Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Translator: Penny
Chapter 36
Into the Summer (3)
Mother hosted a banquet for the rising talents.
Officially, it was said to be a gathering for the young people who would shoulder the future of Shandong, but in truth, it was for me and Song Hwarin.
She had grown anxious because I had been so absorbed in Sword Guard training that I hadn't met Song Hwarin even once.
She hastily organized the banquet before leaving to earn more money.
Unfortunately, I didn't particularly enjoy banquets.
This was partly because I had experienced them to the point of exhaustion during my time as Alliance Leader, and partly because I disliked the inherent nature of banquets, where one had to smile and be polite even to people they despised.
I also harbored a particular prejudice against banquets for young people.
When young people gathered to drink, they inevitably got drunk, made mistakes, and started fights.
Despite my reservations, I couldn't dissuade my mother from hosting the banquet.
Invitations were sent out, and the banquet proceeded as planned.
Song Hwarin, who had received a special invitation from my mother, and most of the rising talents from Shandong attended.
With our family's influence waning, I had anticipated a surge of arrogant upstarts.
Yet, when the banquet finally commenced, the atmosphere proved surprisingly pleasant.
The event featured fine wines and exquisite cuisine, thanks to my mother's meticulous preparations. However, the positive atmosphere was largely due to the rumors surrounding me. In particular, the story of how the Minor Sword Guard, led by me, had annihilated the Beast Squad had become legendary among Shandong's rising talents.
Everyone reacted favorably toward me. No one dared to openly disregard me.
Instead, they asked how the Minor Sword Guard had defeated the Beast Squad, trying to appear friendly. Among them were even those who had sided with Yang Gikang and glared at me with contempt.
Are they just selfish? Or completely clueless?
But I knew better.
Building a family's power wasn't a private matter.
You had to be able to smile at people you hated and say things you didn't mean.
That's why I was listening to these children's boasts about their families, martial arts, wealth, and newly acquired weapons with a smile.
If I couldn't stomach this, I should have stayed out of power struggles and lived freely.
Since things had come to this, I scanned the crowd for anyone useful. These were the types I'd inevitably encounter while expanding my family's business in Shandong.
I made mental notes of each person's personality and memorized their family's circumstances.
Chief Steward Jong's remark about the Shandong Merchant Guild had played a crucial role in resolving the previous incident. Now, it was impossible to know what seemingly insignificant detail might later prove to be the key to solving future problems.
Song Hwarin and I mostly listened. She remained as detached from the banquet as I did.
Her gaze toward me was noticeably softer than before, likely due to my assistance during the previous incident. However, she didn't initiate conversation.
In truth, even if she had wanted to speak, there was no opportunity. Young men swarmed around her, while those lacking confidence glanced at her from afar. If she enjoyed such attention, it must be a blissful moment; otherwise, it must be quite an ordeal.
"Miss Song, let's have a drink."
Despite the persistent requests, her reply remained the same.
"I don't drink alcohol," she said.
Strangely, she didn't take even a single sip.
When someone asked why, she simply offered a faint smile.
Could there be a story behind this?
Actually, what I was truly curious about was something else: why she disliked the Alliance Leader. But the atmosphere wasn't right to ask, so I held back. I planned to ask again when the opportunity arose.
One of the women present, perhaps annoyed by Song Hwarin monopolizing the men's attention, asked her, "There's a rumor you're breaking off your engagement with Young Master Byeok. Is that true?"
Her voice carried, and the room fell silent as all eyes turned to them.
Song Hwarin looked momentarily flustered. Though she had initiated the conversation, she clearly didn't want to discuss it in front of so many people.
I answered for her.
"Regardless of the rumors, isn't she far too good for me?"
The men nodded in unison at my vague reply. But the woman who had asked the question spoke again.
"Looks aren't everything, you know."
She seemed determined to embarrass Song Hwarin. It was inevitable that Song Hwarin would be the target of every woman's jealousy.
However, I had no intention of playing along with this audacious and rude woman.
