Chapter 15
The journey to Liaoning Province was long, but it wasn’t boring.
That was because of Moyong Chun, who kept causing trouble.
“You! Let me go right now!”
He was a real piece of work.
Bound tightly with ropes and his pressure points sealed, he was utterly helpless, yet he kept picking fights with me.
“Your body must be itching, huh?”
“Eeeek!”
Every time he acted up, I had to give him some “physical therapy” to teach him some manners.
But Moyong Chun seemed to have short-term memory loss.
As soon as the hour of the Rat (11 PM – 1 AM) passed, he’d start acting up again, so I had to treat him regularly.
“Incredible, really. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“Hero! I was wrong! Please, stop, please!”
I had to give him credit for his perseverance.
If only he had put that persistence to better use.
“You said we’re only ten li (about 5 km) away.”
“For real this time, it’s really true this time!”
“This is real, you say? Every time you open your mouth, it’s a lie.”
He tried everything to get away from me.
But what could a spoiled young master, pampered his whole life, possibly know?
His shallow tricks were transparent.
All he did was earn himself more beatings.
“Please, just trust me one time!”
Those were the countless days spent walking and scolding Moyong Chun.
When I finally set foot on the cold, eerie ground, I realized we had arrived in Liaoning Province.
I wonder how the Moyong Family will react.
Before I left, the Namgung Family had sent word ahead.
So, they must already know everything that happened in Anhui Province.
It was clearly Moyong Chun’s fault, so normally, they would bow their heads.
The Namgung Family’s prestige in the martial world was at that level.
But I doubt it’ll be that simple.
There’s a saying: If you see one thing, you know ten.
Moyong Chun ran rampant without knowing the limits of the world.
The fact that they raised such a rascal made it clear what kind of household the Moyong Family was.
When I finally arrived at the estate of the Moyong Family—
I was greeted by the sight of Moyong Family members lined up neatly in front of the main gate.
A show of force?
Even a rough count suggested there were over a hundred people.
It looked like they had gathered everyone in the family.
Each of their auras was intimidating.
“Father! Mother! Your son has returned!”
Feeling confident, Moyong Chun stumbled toward his family.
Even though his arms were still bound, and he could barely keep his balance, he didn’t care about appearances and ran forward.
“Father! This man, this man insulted me! He kept hitting and oppressing me, the future head of the Moyong Family! Please, punish him severely!”
He looked like a child tattling.
A man who appeared to be Moyong Guk raised his right hand.
Is he giving a command?
I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.
Then—
“You damn brat!”
Thwack!
The man swung his hand and slapped Moyong Chun hard, causing him to bounce away like a ball and roll across the ground.
“Gaaaah!”
“You’re driving me crazy! I told you to stay put at home! Was that so difficult, huh?!”
Thwack! Thwack!
As if his anger hadn’t subsided, the man began stomping viciously on Moyong Chun, who was sprawled on the ground.
“F-Father! Why are you doing this?!”
“Why? Why? For raising such a disgraceful child! I can’t even show my face anymore!”
Each word was punctuated with a rhythm of kicks.
It was a perfect display of blows without any unnecessary movements.
“Let’s die together, you brat!”
He didn’t stop until Moyong Chun was limp and unresponsive.
“I apologize for showing you such an unseemly sight, Young Hero.”
The man spoke with a refreshing smile, as if he hadn’t just been brutally beating his son.
“I am Moyong Guk, the head of the Moyong Family. You must be tired from your long journey. Let’s talk inside.”
It felt like a trap, but seeing the way he looked down at Moyong Chun with clear disapproval, I nodded.
***
“I am Lee Se-woong.”
“Yes, you’re the one who will be the son-in-law of the Namgung Family, correct?”
“That’s right.”
I was alone with Moyong Guk, the head of the Moyong Family.
The people gathered at the main gate seemed to have been there just to pay their respects, as Moyong Guk dismissed everyone.
“I’ve heard everything. My foolish son behaved terribly toward you and Miss Yeon-hee, correct?”
“……”
Moyong Guk’s behaviour appeared to be entirely calculated.
The way he beat Moyong Chun himself.
It seemed like a strategy to avoid criticism by punishing his own son first.
As if to say, We’ll take care of it, so don’t make a fuss.
“You said you received our letter, so why are you asking?”
“I could barely make out the contents through all the curses.”
“I suppose that’s understandable.”
I had no intention of letting this go easily.
Trying to play games with me, huh?
“Is this how the Moyong Family teaches its manners?”
“……”
“How could someone grab the wrist of another man’s fiancée in broad daylight? Miss Yeon-hee has been skipping meals ever since, out of distress.”
She was eating well before I left, but still—
“It’s entirely my fault. I only have one son to carry on the family name, so I spoiled him too much. As the head of the Moyong Family, I apologize. I’m sorry!”
It was an unexpected response.
I had practically insulted his entire family.
Yet, Moyong Guk apologized calmly.
“I thought we had clearly rejected the Moyong Family’s marriage proposal. So why did you allow Moyong Chun to travel all the way to Anhui Province?”
“……”
I recalled Namgung Hyuk threatening Jegal Sang with those words: I’ll eradicate the entire clan.
Receiving such a message and still letting Moyong Chun harass Yeon-hee was tantamount to defying Namgung Hyuk.
