She then recalled something that Kang-hyuk said in the past.

"Staying alive is the most important thing in Moorim! Stay alive! It's only if you're alive that you can possess everything! So, stay alive and take everything into your hands!"

At that point in time, and to this day, Kang-hyuk had one key principle- to keep oneself alive!

This was why Kang-hyuk had fought so desperately on the battlefield. It was only as a result of his efforts that the Kwaepungdae members that he led were able to come out of the fight alive and well.

This event had remained legendary to the present day.

***

The evening had arrived, and preparations for the evening banquet were in full swing.

Tomorrow was the day that they would all return to the Academy.

As the activities of the field trip was now completed, on the last day, all of the teachers would expend their efforts into bestowing a banquet upon the students as a way of rewarding their hard work and effort during the tasks. This was a tradition of the Academy from the time it had been established.

The teachers would personally hunt a wild animal in the mountains and prepare its meat, while the maids would roll up their sleeves in preparation for cooking a magnificent spread of food.

It was only then that Kang-hyuk realized what the wagon that had followed the maids and a.s.sistants' carriage contained. It was actually a wagon that had been loaded with food and equipment needed for the banquet.

As Kang-hyuk had been the Clan Leader, he was aware of the tradition of a banquet on the last day of a field trip. Then again, there was a definite difference between hearing about something and experiencing it in person, as he felt delight at the small realizations he was experiencing.

"You can get going with the preparations."

As a Horticulture Teacher, Kang-hyuk hadn't been a.s.signed much work. His only task was a fairly simple one, it was to arrange the seating for the banquet.

Therefore, he had given this task of his to his a.s.sistant, Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g. Kang-hyuk himself had instead left for the forests of Goseon Mountain.

His reason for entering the forests was none other than to obtain something to make a beverage.

Whilst the students were young, they were a minimum of fifteen in age. This was the age at which drinking alcohol was permissible.

However, it was forbidden to consume alcohol in the event of a field trip.

As the students were immature, lacked self-control and had yet to develop their full critical faculties, drinking alcohol in the wilderness could potentially endanger them.

The story of a group of students secretly drinking alcohol during a field trip and becoming injured as a result was still well known.

After that event, teachers too were forbidden from drinking alcohol during field trips, and that rule continued on to the present day.

Despite Green and Oolong teas being used as subst.i.tutes, something still felt a little bit off about the beverage situation.

If there was no alcohol, the next best subst.i.tute would be something that was sweet.

'If there's no sweet drink present, it's not a real banquet!'

With this consideration in mind, Kang-hyuk went deeper into the forests, with Deuk and Baek-gap following behind.

"What kind of drink are you looking to make by going so deep into the forest? Wouldn't it be enough to mix some dried fruit or medicinal herbs that we already have with water?"

Kang-hyuk spoke with a grin at Baek-gap's befuddlement.

"Lad, I have a plan."

Kang-hyuk looked around the forest.

He knew that what he was looking for was around this area from what he could remember.

"Ah! It's there!"

Baek-gap was aghast at what Kang-hyuk pointed at. It was a red flower in full bloom, that was as big as a person's head.

"Huh! Th-that! Could it be the ten thousand...flower…that…"

"Spit it out lad!"

"Wh-what I mean to say is…."

After calming himself down slightly, Baek-gap cried out; "Isn't that the ten thousand year red nectar flower?!"

"You know it well."

"It's the first time I've seen it in person! My word, I can't believe I can see this in real life!"

The ten thousand year red nectar flower.

It was a type of sacred herb, and it was only after ten thousand years had pa.s.sed could the flower truly be the ten thousand year red nectar flower.

One petal would form every thousand years, and so, in the period of time before ten petals of the flower had formed, the plant would just be an ordinary plant.

But when the flower became the real ten thousand year red nectar flower, its qualities were invaluable.

The centre of the flower overflowed with an indescribably sweet nectar. Therefore, a ten thousand year red nectar flower beverage could be made by placing the whole flower in a large vessel, and infusing it in water for around fifteen minutes.