"It's rare for a beautiful woman to also be intelligent and skilled in martial arts. Miss Song has accomplished something truly extraordinary."
The woman's expression hardened. She had hoped to provoke negative comments by bringing up the engagement, but instead, she received praise. Displeased, she turned away.
"Alright, let's all raise a toast together."
I lifted my glass high.
After the banquet, Song Hwarin approached me and asked, "Do you really think that?"
"Think what?"
"That I'm too good for you?"
I nodded. It was the honest truth.
"But your eyes don't show that at all."
"What do my eyes show?"
"They're indifferent. So indifferent, it's almost unsettling."
I chuckled at her words. I could see how they might appear that way. Especially now that my Ren and Du Meridians had been unblocked, my gaze had deepened, making me seem even more detached.
Unable to respond to her comment, I subtly changed the subject.
"How's your martial arts training going?"
"I'm working hard at it."
I didn't know who had taught her, but I could sense her considerable skill. Among the rising talents gathered here, she would likely be vying for the top spot.
"How about you?"
"I'm working hard too."
The conversation kept breaking off awkwardly, but they were still treating each other more gently than before.
They were said to have been close when they were very young, but I had no memory of that time.
I spoke to her softly.
"I just want you to relax and not overthink things."
"What do you mean?"
"We're twenty now, right? It's too precious an age to be tied down by anything. Let's just enjoy the life we've been given and live it to the fullest."
For a moment, her eyes flickered. She must have felt the same way about not wanting to be bound by anything.
"And whatever you saw in my eyes, you're truly beautiful. Almost too good for me."
"I... I don't know how to respond to such words."
Song Hwarin trailed off, a flicker of sadness crossing her gaze.
Yes, because she was beautiful—so overwhelmingly beautiful—she must endure hardships. She had to withstand the lecherous gazes of men and the merciless jealousy of women. Perhaps there were wounds hidden beneath the surface, ones I couldn't even imagine.
"I know you want to be recognized for your skills, not your looks. But the more you cling to that desire, the more the world will judge you solely by your appearance."
Her beauty wasn't the ordinary kind you see everywhere. It was extraordinary, striking, almost otherworldly.
"Then what should I do?"
Her voice carried a desperate plea.
"Just boldly embrace your beauty. Tell people, 'Yes, I'm stunningly beautiful. So what? Isn't it better to be beautiful anyway?' Say it like that."
"I... I can't do that."
No, she wasn't the type to act that way.
But I thought to myself:
"Even so, I have to do it. Sometimes, the only way to escape something is to fully acknowledge it."
She stared at me intently, her expression not hostile but rather grateful for my honesty.
"I... I can't understand you."
Of course she couldn't. The man she had returned to find was a wastrel, a gambler, a violent drunkard who squandered money on courtesans and even turned abusive toward her when drunk.
But the man before her now felt like a completely different person, leaving her understandably confused.
I chuckled. "Twenty is a fickle age, isn't it?"
Just then, my mother spotted us from afar and waved. She bowed politely, and I flashed her a bright smile.
And so, today's banquet came to an end.
Lately, Gong Suchan had been so busy that it was difficult to even catch a glimpse of him.
Even after the banquet ended late at night, he was still diligently reviewing a mountain of documents.
Ah, this is exactly why I need a Steward.
To be honest, I'm terrible with numbers. When it comes to martial arts, I can instantly calculate how to kill dozens of opponents, but when it comes to finances, I struggle to even calculate the Sword Guard members' meal expenses.
As I entered, Gong Suchan rose from his seat and greeted me.
"You've arrived?"
"I hope I'm not too late."
"Not at all. As you can see, I was still working. Please, have a seat."
Gong Suchan poured cold tea from a teapot.
"This tea clears the mind."
"So this is why Steward Gong's mind is so sharp."
"Ha ha, you flatter me."
In truth, Gong Suchan was the person I needed to focus on most. Financial matters were crucial for expanding our organization.
"How's business going these days?"
