Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: You're Slapping My Cheek (2)
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Pushing aside the bitterness, I collected Yi Gwon-yeong's body alongside Uncle Yun Yeong.
It wasn't anything elaborate.
Just unlocking the shackles binding his limbs, laying him flat on the floor, and wiping the dried blood from his mouth.
By the time that was done, Uncle Yun Yeong had composed himself and turned to me.
"...I need to report this to Father, but I should stay by Gwon-yeong's side for a bit. He did unforgivable things. I won't forgive him either. But he atoned in his own way, and he passed alone in pain, so I want to stay with him at least for a while."
I could understand Uncle Yun Yeong's feelings.
And relaying a message wouldn't be troublesome or difficult, so I opened my mouth right away.
"Then I'll go inform Grandfather for you."
But Uncle Yun Yeong shook his head.
"No. It'd be better if Eon the husband delivers it rather than you, Yong-un."
"Father?"
"Yes. To your grandfather, he might seem like someone who wouldn't shed a drop of blood even if pricked with a needle..."
"He has deep emotions."
He still remembered things like what happened with Mother so vividly.
"Exactly. Yong-un, as you know, you resemble Yeong-i a great deal in looks. Even the same words from your mouth would hurt him twice as much. And I don't want to burden you with such heavy news either. It's not something to entrust to outsiders, so I'd like Eon the husband to handle it."
His words made sense upon reflection.
"Then I'll ask Father to relay Uncle Yun Yeong's message."
"Yes. Have Eon the husband do me this difficult favor."
"Understood."
Leaving the basement like that, I headed straight to meet Eon Jeong-ung.
'On the way to pay respects, Father, Uncle Mu-hyeok, and Professor No Sam were sitting over there, right?'
Having remembered where the three were seated on the way, it wasn't hard to find them.
Fortunately, Paeng Mu-hyeok, Eon Jeong-ung, and No Sam were all still in their places.
"Jeong-ung, your eldest son is coming."
"Hm? Already?"
"Where'd the others go? Why's he coming alone, Eon family head?"
I first greeted Paeng Mu-hyeok and No Sam.
"It's been a while, Uncle. Professor No Sam, I heard you took internal injuries—are you alright?"
To my greeting, Paeng Mu-hyeok crossed his arms and nodded solemnly.
No Sam responded with his usual flair.
"Internal injuries? Please. I'm not the type to get hurt by some Demonic Two bastard. It was just a light scratch—like it'd heal with some spring onion salve."
Based on what So-ryeong had told me, it was definitely not that minor.
But now wasn't the time for that.
I got straight to the point.
"Uncle, Professor. I know there are many matters from the battle to discuss, but there's something that requires taking Father to the inner chambers."
"Is that so? Then that takes priority. Go on, Eon family head."
To my words, No Sam waved me off to go.
Paeng Mu-hyeok made his own guess and pushed Eon Jeong-ung's back.
"Inner chambers means your father-in-law is calling, right? Maybe the grudge from this incident has been lifted. Hurry and go."
His guess was far off the mark.
But he was right that we needed to hurry, so I kept my words brief.
"......"
Eon Jeong-ung tilted his head curiously and followed me.
"Brother Yi, Senior No. I'll step away briefly."
As we walked, I cautiously sent a transmission to Eon Jeong-ung.
[...F-Father?]
At the sudden transmission, Eon Jeong-ung's eyes widened.
"?"
Well, it was odd to use transmission while walking alone together.
Still, I had to relay the message.
[The reason I came to fetch you has nothing to do with what Uncle Paeng said.]
To that, Eon Jeong-ung nodded calmly.
Then he sent a transmission back.
[I know Father-in-law isn't the type to summon me so frivolously in times like these. Don't mind what Uncle said. So, what do you need me for?]
I began a rather long explanation.
Starting from the fact that Yi Gwon-yeong's coffin was actually empty, to how Uncle Yun Yeong and I handled his interrogation, and what happened during it.
I even relayed what I'd planned to tell Mother on the way.
[...That's how it happened.]
I also passed on Uncle Yun Yeong's request.
[So, Uncle Yun Yeong asks if you could take on informing Grandfather about this.]
At my words, Father paused for a moment.
He turned his head toward the east where the Pearl Eon Family was, letting out a long sigh.
[My heart is heavy thinking how to tell your mother this.]
He ground his teeth toward the west where the Ten Thousand Great Mountains lay.
[The harm from those Demonic Cult scum is truly immense. And we let that old Demonic Two bastard escape—it's utterly infuriating.]
How long had Father been standing there, pausing his steps?
Father took a breath, patted my shoulder.
[You did well.]
And resumed walking.
We soon arrived before the inner chambers of the main hall.
Upon arrival, voices chattering inside could be heard.
"...At that moment, I was overwhelmed by Yong-un-nim's presence and couldn't say anything, but I definitely planned to tell you later. Why aren't we outsiders?"
"That's definitely our Yong-un's mistake."
It seemed Grandfather and the others were in the midst of conversation.
Father spoke up, breaking the mood.
"Father-in-law, it's your son-in-law, Eon."
Buoyed by the atmosphere, Grandfather replied with a chuckle in his voice.
"There's only one man who took my daughter—why speak of him behind his back? Come in."
But when he saw me standing outside the opened door as well.
"......"
As if sensing something.
