Chapter 230: Being Asked a Favor-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 230: Being Asked a Favor-1
"Huaaaaam."
Sun-woo let out a massive yawn.
At the same time, he felt a wave of drowsiness so heavy his eyes threatened to slide shut. It was because he hadn't slept a wink last night, busy dealing with Bulheo Satae and the hierarchy establishment.
With eyes slightly bloodshot, Sun-woo slowly made his way down to the first floor of the inn.
Looking around, he saw the members of the search party already eating breakfast. It seemed he was the last one down.
Sun-woo scanned the room again, hoping to find an empty seat. However, perhaps because he was so late, every single table was occupied.
Sun-woo scratched the back of his head. It looked like he would either have to eat standing up or wait for a spot to open.
"Young Master! Young Master Jang!"
It was then.
A voice calling out to him drifted over from a corner of the inn.
Sun-woo turned his head toward the source. There, he saw young Taoists dressed in indigo-colored robes.
They were the Taoists of the Qingcheng Sect.
"Eat with us, Young Master Jang!"
The one sitting in the middle of the group waved his hand, inviting Sun-woo to join them.
`Huh?`
Sun-woo tilted his head in confusion. He found the gesture unexpected.
Up until now, he hadn't really built any rapport with the search party members, excluding the Tang Clan martial artists and Seol-hyang. To have them suddenly act so friendly was puzzling.
Nevertheless, Sun-woo began walking toward them. It was awkward to keep standing there, and it felt wrong to refuse such a kind gesture.
"Thank you."
Sun-woo expressed his gratitude as he took the empty seat.
"Hahaha, no need to thank us for something like this."
The man who had invited him laughed as he replied.
"I am Cheongsong," the man continued, looking at Sun-woo. "And this stiff-looking fellow here is my junior, Cheonggil. The one next to him is our youngest, Cheongsu. We are all main sect disciples of Qingcheng."
Cheongsong introduced them one by one, pointing to each person at the table.
"Nice to meet you. I am Cheonggil."
"It's an honor! I'm Cheongsu!"
Following Cheongsong’s introduction, each of them greeted Sun-woo in turn.
"Nice to meet you all. I am Jang Sun-woo of the Tang Clan."
Sun-woo also spoke politely as he faced them.
"It is an honor to meet the famous Young Master Jang like this," Cheongsu added, staring at Sun-woo.
"Famous?" Sun-woo asked back, feigning ignorance.
"I mean, how you took down the Dragon and Phoenix in a single—mph!"
Before Cheongsu could finish, Cheonggil, who was sitting next to him, reached out and clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Shut it."
Cheonggil then whispered quietly into Cheongsu's ear.
Cheongsu, turning pale in an instant, nodded his head vigorously. He realized he had made a slip of the tongue.
"I apologize. This isn't something to be discussed openly, but it seems my junior misspoke."
Cheonggil, still holding Cheongsu's mouth shut, bowed his head slightly and apologized to Sun-woo.
"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it."
Sun-woo waved his hand dismissively, signaling that it was okay.
After all, the boy was only trying to answer his question. Moreover, Sun-woo had assumed that everyone in the Nine Sects already knew what had happened between him and the rising stars of the Dragon and Phoenix.
But seeing their reaction, it seemed only a very small number of main sect disciples were privy to that fact.
"Hahaha! Junior, how can your mouth be so light? A man should have some weight to him, shouldn't he?"
Cheongsong lightened the mood with a playful scolding.
"By the way, Young Master Jang, why are you out so late? Do you perhaps have a secret lover hidden away?"
He then threw a joke at Sun-woo with a mischievous grin.
"Hahahaha, a lover? You'll get me in trouble. I have the most beautiful woman in the world as my fiancée; why would I ever stray?"
Recognizing Cheongsong's intent to change the subject, Sun-woo played along and joked back. He didn't want the uncomfortable atmosphere to linger either.
"Wow, I'm jealous. To be betrothed to the Lady Tang, who is known as the Greatest Beauty of Sichuan."
Cheongsong let out a cry of admiration, his tone laced with envy.
