Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Vacation. And the Interview. (5)
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Infinite Pavilion's Prosperity Hall.
The place that had nearly half of it blown away not long ago had been neatly repaired.
As soon as he sat down at the prepared table, Baek Ri-seol stuck right by his side.
"Hehe. Have a simple taste."
"That's right. You said you like all expensive foods, didn't you? This is tonic soup made with ginseng from Goryeo."
"Here. Ahhhn. Open up. Ahhhn."
Baek Ri-seol holding out her chopsticks looked a bit scary.
"Ahhhn~."
Her eyes sparkling with a strange fervor like a child feeding a deer for the first time, her gaze licking over him could be overlooked.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and ahhhn~."
Ignoring the pressure of the chopsticks pressing into his cheeks, Chu Un-hwi asked in a low voice.
"Hey. Why's the atmosphere here like this?"
"Like what?"
What do you mean, what.
Looking around, he saw several pairs of eyes staring blankly at them.
People who didn't even notice their food cooling, just staring fixedly this way without moving a muscle.
Even for someone as oblivious as himself, it was an unbearably burdensome sight.
"Don't mind the trivial things. Now, ahhhn~."
"Your cousin uncle over there is watching."
"So what? I'm just treating a guest."
"One point: your parents haven't even picked up their chopsticks yet."
"If they're hungry, they'll eat on their own."
This is it, huh.
The saying that black-haired beasts shouldn't be raised. Raising a daughter is useless, too.
"Your brother's stomach is growling so loud it's reaching here... Urp."
"Hehe. Success."
Baek Ri-seol, laughing innocently at her success, now scooped up a large ladle and said,
"Next, snake soup or turtle soup, which one?"
It seemed Baek Ri-seol had no intention of stopping.
Watching Baek Ri-seol's cheerful demeanor, Baek Ri-seon-ho wore a displeased expression.
'Is that really the same girl from yesterday?'
The girl smiling brightly, trying to feed him meat and side dishes.
Watching her embodiment of affection, he recalled yesterday's events.
"How shameless."
A chilling voice echoed through the hall.
In response, Infinite Pavilion Master Baek Ri-jeong-sun hurriedly made excuses.
"I'm sorry, Seol-ah. But it wasn't my true feelings. You know that, right? I was merely manipulated by the demonic arts."
"Yes, Seol-ah. We're apologizing like this, so forgive your brother."
The Infinite Pavilion Master and his wife apologized, but Baek Ri-seol didn't budge.
On the contrary, she wore an astonishingly cold expression, laced with venomous resentment.
"How simple. Thinking a few words can erase over a decade of suffering."
"Let me say it again."
"Enough."
Baek Ri-seol spoke in a voice devoid of any emotion.
"Did you know? The Soul-Stealing Portrait you two fell victim to was a spell that amplified desires."
"If you hadn't harbored vain greed, none of this misfortune would have befallen me."
"Did you think hiding the nature of the Soul-Stealing Portrait would keep me in the dark?"
"......"
Unable to retort to her icy words, the Infinite Pavilion Master and his wife fell silent.
Watching this, Baek Ri-seon-ho inwardly clicked his tongue.
'Tch. You have to hide what needs hiding.'
He understood keeping quiet about the Soul-Stealing Portrait since they knew their fault.
The problem was that Baek Ri-seol had rummaged through the Infinite Pavilion's library, uncovered the hypnosis technique's true nature, and even found the secretly hidden emergency funds.
"I can't accept mere verbal apologies. Moreover, why try to hand over the Infinite Pavilion's assets to that clueless fool?"
"That's..."
"We can't even give a single brick of the Infinite Pavilion to the likes of him."
"Seol-ah. Man-ho is your brother."
Baek Ri-jeong-sun pleaded, but Baek Ri-seol didn't blink.
"I let blood kin like him cling to the estate. Otherwise, I'd have kicked him out to starve on the streets by now."
"Seol-ah!"
Her words were cold, but Baek Ri-seon-ho couldn't side with the Infinite Pavilion Master and his wife.
'Tch. Truly foolish beyond measure.'
He understood the patriarchal Baek Ri-jeong-sun favoring his eldest son Baek Ri-man-ho.
