Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Farewell Wine
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The next day.
There was a new announcement in the Nine Dragons Branch Family.
—I hereby appoint Young Master Dang Un-hwi as the next Branch Leader.
It was a bombshell declaration that no one had seen coming.
The branch family erupted in chaos.
“W-What is this?”
“An announcement for the Young Branch Leader…?”
“And it’s Un-hwi…!”
Notices were swiftly posted all throughout the manor.
—In recent days, numerous plots swirled around Nine Dragons County. Dang Un-hwi uncovered and crushed them all.
—He located and destroyed the Ghost Formation Array of Black Bone Ghost Valley from the Seventy-Two Evil Schools and beheaded the leader of the White Bone Net Sect.
—He brought back the Effigy Sword of North Wind Ghost, a top-class expert from the North Sea Sect.
—In recognition of these merits, the Nine Dragons Branch Family appoints Dang Un-hwi as Young Branch Leader. His first duty will be full authority over this Clan Head visit event.
The White Hall was absolutely mobbed with family retainers crowding the entrance.
“Congratulations, Young Branch Leader!!”
“We celebrate your promotion!”
“I’m sure you know how hard your nephew has labored for the Young Branch Leader position all this time!”
“No, not at all! If anything, I—”
It was hilarious watching all these people who’d ignored me until now flip their attitudes in an instant.
Even my Lightning Gale Footwork probably couldn’t match that speed.
Rumors were already quietly spreading that the Grand Madam might have been involved in this plot, which only made people even more eager to suck up.
“Ahem! I’ve heard tales of the Young Branch Leader’s unparalleled martial prowess. Might I request a sparring match?”
“I’ve long heard that Young Master Un-hwi possesses the magnanimity and temperament of a hero for the ages. I’d like to build some camaraderie—care to share a drink?”
Even the visiting guests who’d already come to the clan were the same.
Naturally, as someone newly seated in such a weighty position, I should receive them with a responsible demeanor and attitude befitting my sta— Screw that, what the hell is this? They’re annoying as shit!
“I don’t need any of that crap, so everyone get out.”
“Huh? What do you—”
“Hey now! Young Branch Leader! I came all this way to forge a bond with you—”
“Bonds my ass. If you wanna die, then all of you get out!”
I started kicking the asses of these guests who wouldn’t take no for an answer and kept shoving their way in no matter how nicely I told them to come back later.
Some tried to hold out, but they soon took a solid hit to the solar plexus and went flying.
Boom!
The sound of a door shattering rang out.
“Argh! Aaaah!”
“The Young Branch Leader’s beating people! He’s hitting people!”
After that commotion finally died down.
“Lock the door!”
“Yes, sir!”
Hyung-sam and the servants rushed over, barred the doors to the White Hall, and even nailed them shut with bolts.
“Anyone who opens this door without my permission one more time dies, for real.”
“W-We, w-we’ll keep that in mind!”
“S-Sorry…”
At my snarling, the servants’ heads automatically bowed low.
No need to feel sorry.
They were the ones who’d stirred up this mess without my permission.
I stormed back to my room and slammed the door shut behind me.
Bang!
“Ugh, they’re annoying me to death!!”
「Are you all right?」
「You look utterly exhausted, Young Lord.」
“I was just trying to get some work done in peace, but now I’m stuck with this crap. Damn it!”
When I’d told Dang Ho-san to delegate full authority to me, it sure as hell wasn’t a request to make me the heir.
Sure, I planned to take that seat someday, but with all these events piling up right now, it was nothing but a huge hassle.
What I’d needed was simply a position where I could do whatever the hell I wanted.
That way, I could properly exploit the Dang Clan’s schemes to swallow the entire North Sea Sect whole.
But Dang Ho-san wasn’t satisfied with just that—he’d gone ahead and dumped the whole damn thing in my lap.
“That sly old fox.”
From the outside, this merit award might look like a shocking break from tradition, but for Dang Ho-san, it was a move with zero downside.
「If this event succeeds without a hitch, praise will rain down from all sides for producing a perfect heir—」
「And if it fails, he can shift all the blame onto you, Young Lord. Truly killing two birds with one stone.」
「It seems the former Gale Wind Hall Leader is not only a master of the battlefield but of political maneuvering as well.」
Even the ghosts, who were no strangers to politics, couldn’t help but admire it.
