Your Tone's a Bit Casual
Manhyangru — Pavilion of Ten Thousand Fragrances — was a tavern whose very name promised a myriad of dishes and the rich bouquet of wine. As the flagship establishment of Hoga Manor, it was well known throughout the region, and not merely for its drink and fare. The surrounding scenery was magnificent. Sipping wine while gazing out through wide-open windows at the beautiful vista was one of the house's signature pleasures.
The more famous a place, the more people it draws — and young martial artists brimming with heroic spirit were especially frequent patrons.
Five young men and women, ranging from their late teens to their mid-twenties. A sharp-eyed young man rose from his seat with a hearty laugh.
"Come, come — let's warm our bellies with this wine. We've arrived in Anhui, so we ought to pay our respects at the Namgung Clan Estate soon enough. But first, shouldn't we take a moment to get better acquainted among ourselves?"
"We should return to the estate first and announce your visit."
"Brother Namgung. I understand you left home a long time ago and must be eager to return to the main house. But wouldn't it be better if we all went together to pay our respects? Just for a day — let us young people enjoy ourselves somewhere the elders aren't watching."
"……"
The young man addressed as Brother Namgung offered no reply. A faint look of displeasure surfaced on his pale face.
The other man paid it no mind. A subtle smile played about his lips as he clapped the youth on the shoulder.
"Besides, the clan elders must be quite busy right now, no? If we showed up now, we'd only be a nuisance — it would be rude, really. And coming here to Anhui, I hear the Namgung Clan wiped out the remnants of the Sama Order and even rescued the Azure Chivalry Gang after they were attacked! Ah, now that's the spirit of the orthodox path, isn't it?"
"...I never expected Young Master Hwangbo to praise our family so lavishly."
Hwangbo Yong, who had been laying on the admiration with a trowel, widened his eyes as if he'd just taken a hit.
They were the young masters of the Five Great Clans, gathered to attend the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly. Hwangbo Yong was the successor of the Hwangbo Clan. The slender youth he had been speaking with was Namgung Muyoung, eldest young master of the Namgung Clan, returning home for this tournament after leaving the martial world.
"Haha, the Namgung Clan is a great family, is it not? A prestigious house one could never revere enough. I was quite surprised when I arrived in Anhui. Rescuing the Azure Chivalry Gang and then — gulp — swallowing up their interests as well... tsk. Impressive."
Namgung Muyoung's eyebrow twitched.
Behind Hwangbo Yong's smiling face, as he praised them so grandly, lurked a look that was distinctly irritating.
Namgung Muyoung was quiet and composed by nature. That quality could give the impression of frailty, but it was nothing of the sort. He simply wasn't the type to draw his sword the moment things went south, the way the Namgung elders were.
Even if every Namgung was said to have that temperament, he at least would—
"Creep."
"Ah."
Namgung Muyoung had forgotten. There was another Namgung at this table besides himself.
Unlike him, she was the clan's true archetype — his cousin, and the daughter of the former clan head who had been called the Sword God.
Namgung Seowol.
It was only a single short word, but coming from a mouth even more taciturn than Namgung Muyoung's, it seized every eye at the table in an instant. Even Hwangbo Yong's smile, which had seemed unshakable, faltered slightly.
"Ahaha, oh dear — I merely meant that the Namgung Clan's resourcefulness is so remarkable that I added an unnecessary remark... I believe you've misunderstood me. If I've given offense, this Hwangbo Yong apologizes."
Namgung Seowol looked at Hwangbo Yong with a bored, flat stare. She held it for a long moment, then turned her head away entirely.
"……!"
Hwangbo Yong's expression hardened a fraction. Even Namgung Muyoung was aghast.
"Seowol, he's apologizing. What's with that attitude?"
"That's not an apology."
Namgung Seowol said it without a shred of interest. Namgung Muyoung swallowed dryly.
He had noticed long ago that Hwangbo Yong was needling them. But what of it? They were guests. Could a host treat his guests with coldness?
Unlike the Nine Sects and One Gang, with whom relations have already completely soured, we need to maintain a cooperative relationship with the Five Great Clans.
Hwangbo Yong knew that too, which was precisely why he was doing this. He was almost certainly thinking of seizing leadership of the Five Great Clans.
Of course the Namgung Clan was still the foremost of the Five Great Clans — but right now, the Namgung Clan was the one in a tight spot. As the next clan head, Namgung Muyoung had to weigh all of that, and yet—
Namgung Muyoung let out a sigh.
