Another Survivor (1)
“Pang hyung!”
“Young Master Pang!”
At Pang Changho’s scream, Yeon Yuhee of the Silver Spirit Flower Clan and the young heirs of various prestigious families in Hebei Province rushed out to support him.
Their faces showed even greater shock than Pang Changho’s himself—and for good reason. Who was Thousand Power Blade Pang Changho, after all?
He wasn’t some ordinary wastrel playboy. He was one of the illustrious Five Dragons and Three Peaks.
‘And this kid just breaks him like it’s nothing?’
Hyeon Yucheon looked no older than his late teens, even being generous. It simply didn’t make sense.
“Kuhk… kuhuhk.”
As his friends rushed over to help him up, Pang Changho felt a wave of relief—but in front of the girl he harbored feelings for, showing such an unsightly sight soured his mood terribly.
But that lasted only a moment.
“You bastard! You think you can mess with the Hebei Pang Family in Haeha Province and get away unscathed?!”
Regaining his upper hand with numbers, Pang Changho bellowed at the top of his lungs.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“W-what?”
Pang Changho faltered at Hyeon Yucheon’s response—not the outrage he’d expected, but a calm, utterly confident demeanor.
“I took my seat first and paid for my meal upfront. I was eating quietly. Then you barge over, flashing the Hebei Pang Family name, trying to chase me out. You even brought your underlings to pick a fight and ended up getting thrashed. So, who do you think the world will point fingers at?”
Hyeon Yucheon sat back down, gazing leisurely down at him.
“T-that’s…”
Pang Changho could only huff and puff, at a complete loss for words.
“And our duel was fair. You lost to me simply because you were weaker.”
Hyeon Yucheon’s words rang with irrefutable logic.
The duel arose from Pang Changho’s rudeness. It was martial artist against martial artist, and he’d lost miserably because he was outmatched. Hyeon Yucheon had even shown mercy by sparing his life.
“Oh my goodness…”
Yeon Yuhee, daughter of the Pearl Language Clan, blushed a deep crimson as she gazed at his dignified, handsome figure.
Not just her—every woman among Pang Changho’s acquaintances found herself drawn to him.
“I’ll be staying at this Haeha Guest House for a while. If you want to press charges, feel free to come find me anytime.”
Hyeon Yucheon said no more.
He simply savored his now-cold five-spice pork with composed delight.
“Ugh… uuugh.”
Pang Changho trembled, glaring up at him for a long while.
What infuriated him most was the reaction from Yeon Yuhee and the other women—all blushing shyly, faces flushed with embarrassment on his behalf. It made his blood boil.
But what burned even hotter was…
‘If word gets out that I lost to this kid… I’ll be stripped of my Five Dragons and Three Peaks title.’
That was it.
Pang Changho could wander outside the family playing the wastrel because of his superior martial prowess and fame as a promising young talent.
It all stemmed from his position among the Five Dragons and Three Peaks. Losing it to this seemingly younger Hyeon Yucheon wouldn’t just be his personal downfall—it would drag the entire Hebei Pang Family into scandal.
Tremble!
Pang Changho’s hands shook.
He vowed to bury today’s events within his circle.
He’d seal their lips tight to keep it from spreading.
“What are you all standing around for? Let’s go!”
Supported by his friends, Pang Changho had no choice but to slink away.
He’d entered with pomp—and left crawling on his belly.
Waaaaaaah!
Before Pang Changho could even exit the Haeha Guest House, cheers erupted.
The clerks, errand boys, and manager watching from the third floor—as well as the guests who’d peeked from the lower levels—all clapped and cheered in delight.
Thousand Power Blade Pang Changho was infamous in Hebei as a notorious bully. No one enjoyed crossing paths with him. Seeing his lofty nose crushed underfoot gave everyone a vicarious thrill.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you, young hero.”
Once the commotion died down, one of the Haeha Guest House managers approached him.
His fine brocade robes marked him as one of high standing among them.
“No need. I merely followed the natural order of things.”
Hyeon Yucheon replied calmly, as if it were nothing—but inwardly, he was pleased.
‘Maybe through him, I can meet the owner of the Haeha Guest House?’
That was his hope.
“I am Sang Man, the second manager of the Haeha Guest House. May I have your name, young hero?”
Sang Man offered a courteous clasped-hands salute, and Hyeon Yucheon returned it.
“Hyeon Yucheon. Just a wandering traveler, currently lending a hand to the Gold Amount Escort Agency.”
“Ah, the Gold Amount Escort Agency!”
The familiar name lit up Sang Man’s face with even greater joy.
The Haeha Guest House and Gold Amount Escort Agency shared close ties, boosting his fondness for Hyeon Yucheon further.
“Ajeong! What are you doing? Hurry and reheat this young hero’s meal, and prepare our house’s signature mountain and sea delicacies!”
True to his position, Sang Man commanded with authority.
“Right away!”
He directed the errand boy Ajeong who’d been serving Hyeon Yucheon, and the quick-witted youth sprang into action.
“It’s fine as is…”
“Nonsense. That third son of the Hebei Pang Family has caused us endless headaches. We’ll provide your room free of charge until checkout.”
