Chapter 10. A Third-Rate Warrior Who Protects His Sect’s Honor (4)
Where have things changed?
In my previous life, even without my stepping forward, Gye Cheol-yeong had dragged me along to attend the banquet.
After all, he had needed to boast about how much more outstanding he was, a mere lay disciple, compared to a true disciple of the Taeul Sect.
What had caused the change? Was it because I had beaten Gye Cheol-yeong? Because I had forced Seong Ju-tak’s mouth shut?
Then would the events to come change in the same way?
“What are you thinking about?”
On the way out of the lodging, Jin Tae-san spoke a single sentence in a worried tone.
“Do not let wicked words wound you.”
It meant that I should let whatever they said pass through one ear and out the other. But would that solve every problem?
“I was wondering what kind of trap the Iron Sword Sect might have prepared.”
Seong Mo-ran’s face, which had been kind all day, stiffened.
“You think our Iron Sword Sect would invite guests and lay a trap for them?”
“Do you truly know nothing? Or have your accomplishments in acting surpassed your martial arts?”
“Hah. During the day as well, and now again. It seems you harbor a great inferiority complex toward the Iron Sword Sect.”
“Inferiority complex?”
Seong Mo-ran’s face was filled with hostility.
“It is true that our Iron Sword Sect regards the Taeul Sect as a thorn in its eye. But is that not understandable even if you reverse our positions? Even so, that does not mean the Iron Sword Sect behaves like market ruffians.”
“Are you certain of that?”
“……You are crossing the line.”
“I shall make one prediction. During this sixtieth birthday banquet, the Taeul Sect will ultimately be dragged out by the Iron Sword Sect and thrown down before everyone.”
“The Iron Sword Sect is not that petty.”
“I hope that is true as well.”
“……”
From that moment on, Seong Mo-ran fell silent.
The hall to which Seong Mo-ran guided us was one of the largest.
When we entered, unlike the place where we had eaten earlier, large tables were spaced widely apart, and people were seated here and there, drinking wine with refined airs.
“Oh! Young Lady Mo-ran!”
The men seated at the tables rose all at once and began making room.
Seong Mo-ran looked at them dryly and spoke.
“This is Young Master Jin So-un of the Taeul Sect.”
Seong Mo-ran introduced me naturally, and I also clasped my fists in greeting, but few returned the gesture.
Those who at least nodded were comparatively decent. Some continued talking to Seong Mo-ran as though they had no interest in me at all.
Seong Mo-ran walked toward a place where two seats had opened, but I parted from her and sat beside Sa-ryeon, who was seated next to Gye Cheol-yeong.
“Why sit here when there is a spacious seat over there?”
“There should be someone to protect Sa-ryeon from drunken men.”
“Did it never occur to you that I am sitting beside her to protect her?”
“If you had intended to protect her, would you have thought of calling Sa-ryeon out at this late hour?”
“You brat.”
Gye Cheol-yeong’s face flushed red and blue, while Sa-ryeon, who had been sitting beside me with a stiff face, spoke quietly.
“Why did you come here?”
“Why did you come?”
“I came in your place because I thought that if you came…… you would cause trouble. Hall Master Kang told you to restrain yourself.”
“When have I ever caused trouble?”
At my trivial words, Sa-ryeon, for some reason, gave a small laugh.
“It seems the senior and junior disciples of the Taeul Sect live without much distinction between them.”
A man dressed extravagantly in jade-colored silk spoke with a sneer.
It was Gong Chu-sim of Longevity Manor. He was someone I had met in my previous life.
“We observe courtesy strictly, but we do not place much weight on rigid distance.”
“When courtesy collapses, many people mistake it for the absence of rigid distance.”
Gong Chu-sim spoke while trying to meet the eyes of the women around him. He seemed to seek their approval, but none of the women met his gaze.
“If a father and child converse comfortably, one does not call that discourtesy. Likewise, if one speaks of courtesy to someone one has just met, that does not necessarily make one courteous, does it?”
“……”
Conversely, when I spoke, several women gave soft laughs.
“Moreover, I cannot help but wonder whether the courtesy spoken of by someone who does not even clasp his fists to greet a person he has just met can truly be called proper courtesy.”
