Chapter 13 - 84 to 90

Closer, closer.

There were several carriages galloping through the wilderness, raising clouds of dust. It would be an exaggeration to say that they were luxurious, but they were sturdy and looked expensive, and they were pulled powerfully by extraordinary horses. There were also a few carts behind them, but they were not very large and did not seem like a large company.

Beside the carriages, there were warriors with swords attached to their waists, each riding a horse, who seemed to be the escort troops, moving side by side with the carriage and the horses.

After galloping for a while with the sound of horse hooves, the horses of the carriage with the luggage cart started to fall back little by little. Then the coachman shouted to the men right next to him.

"The horses are tired!"

"Okay, I'll explain."

One of the warriors answered by lightly kicking the horse's body. Soon his horse galloped forward with a whining sound. The warrior approached one of the many carriages and spoke softly.

"Jeonju. The horses pulling the carts are tired and need to rest."

His voice should have been buried in the sound of the horse's hooves, but it came out clearly. It must have been filled with internal energy. The way he spoke calmly from the saddle that was constantly shaking, not even standing still, suggested that he had acquired a fairly high level of martial arts.

"… No. If you go a little further, you'll come across a small village. Let's rest there."

The voice of a person who was presumed to be 'Jeonju' flowed out from inside the carriage in a respectful tone. It was a deep voice with a hint of fatigue. It was unclear whether the fact that he spoke so politely to a mere escort soldier was a reflection of his character or simply a habit.

Muin tried not to lose his respect even though he couldn't see him. Muryang Jeonju was not only a key figure who had mastered all the secret techniques of the Jegal family, but he was also the one who personally worked hard to revive the family. There was even a saying that if it weren't for him, the Jegal family would have fallen long ago, so all the young people in the family respected Muryang Jeonju Jegal Changsin.

The unmanned vehicle opened its mouth again.

"Wouldn't it be better to rest here and then go to Sacheon and rest in a proper place? Even if there is a village nearby, it seems like it would be just a hamlet."

"Sacheon is completely different from Hubei, where the main family is located. Although the power of Ma Guangcheon runs rampant in Hubei, Sacheon is truly the world of the Sado clan. Except for the city of Chengdu, where the Tang family is located, the entire Sacheon clan is the territory of the Sado clan. The sleeping area may be comfortable, but it will not be easy to rest. If you slow down, you could be attacked from multiple places."

There was a pause. Muin recalled that the returned Muryangjeonju had argued with the Gaju for two days. According to what he had heard, the argument was so heated that they were shouting, but perhaps because he had talked too much, Jegal Changsin's voice seemed to crack and dry. He should at least quench his thirst.

After a while, his voice came out, sounding much better, as if he had swallowed some saliva.

"Before entering Sacheon, you should rest sufficiently in the village, and after entering Sacheon, you should move to Seongdo as quickly as possible. If possible, you should eat in a place with few people, and you should sleep overnight in a place with easy surveillance."

"…Does the main family have to go to such lengths just because of some Sapa thugs? Even Miss Young is here."

"Don't worry about me."

If there was a sound of rolling jade beads, it would be like this. Inside the carriage, the voice of a young girl still sounded pleasant.

"I was sick of being locked up, but coming out like this feels like going on an outing, and it's nice. The carriage shakes quite a bit, but it's fun in its own way. I'm also looking forward to the overnight stay. They say that it's a great way to kill an animal, skin it, sprinkle some salt on it, and roast it over a fire."

"anyway."

The voice of the Infinite Challenger reappeared, cutting off the girl's lively voice.

"Among the Apostle Factions under the command of the Black Lotus, there are many who possess quite a strong martial arts. In other lands, those who walk the Apostles are often looked down upon and called lowly, but those who have learned the martial arts modified by the Black Lotus Lord will not be easy to deal with even for the elite military force of the original family. It would be best to avoid friction if possible. Even if you are not convinced, please listen to what I say for now."

"… No. I was being presumptuous. Jeonju. I'm sure you have other thoughts, so I apologize for bothering you."

"It's okay, so go back. Tell the groom that you'll rest when you get to the village."

"yes."

The driver bowed politely toward the carriage, then slowed his horse and stepped back.

A little later, his presence disappeared.

The girl spoke, spinning around in the carriage.

"You're in quite a hurry, Uncle."

