Chapter 27 The Reason for the Fight (2)
Ga Deuk-sang grinned.
His hair was disheveled, his face covered in grime, and his clothes were no better than rags, but only his teeth shone white.
"So you're going to be the Dragon Head, huh? That's a laugh. Too bad my sifu is tougher to kill than a whalebone. He'll be kicking for years."
“……”
"So, you recognize this old bum, but I don't know you, young lord...? Let's see... twenty years of bumming food... let me put my skills to the test and guess..."
"I am Yeon Ho-jeong."
"Huh?"
Yeon Ho-jeong, not one for formalities, bowed respectfully.
"I am Yeon Ho-jeong, the eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon family of Gangso. It's nice to meet you."
Ga Deuk-sang's eyes widened.
It was a polite and formal greeting. At the very least, there was no sign of him being looked down upon.
"Oh... yes, good to meet you."
He was secretly surprised.
The Beggars’ Sect was right up there with the Nine Great Sects and the Seven Great Families. But it was also the one group that the rich kids all avoided.
The reason was simple. The Beggars' Sect, well, they all played the part of beggars.
Seasoned martial artists knew how strong the Beggars' Sect was, but the young ones, not so much. They just saw a bunch of dirty beggars and ran the other way.
So, yes, Yeon Ho-jeong's greeting was definitely something else.
'Fancy meeting him here.'
Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes, as he looked at Ga Deuk-sang, held genuine goodwill.
It was bound to. Even though they were just as strong as the 'good guys,' the 'bad guys' were still treated like dirt. But Ga Deuk-sang treated them like brothers-in-arms. (This sentence seems slightly off, contextually. It might be better rephrased, but without the original, it's hard to be certain. I've kept it as is for now, but it's a point to consider.)
Back in those rough times, Ga Deuk-sang was one of the few people Yeon Ho-jeong actually liked.
"Damn, it's been a while since I got a greeting like that."
Ga Deuk-sang scratched his head roughly. He looked like he'd shed a bucket of dandruff, but surprisingly, there wasn't a flake.
"And you'd be the Yeon family's number two son?"
Yeon Ji-pyeong bowed with precision.
"I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I am Yeon Ji-pyeong, the second young master of the Byeoksan Yeon family of Gangso. It's an honor to meet the Beggars' Sect's next leader."
Yeon Ji-pyeong's greeting was also polite and formal. It was their first meeting, so there was no goodwill or anything, but at least there was no sign of him being looked down upon at all.
Ga Deuk-sang was suddenly at a loss for words. He was glad to receive such a greeting, but he didn't know how to react.
But he knew one thing.
'Huh, that's not what I heard!'
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled and asked.
"Are you done eating?"
"Meal? Ah, I just finished. I ate like a king. I can't even remember the last time I had such good grub."
"That's a shame. If you don't mind, let's have lunch together."
Yeon Ji-pyeong looked at Yeon Ho-jeong in surprise. He had never seen his brother ask someone to eat with him first.
Ga Deuk-sang nodded awkwardly.
"Y-yes, let's do that."
"Then get some rest."
"You too."
And so, the Yeon brothers entered the dining hall.
Ga Deuk-sang, watching the brothers' backs, licked his lips.
"I was going to look into that Choseong Pavilion thing, bit by bit, but he totally blindsided me."
Could it be that Yeon Ho-jeong knew his intentions and made the first move?
'That's not it.'
To become the successor of the Beggars' Sect, the ability to read people is essential. In Ga Deuk-sang's eyes, Yeon Ho-jeong's goodwill was nothing but pure.
'That's why it's even stranger.'
He was scratching his head with a sense of unease when it happened.
"You the heir?"
Ga Deuk-sang turned his head.
A handsome young man stood there, a blue sword at his hip, dressed to the nines in silk.
Ga Deuk-sang grinned.
"Namgung family, huh?"
Namgung Hyeon bowed respectfully.
"Namgung Hyeon. Good to meet you."
"You too."
"But what brings you here?"
"I was nearby and heard there was a get-together of young talents. The smell from outside was too good to resist. I just barged in."
Namgung Hyeon frowned slightly.
It was a meeting of the Seven Great Families' up-and-comers, so if someone gave him the okay, that was that. But wasn't the Namgung family the host of this gathering? They should have been informed beforehand.
Besides, a beggar in a place where children of prestigious families gathered? Even if he was the successor of the Beggars' Sect, he couldn't feel good about it.
