A Warrior’s Pride. (1)

The grandfather and granddaughter strolled through Tang Land’s market with their arms linked.

Even though they were in the middle of enemy territory, there was no sign of tension.

“Grandpa. What if they refuse to sell food to us?”

Yu Seol knew well enough—the family lord and the young master of the Tang family whom they had just knocked down owned this place.

The news hadn’t yet spread through the market.

The problem was the two elderly men trailing behind them. The merchants would heed their signals and couldn’t ignore them.

But if they cared about that, they wouldn’t have come here in the first place.

Yu Jinsan spoke loudly so the followers behind them could hear.

“If they won’t sell to us, we’ll just go to another market. What is there to worry about?”

Yu Seol giggled, pleased with his fallback plan.

“Heehee. As expected, Grandpa had it all planned. You’re the best.”

“Of course. Naturally. But I don’t think that’ll happen.”

Yu Jinsan sounded confident.

The outraged elders of the Tang family wouldn’t want the Yin Yang Twin Monster to leave before Tang So-cheon arrived. They expected revenge, not an escape.

At that moment Yu Seol pointed with her index finger.

“Grandpa, what about over there?”

A fairly large street stall sold various dishes. There were separate cooks, and the person serving customers seemed to be the owner.

The closer they got, the more enticing the smells became.

“The food smells good. Let’s sit and decide first.”

There were eight tables, and the pair deliberately took the seat at the very center.

The owner approached, hesitated when he noticed them, then abruptly changed course and hurried off somewhere.

He was going to the elders who had been following the Yin Yang Twin Monster.

“Elders, what business do you have here so early…”

The stall owner clasped his hands and stammered; both elders clearly held high rank here.

One of them nodded toward the Yin Yang Twin Monster and said, “From now on, do not serve any customers except those two.”

“Yes? Those kids?”

“They’re the Evil Faction’s Age Revival veterans. Do not be deceived by their appearance.”

The owner blinked in surprise, then bowed his head. Some of the other customers, taking the cue, cleared their seats.

Now only the Yin Yang Twin Monster remained.

Yu Jinsan urged the owner, who stood dumbfounded.

“If you won’t take our order, we’ll get up and leave.”

The stall owner glanced at the clan elders, uncertain what to do. After a moment, the elder who had spoken earlier nodded once—consent given.

Only then did the owner awkwardly approach the Yin Yang Twin Monster. He, too, sensed the tense atmosphere.

Was it because they were said to be the Evil Faction’s Age Revival masters? Even though the owner practiced martial arts, he looked terrified.

“Uh, what dishes shall I prepare for you?”

Yu Seol clasped her hands and lit up.

“What should we eat?”

“Whatever the person with the money wants. I don’t mind, so order what you want.”

Yu Seol scanned the menu written on one side of the stall with a happy expression and began to read aloud in order.

“Aab soup, Dongpo pork, Jingjing shredded pork, Qinghe shredded pork, and Mandu and fat noodles, please!”

“All of that…?”

She had ordered every dish the stall sold. Naturally, the owner was astonished.

“Why? Do we look like we don’t have money?”

“Ah, no. I’ll prepare it right away.”

As the owner retreated, Yu Seol glanced at her grandfather and said quietly, “I ordered a lot because I was worried you’d be hungry.”

“Wasn’t it what you wanted to eat?”

Yu Seol flushed slightly and smiled awkwardly.

“No. But if I’m going to fight in Grandpa’s place, I have to eat a lot.”

“I know. Grandpa got hurt.”

Yu Jinsan whispered softly, surprised.

They had sealed the area anyway, so no sound would escape.

“How did you know?”

“I saw everything earlier. You’re okay, right?”

She’d noticed a small metal bead during the final clash with the clan head.

Yu Jinsan asked again, “You saw that?”

“Yes. It hit your shoulder.”

The metal bead was still embedded in his shoulder. Thanks to the Vajra Indestructible Divine Arts, it had not pierced through. There was some pain and discomfort, but it would be removed later.

“They mustn’t know about Grandpa’s injury, so don’t show it under any circumstances.”

“Anyway, there’s a reason for everything, so just do as I say.”

He had to keep appearances—make it look like he had defeated the Tang clan head cleanly and without injury. He couldn’t bring himself to tell his granddaughter the inner motive.

Yu Seol seemed a little hurt. “Tch. You don’t tell me anything.”

“I’ll tell you later. For now, fill your stomach first.”

A plausible lie, and that would be that.

As they chatted, the owner began bringing out the food. The first things he brought were Mandu and noodles.

“Please enjoy your meal.”

Yu Jinsan noticed the slight tremor in the owner’s fingertips as he set down the dishes. With his seasoned experience in the martial world, he couldn’t help but sense something was off.

‘Those bastards must have tampered with something,’ he thought.

It wasn’t entirely unexpected. They were in the heart of the Tang family—warriors who excelled in hidden weapons and poisons.

He considered calling the owner and cook over to test the food himself, then dropped the idea—sly elders watching from a distance would have ordered it. Besides, even if they’d spiked the food, it wouldn’t matter; having mastered the Muscle Changing Technique and the Vajra Indestructible Divine Arts, he could regulate his body’s reaction by will.