"It's progressing reasonably well."
"How much money do we currently have?"
Gong Suchan answered immediately, without even checking the ledger. This meant he had a complete grasp of our financial situation.
"We have eighteen thousand taels."
Our funds had grown considerably, a testament to Gong Suchan's hard work.
"However, most of it is tied up in investments with the Merchant Guild. Do you need any funds?"
"Not immediately. I plan to expand the Sword Guard next spring."
"How many members are you thinking of adding?"
"I'm thinking of adding about forty more members. Is that feasible?"
"By next spring..."
Gong Suchan paused, seemingly calculating in his head, before smiling and replying, "Yes, that's definitely feasible."
"Good. Manage the funds accordingly."
"Understood."
The plan was to recruit forty more members, bringing the total to sixty. These sixty would be divided into three squads of twenty each, giving the Sword Guard a more complete structure.
When asked about increasing the numbers, Gong Suchan didn't answer immediately but instead did some calculations. This suggested that the situation wasn't as comfortable as it seemed.
To ensure more stable operations, they needed to diligently earn money while simultaneously strengthening the current Sword Guard.
"Inform me immediately if any suitable missions come up."
The next day, when I found Gwangdu, he was sitting in the backyard where he always practiced, his expression one of utter desolation, as if he had lost the entire Martial Arts World. Though I had a hunch about what was wrong, I feigned ignorance and asked,
"What's wrong? Is the training too hard?"
Gwangdu kept his head bowed, answering weakly, "No. The training is actually really fun."
"Then what is it?"
"Why are you pretending you don't know?"
"Does she not like you?"
"...Yes."
"Did she say it to your face?"
Do Sun didn't seem like the type to be so harsh.
"No."
"Then how do you know?"
"She didn't attach the tassel I gave her to her sword."
"Hahahaha!"
I burst out laughing. I never would have guessed such a trivial reason could cause such despair.
"Are you really laughing right now?"
"Maybe she didn't attach it because it's too precious?"
"Huh?"
Gwangdu's eyes widened instantly. In that moment, he seemed to regain the martial arts world he had lost.
"Ah, that could be it! I didn't even think of that. Idiot! I'm such an idiot. Young Master, thank you. Thank you so much."
Gwangdu sprang to his feet and grabbed my hand. I poured cold water on his rekindled enthusiasm.
"Of course, it could also be that she simply didn't like it."
"Why are you being like this? One moment you're saying one thing, the next you're saying another."
"I'm just saying, you can never truly understand a woman's heart."
Even after living seventy lives, this remained the area where I felt most uncertain.
"True enough," Gwangdu sighed, sinking back into his seat. I sat down beside him and asked, "What do you like about Do Sun?"
"Everything."
"You didn't like her this much before, did you?"
"It's strange, really. When she shyly handed me the gift, my heart suddenly dropped. I'd never felt anything like it before. And let me be clear: I don't want to hear any cheap jokes about it being because of the gift. I'm being serious."
"I didn't say anything."
I felt a pang of envy for Gwangdu. I'd never experienced such heart-fluttering love. If I ever met a woman I truly liked, would my heart really drop the way he described?
I cautiously shared what I'd noticed earlier.
"I think Songhui likes you."
"She's still just a kid."
I mentioned it just in case, but it seemed he already knew. Well, he wasn't that clueless.
"He's just like a younger brother to me."
The problem was, Songhui didn't see it that way.
Even I, once the Foremost Person Under Heaven, and Gwangdu, who had just started learning martial arts, found matters of the heart endlessly complicated. Getting into a relationship was hard, and avoiding one was just as difficult.
"I'm leaving. You should focus on finding your lost heart. You might need it for another woman someday."
"You're mean."
"The truth always hurts."
As I stood up to leave, Gwangdu grabbed my arm.
"Just a moment, Young Master," he said with a serious expression. "Teach me the Dagger Technique too."
Gwangdu's first love and his competitive spirit against Gwanhwi were still burning strong.