Chapter 13: Even If You Try to Hide It, You Can’t. -03
“Your goal is to become the Best Under Heaven, right? But I’m different. My dream is to protect Shaolin. Of course, it would be good if my realm were high, but that’s not everything. I want to lead and protect Shaolin like Master did. However, you’re different. Junior Brother is Shaolin’s sword. And the sole successor of the Three Dharma Swords at that. So you should walk your own path. Leave everything else to me. Honestly, I’m grateful that you’re lightening my burden.”
“Thank you for thinking of me that way.”
“Why? Did you think I’d be jealous?”
“Monks are people too, and martial artists, aren’t they?”
“There are people like that. But at least I’m not. Someone that petty couldn’t become the Senior Disciple anyway.”
Beopmu shook his head firmly.
Just as the saying went that there were ten people and ten different colors, all kinds of people existed in the world.
There were monks who lusted after women, and Daoists who did not pursue the Dao.
However, Beopmu was neither.
“I’m already feeling that right now.”
“Among the first-generation disciples, there will surely be others who think differently from me. But no one will oppress or discriminate against you. As I said, Junior Brother is Shaolin’s sword. So just focus on advancing your martial arts. Don’t worry about the rest.”
“Thank you.”
Ban Hojin bowed deeply, filling the gesture with heartfelt gratitude.
At the sight of his junior brother like that, Beopmu smiled with satisfaction.
The very fact that he had been worrying about such things made him feel proud of him.
He believed that mental growth was just as important as physical growth, and fortunately, Ban Hojin had been growing splendidly in that regard as well.
‘The Sword of Shaolin.’
Unaware that Beopmu was looking at him with proud eyes, Ban Hojin muttered inwardly.
He had known it already, but hearing it so directly stirred his heart in a strange way.
It felt like a brand, leaving a mark on both his head and chest.
“So just keep doing as you are now. Without following anyone else’s words. That’s how much I trust you.”
“I understand. And I’d like it if we could make time like this from time to time.”
“I’d be grateful if you did.”
Beopmu’s expression brightened.
He had wanted to bring this up himself but hadn’t quite been able to.
It was an unexpected blessing, and when Ban Hojin spoke first, Beopmu quickly grabbed his hand.
“I also have things I learn and feel, not just Senior Brother. So if Senior Brother sets the time, I’ll adjust to it.”
“Thank you. Really, thank you.”
He had already been overtaken, but he felt no inferiority about it at all.
Rather, he had felt sorry for not having paid enough attention to Ban Hojin, despite being his direct senior brother.
Yet seeing Ban Hojin instead showing consideration for him moved Beopmu deeply.
‘That settles the matter of the Senior Disciple. Now only Master remains.’
Beopmu believed that Ban Hojin had made the suggestion out of pure goodwill, but the truth was different.
It was nothing more than carrying out something he had planned long ago.
Step. Step.
Watching Beopmu’s back as he left the front courtyard with a satisfied expression, Ban Hojin grinned.
The fact that something had been resolved so easily, something he hadn’t even expected, made Ban Hojin just as happy.
Zhuge Hye-jeong, walking with escort warriors, was startled when she saw a woman she encountered at the entrance.
It was because someone she truly hadn’t imagined had appeared, just like her, accompanied by escort warriors.
And the same was true for the woman who spotted Zhuge Hye-jeong.
“My goodness? How did you end up here?”
“Unni, what brings you here?”
They stared at each other with their eyes wide open.
That was how surprised both of them were.
In addition, the warriors escorting the two women were also surprised.
They hadn’t expected to see the other party here.
“I have business with Young Master Seonwu. Just so you know, I came after making an appointment in advance.”
“Oh? Me too.”
“Really?”
Zhuge Hye-jeong’s eyes flickered meaningfully.
But the same was true for Murong Heesu.
She, too, immediately grasped Zhuge Hye-jeong’s intentions.
‘As expected of the Zhuge Family.’
