During the field trip, the students would be living at the Tang Family estate.
And on the evening of the first day.
The students were gathered in the dining hall, preparing for their al.
"For dinner tonight, the family head has specially prepared Sichuan cuisine for you to taste."
"..."
"Everyone, please eat with a grateful heart."
As Mang Wu-yeong said that, a look of anticipation appeared on each of the students' faces.
When talking about one of the representative cuisines of the martial world, wouldn't Sichuan cuisine naturally co to mind?
To be able to eat that cuisine locally. Of course, this was by no ans a trip, but it was natural to look forward to these small things.
"Sichuan cuisine, I've never had it in my life."
"Slling it on the street earlier, it seed like it would be very stimulating."
"It looks delicious. I really like spicy food."
The students were filled with anticipation, imagining the dishes that would soon be served.
However, there was one person whose expression had been unusually dark for a while.
Jong Seo-eon was unable to smile, with his head bowed.
'What should I do... Should I say my stomach hurts and go back to my room first?'
Sichuan cuisine.
It might be an anticipated food for so, but for others, it was sothing they didn't even want to touch.
Just slling the aroma wafting from the streets made his nose tingle, and to think of putting it in his mouth... Jong Seo-eon didn't even want to imagine it.
"..."
Of course, he didn't have to force himself to eat the food.
No one was forcing Jong Seo-eon to eat, and if he wanted, he could ask for a plain dish.
However.
Jong Seo-eon was unable to do either because of one person sitting at the sa table as him.
Swoosh—.
Jong Seo-eon raised his head and looked at Tang Wol-yeong, who was sitting one seat away.
'I just managed to smooth things over... If I can't eat the Sichuan cuisine here, Miss Wol-yeong might be disappointed in again.'
That was the very reason Jong Seo-eon was so worried right now.
He had sohow managed to get Tang Wol-yeong to forgive his slip of the tongue, but if he showed a disappointing side again, wouldn't she completely turn away from him this ti?
Of course, Tang Wol-yeong seed to have no interest in such things, but for Jong Seo-eon, it was a very serious problem.
Thud—.
While Jong Seo-eon was worrying about such things by himself, plates of food began to be placed on the table.
One, two... The variety of food was so great that it was hard to decide what to eat first.
"..."
There were certainly many kinds.
But to Jong Seo-eon, they all felt like the sa food.
'Why... is everything so red?'
It wasn't just red, it was bright red.
What he had seen briefly on the street didn't seem to be at this level...
Just then, the aroma rising from the food hit the tip of Jong Seo-eon's nose.
"...!"
At that mont, Jong Seo-eon almost coughed without realizing it.
The taste of those foods, which he seed to know without even having to eat them.
If I eat that, I'll die today. Jong Seo-eon instinctively knew that fact.
"Jong Seo-eon, can you eat this?"
Just then, Namgung Il asked Jong Seo-eon.
Having tasted Sichuan cuisine a few tis in the past, Namgung Il could tell that these dishes were quite authentic among Sichuan dishes.
"O-of course I can!"
"...Really? From what I can see, this is at a level that even locals would find spicy."
"It's fine!"
"..."
Although he said it was fine, Jong Seo-eon's expression and voice were not fine at all.
The reason he was speaking with a trembling voice was surely because of Tang Wol-yeong.
Since he could understand that feeling, Namgung Il didn't say anything more.
"Really? Then shall we eat?"
"..."
"Hmm— it's spicy, but it's delicious."
Namgung Il said after taking the first bite.
Seeing him eat so calmly, maybe it's not sothing a person can't eat at all.
Jong Seo-eon gathered his courage and picked up his spoon.
Tremble, tremble—.
Jong Seo-eon forced himself to stop the trembling of his hand and moved his spoon.
The food he scooped up with one spoonful.
There is lava in front of . That's how the food on the spoon felt to Jong Seo-eon right now.
"..."
Although he had picked up his spoon, he couldn't bring himself to put the food in his mouth.
However, he felt Tang Wol-yeong's gaze from across the table.
As soon as he noticed that, Jong Seo-eon put the spoon in his mouth as if nothing had happened.
"...!"
It felt like his tongue was on fire.
If he had his way, he wanted to spit it out right away, but in front of Tang Wol-yeong, Jong Seo-eon had no choice but to endure it.
