Sure, I might be someone so desperate to survive that I don’t bother filling my head with much else—but even I know the story of how Liu Bei went crawling to Zhuge Liang three times to recruit him. Zhuge Liang was worth that much, obviously, but if you ask me, Liu Bei was also just stubborn as hell.
And that’s basically how I felt, heading over to Dang Iheon’s place.
Actually, this was already my fourth time. I was showing even more clingy persistence than Liu Bei, but Dang Iheon still hadn’t shown his damn face.
The sun had long since set. But that bastard who’d left at dawn still wasn’t back? What a load of shit.
He was still inside the Moyong Clan estate somewhere—yet somehow this hard to track down? After saying crap like that, he was skittering away like a rat?
Honestly, I wouldn’t calm down until I slammed him into the ground at least once.
So this time, he’d better be holed up in his rooms, out of sheer gratitude for all my effort. If not, next time I saw him, he’d really end up tasting my stick.
I left another servant on the verge of tears and circled around Dang Iheon’s residence.
I checked the quiet back wall. Before any patrols could spot me, I hopped over. Even if my martial arts were garbage right now, I was still a veteran—this much was easy.
Tiptoeing forward, I soon heard faint voices.
Got you, you little shit.
I hid behind a tree and waited for the other Dang Clan guy to finish talking and leave. The moment Dang Iheon was alone, I shot out like lightning.
“Can we have a chat?”
Dang Iheon spun around, eyes wide. I saw his hand slip from his wide sleeve. If I’d spoken even a second later, I might’ve ended up with a poison needle or toxic powder in my face.
Looked like he’d actually been back for a bit—his usual hairpiece was gone, his hair half-tied, the rest down. Yep. Hiding here to avoid me, no question.
“I didn’t hear you’d come, Yeonhwa.”
“That’s ‘cause I snuck in. Every time I showed up properly, you ran off.”
“Ran off?”
He denied it, but wouldn’t meet my eyes. Guess he could already tell why I was here, which was exactly why he’d been dodging me.
He tried to steer things elsewhere.
“Have you had dinner? If not, would you like to join me—”
“Of course I’ve eaten. And even if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be in the mood to sit down all chummy with you. Now. About what you said the other day. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Because last time we talked, you—!”
“Hmm… Yeonhwa. Why don’t we step inside to talk? I swear, just to talk.”
Yeah right. Like we’d do anything else.
I gave him a sullen glare, then stomped in the direction he indicated. Making sure to dig my heels into the floor with every step so he’d know exactly how pissed I was.
Moyong Yeonhwa—no, Seol Danhae—would show him just how terrifying my wrath could be.
I plopped into a chair, ready to start grilling him, when Dang Iheon brought over a small bundle from the corner. He set it on the table and undid the knot.
Wrapped in purple silk was—
“…Is that booze?”
“Yeah. The kind you said you liked.”
“You bastard, this…”
“I wanted to get some snacks too, but ended up coming back later than planned. Next time, I’ll bring them.”
Wow… My jaw nearly dropped. How long had it been since I last saw liquor?
The moment he uncorked it, a bittersweet, fragrant smell hit my nose. My mouth watered. I could already imagine that heat sliding down my throat, the sweet fumes curling up into my nose.
“Well, who needs snacks. This is good enough.”
I tried not to look too thrilled, but my lips kept twitching up. Dang Iheon studied me for a moment, then smiled.
“You really do love drinking, huh. It’s written all over your face.”
“Why would I lie about that? Of course I do.”
He was about to get cups, but I waved him off and took a big swig straight from the bottle. Gods, it was heavenly.
“Ahh, that’s the stuff!”
So fucking good. My eyes were practically tearing up. My heart raced loud in my ears, my insides burned, my lips tingled, my hands went limp—wait. That’s not right.
“…What the hell is this.”
That bastard. Don’t tell me…
“You—you bastard, did you poison this—”
Everything blurred. This was exactly why you never trusted Dang Clan scum—I’d let my guard down at the mention of alcohol!
But… why did Dang Iheon look genuinely startled?
“Yeonhwa?”
Didn’t seem like the reaction of someone trying to murder me. He even grabbed the bottle from my hand, sniffed it, then took a swig himself. Then he tilted his head, puzzled.
“Nothing seems wrong. Yeonhwa, tell me what you’re feeling. Okay?”
As he checked my pulse, I took deep breaths, trying to assess my own symptoms.
And finally reached a conclusion.
No, the cook at Taehyeon Pavilion hadn’t dared to poison Dang Iheon and Moyong Yeonhwa. It was just that Moyong Yeonhwa was a spectacular lightweight.
Dang Iheon looked pretty flustered.
“I… I just thought you liked alcohol, so you’d be good at drinking.”
…Yeah, well. I thought so too.
In truth, Seol Danhae could hold her liquor like a demon. The Black Ring Sect had a saying—duel Seol Danju with swords if you must, but never with drinks.
Now here I was, staggering after one gulp. Truly a pretty piece of trash, useless in every way. If I couldn’t even drink, how was I supposed to enjoy this shitty life?
I slumped back in the chair, slowly sliding down. My lips felt numb, my whole body leaned whichever way it wanted. So this was what being drunk felt like.
Strangely enough, it didn’t feel bad. I forced my eyes open and spoke.
“Hey. Young Hero Dang.”
“Yeonhwa. You promised to call me Iheon.”
“Fine, Iheon. Hey. Hey, asshole.”
I knew damn well I looked drunk—but what could I do? I was drunk.
“So. About before. Why’d you do that, huh?”
“Hmm, maybe we should wait till you sober up. Come on, I’ll take you—”
“Don’t you fucking dare change the subject. Look me in the eyes!”