Murong Heesu had thought that because of the Zhuge Family’s standing, they wouldn’t be able to act rashly.
Unlike the Murong Family, the Zhuge Family firmly occupied one of the Five Great Families.
A family of the Zhuge Family’s stature couldn’t help but care about face and honor.
Yet when Zhuge Hye-jeong came here in person, Murong Heesu was surprised and inwardly impressed.
‘So the Murong Family moves like this too.’
Meanwhile, Zhuge Hye-jeong was just as inwardly surprised as Murong Heesu.
She hadn’t expected her to move this quickly.
The fact that she wasn’t simply going to see Ban Hojin directly, but instead intended to meet him by using Seonwu Bang and taking a roundabout route, astonished Zhuge Hye-jeong.
She hadn’t thought that Murong Heesu would discover the very stratagem she herself had only just managed to come up with.
“For now, let’s go inside. Since we’ve already run into each other like this.”
“You made an appointment too?”
“Of course. I’m not that rude of a person.”
“I suppose.”
They couldn’t say they were extremely close, but it had been well over ten years since they had started seeing each other’s faces.
Because of that, Zhuge Hye-jeong knew Murong Heesu’s disposition to some extent, so she didn’t ask further and went inside.
“This way, please.”
As the two women crossed the front courtyard with their escort warriors, the Seonwu Family’s warriors all took the lead with tense expressions.
They had known that Zhuge Hye-jeong and Murong Heesu were coming, but actually seeing them in person made them instinctively tense.
Especially because Murong Heesu was one of the Three Phoenixes who shook the world with her beauty, warriors of all ages couldn’t help but steal glances at her.
And Zhuge Hye-jeong did not miss seeing that.
‘Beauty really is a weapon for women.’
A bitter expression settled at the corner of Zhuge Hye-jeong’s mouth.
Objectively speaking, she was by no means unattractive herself.
Rather, she possessed looks that fell into the category of being pretty.
However, just like martial arts, beauty was also relative.
‘But instead, I have a sharp mind.’
Although all the men were stealing glances at Murong Heesu, surprisingly, Zhuge Hye-jeong didn’t feel inferior.
She simply acknowledged it.
From the start, she knew that her charm and Murong Heesu’s charm were different, so while Zhuge Hye-jeong could feel envy, she didn’t feel jealousy.
She knew all too well that exploding with inferiority wouldn’t change anything and would only harm herself.
‘So-yeon Unni should know that too. But it’s not easy to shake off that way of thinking.’
Thinking of Namgung So-yeon, who suddenly came to mind, Zhuge Hye-jeong shrugged her shoulders.
She was an unni only one year older, but she felt more like a younger sister than an older one.
Still, she was a good person.
Click.
While lost in various thoughts, they arrived at the guest reception room before they knew it.
A moment later, the door opened, and Seonwu Bang greeted them with an awkward smile.
Anyone could tell from his expression that he was flustered by the visit of the two women.
“Hello?”
“Ah, yes. Good afternoon, Miss Zhuge.”
“Hehe. I’ve heard ‘good morning’ before, but this is my first time hearing ‘good afternoon.’ Still, it feels fresh and nice.”
“Ah.”
Seonwu Bang scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.
He was so awkward that he found himself at a loss for words.
“Hello, Young Master Seonwu.”
“Ah, yes. Please, have a seat.”
They were acquainted by face, but this was the first time they had actually spoken like this.
Seonwu Bang was also the son of a prestigious family, but it couldn’t compare to the Zhuge Family or the Murong Family.
Because the Seonwu Family didn’t even belong to the Ten Great Families that gossips loved to talk about, Seonwu Bang kept raising questions in his mind as he offered them seats.
Then he poured the Biluochun he had prepared in advance for the two women.
“Is this Biluochun? The aroma is nice.”
“Haha, it’s not Dongting Biluochun.”
“Even so, the fragrance is really good.”
