Chapter 3

Hwang-yeong had no doubt that a senior brother who was so kind and gentle must also have a pure and virtuous inner self. Just look at him now. Wasn't he showing a friendly appearance with Senior Brother Ju?

In Hwang-yeong's eyes, such a Senior Brother Baek Ri looked like an immortal descended from heaven. He was not only beautiful but also outstanding in martial arts and had a perfect character. Hwang-yeong learned for the first time from Senior Brother Baek Ri that a man could be this beautiful.

"Junior Brother Jin is diligent today as well. I heard you're also working hard in training?"

Especially at times like this, when Senior Brother Baek Ri would stroke his hair and praise him while giving him a large package of sweets he personally bought from Little Lake, Hwang-yeong felt it even more.

Cheong-ra neatly retied the child's disheveled hair with a gentle touch and even tied the knot of his clothes that was about to come loose. He even wiped the dust off his cheeks cleanly. With a face flushed red from joy, Jin Hwang-yeong loudly replied that he would gratefully eat well. Seeing the young junior brother running to his fellow disciples to boast while hugging the package of sweets, a satisfied look appeared in Cheong-ra's graceful eyes.

Then he glanced at Ju Mu-gwang. Feeling his close friend's gaze, Mu-gwang frowned. When Cheong-ra slightly reached out his hand to his own collar, Mu-gwang coldly slapped it away with a clang.

"Hey. Don't touch me."

"I was just trying to brush off the dust for you."

When Cheong-ra made an excuse, Ju Mu-gwang glared at him threateningly. With his free-spirited attire and fierce appearance, he was even more intimidating than a bandit leader. It was then that a voice was heard teasing Cheong-ra.

"This guy, enchanting all the young kids."

"Great Senior Brother!"

When the Great Senior Brother Gong Hyeok-rin appeared with a smile, Cheong-ra exclaimed happily. Gong Hyeok-rin smiled amiably.

"I got caught by the elders on the way. That's why I'm a bit late."

"Martial Brother Baek Ri enchanting the kids. Our Martial Brother Baek Ri's good looks are well known to the juniors too."

Like Mu-gwang, Geum-hye was well aware of Cheong-ra's hidden side but always pretended not to know and took his side. It was an attitude like that of a loving older sister treating her cherished younger brother. Gong Hyeok-rin, Song Geum-hye, Ju Mu-gwang, and Baek Ri Cheong-ra. These four were famous in Moon Lake Sect for their deep sibling-like friendship.

After finishing breakfast, they devoted themselves to training again. Reciting the oral formulas with a clear mind, exploring the hidden wonders or meanings within them, or training the body to its limits. It was a boring and grueling schedule, but Cheong-ra focused on the training. This was not purely for the purpose of pursuing martial arts.

In Cheong-ra's opinion, martial arts were a means to make a person look better.

It was not simply about the harmonious balance of the mind and body. The higher the level of martial arts, the slower the aging process, the less likely to gain excess fat, and a well-trained body prevents mistakes that could lead to unsightly behavior. Just being able to avoid falling in an unsightly manner in front of others was of great value to Cheong-ra.

Of course, knowing that such a mindset was improper for a martial artist, Cheong-ra always felt apologetic to his master.

On the other hand, Cheong-ra's strength was not simply due to his innate talent and obsession with martial arts. He was known as the second most enthusiastic sparring partner in Moon Lake Sect after Gong Hyeok-rin. Countless fighting experiences made him overwhelmingly stronger than his peers. In Moon Lake Sect, there was already no one of similar age who could match Cheong-ra, so Gong Hyeok-rin would spar with him every time.

"Cheong-ra, as your achievements deepen day by day, this senior brother is always happy."

After the sparring ended, Gong Hyeok-rin laughed heartily and patted his shoulder. A smile also appeared on Cheong-ra's face, which was covered in sweat from the sparring.

People always looked at him with admiration, respect, friendship, affection, and trust.

Cheong-ra felt a sense of fulfillment every time this happened. In response to those expectations, he showed a perfect image of respecting his elders and caring for his juniors without losing his smiling face all day. He never showed a single improper appearance.

He spent the day diligently as usual, and when the day was drawing to a close, he returned to his quarters.

A faint fragrance wafted through the spotlessly clean room. Only after closing the door could Cheong-ra relax his body that had been tense all day.

"Phew..."

A long, tired sigh escaped quietly from between his lips. However, there was still no rest. As soon as he returned, what he did was sit cross-legged and recite the Moon-Like Snow Spleen Heart Formula.

Geum-hye had said that he just had skin that tanned less, but that was not the case. By reciting this formula and circulating his energy, he could always maintain fair and soft skin. It was an internal energy technique he learned from his mother and had recited every day since childhood without fail. This formula had side effects as much as it was effective, but Cheong-ra willingly endured them.

