Headwind (3)
His wife had clearly conspired with Cheon-woo to dupe him, the head of the Gu Clan and her own husband. Brushing aside the threat from the Hwajeong Merchant Group for the moment, Gu Seo-jin smirked with satisfaction, knowing he had her weakness in hand.
'Darling, I'm still the head of the house, after all.'
His wife was truly beautiful. Just looking at her face lifted his spirits. Others advised him that personality mattered more than looks, but Gu Seo-jin only had eyes for her face.
He didn't hate this life. Waking up to find her sleeping peacefully beside him quelled even the fiercest anger. They said a woman's beauty faded after three years, but that wasn't the case at all.
Separate from his satisfying life, he wanted to make her submit at least once.
Tat-tat-tat!
This was the perfect chance to assert his authority as the family head. Gu Seo-jin hurried to his wife's room in quick steps.
Swoosh!
She sat in a chair, propping her chin on her hand. Where had she gotten such an arrogant throne? Anyone might mistake it for an emperor's seat.
And her gaze—what about it? Even after the passage of time, she retained the beauty of her youth.
'Only I've grown old!'
Of course, he hadn't aged poorly. He was called a flower of middle age, exuding the charm of his years in this era.
Yet standing beside his wife, people sadly mistook her for his daughter. Only after lengthy explanations was he recognized as a capable man again.
The haughty mistress of the Gu Clan's inner quarters. Just averting his eyes for a moment made his heart flutter like their first meeting.
Last time, the excitement had strained his heart.
No. He nearly lost sight of his goal amid her intensifying beauty with age. He hurriedly placed the letter on the table before her.
In terms of go, it was a divine move.
"What does this mean?"
"You'll know once you read it."
Jeok I-ryeong's curiosity piqued at her husband's triumphant expression. She was annoyed that he'd sent their son on a trade mission without consulting her, but what grand prize had he brought back to act so smug?
It was a letter from the outer manager.
The son's destination was the branch in Shaanxi, currently managed by the outer manager himself. She'd worried whether her frail eldest could brave such a perilous journey to Chang'an.
She read the letter calmly... or tried to.
Tremble!
Her hands shook uncontrollably, rage surging until convulsions wracked her entire body.
Swoosh! Ahem!
Triumphant here?! This fool—she'd loosened the reins lately, and now he couldn't grasp the situation.
He was provoking a wise wife who tempered her fiery temper for the family's sake.
"Our son nearly died, and you're so nonchalant."
"Who said anything about dying? It says Cheon-woo took the heads of those Red-White Twin bastards. With such clear evidence, how can you act like it's nothing?!"
"The height of impudence. Is this what you're quarreling about now?"
"That's what I want to say. How can you be so brazen? You taught him martial arts behind my back!"
"So you're admitting you were the one nibbling pumpkin seeds."
Her tone shifted, her aura changing with it. Gu Seo-jin realized things were going south at her sudden intensity.
'No way?'
How else could Cheon-woo become an expert if not taught by her?
His prediction had failed. This wouldn't end well for him either.
Woooong! Hwaaa!
An overwhelming energy whipped the room into a whirlwind. If it were just a sensation, that would be fortunate—but the sealed room truly churned with a vortex.
Blade-like qi seemed to lacerate his entire body.
"Ah, I forgot to mention. The Hwajeong Merchant Group is targeting us. I came to discuss this grave crisis with you."
"Sit."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Gu Seo-jin started to stand but immediately sat back down.
Word of the Red-White Twin Heroes' deaths began to spread.
The news propagated remarkably fast. Though not top-tier in the martial world rankings, their fame and connections as wanderers were vast.
As rumors from Sacheon spread beyond the province, the truth behind the twins' deaths emerged.
The Red-White Twin Heroes had branded the merchant group bandits to seize their goods—hypocrites unworthy of the hero title, came the retort.
In response, accusations flew that the twins had been slandered without proof and killed by nefarious means.
Opinions split evenly on the rumors' veracity.
Attention turned to the sources. Hwajeong Merchant Group had first cried injustice for the twins' wrongful deaths, while Jeokgeum Merchant Group countered with claims of justified action.
Had the two groups clashed head-on from the start, the spread wouldn't have been so swift. Though among Sacheon's Ten Great Merchant Groups, they were middling on the greater scale of the Nine Provinces.
Amid sharply divided views, momentum favored Hwajeong. The twins' networks and reputation weighed heavily.
Some suspected the twins had been propped up initially to inflate the scandal.
Merchants urged caution until the full truth surfaced, while the martial world demanded Jeokgeum's punishment to uphold justice.
Yet rash action against Jeokgeum was impossible. The twins might indeed be hypocrites. History knew false heroes aplenty.
