Chapter 64

"Why... why do you ask?"

It was a similar question to the one asked a moment ago. Danmok Hanzo filled his wine glass and teased, "My goodness, did Young Master really give you something sweet? That's why you won't even talk to me now?"

"Commander, it's not like that..."

Jeong Young waved his hand, a bit flustered. "I'm just taken aback because you suddenly started talking about Young Master's affairs as if they were your own."

"It's your affair, not Young Master's. Aren't you in charge of Young Master's quarters?"

"That's true. But you should understand that I can't talk about Young Master's affairs elsewhere, right?"

Jeong Young tried to be as careful as possible, but it seemed to irritate Danmok Hanzo even more.

"Did Young Master do something so great for you? Why are you trying to hide it so much? I heard that Deputy Hall Master takes good care of Young Master and even left some elixirs for him. I didn't ask you about anything great..."

"Commander, it's not like that."

Jeong Young looked at Danmok Hanzo with a perplexed expression. Danmok Hanzo was like a father to the orphan Jeong Young, whom he had met late in life. He followed Danmok Hanzo more closely than the distant and rarely seen Danmok Xiancheng or the high and mighty Danmok Tianji.

Feeling hurt and pressured, Jeong Young couldn't find the words to say.

"Why... why are you suddenly curious about Young Master's affairs?"

"I'm not curious about Young Master's affairs; I'm curious about your affairs, didn't I say that?"

Danmok Hanzo drank his wine alone. After a long silence, Jeong Young spoke quietly.

"Young Master told me not to slack off in my training... so..."

Danmok Hanzo, who had been drinking continuously, suddenly stopped. He put down his wine glass, looked at Jeong Young silently, and clicked his tongue.

"Is there anyone who reports everything their master does without question?"

Suddenly, Danmok Hanzo's attitude changed, and Jeong Young's eyes widened in protest.

"What? No... Commander, you kept pressing me. I didn't want to say anything..."

"Then you shouldn't have said anything at all!"

"But... but you're the Commander..."

"Even if the martial alliance leader or the heavenly deities came and asked, a master's sword should not reveal anything about their master."

"Does a master's sword drink wine too?"

Jeong Young retorted, and Danmok Hanzo burst into laughter. Jeong Young glared at him and grumbled.

"And my master is the head of the family..."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Jeong Young clamped his mouth shut. Danmok Hanzo looked at him with amusement, shrugged, and filled his glass again.

Currently, the Danmok family has no head of the family. Only the Grand Patriarch is watching from behind the scenes, but his influence is so strong that it feels like he's in charge.

If he had been talking about the Grand Patriarch, he would have referred to him as such.

You're the one who reports to your Young Master even at drinking parties after finishing work.

'Even though there's no head of the family, you call him your master...'

Danmok Hanzo snorted and said, "So, Young Master teaches you all sorts of things?"

Jeong Young's expression hardened.

'After just scolding me for revealing my master's affairs!'

Danmok Hanzo, seeing his expression, laughed like an uncle who had successfully made his nephew cry and continued.

"I'm just saying this because you're learning well from Young Master, Inseok. Stick close to him and learn well."

"Does Young Master... teach the Commander?"

Jeong Young's eyes widened in surprise, but then slowly, the surprise and disbelief faded, replaced by understanding and acceptance.

Danmok Hanzo was even more surprised by this reaction.

He was aware that he cast a large shadow over the eighteen uncles, and sometimes felt uneasy that the youngest, Jeong Young, seemed to follow his orders more than the Grand Patriarch's.

Yet, hearing that a child under ten years old had taught Danmok Hanzo, he accepted it so readily.

However, the topic quickly shifted to Danmok Hanzo's travels. He talked about the landscapes he had seen and the martial artists he had befriended, and Jeong Young listened with excitement.

Danmok Hanzo, looking at Jeong Young as if he were a son who hadn't fully grown, continued to share stories and drinks.

"I originally planned to go all the way to Sichuan."

"To Sichuan Province?"

"That place has a spicy dish called Mapo Tofu, and the pork stir-fried with it is supposed to be incredibly delicious..."

* * *

The next day, the Danmok family members headed to the Jin Family Manor for the match between Cheng and Jin Zongxia.

