Chapter 28: The Reason for the Fight (3)

The atmosphere in the restaurant turned cold.

Chuseong's face was horribly distorted. The face of Namgung Hyun, who was sitting at the end of the restaurant drinking tea, was as stiff as a board.

Yeon Jipyeong swallowed.

"Brother."

"What? Aren't you hungry?"

"…It's not that."

"If you're not going to eat, I'll eat it all. I feel like my stomach is stuck to my back from practicing since dawn."

Bang!

The ground shook.

Everyone's gaze, except for Yeon Hojeong, turned to Chuseong.

"What did you just say?"

Yeon Hojeong glanced at Chuseong.

His gaze was truly peculiar. It was as if he wasn't looking at a person but at a passing animal or an insignificant landscape.

Yeon Hojeong started chewing his meat again, completely ignoring Chuseong.

Chuseong's face turned red with anger.

"What did I say?!"

"It's noisy."

Yeon Hojeong rubbed his ear.

"Indeed, beasts are beasts. They can't understand human speech at all."

It was like pouring oil on a well-burning fire.

"How dare this brat!"

Just then,

"Stop it."

Namgung Hyun, who had been sitting far away, approached.

Chuseong didn't look at Namgung Hyun. His anger had reached its peak, and he seemed ready to draw his sword at any moment.

He was repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists, as if he was about to draw his sword.

Namgung Hyun put more force into his voice.

"Chuseong, the leader of the squad!"

"…."

"Step back."

Chuseong, who had been grinding his teeth, turned his body. His movements were so rough that his clothes rustled.

Namgung Hyun, who had inwardly sighed with relief, spoke in a frosty voice.

"What are you trying to do?"

Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.

"Are you talking to me?"

"Of course, I'm talking to you. Who else would I be talking to?"

"What did I do to deserve this?"

"Insulting the head of another family's guard, do you think our main house will let this slide?"

Yeon Hojeong smirked.

"When did I insult the head of your guard?"

"What?"

"I don't recall mentioning anyone."

"Pathetic. Stop playing word games. Anyone who saw this situation would…."

"Right, well said."

Yeon Hojeong's face turned serious.

"Since you saw everything, why didn't you step in earlier? You were calmly drinking tea even after seeing my temper yesterday?"

"What, what are you saying?"

"If you have something to say, come out and say it directly. Don't just stand behind an old guard and watch."

"What nonsense is this?!"

"Stop being petty. As a second son of the Namgung family, why can't you just ask me to come out? Are you afraid of me?"

"Enough of your delusions. Leading people…."

Yeon Hojeong waved his hand.

He didn't listen to the other person's words. After all, they would just be the same old talk.

If he knew the other person would say something annoying, it was better to just say his piece.

"I know you don't have good feelings towards me. Then, act like a martial artist and challenge me to a duel, or suggest having a drink. If you're going to play tricks, at least do it subtly."

"This is getting more and more interesting. Why would I…."

"Didn't you have it in mind because of your sister's issue?"

Namgung Hyun's expression changed.

Mentioning Namgung Sanghwa in front of everyone? This was dangerous.

Just as Namgung Hyun was about to speak, Yeon Hojeong's words were already pouring out.

"Even if a bad temper is a natural trait, if you've learned the rules of a prestigious family, you shouldn't cross the line. Seeing you and your sister, the Namgung name is a disgrace."

Namgung Hyun's face turned sinister.

"Are you insulting our main house?"

"You should listen properly if you don't want to be called a beast. Saying the Namgung name is a disgrace means you and your sister don't live up to the Namgung family. Can't you understand this simple statement?"

"Y-You…!"

"And."

A faint light appeared in Yeon Hojeong's eyes.

Namgung Hyun's body flinched for a moment. It felt as if a lightning bolt had flashed through his eyes and pierced the back of his head.

"Right now, you are using yesterday's incident as an excuse to insult me and my sister through your guard. Is there any reason I shouldn't insult you back?"

"Insult?!"

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

"Was it not an insult? If not, you didn't tell your guard to do this?"

"Of course not!"

"Then, I have no reason to hold back from dealing with your guard who insulted me here."

It was an absurd statement.

But Yeon Hojeong made this absurd statement sound reasonable.

"If you didn't tell him to do it, your guard acted on his own to insult another family. As the eldest son of the insulted family, shouldn't I properly resolve this grudge?"

"Ridiculous! Chuseong was just exercising his authority for the meeting, not insulting anyone…!"

"Didn't I tell you not to be petty? I don't want you to be petty either. Everyone in this restaurant saw your guard's arrogant attitude."

Namgung Hyun involuntarily looked around.

Young men and women seated around the room were watching this scene. Some looked anxious, while others were interested.

The important thing was that they were all members of the Seven Great Families.

Namgung Hyun gritted his teeth.

'Damn it!'

He just wanted to rekindle the atmosphere of the second day of the banquet.

He had Chuseong push Yeon Hojeong, but he didn't really intend to drive the Yeon brothers away. After all, the Yeon family, though small, was still one of the Seven Great Families.

He planned to step in at the right moment and resolve the incident in front of everyone, to assert his authority and break the other party's spirit, and to make Yeon Hojeong let his guard down.

And at the crucial moment, he planned to cut the other party's face and show the might of the Namgung family.

