After Baek Sowol left, Baek Yoonjun became very distraught.

Although they hadn't been together for that long, the absence of one person was quite significant.

Especially for Baek Yoonjun, who was reluctant to meet people, it was the warmth of a person he had felt for the first time in a long time.

'I told her she could visit anytime, but what if she doesn't?'

The phrase 'let's have a meal sometime' from his past life came to Baek Yoonjun's mind.

'It's just a polite remark. But what if she heard my words to drop by like that?'

When his thoughts reached that point, Baek Yoonjun's mind became not just distraught but even anxious.

'What if I never see her again? What was I thinking, not even asking for her destination?'

To be precise, he had thought, 'If we're fated, we'll meet again,' but that had long been erased from Baek Yoonjun's mind.

'St-still, I have insurance, right?'

Since he had sent someone to accompany her, he would surely find out where her destination was.

When his thoughts reached that point, Baek Yoonjun's mind became much more at ease.

'If I find out the destination, I can also go and find her, right?'

As he thought that, Baek Yoonjun's mind became stiff.

'Go and find her? Me?'

Although he had become able to go out, that was only to places where there were no people.

Baek Yoonjun was a homebody introvert from the root.

If it was nearby, maybe, but if it was a long distance, and if there were many people there, he would never be able to go.

'Is this okay? If she doesn't visit, it's really goodbye forever, isn't it?'

After pondering for a long time, Baek Yoonjun made a big decision.

To get used to people.

Despite being a homebody introvert, this time, as soon as he made the decision, he immediately took action.

Baek Yoonjun immediately came down the mountain, passed the village right below the mountain, and moved for a long time.

He set foot in a village that smelled of people, a place he would never have set foot in normally.

'Ugh. So many people!'

It wasn't a very crowded village, but even that was difficult for Baek Yoonjun.

Seeing the many villagers, Baek Yoonjun immediately performed his footwork.

"Wasn't there a person just now?"

"Hey, friend, your energy is weak. How are you going to manage at night?"

Then Baek Yoonjun's figure blurred, and the people around him could no longer perceive him.

'Third-rate footwork is amazing. Even now, ordinary people can't recognize me. I wonder if advanced footwork is like teleportation?'

Baek Yoonjun imagined a martial artist using advanced footwork and crossing the atmosphere, and walked, choosing the empty roadside.

As he walked like that, the place he eventually arrived at was a secluded alley where there were no people, not even beggars.

A secluded alley would usually have some ruffians, but Baek Yoonjun's homebody sense found a place where the seclusion was top-notch, a place that even those ruffians wouldn't know.

"Ah, this is relaxing."

Baek Yoonjun let out an exclamation, feeling a sense of relaxation without even realizing it.

Although it was a secluded back alley, Baek Yoonjun, who was fully enjoying the peace as if it were his own home, suddenly clutched his head.

"No, I can't be like this. This is all training to keep my promise with Sowol..."

Baek Yoonjun hardened his resolve and left the secluded back alley.

But as soon as he saw quite a few people, he immediately turned back.

The only thing that showed he had improved a little was that he didn't go back the way he came.

And so, Baek Yoonjun, who was walking while avoiding people as much as possible.

"Welcome! Sir!"

He had entered a tavern without even realizing it.

An unintended situation.

But at the point where the waiter had already greeted him, the option of leaving was as good as sealed for Baek Yoonjun.

Baek Yoonjun instinctively and naturally moved his feet to the corner with the fewest people.

On the outside, there was no visible fluctuation in his emotions, but on the inside, he was completely frozen.

And so, Baek Yoonjun, who sat down with a seemingly fine appearance.

"Bamboo leaf green wine and a bowl of noodles."

He beat the waiter to it before he could ask for the menu.

For Baek Yoonjun, who was a homebody introvert by nature, even the service of asking for an order was burdensome, so he immediately blurted out what came to mind, even though he didn't particularly like noodles.

"Aye! I'll bring it right away!"

Baek Yoonjun didn't particularly answer the friendly waiter's attitude and looked at the distant mountains, deciding to avoid this tavern next time.

A blunt attitude was better. A friendly attitude was very burdensome for Baek Yoonjun.

"Your food is here!! Enjoy your meal, and if you need anything, please call me anytime, sir!"

A short while later, the waiter brought the food with a friendly attitude.

Of course, Baek Yoonjun didn't reply and first poured the wine into a cup and drank it.

He was trying to erase this burden by borrowing the power of alcohol.

But of course, it was no use.

Baek Yoonjun's homebody introvert nature transcended even the power of alcohol, so no matter how much he drank, his mind was clear.

It seemed like he would get drunk if he ordered more alcohol, but of course, Baek Yoonjun had no such courage to place an additional order.

Therefore, he was eating the noodles as if inhaling them, intending to finish what he had ordered as quickly as possible and leave, when.

"Do you happen to know the White-Robed Sword Immortal?"

A phrase similar to 'Do you know the Way?' reached Baek Yoonjun's ears.

