Chapter 180

Chapter 180

Two years ago.

“Three times…… Three times.”

“Hiik. I’ll give you five……!”

“What are you talking about?”

I was handling miscellaneous tasks for the sect’s seclusion when Shinui entered the office making strange noises, so I quietly asked a question. Then Shinui, startled back to her senses and averting her eyes, continued speaking.

“Th-that is, y-you saved my disciples, didn’t you……?”

“That’s true, but is there a problem with that?”

“N-no, the opposite. Anyway, I received help saving my disciples’ lives. I thought I should give some thanks……”

“Thanks?”

“Uh…….”

Shinui, fidgeting with her fingers and shifting her gaze here and there, bowed her head deeply. The words that followed.

“U-using treatment as a bargaining tool goes against my beliefs, but…… this, this isn’t a bargain but repayment. If you, you young brat, if you want, I’ll treat anyone three times.”

“Why three times?”

“Hiik. But treating more than that goes against my beliefs…….”

“I’m not saying it’s too few, I’m just asking. We saved two disciples, didn’t we?”

“Ah…….”

A life saved, so treatment offered—that should be twice if normal.

At my question, Shinui nodded her head like a squirrel and spoke.

“Th-the Jinryopae  doesn’t count as used…… So three times. It takes five years to make, so I can’t give you another one…….”

“Why doesn’t it count as used?”

“Because it was used to save my disciple……?”

“I see, so that’s the standard.”

Three treatments from Shinui, who they say can even retrieve those who’ve departed to the afterlife. Plus, now I can receive free treatment for Choil and Choa, who’ve become Shinui’s disciples.

“Mm. Understood.”

“Th-then, can I go now……?”

“No.”

After thinking for a moment, I smiled and placed my clasped hands on the desk.

“Now we need to calculate the cost of meals for the time you’re staying at Uicheonmun, don’t we?”

“……Wh-what?”

Looking at the flustered Shinui, I smiled broadly.

Three times.

It’s a precious opportunity, but couldn’t I squeeze out more?

“Since you’re already spending, spend big.”

And now we’ve reached this point.

“Shinui-eoreun  is…… taking refuge in Uicheonmun? Is that really true?”

“Would I have reason to lie?”

At my words, Namgung Yeoncheon’s eyes widened as he stared at me, and I quietly nodded. From Namgung Yeoncheon’s position, this couldn’t be overlooked.

Namgung Family’s head is Namgung Yeoncheon.

However, Namgung Yeoncheon’s age isn’t particularly high compared to other family heads. I don’t remember his exact age, but he’s probably about ten years older than me—no, around his mid-forties.

Considering the average age of the Five Great Families’ heads is around mid-fifties, it’s clear that Namgung Yeoncheon is young compared to other heads. And there’s a reason he inherited the position of family head at such a young age.

Namely, because the previous head, Namgung Pae , sustained internal injuries from fighting the Sado Alliance leader and entered Juhwaipma , becoming a madman.

“……Father’s madness is something even renowned physicians have given up on. Is there guarantee that even Shinui could cure it?”

“You know how thorough my preparation is. I’ve already received confirmation from Shinui that if it’s due to Juhwaipma, it can be cured.”

Though I left Shinui at Uicheonmun since I couldn’t leave three children without a guardian, the opponent is a master of magic arts .

If I send a letter, she’ll fly on an Ilinseng Seonhak  and arrive in a day. Since the letter can also be sent through Heuksi  connected to Lee Ryang, essentially, if I want, I can summon Shinui here within a day.

“Will you accept?”

At my words, Namgung Yeoncheon, seemingly hearing an unexpected proposal, pondered deeply and clenched his fist. And the answer that followed.

“……What happens if our family loses by chance?”

“You’ve become more cautious than before.”

“When you age, you worry more. You prepare for unlikely events. So what happens then? If that happens, can’t we receive treatment?”

“It depends on the situation, but either way, you should be able to receive treatment. There’s the relationship we’ve had, and having brought up the topic, refusing treatment would mean making Namgung Family an enemy. Instead, wouldn’t you just have to concede a bit more?”

“Very thorough.”

“If we don’t lose, it’s not an issue.”

“No one stupid enough to enter bimu thinking they’ll lose exists. At least it seems both of us here think that way.”

Not everything goes as planned—saying that roundabout way, Namgung Yeoncheon glanced at the time.

“As I said earlier, the bimu is the day after tomorrow at noon. Until then, feel free to rest comfortably within Namgung Family.”

“And?”

“If we lose, we’ll decide on the compensation and present it. No objections, right?”

“……Will you be alright? It would amount to putting a price on the Grand Family Head’s life.”

“Even if not what it used to be, this is still Namgung.”

Even if we give excessive compensation, it’s far better than having an outsider put a value on Father’s life.

Mumbling quietly, Namgung Yeoncheon waved his hand.

“We just need to win.”

“We won’t lose. Neither I nor Namgung Family’s children.”

Indeed.

Does this mean he’ll save face and take the practical benefits too?

“I wish you luck.”

“Unless considerable good fortune follows, you won’t easily win. Can you handle this? Even some time ago, the gap wasn’t that small.”

Twenty years.

At my appearance asking if he hadn’t narrowed the gap during that time, Namgung Yeoncheon let out a bitter laugh. And the answer that followed.

