Chapter 42
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From Namgung Hwan’s youth to the present day,
He had run tirelessly to elevate the family even further. His goal was to ensure that the efforts of his ancestors, who had established the Namgung Family as the foremost of the Seven Great Families, were not in vain.
Many years had passed, and now, he had nothing left to desire. His eldest son, brimming with talent and passion surpassing his own, was leading the family well. It was enough for him to occasionally offer a word of advice and enjoy his role as a retired elder.
Lee Se-woong.
The son-in-law brought home by his beloved granddaughter, someone he cherished more than life itself.
Spending time playing Go with him had become the only joy in his twilight years.
But then, there was the wall standing before Namgung Hwan—a wall named Hwang Bo-chung.
In his younger days, he regretted not smacking that man’s head the moment he crossed paths with him. If he had, perhaps he wouldn’t have spent such a frustrating lifetime.
“I thought it was the will of the heavens.”
Namgung Hwan could not defeat Hwang Bo-chung.
It felt like an immutable law of the universe, like gravity pulling everything to the ground or the sky encompassing all things.
It was a divine decree, unchangeable by human will.
How tirelessly he had worked to surpass Hwang Bo-chung!
But then, the day came.
“A blessing has entered our family!”
Meeting Lee Se-woong finally ended those agonizing years.
At first, he had been angered by Lee Se-woong’s provocations.
But he soon realized that it was all a form of encouragement, pushing him to improve.
“Finally, I’ve beaten Hwang Bo-chung.”
The victory he had awaited for so long was sweeter than anything.
A grandson-in-law who had resolved such a deep grudge?
He couldn’t help but like the man. The more time he spent with him, the more he thought, “He’s quite the fine young man.”
“He must have gone through so much.”
This world was cold and unkind.
To live without a family was no easy feat. Childhood, a time that should be filled with warmth and love, had likely been a struggle for him.
Living a life where he worried about his next meal—surely it had been harsh.
For someone like Namgung Hwan, born into privilege and enjoying luxury, it was unimaginable pain.
That only made him care for Lee Se-woong even more.
“I, no, we will be your family.”
The wealth he had tried to give to Lee Se-woong, so he wouldn’t feel small, was always rejected.
He would shiver as if burdened, like a hedgehog raising its quills, unfamiliar with warmth.
Yes, that made sense.
From that day onward, Namgung Hwan gained another grandchild in his heart.
“Why are you delaying the engagement ceremony?”
It was his one and only complaint.
Lee Se-woong’s bold vow to wait until the entire Namgung Family acknowledged him.
Hadn’t that time finally come?
Surely, he wasn’t planning to wait until even the distant relatives were all on his side. It wasn’t like he was running for Murim Alliance Leader.
“Even Hyuk is so overly cautious.”
To make matters worse, even his own son was dragging his feet. Being the leader of the Murim Alliance was no doubt a heavy burden, keeping him busy.
But Namgung Hyuk’s attitude was excessively lukewarm.
He had been the one to bring the man home as a son-in-law candidate, yet he seemed oddly reluctant to discuss the topic. Using marriage as an excuse, he continued to delay the matter indefinitely. Having long retired, Namgung Hwan couldn’t interfere with the current family head’s decisions.
It was maddening.
“Even Se-woong is the same.”
Shouldn’t he be more proactive? Wasn’t it time for him to speak up?
Though it was heartwarming to see him get along well with the family, his reluctance to push for the engagement ceremony was baffling.
Why?
As Namgung Hwan agonized over the issue, he finally reached a conclusion.
“Could it be because of his humble origins?”
He had said he didn’t even know who his parents were.
His earliest memory was of being abandoned in a back alley.
It wasn’t just that his family was weak; they didn’t exist.
Was the weight of the Namgung Family’s name too much for him to bear?
In a world where family background often preceded individual merit, no matter how friendly everyone seemed, he must have felt inherently inferior.
“If that’s the case, then the solution is simple—adopt him into a prestigious family!”
It was a bold, yet straightforward idea.
But who would accept someone with unknown origins as family? They needed someone unrelated to the direct line of succession who wouldn’t affect inheritance matters.
There was such a person.
Namgung Hwan went to see Hwang Bo-chung.
“Our appointment wasn’t for another two weeks.”
“I have a favour to ask.”
“You show up unannounced, and now this…”
Hwang Bo-chung glared at him, clearly displeased.
“When have I ever asked you for anything in my life?”
“…?”
“Think of it as the last request of two old men growing old together.”
Namgung Hwan’s gaze was so sincere that it was impossible to dismiss.
For over 40 years, they had clashed as lifelong rivals.
Curious about what could make him so earnest, Hwang Bo-chung decided to hear him out.
“See for yourself what kind of person this young man is.”
“It’s done!”
Getting him to agree was already a victory.
Like Namgung Hwan, Hwang Bo-chung was obsessed with Go.
There was no way he wouldn’t take a liking to Lee Se-woong.
At least, that had been the plan. Everything had been going so well.
“You’re bold from the start!”
“I didn’t expect such a counterattack from you!”
What he hadn’t expected was how well the two would get along.
He should have been delighted.
After all, it seemed that Lee Se-woong had captured Hwang Bo-chung’s heart, just as planned.
“He didn’t even use moves like that when playing against me!”
There’s a saying about water and fish.
The two of them, like fish in water, began to revel in the game.
“Was he holding back when playing against me?!”
Only Hwang Bo-chung could bring out the full extent of Lee Se-woong’s skills.
That was a bitter pill for Namgung Hwan to swallow.
