At the entrance to the northern village of Yulang County.
Hundreds of warriors of the Ikyang So family were marching in rows, and in the middle of this procession on horseback was a handsome man with a beard and a light green silk robe, So Ik-heon, the head of the family.
The man and woman wearing indigo uniforms riding the horses on either side were the representatives of Mount Hyeong.
One was the First Sword of Mount Hyeong, Cho Jong-un, and the other, a female warrior, was Cho Il-hye.
So Ik-heon, the head, came to meet these two people who were also members of the Murim Alliance.
Cho Jong-un expressed his hesitation at this procession,
“You didn’t have to do this.”
Seeing Cho Jong-un like that, So Ik-heon smiled,
“Hahaha. If we treat guests to our hometown like this, Murim society would not let us live with our heads up. Do not feel too burdened.”
“I am grateful, but ask for your understanding that I am not used to this kind of hospitality, we spend most of our time in the mountains,” added Cho Il-hye.
Even though it was late in the day, she was still able to speak in an energetic, confident voice.
“Whenever I look at you, it feels like you are a truly remarkable warrior. You seem to be a true model for us, I am grateful to you that my daughter has such a strong warrior to rely on.”
“It is nothing.”
The expression of the girl who was watching this from behind wasn’t good. The name of the girl who looked to be around 17 or 18 was So Yong-yong.
She was the eldest daughter of the family and the only daughter of So Ik-heon.
‘He is really putting out nasty words.’
She hated her father.
In front of others, he spoke as if he cared for her all his life when the reality was quite the opposite. For him, his daughter was just an accessory.
‘Such unfortunate timing.’
Now she didn’t have much time left in Mount Hyeong.
After this year she will have to come back to her home and in that case, they would decide who she will marry.
‘That is the undeniable duty of a woman.’
Her father was someone who emphasized power.
If it weren’t for him, the family would have already sold her off to some old man through marriage.
This was why she was determined to fight in this Murim Alliance tournament.
‘I need to win.’
If she was the winner or maybe even one of the finalists, she would receive the position of a commander for a squad or some other form of leadership role, and then she could stay in the Murim Alliance.
If she was lucky, she wouldn’t be tied up to some man she hadn’t ever met.
“But despite the short while since we last met with Lord So, it seems like your achievements have increased a lot compared to before.”
At Cho Il-hye’s praises, the young man in a colorful silk robe riding the horse in the back row took the lead.
Looking at the man’s face he looked a lot like So Ik-heon. He was So Young-hyun, the eldest son of the family.
“I think he will be able to have a good confrontation with our sahyung”
“That is too much. How can my son ever be spoken in the same sentence as the First Sword of Mount Hyeong’s disciple? I just want to see a good one.”
“That is too much My Lord.”
To So Yong-yong’s left was a tall, indigo uniform-wearing person.
He was So Il-ju, the first disciple under Cho Jong-un sahyung.
For two years, he built up his reputation as the disciple of Cho Jong-un and was now considered a likely winner of the Murim Alliance tournament.
“I am quite nervous as I haven’t seen So hyung in a long time.”
“Haha, a guy who saves my son’s face. You are a truly smart disciple.”
“This is…”
Cho Jong-un shyly touched his nose.
There was a friendly atmosphere forming when someone came running for Ikyang So.
They wore the attire of a normal guard in the family.
Tak!
“I offer my greeting to the Lord, and to the disciples of Mount Hyeong.”
The lord felt curious at this and asked,
“What happened?”
“That…”
As the warrior hesitated, the lord said to the guests next to him,
“It seems like this is a family matter, so I might be a bit different from now on.”
“It is fine, My Lord.”
Not paying attention to the two of them, he nodded to the warrior
And the warrior sent the transmission message to So Ik-heon whose expression began to go stiff.
So Ik-heon turned his head to So Young-hyun. As his throat trembled it was clear that he was sending him a message.
After the instructions were given, So Ik-heon turned to the two guests.
“If it is fine, it seems like something minute cropped up at the family house, I would like to send my children there first,”
“Please do so.”
So Yong-yong was a bit shocked. What happened at home that she was being sent like this?
And then a thought flashed,
‘Perhaps?’
While she was thinking, So Young-hyun said,
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
She would find out once she got there.
