Although I had boldly intended to go with my master to the Seo Mun family's residence in Gihyeon, which is right below Kaifeng, fortunately or unfortunately, we didn't need to go that far.
"Master. The person you see over there. That's Seo Mun-wang-ryang, right?"
"That's right. It's amusing that he's coming himself, making my talk of pretext seem ridiculous."
Because not long after leaving the inn, Seo Mun-wang-ryang's figure was visible in the distance.
He was slowly walking in our direction.
Although it is the sa Kaifeng, the direction he is walking from is the exact opposite of where the Martial Alliance is.
So it would be safe to say that he is coming to see us now.
"Taoist Hyeon Yang, it's been a long ti."
When he finally reached us.
He greeted my master with an attitude that was both polite and not polite.
To be precise, since his generation is about half a generation higher than my master's, it seems he did not use honorifics.
But to speak down to him, since they are from completely different sects and have almost no personal connection, he probably couldn't do that.
"It's been a long ti."
"I was just on my way to the inn to see you two. Are you perhaps a little busy right now?"
"I was about to be busy, but fortunately, that matter has been resolved."
"Is that so? What was the matter?"
"I had sothing to question, so I was on my way to the Seo Mun family with my disciple. Fortunately, I t a mber of the Seo Mun family, so would you convey my intentions to the family? Thanks to you, I won't have to go a long way."
Seo Mun-wang-ryang's expression hardened slightly.
Because my master's words that he was going to the Seo Mun family ant that he knew he was involved in this matter.
However, he pretended not to know and said, "That's a relief. But for what reason were you going to our family?"
He said, feigning ignorance.
He probably doesn't even think that I saw his appearance.
"I think you would know that better, Great Hero Seo Mun."
"Haha! I have no idea."
Because he would be thinking that there is no way that the Snow-Stepping Swordsman or Ak Sang-gil would have told him.
"Then why were you coming to see us, Great Hero Seo Mun?"
"Ah! It would be faster to talk about that."
He, as if he were about to tell a new fact, snapped his fingers and continued, "I heard sothing from the martial artists I've been close with recently."
"What did you hear?"
"I heard that a disciple of Wudang is slandering ."
"Slander? What?"
"I heard there was a small commotion in the marketplace in the north of Kaifeng a few days ago."
My master glanced at and then continued, "I also heard about that. The protagonist of that commotion is my disciple."
"Then the story will be faster."
He, this ti, shifted his gaze from my master to and continued, "I heard that your disciple saved two orthodox faction martial artists who were detained by so bastards called the Black Sand Moon."
"Yes. I also praised him greatly for that."
"But I heard he said sothing strange in the process. That he wanted to have a public duel with the next-generation talents related to those martial artists... I think it was sothing like that."
"Yes. I also heard that. Is that related to you, Great Hero Seo Mun?"
"Of course, it is, so wouldn't I have co? To be honest, I have no intention of interfering whether Taoist Hyeon Yang's disciple has a public duel or holds a martial arts tournant. But I heard he said that my nephew, Seo Mun-jong-tak, must go up to that duel stage."
"Yes. I also heard that. Isn't it a fact that all the martial artists who go around Kaifeng know that Seo Mun-jong-tak, Ak Sang-cheol, and Jin Seol-woo hang out together?"
"It is true that my nephew is close with them. But I ca to ask your disciple why my nephew, who has nothing to do with this incident, has to be included in that public duel."
My eyes narrow without realizing it.
Although I don't know the exact inner thoughts of Seo Mun-wang-ryang, who has co all the way here in person, I think I know this one thing.
In the end, Seo Mun-wang-ryang ca all the way here because he doesn't want to put his nephew in a public duel.
'Ak Sang-gil or the Snow-Stepping Swordsman. One of them... maybe both of them ran to Seo Mun-wang-ryang and told him everything.'
It might be a natural thing. For them, they have to put even Seo Mun-jong-tak on the duel stage.
Because that is my condition for not telling the Martial Alliance Leader about this incident.
So they must have gone to Seo Mun-wang-ryang, who can move Seo Mun-jong-tak.
Because they would have planned this together, and in fact, he had even shown his face at the Black Fist Gang manor.
"You say it has nothing to do with this incident. What incident are you talking about? Why do you think my disciple wants to have a public duel with the three next-generation talents...?"
"That's..."
At my master's words, Seo Mun-wang-ryang was at a loss for words.
If he said in this situation that it was a matter of interfering with my mission given by the Martial Alliance Leader, he would be an accomplice without a doubt, and if he gave another reason, his pretext for opposing it would be weakened.
"The reason my disciple applied for a public duel with them is because they attacked my disciple without reason at an inn a few days ago, so it was a sign of protest, and secondly, I know it's a kind of revenge for them bullying and ostracizing my disciple's junior disciple."
"Huh? Junior disciple?"
"Ah! You must not have known. There is a martial artist nad Hong Sa-ik of the Hong family. That martial artist has now decided to enter Wudang."
"Hong Sa-ik...?"
But Seo Mun-wang-ryang seed to have no idea who Hong Sa-ik was.
In a way, it's a natural thing.
Seo Mun-jong-tak didn't take Hong Sa-ik around as a friend, but as a kind of plaything to pass the ti.
Because he wouldn't go around morizing the nas of such people.
"My disciple said that the ringleader of those incidents was Young Master Seo Mun. So he is going to resolve all the past grudges with a public duel. Is there a problem?"
At my master's calm words, Seo Mun-wang-ryang couldn't easily answer.
