A Poisonous Beauty

“Hoo…….”

I took a deep breath and circulated my energy through the Small Heavenly Circuit. I could feel the internal energy flowing along my meridians.

Truthfully, at first, I didn’t even know how to perform Un-gi Jo-sik (meditation for energy circulation). What even was it? I didn’t even know how to feel my internal energy.

But when my internal energy was drained to the limit, my body moved on its own.

Combined with the descriptions I’d read in martial arts novels and what I’d learned by observing Baek Geon-ha and Mu Il-young, it was starting to look somewhat plausible. At the very least, I wouldn’t end up in the pathetic state of Ju-hwa-ip-ma (losing control of energy) because I couldn’t circulate it properly.

“……Is that enough?”

After finishing the cycle, I moved my body experimentally.

It felt much lighter. My head was clear, as if the fatigue had vanished. That was the effect of the circulation.

The problem was that as soon as I’d recovered, I had to start running again.

“We depart.”

It seemed Mu Il-young had finished his circulation as well. I slung my bundle over my shoulder and stood up.

Baek Geon-ha began to walk first. His form shot forward like a projectile. Terrified of falling behind, I started running, trying to hold back tears of frustration.

***************************************

After leaving the Demonic Cult’s headquarters, the group mostly slept outdoors.

It couldn’t be helped. The regions we passed through were so harsh that there were few residents, so naturally, finding an inn was difficult. Plus, because we were cutting straight across dangerous paths that no ordinary person would dare tread, it was even harder. We had no choice but to use the sky as our roof and the earth as our blanket.

‘I never expected the tent-pitching skills I learned in the military to be used like this.’

The windbreaks (a type of tent) of the Central Plains were basically the same in principle. When I managed to set one up quite decently, I felt like Baek Geon-ha’s gaze toward me changed slightly. It might have just been my imagination, though.

Sleeping in a windbreak in the middle of a vast, desolate desert was a unique experience. When I saw the sea of stars densely embroidering the night sky, I even forgot my predicament and was lost in ecstasy. People pay money to go glamping, but I was seeing this scenery for free—I had a brief moment of “mental victory.”

If I had to choose between this emotionally-charged windbreak and a normal inn, my choice would be…….

‘Obviously an inn.’

……Indeed. Despite the beautiful scenery, the biting night wind and the dew were harsh realities. As a modern person, Seol Ah-heon, who knew the comfort of a soft mattress, missed beds. I didn’t even wish for much—just a proper roof over my head would have been nice.

For once, my wish came true. As the sun began to set, the group arrived at a small town. Its scale was modest, but it was the most prosperous place we’d passed so far. There were even four or five inns.

Baek Geon-ha pushed open the door of the most decent-looking one among them.

“Welcome, gu…… Ack!”

The waiter (jeom-so-i) was in the middle of greeting us when he swallowed his breath. Did the infamy of the ‘Heaven-Shattering Sword Demon’ spread even to these outskirts? ……Before I could be on guard, there was another reason.

He must have been stunned by the eye-opening beauty.

And he wasn’t the only one. Everyone we had passed by so far had been unable to take their eyes off Baek Geon-ha, as if bewitched. The man’s face, as if popped out of a painting of a peerless beauty, was truly enchanting.

It would be inconvenient to walk around like that, but Baek Geon-ha didn’t hide his face. Only Mu Il-young wore a black bamboo hat. Baek Geon-ha, on the other hand, walked around flaunting his face for everyone to see. Furthermore, he even enjoyed wearing flashy clothes as if to show off his beauty.

Combined with his face and attire, he was without a doubt a young master from some noble clan. The waiter, sensing the smell of money, snapped out of it.

“Thank you for choosing our Man-chun Inn. I shall show you to the second floor!”

Unlike the noisy first floor, the second floor had a tidy atmosphere. The tables and chairs seemed higher in quality, too.

I didn’t know how much that waiter was expecting from Baek Geon-ha, but it had nothing to do with me. I waited silently for Baek Geon-ha to order food.

“Our inn’s Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork (Eo-hyang-yuk-sa) and Kung Pao Chicken (Gung-bo-gye-jeong) are the best! Every customer who tastes them is amazed.”

“Prepare both, and do you have duck soup?”

“Yes. The duck soup is also very delicious.”

“Bring that as well.”

Baek Geon-ha ordered, placing three silver coins on the table. The waiter’s expression brightened instantly.

