Chapter 30
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Taebong Sect
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Zhengzhou Prefecture, Henan Province.
It felt good to be back at the clan's estate after so long.
But as I opened the gate and stepped inside with a light heart, the atmosphere was a little strange.
A palpable tension hung in the air, so I entered with a puzzled tilt of my head.
“Have you returned?”
Seong Hwi ran up to me with a bright smile and clasped his fist in greeting.
“I have. What's with the mood around here?”
“The Sect Leader of the Taebong Sect is meeting with the Clan Head.”
“The Taebong Sect?”
The Taebong Sect was the number one martial arts sect in Henan Province.
When the Sword Emperor was alive, the Ouyang Clan was the greatest, but after his death and with the Martial Arts Alliance keeping them in check, the Ouyang Clan's influence waned. The Taebong Sect then rose to the top, backed by their immense wealth.
“Why are they here? Ah.”
The conversation I had with Hwangbo Yeon came to mind.
‘Didn't she say one of the Taebong Sect Leader's sons was lovesick because he couldn't forget Hwangbo Yeon? I thought she was joking. Was it real?’
If that was the case, this was going to be a headache.
There's no parent who can win against their own child.
If this went wrong, our relationship with the Taebong Sect could be severely damaged.
The Ouyang Clan was not yet in a position to confront the Taebong Sect.
And at a time when the unorthodox forces, including the Dark Blood Heaven Cult, were starting to stretch their limbs again after lying low, the Taebong Sect's role was crucial.
Breaking their momentum or making an enemy of them would only empower the unorthodox factions, so I frowned without realizing it.
“Young Master. It seems you've heard from Lady Hwangbo.”
I had hoped it might be something else, but Seong Hwi drove the final nail in the coffin.
“What was the Taebong Sect Leader's expression like?”
“Quite grave. How frustrating must it be for him, with his eldest son bedridden from lovesickness?”
“Then he should have gone to the Full Moon Tower. Why come here?”
“I heard he went to the Full Moon Tower two days ago. It probably didn't go well, so he came here, right?”
“I suppose so.”
For some reason, this life was full of headaches.
My past life was relatively simple—I honed my martial arts and defeated the unorthodox factions.
I had women back then too, but since I met them after reaching the pinnacle, our relationships were more hierarchical than equal.
That's why I rarely had any major troubles because of women.
Of course, if the family of a woman I was with coveted the power of the Martial Arts Alliance, I would cast them aside without mercy.
It was possible because they were women I met through political arrangements, not love.
Countless beauties had also thrown themselves at me.
‘This must be what a normal life is like. My past life was the abnormal one.’
A bitter laugh escaped me.
It was then.
A group emerged from inside: my father, the Taebong Sect Leader, Seong Je, and the warriors of the Taebong Sect.
The Taebong Sect Leader frowned upon seeing me.
The Seven-Kill Sword, Na Jo-ung.
Na Jo-ung, the warrior who founded the Taebong Sect, was a master of the swift sword.
As his title suggested, whenever he drew his sword, he would subdue his opponent within seven moves.
Hence, the Seven-Kill Sword.
He was a formidable warrior, it was true, but he wasn't invincible.
In fact, he never sparred with the truly outstanding warriors of his time.
Na Jo-ung glared at me before leaving the estate without a word.
I paid him no mind and walked over to my father.
“I've returned.”
“Yes. You've been through a lot.”
“Why was Sect Leader Na here?”
“Sigh.”
My father let out a short sigh.
I didn't press him, waiting for him to answer on his own.
Finally, he spoke.
“It's nothing important.”
“Nothing important? Is it about Hwangbo Yeon?”
“This father of yours may be weak, but I will never yield to the Taebong Sect's pressure. So don't you worry.”
Ouyang Hyeon's face was a mixture of bewilderment and anger, his pride clearly wounded.
Parents are always sensitive when it comes to their children.
Since the Taebong Sect had touched upon that, Ouyang Hyeon's pride had taken a severe blow.
That evening.