When her brother took the lead, she simply followed and after a long distance had formed between them and the procession, So Yong-hyung, said,
“If we don’t hurry, everything will be a mess.”
“What do you mean?”
“That trash is back home.”
‘…!!’
Trash meant her brother.
So Yong-yong’s eyes widened at this.
So, did it mean that the man who went missing had come back? If this was right.
‘Stupid So Wonhwi.’
She cursed under her breath.
When she heard that he disappeared as she was in the sect, she thought that it would be better as long as he escaped from the family without being hurt.
Then why did he have to come back now? She felt so helpless.
‘It feels like I will be sick.’
She didn’t want to see her one and only blood being beaten by those fools again. But it was going to happen and that made her feel nauseous.
‘I need to hurry.’
As So Young-hyun said, if they don’t hurry, those vicious humans could do anything.
He might be a burden to them, but he was the only brother who shared the same blood as them.
Not long after, they reached the mansion
She got off her horse and went straight to the mansion
‘Please…’
She hoped nothing would happen until she arrived.
If that scumbag touches her only brother, it felt like she will not forgive him
And as she was thinking she witnessed something. A cry which was from far.
“I lost. I apologize for everything I said and for trying to take your life.”
It was the voice of So Jang-yoon.
There, the warriors of the family were gathered too.
So Young-hyun too couldn’t hide his curiosity at this situation.
“Let’s go,”
“Yes.”
The two of them hurried to the place the warriors had gathered and when they arrived, they saw So Jang-yoon bowing his head to their brother but ready to slash him down.
“You bastard! Dieee!”
‘No!’
At that moment, someone grabbed the wrist of So Jang-yoon
A handsome man with a slender body. the young man who grabbed the wrist immediately–
Crack!
“Kuaaaak!”
So Young-hyun, who saw this, went stiff.
Sima Young broke his wrist without even hesitating. She was smiling brightly at the fact that she managed to do what she wanted
-A success!
‘Right.’
All the warriors saw it.
They saw him bow down and then attack me right away.
The party involved, that was me, wasn’t even aware that he was going to do it, and he crossed a line of dignity which shouldn’t be crossed.
As a result, he could not become a representative of anything now.
All that was left was…
‘Huh?’
I sensed something weird, so I turned my head to see So Young-hyun watching from the side.
They said he went out with the head of the family, and he was back already?
‘Ah!’
Another person caught my eye. My sister So Yong-yong.
‘Yong-yong is back?’
I could guess one thing from his.
It seemed like the reason they had gone out was to guide the guests from Mount Hyeong. And Yong-yong looked at me like she couldn’t understand this.
“Stop!’
At that time, So Young-hyun shouted at Sima Young who had broken his wrist.
Sima Young looked at me with an expression that said she wasn’t done hurting him.
It seemed like not all of her anger was relieved from this. When I told her to seal his blood points, she immediately did so and So Jang-yoon fell down.
Thud!
“What do you think you are doing?”
Unlike the shocking scene he witnessed, So Young-hyun spoke with a confident voice.
-He is a bit odd
Of course, he was odd.
Unlike this idiot who had his head between his ass cheeks, So Young-hyun was a rather smart one.
He cared about the eyes that were observing him and knew how to manage his expressions.
“Who are you to do this on our home grounds?”
Sima Young bowed and said,
“Greetings. I am Ma Young, an alumnus following So Wonhwi.”
“Alumni?”
Sima only removed one letter from her real name to make her fake name.
So Young-hyun, who cared only about her till then, looked at me. And I bowed,
“Long time no see, hyung.”
I could see his eyes twitch as I called him hyung.
Still, I was the rumored guy who was trash. And unlike my little stupid brother on the floor, I had some brain to use.
And the guy who was conscious of people’s eyes could never speak back now.
“Tell me just what happened here.”
I replied back not caring about his expression,
“It might be because I was back home after a long time, but the second hyung came up to me quite out of control as he was drunk.”
“Drunk?’
So Young-hyun looked at the fallen one. The smell of alcohol was clearly strong on him.
“… what does him drinking alcohol have to do with the disrespect your sajae showed?”
This guy kept going back to that one thing alone.
It looked like he wanted to show that Sima Young’s actions were wrong.
And even if he arrived late and didn’t see what happened I am sure he must have seen the sword in my brother’s hand.
