Chapter 203 : Is It the Beginning? -02
Chapter 203: Is It the Beginning? -02
“Those bastards have no value in existing. The world is better off without them.”
“Hehe!”
Nan Hee-ju laughed at Ban Hojin’s tone, which left not even the slightest room for doubt.
Baekseol felt the same.
Although the Hao Sect stood between the orthodox and unorthodox paths, the Eight Evils were evil among evils.
Their very existence was unnecessary.
“Thanks for agreeing to such a sudden request.”
“It’s nothing. Compared to what we’ve received, this is nothing.”
“The Rumor Lord is right. I also think I still have a lot of debt left to repay.”
“Why are both of you buttering me up like this? Do you have something to ask?”
Ban Hojin asked playfully.
For some reason, he had a slightly uneasy feeling.
After all, every action had a reason, so he looked at Nan Hee-ju intently.
“Do I have to want something to act like this?”
“No?”
“I’m not that calculating. Maybe I am with others, but not with you. I’m not that shameless.”
“Really?”
“Yeah!”
Nan Hee-ju nodded vigorously.
But Ban Hojin tilted his head instead.
It was hard to fully believe her, considering the epithet Iron-Blooded Witch.
Even though she didn’t currently have a notable epithet, it felt like she would reclaim that title someday.
“If you say so. You’re staying for dinner, right?”
“Unless you’re kicking me out?”
“Then let’s all eat together. If you’re not busy.”
“Alright!”
At Ban Hojin’s suggestion that they all eat together, Baekseol also brightened.
There was nothing bad about strengthening bonds through occasions like this.
Since there was nothing urgent to attend to, Baekseol sent a voice transmission to the escort guards waiting outside.
---
As the leaves turned red and yellow, announcing autumn, the daylight hours gradually shortened.
By the time the sunset dyed the clouds red, the group gathered in the largest room, which served as both a meeting room and reception room.
“Uh…?”
Seo Joun, the first to enter after Ban Hojin, widened his eyes.
There was something placed on the table that he had never imagined seeing here.
“Hmm?”
“Huh?”
The others who entered afterward reacted the same way.
Everyone stared with round eyes at the unfamiliar item.
“Oh my?”
Even Nan Hee-ju and Baekseol, who came in last, were no different.
Both blinked in surprise at what sat in the middle of the table—something they had never expected.
“Is it really that surprising?”
“What’s on the table… is what I think it is, right?”
“What do you think it is?”
Ban Hojin asked back, his face full of mischief, as he looked at Seo Joun, who was still shocked.
Seeing that, Seo Joun unconsciously tilted his head.
“Isn’t it alcohol?”
“That’s right. It’s called Small Red Wine. Apparently, it’s quite an expensive liquor.”
“It’s really alcohol?”
“Yeah.”
Not just Seo Joun—everyone was shocked.
They had suspected it, but hearing it confirmed made them all exchange identical looks.
“What’s the occasion today?”
“They say when a person suddenly changes, it means they’re about to die.”
Following Seo Joun, Seonwu Bang spoke with suspicion written all over his face.
Ban Hojin had practically avoided alcohol until now.
So for him to suddenly arrange a drinking gathering—it was beyond strange.
“Come to think of it, we’ve never had a gathering like this before. We’ve only ever eaten meals or had tea. So I thought it wouldn’t be bad to gather and have a drink together at least once. It’ll become a memory.”
“I like it!”
“I like it too.”
As soon as Ban Hojin finished speaking, Murong Cheok quickly responded.
For him, such a gathering was nothing but welcome.
Jeong Iryong also smiled and agreed, as he occasionally drank alone.
“Iryong even knows how to brew alcohol.”
“Really?”
“Huh?”
At Seonwu Bang’s words, everyone’s gaze turned to Jeong Iryong.
This was the first time they had heard of it.
Even though they had lived together for quite some time, none of them had known, so they all looked at him in surprise.
“Haha. My master liked alcohol, so I ended up learning. I’m not an expert—just simple brewing. I picked it up by watching.”
“I only found out recently too. He was drinking alone.”
Seonwu Bang grinned as he patted Jeong Iryong’s shoulder.
Jeong Iryong smiled awkwardly.
It felt like a personal secret had been exposed.
“A true man should at least know how to drink. Drinking and music are indispensable in life.”
“You sound like you went pretty deep into that.”
“Well… I did, but I didn’t indulge in anything indecent. I can swear that!”
Ban Hojin narrowed his eyes at Murong Cheok, who was talking about drinking and entertainment.
Considering Murong Cheok’s past behavior, it was hard to take his words at face value.
Murong Cheok seemed aware of that too, as his face flushed slightly.
“Huh?”
“What is it?”
“Y-you look different today.”
“Do I? In what way?”
As Seo Joun stammered with a reddened face while sitting down, Nan Hee-ju asked with a bright smile.
She urged him to explain.
“Your makeup seems a bit different. And Miss Baek too.”
“That’s right. I put in some effort. Women have days like that sometimes—days when they want to dress up properly. It doesn’t always turn out well even if you try, but today was lucky. The makeup came out well. Same with Seol.”
With all the men’s gazes focused on her, Baekseol blushed and lowered her head.
It was her first time receiving such attention, and she wasn’t used to wearing makeup, so she couldn’t bring herself to meet their eyes.
