LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 27 - The Reason for Fighting (2)
Chapter 27. The Reason for Fighting (2)
Gadeuksang laughed with a grin.
His hair was messy, his face was covered with dirt, and his clothes were nothing but rags, but his teeth were shining white.
“A flying sword? That sounds fun. Too bad my master’s life is tougher than a whale’s tendon. He’ll probably last for a few more years.”
“…”
“By the way, you know this beggar, but the beggar doesn’t know you, do you? Let me see, using all the skills I learned from begging for food for over twenty years, I’ll try to guess who you are…”
“I am Yeonhojeong.”
“Huh?”
Yeonhojeong bowed politely for once.
“I am Yeonhojeong, the eldest son of the Yeon family of Beksan. Nice to meet you.”
Gadeuksang’s eyes widened.
It was a courteous greeting. He didn’t show any sign of disrespecting him.
“Oh… yes, nice to meet you.”
He was secretly surprised.
Gae-bang was a faction that stood shoulder to shoulder with the Kudae-mun faction and the Chil-dae-sega. But it was also the faction that the children of the noble families hated the most.
The reason was simple. All the Gae-bang members claimed to be beggars.
The experienced martial artists knew the greatness of Gae-bang, but the young men and women were different. They just wanted to avoid the dirty beggars.
In that sense, Yeonhojeong’s greeting was definitely different.
‘I didn’t expect to see him here.’
Yeonhojeong’s eyes were filled with sincere goodwill as he looked at Gadeuksang.
He had no choice. Even though he had built up a strength that was not inferior to the Baek-do martial world, he was scorned as a Heuk-do. But Gadeuksang treated him as a true comrade.
In the bleak years, Yeonhojeong was one of the few people who showed him human kindness.
“This is something, I haven’t received such a greeting in a long time.”
Gadeuksang scratched his head. He looked like he would have a lot of dandruff, but surprisingly, he didn’t.
“Then you are the second son of the Yeon family?”
Yeon Ji-Pyung bowed gracefully.
“I apologize for being late. I am Yeon Ji-Pyung, the second son of the Yeon family of Beksan. It is an honor to meet the successor of Gae-bang.”
Yeon Ji-Pyung’s greeting was also polite and formal. He didn’t know him well enough to be friendly, but he didn’t show any contempt for him either.
Gadeuksang was a bit hesitant. He was glad to hear such a greeting, but he didn’t know what face to make.
But he knew one thing.
‘Huh! This is so different from the rumors.’
Yeonhojeong asked with a smile.
“Have you finished your meal?”
“Meal? Oh, I just finished. I ate so much that my stomach is about to burst. I don’t remember the last time I had such delicious food.”
“That’s a pity. If you don’t mind, let’s have lunch together.”
Yeon Ji-Pyung was surprised and looked at Yeonhojeong. He had never seen his brother invite someone to eat first.
Gadeuksang nodded with a nervous face.
“Sure, let’s do that.”
“Then rest well.”
“Yes, you too.”
That’s how the Yeon brothers went to the restaurant.
Gadeuksang, who was watching the brothers’ backs, lost his appetite.
“I was going to dig up everything from the Choseong-ru case, but I got ambushed.”
Did Yeonhojeong know his intentions and make the first move?
‘That’s not it.’
To become the successor of Gae-bang, one had to have a good eye for people. Gadeuksang saw that Yeonhojeong’s goodwill was pure and genuine.
‘That’s why it’s strange.’
He was scratching his head with a nagging feeling when it happened.
“Are you the successor?”
Gadeuksang turned his head.
There was a young man with a blue sword. He was a handsome man who wore a silk outfit in style.
Gadeuksang laughed with a grin.
“Are you the son of the Namgung family?”
Namgung Hyeon bowed.
“I am Namgung Hyeon. Nice to meet you.”
“Ah, me too.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I had some business nearby, and I heard that the junior disciples were having a meeting. The smell that was flowing out of the gate was amazing. I couldn’t help but come in.”
Namgung Hyeon frowned slightly.
If someone had given permission for the junior disciples’ meeting, there was no need to make a fuss. But wasn’t this meeting hosted by the Namgung family? He should have given a heads-up beforehand.
And a beggar in a place where the children of the noble families gathered? No matter how he was the successor of Gae-bang, he couldn’t feel good.
“Have fun and go.”
He ended his formal greeting and headed to the restaurant as well.
Gadeuksang chuckled.
“This is normal.”
He didn’t care if he felt bad or not. He was already over thirty and had a lot of martial arts experience.
But he was worried about Yeonhojeong. The way he looked at him was too clear.
“Did we meet before?”
* * *
“No.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I’ve been cooped up at home, when would I have seen the little master of Gae-bang?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Why?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you invite someone to eat first.”
Is that so?
Come to think of it, it seemed like that. Even when I was the Heuk-am-je, I preferred to eat alone unless it was a gathering for power or political purposes.
‘He’s still the same.’
Gadeuksang’s smile was still bright. He thought it wouldn’t be easy for someone who was the information chief of the Baek-do martial world to be so pure.
‘Hmm?’
He tilted his head at a sudden thought.
‘But that guy, he didn’t come to the meeting in the past, did he?’
In his life as the Heuk-am-je, or before he returned to the past, he had never seen Gadeuksang at the junior disciples’ meeting.
That was certain. He had only seen the person named Gadeuksang after he became the Heuk-je-seong-ju.
‘Why now?’
What is it? Is my memory wrong? That can’t be.
‘If my memory is correct, then the past has changed?’
As he thought that far, he thought of the Je-gal siblings.
