#81: Day And Night (6) — The Patriarch of Sichuan

Kwaang!

“Brother Song!”

Slamming the table as he stood, Yeom Hang looked down at Song Geon.

“You seem far too drunk. How about leaving now?”

Song Geon made no reply. He only glared at Seol So-ha as if to kill her.

Yeom Hang spoke more firmly once more.

“Brother Song!”

Just then, Ha Jun raised his hand.

“Younger Brother Song.”

Even Song Geon could not ignore Ha Jun’s words.

“Yes.”

“Apologize to Lady Seol.”

Song Geon looked at Ha Jun in disbelief.

“Apologize for what?”

“Are you saying it was right to slight, before her face, the one a clan calls its benefactor?”

Of course it was not right. Beyond right and wrong, Song Geon’s response was immature from the start.

And there was no sign that immaturity would fade.

“I admit I was a bit rough, but I do not think it calls for an apology. Frankly we do not even know where that fellow crawled in from. Why should I apologize over a man like that?”

Matters worsened for all to see.

Huk!

A cold wave of Qi burst from Seol So-ha’s body.

Calm until now, the aura she released in an instant was ferocious beyond measure. It felt as if a storm had swept the ornate hall.

Everyone started at that chill aura. Seol So-ha’s presence was far greater than vaguely expected.

The most shocked was Song Geon.

‘Tch!’

Instinctively taking a step back from the dreadful aura launched his way, Song Geon then realized what he had done and ground his teeth in shame.

“I have no taste for answering insult with insult.”

Seol So-ha stretched out her right hand.

Her long, pale jade-like hand was suddenly as cold and keen as a sword.

“I will give you time to prepare. If you are a warrior, prove it with prowess, not tongue.”

“You…!”

Just then.

Koong!

Ha Jun’s hand struck the table.

In that moment, the long table tore into dozens of pieces.

Wajangchang!

Countless dishes and food fell through the split table with a vicious shatter.

All were stunned by Ha Jun’s move. He had not merely broken the table. The long, thick board had ripped apart wildly as if struck by lightning the instant he slammed it.

It was truly an impressive move. It was proof that his palm arts had reached first-rate heights.

“Everyone, that is enough.”

At that moment.

Deolkeong!

The door opened and many people came in.

Before the savage clash inside the hall.

Jin-hyeon, Han Cheol-sang, and Im Yeo-wol had taken a table and were enjoying good food.

“Tastes good. Don’t you think so too, Brother Han?”

“It does.”

Han Cheol-sang ate quite seriously.

“The technique is considerable. Fire control, amount of oil, salting… they’re first-rate. The ingredients are a bit lacking, but the fine skill has lifted their quality.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. First-rate skill.”

Despite everything, he was earnest about cooking. Jin-hyeon asked Im Yeo-wol,

“How about you, Yeo-wol?”

“It is very tasty.”

“It’s free food, so eat plenty.”

“Yes.”

It seemed to suit her palate, given she kept eating while habitually watching her surroundings.

With one analyzing cooking technique and one eating awkwardly, Jin-hyeon calmly looked around.

‘Considerable.’

He saw the manor and the people, but his Qi and mind’s eye grasped beyond that.

‘There are many masters. Naturally so, perhaps.’

The late-generation prodigies of Sichuan’s Eight Martial Houses had gathered. Each attendant was a well-honed master, and more than twenty experts were hidden throughout the manor.

The aura of those twenty-odd was very similar. They were clearly warriors trained in one organization.

‘Cheongyang Association.’

Jin-hyeon stroked his chin.

‘Not bad. The strongest of the Eight Houses indeed feels different.’

He was the Association Leader’s second son. Guards befitting that were only natural.

But even so, the number was too great. Compared with other prodigies’ attendants, the gap was enormous.

‘To go out of their way to make such a gathering is not only for socializing. No, there is intent to display the sect’s and clan’s prestige. In that case, it would be better to line up so many masters openly than hide them.’

Jin-hyeon’s eyes sank deeper.

‘The number of guards set is to an excessive degree… are they hiding something?’

He recalled the words Lee Yong-dan had vomited out only after being half beaten to death.

‘W-we received contact… to seize you, great hero, and Seol So-ha… anonymous, b-but surely it was from one of the Eight Houses. Truly. Please believe me. It was not our will to try to do anything to you two!’

That was of course a lie. The Lee brothers clearly tried to set roots in Sichuan again using him as a stepping stone.

Yet it also seemed clear they had crossed into Sichuan with help from somewhere among the Eight Houses. Without power on that level, it would have been impossible to slip past the Heavenly Will Alliance’s eyes to here.

In other words, the aims of some part of the Eight Houses and the two Lee brothers coincided.

‘What a damned tangle.’

He had resolved to clean up Sichuan from the start, but even without fanning his resolve, they were making themselves targets and coming to him.

‘I had come to support Lady Seol from behind and to find talent worth using, but if they stirred things up this much, I can’t just let it pass.’

Looking around slowly, Jin-hyeon suddenly fixed his gaze on someone.

‘Oh?’

There was a man leaning on the wall with an iron staff in his arms.

He was the very man who had delivered the invitation from Divine Spear’s Patriarch Song Cheol-gwang. Having guided them to the villa, he struck Jin-hyeon as a man of considerable natural talent.

‘Here to guard the Divine Spear brat, is he.’

Perhaps he felt the gaze.

