“Damn, this place is ridiculously far. Are we crossing a country or something? We’ve been traveling through Shanxi this whole time, and it’s taking forever!” Seo-jun grumbled.

At his complaint, Chun-bong couldn’t help but laugh.

“If you hadn’t been messing around so much, we’d probably have cut the travel time in half.”

“What do you mean, messing around?! What did I even do?”

“You seriously don’t know? I could go on about it all day.”

“You had fun too!”

“Well, yeah, it was fun.”

While some of Seo-jun’s antics were unnecessary, she had thoroughly enjoyed the food tours they did in each town they passed through.

So tasty... Chun-bong licked her lips at the memory.

“Remember the bing tanghulu? It was genius to make them out of glutinous rice cakes! Whoever came up with that is a culinary genius.”

“You actually liked those? They were way too sweet for me.”

“You have no taste.”

Seo-jun shook his head in disbelief as he glanced around.

“By the way, there are so many people here.”

“It’s the season for it. Huayin is always crowded, but it’s busier than usual now.”

“That just pisses me off.”

“What now, you crazy idiot?”

“There are too many people.”

Sighing, Seo-jun picked up Chun-bong and threw her into the air.

“Let’s go, Flying Chun-bong!”

“Hey!”

In an instant, he leaped after her, catching her mid-air before landing them both on a nearby rooftop.

“I create my own path. Where I walk, a path is made.”

“There he goes again, being crazy.”

Chun-bong sighed deeply, pressing her hand to her forehead as she surveyed the scene below.

“You sure there’s a place to stay around here?”

“If not, we’ll just sleep outside.”

“Gross. No way.”

Spotting a guesthouse in the distance, Chun-bong’s eyes lit up.

“Hey! Let’s try over there!”

They used qigong to hop across the rooftops, heading toward the guesthouse, but before they could get far, a man leaped up from the street to block their path.

“Excuse me, please refrain from using qigong to jump on rooftops in public.”

He was dressed in a blue robe, with small plum blossom patterns embroidered on the sleeves. Seo-jun nudged Chun-bong.

“Mount Hua?”

“Yeah.”

Chun-bong awkwardly smiled and clasped her hands in apology.

“Sorry, we forgot for a moment.”

“No worries. It’s not a big deal.”

The man smiled and disappeared as swiftly as he’d come.

Watching his movement closely, Seo-jun nodded in admiration.

“That guy’s skilled.”

“If you’re about to call him a ‘foot master’ because he’s good at qigong, I’m going to lose it.”

“No, no, even I wouldn’t go that far…”

Seeing Seo-jun recoil at the idea, Chun-bong cleared her throat and jumped down from the roof.

“All your fault we got scolded.”

“Boo-hoo.”

Chun-bong sighed again while Seo-jun chuckled and walked along behind her.

“Anyway, let’s hurry before someone takes the room.”

•  

Luckily, there were still rooms available at the guesthouse.

The owner looked them up and down before asking, “One room? Or two?”

“Hmm… what do you think?” Seo-jun asked, turning to Chun-bong.

“One room,” she answered without hesitation.

“For one night. Do you need food as well?”

“No need, right?” Seo-jun said, glancing at Chun-bong, who nodded.

“Yeah, we’re good.”

Chun-bong paid for the room and took the key.

“Let’s drop off our stuff and get going. I’m starving.”

“You’re gonna turn into a pig if you eat too much.”

“Oh, shut up. Weren’t you the one telling me to eat more?”

“I’ve realized something—you never gain weight in your cheeks, no matter how much you eat.”

“Screw you.”

After leaving their belongings in the room and finishing a meal at a nearby restaurant, the two strolled through the bustling streets, each nibbling on a stick of bing tanghulu.

“Hey, Goldie, when’s the registration for the martial arts tournament?”

“Next week.”

“So, what are we doing until then?”

“No idea. Just sightseeing, I guess.”

“Sightseeing?”

