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EP.9 Gathering of the Nine Dragons (3)

The reason for the engagement between the Pang Clan and Gu Clan was simple.

The Gu Clan was a prestigious family, comparable to the Four Great Clans, and both houses had bloodlines of similar ages.

If nothing unusual happened, I was destined to become the Clan Leader, and the Pang Clan considered that an alliance with Gu Clan would be acceptable.

In the Central Plains, it wasn’t unusual for clans to expand their influence through engagements, so it wasn’t strange at all.

The problem was that I had caused too many incidents.

The engagement I had formed during childhood should have been maintained unless something major happened, but…

Word of my bad reputation spread around the Mount Shan area, and instead of working hard as a member of a martial family, I only indulged in a wild lifestyle, which surely didn’t reflect well on the Pang Clan.

Of course, the final blow came from my own words and actions towards that girl.

“Why…!?”

The girl, Peng Ah-Hee, exclaimed in surprise.

I was more curious. Why was she here?

It was relatively closer than other regions, but traveling from Hebei to here required quite the journey by horse carriage.

So why on earth was a direct descendant of the Pang Clan in the Gu Clan’s territory for the Gathering of the Nine Dragons?

“That’s what I want to ask! What are you doing here?”

As I stepped closer, Peng Ah-Hee flinched. Immediately, her guard stepped forward to protect her.

It looked as if she were shielding her from a villain. Am I a villain, then?

Maybe feeling secure behind her guard, Peng Ah-Hee glowered at me and said,

“I just came here for a matter. This isn’t your territory, so why should I report to you?”

“Can’t argue with that.”

Ignoring her, I ordered dumplings. I mustn’t forget the original purpose.

Feeling slightly disregarded, Peng Ah-Hee seemed flustered, but I didn’t care.

Even if I had traveled to Mount Shan, it would be awkward. If it was for work, I wanted to avoid getting involved. It must be some hassle.

The dumplings arrived quickly, piled high and looking delightful.

As I took the dumplings and spun around, I heard an urgent voice from behind.

“Wait, just a moment!”

I stopped at the voice and turned my head. Peng Ah-Hee was looking at me with anxious eyes.

What she said next was incredibly out of place.

“…I heard Gu Clan is selecting sword team members tomorrow.”

“What?”

Indeed, tomorrow during the second day of the Gathering of the Nine Dragons, they would be selecting sword team members.

But why was Peng Ah-Hee asking about it?

Her expression and the way she spoke were so strange that I asked back.

“Why are you asking? Are you going to participate?”

“Why would I participate? And why are you speaking so casually? I’m one year older!”

Was that so?

“Sorry, I forgot, Older Sister.”

“…Don’t call me that suddenly. It makes me want to throw up.”

What am I supposed to even do here?

It had been a bad engagement from the start, so there were no good memories to cherish.

Thinking any further would only hurt Peng Ah-Hee, so I planned to leave quickly.

“Right, whether you’re here for work or for fun, take care.”

I was about to leave with the dumplings, but I glanced back at Peng Ah-Hee.

As I turned, she flinched again. She was still looking at me as I moved away.

We made brief eye contact, and then I continued moving.

The Lesser Clan Leader of the Pang Clan, Pang Woojin, was considered by others to be a breezy personality. He was praised as the greatest talent since the Pang Clan was established in the Central Plains.

However, he did not put in much effort.

Speaking about his dreams, he would say his dream was not to be Clan Leader, often lamenting the harshness of reality.

He graduated at the top from Shinryong Temple, led by the Martial Alliance, and became the youngest Lesser Clan Leader in the history of the Pang Clan.

Yet, he still had an air of being aloof and cloud-like.

Then one day, just before winter ended, Pang Woojin told Peng Ah-Hee that he wanted to leave the clan.

Peng Ah-Hee, always joking, said then he should step out for a moment. Pang Woojin stood there dazed for a moment and laughed heartily.

“Right, I’ll do just that.”

And two weeks later, Pang Woojin vanished, leaving behind a short letter saying, “I’ll be out for a bit.”

As soon as the Lesser Clan Leader went missing, the Pang Clan’s search party was dispatched, but it was hard to find any trace of Pang Woojin.

Just as time was passing, they managed to uncover a faint trace through a request sent to the Beggar Clan.

It was none other than that Pang Woojin had headed toward Mount Shan.

So the Pang Clan Leader, while taking into account that some of Peng Ah-Hee’s words were a bit worthy, whimsically suggested that she go along and bring back the Lesser Clan Leader.

Feeling guilty because of her own words, Peng Ah-Hee headed to Mount Shan.

“…I can’t believe it, working is already giving me a headache and now running into that guy.”

Gu Yangcheong was a face that made Peng Ah-Hee uneasy.

Not only due to the relationship elements after the broken engagement, but their past encounters had been filled with constant bickering, indicating they never had a good relationship.

Gu Yangcheong was always on the attack, an unpredictable beast ready to snap at anyone.

While Peng Ah-Hee had a somewhat soft personality, she also bore the Pang Clan’s rough character, which allowed her to retaliate strongly against Gu Yangcheong’s temperament.

However, eventually, Gu Yangcheong crossed the line.

