Chapter 387
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C387
Gosung Village
Tavern
Shim Tong, the Nine Heavens Old Dao, who was drinking with Yeon Jeokha, suddenly asked:
“Shall we order some food? I’m hungry.”
“No. Yang Yihwa invited me to dinner. She said we’d have dinner together to get to know each other better.”
“Ha, ha. Finally a family gathering?”
“Family gathering, what are you talking about? I have to stay here for a while, so don’t drink too much and cause trouble.”
“Don’t worry. I’m too old to cause trouble anymore.”
“Alright, I’ll believe you this time.”
“‘This time’? When have I ever disappointed you?”
“Is my memory failing me? Don’t say that even as a joke, it scares me. I’m leaving first.”
Before Shim Tong could say anything, Yeon Jeokha quickly got up and left.
—————-
Yeon Academy
At the dinner were present the Yeon siblings, Yang Yihwa, and Jeong Gyeokcheon, the Swordman of the Sea and Mountains, Leader of the Jeong Family.
Jeong Gyeokcheon saw Yeon Jeokha with a red face from alcohol and said, smiling:
“Mr. Namcheon, it seems you’ve had a bit to drink.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Ha, ha. As expected of a disciple of the Wudang Sect. I admire your courage in not worrying about the Iron Blood Sect.”
Yeon Seolju muttered to herself:
“Even if he’s a secret disciple of the Wudang Sect, drinking during the day before a big task isn’t right.”
“That’s true. Unless he’s a disciple of the Beggars’ Sect. It’s the first time I’ve seen a Wudang Sect disciple do that.”
When Yeon Seungbaek intervened, the atmosphere became a little uncomfortable.
Yeon Jeokha, who was serving himself food, raised his head.
Just as he was about to respond, Yeon Mubaek intervened.
“What kind of inappropriate comment is that towards someone who came to help? Mr. Namcheon isn’t a disciple of the Yeon Academy, so what does it matter if he drinks during the day or not! Even if you don’t think about it, you should know what to say and what not to say at your age. Apologize to Mr. Namcheon immediately.”
Yeon Seungbaek and Yeon Seolju were surprised to see Yeon Mubaek get angry.
It was even more surprising because Yeon Mubaek rarely got angry since they had reunited ten years prior.
Finally, Yeon Seungbaek was the first to speak.
“Mr. Namcheon, I said something inappropriate.”
“Me too. I didn’t mean it maliciously. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
When Yeon Seolju also apologized, Yeon Mubaek looked at Yeon Jeokha.
“I’m very sorry. My siblings are inexperienced and made a big mistake. Please forgive us.”
Yeon Jeokha smiled slightly at Yeon Mubaek’s sincere apologies.
It seemed that Yeon Mubaek was apologizing more than the two who had made the mistake.
“It’s alright. It’s true that I’m different from the Daoists of the Wudang Sect.”
“But the fact that my siblings made a mistake remains true. I will teach them to behave better.”
“I would appreciate that. It bothers me to be told those things, since I am also a person.”
“It won’t happen again.”
Yeon Mubaek secretly thought that Namcheon was a somewhat peculiar mystic.
Mystics generally didn’t show their emotions to warriors.
Since they were physically weak, even if they were angry, they would restrain themselves.
But Namcheon had shown his displeasure by saying he was “bothered” in front of the warriors.
Even if he was from the Wudang Sect, it was unusual.
On the other hand, Yeon Seolju was annoyed that her older brother had humiliated her so much.
Of course, they had made a mistake.
But how dare a young mystic act arrogantly in front of martial warriors?
“Mr. Namcheon, I will be more careful in the future. But I have a question…”
Yeon Seolju deliberately left the sentence unfinished.
The attention of everyone at the table turned to Yeon Seolju.
“What?”
When Yeon Jeokha asked, a triumphant smile appeared on Yeon Seolju’s face.
“Mr. Namcheon, you stayed to help us, right? The Iron Blood Sect is a martial sect, so I wonder how you plan to help us.”
An ironic smile appeared on Yeon Seungbaek’s lips.
Yeon Seolju was politely but firmly pressing her opponent.
Honestly, mystics usually don’t participate in conflicts between martial sects.
If it weren’t for his status as a disciple of the Wudang Sect, they wouldn’t have accepted him even if he had wanted to help.
Yang Yihwa, who had been observing the conversation between the two, intervened.
“Miss, the fact that Mr. Namcheon, a disciple of the Wudang Sect, is here as a guest is already a great help, isn’t it?”
Yang Yihwa looked at Yeon Mubaek.
“That’s right. I told them to announce it first when recruiting nangins.”
Yeon Seolju pouted when she saw that her plan had failed.
Then, Yeon Jeokha suddenly asked:
“Does anyone know why the Infinite Heaven Alliance is recruiting mystics?”
“It’s because of Yoomyung, right? Is there anyone who doesn’t know?”
Yeon Seungbaek responded sarcastically.
What an obvious question in front of his siblings, who had served in the Justice Alliance and the Heaven and Earth Alliance!
Then, Yeon Jeokha, while tearing a boneless chicken leg, said:
“Yes. Yoomyung’s mystical techniques are even feared by martial sects. Our Wudang Sect’s techniques are as terrifying as Yoomyung’s. Did I answer your question?”
“…”
Suddenly, everyone fell silent.
It wasn’t a logically incorrect statement.
It was true that they were recruiting mystics to counter Yoomyung’s mystical techniques.
But whether the Wudang Sect’s techniques were as terrifying as Yoomyung Sect’s was another matter.
