Zhuge Hualian (3)
Chivalry.
Anyone who steps foot in the martial world would know what it means.
But in reality, they turn away because of the walls. And Zhuge Hualian was no different. Sometimes lacking strength, sometimes taking the easier path.
She had ignored chivalry like the others, and at some point stopped mentioning it.
But that man was different.
He spoke of chivalry.
Without having learned a single martial art.
“Chivalry...”
Zhuge Hualian, returning to the clan, muttered to herself, wondering what chivalry really was.
And
“What a strange person.”
She recalled Lee Munhyuk's face in her mind.
After a while, when Zhuge Hualian arrived at the clan, she stopped at the noisy voices bursting from inside.
“Master! Why are you like this! I want to hear the reason!”
Zhuge Hualian followed the voice and moved her feet. And there, a group of people were clinging to the hem of the elder's pants.
“Why are you pretending not to know about Seolseoin's performance!”
“What's the reason for hiding the biography of Zhuge Liang? Is there something we shouldn't know?”
“No, that's why I say I first heard this!”
The elder looked bewildered, holding his pants so they wouldn't slip down.
“What are you doing with the master, old man?”
When Zhuge Hualian approached and asked, the people's gazes all turned to her.
“Oh! Hualian!”
The elder shouted as if seeing a savior.
“Handle these brats for me! I came back from lunch and suddenly they pounced on the elders' pants! What is this!”
“Master said he doesn't know!”
“So, really, I don't know!”
The elder's face was full of grievance.
Zhuge Hualian stared at the scene blankly, then asked cautiously.
“What exactly is going on?”
Then the people opened their mouths as if waiting.
“About this teacher's behind story!”
“The Seolseoin was pressured by the elders of the clan and couldn't do it anymore!”
“The story is so interesting, I won't be able to sleep tonight!”
“Master should know, but doesn't tell!”
“So, I don't know!”
Zhuge Hualian understood the situation. These were all the seeds Munhyuk had scattered in the clan. She hadn't expected this to happen so soon.
'Um...'
She looked at the restless elder being grabbed by the pants. Honestly, he looked a bit pitiful.
But.
'I have no business interfering.'
If I interfere, I'll just get grabbed too. So she judged and quietly stepped back one step.
“Hualian?”
The elder looked at her with an anxious expression.
Zhuge Hualian smiled faintly.
“Cheer up, grandfather.”
“Hualian!”
“I have urgent business.”
Leaving them behind, Zhuge Hualian headed to her father Zhuge Hyeok's office.
“Father.”
“Hualian, what business at this hour?”
“I saw something fun.”
Zhuge Hualian told Zhuge Hyeok about her encounter with Lee Munhyuk.
“This young master?”
“Yes, so now the clan people grab the elders they pass by and ask why.”
“Hahaha! The elders must be suffering. They didn't block the performance, but now they're acting like they did.”
Zhuge Hyeok said, impressed by the method Lee Munhyuk used.
“But why did the elders block the printing? There's no reason to stop the ancestor's story.”
“They're sulking.”
“What?”
“They went on a few days of outer travel and did more work. They're sulking about that and interfering with everything I do.”
Zhuge Hyeok sighed.
“So, they oppose printing because they're sulking.”
“Is that the reason?”
“Strictly speaking, yes.”
“...”
Zhuge Hualian, not knowing much about the old man's sulking, was momentarily speechless upon hearing Zhuge Hyeok's words.
“Of course, there's also the fact that there's no money to print it despite the mountain of work, but if they weren't sulking, it wouldn't be a problem. Those narrow-minded old men.”
Zhuge Hyeok smiled bitterly.
“Even my maternal grandfather doesn't look at the book I offered him once.”
“Um... Grandfather was wrong. At least, if opposing, he should have read it first.”
“Of course. If he read it, he wouldn't oppose.”
Upon Zhuge Hyeok's words, Zhuge Hualian thought for a moment and spoke.
“Father, can you lend me the book for a while?”
“Do you want to read it too?”
“I want to read it soon, but first I need to show it to grandfather.”
“Show it? To my maternal grandfather?”
“Yes, if father is sulking and not showing it, I can show it to him, right?”