"… Did you see it like that?"

"As soon as we finished talking to my father, we packed up and set off, and even when we stopped by an inn, we only had a quick bite to eat before setting off again… The time we spent moving was much longer than the time the sun was up. Even the finest horses would have gotten tired."

"I didn't want to create unnecessary variables."

The middle-aged man, Jegal Changsin, the master of the Jegal family, answered absentmindedly, wiping the ship with his palm. He muttered to himself, "Of course I should hurry. It's already been quite some time."

I won't say anything. Just install the same tactical devices at your home as those at your main house. That way, we can quietly get through this. The relationship between the two families won't get any worse. Of course, all the costs and manpower that go into it will be borne by your home.

This was the condition that the head of the Tang family, Sogaju, had set when he saved his life. There was a request, no, a threat, to proceed quickly.

On his way back home alone, Zhuge Changxin was ambushed several times by the Sapa warriors. It wasn't just because he looked like a simple student. The Sapa forces under the command of Heuksa-ryeon didn't easily attack the commoners. The reason Zhuge Changxin was attacked was because there were so many people watching the Tang family. The situation was that the Taeeulmukgeompa and Cheonjinbang were affected because they were entangled in the Tang family's small family competition.

After being attacked several times, Zhuge Changxin completely abandoned his contempt for the Sapa forces. There were a lot of them, but sometimes they were so skilled that he thought they were from a prestigious family. After dealing with them several times, Zhuge Changxin began to wonder if he could escape Sichuan alive. His pride had been crushed once in front of Dang Yuanming for his life. It wasn't hard to crush it again. He threw away his sect and disguised himself as an ordinary civilian, and barely managed to survive by using his formation to hide and rest. It took quite some time.

The Zhuge family home that we arrived at like that.

He met with the head of the household. The head of the household, Jegal Chang-hyeon, was originally Jegal Chang-sin's cousin. The two, who had grown up together since childhood, were close enough to call each other by name in private without hesitation. Jegal Chang-hyeon also trusted him deeply because he knew how much Jegal Chang-sin had worked for the family.

Zhuge Changxin desperately tried to persuade his master. He said that a man worthy of being called a dragon had appeared in the Tang family. Let's take advantage of this and try to revive our Zhuge family.

It wasn't hard to persuade them to that point. The Zhuge family originally had the intention of subordinating to the Tang family. In the first place, why did the Zhuge family support the key figures of the Wu Liang Zhuo in the Tang family's competition for the minor chieftain and establish the Chilsae Hwan Gung Jin? It was to recruit talented people who would become the minor chieftains to the Zhuge family.

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The fact that the other Muryangjeon members who had been dispatched together did not return alive was appropriately blamed on the Sapas under the Black Death League. They said that they were brought low because a big Sapa faction like the Taeeulmukgeom faction had suddenly attacked Gongdongsan. They were worried that it would instill resentment against the Dangga Sogaju Dangmyeong.

The problem came when he brought up the idea of installing the same level of formations in the Tang family as in the Zhuge family's main house.

'Mu-ryang-jeon-ju. No, Chang-sin-ah. I understand that you have that much confidence in the child who is the head of the Dang family. It is understandable that you witnessed a scene where he alone managed three hundred people at that age. However, it is too risky a gamble regardless of the cost. If you give it away, the utility value of the main family will be greatly reduced from the Dang family's perspective. It is something that we should discuss a little more carefully.'

'Go. There's no time. It won't take long for Sogaju's true nature to be revealed. I can guarantee it. His truly overwhelming qualities... no, since he's already blossomed, I should say his skills. In any case, he has amazing inaction. Based on what I've learned about his personality, it's easier to win favor by providing solid support rather than judging him here and there.'

'Even so… .'

In order to persuade the hesitant Gaju, Jegal Changsin had to talk for two whole days. He didn't tell Dangsangmyeong about the time he got caught for trying to trick her. He thought it was a shameful act, and he judged that it wouldn't be good for the relationship between the two families. He also guessed that Dangsangmyeong would not reveal what had happened to him, considering his intelligence.

Anyway, after obtaining permission from the head of the household with great difficulty, the next thing Zhuge Changxin did was to gather the beautiful girls within the household.

Children between the ages of thirteen and sixteen.

'Raise your head.'