It's not for nothing that there is a saying that you ca to remove a lump but ended up with another one.
He seems to have tried to get himself out of this incident by saying he wasn't there that day, but it has all co to nothing.
'You shouldn't have tried to get yourself out of it alone, you should have co out in a way that questioned why we were trying to resolve this with a public duel.'
If he had done that, to be honest, I wouldn't have had much to say either.
Because there are many other ways to resolve grudges, so there is no pretext to insist on only a public duel.
But Seo Mun-wang-ryang had made it a fait accompli that he would have a public duel, thinking only of getting his nephew out of it, and now he can't back out.
Because if he says let's not have a public duel here, he will end up retracting his own words, and then he will look ridiculous.
Since he is an orthodox faction martial artist who values honor as much as his life, he will never make such a choice.
No, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say that he can't even think of such a choice.
"And I have one more thing to question."
"Question away."
"This ti, I want to ask that child directly, not Taoist Hyeon Yang."
My master glanced at , and I readily nodded my head.
"What do you have to question directly about, Great Hero Seo Mun?"
"First, I will praise you for single-handedly defeating the Black Sand Moon. You did very well."
"Thank you. It was very difficult, so I'm really happy that you recognize it."
He, as if he didn't like my imdiate reply, clicked his tongue once and then opened his mouth.
"I heard that you demanded a public duel with the next-generation talents from the martial artists you saved on the spot."
"Yes. Since they said they really wanted to repay the favor, I asked them to do so."
"In that process, let's say, for the sake of argunt, that it's okay to ask for my nephew, Seo Mun-jong-tak, to be put on the duel stage as well."
He said, looking at my master out of the corner of his eye, and it seed he was concerned about my master's rebuttal a little while ago.
"But in that process, why did you ntion my na?"
"Why did I ntion it?"
"I heard you ntioned my na to them and told them to get to agree to put Jong-tak on the duel stage. Is that true?"
"Yes. It is true."
"But why does my na co up there?"
Right now, he tried to get only his nephew out of the public duel a little while ago.
But when the situation didn't look favorable, this ti he is trying to get only himself out of it.
He is trying to get out of it at least there, in case I might tell the Martial Alliance Leader that they tried to interfere with my mission.
I barely held back a sigh.
Still, to think that the de facto number two of a prestigious orthodox sect, and a family at that, is such a person.
This is why the orthodox faction has no future, and it is a place where they are swept away by the Demonic Cult bastards in the future.
Although the Seo Mun family is not included in the Five Great Families, it was a place that was evaluated as having a considerable force and many masters, but they were swept away by the Demonic Cult bastards in less than two days.
Well, should I be glad that they didn't betray and join the Demonic Cult bastards?
"Is that a problem?"
"Of course, it's a problem. I have nothing to do with them, and I have nothing to do with this incident."
In the end, his true intentions ca out. As I expected, the most important thing for him is to get himself out of it.
"What do you an by 'this incident'?"
I asked, looking at him calmly.
But his expression is gradually crumpling.
He seems to have noticed to so extent that I am saying this, knowing everything.
So I quickly continued, "What I said was that in order to call out Seo Mun-jong-tak, you have to ask a great elder of the Seo Mun family. To be honest, although the highest person in the Seo Mun family can be said to be the family head, I thought that the most famous and authoritative person in the Seo Mun family is Great Hero Seo Mun-wang-ryang."
"What...?"
He had a flustered expression as I suddenly praised him.
"The first person that cos to mind when I think of the Seo Mun family was Great Hero Seo Mun-wang-ryang, so I told them to try asking him, even if they had to grab his pants. Does... that pose any problem?"
"C-Cough, cough..."
Seo Mun-wang-ryang, after a dry cough, narrowed his eyes and looked at .
He seed to be thinking about the truth of what I was saying now.
"So, since it has co to this, I will ask you. Great Hero! Please allow to have a public duel with your nephew!"
He was now in a situation where he could neither do this nor that.
I had praised him to the skies, and my master had explained the legitimacy of this public duel.
If he refuses the public duel even in this situation, it is as good as admitting that he has sothing to hide.
He, after thinking for a long ti, slowly nodded his head and opened his mouth.
"Alright. I'll arrange a place."
"Thank you."
"But there is a condition."
"What is the condition?"
"After that public duel, if it ends with your victory, you will have to have one more duel."
"Who are you telling to duel with?"
He pointed to himself with his finger and answered, "."
"How can I, with Great Hero Seo Mun..."
Although I trailed off, I know his intention well.
Since Seo Mun-jong-tak will surely be miserably defeated by , he intends to at least save face by defeating afterwards.
But to have a public duel with , who is not even half his age... he is a truly cowardly person to the end.
"I have no other intention. I just want to see for myself how outstanding a next-generation talent you are."
"I understand. Then may I ask you for one favor?"
"Speak."
"How can I face Great Hero Seo Mun on an equal footing? Please allow to have the first five moves."
"Five moves? Will that be enough?"
The corner of his mouth twitched for a mont.
He seed to be very pleased that I had only ntioned five moves.
"Yes. Five moves. That will be enough."
"Alright. Let's do that."
He, with a satisfied smile, continued, "I will set the public duel for a week from now. Let's do it in the open space in front of the Martial Alliance then."
"That's a place where many people go around, is that alright?"
"Isn't it better for a public duel to have more people? Haha!"
He laughed for the first ti since coming here.
And I also laughed inwardly.
While thinking of making him regret underestimating and giving five moves.
(End of Chapter)
Reviews
All reviews (0)