'Swallow it... It'll be fine if I swallow it.'
Thinking so, Jong Seo-eon swallowed the food in his mouth.
But what awaited Jong Seo-eon was only greater pain.
Now it felt like lava was boiling in his stomach as well.
'This much... I can endure with ntal strength!'
I will not repeat the sa mistake as before.
Thinking so, Jong Seo-eon was enduring the spiciness of the Sichuan cuisine with ntal strength alone.
Thump—.
As soon as he swallowed the food in his mouth, Jong Seo-eon picked up a plate and brought it in front of him.
And as if possessed by a hungry ghost, he began to shovel the food on the plate into his mouth with a spoon.
'Jong Seo-eon... You are a man.'
Seeing that, Namgung Il was applauding inwardly.
In the end, Jong Seo-eon cleanly finished one plate, and after swallowing the remaining food in his mouth, he looked at Tang Wol-yeong.
"This is the most delicious food I've ever had in my life!"
"..."
"Sichuan cuisine is really delicious!"
Sweat was trickling down his face, and his lips were swollen.
Is this what it feels like to have a fire in your stomach?
Jong Seo-eon wanted to pour water into his mouth right now, but he forced himself to maintain a calm expression and said so to Tang Wol-yeong.
"I'm glad it suits your taste."
At that one phrase from Tang Wol-yeong, Jong Seo-eon felt all his pain being purified.
However.
"That's amazing. I can't eat Sichuan cuisine because it doesn't suit my taste."
"...What?"
"Because I can't eat spicy food. Even when I was at ho, I always ate food that was adjusted to not be spicy."
Only then did Jong Seo-eon notice the plate in front of Tang Wol-yeong.
Just by looking, the state of the food was clearly different from the other plates.
While all the others were bright red, that one had a very delicious-looking color.
'...What have I done?'
The reason Jong Seo-eon had emptied this plate was entirely because of Tang Wol-yeong.
But to think that she herself disliked Sichuan cuisine.
There was no greater miscalculation than this, and Jong Seo-eon's body froze in shock.
Grumble—.
At that mont, a danger signal was felt from his stomach.
The food he had forced down was now reacting in his stomach.
"...!"
If this continued, a catastrophe would occur.
Jong Seo-eon imdiately got up from his seat, clutched his pants, and ran outside in a hurry.
"Where is he going all of a sudden?"
"...He's probably going to fight a battle of his own."
"...?"
"Tang Wol-yeong, I have a favor to ask you."
As Namgung Il suddenly said that, Tang Wol-yeong tilted her head.
But a smile imdiately spread across her lips.
Namgung Il is asking for a favor. Tang Wol-yeong wanted to do anything she could for him.
"Please tell ! If it's sothing I can do, I'll do it."
"Thank you."
The favor Namgung Il was about to ask Tang Wol-yeong.
That could be said to be Namgung Il's purpose for coming to the Tang Family.
"I want to et your grandfather."
"...What?"
"The Poison King, Tang Cheol-go. Can I et him?"
The Ten Stars of Light.
Excluding Namgung Il, there were two people among them who were still alive.
One was Paeng Jeong-nam, whom he had seen recently. And the other was none other than Tang Cheol-go.
"..."
Namgung Il didn't think of Paeng Jeong-nam as a comrade, but he thought of Tang Cheol-go as an old friend.
So when he heard that Tang Cheol-go was still alive, he was very happy, and he had always wanted to et him again soday.
As he had the opportunity to co to the Tang Family through the field trip, he wondered if he could see Tang Cheol-go this ti.
Since coming to the Tang Family, Namgung Il had been thinking only of that.
"Uh... but why my grandfather..."
Of course, since Tang Wol-yeong didn't know about the long-standing relationship between the two, she couldn't help but react that way.
Namgung Il, as if he had already thought of a response to that, imdiately answered calmly.
"I want to et and talk to the person who is called one of the Ten Stars of Light along with my grandfather."
"..."
"Can't I?"
"No... it's not that you can't, but..."
Tang Wol-yeong couldn't easily make a decision and seed to be pondering sothing.
Well, it would be difficult to have a private eting with Tang Cheol-go, who could be said to be a central figure in the Tang Family.
If it were his past self, he would have t him easily, but at present, the difference in their status was stark.
