Chapter 26
“Haha… I see… That makes sense.”
He almost let out a hollow laugh at the mention of his father’s concern, but he understood the position of the world’s greatest master.
That’s what a father is.
“He’s a good father.”
“I think so too.”
“So, are you going straight to Inwangchae?”
Pang Jiyeol was more enthusiastic than anyone.
He wanted to go right away and see Eunho fight.
Not just one of the Twenty-Four Masters, but two of them.
He was filled with anticipation that he might be able to see Eunho’s full strength.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure if the Four Kings are at Inwangchae. It’s not urgent, so I don’t want to make a pointless trip.”
“Hahaha. You’re the only one who can be so relaxed about going to fight the Twenty-Four Masters. I can help with that. Our family also has an intelligence organization.”
When a family grows, it’s natural for an organization that handles information to form. Especially for the Five Great Families, there would be a high-level organization, even if it doesn’t reach the level of the Hao Sect or the Beggars’ Sect.
But Eunho shook his head.
“There’s no need. I’ve asked a reliable source.”
“A reliable source… The Beggars’ Sect?”
“They smell a bit.”
“Haha! I think so too. I once suggested at a Murim Alliance meeting that we should make the beggars wash, and I got a lot of flak from their leader.” The ‘leader’ referred to the head of the Beggars’ Sect.
Eunho looked at Pang Jiyeol with a tired expression.
No matter how much, telling someone to wash because they smell right to their face. Even in his past life as a yokai, he didn’t speak so bluntly.
And this was someone who was supposed to be the head of one of the Five Great Families at a Murim Alliance meeting.
“Tsk, anyway, I guess I’ll have to stay at the Pang family until the information arrives.”
Pang Jiyeol’s face brightened for a moment, then turned troubled.
“That’s a bit difficult.”
Eunho didn’t miss that moment.
There must be something going on for him to make such a face on purpose.
“Really? Then I’ll find a place nearby.”
“Ah, aren’t you going to ask why?”
“If it’s difficult, there must be a reason. I have plenty of money, so I can find a place nearby.”
“Just listen first.”
It was a strange picture of someone who said it was difficult but wanted to explain the reason.
“…Alright, go ahead.”
“Do you know the basic principle of our family? Those who do not work shall not eat! We uphold this with all our might.”
Eunho nodded.
It was a commendable principle.
Seeing Eunho, Pang Jiyeol showed a peculiar smile.
“So, if you want to stay with our family, you have to work too. How can I make you work?”
“Alright. I understand. So, I’ll find a place nearby…”
“There is one way. You can teach our Jeoak.”
Eunho was dumbfounded.
So, he went around in circles just to say that.
What a consistent person.
Look at those sparkling eyes.
In fact, it wasn’t a difficult task.
It was actually a good thing to do while waiting, so he wouldn’t be bored.
However, Eunho showed his reluctance as best as he could.
“I have no choice. But there will be no debt between us.”
“Of course!”
Pang Jiyeol nodded vigorously.
“Then let’s start right away.”
“Good. That’s a good idea.”
“Go out for a moment. If the father is watching, the son will be nervous.”
“Hmm, alright.”
Although it didn’t seem like he would be nervous, Eunho decided to go out as he said.
As soon as Pang Jiyeol left, Eunho approached Pang Jeoak, who was slumped in a corner.
He tapped him with his foot.
“Get up.”
“You’re weaker than you look.”
Eunho sighed as he looked at the motionless Pang Jeoak and gathered his internal energy in his foot.
Bang-!
A chunk of the wall right next to Pang Jeoak’s head was blown away.
Startled by the tremendous noise next to his ear, Pang Jeoak jumped up.
“What, what is this! What’s going on… huh? You bastard! You’re dead when my father finds out.”
Eunho looked at him with disdain.
“How old are you to still be calling for your father?”
“Shut up, you! I am Pang Jeoak, the eldest son of the Great Northern Pang family, and my father is the head of the Great Northern Pang family and proudly listed among the Twenty-Four Masters…!”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s a request from your great father, so don’t blame me.”
“?”
He couldn’t grasp the situation.
Come to think of it, where did his father go?
“We were definitely training together…”
“Then let’s begin.”
Eunho suddenly grabbed Pang Jeoak by the hair.
“What, what are you doing!”
And then slammed him to the ground. Crash-!
Pang Jeoak’s forehead hit the floor, and after a few twitches, he passed out.
Eunho leisurely walked out of the training hall.
A servant, who was passing by, looked around nervously at the loud noise from the training hall.
“Hey.”
