Chapter 259. A Man Like a Dinner Side Dish.
The food was delicious, so I devoured it in earnest.
Brother Deuksu’s seasoning is sometimes so strong it makes you forget your worries, but the head chef here had a lighter touch with the seasonings. Perhaps it was because there were many side dishes and courses.
New dishes kept appearing over the course of half a shichen, and they were so delicious that I wondered if the clan had grown into a great family thanks to its food.
On the other hand, I also thought that if a person ate such delicious food every day, it would be hard to adapt to food outside. Because outside food is not always this delicious. Then, are those enjoying this meal right now the children of the Wi Clan, or we three?
It is probably us.
Because it was a feast one could only enjoy occasionally, I overate.
They were dishes whose names I did not even know, yet the cross-sections of the ingredients were always neat, and the things sliced as thin as thread were uniform as well.
Stir-fried, grilled, deep-fried, steamed, pan-fried, and boiled dishes came out.
The meats used were pork, fish, chicken, duck, beef, and lamb, and there were even fruits I had never seen before.
I realized this was a special meal served to entertain a distinguished guest. I thought it seemed they possessed a family tradition of treating martial artists well.
Only when the meal was nearly over did Wi Soseon, who had been eating with me, ask me.
“My lord, may I ask you various things about martial arts?”
“You may.”
I could not guess what would be asked. Whether it was a coincidence or not, plum tea was served at the end. I said to the servant girl who brought the plum tea:
“……Please tell the chef I enjoyed the meal.”
“Yes.”
“And tell her it was Haomunju Ijaha.”
When I introduced myself so abruptly, the servant girl answered with a surprised expression.
“Ah, yes. My lord. I will relay it to the kitchen staff.”
Only then did I lift my teacup.
“To think they would serve plum tea. This is remarkable.”
Wi Soseon said.
“Do you like plum tea?”
“I have a young physician who is like a sworn brother to me, and he said plum tea is good for fire illness.”
Come to think of it, I think he just told me to drink alcohol.
Wi Taesan asked.
“How did you come to develop fire illness?”
“Now that you mention it. There was an inn I inherited from my grandfather, but it burned down for various reasons. That must be when I got it. It has been rebuilt anew, but if it had not burned, I would have simply lived there. That was my home. Once engulfed in flames, nothing can be undone. The Wi Clan should also be careful of those who set fires.”
“Yes.”
I pointed at Saekma.
“Watch out for guys like him, too.”
The young masters of the Wi Clan and Wi Soseon fixed their gazes on Saekma. Saekma let out a sigh.
“Why me? What did I do? What about me?”
I tattled in a grave tone.
“He didn’t come here to fight, but actually……”
“Stop right there.”
“Should I?”
They must all understand by now. Since she has three older brothers, there shouldn’t be any major problems. In this way, I formally introduced Saekma to the Wi Clan. That is, I explained that he was a man who had come to see the beauties belonging to Ilbong Iseon.
Wi Soseon asked me.
“What kind of martial art was the Thunder Qi you displayed earlier? I have heard that the Seomun Clan also had an expert who cultivated Thunder Qi, but this is different, is it not?”
“It must be different. I cannot reveal the name of the martial art. It is a secret.”
“Why?”
“It is up to me.”
“……”
They had no need to get involved with the Seosaeng faction. Just knowing the name wouldn’t entangle them, but even so, I felt uneasy about going around talking about a martial art passed down by the Seosaeng.
“Was the Thunder Dragon Ascension impressive?”
“Yes.”
“Are you curious about a counter?”
Wi Soseon nodded.
“That is correct.”
I looked at the scions of the Wi Clan and said.
“In the case of Thunder Qi, there is no counter. Mong Rang’s Binggong is the same. They are not martial arts that can be easily dealt with. The martial arts that we two have cultivated are among the supreme divine arts of the martial world.”
Come to think of it, I had mastered three such things. Wi Mugyeol, Wi Jungcheon, Wi Taesan, and Wi Soseon looked at me with surprised expressions.