After reciting the formula and circulating his energy for about half an hour, he leisurely took a bath with the water Jin Hwang-yeong had brought. Fortunately, Moon Lake Sect had a water source flowing from a waterfall inside the main sect, so water could be used abundantly. After meticulously applying fragrant oil all over his body, he also scooped out the cosmetic water he had secretly obtained from Geum-hye and applied it generously on his face. He also carefully combed and dried his wet hair and neatly filed his slightly grown nails with a metal file.

It was a level of grooming that would be considered excessive for an ordinary man, but Cheong-ra never skipped this process even for a day, as if it were training.

Finally, he looked in the mirror hanging on the wall to see if there was a single flaw anywhere. Staring blankly and caressing his beautiful face this way and that, Cheong-ra smiled brightly. The face that had been alternating between various kinds of smiles and laughter gradually became expressionless. It was to the point where people who knew him would find it unfamiliar and strange.

Before he knew it, it was time to go to sleep. However, far from changing into sleepwear to lie on the bed, Cheong-ra took out his sword and maintained it, or lit a small lamp and read books. He also cleaned the room and took out the jade pendant he always carried on his waist and polished it until it shone.

Even after spending time like that, sleep did not come easily, and the long-standing frustration only grew, so he paced around the room and quietly opened the door.

Today of all days, it had to be a full moon, and the moonlight was bright as if a small sun had risen, so even the faint sleepiness that had been coming disappeared. Looking up at the moon, he let out a sigh that he himself was not aware of.

"This won't do. Since I can't sleep, I should go for a walk."

In the end, he quietly left his quarters with a zither in hand. His footsteps, which were heading out the back gate while suppressing his presence as much as possible, soon headed in a certain direction.

Although he could move without making a sound in the mountains if he wanted to, Cheong-ra deliberately made footsteps to feel the sensation of stepping on the grass. Late at night, the fragrance of flowers blooming profusely in the field was so pleasant that his mood was slightly lifted. Under the bright full moon high in the sky, the blooming flowers were like beautiful fairies descended from the moon palace. With light steps, he soon arrived at his destination.

The scenery of Full Moon Lake, where the founding patriarch of Moon Lake Sect was said to have attained deep enlightenment, soothed Cheong-ra's troubled mind. As the saying goes, "The mind is like a clear mirror and still water." As he watched the full moon reflected and rippling on the lake, his impure and chaotic mind gradually settled down.

However, as always, this impure desire did not completely disappear, so he sat in the pavilion by the lakeside and placed the zither he had brought on his lap. After caressing the zither with a gentle touch for a moment, he soon lightly plucked the strings.

A beautiful melody spread faintly across the lake. The movement of his fingers dancing on the strings was as elegant as a white deer prancing around. With the flower petals fluttering from the trees and the moonlight and music blending together on the lake, Cheong-ra himself became immersed in the scenery. The sentimental performance gradually quickened, reflecting the performer's state of mind.

Every time he plucked the strings with his fingertips, ripples spread far across the lake in circles according to the melody of the zither. From a certain point, even the bird sounds heard nearby and the movements of small animals disappeared, leaving silence. His lowered eyebrows were now closed, and shallow wrinkles had settled between his brows.

Finally, when the performance ended and the last string resonated, what flowed from Cheong-ra's mouth was a deep sigh. Even though it was a beautiful performance that anyone would admire, he only frowned without any satisfied look.

It was clearly not dissatisfaction with the performance. It was just because of the suffocating feeling in his heart that could not be filled even with a great performance. He was stroking the strings of the zither and about to take his hand off when suddenly, the sound of applause came from behind him.

"It's been a while since I've heard a satisfactory performance."

Cheong-ra, greatly startled, abruptly stood up from his seat. No matter how immersed he was in the performance, it was surprising that he had not noticed someone approaching this close.

"Who are you, young hero?"

Placing the zither on the ground, Cheong-ra was on guard against the other person. His slightly bent hand was on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at any moment. Soon, a man revealed himself from the deep darkness under the shade of a tree.

At first glance, the man appeared to be of a similar age to Cheong-ra. However, it was foolish to judge age based on appearance alone in the martial arts world.

Cheong-ra himself had achieved a level of martial arts prowess that few could compare to at his age. Nevertheless, he could not easily guess the other person's level. This meant that the other person had higher martial arts skills than him.

And the moment the other person's appearance was fully revealed under the moonlight, Cheong-ra forgot his wariness for a moment. The other person was a man with an exceptionally handsome appearance. With both his face and physique having no sharp edges or missing parts, he was a perfect gentleman, and even the small mole under his left eye, far from being a flaw in his appearance, exuded a strange charm.

His attire was also very splendid, befitting his face. The gold and silver embroidery on the smooth, glossy black silk was delicate, and the earrings that emitted a golden light as they swayed and the precious white jade accessories were so luxurious that it was beyond words.

However, instead of a sword, he wore a whip at his waist.