Chapter 204 : Is It the Beginning? -03
Chapter 204: Is It the Beginning? -03
Seeing Nan Hee-ju boldly asking for a refill and Baekseol expressing her intent more cautiously but clearly, Ban Hojin smiled faintly.
Starting with the two of them, he poured drinks for the younger ones as well.
“I’ll pour the next round for you, hyung!”
“Hey. Even pouring water has an order of seniority. Don’t you know respect for elders?”
The moment Seo Joun received his Small Red Wine, he grinned and spoke, prompting Murong Cheok to cut in.
There was clearly an order to things, and Seo Joun had tried to skip it, so Murong Cheok put on a stern expression.
“I’ve never heard that there’s an order to pouring drinks. I heard that when pouring, you follow age order.”
“Drinking etiquette differs by region. Where I’m from, it was like that.”
“Really?”
Seo Joun tilted his head.
He figured cultural differences might exist, just like dialects.
But judging by the others’ expressions, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Does it matter who does it? Whoever wants to can just do it.”
“Exactly.”
Watching Seo Joun and Murong Cheok bicker as usual, Ban Hojin shook his head.
Perhaps because their personalities were similar, they clashed often.
“Young Master Seonwu, is everything going well? With the Hebei Peng Family?”
“Oh, for now, I believe there are no major issues. I don’t know the details. I heard my father is coordinating things with the Peng Family Head.”
“So it’s a political marriage after all.”
“There’s no helping it.”
Although Nan Hee-ju’s question was sudden, Seonwu Bang didn’t react strongly.
He had grown accustomed to the topic by now.
Instead, he wore a bittersweet expression.
With the marriage seemingly approaching, his thoughts had become complicated.
“Looks like hyung will be the first to get married.”
“I heard you’re getting quite a few marriage proposals too.”
“I’m putting them on hold for now. I’m not interested yet.”
Unlike Seonwu Bang, who was trying to accept reality, Murong Cheok was firm.
For him, training came first.
Others might praise him as a rising dragon or prodigy, but Murong Cheok didn’t see it that way.
He still had a long way to go.
“You think it’ll go your way? The Family Head decides. Neither you nor I have a say. When our father decides, we just follow. It’s for the family.”
“That’s… bitter.”
“It can’t be helped. It’s the duty of being born the eldest son. My father was the same, and my grandfather too.”
Seonwu Bang’s expression darkened.
Though bitter, he had no choice but to accept it as the eldest son of the Seonwu Family.
At least, the fortunate thing was that the decision still lay within his family.
“You never know how things will turn out. Just because marriage talks are happening doesn’t mean it’ll definitely happen. It falls through often. Joun or Iryong might marry first. Or maybe Cheok will be the first.”
“By getting into trouble?”
“Well, there are all kinds of possibilities.”
At the mention of “getting into trouble,” Murong Cheok widened his eyes and shot Seonwu Bang a glare, as if to say that would never happen.
But Seonwu Bang only laughed it off.
“You’re not uncomfortable, are you?”
“Not at all. It’s really fun. It’s our first time all drinking together like this. I like it. This kind of atmosphere is new to me.”
“And you, Miss Baek?”
“I’m enjoying it too. Honestly, I still can’t believe I’m sharing a table with everyone here.”
Since the others were already eating and drinking comfortably on their own, Ban Hojin paid a bit more attention to Nan Hee-ju and Baekseol.
It had been a sudden gathering, so he thought they might feel uneasy.
However, contrary to his concerns, both women were genuinely enjoying themselves.
There was no one bothering them, and no one they disliked.
They both looked relaxed.
“That’s a relief. It might be hard to do this often, but I’ll try to arrange it from time to time.”
“Let me know when you do. You treated us this time, so I’ll treat you next time.”
“Alright.”
“You can look forward to it.”
Nan Hee-ju smiled.
There wasn’t anything particularly special about a drinking gathering.
It wasn’t just the two of them, so she hadn’t expected much.
But she felt like the distance between them had grown closer, and that alone satisfied her.
‘They say you don’t notice your clothes getting wet in a drizzle.’
It seemed like all the effort she put into dressing up hadn’t made much of an impact, but she didn’t mind.
If he were the type to fall for such things, he would’ve already fallen for her—or someone else—long ago.
Even knowing that, she had put effort into her appearance today to show that she had this side too.
So her goal had already been achieved.
“Just don’t make it too expensive. That would be burdensome.”
“Come on. Do you think I don’t know you? I’ll make sure the alcohol is good, though. Small Red Wine is nice, but there are plenty of delicious drinks that aren’t as strong. Alcohol has a wide variety of flavors, just like food.”
“As long as it’s in moderation.”
As long as it wasn’t excessive, Ban Hojin didn’t mind.
He didn’t plan to delve deeply into drinking culture, but trying different kinds wasn’t a bad idea.
In his previous life, he hadn’t had the chance to properly drink.
“Hyung! Let me pour you a drink this time!”
“Alright.”
Perhaps because it was his first time drinking, Seo Joun’s face was already flushed as he eagerly grabbed the bottle.
He seemed determined to pour this time.
Seeing that, Ban Hojin chuckled and lifted his empty cup.
Pour—
Watching Seo Joun carefully tilt the bottle with both hands, Ban Hojin suddenly had a thought.
It would be nice if they could continue living like this together.
Peacefully.
‘I have to make it happen in this life.’
