Chapter 13
“Do your best, leave the rest to the heavens.”
It means that once you’ve done all you can, you must wait for the outcome, as it’s up to the heavens now.
I never wanted to believe in such a fatalistic saying.
But perhaps I was wrong.
“Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?”
I couldn’t believe it.
I did my utmost.
To escape from the shackles of this engagement.
Feeding chicken breasts to Namgung Hyeo, the gluttonous second son.
Provoking the Grand Elder Namgung Hwan by utterly destroying him in Go and then taunting him.
I tried everything I could to fall out of favour with the people of the Namgung Family.
All to no avail.
“Brother-in-law, care to have a bite?”
“Come now, let’s have a game!”
These people were strange.
Or perhaps I was the one who’d lost my mind.
All the time I spent trying to be hated was completely pointless.
No matter what I did, the end result was that they came to like me even more.
My plans had completely backfired.
As if the course of the world had been set in stone from the start, the number of people supporting my engagement only continued to increase.
‘Why the hell do they like me so much!?’
“Gaga, what are you thinking about so deeply?”
Once again, Yeon-hee came to visit my room today without fail.
Looking at her smiling brightly, I wondered.
‘Did I actually want to marry Yeon-hee from the beginning?’
If we only consider the conditions, it was the best match I could ever find.
What kind of family is the Namgung Family?
The most prominent among the Seven Great Families.
No matter how great the Sichuan Tang Family or the Jegal Family’s renown may be, they can’t compare to the Namgung Family.
The Namgung Family’s influence that spreads across the entire Murim world is truly capable of seizing and dominating the entire realm.
Becoming their son-in-law would mean that my life would be set on a smooth path.
And to have a wife like Namgung Yeon-hee?
The title “Unrivalled Beauty of the World” isn’t something easily given.
No amount of praise could adequately express the beauty contained in those eyes of hers looking up at me right now.
Her personality fits mine, and even our hobbies align.
‘It’s more plausible to think that I unconsciously wanted to become her husband.’
Whenever I look at Namgung Yeon-hee, my heart races.
As if it was the natural thing to happen, it always did.
Was I lying to myself?
“Gaga, are you listening?”
“Of course. I was just lost in some thought for a moment.”
“Is it something difficult to tell me? I heard there shouldn’t be any secrets between husband and wife!”
It’s because of your father.
But there’s no way I could say that.
Whenever the thought crossed my mind that marrying Yeon-hee might not be a bad idea, Namgung Hyuk’s furious face flashed before my eyes.
‘There’s no need to put myself in harm’s way by giving up my freedom.’
Namgung Sun’s advice also came to mind.
He tries not to show it, but the only person in this family who opposes my engagement is Namgung Hyuk.
The sole cause for my desire to break off the engagement was, ironically, my only ally.
What kind of nonsense is this? It made me sick to my stomach.
“Are you wanting a drink?”
“How did you know?”
“Isn’t it a wife’s duty to understand her husband-to-be’s feelings?”
Look at her go.
She used to hold back a little, but these days, she keeps flirting whenever she gets the chance.
‘Get a grip!’
If I drink now, something terrible might happen.
“Shall we go get some fresh air instead?”
All I could do was shyly avert my gaze from Yeon-hee’s enchanting smile.
***
“Gaga, look over there!”
The bustling marketplace made for a great place to stroll.
The long rows of street vendors didn’t allow for a moment of boredom.
Yeon-hee dashed excitedly between the shops for some reason.
“Do you like it that much?”
“Yes!”
“Well, there are many fascinating things in the market.”
“But it’s because I’m with you, Gaga.”
Hmm, I should’ve built up some resistance by now.
Before I knew it, my face started to heat up.
“Ah, let’s go over there, too!”
Thankfully, Yeon-hee quickly ran off as she found something else that caught her attention.
It was a stall selling hair accessories that women use for dressing up.
“Does that one catch your eye?”
“Huh? Oh, no. Not really.”
The butterfly-shaped ornament Yeon-hee had been quietly staring at.
Its wings were a beautiful shade of sky blue.
No matter how I looked at it, she clearly wanted it. But instead, she changed the topic and marched off to the next stall.
While wandering the market with Yeon-hee, I noticed something odd.
‘?’