“You said you wished me luck.”

“I’ll wish you that luck too.”

Really.

Those bearing Namgung’s name can’t stand losing. Same as before, same as now.

Chuckling, I nodded.

Two days remained until the bimu.

Not surprisingly, but Namgung Family’s inner grounds are vast.

Though they were driven from Hapbi and moved to Cheonjusan, since Cheonjusan was their origin, Namgung Family’s Cheonjusan main residence is so large and vast that it looks down on any decent manor. Even compared to other Five Great Families, it ranks among the largest, and compared to the relatively small Baek Ri Family manor, it could be called enormous.

Over a thousand people pass through Namgung Family’s gates. Because Namgung Family is so enormous, naturally many people get lost, and among them exist those like Wangpal and Seonwoo Gang who unknowingly enter Namgung Family’s training grounds.

The only unfortunate thing for them, if anything.

Would it be that their appearance happened to catch the eye of Namgung Su , Changgung Sword Corps’  deputy commander, notorious for his narrow-minded temperament?

“What are you doing right now?”

Namgung Family’s Third Training Ground.

Namgung Su, who had caught Wangpal and Seonwoo Gang peeking over the wall wondering where this was, frowned and asked. Then Wangpal immediately stepped forward.

“We apologize. My sajae and I got lost and……”

“When a martial world elder asks, shouldn’t you first introduce yourself?”

“……My apologies. This unknown junior greets senior. I am called Wangpal, a Uicheonmun disciple. This is my sajae, Seonwoo Gang.”

“Uicheonmun disciple? Ah, right, I heard you were arriving today.”

Recalling the exchange in his memory at Wangpal’s words, Namgung Su frowned slightly and looked at Seonwoo Gang. Because the face he’d seen at Sangsan two years ago was here.

“Seonwoo Gang? You’re the companion of that presumptuous junior who was at the Murim Alliance back then. His name was Oh Ryeong, wasn’t it? A junior who treated his seniors like dog shit.”

“……My introduction is late. Uicheonmun disciple Seonwoo Gang…….”

“Ah, I already received the introduction, so no need for more. My ears are terribly itchy.”

Looking at Namgung Su’s sneering, Seonwoo Gang sighed inwardly, took a courtesy posture, and bowed his head. Then Namgung Su, watching that, stood crookedly and continued speaking.

“Well, I roughly know who you are. So what’s the reason for peering at our family’s training ground? Our family’s training grounds aren’t open to outsiders.”

“We apologize. We went out to sightsee because Namgung Family’s scenery is said to be so excellent, but got lost and ended up here. Had we known it was a training ground, we wouldn’t have looked so carelessly.”

“Really?”

“……Yes?”

“To my eyes, you look like you came to spy on Namgung Family’s martial arts ahead of the bimu in two days.”

“What are you…….”

There aren’t even any martial artists in the training ground—what spying would they do? If they’d heard training shouts, they wouldn’t have even glanced over the wall.

At Namgung Su’s absurd complaint, Seonwoo Gang frowned. But Namgung Su didn’t back down.

“Isn’t that so? There’s no reason to wander inside our family without even bringing someone to guide you. Anyone who knows etiquette should be careful about their behavior in someone else’s home. Isn’t that right?”

“Being careless about peering at the training ground deserves apology, but the sightseeing was at Namgung Yeon sojeo’s  invitation. We walked because we heard Namgung Family’s gardens are so beautiful. We had no intention of visiting the training grounds……”

“Are you contradicting me right now?”

At Seonwoo Gang’s logical words, Namgung Su frowned and raised his energy to pressure Seonwoo Gang and Wangpal. Words poured out from Namgung Su immediately.

“They say the upstream must be clear for the downstream to be clear.”

“……Yes?”

“Didn’t you hear? I said the upstream must be clear for the downstream to be clear. Your sect’s munju doesn’t particularly care about martial world propriety and acts recklessly, so how could you set an example for your subordinates?”

At Namgung Su bringing up Baek Riyun, Seonwoo Gang reflexively twitched his hand and looked at Wangpal. But Wangpal shook his head and answered.

“We apologize if we upset senior. However, this is our lack of virtue. Our munju-nim’s matters……”

“Well. Doesn’t the saying go ‘seeing one, you know ten’? The sect’s discipline not being proper is the munju’s responsibility. Doesn’t it mean he didn’t educate his disciples and left them to run wild?”

This is Namgung Family. Anyone with sense wouldn’t cause a disturbance in someone else’s family, and even if they did, the situation would flow favorably to them.

Using the difference in status and advantage of the situation, Namgung Su pressed down on his opponent with a narrow smile. And.

“I’ve led Changgung Sword Corps, so I know—people shouldn’t be handled like that. The more you cherish a disciple, the more you should raise them harshly, not coddle them. I read a renowned scholar’s book on the art of ruling, and that’s what it said. Uicheonmunju should probably read it too—shall I gladly lend it to him?”

“What do you think?”

As the Uicheonmun disciples endured the humiliation silently, unable to say anything, Namgung Su was about to wear a bitter smile when.

“Oh, if it’s the art of ruling , I’ve studied it a bit myself.”

Before Namgung Su, a small, pale-faced scholar appeared.

“Shall we discuss it together?”

As if to say ‘you’re in for it now,’ with a beaming smile across his face.