***
“What kind of person is this Seolseoin to cause such a commotion...”
Ma Sonsa, the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan, couldn't endure the sudden commotion and fled to his office like running away.
At first, he had confronted the people together with the other elders. But after more than a shichen of unanswered questions, he finally raised both hands.
Someone clung to him asking if there was a hidden fact in the story of Zhuge Liang, and someone asked why they blocked the performance. The problem was that he couldn't answer any of them properly. After all, he didn't know who Zhuge Liang was or that he had blocked the performance.
“It's so unfair...”
Ma Sonsa sighed deeply.
“Who did such a thing?”
If the elders blocked the performance of the Seolseoin, one of them must have done it. But none of them admitted to it.
“Haa...”
When Ma Sonsa, who was getting annoyed, pressed his brows.
Knock knock.
“Grandfather.”
A familiar voice came from outside the door.
“Huh? Is it Hualian? Come in.”
When Zhuge Hualian's voice came, Ma Sonsa unfurrowed his brows and welcomed her.
Zhuge Hualian, opening the door and entering, held a thick book in her hand. When she placed the book on the table, Ma Sonsa asked.
“Huh? What is that?”
“It's a book I hope grandfather will read.”
“Aigoo, our granddaughter's book must be read. Yes, once this commotion ends, I'll read it.”
“You should read it now. The people outside are protesting because of this.”
At that, Ma Sonsa hurriedly checked the book.
“The Biography of Zhuge Liang?”
It was a book with the surname 'Zhuge' boldly on the title. Since Ma Sonsa was from a branch family, he didn't use the Zhuge surname.
But he had lived for decades for the Zhuge Clan. To him, the two characters 'Zhuge' were not just a surname.
It was his pride and glory.
And it was a name no one should use lightly. But suddenly the title had the word Zhuge. Unpleasant feeling.
“You don't recognize it? The name people outside call it. It must be Zhuge Liang.”
A familiar name came from Zhuge Hualian's mouth.
Zhuge Liang.
That was definitely the name Ma Sonsa had heard from people outside.
“The commotion outside is because of this book?”
“Precisely, it's the story written in this book.”
Zhuge Hualian nodded.
“Right now, people are deeply immersed in the story of our ancestor Zhuge Liang.”
“...”
“And they believe the reason they can't hear the story anymore is because of the elders' council.”
Ma Sonsa unconsciously rubbed his brows. Now he was starting to understand why people outside were clinging to the elders' pants.
“But there is someone who led this commotion.”
At that, Ma Sonsa's eyes flashed.
“What? Who dares it? Who dared to play with the Zhuge Clan!”
“It wasn't a playful action.”
Zhuge Hualian shook her head.
“It was rather quite clever. And... I found the person interesting.”
Ma Sonsa narrowed his eyes at the unexpected evaluation from his granddaughter's mouth.
“Interesting person?”
“Yes.”
Zhuge Hualian said that and explained the conversation she had with Lee Munhyuk from the beginning.
The Seolseoin was performing the story of Zhuge Liang.
People were enthusiastic about the story, and by blocking the performance, they diverted the people's resentment to the elders' council.
And the reason for such actions was to make the elders have no choice but to print this book. After Zhuge Hualian's explanation ended, a brief silence fell in the office.
“Hah.”
After a while, he let out a low exclamation.
“That Seolseoin is much more cunning than I thought.”
“But what's so interesting? Do you know?”
“Interesting?”
“That person said at the end, there is no chivalry in the martial world these days.”
“Hmm.”
Ma Sonsa nodded slowly as if agreeing with the words.
“And he said he respects our ancestor Zhuge Liang. That he is a person who puts the country and the people before his own safety.”
Zhuge Hualian smiled as if it was amusing.
“So, he wanted to let more people know about the person Zhuge Liang. Isn't that funny? It seems like a person who doesn't even have the surname Zhuge is more sincere about our ancestor's story than us.”
After Zhuge Hualian's words, Ma Sonsa laughed and said.
“No chivalry... Hahaha, definitely an interesting guy.”
“Right?”
“Tell the head of the family. Since I lost this matter, you can print it, and tell that friend too. To come see the performance once.”
