The Fierce Flower's Discipline
Cheong Ong, the branch manager of the Outstanding Food Inn in Tongseong County, could not comprehend the situation unfolding before his eyes. He had finally secured the presence of his most esteemed guests, and all that was left was to make a flawless impression. Yet, the ones causing this massive scene were nothing but a pack of wet-behind-the-ears brats. Even if they were the so-called young geniuses of the orthodox sects, this was crossing the line. Under normal circumstances, he would have treated them with utmost hospitality, as they could become valuable connections in the future. But not today.
"What in the world is all this racket?!"
It was worth noting that the Outstanding Food Inn was secretly owned by the Red Heaven Merchant Group.
"We have highly esteemed guests in our presence right now, so what on earth is—!"
Jin Jong-gang cut off the furious Cheong Ong mid-sentence.
"I apologize for the discourtesy. However, four of the martial world's rising stars have gathered here, yet we have not received the treatment we deserve. We merely felt slighted. We cannot discuss the future of the orthodox sects in a place where any commoner might overhear. If you had provided us with a suitable space from the very beginning, none of this would have happened."
"H-Ha...!"
Cheong Ong was utterly speechless. These brats had caused the trouble, yet they spoke as if the inn's poor service was to blame. Not only was their insolent tone incredibly grating—as if they had pre-booked the room and were demanding what was rightfully theirs—but their excuse made absolutely no sense. To begin with, the inn had other private rooms besides the VIP suite. Granted, their furnishings and lighting were vastly inferior, and they lacked proper soundproofing, but they existed nonetheless.
It was worth noting that Jin Jong-gang of the Guangdong Jin Clan and Namgung Man of the Namgung Clan genuinely did not believe their rude behavior was a major transgression. On the other hand, Chang-gung of the Hainan Sect was well aware that this was a grave discourtesy and an act that should never have been committed.
The difference lay in their backgrounds: the great martial clans versus the orthodox sects.
Clans were, by nature, family-oriented rather than strictly focused on the pursuit of the Dao. Consequently, they were far more open and aggressive in accumulating wealth compared to Daoist or Buddhist sects. Conversely, the sects taught their disciples—at least on the surface—to shun greed and material desires. Thus, Chang-gung of the Hainan Sect was acutely aware of how terribly wrong this situation was.
"Junior brother, no matter how I look at this, we shouldn't..."
"Ah, Senior brother! Are you saying we should just sit back and take it after the rising stars of prestigious orthodox sects have been so thoroughly insulted? Let me handle this, so please just—"
Right then, someone strode up behind Jin Jong-gang and Chang-gung.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Just as Jin Jong-gang began to turn his head—
*Smack!*
"Gah!"
A heavy blow struck the back of Jin Jong-gang's head, echoing loudly through the corridor.
"Who dares—!"
"What do you think you brats are doing?"
"S-Senior Sister?!"
Chang-gung's eyes widened in sheer shock.
The rage on Jin Jong-gang's face vanished in an instant. He turned his head slightly, stammering, "S-Sister Seo Ryeon... How are you already here...?"
She crossed her arms, looking utterly exasperated. "I sent you ahead to secure a table because I had some business to attend to, and this is the kind of havoc you wreak?"
In truth, the sole reason Jin Jong-gang and Namgung Man had gone to such unreasonable lengths to demand the VIP suite was because of this very woman—Seo Ryeon, a first-class disciple of the Hainan Sect.
Seo Ryeon was known as the 'Fierce Flower,' one of the Five Flowers of the Martial World. She was a striking beauty with memorably sharp, fierce eyes. True to her moniker, her personality and actions were incredibly bold and unconstrained. However, unlike Jin Jong-gang, she did not display the crude insolence of the uneducated; rather, she unleashed her fierce temperament without hesitation whenever she witnessed injustice or encountered wicked people.
From her perspective, the actions of Jin Jong-gang, Chang-gung, and Namgung Man were exactly the kind of behavior she despised most.
She quickly bowed her head to apologize to Unwol's group.
"I am deeply sorry. These foolish boys are with me. They are still young and seem to have caused a great deal of trouble."
"But, Sister! I only did it because—"
"Shut your mouth. I'll deal with you personally later."
"Eep!"
In truth, Seo Ryeon was a master who had reached the late stage of the Peak Realm before even reaching the age of twenty. Not only was her martial cultivation exceptionally high, but her combat instincts were also superb, making her the strongest among this group of young geniuses.
Namgung Man, who had been standing arrogantly with his hands behind his back, quietly brought his hands forward and clasped them politely upon hearing her fierce threat. It was partly out of fear, but also because he wanted to make a good impression on the peerless beauty.
Now that someone reasonable and resolute had stepped forward to apologize, Cheong Ong's anger subsided ever so slightly.
"Ha, haha..."
However, he could only let out a hollow laugh, still unsure of how to resolve the situation. His own feelings mattered little; what truly concerned him was the mood of Unwol and his companions standing behind him.
Just then, Yeon So-o recognized the Fierce Flower and greeted her.
"Oh, Sister Ryeon?"
"Huh? So-o?"
"I didn't expect to see you here."
As Yeon So-o greeted her with genuine warmth, Seo Ryeon managed a slight smile despite the tense atmosphere.
