hotmtlnovel Chapter 152
Chapter 152
Two days later, Eun Wi-ryong arrived at the villa. Standing before Seo-jun, he clasped his fists and bowed deeply.
“I apologize for my behavior last time.”
“Oh? What’s this? Did you have some sort of epiphany in the meantime?”
Despite his words, Seo-jun noted that Eun Wi-ryong’s expression was still grim. His inner turmoil hadn’t subsided.
As expected, Eun Wi-ryong shook his head. “No, my thoughts remain the same. Only those destined to succeed will ever reach their goals.”
Seo-jun let out a dry chuckle.
“Then why the apology?”
“Because, regardless of my beliefs, rudeness is rudeness.”
Eun Wi-ryong said this while glancing upward at the sun, which hung high in the noon sky. Squinting against the glare, he asked,
“...Do you truly think it’s possible to reach such heights?”
“You won’t know until you try. How could anyone decide whether you’re destined or not?”
“...True enough.”
Eun Wi-ryong sighed deeply and looked around.
“Where’s Namgung So-hyeop?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I owe him an apology as well. I was terribly rude to him, despite us barely knowing each other.”
“Didn’t expect this—turns out you’re a surprisingly polite guy.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Eun Wi-ryong replied flatly.
Seo-jun smirked and pointed off in the distance.
“Myeong went to meet his fiancée.”
“Fiancée...?”
“You know, Hwang Bo-hyeji.”
“...Ah, I see.”
Eun Wi-ryong closed his eyes briefly, exhaling another sigh.
“What? You don’t get along with her?”
“Not at all. We’re completely incompatible.”
“That so?”
“Yes.”
With another bow, Eun Wi-ryong said, “Then, I’ll take my leave.”
“Why not stay a bit longer?”
“No. Best to act while my resolve holds.”
“Fair enough.”
Seo-jun waved him off as Eun Wi-ryong departed.
After Eun Wi-ryong left, Chun-bong approached Seo-jun from where she’d been playing nearby.
“What was that about? What did he say?”
“Nothing much. Hey, aren’t you going to hang out with your new friends?”
“No thanks. Saying hi is good enough.”
Chun-bong had surprisingly made a few friends during the banquet. It wasn’t that she wasn’t sociable; her lack of friends had been more a result of her previous environment than her personality.
“Hey, you’re not ditching your new friends just to keep your big brother company, are you?”
“If you know, you’d better behave.”
“What—!”
Our sweet, devoted Chun-bong...
Seo-jun felt a tear forming at the corner of his eye.
Eun Wi-ryong made his way directly to the Hwang Bo villa, intending to find Namgung Myeong. As it turned out, he didn’t need to knock—he encountered Namgung Myeong and Hwang Bo-hyeji on his way.
“Eun Wi-ryong...”
Hwang Bo-hyeji frowned as she saw him approach.
Ignoring her expression, Eun Wi-ryong bowed to Namgung Myeong.
“I must apologize for my behavior during the banquet. I’m sorry for ruining the event.”
“It’s fine. But...”
“I also need to speak with Lady Hwang Bo. May I?”
Eun Wi-ryong gestured toward Hwang Bo-hyeji, who scowled but didn’t object. Namgung Myeong, however, nodded readily.
“I see.”
Namgung Su-a smiled softly, hugging her long sword to her chest.
It was the culmination of her diligent training. The transcendent realm—a level so many martial artists only ever dreamed of—was now within her reach.
Naturally, Chun-bong grew anxious.
Pulling Seo-jun aside, she whispered urgently, “H-hey! Who’s stronger right now, me or Su-a?”
“Well...”
In terms of current progression, Namgung Su-a was slightly ahead.
Although Chun-bong had also identified her mental focus, it was still a bit rough around the edges.
Martial arts progression was, after all, an inherently vague concept. The exact criteria varied depending on the individual and the techniques they practiced.
For instance, while sword aura was often associated with first-rate martial artists, not all techniques utilized sword aura.
Strength comparisons were even more subjective, influenced by factors like compatibility and physical condition on a given day.
“Right now, it seems pretty neck-and-neck.”
“Neck-and-neck? Didn’t I tell you to stop using foreign words!”
“...‘Neck-and-neck’ isn’t a foreign word, Chun-bong.”
“...What.”
Seo-jun patted Chun-bong’s head, marveling at her endearingly pure nature.
Our Chun-bong wasn’t always like this. Has she been neglecting her studies lately?
Still, there was something comforting about her simplicity. As long as Chun-bong was happy, that was enough.
“Stop looking at me like that...!”
She smacked his hand away, muttering in embarrassment.
The Round of 16 at the Yongbong Gathering had begun.
Instead of sitting with the elders of the Sixteen Great Houses, Seo-jun casually joined the younger martial artists in their waiting area.
Was this allowed? Absolutely.
“Who’s going to stop me?”
This minor misuse of authority seemed harmless enough—he wasn’t doing anything inappropriate, after all.
“Relax, everyone. Take it easy.”
Seo-jun waved off the nervous glances from the gathered junior martial artists, leaning back comfortably in his chair.
Watching this, Chun-bong gave him an exasperated look.
“Seriously! Why can’t you let people rest in peace?”
“It’s boring over there. It’s all just old folks.”
“Weren’t you the one who said you preferred being with the elders?”
“But here, I have my Chun-bong!”
“Ugh... My head hurts...”
Seo-jun was well aware that his presence here was as disruptive as a company boss crashing a staff outing.
But, well, bosses were people too.
Couldn’t they move around if they were bored? The juniors were all roughly the same age, after all.
At worst, everyone would feel equally awkward, so no one would be unfairly disadvantaged.
“What are you doing here?”
Clearly, the presiding monk thought otherwise.
Seo-jun was promptly escorted out of the waiting area and back to his original seat, where he sulked with his chin propped on his hand.
“So rigid. Shouldn’t a Buddhist like the Shaolin have a more merciful heart?”
Huh Do-jin of Wudang chuckled.
“The Shaolin are merciful, but they are also strict.”
“Bah...”
Seo-jun clicked his tongue, settling in to watch the upcoming match.
It wasn’t like he had crashed the waiting area without reason.
After all, the opening match of the Round of 16 was...
“Namgung Myeong of the Namgung family!”
His little brother versus Su-a.
“And Namgung Su-a of the Namgung family!”
Whoever had arranged the brackets clearly had a twisted sense of humor.