A vintage kettle boiled atop a neatly arranged wooden stand over the campfire.
A gentle aroma wafted up from the kettle, tickling my nose.
—Sssss! Sizzle! Sizzle!
Seolbaek, with her silver hair fluttering, was frantically stirring a metal cauldron.
She sprinkled various spices from a bamboo container, proudly showing off her amazing cooking skills.
Watching her, I couldn't help but be impressed.
I was planning to simply pluck the feathers off the pheasant we caught and roast it over the fire, but—
[That wouldn't be showing respect to the food.]
After saying that, she had pulled out cooking tools from her bag and started preparing a proper meal.
The spicy aroma alone was enough to make my mouth water.
Every time she stirred the cauldron, the pheasant meat took on a glossy, reddish sheen.
—...What even is taste?
—I'm curious too.
Even Sodamgeom and Namcheoncheolgeom were intrigued, indicating that her cooking skills rivaled those of royal chefs.
After finishing the dish, she elegantly plated the seasoned pheasant meat.
"...Was all this really necessary?"
"Food that looks good, tastes better. Even if you eat just one thing, if it has class, it tastes different."
Hard to disagree.
Just looking at it made my mouth water—I couldn't wait to try it.
She handed me a silver spoon.
I had no idea how she managed to carry so much in her bag.
"I adapted a Sichuan-style Huiguorou dish. I used Doubanjiang and various spices, so it might be spicy—take small bites."
Huiguorou is typically made by boiling pork, then stir-frying it in a cauldron.
But here, she had replaced the pork with pheasant meat.
I picked up a piece of the red-hot meat with chopsticks and placed it in my mouth.
'!!!'
The moment I took a bite, a sweet-spicy flavor melted gently in my mouth.
It was a pleasantly spicy taste.
Seolbaek widened her eyes and asked,
"How is it?"
"...Delicious."
I couldn't lie about something that was clearly delicious.
She smiled brightly, clearly pleased with my reaction.
Then she started eating as well.
As I ate, I said,
"I thought it was a hassle, but you're quite skilled."
"When you live a long life, you start losing interest in everything."
"So you got into cooking as a hobby?"
"No. My tastes became more refined over time, so I eventually started cooking to satisfy my own palate."
Three hundred years of refining her palate had produced this level of skill.
Even imperial chefs probably couldn't match this.
Seolbaek asked,
"You're a descendant of the Sword Immortal, so I figured you've lived at least three hundred years—if not more. I was worried you wouldn't like the taste, but I'm relieved."
Hmm...
I hadn't even lived a tenth of that time, even if I counted my life before regression.
No need to tell her that, though—so I stayed silent.
After a few bites, the spiciness started to build.
I opened a gourd flask and drank a sip of water.
Then Seolbaek said,
"With cooking skills like this, don't you want me as a wife?"
"Pfft!"
I ended up spitting out the water I was drinking.
It hit her face—but froze midair and scattered like snowflakes before even touching her.
A chill aura was always protecting her.
—She really doesn't get tired, does she.
Sodamgeom clicked his tongue.
This woman had been throwing out lines like that ever since we started traveling to Muhanshi.
Like she wanted me to get used to it gradually.
—At this rate, you'll be brainwashed before you even meet the Prince.
Sigh.
Can't argue with Sodamgeom.
Her approach was completely different from any woman I'd met before.
Instead of bluntly expressing her emotions, she showed how good life would be with her nearby.
And it felt so natural, it was scary.
I never even accepted her as an attendant, but she insisted on serving me.
No matter how often I told her it wasn't necessary, she somehow ended up doing everything naturally.
Sigh.
I let out a light sigh and kept eating silently.
It was the only way to keep from being swept away.
She smiled knowingly and resumed eating, clearly enjoying my reactions.
—I think she's scarier than Baek Hyehyang, that fox. Be careful.
—Personally, I don't think she's so bad. My former master used to say, "There's no better spouse than one who puts a man at ease."
—If your master was so wise about women, why did he stay single his whole life?
—Ahem.
Namcheoncheolgeom fell silent at Sodamgeom's jab.
Guess the rare advice from the Namcheon Swordmaster touched a nerve.
In any case, I needed to stay sharp.
If I wasn't careful, I might fall for her games.
After we finished eating and got closer to Muhanshi, I used Chehwamanbyeonsul to change my face back to its original form.
—Crack! Crack!
When my real face returned, Seolbaek stared at me with fascination.
"You done staring?"
"That's your real face?"
"Yeah."
At my answer, the corners of her lips curled into a smile.
"Why are you smiling?"
"I was wondering if you were hiding it because you were ugly."
I snorted at her words.
For the record, I'd never once been called ugly.
Then Seolbaek giggled and said,
"Whether we have a daughter or a son, our kid's going to be good-looking."
"Cough!"
She really never lets her guard down.
As soon as she saw my real face, she started imagining our child's face.
Even though I was keeping her at a distance, she said things like that so casually.
"Tone it down."
"Nope."
"I'll seal your mouth."
"You'll find it hard to seal my pressure points."
"What?"
"The first thing I mastered after you touched my pressure points was Pressure Point Shift Technique."
So she prepared for this?
I shook my head in disbelief and said,
"Are you going to keep acting like this even inside Muhanshi?"
At that, she smiled and pulled out a small pill from her robe and swallowed it.
Soon, her silver hair—shining like her eyes—began to darken.
Well, of course she wouldn't wander around openly with silver hair.
"You have a skin mask?"
"I just received a new one I ordered."
She took out a small wooden box from her bag.
Inside was a skin mask.
"The Emperor wouldn't recognize this face?"
"It's a new one."
She expertly placed the mask over her face.
Her original face was beautiful, but this new one was no less stunning.
"You like standing out, huh?"
