Chapter 24 Whirlwind (4)
The Gujumyeong Family (九州明家), the Illustrious Nine Provinces Family.
A family that appeared three hundred years ago, during the worst period of chaos and the greatest golden age of the Murim world, a time still spoken of today. They assisted the legendary master, the Martial Emperor of the Four Directions (四方武帝), and made remarkable contributions to the destruction of the Blood Cult (血敎).
Afterwards, they brought in unique martial arts from beyond the borders and combined them with the martial arts of the Central Plains, creating their own unique techniques. In two hundred years, they became known as the Supreme Family Under Heaven (天下第一家). This was the history of the Gujumyeong Family.
The reason the Gujumyeong Family was called the best under heaven was simple.
Because they were strong.
Their power was as great as combining two of the Seven Great Families, and the new martial arts they developed were evaluated as superior to the secret techniques of the Seven Great Families. Their financial power was also the best among single forces, so the name of "Supreme Family Under Heaven" was not wasted on them.
Yeon Hojeong was provoking the third young master of such a powerful force.
Myeong Horim's eyes deepened.
"Are you the eldest son of the Yeon family?"
"You've got that right."
"First, as the senior member here at this gathering, I would like to express my gratitude for reining in that wild horse, though it was a bit heavy-handed."
Yeon Hojeong chuckled involuntarily.
This guy, maybe mid-twenties at most, was talking like he was the elder statesman here. It was kind of ridiculous.
Myeong Horim ignored Yeon Hojeong's laughter.
"I'll admit, your martial arts are impressive. Taking down the Tang family's eldest son like that... I guess the rumors about you were way off."
Rumors about Yeon Hojeong were famous enough for those who knew.
A tiger father begets a dog son (虎父犬子). He was considered a weakling, unlike his respected father.
Yeon Wi, the head of the Yeon family at the time, was called the Judge's Sword (判官劍), a title showing everyone's respect. However, his eldest son, Yeon Hojeong, was said to lack the talent and character to succeed the family.
But the Yeon Hojeong shown today was too different from the rumors.
"However,"
Myeong Horim said in a seemingly scolding tone.
"No matter how much you want to prove yourself, shouldn't you know the difference between public and private? This is a meeting, not a sparring match."
"..."
"Let's clear the air first. Once things settle down, I'll pour you a drink."
"So,"
"Hmm?"
"You're not going to fight me?"
Everyone stared at Yeon Hojeong in shock.
Myeong Horim burst into laughter.
"Fighting you wouldn't be difficult, but I'd rather settle this with drinks and good humor. Ah! And you don't have to worry about throwing the cup at me. Like you said, it was an accident, right?"
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
Myeong Horim continued with a satisfied face.
"Good, good. First, let's move the Tang family's young master..."
"If he's not coming, I'll go to him."
"What?"
Whoosh.
Yeon Hojeong walked towards Myeong Horim.
He wasn't using any special footwork; he wasn't even running.
He just walked. Plain and simple.
But as he moved, the heavy air seemed to part like waves.
The atmosphere was so heavy and stuffy that even those who tried to stop him hesitated. The moment Yeon Hojeong moved, the air in the banquet hall seemed to become damp.
Myeong Horim's eyes widened.
'What is this?'
It was only a short distance.
It wasn't cautious either. He was walking leisurely as if taking a stroll, making one wonder if he even intended to fight.
But Myeong Horim felt every nerve in his body screaming. He wanted to speak, but a strange pressure kept his mouth shut.
And just like that, Yeon Hojeong was right in front of Myeong Horim.
'...'
They were close enough to trade blows. Right there, Yeon Hojeong stopped.
The two men glared at each other.
Sssss.
A murderous aura like a snake crawled up Myeong Horim's neck.
Stealthy and flexible, but venomous. It was a vicious murderous intent that felt like it would sink its fangs into his neck at any moment.
'What kind of murderous aura is this...?!'
Then, Yeon Hojeong smiled slightly.
Myeong Horim's body reacted on its own.
Pow!
His fist shot out towards Yeon Hojeong's face.
It was a jab with no telegraphing, fast and sharp.
Thwack!
The fist he threw was immediately deflected upwards.
But Myeong Horim did not stop attacking. The murderous aura coiling around his neck was urging him to follow up.
His fists became a blur.
Pow pow pow!
A flurry of punches ripped through the small space. It was the Iron Chain Strike (鐵鎖撲) that the Myeong family boasted of.
It wasn't a secret technique, per se, but it was highly effective in close-quarters combat. He had reacted instinctively to the murderous aura, but even in the midst of that, he seemed to have restrained himself.
Yeon Hojeong also immediately responded.
