Chapter 143. Those Wearing Black Masks (2)
“If you have seen your senior, you should greet him first. What are you doing!”
Demanding a greeting that no one wanted to give was an intent to openly look down on the other party.
“…….”
By the way, I had thought Elder Murong Gang had educated him a bit, but perhaps the beating had not hurt very much.
Or perhaps his ability to take a beating was better than I expected.
“Were we on terms where we exchanged greetings? Would it not be better to exchange blades instead?”
I tried provoking him, but he did not flare up like before.
“This is why rootless things are…… Tsk, tsk.”
Flying Cloud Fresh Wind Jong Byeok-gi.
He should have been active with the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, yet he was alone in Hunan Province.
“Miss Namgung, people have something called ‘class.’ If Miss Namgung associates with fellows like these, how lightly will the people of the world look upon you?”
“Class…… you say?”
Namgung Seon-hwa looked at him with contempt, then tied her hair back up with the hairpin.
It meant he was not worth even the minimum response.
She turned around and sat back down, but Jong Byeok-gi did not seem to have any intention of ending the conversation there.
No, the people with him began showing interest in Namgung Seon-hwa instead.
“If she is Namgung Seon-hwa, is she not the Divine Sword’s biological granddaughter?”
“It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“I operate a merchant guild in Hunan Province…….”
The men, adorned with extravagant accessories, competed to introduce themselves one after another, but Namgung Seon-hwa did not even pretend to listen and instead took care of the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers’ meal.
Unable to keep watching, Jong Byeok-gi stepped in.
“Miss Namgung, I was late in introducing these people. They are…….”
They were either children of high officials and nobles or children of enormous merchant guilds.
There were also children of shipowners who owned hundreds of boats on Dongting Lake.
They were truly people said to hold considerable sway within Yueyang.
Each time their names were called during the introduction, the people being introduced puffed out their chests once, but Namgung Seon-hwa still wore an indifferent expression.
“I see.”
“That is right. Since meeting like this is also a good connection, how about we move seats and share a conversation together?”
At Jong Byeok-gi’s words, Namgung Seon-hwa swept her gaze over the men.
“To associate together…… you are people who do not suit the level of the Namgung Clan.”
“…….”
“……!”
At Namgung Seon-hwa’s words, Jong Byeok-gi and the men’s faces turned as if they had bitten into shit.
Seong Mo-ran bit her lip hard to hold back her laughter, and for some reason, the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers were looking at Namgung Seon-hwa with sparkling eyes.
Although they had clearly been insulted, not a single one of the men grew angry or sprang from his seat.
Just as she had said, Namgung Seon-hwa was someone they could not easily approach.
Jong Byeok-gi also read that mood and quickly stepped in.
“Ah, Miss! I apologize for speaking a little harshly earlier.”
“Why are you apologizing to me? Were the ones insulted not the disciples of the Taeul Sect?”
“Ah…….”
“Please go back now. You are disturbing our meal.”
At Namgung Seon-hwa’s order to leave, Jong Byeok-gi was finally about to withdraw.
“I will consider the apology accepted. In that spirit, how about Senior Jong pays for this meal?”
At my words, Namgung Seon-hwa looked at me with eyes sharp as axes.
But was that not only natural?
I could not simply let Jong Byeok-gi go after meeting him again after so long.
As a rule, a dog that bites people recklessly must be disciplined with the rod.
Should I not take this opportunity to give him a little more of the education Elder Murong Gang seemed to have left unfinished?
“…….”
Jong Byeok-gi was looking back and forth between me and the faces of the men standing behind him.
“And since we have reconciled, please join us.”
“S-should we?”
The most absurd moments I had experienced after coming to this life were when I saw these idiotic sides of those bastards.
Why in the world had I been so afraid of those bastards in my previous life?
I felt self-loathing and regret.
Jong Byeok-gi and his companions happily took the empty seats and sat down, but Namgung Seon-hwa did not even give them a glance.