But what was this? The audience, who should have helped him, was actually supporting the other side.

"If you don't like it, you can punish your guard yourself."

"What, what are you saying?!"

"Whether he has the authority or not, your guard crossed the line. As the second son of your family, shouldn't you give him a proper scolding?"

"…!!"

"Choose."

Namgung Hyun was originally a man of cold reason.

However, he had never encountered such a brazen situation. In fact, this was a trivial dispute, hardly worth calling an incident.

But the other party had tied the family's honor to this trivial dispute. No matter how smart Namgung Hyun was, he was at a loss.

Just then,

"I'll take responsibility."

Namgung Hyun turned to look at Chuseong.

Chuseong's eyes were burning like fire.

"Since this incident happened because of me, I should handle it. There's no need for you to worry about it."

Namgung Hyun's face lost its color.

'Damn it!'

This was the worst.

Chuseong shouldn't have stepped forward like this. He should have denied the accusation, saying he was not at fault.

But by saying he would take responsibility, Chuseong was essentially admitting that he had insulted the Yeon family.

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

A truly pleasant smile, showing all his teeth.

"You're willing to take responsibility, unlike your master. I like that."

Rumble.

Chuseong took a step forward.

He wasn't emitting his inner strength, but a formidable aura was spreading.

"So, how do you want to hold me accountable, sir?"

"What's so great about the way martial artists resolve conflicts?"

"Do you mean a duel?"

"Wouldn't that be neat?"

For Chuseong, this was an absurd situation.

No matter how prestigious the eldest son of the Seven Great Families, he was still a young man under twenty. In contrast, Chuseong was a top-tier expert with over fifteen years of experience in the martial world.

To challenge him to a duel? He couldn't understand the other party's confidence.

Was it so ridiculous? Chuseong spoke in a mocking tone.

"Indeed, seeing you fight the third son of a prestigious family, you seem to have a knack for combat. While we're at it, why don't you give me a proper lesson in front of everyone?"

It was a chance to mock and to show the greatness of the Namgung family. Chuseong really wanted to thoroughly defeat Yeon Hojeong in front of the younger generation.

What about Yeon Hojeong?

'What a surprise!'

Yeon Hojeong couldn't help but burst into a broad smile.

He was already planning to stir things up, and now the other party was giving him the perfect excuse. He almost wanted to forget the earlier incident.

"Shall we? It seems like a good idea."

The person who should have been nervous seemed too happy.

For a moment, Chuseong wondered if the other party had some hidden agenda. After all, the probability of Yeon Hojeong winning was less than ten percent.

Yeon Hojeong stood up from his seat.

"There's such a thing as a friendly duel. After holding you accountable, wouldn't it be meaningful for the younger generation to show off their skills?"

Chuseong couldn't help but sneer.

"Fine, do as you please."

"Good, very good."

Yeon Hojeong's eyes glinted menacingly.

At that moment, his eyes were not on Chuseong but on Myeonghohrim.

"Let's have a good, clean fight."

* * *

"What, what did you say?!"

Jeong Ah-yeon's mouth dropped open.

"Chuseong? You mean the notorious Chuseong who recently became the leader of the Namgung family's squad?!"

"…Yes."

Jeong Ah-yeon involuntarily rubbed her forehead.

"Damn it! Why with such a person?!"

The notorious Chuseong.

A middle-aged expert with considerable fame in Henan and Anhui, Chuseong was known for his fiery temper and brutal sword skills. He was famous for single-handedly eliminating a third of the bandits in Henan and Anhui over fifteen years.

Many of these bandits were skilled in martial arts, and some were large groups of hundreds.

In other words, he was not someone who could be handled by a young prodigy. A young prodigy, after all, referred to an outstanding individual among peers, and occasionally a genius of the century would appear, but fighting a real swordsman with countless battle experiences was a dangerous affair for anyone.

The Namgung family didn't appoint Chuseong as the squad leader for nothing.

"We have to stop it! No matter how skilled Hojeong is, this is too much!"

"That's…."

Yeon Jipyeong sighed.

"The preparations are already underway at the outer training ground. It will start in an hour."

"Wh-What?!"

Jeong Ah-yeon gasped.

"Still, we can't let this happen! Chuseong is known for his ruthless fighting style! He doesn't care about people's opinions!"

"There's nothing we can do. If we back down here, Brother's reputation will be damaged before the main house."

Jeong Ah-yeon was speechless.

"But why are you so calm, Jipyeong? Are you giving up? Have you reached enlightenment?"

Yeon Jipyeong sighed.

"Of course not. I'm worried too. I've tried to stop him several times. But…."

"But?"

"I trust Brother as much as I worry."

"…!"

"The Brother I've seen so far, though he may seem aggressive to others, always does things he can take responsibility for. As a blood relative, I'm worried, but I believe Brother has a plan."

Jeong Ah-yeon's eyes wavered.

Trust his brother? Even if he trusts his brother, isn't this too much?

What a strange pair of brothers. Worried but trusting? It wasn't the thinking of ordinary people.

'Brothers are brothers, after all.'

But Yeon Jipyeong's gaze was unwavering. He wasn't anxious.

He clearly trusted both his brother's judgment and his skills.

"You two are really a difficult pair."

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind! Let's go to the training ground! Jun! Come out now!"