If alcohol was added to the flower, ten thousand year red nectar flower wine could be made, and a ten thousand year red nectar flower cookie was also a possibility.

'But the problem is its high value.'

A fatal danger lurked within the flower alongside its sweet nectar.

It was a sleeping powder, intended to obliterate those who wished to obtain its nectar.

The plant mainly grew high up within the branches of trees, using the tree as a host. Due to its height, the flower was already difficult to obtain, but with the added danger of the flower's sleeping powder, if one was affected by it, it was most likely that the person would fall to their death.

The effects of the flower's sleeping powder were extremely powerful- to the extent that even those with transcended cultivation were unable to resist it.

Being knowledgeable about the flower, and its dangers, Baek-gap carefully spoke up. "So, who's going to go and collect the flower?"

As Kang-hyuk wordlessly stared at Baek-gap in response, Baek-gap began to look increasingly frightened.

"Huh! Yo-you aren't going to have me collect the flower, are you?"

"Tsk tsk, why do you have the idea that the only way to obtain the flower would be by climbing the tree?"

"What do you mean?"

"The job will be done if I just wave my arm once. Tsk tsk."

Kang-hyuk waved his arm slightly whilst looking at the ten thousand year red nectar flower.

*Sak!*

As he did so, a white energy shot out of his hands, flying towards the sky shaped like a half-moon.

The ten thousand year red nectar flower dropped down in one clean sweep.

It was a unique flower plucking, all with the energy from Kang-hyuk's hand.

"Huh?!"

Baek-gap's mouth had dropped open, whilst his eyes seemed as though they were going to burst out of their sockets.

"You're drooling. Close your mouth and open the cloth."

"Ahem! Ah! Yes!"

Baek-gap opened up the wrapping cloth he had hastily prepared.

*Drop*

The ten thousand year red nectar flower that was as big as a person's head had been safety dispatched within the cloth.

Like that, they had easily harvested the ten thousand year red nectar flower that was so infamous for its difficulty in obtaining.

***

When Kang-hyuk returned to the campsite, the final preparations for the banquet were underway.

"Where did you go, Kang Seonsaeng?"

The person who asked was Yun Hseong. In response, Kang-hyuk nodded his head at Baek-gap.

Baek-gap held out the cloth parcel.

"What is this?"

Kang-hyuk replied to Yun Hseong's question.

"It's nothing much. It's just something I harvested with the intention of helping out the banquet preparation efforts. I thought the students might like a nice beverage to drink."

"a beverage…something to drink?"

"Well its honestly because I didn't think that it would be great to drink tea at such an event."

"We-well…you do have a point, but if all you've prepared is within that cloth, I don't think it will be enough for the number of students we have…."

However, Yun Hseong could smell a strong sweet aroma from within the cloth. Therefore, out of curiosity, he pulled it open.

"What is this?"

He couldn't remember where he had last seen a red flower that was the size of a person's head.

"It's the ten thousand year red nectar flower."

"...."

Yun Hseong began to laugh as he spoke, "Hahaha! What a great joke! That ten thousand year red nectar flower that has ten petals and is full of red nectar….."

As he spoke, he began to realize that what he was holding in his hands was indeed the ten thousand year red nectar flower.

"Are you serious?"

"I think you've forgotten that I'm a horticulture teacher."

"Ah!"

Yun Hseong dropped the flower in surprise.

"Argh!!"

Aghast at the unfolding situation, Baek-gap immediately flung his body towards the falling flower, and caught it just in time.

"Pl-please be careful, Yun Seonsaengnim!"

"Ah, sorry! I didn't even realize it had slipped out of my hands! Hahaha!"

After apologizing, Yun Hseong held the flower once more.

Despite his loud laughter, Yun Hseong's hands were trembling. He was well aware of how precious the ten thousand year red nectar flower was.

'No-nothing less could be expected from the Clan Leader's secret envoy! He could have only picked the flower so easily because of his high level of martial skill!'

Yun Hseong spoke after calming himself down.

