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Chapter 104: Why Do Adults Hit Children?
Pung Yeoncho and Tak Gomyung knew who wanted to meet them. Therefore, when they saw her sitting there, they were not surprised.
But Yeon Seolju was different.
She only knew that their last names were "Pung" and "Tak."
"......"
At first, Yeon Seolju didn’t recognize them either.
Pung Yeoncho had stopped wearing his usual leather clothes, and Tak Gomyung had shaved his thick beard. These changes made them look completely different from how they were at the Five Peaks Mountain.
However, Yeon Seolju was a warrior with good perception.
As soon as she sat in front of them, she thought their faces looked familiar.
Where had she seen them before?
Although she couldn’t remember immediately, she was sure it wasn’t at Waryong Manor.
After an awkward silence, Pung Yeoncho spoke first.
"Miss Yeon, it’s been a while."
Yeon Seolju’s eyes immediately widened.
Upon hearing his voice, the fog in her mind dissipated like magic.
He was the Leader of the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain and the Boss of Five Peaks Mountain.
And the person next to him was the vice-boss.
"What are you doing here?!"
Yeon Seolju suddenly stood up, surprised.
Even though the world was in chaos, it was unheard of for Nokrim thieves to walk freely in the city in broad daylight.
'My heavens! Then the old man and the boy who helped Pung and Tak must be...'
Yeon Seolju, who was astonished, spoke coldly.
"Well! Now I understand. It was said that wanderers were selling the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship of the Waryong Manor everywhere. And now, with that stolen technique, you’re pretending to be wanderers?"
"Let me explain, sit down."
At Pung Yeoncho’s words, Yeon Seolju shouted in response.
"Explain what?! What did you do to our Waryong Manor?! And now, you dare to use our techniques as wanderers?!"
Suddenly, Yeon Seolju looked around her.
She remembered late the young thief who had fought against the Uicheon Grandmaster Swordsman.
Tak Gomyung, unable to bear it any longer, intervened roughly.
"Do you think we came here because we like you? Sit down or leave, we don’t care. We have nothing to lose."
Yeon Seolju hesitated for a moment before sitting back down.
She thought it wasn’t too late to act after hearing what they had to say. The Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain were too important to act impulsively.
"Hmpf! What nonsense are you going to say?"
She sat sideways, showing her extreme aversion.
Pung Yeoncho shook his head before speaking.
"Do you remember our younger brother with whom you had a confrontation?"
"I don’t know why you mention that... person here."
Yeon Seolju was about to call him "that guy," but reluctantly changed it to "that person." If he showed up and caused trouble, she might lose her job.
"Our brother’s name is Yeon Jeokha. He is the fourth son of Waryong Manor, Yeon Jeokha. I think you know very well why he acted as he did."
"......"
At that moment, Yeon Seolju’s body tensed.
Yeon Jeokha?
The fourth son of Waryong Manor?
The same one who was locked in a warehouse for ten years before escaping?
When she thought about it, her face flushed.
Since her father’s corpse was desecrated, the name of Waryong Manor had sunk into the ground. If Yeon Jeokha’s story spread, she wouldn’t be able to show her face.
Tak Gomyung commented sarcastically.
"I see you understand now. Our brothers learned Swordsmanship from Yeon Jeokha. We are your fellow disciples. We came to tell you."
"That, that can’t be."
Yeon Seolju’s face was full of disbelief.
How could someone who was locked in a warehouse learn such advanced martial arts?
"Yeon Jeokha cut ties with you. So don’t expect anything from us."
"For your information, most of the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain have left Nokrim. It’s not something we’re proud of, so cooperate so we can leave the past behind."
Unlike Tak Gomyung, Pung Yeoncho spoke softly.
In fact, his proposal wasn’t anything special.
Among the wanderers, there were people with much darker pasts.
Yeon Seolju, with a lost look, asked.
"Is it really Yeon Jeokha?"
Her tone became more respectful, perhaps due to a change in her heart.
Tak Gomyung, seeing Yeon Seolju calm down, looked out the window with a "humph."
Pung Yeoncho nodded.
"Yes."
"And you learned the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship from him?"
"Yes."
"Ha! Suppose he really is my brother, Jeokha. You say he was locked up since he was six years old. He never formally learned our swordsmanship. How could he...?"
"Are you wondering how he could teach us swordsmanship?"
"Yes."
"He said he found a great legacy left by his ancestors in the warehouse. He learned it and then escaped. After wandering the world, we found him when he was on the brink of death."
"I can’t believe it. How could someone with such advanced skills live as a wanderer?"
"He was a child locked in a warehouse for ten years, disconnected from the world. He said he wandered aimlessly, trying to get away from Waryong Manor. What else could he do but wander and beg?"
"......"
Yeon Seolju bit her lip.
She was beginning to vaguely understand the state Yeon Jeokha was in.
"He is still as ignorant of the world as a child. Don’t blame everything on your mother. Don’t you think those who allowed it are also guilty?"
"I..."
She wanted to refute but couldn’t.