Dang Iheon looked uncomfortable, but obediently met my gaze. I clenched my jaw, holding my chin up with sheer willpower as my elbows kept slipping on the table.
But once our eyes met, my mind went blank. Uh…
“You—you’re a real piece of shit. Get your head on straight, bastard! Worse than any unorthodox scum… you wanna rot in hell? You know what hell is, huh?”
What the fuck was my mouth even saying? I just hoped I’d forget all of this when I opened my eyes again.
I was so tired.
I heard Dang Iheon say something, but I couldn’t hold on any longer. Just a quick nap…
***
Thunk!
Yeonhwa’s forehead smacked straight into the table. Dang Iheon jerked forward, trying to catch her head, but it was too late. The sound was loud enough to promise a giant bump by morning.
Staring at her in shock, Dang Iheon’s mouth fell open.
“Yeonhwa. Yeonhwa, come on, wake up. You okay?”
She didn’t come around. Just mumbled something like uuugh, ambush, what a sneaky bastard, then smacked her lips.
Dang Iheon watched her for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing. Her head was turned sideways now, forehead already red, cheeks flushed from the booze. Even so, her brow scrunched up, muttering something about slaughter and ambush—how could he not laugh?
Yeah, she wouldn’t be coming to her senses for a while. Not that he could leave her passed out in a man’s room either—he’d have to carry her.
It was awkward and funny, funny and awkward. Dang Iheon scratched his head, looking down at Yeonhwa. With her eyes closed like this, she looked just like she had as a child.
Back then, they’d laughed together a lot. Especially Yeonhwa—she’d stop crying the instant she saw him.
He gently poked her increasingly red forehead and let out a small laugh. Then he carefully wrapped his arms around her shoulders and lifted her up.
As he stepped out carrying Yeonhwa, a servant of his and a Moyong Clan attendant nearby jumped in shock.
“Uh, um…”
“Well… she drank… actually, never mind. I’ll explain later. Just keep your mouths shut.”
They nodded dazedly. Anyone seeing this scene would easily get the wrong idea, so it was best they didn’t say a word.
Dang Iheon walked slower than usual, worried Yeonhwa might wake. The Moyong Clan grounds were quiet, lit by stone lanterns here and there. Only Yeonhwa’s occasional, unintelligible murmurs broke the silence.
Moyong Wi had deliberately set Dang Iheon’s quarters far from Yeonhwa’s, so it was a long walk.
Dang Iheon drew it out even longer. Her weight was warm on his back.
“Yeonhwa. Look at this—I’m carrying you on a stroll.”
“…Mm.”
“Honestly, I don’t know. Why I’m doing any of this.”
“Bastard… gonna send you to hell, phoo.”
Listening to her mutter curses at some imaginary enemy, Dang Iheon let out a bitter laugh.
“Yeah, guess I am a bastard. Not sure why I’m like this, even now.”
His voice came out as a sigh. Yeonhwa sagged against his back, saying nothing more. Completely out cold.
Just then—
“My lady!”
Two people were hurrying over from Yeonhwa’s residence. Hyangah and Sahyeon. Pale, Hyangah gave a quick bow, then barked,
“Sahyeon! Help my lady, quick.”
“Uh? Ah, yes…”
“Seriously, what is going on? My lady doesn’t even like drinking, so why all of a sudden… My lady! Please, wake up!”
Even while fussing over Yeonhwa, Hyangah kept shooting Dang Iheon sharp looks. More like glares. Clearly wondering if he’d forced her to drink and trying to scheme something.
Her fierce aura was so intense Dang Iheon found himself blurting out excuses.
“She said she liked alcohol, so I thought she could handle it. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize to her later.”
“Well. This is the first I’ve heard of my lady liking alcohol! But surely you wouldn’t lie. Must be something upset her stomach!”
“….”
“We’ll take her from here. Please, go on your way.”
Sahyeon stepped up and carefully took Yeonhwa.
Dang Iheon handed her over reluctantly, meeting Sahyeon’s eyes. He remembered briefly seeing him by the pond once.
Back then, the guy hadn’t even dared make eye contact. Now he looked straight at Dang Iheon for a beat, then turned to carry Yeonhwa off. Surprisingly steady too—must’ve had more strength than he looked.
As the three of them—Yeonhwa included—moved away, Dang Iheon stood there scratching his cheek, feeling a bit awkward. Her warmth still lingered on his back. His shoulder was even a little damp, probably from her drooling.
She’d always been an odd lady, but lately Moyong Yeonhwa was full of even more surprises. It made him keep replaying and savoring each new side of her.
Even now, standing alone in the cool night breeze, he found himself thinking of her face today, breaking into a laugh.
Then he paused. Wait. How the hell had those two known she was passed out drunk and come all the way out here?
💟 Translator Notes 💟
* this part is a real historical anecdote, though it’s also heavily popularized in ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ (a famous 14th-century Chinese historical novel that blends fact and fiction).
Here’s the quick breakdown-
The historical core:
-Liu Bei (a warlord in the late Han dynasty) did indeed seek the help of Zhuge Liang (also called Kongming), a brilliant strategist.
-According to Records of the Three Kingdoms (a historical chronicle by Chen Shou), Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang at least once to ask for his counsel.
The popular “three visits” story:
-The tale that Liu Bei went three separate times to visit Zhuge Liang in his countryside cottage before Zhuge Liang finally agreed to join him comes from Romance of the Three Kingdoms (by Luo Guanzhong).
-This novel dramatized many historical events to emphasize loyalty, virtue, and persistence.
Basically, it’s based on hx, but the “exactly three times” bit is more from literature and folklore, illustrating Liu Bei’s sincerity and humility.