The extravagance surprised Hyeon Yucheon slightly.
It spoke volumes about the bully’s reign of terror.
“Is there anything else you need? Anything at all, just say the word.”
At Sang Man’s offer, Hyeon Yucheon seized the moment.
“If possible… could I meet the owner of the Haeha Guest House?”
“Pardon?”
Sang Man blinked in shock.
He’d never dreamed this young man would ask to see the owner.
“W-well, that’s a bit… As you know, the master avoids outside contact…”
Hyeon Yucheon had anticipated the hesitation or refusal.
So he deployed his prepared gambit.
[Please convey to the owner of the Haeha Guest House that the child of the Gold Jade Chamber wishes to see them.]
Using transmission to whisper secretly, lest anyone overhear.
The Gold Jade Chamber was none other than the chamber—and room—young Man Yuhyeon had used in the Mangeum Clan manor.
“Pardon?”
The sudden transmission startled Sang Man, but Hyeon Yucheon remained serene.
“If they refuse even after that message, I’ll accept it.”
Ox Chuyun, third steward of the Gold Amount Escort Agency, had said the Haeha Guest House owner was the sole Mangeum Clan survivor.
‘To any true member of the Mangeum Clan, there’s only one child who stayed in the Gold Jade Chamber: the Mangeum Gongja, me.’
Who could the owner be?
And would they meet Hyeon Yucheon?
“Understood.”
Smooth!
In the dead of night, someone arrived at Hyeon Yucheon’s door.
They neither knocked nor called out, but Hyeon Yucheon sensed the presence and rose immediately.
“You’ve come?”
He knew who it was before even seeing them.
“Yes, young hero Hyeon. Permission has been granted. Follow me.”
Astonishingly, it was Sang Man, the second manager.
‘What an extraordinary young master. How did he know it was me…?’
Sang Man marveled inwardly but kept his composure.
This was the first time the owner had agreed to meet an outsider rather than a manager, so he proceeded with utmost caution.
Step.
Thus began the duo’s journey into the pitch-black night.
But what was this?
Instead of heading outside or to another location to meet the owner, Sang Man led him to the first floor of the guest house itself.
‘Hm?’
Hyeon Yucheon felt a twinge of curiosity, but it was soon resolved.
Shrring!
To his shock, Sang Man opened a hidden door in the corner of the first floor—where the cheapest, shabbiest food was sold—revealing stairs descending underground.
“Of course, you must…”
“Naturally, I’ll keep it secret.”
Hyeon Yucheon anticipated Sang Man’s warning and pledged before he finished.
Smirk.
Sang Man inwardly praised his perceptiveness and led on steadily.
The underground passage was narrow and deep.
Intricately designed down to the finest detail, it clearly hadn’t been built in a day or two.
How far did they go?
After a long descent, Sang Man and Hyeon Yucheon arrived at a vast underground chamber.
“Master, it’s Sang Man. I’ve brought young hero Hyeon.”
Sang Man bowed deeply before the thick, sturdy door.
The scene alone revealed how deeply he respected and followed the owner.
“Yes, Sang Man. You may withdraw.”
A voice finally replied from beyond—not a man’s, but a woman’s.
‘…Who the hell?!’
A woman, and a young, beautiful one at that. Hyeon Yucheon’s pupils quivered.
Since inheriting Cheon Baeksang’s ironclad mentality, such fluster was exceedingly rare for him.
‘Mother?’
The thought flashed, but he shook it off.
His mother, Hubei’s top beauty Gi Sehui, had met a gruesome end at the hands of Hongbulgeom Jonghun.
And the voice didn’t match.
“Still…”
“It’s fine. Have you forgotten? This door can’t be opened from outside without the key.”
Sang Man lingered despite the dismissal.
He trusted Hyeon Yucheon, but allowing an outsider this close was unprecedented—save for the Gold Amount Escort Agency leader.
“Very well. Then I’ll…”
Finally, Sang Man retraced his steps, closing the underground door and severing contact with the outside.
Rumble!
The sound of the upper door sealing echoed, but Hyeon Yucheon’s eyes darted ceaselessly.
‘Who is it? Who could it be?’
Two clues: A Mangeum Clan member. A young woman.
Her voice suggested around thirty at most.
Five years ago, during the clan massacre, she’d have been even younger…
“The child of the Gold Jade Chamber, you say?”
As Hyeon Yucheon pondered deeply, their conversation began.
“Yes. Do you know what that means?”
The Haeha Guest House owner eyed him warily, and Hyeon Yucheon returned the caution.
‘She could be an assassin planted to ferret out Mangeum survivors.’
Ever the sharp mind, he considered every possibility.
“Of course. The child of the Gold Jade Chamber could only be the Mangeum Gongja.”
“……!!”
Hyeon Yucheon knew instantly she wasn’t an enemy.
Only a handful in the Mangeum Clan even knew of the Gold Jade Chamber—invaders couldn’t possibly.
“So it is the Mangeum Gongja. When I heard the name Hyeon Yucheon, I suspected…”
The mysterious woman beyond the thick door murmured with joy.
Shrrrring!
At last, she flung the door wide open.