It had been over five or six years since Zhuge Changxin had left his family home due to the competition between the Tang family and the small family. There were many faces that I didn't recognize. Especially teenage girls, their beauty often changes significantly after just one or two years.

Among the dozens of girls, there was one who particularly caught my eye. Even though she was still young, she was incredibly pretty. I should remember her by now. While muttering that, Jegal Changsin asked.

'What is your name?'

'Forever. It's Jegal Yeong-yeong.'

"What are you thinking about?"

A clear voice breaks my thoughts.

When Jegal Changsin raised his head, a pretty girl with big eyes was pulling her lips together. Her bright smile was very impressive. Wouldn't she be able to easily disarm boys of her age?

Jegal Yeongyeong- She was the daughter of the current Jegal family head. Since she was born of a concubine, Jegal Changsin had completely forgotten about her, but this time she caught his eye and ended up accompanying him on his trip to Sichuan.

'It's like seeing Suran when she was young.'

Zhuge Changxin suddenly thought of his cousin. She was called the most beautiful woman in Hubei and was the pride of the Zhuge family. But she was sacrificed to the eccentricity of Yan Zhonghyeok, the lord of Ma Guangcheon. Poor woman. Thanks to Zhuge Shulan's sacrifice, the Zhuge family was able to maintain its lineage, but in the end, unable to bear the humiliation, Zhuge Shulan committed suicide.

At one time, he tried everything to get revenge on Yeon Jung-hyeok, but Ma Gwang-cheon's power only grew stronger day by day, and in contrast, the Zhuge family had fallen to the point where it would be difficult to maintain its lineage without relying on the Tang family. Now, rather than wanting to avenge the grudge, he simply wished for the family to survive.

"… Please do not forget that the future of your family depends on you."

"Don't worry. If Dang-myeong is such a great man as your uncle said, I will do whatever it takes to get him."

Jegal Yeong-yeong said with a confident tone. She had never experienced a boy her age refusing her.

"I can see the village!"

The coachman's long shout is heard. They have already reached the destination that Zhuge Changxin had mentioned. The horses must have sensed that they would soon be resting, as the sound of their hooves seems to have become even more cheerful.

Stepping on his feet, Jegal Yeong-yeong poked his head out the window. Sure enough, smoke from cooking was rising in a far distance. When he turned his head to the red light coming in, the sun was just beginning to set and was hiding its body. The entire landscape that came into view was dyed red.

Now Sacheon was just around the corner.

The girl took a deep breath in anticipation of the new encounter and put her head back in.

During that time, Tae-heo stayed in the residence provided by Dang-ga and focused all day on healing his internal injuries.

Hyunso stayed by Taeheo's side without taking a single step away.

'There must not be even one instance where something goes wrong for Sa Baek.'

I am grateful for the help of the Tang family. It took a while to coordinate our opinions, but we eventually decided to cooperate, and I am grateful that they are providing a safe place to rest from the Sado sect. Now, the Tang family and the Gongdong are allies. However, that does not mean I will let my guard down.

This was a separate issue from whether or not one could trust the other. It was due to a fundamental sense of insecurity that arose from the unpleasant fact that one could not do anything to the other, but the other had the power to kill one.

There was also the fact that Sa Baek-in Tae-heo was reluctant to mention So Ga-ju's name for some reason.

'Come to think of it, it's about prolonging life…'

Hyunso thought with a strange expression. He could roughly guess the situation that Dang Jihye, the mother of Dang Dangmyeong, was in. She must have had a difficult time conceiving the child, and she must have named her with the meaning that she would somehow survive and continue living. It was a name that really did not suit the successor of the family.

Because it doesn't have even a hint of passion, and only contains the simple wishes of the person who created it.

The obviousness that Hyeon-so experienced was more arrogant than any of the later indexes he knew. He had no hesitation in dealing with the world, and was decisive. He was not swayed by justification or banners, and he knew how to take advantage of the situation. It could be seen as walking the path of tyranny, but it felt more like he had established his own 快.

'Both the heads of the families of the time and later generations are great figures. If it weren't for Heuk Sa-ryeon, the Tang family would once again rise to become the best family in Sacheon.'

It was while Hyunso was lost in thought that someone entered his room. Hyunso's gaze turned sharp, but soon he returned to normal when he heard a voice.

"Masters. I have brought you dinner and some medicine for today."