"Wow, everything looks so shiny."

Wei Zhiqing looked around in amazement.

The courtyard of the Jin Family Manor was exquisitely designed. The shapes of the gardens and the types of trees planted were unlike anything they had seen before.

It was a completely different style from the Danmok family, which had maintained its history and tradition for a long time.

However, Danmok Xianyao snorted.

"This is nothing. Our Inner Hall Master only enjoys simple things, so he doesn't know."

Wei Zhiqing smiled.

"Still, the manor is really beautiful, isn't it? The flowers and decorations are all so unique."

"Hmm. When people live according to their own tastes, they can be surprised by the simplest things."

"But isn't that peony decoration similar to the one hung during the Outer Hall Master's wedding? Ah, but the Outer Hall Master was the most beautiful, even then."

Wei Zhiqing's comment made Danmok Xianyao's mouth open in shock, then close tightly.

Lian shook her head inwardly, watching Danmok Xianyao's mouth move without saying anything.

To others, Wei Zhiqing's words might seem like a way to embarrass someone, but she was the kind of person who would rather awkwardly smile than say something insincere.

Lian also knew why her mother liked Danmok Xianyao so much.

Wei Zhiqing was an orphan who had come all the way from Shaanxi Province just for her marriage to Danmok Xiancheng. She had only one family member, a sworn brother who was a Huashan Sect disciple, so her wedding preparations must have been very poor.

Unable to bear it, Danmok Xianyao lent her all the items she had bought for her own wedding, which she would soon have. Since wedding items can't be reused, it was essentially a gift.

Danmok Xianyao said she would rather bite her tongue and die than announce that her brother was marrying a poor bride, but the recipient's heart wasn't diluted by such words.

Meanwhile, Danmok Bi tugged on Lian's sleeve. The Jin Family Manor was full of interesting things.

"Wow! Sister, did you see that? The fish at the end of the eaves looks like it's swimming."

Lian squinted. Indeed, there was a metal fish with shimmering scales hanging from the eaves, moving in the wind.

"It seems to be a small mechanism that moves when it catches the wind."

'So, the Jin Family Manor is really rich. They even hang things like that on the eaves.'

Danmok Cheng, who was about to answer, hesitated and looked at Lian.

"...How do you know that?"

"Uh, uh, I read it in a book."

"I see."

Danmok Cheng, who had a rare chance to show off his knowledge, looked a bit dejected. Lian quickly pointed to another object.

"Ah! What's that, Cheng? It's amazing!"

"...That... That's not really that impressive. Let's hurry, I have a match today, and I want to focus on that."

"Ah."

Danmok Cheng seemed to know little about it and changed the subject.

As he said, soon, the Jin Family members appeared from inside.

"It's been a while, Head of the Jin Family. Lady Song, have you been well?"

"Of course. Was your journey here smooth?"

Lady Song Yinglang welcomed them with enthusiasm. The head of the Jin Family, Jin Jigé, silently clasped his hands and narrowed his eyes, speaking quietly.

"Is the Grand Patriarch not coming?"

Living in Zhejiang Province, it was very difficult not to respect Danmok Tianji. Even if they were once almost enemies, it was still hard.

Wei Zhiqing smiled softly and shook her head.

"It's a place for the young to compete and learn. He didn't want to interfere and make the atmosphere tense."

"...I see. I understand. Please come inside."

Jin Jigé, contrary to Lian's expectations, had a not-so-bad expression as he gestured them inside.

Jin Jigé

Trait: Focused / Volcanic / Competitive / Twin Birds

Jin Wudao: 11 stars (1▲)

Jin Wushengong: 7 stars

Liu Yingbu: 10 stars (1▲)

Talent and Five Elements: Medium-Medium (中-中)

Concern: I prepared a gift for reconciliation, but my son did something like this again...

Help: Just give it to him.

'Why is he so calm all of a sudden?'

No matter how much they had misunderstood each other before, during the match with Jin Zongxia, Jin Jigé had a menacing look that could scare anyone. Now, he seemed like a soft, overcooked vegetable.

However, when he glanced at Danmok Hanzo, who was quietly standing behind the Danmok family members, his eyes flashed.

As a master of the sword, there seemed to be a mutual understanding among swordsmen.