The Nangong family had produced the most first-place winners in the history of the Martial Alliance mber selection exams.
Not only were they called the first among the Five Great Families, but it was also a natural result as they presented rising talents who had already achieved completion within the family.
Moreover, this ti, it was none other than the eldest son, who would beco the future head of the Nangong family, who personally participated in the exam.
The Nangong family also considered first place a matter of course. The only question was by how overwhelming a margin they would win.
But, a strange guy popped up and took that spot.
‘Cheon Woojin…’
Flas erupted in Nangong Jin's eyes. The man who had taken first place, causing a stir throughout the Martial Alliance.
Because of this, Nangong Jin felt his face burn whenever he encountered figures from the great families in the Martial Alliance. In particular, the elders of the Nangong family who resided in the alliance openly clicked their tongues.
For the Nangong family, second place was not an honor. It was a shaful thing that made it difficult to even hold their heads high.
At the single phrase uttered by Nangong Jin, the atmosphere among the successful applicants changed at once. In a situation where they had complaints but couldn't voice them, the young master of the Nangong family himself had taken the lead.
Sohow, an atmosphere was created urging Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon to apologize.
"Ahem, we were not properly inford of the guidance..."
"Spoken like a true rchant."
Nangong Jin cut off Song Yiyeon's awkward explanation at once.
"Song Yiyeon, this is the Martial Alliance, not the rice shop you were at. There is an etiquette that must be observed between martial artists. A proper martial artist should apologize when they have done wrong, or draw their sword if they cannot admit it, instead of spouting excuses like a rchant."
Song Yiyeon's expression twisted strangely. He was already acquainted with Nangong Jin. The Anhui Song family and the Nangong family, as a martial family and a rchant family located in the sa region, had interacted for a long ti.
Of course, in the current martial world, there was a strong tendency to look down on rchant families, and because the Nangong family's presence was so enormous, there was an invisible hierarchical relationship.
"A rice shop. Your words are a bit excessive."
Song Yiyeon said in a slightly lowered tone. Nevertheless, Nangong Jin just let out a smirk.
"Are you ashad of your family business? Isn't it a great thing that the Anhui Song family started from a small rice shop and achieved such great wealth? The Nangong family also highly values the abilities of Family Head Song."
Of course, in Nangong Jin's tone, there was not a shred of respect for the Song family. On the contrary, it only served to once again remind them of the clear hierarchy between the Nangong family and the Anhui Song family.
Song Yiyeon firmly shut his mouth. He was a man who did not lose his nerve in most situations, but the perception of the Nangong family, deeply ingrained in his mind since childhood, could not be taken lightly.
- Yiyeon, when you go out into the martial world, you must never get involved with the demons of the Heavenly Demon Cult or the martial artists of the Nangong family.
In Anhui, the Nangong family's presence was so enormous that it was ntioned alongside the Demonic Cult, which the world feared.
rchants, artists, farrs, courtesans, shop assistants, and even governnt soldiers who received their pay from the state.
To eat, sleep, buy and sell goods, and breathe in Anhui, one had to be mindful of the Nangong family.
For that reason, while Song Yiyeon was inwardly suppressing his boiling anger.
"You're taking your anger out on the wrong person."
"What did you say?"
Nangong Jin's blade-like gaze turned to Cheon Woojin. Most rising talents would be overwheld by his martial might and background and would not even be able to make proper eye contact.
But Cheon Woojin was not one of them. He just had a strange smile. Even though that smile was clearly provoking Nangong Jin's anger, he didn't care at all.
Things like background or martial arts could not pressure Cheon Woojin in the slightest.
After all, he was a man raised by two masters whose dispositions were far removed from such things.
- Woojin, if you et a martial artist from the Nangong family, smash his head before he opens his mouth. The words they spit out are generally infuriating.
His Black Master hated the white path, the black path, and the demonic path all the sa. Should I say he was a person who simply loathed humanity itself?
On the other hand, his White Master was a person who tried to find the lovely points of even a considerable villain, even if he had to force it.
Nevertheless, the White Master's evaluation of the Nangong family was this.
- The Black Master's words are only half right. It is true that the children of the Nangong family are a bit sharp, but if you were to smash their heads without a second thought, what would that be if not a great demon mad with blood?
- You're saying that for
to hear, aren't you?
Of course, the two masters' conversations always led to grabbing each other by the collar.
Anyway, if even his White Master said so, it ant that the character of the Nangong family mbers was generally like that.
'Now that I'm actually out in the martial world, my masters' words were not wrong at all.'
Seeing the world he had only heard about with his own eyes and feeling it with his own skin was very enjoyable.
While Cheon Woojin was lost in pleasant thoughts, not even paying attention to Nangong Jin, the enraged Nangong Jin strode towards him.
Although it was a step intended to look threatening, Cheon Woojin did not even bother to grasp the Crescent Moon Staff on his back.
The approaching Nangong Jin asked in a low voice.
"Young hero Cheon, what is so enjoyable?"
It was a calr tone than expected.
Cheon Woojin found that sight rather amusing.
He had been condescending and dismissive towards young hero Song, whose background and martial might he judged to be clearly inferior to his own, but he was showing a certain level of respect to him.
Also, he did not make the mistake of losing his temper and operating his internal energy unnecessarily like Gu Jinseok.
On the outside, Nangong Jin seed like a man who acted on his emotions, but inside, calculations were being made ceaselessly.
Cheon Woojin gave a gentle smile.
"Everything is just enjoyable. I've lived my whole life in the mountains and have co down. The tall pavilions I couldn't see there, and even a single gust of wind carrying various scents is enjoyable to ."
"..."
