Chapter 22: Gale (2)
The conversation died just as things were getting interesting.
Jegal Ayeon was flustered, but she didn’t show it. She smiled and pointed at the person across from her.
“Well…”
Then, Jegal Ayeon glanced at Yeon Ho-jeong, though she wasn't sure why. She knew Yeon Ho-jeong wasn’t very sociable.
To her surprise, Yeon Ho-jeong nodded. He figured that the larger the gathering, the more chances he'd have to size people up, no matter who this guy was.
“Please, sit down.”
Dang Yang-seon sat down before she could finish. It wasn't clear if he knew they wouldn't refuse or if he just didn't care.
Jegal Ayeon smiled and asked,
“Are you from the Dang Clan?”
“That’s right.”
He answered her casually, as he always did.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ayeon of the Jegal Clan.”
“Jegal Ayeon?”
“Yes.”
“That's a pretty name, too.”
That was pretty forward. Jegal Ayeon tilted her head.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, your parents gave you a good name.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Jegal Ayeon pointed at Yeon Ho-jeong with her hand.
“Ah, let me introduce you. This is…”
“It’s okay.”
“Huh?”
“I know who he is. No need for introductions.”
Jegal Ayeon’s eyes widened.
“Oh? It seems you’ve already met?”
“Isn't he the Yeon Clan's eldest son?”
“That’s right. Then at least say hello…”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s okay? What do you mean by that?”
Dang Yang-seon shrugged.
“I didn't come here to see him.”
Jegal Ayeon was slightly flustered.
Being perceptive, she knew that Dang Yang-seon’s purpose was her. But she didn’t expect him to be this direct.
Dang Yang-seon held out an empty glass.
“Pour me a drink.”
That was pretty ballsy.
It's not like pouring a drink is difficult, but being treated like a servant right off the bat would annoy anyone. Even Jegal Ayeon, who was trying to be polite, was getting annoyed by his tone.
“Here you go.”
Jegal Ayeon brought the bottle and placed it in front of him.
Dang Yang-seon tilted his head.
“I said pour it.”
Jegal Ayeon smiled faintly and said,
“I don’t want to pour it for you.”
“You don’t want to pour it?”
“No.”
“He poured for me without complaint. Why not you?”
He blatantly called him ‘bastard’.
Yeon Ho-jeong didn’t care how the other guy addressed him. As soon as Dang Yang-seon sat down, his senses scanned the younger generation of experts gathered in the banquet hall. He had no intention of reacting to each one of them.
But Jegal Ayeon was different.
“He's my friend. A little prickly, maybe, but still my friend.”
Dang Yang-seon smiled and asked,
“Can’t I be your friend too?”
“Anyone can be a friend... if they have some damn manners.”
“Oh-ho?”
“Is that how you do things in Sichuan? Do you ask strangers to pour you drinks the second you meet them? If so, I apologize, but I'm still not interested in being friends.”
She was smiling, but her voice was like a knife.
Dang Yang-seon, who had been looking at Jegal Ayeon with strange eyes, chuckled.
“You’re quite cute, aren’t you?”
“I get 'pretty' a lot, but 'cute'? Not since I was nine. I'll take it, though.”
“All I ever met in Sichuan were girls who did what they were told. One's the same as the next; it got boring. You're a nice change of pace.”
That one sentence told Jegal Ayeon everything she needed to know about Dang Yang-seon's life.
In Sichuan, the Dang Clan was law. Sure, the Qingcheng and Emei Sects were there too, but they were more focused on religious matters than worldly affairs.
Basically, the Dang Clan ran Sichuan. And as the firstborn son, he'd have had everything handed to him on a silver platter.
Dang Yang-seon had never even bothered to show up at these events before. This might be his first time out in the real world.
Jegal Ayeon smiled bitterly.
“Looks like poison and hidden weapons aren't the Dang Clan's only specialties.”
“Hmm?”
“Would you mind leaving? You're making me uncomfortable.”
“I can’t do that.”
Dang Yang-seon flicked his glass.
“You haven’t poured me a drink yet, have you? I have to get what I came for before I leave.”
“……”
“Well? Pour it. You're not expecting a tip, are you?”
He was treating her like some kind of barmaid.
That was the last straw. Jegal Ayeon was furious. And Jegal Joon, watching from a distance, was just as pissed.
Jegal Joon strode towards their table.
“Hey, you…”
It was then.
“You there.”
A dark shadow fell over Dang Yang-seon.
Dang Yang-seon spoke without turning around.
“Never stand behind a member of the Dang Clan without permission. If you want something, get in front of me and show some respect.”
Namgung Hyun smiled and said,
“I didn't think the Seven Great Families were in the habit of inviting people with zero manners.”
“What?”
“Just get up and leave. Don't make this any worse than it is.”
“Trouble?”
“You can't possibly be stupid enough to think you can master the Dang Clan's intricate martial arts when you don't even realize how rude you're being.”
“Huh!”
“Cut the crap. Get out of here, quietly.”
Dang Yang-seon shook his head.
“My father was right. The world is full of people who don't know their place.”
This was going from bad to worse.
Thump!
Dang Yang-seon slammed his glass down roughly and stood up, turning around.
Namgung Hyun came into his view.
“You look like a sickly girl. What's your name?”
“Namgung Hyun.”
Dang Yang-seon’s eyes twinkled.
“Huh, you've got a bit of an aura. Are you a Namgung?”
His father had told him: most of the Seven Great Families were worthless, but the Namgung and Moyong clans were the real deal.
