The RoFan Novel Fan Has Reincarnated Into A Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 37: A Toast to Your Eyes (2)

The man gave Gongye a sharp glance before snapping irritably.

“It’s for money.”

His blunt attitude didn’t faze Gongye at all—in fact, it only made him more intrigued.

“Ooh!”

That’s when another man standing nearby chimed in.

“Not much time left, Chung-i.”

“I know, so shut it.”

So the guy fiddling with the Oryunhwan must’ve been named Chung-i. After a few more rough shakes of the rings, he finally gave up and tossed it to the ground.

“Damn it, is this thing even solvable?”

“Oh come on! If I was scamming folks, how would I still be in business around here?”

The man who shouted at Chung-i picked up the fallen Oryunhwan and restored it to its original state. Chung-i grumbled but didn’t cause any more trouble.

That’s when Gongye casually asked the stall owner.

“Pardon me, but would it be alright if I touched it just once? I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“You’ve never seen this? Seriously? What, did you just come down from a temple or something?”

“Heh heh.”

Gongye gave a kindly chuckle, which must’ve tugged at the vendor’s heartstrings. With a resigned sigh, the man handed over the Oryunhwan.

“Take a look—but just don’t go throwing it like some people if it doesn’t work out.”

A not-so-subtle jab at Chung-i. Gongye bowed his head politely.

“Much obliged.”

Setting his bottle of liquor aside, Gongye held the Oryunhwan with sparkling eyes, like a child given a new toy. He studied it briefly, then his hands began to move.

The clinking sound of rings echoed rapidly. The stall owner snorted and looked away.

“Rushing won’t help you. If you really want to do it right, place a bet or—”

“It’s solved.”

“...What?”

Even Tang Soso stared in disbelief. Gongye held up the rings and stick, now separated in each hand.

“This is really fun! Ha ha ha!”

‘Wait, how?’

For a split second, Tang Soso seriously doubted that this was his first time. But Gongye just kept smiling with that innocent expression of his.

‘The monk might be weird, but I don’t think he’d lie about something like this...’

At that moment, Chung-i snatched the Oryunhwan out of Gongye’s hand.

“W-Wait a second. There was still time left, right?”

“Hey, Chung-i! That guy’s the one who solved it!”

While the two of them bickered needlessly, Gongye wandered off—and soon started causing a stir at other game stalls too.

He beat game after game without hesitation—puzzle boards, finding beans in teacups—you name it, he cleared it. Before long, he’d adapted completely, even placing bets like a seasoned player.

Tang Soso followed after him like she was under a spell, completely forgetting they were supposed to return.

‘He really is a monk, right?’

Not just any monk, either—he was from Shaolin. And he’d been personally introduced by the Head Monk, so there was no room for doubt.

‘Who knew he had a talent for this kind of thing...’

The problem was that this skill didn’t match his identity at all. A monk that good at carnival games? That was just... wrong.

“Heh heh, well now.”

Gongye awkwardly scratched his head, a handful of coins stacked in his palm.

“Came here to spend money and ended up making it instead.”

“Y-Yeah, you sure did.”

By now, he’d completely forgotten about his wig. Tang Soso hesitantly reminded him.

“Um... Monk, should we go buy your wig now?”

“Oh, right. The wig. No worries. I can get one next time.”

“Then maybe we should head back soon...”

“Already?”

Gongye looked disappointed as he pointed to another stall.

“How about just one last stop over there?”

Tang Soso followed his finger—and groaned.

“Ah...”

****

Meanwhile, with only the two of them left, Yeon and Cheon Gang were enjoying a rare moment of quiet together. Yeon had wanted to follow Soso at first, but now she was secretly thankful she didn’t.

The things they’d seen when they first arrived in Honam, what had happened at the Baekha Escort Agency, even the business with Song Seonwoo and Hong—

All of it flowed into conversation, with occasional bursts of laughter between them. Because it all ended well, they could finally look back fondly.

Well—except for one thing. Neither of them brought up what had almost happened at the Palace of Ecstasy. That kiss in the narrow hallway.

When the conversation died down, Yeon spoke up.

“Want a drink?”

“Sounds good.”

His easy reply stirred a thirst that hadn’t even been there. Yeon poured a drink into Cheon Gang’s cup first. He filled hers in return.

Trickle...

The soft sound of thinning liquor filled the air, tickling her ears. Their eyes met above their cups.

Hmm.

As always, he was ridiculously good-looking. Just looking into those perfectly shaped eyes, Yeon felt tipsy—and she hadn’t even had a sip yet. If there were ever such a thing as bewitching eyes, these were it.

Who was it that said beauty only lasts three years? Yeon wanted to drag that person over and ask:

Would you still say that after seeing this face?

‘Three years? Get outta here. Even thirty sounds low.’

Wasn’t there some story about a witch who petrified handsome men just to collect them in her lair? A disgusting hobby for sure, but honestly... staring at that face made it hard to think rationally.

‘Guess that kind of logic goes out the window when someone looks this good... Wait, what the hell am I even thinking?’

Yeon shook her head to snap herself out of it. She must’ve gotten caught in the spell of those cursedly beautiful eyes for a moment.

Getting her thoughts back in order, she raised her glass to meet his at eye level.

“A toast... to your dangerously charming eyes.”

She drained the cup in one go. The sharp scent of alcohol hit her nose, and the hot liquid burned a trail down her throat.

Clink.

She set her cup down, feeling her shoulders relax, tension melting away.

And in that moment, Yeon realized something.

That the long, winding journey—ever since the day she’d set out from Ipseoljeong—

Had finally come to an end.

