#143. Those in Black Masks (2)
“You see your senior, so greet him first. What the hell are you doing?!”
Expecting a greeting he didn’t even want was a blatant way of looking down on someone.
“……”
Still, I’d thought Moyong Gang the elder would’ve given him a proper education, but the beatings must not have hurt much. Or maybe the guy had tougher skin than I’d expected.
“Were we ever on greeting terms? Wouldn’t it be better to cross swords instead?”
I tried provoking him, but unlike before, he didn’t snap right away.
“This is why rootless bastards are… tsk tsk.”
Biun Shinpung Jong Byeokgi. The man who should’ve been busy with Dragon-Phoenix Assembly activities was here in Hunan Province all alone.
“Namgung young lady, people have their ‘stations’ in life. If you hang around with trash like this, how do you think the world will see you?”
“Stations… you say?”
Namgung Seonhwa glanced at him with contempt before tying her hair back up with a hair tie. It was the bare minimum response—not even worth engaging.
She turned and sat back down, but Jong Byeokgi had no intention of letting the conversation end there. No, the men with him started showing interest in her instead.
“You’re Namgung Seonhwa, the Sword Immortal’s own granddaughter, right?”
“A pleasure to meet you.”
“I run a merchant group here in Hunan…”
The men, decked out in flashy accessories, took turns introducing themselves one after another. But Namgung Seonhwa ignored them completely, tending to the gold-silver-bronze brothers’ meal.
Unable to stand it any longer, Jong Byeokgi stepped in.
“Namgung young lady, I apologize for the late introductions. These gentlemen are…”
Sons of high-ranking officials or heirs to massive merchant groups. Even the sons of ship owners who commanded hundreds of vessels on Dongting Lake were among them. Real big shots in Akyang, the kind who could fart and make waves.
Each one puffed out their chest when their names were called, but Namgung Seonhwa’s expression remained utterly bored.
“I see.”
“That’s right. Since fate brought us together like this, why not move to a quieter spot and chat?”
At Jong Byeokgi’s words, Namgung Seonhwa swept her gaze over the men.
“To mingle with them… they’re not on the level of the Namgung family.”
“……”
“……!”
Jong Byeokgi and the men’s faces twisted like they’d eaten shit at Namgung Seonhwa’s words. Seong Moran bit her lip to stifle a laugh, while the gold-silver-bronze brothers watched her with sparkling eyes.
Despite the clear insult, none of the men dared get angry or storm off. Just as she’d said, Namgung Seonhwa was beyond their reach.
Jong Byeokgi, reading the room, quickly intervened.
“Ah, young lady! I apologize if I spoke too harshly earlier.”
“Why apologize to me? Weren’t the Tae-eul Gate disciples the ones insulted?”
“Ah……”
“Please leave. You’re disturbing our meal.”
As Namgung Seonhwa issued her dismissal, Jong Byeokgi was about to back off—
“Consider the apology accepted. To make amends, how about Senior Jong picks up the tab for this meal?”
Namgung Seonhwa shot me a glare with her axe-like eyes. But wasn’t that right? I couldn’t just let Jong Byeokgi go after running into him like this. As the saying goes, you discipline a dog that bites recklessly with a good beating. Time to supplement whatever half-assed education Moyong Gang the elder had given him.
“……”
Jong Byeokgi glanced back and forth between me and the men behind him.
“And as a gesture of reconciliation, why don’t you join us?”
“Sh-should we?”
The most ridiculous moments in this life were seeing these idiots’ dumbass sides. Why had I been so terrified of them in my past life? Self-loathing and regret washed over me.
Jong Byeokgi and his crew plopped down in the empty seats with gleeful faces, but Namgung Seonhwa didn’t spare them a glance. One or two eyed Seong Moran, but she’d already lost all interest in them.
An awkward silence dominated the table, filled only by the gold-silver-bronze brothers’ chopstick clacks, until I spoke up.
“So, what happened to the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly that brings you all the way here?”
“……That’s because of you bastards…”
He’d clearly been about to spew some rude shit, but after glancing at Namgung Seonhwa, he continued.
“I came to the main branch to recruit artisans.”
“Doesn’t Jeomcheong already have plenty of excellent artisans?”
“Did you think our Jeomcheong could be handled by one or two artisans? Even the Namgung family’s the same, no?”
“……”
Namgung Seonhwa ignored him. As the situation dragged on like this, Jong Byeokgi’s irritation turned straight to me.
“I heard you got lucky and wormed your way into the academy. Don’t you have better things to do than loaf around here if you want to keep that flimsy status?”
“Didn’t you hear? I aced both the written and practical exams this time.”
“……You?”
The men, who’d ignored me completely until now, started eyeing me with disbelief.
“And I didn’t come here to play, either. I came to bring an artisan from my sect with me.”
“What? ……Kuhuhu, hahaha!”
Jong Byeokgi burst into sudden laughter, and his crew awkwardly followed suit without knowing why.
“As if there’d be an artisan here willing to work with trash like Tae-eul Gate!”
“What’s wrong with Tae-eul Gate? It’s still the sect founded by the legendary Tae-eul Sword Emperor, isn’t it?”
“You’re still spouting that crap…”
As Jong Byeokgi started to yell, I lowered my voice menacingly.
