Chapter 160: Hwangbo Hye-ji (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 160: Hwangbo Hye-ji (3)
An elder of the Namgung Clan and the successor of the Divine Sword Geum Family. One of the most famous martial artists of late—Jin Gi-jae-cheon, Lee Seo-jun.
The moment Hwangbo Seo-rin heard news of his visit, one thought came to mind.
Is this the Young Lord’s doing?
She recalled his prior remark about how it was time to let Hwangbo Hye-ji go.
It had been an incredibly presumptuous thing to say, but coming from the Young Lord of the Namgung Clan, she hadn't been able to snap back. Even as a direct descendant of the Hwangbo Clan, she knew her influence paled in comparison to his.
Her daughter, Hwangbo Hye-ji, was currently confined to her room, recovering from her injuries. To avoid facing the Young Lord and Jin Gi-jae-cheon alone, Seo-rin had brought along Hwangbo Jun, an elder of the clan, as reinforcements.
Hwangbo Jun, however, was miserable.
His martial arts might have rendered his skin tough enough to sleep on a bed of nails, but Hwangbo Seo-rin’s vicious, prickly aura made him feel like he was sitting on one anyway.
Soon, the guests entered.
Namgung Myeong and Lee Seo-jun.
The moment Hwangbo Jun saw Seo-jun’s face, he let out a quiet groan.
"Ah."
This is going to be a disaster.
What kind of nonsense would that monster spout this time? He was a man who never bothered to distinguish between things that should and shouldn't be said. Hwangbo Jun’s future—having to walk on eggshells around an infuriated Hwangbo Seo-rin—looked bleak indeed.
"Dammit."
"What?"
"O-oh, it’s nothing."
Seo-jun walked confidently into the reception room and performed a fist and palm salute.
"I am Lee Seo-jun, Elder of Namgung."
At least he’s showing some manners. Hwangbo Jun’s face brightened as he returned the salute.
"Welcome, Young Lord. And Jin Gi-jae-cheon. To what do we owe the honor of this visit?"
Seo-jun gave him a strange look. Seeing the usually gruff Hwangbo Jun acting this polite was as jarring as seeing a tall, curvaceous version of Geum Chun-bong.
"...I believe you are aware that our Young Lord and the daughter of the Hwangbo Clan maintain a... rather close relationship."
Seo-jun continued, looking directly at Hwangbo Seo-rin.
"I don't particularly care to meddle in other people's family affairs, but... surely I know more about martial arts than you two, don't I?"
Hwangbo Seo-rin’s brow twitched. She glanced at Hwangbo Jun, but he didn't offer a rebuttal.
To be brutally honest, it was true that the brat knew more about martial arts than Hwangbo Jun himself.
"However, I’ve heard things—and more importantly, I’ve seen things—that make it impossible for me to stay silent."
"If you have some wisdom to share, I shall listen intently," Hwangbo Seo-rin replied stiffly.
Seo-jun smiled with satisfaction.
"By any chance, do you not have a mother?"
"...Pardon?"
"I'm just curious."
"I do have one, but..."
"Then why are you acting like this?"
Seo-jun stared blankly at Hwangbo Seo-rin. Her eyebrows quivered.
Is being unapologetically rude a family tradition of the Namgung Clan...?
To abruptly ask if someone was motherless was simply unheard of.
"I... I don't understand what you're trying to say."
"I heard what you said to your daughter. Instead of worrying about a child who just gave her all in a grueling duel, you rebuked her for losing? Does that make sense to you?"
"A martial artist must naturally view defeat as a disgrace. While there are things to be learned from losing, on the battlefield, a single moment of defeat is directly linked to one's life."
"And is the Yongbong Gathering a battlefield?"
"Train as if it were real combat. Surely you know this."
"No, have you even been on a real battlefield? Because I have."
"That is..."
As Hwangbo Seo-rin hesitated, Seo-jun clicked his tongue.
