Chapter 98 : Heonwon
"Brother Su! Are you alright?"
The person who ran out calling Heon Wonsu's name was none other than.
"Jihye. What are you doing here...?"
"Of course, I came because I was worried about you, brother. I heard you were beaten up by Peng Guin."
Heon Wonsu, as if he were slightly embarrassed that it had become known to Jegal Jihye, scratched the back of his head and continued.
"It has even reached Jihye's ears. It's a little embarrassing."
"What are you talking about? The one who should be embarrassed is Peng Guin. By the way, who are the people next to you, brother?"
Namgung Hui, vaguely recalling having seen her in his childhood, casually greeted her.
"Jihye. Do you perhaps recognize me?"
"If it's such a beautiful young master... Could it be Brother Hui?"
"Yes. It's been almost 10 years."
"Oh my. Then did you save my Gaga, brother?"
"That's not it. This younger brother named Yelu Guang saved him. I just stepped in when that guy named Peng Guin was interfering. By the way, you've grown up a lot, even dating."
"Hoho! That's right. And you, brother, also seem to have a better physique and have regained your health. I'm so glad."
As Namgung Hui and Jegal Jihye were having a pleasant conversation, Heon Wonsu glanced at them and asked.
"Young Hero Namgung. Did you know my Jihye?"
"Yes. Jihye's cousin is my best friend."
"Ahem. Then I will also address you as older brother. Please speak comfortably."
"Is that alright? I'd be happy to. Since I'm getting another younger brother. Then, instead of doing this here, why don't we go to a quiet place and have a cup of tea?"
"Brother Hui. We just happen to have a tea house we've rented. Let's go there."
And so, they entered the tea house that Jegal Jihye led them to, and as expected, since the Jegal family had rented the whole place, there were no customers inside.
No, there were a few scholars who seemed to be from the Jegal family, but Jegal Jihye only greeted them with her eyes and did not introduce them.
"Let's sit by the window here. I'll bring the tea, so please talk for a moment."
As Jegal Jihye disappeared into what seemed to be the kitchen, Heon Wonsu sat down on a chair and continued.
"Brother Namgung. By Jihye's cousin, do you mean the second squad leader of the Vermilion Bird Squad, Young Hero Jegal Geon?"
"Yes. He's one of the few friends I've had since childhood. But how did you get to know Jihye?"
"Well, isn't the acquaintance between a man and a woman fate?"
"That's enough of the nonsense."
"Actually, how I got to know her was..."
A long and winding story flowed from Heon Wonsu's mouth.
Since Namgung Hui had no experience in dating, he couldn't particularly empathize, but when his story was over, he could at least summarize it.
"So. You just happened to bump into her on the street, you treated Jihye, and then your friendship developed. Why is the story so long?"
"Brother. Isn't this story a matter of 'ah' and 'uh'? Anyway. So my Jihye..."
"I also know that Jihye is smart. So that's enough of the bragging."
At Namgung Hui's rebuke, Heon Wonsu scratched his chin.
At the same time, Jegal Jihye, who came out with a tea set, smiled and continued.
"Brother. Don't scold Gaga too much. There's no one as good as this person."
"The person himself seems nice. But he also seems a little bland."
"That's a problem I'll handle myself, so I'll only take this much of your interest. So what are you going to do now, Brother Hui?"
"From now on?"
"The Hebei Peng family. I heard from Brother Geon, but you had a conflict with the Hebei Peng family before. So I was asking what you're going to do from now on. I was curious if you're going to face them head-on or go with a strategy."
"A strategy. I don't have such an outstanding strategist. I'm just thinking of going with a head-on confrontation, which I'm confident in. And since Guang here also has a bad relationship with those guys, it's not bad."
"And there's also the Young Palace Mistress of the Moon Maiden Palace and the Sichuan Tang family, right?"
"The news travels fast."
Namgung Hui, savoring the teacup that Jegal Jihye had handed him, was suddenly reminded of something.