Her heart lightened as she looked at Cheon Gang and said,

“Thank you, Cheon Gang. If it weren’t for you, I couldn’t have done anything.”

“The honor was mine.”

He gave a faint smile, his lips curling gently.

It was a heartwarming moment... but Yeon couldn’t stop staring at his lips. She still remembered, crystal-clear, how fast her heart had raced when they were that close. Memories she’d tried to bury came rushing back.

“Did you say I was being shameless earlier?”

“...Huh?”

“Then may I... be just a little more shameless?”

He hadn’t been his usual composed self when he said that. If Heo Yun hadn’t screamed when she did... who knows what might’ve happened.

‘Damn it, I should’ve gone for it back then!’

Yeon silently cursed herself with late-blooming regret.

She always acted so cheeky—until the stage was actually set. Then she couldn’t do anything.

Probably because all she’d ever done was train, day in and day out. No real dating experience to speak of.

“This is all the fault of my current-life dad. Turning his daughter into a romance dunce, seriously.”

Yeon briefly cursed her father in her heart, then glanced at Cheon Gang. He couldn’t have forgotten either. She wondered what he was thinking.

Would he only enter flirty mode after a few drinks? If that’s the case, then maybe tonight...

Yeon was busy plotting when Cheon Gang suddenly spoke.

“Lady Yeon.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you have anything you’re curious about?”

The direct question, dropped at just the right moment, knocked the breath out of her. It felt like he was reading her mind.

Wait, what? Just one drink and he’s already switching modes?

She barely kept herself from grinning when he continued.

“I meant, when I suffered from heart deviation.”

“...Ah.”

So that’s what he meant.

A bit of disappointment must’ve slipped into her voice, because Cheon Gang tilted his head in confusion. Yeon quickly cleared her throat and replied.

“R-right, yeah. That did surprise me. You were so suddenly... like that.”

“I see.”

With that short reply, he fell silent again. His lips parted slightly—then closed. Opened—then closed. He clearly had something to say, but was struggling with it.

“Is there something you want to tell me?”

Yeon gently prompted him. After a moment more of hesitation, he finally spoke.

“Do you remember the black flame? The one that burned the man they called ‘Elder’...”

“Of course I remember.”

There was no way she could forget. That disturbing black fire was their only clue to track down the Hundred Flower Cult.

But what does that have to do with Cheon Gang?

His next words made her freeze.

“The truth is... I’ve spent a very long time searching for that black flame.”

“You knew about it?”

“Yes.”

Why? How? The Hundred Flower Cult hadn’t even made their move into the Central Plains yet—so how?

And then came the shock.

“My mother was killed by that exact same flame.”

“...What?”

****

Mother.

Just uttering the word sent a stabbing pain through Cheon Gang’s chest.

So many years had passed, and yet the memory of her death was still vivid—her body thrashing in agony, her screams as the black flame consumed her.

What he was about to reveal was a secret known to no one—an untold tragedy of the Lee family. But for some reason, he felt a deep urge to tell Yeon.

Why?

It wasn’t like Yeon had shared everything with him either.

In truth, Cheon Gang knew she was hiding something. He’d sensed it during the Baekha Escort Agency incident—an inconsistency in the information she had.

This incident, as it turned out, was far graver than what they’d seen at the martial world gathering. Cheon Gang had only realized the scale after arriving. But Yeon... she’d acted like she knew all along.

She might’ve even known about the “Elder.”

Even so, he decided to be the first to open up. Yes, because she had saved his life—but also because of a quiet, persistent intuition he’d had for a while now.

That her destination... might just be the same as his.

It was a hope more than anything. But it was enough to lean on. He’d gone too long without anyone to rely on, and even though Cheon ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Gang wasn’t the kind of man who opened his heart easily...

Yeon had become someone he could.

“The Greatest Under Heaven.”

He finally began his story.

“People call our Lee family by that name.”

It was rare for him to say it aloud, which is why Yeon looked mildly surprised.

“You know how we earned that title, don’t you?”

“Yes, I’ve heard. It had to do with the Namgung family...”

“Correct. But that’s all people know. No one remembers what came after.”

Yeon, now solemn, nodded for him to continue.

“At the time, my father was overjoyed. He’d finally gained the fame he’d always dreamed of. I felt the same... at first.”

“At first?”

“Not long after the Lee family became known as the greatest, a stranger came to visit. He never revealed his identity—just said he wished to engage in a duel.”

Cheon Gang remembered his father then—a younger man, brimming with confidence. And with good reason. He was strong.

But perhaps that was why he failed to see it: that unchecked arrogance always courts disaster.

“My father, never one to back down, accepted the duel as usual. But the stranger... was far stronger than expected. Equal to my father in every way.”

Their fierce match ended in a draw. A devastating blow to a man who believed himself unmatched. And that was when his father made the mistake of saying something he shouldn’t have.

‘Though we couldn’t settle the match today, the future will be different. My son is far more gifted than I.’

The mysterious man looked over at the young Cheon Gang and gave a slow nod.

‘...I see.’

Then he left. His father searched for him after that, but found nothing.

And one day, when his father was away...

The stranger returned. This time, appearing before Cheon Gang himself.

The same man who’d shown no expression during the duel now wore a chilling smile.

“He killed my mother right in front of me.”

Cheon Gang’s voice was calm, but his fists were clenched white.

“I was just a child. He sealed my pressure points so I couldn’t move. I could only watch... as she screamed, writhing in agony within the black flame.”

“And while she suffered, while I cried blood watching it happen...”

He paused—his voice hard, but trembling beneath.

“...He smiled.”