The Youngest Member Chapter 37

Late evening at the Anhui Song family.

Song Yiyeon's father and the head of the Song family, Song Habaek, provided the best environnt he could for the Martial Alliance mbers.

Not only the als, but he also prepared a separate space for them to train or rest comfortably, even setting up a training ground.

It wasn't just because his son had joined the Martial Alliance. It was originally Family Head Song's values.

The rchants of the era could not be unrelated to the martial world, and they usually had to choose between the black path or the white path.

Anyway, since the sll of money also wafted from the illegal activities of the black path, there were always rchants who imrsed themselves in that side.

Of course, the Anhui Song family was a large rchant family closely related to the white path. Not only was the profit they gained through the Martial Alliance quite large, but his personal disposition also corresponded with the values of the white path.

Song Habaek pointed to the table full of delicacies and said.

"Eat up before it gets cold. I never thought the day would co when I would have a al with this guy's friend before I die."

Song Habaek looked at Song Yiyeon, who had a sowhat dissatisfied expression, and the embarrassed Cheon Woojin with a smile on his face.

He was inwardly surprised when his son had first said he would introduce a friend. Because he had no mory of hearing that this guy had a friend his whole life.

When he was young, he rarely went out of the house because his body was very weak, and when he grew up, he unintentionally made all the local won's hearts cry, so the only n of his age were guys who were jealous.

But, to think he would bring such a neat-looking guy.

Cheon Woojin put the food in his mouth while trying to ignore Song Habaek's burdenso gaze.

"Father, you're going to burn a hole in young hero Cheon's face."

"Hahaha, I'm sorry. He has such a good atmosphere that my eyes keep going to him."

Song Habaek liked Cheon Woojin.

Not just because he was the first friend his son had brought, but because Cheon Woojin's atmosphere was moderately heavy and had a side that captivated people's hearts.

It was mostly sothing one was born with.

Those who were born with this kind of atmosphere, whether they were martial artists or rchants, were bound to beco great and make their nas widely known.

Song Habaek's insight, which had raised a small rice shop into a huge rchant family, had a rather sharp side.

"Does the food suit your taste?"

"...Yes."

Cheon Woojin answered with a forced calmness. In fact, right after coming down from the mountain, there was sothing else besides the bustling scenery that he hadn't adapted to yet, and that was the delicacies.

The only als he had had his whole life with his masters were herbs or at obtained from the wild, roughly grilled.

From Cheon Woojin's perspective, it felt as if an explosion was going off in his mouth every ti he ate such food.

Anyway, it ant that it was good.

Song Habaek looked at Cheon Woojin with satisfaction and smiled.

"He's entered the Martial Alliance, and he's made such a fine friend, so now I'd have no regrets if he just brought ho a nice bride."

Song Habaek clicked his tongue and looked at his son.

Although he was his son, he was truly handso. However, there was no way a guy who had never had a friend until now would bring a woman.

"Ah, co on!"

Song Yiyeon, who was usually quite mature for his age despite his occasional mischievousness, whined like a child and then shot up from his seat.

Suddenly, a silent staring contest broke out between the family head and the young family head of the Song family. It was probably because they couldn't have an argunt in front of a guest, Cheon Woojin.

However, since Cheon Woojin's level was what it was, he could feel everything even though he was trying to bury his gaze in the food.

'Umm...'

Cheon Woojin thought that this was a more difficult situation than when he had faced the Sex Demon and the Blood Immortal at the sa ti.

Whether he knew Cheon Woojin's heart or not, Song Yiyeon soon stord out of the room.

At his back, Song Habaek clicked his tongue.

"I don't know when he'll grow up. He's of age, but he's like that whenever the topic of marriage cos up."

"Cough..."

Cheon Woojin, who had burst into a cough, drank the tea next to him.

When he was affected by the beauty poison of the Black Wolf Hand and the courtesans at Cheonghwaru, Cheon Woojin had realized that Song Yiyeon had learned the Virgin Boy Art.

As long as he had learned the Virgin Boy Art, it was impossible for him to have any kind of relationship with a woman, let alone get married.

It seed that young hero Song's father did not know that his only son had learned the Virgin Boy Art.

If he found out, the Song family would be turned upside down.

"So, does our alliance mber Cheon not have a woman?"

"...No."

"Hehe, how can such a handso young man. If you have any thoughts, feel free to tell . Because of my son's marriage, I know all the nice won in Anhui."

