Following the friendly spar between Moyong Jin and Baek Ha-jun, the atmosphere at the Red Jade Training Hall became somber.

It could not be said it was solely because of the spar. A significant part of the reason was due to Yi-gang. Did he not openly challenge Moyong Tak, who could be considered the representative of the Seven Stars Conference?

While Moyong Tak was one of the top next-generation masters with a renowned reputation, Yi-gang was relatively unknown.

Even if he was the eldest son of the Iron-blooded Merciless Baek Ryu-san, in terms of standing, he was worlds apart from Moyong Tak.

Yet, Yi-gang firmly stood his ground. For Moyong Tak, it was a hit to his pride.

“Hehe, it seems the Baek Clan has a very talented chef. The culinary skills are quite impressive.”

“Is that so? Haha, perhaps they brought a renowned chef from Beijing. I heard he once worked in the Forbidden City.”

“You know a lot about cuisine. Truly knowledgeable.”

Considering how amiable they were being towards Yi-gang, one of two things was likely.

「He laughs so refreshingly. Either he has a very good temperament or he’s a deep thinker.」

It was as the Immortal Divine Sword had said.

After the “exchange” at the Red Jade Training Hall, a small banquet was organized by the clan. It was a considerate gesture to foster closeness over a meal.

Surprisingly, Moyong Tak voluntarily took a seat to the right of Yi-gang. Without any embarrassment, he expressed his wish to get closer, and his demeanor was pleasant.

“Did you cough blood earlier? Are you okay?”

“Yes, despite how I appear, I’ve become much healthier than before. And as for the bleeding, any of the Baek Clan would gulp that down, rinse his mouth, and be just fine.”

“What did you say? Hahaha!”

Of course, Yi-gang laughed and conversed with Moyong Tak as well. On the outside, he might seem delicate, but it was a different story inside.

Breaking a steel plate would be an easy task for him.

「Don’t trust those from the Moyong clan. They are cunning and sly.」

‘I got it, kind of.’

「I say this for your sake, descendant. Treasure every word as if it’s gold and jade.」

Throughout the day, while trying to ignore the incessant chatter of the Immortal Divine Sword, Yi-gang managed to keep his composure.

However, even Yi-gang encountered a moment where he could not maintain his calm.

“Excuse me…”

An unexpected figure sat to the left of Yi-gang. It was a swordswoman called Peng Mu-ah, royalty of the Peng Clan of Hebei. She swiftly took the seat next to Yi-gang, pushing aside Baek Ha-jun who was about to sit there.

“Here, eat this.”

“Uh… What is this?”

The reason was unknown, but everything was alright up to that point. That is, until Peng Mu-ah meticulously stripped the chicken leg placed in front of her and offered him the meat.

“It’s the tendons of the chicken, well-prepared. Eat this.”

“That’s not what I was asking…”

Without saying a word, she seemed intent on disassembling the chicken leg, then suddenly pushed the plate towards him.

Yi-gang, taken aback, just stared blankly at the plate.

However, it seemed Peng Mu-ah misunderstood Yi-gang’s reaction.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Here.”

Then, with her chopsticks, she picked up a piece of chicken and offered it in front of Yi-gang.

“Ah, come on.”

Wasn’t she fourteen? She looked like a cute child and was the same age as Yi-gang. But they certainly were not on terms to be feeding each other. The others also looked on in surprise at Yi-gang and Peng Mu-ah.

Yi-gang forced a smile.

“Haha, I’m not a little kid.”

“Oops!”

Peng Mu-ah seemed to realize her mistake. Seeing her flustered, Yi-gang felt a slight relief. At least she seemed to be a normal kid.

But he was mistaken.

“You’re okay with spicy food, right?”

While chastising herself, Peng Mu-ah scooped up a condiment made of pepper, garlic, and mustard. And again, she offered it to Yi-gang with her chopsticks.

“Jeez.”

Yi-gang calmly accepted and ate the meat.

“See, it’s delicious!”

Seeing her clap and celebrate, he thought perhaps he should have done this earlier. He might have been judging too much from an adult perspective.

In the Central Plains, offering someone food might just be a commonplace gesture.

「Hahaha, isn’t she a strange one.」

That was not it. The expressions of the other party members became strange, and even the Immortal Sword laughed boisterously.

‘Just because she shared a chicken leg doesn’t mean she’s lost her mind, does it?’

「I’m referring to the descendant who’s quietly accepting the offer.」

‘…’

Despite Suk-su’s excellent culinary skills, the taste seemed off.

“Thanks, but I’ll decline any more. While I might have a weak body, I’m not so helpless that I can’t eat by myself.”

Yi-gang declined gently yet firmly. Fortunately, Peng Mu-ah nodded as if she understood.

However, the piercing gazes did not fade.

Looking up, he saw Baek Ha-jun and Moyong Jin glaring in their direction with fiery eyes.