Baek Yoonjun turned his head at the familiar situation, and there stood a skinny young man.

Not just skinny, but a young man who looked like a wooden doll with skin and bones.

'A cult? But his condition is that of a beggar?'

Baek Yoonjun couldn't help but be flustered by the absurd hybrid.

Because there was no such combination even in his past life.

But he was able to calm down after a moment.

'Well, this world has many more faiths and cults than modern Earth, on a different level, right? So there could be a cult with a beggar as its main body.'

Having come to an understanding, Baek Yoonjun focused on eating his food.

He didn't want to deal with an unknown cult beggar.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Your appearance is so much like the image I had in mind."

But the opponent was not easy.

To eat his food without paying attention, the opponent's gaze was too persistent and blatant.

"...I don't believe."

Therefore, Baek Yoonjun mustered up his courage and spoke.

"Pardon?"

But the opponent was, as expected, not easy.

At his appearance, as if he had no such intention, Baek Yoonjun was inwardly impressed.

'Ha, so you're going to come out like that?'

Baek Yoonjun was dumbfounded by the shameless attitude of the cult beggar.

But there was still a way to deal with it.

"I study Taoism. I don't believe in other religions."

"Pardon? What is that...? Ah!"

The young man, who was flustered by Baek Yoonjun's words, immediately corrected his posture and politely performed a fist-and-palm salute.

"I'm sorry. I was chattering without even introducing myself. I am Cheon, so-and-so. Great hero."

"Mr. Cheon?"

"I am not Mr. Cheon. Please forgive my rudeness of not being able to give my surname due to unavoidable circumstances, great hero."

Baek Yoonjun was flustered by the young man in front of him, who introduced himself politely and affably.

If the introduction went this far, Baek Yoonjun couldn't avoid it no matter how much he tried.

And so, a thought came to Baek Yoonjun's mind, who couldn't get away from the man.

'Cults are really bad guys, aren't they?'

The formula of cult = evil was established in Baek Yoonjun's mind.

'From what I saw last time, a guy weaker than me is ridiculously weak, and if so, there's no need to just leave him be.'

Although Baek Yoonjun was a homebody introvert by nature, he had realized one thing from the incident when he saved Baek Sowol.

'Evil things are not worth living! Let's quickly cut down the evil that is weaker than me!'

With that mindset, he had been cooped up in a corner of the mountain, and with Baek Sowol, who had stabilized his mind, gone, Baek Yoonjun's mental state was quite unstable.

As a result, Baek Yoonjun was a little stronger against evil people, especially evil people weaker than himself.

'This is the Central Plains, where human lives disappear as futilely as flies!'

The fact that lives were treated lightly and that the aftermath would disappear after cutting them down was a good excuse.

'Good. Quickly prove that you are an evil person. So I can cut you down and be at ease.'

He was truly a sample of the strong preying on the weak, limited to evil people, but it was a situation where the opponent in front of him had not been determined to be a complete evil person.

For now, there was no way to avoid the man who had introduced himself.

"I am Baek Yoonjun."

"So you were Great Hero Baek."

"Great hero is a bit much, so please call me something lower."

"Then I will call you Brother Baek."

"...Do as you please."

Baek Yoonjun was completely drawn in by the opponent's affability.

For him, a homebody introvert, an opponent who greeted, spoke to, and introduced himself to a complete stranger without any hesitation was quite overwhelming.

But the opponent didn't consider Baek Yoonjun's nature at all.

"May I join you? Brother Baek."

"Do as you please."

In the end, Baek Yoonjun, who ended up sharing a table with the opponent, calmly racked his brain.

'This is uncomfortable, what should I do? Right! There's no law that says I have to eat all the food, right?'

And he found the answer.

Having found the answer, Baek Yoonjun immediately put it into action.

"I've finished eat..."

"It's a coincidence that we met like this, so I'll buy you a drink. Hey, waiter!"

Before Baek Yoonjun could finish his words, the opponent beat him to it.

"Bring six bottles of bamboo leaf green wine, and kung pao chicken and mapo tofu!"

"Yes! Great hero! I'll bring them right away!"

Moreover, unlike the shabby noodles Baek Yoonjun had ordered, he ordered things that looked like fancy and expensive dishes just from their names.

Of course, for Baek Yoonjun, who didn't prefer to go out of the house, they were all dishes he had never seen before.

'Wasn't he a beggar?!'

Baek Yoonjun was surprised.

There was no price list, so he didn't know the exact price, but from the waiter's fawning attitude, it was estimated to be quite an expensive meal.

But the young man in front of him, although he looked fine, was dressed like a beggar.

So he was a little worried.

"Do you have money?"

"I brought a lot of money when I left home, so I have plenty. Brother Baek, please rest assured and enjoy the wine and food."

The young man took out a rather heavy-looking money pouch from his bosom and shook it.

Seeing that, Baek Yoonjun's worry about money disappeared, but he was still uncomfortable.

Moreover, the opponent, who had been talkative, had suddenly become quiet after ordering, so it became even more uncomfortable.