"I apologize for unintentionally making you wait. To young hero Nangong and to the young heroes and young ladies behind you. However, if you insult
and my friend any further, I will not be able to stand still either."
Cheon Woojin looked at Nangong Jin, still with a strange smile. The mont he t his eyes, Nangong Jin felt a chill run down his spine.
'What kind of eyes does this person have...'
When he was young, he had gone hunting with the elders of the family. While shooting deer and wild boars with a bow, he had encountered a tiger.
Of course, they were not ordinary people but martial artists, and masters of the Nangong family at that, so no one was afraid.
Except for one person. The young Nangong Jin.
The eyes of the tiger he had first encountered were truly bizarre. The large pupils seed as if they would swallow his tiny body at any mont. Even in the mont it let out its final roar with a white breath after being struck by the elders' swords and bows, its gaze did not die in the slightest.
Cheon Woojin's eyes were an exact replica of those terrifying pupils he had forgotten.
'The eyes of a predator.'
Of course, the standard of a predator changes depending on the situation. To a rabbit, a fox would seem like a predator, to a fox, a tiger, and to a tiger, a spiritual beast that had lived for hundreds of years would be considered as such.
Nangong Jin would also be a predator to soone. However, Nangong Jin had only had this feeling three tis in his entire life.
The large tiger he had first encountered as a child.
The Martial Alliance Leader, Beili Tian, whom he had seen from a distance after entering the Martial Alliance.
The head of the Nangong family, who was called the Sword King by the public. In other words, Nangong Jin's father.
Nangong Jin let out a hollow laugh.
'Did that foolish Gu Jinseok brat attack a guy like this?'
Well, there was no way Gu Jinseok had the eyes to distinguish such things.
He was born and raised as the eldest son of the Nangong family and had always lived with masters who made the world tremble by his side.
Naturally, his eye for masters was bound to be outstanding. No matter how many masters the Gu family had recently, how could they compare to the Nangong family?
Nangong Jin, who had been in a staring contest with Cheon Woojin for a while, realized that he had been holding his breath without realizing it and slowly exhaled.
Soon, Nangong Jin's gaze shifted slightly to Song Yiyeon who was next to him.
"Unlike you, your friend is definitely a martial artist."
Nangong Jin, who said so, let out a smirk and returned to where he was.
Cheon Woojin clicked his tongue.
"Did I do sothing unnecessary?"
"Of course not. I fell for you once again, young hero. Ah, of course, as a person to a person."
Although he said so, he couldn't help the bitterness that lingered around his mouth. As the son of a rchant family, this was the kind of treatnt he would have to endure in the martial world from now on.
'Or I have to beco strong enough not to have to endure it.'
Song Yiyeon glanced at Cheon Woojin next to him. He didn't know his school, nor the martial arts he had learned. In a word, his legitimacy, which was so important in the white path, was not verified at all.
Nevertheless, no one ignored young hero Cheon. The reason was very clear.
'...Because he's strong.'
A rising talent who had destroyed the entire, sizable West Heaven Society. Who in the world could ignore such a monstrous man?
Seeing even the great Nangong Jin tuck his tail and run away, he once again realized how important martial power was in the martial world.
While Zhuge Lin's guidance continued, Song Yiyeon only looked at Nangong Jin's back.
'I may not know about others, but I will definitely surpass Nangong Jin.'
That was the usual goal of a martial artist born and raised in Anhui.
While Song Yiyeon was only looking at Nangong Jin's back, Cheon Woojin, who was staring at Song Yiyeon, recalled the words of his two masters.
- The goal of a martial artist should not stop at simply becoming strong. That's why the goal of surpassing soone or taking revenge is very dangerous.
- Nonsense. For a martial artist, being strong is the best.
Cheon Woojin, who simultaneously recalled the different opinions of his two masters, thought for a mont and then just shook his head.
'It's just young hero Song's business.'
To take a step forward here and offer advice would be ddling and arrogant.
Most of all.
'Young hero Song's level is already not inferior to Nangong Jin's.'
Song Yiyeon was also the man with the most outstanding talent among the martial artists Cheon Woojin had seen since he had set foot in the martial world.
It was just that the shadow of the Nangong family, deeply rooted in Song Yiyeon's heart, was making him shrink.
In Cheon Woojin's opinion, what Song Yiyeon had to overco was not Nangong Jin, but the limit he had unconsciously set for himself.
If he could not overco this, the gap with Nangong Jin would eventually widen. However, it was not sothing that could be overco with soone's advice. He could only realize it on his own.
"Young hero Song."
"..."
Song Yiyeon was so lost in deep thought while looking at Nangong Jin's back that he could not even answer.
When Cheon Woojin called him again, Song Yiyeon, who had finally shaken off his thoughts, looked at him with wide eyes.
"What is it?"
"We're all just people. , young hero Song, and young hero Nangong over there."
He couldn't help Song Yiyeon's realization, but this was not advice but a kind of comfort. As a friend, not a martial artist.
Song Yiyeon looked at Cheon Woojin with surprised eyes and then glanced at Nangong Jin's back.
"That's right. Just because he's from the Nangong family bloodline doesn't an a sword won't pierce his body."
Song Yiyeon nodded his head with a strange face.
A rising talent who was walking ahead turned around with a startled expression. At that, Song Yiyeon grinned.
"I'm kidding."
"W-what do you an? I didn't hear anything."
The rising talent shook his head with an expression that said he wanted to wash his ears with water.
"Primordial Heaven-honored One..."
He was Jin Yun of the Huashan sect, who absolutely did not want to get involved in the political fights between his peers. He was also the man who had been incorporated into the Heavenly Tiger Unit after taking fifth place due to Gu Jinseok's disqualification.
(End of Chapter)
Reviews
All reviews (0)