Upon hearing this, her uncle, under the pretense of acting on behalf of the Clan Leader, broke off the engagement, bringing everything to an end.

‘What are you even worth? Just a concubine’s child!’

It was something said in a fit of anger, and since she also retaliated in words and actions, it was not something she kept bottled up.

As a result, breaking off the engagement allowed Gu Yangcheong’s premature words to grant the Gu Clan a formal apology and political advantages.

Now, Peng Ah-Hee was simply amazed at how Gu Yangcheong seemed so calm after a few years.

“His eyes looked different.”

Did he mature, or was today simply a good day?

That wild dog couldn’t possibly have matured that easily.

In fact, what I just saw seemed less like maturity and more like…

“I don’t know how to describe it.”

For the young Peng Ah-Hee, it was difficult to put that sight into words.

With a confused shake of her head, she turned to her guard.

“Yeo Bi, how is the search going? Have you found anything?”

“…It hasn’t been easy, but it appears the Lesser Clan Leader is indeed in Sinwollyeon.”

“That ridiculous brother of mine! Of all places, why here?”

While she wanted to ask why he would come to Mount Shan specifically, Peng Ah-Hee already knew the answer to Pang Woojin’s response.

He likely would have made some nonsensical remark like, ‘It’s kind of close but still far, right?’

His unique talent had long been recognized, but his personality was simply beyond comprehension.

Clearly, he was a member of the Pang bloodline, but unlike the rest, Pang Woojin was a person of a totally different nature.

“…So annoying.”

“It will soon be night. Let’s go back and get some rest, Miss.”

At her guard’s words, Peng Ah-Hee sighed deeply and glanced back towards the direction Gu Yangcheong had disappeared, then turned away.

“Just try to find him… I won’t let that slide.”

After Peng Ah-Hee stormed off, back at the dumpling shop they had been in…

“Ah-choo…!”

The man who had been stuffing his face with dumplings began to sneeze repeatedly.

He then wiped his nose with his sleeve and muttered with a bored expression,

“Who’s talking about me? Why do I feel so itchy?”

He picked up another dumpling with a dull look.

As the dawn broke, it was finally the day of the Gathering of the Nine Dragons, where the Gu Ryoon Battle would take place. I wasn’t thrilled about it, but time rarely aligns with my desires.

The battle, which would start early in the morning, involved countless martial factions from Mount Shan, the Gu Clan’s branch families, and others.

Of course, anyone who could prove their identity was allowed to participate.

People lined up long before dawn, all those wishing to take part in the Gathering.

What’s the big deal about the sword team that so many are desperate to join?

If the Gu Clan attracted this many, the Four Great Clans and Gu Paibang must have even more.

“Heard that Gu Paibang only selects its own members, so they may not have this many.”

That’s what I heard, but I’m not sure how accurate it is.

On the training ground, the Gu Clan’s sword team members were lined up for judging, barely showing any signs of a hangover from last night’s festive drinking.

Whether that was due to them being adept at holding their liquor or whether they were intentionally holding back their fatigue, I couldn’t tell.

After asking Muyeon, I learned they had gotten up an hour earlier to circulate their inner strength to shake off the alcohol.

Seriously, they should have just drunk moderately.

Having eaten seriously good dumplings yesterday, Wi Seol-Ah came bouncing in wearing the same vibrant red robe from yesterday.

I sighed deeply while accepting it.

“…Alright, just today and it’s over.”

“Young Master! Today’s the day for that chopping and slashing stuff, right?!”

“Not sure what you’re talking about, can you elaborate a bit more?”

“It’s that thing my brother Muyeon does all the time at the residence!”

It seems she was referring to the sword training that Muyeon practiced in secret at home.

But really, is “chopping and slashing” even a proper description?

“It looked really cool. I definitely want to try it one day.”

‘…You’ll probably end up getting sick of it.’

That might be a harsh thing to say to Wi Seol-Ah.

I could hardly guess what sort of journey she would go through to reach a point like that.

But at the very least, I didn’t believe that just having talent would be enough to kill a Heavenly Demon.

Seeing Wi Seol-Ah excited now, I held my tongue.

Once dressed, I made my way to observe the training.

Since I had some time to spare, I was walking leisurely when I suddenly heard someone yelling loudly.

“No! Why can’t I do it!”

“…P-Please calm down.”

“I don’t have time for that! If I get caught now, you’ll be responsible!”

Looks like someone trying to register for the Gathering was causing a scene, questioning what the issue could be.

Usually, those who cause a ruckus like this would be subdued by the Gu Clan’s martial artists, but…

They were being surprisingly restrained.

“Well, I’ll leave it to them.”

There must be quite a few such people, so they should be able to handle it well.

However, after hearing what was said next, I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks.

“What’s wrong with being from the Pang Clan? You said as long as my identity is confirmed, I can participate!”

“Even so, we have to maintain an order of entry. It’s necessary to verify properly.”

“What more do I need to show? Should I have ‘I’m Pang Clan’s Lesser Clan Leader’ written on my belly? Ah, would you believe me if I did that? I’ll write it right now.”

“Ah, please calm down!”

…..Huh?

“What did you just say…? Lesser Clan Leader?”

…I must have misheard, right?

 

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