Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Temptation
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By the time the second sparring match ended.
The Zhuge family head, seated on the highest seat, fixed his gleaming eyes on Goon Ja-seong.
“…Impressive.”
His admiring words drew surprised looks from the direct blood relatives toward the family head.
He was not one to express admiration or surprise at anyone, after all.
Even sensing their gazes, the family head's expression didn't change as he turned his head to the person beside him.
“Disappointing, isn't it? Things not going your way.”
“…I have no idea what you mean.”
To the family head's words, the middle-aged beauty seated next to him—the great madam—replied as if she knew nothing.
With a snort at her response, the family head turned his gaze back to the front.
Already, the third sparring match.
Ilseomchang Baek Ri-kyung, facing him as the final opponent, seemed psychologically shaken by the defeats of the previous two guests and couldn't mount an offense.
In contrast, Goon Ja-seong leisurely parried the attacks and pressed Baek Ri-kyung relentlessly.
It was obvious who would win.
This meant the family head's decision wouldn't change.
“Seo-hee, prepare to greet your husband tonight.”
A one-sided command without even turning his head.
Seo-hee, seated right next to Geun-young, flinched and merely opened and closed her mouth.
With no reply, a cold voice struck her ears again.
“Why no answer?”
“…Yes.”
Seo-hee answered in resignation to the coercive questioning.
Geun-young gazed worriedly at his youngest sister, while the great madam trembled atop her knees with clenched hands.
Not everyone among the direct line worried for Seo-hee.
“Oh my~ Doesn't our Seo-hee have it good? Marrying such a handsome young master.”
A woman seated in front of Seo-hee and Geun-young spoke in a flirtatious voice as she turned her upper body.
A malicious smile curved her face, strikingly similar to that of Geun-young and Seo-hee siblings.
“Sister…!”
Geun-young frowned and scolded the woman.
The term "sister" from his lips hinted at her identity.
Zhuge Seo-ryeong.
The family head's eldest daughter and the older sister of Geun-young and Seo-hee.
Seo-ryeong met Geun-young's reproachful gaze head-on and opened her mouth.
“What? Did I say something wrong? With that looks, and martial arts that easily handle Black Wind Blade Guest and Divine Heaven Fist. Isn't he the perfect husband material?”
“…….”
An insensitive attitude that gave no thought to her youngest sister's feelings about entering a total stranger's room.
As Geun-young frowned and opened his mouth to speak, a new voice interjected.
“D-Don't fight. Both of you.”
A timid, lacking confidence voice.
Geun-young shut his mouth, and Seo-ryeong grimaced in annoyance.
The voice belonged to the man seated behind Geun-young and Seo-hee, his build so massive he could be mistaken for a giant bear at first glance.
Geun-young turned and politely apologized to the bear-like man.
“My apologies, brother-in-law. We've shown you an unseemly sight.”
The man's name was Im Chun-sam.
He was Seo-ryeong's husband, married to her under the family head's forceful will, and the third son of the now-extinct Wall Mountain Sect.
“You shut your mouth and stay put!”
“S-Sorry….”
Unlike Geun-young's polite apology to her brother-in-law, Seo-ryeong raised her voice and scolded Chun-sam.
Chun-sam, shrinking back in a way that didn't match his bull-slaying physique, apologized.
Seeing this only fueled Seo-ryeong's irritation, and she whipped her head away.
“Ahh~ How nice it would be if I had married such a handsome, dashing man.”
Blatantly ignoring her husband in front of everyone, heedless of surrounding eyes.
As Geun-young hardened his face and rose to say something, a pot-lid-sized hand gripped his shoulder.
“Brother-in-law….”
With Chun-sam silently shaking his head, Geun-young sighed deeply and sat back down.
Watching this, a strange unease surfaced on Seo-hee's face.
‘Sister and brother-in-law don't look happy either.’
No, it wasn't just Seo-ryeong and Chun-sam.
Everyone forced into marriage by the family head's will, or those who spent a night, were all the same.
Would she be any different?
Her gaze turned to the stage.
-Bam!
“Urk!”
Baek Ri-kyung, who lost his spear to Goon Ja-seong's sword.
Staring at the blade tip at his throat, he squeezed his eyes shut.
“…I lost.”
The third sparring match decided.
The result: Goon Ja-seong's victory.
Three consecutive fights, three straight wins.
The banquet hall's guests sent hot cheers to this young expert.
-Waaah-!
Goon Ja-seong approached the family head and politely cupped his fists.
The head gazed at him with satisfaction—or perhaps greed.
His blatant desire for Goon Ja-seong's mysterious martial arts was palpable.
And his own flesh would be the means to obtain those arts.
Like a tool.
Seo-hee lowered her eyes in gloom.
*
The moment Goon Ja-seong defeated Ilseomchang Baek Ri-kyung and claimed another victory,
A group watching from a corner of the banquet was there.
“Wow, damn, what the hell is that guy? Those movements…!”
“Fan Leader, did you see? Is that even human? N-No way it's some ghost, right? It is night now, though….”
Shabbier attire and appearances compared to other banquet guests.
Anyone would think beggars had crashed the party.
In truth, they were bandits, not beggars.
