Reincarnation of the Martial Emperor

Chapter 43: Yes, so you're going to devour our Wuhan?

Namgung Sejin's long, sword-like eyebrows were trembling.

Perhaps a storm was raging in his heart right now.

What?

Did he really think he wouldn't be swayed by my tricks?

It seemed his brain had become even more filled with bluster while I hadn't seen him.

To have the audacity to challenge this Martial Emperor with something that wouldn't even work.

“Ahem, the sun is quite strong. Please, let's go inside.”

Namgung Sejin, who had been stiff with an unknown emotion, followed my father's guidance and entered the outer courtyard.

The little Namgung kids followed their father's footsteps.

In the meantime, the daughter of the Namgung Clan glared at me fiercely before turning away abruptly.

‘That young girl must be Namgung So-hwa.’

I had already finished gathering information on them.

That upright-looking one is probably the eldest son, Namgung Hyeok, who is said to know nothing but martial arts, and that wide-faced one who takes after his father is the rising intellect of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Jun.

I don't know about the distant future, but for now, that Namgung Jun is a more difficult person than the eldest son.

According to the information from the Teaching Origin Pavilion, that bastard's capabilities have already surpassed those of established Jianghu figures.

He is on a brotherly basis with the Hefei branch chief, who is his father's age.

That means he's already stealing the branch chief's achievements at that age.

Since he is sharing the credit for subjugating the remnants of the Demonic Cult with the branch chief, he is already making a name for himself despite being a prodigy.

Was his alias Thunder Peak Sword?

Judging by his alias, it seems he has learned the Heavenly Thunder Sword Art, one of the two great sword arts of the Namgung Clan.

To show an aptitude for thunder ki means his martial talent is also extraordinary.

‘But he's not even looking at me.’

Unlike the eldest son who greeted me with a light nod or Namgung So-hwa who gave me a clumsy glare, that bastard completely ignored me.

He has already draped himself in the vanity of being a Namgung.

Hmm, then this makes it too easy to exploit.

Isn't he a less remarkable person than I thought?

Perhaps things will be resolved easily.

***

A feast was prepared inside the Pavilion of Floral Beauty of the Jaegal Clan.

When Jaegal Myeong-won tried to yield the seat of honor, Namgung Sejin shook his head.

“Although I represent the Namgung Clan, how can I take the seat of honor in front of a great senior.”

The Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom, who was watching this, burst out laughing.

“Hehe, have you been well? Is my friend also at peace?”

“He is in good health, except for his hearing becoming a little dull.”

While exchanging pleasantries with all due respect, Namgung Sejin's eyes were wavering.

‘A conference table….’

Such a rectangular conference table is mainly used when the hierarchical relationship is clear.

The seats of honor and lower seats are clearly distinguished, and the seating arrangement is meticulously determined according to the distribution of power in Jianghu.

Surely, from the Jaegal Clan's perspective, they would have arranged a round table to somehow show the equal relationship of the Five Great Clans.

Could it be their intention to press down this great Namgung by fully utilizing the fame of the Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom?

‘They mean not to hide their intentions any longer.’

If such a clever trick was hidden in this rectangular conference table, he should never have yielded the seat of honor.

After all, he was the clan head representing the Namgung Clan, and the Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom was just an elder of the Jaegal Clan.

Distribution of seats was in the realm of etiquette and face, not the realm of actual hierarchy.

“Now, please be seated.”

Jaegal Myeong-won, who was smiling gently, looked different today.

Yes, if that cautious man is going to challenge me with this much determination, I'll gladly give him the first move.

“Then I will not refuse.”

When the great Azure Sky Divine Sword really took a lower seat, his children all hardened their expressions.

Their father was a great Seven Revered of Jianghu, who was even treated with respect by the Sword Saint.

But in the mere Jaegal Clan, and in front of all those young Jaegal bastards, he had received a lesson from the seat of honor.

At that moment.

Servants dressed in splendid phoenix robes approached with cautious movements and unfolded the small silks that wrapped the spoons and chopsticks.

