Chapter 103 : That is Seong-un Inn

After finishing his greetings at Falling Flame Manor, Jin Seong-un headed straight to the Murim Alliance’s Shaanxi Branch.Since he had asked for the help of Sima Baek and the other Murim Alliance members, it was only proper that he meet them if they were still waiting.

“Would they still be here?”

If it were no one else, the Chief Strategist of the Murim Alliance would surely be busy. Leaving the Alliance for more than half a month could not have been easy.

Jin Seong-un resolved that if Sima Baek had already returned to the main branch, he would visit someday to offer his thanks.

The Shaanxi Branch of the Murim Alliance wasn’t far from Falling Flame Manor. Using light footwork, it took less than one-quarter of an hour.

Ahead stood a large front gate, with a gatekeeper whose sharp aura was striking.

‘Hmm.’

Jin Seong-un didn’t have particularly good memories of gatekeepers. Since he was neither from a noble clan nor a sect but merely someone running an inn, he had no proper way of proving his identity.

As he approached, thinking about what to say, the gatekeeper suddenly widened his eyes and spoke.

“Ah, Guest Dragon Master! You’ve finally awakened. The Chief Strategist has been waiting for you.”

“The Chief Strategist is still here? More than that, how did you recognize me?”

By now, the name “Guest Dragon” felt fairly natural to Jin Seong-un.

The gatekeeper grinned and replied,

“How could I not recognize you? The very elites of the Murim Alliance and the Kunlun Sect escorted only one man all the way here to the Shaanxi Branch. It was the most memorable night of my life as a member of the Alliance.”

From what he heard, because Qinghai only had a poor, run-down medical hall, the Murim Alliance and Kunlun Sect had insisted on bringing Jin Seong-un here to Shaanxi no matter the cost.

Jin Seong-un nodded and said,

“That’s truly something to be grateful for. Thank you for telling me. Thanks to you, I can properly express my gratitude to them.”

The gatekeeper blinked, then grinned again before replying in a subtle tone,

“It seems to me that they’ll be the ones thanking you, Master. Please, go right in.”

With that, the gates of the Murim Alliance Shaanxi Branch swung open. Crossing the threshold, Jin Seong-un once again felt how his life was slowly changing.

Murim Alliance Shaanxi Branch.

Compared to the main branch, it wasn’t particularly large, but the grounds were filled with flowers and trees, creating a serene atmosphere.

‘Could it be because there are so many martial artists of Mount Hua Sect here?’

Of course, this was just Jin Seong-un’s personal guess.

After all, Shaanxi and flowers naturally brought Mount Hua to mind.

As he walked while lost in thought, a familiar face appeared.

“Young Master!”

It was Seok Gang of Kunlun Sect.

The man who had doubted Jin Seong-un at their first meeting, and Kunlun Sect along with him, but had ultimately entrusted him with his sword.

“When did you wake up?”

“Just now.”

At his simple reply, Seok Gang let out a short laugh.

“And you came here straight away? The Falling Flame Manor Mistress must have felt a bit slighted.”

“I had no reason to stay longer.”

Seok Gang nodded.

From his perspective, a place full of nothing but women like Falling Flame Manor was a difficult environment for a man to endure. Of course, that was only by the standards of the stiff Kunlun Daoists.

His expression soon grew serious.

“Was that why you lied to me back then? Because you suspected the Qinghai Iron Workshop?”

Seok Gang had realized why Jin Seong-un had pretended to have lost his sword.

His very reason for coming to Kunlun had been to confirm the Qinghai Iron Workshop’s swords with his own eyes.

And Seok Gang already knew the unspoken reason. He too had heard the Qinghai Iron Workshop Master’s desperate screams.

‘Who could have known such a story lay hidden in Falling Flame Manor?’

Guest Dragon had carried out that matter alone, just to protect it.

A strong surge of emotion welled up in Seok Gang’s eyes at that thought.

“Young Master.”

His tone was solemn.

When Jin Seong-un nodded, Seok Gang declared,

“You are a true man of this era.”

“…I am not a woman, at least.”

Seok Gang burst into loud laughter and slapped his shoulder. His hand was surprisingly heavy.

