Chapter 57
Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Seo Moon Family Second Young Master 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As Goo Yang-hoo, the Alliance Leader, began conversing with Seo Moon Dan-cheon, Baek Moo-jin stood off to the side like an observer, eyeing Seo Moon-geuk's older brother for a moment.
'So he's the one who's going to lead the Seo Moon Family into the next generation.'
The Seo Moon Family was, as Seo Moon-geuk had said, one of the Five Great Families of the era. But Baek Moo-jin's first impression of Seo Moon Dan-cheon was peculiar.
For one, his speech was every bit as arrogant as Seo Moon-geuk's.
'Scolding the North Heaven Alliance Leader with a subtle "You shouldn't do that"...'
Seo Moon-geuk might come off as annoying, but there was something about him you couldn't quite hate. Seo Moon Dan-cheon, on the other hand, seemed utterly wrapped up in the pride of the Seo Moon Family.
As Baek Moo-jin watched, Seo Moon Dan-cheon glanced at the blood-soaked Baek Moo-jin and offered a greeting.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Seo Moon Dan-cheon."
Remembering his own introduction with Seo Moon-geuk before, Baek Moo-jin smiled and replied,
"Baek Moo-jin."
Seo Moon Dan-cheon waited briefly for Baek Moo-jin's response after introducing himself, but when nothing more came, he cleared his throat and walked over to Goo Yang-hoo's side. His demeanor was a spitting image of Seo Moon-geuk's.
Pointing toward the North Heaven Alliance, Seo Moon Dan-cheon said to Goo Yang-hoo,
"Shall we go, Alliance Leader?"
"I'd love to chat, but I need to hurry back to the alliance and sort things out first."
"Of course you should."
Baek Moo-jin barely suppressed a sudden burst of laughter at Seo Moon Dan-cheon's tone. It was similar to Seo Moon-geuk's, yet somehow a touch different.
His looks were certainly unlike Seo Moon-geuk's, but that haughty air clearly marked them as brothers. Naturally, Baek Moo-jin couldn't resist tossing a remark at the approaching Seo Moon-geuk with a grin.
"Truly befitting the great Seo Moon Fam..."
"Shh! That's my..."
Seo Moon-geuk nodded and muttered softly,
"My brother. The heir to the Seo Moon Family."
Seo Moon-geuk was acting completely out of character today, glancing around nervously.
Baek Moo-jin said,
"What's with all the caution today?"
Seo Moon-geuk snorted.
"Caution about what?"
Goo Yang-hoo and Seo Moon Dan-cheon led the way, followed by the elite experts of the Seo Moon Family. As Goo Yang-hoo had said, the Alliance Leader needed to return and handle the situation.
Baek Moo-jin and Seo Moon-geuk naturally fell back, running side by side. Even while sprinting, Baek Moo-jin spoke calmly to Seo Moon-geuk.
"Anyway, glad you're safe."
Seo Moon-geuk nodded, mentioning the two corpses sprawled behind them.
"Who are the dead ones?"
"They called themselves the Heavenly Dragon Society Leader and the Heavenly Phoenix Society Leader."
"Oh? Aren't those the heads of the Nine Heavens Alliance? So you and the Alliance Leader...?"
Baek Moo-jin nodded, and the Seo Moon Family experts ahead glanced back at him.
Seo Moon-geuk fell silent again.
Only then did Baek Moo-jin confirm that Seo Moon-geuk didn't have much standing in his family. He tilted his head.
'Why's the second son acting so wary?'
Matching Seo Moon-geuk's pace with light steps, Baek Moo-jin continued with a wry expression.
"By the way, your main branch got hit by the Nine Heavens Alliance. Looks like..."
Seo Moon-geuk halted his lightness skill and shouted,
"What?!"
As Seo Moon-geuk yelled, Seo Moon Dan-cheon stopped, turned back, and frowned.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. Just heard a comrade died. You go on ahead."
"Heh, with Nine Heavens and Iron Blood Gang swarming us at once, you think only one or two died? Tsk. Hurry up and follow."
Seo Moon Dan-cheon's words basically meant shut up and move. Seo Moon-geuk nodded curtly.
"Yes."
Seo Moon Dan-cheon glanced at Baek Moo-jin before resuming alongside Goo Yang-hoo. Seeing this, Baek Moo-jin couldn't help but sneer. His mouth itched to speak. Once the Alliance Leader and Seo Moon Dan-cheon pulled slightly ahead, Baek Moo-jin teased Seo Moon-geuk with a smile.
"The very model of the Seo Moon Family's eldest son."
"Sigh... He's got a bit of a temper. A prickly personality. We've been distant since we were kids anyway."
Baek Moo-jin replied with a surprised look.
"More prickly than you, Seo Moon? Then it's not just prickly—it's rotten."
"What's with you today? Bad meal or something?"
"Haven't eaten."
"Weird. Haven't seen you in days, and your vibe's totally changed. Something happen?"