At least she has some sense — she said that through sound transmission.
He was so moved he could cry.
As the atmosphere grew distinctly chilly, someone else at the table fortunately stepped in.
"Now, now — the tournament is right around the corner, and we gathered here for camaraderie. What's all this? It's just the wine talking. Settle down, everyone."
When Peng Jeokhon of the Hebei Peng Clan intervened, Hwangbo Yong turned away with the air of a man who had no choice. Jegal Seoseo of the Jegal Clan hurriedly changed the subject.
"Come to think of it, I heard a guest of the Namgung Clan was a great help in this recent affair? The Namgung Clan is said to host quite a few famous personages as retained guests."
Namgung Muyoung answered, grateful for the effort to shift the mood.
"There are quite a few, yes. From Grand Scholar Chae Gong to Senior Black-Faced Iron Sword. But the guest in the rumors seems to have arrived after Seowol and I left on our journeys."
"Golden hair and golden eyes — how fascinating. We'll get to see him when we visit the estate, won't we?"
Namgung Muyoung smiled bitterly. Retained guests were extremely individualistic people who didn't bother showing themselves. They probably wouldn't see him at all.
Peng Jeokhon sounded curious as well.
"Hmm. It is curious. Retained guests don't usually show themselves enough for rumors to spread like this."
"Do you think he actually looks like gold? Maybe it's just a bit of brownish tint."
"Jianghu rumors tend to be exaggerated, after all."
"True enough."
"I suppose he'd have to gleam that brilliantly gold to earn the name Golden Young Master, wouldn't he?"
Peng Jeokhon said it abruptly, looking outside. Jegal Seoseo turned her eyes that way and nodded.
"Oh, you're right. Hair that golden and the rumors wouldn't be wro— wait?"
"……?"
Golden hair. Golden pupils.
Sun Wukong was walking into Manhyangru.
Hoga Jangju received Sun Wukong with a sullen look in his eyes.
Sun Wukong asked abruptly,
"Can you even see?"
From a face wrapped entirely in bandages, only Hoga Jangju's eyes blinked before he answered.
"I can see, yes."
Having said that, Hoga Jangju let out a long, heavy sigh.
Looking at Sun Wukong, he had just been freshly reminded of exactly where he stood.
I'll have to bow.
To this weirdo who'd stuffed a yowling cat into his robes, no less.
As his appearance made plain, Hoga Jangju was old. Very old.
"Being old," Sun Wukong said, as if he had reached straight into the man's thoughts, "means you've survived."
Hoga Jangju bit his lip.
"So the Namgung Clan wants to use me to keep the underworld in check."
"Pretty much."
"Things worked out perfectly for the Namgung Clan. All the scattered Anhui underworld factions, wiped clean — and only one obedient underworld outfit left standing."
"Let's get the wording right. We let you live."
"...I know."
Which was precisely why he was bending his back like this.
"Just where did a master like you come from?"
"Came down from Heaven."
"Heaven? You mean the Heavenly Fragrance Gate — that place supposedly packed with nothing but freaks?"
What is this guy talking about?
Just as Sun Wukong was about to wave that off, a wine table was brought in from outside. He clicked his tongue.
"Your body's in that condition and you're drinking?"
"Wine has always been better than medicine."
"Words overflowing with life's wisdom."
"An old man without wisdom is an eyesore in his own right."
Sun Wukong waited in silence. Hoga Jangju, who had been watching him steadily, sighed once more and poured wine into Sun Wukong's cup. It was the unmistakable picture of a subordinate offering drink to his lord.
Sun Wukong snickered.
"Honse-ma... I mean Hon-am-do. How'd you meet him?"
"I already told the Namgung Clan this, but someone came from the Black Chamber."
"The Black Chamber."
Sun Wukong nodded. The Black Chamber — a coalition of underworld factions. It was not bound by the kind of iron solidarity that held the orthodox sects together, or that had once held the fallen Sama Order. A loose association, if anything.
Every underworld figure in the world both belonged to the Black Chamber and didn't. That phrase described the organization better than any other.
"They arranged a gathering to bring the Anhui underworld together. Hon-am-do showed up."
"And that's where the underworld factions submitted?"
"If it had just been Hon-am-do alone, the gathered underworld would've fought him to the death rather than fold."
"So there was someone else."
"There was some old man as well. Even Hon-am-do seemed to obey him."
"Lump next to his nose?"
"You already knew all this?"
"Gotta cross-check."
