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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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“Sobong, have I seemed easygoing to you lately? Should I make things a bit more lively?”
“No, sir! Not at all! How could I ever think of you as easygoing, sir!!”
Sobong wanted to cry. This was a disaster of epic proportions. If he had done something to offend Jegal Liang, he would have understood. But he had done nothing. It was truly unjust.
“Then why did you interrupt my Go game?”
Which son of a bitch! Did someone dare disturb the old man’s Go game?! If he survived this, he would not let them off the hook.
“W-Who dared to offend you, sir? Tell me, and I-I will surely!”
“Enough. Just don’t bother Mancheon and Gwahae anymore.”
He had heard of Mancheon. Biyoung’s…that is, his younger brother’s friend’s child. He had no interest in him. He had never even bothered him. But who was Gwahae?
“Sir… who is Gwahae?”
“That annoying girl. She keeps interrupting whenever Mancheon and I are enjoying a game of Go.”
“???”
As Sobong’s face contorted in a questioning expression, Jegal Liang clicked his tongue and continued.
“Tsk. You fool. I’m talking about Sowol’s daughter.”
So he meant that strange child his dead younger sister had birthed.
Blue eyes weren’t uncommon. They were actually quite common in the outer martial world. However, the sharp teeth hidden within her small mouth were certainly not human.
He remembered the last time he saw her. He recalled the eerie image of the child staring intently at him with those unreadable blue eyes, neither smiling nor crying. She was an unsettling child.
He didn’t want to be involved, so he had instructed the servants to provide her with food and had cut off all contact. Just like Mancheon, he had no interest in him and had never bothered him.
“Sir, I don’t know what happened, but…I have nothing to do with it.”
Bang!!
Right next to where Sobong had prostrated himself, Jegal Liang stomped his foot. The floor made of fine wood splintered and dust covered Sobong’s face.
“Is it something to brag about that the acting clan leader doesn’t even know what his family members are up to?”
“No, sir! Not at all! I apologize!”
Sobong wasn’t stupid. He understood what Jegal Liang was implying.
Jegal Liang was demonstrating his power, implying that he was too lazy to deal with this himself and expected Sobong to take care of it.
“I saw her briefly. She’s starting to resemble Sowol more and more these days.”
“Sir? Are you referring to Gwahae?”
“Those bastards’ intentions are obvious. They’re afraid that the clan leader’s favor will shift and their inheritance will be reduced. Pathetic fools.”
Sobong swallowed the dust and remained silent, knowing that any wrong word could make him appear as one of those ‘pathetic fools’.
“Enough. I’m leaving now. You may rise.”
He had said what he needed to say. The rest was up to Sobong. To end things here… Perhaps he had grown soft in his old age. Much too kind.
He’s finally leaving. I thought I was going to die.
Damn old man. Other elders of similar age had mellowed with time. How could this old man be so consistently cantankerous? He wasn’t called Jegal the Monstrous Dragon for nothing.
As Sobong cursed internally while watching Jegal Liang walk towards the open gate, the old man suddenly stopped.
‘W-What? D-Did he learn telepathy? I-Is this the end?’
Sobong froze mid-rise, his mind filled with all sorts of paranoid delusions, and gulped.
“I almost forgot to mention this. Mancheon is my Go partner. Treat him as my equal.”
“Y-Yes… I understand.”
The Go-obsessed old fool. What a twisted sense of priorities. I wish he would just ascend already.
Sobong cursed inwardly again, but Jegal Liang, oblivious or simply uncaring, strode off to resume his Go game.
Once Jegal Liang was completely out of sight, Sobong stood up with a grim expression, brushing off the dust. He turned towards his confidants, who were cautiously approaching him, and spoke through gritted teeth.
“Gather everyone below me. Direct descendants, collateral branches, everyone.”
Jegal Sobong was currently the acting clan leader. In other words, everyone except the clan leader was to assemble. A storm of reprimands was brewing.
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“Elder, the tea has already gone cold.”
“Silence. I prefer cold tea over hot.”
He had initially intended to return to his room after snack time, but he felt bad for the elder who had taken the time to play Go with him, so he decided to play another game.
Tak
“I’ve noticed you’re quite skilled at concealing your Qi. You must have had a good teacher. Who was your master?”
“Uh… what? Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?”
As I stammered and tried to deflect the question, Jegal Liang grabbed my wrist and took my pulse.