"..."
So Namgung Il had no choice but to et Tang Cheol-go through Tang Wol-yeong.
If Tang Wol-yeong refused, there would be almost no chance to et Tang Cheol-go in the future... To express his earnest heart a little more, Namgung Il grabbed Tang Wol-yeong's hand.
"Tang Wol-yeong."
"...!"
"Please. You're the only one I can ask this of."
You're the only one.
At that one phrase from Namgung Il, Tang Wol-yeong was nodding her head without realizing it.
***
After dinner, Namgung Il was heading sowhere under Tang Wol-yeong's guidance.
"Grandfather is probably staying in the detached building right now."
"..."
"Um... Young Master."
Just then, Tang Wol-yeong said and stopped in her tracks.
Following her, Namgung Il also stopped walking, and the two stood facing each other in silence for a mont.
'What is it?'
Namgung Il could tell that Tang Wol-yeong was hesitating about sothing.
Could it be that she can't guide to where Tang Cheol-go is now?
As Namgung Il stood silently, Tang Wol-yeong first opened her mouth cautiously.
"...Before we go to where grandfather is, please promise one thing."
"..."
"Grandfather is not feeling well right now, so he might not be in a state to talk with you, Young Master. So..."
"I understand what you an."
"..."
As Namgung Il answered first, Tang Wol-yeong turned back and started walking again.
'Tang Cheol-go is not feeling well?'
Could it be that the aftereffects of the Righteous-Demonic War remain?
Well, after such a fierce battle with the Blood Demon, it would be stranger if his body were normal.
'In fact, it was a wound that would not have been strange even if he had died.'
From his mory, Tang Cheol-go had been hit squarely on the head by the Blood Demon.
To take that blow from the Blood Demon, and not anywhere else but the head.
It was normal to think that he had died on the spot, so Namgung Il had only thought that Tang Cheol-go had surely died.
'But... he's alive.'
When he heard that his friend, whom he had thought was dead, was alive, he couldn't have been happier.
From what Tang Wol-yeong said, his appearance might have changed a lot due to the aftereffects of the Righteous-Demonic War, but it didn't matter.
He was also the sa in that his appearance had changed.
No matter how he had changed, Tang Cheol-go was still his friend.
"...?"
"I've co to see grandfather."
Passing through the gate guarded by a gatekeeper, Namgung Il and Tang Wol-yeong arrived at the detached building.
Tang Wol-yeong imdiately entered the detached building with familiar movents and stopped in front of a certain room.
"Grandfather, it's , Wol-yeong."
"..."
"Are you inside?"
Tang Wol-yeong said, standing in front of the door.
At that mont, Namgung Il's heart began to beat faster.
Thinking that Tang Cheol-go would be beyond this door, Namgung Il couldn't contain his excitent.
"...Young Master, please wait a mont."
As there was no answer from inside no matter how much she called, Tang Wol-yeong said and cautiously approached the door.
A mont later, the door slowly opened.
Namgung Il could see the interior through the open door, and there, he saw a very nostalgic back.
'...Tang Cheol-go.'
That back. It was undoubtedly Tang Cheol-go.
He had thought he might not be able to recognize him because so much ti had passed, but strangely, Namgung Il could recognize Tang Cheol-go at a glance.
"Do Yeok-san, I will create an opening in the Blood Demon."
"What...? You can't do it alone!"
"It's not alone, we're doing it together."
"..."
"You finish it."
I'll trust you with it.
Leaving those words, Tang Cheol-go had rushed at the Blood Demon by himself.
"..."
If it weren't for Tang Cheol-go's poison, his own blow would not have worked on the Blood Demon at all.
There was sothing he couldn't say then... Thinking that he could finally say it now, Namgung Il's heart swelled without him realizing it.
Shhh—.
It was then.
A familiar sound was heard from inside the room.
Simultaneously, discovering sothing flowing between Tang Cheol-go's legs, Namgung Il ca out of his reminiscence.
"...?"
Could it be... is the act Tang Cheol-go is doing now what I think it is?
Namgung Il was so flabbergasted that he couldn't hide the emotion on his face.
"Uahahaha—! Farther, farther!"
A cheerful shout like a child's.
It was very different from the way Tang Cheol-go had spoken in Namgung Il's mory.
(End of Chapter)
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