At my words, even the women who had been holding back their laughter burst into bright laughter, and Gong Chu-sim’s face flushed scarlet.
Then the expressions of the men seated there began to change subtly.
They exchanged glances and began setting down the wine cups in their hands.
‘Is it beginning?’
The same thing had happened in my previous life.
Back then, however, my attention had been on Namgung San, and I had not understood at all what this meant.
I gave them time to attack and looked at Namgung San.
The Heaven-Opening Divine Dragon, Namgung San.
As the eldest son of the Namgung Clan and a member of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, he was called one of the hidden dragons of Anhui Province.
In other words, he was also the person with the greatest voice in this gathering.
One could tell from the way that wretched Blood Wolf Iron Sword, who was difficult to distinguish from a scoundrel, was pretending to be dignified in a manner that did not suit him at all.
“Come to think of it, it is truly strange. I know that the Gyeryong Merchant Guild has maintained close ties with the Iron Sword Sect since long ago, but seeing that they ultimately went to the Taeul Sect makes me realize how impressive the halo of the One Hundred Eight Peaks truly is.”
“……”
Bamboo Flame Young Master Gu Yang-sa of Blue Bamboo Fortress. He was the one who had clashed with us during the day.
He glanced once at Seong Mo-hyeon and continued speaking.
“To be honest, our situation is similar, but the criteria for selecting the One Hundred Eight Peaks…… are truly vague, are they not? There is an outstanding Orthodox Path sect in Hefei called the Iron Sword Sect, yet seeing that the Taeul Sect still remains among the One Hundred Eight Peaks makes me think the Murim Alliance still has far to go.”
No sooner had Gu Yang-sa finished speaking than the other men agreed with him.
“Well, that is true. The Murim Alliance must also awaken. How much tyranny do unqualified sects commit under the rank of the One Hundred Eight Peaks?”
“Indeed.”
Each time they said a word, they looked at Seong Mo-hyeon. It seemed they had been thoroughly instructed by him.
Seong Mo-hyeon, on the other hand, drank his wine as though it had nothing to do with him.
“The Taeul Sect is present here as well. Everyone, please restrain yourselves.”
Seong Mo-ran spoke coldly with a flustered expression, but no one feared her.
After all, they were surely doing this after receiving Seong Mo-hyeon’s permission.
“To be honest, Young Lady Mo-ran, do you not feel somewhat wronged? Even if one looks across all of Anhui Province, all the rising new talents are gathered in the Namgung Clan and the Iron Sword Sect. Yet the ones who go comfortably to the Murim Academy are the Taeul Sect. I believe such things must change.”
“That is correct.”
“How many talented people die every time they take the entrance examination for the Murim Academy?”
As each of them nodded, Sa-ryeon’s expression grew even darker.
“Let us hear the Taeul Sect’s position as well.”
At Gu Yang-sa’s pressing words, Seong Mo-ran stepped in again.
“That is enough. They are guests who came here by invitation.”
There was no way a woman as clever as she was could fail to notice that the atmosphere in this gathering revolved around Seong Mo-hyeon.
Seong Mo-hyeon was not such an utter scoundrel that he would commit tyranny alone at his grandfather’s sixtieth birthday banquet, so this meant the matter had ultimately been discussed with people above him as well.
Seong Mo-ran defended me earnestly, believing that her own sect could not possibly be such a gang of thugs.
Yes, no. Your sect was originally like this.
“Mo-ran. Do not keep interrupting. Did we not gather here for this kind of constructive discussion?”
At that moment, Seong Mo-hyeon, who had been pretending to be dignified as he drank his wine, spoke with a frown. Seong Mo-ran answered with an incredulous expression.
“You call this constructive?”
Since she had been excluded from the sect’s major and minor affairs because of her status as a woman, she likely could not know the inner details.
“Let us hear what the Taeul Sect has to say.”
At Seong Mo-hyeon’s words, Sa-ryeon seemed about to say something, but her mouth did not open easily.
I set down the chicken in my hand and spoke in Sa-ryeon’s place.
“I agree with that opinion. Only when new water flows in can a pond continue to maintain clear water.”
