Chapter 91
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Twenty-Four Styles (2)
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"How can I... stay in this house for good?"
Those words slipped out of my mouth before I knew it.
Myeong-gak flashed a sly, calculating smile upon hearing them.
"Can you cook?"
Cheongpung, sensing Myeong-gak's devious scheme, jumped in too.
"Can you chop firewood properly?"
Staying in this house meant cooking and chopping wood were no big deal.
Especially since Hahu Yeong was pretty good at cooking anyway.
"I'm no expert, but I can cook decently and split logs just fine."
That single answer tipped the scales in the delicate balance of our relationship.
"Then can you take the boat out and cast nets in the river?"
"I don't know nets, but if you teach me, I can do it well."
"Good. Then from now on, you can call us brothers and sisters."
Desperate for martial arts training, Hahu Yeong had no time to think twice.
"From now on, I'll call you all big brothers and big sisters."
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect."
The later-generation disciples beamed with delight.
Just then, the voice of the house's owner came from behind.
"What are you all doing?"
The later-generation disciples jumped in surprise, whipping around and bowing their heads.
"Amitabha... It's nothing. Please, go inside and rest."
I passed through them as they kept their heads lowered.
"Go easy on him."
I wasn't sure what to go easy on, but they managed awkward smiles anyway.
"Just pretend you didn't see anything, Young Master."
Namgung Hye shot me a prim glare.
"Please take care of me from now on... Young Master."
It was hard to turn away Hahu Yeong as he bowed deeply.
Besides, I'd already guessed things would turn out this way.
"Don't act out recklessly, and keep everything you see and hear here to yourself."
"I'll keep that in mind."
A steely resolve gleamed in Hahu Yeong's eyes.
"There's an assassin living here besides us, so don't freak out."
"An assassin?"
"Gwi Jong."
At my call, a young man in black night clothes dropped from the sky like he'd been there all along.
"You called, Benefactor?"
Gwi Jong's face was still pale; his body clearly hadn't fully recovered.
"This is Gwi Jong. And this is Hahu Yeong."
As I introduced them, Gwi Jong spoke up.
"I've been watching him already."
"Alright, go rest and recover."
"Yes."
Gwi Jong vanished as seamlessly as if he'd never been there.
"You're free to stay here or leave whenever you want."
I headed inside past Hahu Yeong, then turned back out.
Dawn was already approaching.
"We'll haul the nets before breakfast, so keep that in mind."
"Yes, Young Master. Just give me the orders from now on."
A grin tugged at my lips at the vigor in Hahu Yeong's voice.
Over a hundred young martial artists from the jianghu filled a large inn to the brim.
They drank, played the lute and pipa, and sang heartily.
Among the more than a hundred young jianghu folk, one exceptionally handsome youth sat at the center. He stood up.
All eyes turned to him.
"Come on, raise your cups."
The martial artists lifted their cups in unison.
"To the righteous alliance of the jianghu, I offer this drink."
The young martial artist drained his cup first, and the hundred-odd others followed suit.
"Brother Namgung, where's our next stop?"
The one who had raised his cup on behalf of the young martial artists was none other than Namgung Hu.
Namgung Hu looked around at the later-generation disciples of the Nine Great Sects and Five Families.
"Shaolin, Wudang, and Mount Hua remain. I'd like to swing by Mount Hua in the north first, then head to Shaolin and Wudang. What do you all think?"
"I hear there's a fun new spot in Huguang Province. Shall we check it out too?"
"Of course. Best to stop by the Zhuge Family on the way in."
Ding! Ding-ding! ...Ding! ......!
As Namgung Hu finished speaking, the sounds of the seven-stringed zither, pipa, and flute filled the inn once more.
With so many talented later-generation disciples around, they showed off their skills, building bonds with disciples from other sects and families.
Especially the group gathered in the center of the inn—they were the famous later-generation disciples from each sect and family.
Moyong Se of the Moyong Family, Dang Ho-seon and Dang Wan-su of the Tang Family, Sa In-jeong and Gu Se-gi of the Qingcheng Sect, O Cheon-mun of the Zhongnan Sect, Yu Seok-hyang of the Jingeong Sect, I Cheong-ji of the Emei Sect, Yun Ha-un of Kunlun, and more.
They were the pillars who would lead the next generation of the jianghu's sects and families.
With over a hundred handsome men and beautiful women gathered, some drew attention, but no one showed it openly.
"According to the Beggars' Sect's reports, demonic cultists have been appearing more frequently lately. Know anything, Brother Namgung?"
Dang Wan-su of the Tang Family spoke up first after draining his cup.
"I've heard they keep showing up in a village called Huanin County. There's a martial family there called the Seok Family, and apparently, some renowned elders of the jianghu held a meeting there recently."
"Did the Divine Monk attend that meeting by any chance?"
"From what I hear, the Divine Monk of Shaolin, the One Yang Child of Wudang, the Sky-Piercing Sword King of our Namgung Family, the Elder Hero of the Beggars' Sect, the Blade Lord of the Peng Family, the Azure Sound Fairy of Emei, and the head of the Zhuge Family were all there."
While other parts of the inn buzzed noisily, a hush fell around the large table where Namgung Hu sat.
They were all prodigies hailed as such in their sects and families, so they knew full well what the Five Heavenly Kings' gathering signified.
Yun Ha-un of Kunlun broke the silence.