Sima Young got angry and intervened,
“That means I should let my sahyung get killed by the guy who doesn’t follow the heavenly rules of warriors? It would do you better if you spoke clearly.”
Sima Young’s hand pointed to him.
If I leave her, I am sure that the people here would be decapitated.
Huhu, I wanted her to be a bit patient.
[Hand!]
[… Yes.]
Sima Young slowly put down her raised hand.
Seeing her actions like that, So Young-hyung looked like this was absurd.
And he sent me a message
[You bastard. Did you do this trusting your sajae?]
At his question, I responded,
“Why are you using a voice transmission technique?”
‘…!?’
“What is it? Are you trying to say something the others shouldn’t know of?”
“You!”
So Young-hyun’s expression changed at my question.
But he was a lot better than the little one who doesn’t even know how to control his emotions.
Or was it because the one on the floor was still young?
Why was I scared of returning here?
“You…”
So Young-hyun immediately looked to the left and right.
He said this while holding back his anger, knowing that the atmosphere wasn’t good.
“Yes… the hand of your sajae is a bit too much, right? Even if So Jang-yoon was a bit excited being drunk there was no need to break his wrist.”
Trying to blame it on us.
I glanced at him. The fact that he and Yong-yong were here means that the lord would be here too, right?
Then that was good. The original plan could be accelerated.
And so I said,
“Ah, that is the problem. I think it was a bit of overkill as my sajae was a bit hasty to stop it.”
I deliberately left room for discussion.
And he looked at me
“It isn’t just overkill. Who dares to break the wrist of a man in the family of the So!”
So Young-hyun raised his voice, wanting everyone to listen to it.
It seems that he wanted the warriors to move according to him but what?
The others watched So Jang-yoon’s stupid act.
‘…?!’
Contrary to his wishes, the warriors and even the friends of So Jang-yoon didn’t move.
But I still thought that this place wasn’t good enough for me.
In the midst of this, there was no one who came ahead and pointed out the mistake So Jang-yoon had made.
And then someone intervened,
“Wait.”
The person who intervened was So Yong-yong and she approached the side of Song Yang-hwa.
‘Ah…’
The variable
I was trying to fight verbally, but Song Yang-hwa could tell Yong-yong what happened.
-Didn’t I say I didn’t like it?
‘… right.’
It seemed like she was trying to help me out here. But didn’t Song Yang-hwa hate me?
I was a bit puzzled when Yong-yong spoke up.
“Yang-hwa, unnie, please inform me of what happened till now. Second Brother was drunk and made a mistake as he tried to kill Third Brother.”
At her words, So Young-hyun’s expression turned cold.
Contrary to what he had intended, Yong-yong was criticizing So Jang-yoon.
And he said in a cold voice,
“Third Brother? Who is the third brother here?”
“Brother!”
“To call a person who has been abandoned by the family as brother! That is a dirty bloodline…”
Slap!
Yong-yong couldn’t stand hearing it and tried to slap him.
Well, this idiot wasn’t Jang-yoon so he managed to hold her hand lightly and Yong-yong spoke with tears in her eyes,
“Let go of my hand.”
She didn’t care about anything but she hated those who called me dirty blood and she hated the indirect words of insult at her mother.
So Young-hyun looked shocked. But then he was already angry,
“Huh! even if I said something wrong….”
“Let go of her hand.”
“What?”
He turned to me thinking it was ridiculous that I spoke. And said,
“Ha! Are you talking to me?”
Yong-yong shouted at me
“Do not do this!”
The moment I heard it, a weird strange feeling welled up inside me.
I used to think she hated me but no. She was treating me coldly with the fear that others wouldn’t take the hate onto me.
‘…’
Something hot surged in the chest.
An emotion different from anger surfaced when I smiled at her,
“Now I will protect you.”
At my words, her face turned red as she burst into tears,
“How dare this idiot try to talk to us! Do not meddle between me and my brother…”
“How dare you act out!”
Before Yong-yong could finish her words, So Young-hyun raised his head and tried to slap her.
Pak!
I moved like lightning and grabbed his wrist. As soon as I caught his wrist, the guy looked startled and tried to hit me with his elbow.
Pak!
But before his elbow could touch me, I shifted my grasp on his wrist and threw him to the floor.
“Huh?”
Thud!
“Euk!”
Yong-yong looked at me with wide eyes at this unexpected sight.