“Looks like Moyong Gang the elder’s beatings didn’t sting enough, huh, Senior Jong?”
“……”
His face twisted like he’d eaten shit at my words. And right after I finished, his crew blurted out in shock.
“Ooh, so you really traveled with the Windbreaker Sword Saint?”
“I heard the Moyong family doesn’t mingle much with other sects. Impressive.”
“When can we meet the Windbreaker Sword Saint with you?”
He must’ve spun getting dragged off by Moyong Gang like it was some friendly outing—his eyes shook violently now.
“You mean you told them you were close with Moyong Gang the elder?”
“……”
His crew turned to me. They didn’t want to talk to me, but they were dying to hear more.
“Moyong Gang the elder didn’t even treat you like a person. He said puppies like you need a beating to learn and planned to drag you back to the family to thrash you.”
Jong Byeokgi’s face flushed red and purple with humiliation, while his crew looked lost on how to react.
“A-ahem, uh, maybe we should head out now.”
As his crew finally spoke up, Jong Byeokgi rose silently.
“Oh, right. Since you’re buying to make amends, settle the bill on your way out.”
“……”
The murderous rage in Jong Byeokgi’s eyes as he stared at me burned like he was looking at his parents’ killer. But in the end, he stood quietly.
“……What the hell were you thinking?”
Seong Moran scolded me like a nagging wife. I stared at the door he’d left through and replied.
“I thought he wouldn’t hold back. He’s got better patience now. Grown some, has he?”
#
Before heading to our destination, we stopped by a fabric shop first. With the expensive meal comped, I wanted to get new clothes tailored for the gold-silver-bronze brothers.
The luxurious shop brimmed with vibrant, beautiful silks in every color.
“Make clothes in the same fabric as our big senior’s here.”
“Me too.”
“Me three.”
The three gold-silver-bronze brothers ordered black martial artist robes. Wonder who they take after—such simple tastes.
“You can wear black uniforms at the academy anytime. Since we’re here, pick something for the banquet.”
“Hmm……”
Dongryong pondered my words before turning to the shopkeeper.
“White silk, with ‘Tae-eul’ embroidered in gold thread on the chest.”
“Hold it right there!”
Simple my ass…! I grabbed Dongryong in a panic. What the hell was he thinking, wearing something like that? ‘Tae-eul’ plastered on the chest? Even the departed Tae-eul Sword Emperor would clutch his neck and keel over at that fashion sense.
“Doesn’t big senior wear white to events? As his juniors, shouldn’t we match?”
At Dongryong’s words, Geum Pyo and Eunho’s faces paled. My ceremonial whites must’ve left quite the impression on the kid.
As I racked my brain on how to talk him out of it, Namgung Seonhwa spoke up.
“Dongryong, wouldn’t that overshadow Master Jin’s splendor? How about blue instead? It’d go well with the white robes.”
Dongryong nodded after a moment’s thought.
“Do that, then. But embroider ‘Tae-eul’ really big on the chest.”
“Dongryong, no.”
Eunho desperately tried to stop him. They’d originally planned matching outfits.
“Does Brother Eunho hate Tae-eul Gate?”
Dongryong’s innocent expression made Eunho look like a traitor ashamed of his sect.
“No…! Why do you interpret it that way? It’s just embarrassing to have the name on our chests!”
In the end, after heated debate between Eunho and Dongryong, they compromised on lavishly embroidering ‘Tae-eul’ on the sleeves.
Drained from the argument, I led the gold-silver-bronze brothers—who looked like zombies—and the women, who were just getting warmed up, to our real destination.
The red-light district streets. The brothers blushed furiously while gawking at the sheer-clad women, and the women’s expressions soured by the second.
Finally, at the district’s far end, we spotted Jang Dowon’s jewelry shop.
“……”
“……Is this it?”
But the shop, which should’ve been bustling with business, was dark and shuttered. I circled to the back along the outer wall and knocked on Jang Dowon’s door.
“Anyone home?!”
After a long silence, the door creaked open, revealing Jang Dowon.
“Long time no see, elder.”
“……”
Jang Dowon left the door open and shuffled inside. Cautiously entering, I saw an unkempt courtyard and a cold forge.
Jang Dowon slumped on the porch, staring blankly.
“Elder?”
“……”
“Elder?”
Only after calling several times did he lift his head.
“……What is it?”
“That’s what I want to ask you. What the hell happened?”
The house looked haunted, utterly neglected. Jang Dowon, once full of vigor even in old age, now lived like a broken man.
“……Not your concern. Why are you here?”
I’d come to commission a bow for Moyong Jaehwa and propose he join Tae-eul Gate. But this wasn’t the time.
“That doesn’t seem important right now. What on earth happened?”
“Happened…… Happened…… What happened…… Did something happen to me?”
His words tangled like a madman’s. Then, as if struck on the back of the head, his eyes bulged.
“……Seoryeon.”
“Pardon?”
“Seoryeon…”
His blank face twisted in an instant. Tears streamed down his weathered cheeks.
“Seoryeon’s been kidnapped. Seoryeon…! My granddaughter Seoryeon was taken by the Demonic Cult…… What am I to do……”
The Demonic Cult. The Demonic Cult again.