Chapter 158: Even a Passing Attendant
Chapter 158: Even a Passing Attendant
Jin Ha-ryeong stepped onto the sparring stage.
Today marked her first match in the main tournament, and the cheers from the gathered heroes were thunderous. Because they respected and admired the Murim Alliance Leader, they naturally adored his granddaughter, Jin Ha-ryeong, as well. Furthermore, as a woman renowned as the "Beauty of Hubei," her popularity was a given.
"You have to win!"
"Jin Ha-ryeong is the best!"
"You're beautiful, Jin Ha-ryeong!"
"Pay for my noodles!"
"The winner is Jin Ha-ryeong!"
Jin Ha-ryeong flinched atop the stage.
Amidst the roar of encouragement, she had heard something that definitely didn't belong.
She scanned the crowd. Since she was someone who rarely looked out at the audience after taking the stage, her gaze caused even louder cheers to erupt from all sides. Among the sea of people, she finally found the person she was looking for. Geom Mu-geuk, sitting among the heroes, shouted again.
"You just walked out again!"
Even amidst the cacophony, his voice flew straight to her, piercing her ears. In that moment, the realization hit her. She had walked out that day without paying the bill—again.
Even after he had specifically asked her to settle the tab, she had left him with the check.
Ah! How could I be so scatterbrained!
That day, she had been so caught up in her anger after being provoked by that man that she had simply stormed out.
Be that as it may... so what? Had he really come all the way to the tournament grounds just to shout at her to buy him noodles?
It was so absurd that a hollow laugh escaped her lips.
Seeing this, her opponent’s expression hardened. He misunderstood her smirk as a sign that she was looking down on him.
While this misunderstanding bolstered his resolve to win at all costs, it unfortunately did nothing to bridge the gap in their skills. This remained true even though she spent the entire fight thinking about noodles.
As she descended from the stage to the sound of applause, she glanced toward the spot where Geom Mu-geuk had been sitting. However, he was already gone.
He left without even watching the end of the match? That brat! Did he really just come here to demand his noodle money?
Just then, the escort warrior Chu Ho approached and bowed.
"The Alliance Leader has requested your presence at his quarters."
"Grandfather?"
*
Half an hour later, Jin Ha-ryeong passed through countless layers of heavy security and entered the residence of the Murim Alliance Leader.
Located deep within the heart of the Murim Alliance, the estate was a harmonious blend of exquisitely carved rocks and ancient trees, looking for all the world like a realm for immortals. A man stood there with his hands behind his back, lost in thought. Merged with the beautiful scenery, he looked like a figure from a masterpiece painting.
"Grandfather, I'm here!"
"You've come?"
The man, built with a sturdy, powerful frame, turned toward her.
Despite his age, he looked twenty years younger than he actually was, possessing a perfectly muscled physique that even young men would envy.
But more than his body, it was his eyes that dominated his presence. His large, intense eyes looked as though they could make a tiger quiver in fear; he looked like a Divine General descended from the heavens.
He was a man who seemed better suited for the sparring arena she had just left than this tranquil, immortal-like dwelling.
He was the Murim Alliance Leader, Jin Pae-cheon.
As the Number One Master of the Orthodox Path, he was the pillar of the Murim and commanded the absolute respect of all. He was such a symbol of justice that people said the Demonic Cult dared not move recklessly only because Jin Pae-cheon remained hale and hearty.
Even in Jin Ha-ryeong's eyes, her grandfather was a magnificent man.
He possessed a kind heart, a strong will, and above all, a profound sense of heroic chivalry. He was a man worthy of everyone's respect.
However, that was the evaluation of Jin Ha-ryeong the martial artist; the evaluation of Jin Ha-ryeong the granddaughter was different. To her, he was nothing more and nothing less than a stubborn, suffocating grandfather who oppressed her.
Honestly, that was why she was even more upset. She felt that while he was so good and perfect to others, he was actually worse to his own family. He was failing the people he should be closest to, while dedicating his life and soul to strangers he didn't even know.
"I met the Jinryong Manor Lord recently."
It was the day she had won her match, yet her grandfather brought up another topic first.
What's the rush? At least mention your granddaughter winning her match first. Or talk about the weather.
Of course, she couldn't voice those complaints. While she wasn't exactly afraid of him, her grandfather wasn't someone she felt comfortable with either.
"Is the Manor Lord doing well?"
"Even though he grumbles about having no energy, that old man is as stubborn as ever."
It was a story about someone she would never have thought of in her entire life if it weren't for her grandfather. However, there was a reason why he had brought up the Jinryong Manor Lord.
"He said his grandson, who had gone away for martial arts training, has returned. He hinted at the idea of a match between the two of you. What do you think?"
