Chapter 344: The Cheonghae Shin Clan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 344: The Cheonghae Shin Clan
The Cheonghae Shin Clan (靑海申家).
One of the three great magic noble families of South Korea, a prestigious clan boasting a long history and deep-rooted traditions.
Until just a few years ago, they were known as the most reclusive of the three great families, but now, they were the complete opposite.
The number of ordinary people who knew the Cheonghae Shin name was on the rise, not just in South Korea but all over the world.
The reason was simple.
It was all thanks to Shin Yuna, the next head of the Cheonghae Shin Clan and the woman known as Asia's greatest actress.
“...So this is the place?”
Getting out of the car, I stood before a massive gate and turned my head for a moment.
Not far off, the brilliant blue of the East Sea stretched out before me.
This was Gangneung City in Gangwon Province, the location of the Cheonghae Shin Clan's main estate.
*
The Cheonghae Shin Clan is a rather peculiar family.
Unlike the Seongbuk Choi and Jinryu Han families, they weren't affiliated with any of the Magic Towers, choosing to walk their own path. Also, every member of the family was a Dragonfolk.
Of course, that didn't extend to the servants of the estate.
The maid pouring my tea right now, for instance, was a Cat-folk.
“Um... I'm very sorry, but the young lady will be about thirty minutes late due to her schedule.”
“That's fine. These things happen.”
“Ah...! Thank you so much...!”
I wasn't sure what she was so grateful for, but the maid bowed to me repeatedly.
Afterward, I found my gaze drawn to her retreating back as she left the room, her tail swishing gently.
‘...It wouldn’t be okay to ask if I could touch it just once, would it?’
A cat tail. Honestly, it was hard to resist.
But the train had already left the station. Left alone in the drawing-room, I picked at the refreshments to soothe my disappointment.
Perhaps because they were a family that adhered to tradition, instead of black tea and cookies, there was jujube tea and traditional honey cookies called yakgwa, beautifully plated.
Crunch.
‘Anyway, what should I do now...’
I had two main reasons for visiting the Cheonghae Shin Clan today.
One was to use a gift as an excuse to build a connection with Shin Yuna. The other was because of a mission.
The first part wasn't too difficult.
After all, Shin Yuna was the one who suggested we meet, even if it was just a formality.
As if to prove it, she had contacted me first on the evening the Gate incident ended two days ago, asking if we could meet sometime soon.
‘...Though I never imagined she’d ask me to come to her family’s main estate.’
It was a little surprising, but I could let that slide.
I’d been to the Seongbuk Choi family’s main house and visited the Jinryu Han family’s villa.
How different could the Cheonghae Shin Clan be?
The problem, however, was the second reason.
‘...Should I just bluntly ask her to sleep with me?’
It’s ridiculous for me to even say it after thinking it up, but it was a truly absurd idea.
I sank into the sofa and rubbed my face with my hands.
‘Sigh... It’s too late to worry about it now.’
Honestly, my mind was blank.
All I could do now was hope my mouth would work on its own when I met Shin Yuna.
“By the way, if she has a schedule now, is it a movie shoot?”
I’d recently seen an article saying Shin Yuna had been cast as the lead in a famous director’s next film.
The genre was noir action.
Thanks to the star-studded cast, many people were already looking forward to it.
However, quite a few fans were disappointed by the news, and to put it bluntly, it was because of Shin Yuna.
In her seven-year acting career, she had never once appeared in a romance film. Because of that, many of her fans had been hoping this next project would finally be one.
‘It is a little strange.’
Shin Yuna had never even filmed a simple kiss scene.
Naturally, there had never been a single dating rumor about her, which gave her a strong image as an actress with impeccable self-management.
Because of this, a ridiculous conspiracy theory once circulated on the internet.
It claimed that as the next head of the Cheonghae Shin Clan, Shin Yuna controlled not only the media but also the gossip rags to avoid getting caught up in unnecessary scandals.
Thinking about it, it wasn't a completely baseless rumor.
With her family's power, something like that wouldn't be too difficult.
Of course, most people dismissed it as the delusion of some basement-dwelling loser.
“Conspiracy theories...”
The internet is flooded with countless conspiracy theories.
Among them, the most famous were the ‘Gate Apocalypse Theory’ and the ‘Demon Advent Theory.’
The former claimed humanity would be destroyed when a Gate opened that they couldn't handle, while the latter was about a demon summoned by black mages leading humanity to ruin.
I used to just laugh them off, but after witnessing a duke-level demon descend with its main body, I couldn't help but think differently.
Of course, I was told it was the main body of a duplicate, but not knowing how much of a demon's word to trust, I couldn't just relax.
“Sigh... Why am I worrying about things the Vatican should be handling...? Anyway, I need to look into this too.”
I took a ring out of my pocket.
[Seal of Gehenna
Grade: Unique
A seal given to the master of Gehenna.
You must be acknowledged by the seal to use it.
??? (Locked)]
The artifact, which was originally a pendant, had turned into a ring after absorbing Gremory's demonic energy.
It had no special decorations, but a strange crest was engraved in the center of the ring.
I had looked into it separately, but found nothing.
Because of the description ‘You must be acknowledged by the seal to use it,’ I’d been periodically infusing it with demonic energy, but so far, it had been a waste of effort.
I had no way of knowing whether it needed the demonic energy of another demon, like the pendant, or if I had to approach it in a completely different way.
‘I should stop by the club room before I go to England.’
Ryu Gaeun might know something.
Just as I was lost in thought while examining the seal...