The man, head slightly bowed and eyes closed, looked at Jin-hyeon.

Their eyes met in midair.

Jin-hyeon gave a gentle nod. The man dipped his head deeply once.

‘He has clear eyes.’

He was different from Song Cheol-gwang and his sons.

He shared features with the Patriarch’s sons here and there, but his eyes and air were worlds apart. A clear blade edge emanated from his body. It was the full aura shown only by one who was mad for the Way of the Warrior who never neglects cultivation for even a moment.

Inwardly, Jin-hyeon tilted his head.

‘They use a warrior of that level only as a guard? Of course, a Patriarch’s son should have a capable man attached.’

To Jin-hyeon’s eye, that man’s martial skill far surpassed Song Cheol-gwang’s two sons. Though he did not show it himself, if he chose to let out his aura, he would not lose much even to Song Cheol-gwang.

At an age that looked early thirties, such skill could make great fame in Sichuan Murim.

‘He must have his circumstances.’

Then Han Cheol-sang asked,

“Will you eat no more, Patriarch?”

“Mm.”

“You said we came for free drink and food, yet you do not touch much.”

“I am eating fine.”

Han Cheol-sang’s voice grew smaller.

“So, have you found what you wanted?”

Im Yeo-wol looked at Han Cheol-sang in surprise.

His face and lips said he spoke normally, yet his voice had suddenly become softer than a whisper.

But in Jin-hyeon’s ears, that sound was like thunder.

It was a technique close to Secret Sound Transmission said to be used only by peak masters.

Jin-hyeon spoke calmly.

“To infer the force colluding with them, I must check each late-generation prodigy one by one.”

“Can you tell with that?”

“I cannot be certain. But the ones gathered there are all heirs of their own sects. I cannot say for the Cheongyang Association, but in any case they are their sect’s middle stratum.”

“There is also the possibility they acted without telling their children.”

“Of course.”

For a moment, Jin-hyeon’s eyes sank low.

“So I even thought about kidnapping the lot and dragging in the sect leaders.”

Han Cheol-sang’s eyes widened.

If another person had said it, he would have asked why he made a joke so savage. From Jin-hyeon’s mouth, it did not sound like a joke at all.

“Kidnap them?”

“Mm.”

“…Is that possible?”

“If I must, it is not impossible.”

He is serious.

Han Cheol-sang clicked his tongue at Jin-hyeon’s outrageous daring. To kidnap not some other force, but all heirs of the Eight Houses? Whether or not he carried it out, just thinking of it was not normal.

“Sichuan will be turned upside down.”

“That doesn’t matter. The problem is that harm could go to the Seol Patriarch because of me.”

“Dismissed?”

“On hold.”

“At this rate, following you, I won’t be able to live out my years.”

“As if the mere Eight Houses could cause that.”

Just then.

Huk!

The eyes of Jin-hyeon, Han Cheol-sang, and several masters flashed.

“This is?”

“Lady Seol.”

Jin-hyeon pulled off a skewer and ate.

“The Divine Spear brat, is it?”

“Pardon?”

“When the Divine Spear’s Patriarch summoned me, I stepped on him once. He would hate me and Lady Seol alike. Though, I cannot be sure.”

Han Cheol-sang asked, dumbfounded,

“You said you didn’t beat him.”

“I didn’t. I only pressed him once with my aura.”

At that moment, a faint killing intent rose inside the main hall.

Whatever else, without sensitivity to killing intent, one could not serve as an attendant. A brief hush fell over the noisy yard.

A moment later.

Kwadudeuk!

“Young Master!”

Before anyone could say who was first, they rushed into the main hall.

In an instant the manor was in an uproar. Two at the least and more than half a dozen at most ran into the hall, and the cooks were flustered and at a loss.

“Patriarch.”

Jin-hyeon’s eyes gleamed.

He did not know what it was, but a good idea came to him.

‘If I can’t investigate, I can only seize them and shake them down myself.’

He finished the meat on the skewer, set it on the table, and walked out.

Before the bustling main hall, someone spoke.

“There was a brief clash of opinion among us. It is nothing, so attendants, please rest easy. Only, can the Divine Spear attendant come for a moment…”

Just then.

Hwaaaak!

At the sudden surge of a savage aura, all recoiled left and right in fright.

Ha Jun, who had stepped out to smooth things over, was startled as well.

‘What?’

Jeobeok, jeobeok.

A single youth walked in between those who had fallen back.

White hair swayed lightly in the breeze. From the youth’s back, tall of height with pale skin, a long sword hilt rose.

Ha Jun’s eyes shook greatly.

‘Impossible.’

He had not known when the man hid himself, but once he showed his aura fully, an overwhelming presence poured out.

The ferocious Qi wave harmonizing from his whole body made one’s hair stand on end. It felt not like a man, but a beast that had found prey drawing near.

Chachachachang!

Most attendants unknowingly drew their blades. They moved reflexively to the intense aura Jin-hyeon exuded.

Jin-hyeon stopped and looked at the attendants who had drawn their blades.

“!!”

The attendants’ faces turned pale.

He only looked without a word, yet they shrank strangely.

It was as if they had done something they should not. As when one draws a weapon without thinking, they slowly lowered the arms in their hands.

Jin-hyeon nodded and looked at Ha Jun.

Ha Jun flinched.

Tilting his head in silence, Jin-hyeon walked toward Ha Jun. To be precise, he aimed for the room.

“Stop!”

Pababababak!