Seo-jun tilted his head, unsure of what there was to see.

Well, in a city this big, there must be something interesting.

“Hey, do you think we could visit the Mount Hua Sect?”

“Some areas are open to outsiders, so we could.”

“Let’s go check it out tomorrow, then.”

Chun-bong thought for a moment before nodding.

“Sure, why not? As long as I wear a veil, we should be fine.”

“A veil? Oh, right.”

Seo-jun suddenly remembered. This was Mount Hua, after all. There might be people who could recognize Geum-hee, Chun-bong’s real identity.

“Never mind, we’ll have plenty of chances to visit later.”

“No, seriously, it’s fine. Hardly anyone would recognize me. I almost never left the house, so no one outside my family knows what I look like.”

“Wait a second, you were a shut-in?”

“My dad was way too overprotective.”

Chun-bong smiled bitterly, and seeing the sadness on her face, Seo-jun suddenly scooped her up and started running through the streets.

“Let’s go, Chun-bong! I’ll buy you five veils today!”

“One’s enough, you idiot.”

“Woohoo!”

“Stop! Everyone’s staring!”

In the end, they only bought two veils.

•  

Back at the guesthouse, they found themselves drawn to the lively atmosphere and sat down in a corner to watch the commotion.

Although they weren’t hungry, the vibe made them want to order something.

“Let’s order something light to go with some drinks.”

“Go ahead, drink.”

“Nah, can’t do that. You’re banned from drinking until you’re fully grown.”

“Where’d that rule come from?!”

“This big brother says no!”

Seo-jun slammed the table, and Chun-bong pouted in response.

Just then, a waiter passed by, and Seo-jun called out to him.

“Hey, waiter! Can I get a carbonara?”

“…Pardon? A… what?”

“Wow, no class.”

Seo-jun rubbed his chin before turning to Chun-bong.

“How about some cold noodles?”

“Sure, we can split one.”

“You think that’s okay?”

He glanced at the waiter, who nodded.

“That’ll be fine.”

“Alright, let’s go with that.”

The waiter hurried off, and Seo-jun absentmindedly gazed out the window.

So, I win the martial arts tournament… What’s next after that?

Reaching into his pocket, his hand brushed against a small wooden token. It was the one Mae-wol had given him from Hongwolru.

Should I head to Haomun to check out where I can find some elixirs?

Just as he was lost in thought, a loud voice cut through the air.

“You dare to insult me?!”

“Who insulted who? What about your spear now?”

“Hah! Isn’t it obvious? The king of all weapons is the sword! Other weapons can never compare to the sword!”

“Fine, then! Prove it right here, right now!”

A man grabbed a spear from the wall, while the other unsheathed his sword from his waist.

The non-martial artists quickly cleared out, but with the martial arts tournament around the corner, many warriors remained seated.

One of them recognized the man with the spear.

“Hey, isn’t that Quick Spear Nam Soo-hyuk?”

“And the other one is Coldhearted Sword Um Ga-do.”

Apparently, both were somewhat well-known martial artists.

Seo-jun curiously knocked on the table.

“Wow, but if they keep this up, will our noodles even make it out?”

“Not likely. Unless the waiter’s secretly a master.”

“That’s probably not the case, right?”

“You never know. What if he’s a hidden expert who’s mastered the art of evasion?”

“Chun-bong.”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t actually believe that.”

“Nope.”

Chun-bong nodded, and Seo-jun sighed, watching as the two men continued their duel.

“Agh, these idiots.”

He stood up from his seat.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t get hurt.”

“Against them? Really?”

Seo-jun chuckled as he walked over to where the sword and spear were clashing fiercely.

Although they seemed to be holding back from using their full internal energy, Seo-jun could tell it wouldn’t be long before they lost control.

“This bastard…!”

Coldhearted Sword’s remaining eye began to glow blue.

Being outmatched by Quick Spear, he resorted to releasing his Sword Qi.