“Yes!”

His footsteps were light as he backed away. Perhaps he was happy to have met a “naive young master” ignorant of the ways of the world. What would his reaction be if he found out that young master was actually the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult? I suddenly imagined a wicked scenario.

“Sorry to keep you waiting! Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork and Kung Pao Chicken are here! The duck soup will be up shortly!”

Far from waiting long, it hadn’t even been a jik (15 minutes) by my estimation, but the food was already out. He had clearly prioritized Baek Geon-ha’s order above all else.

The waiter placed the dishes on the table. They smelled fragrant and steaming hot; they looked delicious. I swallowed my saliva.

Still, one had to wait until one’s superior ate first. I only started my meal after seeing Baek Geon-ha pick up his chopsticks.

I picked up the Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork first. It was a dish made of stir-fried shredded pork and bamboo shoots. It was my first time eating this menu, but since the ingredients themselves were familiar, I had no resistance.

“Mmm……!”

The spicy taste spread through my mouth. The pork had no gamey smell and was tender; I could see why the waiter had recommended it so confidently.

Eating a proper meal after surviving on Wall-Breaking Pills (Byeok-gok-dan) for several days was genuinely moving. Just as I was savoring each bite and chewing thoroughly, it happened.

“Look, over there.”

“Oh my, really…….”

“Right?”

Whispering voices reached my ears.

They were women sitting at the next table. They seemed to think they were keeping their voices down, but I heard everything.

“Go on, say something.”

“H-how can I?”

“Oh, come on. Just ask to share a cup of tea.”

“Wouldn’t alcohol be better than tea?”

“It doesn’t matter either way. We’ll be drinking all night anyway.”

……At this point, it felt like they were talking just so we could hear them.

They were looking at Baek Geon-ha explicitly. I could feel a sticky kind of interest in their gaze. I actually felt sorry for the guy.

‘You shouldn’t fall for looks. That’s a poisonous mushroom! A poisonous mushroom!’

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand the women’s feelings. It was true that Baek Geon-ha’s face was needlessly beautiful. Creatures that harbor poison are always the most flamboyant.

“…….”

I pretended to drink tea while stealing a glance at Baek Geon-ha. He had an indifferent expression, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

From the outside, he really did look like an upstanding young man. Maybe it was because he had changed his hair color.

Baek Geon-ha currently had black hair. Just yesterday it had been silver, but after sleeping and waking up, it had turned black.

I didn’t know what trick he used. I just assumed he changed it because silver hair was too conspicuous.

‘Because if his identity was discovered, knights would swarm him in droves.’

If his intention was to change his image, it was a success. The problem was that he had changed it so much that he was attracting attention in a different way.

With black hair, Baek Geon-ha had a calm atmosphere. He gave off an image of someone thoughtful, sensible, and gentle.

Moreover, the “barrier to entry” seemed lower. When he had silver hair, it felt like one shouldn’t dare approach him, but now he seemed approachable for some reason. It felt like if you talked to him, he would gladly accept it.

If they approached him trusting only that feeling, they would meet a terrible fate, but unfortunately, the women didn’t know this. Eventually, one of them approached our table.

“Hello, Young Master.”

The woman greeted him. Stories followed about how she was enjoying good liquor with her older sister, and how it was fate that they met, and she wanted to treat him to a drink.

Involuntarily caught between the flirting, I broke into a cold sweat internally. I felt pity for the woman who had put her head in a tiger’s mouth, sorry that I couldn’t help her, and embarrassed to be watching their flirtation…….

On the other hand, it was fascinating that hunting in the Central Plains was no different from Earth’s.

Approaching someone you like and offering them a drink—it’s a classic, but isn’t it always an effective method?

“Thank you for the offer, Miss. I was just curious about the local fine liquor.”

It seems the tactic works in the Central Plains, too. Baek Geon-ha accepted the woman’s suggestion.

He rose from his seat. Saying he would drink, the two of them headed somewhere other than the table. At a glance, it was a meeting of a handsome man and a beautiful woman, but as I watched their departing figures, my heart was heavy.

To think I had to watch a woman touch a poisonous mushroom.

This wasn’t the way of humanity. But what else could I do? I had neither the strength nor the courage to dissuade her.

I felt like a coward. I finished eating the Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork with a gloomy heart.

The food that had tasted so fantastic just a moment ago suddenly felt gritty and dry.