My mother came to see me.
Her face, too, was full of worry.
“Mother.”
“Yes. You should know. Listen to what your mother has to say, and don't misunderstand.”
“Yes.”
“The reason the Taebong Sect Leader came here, as you might have guessed, is because of Hwangbo Yeon of the Full Moon Tower. His eldest son, Na Hyeong-rin, is apparently bedridden with lovesickness because he can't forget her.”
“So he's feverish with love. They say there's no cure for that sickness.”
“It doesn't seem to be that severe. But it's true his feelings for Hwangbo Yeon are very strong. It looks like he's deliberately taken to his bed since nothing else worked.”
I thought it was a relief, at least.
If he were truly on the brink of life and death from lovesickness, a deterioration of our relationship with the Taebong Sect would be unavoidable.
But if Na Hyeong-rin was just feigning illness, there was plenty of room to improve the situation.
‘Then again, seeing Hwangbo Yeon, it makes sense he'd want her enough to feign sickness and use his family's influence.’
I could understand Na Hyeong-rin's youthful passion, but I had no intention of letting him take Hwangbo Yeon from me.
I too was captivated by her charms as a woman, but the Full Moon Tower's intelligence network was absolutely necessary.
In the future, the Full Moon Tower's intelligence would be a great asset in defeating the rampant unorthodox factions.
“He pressured us to give up Hwangbo Yeon. Of course, your father flatly refused. It's not in his nature to back down.”
From her bitter expression, I sensed a major problem.
“The problem is money. When the clan was in great difficulty, the Taebong Sect helped us a lot. They lent us about fifty thousand nyang without interest. If we don't back down, they're demanding we pay it back. That's why your father is so worried.”
She told me honestly and then comforted me.
“Don't worry. We're not such terrible parents that we would force our son to give up his beloved just because the family is struggling. Well, if we sell the Ouyang estate and a few other things, we should be able to raise that much money.”
“I'll try to get it.”
“You? How?”
“First, I'll stop by the Full Moon Tower...”
“Do you think that miser would lend you fifty thousand nyang?”
My mother was calling Elder Geum a miser.
A laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Thinking about it, the description fit him well.
Elder Geum might have been the wealthiest man in the Central Plains, but he lived by the creed, ‘Never waste a single coin.’
“It won't be easy. But I have quite a few connections myself. For now, don't think about selling the estate and please wait a little.”
“When did my son grow up so much? I'm so proud.”
She patted my back, then turned her head to wipe away a tear.
“But don't push yourself too hard.”
“Yes. I won't.”
“He gave us about a month.”
“That should be enough time. And I'll try talking to the Taebong Sect Leader as well. Since I'm the one directly involved, wouldn't it make sense for us to talk to resolve this?”
“If you're thinking of giving up Hwangbo Yeon because of us, I am absolutely against it.”
“I won't give up. I'll find the best possible outcome.”
She quietly gazed into my eyes.
“Just hearing my son's words makes me feel reassured. I'll say it again, don't overdo it.”
“Yes.”
After leaving her room, I washed in the bathing area and went to bed.
I was tired, and it was too late to go see Hwangbo Yeon.
The next morning.
After changing into clean black clothes, I headed for the Full Moon Tower.
First, I wanted to meet with Hwangbo Yeon and talk.
After that, whether I resolved it with money, crushed them with martial arts, or found some other way, I intended to settle the matter this time.
“Brother.”
She smiled brightly at the sight of me.
I always felt this, but whenever she smiled, she seemed to glow.
No wonder Na Hyeong-rin was trying so hard to win her over, even by feigning sickness.
She ran and threw her arms around me.
She smelled wonderful.
“Your face is so pale. How much have you been through?”
“Well, a little. This much is fine.”
“Let's go eat something delicious.”
“I have something to talk to you about.”
“Shh.”
She pressed her cute index finger to my lips.
“Honestly, you're so dense. I might as well be dating a block of wood.”
I scratched my head at her teasing.