Even Namgung San, who had been drinking wine, briefly lowered his cup.
“Oh? Then the Taeul Sect also agrees that the Iron Sword Sect of Hefei should enter the One Hundred Eight Peaks.”
Gu Yang-sa spoke with a sneer, and I immediately searched through the library in my head and began gathering information about Blue Bamboo Fortress.
Mantongbu had also possessed an institution that gathered information about sects across the martial world, and since Blue Bamboo Fortress had experienced many eventful incidents, information on it had been written comparatively recently. It did not take long to find what I needed.
“Of course, that assumes the new water is clean.”
“Hm?”
“Well, to give an example, there is Blue Bamboo Fortress here. Blue Bamboo Fortress has risen as a new power in Anhui Province, and by strength alone, it would already have more than enough to enter the One Hundred Eight Peaks. Then why has it not entered?”
“That must be because the existing One Hundred Eight Peaks have been flattering the Murim Alliance so much.”
At Gu Yang-sa’s words, the men burst into laughter all at once.
“I wonder. If the Murim Alliance were such a worthless institution, it would have fallen long ago.”
“Then are you saying there is a reason our Blue Bamboo Fortress has not entered the One Hundred Eight Peaks?”
“The Blue Bamboo Blood Calamity from sixty years ago.”
“……”
Those seated there tilted their heads as though they did not know.
Of course. It had happened before they were even born, and Blue Bamboo Fortress had desperately suppressed the rumors, so they had no way of knowing.
“Do the people here not know? The brothers within Blue Bamboo Fortress drew blades against one another over the seat of succession.”
The atmosphere inside the hall, which had been noisy, sank all at once as though cold water had been poured over it.
“To be precise, the second son of the Fortress Master, who could not inherit the sect, harbored evil intentions, killed his elder brother, and took the seat of Fortress Master, did he not? In the process, half of Blue Bamboo Fortress’ warriors could not avoid death.”
“You bastard!”
CRASH.
Gu Jeong-gi, Gu Yang-sa’s grandfather, had killed his elder brother and ascended to the position of Fortress Master.
To eliminate future troubles, he had killed his brother’s bloodline and all who had followed him.
The amusing part was that after that, Blue Bamboo Fortress continued its succession through the eldest son once more.
This disgrace was one of the disgraces Blue Bamboo Fortress hated most.
“Blue Bamboo Fortress is indeed a fine and powerful sect. However, if someone asked me to entrust my back to Blue Bamboo Fortress in a battle against the Black Path…… Well. Even if I had to go to the battlefield alone, I would refuse. Would the Murim Alliance not feel uneasy about accepting such people as blood allies?”
“Come out! Do you think you can insult our Blue Bamboo Fortress and return alive?”
“Look at this. I merely gave an opinion, and in the end he is trying to draw his sword.”
Gu Yang-sa’s face was not merely red. It looked as though it was about to burst.
“It is not as if the current One Hundred Eight Peaks are never replaced, nor does the Murim Alliance simply leave stagnating Peaks alone. But if one is dissatisfied with such a system, is the problem truly with the system, or with the fact that one cannot properly see one’s own faults?”
“I will kill you!”
As Gu Yang-sa tried to charge, Seong Mo-ran rose from her seat and sealed his numbing acupoint from behind.
Because it happened in the blink of an eye, the atmosphere inside the hall became an utter mess.
“……What are you doing? Gu Yang-sa of Blue Bamboo Fortress is a guest who came to this seat by the Iron Sword Sect’s invitation. Are you looking down on the Iron Sword Sect?”
Seong Mo-hyeon, who had come to his senses, spoke coldly, and I answered with utter disbelief.
“Are we of the Taeul Sect uninvited guests who came to ruin the Iron Sword Sect’s banquet?”
“……”
“You forced the Taeul Sect to come here through the Gyeryong Merchant Guild despite our reluctance, and then you humiliate us. Is this how the Iron Sword Sect treats its guests?”
“What did you say……!”
Seong Mo-hyeon and everyone who had conspired with him showed hostility, but there was nothing they could particularly do.
To anyone watching, the cause of this matter was clearly the Iron Sword Sect and its faction. Moreover, if they tried to suppress their opponent by force, Namgung San of the Namgung Clan stood there as an insurmountable wall.
