The Return of the Sw Chapter 89 : The Rising Stars. -04

Chapter 89: The Rising Stars. -04

“Family Head Pang.”

“Hello?”

When the giant Pang Mancheol ca over with his two daughters in tow, Seonu Cheong and Murong Gung were inwardly greatly surprised.

They had never imagined that the man known as the Blade King would so casually co looking for Ban Hojin.

Especially Murong Gung’s eyes narrowed for a brief instant.

A single thought pierced through his mind.

“So he really is here, just as I thought.”

Pang Mancheol clicked his tongue.

It was not that he had not expected it, but he had not thought he would be tucked away in such a secluded spot.

“It has been a while, Family Head Pang.”

“I hope you have been well.”

In the anti, Seonu Cheong and Murong Gung offered a fist-clasp salute to Pang Mancheol.

Pang Mancheol returned the greeting.

“It has been a long ti for both of you.”

Though all were family heads, the standing of Pang Mancheol compared to the other two was worlds apart.

That much was evident from their deanor.

Of course, that did not an Pang Mancheol was looking down on Seonu Cheong and Murong Gung.

It was simply the atmosphere.

“This is insane. I could understand Seonu Family or Murong Family because of their children, but the Pang Family of Hebei?”

“Yesterday, almost all the scions of the Five Great Families gathered, and today it’s the family heads themselves?”

At the sight of Pang Mancheol personally coming over, everyone around them was unable to hide their shock.

That was how astonishing the scene was.

Who was Pang Mancheol, after all?

He was the head of the Pang Family of Hebei and one of the Ten Great Masters Under Heaven.

For such a man to approach a re rising junior first left everyone staring with mouths agape.

Then they all looked at Ban Hojin with eyes full of envy.

“So this is what it ans to move in a different league.”

“Was the gap really this big?”

“Of course it is. Do you think they’d call him a crane among chickens or a dragon among n for nothing?”

Not only the rising juniors but even the leaders of the minor sects gazed at Ban Hojin with envy.

eting the Seonu Family or Murong Family might be possible sohow, but the Pang Family of Hebei was different.

It was one of the Five Great Families, and with the Blade King as its head, he was not soone one could easily et just by seeking him out.

Yet Pang Mancheol had approached first and greeted him, making the leaders envy Ban Hojin all the more.

“You managed to find .”

“You can tell at a glance. No matter how crowded it gets, your aura stands out.”

“Is that so.”

“Don’t play dumb. But everyone’s so different from last ti.”

A trace of surprise flickered in Pang Mancheol’s pupils.

Ban Hojin’s indifferent attitude was nothing new, so it did not bother him.

What surprised him instead were Seonu Bang, Seo Joun, and Jeong Iryong.

Seonu Bang’s growth, in particular, was remarkable.

“We trained hard.”

“Training hard doesn’t an everyone achieves the sa results.”

“That’s true.”

“I should have sent my kids to Songshan instead of locking them up in a training chamber.”

“Absolutely not.”

Ban Hojin replied just as firmly as Pang Mancheol had spoken seriously.

He had not the slightest intention of taking those two hooligans along.

“Isn’t that a bit much? You reject it outright without even a mont’s thought.”

“It is not worth considering.”

“Do you dislike it that much?”

“Yes.”

Seeing Ban Hojin answer so stubbornly, leaving no room at all, Pang Mancheol smacked his lips.

Part of him wanted to quietly send them to Songshan, but judging by Ban Hojin’s attitude, it seed he would not even let them co near.

That made him all the more regretful.

Ban Hojin seed like the perfect person to knock so sense into his two thoughtless sons, but when the man himself recoiled at the idea, Pang Mancheol let out a quiet sigh.

“So the four are fine, but my sons aren’t.”

“The four are people I personally chose.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

Unlike the disappointed Pang Mancheol, Seo Joun, who had been quietly listening, wore a smug expression.

Hearing that Ban Hojin had chosen him was extrely pleasing to him.

Jeong Iryong seed the sa, smiling faintly.

“Shouldn’t you be heading over soon?”

“I decide when I go. What matters is whether I attend or not.”

Pang Mancheol spoke confidently.

As if the order did not matter at all.

And no one found that strange.

Soone of the Blade King’s stature had every right to say such things.