Wi Taesan asked.
“Are you saying you are invincible?”
I shook my head.
“Not exactly. If one’s internal energy is deep, one can counter it well enough.”
Though I am not someone who obsesses over the supremacy of internal energy, the truth is, this is the only way to counter Binggong or Thunder Qi. In fact, I believe that if one possesses overwhelming internal energy, one could contend for the title of the best in the world with the Samjae Sword Art alone. Of course, that is assuming the person themselves is strong as well.
Wi Soseon asked Gwima.
“Has Teacher Yukhap also mastered such a unique divine art?”
Gwima answered in a blunt tone.
“I do not possess such a divine art. I am busy enough just mastering the sword.”
“Are you not envious?”
Gwima shook his head.
“I am not.”
“Why not?”
Gwima gave Wi Soseon the answer.
“Does not Miss Wi also have a sword? In the end, whether one uses Binggong or wields Thunder Qi, a sword can cut through them all. It is merely a difference of whether one has the skill to do so or not.”
I chimed in from beside him.
“Well said.”
It was truly an answer befitting a swordsman, but in fact, it was the correct answer. At Gwima’s words, the Wi brothers also smiled. They were swordsmen as well, so it seemed Gwima’s words pleased them the most.
Wi Soseon looked at me.
“Does my lord think so as well?”
Now that I looked, whenever Wi Soseon asked questions on their behalf, the Wi brothers also watched me with sparkling eyes. It was a time when the youngest asked in place of her older brothers, who could not ask due to pride.
Acting like a know-it-all before young people of the same generation was also amusing, but the Wi Clan scions were so earnest that I could not avoid answering.
“Martial arts merely have their own characteristics. If one reaches the pinnacle, would their power not be similar?”
Wi Soseon asked Saekma.
“Does Young Master Meng also think so?”
She was a maiden who asked questions very diligently.
Saekma answered.
“My master is one who trains in the sword. I am training in Binggong. My master has said that if one masters Binggong properly, one can become the best in the world. Of course, that does not mean my master thinks the sword is weak. It is merely that the path walked is different. The destination is the same for both my master and me.”
Since I had set the stage for him, Saekma did not flirt with the maiden.
Gwima was as composed as the sect leader of a great faction after eating a delicious meal.
Perhaps being treated with courtesy meant that those two, too, could live like human beings rather than demons people pointed fingers at. In any case, while I was watching from beside them, the two of them would not go too far astray. Of course, handling things this way was not easy for me either.
I explained the characteristics of ice arts to the members of the Wei Family.
“Before Lady Wei draws her sword, if Young Master Meng strikes the scabbard with a finger technique, the sword may not come out because of the ice art.”
“Ah.”
“Your main strength is swordsmanship, but if you are ambushed by a single move of ice art, you could be helplessly defeated without even drawing your swords. That is the distinctive trait of ice arts. Blocking another finger technique with your scabbard would not stop the sword from being drawn, after all. Properly displaying the martial arts you have learned is fundamental, and training and practicing how to deal with an opponent’s martial arts is the original purpose of a martial contest.”
Wei Xiaoxian nodded.
“I understand.”
“Also, with Young Master Meng’s skill, even if he only infused a wooden sword with ice art, he could block most long swords. In other words, from the beginning, Young Master Meng likely knew the trick of infusing an ordinary long sword with ice art to break even a fairly good real sword. That is why he chose a sword from the Longtou Iron Workshop. There was psychological warfare mixed in as well. He must have expected the First Young Master’s composure to waver once his sword was broken……”
Everyone, including the First Young Master, looked at the Lecherous Demon at once.
The Lecherous Demon answered with a sour expression.
“……No, why are you explaining the secrets of the exchange in such detail?”
I nodded.
“I should at least earn my meal. You robber of a bastard.”
Wei Xiaoxian asked us.
“Then would it be better for us to learn a distinctive divine art from now on as well?”
I shook my head.