"If you have a mother, you should know what a child wants from her. Is a single warm word really that difficult? Or were you perhaps raised by being beaten by your own mother?"
Silence fell over the reception room.
Hwangbo Jun’s eyes shook violently.
That crazy bastard. He was an idiot for expecting anything reasonable to come out of that mouth.
He stole a glance at Hwangbo Seo-rin; she looked like she was barely suppressing an explosion of rage. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, drawing thin trickles of blood.
He had to step in now. If that lunatic said one more word, things would turn catastrophic.
"Wait...! No, hold on. Aren't you being a bit too harsh? Even so, between members of the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans, such words are..."
"Hey, shut up for a second. I'm being serious."
"Are you just trying to pick a fight right now?"
"Try me if you want."
"No...!"
Hwangbo Jun felt like he was going to suffocate from frustration. He sent a desperate look toward the Young Lord of Namgung, who was standing a step behind. But while the Young Lord looked flustered, he also seemed to trust Seo-jun completely.
Of all the people to trust!
Seo-jun spoke again.
"Sigh... this is so frustrating. Look, just think about it, will you? What do you gain by pushing someone like that?"
Hwangbo Seo-rin, having barely managed to swallow her rage, replied coldly, "I will handle my child's education myself."
"But you're just a measly Peak Realm martial artist. What do you even know about the Dao? If you keep suppressing her like that, she won't even be able to step over the threshold of the Super Peak Realm."
Seo-jun was frustrated in his own right. He knew that how someone else raised their child wasn't really his business.
But this was wrong.
If things continued like this, it wouldn't be surprising if his prospective sister-in-law coughed up blood and died from Qi Deviation.
Seeing Seo-jun thumping his chest in frustration, Hwangbo Seo-rin asked, barely keeping her voice from rising, "Then... are you saying I should just leave Hye-ah be? To let her be remembered by others as nothing more than a loser?"
"Who cares what others think? That sounds much better than this."
"I can't believe this..."
Hwangbo Seo-rin let out a hollow laugh of disbelief.
Looking at her, Seo-jun said, "Fine, let's get to the point. I have a proposal."
This was the real reason he was here. The things he’d said before were mostly just him venting his anger. How could he not be pissed after hearing what she’d said to Hwangbo Hye-ji?
"You're going to be in Henan until the Yongbong Gathering is over anyway, right?"
"......"
"I'll be taking over Hwangbo Hye-ji's training, so consider yourself informed."
He called it a proposal, but it was essentially a notification. Hwangbo Seo-rin glared at him in silence.
Seo-jun gave her a mocking smirk and then glanced at Hwangbo Jun, signaling him to read the room.
"...Seo-rin, let's give it a try. That fellow might spout nonsense, but his skills are the real deal. This could be a Fortuitous Encounter for Hye-ah."
"...Do as you wish, Uncle."
Leaving only those words, Hwangbo Seo-rin stormed out of the room.
Hwangbo Jun let out a long, heavy sigh.
"...You lunatic."
"What?"
"If you keep talking like that, you're going to cause a massive incident one day."
"I said whatever I wanted to the Giryeon Sect Leader, too."
"...You absolute lunatic."
Seo-jun turned the tables and scolded Hwangbo Jun instead.
"And you, man, how can you just stand by while your grand-niece is going through that?"
"She's my grand-niece, but she's also my niece's daughter. A child's education is the parents' responsibility."
"Dumbass. Whatever. Just follow me."
Hwangbo Jun’s eyes widened in shock, but Seo-jun walked off without further explanation. As he passed Namgung Myeong, he patted him on the shoulder.
"Let's go, brother. In the end, this is something your lady has to resolve herself."
*
The group headed to Hwangbo Hye-ji’s quarters.
Beyond the tightly shut door, they could sense her faint presence.
Instead of knocking, Seo-jun signaled Namgung Myeong. Namgung Myeong nodded and stepped forward.