“Still, since you’re here, you should go now. The two of you need to go as well.”

“After seeing you for the first ti in a while, you’re that eager to send

off?”

“There’s plenty of ti. The seventieth birthday banquet continues until tomorrow. And Tang the Great Hero is watching from over there.”

“Eing!”

Sensing Dang Bi’s gaze as well, Pang Mancheol stood up.

If it were up to him, he would have liked to sit a while longer.

Judging by the signs, it seed the Murong Family was also getting greedy, so rather than fretting, Pang Mancheol wanted to settle things decisively while he could.

At the very least, he wanted to sweep away any half-baked competitors.

But things had not gone his way, and Pang Mancheol’s face filled with displeasure.

He then looked at Seonu Cheong and Murong Gung in turn.

“You two should co along as well.”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

As if he could not leave alone, Pang Mancheol moved together with the two of them.

If he had no chance, then Murong Gung should not have one either.

With that in mind, Pang Mancheol took Murong Gung and the siblings Murong Cheok and Murong Heesu and strode toward Dang Bi.

“He really does carry a different kind of presence.”

“And he’s sharp too.”

“Rather than sharp, wouldn’t you say crafty? Like a fox in a bear’s body.”

“Agreed.”

Watching Pang Mancheol carve through the crowd like waves, with Seonu Cheong and Seonu Bang in tow, Seo Joun and Jeong Iryong marveled.

He might be overbearing, but his decisiveness was refreshing.

And in a way, he was also using what he had to its fullest.

“Still, even Family Head Pang softens up in front of our big brother.”

“Right.”

Seo Jo-woon puffed out his chest and strutted proudly.

As if he were Ban Hojin himself.

At that sight, Ban Hojin let out a quiet chuckle.

“But why are you the one feeling proud?”

“Because I’m big brother’s little brother. That’s more than enough reason to be proud.”

“You’re making a fuss over nothing.”

“I don’t think other people see it that way.”

As if telling him to take a look around, Seo Jo-woon slowly swept his gaze across the surroundings.

But whether Seo Jo-woon did that or not, Ban Hojin calmly sipped his tea.

“From where I’m standing, you should be worried about yourself first.”

“Yes?”

Seo Jo-woon asked back, as if he had no idea what that ant.

But Jeong Iryong seed to grasp it instantly and smiled aningfully.

“Looks like Iryong figured it out.”

“I’m fairly quick on the uptake myself. Surprisingly, Brother Bang and Jo-woon are pretty dense. Cheok noticed it right away, though.”

“With that appearance and that talent, it’s sothing he’s been used to since long ago. Wouldn’t it be stranger not to know?”

“Now that you put it that way, you’re right.”

Jeong Iryong nodded in agreent without hesitation.

Thinking it over carefully, it did seem entirely possible.

Perhaps that self-infatuated streak had been ford because it had been that way since childhood.

“You’ve heard it too, right? That a man needs to know how to move his middle leg well.”

“Of course.”

“That’s sothing you should engrave in your heart from now on.”

“Yes?”

“Just engrave it for now. It won’t hurt.”

Even as Seo Jo-woon blinked in confusion, Ban Hojin offered no further explanation.

He knew that experiencing it once was far faster than explaining it a hundred tis.

Slurp.

Having said only what was necessary, Ban Hojin soon returned to the worries he had been mulling over since yesterday.

It was a problem without an answer, but he could not simply leave it be.

There was always the chance that an unexpected solution might surface, so Ban Hojin quietly sank into contemplation.

The gift-giving ceremony had continued since morning, yet Dang Bi’s expression was no different from earlier in the day.

He knew well that people had agonized for a long ti over their gifts and traveled a great distance all the way to Chengdu in Sichuan Province to present them.

For him, it might be one among hundreds, but for the other party, there was only one.

Because Dang Bi understood that difference, even after receiving congratulatory greetings nonstop for over three shijin, he did not frown even once.

“Thank you for coming.”

“Not at all! I should be the one thanking you for welcoming

so warmly! Please stay healthy in the years ahead! You still have to celebrate your mountain-and-sea banquet!”

“If I live too long, my children will curse

for it. Aren’t they already cursing

with their eyes?”

