Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Interrupted Revelry
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Geon Cheon-hwi hadn’t thought Nangong Ryong would just let Nangong Hyeok head out right away.
After all, shouldn’t Nangong Ryong be sticking by his side to keep him from going?
“Sure.”
Huh?
What?
Geon Cheon-hwi blinked as he watched Nangong Ryong and Nangong Hyeok amiably hop over the wall and slip away.
A disbelieving laugh escaped him.
Whatever it was, if Nangong Hyeok was involved, it was bound to be anything but ordinary.
Shaking his head, Geon Cheon-hwi drew his Pakdo and began practicing the Thunder Dragon Ten Strikes.
By the time the sun was climbing toward midday.
Something zipped past Geon Cheon-hwi as he swung his sword diligently.
Drag, drag, drag...
His eyes widened upon seeing the identity of the slumped, foot-dragging figure that looked like a marionette.
It was Nangong Hyeok, looking even more disheveled and wrecked than that morning.
“...Young Master?”
Geon Cheon-hwi fell silent upon seeing Nangong Hyeok turn back with hollow, listless eyes.
But his jaw dropped again at the sight of Nangong Ryong following behind.
Drag, drag, drag...
Nangong Ryong’s once-radiant face was caked in dirt, dark circles etched deep under his eyes.
What the hell?
“...”
“...”
Nangong Hyeok and Nangong Ryong stared blankly at the sky before dragging their feet into the annex.
Moments later, they emerged again and hopped the wall once more.
Geon Cheon-hwi gawked at them in bewilderment.
“What the heck are they up to?”
It was the first time he’d seen Nangong Hyeok return covered in filth and utterly drained.
He couldn’t recall Nangong Hyeok ever coming back with such a fatigued face.
And why was Nangong Ryong in the exact same state?
Geon Cheon-hwi tried his best to ignore it, but he couldn’t.
That day alone, Nangong Hyeok and Nangong Ryong passed by in front of him a full three more times.
The two of them were a perfect demonstration of what it meant for a person to wither away.
Each time they clambered back over the wall, the shadows under their eyes grew darker, their cheeks more gaunt.
Their arms dangled as if they’d touch the ground, their backs hunched as they shuffled to their rooms.
Their feet moved so sluggishly it was impossible to tell if they were walking or just struggling not to collapse.
It didn’t stop there. The next morning, Geon Cheon-hwi spotted the pair hopping the wall again, and his curiosity boiled over.
‘What the hell are they doing?’
Geon Cheon-hwi glanced at Geum Cheom-sang.
He wondered why there was a bruise on the face of Nangong Hyeok’s attendant, but he didn’t ask.
“Do you know what’s going on?”
“Sigh.”
“...?”
“Does it matter what it is? Seems like it’s already underway, so we can only hope it doesn’t turn into a huge mess.”
“Ah... Um.”
Geon Cheon-hwi let out a low groan at Geum Cheom-sang’s resigned expression.
“Still, with the eldest young master there, it’s somewhat reassuring. Reassuring...”
...That doesn’t look reassuring at all?
“He’s family, after all... Nothing should go wrong. Sigh.”
Geon Cheon-hwi had no words in response to Geum Cheom-sang’s reaction.
“Then carry on with your duties. I’m off to rest.”
Geum Cheom-sang limped into his room.
As Geon Cheon-hwi stared blankly at his retreating figure, Tak Hyeok-dong chuckled from the side.
“Boss, isn’t it obvious?”
Geon Cheon-hwi shot him a look, wondering what nonsense this guy was thinking now.
“What is?”
“They’re off playing. Gotta be.”
“...Hah. Don’t think.”
“No, hear me out. Think about it. Why would the young master be tired?”
“Shut it. Training time.”
Geon Cheon-hwi cut Tak Hyeok-dong off before he could continue.
Tak Hyeok-dong, who’d been gearing up for an enthusiastic ramble, scowled at the word “training.”
“Huh? We came all this way and you wanna train? You crazy?”
“It’s natural for martial artists to train.”
“Hah! Boss, you’re acting so weird. Since when were you this diligent? You’re changing, man. Where’d you sell ‘ease in peace, hardship in strife’?”