"Ah! That's right! I said Seolhwa would be waiting. I said I had forgotten something. Damn it!"
Namgung Hui already felt like he was walking on thin ice.
A chill ran down his spine, and a cold ki began to circulate throughout his body.
Shiver.
He shivered once and then shot up from his seat.
"Brother. Where are you going?"
"The Vermilion Bird Squad. I have to go there. I said my friends would be waiting. You two follow me right away if you have nothing to do."
""Yes.""
"Alright. I'll go and see Brother Geon for the first time in a while."
Namgung Hui, not knowing that the tea was hot, swallowed it all in one gulp and left the tea house.
As soon as they sat down, Namgung Hui's group disappeared from the tea house, and one of the scholars who had been watching them looked at Namgung Hui's back and muttered softly.
"As expected. A dragon is a dragon. At this rate, it would be okay to proceed to the next stage."
The scholar, who was smiling with satisfaction, disappeared as if he had never been there, amidst the rustling of the wind.
* * *
"Brother! Let's go a little slower. My Jihye can't keep up."
"Jihye knows the way here, so it doesn't matter if she can't keep up, does it? Or you can come with her. I'm in a hurry, so I can't."
Heon Wonsu, as if he had no choice, slowed his steps and matched his pace with Jegal Jihye.
As he naturally distanced himself from Heon Wonsu, Yelu Guang, who was the only one following Namgung Hui, asked.
"Brother. What's the matter that you're in such a hurry? Will someone eat you if you're late?"
Gulp.
Namgung Hui, who had swallowed his dry saliva, smiled awkwardly and answered.
"Eat me? Do I look that easy?"
"Then why are you sweating?"
"This? I'm just sweating because I ran fast. Stop talking nonsense and just follow me."
Yelu Guang tilted his head as if he still didn't understand, but since Namgung Hui was flying so fast, he moved his feet without even having time to question.
Namgung Hui, who had arrived at the Vermilion Bird Squad in an instant, looked around and raised his ki sense.
At that moment.
-Swoosh!
A dangerous alarm rang in Namgung Hui's ki sense.
He quickly unfolded the Wind God Step, deflected the attack, turned around, and said to the attacker.
"No. You're throwing a sword ki just because someone is a little late? Baek Seolhwa. Isn't that too much?"
"And you? I said I'd be waiting, and you're meeting people all over the place?"
"There's a reason for this..."
-Swoosh!
No questions asked.
Just as Namgung Hui was about to make an excuse, a chillingly cold sword ki poured out.
Namgung Hui bit his lip and deflected her attack, but an unexpected person joined in and stopped her.
"Hey. Lady celestial maiden. Brother Namgung really came after doing something important. Please calm your anger."
"I'm not angry. I'm just giving a due punishment to someone who did wrong."
"Hoho. Then, instead of doing this here at the Martial Alliance, why don't you go out and do it? If you throw a sword ki one more time, you'll be dragged away by the Martial Alliance warriors."
As Yelu Guang had said, the whispers of the Vermilion Bird Squad members who were watching from the surroundings were unusual.
"Shouldn't we report this to the higher-ups?"
"I heard he's a guest of Squad Leader Jegal, but isn't this a bit much?"
"But if we just watch the pavilion get destroyed, we'll be disciplined."
Baek Seolhwa finally sheathed her sword and approached Namgung Hui.
"Then tell me the whole story of why you were late."
Namgung Hui, from the time he met Yelu Guang.
To the reason he had fought with the Penguin brothers.
He explained it to her step by step.
"Well, since you did a good thing. I'll let it slide this time. Next time, you should know it won't end like this."
"Alright. Next time, if I'm late, contact me with the earring. Alright?"
"Yes. Alright. Then the people coming from behind must be Heon Wonsu and Jegal Jihye."
As she had said, the figures of the two people began to be seen from a distance.