Baek Ha-jun averted his gaze quickly when he made eye contact with Yi-gang, but Moyong Jin was different. Continually glaring at Yi-gang, he finally muttered a word.

“Hmph, so unmanly.”

The response to his snide remark was instantaneous.

Baek Ha-jun glared at Moyong Jin, and even the previously dazed Peng Mu-ah, sharply set her eyes on Moyong Jin.

“Hm.”

Yi-gang drew their attention to himself with a slight cough.

Instead of laughing it off, Yi-gang pointed a chopstick at Moyong Jin and said,

“You, your attitude is disrespectful.”

“What?”

“Why are you acting like some thug?”

For just a mere murmur, Yi-gang gave back double. Flustered yet angered, Moyong Jin responded.

“How dare you…!”

“You’ve stained your elder brother’s reputation.”

“Why are you bringing up my brother?”

“The younger’s mistakes are the elder’s mistakes. Are you too young to understand that?”

“What wrong did I do to deserve this?”

“I respect the senior Moyong Tak, but his younger sibling, you, show no reverence to those above you. That is your mistake.”

“Senior?”

Moyong Jin was so flabbergasted that he opened his mouth wide in disbelief.

It was natural for Yi-gang to show respect to Moyong Tak. Considering age and the distribution of positions within Jianghu, there was a significant difference.

However, pointing out such a distinction between the two of them, who had a mere one-year age difference, was not warranted.

Even Baek Ha-jun, who is just a year younger, did not regard the former as an elder and spoke casually to him, not to mention after their sparring.

“That’s right. Since I’m senior to you, show respect and correct your attitude.”

“You…!”

Moyong Jin’s face turned as red as a beet. He might have been quick to anger, but he could not respond.

He felt his brother’s gaze. Moyong Tak was watching the two of them, with a smile.

“What he said isn’t wrong.”

“…!”

It was a statement in support of Yi-gang.

With his face turning pale, Moyong Jin had no choice but to concede.

“Fine, I got it…”

“No. It’s ‘I got it, sir’ Or say ‘I understand.’”

“I got… I mean I understand, sir.”

Yi-gang stopped his reproach and continued with his meal. It looked like Moyong Jin might burst into tears if he continued.

「He certainly knows how to rile people up. That kid seems simply jealous.」

Yi-gang had noticed. Even though he was not sure of the reason, he perceived that Peng Mu-ah had taken a liking towards him, and Moyong Jin had been glaring at it resentfully.

「You were provoking him.」

‘Indeed. It’s more bland than I thought.’

It was not because Yi-gang particularly disliked Moyong Jin that he played the mischief. On the contrary, he had a favorable impression of Moyong Jin, probably because he was so transparent and guileless.

「Didn’t I tell you? Hypocrisy and deception are the Moyongs’ characteristics.」

‘Moyong Tak seems different from what I’ve heard.’

He had provoked Moyong Tak, who was acting friendly with Yi-gang for no apparent reason.

Yi-gang had received information about them from Jeong-gu of the Low Down Sect.

Moyong Tak, twenty-three years old—

His martial art was the Star Cloud Sword Technique. His nickname was the Smiling Sword Wolf due to his ever-smiling face and sharp sword skills.

He was the legitimate son of the Moyong clan’s Clan Head, Gentleman Sword, born to the second wife. He was vying for the position of the Young Clan Head, wishing to earn recognition from the Clan Head.

Contrary to his ever-smiling demeanor, he was cruel and deeply scheming. He had a close relationship with Tang Go-jin of the Tang clan within the Seven Stars Conference.

He had a fondness for betting and gambling, and because of this, he has faced humiliations in the past…

In summary, that was it. Although there was not any particularly striking information, it was useful in getting a grasp on the character of Moyong Tak. Despite his genuine-looking smiles, it was clear that he was a man of great ambition.

“The hospitality of the Baek Clan is lavish, but there’s something suffocating about it.”

“Is that so?”

“Before coming here, I briefly stayed at a restaurant. The food and drink there were truly exceptional. How about we go there just by ourselves sometime?”

Yi-gang nodded at the proposal made with a playful face.

“That sounds good.”

“Hahaha! You truly are a likable friend.”

Moyong Tak acted familiar again, but Yi-gang merely responded with a thin smile, letting it slide.

He could always find out more about Moyong Tak’s intentions later.

「Isn’t there someone more important than him?」

‘Indeed.’

Yi-gang shifted his attention to the person beside Moyong Tak—

To Jin Ri-yeon, a disciple of Azure Forest, who, while pretending to eat quietly, occasionally sneaked glances at Yi-gang.

As the evening’s small banquet concluded, they dispersed to their respective accommodations.

The Moyong brothers stayed together, and Jin Ri-yeon and Peng Mu-ah also shared accommodations.