Among Biluochun teas, the finest was without question Dongting Biluochun.
However, Dongting Biluochun was difficult to obtain and quite expensive, so even Seonwu Bang couldn’t drink it as casually as water.
“I brewed it with the utmost care.”
Seeing Zhuge Hye-jeong naturally take the lead in conversation, Seonwu Bang felt relieved inside.
In truth, he had been at a loss over how to treat the two women.
They didn’t have any particular relationship, and when they suddenly said they wanted to visit, he had been thoroughly flustered.
At the same time, a question arose.
‘They definitely came to see me for a purpose. But what could it be?’
Unlike Zhuge Hye-jeong, who smoothly carried the conversation, Murong Heesu quietly sipped her tea.
It seemed she thought there was no need for her to step in as long as Zhuge Hye-jeong handled the atmosphere.
Yet even that came across as elegant to Seonwu Bang.
Even her stillness looked like a painting.
“You know, this is a bit disappointing. To be glancing at Heesu while I’m sitting right here.”
“Ah, I was just wondering if it suited your taste. I was thinking about when I should ask.”
“Oh? Your wit is impressive. To come up with that reason in such a short moment.”
“I-it’s true.”
“Th-then why are you stuttering?”
Imitating Seonwu Bang, Zhuge Hye-jeong smiled brightly.
At that sight, Seonwu Bang’s face instantly turned red.
Being hit right on the mark, his mind went blank, and no thoughts came to him.
“I like it. It’s been a while since I’ve had Biluochun too.”
Murong Heesu came to Seonwu Bang’s rescue.
She had spoken up at just the right moment.
“That’s a relief.”
Seonwu Bang looked at Murong Heesu with eyes full of gratitude.
This time, he had a proper reason, so he could look at her freely.
‘She really is beautiful.’
Living up to her epithets of White Phoenix or White Lotus Flower, Murong Heesu’s skin was so clear and pure it seemed almost transparent.
On top of that, she was wearing pure white martial attire, giving her an even more pristine impression.
Perhaps because of that, when one looked at her quietly, she felt less like a person and more like a celestial maiden.
‘But it’s beyond my reach.’
She was so beautiful that, because of it, Seonwu Bang once again felt his own position.
She was a flower he could never dare to possess in his current state.
Even if time passed and he became the family head, there would still be no possibility of him being joined with Murong Heesu.
At the same time, a friend who would suit Murong Heesu suddenly came to mind.
‘Ah, could it be?’
Lightning flashed through Seonwu Bang’s mind.
A single hypothesis had formed.
The very fact that Zhuge Hye-jeong and Murong Heesu, with whom he had previously been distant, suddenly contacted him made no sense.
They had clearly reached out first because they had a purpose, but Seonwu Bang couldn’t guess what it was at all.
However, once he thought of Ban Hojin, everything fell into place.
Since coming to Shaolin, the only thing that had changed for him was becoming friends with Ban Hojin.
‘If it’s the Murong Family and the Zhuge Family, they certainly have the capability to find this out.’
Moreover, Seonwu Bang also knew that Ban Hojin was drawing the attention of many prestigious families.
And that he was refusing all of them simply because it was bothersome.
Someone everyone, regardless of gender, wanted to meet—was his friend, Ban Hojin.
But since they couldn’t meet him directly, they had used him instead.
‘So that’s how it is.’
Only now did everything become perfectly clear.
Thinking of Ban Hojin neatly organized the entire situation.
At the same time, he was newly able to understand Ban Hojin’s value.
‘Well, if I had a younger sister, I would’ve done the same.’
It was bitter and envy-inducing, but this was reality.
And it was hard to feel jealous when Ban Hojin himself was such a decent person.
Decent enough to seek out someone as unremarkable as him first and suggest becoming friends.
Knock, knock, knock.
“I’m here.”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from beyond the door.
At the same time, Murong Heesu’s and Zhuge Hye-jeong’s gazes turned toward the entrance.
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