‘I didn’t stop by the Choseong-ru in the past. But I did this time. If we hadn’t been there, the Je-gal siblings would have been done for by that crazy guy who mastered the Eum-hwa-hong-ryu.’
That was certain. The guy who was the Noe-hwa-bang-ju or something would have set fire as he did before, and the Je-gal siblings would have fought back instead of running away.
Then what happened to the Je-gal siblings in the previous life?
His thoughts followed one another.
‘The Je-gal family existed then. They lost a lot of power, but luckily they were able to maintain their lineage with the support of other families.’
And that family was…
“Excuse me for a moment?”
Yeonhojeong looked up.
There was a middle-aged swordsman with a neatly trimmed beard. He wore a perfectly groomed outfit, and a blue long sword on his back gave off a sinister aura.
‘Namgung!’
The middle-aged swordsman frowned.
“Is there something on my face?”
“You looked good, so I stared.”
The swordsman’s eyebrows twitched. It sounded like he was mocking him.
“Who are you?”
“Hmm! I am Chuseong.”
“…?”
“I am the captain of the guard who came with the Namgung prince for this meeting.”
Someone who was eating nearby gasped.
“Lightning Hero Chuseong?!”
The murmurs grew louder.
He seemed to be a very famous master. Yeon Ji-Pyung also looked up at Chuseong with a surprised eye.
But Yeonhojeong didn’t know who Chuseong was. He had never heard of his name when he came out to the world and pacified the Heuk-do, or when he ruled as the Heuk-je-seong-ju.
“Then?”
Chuseong’s face twisted noticeably.
No matter how he belonged to the Namgung family, he was an adult who was over forty. He would give him respect as a guard, but he couldn’t help but get angry when he saw the defiant attitude of the much younger junior disciple.
Yeon Ji-Pyung got up with a start.
“Please sit down first.”
Chuseong, who was looking down at Yeonhojeong, sat down across from him. He didn’t even glance at Yeon Ji-Pyung.
Chuseong opened his mouth.
“I’ll get straight to the point.”
“Please do.”
“The banquet will start at noon today.”
“I know.”
“Leave this place before the banquet.”
Yeon Ji-Pyung’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you hear? Then I’ll say it again. Leave the garden before noon today.”
Unlike the flustered Yeon Ji-Pyung, Yeonhojeong’s expression didn’t change.
No, there was a change. A hint of interest rose on Yeonhojeong’s face. Very faintly, though.
“Leave?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“There has never been trouble at the junior disciples’ meeting of the Chil-dae-sega since ancient times. But you have ruined this prestigious and historic meeting.”
Chuseong’s eyes were icy cold.
“You are not qualified to participate in this meeting. I trust you know that yourself.”
As he listened to Chuseong’s words, Yeonhojeong glanced at the window at the end of the restaurant.
There was Namgung Hyeon. He was sitting at a sunny table, drinking tea, and he looked very dignified.
Then, a loud noise was heard.
“That’s ridiculous!”
The person who got up so hard that the chair fell over and shouted was Yeon Ji-Pyung.
“The incident yesterday has already been settled! My brother also said he would apologize to everyone at the banquet today! And now you’re telling me to leave?!”
“It’s a matter of dignity before apology. Besides, the act of coming out to the restaurant in the morning and showing your face naturally, I doubt you are really repenting.”
“Don’t be unreasonable! What does coming out to the restaurant have to do with repentance? And what is dignity…”
“I’ve said all I have to say. I hope you don’t embarrass yourself any more, and leave before the banquet.”
With that, Chuseong got up from his seat.
But Yeon Ji-Pyung’s words were not over.
“Most importantly!”
His hoarse voice echoed throughout the restaurant.
He always only smiled, but his voice was so loud that it was hard to believe. It was enough to surprise everyone here.
“You are the guard of a family. Your job is to protect the Namgung prince, not to judge the qualifications of the participants.”
Chuseong laughed coldly.
“Is that so?”
“What do you mean?”
“The host family of the Chil-dae-sega meeting changes every five years. And this year’s host family is the Namgung family.”
“…!”
“I have been given the authority to manage the whole operation of this meeting with the Namgung prince. And that’s directly from the family head.”
“…”
“I didn’t intervene yesterday because the second son took care of the situation, but today is different. The second son was too soft and ended up settling the matter, but I have no intention of leaving any risk factors that could ruin the meeting.”
Yeon Ji-Pyung was flustered. He received a direct order from the Namgung family head? He couldn’t believe it, no matter how he thought.
But Yeon Ji-Pyung didn’t know.
The junior disciples’ meeting was a meeting in name, but it had a strong tendency to foster friendship. So they held a banquet, and provided alcohol and food.
But there was also a risk of accidents and incidents due to the young blood. The host family sent a reliable person to prevent such unavoidable events.
Yeon Ji-Pyung had never been on the host side of the meeting in his life. No, it was his first time to participate in the meeting. He couldn’t know such details.
“The host family has the right to expel any issues or people that are problematic for the meeting. There have been countless precedents for that. What I’m doing now is nothing special.”
“Objection!”
“I think you’ve heard enough. It would be better for you two to leave quietly if you have any dignity.”
Yeon Ji-Pyung’s face was embarrassed.
That’s when it happened.
Yeonhojeong, who had been looking at Namgung Hyeon far away, opened his mouth.
“Ji-pyung.”
“…Yes, brother.”
“Don’t get angry, sit down and eat.”
Yeonhojeong picked up a piece of braised pork and bit it hard.
“Chew, chew, did you forget what father said? Distinguish whether the other person is a human or a beast. Even a loser like me can tell you shouldn’t do that.”
“…gulp.”
“Eat quickly. It’s getting cold.”