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C54. Adult-Child: Adult but Child
The vulgar words of Lee Yeonbok, the second-in-command of the Baekse Chamber of Commerce, sharpened the gazes of the bodyguards. Especially, the bodyguards of Samjin seemed ready to draw their swords at any moment.
A drop of sweat trickled down the back of Yeon Musang, who was on guard.
It had been a month since he had been assigned as a bodyguard for the Baekse Chamber of Commerce by Waryong Manor.
They had had some altercations during that time, but none as tense as this.
He had also heard the insults of Lee Yeonbok.
Seeing the furious looks from the bodyguards on the other side, he knew they had heard it too.
If the second-in-command on the other side couldn’t contain himself and responded, there wasn’t much to think about.
The fight between the Baekse Chamber of Commerce and the Samjin Chamber of Commerce would begin.
Although it was said to be a fight between Chambers of Commerce, it was actually a war between Waryong Manor and the Military Academy.
The Military Academy of Luoyang had about fifty disciples. Although fewer than the seventy disciples of Waryong Manor, they still had considerable strength.
The seventy disciples of Waryong Manor were mostly improvised wanderers, and they couldn’t be trusted. They might flee if the situation got tough or if the fight dragged on.
“How dare you! Where do you get that nonsense? Are you messing with us because you trust in Waryong Manor?”
Crash.
With a shout from Cheon Yaksoo, the round table turned on its side.
With the crash, dishes and food flew everywhere.
The geishas, surprised by the sudden commotion, stopped playing and fled behind the stage.
‘Lee Yeonbok! You’ve finally caused a problem!’
Yeon Musang ground his teeth silently.
Others might think that Cheon Yaksoo had flipped the table in a fit of rage, but he had seen how Lee Yeonbok had flipped the table while Cheon Yaksoo shouted. Clearly, it was a deliberate act to provoke the fight.
The bodyguards of the Military Academy advanced.
It was time for the employees to handle the fight started by their employers.
Lee San, the chief bodyguard of the Samjin Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Military Academy, drew his sword.
“The bodyguards of the Baekse Chamber of Commerce, step back. If you interfere, I’ll cut you down.”
Four bodyguards of the Samjin Chamber of Commerce stood beside him.
Yeon Musang, shaking his head, advanced with a sword in hand.
“Well, we have our job to do too.”
Yeon Myeong and two other warriors from the Rising Star Division lined up next to Yeon Musang.
Lee San, clicking his tongue in resignation, gave a brief order.
“Attack!”
Crash. Boom.
Crash.
The fight between the nine warriors turned the restaurant into chaos. Regardless of who won, the repairs would cost a lot of money.
When the bodyguards of Samjin seemed to be at a disadvantage, the leader Cheon Taesang and the second-in-command Cheon Yaksoo began to retreat.
If they were caught there, they would lose the Gongxian ceramics center.
“Ugh!”
One of the Samjin bodyguards stepped back, clutching his shoulder.
The bodyguards, not being mortal enemies, retreated from the battlefield when injured.
With the same number of fighters, Samjin was at a clear disadvantage.
It was all due to the swordsmanship skills of Yeon Musang and Yeon Myeong, both cousins of Yeon Mubaek, surpassing those of the Samjin bodyguards.
Two more Samjin bodyguards fell.
At that moment, Cheon Taesang and Cheon Yaksoo fled without looking back.
“Damn!”
Lee Yeonbok shouted in feigned frustration, but it was too late; the two men had left the restaurant.
When the leader and second-in-command of Samjin fled, Lee San sheathed his sword and retreated.
The Yeons also stopped pressuring the bodyguards of the Samjin Chamber of Commerce.
The fight ended abruptly.
Though they had won, Yeon Musang’s expression was grim.
The fight with the Military Academy had only just begun.
Zhengzhou.
Baihua Pavilion at Yang Manor.
Yang Iseon, the Jade Qilin, who returned from Luoyang, went straight to see his younger sister, Yang Yihwa, also known as the Jade Beauty.