As Seo Moon-geuk eyed him sharply, Baek Moo-jin felt a pang of guilt. Telling him about his new lover would mean endless teasing.
Baek Moo-jin cleared his throat.
"Ahem, let's go."
"Oho... Something's up. Caught you."
"Nothing."
Baek Moo-jin dashed off, and Seo Moon-geuk chased after, saying,
"Trying to fool who?!"
Baek Moo-jin clamped his mouth shut.
How sharp was Seo Moon-geuk's intuition?
No, what went on in that head of his?
Baek Moo-jin couldn't help but admire it.
'Seo Moon's a genius, alright—just in the most useless areas.'
Meanwhile, Seo Moon-geuk sensed Baek Moo-jin's aura had shifted in just a few days. Pondering how to describe it, he cautiously concluded,
'Strange. Why does he feel more grown-up all of a sudden? Before, he was just a blunt powerhouse kid...'
Seo Moon-geuk was indeed a genius in useless fields, as Baek Moo-jin thought.
Suddenly staring at Baek Moo-jin's back, Seo Moon-geuk snapped his fingers with a realization. The sharp sound made Baek Moo-jin's nape prickle like a hidden weapon flying at him.
Probing further, Seo Moon-geuk muttered,
"Got a girl? Nailed it? Nah? Hmm... No chance to meet one in those days anyway. Unless he lost his mind."
"Sounds like you lost yours, Seo Moon."
"No. It's weird... Something happened. Come on, Baek, spill it."
Seo Moon-geuk was a scary guy. Baek Moo-jin snapped back curtly,
"Shut it."
"Hmph... Long tail gets stepped on."
Baek Moo-jin sped up his lightness skill to hide his expression. At this point, Seo Moon-geuk was starting to unnerve him. He even thought about how someone with that talent should just focus on training.
2.
Before long, Baek Moo-jin and Seo Moon-geuk caught up to the Alliance Leader's group, all deploying their lightness skills. How could Seo Moon Dan-cheon be so oblivious? He suddenly said this to the visibly fatigued Goo Yang-hoo after the fierce battle:
"Alliance Leader, it's quite a distance. Since we've met after so long, why not show off your lightness skill to the juniors on the way back? I'll humbly give chase."
His humility rang hollow—it was basically "Is that all you've got?" Goo Yang-hoo snorted inwardly.
'Seo Moon bastards, always...'
Contrary to his thoughts, Goo Yang-hoo calmly agreed, willing to demonstrate.
"Very well."
Baek Moo-jin, following behind, overheard it all. Frankly, it was outrageous. Goo Yang-hoo was more exhausted than Baek Moo-jin himself. Anyone would be. The Nine Heavens Alliance's two society leaders weren't pushovers. Goo Yang-hoo had gone all-out in a two-on-one clash. Just keeping pace now was impressive.
Baek Moo-jin shook his head, thinking,
'No tact at all...'
Impulsively, he called out to the Alliance Leader.
"Alliance Leader."
"Speak."
"May I go ahead? I've got business."
Goo Yang-hoo grinned from the lead.
"Go on."
"See you at the alliance then."
"Don't help with cleanup—go rest. I'll have my men handle it..."
"Yes."
Replying curtly, Baek Moo-jin snapped gruffly at Seo Moon-geuk,
"Catch you later."
It wasn't personal against him—more like the whole Seo Moon Family.
As Seo Moon-geuk opened his mouth to retort, Baek Moo-jin stomped the ground with a massive BOOM, launching skyward. Several Seo Moon Family members gasped in stunned surprise.
"Huh?"
Seo Moon Dan-cheon stared in shock at the soaring Baek Moo-jin.
'What the...?'
Leaping past the entire Seo Moon Family in one go, Baek Moo-jin kicked up a dust storm like he was showing off, then shot forward like an arrow.
The pinnacle of the Snow Mountain Baek Family's lightness skill was, naturally, Stepping on Snow Without Trace—no footprints in the snow. Baek Moo-jin's was usually feather-light. But to provoke the Seo Moon Family, he unleashed a flashy, external arts-style display, all noise and fury.
North Heaven Alliance Leader Goo Yang-hoo, now fully acknowledging Baek Moo-jin's prowess, couldn't hold back a chuckle at the childish antics—especially after Seo Moon Dan-cheon's jab had irked him. Baek Moo-jin had crushed their pride spectacularly, lightening Goo Yang-hoo's mood.
Out of nowhere, Seo Moon-geuk, wary of his brother's gaze, muttered,
"Heh, must have urgent business. He's flying."
Seo Moon Dan-cheon stared ahead, lips pressed tight.
'Baek Moo-jin, was it? Arrogant punk.'
Seo Moon Dan-cheon, who lived more arrogantly than most, branded Baek Moo-jin arrogant. Regardless, the Seo Moon experts now had no choice but to take note of him after this.
Seo Moon Dan-cheon, sour-faced, headed to the North Heaven Alliance, planning to grill his brother—who'd been buddying up to Baek Moo-jin—about the guy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