Anyway, that meant the number of things I had to worry about had multiplied several times over.
The North Sea Sect plot, greeting guests, coordinating with the Dang Clan branches, aligning schedules with the Green Ancestor Hall, preparing food for the Dark Lord, event preparations, and so on… Just thinking about it made my head throb already.
But on the flip side, I also thought it was for the best.
With a proper position like this instead of some half-assed temporary gig, my words would carry real weight.
As long as it was clear Dang Ho-san was backing me fully, no one in the branch family would dare defy my orders.
“…Ugh, I’m gonna die.”
I flopped straight onto the bed.
I was tired, in every sense.
「Please get some rest, at least.」
「You’ve been locked in a battle of wits with Gale Wind Wild Sword without even a moment to recover from your travels. Fatigue like that turns into serious illness if not addressed right away.」
Chopping off the White Bone Net Sect Leader’s head, escaping the Reverse Tai Chi Demon’s eyes, saving those Divine Church folks, fending off Baek-san, round trip to that distant place, bickering with Dang Ho-san— all that storming through in just a few days had worn my mind to shreds.
The problem was that a hefty dose of Dang Ho-san’s poison had built up in my body too, even though I thought I’d purged it all.
No wonder my body felt so heavy.
If not for the Black Dragon Qi, I’d have passed out several times along the way.
That’s why I’d chased off all the guests.
I just wanted to rest a little.
Even this level of fatigue should clear up after a solid day’s sleep—
“Why the long face on such a fine day?”
Guess it wasn’t meant to be.
I shook off the sleep demon that had been lulling my eyes shut and turned my head.
Dang Gyu-jin stood there, lightly shaking a gourd flask in her hand.
Something sloshed inside, releasing a fragrant fruit aroma.
“How’d you get in? The main doors are all locked.”
“Through over there. The doors were too noisy.”
Dang Gyu-jin boldly nodded toward the window.
Well, now.
Was it really okay for a Qingcheng Sect Daoist to do that?
Playing the refined gentleman while holding booze in one hand?
For Qingcheng Sect, famous for having some of the strictest rules alongside Wudang, to produce someone like this—it was the end times, for sure.
“I can tell you’re thinking something rude right now. Should I just head back?”
Our Qingcheng Daoist must have some mystical insight, because she saw right through me.
She looked ready to turn around, so I scrambled over and grabbed her pant leg.
“Whoa! What’s that about? We’re all friends here.”
Only then did the sharpness in Dang Gyu-jin’s eyes soften.
“Right? Here, take it. A toast to celebrate.”
“What kind of liquor is it?”
“Daughter’s Blush.”
The flask felt pretty hefty.
Daughter’s Blush was a traditional brew from Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province—usually buried when a daughter was born and unearthed when she married.
“This is something special, huh?”
“It’s a good day.”
For just a fleeting moment, a bitter shadow crossed Dang Gyu-jin’s lips.
In that instant, I understood.
「It seems like liquor with a story behind it.」
「Perhaps the Daughter’s Blush that was buried when Dang Gyu-jin was born—」
Originally, it would have been brewed by Namgung San-yeong to be opened when Dang Gyu-jin married or became heir.
For Dang Gyu-jin to have dug it up meant any number of things.
This incident must have given her a lot to think about.
Tch, no helping it.
Adding liquor to the mix would wreck my body completely… Sigh! Whatever. Gotta comfort my sister too.
「Young Lord, your lips are twitching right now—」
It’s not like I wanted to drink or anything. Heh heh heh.
“I’ll have the servants bring some snacks.”
I called Hyung-sam, ordered a few dishes, then set three cups on the table.
“That’s one too many.”
“Figured another person might join soon.”
It’d feel lonely drinking in the afternoon with too few people.
And sure enough.
“Guess even this guy can’t resist. But why climb through the window when there’s a perfectly good door—”
Bang!
The window flew open as Dang Gon appeared.