"She's not just the Greatest Beauty of Sichuan; she's the World's Greatest Beauty."
Sun-woo cracked a joke with a good-natured smile.
The slightly heavy atmosphere began to regain its liveliness. Seeing the mood relax, Cheonggil finally removed his hand from Cheongsu's mouth. He figured the boy had been scolded enough to watch his words now.
Soon, Cheongsu joined the conversation again, followed by Cheonggil adding a few words here and there.
"Hahahaha!"
Before long, boisterous laughter began to ring out.
"Hahahaha!"
Sitting with them, Sun-woo felt his spirits lift. Perhaps it was because he hadn't talked with people his own age in a long time, but he found the experience quite pleasant.
The trio of Cheongsong, Cheonggil, and Cheongsu boasted a very entertaining dynamic. Cheongsong would make fun of Cheongsu's lack of tact, and any jokes that went too far were reined in by Cheonggil.
This perfect balance created a unique brand of humor, and Sun-woo found himself laughing non-stop. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this cheerful.
"And then my junior says, 'If I knew it would be like this, I should've gone to the Mount Hua Sect instead of Qingcheng!'"
Cheongsong shared a story from the past with a wide grin.
"Senior!"
Cheonggil, suddenly the target of ridicule, turned red and scolded him, but Cheongsong’s mouth didn't stop.
"How could a young master from a merchant family know what hardship is? I exhausted myself trying to soothe him while he cried and whined every day about wanting to go home."
"Brother Cheonggil doesn't seem like the type to do that, though?"
Sun-woo replied with a look of disbelief. It was hard to imagine the incredibly stiff-looking Cheonggil crying and throwing a tantrum.
"He looks like that, but do you know how soft-hearted he is? Even now, he can't sleep unless he has the same bedding he hugged as a child."
"Senior!"
At Cheongsong’s endless teasing, Cheonggil shouted with a face as red as a beet. How could he say such things to someone they just met?
"Hahahaha!"
Seeing this, Sun-woo burst into laughter. A wave of genuine amusement washed over him.
"By the way, Young Master Jang, there's something I'm curious about. May I ask?"
"Ask anything you like," Sun-woo replied with a ready nod.
"Are you, by any chance, close with Lady Seol of Emei?"
"......"
Sun-woo's expression froze for a moment. It was a completely unexpected question.
"....What do you mean by that?"
Sun-woo tried to play dumb for the time being.
"No need to play innocent. Didn't you leave the inn together last night?"
At Sun-woo's reaction, Cheongsong continued with a sly smile.
"H-How... did you know that?"
Sun-woo asked back, flustered. He was asking how on earth the man knew that fact.
"I happened to see you while I was heading to the outhouse last night. The two of you were walking side by side."
Cheongsong spoke with a playful smirk.
Hearing this, Sun-woo began to break into a cold sweat. He realized he had been caught red-handed.
Sun-woo's mind began to race. He needed a plausible excuse to get out of this situation.
Soon, he managed to come up with a convincing lie.
"Whew... I tried to be careful, but I guess I was caught after all."
Sun-woo let out a small sigh and looked at him.
"Actually, we were on our way back from a martial duel."
"A martial duel?"
"Yes. Perhaps because we have reached similar realms, I felt a surge of competitive spirit the moment I saw her."
"What?! Does that mean she has reached a realm similar to yours, Young Master Jang?!"
At Sun-woo's words, Cheongsong shouted in disbelief.
Who was the Jang Sun-woo standing before them? He was the monstrous individual who had single-handedly suppressed the most promising rising stars of the Dragon and Phoenix, the ones expected to lead the future of the Central Plains Murim.
And a woman who looked barely twenty had reached a realm similar to his?!
The realm they estimated Sun-woo to be in was the Super-Peak Realm. Did that mean Seol-hyang was also at the Super-Peak Realm?
Shock was written all over the faces of the Qingcheng Taoists.
What kind of level was the Super-Peak Realm? It was a supreme state that could only be reached when the physical concepts of Mind, Skill, and Body [體] and the spiritual concepts of Essence, Qi, and God [神] achieved perfect harmony.