"Have fun."
With a formal greeting, Namgung Hyeon also headed to the dining hall.
Ga Deuk-sang smirked.
"This is normal, though."
He didn't feel bad or anything. He was already over thirty years old and had plenty of experience in the Jianghu.
However, Yeon Ho-jeong bothered him. The look in his eyes as he looked at him was too clear.
"Could it be that we've met before?" Yeon Ho-Jeong and Yeon Ji-pyeong are talking here. It should be clearer.
"No." Yeon Ji-pyeong replied.
"Ah, I see."
"I've been stuck at home. When would I have met the Beggars' Sect kid?"
"I guess so."
"Why?" Yeon Ho-jeong asked.
"It's the first time I've seen my brother ask someone else to eat with him first." Yeon Ji-pyeong answered.
"Is that so?"
"Come to think of it, it did seem that way. Even during his time as the Dark Emperor, he enjoyed eating alone, except for gatherings to consolidate power or positions with political intentions."
'He's still the same.'
Ga Deuk-sang's smile was still clear. It was hard to believe that someone who had been the information chief of the orthodox martial world could be so innocent.
'Hmm?'
A thought suddenly occurred to Yeon Ho-jeong, and he tilted his head.
'But that person, he didn't come to the gathering in the past, did he?'
During his life as the Dark Emperor, that is, at the gathering of promising young talents he had participated in before returning to the past, he had never seen Ga Deuk-sang.
That was certain. He had only seen the person, Ga Deuk-sang, after becoming the Dark Emperor.
'Why now?'
What is it? Is my memory wrong? No way, right?
'If my memory is correct, then the past has changed?'
Thinking that far, his thoughts reached the Jegal siblings.
'In the past, I didn't stop by Choseong Pavilion. But this time, I did. If we hadn't been there, the Jegal siblings would have been harmed by that crazy guy who learned the Yin Fire Flowing Flame.'
This was certain. That guy, whether he was the Head of the Lightning Fire Sect or whatever, would have set fire in the past just the same, and the Jegal siblings, given their personalities, would not have run away and would have fought back.
Then what happened to the Jegal siblings in the previous life?
Thoughts led to more thoughts.
'The Jegal family existed back then too. Their family fortune had greatly declined, but fortunately, they were able to maintain their lineage with the support of other families.'
And that family is…
"Sorry to interrupt."
Yeon Ho-jeong raised his head.
There stood a middle-aged swordsman with a neatly trimmed beard. Perfectly tailored attire, and a blue longsword hanging from his back exuded a chilling aura.
'Namgung!'
The middle-aged swordsman frowned.
"Is there something on my face?"
"Just admiring the view."
The swordsman's eyebrows twitched. He somehow felt like he was being mocked.
"But who are you?"
"Hmm! I am Chu Seong."
"……?"
"I am the captain of the escort who accompanied Young Master Namgung to this gathering."
Someone who was eating nearby gasped.
"Lightning Hero Chu Seong?!"
Murmuring grew louder.
He seemed to be a very famous expert. Yeon Ji-pyeong also looked up at Chu Seong with surprised eyes.
But Yeon Ho-jeong didn't know who Chu Seong was. It was a name he had never heard, even when he came out into the world and pacified the unorthodox world, or when he reigned as the Dark Emperor.
"And?"
Chu Seong's face visibly contorted.
No matter how much he belonged to the Namgung family, he was a grown adult over forty years old. As a bodyguard, he would be polite, but seeing the rude attitude of a much younger, promising talent, he couldn't help but get angry.
Yeon Ji-pyeong realized his brother's mistake and stood up.
"Please, sit down here first."
Chu Seong, who had been staring at Yeon Ho-jeong intently, sat down opposite him. He didn't even glance at Yeon Ji-pyeong.
Chu Seong opened his mouth.
"I'll get straight to the point."
"Please do."
"The banquet will begin at noon today."
"I know."
"Please leave this place before the banquet."
In an instant, Yeon Ji-pyeong's eyes widened.
"W-what are you talking about?"
"Didn't you hear me? Then I'll say it again. I said to leave the manor before the banquet begins at noon today."
Unlike the flustered Yeon Ji-pyeong, Yeon Ho-jeong's expression remained unchanged.
No, there was a change. An intriguing look had appeared on Yeon Ho-jeong's face, although it was extremely subtle.
