Chapter 2

"The Moonlight Sword, Baek Ri Cheong-ra!"

Someone exclaimed in an admiring tone. And he was not the only one who reacted that way. The people of Little Lake were stretching their necks and staring at a certain man in a daze.

He was no ordinary man. Even from a distance, his aura was extraordinary.

Every person is bound to have flaws somewhere in their body. However, this man had none.

His facial features were harmoniously arranged on his clean, white skin like white jade. Beneath his straight eyebrows, drawn as if with meticulous care, were clear, shining eyes. They were beautiful eyes that seemed to hold an auspicious energy, like the sun peeking through the clouds.

Below his eyes, a tall and sharp nose extended straight and sleekly, with a length and height that was just right without any shortcomings. His lightly closed lips were also plump and a pleasing soft pink color, as if they had bitten a red flower petal and let it go. The teeth that showed whenever he spoke to the person beside him were also white and even, without a single crooked spot. His hair, neatly combed and tied with a blue silk ribbon, was as smooth and glossy as black silk.

His body was as magnificent as his face. As befitting the most famous martial artist of Moon Lake Sect, his posture was upright, and his hands were so fair and delicate that it was hard to imagine him wielding a sword and eliminating the evil martial arts factions. The blue martial arts uniform that fluttered with each step he took seemed to have been made just for Baek Ri Cheong-ra.

Moreover, it was not just his good looks that were outstanding. His face, with a gentle smile, revealed his noble character. In addition, his martial arts talent was exceptional, and he had made a name for himself in the martial arts world before he even turned thirty.

Before he even reached the age of majority, he threw down the gauntlet in the martial arts world and mercilessly destroyed countless bandit groups and evil factions. As the outstanding pride of Moon Lake Sect, he was not hypocritical, and wherever he went, he acted with righteousness and chivalry, so his character was as highly praised as his beautiful appearance.

Soho (Little Lake), located right below Moon Lake Sect, was a place with a small lake, as its name suggested. Near the lake, there was a colony of peach blossom trees, and as the weather warmed, the pink petals were in full bloom. As Baek Ri Cheong-ra passed under one of the trees, a timely breeze blew, and the petals fluttered down.

Just before sunrise, with the mysterious fog over the lakeside and the fluttering petals, the young master walked lightly, as if he were an immortal strolling through the Queen Mother of the West's Pantao Garden (the name of the orchard where the Queen Mother of the West grows peaches that grant immortality when eaten). The expressions of the people watching him naturally became dazed, and they unconsciously sighed.

Amidst the countless gazes, Ju Mu-gwang, who had been silently walking beside his close friend, spoke quietly when they were at a distance where people could not hear.

"Are you satisfied now that you've made all the petals fall from the poor tree?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. The wind just happened to blow and made them fall."

"I'm sure that's not the footwork technique you learned."

"How can I control the capricious spring breeze?"

Cheong-ra stubbornly denied it to the end, speaking in a lofty voice as if he knew nothing. It was true that a gentle breeze happened to blow, but Mu-gwang's words were also true. As he passed by the tree, when it seemed like the wind was blowing, he lightly tapped the trunk with his fingertips, causing the petals to shower down in such abundance.

Baek Ri Cheong-ra was born with a beautiful and handsome face. Moreover, his beauty was not seductive but pure and clean, easily earning the favor and affection of those around him. Cheong-ra also valued and cultivated his appearance and enjoyed hearing people admire his beauty. So he often subtly used tricks to highlight his appearance without being noticed.

Mu-gwang was such a close friend that he knew of Cheong-ra's such behavior. However, even as he scolded Cheong-ra, his eyes were not truly reproachful but full of incomparable gentleness, with the brotherly love of looking at a cherished younger brother.

"Do you have to cause such a commotion every time you come down here?"

Mu-gwang playfully chided as he moved his steps. As they walked around Little Lake and took care of their business, people who heard the news began to gather, and Mu-gwang and Cheong-ra familiarly avoided the spot. They had already quickly bought everything they needed to buy. Their steps were heading straight for the main sect.

Great Spirit Mountain, where Moon Lake Sect was located, had a majestic and towering mountain range that was considered a sacred mountain in the surrounding area. Although the mountain path was steep and high, Mu-gwang and Cheong-ra, being well-trained martial artists, ascended lightly without breaking a sweat.

When they arrived at the main sect, the day was just breaking. Today, Moon Lake Sect was also shrouded in fog from the morning. As the young disciples ran around busily to attend to the elders of the sect, their clothes would become damp with the thick fog before they knew it.

Although it might seem eerie with the fog when located in a valley among the densely wooded cliffs, the pure and clear spiritual energy in the buildings made it seem mystical instead. Thanks to the founding patriarch's good choice of location, when the morning sun shone brightly and the fog dispersed in all directions, the majestic and solemn mountain range was revealed, eliciting exclamations of admiration. The Full Moon Lake, which could be seen at a glance from the highest point of Moon Lake Sect, was also equally beautiful.