Ah! Here he goes again.
"Grandfather, why are you so anxious to marry off your cute granddaughter? It's not like you need an in-law from a prestigious family, right?"
She tried to act cute, but Jin Pae-cheon didn't play along.
"I am asking for your thoughts."
"I don't want to. Grandfather, I refuse."
At her firm answer, Jin Pae-cheon’s brow furrowed slightly.
"Why do you refuse?"
"Grandfather, would you want to marry someone whose face you don't even know?"
"He is a trustworthy man."
"According to whom? You haven't even seen him, Grandfather."
"I can tell by looking at the Jinryong Manor Lord."
"How, exactly? Look at me, the granddaughter of the man the whole world respects. Am I the same as the image I project to the outside world? Noble, haughty, and polite? No, I'm not. I'm rebelling like this, aren't I? So how can you know the grandson just by looking at the grandfather?"
Jin Pae-cheon’s expression hardened, but Jin Ha-ryeong did not back down.
"As I've said before, when the time comes for marriage, I will marry someone I actually like."
"That is childish talk! Do you even know how harsh this Murim is? It is a place where all sorts of bizarre and strange fellows roam."
The mention of "strange fellows" suddenly brought that arrogant attendant to mind. That part is true, I'll give you that.
"Jinryong Manor is a place that has produced great martial artists for generations. It is a place worthy of trust."
"That trust is a trust that only applies to you, Grandfather."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Because no one would dare betray your trust. That's why your eye for people has been accurate until now. But I am different. The way people treat you is entirely different from how they treat me."
It was an irreverent thing to say. The air around them grew cold as her grandfather’s anger began to manifest as a physical pressure.
Still, Jin Ha-ryeong did not retreat. If she broke under this pressure, she might truly end up in an unwanted marriage.
"If you keep forcing me like this, I'll just marry anyone."
"Anyone? Exactly who do you intend to marry?"
"Anyone passing by on the street. I wouldn't even care if he was an attendant."
Even as she spoke the words impulsively, she flinched inwardly. An attendant?
"Do it if you can."
"Grandfather!"
"You could never do that. Do you think I don't know you? You couldn't do it if only for the sake of your own pride. Go ahead, bring an attendant or a street peddler or whoever. I shall hold a grand wedding ceremony for you."
Jin Ha-ryeong couldn't deny it. Because that was who she truly was.
"I know better than anyone that you are a truly great man, Grandfather. I know you are a noble person who would gladly give his life for the sake of this Murim. I respect you more than anyone. That's why I don't want to turn such a wonderful grandfather into a tasteless Alliance Leader who forces his granddaughter into marriage."
She knew. She knew why her grandfather was so aggressively intervening in her marriage. It was because of her late father.
It was because he believed her father had died because of a bad marriage—that he had met the wrong wife and ruined his life.
Her father had been caught up in the grudges of her mother’s family and eventually died in an enemy ambush. Her mother had died with him.
Afterward, the revenge was completed, but a lingering sorrow remained in her grandfather’s heart.
Grandfather, how could that possibly be Mother's fault? It was the life Father chose. Father loved Mother until the very moment he died.
Because she knew he was trying to send her to a family of his choosing for this reason, she hated it even more.
"You still do not know the world. You don't know how harsh and dangerous this Murim is."
"I'll learn for myself."
"You will regret it later."
"Then I'll regret it."
But no matter how stubborn she was, it didn't work on Jin Pae-cheon. Though he was rumored to be the most jovial and broad-minded man in the world, that kindness did not apply to his granddaughter's marriage.
"The grandson of the Jinryong Manor Lord will be at the banquet tomorrow evening. Be sure to attend."
Suddenly, she remembered what Geom Mu-geuk had said to her. Whether that consideration was for her sake or for the other person's. Perhaps her grandfather was making the same mistake?
"Is your desire to marry me off for my sake? Or is it because you want your own mind to be at peace?"
Her grandfather did not look flustered as she had. Jin Pae-cheon answered without hesitation.
"It is both."
Faced with Jin Pae-cheon’s unyielding will, Jin Ha-ryeong finally backed down for the moment.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
I understand your heart, Grandfather, but this is absolutely not for my sake.
*
"Whew, whew."
Seo Dae-ryong, catching his breath after training, was clearly a different person than before.
When he was learning from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, he had trained with blind diligence, but his current training was different. There was an enemy to fight, and the training was about how to defeat that enemy. Through this practical training, Seo Dae-ryong was entering the path of a true martial artist.
"Pavilion Master, I want to become even stronger!"
Moments like this come. It’s not a vague desire to be strong while just playing around; it’s when you’ve worked so hard that it’s difficult to even breathe, and yet you feel a genuine urge to do even more. That is true determination.
