Chapter 212
Chapter 212
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 212
Chapter Title: The Returned Wastrel (7)
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As the grand banquet concluded alongside the clan assembly, the guests who had visited the Pearl Eon Family began to depart one by one.
Among them was the Jinpyeong Manor Lord, who had promised to teach me the Cloud Dragon Style.
"The Family Head and Madam have given their permission, and you have the will for it as well. I'll return to Jinpyeong Manor for a short while to manage the estate and make preparations, then come back within a few days."
"Understood."
However, amid all the guests leaving, only Alliance Leader Gonghon Mugeol remained at the Pearl Eon Family.
This was primarily because he needed to review the documents from the Jin-gang Manor investigation with my father.
Of course, he wasn't confined solely to the Family Head's quarters.
He oversaw Pang So-jin's training in his spare moments.
"So-jin, you need to extend further from there."
And occasionally, he checked on my progress and that of my younger siblings.
"Yong-un, you're doing well, so there's nothing more to say at this stage. Ah, you're learning the Jinpyeong Manor Lord's fist and foot arts?"
"The Manor Lord is coming to our home, so we haven't started yet, but yes, that's the plan."
"Good choice. The light and agile fist technique seems to suit your footwork, but recalling myself from around your age, it could also serve as a breakthrough for your swordsmanship."
"Is that so?"
"In my case, trying various things helped. However, you must balance them carefully... But you're the later-generation talent who excels at that more than anyone. If only the strike team members resembled you even halfway."
He offered me kind words along with advice to pay attention to the harmony of mind and body, and to balance the martial arts I was learning.
With my younger siblings, he sparred directly.
Whirrl!
Clang! Clang!
"U So-reung, why did you hesitate just now?"
"...Because it seemed like you, Alliance Leader, would block it easily."
"Even if your opponent is a master far above you, once swords are drawn and you're facing each other, you mustn't fear like that."
"...Yes."
"The judgment to stop was good. But keep in mind that when such a thought arises, you need to follow through with the next movement."
"Yes!"
To U So-reung, he gave advice mixed with scolding and encouragement.
Chclang!
"So-cheon, you remind me of Senior Pang in his youth. But your strikes are too straightforward."
"Hm?"
"If you don't quite get it, recall how Eon Yong-un fought at the sword verification assembly."
"Ah!"
To my brother So-cheon, he gave intuitive advice.
Bam! Bam!
Bam-bam-bam!!!
He watched Eon Yong-myeong and Cheon Jang-ho exchanging fist strikes busily, then offered a word or two.
"Yong-myeong, take it a bit easier. You have a calm disposition, yet impatience fills you inside. Is it because your older brother is advancing too far ahead?"
"Impatience... I just don't want to be a burden on the path you and the Pearl Eon Family are taking."
"That's precisely impatience."
"......"
"And Cheon Jang-ho."
"I've never had such thoughts even once?"
"You need to show a bit more impatience."
There were no particular words for Jeong-hyeon.
Even if unspoken, it seemed he had infused his words into the swordplay.
Chclang!
Chclang-chclang-chclang!
Right after the guided spar ended, Jeong-hyeon stood lost in thought for a long while at his position, which proved it.
"......"
And so, about five days passed in the blink of an eye.
Gonghon Mugeol and Pang So-jin stood at the Pearl Eon Family's main gate to head to Bojeong, where the Ha-buk Pang Family was located.
"Travel safely, Alliance Leader."
"Yes, Family Head. Please handle the matters we discussed."
"No need to worry."
"Understood. Ah, please convey my thanks to the Madam. I was treated too well."
"It was nothing much. Come visit anytime."
After greeting my parents, Gonghon Mugeol's gaze turned toward us.
"It would be nice to travel together, but our schedules won't align. We'll meet again on business."
I spoke on behalf of my younger siblings.
"Yes. Preserve yourself until we meet again."
"Indeed. Make good use of the remaining break period."
As Gonghon Mugeol finished his farewells.
Pang So-jin clasped her hands in respect toward our parents.
"Uncle, Aunt. Stay well."
"Sure. Give our regards to your father."
"So-jin, you stay healthy too."
"Yes!"
Then she said to me.
"...Th-thanks."
"You mean for introducing you to the Alliance Leader so you could pick up a sword?"
"Yeah. On the first day here, you said I looked like I was wearing clothes that truly fit me, and it was spot on."
I had received her thanks for encouraging her to take up the sword before.