Thwack! Thwack thwack! Thud! Crack!
The two men's fists, palms, and elbows collided, making sounds like drums bursting.
Yeon Jipyeong's eyes widened.
'That fist technique is?'
The fist technique Yeon Hojeong was using to counter Myeong Horim's Iron Chain Strike was a martial art familiar to Yeon Jipyeong as well.
'The Yeon Family Thirteen Fists (燕家十三拳)?!'
That's right.
Yeon Hojeong's elastic fist technique was the Yeon Family Thirteen Fists, the basic fist technique of the Yeon family. But it was too different from the Yeon Family Thirteen Fists that Yeon Jipyeong knew.
'Th-that, to use it like that!'
The Yeon Family Thirteen Fists was originally intended to subdue rather than kill an enemy.
However, no one uses the Yeon Family Fists for subduing techniques. Yeon family warriors learn the Yeon Family Fists to build flexibility and a solid lower body, not to fight enemies.
In other words, it was a fist technique not suitable for combat. Yet, his brother was using what was practically a calisthenics routine to expertly deflect the Myeong family's attacks.
'No. It's not just blocking...'
Rather, he's pushing him back.
Pow pow pow!
Myeong Horim took a step back. At the same time, Yeon Hojeong advanced strongly.
Bang! Thud thud bang!
A three-strike combo of short, sharp punches followed by a powerful long fist (長拳) pushing forward.
Yeon Jipyeong's eyes trembled.
'One Stroke of Clear Wave (一注淸坡)!'
Boom!
"Hmm."
Myeong Horim retreated two more steps.
In fact, it was closer to being pushed back than retreating. After completely neutralizing the flurry of the Iron Chain Strike, the long fist that followed was bone-jarringly powerful.
Myeong Horim looked down at his forearm.
His well-trained forearm was swollen and red. If he had blocked it improperly, his bone would have broken.
'Strong!'
To have his arm nearly broken by a strike that wasn't even fully powered...
'Unbelievable.'
It wasn't a high-level fist technique at first glance. Yet, he was being pushed this far by such martial arts.
It was an incredibly precise application of techniques. It was the kind of skill you'd expect from a grandmaster.
"Hey."
Startled, Myeong Horim looked at Yeon Hojeong.
Yeon Hojeong, hands clasped behind his back, wore a look of disdain.
"Are you going to stop with these pathetic attacks?"
"..."
"Do I have to try to kill you to get you to actually fight?"
Myeong Horim's cheeks twitched.
He was not the eldest son of the Gujumyeong Family, but he always carried himself as a representative of the Myeong family. And now he was being talked down to by some kid, easily ten years younger.
Suddenly, an unwanted memory surfaced.
A young man looking down at him, holding a blood-stained wooden sword. The face of that young man, who looked so much like himself, was filled with deep mockery and contempt.
"You, you little brat...!"
It was then.
"Stop!!"
A booming voice, filled with internal energy, cut through the air and echoed across the hall. Everyone, who had been watching the fight in stunned silence, turned to the source of the voice.
There stood Namgung Hyeon and the warriors of the Namgung Family lined up.
"What do you think you're doing! Fighting like this at a gathering of the Seven Great Families? Have you lost your minds?!"
His voice was sharp.
Myeong Horim flinched involuntarily. He was the one who had instinctively swung his fist, swept away by Yeon Hojeong's murderous aura. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
Namgung Hyeon looked at Myeong Horim with cold eyes.
"Myeong, you're supposed to be the senior member here."
"..."
"This gathering of ours has a long and respected history. I understand your anger, but you should have held back."
It was a clever remark.
It was directed at Myeong Horim, but at the same time, it was a reprimand of Yeon Hojeong's rudeness.
Namgung Hyeon looked at Yeon Hojeong.
"And Young Master Yeon."
Yeon Hojeong wasn't even looking at him.
Namgung Hyeon felt a surge of anger.
He was already planning to teach this guy a lesson for what happened with his younger brother. He also didn't like that this guy was close to Jegal Ayeon.
And yet, he was causing such a commotion at a meeting hosted by the Namgung Family?
Anger naturally welled up.
"Are you insane? Starting a fight with someone from another family? What kind of disrespect is this! We've never had anyone act like this at these gatherings!"
Yeon Hojeong still did not look at Namgung Hyeon.
His indifference only fueled Namgung Hyeon's anger.
He saw that Yeon Hojeong genuinely didn't care about what he said or did.
"Do you have so little respect for the Namgung Family?!"
At that moment, Jegal Ayeon stepped forward.
"Namgung, that's not how you should talk."
Namgung Hyeon's eyes wavered.