Amid the lively atmosphere, Ban Hojin made a silent vow.
This time, he would never fail.
---
After Nan Hee-ju left, Ban Hojin returned to his daily routine.
Listening to the familiar sound of Buddhist chanting, he entered the Shaolin Temple grounds after a long time.
“Good morning, Senior Uncle!”
“Mm.”
“Did you sleep well?!”
“I’m not that old.”
“Hehehe!”
The second-generation disciples chattered endlessly, full of energy even in the morning.
Like baby birds spotting their mother, they quickly gathered around Ban Hojin.
“Let’s see how well you’ve been training.”
“Ugh!”
“Are we starting already?”
“We just ate!”
Jeong Hyeon, whom he was closest to, made a horrified expression, and the others flinched as well.
They hadn’t expected training to start the moment they met.
“You’ll digest it naturally. I heard you’ve been slacking while I was away?”
“W-who said that? We trained really hard!”
“That’s right!”
Jeong Hyeon flinched but quickly shook his head vigorously, his face full of indignation.
“Hm. That’s not what I heard.”
Ban Hojin narrowed his eyes.
The saying “strong denial is strong affirmation” came to mind.
Of course, he knew they had worked hard.
But the real question was whether they had given their all at every moment.
“We really did train hard!”
“Yeah! We really did!”
“Well, we’ll find out. Whether you truly did your best while I was gone.”
“Gulp!”
Sounds of people swallowing nervously came from all around.
They understood exactly what that meant.
“Then shall we start Endless Sparring Training after a long time?”
“Ugh…”
“As expected…”
The second-generation disciples’ faces turned pale.
Just thinking about the endlessly repeated sparring drained them.
Seeing that, Ban Hojin repeated what he always said.
“I won’t force you. If you don’t want to do it, you can sit out. You can train on your own.”
He made it clear he wouldn’t force them.
But not a single person raised their hand.
It was exhausting to the point of feeling like death, but they all knew it would help them.
Moreover, they understood that being taught like this by Ban Hojin was worth more than gold.
So they stopped complaining and steeled themselves.
“We’re ready.”
“Ready? What about warm-ups? You should loosen your body first. If you move intensely without warming up, your muscles will twist.”
“We already warmed up during stamina training.”
“Then shall we begin? Pair up and face each other. As always, rotate to the right. If the sparring next to you isn’t finished, move on to the next.”
“Yes!”
Though they were already used to it, Ban Hojin reminded them again.
When they were completely exhausted, it wasn’t uncommon for them to lose their sense of direction or even their awareness.
Of course, Ban Hojin paid closer attention when that happened, but there was no harm in reinforcing it.
“Alright, let’s start!”
“Huh? Senior Uncle, are you joining too?”
“Of course. Have you ever seen me sit out?”
“Well… no, but the difference in level…”
“Enough talking.”
Cutting Jeong Hyeon off mid-sentence, Ban Hojin began the Endless Sparring Training.
In the past, as a lay disciple, he had been mindful of the first-generation disciples.
But now things were different.
Since he had actively begun guiding the second-generation disciples, their physical and mental growth had been remarkable.
No one objected.
Moreover, the Abbot, Damhyeon, had given permission.
“Aaaagh!”
“You’re too fast!”
“If it’s fast, then anticipate and dodge. If your reflexes aren’t enough, then use prediction. Isn’t that normal?”
“That’s not something just anyone can do!”
“Then keep trying.”
Jeong Hyeon, Ban Hojin’s first opponent, looked like he was about to cry.
Even though Ban Hojin was holding back, he couldn’t do anything.
Despite being matched to his level, Jeong Hyeon could only get beaten without being able to resist.
“Ugh! Ack! Gah!”
“Use your head. Think about your opponent’s habits, what techniques they favor, what type of martial artist they are. If you rely only on your body, you’ll never break through to the Peak Realm.”
“Is that easy?!”
“Since it’s not easy, you have to keep trying.”
Faced with an undeniable truth, Jeong Hyeon pouted.
If it were easy, there would be no one below the Peak Master Level in the world.
But complaining wouldn’t change anything, so Jeong Hyeon focused all his strength on dodging Ban Hojin’s hand.
A counterattack was impossible for him, so he didn’t even consider it.
Thwack!
“Ack!”
Even though Ban Hojin only used his left hand, Jeong Hyeon was soon struck on the forehead.
Ban Hojin’s index finger had hit it precisely.
The impact was strong enough to send Jeong Hyeon staggering backward with a cry.
“Your forehead seems tougher now. Did your bones get stronger?”
“It hurts!”
“If it hurts, then don’t get hit.”
“Ugh!”
Rubbing his reddened forehead, Jeong Hyeon groaned.
It really seemed painful, as his eyes began to moisten.
“Alright, figure out how to dodge before I come back around. Otherwise, your forehead won’t survive today.”
“Eek!”
Though it wasn’t his first time, Jeong Hyeon reacted as if it were, making Ban Hojin grin as he moved on to the next opponent.
Since they were of similar age and skill, not many pairs had finished their sparring yet.
But there were some.
So Ban Hojin swept through the second-generation disciples like a storm.
Just like with Jeong Hyeon, he flicked each of their foreheads.
“Ah!”
“Oof!”
“Gah!”
At first, they could endure somewhat thanks to their stamina.
But as time passed, the pace of switching opponents increased.
As their stamina dropped, their concentration also fell, and they began collapsing rapidly.
“Stay focused!”