“Y-yes?”
The servant’s eyes widened as Eunho suddenly called out to him.
“Ah, sorry if I startled you. Do you have any refreshments?”
“Refreshments…?”
Eunho nodded.
“What would you like me to prepare?”
“The most expensive ones here.”
Leaving those words, Eunho went back into the training hall.
“Still knocked out, huh. What a waste of size.”
Given the characteristics of the Northern Pang family, he expected a strong build, but by Eunho’s standards, he was just a weakling despite his size.
After a while, the servant brought out some luxurious refreshments.
“Thank you.”
Eunho savored the high-quality Longjing tea and mooncakes while looking at the unconscious Pang Jeoak.
Twitch.
“Oh, you’re awake.”
As if to meet Eunho’s expectations, Pang Jeoak trembled as he got up and glared at Eunho.
“You bastard…”
Bang-!
That was Pang Jeoak’s last word before his second fainting.
How many times had he fainted and woken up?
The surroundings had become dark, and Pang Jeoak stood up again.
There was no focus in the eyes of the now ragged Pang Jeoak.
“The speed at which you get up is getting faster. It’s a positive sign.”
Eunho moved again.
He gathered energy in his elbow and shoulder and struck with his fist.
It was a simple punch that had knocked Pang Jeoak out so far.
Swoosh!
“Oh?”
This time, instead of a bang, there was a swoosh sound.
Pang Jeoak had dodged by tilting his head to the side with unfocused eyes.
“Have you finally entered the state of ‘Realm of no self’?”
Realm of no self (無我之境)!
Due to the continuous attacks and fainting, Pang Jeoak had entered a state of unconsciousness.
The Realm of no self is a state where one forgets their own existence, maximizing only animalistic senses and instincts.
Even though Pang Jeoak was awake, he wasn’t truly conscious.
This was a method Eunho often used when training someone.
By making them enter the Realm of no self, he ingrained strength into their body as a ‘habit.’
A faint yellow aura was emanating from his entire body.
It was a color that appeared when one had mastered a certain level of the Northern Pang family’s martial arts.
“Faster than I thought. Is it because he’s a bear cub?”
Eunho increased his speed and struck Pang Jeoak again, causing him to faint once more.
After several repetitions, Pang Jeoak not only dodged but also began to counterattack.
Crash!
Eunho turned his head to check the sudden sound of a plate breaking. The refreshments were scattered on the floor, and Pang Jiyeol was standing next to them.
“Is that really Jeoak?”
His son’s movements were different from before.
Even though his eyes seemed a bit unfocused, it didn’t matter.
Compared to before, he was dodging and counterattacking Eunho’s attacks with overwhelming movements.
It was truly an astonishing growth.
It was almost impossible to achieve such progress in just one day…
Bang-!
Pang Jeoak was slammed down again with a loud noise.
Eunho walked over to Pang Jiyeol and picked up a piece of the fallen snack from the floor.
“Why did you drop this? Were all these made by the Pang family?”
Pang Jiyeol nodded as he looked at his son, who was slumped in a corner.
“Yes.”
“Hmm, making such delicious snacks yourself. The Five Great Families are indeed different.”
“Haha…”
Had the Pang family ever been praised for their confectionery rather than their martial arts?
For Pang Jiyeol, it was a strangely mixed compliment.
***
Meanwhile, the shadow guard, who was Su Rin’s escort, was on his way to the Cheonhajang, after gathering information from the Hao Sect.
The scale of the Cheonhajang, which he faced directly after jumping over the wall, was truly impressive. No matter how much he walked, he couldn’t see the end of the building.
At first, he thought, ‘As expected of the Cheonhajang,’ but something felt off. It seemed like he had already walked more than two li.
TL/N: Li: A traditional Chinese unit of distance, roughly equivalent to one-third of a mile or 0.5 kilometers.
With the steps of a top master, he should have been able to leave the area within two li.
“Is this a formation?”
He raised his senses to check the surroundings and saw that the energy was twisted. He had been walking in circles.
A formation typically has a death gate (死門) and a life gate (生門).
To exit the formation, one must continue walking through the life gate…
But the energy was so twisted that he couldn’t see the life gate.
“Hmm.”
He couldn’t tell when or how he got trapped.
The shadow guard stopped walking. The more one moves in a formation, the more dangerous it becomes.
He didn’t think the Cheonhajang would set up a formation to kill someone, but it was better to be cautious.
It seemed like a formation that activated for intruders.
He needed to explain that he was moving under Su Rin’s orders and clear up any misunderstandings.