Dang Bi joked toward the emotional middle-aged man.

Knowing it was a joke, the man laughed heartily in response.

“Oh, no way.”

“You’ve co all this way, so eat plenty of good food and rest well until tomorrow. If you need anything, just say the word.”

“I understand!”

After finishing yet another exchange, Dang Bi straightened his back.

Then, naturally, his gaze drifted toward the distance.

Toward the round table that still showed no sign of movent, despite all the waiting.

‘They should be coming soon.’

The leaders of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families had long since finished their greetings and departed.

The turns of the prestigious families and the great sects had also ended.

Yet the group he was waiting for showed no sign of moving.

‘No wonder Mancheol would be tempted.’

Dang Bi’s gaze settled on Ban Hojin, who was leisurely sipping his tea.

True to his reputation as the foremost rising junior, Dang Bi had been utterly shocked the first ti he saw Ban Hojin.

He had thought that his grandson, Tang Seogeon, did not fall behind anyone in terms of talent, but that had been a misconception.

As if the phrase “on a different level” existed for this very reason, Tang Seogeon was nowhere near a level where he could even compare himself to Ban Hojin.

What was even more astonishing was that Ban Hojin was not the only one with such talent.

The talents of Murong Cheok, Seo Jo-woon, and Jeong Iryong were not rely outstanding—they were dazzling.

Moreover, the three had gone beyond possessing imnse talent; they had already reached the Blooming Stage.

‘The child from the Seonwu Family is no pushover either.’

Though he was sowhat overshadowed by the other four, Seonwu Bang’s talent was the real thing.

That was why Dang Bi had been genuinely stunned when he first saw Ban Hojin’s group.

Talents that appeared once in a century were all gathered in one place.

Yet among the five, the finishing touch was Ban Hojin, no matter what anyone said.

‘He’d be perfect as Seorin’s match.’

There was no need to even discuss his ability, and his background was excellent as well.

Above all, Dang Bi liked the fact that he was a lay disciple the most.

Coming from an ordinary family rather than a martial clan made him ideal as an adopted son-in-law.

And Dang Bi also found himself coveting Seo Jo-woon and Jeong Iryong.

‘Seorin is the only one in the direct line, but there are several daughters in the collateral branches.’

If he could bring Ban Hojin, Seo Jo-woon, and Jeong Iryong into the fold, surpassing the Namgung Family would not be impossible.

No, even if he were to die, he felt he would have nothing to worry about.

Ban Hojin’s group was already exceptional, and they would only grow more formidable in the future.

Step. Step.

Perhaps sensing his gaze—

For the first ti since morning, Ban Hojin, who had not once lifted himself from his seat, stood up.

Seo Jo-woon and Jeong Iryong, who had been sitting with him, followed suit and walked toward Dang Bi.

“Happy birthday.”

“Thank you. I’ve been wanting to et you in person.”

“You know who I am?”

At Ban Hojin’s cryptic question, Dang Bi broke into a broad grin.

As if it went without saying.

“No matter how much of an old man tucked away in the back rooms I’ve beco, would I not know the Divine Dragon?”

“It’s undeserved fa.”

“Excessive courtesy invites discourtesy. That’s not undeserved fa—it’s an understatent, if anything.”

Dang Bi let out a soft laugh toward Ban Hojin, who shook his head modestly.

The epithet Divine Dragon might be the highest honor for a rising junior, but it was woefully insufficient to contain Ban Hojin.

“Thank you for the complint.”

“Thank you for coming. The sa goes for the other two as well.”

“Happy birthday.”

“Congratulations on your seventieth birthday.”

With Dang Bi’s kindly gaze upon them, Seo Jo-woon and Jeong Iryong offered their congratulations.

They then presented the gifts they had prepared in advance.

They were modest, but filled with sincerity.

“Thank you for the gifts. I’ll open the three of yours personally tonight.”

“I hope you won’t expect too much.”

“Hahaha. With gifts, it’s the thought that counts. Well then, does the food suit your tastes?”

Jeong Iryong’s eyes widened.

He had thought Dang Bi would simply accept the gifts and wrap up the conversation, so when another question followed, not only Jeong Iryong but Seo Jo-woon as well were taken aback.

Even those waiting for their turn next showed surprised expressions.