There was still a considerable distance to where Namgung Hui was, so it would take quite a while to get there.
Yelu Guang frowned and asked Baek Seolhwa.
"Sister. Your eyesight is much better than mine. It seems there are only amazing people around my brother."
"Sister?"
"Ah. I'm sorry. I've only been in the countryside, so I'm not used to such titles. Then shall I call you miss?"
Baek Seolhwa, as if she didn't dislike Yelu Guang's simple-looking appearance, readily continued.
"Forget it. Then I'll speak comfortably too."
"Of course. It's an honor for me to have such a pretty older sister. Hehe."
"You're good at flattery. And you, younger brother Yelu, also have a considerable amount of internal energy. Where is your sect?"
Baek Seolhwa asked what Namgung Hui had also wanted to ask.
Namgung Hui's gaze naturally turned to Yelu Guang, and he scratched the back of his head as if he were embarrassed and continued.
"There's nothing to call a sect. I learned my family's martial arts."
"Family? If you're a Yelu, then you're from the imperial family of the Liao Dynasty, so you learned the imperial family's martial arts?"
Yelu Guang kept his mouth shut and answered with a bitter smile.
Since the Liao Dynasty had fallen, his smile could not be bright.
"But how did you end up coming to the Central Plains?"
"Ah, that's. Actually, I came out to find my lost family. I thought I might be able to find them with the help of the Martial Alliance."
"Brother Yelu. Then you should have come to the Vermilion Bird Squad right away, not the Black Tortoise Squad. This is where they handle information like intelligence. Well, since you've come anyway, it doesn't matter."
Yelu Guang, as if it were the first time he had heard this, opened his simple-looking eyes wide and said.
"Was that so? It's a great fortune that I met you, brother. Since you said your friend is a squad leader of the Vermilion Bird Squad, may I ask you for a favor?"
"That much is fine. Just write down the appearance and name of the person you're looking for and give it to me."
"I've already written that down."
Yelu Guang handed a portrait with many handprints on it to Namgung Hui.
He had touched it so often that he wondered if the paper had been black from the beginning.
Namgung Hui looked at the portrait for a moment and then nodded.
"She must be your younger sister. Yelu Lan. Her name is also pretty."
"Haha. Thank you for looking at her favorably. Then I'll trust you, brother."
"You should trust my friend, not me. Then I'll also trust my friend and entrust it to him."
Yelu Guang let out a big sigh, placing his hand on his chest as if he were truly relieved.
As Namgung Hui put the portrait in his bosom, Heon Wonsu and Jegal Jihye finally arrived.
"Gasp gasp. Brother Hui. Isn't that too much? Where do you think you're going, running so fast?"
Namgung Hui glanced at Baek Seolhwa and then continued.
"I also have my reasons. Anyway. Since we're here, let's go and find Geon. He's probably in his office by now, right?"
"Probably?"
At Jegal Jihye's ambiguous answer, Baek Seolhwa added.
"He's in his office. Eun Seolrin and Tang Soso are also there now. You can see them right away if you go."
"Since everyone who's supposed to be here is here. Alright. Let's go right away."
Baek Seolhwa, who knew the location of the office, led the group.
And Jegal Jihye, who was following her, casually asked Namgung Hui.
"Brother Hui. Is she perhaps your girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend? She's a female friend, so that's right, but why?"
"Ah. That's not it... Well, forget it. I'll ask Brother Geon later."
Namgung Hui, thinking that she was asking all sorts of things, judged that the people of the Jegal family were still very curious.
And so, when they arrived at the office and threw the door open, as expected, Jegal Geon, as well as Eun Seolrin and Tang Soso, were sitting inside.
But contrary to that, there was also an unexpected person in the room.
He was none other than.
"Heh heh. Are you that Namgung something, called the Sleeping Dragon?"
It was an elder of the Beggars' Sect, wearing a shabby sackcloth and with as many as six knots tied to his waist.
(End of Chapter)