“The young master never told us to slack off.”
“Hah! How can you be so oblivious? How do you survive like that?”
...Did this punk just say oblivious?
Geon Cheon-hwi stared at Tak Hyeok-dong in disbelief.
Tak Hyeok-dong clicked his tongue and wagged a finger.
“You don’t have to be told to rest. We’ve slacked plenty so far—why stop now? Use some common sense.”
“...”
“This is the outside, outside. When have we ever properly trained on external missions? You know the young master’s temperament: play when it’s time to play, work when it’s time to work.”
Nangong Hyeok had indeed said something like that.
Listen well, and it’d be easy.
Geon Cheon-hwi was tempted for a moment but shook his head.
“Rest if you want.”
“I already am.”
Tak Hyeok-dong was already sprawled on a mat, a bottle of liquor in hand.
Slosh, slosh.
“A drink?”
“Put it away.”
Geon Cheon-hwi scowled and raised his Pakdo.
‘...These crazy bastards. They’ve set up a whole party?’
Jang Ung had already fetched a flat stone and was grilling meat nearby.
Sizzle.
Clink!
Tak Hyeok-dong and Jang Ung clinked glasses and burst into laughter.
“Kyah! This is life. Booze always tastes sweetest outdoors!”
“Keuheuh! Another fine day drawing to a close.”
“No young master means no worries—kehahaha!!”
“You got it! Let’s down some more Chaos Brew!”
Around the two, the Thunder Dragon Squad had already paired off in groups, tilting their cups.
Geon Cheon-hwi’s brow furrowed.
“...Were these guys always such a mess?”
But this scene felt familiar.
Pondering it, Geon Cheon-hwi realized that before meeting Nangong Hyeok, he too would sneak off to the hills for drinks now and then.
‘Ah, this is how it was.’
Geon Cheon-hwi muttered in resignation.
He’d discovered another startling truth.
“...We just added training on top.”
Even at the Silver Phantom Horse Stables, they’d boozed and fooled around. Same when visiting the Ten Great Sects of Hefei—daily drinks. Even at the First Line Society’s founding, it was booze and revelry.
Meeting this young master hadn’t changed much.
They played the same, just trained harder.
Thrust.
A piece of meat poked in from the side.
Tak Hyeok-dong grinned.
“Here.”
“Get lost.”
“You’ll regret it.”
“Regret...”
He said that, but his body was honest.
He’d been training hard lately, but with everyone partying and even Nangong Hyeok absent, old habits tugged at him.
Chomp.
Unable to resist, Geon Cheon-hwi snatched the meat and bit down.
“Here’s a shot too—down it.”
He licked his lips at the liquor Tak Hyeok-dong offered.
“No, I shouldn’t...”
“What shouldn’t?”
“No, really, I can’t. Sigh, I really shouldn’t...”
Shouldn’t, yet his hand moved on its own.
Sip.
Geon Cheon-hwi tossed back the drink, savoring the aroma and flavor.
“Kuhuhuhuhu! That’s the stuff! Sweet as honey!”
“Heh heh heh heh.”
“Perfect!”
With Geon Cheon-hwi joining in, the Thunder Dragon Squad grinned and fully set up the party.
They passed cups around, laughing heartily.
“Uhahaha! Boss is drinking too!”
“Can we loosen our belts today?”
“Drink up, drink up!”
“Yeah, we deserve some squad time like this once in a while!”
“You bet!”
Just as the Thunder Dragon Squad was ramping up the booze fest.
Boom!
A sudden explosion made them flinch mid-pour.
The squad’s eyes turned toward the wall where the heavy boom had erupted.
The ground still trembled faintly from the aftershocks.
Felt like a boulder had dropped.
The Thunder Dragon warriors squinted at the lump(?) sprawled before the wall.
Dust billowed, something dark twitching within.
“Huh?”
“...What?”
“Huh?”
The squad froze, cups in hand.
Plop.
Geon Cheon-hwi dropped the meat from his mouth, jaw agape.
“Y-Young Master?”
Nangong Hyeok, sprawled under the wall, calmly stood, brushing dust from his clothes.