"Excuse me..."

In the end, Baek Yoonjun, who couldn't stand the silence, spoke first.

"Why did you ask me if I knew the White-Robed Sword Immortal earlier?"

He didn't particularly want to have a conversation, but he had a question, so he asked that.

"Ah! That's because, Brother Baek, your appearance is exactly like the White-Robed Sword Immortal I had in mind. You're wearing a white robe, a black sword, and even have white hair."

The opponent answered right away, but it was a difficult statement for Baek Yoonjun to understand.

Baek Yoonjun's white robe had no special meaning.

He used to enjoy wearing black clothes in his past life, but he remembered a friend who had seen it and said something.

-If you fall into a martial arts world, you'll be perfect for getting stabbed.

-What are you talking about?

-In that world, the ones who wear black clothes are mostly assassins or de...

He couldn't remember the rest, but he remembered that it didn't have a very good nuance.

Therefore, Baek Yoonjun had just worn white clothes, which he thought was the second most ordinary, instead of black clothes.

The white hair was a natural phenomenon, and the black sword was from the thought that since he couldn't wear black clothes, he should at least make his sword black.

'Well, as long as it's not a cult.'

Baek Yoonjun was relieved that the young man who had introduced himself as Cheon so-and-so was neither a cultist nor a beggar.

He still seemed friendly, so it was burdensome, but it became a little more comfortable to speak.

Since he was more comfortable, Baek Yoonjun spoke first again this time.

"It seems that person called the White-Robed Sword Immortal has a similar appearance to me."

"It's almost the same. I thought you had that appearance because you admired him, Brother Baek, but is that not the case?"

"No. I don't even know who he is."

With these words, Baek Yoonjun understood the whole situation.

He had been mistaken, and that's why he had been spoken to.

"That... is that person called the White-Robed Sword Immortal famous?"

Therefore, he had to be wary in case something like this happened again.

Cheon, whether he knew Baek Yoonjun's thoughts or not, began to explain about the White-Robed Sword Immortal.

"The White-Robed Sword Immortal was a figure from 80 years ago, and you could say he is the predecessor of the current martial world."

"He must have been a great person."

"He is not a person who can be described as just great. He was a person who single-handedly defeated the Three Heavens, who were martial artists of the imperial palace at the time and could be said to be the top masters in the entire Central Plains, at the same time."

Baek Yoonjun was relieved that the White-Robed Sword Immortal was a person from the past.

'He's a very old person, so he must have died long ago, right? I'm relieved that I won't run into him.' 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

One of the reasons he had holed himself up in the mountains was his fear of masters, so encountering a person with such an evaluation was no different from a nightmare for Baek Yoonjun.

While thinking that, a thought from the past strangely came to Baek Yoonjun's mind.

'Three Heavens... come to think of it, I also met three very strong martial artists in the past and almost died... Thinking about it like this, it's quite a comparison, isn't it? Martial artists are scary after all.'

Baek Yoonjun felt a desire to hole himself up in the mountains even more firmly.

If it weren't for his promise with Baek Sowol, he would have thought of never coming out at all.

Whether that was the case or not, Cheon's story about the White-Robed Sword Immortal continued.

"He was a person who confronted the imperial palace, which monopolized martial arts at the time, head-on. As a result, not only countless common people but also many martial families and the predecessors of the groups now called sects were saved."

It was quite long.

Baek Yoonjun had no courage to stop a person who was speaking passionately with sparkling eyes, so he let it go in one ear and out the other, sipping the food and bamboo leaf green wine that had just come out.

"Although the White-Robed Sword Immortal only showed himself for a short period of time, his achievements and acts of justice have remained for a long time and have been passed down to this day, setting fire to the hearts of countless martial artists.

Although there was no martial world at the time and the period of his activity was so short that only those who know, mainly martial artists, know of him."

"I see. He was a great person."

"He is a person to whom the title of great knight-errant should absolutely be attached."

"I see."

Cheon was talkative, but since he mostly talked to himself, Baek Yoonjun's mood was not very uncomfortable.

The fact that the dishes he was seeing for the first time were quite delicious was also contributing quite a bit to Baek Yoonjun's mood.

'They say Sichuan cuisine is delicious, and it applies to this era that's like medieval China too. It's delicious! I really like food with a lot of spices!'

Baek Yoonjun drank the bamboo leaf green wine with the strongly flavored dishes as a side dish.

"Heuk, it's a pity that he himself or his descendants haven't shown themselves until now."

"I suppose so. It's a pity."

"Well, looking at the state of the martial world now, I think even the White-Robed Sword Immortal would have been disgusted. Heuk."

"I see."

"They say the martial arts of the Three Heavens are still being passed down in the imperial palace... Keuk..."

"I see. That's worrying."

The young man named Cheon in front of him was continuing to speak while shedding tears, whether from being drunk or from the spiciness, but Baek Yoonjun half-closed his ears and answered perfunctorily, enjoying the wine and food.

'It's getting hot.'

It was summer.

(End of Chapter)