"Very well, then become stronger. I shall watch over you."
"You must watch me."
"Yes, I certainly will."
Right now, Seo Dae-ryong was a small giant. You might be grateful to me, but I am the one who is grateful. Because you were there at that moment, saying the Main Cult would never change, my regression was able to find its direction.
When I returned after finishing the martial arts training with Seo Dae-ryong, Jin Ha-ryeong was waiting at the inn.
"That sight is starting to look familiar. What brings you here today?"
Her expression was a bit darker than usual.
"You have the face of someone in need of a consultation."
"A consultation for the granddaughter of the Murim Alliance Leader from the son of the Demonic Cult Leader? In the end, I'll find everything out. Where is the forbidden area of the Murim Alliance? To open the secret vault..."
"That's enough!"
"Yes, sir!"
Seo Dae-ryong went up to the guest room, and I walked over to where she was sitting. As soon as she saw me, Jin Ha-ryeong asked abruptly.
"Did you shout for me to buy you noodles while you were cheering?"
"You heard that?"
"Your words pierced right through to my ears."
"I've always had a loud voice."
"Sit down."
I sat across from her. She filled my cup to the brim with liquor.
"Are you a good drinker?"
"It depends on the occasion."
"On what kind of occasion do you drink well? When you're with someone you like?"
"No, when I'm with someone I like, I actually get drunk quite quickly."
"Then?"
"I drink well when I'm angry. I talk a lot because I'm excited, so the alcohol wears off quickly. When my emotions are intense, liquor feels like water. Of course, I regret it the next day with a hangover."
"Saying, 'If I ever drink again, I'm a dog!'"
"Exactly. You know it well."
We emptied our cups together. Jin Ha-ryeong set down her empty glass and spoke.
"The liquor is going down well for me today, too."
"Are you angry today as well?"
"Today as well?"
"Don't you usually come here because you're angry?"
"I don't come here because I'm angry; I leave here angry. Because of someone."
I laughed at her words.
"Do you even drink liquor poured by an attendant?"
"It depends on the attendant."
I poured liquor into her cup. She stared at me intently before suddenly asking.
"Do you have any intention of cutting that beard?"
"No, I don't."
"Then do you have any intention of being used for my sake? Just for one day."
"I do."
She looked at me with a surprised expression.
"You won't cut your beard, but you'll let yourself be used?"
"It's only for a day, isn't it? It takes a long time to grow a beard."
"Aren't you going to ask what it is?"
"It must be something very troublesome for you, Miss."
"It might be troublesome for you, too. Someone might hold a grudge. You might be insulted."
"Holding grudges, being insulted... that is the life of an attendant. What could be more troublesome than that?"
"Then please attend the Murim Alliance banquet with me tomorrow. You'll also meet my grandfather. Can you do it?"
I blinked for a moment before answering.
"That's a bit difficult."
"You're a coward."
"That's just how attendants are."
Jin Ha-ryeong looked at me and laughed.
"I didn't really intend to ask for your help anyway. You wouldn't see anything good by getting swept up in my business. I appreciate the sentiment, though."
She stood up from her seat.
"Well, that's one rejection out of three."
It was right then. A young man walked toward us.
"Miss Jin."
The moment I saw him, I was inwardly shocked. He was someone I knew. Moreover, he was someone I had a direct connection with before my regression.
"I am Jo Sin of Jinryong Manor. We've met before. You've become even more beautiful."
Jo Sin.
The Jo Sin I knew was not 'Jo Sin of Jinryong Manor.'
He was Jo Sin, the head of the New Dragon Family, a clan that rose to prominence in the Orthodox Murim after Hwa Mu-gi went into seclusion. The current Jinryong Manor would change its name to the New Dragon Family once Jo Sin became the head, and it would go on to achieve great success. It would grow into a sect representing the Orthodox Path after the Murim Alliance sealed its gates.
It was the very family I had gone to in order to retrieve the Divine Profound Incense Burner, the second ingredient for the Great Regression Art.
So, in your youth around this time, you were approaching Jin Ha-ryeong.
I knew very well what kind of person Jo Sin was.
He was a typical hypocrite. He lived the life of a great hero while deeply hiding a cruel and heartless nature. He would stop at nothing to achieve his own success and felt absolutely no remorse for his actions.
If the Jo Sin of then and the Jo Sin of now shared the same character...
My gaze turned toward Jin Ha-ryeong.
This woman was in danger.
Could it be that her life turned out that way not because of the Heavenly Mandate Society, but because of this man?
Jo Sin looked at me and asked.
"Who is this person here?"
Her eyes met mine. She spoke with a faint smile.
"Don't mind him. He's just an attendant."