When a person experiences something so absurd, they are momentarily left speechless.
I only stepped away for a moment, but someone abruptly grabbed her by the wrist.
“I’ve longed to see you, young lady!”
Slam!
It was a reflexive action.
I immediately stretched out my arm and slapped the hand that was holding Yeon-hee’s wrist.
“Argh!”
The man staggered back with a scream, dressed like a Confucian scholar.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, Gaga.”
I anxiously checked Yeon-hee’s expression.
She seemed a bit startled, and she nestled closer to me.
“Who the hell are you, brat!?”
I ignored the annoying voice in my ears.
Yeon-hee, trembling in my arms, was my only concern.
“Are you deaf or something!?”
Unable to contain his anger at my disregard, the man charged at me.
Thud!
I kicked him square in the chest, sending him sprawling onto the ground.
“Who are you, then?”
Unconsciously, my voice gained an edge.
Why?
Even looking at him lying there pitifully, I didn’t feel the slightest bit relieved.
“How dare you, brat! I am Moyong Chun! Don’t tell me you’re going to feign ignorance of the Moyong Family’s name?”
It was a familiar name.
“I am to be engaged to Namgung Yeon-hee. Who the hell are you to cling onto someone else’s betrothed like this?”
‘What nonsense.’
Hearing that drivel, I recalled it.
Moyong Chun.
The guy who had the audacity to propose marriage to Namgung Hyuk.
Did he have multiple lives or was he just fearless? Either way, he was definitely reckless.
“I thought it was some sort of joke.”
“What did you say?”
“I heard there was a scoundrel persistently pestering Yeon-hee. So, it was you?”
“To dare speak her name so carelessly!”
Panicked, Moyong Chun’s voice grew louder.
“Lady Yeon-hee! As the Young Master of the Moyong Family, I have chosen you. Why are you standing next to this rascal?”
“What a lunatic.”
“What did you just say!?”
He was completely out of his mind.
‘Is this the standard for a descendant of one of the Seven Great Families?’
I could feel Moyong Chun gathering his internal energy.
If I hadn’t been paying attention to his movements, it would’ve been difficult to even notice the meager amount of strength he was summoning.
I wondered if perhaps he was hiding some latent power.
Such a suspicion did cross my mind.
‘What should I do?’
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
If I let myself be beaten by this guy, wouldn’t everything get a lot easier?
‘It’d be a good excuse for Namgung Hyuk.’
Namgung Hyuk took Moyong Chun’s marriage proposal as a grave insult.
He even threatened to eradicate their entire clan.
If I were to be miserably defeated by this guy, then they’d probably think I’m unworthy of becoming the Namgung Family’s son-in-law.
‘But… why?’
I didn’t want that to happen.
For the past two months, I had struggled desperately to get away from the Namgung Family.
There was an easy way out right in front of me.
But why… why didn’t I want to take it?
“Yeon-hee, just wait for a moment.”
I patted Yeon-hee’s shoulder and stepped forward.
“Someone needs to get beaten up a bit.”
With those words, I approached him.
“Aaaack!”
First, the ribs.
I targeted an area that wouldn’t make him lose balance easily but would still cause a significant impact.
Moyong Chun momentarily froze, his breathing disrupted. I followed up by driving my fist into his chest repeatedly.
Wham! Wham! Wham!
Three consecutive punches.
Even without using my full strength, he staggered and collapsed.
Moyong Chun tumbled onto the ground.
“As expected of the Moyong Family. An impressive display of Nareryagon (Soaring Dragon Kick)!”
I swiftly deflected his desperate kick from the ground and stomped on his left shoulder.
“Gah!”
Moyong Chun was subdued in an instant.
But he still had some guts left, as he used his uninjured arm to strike me with a palm imbued with internal energy.
The swirling force had a hint of counterforce energy in it.
It resembled the Taiji Fist of the Wudang Sect, which was irritating to look at.
‘Softness is broken by overwhelming strength.’
The technique he attempted didn’t even have the essence of a proper martial art.
I grabbed his wrist using the Golden Arm Lock technique and twisted it.
Moyong Chun couldn’t even scream in pain.
He was a pathetic sight for a descendant of one of the Seven Great Families.
“G-Grandmaster! Please spare me! I was wrong!”
Grandmaster, my foot.
