hotmtlnovel Chapter 170
Chapter 170
The Victor of the Yongbong Gathering
The winner of the Yongbong Gathering was decided.
Geum Hui, of the Divine Sword Geum family.
The thunderous cheers from the massive crowd, as if all of Hanan had gathered, shook the heavens, heralding the grand revival of the Geum family.
Sniffling and wiping away tears, Chun-bong trudged forward when her name was called, standing before the Head Monk, Deokseong.
“Well done. Thanks to you, the revival of the Geum family will come much sooner.”
With a kind smile, Deokseong grasped Chun-bong’s hand and raised it high.
“With the victor of the Yongbong Gathering now decided, let all martial artists celebrate this moment together!”
It took quite some time to decide on Chun-bong’s title.
The abundance of suggestions made the decision difficult.
Given that the symbol of the Divine Sword Geum family was the Yellow Dragon, suggestions ranged from “Yellow Dragon Rising with the Phoenix” to “Golden Dragon Chun-bong.” Others supported titles like “Swift Sword Phoenix” or “Lively Sword Phoenix,” inspired by her fast and nimble movements.
In truth, among the phoenix and dragon titles, Sword Dragon or Sword Phoenix were generally considered the most appropriate. Consensus seemed to be leaning toward Sword Phoenix.
However, Deokseong had a different thought.
Having witnessed today’s duel, he was confident no one would oppose his choice.
Skipping flowery language, he went straight to the point.
“Geum Hui, the Phoenix Bearing a Dragon.”
A phoenix carrying a dragon within its heart.
Smiling warmly, Deokseong handed Chun-bong a small wooden box.
“Congratulations. May you walk the righteous path and proceed uprightly.”
The top eight participants of the Yongbong Gathering were called one by one, receiving their titles and rewards.
Thunderclad Phoenix: Namgung SuaLittle Celestial Dragon: Jegal HwiBlazing Sun Dragon: Yang So-hongImmovable Dragon: Hye-unSword Dragon: Un-baekResolute Phoenix: Hwangbo HyejiHonorable Intent Dragon: Tae Byuk
The Yongbong Gathering, intended to honor rising stars, avoided ranking the remaining participants beyond the top eight. Such distinctions would only serve as entertainment for the audience, benefiting no one else (largely due to the politics of the Sixteen Great Clans).
Amidst cheers from the crowd, the eight martial artists received their new titles, and the Yongbong Gathering, which had felt both long and brief, came to a close.
This marked the return of the elders of the Sixteen Great Clans to their places, with a final meeting before their departure.
Seo-jun scratched his head in frustration, already anticipating the hassle, as he approached Chun-bong and Namgung Sua.
Chun-bong ran up to him, clutching the small wooden box tightly, her face flushed with excitement.
“Did you see that!? Huh? You saw it, right?”
Chun-bong hopped up and down in place, her face glowing red. Seo-jun grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.
“Well done, Geum Chun-bong. No, wait... Phoenix Bearing a Dragon.”
“Ehehe.”
After glancing around briefly, Chun-bong coughed awkwardly before hesitantly approaching Seo-jun, holding out the wooden box.
“And this is... a gift!”
“Huh?”
“A gift! That’s what it is!”
She shoved the wooden box into Seo-jun’s hands.
Seo-jun was slightly taken aback. This was definitely Great Rejuvenation Pill.
“Why are you giving this to me? You should take it yourself, Chun-bong, and grow even stronger.”
“It’s fine. I’ve had enough before.”
“No, no. Your brother is happy enough with the thought.”
He truly meant it. To think Chun-bong had grown so much that she was giving him a gift...
It felt like when a daughter buys a gift for her parents with her first paycheck. And she’d probably spent everything on it.@@@@
Feeling touched, Seo-jun looked at Chun-bong, clutching his chest, only for her to yell at him.
“Just take it already! I’ve been receiving so much, and when I think about everything you’ve done for me... Anyway! I’m giving it because I’m grateful!”
Having successfully shoved the Great Rejuvenation Pill onto Seo-jun, Chun-bong dashed off, giggling with pride.
Her adorable retreat was so endearing that Seo-jun stood frozen, unable to bring himself to stop her.
Hwangbo Seorin didn’t know what she was supposed to see, but Hyeji didn’t care. She reached out and grasped her mother’s hand tightly.
“I will make it happen. I’ll fulfill your dreams, Mother.”
“Yes, but to do that, you must...”
“I will become the head of the Hwangbo family and turn it upside down. No, before that, I’ll slowly break apart this rigid structure.”
“What...?”
“You just have to follow me. I’ll pave the way.”
“Wait, Hye-a. What are you saying...?”
“It’s fine. Trust me, Mother.”
Hwangbo Hyeji’s eyes burned with unshakable resolve, contrasting sharply with Seorin’s confused and wavering gaze.
Hyeji smiled brightly.
“I’ll follow my heart.”
Though she couldn’t fully trust herself yet, she now believed she could continue down this path.
“Let’s start by picking up where you left off in martial arts.”
Gripping her mother’s hand tightly, her strength matched her burning passion. Hwangbo Seorin took a step back in hesitation, but Hyeji didn’t let go.
“I’ll teach you. I’ve learned so much.”
Seorin’s lips quivered faintly.
+++++
Listening to the conversation between Hwangbo Hyeji and her mother from a distance, Seo-jun chuckled to himself and headed back to the guesthouse.
That was when it all began.
Already back at the house, Chun-bong’s persistent gaze followed him like a shadow.
“Why are you staring at me...?”
“Did you eat it?”
“No, not yet.”
“Hurry up and eat it.”
“Okay...”
About five minutes later, Chun-bong peeked her head around the corner.
“Did you eat it?”
“No...?”
“Eat it already!”
“Uh, sure...”
And another five minutes passed. Chun-bong appeared again.
“Argh! Geum Chun-bong! What do you want to say?”
When Seo-jun abruptly stood up, Chun-bong puffed out her tiny chest confidently.
“What, what...?”
“Don’t you have something to say?”
“...Yes. Eat the Great Rejuvenation Pill already.”
“There’s more, isn’t there?”
As the leading authority on Chun-bong PsychologyTM, Seo-jun was certain. Hands on his hips, he stared down at Chun-bong, who snorted dramatically.
“The Great Rejuvenation Pill.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s precious, right?”
“It is.”
Was she regretting giving it to him now?
When Seo-jun held out the box containing the Great Rejuvenation Pill, Chun-bong quickly backed away.
“I’m not asking for it back!”
From behind a pillar, Chun-bong peeked her head out, grumbling.
“That’s one of the rarest elixirs in Zhongyuan, you know?”
“Of course. This older brother of yours lives every day in gratitude for Chun-bong’s generosity.”
“Good. You should.”
Clearing her throat, Chun-bong muttered.
“So, um... isn’t there a little something for me?”
“What? You wanted something? Why didn’t you say so?”
Surprisingly, Chun-bong rarely expressed her desires (except when it came to sugar-coated hawthorn sticks).
If she wanted something, Seo-jun could buy it, find it, or even barter for it.
“Well, it’s not a big deal...”
Twisting her hair nervously, Chun-bong continued.
“Now that we’ve set the groundwork for rebuilding the Geum family... and I’ve gotten stronger, so I won’t be beaten up anymore...”
“True.”
“But, you know, for a family, there’s a crucial element, right?”
Chun-bong’s cheeks flushed red.
“So, that...”
“That?”
“That, you know...”
“What is it?”
“Ugh! Damn it!”
Suddenly cursing, Chun-bong shouted.
“Close your eyes!”