However, now that she had achieved some mastery as his disciple, her feelings seemed different from back then.
"And..."
"And? Is there more?"
"On the way to Ha-buk, I was worried about how to face my parents. But seeing you, Uncle, and Aunt gave me courage."
Indeed, there was still a knot between Pang Mu-hyeok and Pang So-jin that needed untying.
'Recalling Uncle Mu-hyeok's demeanor when we met in Shanxi, if So-jin approaches first like that, it should resolve well.'
It was a good thing.
For Pang So-jin personally, who avoided the mental anguish from the original story, and for the world that would need a swordswoman named Pang So-jin in the future.
Still, it was a bit embarrassing to have such talk in front of my parents.
To ease the awkwardness, I brought up the debt I'd jokingly tallied.
"Don't just say thanks with empty words—pay it back later. I'll put it on the tab."
At my words, my master chimed in.
- It was almost touching, but then you go and sound like a debt collector. Sheesh...
'Why treat your disciple like some bill collector? I said it to lighten the mood, Master.'
- So it was just empty words? Really? Completely pure intentions?
'Half sincere...'
- Half? That's all?
'...Seventy percent?'
- Sheesh.
And so, Gonghon Mugeol and Pang So-jin departed the Pearl Eon Family.
Watching them leave, I asked Pang So-cheon.
"But why aren't you going, Brother So-cheon?"
"...If I'm there while you, the parents, and my sister talk, it'll be hard for them to speak freely."
An unexpected answer came from Brother So-cheon.
"Hm?"
"Yes?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah?"
"What?"
The remaining younger siblings were shocked.
Pang So-cheon asked me.
"Why the reactions? Ah, was that last bit a polite dismissal? Should I just go?"
"No, it wasn't telling you to leave—I was genuinely curious. Your answer was just too surprising coming from you."
"Surprising? Why?"
As I explained, Brother So-cheon furrowed his brow.
Cheon Jang-ho jumped around frantically, checking Pang So-cheon's condition.
"Why, you ask! It doesn't sound like something Brother So-cheon could think up himself! Did you hit your head hard somewhere? Or drink some intelligence tonic?"
Laughter erupted here and there as a result.
Neigh!!
A carriage that had galloped from afar stopped near the main gate.
The person who alighted from the halted carriage was the Jinpyeong Manor Lord.
"Hm? Did you all know I was coming and come out to greet me?"
The gruff Jinpyeong Manor Lord's misunderstanding was quite amusing.
Regardless, it marked the start of days filled with the scent of battle.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Yangtze River, grandly traversing the world.
In the land of Namjik-ye, there lay the beautiful city of Anqing along the northern bank of that Yangtze.
Anqing had developed hugging the Yangtze, drawing attention since ancient times not only for its water transport but also as a key military stronghold.
However, the first phrase that came to mind for murim folk upon hearing "Anqing" was none other than "the world's foremost clan."
Chaaaaang!!!!!!!!!!
The Nangong Family, the world's foremost clan.
The Nangong Family, which the world acclaimed and its members proudly claimed as unrivaled among the world's martial houses—in the training ground within walls stacked as high as their pride.
There, Nangong Yun muttered the nickname he was once called by.
'...The world's foremost later-generation talent.'
There had been a time when he took that name for granted.
The clan he was born and raised in was the Nangong Family, hailed as the world's top house.
And among them, he was the firstborn son.
Not merely of noble blood, he possessed genius as well.
Even in the Nangong Family, which had produced the world's foremost swordsmen time and again, Nangong Yun's achievements were remarkably swift, with few parallels.
'...While I was intoxicated by those words, standing tall, Eon Yong-un truly embraced the world in his heart.'
Stinging shame.
Nangong Yun's gaze unwittingly shifted northward toward Ha-buk, where the Pearl Eon Family lay.
About seven steps away from such a Nangong Yun, Yin Ha-seong lay sprawled.
"Huff. Heuk. Haa..."
Leaving behind her hometown of Hwi-ju, reachable by descending the official road beyond the Yangtze before her eyes, Yin Ha-seong inwardly cursed as she watched Nangong Yun look away from her.
'That unlucky bastard. Can't even keep his eyes on one thing. Damn it.'
However, Yin Ha-seong knew where Nangong Yun's gaze was directed.
'Brother Yong-un.'
Thus, "unlucky bastard" was aimed at Nangong Yun, but "damn it" was directed at herself.
'Brother Yong-un is ahead even of that monster Nangong Yun.'
