/
<Sword Dragon> (2)
“Welcome!”
It was a little past noon, just around lunchtime, so the diner they had stepped into was crowded with people who had come in for a meal. Scarlett looked around the diner, her eyes shining brightly. Just as this city called Brethun was noticeably different from other cities, the interior of the diner seemed unique as well.
Sungmin and Scarlett were led to an empty table on the second floor. The waitress leading them was wearing a qipao that was revealing her thigh.
“Is this your first time visiting Brethun?” She asked, smiling.
“Ah, yes.”
“I thought so. The food here may not suit your taste. We have a lot of people from different worlds living here in this city, and so do their descendants, although they may not be of other worlds themselves.” The waitress explained, handing them a menu. Now that she mentioned it, a lot of the people sitting around them did seem to be of mixed race.
“We have a lot of martial arts masters who are originally from the Zhongyuan area come from all over as well, so we have a lot of dishes that suit their taste. I think the food will be fine for you sir, but for the lady… not so much.” The waitress said, stealing glances at Scarlett. Sungmin wasn’t a martial arts master, but like them, he was Asian. As for Scarlett, anyone would be able to tell she was a Westerner so the waitress seemed to have a wrong impression of her.
“I don’t think I’m too picky but… hmmm. I do admit it’s my first time having Zhongyuan food for the first time.” Scarlett mumbled, flipping through the menu.
The waitress smiled gently and said, “Zhongyuan food is a little strong since we use a lot of seasoning. Would you like me to recommend anything that’s not as strong?”
“Ah, yes. Yes, please.” Scarlet nodded.
Sungmin wasn’t familiar with Zhongyuan food either, so he chose his order according to what the waitress recommended.
“What are we going to do once we get to Shaolin?”
“I don’t know. We’ll have to see when we get there.”
“I don’t know much about Wushu, but isn’t Shaolin the most famous among the Wushu sects?”
“That’s true, but even I don’t know much about Shaolin. I’ve only heard rumors.”
During the past few months of their journey, Sungmin had explained to Scarlett why they were going to Shaolin. Scarlett had been feeling quite proud afterwards.
“We’re bringing them the Wushu manuals, so don’t you think they’ll have something better in return for us?”
“Hmm.. I don’t think so. I heard that these arts are worthless. I do think they will give us something just to be polite, but I’m not sure what that will be.”
Nevel had been positive the two would at least be presented with the Lesser Restoration Pill, but Sungmin doubted their mission would end on such a positive note.
“There’s something more important to talk about,” Scarlet said, frowning. “This restaurant has good customer service but there are a lot of ‘blowflies’ around.”
She crossed her legs, then crossed her arms. Sungmin smiled bitterly. Unlike her good looks, Scarlett enjoyed using foul and abusive language. But he couldn’t help but agree that there were a lot of ‘blowflies’.
“I see,” he replied.
He could feel their eyes on him. Whoever was looking at them were doing their best to be discreet, but Sungmin and Scarlett could sense they were being watched. Most of the martial artists sitting around them had been stealing glances ever since the two had been led to this table on the second floor and taken a seat.
Was it because the two were foreigners?
No. That wasn’t it.
‘I have a long way to go.’
Sungmin thought to himself, clicking his tongue. He wasn’t skilled in hiding his internal qi well. If he truly reached his highest point of Peak Level, the unending cycle of flowing qi would be perfected and he would be at the Grandmaster Level. No matter how much internal cultivation and high arts techniques he had mastered, his internal qi and physical body would function in harmony perfectly and profoundly that no one would be able to sense the power of his qi he had developed so far.
For Sungmin, it was currently at a point where it would take a while for him to reach. Sungmin hadn’t reached the Level of Hiding Inner Qi, (t/n : term used in wuxia referring to the point qi masters are able to control their internal qi perfectly) let alone the reaching the level of being immune to extreme temperature and the Level of Blue Flames (t/n : term used in wuxia from a Chinese idiom referring to someone who has reached a point of perfectly controlling their qi, comparing them to fire, when extremely hot, appears in blue flames)
Thanks to the Greater and Lesser Restoration Pills, his internal cultivation had become more profound, but the Purple Cloud Divine Art that had been balancing him had not done much work. Although it was possible to summon more strength, he still lacked in balancing his inner qi. Even if he hid his inner qi and held in his vigor, he was always overflowing with energy. Therefore, the martial artists who had reached a certain level themselves couldn’t help but notice Sungmin’s presence.
“Hahah… A blowfly, huh?”
Scarlett’s muttering hadn’t exactly been in an undertone, so her comment was loud for everyone around them to hear. A man who had been sitting next to the window slowly got up to his feet. He was wearing navy blue robes and squinted over at Sungmin and Scarlett.
“The young lady has such a foul mouth despite her good looks… Actually, no. Is that what makes you appear more attractive?”
“Oh my, just listen to you talk, boy. Did you smear butter in your throat?” Scarlett muttered, and chuckled in disbelief. Sungmin was nervous that she may have gone too far, and the man’s face hardened.
“I see.. a beautiful flower has its thorns…”
“You crazy son of a b****. Did you learn to have a conversation by reading novels?” Scarlett burst out laughing before the man could finish mumbling his sentence. The man’s face reddened. He stomped over to Scarlett, fuming. Seeing this, Sungmin sighed and pushed his chair back.
“Enough,” another voice spoke up before Sungmin could even react.
The man stopped in his tracks.
“Young Master Bi Chung-Hak. Unless your eyes are a pair of knotholes that you can’t see past the end of your nose, it would be good for you to sort your murderous intentions, sit down and finish your meal like a good boy.”
The man speaking was drinking tea at the window seat on the other side. Bi Chung-Hak stopped in his tracks and made a face.
“If you know my name, you are also probably aware of what people call me by.”
“This is why nicknames aren’t good for you. Yours is just a byname people started calling you by, but it’s always the worthless things who think they are something and go around making a big deal out of it.”
“Worth..worthless? Excuse me?”
“I said you were worthless. Bi Chung-Hak with the “elegant white blade”. Or what – is there something else that’s got your back other than your byname and worthless skills? Perhaps your household of “Bi”, which I hear is a quite influential bloodline in this part of the city?” The man remarked in a drawling tone.