Chapter 3
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On the way to the clan head’s residence.
The Black Dragon Commander glanced to the side.
“Considering the usual demeanor of Young Master Myung, I expected him to be trembling and following nervously.”
He scrutinized Dokgo Myung from head to toe.
Dokgo Myung was casually following him, looking around at the scenery with an indifferent expression, as if on a leisurely stroll. Normally, he would have been hunched over, anxiously checking the commander’s mood, but the current Dokgo Myung showed no signs of tension or intimidation.
“He seems calmer than even Dokgo Ak.”
The Black Dragon Commander had visited Dokgo Ak before coming to Dokgo Myung. Unlike Dokgo Myung, who had followed without hesitation, Dokgo Ak had been flustered and sought out his father first.
“Has he changed?”
The commander’s eyes gleamed momentarily as he considered Dokgo Ak.
At that moment.
“Hold on.”
Someone blocked their path.
A middle-aged man with furrowed brows and a boy whose face was swollen.
It was none other than Dokgo Ak and his father, Dokgo Johak, the lord of Baegok Pavilion.
***
The Black Dragon Commander bowed politely.
“I greet Lord Baegok and Young Master Dokgo Ak.”
“Step aside. I have no business with you.”
Dokgo Johak roughly pushed the commander aside and stood in front of Dokgo Myung.
“You insolent brat!”
Suddenly, Dokgo Johak swung his hand toward Dokgo Myung’s cheek.
Whoosh!
But his hand sliced through empty air.
“You dodged?”
“Of course, should I just let it hit me?”
“You dare! How dare you look at me with those wide eyes!”
“Well, if I didn’t open them wide, should I open them square?”
Dokgo Johak’s face twisted with anger.
“What gives you the right to talk back so brazenly? Do you even know what you’ve done wrong?”
“Wrong?”
For a moment, Dokgo Myung smirked.
“Of course I know.”
He glanced briefly at Dokgo Ak before turning back to Dokgo Johak and speaking again.
“You mean how this whole incident reached the clan head’s ears, right?”
“What did you just say…?”
“I mean, it looks pretty bad, right? To the clan head, it must seem like I just beat Ak senseless.”
“…!”
“If he saw that I took a few hits as well, the situation would look more balanced, wouldn’t it?”
Dokgo Myung spoke in a playful tone, making Dokgo Johak’s eyes widen in disbelief.
‘This… this brat?’
Dokgo Johak felt a surge of confusion as he glared at Dokgo Myung.
In truth, Dokgo Johak wasn’t that angry.
No, he wasn’t entirely free of anger, but he was more concerned than furious.
Regardless of how things had unfolded, the fact remained that Dokgo Ak’s face was bruised and swollen, while Dokgo Myung remained unscathed.
How would this look in the eyes of the clan head?
It wasn’t hard to imagine.
His plan had been to intimidate Dokgo Myung before they reached the clan head, ensuring that he wouldn’t say anything foolish, but…
“I’m reprimanding you for cowardly attacking your cousin, as any adult would.”
“Of course, you are.”
Dokgo Myung openly snorted.
‘An adult? If that were true, you’d have stormed into the Pavilion of Justice the moment you heard about it.’
You only show up after the clan head summons you, panicking.
It’s so obvious what you’re thinking. So obvious.
“Don’t worry. I understand perfectly.”
“What?”
“I’ll make sure to explain everything in detail to the clan head.”
Dokgo Johak’s eyes sharpened.
He was about to say something more, but then clicked his tongue in frustration and spun around.
“Enough! Since you’re so shameless, I’ll make sure the truth is laid bare before the clan head myself!”
He started walking toward the entrance to the clan head’s residence.
Or at least, he tried to.
Thunk!
Two Black Dragon guards blocked his path.
Dokgo Johak frowned deeply.
“What are you doing? Step aside.”
“You cannot pass.”
“Do you even know who I am, blocking my path like this?”
Dokgo Johak growled and took another step forward. Clang!
Two spearheads crossed before him, stopping his advance.
“The clan head has only summoned Young Masters Dokgo Ak and Dokgo Myung. Lord Baegok cannot enter.”
“What? Do you know who you’re talking to?!”
At that moment.
“That’s enough, Lord Baegok.”
It was the Black Dragon Commander.
Though his tone was calm and measured, his eyes were icy cold.
“Are you giving me orders?”
“I cannot stand by any longer. This is the clan head’s residence.”
A tense silence fell over the scene.
Dokgo Johak, lips tightly pressed together, glared at the Black Dragon Commander.
At that moment, Dokgo Myung poked his head out with a grin.
“So, I can go inside, right?”
“…!”
“…!”
The guards at the entrance hesitated.
But only for a moment.
“Yes, you may enter.”
Swish!
As the spears were lifted, Dokgo Myung casually walked through the entrance.
Before disappearing inside, he turned and flashed a cheeky smile.
“Ah, such a long journey for nothing. Should I ask the clan head to let you in too, uncle?”
“You…!”
Dokgo Johak moved forward angrily, but once again the spears blocked his path.
“This…!”
Glaring daggers at Dokgo Myung, Dokgo Johak eventually turned away.
“My son.”
“…Yes.”
Dokgo Ak quickly rushed over to his father.
Dokgo Johak grabbed his son’s shoulder firmly.
“Before the clan head… you must be cautious with every word.”
“I know. Don’t worry.”
Dokgo Ak snickered arrogantly.
