The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan

'What is this?'

Namgung Il stood in place and stared at the two people in front of him.

Namgung Ji aside, who was the man standing next to him?

It seemed that the two were waiting for him, so Namgung Il's gaze naturally went towards them.

"..."

Just then, Namgung Il, who had stopped, started walking again.

The distance between Namgung Il and the two began to close.

When the distance had narrowed to almost right in front of them, Namgung Ji began to move.

"You're finally here..."

Swish—

What?

Namgung Ji momentarily looked at the spot where Namgung Il had just passed with a blank face.

'Could it be... was I just ignored?'

Namgung Ji belatedly realized that fact.

How dare Namgung Il openly ignore him.

Namgung Ji's face crumpled, and he turned his body towards where Namgung Il had just passed.

"Wait!"

Shouting, Namgung Ji hurriedly chased after the receding Namgung Il.

Grab—

Namgung Ji's right hand grabbed Namgung Il's shoulder.

His steps halted.

At that moment, Namgung Ji realized he had made a huge mistake.

"Are you crazy?"

"...!"

"How dare you put your hand on your heaven-like older brother's shoulder?"

As soon as Namgung Il said that, Namgung Ji's right hand reflexively came down from his shoulder.

That cold voice and gaze.

At this moment, Namgung Ji was once again reminded of that terrible memory he had briefly forgotten.

"N-no, that's not it... You were the one who openly ignored me first!"

"You?"

"...!"

"It seems your education is still lacking. Do you want to get beaten again?"

Namgung Il had already turned completely around and was asking.

At that moment, without realizing it, Namgung Ji started to back away with a pale face, and he only stopped when he bumped into something behind him.

"You've really changed a lot in the short time I haven't seen you."

"..."

"Do you really think it's right to just ignore and pass by this heaven-like older brother?"

At that question, Namgung Il's gaze turned to the man standing right behind Namgung Ji.

A man who looked a little like Namgung Ji, but with a much larger build.

It was the first time Namgung Il had seen the man, but recalling what he had said to him earlier, he could roughly guess who he was.

'Is that brat Namgung Hae?'

He had two other half-brothers besides his full sister.

The eldest son, Namgung Cheon, and the second son, Namgung Hae.

He had heard that Namgung Cheon was not currently in the clan, so the only one left was the second son, Namgung Hae.

"Ignore you?"

"..."

"You were just standing there so quietly, I didn't even know you were there."

When Namgung Il said that, Namgung Hae's brow furrowed slightly.

He had clearly seen him look this way, so did it make sense that he hadn't noticed him?

Although his expression was smiling, Namgung Il's words had a sting to them.

'Look at this brat.'

Namgung Hae once again wondered if the Namgung Il in front of him was the same person he knew.

For that Namgung Il to look him straight in the eye and talk back like this.

It would be normal for him to bow his head low and tremble in fear, but only after facing him directly like this could Namgung Hae understand what Namgung Ji had said.

"What? You really fought that brat one-on-one and lost?"

"S-second brother! Your voice is loud!"

"No... Ha, this is ridiculous. How careless were you to lose to a brat like that?"

"I don't know what's what either... He definitely looks like that brat, but something has changed a lot."

Namgung Hae had naturally thought that Namgung Ji's words were just an excuse.

That he was just saying that because he was embarrassed that he had lost to Namgung Il due to his own carelessness... That's what he had thought.

But after exchanging a few words with Namgung Il now, it seemed that not all of what Namgung Ji had said back then was an excuse.

'Interesting.'

Had he been hiding his fangs all this time?

Even so, a person could not hide their true nature in the end.

It seemed he had gotten a little cocky after beating Namgung Ji, but Namgung Hae planned to immediately make Namgung Il realize his place.

"Bow."

"..."

"Shouldn't you greet your older brother when you see him? Try bowing, just like you always have."

Namgung Hae said with a sneer.

Of course, he hadn't come here just to receive a mere greeting, but he planned to firmly establish the relationship before getting to the main point.

"Ah, a greeting?"

"Yes, I haven't disciplined you for a while, and you've become a complete mess, haven't you?"

"..."

Namgung Il didn't answer the question.

Seeing that, Namgung Ji also sneered.

Like a fox with a tiger on its back, Namgung Ji had become arrogant again.

However.

Thwack—

When Namgung Il suddenly slapped the back of his head with his hand, Namgung Ji could no longer smile.

Bewilderment. And puzzlement.

Not only Namgung Ji, who had just been hit on the back of the head, but also Namgung Hae standing next to him, had those emotions showing on their faces at the same time.

"Hey, you bastard! Didn't you hear him? Shouldn't you greet your older brother promptly when you see him!"

"...?"

"Still not doing it? Hah... This won't do. Older brother, I will fix this brat's bad habits today."

Namgung Il said as he grabbed Namgung Ji by the collar and tried to drag him somewhere.

"S-second brother! Save me!"

Namgung Ji cried out like a pig being dragged to a slaughterhouse.

Only after hearing that voice did Namgung Hae accurately perceive this absurd situation in his mind, and he hurriedly ran out and grabbed Namgung Il's shoulder.

"What on earth are you doing now!"

"I am disciplining him as you said, older brother."

"What?"

"This Namgung Ji is a real eel-like bastard. Isn't it because you're dissatisfied that this brat is muddying the waters, not even knowing he's the youngest?"