Creeak—
The door opened and someone came in.
I naturally assumed it would be Shin Yuna, but the person who entered the drawing-room was someone I hadn't expected at all.
‘That person is...’
A pure white beard, yellow horns protruding from his head, and vertically slit pupils staring at me.
Thanks to the intense wave of Ki that instantly filled the room, it wasn't hard to guess the old man's identity.
I rose from my seat and bowed respectfully.
“...Kang Mo humbly greets the head of the Cheonghae Shin Clan.”
There was no doubt.
This was Shin Mujun, the head of the Cheonghae Shin Clan. Along with Kang Cheolho, the ‘Iron Man’ and head of the Hunter Association's branch, he was one of only four S-rank Hunters in South Korea, known by the epithet ‘East Sea Divine Dragon.’
Plop.
“Sit.”
He spoke to me in a dignified voice as he took the seat of honor.
I did as I was told and sat down, but I didn't let my guard down.
My opponent was the head of the Cheonghae Shin Clan, a man said to have lived for hundreds of years.
If I didn't want to be swallowed whole, I had to stay sharp.
“There is no need to be tense. I simply came because I wished to see your face.”
Gurgle—
Taking the hint, I picked up the teapot and filled his cup.
“...I’m often told I have a fierce look, so I fear I may displease you, my lord.”
“It is better than a man who looks pretty.”
Even as he tilted his cup and savored the taste, Shin Mujun's gaze remained fixed on me.
A strange light flickered in his vertically slit pupils.
“I hear you are now twenty-one. Do you have a master?”
“Yes, I have two.”
I had Iris, my master of magic, and Vajra Divine Monk, my master of martial arts.
“Do you know something, young man?”
“I am listening.”
“When one gets old... one learns not to believe others so easily.”
Shin Mujun reached out and took the teapot.
Then, he skillfully began to pour tea into a cup.
“One naturally learns not to be swayed by empty rumors. In exchange, one is called a stubborn old fool.”
A tea leaf was standing upright in his cup.
It was a rather curious sight, but that wasn't what was important right now.
“I did not believe it when I first heard, but now I have no choice but to believe. Your talent reaches the heavens. You are certainly above the Gray Tower Lord.”
“You praise me too highly.”
“Too highly, you say...”
Shin Mujun smiled faintly.
It seemed like a meaningless smile, but at the same time, I felt as if he were mocking me.
“There is no need for false modesty. For a mere human to reach the same realm as Yuna at your age is exceptional enough. On top of that, you seem to have achieved a considerable level as a martial artist. Hmm, truly a monstrous talent. You have every right to be proud.”
“...”
I was slightly taken aback by Shin Mujun's words.
It was a blatant dismissal of me, someone who was clearly human.
I never imagined the head of the Cheonghae Shin Clan would be a speciesist.
“I have a proposal for you.”
“A proposal...?”
Thud—
He set his teacup down hard and sent a greedy look in my direction.
“Marry my daughter and become a member of this family.”
*
They say that when a person is too surprised or dumbfounded, they're left speechless.
That was exactly my state right now.
“...Are you asking me to marry into the Cheonghae Shin family?”
“That is correct.”
Hoo.
I sighed inwardly.
What the hell is this crazy lizard saying?
“...I am grateful for such a generous offer, but I am already promised to another.”
“I am aware. The granddaughter of that madwoman (狂女), is she not?”
Madwoman? Is he talking about Grandma Choi Young-ok?
“Furthermore, I have many women around me. I don't believe I am a suitable match for Shin Yuna, a direct descendant of the Cheonghae Shin Clan.”
“It does not matter.”
Shin Mujun said firmly.
“Having many women is no flaw if you have the ability. If you truly wish it, I will not mind if you continue to see them after the marriage. Besides, you have not held an official engagement ceremony with the Seongbuk Choi family. I will handle the consequences. So, marry my daughter.”
The pressure I felt on my skin told me this was no joke.
It was impossible to just gloss over this situation.
“...May I ask one question?”
“Speak.”
“I understand the Cheonghae Shin Clan is composed solely of Dragonfolk. Is it possible for me, a human, to marry the heir, Shin Yuna?”
“A reasonable question.”
Shin Mujun nodded and reached into his sleeve.
He soon pulled out a small vial and placed it on the table.
It looked like an ordinary vial with nothing particularly strange about it. Inside was a dark red liquid.
“This is the True Blood (眞血) of a dragon. If you accept my proposal, I will give it to you.”
“The True Blood of a dragon...?”
“It has no effect on other races, but if a human drinks this, they can become a Dragonfolk. It is a treasure among treasures, with only three vials remaining in our family.”
“?!”
His words left me speechless.
I only managed to get the Dragon Transformation skill after chewing on the heart of a fire dragon, yet he’s saying I can become a Dragonfolk with a single sip of blood?
‘What in the world is that...?’
A curiosity I couldn't suppress with reason washed over me.
The moment I reached out and touched the vial.
Tiring—
[Information on the newly acquired item is being collected.]
[True Blood of the Blue Dragon (眞血)
Grade: Unique+
The true blood of the Blue Dragon, the guardian god of the East.
Upon consumption, you will become a Dragonfolk.
However, it has no effect on races other than human.
※ If consumed with the true blood of the Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise, you will obtain the ‘Blessing of the Four Guardian Gods.’]
[Blessing of the Four Guardian Gods
Grade: Myth
The blessing of the Four Guardian Gods who rule the cardinal directions.
Upon meeting certain conditions, you will be able to summon the Yellow Dragon.]