“It is a matter of choice, so it is difficult for me to answer. However, divine arts like lightning qi or ice arts can only be learned by one person concentrating on them. If internal energy does not support it, qi deviation will obviously come often, so it is common for only the successor to learn them. Even if the Wei Family obtained a rare spirit medicine, if four people divided it among themselves and ate it, the effect of the medicine would diminish. Moreover, if that spirit medicine caused hard feelings between siblings, your internal solidarity would weaken. It is no easy matter. And isn’t the sword enough? Alliance Leader Lin is also an incredibly strong swordsman.”
Wei Zhongtian abruptly replied with these words.
“Wouldn’t the Alliance Leader continuously consume the best spirit medicines in the Martial Alliance?”
“The Martial Alliance is not an apothecary, so I doubt that is the case.”
I said to the members of the Wei Family.
“The sword itself is a martial art at the pinnacle to begin with. You should have attacked with your sword before I unleashed my ultimate technique. Draw the sword faster than a finger technique and cut off my wrist. Every martial art has its own characteristics, but in the end it is a matter of skill. Even Lady Wei simply watched as I created Thunder Dragon Ascension, did she not?”
“Yes.”
“When facing those of the evil and heretical paths, there is no need to be so courteous.”
“Are you also of the evil and heretical paths, Sect Leader?”
“Not quite.”
That was a little refreshing. In truth, I am none of those things.
“Lady Wei. And you young masters as well, do not regret choosing the sword. It is not called the king of a hundred weapons for nothing.”
Wei Taishan said,
“There is also a saying that the spear is the king of a hundred weapons.”
I shook my head.
“That is a saying that only applies in the military. The people of the jianghu are different. When soldiers fight in large numbers, spears may be more powerful than swords, but we have learned martial arts. If some jianghu warrior made a body and even the blade of a spear that could not be cut by any famous sword out of ten-thousand-year cold iron, the story would be different. But how many such weapons could there be?”
Wei Zhongtian said,
“I heard that the spear used by Senior Divine Halberd is extremely sturdy.”
“I see. But with Senior Divine Halberd’s skill, I feel he would fight well even holding a single chopstick.”
“That is true.”
Was the Wei Family in the middle of having its identity shaken? In truth, their masters or family head should have been holding these things steady for the young masters, so I was bewildered that I was the one answering out of nowhere.
“By the way, has the family head gone far?”
Wei Wujue answered.
“In truth, he is visiting the Martial Alliance with the other family heads. I do not know if they have arrived.”
“Why?”
“It is a somewhat sensitive matter, but I will tell you. There has been talk among the families south of the Martial Alliance of forming a separate alliance, so he went to discuss it with the Alliance Leader.”
“Aha.”
I nodded.
It seemed these fellows had gone to harass Alliance Leader Lin. In truth, if the great families withdrew like this and created a separate force, the meaning of the Martial Alliance would be diminished, so it was only natural to refuse.
‘Was this it?’
If their solidarity weakened, it would also become difficult for Alliance Leader Lin to help the great families. In other words, there had already been a reason they were defeated one by one. Perhaps it was highly likely that, while eliminating the forces outside the Martial Alliance one by one, they had clashed with the Scholar’s faction. Was that why he chose closed-door training and prepared to consume the Heavenly Jade?
I asked the First Young Master.
“Is there another reason your faith in the sword is wavering?”
The Wei brothers looked at one another, and then Wei Wujue said,
“It is probably because we have been pushed back by Baili, Ximen, and Nangong.”
I nodded.
“I see. Do not engage in martial contests for the time being.”
Wei Xiaoxian asked me.
“Even if they challenge us?”
“You should refuse. Giving up your reputation until you build your skill is also a good strategy. If an unknown expert comes asking for a martial contest, refuse first. If he does not leave even after you refuse, it would be best for the entire Wei Family to step forward and deal with him. The guards, disciples, young masters, Lady Wei, even the family head should join forces and drive out the uninvited guest. For about ten years?”
Was the answer too sudden? Everyone stared at me blankly. They seemed to think it was not an ordinary way to deal with things.