I never hesitated or felt fear, not even when facing Seop Yu-heun or the Dark Nine Bloods, but whenever I was with Hwangbo Yeon, I felt a little nervous.
Especially when she said things like this.
Dating?
It was a word that felt truly foreign and unfamiliar.
I had tried so hard to escape my past life, but it wasn't easy.
“You made me wait all this time, so today, you have to do as I say. Understood?”
“Alright.”
“Let's go.”
She linked her arm with mine and strode confidently down the street.
This was something she hadn't done when we met before.
The eyes of the men we passed shot arrows of jealousy and anger that pierced my body.
It seemed she was quite conscious of Na Hyeong-rin and the Taebong Sect.
She was clearly making a statement to Na Hyeong-rin, telling him to give up.
Full Moon Tower.
We ate delicious food and visited wonderful places.
It was only in the evening that we went up to the seventh floor of the Full Moon Tower.
She proudly demonstrated her sword art, saying she had been practicing the Nine Heavens Profound Sword Art diligently.
But to my eyes, it looked somewhat clumsy.
To be honest, it was disappointing because she hadn't improved; she had regressed.
It seemed her mind was filled with distracting thoughts from worrying over the issue with the Taebong Sect.
“You've heard, haven't you, Brother? About the Taebong Sect.”
“That Na Hyeong-rin is quite something. To think he'd feign sickness and take to his bed.”
“I know, right? Who does he think he is, coveting what's not his? Honestly.”
“Why not? If it's the Taebong Sect, it could be fine.”
“Brother!”
“Ah, sorry. It was a joke.”
“I'm serious. I'm not in the mood for jokes.”
This is why, when I'm with her, I always lose the upper hand.
“I won't let that bastard Na Hyeong-rin take you from me.”
“How? To be honest, even my grandfather seems to be in a difficult position. We have a lot of business ties with the Taebong Sect. Of course, he told me he would respect my wishes.”
“I'm sure he did.”
“Did the Taebong Sect pressure the Ouyang Clan?”
“Yes. They gave us an ultimatum to repay the fifty thousand nyang we borrowed within a month.”
“My goodness. Fifty thousand nyang isn't pocket change. The Taebong Sect Leader must have really lost his mind over Na Hyeong-rin.”
Her sharp remark made me laugh in spite of myself.
I was always happy when I was with her.
“Do you have fifty thousand nyang?”
“I'll have to make it.”
“My grandfather won't lend it to you.”
“If I decide to borrow it, there are places I can go. And since Na Hyeong-rin isn't really lovesick but just pretending, I'll have to visit the Taebong Sect and settle things with the Sect Leader.”
“Even if he's pretending, it seems quite serious. I've never been in a situation like this, so it's baffling.”
“Honestly, do you think this is the first or second time this has happened? It's just that others kept it quiet out of consideration for the Full Moon Tower. Anyone who sees your beautiful face would fall lovesick.”
“Wow, to hear such words from you, Brother. I'm touched.”
She reacted more to being called beautiful than to my promise to solve the problem.
“Just trust me.”
“But the Taebong Sect Leader is the Seven-Kill Sword. There are rumors that no one in Henan Province can stand against him. What will you do if you anger him and he draws his sword?”
“The Seven-Kill Sword. I know him well. But he's not invincible. There are warriors whose reputations are inflated, and Sect Leader Na is one of them.”
“Then why doesn't anyone challenge him? Martial artists are incredibly sensitive about that sort of thing.”
“Because he has a lot of money. And he has connections everywhere, so there's nothing to be gained by provoking him.”
“I see. I'll trust only you, Brother.”
Hwangbo Yeon looked back and forth between my right and left eyes.
Affection.
Longing.
Worry.
Expectation.
Her gaze was filled with a variety of emotions.
“I'll trust you. I can trust you now, Brother.”
In the end, all those varied emotions converged into trust.
“Trust me. You won't regret it.”
I pulled her into a tight embrace.
She must have been through a lot emotionally, as she kept burrowing deeper into my arms.