But everything Jin Seong-un said sounded favorable to Seok Gang, simply because of the boundless goodwill he held for him.

Soon, Seok Gang fixed his sharp gaze on Jin Seong-un.

“Young Master, let us be sworn friends.”

“Let us.”

Jin Seong-un had no reason to refuse. From the beginning until now, Seok Gang had always been someone he liked.

Seok Gang grinned and continued,

“Though I may be a bit older, what does age matter between martial artists, whose paths have no order?”

“I’m not a martial artist.”

Again, Seok Gang laughed heartily and slapped his shoulder. Despite his stern and manly demeanor, his laughter was bright and carefree.

Jin Seong-un gazed at him calmly.

Seok Gang’s laughter gradually died down.

“…Then what are you?”

“An inn waiter.”

“Huh?”

“At Yichang’s Seong-un Inn. I run it, and at the same time I work as the inn’s waiter.”

Seok Gang blinked.

The man who had killed an Elder of the Demonic Cult’s Sword Demon Heaven just days ago… was saying Guest Dragon was an inn waiter?

Truth be told, the rumors about Guest Dragon always came with some kind of inn story.

But since Qinghai was so far away, the stories varied wildly.

Some said Guest Dragon was a resident guest of some inn, others that he was a rich man owning several inns, still others that he wandered from inn to inn living freely…

And of course, there were even rumors that he ran an inn himself, or that he was an inn waiter.

Those were the ones no one ever believed, the kind of tales that made people laugh and dismiss them outright.

“You’re serious?”

“I am.”

“What kind of inn is it?”

“Seong-un Inn.”

“…No, I mean—”

Seok Gang looked genuinely dumbfounded.

He was truly curious now. Just what kind of inn was run by a man like this?

Jin Seong-un thought for a moment before speaking honestly.

“Have you heard of Yangha Daegu?”

For once, his tone carried a rare hint of subtlety.

Seok Gang nodded repeatedly.

“Of course. The Kunlun Daoists go crazy for that wine.”

“…That Yangha Daegu can only be drunk in a small village called Deyang, and at Seong-un Inn. Nowhere else in the world.”

He emphasized the words, “Nowhere else.”

Seok Gang’s eyes shone with admiration.

“Ohhh!”

“There is also the finest cook in Hubei, along with another with twenty years of experience.”

“Oooh!!”

“It will soon expand into the largest inn in Yichang.”

He did not mention the words ‘Elder Shin Mok.’ It was, in a sense, humility.

As Seok Gang’s admiration continued, Jin Seong-un added a final stroke as if placing the pupil in the dragon’s eye.

“Seomun Ak, Young Master, works alongside me as a waiter. And among our regulars is an Elder of the Wudang Sect.”

“Hmm?”

“That is Seong-un Inn.”

Jin Seong-un’s shoulders were unusually full of pride. Perhaps because it was the first time he had traveled this far alone, just thinking of Seong-un Inn warmed his heart.

How strong he was, who he had killed, or what Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes meant… none of it mattered to Jin Seong-un.

The prosperity of Seong-un Inn alone was his pride and joy.

“Well, how about it?”

He asked with a confident face.

To Seok Gang, Jin Seong-un looked like a parent foolishly bragging about his child.

So, he raised his thumb and said,

“If I ever have reason to go to Hubei, I will surely visit.”

“It will be the best experience of your life.”

“Haha…”

So this was the real Guest Dragon.

When he had first come to Kunlun for a duel, Seok Gang had thought he was a man indifferent to everything in the world.

That weight had been so deep, and with his immense martial skill, Seok Gang had found him an attractive and mysterious figure.

But seeing this side of him, so unabashedly proud, gave him an entirely different feeling.

In fact, to Seok Gang, this lighter side was far more charming than the heavy one.

“Let’s meet again soon. And forgive me for doubting you. Thank you for resolving the matter in Qinghai. Truthfully, I was waiting just to say this.”

He smiled as he said it, his laughter as bright and pure as if it were his way of life itself.

Jin Seong-un nodded. He too thought Seok Gang’s character was truly good.