"Oh, yes! What a surprise. It's so good to see you, So-o."
Unwol, looking mildly surprised, turned to Yeon So-o.
"Is she an acquaintance of yours?"
She nodded in response. "Yes. We've met a few times in the past. She was very kind to me, so I remember her well."
"Hmm."
Unwol pondered for a moment before turning to Lee Hak.
"Do you have any further matters to discuss with the branch manager?"
"Ah, no, my Lord. Is there something you require?"
"It is nothing major. Since she is a friend of Lady Yeon So-o, I thought it might be pleasant to invite them to join us."
Unwol's sudden proposal caught Lee Hak, Biwol, and Cheong Ong completely off guard. They had expected him to be highly displeased by the disruption, yet he seemed entirely unbothered.
"Ahaha, I do not mind, but..." Lee Hak replied with an awkward smile.
However, since inviting them would be highly unconventional given the circumstances, Lee Hak hesitated to give a definitive answer.
Sensing the awkwardness, Seo Ryeon waved her hands in refusal.
"No, please. We have already committed a grave discourtesy; we could not possibly dare to join you. I will catch up with So-o privately later, so I will accept your kind offer in spirit alone."
Thanks to her sensible and polite refusal, Lee Hak, Cheong Ong, and Biwol secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Seo Ryeon glared at Jin Jong-gang, Namgung Man, and Chang-gung out of the corner of her eye, whispering in a low, chilling voice, "We'll talk later."
"Senior Sister... I swear I tried to stop them..."
"Shut up."
"..."
Though she was usually sharp-tongued, they had rarely seen her grind her teeth in such pure fury. Cold sweat broke out on Chang-gung and Jin Jong-gang's brows as they hung their heads.
Seo Ryeon barked at them, her voice sharp as a blade. "What are you doing?! Apologize this instant!"
Chang-gung, who was completely obedient to her, bowed his head without a moment's hesitation.
"Please forgive our discourtesy!"
Unable to withstand her piercing glare, Jin Jong-gang and Namgung Man finally bowed their heads as well.
"I-I apologize. It was incredibly thoughtless of me."
"...My apologies."
Namgung Man, who had been the most arrogant, was the last to speak, offering the shortest apology. It was a display of insolence perfectly fitting the eldest son of the Namgung Clan—notoriously the most obnoxious of the Five Great Clans.
Seo Ryeon glared at him with fire in her eyes, but ultimately let out a heavy sigh and prepared to withdraw.
"I will make sure these fools are thoroughly disciplined, so please do not worry."
In truth, if they could leave now without further incident, Jin Jong-gang and his companions owed Seo Ryeon their lives. She had just saved them from a den of Blood Sect demons with nothing but a few words.
Of course, Jin Jong-gang and Namgung Man had no way of knowing this. Their pride had taken a massive blow. Though they usually bent over backward to please Seo Ryeon because of her peerless beauty, they couldn't help but feel a surge of resentment toward her in this moment.
Unwol nodded calmly.
"Well, since you seem to have the situation well in hand, I suppose all is well."
Since Unwol, the highest-ranking figure in the room, had spoken, it became awkward for Lee Hak or Cheong Ong to press the matter further. Cheong Ong gave a small nod, and the inn staff quietly began to close the doors to the VIP suite.
The moment the doors clicked shut, Seo Ryeon's furious shouting erupted from the corridor.
"You absolute lunatics! I told you to secure a table, not steal someone else's! And if they're in the VIP suite, they're obviously not ordinary people! Do you not have brains in those skulls of yours?!"
"N-No, I only wanted to make sure we had a nice place to sit with you, Sister Seo Ryeon..."
"Nice place, my foot! You said you were taking me and Chang-gung somewhere nice, and I actually let myself get excited! I'm the idiot here! All of you, get your asses outside right now!"
"I'm sorry, Senior Sister. I really tried to—"
"You shut up too!"
In truth, Seo Ryeon was shouting this loudly on purpose, ensuring that Unwol's group inside the suite could hear every word. By demonstrating how severely she was punishing them, she hoped to appease their anger and prevent any retaliation from falling upon Jin Jong-gang, Chang-gung, and Namgung Man.
Completely oblivious to her intentions, the three boys simply hung their heads in dejection and trudged after her.
Unwol listened quietly to her fading shouts, letting out a soft chuckle before turning to Yeon So-o.
"It sounded as though you two are quite close. Would you mind telling me more about her? She seems rather entertaining."
Unwol found himself taking a liking to Seo Ryeon. Her clear sense of right and wrong was exactly what he envisioned when he thought of an ideal orthodox martial artist, much like Yeon So-o.
"Ah, y-yes, of course."
Yeon So-o was slightly taken aback by how easily Unwol brushed the incident aside.
He is far more generous than I thought, she mused. If it were me, I would have shown at least a hint of displeasure.
Just as Yeon So-o opened her mouth to speak, a loud rumble from her stomach echoed clearly through the VIP suite.
Her face instantly flushed crimson, and she quickly hung her head.
Unwol chuckled softly at the sight.
"Haha, let us eat first before we talk. It would be a shame to let such delicious food go to waste when you haven't had a bite."
"Yes..." she murmured softly.
It was only after they had eaten their fill that Unwol finally got to hear Yeon So-o's story.