"I heard you went down to Little Lake, but you're back already?"

Song Geum-hye, who had just come out for training, asked in surprise when she saw Mu-gwang and Cheong-ra carrying loads of luggage.

"It can't be helped when I go with this guy."

Although he grumbled, Mu-gwang did not say he would never go down with Cheong-ra again. Painting requires a lot of money. Since he could get extras whenever he went with Cheong-ra, he always made sure to take his close friend. Cheong-ra rummaged through the luggage and took out something to hand over.

"Here, this is what Martial Sister Song asked for."

"Thank you, Martial Brother. Of all things, my comb had to break. I can't keep borrowing other people's combs forever."

What Geum-hye had asked them to buy was a sturdy comb made of oak. Usually, a comb is a gift exchanged between lovers, but no one in Moon Lake Sect misunderstood this action. They had known each other for a very long time and were like family. As disciples of the same master, they regarded each other as siblings.

After organizing their luggage, Mu-gwang and Cheong-ra immediately began their morning training. It was a daily routine that they never missed unless they were very sick or had something to do. In particular, they were among the top martial artists in Moon Lake Sect, so the sound of the wind from their swinging swords was no ordinary matter.

The morning training was light, about half an hour of stretching, so no one was tired, let alone sweating. As Cheong-ra was fixing his disheveled clothes and hair, Mu-gwang narrowed his eyes and looked at his close friend.

"Martial Sister, come to think of it, isn't it strange? We train under the scorching sun all the same, but how can only Cheong-ra's skin be as white as white jade?"

"It's innate. There are people who get particularly dark tans, you know. Martial Brother Baek Ri was born with a light complexion."

At those words, Mu-gwang nodded in agreement, comparing his own particularly deep-tanned skin with the relatively fair Song Geum-hye. Although Cheong-ra kept a calm face as if to say that Song Geum-hye's words were correct and did not give much of a reply, he actually had an extraordinary secret.

"Senior Brother Baek Ri! Here is some water."

As soon as Cheong-ra's training ended, Jin Hwang-yeong, who had been waiting nearby, ran over and held out a bamboo water container. Jin Hwang-yeong was a disciple who had just entered Moon Lake Sect about a year ago. Cheong-ra smiled gracefully and took the water container.

"Thank you as always, Junior Brother Jin."

Lost in that smile, Jin Hwang-yeong looked up at Baek Ri Cheong-ra and suddenly remembered the conversation he had with his fellow disciples yesterday.

In the Moon Lake Sect, new disciples serve the named disciples for three years. It was for the purpose of smooth adaptation and receiving basic education. According to the sect's rules, the juniors should respectfully treat their seniors, and the seniors should take good care of their juniors. Through that process, they form bonds and grow into true members of the Moon Lake Sect.

After finishing serving their respected senior, the disciples often gathered in small groups in the late afternoon, and the most common topic among them was none other than the great senior Gong Hyeok-rin or the Moonlight Sword Baek Ri Cheong-ra. Hwang-yeong, who was the envy of all his fellow disciples, felt a sense of pride whenever the topic of his senior came up.

That day, the topic of Baek Ri Cheong-ra came up again. One of the disciples said he heard from a senior.

'You know what? I heard Senior Brother Baek Ri particularly abhors ugly and unsightly people.'

At those words, everyone fell silent at once and each touched their own faces for no reason. Mirrors were expensive items, so it was difficult for individuals to own them unless they came from a wealthy family. When someone from a merchant family took out a small mirror and looked at his own face, there was a brief commotion as everyone tried to borrow the mirror.

After quickly looking in the mirror, Hwang-yeong thought that at least he was not ugly and unsightly to that extent. Senior Brother Baek Ri treated Hwang-yeong very well and did not show any signs of abhorrence. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but feel a bit upset. The other disciples were also inwardly discouraged.

'Well, if you live with such a handsome face, you'd probably particularly dislike ugly and unsightly things.'

'That's right. Even the famous Hwa Su-ryeon of The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance, known as the most beautiful woman in the world, can't be compared to Senior Brother Baek Ri.'

As the disciples excitedly chattered among themselves, Hwang-yeong soon shook his head and firmly denied it.

'No, the rumor that Senior Brother Baek Ri abhors ugly and unsightly people is false!'

With everyone's attention on him, Hwang-yeong frowned and questioned.

'Have you ever seen Senior Brother Baek Ri mistreat or distance himself from Senior Brother Ju?'

Ju Mu-gwang was a rough and fierce-looking person, like the leader of a bandit group, to the point where no junior dared to be unafraid in front of him. However, contrary to his appearance, he had a good character and was deeply respected by everyone.

'Well, that's not the case. They're rather close friends.'

'I also saw him kindly treat Uijeong the other day.'

‘...What? Does that mean I'm ugly?'

Anyway, the young disciples had seen Senior Brother Baek Ri treat everyone well regardless of their appearance, so they came to a consensus that it was a false rumor. Hwang-yeong, who had been frowning in case any more nonsense came out, also relaxed his expression.