“You’ve lost your mind!”

In response, Quick Spear coated his spear with a green Spear Qi.

With tables already shattered, it looked like the entire guesthouse was about to come crashing down.

“Wow, what a pathetic fight.”

Seo-jun grinned as he stepped between them.

“Keep going, come on. I’m enjoying the show.”

“Who the hell are you?!”

Coldhearted Sword growled, glaring at Seo-jun with his one good eye. Seo-jun smirked back.

“Can’t you see? My cold noodles aren’t coming out because of you two! If the noodles overcook, who’s going to take responsibility, huh?!”

“You’re insane!”

Enraged, Coldhearted Sword charged at him. Seo-jun flicked his finger.

Ping!

The energy blast was blocked, and Coldhearted Sword’s eyes went wide.

“A master…!”

“You’re a novice.”

In the blink of an eye, Seo-jun closed the distance and struck Coldhearted Sword in the chest.

“Urgh…!”

The man dropped to his knees, providing a perfect opportunity.

“Time to settle down!”

Thud! Seo-jun knocked him out cold with a sharp flick to the head.

“And now, your turn?”

“…I don’t want to fight.”

“But I do.”

Seo-jun took a step forward, and Quick Spear’s face paled.

“…Please go easy on me.”

“Sure.”

Thud! A quick flick to the forehead sent Quick Spear crumpling beside Coldhearted Sword.

“I’ve avenged my noodles.”

Seo-jun raised his fist in triumph, and the remaining warriors in the guesthouse erupted in applause.

“Brilliant!”

“What amazing skill!”

No doubt about it—martial artists were all a bit crazy.

Shaking his head, Seo-jun called out to the kitchen.

“My noodles ready yet?”

“Yes, sir!”

That’s all that mattered.

Grinning from ear to ear, Seo-jun turned to head back to his seat.

“We meet again, traveler.”

At the sound of a familiar voice, Seo-jun stopped in his tracks.

Standing at the entrance of the guesthouse was the same Mount Hua disciple from earlier.

“Oh, it’s you. What’s up?”

“I came to stop the fight. Mount Hua is responsible for the safety of Huayin.”

“I see.”

So, what gave those idiots the nerve to start a fight here?

He briefly wondered before shrugging it off.

“Guess they were just dumb.”

The disciple approached him, smiling.

“So, would you mind coming with me for a moment? It won’t take long.”

“Me? Why? I didn’t even start the fight.”

The disciple glanced at the two unconscious men, then back at Seo-jun.

“Ah, I see. I did fight.”

“So…”

“Wait.”

Just then, a woman stepped forward from among the martial artists.

Though her bamboo hat hid her face, it was clear to everyone that she was a woman.

“Oh, three heads?” Seo-jun instinctively placed his hand on his sword.

The woman tilted her head in curiosity before speaking.

“This man was only stopping the fight. If he hadn’t intervened, the entire guesthouse would be rubble by now.”

“I see… well then…”

“Shh. My identity is supposed to be a secret.”

Her lips curled into a smile beneath her bamboo hat.

“But seeing as you’ve met me, could we quietly let this slide?”

“Hm… Alright, young lady. If he stopped the fight, then of course.”

The disciple smiled awkwardly and bowed slightly to Seo-jun.

“My apologies for the misunderstanding.”

“No problem.”

“Thank you for your understanding, traveler.”

“Hm.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve got a craving for pizza now.”

“Ah… I don’t think you’ll find any in Huayin.”

“Ah, darn it.”

Seo-jun smacked his forehead and nodded respectfully at the large-breasted woman.

“Thank you for your help.”

“No worries. I’ve just had my eye on your little sister since earlier. She’s adorable.”

“Oh, I see you have good taste. Yes, our Chun-bong is the cutest in the world.”

“Ufufu, that’s—”

“Oh, my noodles are ready. I’ll be off then.”

He couldn’t resist noodles.