Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: I Spent the Night with the Murim Alliance Leader's Youngest Daughter
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Do your utmost as a human, and await heaven's decree.
This saying means that after doing everything within human capability, one must wait for the will of heaven for the outcome.
It felt too fatalistic, so I wasn't particularly inclined to believe it.
But maybe I was wrong.
'Is this a hidden camera?'
I couldn't believe it.
I had worked diligently.
To escape the shackles of my engagement.
I'd stuffed the gluttonous second son, Namgoong Hyu, with chicken breasts.
I'd crushed the Retired Family Head Namgoong Hwan, who lived for Go, and taunted him afterward.
I'd done everything to make myself an eyesore to the Namgung Family.
It was all in vain.
"Brother-in-law, care for a bite?"
"Come on, let's play a game!"
The people in this house were strange.
'Or maybe I'm the crazy one.'
All the time I'd spent trying to make them hate me was for naught.
No matter what I did, they ended up liking me.
Completely contrary to my plans.
As if the flow of the world had been set that way from the start, the number of people supporting my engagement just kept growing.
'Why on earth do they like me!'
"Brother-in-law, what are you thinking about?"
Namgoong Yeonhui visited my room as usual today.
Seeing her bright smile, such a thought crossed my mind.
'Do I actually want to marry Yeonhui?'
Judging purely by conditions, there was no better match.
What kind of family was the Namgung Family?
The foremost among the Seven Great Families.
No matter how renowned the Sichuan Dang Family or Jegal Family, they couldn't compare to the Namgung Family.
The Namgung Family's influence spanned the entire murim, enough to toy with the world at will.
Becoming their son-in-law would mean a life of prosperity.
And his wife would be Namgoong Yeonhui?
The title of World's Greatest Beauty wasn't given lightly.
No praise could capture the beauty in the eyes of the woman looking up at me now.
Our personalities matched, and even our hobbies.
'It might be more credible that subconsciously, I wanted to become their son-in-law.'
My heart races when I look at Namgoong Yeonhui.
As if it had to be that way—it always had.
Am I fooling myself?
"Brother-in-law, are you listening?"
"Of course. I was just pondering something."
"Is it hard to tell me? I heard there should be no secrets between husband and wife!"
It's because of your father.
I couldn't say that outright.
Whenever I thought marrying like this wouldn't be so bad, Namgoong Hyeok's furious face came to mind.
'No need to invite trouble by giving up freedom unnecessarily.'
There was also Namgoong Seon's advice.
Though he tried not to show it, he was the only one in the household opposing my engagement.
The one causing my desire to escape was my sole ally—a contradictory situation.
It made my stomach churn.
"Want to have a drink?"
"How did you know?"
"Isn't guessing her future husband's feelings a wife's virtue?"
Listen to her.
She used to act somewhat sensible before.
Lately, she flirts at every opportunity.
'Snap out of it!'
Drinking now might lead to big trouble.
"Shall we go for a stroll?"
All I could do was shyly avoid Yeonhui's alluring smile.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Brother-in-law, look at that!"
The market street was an excellent walking path.
The endless stalls of street vendors left no room for boredom.
For some reason, Yeonhui was excitedly darting between the shops.
"That fun?"
"Yes!"
"Well, markets do have lots of curious items."
"It's because I'm with you, brother-in-law."
Hmm, I should've built up some resistance by now.
My face heated up involuntarily.
"Ah, let's check that out too!"
Fortunately, Yeonhui soon spotted something intriguing and dashed off.
It was a stall selling hair ornaments for women.
"Like that one?"
"Huh? No. Not at all."
The butterfly-shaped accessory Yeonhui had been staring at.
It featured striking sky-blue wings.
She clearly wanted it, but she changed the subject and strode to another stall.
We were strolling through the market like that when—
'?'
When something utterly absurd happens, words fail for a moment.
I'd only stepped away briefly, and someone boldly grabbed her wrist. That's when I felt it.
"Miss! I've missed you so much!"
Thwack!
It was an instinctive action, bypassing thought.
I immediately swung my arm, knocking away the hand grabbing Yeonhui.
"Argh!"
The retreating man looked like a scholar.
"You okay?"
"Yes, brother-in-law."
I hurriedly checked Yeonhui's complexion.
She seemed a bit startled and burrowed into my embrace.
"Y-You, who the hell are you!"
I ignored the grating shout.
Yeonhui's body trembled in my arms.
"Can't you hear me!"
Unable to bear the continued snub, the man charged at me.
Thud!
A kick to his chest sent him tumbling helplessly.
"And who are you?"
My voice came out sharper than intended.
Why?
Even seeing him sprawled pathetically didn't satisfy me.
"How dare you! I am Moyong Cheon! You wouldn't pretend ignorance of the Moyong Family's name, would you?"
A familiar name.
"This one has an engagement with Miss Namgoong Yeonhui. What kind of scum are you to paw at another man's beloved?"
This one, my ass.
Listening to the nonsense from the guy barely standing brought it back.
Moyong Cheon.
The fool who dared propose marriage to Namgoong Hyeok.
I wondered how many lives he had; clearly, his guts were oversized.
"What nonsense."
"What did you say?"
"I heard there's a wastrel harassing Yeonhui nonstop, and it was you."
"How dare you utter the lady's name so casually!"