"...It's alright. By the way, since you are young hero Song's father, please just call

Woojin."

Cheon Woojin, whose eloquence had suddenly improved, smoothly changed the subject.

Of course, the great rchant, Song Habaek, knew but noticed that Cheon Woojin was uncomfortable and nodded his head.

"Hahaha! Yes, Woojin. Please take good care of my son. If you need anything, you don't have to go through Yiyeon, so feel free to send a ssage to the Song family at any ti."

Song Habaek had already heard that Cheon Woojin had lived serving only his masters without a family.

Song Habaek, who was originally a man of much affection, pitied Cheon Woojin as a father of a child.

"You may not be able to think of

as a father, but I hope you will feel comfortable with ."

He was sincere. Not only was he his son's first friend, but he also liked the person Cheon Woojin himself very much.

For so reason, Cheon Woojin was receiving the affection of the middle-aged n of Anhui, including the Sword King.

Soon, Cheon Woojin, who had finished his al, said.

"Thank you, Family Head. Young hero Song seems to be troubled, so I will go and see him."

"Wait. Still, since it's our first al together, have a drink before you go."

As Song Habaek picked up the teapot next to him, Cheon Woojin held out his teacup with both hands.

"Since there is a funeral at the Heavenly Tiger Unit, I cannot drink alcohol, so I have no choice. I will also call you comfortably, so you should also just call

'uncle' from now on. 'Family Head' seems too distant, doesn't it?"

"That's a bit..."

Cheon Woojin was surprisingly a person who said what he had to say.

Song Habaek's eyes narrowed.

"Well, if alliance mber Cheon is uncomfortable, I can't help it. Then I'll see you again next ti."

"...?"

Cheon Woojin looked at Song Habaek as if he was dumbfounded. Song Habaek had a smile on his face, and it was exactly like Song Yiyeon's, full of mischief.

"...I will call you uncle."

"Hahaha! Yes, that's good."

The man who had beco sworn brothers with Cheol Jiak on their first eting, and who had a pseudo-father-son relationship with Cheon Woojin after just one al, was the great rchant of Anhui, Song Habaek.

* * *

Cheon Woojin headed straight for the backyard where Song Yiyeon was.

Although there were seven such yards in the Song family, it was not difficult to find him because his senses were so wide.

Song Yiyeon, who was sitting on the railing and looking up at the particularly bright full moon pitifully. Cheon Woojin, who naturally sat down next to him, said.

"You haven't told him yet?"

"I'm only child, how can I tell him?"

Cheon Woojin nodded his head. It wasn't that he didn't understand Song Yiyeon's heart.

"But you can't keep it a secret forever."

He was his father, of all people.

Although Cheon Woojin did not know the affection of a family, he thought of him as the sa existence as his masters, so the conversation beca much easier.

Song Yiyeon nodded his head.

"Young hero Cheon, do you know this? The Virgin Boy Art is a very unique martial art. Up to seventy percent of its power, it doesn't show on the outside, but if you operate it higher than that, a unique energy is emitted. Since the Virgin Boy Art is a martial art with a clear weakness, it's better to operate it only up to seventy percent until you master it."

Cheon Woojin nodded his head. He had already heard about many martial arts in the world from his masters.

"Of course, mastering it doesn't an the weakness disappears. It just ans you beco strong enough that it doesn't matter."

"I heard that in the history of the martial world, only three have mastered the Virgin Boy Art. I know it's a martial art that is that difficult to master."

"That's right. Instead, all three who mastered it carved their nas deeply in the history of the martial world. The Virgin Boy Art is that kind of martial art."

A mont of silence followed.

Whether it was because of the night scenery or because he had confided his secret for the first ti, Song Yiyeon felt sentintal for no reason.

"Also, the Virgin Boy Art is a very lonely martial art. There is a common prejudice that a man who has learned the Virgin Boy Art will be a homosexual. In fact, since one of the three masters who mastered it was said to be a homosexual, it's not a groundless prejudice. Of course, I'm not."

Although there was a ti in the very distant history of the central plains when homosexuality was not considered strange, it was different now.

In the current era, there was a strong tendency to despise and ridicule homosexuals as strange perverts.

Song Yiyeon looked at Cheon Woojin with a sowhat tense face. He liked won. However, he was afraid that his first friend would look at him with prejudiced eyes.

