novelraw Chapter 29 : Chapter 29
Chapter 29 : Chapter 29
Chapter 29 - Where did you say you were a member of?
“My eyes are spinning.”
That was Biyoung’s impression upon visiting the Yi family home.
The land of Yunnan is barren.
People joke about Yunnan, saying it's ‘a land where more people starve to death than are born in a year’.
But every desert has its oasis.
Even in Yunnan, there were two regions where commerce flourished.
One was the capital, Kunming.
And the second was this very Yiliang County.
It was natural for Kunming to prosper since it was the capital of Yunnan.
On the other hand, the reason people flocked to Yiliang County was its fertile land.
With a wide expanse of plains, a rare sight in Yunnan, people naturally gathered, and a commercial district was formed.
Although it was a county smaller than a city, it was a region etched in the minds of Jianghu people as a place one must visit when in Yunnan.
In particular, the main house of the Yi Family Clan was a must-see attraction for visitors to Yunnan.
Biyoung’s expression of his eyes spinning was not an exaggeration.
It wasn't the first time he had seen a mansion of this scale, but wasn't this Yunnan?
The entire size of the mansion was so vast that it couldn't be taken in at a single glance, and the height of the walls was well over one jang.
The stylish roofs visible beyond the walls seemed to represent the dignity of the people living inside.
What was most impressive was the size of the main gate.
On a signboard that looked larger than a ferry boat, the words Yi Family Manor were written in Dragon-and-Snake Soaring strokes, and below it, a red gate taller than the walls looked down on visitors as if to overwhelm them.
“Young Master Yi!”
As soon as Biyoung and Sedong arrived at the main gate of the main house, a servant approached as if he had been waiting and bowed his waist.
“The Family Head is waiting. I will guide you to the Guest Pavilion.”
“Guest Pavilion?”
The one surprised by those words was not Biyoung, but Sedong.
“Biyoung. It seems my father is really grateful for your help. The Guest Pavilion is a place that is rarely opened unless he is meeting with high-ranking officials or distinguished guests.”
“Really? Ahem.”
Biyoung's nose was gradually ascending towards the sky.
“Of course it should be! How much loss did I prevent! As expected, the Family Head is indeed certain about his rewards and punishments!”
“Hehe. That's right. This is the first time my guest is going to the Guest Pavilion, so I’m excited too.”
Indeed, the corners of Sedong's mouth were stretched all the way to his ears.
He was in the transitional period from a boy to a young man.
But smiling so brightly like that, his chubby cheeks looked like a mountain squirrel's.
On the other hand, he also felt puzzled.
Even if he was the son of a concubine, wasn't he a son who was made to compete with the eldest son?
How grand could the Guest Pavilion be that even the son was forbidden from entering?
But Biyoung decided to put aside his useless doubts.
Today was the day to express gratitude to this body, the benefactor of the merchant caravan.
It meant that he should just eat what was given without thinking about this and that.
“Haha. Let's go!”
“Alright. I'll put away the thing you asked me to hold onto first.”
Sedong disappeared with Biyoung's belongings wrapped in a cloth and soon reappeared.
Perhaps because he had learned the Flying Eagle Steps, it didn't take very long.
Following the servant who led the way, Sedong and Biyoung walked, one ahead of the other.
“Wow.”
Biyoung let out a sound of admiration as he looked around.
“They say it's the number one manor in Yiliang County, and it really is.”
Unlike the dignified main gate, a beautiful flower garden appeared upon entering.
The climate was not very warm, so there weren't many types of flowers that bloomed.
But it seemed as if all the flowers that could be grown in Yunnan were gathered here.
In the middle of the flower garden, various forms of ornamental trees added to the charm, and along the endless walls, various kinds of stone statues were lined up at regular intervals.
Their glaring eyes made it seem like they were placed there to catch thieves who crossed the wall.
It wasn't just the facilities of the mansion that looked luxurious.
Even the clothes of the servant leading the way, though stained, seemed to be made of good quality, sturdy fabric.
“Is my father alone inside?”
The servant who was walking ahead cautiously answered Sedong's question.
“No, sir. There are a total of four people inside.”
“Four people?”
Sedong’s round eyes widened as if he was surprised.