“If everything was just your son acting on his own, do you really expect me to believe that?”
“How can a marriage proposal be treated like a child’s prank? Are you playing games with me?”
“……”
“How could the son of a family that’s one of the Seven Great Families behave so recklessly, without the approval of his elders? Please, speak the truth!”
Even after hearing my words, Moyong Guk just sighed awkwardly with a weary expression.
He looked somewhat pitiful.
“Elder?”
“I have no face to show.”
Is this for real?
Moyong Chun was like an onion—the more you peeled, the more horrors you uncovered.
***
The story I heard from Moyong Guk was as follows.
Moyong Chun had fallen for Yeon-hee at first sight.
Because of his son’s relentless insistence, Moyong Guk had no choice but to propose a marriage alliance. But, as expected, what he got in return was a cold rejection.
After several failed attempts, they received a stern warning from Namgung Hyuk, who made it clear he wouldn’t tolerate any further advances.
-“I’m sure Miss Yeon-hee has feelings for me too!”
He continued to dissuade his son, but Moyong Chun was utterly crazy.
He even went as far as secretly sending a marriage proposal letter to the Namgung Family without his father’s knowledge.
Moyong Guk tried reasoning with him and even scolded him, but Moyong Chun remained stubborn.
In the end, he ran away from home, made his way to Anhui Province, and caused a scene.
“There’s a saying that no foolish dog comes from a good family.”
That saying couldn’t have been more wrong.
Even when I deliberately tried to provoke him, Moyong Guk didn’t even flinch.
“If he does anything stupid again, I’ll break his arms and legs if I have to, so please forgive him with your generous heart, Young Hero.”
He calmly admitted Moyong Chun’s wrongdoings and apologized.
He also offered to compensate the Namgung Family with silks, gold, and all sorts of riches.
“If you want, feel free to hit him a few more times yourself. He probably still hasn’t learned his lesson.”
Unlike his son, Moyong Guk was straightforward.
He continued to express his regrets, but he wasn’t servile.
I had never seen anyone apologize so boldly before.
“If you’re willing, I’d like to host a banquet and treat you. Could you spare some time?”
I couldn’t refuse him outright.
It was part of the reconciliation process.
No matter how much Moyong Chun was at fault, the fact remained that I had beaten him.
It was an issue of family honour.
This could easily escalate into a conflict between the families.
So, there was a need to publicly show that we had reconciled.
“Do you drink, Young Hero?”
“I only don’t drink when there’s none available.”
“That’s a relief. Have you heard of Seoljungmae? It’s a liquor aged in snowfields, and it’s absolutely exquisite.”
“I’ve only heard of it through rumours.”
“That’s perfect. I’ll open the cellar tonight, so drink to your heart’s content!”
It wasn’t because I wanted to taste a liquor I’d only ever heard of in rumours.
But if I refused, it would only tarnish Moyong Guk’s honour, so I had no choice.
“The Moyong Family seems quite modest.”
Bored of just waiting inside the room, I decided to take a look around the estate.
Usually, the estates of the Seven Great Families were lavishly decorated, but this place was quite simple.
It felt like they only had the bare necessities.
“Except for the training grounds.”
Although they might be behind the Namgung or Tang Families, the Moyong Family was still a martial family.
The size of their training grounds was comparable to any of the great families.
Coincidentally, my body was itching to move.
For the past few days, I had been storing up my internal energy without any training.
In preparation for my arrival at the Moyong Family.
“Maybe I should stretch a little.”
The ground of the training grounds was solid.
Even when I exerted force while stepping, the ground didn’t easily cave in.
As I moved my body after a long time, a faint warmth spread throughout my entire body.
And then—
With the sound of clapping, someone called out to me.
“Well done.”
“?”
When I turned around, I was struck by a dazzling illusion.
Hair as blue as if it contained the chill of the northern winds.
A woman stood there, revealing a figure that couldn’t be hidden even by her voluminous robes.
“Am I being rude?”
She smiled with her eyes as she spoke.
“But since this is our family’s training grounds, I’m sure you’ll forgive me, right?”
Is this what they call peach blossom eyes?
Her slender eyes exuded a dangerous atmosphere.
“Why would it be rude? It was just a warm-up.”
“Oh my, how generous of you.”
With a brazen smile, she took steps toward me, each one looking as if she might collapse at any moment.
I felt as if I had to reach out and support her immediately.
“You must be Young Master Lee Se-woong, correct?”
“And you are?”
“Moyong Hye.”
The woman who spoke to me so boldly was Moyong Hye.
One of the Seven Beauties of the martial world, known as the Seven Blossoms.
“What brings you here?”
“Oh my. Does one need a reason to speak?”
“……”
“Don’t be so wary. Is it because I’m part of the Moyong Family?”
“I can’t exactly say that’s not the reason.”
I unintentionally gave a blunt answer.
It was just a feeling.
There was something unsettling about this woman.
“If you’re worried about that idiot Moyong Chun, don’t be. He and I are practically strangers.”
Moyong Hye continued, her face slightly contorted.
“Rather, I’m grateful to you. I’ve always hated how my father used to coddle him.”
“……”
“I’d like to show a bit of sincerity. What do you think, Young Master?”
“This is the first time I’ve heard of someone being rewarded for beating up a family member.”
As she whispered softly, a faint scent of roses wafted from her.
—
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