"If we have this, we won't have the headache of cracking down on alcohol. Hahaha!"

There was a reason behind Yun Hseong's words.

The ten thousand year red nectar flower had the effect of neutralizing harmful ingredients, and giving the mind clarity. Therefore, it would rid one's body of any substance that would cause intoxication.

As this would include alcohol, an ingredient that was included in expensive sobering medicines was the ten thousand year red nectar flower.

Despite alcohol being forbidden during field trips, there were only a few students that actually followed this rule. Feeling a thrill by having violated the rules, they hid the alcohol they had brought with them with the intention of secretly drinking it during the banquet.

One of the more c.u.mbersome tasks for the teachers was to crackdown on this prohibited drinking.

But if the students drank a beverage made of the ten thousand year red nectar flower, there would no longer be any need for them to do so.

Even if they drank a gallon of alcohol, even if they only had a single sip of the beverage made with the flower within their system, they wouldn't be drunk.

"Then could I leave it to you to make the beverage?"

"I can do it, Kang Seonsaengnim."

Yun Hseong was slightly startled at the sudden appearance of Byeok Ae-rin from behind them. It was almost as though she had appeared out of nowhere, with no sound of her arrival.

She spoke, ignoring Yun Hseong's reaction, "Is it okay if I do it, seeing as I'm Kang Seonsaengnim's maid?"

"Of course."

Byeok Ae-rin looked at Yun Hseong at Kang-hyuk's reply.

Feeling a strange sense of being overpowered, Yun Hseong immediately handed the flower over to Byeok Ae-rin.

"I'll get going then."

Kang-hyuk clicked his tongue as Yun Hseong hurriedly made his way back to the campsite.

"Tsk tsk, what am I to do if you scare him like that?"

"I apologize, but I didn't purposely scare him. It's just that that fellow, Yun Hseong is quite sensitive to energy."

"Well, I guess so."

Kang-hyuk turned around, and looked at Byeok Ae-rin once more.

"Quickly go and make the drink."

"Yes, of course."

***

Time had flown by, and the sun had completely set.

The campfire was blazing.

The students were seated around the campfire, with the banquet of food in front of them, while Ok Hae-mi and Yun Hseong stood behind the campfire.

Yun Hseong was reading out the Princ.i.p.al's words of encouragement to the students.

"….and so, I can't contain my joy at the fact that you all have completed the field trip safely….."

The students were inevitably bored. Around half the students were desperately trying not to yawn.

'These rascals, I can see the tears in your eyes!'

Kang-hyuk grinned as he looked at the students.

After the long pep talk had finally ended, Ok Hae-mi stepped forward.

"You've all put in a lot of effort. To reward these efforts, we teachers have prepared this banquet for you all. Please enjoy it to your hearts' content. Now, please raise the gla.s.ses in front of you."

The students collectively lifted their gla.s.ses at Ok Hae-mi's instruction.

The gla.s.ses contained an unknown red liquid that diffused a sweet aroma.

The students' appet.i.tes were stimulated by the sweet smell of the drink.

"Let us wish for the Hwacheon Academy's fortune in all of its affairs! Hwacheon Academy forever!"

"Forever!"

As they finished cheering, the students drank up the drink that had been causing them to salivate for a while.

"Oooh!"

"This is delicious!"

"What is this?"

"I've never tasted anything like this before!"

The students were in awe at the sweet flavour of the beverage they had encountered for the first time. They then dug into the banquet.

"Hey! I had my eye on that!"

"You can just eat something else!"

"That one's the biggest one!"

"Hehehe! If that's the case, then I'll have to eat it!"

Despite the students arguing over the food, they eventually began to eat.

"Wow! This is delicious!"

"How is the taste of this Pepper j.a.pchae so different from the usual one?"

"When I get home, I'm going to have to tell our maid to make this for me!"

There were students that were admiring the food.

And, there were students, that were stealthily taking out their alcohol amongst the chaos of the banquet, despite the rule that no alcohol was allowed.