"The party has moved. Thank you every time. Please give me the prize."

Hyunso opened the door and came out to greet Dang Yijeon warmly. There was a reason why he treated Dang Yijeon so kindly.

The reason was that the Emperor considered the internal injuries of Tae-heo and arranged their residences around the Ui-gak. The internal injuries suffered by the masters who had reached the Hwa-gyeong stage could not be treated with ordinary medicine. It was understandable, since it was said that the person who had reached the highest level in the world in dealing with internal energy had suffered damage to his meridians. Usually, it was best to just trust in his recovery power and recuperate.

However, when it comes to Dang Ho-yeol, the story is different. He was a person who had been researching all kinds of poisons and medicines in the world since his days as the head of the medicinal king. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he had reached a high level of skill in treating the body with medicine, not just in simple medicine.

Dang Yuanming ordered Dang Hoyeol to help Taeheo quickly heal his internal injuries. Taeheo was one of the few masters of the art of painting in the world. It wouldn't hurt to erase his debt. It didn't cost a fortune.

There is a clear difference between elixir and elixir.

Cheonsimhwan 一 The secret elixir of the Yakwangdang, once given as a reward in the middle of the competition for Sogaju, was quite expensive to make as it required several roots of Baeknyeonseolginseng. This elixir was excellent for increasing internal energy, but it was not very effective for internal injuries.

On the other hand, even if you take elixir, it does not have the effect of increasing internal energy. Instead, it dramatically improves the body's ability to recover. Since the internal injury of a master who has reached a realm ultimately means damage to the meridians, it is better to take elixir than elixir.

However, making a proper elixir was quite difficult. Usually, a mixture of several vitality-boosting herbs was called an elixir, but it was only effective for the body. That's why masters who suffered internal injuries tended to look for rare elixirs rather than elixirs that had no effect. However, elixirs were not completely ineffective for internal injuries.

Anyway, in order to make a medicine, you had to know all the unknown effects of herbs and poisons on the human body, and mix them appropriately to maximize recovery power. Even herbs and poisons of the same kind have different effects depending on their size, how many years they have been alive or aged. This means that the sense of mixing ingredients is the most important. Yes, in some ways, it was similar to making poison. That's why they say poison and medicine are only a little different.

Dang Ho-yeol made a new medicine by mixing medicinal herbs and poisonous plants without discrimination, such as nine-leafed gangjilcho (九葉 腹草), mandalaja (夏 K羅子), and jangryu (章柳). Excluding nine-leafed gangjilcho, the ingredients were not particularly rare or expensive.

Although I couldn't completely remove the poison, since the person who was going to take it was a master of Hwagyeong anyway, I just focused on maximizing the recovery power.

At first, Tae-heo was reluctant to take the medicine that Dang Ho-yeol had made for him with suspicious eyes, but after taking a little, his eyes widened and he ate it all and sat cross-legged. After that, Tae-heo's internal injuries were quickly healing.

Even Hyun Soo quickly noticed Sa Baek's change. If it weren't for Dang Ga and Dang Ho Yeol, he wouldn't have been able to calm down his wounds so quickly. It was an obvious favor. Dang Ho Yeol's only grandson was Dang Yi Jeon, so how could he not treat him kindly?

Also, it was said that Dang Yi-jeon was a close friend of Sogaju Dang-myeong. He was a talented person who would succeed his grandfather and take over the position of Ui-gak. It was said that he was a key figure in the next Dangga, so it was difficult to treat him lightly just because he was young.

After handing over the prize, Dang Yi-jeon asked lightly.

"How are you, Master Taeheo?"

"Thanks to your concern, I am getting better quickly. Lord Sa-baek said that I am getting better every time I take the medicine. He also said that if the current trend continues, I will be up and about within two weeks. Please convey my thanks to Lord Ui-gak-ju. The public is greatly indebted to him."

Hyunso held my hand and bowed his head slightly. I could see how grateful he was from that look.

The party leader waved his hand.

"No, I didn't ask to be greeted, but… Anyway, I'm really glad you have a car."

After exchanging a few more words, Hyunso suddenly spoke as if an idea had occurred to him.

"Oh, I don't think the frequency of foreigners is something to be concerned about, but is there something going on at home? It's a little noisier than usual. I feel like there are a lot of people coming and going."