There were also people interested in Seong Mo-ran, but Seong Mo-ran had already lost all goodwill toward them.
When an awkward atmosphere dominated the table and only the sound of the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers’ chopsticks filled the air, I opened my mouth.
“By the way, what happened to the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly for you to come all the way here?”
“……That is because you…….”
Jong Byeok-gi, who had clearly been about to spit out some harsh words, briefly watched Namgung Seon-hwa’s expression before continuing.
“I came to find artisans for the Main Mountain.”
“If it is Diancang, do you not already have excellent artisans?”
“Did you think our Diancang was a place that could be handled by one or two artisans? Is the Namgung Clan not the same?”
“…….”
Namgung Seon-hwa ignored Jong Byeok-gi’s words.
As the situation gradually flowed this way, Jong Byeok-gi’s anger began heading straight toward me.
“I heard that you luckily entered the academy. But if you want to maintain that paltry status, do you really have time to idle around in a place like this?”
“Did you not hear? The news that I received full marks in both the written and practical parts of this exam?”
“……You?”
The men who had shown no interest in me until now looked at me one by one with eyes that could not believe it.
“Moreover, I also did not come here to play. I came to invite an artisan to work with my teacher’s sect.”
“What? ……Keuheuheu, hahahat.”
Jong Byeok-gi suddenly burst into laughter, and his companions, not knowing why, laughed along awkwardly.
“Would there really be an artisan here who would work with the likes of the Taeul Sect?”
“What is wrong with the Taeul Sect? Still, is it not the sect founded by the legendary Taeul Sword Emperor?”
“You are still spouting that sort of…….”
Just as Jong Byeok-gi was about to shout, I lowered my voice.
“It seems Elder Murong Gang’s rod was not very painful, Senior Jong.”
“…….”
At my words, Jong Byeok-gi’s face twisted as if he had bitten into shit.
And no sooner had my words ended than his companions spoke with surprised expressions.
“Oh, I heard you once traveled with Elder Sword-Breaker, and it seems that was true.”
“I heard the Murong Clan does not interact much with other sects, but that is impressive.”
“When might we be able to meet Elder Sword-Breaker together with you?”
Perhaps he had packaged the fact that Murong Gang had dragged him along by force as if they had a close relationship, because his gaze was shaking violently.
“Could it be that you told them you were close to Elder Murong Gang?”
“…….”
Jong Byeok-gi’s companions looked back at me.
Their faces said that they did not want to speak with me, but they wanted to hear the story.
“Elder Murong Gang did not even treat Senior Jong as a person. He said a dog bastard had to be taught by beating, and tried to take him to the clan so he could beat him senseless.”
Jong Byeok-gi’s face flushed red and blue with humiliation, while his companions wore expressions that showed they had no idea how to react.
“A-ahem, h-how about we take our leave now?”
When Jong Byeok-gi’s companions barely managed to speak, Jong Byeok-gi also silently rose from his seat.
“Oh, right. Since you said you would pay for the meal as a sign of reconciliation, please settle the bill on your way out.”
“…….”
The gaze Jong Byeok-gi fixed on me was blazing with ferocious rage, as if he were looking at the enemy of his parents.
However, in the end, he quietly stood up.
“……What exactly were you thinking?”
Seong Mo-ran scolded me as if pressing me for an answer.
I looked toward the door he had gone out through and said, “I thought he would be unable to endure it. He endured it well. Has his patience grown?”
Before going to our destination, we stopped by a fabric shop first.
Since we had saved the cost of an expensive meal, I wanted to have new clothes made for the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers.
Inside the splendid fabric shop, beautiful silks of every color were lined up.
“Please give me clothes with the same texture as Eldest Senior Brother’s.”
“Me too.”
“Me too.”
What the three Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers ordered was black martial arts uniform-style clothing.
Who did they take after? Their taste was certainly frugal.