The Baihua Pavilion, built by their father, Yang Juhwan, the God of the Blooming Spear, for his sister, was filled with spring flowers.
Yang Yihwa, who was playing the zither in the pavilion, stopped her hands upon hearing a slight noise.
“Oh, brother! Why don’t you rest a bit more?”
“Your brother is not so weak as to need rest after a two-day journey. You were expecting me, weren’t you?”
Her brother’s playful words made Yang Yihwa smile.
Yang Iseon stopped joking with his innocent sister and got straight to the point.
“The Waryong Swordsman is exactly as they say.”
“Can you only see martial skills in men?”
She wanted to know more details.
“He is handsome and has upright thoughts. His reputation is impeccable, and you won’t have to worry about being deceived.”
“What else?”
Yang Yihwa’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“I also saw his younger brother. He seems to be a good guy. I didn’t meet his sister, as she was out, but she doesn’t seem problematic. If she were, it would be known, as Waryong Manor is under much attention these days.”
“Under attention?”
“Yes, it seems Dame Baek, the mother of the young master Yeon, is causing some issues.”
“Ah, has Dame Baek been alone for a long time?”
“Yes. The Moon-Splitting Swordsman died twelve years ago.”
“I wonder what his sister is like.”
“Why? Are you already worried about having a sister-in-law?”
“It’s more that I’d like to have someone to talk to. Besides, we’re of similar ages.”
“Ha, ha! I thought you’d like to know, so I did some digging. Want to hear?”
“Oh! If you have something like that, tell me quickly. Don’t drag it out.”
At Yang Yihwa’s insistence, Yang Iseon couldn’t help but share the information he had gathered.
“It seems she has quite a lively personality. They say she is one of the ‘Five Heroes of Luoyang’.”
“Ha! The ‘Five Heroes of Luoyang’?”
Yang Iseon couldn’t help but laugh as he said it.
“Yes, it’s a group formed by the children of the martial families of Luoyang. But, there are names that would surprise you.”
“Like who?”
“The third daughter of the Chief of the Uicheon Sect is one of them.”
“Wow! That means it’s not an ordinary group, right? It seems Miss Yeon has many connections.”
“Oh! You’re already calling her Miss?”
“How else should I call her? A lady is a lady.”
“Anyway, they form a group with four talented young people and go around together.”
“She seems like an interesting girl.”
“Yes. She’s very different from you, who spend your days playing the geomungo at home.”
“Pff! Who is the one who always asks me to play whenever he sees the geomungo because he likes the sound?”
“Ha, ha! Anyway, it seems there are no bad people among the siblings of the Waryong Swordsman, so don’t worry.”
“Oh! But if they are too good, it will be boring.”
“Would you like at least one demon in that family?”
“Even if there were such a person, they would become good upon hearing my geomungo.”
“How confident you are!”
“If you keep mocking me, I won’t play for you anymore.”
“Oh no! That must not happen. I must listen all I can before you get married. Since we’re talking about this, why not play the piece you were playing before? I liked it.”
Yang Yihwa, who was caressing the strings, began to play softly, as if she had remembered something.
“And even if I get married, don’t ignore me. If I have any problems, you must help me.”
“Of course, silly. You are my only blood relative. If the Waryong Swordsman or his siblings misbehave, I will go and scold them. I am your brother, the Great Jade Qilin, Yang Iseon.”
Then, Yang Yihwa began to play softly with her delicate hands.
The piece was ‘Pyeongsa Nak-An’ (平沙落雁). (Note: Look it up on YouTube)
It was said to describe a flock of geese descending on a sandy beach after flying thousands of miles on an autumn day.
The clear sound of the geomungo resonated softly.
Yang Iseon wished that his younger sister’s future would be as elegant and serene as that musical piece.
Luoyang.
Cheongsa Tea House.
Hour of the Serpent, just beginning (11 a.m.).
One of the most famous places in Luoyang is the tea house called Cheongsa. It is so popular that there are no vacant seats from morning till night.