Blindly defending them risked backlash if proven true. Those close to the twins insisted on retribution, but Jeokgeum claimed evidence, forcing a wait-and-see.
With sources clashing evenly, Jeokgeum's delayed response—mere circumstantial proof, no hard evidence—tilted sentiment against them.
Jeokgeum now appeared to have slandered the twins without basis.
"No evidence after all, as expected."
"I told you—they'd have shown it by now if they had any."
Tak Jung-il had monitored Jeokgeum's reactions while spreading news of the twins' deaths. Going too aggressive early might paint it as a plot to eliminate rivals.
Given the twins' past deeds and money-grubbing ways, their hypocrisy was clear. Real evidence from Jeokgeum could backfire.
Thus, he'd probed at key moments, biding time.
Tak Jung-il made his decision but consulted his son.
"How should we escalate the pressure?"
"Target Gu Cheon-woo. What can he do if his life hangs in the balance?"
Revealing Gu Cheon-woo's use of a master swordsman would undermine any evidence, even real. Truth mattered less than who spoke it.
Who'd believe a muddied dog claiming cleanliness?
"You won't disappoint me this time?"
"I'll crush Jeokgeum so they never rise again."
"Scary words from a pup. But debts must be repaid."
"With interest."
"Now you sound like a merchant."
He'd enlisted warriors friendly with the twins. A subtle leak would expose Gu Cheon-woo's secret.
No normal path led to Peak Expert so swiftly.
'I'll tear you limb from limb!'
Tak So-pyeong dreamed of Gu Cheon-woo begging tearfully for mercy, repaying the humiliation of his broken legs that day.
The more he recalled the slight from that underestimated fool, the more his teeth ground in fury.
Ink Star Guest No Baek-jeong.
Thousand Hand Sword Na Jeong-hyeop.
Flipping Heaven Palm Go Gyeong.
Not famed across the Nine Provinces, but seasoned fighters locally—frogs in a well, at best.
They'd visited Jeokgeum's branch. Their business: a duel with the eldest young master.
"You're truly requesting a match with the eldest young master?"
"Indeed."
The outer manager suspected their motives. Rumors of the young master slaying the twins hadn't spread yet.
Yet here came friends of the twins, just as Jeokgeum struggled with mere circumstantial evidence. Their intent seemed foul.
"The young master isn't a martial artist."
"So your friend fell to a non-martial artist?"
"That's..."
The outer manager refused politely, but they grew insistent, questioning hidden reasons. No good way out.
They didn't force entry with brute strength.
'Building a pretext openly.'
To outsiders, paragons of dignity; to him, transparent schemers.
No easy refusal. Denying only bolstered their case.
'This should suffice.'
He'd figured excuses wouldn't work from the start. Their courtesy masked disdain for merchants.
Prolonged refusal would prompt claims of lost patience, then force.
His nephew had forewarned: warriors would come—don't resist, let them in.
As if aware of the scheme, events unfolded per the nephew's will.
"No choice, then. Follow me."
"About time. Wasted enough already."
"He's like a son to me."
"A fair duel—no need for worry."
The outer manager scoffed inwardly at their assurances.
Righteous or unorthodox, martial artists were much alike. Direct or roundabout, that was the difference.
True heroes were rare among the sand-grain masses. Skill needed fame to back it.
He led them to the inner courtyard.
Cheon-woo awaited in the yard—not eagerly, but overseeing his siblings' and servant's training.
As the saying went, a good start was half the battle; foundations set the path.
'My nephew radiates an expert's poise today.'
The outer manager felt oddly proud. Once unknowingly an expert, now proudly his.
'If only he'd trained orthodoxly from the start.'
He only directed; glares fell on Cheon-su and Ga-bok.
Even that was savvy merchant instinct.
"Three laps around the branch."
"Brother! That's too much!"
"Six."
"Ah, why?"
Cheon-su preferred inner courtyard training. Outdoor laps weren't planned.
He hoped notoriety stayed within the family. But refusals only hiked the count; he relented.
"Our second young master still shy. Martial artists are thick-skinned by nature."
Unaware of guests, but warriors' ears were sharp.
No Baek-jeong, Na Jeong-hyeop, and Go Gyeong's brows twitched menacingly.
Truthfully stung or not, per Ga-bok, they were brazen enough.
Fury rising, they exchanged glances and nodded agreement.
"Those who flap their mouths recklessly seldom live long."
"Best correct his manners now, for his future."
"As guests, no blood—just a lesson."
Outwardly irate, inwardly pleased. Surface apologies wouldn't suffice for insulting a martial artist.
The foolish servant had handed them perfect pretext.