Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Uninvited Guests at the Heavenly Pavilion
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The Hefei Ten Swords had all gathered in front of the Heavenly Pavilion.
Joo Ja-cheol looked up at the towering structure that seemed to scrape the heavens.
“He’s in there?”
Iron Cloud Hall’s deputy leader, Ma Yunlong, answered.
“Yeah! My servant saw him head inside.”
“...That bastard’s got some luck. Lounging around drinking booze here.”
“Tell me about it. No clue what’s coming. Heh heh!”
“Knowing that would make you immortal.”
Life was unpredictable—how could Nangong Hyuk possibly know?
The precious young master of the Nangong family would never dream that he was about to be crushed by them, young elites from mid-tier sects.
As Joo Ja-cheol let out a sly chuckle, Ma Yunlong sidled up beside him.
“Ja-cheol, he’s still the Nangong family’s second young master, so we should go easy, right?”
“We’ll see.”
“Hmm, but you think we can really take him? Nangong So looked pretty scared stiff.”
“Everyone here knows that guy’s all bark and no bite, a total coward? At his level, he couldn’t even rank mid-tier among us.”
“Haha, true. And anyway, you’ve got our backs. Ahem!”
Joo Ja-cheol was the heir to the White Shadow Sect, the top talent among the Hefei Ten Swords. If he got serious, even second-in-command Ma Yunlong wouldn’t last thirty exchanges.
Ma Yunlong cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Shall we grab a boat and head out somewhere?”
“Yeah. Somewhere quiet and deserted—scare him a bit, give him a good beating.”
“Heh heh, been a while since we had some real fun.”
Joo Ja-cheol glanced up at the Heavenly Pavilion.
‘Nangong Hyuk, huh.’
The family head’s second son. Someone with any brains wouldn’t touch him lightly.
But why had he befriended Nangong So? Everyone who mattered knew the real power in the Nangong family wasn’t Nangong Jangcheon—it was Nangong Baek.
Better to cozy up to Nangong So, who had Nangong Baek’s backing, than to the eccentric Nangong Ryong or the frail Nangong Hyuk, who’d been treated like a ghost.
‘A bit risky, though.’
No risk, no reward.
Even if it caused a little trouble, saddling Nangong So with a debt and catching Nangong Baek’s eye would pave a smooth path for their families—at least within Hefei.
“Let’s go. A man who’s drawn his sword has to cut something!”
Joo Ja-cheol strode toward the building.
But as he approached the entrance, the guards blocked his path.
“Aigoo, young master! You can’t come in!”
They recognized him, so their words were polite, but the refusal was clear.
Joo Ja-cheol’s eyes narrowed.
“What? Don’t you know who I am? You dare block me?”
“How could I not know the young sect leader of the White Shadow Sect and his friends!”
The fact that they knew him and still stood in his way made Joo Ja-cheol scowl deeper.
“Then step aside. I’ve got business inside.”
“The Nangong family’s second young master is here today.”
“So what? He’s here, so we can’t go in? Did he rent out the whole place?!”
“That’s right, young master. The Nangong family’s second young master has rented the entire Heavenly Pavilion.”
“...What?”
Joo Ja-cheol couldn’t believe his ears.
Had he heard wrong?
“What did you say?”
“The Nangong family’s second young master has rented the entire building, so we’re not receiving guests today.”
“...The whole thing?”
“Y-Yes.”
Joo Ja-cheol craned his neck to look up.
Even tilting his head all the way back to stare at the sky, the Pavilion’s roof still loomed in his lower field of vision. It was that tall.
And yet...
...he’d rented the entire thing?
Renting a single floor would cost a fortune, let alone the whole place?
‘...Talk about Nangong family wealth.’
Joo Ja-cheol stared blankly, trying to calculate.
How much would that even cost?
Meals started at one silver tael each, so...
“Hey, maknae!”
“Yes, hyungnim!”
“You figure it out. Your dad’s the battlefield manager.”
“Well...”