“You can have black martial arts uniforms made inside the academy as much as you like. Since we came all this way, look for clothes you can wear at a banquet.”
“Hmm…….”
After briefly thinking over my words, Dong-ryong looked at the owner and said,
“Please use white silk and embroider ‘Taeul’ on the chest with golden thread.”
“Stop right there!”
Frugal, my ass……!
I grabbed Dong-ryong in horror.
What in the world was he thinking, trying to wear clothes like that?
He wanted to put ‘Taeul’ on the chest?
It was a sense of clothing so terrible that even the Taeul Sword Emperor, who had become a Lonely Ghost, would clutch the back of his neck and collapse.
“Eldest Senior Brother wears white clothes during events, does he not? As his junior brothers, should we not naturally match him?”
At Dong-ryong’s words, Geum-pyo and Eun-ho also turned pale.
My ceremonial clothing must have left quite an impression on Dong-ryong.
As I wondered how I should persuade him, Namgung Seon-hwa spoke.
“Dong-ryong, would that not bury Young Master Jin’s splendor? How about blue instead? It would probably go well with white clothing.”
After briefly thinking over Namgung Seon-hwa’s words, Dong-ryong quickly nodded.
“Please do that. Instead, please embroider the word ‘Taeul’ very large on the chest.”
“Dong-ryong, that is not it.”
Eun-ho desperately stopped Dong-ryong.
To begin with, they had agreed to have clothes made that the three of them could wear together.
“Brother Eun-ho, are you ashamed of the Taeul Sect?”
Because of Dong-ryong’s innocent expression, Eun-ho became a shameless man who was ashamed of his teacher’s sect.
“No……! Why does it become interpreted like that? It is just embarrassing to put the name on the chest!”
In the end, after Eun-ho and Dong-ryong’s sharp conflict, they agreed to splendidly embroider the word ‘Taeul’ on the sleeves of the clothing.
I led the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers, who were already drained from one bout of verbal warfare, and the women, who were beginning to perk up as if this was only the start, toward our original destination.
The red-light district street.
The Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers blushed, yet they were completely distracted looking at the young women wearing clothes through which their skin could be seen, while the women’s expressions gradually worsened.
At last, we reached the end of the red-light district street.
The ornament shop operated by Jang Do-won came into view.
“…….”
“……Is this the place?”
However, the ornament shop, which should have been busy with business, already had its lights out.
I followed the outer wall of the shop and knocked on Jang Do-won’s door located at the back.
“Is anyone here!”
After there was no response for a long time, the door creaked open and Jang Do-won appeared.
“It has been a long time, Elder.”
“…….”
Jang Do-won left the door open and went back inside.
When I carefully stepped through the door, an unkempt yard and an unlit forge came into view.
Jang Do-won sat on the wooden veranda with a blank expression.
“Elder?”
“…….”
“Elder?”
Only after I called him several times did Jang Do-won raise his head.
“……What is it?”
“That is what I would like to ask. What in the world happened?”
The house was completely unmanaged, as if a ghost lived there.
Jang Do-won, who had been full of vigor even in his old age, was living like a ruined man.
“……It is none of your concern. Why have you come?”
Originally, I had intended to ask him to make Murong Jae-hwa’s bow and propose inviting him to the Taeul Sect.
However, it did not seem like a situation where I could bring up such a thing at all.
“I do not think that is what matters right now. What exactly happened?”
“What happened……. What happened……. What happened, you ask……. What happened to me?”
Jang Do-won’s words tangled as if he had lost his mind.
Then, as if he had suddenly been struck on the back of the head, his eyes widened.
“……Seol-yeon.”
“Yes?”
“Seol-yeon…….”
Jang Do-won’s blank face distorted in an instant.
Then tears began streaming down his dried-out face.
“Seol-yeon was abducted. Seol-yeon……! My granddaughter Seol-yeon was abducted by the Demonic Cult……. What am I supposed to do…….”
The Demonic Cult.
Once again, the Demonic Cult had appeared.