His gaze swept over the dumbfounded Thunder Dragon Squad.
“Ha, haha. Having fun, are we?”
A low, dry laugh leaked from Nangong Hyeok’s lips.
Geon Cheon-hwi’s pupils shook violently.
What did that laugh mean?
No need to think long.
‘We’re screwed.’
Whenever Nangong Hyeok smiled so indulgently, recalling what happened made it clear.
Gotta survive.
Survive!
Geon Cheon-hwi quickly rolled his eyes toward Jang Ung.
‘Do something!’
Jang Ung flinched, then abruptly offered his cup.
“...A drink?”
Geon Cheon-hwi’s mouth opened, but he hastily stabbed some meat with chopsticks to follow up.
“H-Here, s-some s-side dish f-first! Ha, haha!”
Geon Cheon-hwi tried to play it off, but upon seeing the vein bulging on Nangong Hyeok’s forehead, he clamped his mouth shut and broke into cold sweat.
Then.
Tak Hyeok-dong guffawed and approached Nangong Hyeok.
Geon Cheon-hwi’s pupils shook again.
‘Fuck, don’t open your mouth. If you do...’
But Tak Hyeok-dong had discarded any sense since birth.
“Keuhehehe! Why the sour face, Young Master? Things not go well outside?”
Oof.
“Beijing girls can be prickly, eh? Felt it the moment we hit the Pang house. Right, Boss?”
Whoa...
This guy, for real.
Geon Cheon-hwi subtly glanced at Nangong Hyeok.
...Veins now bulged on his fist too.
Twitch, twitch.
Geon Cheon-hwi’s body trembled in sync with the snaking veins.
“Beijing girls?”
“Keuhehehehe! Carp love a real man—want me to snag one?”
Nangong Hyeok’s lip twitched upward.
“Hahahahaha.”
The low chuckle grew into roaring laughter.
“Uhahahahaha!!”
“Keha, kehahahahaha!!”
Tak Hyeok-dong laughed along in support.
Nangong Hyeok quietly gripped Tak Hyeok-dong’s head.
“Ha, wanna pat-pat...?”
“Sure. Pat-pat time.”
“But why the fist...”
“Fist-patting, punk!”
Nangong Hyeok hoisted him by the shoulder and slammed his fist into Tak Hyeok-dong’s jaw.
Boom!!
“Kuaaaaaak!”
“I’m out there suffering my ass off, blood drying up, and you’re grilling meat here?! What? Beijing girls? Beijiing giiiirls? You fucking punk!”
Boom!
“Kuweeeek!”
Nangong Hyeok’s fist crashed into Tak Hyeok-dong’s jaw again, brutally.
Tak Hyeok-dong’s head snapped back, a pig-slaughter squeal echoing.
Still unsatisfied, Nangong Hyeok kicked the foaming, half-eyed Tak Hyeok-dong hard.
Wham!
“Kwiiiik!”
Tak Hyeok-dong flew like a cannonball, crashing into the squad’s booze spread.
Boom! Crash!
Shatter!
Liquor bottles smashed, shards flying everywhere.
Frozen Geon Cheon-hwi met Nangong Hyeok’s glare and reflexively spoke.
“Y-Young Master, calm do-own, I-I’ll ex-plain...”
“Explanations later, punk.”
“Th-that’s... Kweeeek!”
Grabbing Geon Cheon-hwi’s hair, Nangong Hyeok yanked his head down and drove a knee in.
Crack!
“Kuaack!”
Crack! Crack! Crack!
A chilling sound—familiar yet alien, one he’d heard once before—suddenly filled the annex.
The Thunder Dragon Squad scattered in panic, begging mercy.
“Y-Young Master!”
“Hiiik!”
“Sp-Spare us!”
“Just a moment, just a moment!”
Nangong Hyeok flung the bloodied Geon Cheon-hwi aside and reached toward the pale-faced squad.
“Kwaaaaaak!”
“Kweeeek!”
The Hebei Pang Family annex filled with pig-slaughter squeals.
Far off, So Hye-yeon swinging her sword froze, her eyes shaking as if an earthquake had hit.