Meeting the Five Sisters of the Zhen Family
The clash of weapons rang out sharply. Clang!Clang!Clang!
Zhang Nao Gong was managing to block Seo Jun’s rapid thrusts, though he clearly found the speed burdensome. ‘This bastard has solid fundamentals. Still, he’s no match for me!’
Whoosh!Clang-clang-clang!
Seo Jun’s spear strikes gradually increased in speed, overwhelming Zhang Nao Gong. What the bandit leader had once endured with relative ease now required him to grit his teeth and pour every ounce of strength into mere defense.
Boooom!
Seo Jun’s spear collided with Zhang Nao Gong’s sword, sending a thunderous crash echoing across the battlefield. Seo Jun had no intention of dragging this out any longer. He focused his power and swung his spear toward the bandit’s neck, a strike the man could no longer react to properly.
“Haaah!!”
Whoooosh—!
Squelch!
The slash came too fast and too powerful to dodge. Zhang Nao Gong tried to block it with his sword, but the blade only held for a split second before it was sliced clean through like a radish. Seo Jun’s spear continued its unstoppable path, severing half of Zhang Nao Gong’s neck before exiting the other side.
“Guh…!”
Thud!
Zhang Nao Gong clutched his throat, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and dropped to his knees. In one fluid motion, Seo Jun swung his spear again, completely decapitating the bandit leader.
“Your leader is dead!!! Anyone who refuses to drop their weapons and surrender will die by my hand!!! Throw down your arms now!!”
Seo Jun thrust the severed head onto the tip of his spear and raised it high as he roared. The bandits, their morale completely shattered, either fled in every direction or began dropping their weapons one by one, falling to their knees in surrender.
“Run!!”
“Please spare us!!!”
“We surrender!”
Soon nearly every bandit had discarded their weapons and knelt in submission. A few desperate souls tried to leap over walls or flee back the way they had come, but they were quickly cut down by the county soldiers.
“Waaah! We’re alive!!!”
“Long live!!!”
“Long live!!!”
The soldiers who had been prepared to die now celebrated their complete victory, cheering wildly. Jeon Sang and Jeon Ye swiftly issued orders while rounding up the surrendering bandits. The civilians who had been hiding inside their homes, watching the battle through cracked doors, rushed outside and joined in the triumphant cries.
Huu—
Seo Jun watched the joyous scene and took a moment to catch his breath. ‘At least Wuji County has been settled for now. That fight was more exhausting than I expected.’
Aside from Zhang Nao Gong, there hadn’t been any particularly strong opponents, but the sheer number of enemies had drained him considerably. As he stood recovering, Jeon Sang and Jeon Ye hurried over and greeted him respectfully.
“Greetings. I am Jeon Sang, Magistrate of Wuji County. This is my nephew Jeon Ye, who serves as the county’s junior officer. Thanks to your help, Sir Seo, our county has safely overcome this crisis. I truly don’t know how to express my gratitude.”
“My name is Jeon Ye.”
“I’m Seo Jun. I only offered what little help I could. Please don’t think too much of it.”
“I would love to offer you a cup of water at the very least, but circumstances don’t allow it right now. Once we’ve finished cleaning up, I will definitely come to pay my proper respects.”
“There’s really no need to trouble yourselves.”
The two men quickly took command of the soldiers and the county’s young men, separating prisoners, transporting the wounded, and restoring order to the county as they handled the aftermath.
‘He looks around my age or maybe a little younger, yet he’s already so skilled at military administration and leaves no gaps in his work.’
That was Seo Jun’s impression after watching Jeon Ye. While Seo Jun excelled in personal combat, he knew he was relatively weak when it came to commanding troops or applying military strategy. Jeon Ye’s competence felt refreshing. Even though Jeon Sang was technically his superior, the magistrate would always turn to his nephew for advice whenever a difficult situation arose.
As Seo Jun stood quietly observing the busy crowd, Gyeon Yo and Gyeon Gang descended the hill from the family estate and approached him. They bowed deeply in gratitude.
“I am Gyeon Yo, son of the Gyeon family. This is my elder sister, Gyeon Gang. We would like to invite you to our home to express our thanks with a warm meal. We would be deeply grateful if you would accept.”