Yin Ha-seong gnashed her teeth.
And using her gripped sword as a crutch, she raised her exhausted body.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...Finally, Gak Pyo Baek-san. The Gak Pyo Baek-san of our house requires both feet planted on the ground to unleash its full power, but with the Cloud Dragon Style, I pondered ways to preserve the form's power even with one foot forward or body airborne. In the end, I modified the form and internal energy operation accordingly."
My mental acuity was acknowledged not only by my master but also by Professor No Sam.
Moreover, some forms resembled parts of the Anti-Dragon Palm.
"...Then, as before, I'll demonstrate first."
Whoosh!
Whish! Thud!
'Hm. Similar to Flying Dragon in the Sky?'
Thanks to that, learning the forms taught by the Jinpyeong Manor Lord wasn't too difficult.
"...Like this. Did you understand after seeing it once again?"
"Yes. Keep the left hand loose to shift to defense anytime. Steps lighter than usual, fist not at the waist but pulled like drawing a bowstring. Isn't that right?"
"Exactly."
"But why the expression?"
"...Your acquisition is so swift, it surprised me a bit. There's nothing left to teach regarding the forms themselves. Now, to refine mastery and practicality, we need sparring—but shall we move to the next stage right away?"
"Sparring will take some time. Is it alright if I contact Jinpyeong Manor once I'm ready?"
"...Well, the Cloud Dragon Style isn't that easy a martial art. Right?"
"Yes. Indeed."
"Handle the mastery through sparring as you wish."
However, tailoring the school of Cloud Dragon Style to fit my body perfectly required contemplation and time.
'What do you think, Master?'
- As expected, it pairs well with the Heaven-Splitting Divine Art. Discard what's unnecessary and refine what's needed.
After that, it was nonstop training.
I rose at dawn for the Five Animals Frolic and physical conditioning with my younger siblings, as always.
"Rise!"
"Yeesss sir!!!"
"...I shouldn't have come! What riches and glory for a beggar brat following Brother Yong-un?!"
Eating the meals prepared by Mother, I refined the Cloud Dragon Style forms to suit the Heaven-Splitting Divine Art alongside my master.
- That last form requires a leap because of insufficient power. With the Heaven-Splitting Divine Art and your internal energy, there's no need.
'Right? I think just unleashing fist strikes as they come is better.'
In the meantime, time flew by like an arrow.
Thus, two-thirds of the break period had swiftly passed.
To showcase the polished Cloud Dragon Style—no, the Heaven-Splitting Fist Method—I arranged to meet the Jinpyeong Manor Lord once more.
Hearing I would demonstrate my mastery of the Cloud Dragon Style, Father also attended.
"Welcome, Jinpyeong Manor Lord."
"Greetings, Family Head."
The Jinpyeong Manor Lord, visiting the Pearl Eon Family again, addressed me with a somehow proud air.
"Ahem. Your form acquisition was so quick, I thought you wouldn't take long to seek me again, but it took longer than expected?"
Rather than reproach for my slow mastery, he seemed pleased that the Cloud Dragon Style wasn't an easy school.
"Tweaking it to perfectly match my cultivation method took some time."
"Modifications to the Cloud Dragon Style? Did the Family Head assist?"
"First I've heard of it."
"Refining a martial art isn't easy—I worry a bit, but let's head to the training ground."
And so, the Jinpyeong Manor Lord moved to the training ground with half pride, half concern.
"Shall you go first?"
"Yes."
Those two emotions vanished the moment the spar began.
Shwaak! Shwaak!!
Shwaaaaak!!!
Faced with the Heaven-Splitting Fist Method I unleashed kicking off the ground, the Jinpyeong Manor Lord was utterly flustered.
"?!"
It was inevitable.
What he thought were familiar forms proceeded in entirely different trajectories and power.
Bam! Bam!
Bam-bam-bam!!
It was far more disconcerting than facing a completely novel fist art.
In that fluster, the Jinpyeong Manor Lord took a direct hit from me.
Paak!!!
"Guhk!"
Father and I rushed to the Jinpyeong Manor Lord, who had flown five paces and sprawled in the training ground.
"Jinpyeong Manor Lord? Are you alright?"
"Are you okay, Elder?"
The Jinpyeong Manor Lord looked at my face in bewilderment and muttered.
"...Th-this isn't the Cloud Dragon Style."
Then, to Father.
"It seems the eldest young master was born with the qualities of a great senior."