His curved eyes straightened in an instant.
Father strode toward Grandfather without a word and picked up the wine jar.
"Your son-in-law has come to offer you a drink today, Father-in-law."
To Father's words, Grandfather silently nodded.
The liquor poured from the pot quickly filled the cup.
Chulorok-
Grandfather stared into the cup for a long while before heavily lifting it and downing it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I watched Grandfather and Father as if entranced.
Come to think of it, my peers and I shouldn't linger in the inner chambers any longer.
'I spaced out without realizing.'
It was about time for us to leave.
I spoke up with a suitable excuse.
"Grandfather, on second thought, So-son and the others haven't thanked Professor No Sam and Paeng family head yet."
To my words, Grandfather let out a hearty laugh and replied.
"...Ha ha. That won't do. Go on. I'll make up for my poor hospitality later."
Seeing Grandfather suddenly look aged in that brief moment stirred the same rage toward the Demonic Cult in me as in Father, but I didn't show it.
I quietly turned to leave.
Perhaps sensing the unusual atmosphere, everyone in the inner chambers rose neatly without a sound and followed.
The moment we exited, Yong-myeong asked.
"Brother. Where'd you go with Grandfather? How'd you end up with Father? And what was that atmosphere just now?"
But I didn't feel the need to answer.
'Excessive resentment and anger toward those not yet at a certain level is just a shortcut to demonic obsession for martial artists.'
"I went to check for any other sorcery near the altar. Ran into Father on the way back."
So I brushed it off vaguely.
But thinking it might get tedious if they probed further, I shifted the topic with a question of my own.
"What were you all talking about right before I returned? Grandfather was saying I did wrong?"
Jeong-hyeon spoke first in response.
"It was nothing much. When Anmin Hall Leader came to deliver the death notice, didn't he say that if we're not heroes for risking our lives in others' affairs, then who are?"
"...Heroes. ...Yeah, I think I said something embarrassing like that."
But hearing it, it wasn't "nothing much"—it was pretty embarrassing.
I tried to pass it off as if it never happened.
"...Must've been half-asleep. Forget it."
To my words.
So-ryeong unusually shook her head firmly.
"Why forget what you said, Brother Eon? I'm going to brag about it at the academy."
"...What?"
"And we weren't talking about the hero part—we were on the bit about rolling up sleeves for others' affairs? We're family. Not outsiders!"
At that moment.
Cheon Jang-ho picked his ear and made his usual opinionated remark.
"But strictly speaking, isn't Lady Zhuge an outsider? Yong-myeong here is blood brother, Jeong-hyeon Dojang and So-ryeong are that Cheongjuk-gwan's behind-the-scenes Eon brothers or whatever, but Lady Zhuge has different surname, different dorm—nothing."
To Cheon Jang-ho's words, Zhuge Seol-ja scrunched her brow and retorted.
"Jang-ho-nim talks like he's somebody. By that logic, you're nothing either. Different dorm, at best a little brother's friend?"
"Pfft, since Yong-un hyung learned Anti-Dragon Palm from Professor No Sam, by bloodless logic, I'm properly brothers with him."
"Ha? How do you even get into that Eon brother thing?"
At the guys bickering over something trivial, a chuckle escaped from Master's sword at my waist.
- Goodness. They say the living stay lively, and here in the midst of this, applicants for Eon brother are lining up.
At Master's scoff, a similar chuckle nearly escaped my lips when.
"...That bastard Deok-geun has completely lost his mind?!"
A familiar roar erupted from the spot where I'd fetched Father earlier.
"Let's go."
Hurrying over, sure enough.
"I thought this punk had finally become a person, but he's gone completely insane!"
Paeng Mu-hyeok stood with arms crossed as No Sam vented fury while holding a letter.
"What happened?"
"...You don't need to know, Eon kid."
No Sam tried to brush it off.
But Paeng Mu-hyeok spoke up beside him.
"Why wouldn't he? If you think about it, it's his business too. Yong-un, you learned Anti-Dragon Palm from No Senior, right?"
"Yes."
"The beggars from the Shaanxi Branch sent a letter demanding an immediate explanation. Otherwise, they'll spread it to other branches and file a complaint with the Enforcement Hall."
At Paeng Mu-hyeok's words, Cheon Jang-ho furrowed his brow and tilted his head.
"Professor No Sam has the Eight Ultimate Palms, and as an education elder, he qualifies to teach as long as he follows the no-transmission-to-outsiders rule. Did they all eat sacrificial rice wrong and go mad?"
He couldn't make sense of it.
But I understood the situation perfectly.
"It's not about the professor—it's targeting my aptitude. Though that's just a fancy excuse anyway."
They say politics begins when war ends.
Shaanxi Branch Leader Deok-geun was starting politics now.
'Shaanxi has always been the Orthodox faction's territory among the Beggars' Clan factions.'
But they committed the blunder of standing by during the Demonic Cult's rampage, too busy picking sides in Yi Jang's succession fight.
And now, No Sam had racked up major merits here.
Of course, realizing the trouble, Deok-geun and the Shaanxi beggars had rushed over to help once things escalated.
But he must have judged his demerits outweighed his contributions.
I gritted my teeth and spoke.
"We'll explain."
To my words, Cheon Jang-ho swallowed dryly and asked back.
"...In a case like this, 'explain' means fight it out, right?"
"I know."