TL: FoodieMonster007
Bathed in the glow of the crescent moon, Baek Muheun sat alone in a pavilion, swirling the wine in his cup. The sound of the clear liquor sloshing around felt oddly soothing.
"Hoo..." Sighing deeply, he took a sip, a trace of melancholy flickering across his face. If there were women around, they would probably be swooning, convinced that he had stepped right out of a painting. Tonight, however, he was alone.
At least, until now.
An old man with white hair approached from the opposite side of the pavilion, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "Tsk tsk. It's a lovely moonlit night. Why are you ruining it with all this gloominess?"
Baek Muheun stared at the old man, puzzled. "You're still up, Father-in-law? I thought you said you were tired and went to bed early."
"I couldn't sleep. Anyway, what are you doing up at this hour?"
"As you can see, I'm enjoying a drink. I don't usually sleep this early."
"Even at your age, you live as you please."
"Well, I don't have a wife to nag me for staying up late, do I?"
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"......"
"......"
An awkward silence settled between the two men. Mae Geuklyom picked up the bottle in front of Baek Muheun and poured himself a cup.
Baek Muheun watched him, surprised. "...I thought you didn't drink."
"These days, I drink occasionally. I even made a drinking buddy recently."
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"You've changed a lot, Father-in-law."
"......"
"......"
Once again, the conversation stalled, and silence hung in the air. Although Baek Muheun and Mae Geuklyom had managed to resolve decades of misunderstandings and somewhat reconcile with each other, it was nevertheless not easy to keep a conversation going.
Still, they eventually managed to find some common ground.
"What do you usually do on Yakbing's death anniversary?"
"Back in the day, I used to go sightseeing with my son. Yakbing's final wish was that we go on vacation together on her death anniversary instead of visiting her grave or holding a vigil."
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"...That's just like her. She said something similar to me when she was young."
"What about you, Father-in-law?"
"I wander around the academy. The paths she walked, the cafeteria where she ate, the classrooms where she studied. Even after thirty years, traces of her remain."
"......"
"......"
"Well, I was planning to tour the academy tomorrow myself. Could you show me around? A lot has changed."
"...Alright." Mae Geuklyom hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Like it or not, they were now the only two who remembered Mae Yakbing.1
Again, the conversation paused, but this time, finding a new topic wasn't difficult.
"By the way... about Suryong."
"He takes after me, so he has a lot of issues with women, right? Sigh, but what can we do? The ladies just won't leave handsome men like us alone."
Mae Geuklyom stared at his son-in-law incredulously. "Stop spouting nonsense. What I want to know is, when did he start learning martial arts?"
Although Baek Suryong was not yet thirty years old and was still young enough to be called a prodigy in the murim, he had already reached the transcendental realm.
Grinning awkwardly, Baek Muheun replied, "Haha, the kid takes after me. He's a natural when it comes to martial arts."
"I know that the current Ten Supremes, or those who are close to that level, mostly achieved transcendence before the age of thirty, so that's not what I find odd."
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"What is it?" Noticing the serious look on his son-in-law's face, Mae Geuklyom straightened up, guessing that he was about to be asked for advice again.
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Baek Muheun pointed to his bruised eye and, with an aggrieved expression, he asked, "About this... did you hit me on purpose?"
"Baek Muheun. You... created this atmosphere just to ask me about such a trivial thing?"
"Trivial? You gave your super ultra handsome son-in-law a black eye! What if you left a scar on my pretty face?"
Grabbing the wine bottle, Mae Geuklyom swung it at his son-in-law's good eye. "...You really are hopeless. Should I give you another black eye? It'll make your face symmetrical again!"
Barely dodging the attack, Baek Muheun shouted, "I knew it!"
The two men bickered for a while, then looked at each other and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Hohoho!"
...Of course, that was only after Baek Muheun's other eye had turned black as well.
"Ah, the bottle's empty."
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"Don't worry, I brought a lot more wine."
"...I suppose you're not the type who would be satisfied with just one bottle. I'll have a few more cups and then head back to bed."
Despite what Mae Geuklyom said, however, a few cups quickly turned into several bottles as the two men shared drinks and talked late into the night.
Slowly, the long-standing awkwardness between them began to fade. While it was impossible for their relationship to mend overnight, especially given their rocky past, there was no doubt that it was beginning to improve.
"I'll come visit again to see my son and share a drink with you, Father-in-law."
Mae Geuklyom scoffed. "Hmph. Do as you please."
"...You know, Yakbing once told me something."
"What?"
Baek Muheun smirked. "She said her father scoffs when he's embarrassed."
"Cough! You...!"
BOOM!
Suddenly, a powerful surge of energy erupted in the middle of the White Dragon Manor, causing both men to stand up simultaneously and sprint toward the source of the disturbance.
Following their qi senses, they threw open the door to Baek Suryong's room, only to find him hovering a foot off the ground, his eyes closed in meditation. Contrary to his calm appearance, however, an immense energy storm swirled around him like a coiling dragon, smashing everything in its path.
"Suryong!"
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"What on earth is this...?"
The students of the White Dragon Manor, sensing the wild energy, also quickly woke up and gathered outside the room.
"Mr. Baek!"
"What's going on?"
"Why all of a sudden..."
Mae Geuklyom calmed the anxious students, saying, "Stay back. I think he's in the middle of a revelation."
"Huh? A revelation..."
"You mean he's going to have another breakthrough?"
"Damn it! When will I ever get to beat him up if he just keeps getting stronger?!"
While everyone looked at Baek Suryong, relieved yet dumbfounded, Baek Muheun murmured in disbelief, "Suryong... Just how much stronger do you want to get, you damned punk?!"
Baek Suryong was too young when Mae Yakbing died, so no one will suspect anything if he doesn't remember her. ↩