Hefei Battlefield’s Do Takryong flicked his fingers, then shook his head in disbelief.
“The math doesn’t even add up.”
“...”
“This is impossible.”
Yeah, I get that much.
Joo Ja-cheol snapped out of his daze, scowled fiercely at the guards.
“Anyway, I’m going in.”
“Aigoo, young masters, not today...”
“I’m here to see that Nangong family second young master!”
“...Pardon?”
“Guide me in right now!”
The guard flinched and glanced at his fellow.
‘What do we do?’
‘There were over thirty of them earlier, but surely they didn’t rent this whole place just for that.’
‘Maybe they really are guests?’
Joo Ja-cheol snorted at the whispering guards and shoved his way forward.
“Y-Young master! Please calm down!”
“We’ll just ask Nangong Hyuk! I’m his friend!”
“A-Alright, I understand. Just calm down!”
“Then lead the way!”
At Joo Ja-cheol’s gesture, the guard hesitated before stepping ahead.
Joo Ja-cheol grinned toothily as he followed, and Ma Yunlong and the Hefei Ten Swords subtly flashed thumbs up.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll send word inside...”
“Word? He’s my friend—he’ll want to see me!”
Joo Ja-cheol bounded up the Heavenly Pavilion’s stairs without hesitation.
The Hefei Ten Swords hurried after him.
Reaching the top floor in one go, Joo Ja-cheol flung open the grand central doors.
“Hey, Nangong...”
He froze upon entering.
“W-What the hell is this?”
His gaze swept the top floor of the Heavenly Pavilion.
Food and empty bottles littered the floor, and men in Nangong family attire lay sprawled about, dead drunk.
Some danced and sang on tables, others bared their torsos and grimaced wildly.
‘...Holy shit.’
What a mess.
The Hefei Ten Swords who followed exchanged baffled looks.
“What’s all this...”
“It’s not just Nangong Hyuk...”
“Who are these guys?”
“Maybe that Thunder Dragon Squad he’s been hanging with?”
“Sheesh...”
Lost for words in the absurd scene, they stood dumbfounded.
A Heavenly Pavilion guard crept forward cautiously to the shirtless man.
“Um, warrior...”
Tak Hyeokdong snapped his head up.
“What?”
“G-Guests have arrived.”
“Guests?”
Tak Hyeokdong peered at the guard with half-lidded eyes, then scowled and glared long at the Hefei Ten Swords by the door.
“Didn’t I say no guests?”
“W-Well...”
“Our young master rented the whole place and said no guests... Are you ignoring our young master’s orders?”
“N-No way! It’s not like that. I tried to stop them. Y-Yes, I did. But they...!”
BAM!
Tak Hyeokdong slammed his fist into the floor, cratering the marble and shaking the Pavilion.
“Eek!”
A nearby warrior yelped and collapsed.
Joo Ja-cheol swallowed hard.
‘What kind of bear is this guy...’
The power was one thing, but his menacing aura was off the charts.
Massive build, thick neck, and a face scarred just right to complete the ferocious look.
Even a commoner would quake at the sight.
“Who let these people in?”
“I-I tried to stop them. But they said they’re the young master’s friends, here to see him—what could I do?”
“What?”
Tak Hyeokdong’s eyes bulged as he turned to Nangong Hyuk.
“Young master.”
All heads swiveled toward the head seat.
And...
‘What? That’s Nangong Hyuk?’
‘That’s not the Nangong Hyuk I know.’
‘...When did he get so buff?’
No, this wasn’t just healthy.
Leaning back in a plush wide chair, one hand clutching a liquor bottle, Nangong Hyuk looked less healthy and more...
‘Thuggish?’
That wasn’t the Nangong Hyuk they knew.
The guy who’d blow away in the wind, die in the rain—frail to the core, timid as a mouse.
How had Nangong Hyuk turned into this? Could a person change that much?
As if to answer their bewilderment, Nangong Hyuk asked with a flushed face.
“Why.”