“……Do you dare insult the Iron Sword Sect in the Iron Sword Sect’s own home?”
“PFFT.”
After long contemplation, the words Seong Mo-hyeon uttered were so absurd that my laughter finally burst out.
Just look at Seong Mo-ran’s dumbfounded expression.
“You wretch!”
Seong Mo-hyeon, whose face had ripened like a persimmon, struck the table.
The food atop the table leapt a handspan into the air.
“If you were going to behave so sordidly, you should simply have requested a friendly sparring match. Why did you not? At any rate, you could have proven that the Iron Sword Sect is stronger than the Taeul Sect.”
A lack of logic was bound to drag forth the emotion of anger.
“You dare! Do you think you can say such things in the Iron Sword Sect and leave unharmed?”
“Ah! Perhaps you judged that a friendly sparring match was too insufficient if your goal was to insult us, seize upon a pretext, beat us severely, and strip us of our rank among the One Hundred Eight Peaks?”
“……”
The atmosphere had become such a disaster that it could no longer be handled in any direction.
Seong Mo-hyeon tried somehow to bring the situation under control, but it was impossible, and I clearly refused to play along with their game.
“……Whatever the reason, it is true that you have insulted the Iron Sword Sect. I challenge you to a duel.”
“……”
Seong Mo-ran’s expression was not good.
She had noticed that Seong Mo-hyeon had made a poor move.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.”
“……”
The eyes of the people in the hall, who had been looking at us with disdain, now held an unknowable fear. It was not entirely unpleasant.
I cut off my laughter and stared at Seong Mo-ran.
“In the end, I was right, was I not?”
“……”
Seong Mo-ran could not bring herself to raise her head.
“How about tomorrow, at the Hour of the Horse, in the central training ground? The banquet will need to be at its height for the largest number of people to come.”
“……GRIND. Very well.”
When I rose from my seat, Sa-ryeon rose with me. Gye Cheol-yeong sat unmoving, as though to show that he had nothing to do with us.
“Come to think of it, even though the place is packed with people, seeing that no banquet tables were placed in the central training ground, it seems the Iron Sword Sect predicted in advance that a bloody battle would occur during the sixtieth birthday banquet.”
“……”
Everyone became mute and looked at Seong Mo-hyeon.
Namgung San did not move.
No, he merely drank his wine calmly and watched, as though this had nothing to do with him.
A fight between members of the One Hundred Eight Peaks was ultimately nothing more than lesser people fighting over their rice bowls.
He must have thought it had nothing to do with him. Still, it was somewhat strange that he had not said a single word. Was he not too indifferent for someone who had supposedly attended because of friendship?
“What in the world were you thinking?”
Sa-ryeon’s face had gone pale.
“Then…… should I have endured it while they insulted the Sect Leader and our Taeul Sect?”
“But……”
“Even if we had endured it, it would not have ended with today’s gathering. We would have had to remain here for several more days, and we would have continued to be humiliated tomorrow and the day after.”
In the end, I had exploded on the third day in my previous life, so this had always been something destined to happen. In any case, it was not my fault, but I still comforted Sa-ryeon so that she would not worry.
“Do not worry. After I get beaten soundly a few times, everything will end cleanly.”
I stroked Sa-ryeon’s head. In her childhood, Sa-ryeon had liked having her head stroked.
“……Do not.”
“It was something that would have happened anyway.”
“I said, do not mess up my hair……”
Come to think of it, her neatly combed hair had become a little disheveled under my hand.
“Ah, that is my fault. I am sorry.”
Sa-ryeon suddenly lowered her head, her shoulders trembling.
“Hm? Are you c-crying?”
I tried to fix her disheveled hair, but Sa-ryeon still did not raise her head.
“Do not cry. Look, it is back to how it was.”
“I told you not to… truly….”
In the end, Sa-ryeon sobbed and burrowed into my arms.
My shoulder quickly became damp.
“I-I said I was sorry.”
Perhaps because she had reached adolescence, Sa-ryeon’s shifts in emotion were harder to predict than the Iron Sword Sect’s schemes.