“You’ve trained in a Taoist internal energy cultivation method. A disciple of the Wudang Sect? No. It’s a more primal form of Taoist internal energy.”
Jegal Liang picked up a Go stone and imbued it with internal energy before flicking it towards me. The stone, now a projectile weapon, flew straight towards my forehead.
A direct hit would have meant a concussion, at the very least. Knowing I could no longer hide, I unleashed Emptiness Illumination Fist to deflect the stone.
Tak!
The deflected stone embedded itself in the pillar of the pavilion. I would have been dead if it had hit me.
“Seventy-two movements of Emptiness Illumination Fist. A disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, then. I understand why you wouldn’t reveal your master’s name.”
I had initially intended to lash out in anger, but the conversation seemed to be going in a direction that could be beneficial, so I held my tongue.
“The Taoist sects have fallen into disarray due to internal conflicts over resources. I can see why you would be ashamed to mention the Quanzhen Sect.”
…Good. It’s better if he assumes things on his own.
Neither my master nor I belonged to the Quanzhen Sect. We simply learned their techniques because they were useful. But if I denied any affiliation with the Quanzhen Sect, he would interrogate me about my master’s identity. It was better to let him misunderstand from the start.
“It doesn’t matter if your master’s reputation is at stake. The sect is already gone. You… become my disciple.”
“Me? Your disciple?”
“Yes, you.”
Becoming a disciple meant learning everything the master had to offer. Did this mean he would teach me the secret techniques of the Jegal Clan? Is that what he was implying?
Just as I was about to eagerly accept his offer, the distrustful Mancheon within me whispered.
‘Snap out of it! There’s no way something this good could happen! He must have some ulterior motive!’
Then, the kind Mancheon within me also chimed in.
‘That’s right! That old man is trash! He’s a terrible person!’
Thanks, guys. You saved me from losing my judgment and becoming blinded by greed. It’s always important to be cautious before making any decisions.
“Elder, does this mean you will accept me as your disciple and teach me the secret techniques of the Jegal Clan? Is that correct?”
I had hoped he would respond with an enthusiastic ‘Yes! Precisely!’ but instead, Jegal Liang looked at me with an incredulous expression, raised an eyebrow, and pointed at my right leg.
“A cripple learning martial arts? Your master must have filled your head with nonsense. Forget everything he taught you.”
His harsh words stung, and I glared at him with a furrowed brow. However, Jegal Liang, unfazed, continued speaking as if nothing had happened.
“You’re better suited for Go. You will strive to become the greatest Go player in the world alongside me.”
“Elder, are you serious?”
“Of course. I’m perfectly serious. Your Go playing has a certain charm and entertainment value. You lack technical skill, but you can learn from me.”
Jegal Liang’s eyes gleamed with an avaricious madness. It reminded me of Cao Cao’s covetous gaze upon Guan Yu. He was definitely not normal.
Well, no one who’s insane ever admits to being insane.
While I didn’t dislike Go, I only played it as a hobby. Unlike Yut Nori, I had no intention of making a living out of it. I had to find a way out of this situation. If I agreed now, I would be dragged around by Jang-sam to play Go for the rest of my life.
“Mancheon~! Snack time~! Let’s play~!”
Just then, Gwahae appeared, coming to fetch me. A perfectly timed assist. All that effort in feeding, clothing, and educating her had paid off.
“Actually, I promised to teach Gwahae origami today, so I have to go. It was fun playing with you today, Elder. Let’s play again sometime.”
“What?! You’re telling me that folding paper with that milk-smelling brat is more important than a match with me?!”
“Yes.”
I nodded without hesitation. Jegal Liang was stunned into silence, and I seized the opportunity, grabbing Gwahae’s hand and using my lightness skill to escape.
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Time passed, and the festival day arrived. It wasn’t a particularly grand festival, but rather a celebration of the arrival of summer after the passing of winter and spring.
Simply put, it was a day for eating and drinking, a way to encourage everyone for the days to come. However, for Gwahae, who was experiencing a festival for the first time, it was a more spectacular event than any other.
Gwahae fiddled nervously with her unfamiliar silk clothes and hair ornaments, a worried expression on her face.
“Doesn’t this look strange?”
“Not at all. In fact, I think you look the cutest in the world.”
“Don’t tease me.”
I wasn’t lying when I said she looked cute. It was amusing to see the usually wild child acting so demurely, like a proper young lady. Every gesture she made was adorable.
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Seems like the disabled brat in awe of the wild young lady 🤣