Frustrated, he tried to disrupt their game, but it was like there was an invisible wall blocking his efforts—they simply ignored him.
“You’re not just aiming to reach the mountaintop but preparing to walk among the clouds. Truly, you are worthy of being called the greatest!”
It was chaos.
Namgung Hwan was overwhelmed by the storm of contradictory emotions swirling inside him.
*
“…So that’s how it came to be.”
The old man’s explanation was delivered in a strangely sulky tone.
It wasn’t until I listened to all of it that I understood what was going on.
So, he thought I was hesitating because of my lack of family background and wanted to help me?
“Is this for real?”
I was moved.
His sincerity was genuine, without a shred of falsehood.
Though I had met a few kind-hearted adults in this harsh and steep world who had tried to show me some kindness,
This was the first time someone had gone to such lengths for me.
Well, apart from my master, that is.
Something stirred in my chest.
“I appreciate it, but…”
The reason I was trying to avoid the engagement wasn’t because of that. It was because of his son.
Even now, I felt uneasy, wondering what kind of underhanded schemes Namgung Hyuk might be plotting. Memories of heading to the Moyong Family, which I thought was a death trap at his command, still vividly resurfaced.
“Grandfather, I truly appreciate your kind intentions, but this is…”
“Ah! Didn’t I tell you before that when an elder gives you something, you should accept it without complaint? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything!”
Namgung Hwan was firm in his stance.
At that moment, the “thing” I was supposed to receive spoke up.
“Hold on. There’s something I’d like to clarify.”
It was Hwang Bo-chung, who had remained silent until now.
“It’s true that I think highly of you, young man. However, because of that… I no longer intend to adopt you.”
“What? You rascal! What are you talking about? Don’t tell me you’re changing your mind now!”
“You’re too quick-tempered, as always. Can’t you at least listen to the end before jumping to conclusions?”
“Fine. Let’s hear whatever nonsense you have to say.”
Despite Namgung Hwan huffing and puffing in irritation, Hwang Bo-chung calmly looked straight at me and spoke.
“I want you to marry into the Hwang Bo Family as my son-in-law.”
“?”
“Although I’m not part of the main family line, I’ve served as the family’s strategist for many years. Securing that kind of arrangement isn’t a problem for me. What do you think?”
“???”
“You should at least meet the girl. Coincidentally, there’s someone in my family around your age. Her name is Hwang Bo Se-yul, though she’s more commonly known in the martial world as one of the Seven Blossoms. Have you heard of her?”
Maybe I’d experienced too many unexpected events by now because my mind was failing to process this situation.
“What kind of nonsense is this!”
“What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? You dare ask? I told you to adopt him, and now you’re matchmaking instead, you fool!”
“Technically, the engagement ceremony hasn’t taken place yet, so they’re not married. What’s the issue?”
“Has your old brain completely rotted away?”
I had never seen Namgung Hwan’s face turn that red before.
Not even during his 15 consecutive losses at handicap Go games.
“Think about it. If such a brilliant young man’s blood were to mix with my family’s, can you imagine the strategic genius that would be born?”
“Yours is the only brain working in your entire family! Everyone else solves problems with their fists!”
“Are you trying to insult my family?”
“Yes, you moron! Go ask anyone in the world if there’s a better family than the Namgung Family!”
“If that’s how you want to play, I have something to say, too. It’s precisely because of your family’s overwhelming reputation that you should step aside. If you lined up everyone who wanted to become a Namgung son-in-law, the line would stretch for miles!”
“What did you just say?”
“Sure, some of them might be exceptional. So why not show a little charity to my lesser Hwang Bo Family?”
The argument was fierce.
It felt like sparks might literally fly from their heated exchange.
All the while, they left the person in question—me—completely out of the discussion.
I had no choice but to intervene.
“Elders?”
“Yes, let’s hear what you have to say!”
“Young man, don’t hold back. Speak freely.”
Where should I even start?
“Hwang Bo-chung, I am deeply grateful for your favorable opinion of me.”
“Hmm. Go on.”
“However, I cannot comply with your request. I’ve already exchanged vows with another woman. It wouldn’t be right for me to turn my attention elsewhere.”
“Hmm…”
Hwang Bo-chung let out a low hum.
But, honestly, he needed to suggest something remotely reasonable for me to accept it.
I was already troubled by Moyong Hye and Jegal Yeong as it was.
Adding one more?
At this rate, even my name, Lee Se-woong, would end up getting broken into pieces.
‘Master!’
Was this some kind of cosmic interference?
And to top it off, the mere mention of Seven Blossoms now gave me a headache.
“And Grandfather, I never realized how much you cared for me. I truly appreciate it.”
“Hmm.”
“But becoming someone’s adopted child, even as a member of a branch family, is a heavy burden. It’s unnecessary.”
“But…”
“I already have a master. In this rough world, he is someone who has cared for me as if I were family.”
Hwang Bo-chung nodded, as if he understood.
But Grandfather wasn’t convinced.
“Then why haven’t you brought him here sooner?”
“My master is like the wind, always wandering. I’ve been trying to contact him, but I haven’t been able to reach him yet.”
“Hmm.”
Master, wherever you are in this faraway land, please continue to enjoy your wandering life.
I felt like a slightly disloyal disciple, but it was true that I had been trying to get in touch with him.
“If you insist, then so be it. But we’ll discuss this in more detail later.”
Phew. That was one hurdle crossed.
“Young man, if you ever change your mind, let me know. We’ll have another Go match, and we can discuss it further then.”
“Bah, get out of here already! I have no further business with you!”
Did I really resolve this…?
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