“To do that, we must first call the master of the formation.”
The shadow guard drew his sword.
A subtle killing intent flowed from his entire body.
It wasn’t a flashy or massive aura.
His mission was to protect Su Rin from the shadows.
A pitch-black sword aura formed at the tip of his sword.
With clean, unembellished movements, he swung it, and the sword aura shot out swiftly and silently.
Bang-!
“Huh, it didn’t even budge.”
Whoever it was, they must be a highly skilled formation master!
At that moment, a familiar face approached.
It was the young man who had visited the brothel with the young master of the Cheonhajang.
It seemed that he was the one who created this formation.
So, it wasn’t without substance.
At the time, Eunho’s impact was so strong that he couldn’t pay attention to anything else, so he didn’t notice Lee Ryang.
The shadow guard recognized Lee Ryang as he approached.
Meeting again in such a situation was somewhat pleasant.
“Long time no see. Hidden, master…”
“Shut up!”
“…What, what?”
The sudden outburst left the shadow guard greatly bewildered.
“How dare you invade the Cheonhajang relying only on your own strength. You heinous villain!”
Come to think of it, the shadow guard had seen Lee Ryang before, but Lee Ryang had never seen him hiding in the shadows.
“Haha, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I am the master’s…”
“Why would someone like that climb over the wall? This formation wouldn’t affect anyone coming through the main gate.”
“Well, it’s kind of an occupational hazard…”
“Hmph, even a passing dog would laugh. Be glad that young master Ha isn’t here right now.”
If the wicked and brutal Eunho were here, this man wouldn’t even have his bones left.
Lee Ryang genuinely believed that.
“Sigh…”
The shadow guard’s patience was wearing thin.
He had never failed to complete a mission on time.
The shadow guard gathered his energy.
Unlike the subtle aura from before, it was now an overt energy!
He intended to break the formation, though he wasn’t sure if it would work.
Lee Ryang’s eyes narrowed at the sight.
“Now you reveal your true colors as an intruder.”
“I have no choice but to carry out my mission.”
“Urgent Command!”
As Lee Ryang spread his palm, a wind started there and turned into a storm.
Dark clouds gathered in the once clear sky, and thunder and lightning began to strike.
In an instant, a chilling energy filled the formation.
Even giant tigers began to crawl out from the walls, baring their fierce jaws.
The immense wind pressure made it hard for the shadow guard to even open his eyes.
Nevertheless, he held his sword firmly and stared straight ahead.
It was truly a tense situation! At that moment.
Bang-!
A clear and bright sound echoed throughout the area.
In an instant, the dark clouds cleared, and the beasts disappeared.
The shadow guard was somewhat bewildered but quickly regained his composure and moved.
It was clear that for some reason, the formation had stopped.
Taking advantage of the gap, the shadow guard swiftly entered the Cheonhajang and witnessed an unexpected scene.
Lee Ryang was holding his forehead, and the master was glaring at him.
With his forehead reddened, Lee Ryang jumped up and complained to Su Rin.
“Why did you hit me again!”
“Are you crazy? Why are you interfering with my and my subordinate’s work? I was wondering why you hadn’t come, so I came out to check. Unbelievable.”
“What? Subordinate?”
The shadow guard realized.
The clear sound that had echoed was the sound of Su Rin’s palm meeting Lee Ryang’s forehead.
Lee Ryang glared at the shadow guard with raised eyebrows.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
There was a subtle resentment.
“Huh.”
It was absurd. He had said it twice already…
Deciding to ignore it, he approached Su Rin.
“Did you find him?”
“Yes, young master Ha is currently at the Northern Pang family, and it seems that the traces of the Four Kings ended near Inwangchae, so it appears he fled there. The formation made further approach difficult.”
“Good job, Daejoo. But why is that guy at the Northern Pang family again? Is he really trying to persuade the Fist King?”
It was unbelievable.
No matter how strong Eunho was, the Fist King’s personality wouldn’t allow him to comply easily.
The future husband, though strong, seemed like a clueless lunatic.
What could she do? She would have to take good care of him for the rest of her life.
Thinking that way, being clueless about the world didn’t seem so bad.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
The two of them moved without delay.
They had to inform Eunho about the location of the Four Kings.
Su Rin looked at Lee Ryang, who was still holding his forehead.
“Are you coming?”
“…Am I going too?”
When Lee Ryang asked, Su Rin’s eyebrows raised slightly.
“Who will break the formation at Inwangchae?”
“Oh!”
And so, the three of them headed to the Northern Pang family.
No one could predict what scene awaited them there.