The hospitality of the Baek Clan lived up to its reputation. Jin Ri-yeon and Peng Mu-ah were given an entire separate building.

Having perhaps relieved their fatigue with a bath, they entered their bedroom with damp hair.

“Wow!”

Peng Mu-ah dove into the bed with plush bedding. Her stomach was full, and she felt refreshed; her mood was undoubtedly elevated. A proud smile spread across Peng Mu-ah’s face as she rolled around on the bed.

“Today was so much fun.”

“Wasn’t it?”

Jin Ri-yeon gazed at Peng Mu-ah with a soft smile.

“Yes! Clan Head Baek was also incredibly impressive. Not as much as my father, though.”

“He seemed like a remarkable person.”

“I also watched the spar.”

“You’re talking about Jin and Ha-jun.”

“Yes. It was a bit disappointing, though.”

Peng Mu-ah also had talents that did not fall behind the two. She likely had a competitive spirit as well. Jin Ri-yeon recalled how Peng Mu-ah’s hands kept fidgeting during the spar.

“Peng Mu-ah felt a bit sorry for Moyong Jin.”

“Really?”

Jin Ri-yeon looked surprised. Perhaps Peng Mu-ah did not dislike Moyong Jin.

“If he had shown his skills, he wouldn’t have lost so easily. He’s not completely without talent. But he was too nervous, and that’s why, even after launching a surprise attack, he lost.”

“A surprise attack…”

“It was a surprise attack! Well, but it was more of his fault for being caught off guard in the first place.”

Lying down, Peng Mu-ah raised her right hand, making a gesture as if holding a blade.

“If I had stepped up, I would’ve beaten both of them.”

There was genuine conviction in Peng Mu-ah’s voice as she mimicked swinging a blade. It was not just a baseless claim.

Suddenly, Peng Mu-ah sat up and looked at Jin Ri-yeon.

“And also…”

“Yes?”

“Hee-hee, what do you think about him?”

“Him? Ah…”

Jin Ri-yeon instantly realized whom Peng Mu-ah was referring to.

“He’s a unique kid.”

She could not describe it any other way. This was true even without considering their previous encounter.

It was not just the fact he appeared fluttering in flashy attire, which was not even martial artist clothing, but the sudden act of vomiting blood.

“He’s the same age as me! How can he be so frail?”

“Is being frail a good thing?”

“It’s not just regular frailty. He vomits blood, and it hurts to see him like that. But he’s not just frail, either. You saw how he fought with Moyong Tak, didn’t you?”

“Mmm, he didn’t seem deterred at all.”

“Usually, if someone is that weak physically, their spirit tends to be weak too. But Yi-gang seemed different.”

Before she knew it, she was addressing Baek Yi-gang familiarly.

Jin Ri-yeon nodded with a slight smile.

“Maybe it’s because all the men in our Peng clan are rather simple-minded. I’ve always liked smart kids who look a bit sickly.”

Peng Mu-ah laughed gleefully, wondering why she felt that way.

Yet, she cautiously remarked to Jin Ri-yeon,

“But… Yi-gang kept glancing at you.”

“Did he?”

“Yes. Could it be…”

Her expression instantly fell, showing a dramatic change in emotion that was quite childlike.

“He’s not falling for you, is he?”

Peng Mu-ah let her imagination run wild.

Jin Ri-yeon was objectively beautiful. Perhaps Yi-gang had become enchanted by her mature charm.

“Impossible.”

Of course, Jin Ri-yeon immediately dismissed the idea. If Yi-gang had been looking at Jin Ri-yeon, it might have been simply because they were acquaintances.

But for some reason, Yi-gang had always pretended not to know.

Peng Mu-ah remained uneasy. As Jin Ri-yeon contemplated how to reassure her,

“Are you there?”

A maid’s voice asked from beyond the door.

“Oh, come in.”

Upon Jin Ri-yeon’s invitation, the maid cautiously opened the door and bowed her head. She brought unexpected news.

“Jin Ri-yeon, someone wishes to convey a message to you.”

“Me?”

It was clear that the maid had come bearing a message from someone else.

“Young Master Yi-gang wishes to see you at once.”

“Me?”

“I understand it’s quite abrupt. He’s currently waiting in the garden.”

The maid bowed her head apologetically. Of course, she wasn’t to blame; it was just that Yi-gang’s request was so sudden.

“Yes, understood.”

After all, it was not as if a grown man was asking for a clandestine meeting, but rather the young Yi-gang had something to say.

Already preoccupied with her own concerns, Jin Ri-yeon nodded.

As she prepared to leave—

“…Ah.”

She felt the sting of a piercing gaze and could not help but turn around.

There stood Peng Mu-ah, her face set in stone.

“Oh, no…”

“It’s not like that…”

Peng Mu-ah’s face looked as if the sky had fallen.

Cold sweat trickled down Jin Ri-yeon’s neck.