Dokgo Johak couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling he had.
“Not just you. Make sure that brat doesn’t say anything unnecessary. Understand?”
“I told you, I know.”
“…”
With a confident stride, Dokgo Ak crossed the threshold into the clan head’s residence.
Dokgo Johak, wearing a stern expression, watched as his son and Dokgo Myung disappeared from view.
“…”
After they were out of sight, he turned back to find the Black Dragon guards still watching him with unwavering vigilance.
“Click!”
Dokgo Johak clicked his tongue and turned away.
His son would do well. He had to.
***
Flutter!
As soon as Dokgo Myung crossed the threshold, the family banner of the Dokgo clan, the Black Dragon Flag, waved before him.
Once the flag bearing the writhing black dragon settled, the scenery of the clan lord’s residence, the Gaju Hall, unfolded before him.
Smoothly paved flagstones filled the ground, and at the end of the long path stood the Gaju Hall. With the clear blue sky as its backdrop, the hall looked more like a fortress or palace than a mere family building. The three-story structure loomed grandly over them, with other ornate halls towering around it as if to guard the center.
This was the heart of the Dokgo clan, the Dragon’s Pool, where the Sword Master Dokgo Chun, the head of the clan, resided.
“Hmm…”
Dokgo Myung squinted as he glanced around.
The air was different here.
He had only taken one step past the threshold, but even that single step marked a stark shift in atmosphere.
‘This place hasn’t changed.’
Since being expelled from the clan, he had seen many magnificent and opulent places, but none of them had the same overwhelming pressure as the Dokgo clan’s Gaju Hall.
“We’ve arrived. The two young masters should straighten their attire and mind their words,” said the Black Dragon Chief as they neared the entrance to the office.
Once Dokgo Myung and Dokgo Ak tidied their clothes, the Black Dragon Chief announced their arrival in a calm voice.
“Gaju-nim, the two young masters have arrived.”
“Enter.”
At the sound of the heavy voice from within, the sliding door opened.
Dokgo Myung stepped over the threshold.
Lifting his gaze, he saw an old man sitting ahead.
The old man sat in a relaxed manner on a grand chair, the symbol of the Dokgo clan displayed on the wall behind him.
Though not particularly large in stature, he appeared immense. Despite the grandness of the chair and the wide space of the office, it felt as if everything revolved around him.
‘In my previous life, I never once looked at him this directly.’
But now, in his reincarnation, he faced him head-on.
This was Dokgo Chun, the Sword Master renowned as the greatest swordsman in the martial world, and the man who ruled over this enormous clan like an emperor.
“Come in, my dear grandsons!”
Excuse me? Grandsons?
Dokgo Chun greeted them with a wide smile on his face.
“I’ve been waiting for you. Come in and sit down, haha.”
“…!”
Dokgo Myung looked at Dokgo Chun in bewilderment.
‘Did this man ever show this side before?’
Surely, the one who ruled over such a powerful clan couldn’t be just a kindly grandfather.
“You’ve both grown so tall. You’ve become fine young men,” Dokgo Chun said, nodding approvingly as Dokgo Myung and Dokgo Ak took their seats.
“How old are you now?”
“Forty… I mean, nineteen.”
“Seventeen.”
“You’ve really grown up. Come closer. I’ve prepared refreshments.”
Dokgo Chun continued to smile warmly.
“So, how have you been lately?”
“Well, I’ve been—“
For a while, there was casual small talk. Mostly, Dokgo Ak did the talking, while Dokgo Myung listened in silence.
After some time had passed, Dokgo Chun finally lowered his voice and brought up the topic they had been waiting for.
“I heard there was an incident between the two of you today.”
Finally, the awaited conversation began.
Dokgo Ak shot a glance at Dokgo Myung before speaking.
“Yes, today that guy ambushed me.”
Dokgo Ak glared at Dokgo Myung and continued.
“I was returning, exhausted after training, when he suddenly blocked my path and attacked me. It was a dishonorable act, unbecoming of a martial artist—“
“And?”
“…Pardon?”
“What do you expect me to do about it, Ak?”
Dokgo Ak abruptly stopped talking.
“Well, I hope Gaju-nim will judge right from wrong—“
“Ak.”
Dokgo Chun’s voice grew cold.
Dokgo Ak flinched.
“Y-Yes, Gaju-nim.”
“What you’re saying is irrelevant.”
“Excuse me?”
“Do you think I called you here to determine right from wrong?”
Dokgo Ak’s mouth hung open. For a moment, Dokgo Chun’s eyes became distant and indifferent.
There was a brief silence.
Dokgo Chun finally sighed and spoke in a low voice, almost as if to himself.
“You’ve embarrassed yourself.”
Dokgo Ak’s eyelids twitched.
Dokgo Chun said no more to him, shifting his gaze instead to Dokgo Myung.
“Myung, you’ve been unusually quiet.”
He turned his attention to Dokgo Myung, but unlike with Dokgo Ak, there wasn’t even a trace of expectation in his eyes.
‘So he thought something might have changed.’
While Dokgo Ak had hurled accusations at him, Dokgo Myung had stood quietly, without uttering a word in his defense. He hadn’t even raised his voice to counter the claims.
It was fine to be timid. A person might lack talent.
But anyone who bore the Dokgo name, who carried the blood of dragons, could not be forgiven for shrinking back without a fight.
“Is there nothing you wish to say?”
Dokgo Myung’s lips parted.
“No, not really.”
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