Moyong Cheon raised his voice in agitation.
"Miss Yeonhui! This Young Master of the Moyong Family has chosen you. Why are you with such trash?"
"You're insane."
"What did you say?"
He was out of his mind.
'Is this the level of a Seven Great Families' heir?'
I sensed Moyong Cheon gathering his qi.
If I hadn't focused on his movements, I might not have detected such feeble power.
I even suspected he might be hiding some skill.
'What to do.'
A thought flashed through my mind.
Wouldn't it be easier if I just let him beat me?
'Namgoong Hyeok would approve.'
He'd taken Moyong Cheon's marriage talk as an insult.
Yelling he'd exterminate three generations.
Getting thoroughly thrashed by such a guy would prove me unworthy of being the Namgung son-in-law.
'But why?'
I didn't want to.
In less than two months at the Namgung Family, I'd struggled nonstop to escape.
An easy way out was right there, yet why?
"Yeonhui, wait a moment."
I patted her shoulder and stepped forward.
"You need a beating."
With that, I approached him.
"Argh!"
First, the ribs.
A spot that takes impact but doesn't easily collapse.
I struck Moyong Cheon, who faltered with labored breathing, then hammered his chest repeatedly.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three punches.
Even without qi, he staggered and crumbled.
Moyong Cheon rolled on the ground.
"As expected of the Moyong Family. Quite the fledgling!"
I swatted away his flailing leg from the ground and stomped his left shoulder.
"Gahk!"
Moyong Cheon subdued in an instant.
Still defiant, he thrust a qi-infused palm strike with his good arm.
Swirling inner force.
It seemed to carry rebound energy.
Reminiscent of the Wudang Sect's Taiji Fist, annoyingly so.
'Softness breaks under overwhelming power.'
It lacked proper technique from the start.
I snatched it with Golden Claw Hand and twisted his wrist.
Moyong Cheon couldn't even scream.
Pathetic for a Seven Great Families' scion.
"G-Great hero! Spare me! I was wrong!"
Great hero, my foot.
Moyong Cheon trembled, prostrating himself.
His earlier bravado vanished.
'What gave this guy the confidence?'
I doubted until the end.
Maybe a hidden trump card.
But this?
Street bully level at best.
Absurd that I'd been wary even briefly.
Spoiled at home, clueless about the world.
"Why not spout more like before?"
"No, no! I won't spout such nonsense again!"
Tears welling up; I could only chuckle wryly.
"Shouldn't you apologize to Yeonhui, not me?"
"M-Miss. Sorry."
"Sorry?"
"Forgive me!"
Yeonhui ignored him, checking my face.
"Brother-in-law, you're not hurt?"
"How could I be?"
"True."
Her giggle made me chuckle too.
"A-Are there many like him?"
"Like what?"
"Guys pawing at you claiming to be lovers."
"Oh, brother-in-law. Are you jealous?"
Jealous, my ass.
"Just wondering if Anhuiseong's security is so bad that handsy creeps swarm unmarried women."
"Ah, I see."
"......"
"Well, yeah. Plenty, I suppose? I'm pretty popular~"
Something about it irked me.
"So you have to protect me well, got it?"
Her sidelong smile was even prettier.
'Moyong Cheon. You're done for.'
This guy needs punishment, no matter what.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Namgoong Hyeok had a headache.
'Yi Se-woong, how do I chase this guy away?'
Honestly, he liked him.
Exceptional martial prowess for his age, guts to speak boldly even before him.
Satisfying to meet such an outstanding junior after so long.
'But not as a son-in-law.'
No confidence he'd make Yeonhui happy.
Yeonhui, who'd never dated.
Not enough time to judge character.
Maybe swayed by his handsome looks.
Young people fall in love over trifles.
With the promise made, he couldn't intervene directly.
So he schemed behind the scenes.
For the first time, he made a shameful request to his ever-loyal eldest son.
For the pretext of family opposition.
'But what is this?'
Yi Se-woong, who'd said he'd wait until all acknowledged him.
Back then, it seemed implausible.
"Father, brother-in-law seems like a fine man. Already caring for his in-laws' health. Haha!"
Not only turning the fat second son into muscle despite nagging,
"Father, you must have son-in-law luck. Sharp fellow."
Even his revered father had fallen,
"If he cherishes Yeonhui that much, I think it's fine to allow it."
The overprotective third son too.
"Father, suppression isn't always the way."
Even the firstborn, always obedient, opposed him.
"Dear, shouldn't we set a date soon?"
His wife urging him on.
'How did he bewitch my whole family!'
The only flaw was his background, but family didn't care. Maybe from teaching not to disdain status since childhood. Should he lament or laugh at his upright children?
'Am I the wrong one?'
Most of the Namgung Family now backed him. To the point where his own stubbornness seemed the issue in delaying the marriage. As he barely composed his troubled mind, news arrived.
"Family Head, that Moyong brat caused trouble!"
Moyong Cheon, that worthless punk, came here?
Wanting to rush and break his limbs upon hearing he'd harassed Yeonhui, Namgoong Hyeok suppressed his rage and heard details.
"What? He beat Moyong Cheon to a pulp?"
Yi Se-woong had wrecked Moyong Cheon.
At that, Namgoong Hyeok's lips curled up.
Finally, a chance to separate Yi Se-woong from Yeonhui.