The problem was Baek Ri-man-ho's character.
'You have to favor in moderation.'
Lack of talent was one issue, but.
"Mother! Father! How can you leave the Infinite Pavilion to Seol while I'm here?"
"I'm the eldest son of this house! The Infinite Pavilion is rightfully mine!"
"How long do you plan to let that wench run wild?"
Not only immature, but completely oblivious to the situation.
Watching him throw a tantrum relentlessly, Baek Ri-seon-ho shook his head.
'Handing the Infinite Pavilion to that idiot will bankrupt the family.'
On the other hand, what about Baek Ri-seol?
In an instant, she seized control of the Infinite Pavilion's discipline and now perfectly commanded the servants' trust.
And not just that.
"Child. We were wrong. Won't you stop being angry?"
"Your mother's right. We'll admit our wrongs, so come back to being our pretty daughter like before."
"Huhu. Pretty daughter?"
Swaaaa.
With an aura colder than a blizzard, Baek Ri-seol haughtily lifted her chin.
"The old Baek Ri-seol who obeyed and craved your love is dead. Dead along with that damned cursed painting, the Soul-Stealing Portrait."
"You... how dare you speak to your parents like that... Khek."
Baek Ri-man-ho, exploding in rage, suddenly clutched his throat and let out a beastly howl.
Everyone watching was stunned.
'My god. Suppressing Man-ho with mere energy already?'
Displaying unbelievable prowess mastered in just a few months, Baek Ri-seol said,
"If a mouth can yap freely, it's quite troublesome."
Kwangtang.
Having instantly dominated the hall's atmosphere, Baek Ri-seol turned to Baek Ri-seon-ho.
"Cousin Uncle. You've arranged this meeting because you want something from me, right?"
Her talent in martial arts was high, but she was also cool-headed and bold.
Pretending surprise at her insight, Baek Ri-seon-ho asked ambiguously,
"Want something...?"
"Let's make a deal."
"What deal between family?"
"If no deal's needed, I can burn the White Crane Swordsmanship manual."
Struck at her core, Baek Ri-seon-ho felt a bit awkward.
'Ruthless. Truly ruthless.'
Having read his intentions, he couldn't refuse the proposal.
"How did you know I wanted the White Crane Swordsmanship?"
"It's the only thing you could take from someone you never cared about before."
"You brat. True, the family wants the White Crane Swordsmanship, but how can you speak so coldly?"
Baek Ri-seon-ho was genuinely angered.
Honestly, the White Crane Swordsmanship was tempting, but he had no intention of taking it amid such venomous barbs.
'Swordsmanship matters, but Seol's potential matters more.'
They couldn't make an enemy of the family like this. At least, she needed to grow under the Baek Family's shadow.
Noticing his sincerity, a glint appeared in Baek Ri-seol's eyes.
"Fine. I'll hand over the White Crane Swordsmanship. But I have conditions."
"Let's hear them first."
"I'll choose my own fate. I refuse to have it decided by others anymore."
It was a perfectly reasonable condition, nothing to deliberate.
Baek Ri-seon-ho nodded vigorously.
"Good. A person of the jianghu must carve their own path."
"Second. Treat me properly as the Baek Family's Pavilion's Central Treasure."
Another reasonable condition.
"Who would deny you what's rightfully yours? Accepted."
"The last one's the most important. Third."
For the first time, emotion flickered across Baek Ri-seol's face.
And the words that followed left Baek Ri-seon-ho flustered.
Kudangtang.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he saw today's honored guest face-planted into the table.
"Now... now stop."
"You've only had half a cow, two turtles, and half a pig?"
"I... I'll die. Die."
"Looks like you can fit more..."
Poking his side, the noble guest clamped his mouth shut and dry-heaved.
Singit.
Baek Ri-seol signaled him enthusiastically.
Only then did Baek Ri-seon-ho realize it was time for him to step in.
"Haha. Can't have a good day without liquor."
Clap clap.
Waiting servants carried in jars.
"Liquor?"
Seeing the honored guest perk up like a desert fox sensing its predator at the fragrant aroma, Baek Ri-seon-ho chuckled heartily.