‘Hmm?’

For a moment, Namgung Sejin thought his eyes were deceiving him.

Soon, he frowned deeply and stared at Jaegal Myeong-won.

“What is the meaning of this?”

The spoon was shaped like a square shovel, something you'd use to scoop sand at a construction site.

And it was obvious that it had been hastily ground.

However, Jaegal Myeong-won did not even blink and smiled calmly this time as well.

“The sides in a rectangle signify order, law, balance, and stability. I thought it would be a good meaning to incorporate into this meeting of our two families, so I tried to be a little creative. Has my wish, by any chance, made the Clan Head's heart uncomfortable?”

“……No.”

It was quite a grand meaning to be contained in such a bizarrely shaped spoon.

But it was also difficult to fault the host for showing sincerity to his guest.

However.

Something was strangely uncomfortable.

Memories that he had tried to forget, that he didn't want to recall, were creeping up in his mind from the depths of his heart.

‘Hmm?’

Come to think of it, all the plates holding the food were also square.

The decoration of the candlestick holding the flickering candle was also square, and the pattern of the silk decorating the window was all square.

It seemed there should be something round, but the entire interior of the Pavilion of Floral Beauty was filled only with angular and crooked things.

Only then did Namgung Sejin recall the memory from earlier.

‘That bastard….’

Namgung Sejin was looking at Jaegal Hwi, who was picking his ear and then blowing on his finger.

His clever way of speaking.

And those eyes, glittering with mischief.

That bastard definitely reminded him of someone he had tried to shove into the back of his memory, someone he didn't want to think about for even a moment.

Could the interior of this Pavilion of Floral Beauty, filled only with angular things, be unrelated to that bastard?

No.

That bastard must be involved in this.

At that moment, the Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom in the seat of honor picked up his spoon and chopsticks.

“You have worked hard coming all this way. May this old man preside over this meeting of our two families?”

Namgung Jun, who had been holding back all this time, rose from his seat.

“This junior scholar would like to say a word. I am Namgung Jun.”

“Speak.”

Namgung Jun, who had been politely clasping his hands in greeting, shone his eyes.

“This is not a place to enjoy a banquet for personal reasons. Since our clan's head personally sent an invitation and visited, this is an official meeting of our two families that will be recorded in the history of Jianghu.”

“I know.”

“But why are there upper and lower seats? Shouldn't our Clan Head be greeted with the etiquette of an equal as is customary? If you wish to gain the upper hand in the meeting by putting forth the distribution of seats, we have no choice but to bring our clan's elders as well.”

“Hehe….”

Just as the Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom burst out laughing, this time the eldest son of the Jaegal Clan, Jaegal Cheon, stepped forward.

“What kind of rudeness is this? Our family has dismissed all other guests and our most senior elder has personally come forward to greet your esteemed family. If you are going to quibble even over the seating arrangement, what meaning is there in this meeting?”

“Stop.”

The Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom stopped Jaegal Cheon with a stern look.

Jaegal Cheon bowed deeply and sat down again.

“Listen. Heavenly Martial Squad Leader.”

Namgung Jun's eyes were tinged with an even fiercer light.

Heavenly Martial Squad Leader was the title of the Azure Sky Divine Sword during his youth, during the Great War between the Orthodox and Demonic Factions.

The reason why that old and experienced Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom was being so friendly by bringing up the past that was already several decades old was all too obvious.

However, Namgung Sejin's reaction was unexpected.

“Please speak, Supreme Commander.”

Namgung Jun, who was about to jump up with a clenched fist, looked at his father with surprise. Latest content publıshed on novèlfire.net

He's accepting this?

“Think of the alliance members who died so tragically while blocking the invasion of the Demonic Cult with their own bodies. Did those beautiful young men give up their precious lives just so the survivors could fight among themselves.”

A smiling Namgung Sejin.

“How could I forget their righteous spirit. However, there is a law for the survivors. I still believe that thoroughly rooting out the remnants of the Demonic Cult who are lurking everywhere is the way to honor them.”

