Chapter 41
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Unchanged Hwangbo Family
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A large manor came into view in the distance, a plaque reading "Hwangbo Family" catching their eyes.
"It's the Hwangbo Family!"
Tears welled up in Hwangbo Yeong's eyes.
"Finally...."
This was the first time he had stepped outside the family for the grand assembly. Though he never said it, he must have missed home terribly all this time.
"...."
Hwangbo Yeong held back the tears that were about to flow. Dong Ho-won, who had been watching him sidelong, tapped his shoulder.
"Wow, not bad? I figured you'd be bawling."
Hwangbo Yeong put strength into his eyes.
"Ah, Father said men of the Hwangbo Family don't cry carelessly."
"Impressive."
It hadn't been a long time, but traveling with Seol Hwa-un's group had considerably toughened Hwangbo Yeong's resolve.
He smiled brightly as he spoke.
"Let's hurry on."
The manor gradually drew closer. It wasn't particularly large, but it gave off a solid, steadfast impression somehow.
Of course, it couldn't compare to the world's greatest clan, the Namgung Family. A few in the group felt a bit disappointed, but they didn't show it in front of Hwangbo Yeong.
However, Seol Hwa-un's expression was unusual.
"Impressive."
The Hwangbo Family was exactly as it had been two hundred years ago, when he last visited. It felt like stepping back in time.
"There are signs of repairs here and there, but the basic structure has been preserved intact."
It was as if he could see the stubborn determination of the Hwangbo Family.
Seol Hwa-un suddenly found it amusing.
"Just a few days ago, I saw the completely transformed Yangtze River Waterway Stronghold. And now, the unchanging Hwangbo Family."
He felt like he had glimpsed a truth of the world.
"Yes. While some things must change with the flow of time, there are also things worth preserving to the end."
With that, Seol Hwa-un entered the Hwangbo Family.
* * *
News of Hwangbo Yeong's return spread through the Hwangbo Family, sending it into a flurry of activity. The chief steward soon emerged to guide Seol Hwa-un's group to the guest hall.
Once they had settled into the finest quarters in the guest hall and unpacked their bundles, the chief steward bowed politely.
"We are deeply grateful for safely escorting our young master home."
Hwangbo Yeong gave an awkward smile beside him. Still, he seemed far more at ease than before.
"The family head sent a letter instructing us to spare no expense and host the guests from the North Sea Ice Palace with utmost sincerity. Please rest comfortably without worry."
Seol Hwa-un responded on behalf of the group.
"Thank you, chief steward."
Hwangbo Yeong spoke up.
"Please rest. I'll pay my respects to the family elders and then personally guide you."
With that, Hwangbo Yeong and the chief steward departed. Seol Hwa-un turned to the group.
"You've all worked hard traveling these past days, so rest well today. We'll dispense with night watches not just tonight, but for our entire stay here. There's no need for it in the Hwangbo Family."
The North Wind Brigade members' faces visibly brightened.
"Yes, Young Palace Lord!"
Even the North Wind Brigade Leader, who might have objected in the past, said nothing.
Having fully acknowledged Seol Hwa-un, he had decided not to go against his orders.
"Well, it's good for the North Wind Brigade members too."
About an hour later, Hwangbo Yeong returned. Freshly bathed and changed, he was unmistakably a refined young gentleman.
"Young Palace Lord, shall we go?"
"Let's."
As Seol Hwa-un moved, Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi naturally followed.
Hwangbo Yeong pointed to a grand hall.
"This is the main audience hall. It's used for major family events and meetings...."
Seol Hwa-un, who already knew the layout of the Hwangbo Family perfectly, followed silently.
"Even seeing it again, it's exactly the same. Almost eerily so now?"
The flooring, the roof tiles' color, even the garden—all identical to before. He could only marvel once more at the Hwangbo Family's tenacity.
As they walked, someone suddenly pounced on Hwangbo Yeong.
"Cutie! You should've come straight to me when you got back!"
She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, so Hwangbo Yeong couldn't see who it was. But the firm arms and bold action told him plenty.
"S-Sis?"
"Say my name. Who am I?"
Hwangbo Yeong furrowed his brow. After a brief moment of thought, he spoke.
"...Grace Sis?"
"Wrong!"
"Ugh! It's Kindness Sis!"
"Too late, cutie!"
Hwangbo Seon-hye.
She was one of Hwangbo Yeong's three sisters.
His eldest sister had left to marry and was no longer at the family estate, leaving just these two.
At eighteen this year, she was quite pretty, but inheriting the Hwangbo Family blood, her shoulders were broad.
Yet her well-trained body had just the right amount of muscle, giving her excellent proportions.
"S-Sis! There are guests...."
"Hm?"
Only then did she notice Seol Hwa-un's group as she playfully rapped her knuckles on Hwangbo Yeong's head.
"...."
Hwangbo Seon-hye's gaze traveled from Dong Ho-won to Eom Mu-hwi, then to Seol Hwa-un. She startled and released Hwangbo Yeong.
"An incredible handsome man!'
She stood demurely, her face flushing.