"Shall we have a drink?"
"Just a little..."
"Bring the cups."
Taking the cup, the guest asked incredulously,
"Does the Baek Family use ladles instead of cups?"
As if.
Baek Ri-seon-ho fiddled with the ordinary cup, feigning ignorance.
"It's our way of welcoming honored guests."
"I'm fine... I'm full..."
"Seol-ah. What are you doing? Pour for the guest."
"Yes, Cousin Uncle."
Smiling brightly, she uncorked the jar, and Chu Un-hwi freaked out.
"Hey. Hey. What's this? More snakes than liquor."
"Hehe. Precious white snake liquor."
"This isn't liquor. It's snakes drowned in booze!"
"We have turtle liquor here, fermented with turtles. Oh, and horsefly liquor for vitality, deer antler liquor too."
Chak chak.
Each opened jar revealed a horrific sight inside.
His appetite gone, Baek Ri-seon-ho averted his eyes and filled the cup.
"Gulp it down."
"Wait. Wait."
"Gulp gulp it down."
Baek Ri-seol, urging beside him, forced the ladle of liquor into his mouth.
"Gaaahhh."
Letting out a grotesque howl, he barely swallowed, and the watching servants rose with their cups in unison.
"Instructor Chu. Infinite Pavilion Master Baek Ri-jeong-sun offers this cup in atonement."
"On such a fine day, meeting an honored guest—we can't sit idle. Please accept my cup."
"We met before? I'm in charge of the Master's guard..."
Watching Chu Un-hwi suddenly surrounded by servants, Baek Ri-seon-ho glanced at Baek Ri-seol.
The girl who had ruled the Infinite Pavilion with iron fist yesterday was now grinning, signaling, 'Good. Let's mess him up completely.'
Suddenly, her final proposal from yesterday came to mind.
- Third. I'll find my own partner.
Recalling her firm declaration, he thought the engagement to Merchant So of the Dragon Caravan must have been quite a shock.
Nearly marrying an ugly, balding old merchant would traumatize a flower-like girl.
But seeing now, that wasn't it.
"You already found your partner?"
She had a talent for startling people in every way.
Amazed, Baek Ri-seon-ho smiled wryly and tilted his cup.
"Puhuuu."
His face was hot.
The world spun round and round.
The worst was the stuff force-fed into him rioting to escape back up his throat.
"Ughhhhh."
Bracing his arms on the floor and dry-heaving, a deflated voice came.
"Why are you in such a state?"
Turning his head, a neatly dressed scholar stared at him with mouth agape.
"Je, Jegal."
"...Could you at least call me by name?"
"Right. This place is full of Jegals."
"...It's the Jegal Family's villa, so technically yes..."
"Uuk."
After another dry heave, Chu Un-hwi managed to speak.
"I went to the Baek Family yesterday."
"Ahh. I can imagine."
"The Baek Family is dangerous. For some reason, they all smiled while tormenting me."
"Must have been dangerous in many ways. Glad you returned safely."
Suddenly hardening his expression, Chu Un-hwi asked,
"No way. The Jegal Family too?"
Man, if I did wrong, say it outright.
Don't gang up on me cowardly.
Surprisingly, Jegal Tan's tone was reassuring.
"Haha. No. The villa master, my uncle, can't hold his liquor."
"Music to my ears."
"There are some who drink heartily, but the Jegal Family prefers tea over liquor."
Unusual for jianghu folk.
Especially since most prided themselves on drinking capacity.
Of course, he wouldn't let his guard down.
'Even righteous faction folks have backstabbed me before.'
He'd been caught off-guard in the past.
But Jegal Tan's bold claim wasn't entirely wrong.
"Haha. Thanks for accepting the invitation, Instructor Chu. I'm Jegal Yang-so."
The middle-aged man in black scholar's hat and robes looked refreshingly straightforward.
"My Tan's wandering has been my greatest worry lately, but thanks to you, Instructor Chu, one worry less. Come, join me here and talk."
A bit relieved by Jegal Yang-so's kind words as he gently pulled his sleeve, Chu Un-hwi felt at ease.