Chapter 646
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 646
Chapter Title: Gonghu?
"Gasp!"
Suddenly, the sky and earth flipped upside down.
If he hadn't heard about it beforehand, the dizzying vertigo would have knocked him flat.
But since his master had warned him in advance, Gong Hae-jun managed to steady himself with effort.
Gong Hae-bin fared the same.
After standing still for a moment, the inverted sky and earth righted themselves.
But the dizziness lingered.
"It'll pass soon enough."
Ha Mu-baek said, stroking the two children's heads.
In the process, he channeled a bit of his inner energy to aid their recovery.
Ha Seol-ran and Yeon Ha-min also felt a spinning sensation in their heads the moment their feet touched solid ground.
However, they circulated their inner energy and quickly calmed it.
Gong Hae-jun looked at Ha Mu-baek with wonder and asked,
"Master, how come you're not seasick at all? You seem fine even now."
Ha Mu-baek smiled faintly.
"Once your martial arts reach a certain level, external factors like that no longer affect you."
At his response, admiration and respect shone in the eyes of Gong Hae-jun and Gong Hae-bin as they gazed at their master.
"How high does the realm have to be?"
Ha Mu-baek pondered for a moment before answering.
"Even at the transcendent realm, you'll still get seasick."
Ha Mu-baek's words made Yeon Ha-min and Ha Seol-ran flinch.
Yeon Ha-min had already reached the pinnacle realm.
So she was a bit surprised at herself for getting seasick despite that.
But even the transcendent realm wasn't immune?
Ha Mu-baek added,
"I've been there myself."
His cultivation at the time of embarking was at least transcendent.
Yet he'd still suffered from seasickness.
"Why is that? At the transcendent realm, you can perform flying techniques that involve far more intense motion."
Ha Seol-ran asked curiously.
"Shaking the world yourself is different from the world shaking you. Without experience of the latter, it's unfamiliar."
It was an answer that made vague sense.
"Your body just needs to go through it once and adapt."
With that, the five of them entered Wuchang's bustling streets.
A familiar district to them.
Though it was new to the Gong siblings.
They booked rooms at a suitable inn and had dinner.
The meal was incomparably better and tastier than the ship's fare.
Ships had limitations in handling fire, so meals were inevitably sparse.
Ha Mu-baek's decision to disembark even a day early was largely due to the food.
It was a rare peaceful night.
Ha Mu-baek took the children to tour Wuchang's night streets.
The new sights and streets held Gong Hae-bin and Gong Hae-jun's gaze without end.
Ha Seol-ran and Yeon Ha-min stayed at the inn.
There wasn't anywhere worth going out to, after all.
"Don't you want to visit the Dragon Training Pavilion?"
Ha Seol-ran cautiously asked Yeon Ha-min.
"Huh?"
Ha Seol-ran no longer had anyone to meet there, but Yeon Ha-min did.
"The Vice Pavilion Lord."
The Dragon Training Pavilion's Vice Pavilion Lord.
Still Yeon Ha-min's youngest uncle.
Yeon Ha-min shook her head slightly.
"He must be busy."
He always was, in truth.
She had even helped with his workload once.
"If I go, I'll probably just end up helping with his piled-up tasks."
Memories of that day surfaced.
Yeon Ha-min gave a small smile.
Ha Seol-ran nodded in understanding.
"Right. We're on vacation now. No working during vacation."
She said with a grin.
Their eyes met, and the two shared a pleasant laugh.
The children, back from touring the night streets, fell asleep quickly.
They must have been exhausted.
No matter their inner energy cultivation and martial training, they were still young.
After his disciples slept, Ha Mu-baek left the inn again for the Dragon Training Pavilion.
His senses focused there.
But it yielded no special discoveries.
Sichuan Nine Leaders' Red Pine had mentioned someone from Jecheonmil was in the pavilion.
Finding them with senses alone was difficult.
Jecheonmil were righteous faction warriors, after all.
In the end, Ha Mu-baek gave up the search.
It wasn't urgent.
Instead, he sought Vice Pavilion Lord Yeon Baek-jin.
Late as the night was, his office light still burned.
The Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul was no different.
'Clerk Ki Yu-chan must still be at it.'
How did the pavilion generate so much work for the lord and vice lord?
A truly mysterious man.
Ha Mu-baek was glad he didn't have someone like that under him.
Ha Mu-baek released his presence outside Yeon Baek-jin's office.
"Who is it?"
Yeon Baek-jin, alone reviewing documents after dismissing his aides, called out at the sudden presence.
"It's been a while."
Yeon Baek-jin started at Ha Mu-baek's voice.
He hadn't named himself, but the voice alone told him who it was.
"What brings someone from distant Anbok here?"
Yeon Baek-jin asked, opening the door.
"I have some questions."
"Come in."
Yeon Baek-jin guided him to a low table in the corner of the office.
"What is it?"
Yeon Baek-jin got straight to the point after serving tea.
Dark circles under his eyes showed he was still swamped.
Out of pure curiosity, Ha Mu-baek asked,
"Just what is there so much to do around here?"
Yeon Baek-jin shook his head.
"From one to ten, how do they create so much work? It's exasperating. But it's all necessary..."
His words spilled out with a deep sigh.
"So Clerk Ki is the culprit, as expected."