"Ah. They must be the Zhuge family. They arrived at their hometown not long ago, and it looks like they've just recovered from their travel fatigue and are just getting back to work."

"Zhuge Family…? Come to think of it, didn't Zhuge Family help with the Sogaju competition in Guiga with their formation? I seem to remember hearing about it."

"Yes. We have been on friendly terms with the main family for a long time, and Muryangjeonju in particular has a close relationship with Yeonmyeong… no, with Sogaju. He was in charge of the group that Sogaju and I were in throughout the competition. This time, it seems that he has decided to set up the Jegal family's secret formation in the main family's inner garden."

"… It seems that the two families have a very close relationship. As far as I know, the Zhuge family's formations are so mysterious that they are called the best in the world. Also, once they are set up, they always need people to manage them, so it is not easy for people outside of the Zhuge family to see their formations."

Since the Muryangjeonju Jegal Changsin did not know that the weakness of the Tang Dynasty was taken advantage of by the Tang Dynasty, Hyun So could only think of it as a puzzle. Although not as much as the Jegal family, there were also several formations that had been passed down to the Taoist clan.

There were simple formations that involved planting flags made of auspicious materials in the ground according to the cardinal directions, but for formations that affected an area the size of a small village like Dangga Naewon, it was necessary to build several structures based on elaborate calculations. This meant that considerable manpower and resources were required. Surely the Dangga would bear all the costs…?

Anyway, one thing was clear.

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This place, Sacheondangga, is gradually changing into Yongdamhohyeol!

****

It was two days ago that the Zhuge family figures arrived at Tang House.

"You must always act wisely. In particular, you must absolutely refrain from doing anything that could harm the Tang family or the Soga family. He is actually cold-hearted, despite his appearance."

As he walked, Zhuge Changxin gave Zhuge Yingying a low voice, earnestly admonishing him. They were now moving to the Dangga family's house as representatives of the group. Amdokjeon—Zhuge Changxin could still vividly remember the scene where Dang Yuanming killed the elders in one breath. He thought that no matter how many times he repeated his warning, it was not enough.

"Don't worry, Uncle. I will never make a mistake."

Zhuge Yingying answered with a confident expression. She instinctively felt that this was an opportunity. Normally, it would have been difficult to even call Zhuge Changxin her uncle. It wasn't just because he was born of a concubine. Zhuge Yingying's mother was a concubine of the Zhuge family. She was born from a one-night mistake by the Zhuge family head. At first, she wasn't even recognized as a Zhuge family bloodline. She was a life without honor.

However, as she grew up, her natural beauty gradually became apparent, and she received the affection of her father, the head of the Jegal family, and was finally able to use the Jegal surname. Her mother also became a concubine at that time.

Her stepbrother, who was the son of her first wife, also welcomed Jegal Yeongyeong, saying that he had a cute younger sibling. It could be that he was doing so because he had already established his position as the head of the household, but she could sense a certain dark desire in her brother's eyes.

In any case, all of these were given to her because of her beauty. If her beauty had been ordinary, she would not have had these opportunities.

And now, the greatest opportunity to change her life itself has arrived. According to Zhuge Changxin, the Zhuge family will eventually be subordinated to the Tang family. So, if she can win the heart of the Tang family's Sogaju, wouldn't she be able to instantly become more valuable than anyone else in the Zhuge family?

'They said he looked so handsome.'

Jegal Yeongyeong had high standards as much as his beauty. Up until now, I had had the opportunity to meet several of the later-ranking officials who were called Heonanghada, but I was not particularly impressed. However, Tangga Sogaju Dangmyeong was not only high in martial arts, but also had a handsome appearance that was hard to find a match for. I was looking forward to it.

"You can come in."

"Thank you."

After receiving permission from the Bongwidae warriors guarding the dark tomb, Jegal Changsin and Jegal Yeongyeong greeted them and went inside.

"Come this way."

Inside the dark room, Sibi was the guide. I followed her and walked again. After passing a few thresholds, Sibi also stepped aside.

With the words that Gaju and Sogaju are waiting inside.

"…Let's go in."

Jegal Changsin had a slightly nervous expression on his face. The energy he felt inside was unusual. Could it be that Sogaju Dangmyeong had made another unexplained advance in the meantime? There is no monster. Jegal Changsin was half-confident. The identity of the surprising energy must be Dangmyeong. That was because he had heard the news that Dokbong Dang Jihye had become the new head of the family as soon as he arrived at Dangga. He had been quite famous in his youth, but there was no way someone with this much energy could be Dokbong.