"Lady Hwangbo, it is Namgung Myeong."
"...Young Lord Namgung?"
A cracked voice responded. It was raspy, as if she had been crying her heart out.
After a moment's hesitation, Namgung Myeong asked, "May I come in for a moment?"
"No... please go back..."
Namgung Myeong looked at Seo-jun, his eyes asking what to do.
Seo-jun scratched his head.
"Hmm... barging into a lady's room is a bit..."
"I'm shocked. To think you actually possessed such common sense."
Hwangbo Jun let out a deep sigh and waved them off.
"I'll go in for a bit. Wait here."
Hwangbo Jun entered his grand-niece's room.
Listening closely, it seemed he was comforting her. They appeared to have a decent relationship, which made Seo-jun wonder why the man had let things get this bad in the first place.
After some time, Hwangbo Hye-ji emerged from the room.
She had tidied herself up in a hurry, so her appearance was neat, but her eyes were swollen and red, making for a pitiful sight. Furthermore, the injuries she’d sustained during her duel with Namgung Su-ah hadn't fully healed. Seeing the cut on the corner of her mouth made Seo-jun’s heart ache.
She reminds me of Chun-bong...
The image of Chun-bong overlapped with Hwangbo Hye-ji, leaving him with complicated feelings.
Her complexion was awful, and the dark circles under her eyes suggested she was on the verge of developing an Inner Demon.
How could a mother do this to her daughter when she was in such a state?
People might have different ways of thinking, but Seo-jun had no intention of trying to empathize with everyone. No matter how he looked at it, this was wrong.
Seo-jun looked at Hwangbo Hye-ji and pondered. Given her current state, any lecture would likely have a negative effect.
"For now—Myeong, you two stay here and talk for a bit."
*
To reach a high realm of martial arts, one needs conviction in oneself.
This doesn't mean one shouldn't rely on anyone. Don't those who serve gods also reach high realms? Accepting the will of another doesn't necessarily hinder one's progress.
However, it is certain that one must clearly understand their own will.
Take the Demonic Cult, for example.
They worship Mara Papiyas. While some may not, many possess a fanatical faith in the Demon Immortal.
Then how did they reach high realms like the Super Peak Realm or the Transcendent Realm?
One needs to understand the difference between them and Hwangbo Hye-ji.
From what Seo-jun could see, the cultists do not doubt their faith. Judging by what he’d heard, they would throw away their lives without hesitation for the will of Mara Papiyas.
In a way, their belief in themselves is unshakable. Faith is, after all, belief. Their conviction in themselves for believing in Mara Papiyas is absolute.
But what about Hwangbo Hye-ji?
She tries to follow her mother's will, but that's all it is. She doesn't fully agree with it. She can't say no to what she feels is wrong; she just suppresses it and endures in silence.
"So, what are you trying to say?"
In response to Hwangbo Jun’s question, Seo-jun replied, "Hwangbo Hye-ji needs to establish her own will. If she's going to follow her mother, she should do it blindly. If not, she needs to be able to say that what's wrong is wrong."
If she continued like this, it wouldn't be long before she high-fived Qi Deviation and crossed the River of the Dead.
"So, the conclusion is, I'm going to work her to the bone."
"What?"
"If she's pushed until her survival instincts kick in, won't she eventually figure out her own will?"
He sincerely hoped Hwangbo Hye-ji would reach a peaceful compromise with her inner self. Then she would realize: Ah, my mother's words aren't everything.
Only then could she truly begin—both as a martial artist and as an adult.
As for that woman, Hwangbo Seo-rin, she could just watch her daughter succeed on her own and star in her own "Regret, Anguish, and Obsession" drama. It would be quite entertaining to poke at her from the sidelines then.
Because it's always painful to admit you were wrong.
—And if she still didn't get it even after seeing the results?
Then she’d need a good beating. At that point, it would be perfectly legal to hit her.