And Yu Seol’s resistance was even greater than his.

“Shall I try a Mandu first?”

Yu Jinsan grabbed a Mandu and ate it immediately. Fortunately, it tasted fine.

As he chewed, his face twitched and he glanced forward. Yu Seol was staring at him with a satisfied smile.

“Is it good?”

“Why are you staring like that? Eat.”

“Eat plenty, and if it’s not enough tell me. I’ll buy more.”

Perhaps because his coin pouch was full, he smiled at his granddaughter’s rare generosity.

“Alright, alright. Let’s eat.”

How long had it been since they’d had a hearty meal alone like this? Their faces bloomed with smiles for once.

As he ate, Yu Jinsan replayed the earlier duel in his mind.

‘Tang family’s family lord, Tang So-gun. Though I won, he was fearsome.’

He had fought an expert in hidden weapons before—a Blue Dragon Troops member disguised as the head of the Flying Blade Clan in northern Shaanxi. Tang So-gun’s technique had been sharper and keener than that fellow’s—there were multiple moments when his heart sank.

‘If it hadn’t been Tentacle One Hundred and Eight Strikes, I might have been in danger. But that technique won’t work twice.’

His younger brother, said to be stronger than the family lord, was not someone he dared face. Besides, his shoulder was injured. If he borrowed the power of the sealed evil in his left hand, he might have a chance. But unless cornered, he had no intention of using that power in real combat.

Then there was only one way. As his granddaughter suggested, he would have to concede the opponent.

‘Well, I beat the family lord head-to-head, so I’ve done my part. Mm. This should be more than enough.’

He was celebrating his achievement when suddenly—

“Grandpa, what are you thinking about? Eat quickly.”

“Nothing, just eat. Whatever seasoning they used here makes the food taste better.”

“Indeed. Sichuan cuisine has such a unique flavor.”

About twenty feet away from where the Yin Yang Twin Monster were eating, two elderly men frowned under the shadow of a pavilion.

“What on earth happened?”

The stall owner bowed his head. “I definitely put it in, elders.”

“Are you sure? Then how are they eating so normally?”

“Why would I lie about safety? I put in ten times the lethal dose.”

“Our Tang family’s Five-Color Deadly Poison can affect even absolute warriors.”

“I don’t know the reason either. Since the Five-Color Deadly Poison didn’t seem to work, I also added Mountain Work Pills and evening primrose.”

The Tang elders looked at the Yin Yang Twin Monster with baffled expressions. Poison or whatever they’d used, the pair even seemed relaxed. The reaction should have come long ago.

The two elders stamped their feet in frustration.

“This is worrying. Before our third brother arrives, we need to take action against at least one of them.”

“Are you worried they’ll both attack at once? That might be needless worry. Still, they don’t fight dishonorably.”

The older-looking elder snorted. “How can we trust those two? Didn’t you hear the rumors coming from Shaanxi?”

“I’ve heard it too. They say even the Murim Alliance gave up on those butcher dogs. But rumors are always exaggerated.”

“Are you defending those two?”

“Of course not. But if they were as cruel as the rumors claim, why did our family lord…”

They wondered why he had spared the clan head when he had ample opportunity to kill him. They would have to wait for the family lord to wake to know the whole story. For now, handling the immediate situation took precedence.

“Shouldn’t we put the Dark Dragon Squad on standby, just in case?”

The Dark Dragon Squad—the Tang family’s elite combat unit composed of top warriors.

“I’ll have them ready to move on command. But those kids alone aren’t nearly enough…”

They stopped chatting abruptly, chilled to the bone.

A sudden, dense killing intent rolled through the air like a cold wind.

Both their heads turned slowly to the right.

Someone approached, his red cape and blue coat billowing.

“Hyung…”

Tang So-cheon—the Tang family’s greatest master of all time—had appeared. His face looked far younger, perhaps because his martial attainment had advanced faster than the family lord’s.

With each step he took, the space between him and his target seemed to shrink, his restrained movements exuding an overwhelming presence that took one’s breath away. Fury set his features hard.

“Where are the Yin Yang Twin Monster right now?”

“They’re the brats sitting over there. Those bastards did this to the family lord…”

Enraged, Tang So-cheon didn’t wait to hear more and strode toward them. His steps stopped in front of the pair’s third table.

At the same moment, a shout of rage burst forth.

“Get up at once!”

Yu Jinsan tensed at the fierce qi, but Yu Seol didn’t pause her chopsticks.

“Mm, wait a moment. I haven’t finished yet.”

It was obvious provocation—they were calmly eating even with him right in front of them.

Tang So-cheon’s brow twitched. His hand moved, and two small streaks of light zipped across the table where the Yin Yang Twin Monster sat.

A bowl in front of Yu Jinsan shattered with a crack. It was a secret-weapon technique as fast as lightning.

But more shocked than Yu Jinsan was Tang So-cheon himself. He had thrown two hidden weapons, yet only one bowl had been broken.

‘…She caught my secret weapon?’ Tang So-cheon looked bewildered, as if he couldn’t comprehend the situation.

At that moment Yu Seol pouted, looking at her grandfather’s broken rice bowl.

“Throw it one more time. I’ll shove my chopsticks up your nose.”