Gyeon Yo bowed once more, his request sincere.
‘Why is everyone being so formal? It’s actually a bit overwhelming.’
This was the most courteous invitation he had received since arriving in this era, and it left him slightly uncomfortable.
“Young Master Seo! Please don’t feel burdened. If not for your help today, our family would have suffered catastrophic losses—or even faced total annihilation. Mother is so grateful that she truly wishes to treat you to a proper meal.”
Gyeon Gang smiled at him with eyes full of goodwill. For a woman of this era, she was quite tall, with sharp, elegant features that radiated grace. What truly caught Seo Jun’s attention, however, was the armor she wore—something rarely seen on ordinary women of this time. It gave her a refreshing, almost striking presence.
‘She reminds me of the female warrior NPCs from those old Three Kingdoms games.’
The beautiful female generals in armor from those games had always sparked his imagination. Gyeon Gang noticed the brief flash of curiosity in Seo Jun’s eyes before it vanished. Most men would have frowned at her appearance, only to quickly hide their reaction once they noticed her beauty. But Seo Jun’s response was different.
In the end, Seo Jun accepted the invitation. After all, it was just a meal, and he was genuinely curious about the Zhen sisters that Ha-un had been so eager to see. Little did he know how mistaken that casual thought would prove to be.
At a large, round table sat a beautiful middle-aged woman who appeared to be in her fifties. Seo Jun was seated directly across from her, with three women to his left, and one man and two women to his right. All of them stared at him with intense, curious eyes that seemed to pierce right through him.
The matriarch of the Zhongshan Zhen family had shared a loving relationship with the previous head, Zhen Yi, and together they had three sons and five daughters. Their eldest son, Zhen Ye, had died young. The second son, Zhen Eom, had been recommended as a Xiaolian at the age of twenty-five and now served in Luoyang under the Grand General’s staff. The third child, Gyeon Gang, was twenty-three—already of marriageable age—but had devoted herself to martial arts and remained unmarried. The fourth, Gyeon Yo, was twenty-one and had taken on the role of family head in his brother’s place. Below him came Gyeon Tal at nineteen, Gyeon Do at seventeen, Gyeon Yeong at fifteen, and the youngest, Gyeon Mi at thirteen.
After spending time with them and seeing their faces, Seo Jun finally understood perfectly why Ha-un had been so desperate to meet—and covet—these sisters. Even Gyeon Gang, now fully grown, possessed breathtaking beauty, while the younger sisters, though not yet of age, already showed the promise of stunning futures. The youngest, Gyeon Mi, looked like a living doll. Had she been born in modern times, she would have debuted as a child actress and become an absolute superstar.
Chatter chatter chatter.
“How old are you, sir?”
“Are you married?”
“How did you become so skilled in martial arts?”
“What’s your favorite food?”
“Does the meal suit your taste?”
He only had two ears, yet dozens of questions poured in at once.
‘It’s been a while since my ears felt this numb.’
Nevertheless, Seo Jun answered each question sincerely, keeping the atmosphere pleasant and warm.
“Then, Brother Seo, what kind of woman do you like?”
The sudden, direct question came from the most unexpected person. It was the youngest, Gyeon Mi, who had been sitting beside him with her doll-like face, innocently stuffing food into her cute little mouth.
“Hahaha~”
“Oh my! Is our precious youngest interested in the White Dragon Duke?”
“Mother, Brother Seo is so handsome. His martial skills are outstanding, and the way he treats us now is so gentle compared to how he fought earlier. I think he would make an ideal husband.”
“Hohoho~ To think our youngest has already grasped such wisdom at her tender age. How remarkable.”
Gyeon Mi’s adorable yet bold words turned the dinner table into a burst of laughter. Yet in the eyes of her sisters, sparks ignited as their competitive spirits flared to life.
At the earnest request of the Zhen family, Seo Jun could not leave right away. He ended up staying at the estate for two more days. He asked Gyeon Yo to bring Ah-chan and Ah-on, who had been waiting in An-hui County. The two arrived at the Zhen estate yesterday and were now staying together with him.
After another lively lunch with the sisters, Seo Jun felt slightly drained. He was resting in the rear garden when a servant from the household approached and informed him that a guest had arrived.