Were there that many people to express gratitude on behalf of the Yi Family Clan?
‘Something’s strange.’
Let's say the Guest Pavilion was understandable.
After all, he was the benefactor who had saved the merchant caravan.
But there was no reason for the Family Head to bring three people along to express his gratitude in person.
The only person Biyoung knew from the Yi family was Sedong.
That means,
‘He has a scheme.’
There was no other way to explain it.
Sedong also seemed to have felt the sense of unease, as his excited expression had subsided a little.
In the meantime, the two arrived at the Guest Pavilion.
“Wow…….”
It was a beautiful building, enough to make one momentarily forget their doubts.
The outer walls were covered in brilliant colors as if inlaid with jewels, and the roof and doors were firmly constructed with materials that were visibly high-quality.
An exterior that would make anyone who entered this place feel treated with respect.
It literally felt like a place only distinguished guests could enter.
“Young Master Yi, you’ve arrived.”
An elderly man greeted the two in front of the Guest Pavilion.
Unlike the servant, he also turned to Biyoung and bowed politely.
“I am called So-woong, and I serve as the butler of the Yi Family Manor. It is a pleasure to meet the benefactor of the Yi Family Manor.”
“Haha. What do you mean, benefactor. I just gave a lot of help.”
“……?”
So-woong momentarily doubted his ears.
A lot of help?
It's true that he gave a lot of help, but…… usually, one would show some modesty, even if just for formality…….
“I'm pleased to meet you too. Can I go inside?”
So-woong, caught off guard, quickly extended one hand towards the Guest Pavilion.
“My guidance was late. Please, come inside.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Butler So-woong was not a person who usually made mistakes.
But as soon as he exchanged his first words with the young man before him, he almost lost his flow.
He was a young man who gave off a strange feeling, not just arrogant or insolent.
‘I can’t predict what will happen in there.’
Looking at Biyoung and Sedong entering the guest room, So-woong had a complicated expression.
***
Flinch.
Biyoung, who was going inside, stopped for a moment.
“Biyoung, what’s wrong?”
“……Oh. It’s nothing.”
Biyoung shook his head as if it were nothing and started walking again.
The reason he had stopped was because of the people waiting inside.
‘There’s a martial artist in there.’
When a martial artist is in a small space, a unique current flows.
After clearing the Conception and Governor Vessels, he could feel that sensation just like in his past life.
This was a merchant family, and wasn't this a place to thank him for defeating the bandits?
But a martial artist?
It was a moment when the suspicion that had taken root in Biyoung's mind grew even larger.
“Welcome.”
The first person among the four to greet them was Yi Gwon-su.
As if to prove he was Sedong's father, his head was very small and his build was small.
The only difference was that he had small, sharp eyes compared to Sedong's large, round eyes.
And that the philtrum between his nose and lips was wide, giving him a slightly comical impression.
“Hello.”
“You’ve worked hard coming here. Sit here.”
Although he didn't get up, Yi Gwon-su's actions were, at a glance, warm.
The other three people looked at Biyoung with blatant interest.
‘Your faces are going to get familiar, you bastards.’
Biyoung snorted inwardly and sat down.
Yi Gwon-su was seated at the head of the long rectangular table, and three people were sitting side by side on the right side.
Biyoung and Sedong sat opposite them.
Biyoung could easily guess the identity of one of them.
‘That must be Sedong’s brother.’
A similar build to Yi Gwon-su.
Clothes made of luxurious silk fabric.
Smooth, well-cared-for skin.
And a face that looked not just intelligent but cunning.
The person sitting closest to Yi Gwon-su seemed to be Sedong's brother, Yi Hae-dong.
“I didn't know the Family Head and the First Young Master would be here together.”
“……!”
A strange light appeared in the eyes of the father and son.
“How did you know this child is Hae-dong?”
“They just look alike? And I heard that riff-raff can't enter the Guest Pavilion.”
“Hm? Wahahahaha!”
At Biyoung's words, Yi Gwon-su burst into hearty laughter.
He had read that the expression ‘riff-raff’ was actually aimed at the two people next to him.
“I should introduce them quickly before I make any more mistakes with the young master. As Young Master Biyoung said, this is the first son of the Yi Family Manor, Hae-dong.”