“Is it okay to approve printing without checking the content?”
Ma Sonsa looked at Zhuge Hualian and smiled benevolently.
“Originally, I was going to approve it soon. It just happened to be a bit earlier.”
Ma Sonsa tapped the book on the table.
“And I have to start printing right away, so what do I do if I hold this?”
“Ah.”
So, the commotion that happened in the elders' council of the Zhuge Clan was resolved surprisingly lightly.
And the next day.
Zhuge Hualian went to find Lee Munhyuk after hearing the news of the printing approval. To deliver the news he had been waiting for after seeing the performance the previous day.
***
“Hahaha...”
The printing approval for The Biography of Zhuge Liang fell.
That meant, soon sitting on a pile of money.
Just thinking made a smile appear.
“What's so good about it?”
I laughed foolishly, and Soso muttered beside me.
“Soso, when I buy a big manor, I'll feed and raise you.”
At that, Soso frowned.
“Eh? I don't want to! The adult is a good person, but... not my type of face.”
Thud!
“Ouch! Why hit me!”
“Because you said something worth hitting. When I buy a manor, I'll say I invested in it.”
“You said that earlier?”
Soso said while rubbing her head after the hit.
“But why suddenly say that? Did you make a lot of money?”
“Hahaha... From now on, my bank... no, my vault will be filled with silver coins.”
“Another weird thing.”
Soso looked at me in disbelief.
“Going out to perform without getting paid and making money? Recently, people say the adult has gone crazy from the shock of the money falling in the exam.”
At that moment.
“That's a bit harsh.”
A familiar voice interrupted. We both turned our heads at the same time. There, Zhuge Hualian was standing.
“The writer who raised our clan, who would spread such strange words?”
She continued with a calm face.
It sounded like a joke, but with a sharp tone.
“...”
Soso, seeing Zhuge Hualian for the first time, asked with expression who she is while looking at me.
“When did you come?”
I asked, Zhuge Hualian smiled.
“Just now.”
“Soso, greet her. This is Miss Hualian of the Zhuge Clan. Hualian. This is my rival Soso.”
“Soso? Nice to meet you.”
“G... g... g... Gwang... hwa...”
When introducing Zhuge Hualian, Soso trembled and couldn't speak. Worried about the unfamiliar sight, I tried to ask.
“Oh my? Gwanghwa? I don't know that nickname. Is it a mistake for Cheonbong?”
“Yes! Yes! Sorry! I was wrong!”
“What's your nickname, sister?”
“Cheonbong! Zhuge Hualian!”
Soso answered like a soldier before a division commander, even though she never joined the army.
“Adult! I have urgent business, I'll go first!”
Then she ran away quickly.
It happened in an instant.
“...”
“What was that just now?”
“Gwanghwa? Interesting kid. I don't know that nickname.”
After Soso leaves, Zhuge Hualian approaches me.
But somehow, it feels like the nickname Gwanghwa is correct. I thought that internally, but didn't show it, and asked why she came here.
“But what business do you have?”
“With so much writing ahead, there will be a lot of work. How about coming to our clan?”
Out of the blue, I was surprised.
“To the clan?”
“Yes.”
Zhuge Hualian nodded naturally.
“The printing approval has come. Then, organizing the manuscript or managing people will be needed. It would be troublesome if you do it alone. And most importantly, you have to keep coming back and forth from here to the clan?”
The approval was within expectation.
But the suggestion to stay at the clan was unexpected, so I paused.
At the clan, they would receive better treatment.
But I couldn't easily nod.
“...”
“It's a good suggestion.”
I chose words slowly.
“I politely decline.”
The words of Gu Unsang who read The Biography of Zhuge Liang in front of me.
Even though Gu Unsang didn't know I was the author, he said that. Once the Zhuge Clan people know I'm the author, they'll have to talk to the readers every time they meet.
I didn't want to bear that burden.
“Hmm... I expected that. Then, a contact person will be needed, so I should stay here.”
“What?”
Zhuge Hualian smiled naturally.
“It's easier to stay right next to it than coming back and forth to pick up the manuscript.”
Unexpected words from her left me speechless.