"Nope. I picked a face that suits you."
"…"
She answered instantly, but it sounded like something she'd mulled over for hours.
I shook my head and said,
"Muhanshi is just ahead. Keep your promise."
"Don't worry. I won't get more than ten steps away from you. Actually, I can stay within one step if you want."
She took the chance to lean closer, but I raised my hand to signal her to stop.
She clicked her tongue in disappointment, and I sighed inwardly.
—Just go meet the Prince already.
Unfortunately, the Martial Alliance had become more urgent.
According to intel from the Beggars' Union—passed through Choseongwon—Baek Hyangmok, the former Alliance Leader and the strongest sword of Muhanshi, had already arrived at the Martial Alliance.
Which meant the election for the next Alliance Leader was about to begin.
According to Seolbaek's intel, the true purpose of the Martial Alliance's "secret" election was to trace me through Gwak Hyeongjik of Bukyeongdo Fortress.
—If not for the Beggars' Union, we'd be in trouble.
Making Choseongwon the leader of the Beggars' Union was a stroke of genius.
In any case, I couldn't let things proceed according to that emperor bastard's plan.
Until then, I had no choice but to keep Seolbaek nearby.
—Stay alert.
You don't need to tell me that.
"We're leaving at dawn. Get some sleep."
"You sure you don't need company tonight?"
Seolbaek licked her lips suggestively.
"…"
This is why I can't get a wink of sleep.
---
Two days later, morning.
The fortress of the Infinite City Martial Alliance.
It had been a while since I came here, and it was bustling with people just like before.
The unusually large number of people was because of tomorrow's grand leader selection ceremony of the Martial Alliance.
Officially, they had invited each sect and faction under the pretext of selecting the grand leader.
As I stepped into the street outside the fortress, the attention of countless people was focused on me.
Since I came in my original appearance, many martial artists recognized me and murmured among themselves.
"I'm not the one who's actually flashy."
I snorted at Seolbaek's sarcastic remark.
I hadn't realized my reputation was this great.
After being absent for nearly seven months and then showing up again, every martial artist passing by couldn't take their eyes off me.
Some even deliberately acted like they knew me.
"Master So, it's been a long time."
"Do you remember me?"
"Did you come because of the grand leader selection?"
I could have denied and pretended not to know, but I accepted their greetings with a bow.
Here, I was a hero of the orthodox faction, after all.
Having a great reputation isn't always a good thing.
I agree.
In the Blood Sect, no one dares to speak to me carelessly, but in the orthodox faction, reputation was equivalent to popularity.
So the gazes and attention of the crowd gathered to a burdensome degree.
As I pushed through the crowd and headed toward the entrance of the Martial Alliance fortress,
someone's shout came from behind.
"Brother!"
Looking that way, I saw someone running from the fortress gate.
She was my younger sister, So Yeong-yeong.
Seeing Yeong-yeong after several years, I waved my hand happily.
But it seemed Yeong-yeong was not pleased.
As soon as she ran up, ignoring the surrounding gazes, she shouted loudly.
"How could you not even contact me once! You stupid, dumb brother!"
'Ah...'
Still, wasn't that a bit harsh with so many people watching?
Calling your older brother stupid and dumb.
But looking at her reddened eyes, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.
She must have been really worried.
"Do you know how worried I was!"
Yeong-yeong shouted as she tried to punch my chest.
She wasn't really hitting me but was just sulking.
Seolbaek stepped in to block her.
"What's this? You?"
"That's what I want to ask."
Seolbaek's gaze sharpened strangely.
Because Yeong-yeong came rushing in and yelled out suddenly, she must not have realized she was my younger sister.
"Step aside. My sis—"
"Master So!"
Before I could say she was my sister to Seolbaek, someone else's shout interrupted.
The person shouting was Namgung Gahee, the leader of the Phoenix Hall.
There was also Eon Youngin from Jinju Sect.
Namgung Gahee approached me with a delighted expression and said,
"Long time no see, Master So. We were rushing over as soon as we heard you had appeared. We were sweating trying to catch up."
She fanned herself and joked around.
"You were running too as soon as you heard, weren't you? Hohoho."
"Hey, I never said I was running."
Eon Youngin's remark made Namgung Gahee embarrassed.
They were still the same kind-hearted women.
At that moment, Seolbaek turned her head toward me and said,
"There are more women around than I expected?"
Her voice was quite cold.
Since all these beautiful women appeared coincidentally, she seemed to misunderstand something.
"So what's the situation here?"
Quick-witted Namgung Gahee looked at the strangely tense Seolbaek and Yeong-yeong and asked.
She seemed ready to side with Yeong-yeong if needed.
I explained,
"She's my younger sister."
Seolbaek's eyes went wide.
"Your younger sister? So Yeong-yeong?"
She must have known some of So Unhui's personal info, because upon hearing the name, she immediately realized.
Yeong-yeong looked at her, following my gaze, and asked,
"Brother, who exactly is this woman?"
She seemed quite displeased that the reunion was being interrupted.
I was about to tell Yeong-yeong a fake identity I had prepared for Seolbaek,
but before I could speak,
Seolbaek suddenly smiled brightly at Yeong-yeong and said,
"I was wondering where such a pretty lady came from, and it turns out you're our Unhui's younger sister. Nice to meet you. Oh, you're so beautiful."
Her tone and expression changed 180 degrees.
It was hard to believe she was the same woman with the icy face from earlier.
But the problem was elsewhere.
"Our Unhui's brother?"
Yeong-yeong retorted suspiciously, looking at me.
Her gaze seemed to say, "Explain this situation."
Even Namgung Gahee and Eon Youngin glanced between Seolbaek and me with surprised looks.
'...Ah.'
Suddenly my head started to ache.