In a corner of Cheongsa, there were young people whispering with their heads together as if they were a secret society. The people who frequented Cheongsa were so used to this sight that they just smiled and passed by.
Anyone from Luoyang could instantly identify these young people. They were the members of the Five Heroes of Luoyang, who had recently caused a stir in social circles.
Hwang Dongyeop, the Leader of the Five Heroes of Luoyang, looked at his companions and said:
“Guys, the day we’ve been waiting for has finally come. Everyone left letters, right?”
The others nodded vigorously.
The beautiful Lee Somin, with her fair skin and charming face, glanced sideways at Yeon Seolju.
“What about Yeon Mae? Can she handle Dame Baek’s anger?”
Yeon Seolju, with a determined face, replied:
“My mother has been talking a lot about marriage lately, so I’ll take this opportunity to show her my determination.”
Having mastered the True Classic of the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship up to the third level, Yeon Seolju wanted to live freely as a heroine of Murim.
“What about you, sister?”
Lee Somin was the third daughter of the Chief of the Uicheon Sect, Lee Yeonik. The strict discipline of her family was incomparable even to that of Waryong Manor.
“You know I am the same. I want to establish my own clan like my grandfather. I won’t accept an arranged marriage as if I’m being sold.”
In fact, Lee Somin of the Uicheon Sect and Yeon Seolju of Waryong Manor were in similar situations and were almost the same age. Therefore, although they competed, they also cared for each other with affection, creating a curious relationship.
Oh Jung-san, the second, looked around and said:
“Leader, I think we should leave. It would be a problem if we’re held back at home.”
In large sects like the Seven Great Sects, Murim training trips were officially conducted. However, except for Lee Somin, all the others came from smaller sects, so they had no such events.
In the case of Lee Somin, the daughter of the leader of the Uicheon Sect, her situation was special. Her father, Lee Yeonik, hadn’t allowed her to participate in Murim training trips, so she joined the Five Heroes of Luoyang.
Son Sangguk, the third, nodded in agreement.
“The second brother is right. First, we must leave Luoyang. If we keep lingering around here, we might be caught and taken back.”
Hwang Dongyeop, the first, sighed with regret.
“Damn! I don’t understand why they oppose so much when adult children want to go to Murim. They also gained fame through training trips.”
“That’s right. I understand that the elders care for us, but... they will only make us adult-children if they protect us too much.”
At Son Sangguk’s words, the second, Oh Jungsan, asked:
“Adult-children?”
“Yes. Adults who don’t know how to do anything by themselves. That’s what I mean by adult-children.”
“Oh! It’s an interesting expression. You’re right. If we stay locked in the backyard, we’ll become adult-children. Leader, shall we go?”
“Should we?”
Just as Hwang Dongyeop, the leader, was about to rise, the youngest, Yeon Seolju, suddenly asked.
“Leader, what was our first target?”
“The Jeokpung Fortress in Pyeongjeong Mountain.”
“Ah! They said that the bandits Yeomrado and Salindaedo are quite strong?”
“Yes. But if they know we’re coming for them, they’ll hide, so we need to go with a trading caravan.”
“Do we join a caravan going from Yeoju to Pyeongjeong Mountain?”
“Exactly.”
Hwang Dongyeop nodded with a face full of confidence.
In fact, the skills of the Five Heroes of Luoyang weren’t so low that their families would oppose their participation in Murim.
The sects of the Five Heroes of Luoyang, such as the Palseon Sect, Daeyeon Sect, Chilyang Sect, Uicheon Sect, and Waryong Manor, were prominent sects. Especially the Uicheon Sect, one of the Seven Great Sects, and the recently famous Waryong Manor were too prestigious to be simply called prominent.
Among the Nokrim clans, there were also levels, and the Jeokpung Fortress was not a great challenge for the Five Heroes of Luoyang. With the bodyguards of the trading caravan added, it would be like taking candy from a baby.