"Ah, hello. I'm Hwangbo Seon-hye, Yeong's sister."
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Seol Hwa-un."
"Oh my! You're the Young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace. It's an honor to meet you."
Hwangbo Yeong, watching from the side, unconsciously scowled.
"What's with her?'
Seol Hwa-un was purely surprised. This was the first woman of such build he had seen in the Central Plains.
"Remarkable. Even as a woman, she has a highly trained physique."
It rivaled the female warriors of the North Sea Ice Palace.
Misinterpreting his intent gaze, Hwangbo Seon-hye twisted her body shyly.
"How embarrassing....'
Hwangbo Yeong forced a smile.
"Haha, Sis? Enough now, let's get going."
Hwangbo Seon-hye smiled. It was a gentle smile he had never seen from her before.
"Little brother, what were you doing escorting these guests?"
"Uh, yeah? I was showing them around the estate...."
"Oh my! That's my specialty. Leave it to me."
"What do you mean... Mmph!"
Hwangbo Seon-hye clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Hehe. You must be tired, little brother. Leave them to me and go rest."
"Mmph mmph!"
It was then.
"Cutie!"
Grab!
Another person appeared and seized Hwangbo Yeong's neck.
"Ugh!"
Curiously, this one was also a woman, identical in appearance to Hwangbo Seon-hye.
"Twins?"
"You rascal, didn't you miss your sis? What's this here?"
"Guh, guh! Sis, please let go of my neck... And there are guests...."
"....Hm?"
Only then grasping the situation, she spotted Seol Hwa-un's face and quickly bowed her head demurely.
"Ah, hello. I'm Hwangbo Eun-hye, Yeong's sister."
Everyone wore dazed expressions, but Seol Hwa-un alone cupped his fists in greeting.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Seol Hwa-un."
And so their number became six.
"...."
The twins stuck right to Seol Hwa-un's sides, refusing to budge.
"Hehe. Young master, over here...."
"Young master? Look here. This is what I've been diligently cultivating...."
Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won, following behind Seol Hwa-un, couldn't hide their bitter expressions.
"Tch!"
They weren't particularly interested in the twins, but being blatantly ignored didn't feel good.
Even amid the chatter from both sides, Seol Hwa-un questioned them.
"You both have remarkably trained bodies. Do you focus on any particular external martial arts training?"
For fist warriors, external training was all the more crucial. It was only natural for Seol Hwa-un to take interest.
It wasn't quite the direction they wanted, but the twins didn't mind.
"We mainly start our days at dawn, focusing first on the most important lower body...."
Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi, overhearing from behind, shook their heads.
Before long, the twins forgot their efforts to impress Seol Hwa-un and dove into a martial arts discussion.
"Fist techniques are all about strong fists at their core, right? I think the power to shatter even an opponent's weapon is key."
"Nonsense. Fast fists should be the center. In close-range fist fighting, nothing beats a swift preemptive strike."
Seol Hwa-un shared his view.
"Both young ladies have valid points. But I believe the foundation lies in the balanced middle path, without leaning to either extreme. Once that foundation is complete, one can pursue strong fists or fast fists as desired...."
The more they talked, the more Hwangbo Seon-hye and Hwangbo Eun-hye marveled at Seol Hwa-un's profound martial principles.
"How is he so brilliant?'
"He's not just handsome.'
As the twins' gazes grew ever more affectionate, they arrived at the Hwangbo Family's grand training ground.
"Hah! Hah! Hah!"
"Hyah!!"
Numerous Hwangbo Family warriors were training there, and true to the clan's emphasis on fundamentals, most were practicing external arts.
Though the group included Hwangbo Yeong, the two sisters, and outsiders, it didn't seem to be an issue.
"...."
As expected of the Hwangbo Family.
Their auras were impressive, but their very frameworks differed from ordinary warriors.
Despite the still-chilly weather, most had stripped off their upper garments, proudly displaying their massive muscles.
For once, Hwangbo Yeong stepped forward.
"These are the warriors of the Heavenly Kings Brigade, the strongest force among our family's martial units. Even in our clan, famed for long training hours, they practice the longest."
Seol Hwa-un nodded instinctively.
"They're doing it right."
The sight of fist warriors rigorously training stirred great emotion in him.
"It's been a while since I saw such a sight, after the Ice Family in my palace."
Then, a heavy voice rang out.
"Who are you."
Turning, they saw a burly middle-aged man standing there.
"The Hwangbo family head?'
Seol Hwa-un momentarily thought it was the Hwangbo Family Head, Hwangbo Tae-neung. But he soon realized it wasn't.
This man was leaner, with sharper eyes.
"Well, the family head is still in Hefei....'
But the striking resemblance confirmed they were brothers.
Hwangbo Yeong spoke.
"Ah, Uncle. This person is...."
The middle-aged man coldly cut him off.
"I didn't ask you."
He stared straight at Seol Hwa-un.
Seol Hwa-un calmly cupped his fists.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Seol Hwa-un, Young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace."
The corner of the middle-aged man's mouth twitched upward.
"I see. So you're the friend my brother mentioned."