Dang Yang-seon didn't swallow everything his father said. He respected the old man, but he figured he knew a thing or two himself.
Everyone feared the Dang Clan.
And not just in Sichuan. The Dang Clan's reach extended throughout Jianghu. Nobody crossed the Dang Clan and got away with it.
Power is fear. The most fearsome group in Jianghu is the Dang Clan.
So, the Dang Clan was obviously the greatest family under heaven. Hell, even his grandfather was known as the most terrifying of the Saintly Heavenly Thirteen Seats, the best fighters in the world.
“I guess a punk from the Namgung Clan, the so-called 'Sword Masters,' would have the balls to act like this.”
“This is getting ridiculous.”
“But even the 'Sword Masters' should know better than to act up in front of the greatest family under heaven.”
Namgung Hyun couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Number one under heaven? Who is number one under heaven?”
“The Dang Clan, obviously.”
“You're a clueless idiot.”
His cocky grin vanished, and the air turned cold.
“Kneel.”
“What?”
“I'm giving you one chance. Kneel, apologize, and I'll forget this ever happened.”
Namgung Hyun’s eyes also turned cold.
“I thought you were just stupid, but you're actually insane.”
It was then.
“Number one under heaven, you say?”
A clear voice echoed throughout the banquet hall.
Surprise flickered across Dang Yang-seon’s face. Namgung Hyun, on the other hand, frowned.
‘Incredible internal energy!’
The power behind that voice was insane. He could feel it vibrating in his chest.
Flash!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes blazed.
“You're going to talk about who's number one in our house? And you, a member of the Dang Clan?”
A young man was slowly descending the stairs.
He was maybe five or six years older than Namgung Hyun. He had a kind of aristocratic look, but he wasn't conventionally handsome like Yeon Ho-jeong or Namgung Hyun.
His physique was as ordinary as his face. The clothes he wore didn’t look particularly luxurious either.
But the guy had presence.
Wooong! Woooong!
The air seemed to vibrate.
Everyone here was strong, but most of them felt like their ears were ringing.
“Okay, maybe if it was Namgung or Moyong, I could see it. But the Dang Clan? Give me a break.”
Dang Yang-seon’s face contorted.
The guy's voice kept getting louder, grating on his nerves.
“I've heard the Dang Clan has its share of weirdos. Are you one of them?”
Dang Yang-seon shouted involuntarily.
“Who the hell are you?!”
It was a thunderous voice.
The words came out louder than he intended. Even Dang Yang-seon was surprised.
He'd overreacted, and he knew it. His neck started to turn red.
“You're young, aren't you? You don't have a clue how to act.”
“You!”
“Listen up, kid. In this world, you don't just go around calling yourself 'number one under heaven'.”
“I asked you who you are!”
“And another thing. Try to keep your temper under control.”
The young man smiled.
His appearance was ordinary, but his smile was quite charming.
“It makes you look weak, you know?”
Dang Yang-seon had reached his limit.
Wooooong!
Namgung Hyun instinctively stepped back. Dang Yang-seon was radiating a poisonous aura.
‘Poison?!’
It was poison qi, not just released poison; his internal energy itself was toxic.
Jegal Ayeon shouted.
“Young Master Dang!”
Parararak!
A bunch of people came running over - bodyguards from the different families, startled by the sudden burst of poison qi.
The young man looked at Namgung Hyun.
“Brother Namgung.”
“……”
“It’s nothing serious, right? Right?”
Namgung Hyun nodded, looking pissed.
“We should probably tell these bodyguards, who are working their tails off, that it's just a couple of kids acting up, right? Maybe buy them a round later. The Namgung Clan's footing the bill for this shindig, aren't they?”
“……”
“I’m asking you a favor.”
“Understood, Brother Myeong.”
Even though he was furious, he'd managed to catch the 'Brother Myeong'.
Dang Yang-seon growled quietly.
“You… are you from the Myeong Clan?”
“That’s right.”
The young man, Myeong Ho-rim, said.
“I'm Myeong Ho-rim, third son of the Nine Provinces Myeong Clan, the actual number one family under heaven.”
Dang Yang-seon scoffed.
He'd been all cool and collected with Jegal Ayeon, but not anymore. His infamous temper was flaring up, triggered by Myeong Ho-rim's powerful aura.
“Myeong Ho-rim? I’ve never heard of that name.”
“That's what I mean by clueless. You should at least know the names of the players in your generation, so you don't make a fool of yourself.”
“Mistakes? Sorry, I don't make mistakes. I'm not in a position to make mistakes.”
Myeong Ho-rim looked at Dang Yang-seon with pity.
Dang Yang-seon's face twisted. He could've handled anger or insults, but that pitying look was unbearable.
“……You, don’t even think about going back alive.”
“Y-Young Master!”
Han Ho-myeong yelled from across the room, but Dang Yang-seon didn't give a damn.
Tss tss tss.
A faint purple aura started to swirl around Dang Yang-seon. He was going all-out with his poison skill.
Startled, Jegal Ayeon stepped back and suddenly looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
Yeon Ho-jeong was still sitting in his seat. Even the glass in his hand remained untouched.
Jegal Ayeon urgently shouted.
“Young Master Dang! There’s someone next to you…!!”
It was then.
Piiiiiing! Puh-wuhk!
A sharp whoosh cut through the tension like a knife.
Myeong Ho-rim looked at his hand, which was now raised to about shoulder height. In his hand was a broken wine glass.
He looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
Yeon Ho-jeong raised his hand with an indifferent face.
“Oops.”