Yeon Baek-jin's eyes flashed at Ha Mu-baek's remark.
"He's a devil."
No hesitation in his answer.
"He seems to have grown quite strong, though."
Ha Mu-baek had noticed the change in Yeon Baek-jin's aura.
Impressive to advance amid such workload.
"Sigh. Father's orders. Don't neglect training. The Yeon Clan's arts are profound—diligent practice on top of diligence."
Interest flickered in Ha Mu-baek's eyes.
He hadn't expected Yeon Ja-kyeong to say something so martial.
"Lately, Father seems to have gained some enlightenment, so he's pushing me too."
Ha Mu-baek recalled his visit to Righteous Heaven Alliance headquarters.
Yeon Ja-kyeong had indeed grown stronger and was diligent in training.
Surprising for one who'd seemed all politics.
"So, what's the occasion?"
"Heading to the Yeon Clan."
Yeon Baek-jin flinched at Ha Mu-baek's answer.
Why? The question hung unspoken.
He couldn't imagine a reason for Ha Mu-baek to visit.
And worry bloomed.
His visit wouldn't pass quietly.
"What for...?"
Yeon Baek-jin's unfinished question trembled slightly.
"Taking Yeon Ha-min to see her mother."
"Ah...!"
A low exclamation.
"Sister-in-law should be doing well. Not like before."
"Seems even the Vice Pavilion Lord is out of touch with clan news."
"Since coming here, I've deliberately ignored clan matters. They don't send children to the pavilion anyway. Just in case."
Ha Mu-baek crossed his arms and eyed Yeon Baek-jin steadily.
"Then she might not be doing well."
Yeon Baek-jin looked incredulous.
"No. After that incident, my eldest brother nullified everything he'd done to sister-in-law."
The "eldest brother" was Yeon Baek-ryang, who died as a jiangshi in Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
Out of greed for Yeon Ha-min, he'd held her mother almost like a hostage.
"Then who's managing the Yeon Clan now?"
Patriarch Yeon Ja-kyeong resided at the alliance, heir Yeon Baek-ryang was dead.
The young lord position was vacant.
"Third brother."
Of Yeon Ja-kyeong's five sons, the third and fourth were ordinary.
The exceptional second died in the great war, followed by eldest and youngest.
Compared to those three, third and fourth were utterly average.
With no one else to entrust it to, third was managing by seniority.
Ha Mu-baek knew little of the Yeon brothers' third.
Actually, among them, only the second was capable.
Yeon Baek-un.
A comrade from the great war, to whom he'd entrusted his back.
He'd only later learned Yeon Baek-ryang was his brother, and Yeon Baek-jin his younger.
Yeon Baek-un had rarely mentioned third or fourth in battlefield family talks.
'Ah.'
A phrase came to mind.
'Poor fellows sandwiched between talented brothers, he said.'
They suffered mentally; he barely mentioned them out of pity.
Ha Mu-baek's involvement in Yeon Ha-min's matter was largely for Yeon Baek-un.
His comrade's daughter.
A disciple he'd taught, now subordinate.
To Ha Mu-baek, her connection as Yeon Baek-un's daughter mattered too.
Blood or not.
Yeon Baek-un preparing sword arts for her showed love beyond blood ties.
"Something feels off."
But why?
The moment Yeon Baek-jin mentioned "third brother," an inexplicable unease settled in his chest.
"Fourth brother too, but third is quiet. He'll manage the clan peacefully—no need to worry."
Yeon Baek-jin said it was just groundless worry.
"I hope so."
Ha Mu-baek said, setting down his teacup.
"What will you do after Ha-min meets her mother?"
Yeon Baek-jin asked curiously.
"I'm just accompanying to guard against mishaps. Everything follows the mother and daughter's will."
Yeon Baek-jin nodded slightly.
"Your care for Ha-min must be because of second brother, right?"
Ha Mu-baek didn't deny it.
It was the truth.
"Hm."
Yeon Baek-jin sipped the now-cooled tea, thought briefly, then spoke.
"If you're still uneasy, meet Gonghu before entering the clan."
"Gonghu?"
"Second brother's son. Ha-min's brother."
A certain man came to mind.
When Yeon Baek-ryang led Yeon warriors into Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
He'd been there.
Met Ha Mu-baek too.
Introduced as the Yeon Clan's Gonghu, asking if his brother was safe.
"Sharp and strong kid."
"You've met him?"
Yeon Baek-jin asked, surprised at the assessment.
"Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest."
Ha Mu-baek replied curtly.
Not good from Yeon Baek-jin's view.
"Ah..."
Yeon Baek-jin let out a low sound of realization.
Then, with a wry smile, continued.
"The clan buzzed over that. He was reprimanded for fleeing alone despite having the young lord. But his judgment saved the clan. That's why third brother manages it now."
Ha Mu-baek nodded in acknowledgment.
"He's off restriction by now. Meeting him discreetly first should ease your unease. He treats sister-in-law like his own mother."
"Good advice. I'll consider it."
"Glad to help."
As Ha Mu-baek rose, Yeon Baek-jin stood too.
"Then, please look after our Ha-min. Poor, unfortunate child. She deserves happiness now."
"I don't know about the clan days, but she's not unhappy now."
Ha Mu-baek replied and leaped away.