"That bastard swung his hand once and a dozen necks went flying. That's when we all knew. Underworld types may not have the depth of martial arts that the orthodox or unorthodox sects do, but they know a warning that rings in their life-thread when they hear one."
"And yet you still came at me?"
"I'll be honest. Until you actually started fighting, I couldn't sense any presence from you at all. I thought some clown had shown up."
Sun Wukong nodded. His yoryeok was a kind that humans couldn't sense to begin with.
Then, abruptly, he said,
"Your tone's a bit casual, though."
Did his tongue get cut in half? Hoga Jangju's face went startled.
"I've lived at least twice as long as you, haven't I?"
"Twice, my ass. I've lived longer than your great-great-great-whatever-grandfather, you little blood clot."
The moment Hoga Jangju saw Sun Wukong's fist close, he sprang up on his injured body and dropped to his knees.
"I apologize. I have committed a grave discourtesy."
Sun Wukong smirked and mentally raised his evaluation of Hoga Jangju a notch.
Good at reading the room, and quick to act.
He could see why Muhwa had said that among the underworld, Hoga Jangju at least could be reasoned with, so they should let him live.
When Honse-mawang appeared, he had immediately bowed to them. When he got wrecked by Sun Wukong and beaten down by Muhwa, he recognized that the situation had changed and cooperated. The way his attitude flipped instantly at a single word from Sun Wukong was the same thing.
Looked at poorly, he's a traitor with no loyalty or integrity. Looked at well, there's a reason he got this old.
As he'd already said — being old means you've survived. That was the most fitting description.
This type could betray you at any time, which made them hard to keep close. Unless you could control them completely.
But if they simply recognized you as a being they wouldn't dare even contemplate betraying...
"How's Hoga Manor doing?"
"...Not well."
Quite a few had died, and the leader was completely broken. Naturally. On top of that, they had fully submitted to the Namgung Clan.
Everyone understood they had no choice given the difference in weight class. But discontent was inevitable.
In the underworld, the strong, the vicious, and the cunning became the leader. And yet their so-called leader was wrapped head to toe in bandages and taking orders from the Namgung Clan.
Well. That's none of my business.
That was Hoga Jangju's problem to handle.
Still, Sun Wukong needed Hoga Manor. Not that he absolutely needed it — more like it would be nice to have. That kind of feeling.
"That why you're at this tavern?"
"I never knew my own son was that much of a fool."
The reason he was at the business tavern rather than the Hoga Manor estate was that he had been driven out.
Sun Wukong didn't agree with the "fool" part.
"Your son showed up at the Namgung Clan loaded down with bribes."
"……!"
"Honestly, the Namgung Clan doesn't care. They need Hoga Manor, not you, old-timer. Right?"
Hoga Jangju's eyes went wide.
"The Law Enforcement Hall Master told them to spare me..."
"They figured you'd be someone they could talk to. But your son's out there handing over bribes and pledging to actively cooperate with whatever the Namgung Clan does — so what's the problem?"
"That's..."
His face filled with dismay. Then, in a sudden flash, he looked sharply at Sun Wukong.
"Then why has the young master come to see me?"
"I like how quick you are. Cooperate with me — not the Namgung Clan."
Hoga Jangju's eyes went strange.
"Are you not on the same side as the Namgung Clan?"
"Same side, sure — but my surname isn't Namgung. I'm a retained guest."
"Will the Namgung Clan sit still if they find out?"
"And what are they going to do if they find out? Do I look like the Namgung Clan's errand boy?"
Hoga Jangju's eyes gleamed sharply.
Sun Wukong fully intended to cooperate with the Namgung Clan. But that did not mean he intended to stay in their pocket.
Sun Wukong was an arrogant being. From his days as a stone monkey, he had called himself the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven.
Even when receiving help from various gods on the pilgrimage, Sun Wukong's thinking had been simple.
They're beneath me, so of course they should offer up their talents.
Simple logic.
Sun Wukong regarded the Namgung Clan as one more card he could play.
"...If you would help me, I shall naturally follow your will."
Hoga Jangju's eyes shone. Sun Wukong smiled, pleased.
"How do you intend to help me?"
Hoga Jangju lowered his voice. He hadn't just been wasting time here either. He had been devising every possible method to recover his fallen authority and establish his power. Of course, no easy answer had presented itself. He had been half-resigned, hadn't he?
Sun Wukong glanced out the window and muttered,
"Should be about time they got here..."
"Time for what?"
The answer came not from Sun Wukong, but from beyond the door.