White Lotus Sword with a question.
“So, what brings you here? Not exactly a place I expected to see you.”
“Oh, I just happened to be passing by and heard rumors about some lunatic Daoist causing a ruckus in an inn.”
“Well, who could that lunatic be?”
“Exactly—who indeed, you lunatic…”
“Ah, so it’s me, huh?”
Namgung Hyeong chuckled sheepishly, finally realizing he was the “lunatic” in question.
“What kind of trouble did I supposedly cause? All I did was drink a little…”
“What kind of trouble, you ask?”
The White Lotus Sword glanced over her shoulder, where the innkeeper stood, watching them nervously.
Seeing him, she let out a deep sigh.
“Don’t you realize you’re killing this inn’s business?”
“Huh?”
Namgung Hyeong looked around, finally noticing something.
The inn was empty—no customers besides them.
Could this place have been unpopular? No, he remembered it was packed when he first came in.
Then what could’ve happened?
“Apparently, you drove out every customer who tried to pick a fight with you.”
“Ah.”
Recalling the incident, Namgung Hyeong began to understand.
He had been enjoying his freedom for the first time in years when some patrons had taken issue with a Daoist drinking in an inn. He might have reacted a bit aggressively.
“…I didn’t think I’d gone too far…”
“Not a single person you threw out was able to walk on their own.”
“Cough…”
At her words, Namgung Hyeong cleared his throat, realizing he might have been a bit heavy-handed.
The White Lotus Sword let out a small laugh as she looked at him.
“You’ve always been the one whose appearance contradicts their personality the most among the people I know. Some things never change.”
Right back at you.
He almost said it out loud but held back.
“…So, you went out of your way just to check on me?”
“I just happened to be passing by, and when I heard something that sounded just like you, I thought I’d pop in for a look. Seems it was worth it.”
The White Lotus Sword’s gaze swept over the table.
“All the Daoists I know from Wudang are so clean-cut.”
“That’s why Wudang is so dull. The so-called masters of Dao spend more time polishing themselves than their spirits.”
“You’re hardly one to talk, given your reputation as a famous Daoist of Wudang.”
“Ah, well, I’m an exception. I’m open to the world, haha!”
Namgung Hyeong laughed heartily, the remains of his last meal visible between his teeth.
“You’ve got a piece of chive stuck in your teeth.”
“I saved it for later.”
“…Well, if you’re done eating, get up and stop burdening the inn. That poor innkeeper over there looks like he’s about to die.”
Not literally die, of course—more like die from stress.
Namgung Hyeong looked over at the innkeeper, who flinched under the sharp, cold gaze of a Namgung family member.
Seeing this, Namgung Hyeong burst into a cheerful laugh.
“Oh, my apologies! I will make sure to compensate you generously for the losses.”
“Oh, uh… th-thank you.”
The innkeeper’s face brightened as the situation resolved itself smoothly.
But just as Namgung Hyeong reached into his robe to pay, he froze.
The White Lotus Sword noticed his expression and asked with a concerned frown.
“…What’s wrong?”
“Well, it appears I’ve forgotten something rather important.”
“And what might that be?”
“I just remembered—I don’t have any money on me.”
“…What?”
“So, big sister,”
Namgung Hyeong winked playfully at her.
“Could you lend me some money?”
The White Lotus Sword’s face lit up with a bright smile—right before she brought her fist down hard on the top of his head.
Whack!
******************
As soon as White Lotus Sword paid for the inn’s day’s worth of business, she dragged the disheveled man outside.
“…That hurt.”
Namgung Hyeong rubbed his sore crown, wondering if he’d have a bump there. Luckily, it seemed there wasn’t one.
Which is scarier, honestly.
The force of the blow was immense—he’d almost blacked out from it. The fact that it didn’t leave a bump meant it had been purely controlled impact.
This big sister isn’t done for just yet.
Even if her appearance hadn’t changed, her strength clearly had. While Namgung Hyeong secretly felt some respect for her, White Lotus Sword was looking mournfully at her now empty purse.
“You…insane glutton, how much did you eat?”
All the money she’d managed to squeeze out of her younger brother was gone. Sure, she’d spent some along the way, but not enough to wipe it out in one go.
But thanks to that so-called Daoist pig, who had devoured an ungodly amount, and the additional costs of the damage he’d caused, she was left with nothing.
“Ahh, that was a good meal.”
Namgung Hyeong was following her, picking his teeth with a toothpick, and White Lotus Sword considered giving him another hit.
“…Big sister.”
“What?”
“I can sense the killing intent in your eyes. Would you mind lowering your hand?”
“….”
He’d caught her. His perception was annoyingly sharp.
“Phew…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll pay you back.”
“…With what?”
“…”
No answer. He knew all too well that paying back with money would be difficult.
“…I’ll figure that out later.”
“You wretch.”
“Aren’t you glad to see me, though? It’s been, what, over ten years?”
Though she found his diversion infuriating, she let it go for now.
“I don’t need to ask how you’ve been… There’s no end of rumors about you.”
Namgung Hyeong—stories about the Hermit of Wudang seemed to surface whenever she turned around, so there was no need to ask.
Instead…
“That’s a question I should be asking you, isn’t it?”
It was something he should ask of White Lotus Sword, who had vanished for ten years. Realizing this, she gave a wry smile.