"The Demonic Cult's movements seem far more active than we thought."
Namgung Hu's expression grew gravely serious.
"Indeed. We needed to draw them out first and scout their base, but it looks like we're a step behind."
"Even so, with all these prodigies from the sects and families gathered, we'll be a huge asset in any fight against them."
Namgung Hu and the other prodigies thought the same.
With the Nine Great Sects and Five Families' prodigies in one place, their combined strength was immense.
If they learned the Demonic Cult's base in this situation, it would fall to them in no time.
As the later-generation disciples held their heavy conversation, the inn door swung open, and a young beggar entered.
He was a later-generation disciple of the Beggars' Sect, already slated to be the next Sect Leader.
Gulp, gulp.
The young beggar grabbed the half-empty wine bottle in front of Namgung Hu, chugged it, and set it down.
Ahhh...
After downing half the bottle, he tore into a chicken leg from the table.
Crunch, crunch...
After devouring the chicken leg clean, the young beggar belatedly acted urgent.
"Big trouble. Elder Choe Un-seon, who was thought to be in seclusion, showed up in Huanin County... and took her own life there."
"What?"
The most shocked was none other than Yun Ha-un of Kunlun.
Wearing an incredulous expression, he pressed the young beggar.
"Say that again. What did you just say?"
"Elder Choe Un-seon committed suicide in Huanin County."
"No... way..."
Yun Ha-un still couldn't believe it.
He was Kunlun's top later-generation disciple, the sect leader's pupil, and one of the Twenty-Four Styles.
That's why he'd received personal guidance from the previous generation's Twenty-Four Styles.
"Where in Huanin County did she pass?"
"At an inn by the riverbank."
The later-generation disciples were shocked anew at the young beggar's reply.
Most of the vicious rumors circulating in the jianghu lately tied back to Huanin County or that inn.
"When did you hear this?"
"Three days ago, coming back from Huguang."
Yun Ha-un grew anxious.
If the young beggar heard three days ago, a messenger hawk would've already reached Kunlun.
'My martial uncles must have set out already... What should I do...'
Yun Ha-un had received strict orders from the sect leader before leaving the mountain.
To join the young prodigies and stop the Demonic Cult's revival.
But Ancestral Master Choe Un-seon had appeared in the jianghu and committed suicide.
Hardening his resolve, he bowed politely to Namgung Hu and the others.
"Forgive me. I need to head to Huanin County first."
The later-generation disciples couldn't stop Yun Ha-un.
They all knew Choe Un-seon had been an absolute expert with immense influence over the jianghu and Kunlun.
"Go and return safely, Hero Yun."
"We'd join you, Hero Yun, but the sect leader's orders are absolute. Forgive us."
After bidding farewell to the later-generation disciples, Yun Ha-un led his Kunlun juniors out of the inn in haste.
With things escalating so quickly, Namgung Hu grew restless too.
"We should move up the schedule. Let's depart at dawn tomorrow."
The later-generation disciples raised no objections.
"Agreed. Given the circumstances."
"Monk cooking really is a cut above."
The later-generation disciples echoed my assessment.
"Right? Brother Hahu's cooking is tasty too, but the old monk's the real master."
As Namgung Hye backed me up, Myeong-gak glared at Hahu Yeong.
"This won't do, little brother Hahu. You gotta get better at cooking so I can escape this kitchen."
"I'm sorry, Big Brother Myeong-gak. I'll work harder from now on."
Hahu Yeong treated Myeong-gak with utmost respect as his big brother.
He was faithfully keeping that night's promise.
It had burned itself so fiercely into his memory.
"Sorry, Young Master. Sorry, sisters."
The later-generation disciples nodded with pleased expressions.
I wasn't entirely thrilled with the scene.
Maybe it reminded me of the old days when my master griped about the food.
"No need to apologize that much. Your cooking's plenty tasty."
"Thank you, Young Master."
Hahu Yeong bowed to me again.
Once the meal ended, he gathered the empty bowls and headed to the river.
To wash them.
Meanwhile, the later-generation disciples sipped tea and chatted idly.
After dishes, Hahu Yeong started cleaning the house.
"He's basically a servant now."
As I showed my displeasure, Myeong-gak chuckled and replied.
"It's fine to work him like this for a while. He had such a foul temper."
"Not like a scam-artist monk's any better."
Puhahaha...
"That's why he's working hard here."
True enough, I was living comfortably thanks to Myeong-gak and the others.
They handled cooking, laundry, and chores in my stead.
They'd even rebuilt the house and now repaired the walls.
"Don't dump everything on Hahu. Help out when you have time."
"Don't worry, Young Master. We've got plans too."
After finishing the cleaning, Hahu Yeong finally stepped into the yard and picked up a spear.
He thrust, slashed, and swept with it, then suddenly stood still as if pondering, before gripping it and assuming a stance.
Pik! Pik! ...!
I watched as he thrust repeatedly, retreated, spun, and struck behind him.
I recognized it at once as the Hahu Family's spear art.
The later-generation disciples trained their own martial arts on one side of the yard, paying Hahu Yeong no mind.
After nearly half a shichen of forms, Hahu Yeong stopped.
Sitting on the porch watching, I beckoned him over.
Hahu Yeong glanced back at the training later-generation disciples, apparently not thinking I'd call him.
"You."
Only then did he hurry over.
"I'll show you once. What you take from my spear art... even I don't know."