Before Yoomyung, mystics were treated with disdain.
That meant mystics had no place in the martial world.
Even the mystics of the Moshan Sect, the Tianxian Sect, and the famous Seven Great Sects were like that.
What Yeon Jeokha said seemed true, but if observed carefully, it was a blatant lie.
Although they knew it, nobody refuted it.
They couldn’t say that the Wudang Sect was inferior to the Yoomyung Sect in front of a disciple of the Wudang Sect.
Not everyone is like that.
Yeon Seungbaek didn’t want to be fooled by Namcheon’s nonsense.
“Where did you get that nonsense?”
That brat wouldn’t even dream of knowing how terrifying the Demonic Warriors who stole an arm from him are.
Yeon Seungbaek, biting his lips in frustration, finally challenged him.
“The mystical techniques of the Yoomyung Cult are famous in the martial world. The Demonic Warriors are like that, and the Eight Trigrams of Fengzhi Mountain is known as the entrance to hell. Mr. Namcheon, how do you plan to help us?”
Since it was a rather specific question, this time even Yang Yihwa couldn’t intervene.
Yeon Jeokha was too busy eating chicken to answer immediately.
When he was slow to respond, Yeon Seolju quickly spoke.
“Brother, why are you asking Mr. Namcheon such a difficult question? He’ll probably give us a lucky charm. Sir, since we’re talking about it, how about you give us each a protective amulet?”
When she treated Namcheon like an inexperienced mystic, Yeon Mubaek looked at her with sharp eyes.
Yeon Seolju looked down in embarrassment.
“Mr. Namcheon, how is the food? Do you like it?”
Yang Yihwa quickly changed the subject in case Namcheon felt bothered by the conversation about amulets.
“It’s delicious. It’s exactly to my liking.”
“I’m glad. Mr. Namcheon, where are you from?”
“From Luoyang.”
“Oh? From Luoyang?”
Yang Yihwa looked at Yeon Jeokha and Yeon Mubaek in surprise.
She wanted Namcheon, who was from Luoyang, to get along with Yeon Mubaek, who was also from Luoyang.
Just as Yeon Mubaek, who was astute, was about to start a conversation about their place of origin, Yeon Jeokha said:
“Someone asked a moment ago about what kind of magic you would use to help us.”
Yeon Jeokha’s finger pointed at Yeon Seungbaek.
The relaxed atmosphere that Yang Yihwa had created quickly deteriorated.
“I will use amulets and talismans. Did I answer your question?”
Everyone’s attention turned to Yeon Seungbaek.
Yeon Seungbaek couldn’t continue pressing under the stern gaze of his older brother and sister-in-law.
“Well, they’re amulets. I hope they work.”
Yang Yihwa sighed in relief. It seemed that the situation between the two had somehow been resolved.
The conversation continued smoothly after that.
After dinner, Yeon Mubaek and Yang Yi-hwa said they would accompany Yeon Jeokha to his room.
“I can go alone.”
Yeon Jeokha scratched his head.
He found it uncomfortable to be accompanied such a short distance.
Yang Yihwa smiled and said:
“It’s not because we want to prevent you from escaping during the night. We’re accompanying you to digest the food. Right?”
“That’s right. Mr. Namcheon, my wife and I usually take a walk after dinner.”
“Ah, yes.”
Yeon Jeokha nodded.
Almost reaching the room, Yang Yihwa cautiously asked:
“What did you think of our family at Yeon Academy?”
“What did I think?”
“Yes, you know, ‘I’m glad I decided to help them,’ or ‘I should have reconsidered’.”
Yeon Jeokha looked at Yang Yihwa.
Was she worried that he would leave because of Yeon Seungbaek and Yeon Seolju?
“It was like seeing my own family. People are the same everywhere.”
“Ha, ha! Thank you for saying that. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are a bit fussy, but they’re not bad people. You’ll become friends with them in time.”
“Did you become friends with them over time?”
“Well, after a year, I started to understand them better. Shy people often pretend to be strong in front of others. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are like that.”
Yeon Mubaek intervened:
“That’s true. It seems our mother raised them very severely. That’s why they seem so sharp and aggressive.”
“Mr. Namcheon, did you hear? Please understand. They’re not bad people.”
But Yeon Jeokha felt uncomfortable with Yang Yi-hwa and Yeon Mubaek’s defense.
Were they raised severely, that’s why they’re sharp and aggressive?
Do shy people pretend to be strong?
And so?
There are people who have no parents and live locked up in a warehouse.
Why should I understand them, I who lived like a dog, while they have had everything?
“That only applies to family. In the martial world, that would make you lose your limbs. Ah, you’ve already lost them. I don’t think I can understand them.”
Yang Yihwa was surprised by Yeon Jeokha’s cold response.
Yeon Mubaek also looked at Namcheon at those cold words.
His eyes under the moonlight were extremely cold.
“Oh, no! This is a disaster.”
It seems that inviting him to dinner with his family to get closer to him had the opposite effect.
Yeon Jeokha said to the panicked couple:
“Even so, I will keep my promise. As I said I would help, I will do so no matter what.”
Yang Yihwa sighed in relief. She thought it was going to be a big problem because of her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, but luckily, everything turned out well.
She felt grateful that he hadn’t changed his mind despite what had happened.
“But why does Mr. Namcheon want to help us?”
He doesn’t know anyone here, and Yeon Academy’s situation isn’t good.
What’s the reason?
Yang Yi-hwa cautiously asked:
“Mr. Namcheon, why do you want to help us?”