For a moment, a strange light flashed in the Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom's eyes.

“So, that was your purpose. In the end, all the talk about the discord between our two families and the provocations with the Azure Sky Sword Squad were just a cover.”

“It's reality. Wuhan is already a paradise for the surviving remnants of the Demonic Cult. The number of safe houses of the Demonic Cult members secured through intelligence exceeds dozens.”

Jaegal Myeong-won's shoulders trembled.

He understood exactly what Namgung Sejin meant by those words.

“Surely the Clan Head does not wish to place the Wuhan branch under the eaves of Namgung?”

“Since we're on the subject, let me ask. Why is your esteemed family so passive in rooting out the Demonic Cult members?”

“That is…!”

“If you're planning to talk about being a military family, then don't. Even when the lurking Demonic Cult members are revealed, all you've done is send a carrier pigeon to the Alliance. The Wuhan branch, which is already overwhelmed with maintaining public order and gathering intelligence, has desperately requested your family's cooperation so many times, haven't they?”

This was an undeniable fact.

The Wuhan branch had requested the dispatch of the Shadowless Terrace countless times, but the Jaegal Clan had thoroughly ignored them until now.

Of course, the Jaegal Clan was not without its reasons.

Since they only had one military unit, the protection of the clan in case of an emergency was a priority.

“Only six Demonic Cult members. That is the achievement of this vast Wuhan branch in half a year. Now, say what you have to say.”

“In the end, aren't you using this as a pretext to incorporate the Wuhan branch into Namgung's sphere of influence?”

For a moment.

A storm-like momentum flowed out from Namgung Sejin's entire body.

“Then do you think this Namgung would just stand by and watch this Wuhan, which is turning into a den of demons?”

Jaegal Myeong-won just bit his lip.

It was such a powerful justification that he hadn't anticipated, so he couldn't think of any other way to explain.

“Our clan's Azure Sky Sword Squad will respectfully challenge your family's Shadowless Terrace. If our clan's Azure Sky Sword Squad wins this martial arts tournament, I will order them to be stationed at the Wuhan branch.”

A clear notification, not a request for cooperation.

The former military strategist of the Murim Alliance, the Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom, finally let out a long sigh.

“Hmph… So in the end, the Namgung Clan Head will not accept this old man's mediation and intends to walk the path of hegemony?”

“Please speak correctly. This is not the path of hegemony, but the subjugation of demons. Senior.”

But surprisingly, the Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom was not very agitated and smiled faintly.

“Remember. You brought all of this upon yourself.”

“What is that…?”

“I don't know anymore either.”

At that moment.

Jaegal Myeong-won's expression hardened sternly.

He had already closed his eyes tightly.

“Hwi-ah, step forward.”

Jaegal Hwi, who had been engrossed in his meal voraciously, jumped up with rice grains stuck all over his mouth.

“Yes! Clan Head!”

The Old Man of Heavenly Wisdom patted his grandson's shoulder and left the Pavilion of Floral Beauty.

Jaegal Myeong-won took out a small jade tablet from his bosom and held it out to his third son.

“……Then I'll leave it to you.”

“Ah, this precious thing….”

Namgung Sejin's eyes widened like lanterns.

Surprisingly, what Jaegal Myeong-won took out from his bosom was the Phoenix Command Seal, the clan head's seal of the Jaegal Clan.

“Clan Head? What is the meaning of this?”

“From now on, this Jaegal is no longer the Clan Head of the Jaegal Clan.”

Jaegal Hwi, who had leisurely sat down again, crossed his legs.

“For the time being, the position of the Jaegal Clan Head is vacant. Hmm? You don't know? You really don't know what vacant means? Ah, I see, you don't know how to read because you're a Namgung?”

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

Soon, Jaegal Hwi raised his spoon and squinted one eye as he sized up Namgung Sejin.

“Damn, that wide face looks just like some bastard's.”

A snicker.

“Yes, so you're going to devour our Wuhan?”