Jegal Yeong-yeong followed her uncle, keeping her expression as straight as possible.

"It took longer than I thought."

As soon as you enter, you hear the voice of Dang-myung. In the center, a woman who looks like her sibling is sitting, wearing a blue robe.

"ah "

Zhuge Changxin and Zhuge Yingying were both shocked for different reasons. He's incredibly strong…!'

Jegal Changsin swallowed carefully as he looked at the beauty in the blue robe. I can tell that she is close. The energy flowing out of her body is extremely thick. It feels like it is bluntly hitting my qi, a sensation I have never experienced before. Just how much internal energy does she have…?

"… I am the Lord of the Wu-Liang-Jeon of the Zhuge Family, Lord of the Tang Family. Please forgive me for belatedly congratulating you on your inauguration. Moreover, it seems that you have had quite a few accomplishments, so I am truly grateful."

Zhuge Changxin quickly straightened his face and greeted her. Only a fool would be able to guess the identity of the woman. She must be the mother of Sogaju Yuanming, Dokbong Dang Jihui. Her youthful appearance must have been through a half-life transformation. It would have been hard to believe at first, but Zhuge Changxin readily accepted it. Isn't she the woman who gave birth to Yuanming? Even if she had ascended to the throne, he would have believed her.

"Thank you. It must have been difficult to come a long way. I heard about the Zhuge family from Sogaju."

"…Is that so?"

Jegal Changsin was a little embarrassed. He didn't know exactly what Tang Yuanming had said. Did he intervene in the battle of Goksol? Or did he try to deal with Tang Yuanming by using the help of Taeeulmukgeompa and others? He might even know that the elders had used their power to verify the qualifications of Sogaju.

'This is also a variable… .'

Suddenly, Zhuge Changxin thought that if he got involved with Yuan Ming, nothing would go as planned. Dang Jihui, the head of the Dang family, had the strongest aura among the people Zhuge Changxin had ever seen. I don't know how much of his actual martial arts skills he had, but his internal energy was definitely enormous. Did he eat the internal energy of some legendary beast? The mother and son were a pair that Zhuge Changxin could not handle.

Even though she was speaking in a friendly tone now, she could change at any moment. Would there be a mother who would just ignore the fact that someone was trying to harm her only son?

Zhuge Changxin realized that he had no choice but to maintain a humble posture. His body shrank slightly.

one side.

As soon as she entered, Jegal Yeong-yeong fixed her gaze solely on Sangmyung. Unlike her uncle, Jegal Chang-sin, she did not know the details of the family's situation, and was simply busy examining Sangmyung. How could someone be so handsome? His sharp jawline, his pleasantly high nose, and his long, black eyebrows seemed to indicate his extraordinary lineage, and his refreshingly exposed forehead and porcelain-like, blemish-free skin were appealing. In addition, the faint, deep green glow in his black-and-white eyes created a mysterious atmosphere.

'A face you can look at for a lifetime without getting tired of it.'

Even after passing the examination as a prospective husband, Jegal Yeongyeong muttered to himself,

"But who is it? That cute lady over there…?"

Tang Zhihui expressed interest. Zhuge Changxin, who was about to talk about the plan to set up a camp in Tangga Naiwon, smiled and said.

"She is my niece. As I said, if you give me permission, my family would like to come under your control and become subordinate. Although our two families have not been on bad terms, I brought her here to further strengthen our friendship. She is not the heir, but she is the daughter that the head of my family cherishes."

"I apologize for the late greeting. Since you are discussing family matters, I cannot bring myself to intervene. The girl is called Zhuge Yingying. Although it is late, I congratulate you on your inauguration as the head of the Tang family."

Jegal Yeongyeong greeted her somewhat timidly. She had impeccable caution ingrained in her. She had known since childhood what her most powerful weapon was. As a woman, she had innate beauty - she spared no effort in learning the means to make it stand out. The rules and etiquette of the noble family, speech, and posture.

There is a flower called the 絶塵花 (絶塵花). It is a flower that is known for its extreme beauty. The reason why the 絶塵花 is famous is certainly because it is beautiful, but more importantly, because it grows on steep cliffs. The fact that it is not easy to obtain stimulates people's desire to possess it beyond its natural beauty.

