The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan

Namgung Yeon's beauty, seen after a long time, was still beautiful.

However.

Namgung Il could sense the cold anger directed at him from within that beautiful appearance.

'...I'm in big trouble.'

As soon as he saw Namgung Yeon, Namgung Il had that thought in his heart.

He had forgotten for a moment because various things had overlapped, but when was the last time he had sent a letter to Namgung Yeon?

Since he had surely promised to reply to Namgung Yeon once every three days, Namgung Il thought that the reason for the anger felt in that gaze was because of that.

"Haha... it's been a while, sister."

"..."

"You are still beautiful."

Namgung Il said and tried to get over this situation naturally.

Isn't there a saying that one can't spit on a smiling face?

As that saying went, Namgung Yeon did not spit, but instead, she was poking Namgung Il's heart with the chill felt in her gaze.

'...It's cold.'

Namgung Yeon in her usual state was a sister who was kinder than anyone else in the world.

But Namgung Il already knew well that once she got angry, she was a sister who was scarier than anyone else in the world.

"...I'm sorry."

Unable to withstand the pressure felt from Namgung Yeon's gaze, in the end, Namgung Il apologized.

At that moment, a smile appeared on Namgung Yeon's lips.

That smile now felt more eerie to Namgung Il than when she had been expressionless earlier.

"What did you do wrong?"

"...Pardon?"

"You said you were wrong. What did you do wrong?"

"..."

He felt as if he had fallen into a rough pit.

Namgung Il organized his thoughts as much as possible and answered.

"That... I haven't been able to reply to your recent letters, sister."

"And?"

"..."

Is there anything else I did wrong besides that?

Since he had thought that the reason why Namgung Yeon was angry was because of that, Namgung Il could not answer that question right away.

"...Did I enter the Flying Dragon Academy without telling you anything, sister?"

"And."

"..."

What on earth is this feeling?

The more he spoke, the more he felt as if he were digging himself into the ground.

Especially since Namgung Yeon was not saying anything and was just repeating the same words, Namgung Il found that most frustrating.

"...I'm sorry. I don't know any more."

In the end, Namgung Il had no choice but to answer like that.

Since he couldn't think of anything else he had done wrong, he couldn't just make something up and say it.

When Namgung Il answered like that, Namgung Yeon brought up another topic after a long time.

"Yes, you were wrong about both."

"..."

"But you still haven't mentioned the thing you did more wrong than those two."

Does that mean that's the reason why Namgung Yeon is so angry now?

Namgung Il cautiously asked Namgung Yeon the reason.

"Perhaps... can you tell me what that wrong is?"

"..."

"I think I can sincerely apologize to you, sister, only if I know that."

"...It's fine that you couldn't send a letter. Still, you've been replying once every three days until now. I can also understand that you entered the Flying Dragon Academy without consulting me. But..."

As soon as the vacation started, Namgung Yeon had hurried down to the main house.

But by the time she had arrived, Namgung Il's figure was already gone, and from what she had heard, he had left the main house to take the entrance exam of the Flying Dragon Academy.

"So I waited for you to come at the main house all this time."

"..."

"I thought that if I went back to the Flying Dragon Academy, I might miss you, so I thought it would be better to just wait at the main house."

But no matter how long she waited, Namgung Il did not return.

As three days became five, and five days became ten, Namgung Yeon's worries only grew.

Just then, Yeonghwa, who had left with Namgung Il, had returned to the main house, and thinking that Namgung Il had also returned, Namgung Yeon had run to the main gate in her socks.

"That... Young Master Namgung Il did not come with me."

"...What on earth do you mean by that?"

"He said he would be outside until the day of the entrance ceremony... He said he would enter the Flying Dragon Academy right away without stopping by the main house."

From the moment she heard those words, Namgung Yeon had been living with a worried heart every day.

For Namgung Il, who had just left the main house and had made his debut in the martial world, to be wandering around outside on his own.

The martial world was a place where one could not know what would happen.

Especially, didn't they say that among the people who had made their debut in the martial world for the first time, about two out of ten would lose their lives with a high probability?

No matter how much Namgung Il was a person of the Namgung Clan, no, because he was a person of the Namgung Clan, the martial world was a place where he was bound to be exposed to more danger.

"After hearing that, I searched all the inns in Luoyang."

"...All of them?"

"Yes, if I didn't do that, I couldn't even sleep at night because I was worried that something might happen to you."

"..."

"Did you never once think that I would be worried if you wandered around like that?"

Although he hadn't noticed because her beauty was so outstanding, looking closely, Namgung Yeon's two eyes were quite swollen.

Also, since her hair and clothes also felt quite disheveled, Namgung Il could tell that Namgung Yeon had really been searching the inns in Luoyang, losing sleep at night.

'I was wrong.'

Namgung Il now knew his fault.

To have worried such a pretty and kind sister, he had no words to say even if he had ten mouths.

"...?"

Just then, a murmuring sound was heard from the surroundings.

When he turned his head for a moment, most of the people in the dining hall were now looking this way.

"What is this? I think it's the first time I've seen the Ice Flower of the Cliff talking to a man one-on-one like that."

"Don't tell me... they're not lovers, are they?"

"What! Who on earth is that bastard!"

Namgung Yeon was a person with a very high recognition within the academy.

Not only was she a student of the Azure Dragon Class, but her grades were also very outstanding, to the point of maintaining the top of the grade.