Wei Xiaoxian asked me.
“Must we really go that far?”
I looked at Wei Xiaoxian.
“Is there any reason not to go that far? Does Lady Wei think there are no black-path experts stronger than me, or no experts belonging to the evil and heretical paths?”
“That is not what I think.”
“Did you not learn martial arts in the first place to protect your family? If you hold a martial contest like today out of pride and lose, there is not much to be gained. As for us, well, we will eat a meal, chat, and go back.”
Wei Wujue nodded.
“Sect Leader, we will do that.”
“As you know, the Alliance Leader also does not carelessly accept challenges from outside experts. That must be because his role as Alliance Leader is to protect and guide the alliance well. If outside experts came every day to challenge him, would Alliance Leader Lin be able to operate the alliance normally?”
Wei Xiaoxian nodded.
“He would not.”
“That is why it is forbidden in the first place. Do not challenge him. It would be proper for him to show his skill once as a matter of courtesy only when he retires, or when the next Alliance Leader is chosen. Even experts like Alliance Leader Lin take care of their bodies, so the Wei Family should do the same.”
Of course, it was also a warning I gave because I knew that later, local wars would break out all over the jianghu.
Wei Taishan threw out a question.
“Is there another reason you are giving us this advice so earnestly?”
Now that I looked, Wei Taishan was the quickest-witted. I nodded.
“If the Demon Cult appears and attacks the Martial Alliance, what will you do?”
“We would have to rush there.”
“What if the Demon Cult splits its forces and strikes the Baekri Clan and the Wi Clan?”
The Wi brothers looked at one another.
Wi Jungcheon answered.
“We’d have no choice but to band tightly together and hold out.”
“……And what if it turns out to be a feint to the east while striking in the west, and in truth the Cult Leader and his elite masters have arrived at the Murim Alliance? Will you leave some forces at the clan and send some to support the Murim Alliance? Or will you ignore the Murim Alliance’s crisis?”
After thinking it over, Wi Mugyeol answered.
“It would be better to resolve our clan’s problem first, then join the Murim Alliance.”
“Why?”
“Because if the Murim Alliance falls to the Demonic Path forces in the first place, the sects and clans will fall as well.”
The First Young Master was certainly the First Young Master.
“So it would. And yet the heads of the clans went to Alliance Leader Im, saying they would form a separate alliance. Alliance Leader Im is probably sighing. That won’t be what he wants to discuss.”
Only then did Wi Mugyeol’s expression visibly change.
I said to the First Young Master,
“First Young Master, if you create an alliance, you’ll gain fame, your influence will grow, and if you join hands with merchant guilds, you can squeeze money out of them too—there’ll be plenty of good things. But it is no easy task. One day, like my inn, it might all burn completely to ashes.”
I lifted my teacup.
“When that happens, even if you pour ten cups of plum tea down your throat every day, your chest will still feel tight.”
Wi Mugyeol asked me,
“If the Demon Cult appears, what do you intend to do, Sect Leader?”
“Since I’m not officially part of the Alliance, I intend to move like a separate unit. If the Demon Cult harasses the Murim Alliance, then I’ll harass the Demon Cult—that’s my mindset.”
Wi Soseon asked,
“You mean you’ll harass the Demon Cult with hit-and-run tactics, right?”
“That’s right. I’ll have to be good at running away.”
“Aren’t you afraid of the Demon Cult?”
“I am. I’ve already killed many of their cultists. But I feel uneasy because it seems like there’s a reason they’re keeping me alive. It’s like I’m being watched from somewhere. I wonder if they know some method of absorbing internal energy through demonic arts. What’s more, I have the Yin-Yang Body, so the Cult Leader might think of me as something like a side dish for dinner. Hahahaha.”
As I laughed, I realized I was laughing alone.
“…….”
I wiped the laughter from my face, then poured and drank another cup of plum tea. It had been a while since the Cult Leader’s face had come to mind so vividly.
‘Son of a bitch…….’