Moyong Chun, trembling uncontrollably, barely managed to get down on his knees.
The confident air he had a moment ago had completely disappeared.
‘What in the world made him so bold in the first place?’
I doubted him until the very end.
Was he hiding a trump card somewhere?
But this was absurd.
He was barely at the level of a local thug.
I felt ridiculous for even considering him a threat for a moment.
A brat spoiled by his family, clueless about the real world.
“Go on, why don’t you say something like before?”
“No, no! I’ll never utter such nonsense again!”
Seeing his teary-eyed expression made me snort in disbelief.
“You should apologize to Yeon-hee, not me.”
“S-sorry, Young Lady!”
“Sorry, you say?”
“I’m terribly sorry!”
Yeon-hee didn’t seem to hear Moyong Chun’s apology as she looked at me, examining my expression.
“Gaga, are you hurt anywhere?”
“Do you think I could get hurt?”
“Well, that’s true.”
I chuckled at Yeon-hee’s soft giggle.
“Do… do many guys like that come after you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Guys who cling to you saying things like they’re your lover or something.”
“Oh my, Gaga. Are you jealous right now?”
Jealous?
“I’m just wondering if Anhui Province security is so dangerous that there are a bunch of idiots grabbing the wrists of unmarried women like it’s nothing.”
“Ah, is that so.”
“……”
“Well, there are quite a lot. I am rather popular, you know~”
What was that?
Her tone was oddly annoying.
“That’s why you have to protect me well, okay, Gaga?”
Her sly smile was so beautiful it only made me even more irritated.
‘Moyong Chun, you’re dead meat.’
I would make sure this guy got punished, no matter what it took.
***
Namgung Hyuk had a headache.
‘Lee Se-woong, how in the world am I supposed to get rid of this kid?’
To be honest, I liked him.
He had exceptional martial prowess for his age and the courage to speak confidently in front of me.
It was refreshing to see such a remarkable young man after so long.
‘But he’s not suited to be my son-in-law.’
I wasn’t convinced that he could make Yeon-hee happy.
Yeon-hee, who had never been in a relationship before, lacked the experience to judge people accurately.
Perhaps she was simply swayed by his handsome appearance.
Young people tend to fall in love for the simplest reasons.
Since a promise had already been made, I couldn’t directly interfere.
So, I worked behind the scenes.
For the first time, I made an embarrassing request to my obedient eldest son.
Just to use the pretext that the family was against the engagement.
‘But what’s happening now?’
Lee Se-woong had said he’d wait until everyone in the family accepted him.
At the time, I thought it was absurd.
“Father, Brother-in-law really seems to be a good person. He’s already looking after our family’s health. Haha!”
The second son, who wouldn’t lose weight no matter how much we nagged, was transformed into a muscular figure.
“Son, it seems you have good fortune in finding a son-in-law. He’s a very clever lad.”
Even my father, who was like the sky itself, had been won over by him.
“If he’s already caring so much for Yeon-hee, I think we should approve of him.”
Even the third son, who was just as overprotective of Yeon-hee as I was, had been swayed.
“Father, suppression is not always the answer.”
Even my firstborn, who had always followed my lead, was now going against me.
“Lord. Isn’t it time to set the date?”
And on top of that, my wife started urging me as well.
‘How did he manage to charm my entire family!?’
The only flaw I could point out was his background, but my family didn’t care at all.
I had taught my children never to judge people based on status since they were young.
Should I feel sorrowful or proud that they turned out to be such upright individuals?
‘Am I the one who’s wrong here?’
By now, the majority of the Namgung Family was on his side.
It got to the point where I began to wonder if it was my stubbornness that was holding Yeon-hee back from getting married.
Just as I was trying to calm my conflicted thoughts, some news reached me.
“Master, the Moyong Family caused an incident!”
Moyong Chun, that scoundrel, had come here after all.
The moment I heard he had harassed Yeon-hee, I wanted to rush over and break his limbs immediately.
But I suppressed the burning rage and asked for more details.
“What? You’re telling me that Lee Se-woong beat up Moyong Chun?”
Hearing that Lee Se-woong had made a mess of Moyong Chun, a smirk formed on my lips.
I finally thought that an opportunity had come to separate Lee Se-woong from Yeon-hee.
—
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