"Ayeon-ah?"
"The banquet's over. This isn't a private conversation. And watch your tone, Namgung."
"..."
"And another thing. Your words are biased, Namgung. I understand you're angry as the host, but you can't just take sides and say unfair things."
"Unfair words? What are you talking about...!"
Jegal Ayeon said coldly.
"The one who ruined this gathering isn't Yeon, it's Tang."
"..."
"Yeon was just trying to stop him."
"Ayeon... I mean, Jegal. You saw it yourself. He wasn't trying to stop Tang, he was..."
"Didn't Yeon say it himself? It was an accident."
"...?!"
"Myeong agreed it was an accident. And as far as I know, the Byeoksan Yeon Family doesn't use assassination techniques. He was trying to stop Tang by throwing the cup, but it went wrong."
Jegal Ayeon asked Myeong Horim.
"Am I right?"
Myeong Horim, who had been silently looking at Jegal Ayeon, sighed.
"That's right."
That one statement put the whole incident to rest. Namgung Hyeon's face contorted.
Jegal Ayeon looked at Yeon Hojeong.
"Yeon. I agree you made a mistake. But to clear the air, you need to explain why you intervened like that."
Yeon Hojeong, who had been glaring at Myeong Horim, looked at Jegal Ayeon.
Jegal Ayeon's expression was firm, but Yeon Hojeong read a sincere earnestness in her eyes.
Suddenly, he felt someone grabbing his sleeve.
"Brother."
He turned around and saw Yeon Jipyeong standing there.
Surprisingly, Yeon Jipyeong's face showed no signs of caution or urgency. He looked at him with clear, steady eyes.
And it wasn't just him. Everyone was looking at Yeon Hojeong.
Yeon Hojeong sighed inwardly.
'Yes, there is plenty of time.'
In his past life, he hadn't even seen the hem of the Beastly Fiend's clothes, but now he felt like he had found even its shadow. That's why he couldn't control his surging murderous intent.
When Tang Yangseon caused the trouble, he'd even thought it might be a good thing. If the situation was already chaotic anyway, it wouldn't be strange no matter what happened.
But in this situation, it would be better to refrain for now.
He was not the Black Demon Fortress Lord, but the eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon Family.
He cast his gaze at Myeong Horim again.
Myeong Horim flinched.
"The Myeong family's martial arts are indeed as renowned as they say."
"..."
"The power that shook everyone was impressive. I lost control of my competitive spirit, and that's on me."
Myeong Horim smiled. It was somewhat forced, though.
"I understand."
"I don't remember giving you permission to speak to me that way."
"..."
"Are we friends now?"
Myeong Horim's face naturally hardened.
Yeon Hojeong smiled. His smile was not as awkward as Myeong Horim's.
"I apologize for my disrespect. If there's a chance later, I'd like to learn from you again."
"...Let's do that."
"Thank you."
Yeon Hojeong bowed respectfully to everyone.
"I apologize for disrupting the gathering. As you can see, I'm not exactly known for my self-control. My father often makes me practice the horse stance to try and teach his hot-headed son some patience."
It was unexpected self-deprecation. Coming from someone who seemed so serious, it actually lightened the mood, to the point where some people started to chuckle.
Yeon Hojeong immediately noticed the changed atmosphere.
Although he couldn't control his murderous intent, he was a self-made man who built the Black Demon Fortress with his bare hands. He knew how to turn on the charm when he needed to.
"Tomorrow, I'll pour drinks for everyone as an apology. Please forgive this fool's rudeness."
At that moment, Paeng Daeho shouted.
"Nonsense!"
Everyone's attention, which had been on Yeon Hojeong, turned to Paeng Daeho.
Paeng Daeho shouted, pretending to be angry.
"One drink? Look at me! Do you think one drink is enough to make up for this?"
"Then what should I do?"
"We'll drink until we can't stand straight! If you can outlast us all, then I'll forgive you!"
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
"Looks like I'll have to be ready for tomorrow."
Paeng Daeho couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
"Kuhahaha! I like your spirit! Good! A man's word is his bond, so don't forget that promise."
"Even if I can't outdrink anyone else, I'll definitely outdrink you."
"Kyahahaha!"
Thanks to Paeng Daeho's sudden intervention, the atmosphere livened up, and thanks to Yeon Hojeong's skillful response, the ominous air completely disappeared.
Jegal Ayeon let out a sigh of relief. Yeon Jipyeong also smiled comfortably. Namgung Hyeon's face was completely stiff, and Myeong Horim couldn't hide his sullen expression.
And so, the incident was settled.
In the end, the biggest victim of the day was the Tang family, though it was their just deserts.