Besides that, didn't she have a beauty that a man couldn't take his eyes off of?

Just the fact that he was talking to such a Namgung Yeon one-on-one was more than enough to attract the attention of the people.

"..."

The gazes of the people who were looking this way were very sharp.

For now... it would be better to avoid this place.

Namgung Il was about to take Namgung Yeon to a place where there were no people and continue the conversation.

"Sister, for now, let's move..."

Drip—

Huh?

Discovering the tears flowing down Namgung Yeon's cheeks, Namgung Il was momentarily frozen.

'I'm in big trouble!'

Didn't they say that a woman's tears are the most powerful weapon?

Although it wouldn't have mattered if someone else had shed tears, the tears that Namgung Yeon was shedding were quite fatal to Namgung Il as well.

"S-sister! Why are you crying?"

"I don't know either... I'm sorry, Il-ah."

The tears that Namgung Yeon was shedding were the explosion of the worries she had been holding back until now.

At the same time, the relief that Namgung Il was safe and the guilt that she was now getting angry at her beloved younger brother were mixed in those tears.

"What do you mean, sorry! It's all my fault!"

"No... it's my fault."

"Stop it! Sister? If you keep this up, I'm really..."

It was then.

A tremendous killing intent that suddenly poured out from the surroundings.

It was the first time he had felt such a killing intent since the Righteous-Demonic War.

"...How dare you make the Ice Flower of the Cliff cry?"

"To make the one flower in my heart shed tears... I will never forgive you."

"I'll kill you."

The killing intent of all the men in the dining hall was now directed at Namgung Il.

Namgung Il, who had instantly become the public enemy of the men.

Although he could understand that killing intent, Namgung Il found this situation too unfair.

'I'm really going to die at this rate.'

The men around him were on the verge of drawing their swords at any moment.

Just then, Namgung Il discovered Gwangcheon nearby and hurriedly asked for help.

"Gwangcheon! You came at a good time! Help me..."

"I'm disappointed, Captain."

"...?"

"I can no longer call a man who made a beauty shed tears 'Captain'!"

He was wrong.

It seemed he had to think that all the men in this dining hall were now his enemies.

'Until my sister clears up the misunderstanding herself, it seems there's no answer.'

But Namgung Yeon was still shedding tears.

Seeing that, it seemed it would take more time for her to completely stop crying and calm down.

Thud— Thud—.

Just then, a man walked towards Namgung Il.

"You brat."

"...?"

"How dare you make Miss Namgung's eyes well up with tears? On behalf of the men of the academy, I will not forgive you!"

What on earth is that lanky brat?

When he suddenly approached him and said that, Namgung Il could only look at him with a dumbfounded expression.

'He's a complete villain.'

Although it was true that he had done wrong to Namgung Yeon, he had not done wrong to the brat who was now saying that to him.

For now, Namgung Il killed his personality as much as possible and said to the man in front of him.

"I think there's some misunderstanding. For now, please listen to my story once..."

"I am Ak Si-ung of the Shandong Ak Clan! If you are also a martial artist, then confidently reveal your own sect!"

"I am Namgung..."

"Shut up!"

This... is this brat a genius at annoying people?

He had told him to reveal his sect himself, but when he was about to say it, he couldn't understand the brat's intention of telling him to shut up.

"There is no need to listen to the story of a ruffian who makes Miss Yeon cry."

"..."

"I will personally dispose of you here with my own hands."

Ak Si-ung said and took out the spear that he had stuck in his back.

At that moment, a wind pressure that spread around.

As expected of someone from the Shandong Ak Clan, just the posture of drawing the spear was quite clean.

'If I defeat that ruffian, I will be able to win Miss Yeon's heart.'

Ak Si-ung was now dreaming of a happy future, thinking that in his heart.

As all men do, when he had first entered the Azure Dragon Class, Ak Si-ung had fallen in love with Namgung Yeon at first sight.

But befitting the nickname of the Ice Flower of the Cliff, Namgung Yeon had not shown any opening to get close to him at all, and in that state, Ak Si-ung had just quietly watched for a year.

'This opportunity given by heaven... I will never miss it!'

After a year of waiting, an opportunity to get close to Namgung Yeon had finally appeared to him.

If he were to coolly defeat the brat here, Namgung Yeon would surely open her heart.

Even if he didn't defeat him, just the fact that he had stepped up like this would have already won Namgung Yeon's heart to some extent.

"Kuh... I was one step too late."

"I was about to step up!"

"Please, let a chance come to me too!"

Hearing the laments of the men around him, Ak Si-ung smirked.

'Love belongs to the one who seizes it first.'

He had seized that opportunity first without even a moment's hesitation.

Now, all that was left was to surely win Namgung Yeon's heart here.

Ak Si-ung aimed his spear at the brat who would become a sacrifice for his and Namgung Yeon's love.

"Draw your sword."

"...Before that, there's one thing I want to ask."

"What is it?"

"Who are you to call her name so casually as if you're close?"

At that moment, an electric light occurred around Namgung Il.

With the qi that flowed out with it, the atmosphere inside the dining hall instantly changed, and because of that, the expressions of the people around also began to change slowly.

'Wh-what is this?'

At Namgung Il's suddenly changed momentum, Ak Si-ung's expression also changed.

Just then, Namgung Il said to Ak Si-ung with a voice full of killing intent.

"I will kill any brat who gets close to my sister."

(End of Chapter)