Cheon Woojin also looked at Song Yiyeon with a serious face and then opened his mouth.

"It is an excellent martial art. It is not lacking compared to any other top-level martial art. Usually, the martial arts of the Nine Sects are deeper than those of the Five Great Families, and since the Virgin Boy Art is also a martial art that branched off from the early Shaolin, if you can master it, you could beco one of the top ten masters in the martial world in the future."

Of course, it was what his White Master had told him.

At that sight, Song Yiyeon let out a hollow laugh.

He was talking about the world's prejudice surrounding the Virgin Boy Art, but this monster young hero was only talking about martial arts, as if he was crazy about them.

At that sight, Song Yiyeon felt his heart being comforted.

"The original Virgin Boy Art was the 'Stopping Heart Following Art', and the second abbot of Shaolin, Master Wonhye, for his disciples..."

By the way, he didn't know where he had heard it, but if he left him alone, he was on the verge of explaining the birth story of the Virgin Boy Art, so he said.

"Young hero, thank you."

"For what?"

Cheon Woojin tilted his head.

However, Song Yiyeon just smiled without saying anything else.

Just by having soone share the secret he had kept to himself because of prejudice and weakness, he felt his heart beco much lighter.

Unlike his worries, young hero Cheon had no prejudice and was not a man with a light mouth, so he was not particularly worried.

'Also, there's no problem with the weakness.'

Because even without aiming for the weakness of the Virgin Boy Art, if he wanted to, he could smash his head with that nacing iron staff.

The sight of Cheon Woojin smashing the heads of the villains was still vivid.

Song Yiyeon, who felt a chill for so reason, trembled and said.

"By the way, mastering the Virgin Boy Art..."

It was then.

Cheon Woojin brought his index finger to his lips as if to tell him to be quiet.

While Song Yiyeon was puzzled.

"Soone is coming."

"Ah."

Soon, a man approached the place where the two were.

It was the Heavenly Tiger Unit Commander with a sharp impression, like a well-honed sword under the moonlight.

Song Yiyeon shot up from his seat and said.

"Ah, Unit Commander. Is there anything uncomfortable..."

"No. Thanks to you, I was able to rest very comfortably. Thank you."

"Hehe, not at all."

Song Yiyeon, who had returned to his usual self, smiled. He had thought he had gotten on the Heavenly Tiger Unit Commander's bad side for choosing the Black Tortoise Unit, but he was more friendly than he had thought.

The Heavenly Tiger Unit Commander said cautiously with an embarrassed expression.

"Actually, I ca because I have sothing to say to alliance mber Cheon. If I interrupted your conversation, I'll co back later."

"Not at all. We were just about to get up. I'm hungry because I ran out while eating."

Song Yiyeon said so and rubbed his stomach.

At that sight, Cheon Woojin said.

"Young hero Song, then please go in first."

And so, Song Yiyeon left the place, and Cheon Woojin and the Heavenly Tiger Unit Commander stood opposite each other. Since they were both rather taciturn, an awkward silence flowed.

At the end of the silence, Cheon Woojin said.

"If it's related to the mission, I will only receive the orders of the Black Tortoise Unit Commander."

The Heavenly Tiger Unit Commander recalled the mory of urging Cheon Woojin to report during the Cheonghwaru incident.

"Ahem, the situation was urgent then. I don't have any particular intention of giving orders to the Black Tortoise Unit mbers."

"Yes."

"..."

Silence flowed again.

Soon, the Heavenly Tiger Unit Commander sat down on the railing where Song Yiyeon and Cheon Woojin had been sitting and said.

"The Black Tortoise Unit Commander is a very good person. He was the unit commander even when I first joined the alliance. Anyway, I also think he has the ability to be more than a commander."

"...Yes, well."

In Cheon Woojin's view, it was also so.

By the way, did the Black Tortoise Unit Commander remain a unit commander all this ti, even until the newcor who had joined the Martial Alliance beca a unit commander and was thinking about his next promotion?

It was not for nothing that he had the nickna of the 'perennial unit commander'.

But, he was suddenly puzzled.

"Did you co to praise the Black Tortoise Unit Commander?"

"Ahem, that's not it. Actually, I ca to say thank you."

Cheon Woojin tilted his head. For so reason, it seed he was receiving thanks several tis today without knowing it.

(End of Chapter)