“Pleased to meet you, Young Master Biyoung.”
“Hello.”
Was it because of what Biyoung had said a moment ago?
A strange smile lingered on Hae-dong's lips.
“I was honestly half in doubt when I heard you were friends with Sedong, but you really are a young friend. To the point where it's hard to believe you subdued the bandits by yourself.”
At Hae-dong's words, the two men next to him's eyes lit up.
Among them, the man with the thick neck asked Yi Gwon-su.
“By himself? You didn’t mention that before.”
“Haha. I thought you would surely not believe me if I told you. Even I am still half in doubt. Besides, isn't it the way of hero stories to have a little exaggeration mixed in?”
“That is true, but……”
Because he hadn't mentioned that he had fought alone, the two men had thought that Biyoung had fought together with the escorts.
But alone?
The two men now began to openly scrutinize Biyoung's appearance.
‘A jade face unrivaled in Yunnan. But with such a pretty face, he took on bandits?’
‘It is right to assume that there is some exaggeration mixed in.’
While they were thinking that as they looked at Biyoung, Yi Gwon-su's introduction continued.
“These two are martial artists from the True Dragon Sect who came to see Biyoung. This gentleman here is Elder Mayeon of the True Dragon Sect, renowned for his Clean and Fierce True Sword, and this gentleman here is called Daebyeong(Great Soldier), the foremost among the second-generation disciples of the True Dragon Sect.”
Elder Mayeon, who had earned the nickname Clean and Fierce True Sword because his sword path was clean yet ferocious.
His beard, which grew down to his neck, and his whitish eyebrows made him look to be well over sixty.
The second-generation disciple called Daebyeong had a thick neck and lips, and a thick torso, giving him an overall rigid feeling.
Was it because they were quite pleased with Yi Gwon-su's introduction?
Elder Mayeon stroked his long beard, and Daebyeong cleared his throat and straightened his posture.
But their mood soon plummeted at Biyoung's words.
“True Dragon Sect? Where is True Dragon Sect?”
“Wh-what??”
The elder merely twitched his eyebrows, but Daebyeong let out a deflated voice.
The five people, excluding himself, had bewildered expressions, but Biyoung, the person in question, was still tilting his head.
Why.
What.
What is True Dragon Sect.
Sedong, unable to watch any longer, explained to Biyoung.
“How can a kid who practices martial arts not know of the True Dragon Sect? They’re the strongest sect that has risen in the Guizhou province area.”
“Really? It’s the first I’ve heard of them.”
“!”
Daebyeong’s face crumpled like a piece of tissue paper.
The two men might have thought that Biyoung was messing with them.
After all, he was treating a sect that had already made its name known in the Jianghu for over ten years as a nobody.
And that.
A young brat.
Right in front of them!
But Biyoung also had something to say.
Because he had never heard of a sect called the True Dragon Sect, neither in his past life nor now.
“Hahahahaha.”
Yi Gwon-su, who had sensed the awkward atmosphere, took control of the mood.
“It seems that Young Master Biyoung has been so focused on his martial arts training that he is overly indifferent to worldly affairs. I hope the two of you were not offended.”
“Offended? Not at all.”
Elder Mayeon answered immediately.
It was a quite infuriating situation, but he couldn't just grill a young brat, saying, ‘You really don't know us?! We're pretty famous!’.
“Young Master Biyoung. The True Dragon Sect is a sect with a bright future, aiming to expand beyond Guizhou and into this Yunnan. Though I'm not sure if the expression 'bright future' is fitting for a sect that is already a member of the Nine Sects One Union……”
“What?!”
Suddenly.
Biyoung, who had been indifferent all along, shouted convulsively.
A great agitation was stirring in Biyoung's chest, enough to make his cheeks tremble.
“What did you just say? Where did you say the True Dragon Sect was a member of?”
“Where……? Are you referring to the Nine Sects One Union? Well, since you don't know the True Dragon Sect, it's unlikely you would know that fact. The True Dragon Sect replaced the Diancang Sect, which was annihilated several years ago, to become the new Nine Sects One Union.”
A lightning-like spark flashed in Biyoung's eyes.