She was nine years old when Yeon Jeokha was locked up. For ten years, she ignored him, even though she knew. Since everyone considered it normal, she never thought it was wrong.
Tak Gomyung intervened again.
"I repeat, Yeon Jeokha cut ties with you. There’s no need to worry about whether he did right or wrong. Just don’t think about it anymore."
"I have no intention of claiming to be his sister now either."
"I’m glad to hear that. It seems you understood. Now, why did you ask to see us?"
"Because you’re from Waryong Manor. Fellow disciples shouldn’t fight each other."
Tak Gomyung remained silent at Yeon Seolju’s words.
It was strange for fellow disciples to fight, even if they were on different sides.
When she finished speaking, Pung Yeoncho intervened.
"So, what do you propose, Miss Yeon?"
"Normally, the younger ones yield. But I don’t consider you fellow disciples."
Tak Gomyung, indignant, sneered.
"That’s perfect. We have no intention of yielding either."
Yeon Seolju slowly stood up.
"I won’t reveal your past. But don’t expect me to treat you kindly in a fight. If you want to live long, you better behave."
Yeon Seolju left without waiting for a response.
"What did she mean by that?"
"She’s challenging us."
"Does she think we’re easy to beat?"
"Can we really compete with the Yeon who have practiced the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship for more than ten years?"
"Maybe..."
Pung Yeoncho looked at the empty spot with a complicated expression.
He hoped to avoid a fight with the Yeon, but it seemed that wouldn’t be possible.
Kaifeng.
Haewon Chamber of Commerce.
"They learned the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship, but I don’t know them. It seems they learned it from wanderers who separated from Waryong Manor."
Yeon Seolju told Grand Daeju Yang Seungwon with a calm expression.
Technically, Yeon Jeokha had also separated from Waryong Manor, so it wasn’t a lie.
Yang Seungwon clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"Tsk! If they were direct disciples of Waryong Manor, this would be easier. But they learned from wanderers. Yeon Daeju, it seems the Nine Heavens Swordsmanship of Waryong Manor is impressive."
"......"
Yeon Seolju smiled bitterly.
There was a time when Waryong Manor was considered the second most important sect after the Uicheon Sect in Luoyang. Now, that was just history.
Back at her lodging, Yeon Seolju reflected.
'Should I tell my brothers about this?'
They would be surprised to learn that the young thief from the Five Peaks Mountain was Yeon Jeokha.
'Ah! I didn’t even ask where Jeokha is now...'
This thought unsettled her.
If Yeon Jeokha got involved in this matter, they would have to give up the Jin’an night market.
And Pung and Tak were already a problem.
If they died, Yeon Jeokha would surely seek revenge.
'With the grudge he holds against Waryong Manor, he wouldn’t stay quiet...'
If he got involved, closing the Haewon Chamber of Commerce would be the least of their worries.
Even the Bangju (Leader) of the Sahae Chamber of Commerce had been handed over to the authorities.
Yeon Seolju, thinking quickly, got up from her seat.
She decided to inform her brothers in Zhengzhou about this.
"Give me some money! Please?"
"Gentlemen, give me some money!"
A group of beggars approached.
People stepped out of their way.
Yeon Jeokha and the Old Dao of Nine Heavens Shim Tong also stepped aside.
The beggars swarmed around people like fish finding food.
But they avoided Yeon Jeokha and Shim Tong.
The beggars didn’t dare approach when they saw the swords at their waists.
"Madam, please have compassion and help a poor orphan. I have nowhere to go. Please have pity..."
The familiar voice caught Yeon Jeokha’s attention.
A boy with disheveled hair was begging from a woman in her forties.
But the woman quickly walked away.
When the boy lost his target, he stood still, dazed.
A beggar who seemed to be in his twenties hit the boy on the head with a gourd.
"Idiot! What are you doing? Work faster!"
The boy, rubbing his head, hurriedly looked for another target.
When the young beggar and Yeon Jeokha made eye contact, the young man smiled awkwardly.
He seemed embarrassed to have been caught scolding the boy.
Yeon Jeokha gestured for the young man to come closer.
"Yes, sir?"
The young man, thinking he might earn some money, approached with a smile.
Yeon Jeokha watched him closely.
The young man had a balanced build and bright eyes, indicative of someone who had trained in internal arts.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"Why does an adult hit a child?"
"Well, I didn’t hit him... I just wanted him to work better..."
"You hit him so he would work better?"
"No, I didn’t hit him."
Although the young man kept smiling, he was starting to get angry.
Having a young noble meddle in his affairs was very annoying.
He glanced at the old man next to the young noble, but he didn’t seem like anything special. He looked like an ignorant noble with his servant.
'What do we have here?'
Daring to provoke the beggars of the Beggars’ Sect?
He seemed like a perfect target to extort some money.
As the conversation dragged on, other large beggars began to approach.
The young beggar bared his yellow teeth as he mocked the young noble.
"So, who are you to keep meddling in our affairs? Do you think beggars have no pride because they have no money? Eh? Do you think you’re special, little noble?"