“Fan Leader my ass…! Shut up! Do we need to advertise we're bandits?”
The massive man at the group's center growled at his subordinate for using the bandit title outright.
The subordinate pouted and retorted.
“Then what do I call you? Like old times, Chief Officer? That sect's been gone for ages….”
“You bastard…!”
The man grimaced at his subordinate's comeback.
He was Chun-sam's older brother, Im Chun-il, former young sect master of Wall Mountain Sect.
He and the Guangshan Stronghold bandits, who had utterly wrecked Blood Light Squad—one of Patcheon Fortress's fifteen combat units—before fleeing in panic.
They tried to flee far from the surely enraged Patcheon Fortress's pursuit, but hit a massive snag.
Namely, having no money.
Due to some command structure mishap(?), the order to siphon valuable tribute beforehand wasn't followed, leaving them penniless beggars overnight.
At this rate, they'd starve on the streets.
Chun-il had no choice but to swallow his pride and come to the Zhuge family.
To seek aid from his youngest brother, married to the family head's eldest daughter.
But upon arrival, his brother's situation wasn't one to ask for help.
“L-Look at that. Look! Snapping at my husband like that!”
“Yes, I see. Seems the youngest young master has fallen out of favor with his wife.”
Watching the mountain-sized man cower timidly under his wife's scolding, Chun-il frustration-thumped his chest.
“Agh, that idiot. I knew it'd be like this. I was uneasy since he was such a timid kid growing up, I knew it'd end up like this!”
“Munch munch…. If you knew, why'd you come?”
As Fan Leader scratched again, Chun-il turned with a murderous glare to see his subordinates stuffing food into their mouths.
Chun-il bellowed in anger.
“You see that and still eat!?”
“Wouldn't it go down otherwise? Starved five days straight, then arrived at Zhuge family yesterday and scarfed a few bowls of porridge.”
“…….”
“Not hungry? We don't even have the energy to get mad.”
-Grrrrumble!
As if responding to Fan Leader's brazen words, a loud rumble came from Chun-il's stomach.
Realizing late the hunger buried under rage, Chun-il clutched his empty gut.
Fan Leader silently handed him a massive roast pork leg.
“…Tch!”
Clicking his tongue in displeasure, he snatched it and tore in ferociously.
But his eyes remained fixed on his huddled brother.
Chun-il was overly dramatic, but Chun-sam's sight was indeed pitiful.
Fan Leader glanced at Chun-il and offered consoling words.
“Still, he seems on good terms with his brother-in-law.”
Not empty words.
Indeed, Geun-young and the seated-behind Chun-sam were chatting amiably.
Chun-sam, perhaps finding Geun-young easy to talk to, nodded with a brighter face.
But from Chun-il's view, even that was infuriating.
“No! Why ignore my wife and get chummy with another guy-!”
As Chun-il's shouts rose, surrounding people began frowning and glaring at them.
Fan Leader sighed deeply and soothed him to shut him up.
“Calm down. Couples have rough patches sometimes. Maybe the youngest young master did something wrong? No need for a third party to meddle in marital affairs.”
“What third party?! I'm his brother, brother! Just watch, if he's bullying my innocent little brother for no reason, I'll just…!”
What exactly would he do?
Fan Leader eyed Chun-il with eyes flickering in ominous foreboding.
*
The banquet ended.
After I won three straight against the guests, it naturally dispersed as if all business was done.
“Seems they really wanted to see my martial arts firsthand, huh?”
“Yes, felt like everything was prepped in advance.”
Hwa-ryeon nodded in agreement with my thought.
One might feel played, but it didn't feel bad.
Probably thanks to Hwa-ryeon's figure walking beside me now.
“…Why do you keep staring?”
Did I stare too openly? Hwa-ryeon asked with a slightly shy face.
“Effort to etch it firmly in my mind? Gotta make sure I never forget.”
“W-What kind of thing to say so openly….”
I chuckled at Hwa-ryeon's even redder face when Seol-i's voice came from ahead.
“You two coming or what?”
“…Yeah, coming.”
Our Seol-i is great in every way, but could she just watch the mood a bit?
I desperately wanted more time with Hwa-ryeon, but suppressed it and returned alone to my guest quarters.
But lights were on in the room?
“…What?”
Did a maid light it first?
Tilting my head as I approached, I sensed movement inside.
Slowly opening the door, I froze at the sight within.
“Y-Young master. Come here, please. Tonight, I'll serve you.”
A woman.
Some woman lay reaching out to me.
In just thin silk robes, her provocative attire fully revealed her pale skin.
But her face felt familiar.
One of the direct blood relatives who entered with the family head at the banquet earlier.
Seo-hee, was it?
A bewitching smile on a face still flowery yet retaining youthful innocence.
With a strange scent wafting in the room, that smile felt even more seductive.
Turning, I saw an unfamiliar purple incense rising from a censer I hadn't noticed before.
Whoa, this on the first night?
Way beyond my expectations.
-You'll have it rough too.
Recalling Hyeok Ri-gwang's words late, I stared at Zhuge Seo-hee.
“Come here, quickly.”
Raising her upper body, extending both hands to me.
Watching her for a moment, I shed my outer robe.