To reach such a staggering realm at an age where she barely looked twenty... it was impossible not to be shocked.
"Heh... is that really true?"
Cheongsong let out a hollow laugh and asked Sun-woo again. No matter how much he thought about it, it just didn't make sense.
"It is true."
Sun-woo nodded and confirmed his answer.
".........."
"..........."
"..........."
The Qingcheng Taoists were all rendered speechless. They felt nothing but a sense of awe.
They, too, were considered talents who had made a name for themselves in Qingcheng. They were prodigies who had reached the Peak Realm before even hitting the age of thirty.
They had always been confident. They believed that although they were confined within the gates of Qingcheng, once they entered the Murim, the so-called Dragon and Phoenix would be no match for them.
To such men, the news that Seol-hyang, who wasn't even twenty, had reached the Super-Peak Realm made them feel a profound sense of inadequacy. The Peak Realm they had achieved in their twenties suddenly felt pathetic.
Slump.
Suddenly, the Qingcheng disciples began to slump their shoulders. Even the talkative Cheongsong shut his mouth tight, Cheonggil’s already stiff expression hardened further, and Cheongsu looked utterly dejected.
The boisterous atmosphere vanished in an instant.
Sun-woo, the one responsible for this shift, looked flustered. The sudden transition from a rowdy mood to this heavy silence felt jarring.
`.........Shit.`
Sun-woo cursed inwardly. He felt a pang of guilt for the oppressive atmosphere he had created.
He began to pick at his food, glancing at them warily. In this suffocating silence, he couldn't even tell if the food was going into his mouth or his nose.
"That is... truly incredible."
Finally, Cheongsong, who had been silent, spoke up.
"How can someone be so strong at that age?"
As he spoke, his eyes began to sparkle intensely.
"A lady as beautiful as a fairy descended from the heavens, and even her martial arts are that powerful........"
Cheongsong continued, staring into space with a dazed look in his eyes.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
Cheongsong’s heart began to race uncontrollably. A woman stronger than himself—how wonderful was that?
Cheongsong had always admired strong women. For him, the story about Seol-hyang was more than enough to set his heart ablaze.
"Young Master Jang."
Cheongsong looked at Sun-woo with a serious gaze.
"P-Please, go ahead."
Sun-woo, though taken aback by the sudden change in attitude, responded to his call.
"Could you perhaps help me with something?"
"If you want help, specifically what kind of..."
Sun-woo trailed off, looking at him with a questioning gaze.
"I want to get close to Lady Seol. And if our hearts align, I hope for even more than that."
In response to Sun-woo's question, Cheongsong spoke with an incredibly serious expression.
"So, please arrange a meeting so that I can get to know her."
Cheongsong’s eyes twinkled as he made his request.
"............."
Sun-woo was momentarily speechless. He couldn't keep up with this sudden, rapid development.
They were clearly talking about Seol-hyang’s martial realm just a moment ago. How did it suddenly transform into a romantic pursuit?
Sun-woo looked bewildered.
"Young Master Jang, I am very serious right now."
"Isn't that something the parties involved should handle themselves?"
Sun-woo showed signs of refusal. He didn't have the slightest desire to get involved in someone else's love life, nor did he have any particular wish to set Cheongsong up with her.
"Haha... Young Master Jang, I'm not asking for much. Just arrange the meeting, and I'll handle the rest."
Despite Sun-woo's rejection, he continued to plead relentlessly.
Currently, Emei and Qingcheng were competing for leadership within the search party. Cheongsong knew the political situation better than anyone.
In such a situation, if Cheongsong were to approach Seol-hyang, it was certain that Un-jeok-ja would rain down fire and brimstone.
That was why he was pleading so earnestly with Sun-woo. If Sun-woo called her out and arranged a spot, even Un-jeok-ja wouldn't notice.
"..........."
Sun-woo fell into silent contemplation. He wasn't sure how to handle this.
It felt wrong to ignore such an earnest plea, but he also had no desire to play the matchmaker in someone else's romance.
The two conflicting emotions clashed, making Sun-woo's head spin.
`Hrmmm.`
Sun-woo let out a heavy groan inwardly as he sank into deep thought.