“Some friends of yours are here, young master.”
“I don’t have friends.”
Tak Hyeokdong blinked sleepily, then turned.
“No friends?”
“Nope.”
“None?!”
Tak Hyeokdong whipped back to the guard and twisted his face.
“You fucking asshole, then who the hell are those guys! Who’d you let in!”
Crunch!
“G-Gah! I-I don’t know, I don’t!”
The grabbed warrior flailed in terror.
The brute strength was shocking.
“G-Go ask them... Gah!”
The half-dazed Thunder Dragon Squad members spat curses as they staggered up.
Joo Ja-cheol forced a laugh, eyeing the squad.
‘These are the Nangong family’s warriors?’
What were these thugs doing here?
Forget that—didn’t they know who he was?
Even if the Nangong family was Anhui Province’s top clan, regular warriors couldn’t act like this toward the White Shadow Sect heir.
“There’s a line to rudeness!”
Joo Ja-cheol glared sharply and stepped forward, but Do Takryong grabbed his arm.
Do Takryong whispered urgently.
“Eyes everywhere. Better not escalate—just drag that guy out quietly.”
Joo Ja-cheol glanced around.
Over thirty Thunder Dragon Squad members rising unsteadily.
No need to blow up something that could end quietly.
“So what then?”
“Play nice, keep it friendly, and lure them outside.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Suggest a boat ride or something.”
“Hmm.”
Joo Ja-cheol nodded and turned to Nangong Hyuk.
The prowling Thunder Dragon Squad irked him, but the goal came first.
Joo Ja-cheol smiled warmly and cupped his fists toward Nangong Hyuk.
“Young master, long time no see! Joo Ja-cheol of the White Shadow Sect!”
Nangong Hyuk, sucking down liquor, tilted his head.
“Who’s that?”
“...You don’t remember me?”
Joo Ja-cheol stared in panic, but Nangong Hyuk remained indifferent.
“Someone I should know? You must be famous.”
The tone grated somehow.
Nothing outright wrong, but it twisted his guts.
Joo Ja-cheol desperately schooled his expression into a bright smile.
“...Haha, Joo Ja-cheol—we ate together, played together as kids. You really don’t remember?”
Nangong Hyuk turned irritably to Geum Cheomsang.
“You know him?”
Geum Cheomsang rubbed sleepy eyes and nodded.
“White Shadow Sect’s young leader, right? I’ve seen him a few times.”
“Close?”
“...Probably not.”
“Nope.”
Nangong Hyuk whipped back to Joo Ja-cheol.
Normally, that’d be enough to back off, but Joo Ja-cheol was persistent.
Masking awkwardness with an uneasy laugh, he shrugged.
“That’s why I came to reconnect, right? To congratulate you on your recent exploits.”
“Hmm, congratulations.”
Nangong Hyuk eyed him oddly.
“Congrats are nice. Love congrats. But...”
Nangong Hyuk’s eyes flashed blue.
“You didn’t come empty-handed, I hope?”
“...Pardon?”
“It’s congrats, congrats. You didn’t come just to freeload and get beat, right? That’d be mooching, not congratulating.”
“...”
Joo Ja-cheol was at a loss for words.
“Boys.”
“Yes! Young master!”
The Thunder Dragon Squad shouted in unison.
“What do we do with people trying to mooch?”
Tak Hyeokdong glared.
“Snap their necks!”
“No, hang ’em upside down and dunk in water!”
“Leave it to me, young master. I’ll skin them alive!”
The Hefei Ten Swords paled.
‘What is this place?’
‘Black道?’
Words unimaginable from Nangong family warriors made them all tremble.
Nangong Hyuk grinned at them.
“That’s what they say?”
“W-Well...”
“So, what’d you bring? I believe you didn’t come empty-handed. For your sake. Our boys are a bit rough.”
Cold sweat trickled down Joo Ja-cheol’s forehead as he watched Nangong Hyuk cackle.
This definitely wasn’t the Nangong Hyuk he knew.