“Young Master! No, Young Branch Leader! Do you know what this is? Geomnamchun, something a greenhorn Young Branch Leader like you has probably only heard of! I dug up what the Blade Wind Pavilion Leader secretly buried in the back yard and brought it right over… Huh? Lady Gyu-jin’s here too.”
Dang Gon beamed until he spotted Dang Gyu-jin, then looked sheepish.
Can’t be easy celebrating with me when she was another heir candidate.
Dang Gyu-jin smiled.
“I’m fine with it, Uncle Gon. Join us.”
“Ahem! Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”
“This is my room—why apologize to her and not me?”
“Because the Young Branch Leader’s the rascal who’s bled my wallet dry all this time. I can be rude to you.”
I can’t even comprehend where that logic comes from.
But Daughter’s Blush followed by Geomnamchun.
Having these rare liquors gathered together was a feast for the eyes. And my mouth was watering.
…Feels like my fatigue’s already gone.
「Looks like your eyes are glazing over, Young Lord—」
「Seeing this stirs my appetite too. Tch. Geomnamchun was always my go-to when touring the Central Plains.」
「Huh? When did you ever tour the Central Plains, brother?」
「Oh, snuck away once or twice?」
「So those ‘business trips’ were…! That’s too much! You should’ve taken me along! Even when skipping out, why always—」
Dang Gon plopped down in an empty seat.
“Oho, looks like the lady brought Daughter’s Blush?”
He compared the gourd flask Dang Gyu-jin had set down with his Geomnamchun, lost in thought.
Wondering which to open first to savor the flavors properly.
Dang Gyu-jin boldly uncorked the Daughter’s Blush first.
“Geomnamchun’s a baijiu—you can drink that over a long time. Once you start feeling the buzz, it’s hard to appreciate the aroma, so let’s do this one together first.”
A crisp pop sounded as the lid came off, and fruit fragrance flooded the room.
“…The aroma on this.”
“It’s insane, right? Here, Uncle first.”
Dang Gyu-jin poured into Dang Gon’s cup with a smile.
Pour—
Reddish liquid, true to its name, filled the cup.
Clear and transparent.
Like gazing at a peach.
Dang Gon scratched his cheek with his index finger and glanced at me.
A silent look.
Asking if it was what he thought.
I gave a wry smile and nodded.
Unlike its Shaoxing origins, in Sichuan they aged it with local fruits, giving each region a unique scent.
Nine Dragons County’s specialty was peaches.
And this Daughter’s Blush smelled of peaches.
So even a dullard like Dang Gon could tell it was the one buried for Dang Gyu-jin’s wedding.
“Now Hui.”
Her face reflected in the clear liquid as it filled my cup.
“And—”
“I’ll pour for you.”
I took the flask and filled the cup she held out.
“The happiest man today.”
Dang Gyu-jin was smiling.
Probably the brightest smile since coming to the Nine Dragons Branch Family.
Dang Gon raised his cup.
“You look relieved.”
“I am, a ton. Truth is, this has weighed on my mind for a while.”
By temperament or inclination, Dang Gyu-jin suited the serene world of Daoism far more than the cutthroat secular realm.
For her, the heir seat in the Nine Dragons Branch Family must have been an incredibly heavy burden.
Yet she’d never once shown it, thanks to the sense of duty as the eldest daughter.
Add in the expectations piled on her as a prodigy and her mother Namgung San-yeong’s ambitions, and her own dreams had no choice but to remain dreams.
But that seat had suddenly vanished from before her eyes.
Handed to me, of all people.
Considering the guilt Dang Gyu-jin had felt toward “Dang Un-hwi,” this wiped away the two biggest weights on her heart.
The Daughter’s Blush symbolized that past she’d carried.
And drinking it with me and Dang Gon meant shaking it all off for good.
“For Hui and the branch family’s future… cheers.”
Dang Gyu-jin raised her cup high.
“And for you, sister. Cheers.”
I clinked mine against hers.
Dang Gyu-jin’s eyes widened slightly before she smiled back at me.
Dang Gon chuckled and brought his cup in last for the clash.
“For everyone. Cheers.”
We raised them to the sky—a dry toast.
Cups met with a clear chime.
A farewell cup to the days gone by.