Noticing her awkward smile, Namgung Hyeong slightly averted his gaze.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. I’m not that curious anyway.”
It was partly true. He wasn’t the type to pry into others’ business.
“Let’s skip that, then. So what brings you all the way to Sichuan?”
“Oh, I just thought I’d lend a hand with my niece’s love life.”
“…What are you talking about?”
Namgung Hyeong frowned, finding her words puzzling.
But it was exactly as she’d said.
“If it’s your niece… that’d be the Sword Master’s daughter?”
The only daughter of Baekcheon Sword Master Moyong Tae… which meant…
You’re talking about her daughter.
An image of someone from the cold North Sea crossed his mind—a figure he knew, if only indirectly.
It wasn’t that he knew her well, but she was more connected to his disciple than to himself.
Hm, it should be fine.
He figured it wouldn’t matter since his disciple didn’t seem to care much. Besides, he’d planned to head to the North Sea soon anyway.
A Sword Master’s daughter. It was strange for Namgung Hyeong to see that figures of his generation were now having children and settling into their roles.
Maybe that’s why…
“Oh, now that I think of it.”
A thought surfaced in Namgung Hyeong’s mind.
“Hm?”
“I met the former Gu Clan leader’s son.”
“…!”
Hearing his unexpected words, White Lotus Sword’s eyes widened. There was only one person he could mean: Gu Yangcheon.
“You…saw that boy?”
“Hm? You know him?”
“….”
Know him? She was traveling with him and even offering him some protection; how could she not?
Moreover, the man chasing after her niece was that very boy.
Unaware of this, Namgung Hyeong continued excitedly as he recalled Gu Yangcheon.
“He’s impressive. Like father, like son, as they say… seems blood doesn’t lie.”
“…What did he do?”
“Well, there was an incident, and we ended up sparring.”
“What?”
At his words, White Lotus Sword’s eyes grew cold.
They sparred?
“Are you looking at me like you’re going to kill me?”
“Are you telling me an old man like you beat him up?”
“Beat him up? I was the one who got beaten!”
As Namgung Hyeong protested, White Lotus Sword paused.
“…You got beaten?”
“Yeah, I got thoroughly beaten and lost.”
It wasn’t something he should’ve said so proudly, but the implications of his words were clear.
…He lost? Him?
The rumors were poorly spread, but White Lotus Sword knew Namgung Hyeong had once been a contender for the Sword King title.
She, more than anyone, understood how powerful Namgung Hyeong was.
While Gu Yangcheon had remarkable talent, it shouldn’t have been enough to defeat someone like Namgung Hyeong.
“His fists were so fierce… I almost cried from the pain…”
“….”
Listening to his words, White Lotus Sword shook her head in disbelief.
She considered it nonsense.
Namgung Hyeong wasn’t one to care much about winning or losing, nor did he have a strong sense of pride as a warrior.
He’d often joked that he’d been beaten by seven-year-olds in the past, so this was likely the same.
But he did see that boy, apparently.
So it seemed true that he’d met Gu Yangcheon and recognized his talent.
Well, it was understandable.
Even White Lotus Sword had never seen talent like his before.
And moreover…
He’s a boy full of secrets.
Gu Yangcheon possessed something more than mere talent. Though fierce and full of vigor, his eyes bore a cold, lifeless quality.
It was just like…
The man she had once followed.
Though their personalities were very different, it seemed that White Lotus Sword wasn’t the only one who noticed the resemblance.
“He resembles his father a great deal.”
Namgung Hyeong voiced the same observation.
“Of course, you would know that better than anyone.”
“….”
At his subtle remark, White Lotus Sword averted her gaze slightly. Talking with Namgung Hyeong brought back memories of her youthful days.
In every memory that surfaced, that man was present—the man with a burning, yet cold presence, surrounded by many women.
Recalling their time together stirred a single emotion within her.
Was it longing? No, more than that…
Regret.
She felt a deep sense of regret.
There were so many things left unsaid, so much left undone. Though, knowing that now…
Not that I’d go see him anyway.
Unless she released herself from these lingering emotions, she would never see him again.
Even during her last visit to Hanan, she had only seen Mi Horan, not him.
It was still too soon.
As she reflected on this, she glanced back at Namgung Hyeong.
“Huh?”
Namgung Hyeong’s eyes grew wide as he made a strange sound, rubbing them as if he couldn’t believe what he saw.
“What is it?”
White Lotus Sword asked, watching his reaction as he pointed ahead.
“Isn’t that the former Gu Clan leader?”
“What kind of nonsense—there’s no way, you wouldn’t joke about…that…”
Turning to follow his gaze, White Lotus Sword’s body froze in place.
Ahead of them stood a man, hands behind his back, looking directly at the two of them.
He wore a red robe adorned with golden trim, his black hair simply tied, and his eyes burned like smoldering embers.
Meeting his gaze—one she both yearned for and dreaded—White Lotus Sword felt her breath hitch.
Watching her, the man, Gu Cheolwoon, spoke in an even tone.
“It’s been a while.”
At the sound of his voice…
White Lotus Sword’s world came to a halt.
____________
TL Notes : The phrase "Are you really a Daoist?" is used here to question whether the character is truly embodying the principles and behavior expected of a Daoist. Traditionally, Daoists are seen as disciplined, ascetic individuals who avoid indulgence in food, alcohol, and worldly pleasures, focusing instead on spiritual and physical purity.