“It suits you.”
“Really? Should I dress like this all the time?”
“That’s up to you.”
“But what’s gotten into you? Even I didn’t expect the alcohol.”
“If you don’t want to drink, you don’t have to. I’m not forcing anyone.”
Even though Ban Hojin said that, not a single person declined.
Such a gathering was rare, and everyone clearly wanted to enjoy it.
“Wait. We’re fine, but isn’t it a bit early for Joun and Uiseong?”
As Ban Hojin poured drinks for everyone while dishes filled the table one by one, Seonwu Bang spoke as if he had just realized something.
There were people of borderline age here.
“I heard drinking is something you learn from adults.”
“That’s right. I think one or two cups should be fine.”
“Hmm.”
Even after hearing Seo Joun and Sama Uiseong, Seonwu Bang frowned.
There were adults present, but he still hesitated.
“For reference, I’ve already learned from my master.”
“You, just drink a little.”
“I can drink a lot, you know? I’m actually pretty good at it.”
Nan Hee-ju raised her hand slightly and grinned.
Her eyes seemed to say she could outdrink Ban Hojin if inner energy wasn’t used.
But Ban Hojin just snorted.
“Is being good at drinking something to brag about? It’s better to drink moderately and enjoy it.”
“I’m saying you don’t need to worry. Are you worried about me?”
“I’m not worried about you—I’m worried about what you’ll do when you’re drunk.”
“No need to worry. I won’t get drunk.”
At her confident words, Baekseol, sitting beside her, quietly nodded.
She was the only one here who had drunk with Nan Hee-ju before.
So she knew that Nan Hee-ju’s confidence was genuine.
“Seeing Miss Baek, I guess I don’t need to worry.”
“Of course. Seol can drink pretty well too. Without using inner energy, she can almost keep up with me.”
“Hahaha.”
With all the attention suddenly focused on her again, Baekseol lowered her head once more.
Even though she had grown closer to everyone, being stared at like this still made her heart race.
She had become more comfortable, but the master of this room, Ban Hojin, was an absolute master known as the Sword Saint of Shaolin, and those seated around her were rising stars of Murim.
It was impossible not to feel nervous.
“What about the others?”
“I talked to them, but it seems difficult for everyone to eat together—especially a drinking gathering. So I decided to prepare drinks and good food for them separately tomorrow.”
“Being an escort guard is tough work.”
“You say that like you’ve done it.”
“I haven’t, but I’ve seen it plenty.”
Since it wasn’t his place to interfere in the Hao Sect’s affairs, Ban Hojin didn’t press further.
Saying more would be overstepping.
So he poured drinks for Seo Joun and Sama Uiseong.
“Wow.”
“Thank you.”
“Just lightly. Enough to feel good.”
Seo Joun and Sama Uiseong accepted the drinks with both hands.
Since Ban Hojin himself had poured them, they showed proper respect.
“To think we’d be teaching drinking etiquette.”
“What’s there to it? Drink well, enjoy it, and don’t cause trouble when drunk.”
“That’s true. Shall we have a drink then?”
“Let’s.”
After making eye contact with everyone, Ban Hojin drank.
A burning sensation ran down his throat, followed by the deep aroma of Small Red Wine.
At the same time, the intoxication hit him quickly.
Since his body wasn’t used to alcohol, it reacted immediately.
“Kh!”
“Ahh, this is good!”
“It’s delicious.”
Those familiar with alcohol let out satisfied sounds, while even Seo Joun and Sama Uiseong, drinking for the first time, didn’t grimace.
In fact, they smacked their lips as if they liked it.
Seeing that, Ban Hojin, Seonwu Bang, and Murong Cheok all looked surprised.
“You’re okay?”
“It’s surprisingly good. It’s my first time feeling something like this. It’s a bit strong, but not unbearable.”
“I think it’s clean and nice. I like the aroma too.”
Their positive reactions made Ban Hojin chuckle.
It was completely different from what he had expected.
“If you sip it thinking it’s tasty, it’ll hit you all at once later.”
“Come on, what do you take me for? With you here, that won’t happen.”
“That’s right.”
Murong Cheok tried to act like an older brother, but failed completely.
Seeing that, Nan Hee-ju and Baekseol covered their mouths and laughed.
Clink.
“I’m really curious—what made you suddenly organize a drinking gathering?”
“Like I said earlier, we never had something like this. And now Joun and Uiseong are eighteen. When I thought about it, they’re even at an age where getting married wouldn’t be strange.”
“That’s true. Some even marry at sixteen or seventeen. Martial artists actually tend to marry later.”
As he refilled Ban Hojin’s empty cup with Small Red Wine, Seonwu Bang nodded.
It reminded him of when he first met the younger ones.
“We should’ve had a drink together at least once.”
“Training was important. For me and for the others—it was a critical time. Ah, so that’s why today?”
“It’s just right, isn’t it?”
“You really have a knack for timing.”
“Sometimes you need to let loose. If something is stretched too tight, it snaps. And it feels like if not now, it’ll be hard to gather like this again.”
This time, Ban Hojin poured a drink for Seonwu Bang.
But the moment his cup was filled, empty cups began sliding toward Ban Hojin all at once.
“Pour me another.”
“Me too, please.”