The two of them exchanged different kinds of smiles and nodded together.

Then Seok Gang said,

“It seems my turn has ended…”

Both he and Jin Seong-un turned their heads.

In the distance, an elderly man was clearing his throat as he wandered about.

Seok Gang lowered his voice.

“Once you’re passed on to the Chief Strategist, that’s the end of it. The Murim Alliance really isn’t a fun place. It would be far better if you came to our lively Kunlun Sect every day—”

“Ahem!”

Sima Baek cut him off with a cough.

Shrinking his neck, Seok Gang gave an awkward laugh and disappeared.

Soon after, Sima Baek feigned nonchalance as he approached Jin Seong-un.

“Oh, Guest Dragon! How are you feeling?”

Jin Seong-un observed him quietly for a moment.

What a curious man. How could someone who wasn’t even a martial artist give off such an aura?

It felt similar to when he had met the Chief of Myriad Gold Manor at Hwa-un Trading Company. Even without martial arts, those who had reached the pinnacle of their own fields always carried such presence.

“You are the Chief Strategist, aren’t you?”

“Haha, indeed. I am Sima Baek, Chief Strategist of the Murim Alliance.”

“My condolences for Sima Hwi. It may sound like an excuse, but there was no helping it.”

He didn’t particularly feel guilty.

But he acknowledged that regardless of cause and effect, since Sima Hwi had been his grandson and kin, Sima Baek might hold resentment toward him.

Yet Sima Baek smiled gently and said,

“It is right to speak of that first. I am truly sorry. I failed to teach him properly. I knew his heart was twisted, but I never imagined he would stoop to such actions. Of course…”

Sima Baek paused to sigh. Thinking of his grandson always left his heart heavy.

“I know this isn’t something I can excuse by saying I didn’t know. But still, I must say I am sorry.”

Jin Seong-un stared at him, then replied in his usual calm tone.

“It is not something for the Chief Strategist to apologize for. In the first place, that formation was hardly threatening.”

Sima Baek blinked. He was glad it wasn’t taken too seriously, but the formation had been considered dangerous even in the Sima Clan, leaving him with mixed feelings.

“Well, children can act that way.”

Jin Seong-un dismissed it lightly.

And he truly thought so.

It was like a child bumping into you in the street, staining your clothes with the candy in his hand. If the parents bowed repeatedly in apology, who would really fly into a rage?

More often, one would simply chuckle and say, “Haha, what a lively child,” and let it go.

Especially since that child had been half…

“Ahem.”

Jin Seong-un coughed lightly.

For Sima Baek, Sima Hwi, and the Sima Clan, it was unfortunate, but that formation had been just that trivial to him.

“How is he? Sima Hwi, I mean.”

“They say his life is not in danger. But as a martial artist, he is finished.”

“I see.”

“That is no great loss. He is better off not practicing martial arts at all. The Sima Clan may be a martial clan, but there are plenty of other paths. Even I myself am not only a martial artist, but a strategist.”

“I understand.”

Jin Seong-un nodded.

Since he felt no guilt, and the other side seemed unconcerned, his heart grew all the lighter.

“Well, enough about that boy…”

Sima Baek paused before speaking again. Until now, he had seemed like a kindly village elder. But now, his voice carried the weight befitting the Chief Strategist of the great Murim Alliance.

“You. If I were to ask you to join the Murim Alliance, would you refuse?”

“Yes.”

Sima Baek flinched. The answer was swift, as if from a master of the swift sword.

Though he had somewhat expected it.

“Even if I offered you the position of Captain?”

At his age, even becoming a Captain would have been an extraordinary promotion.

It was a post only martial artists of talent and character could attain after proving themselves for ten, even twenty years.

In truth, Sima Baek had been prepared to offer him the position of Unit Captain.

But by the principle of negotiation, one always offered less at first, so that the true offer would seem sweeter.

Just like martial artists trading blows, Sima Baek anticipated his opponent’s moves and prepared the overwhelming counter of “Unit Captain.”

But at the same time—

“Even if you offered me the Alliance Leader’s seat, I would not go. Forgive my bluntness.”

“…”

Sima Baek fell silent.