"Uh..."

What on earth is this brat saying?

For a moment, Namgung Hae was at a loss for words again.

"Second brother!"

Just then, Namgung Ji's desperate voice was heard again.

Only then could Namgung Hae come to his senses again, and he tried to pry Namgung Il's hand, which was grabbing his collar, away.

"...!"

But the arm didn't move, as if it were a stone statue.

He tried to move Namgung Il's arm with more force, but the result was the same.

"What's wrong? Should I let go?"

Just then, Namgung Il asked with a calm face.

Soon, Namgung Il let go of the hand that was grabbing his collar, and as a result, Namgung Ji was thrown back and collapsed on the floor.

"Cough— Cough—."

Namgung Ji sat on the floor, coughing incessantly. Seeing that, Namgung Hae's face turned red, and he shouted at Namgung Il.

"What on earth are you doing now!"

"I was just doing as you said, older brother."

"When did I tell you to grab my brother's collar!"

"Didn't you just say that one should greet a heaven-like older brother when they see one?"

He had certainly said that.

But how did that lead to grabbing Namgung Ji's collar?

With a face that no longer had any trace of a smile, Namgung Il continued to speak.

"How can discipline be properly established when the youngest brat doesn't even greet me properly?"

"...!"

"Don't worry. I will make sure he comes to his senses today."

Namgung Il said as he approached Namgung Ji.

Namgung Ji was terrified at the sight.

As if he couldn't take it anymore, Namgung Hae blocked his path.

"Stop it!"

"..."

"I know what you mean. So... stop it."

"If you say so, older brother, then I must."

Namgung Il said with a light smile and finally stopped moving.

'That crazy brat... If I hadn't stopped him, something really would have happened.'

Namgung Hae knew that fact intuitively.

Because in Namgung Il's eyes as he grabbed Namgung Ji's collar, there was no hesitation whatsoever.

No, in the first place, he had told him to greet him, but he had immediately slapped Namgung Ji's back of the head... Moreover, the reason was quite logical, so he couldn't really say anything.

"..."

Now he knew for sure.

The brat in front of him was not the Namgung Il he had known.

Whether he had always been like that, or if there was a reason he had changed.

He didn't know the exact reason, but Namgung Hae decided to be serious from now on.

"Namgung Il. Spar with me."

"..."

"In a few days, it will be Father's birthday. It would be good to have a spar then to liven up the banquet."

This was the reason Namgung Hae had come to find Namgung Il.

He would thoroughly defeat Namgung Il in front of everyone.

It was originally a task that Suseonghwa had given to Namgung Ji, but due to Namgung Ji's earnest request, Namgung Hae had decided to take on the task himself.

'I'm glad I came to see him in person.'

If he hadn't met Namgung Il like this today, he would have been careless in that spar.

But now that he knew for sure that something had changed about the brat, there would be no carelessness.

He would just thoroughly defeat the brat with all his might.

Of course, he was confident that he would never lose, but since it was his mother's order, he planned to be sure about that part.

However.

"I refuse."

"Yes, in that spar then... what?"

"I said I refuse."

"..."

When Namgung Il answered again, Namgung Hae's mind went blank.

That answer was not in his plan...

He had never even thought that he would be rejected so coldly.

"If you have nothing more to say, I'll be on my way."

"W-wait a minute!"

"What is it? I want to go and eat quickly."

"Why won't you spar with me?"

Are you really asking because you don't know?

Namgung Il answered with a face that seemed to be asking just that.

"Because there's no reason to fight."

"...What?"

"Why should I fight with you, older brother?"

"Well... don't you want to defeat me in a spar?"

He might not be as bad as Namgung Ji, but he had also bullied Namgung Il in the past.

If he had anger about that, he thought he would definitely not miss this opportunity.

But Namgung Hae had overlooked one fact.

"Not at all."

"...Then why did you beat up Ji-ah like that?"

"The youngest was trying to be disrespectful to me, so I taught him a lesson."

"..."

"Are we done? Then I'm leaving."

Saying that, Namgung Il walked forward without any lingering attachment.

I can't let that brat go like that...

In order to carry out his mother's order for sure, he needed to defeat Namgung Il in front of as many people as possible.

"Are you running away!"

"..."

"I thought you had changed a little, but you're still just a coward."

In the end, Namgung Hae decided to provoke Namgung Il's pride.

If he was a martial artist, he wouldn't be able to refuse a spar after hearing such words.

As if his provocation had been effective, Namgung Il stopped in his tracks.

'Good. It's working.'

If he provoked his pride more here, the brat would definitely accept the spar.

Thinking so, Namgung Hae decided to provoke Namgung Il more.

"If you just leave now, I'll spread a rumor throughout the clan that you ran away from a spar with me!"

"Yes, go ahead."

"So if you don't want that..."

...What did he say?

When another unexpected answer came out of Namgung Il's mouth, Namgung Hae was at a loss for words again.

"You know well what my reputation is within the clan anyway, don't you, older brother?"

"..."

"If you bring something more tempting, I'll think about it then."

Namgung Il said that and calmly walked forward again.

Namgung Hae stared blankly at his back.

Namgung Ji, who had approached him, asked Namgung Hae with a troubled face.

"Second brother... what do we do now?"

"..."

Thwack—

As if annoyed, Namgung Hae slapped the back of Namgung Ji's head instead of answering.

(End of Chapter)