In this way, flowers were meaningless if they were just beautiful. In addition, it was important to have power and dignity that no one could easily overlook. That was what made a woman attractive. This was something that Jegal Yeong-yeong had realized since he was young.

Zhuge Changxin looked at her with satisfied eyes. In fact, he brought her here because she was beautiful, but because she was the child of a concubine, there were some aspects that were a bit lacking, but he didn't think he needed to worry anymore. He felt that Zhuge Yingying had a dignity that could not be built up in a short period of time. Wouldn't this be enough to sway the hearts of Tang Zhihui and Yuan Ming?

Indeed, Dang Ji-hye spoke strangely, perhaps because she had a son.

"Yes. Thank you. By the way, you are really pretty. As time goes by, there will be many young men who will feel heartbroken when they see Lady Jegal. I was also quite famous when I was young… Hehe."

"You are flattering me. The Lady of Dangga is still very beautiful. At first, the girl thought you were the Lady of Soga's sister."

"I know it's a bit much, but I still feel bad."

The two women took turns complimenting each other's beauty, and the atmosphere seemed to be flowing nicely.

"..Looking at you, you seem to be around the same age as our Sogaju, so I hope we can become close friends. If the Jegal family comes under the main family, we will be practically one family. Yes, like siblings."

At Dang Ji-hye's words, Jegal Yeong-yeong's eyes sparkled and he said.

"If I had an older brother who was as devoted to me as a cow, I would be incredibly happy. He would be strong and reliable. Of course, I have an older brother in my family, but since I'm his half-brother, he doesn't show much affection to me…"

Jegal Yeong-yeong trailed off and his eyes turned slightly red. He glanced at Yu Myeong-myeong. If he were truly a man, wouldn't he have offered to be her brother and appeased her?

But in reality, Dang-myeong's gaze was indifferent, as if he was watching a boring play.

It's a given.

Although he didn't tell his mother specifically, Yuan Ming didn't think much of the Zhuge family because of Zhuge Changsin's involvement in the competition and the fact that he had used the Taeeulmukgeompa to plot the murder of Chado. He had only kept Zhuge Changsin alive for the sake of his family's defense, and if he tried to do something like that again, he would not hesitate to take the lives of those involved and erase the name 'Zhuge' from the world.

No matter what a daughter of such a family looked like or what she said, it was of no interest to him. He had no intention of treating her in a friendly manner.

Also, everyone, including his mother, knows that Yuanming is fifteen years old, but isn't Yuanming still remembering his past life as a swordsman? His mind has already fully matured. No matter how pretty Zhuge Liangying is, he still sees her as a little girl. He can't possibly be attracted to her immature body. He even saw Tang Mi-so's ripe naked body not long ago… .

Moreover, the woman who possessed beauty, strength, and even dignity was none other than his mother. As a person who had met his mother on a daily basis, Dang-myeong did not feel any particular interest in Jegal Yeong-yeong.

And the one who noticed this obvious sign the fastest was none other than Jegal Yeongyeong himself.

'Why…!'

It was the first time she had ever experienced such a thing. Although she had a mature appearance that seemed to be of a young age, she had heard from her uncle that the head of the household was only one year older than her. How could a man of the same age not show the slightest interest in her?

Since Deungmyung didn't show any particular reaction, the atmosphere quickly became awkward.

"Hmm, hmm! So, to continue talking, in order to implement the same form of the sect installed at your home in your hometown, you first need to adjust the layout of the building… ."

With a cough, Zhuge Changxin quickly spoke.

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Jegal Yeong-yeong felt shame and humiliation for the first time in his life, and the desire for conquest that had developed all of a sudden, and he made a resolution.

Sogaju's obvious name is, I will definitely make you mine.

By any means necessary.

****

Construction progressed quickly.

It was said that the Gajujeon, the main ancestral shrine, was the center of the formation, and that important organizations of the family, such as the General Office and the Uigak, were the heks of each formation.

At first, the Zhuge family said that it would take quite some time because they had to move, repair, or demolish the locations of the remaining pavilions except for the Amdokjeon, but surprisingly, the directions taken by the pavilions did not greatly interfere with the implementation of the formation.

[It's only natural. How many people did that Muyeonggaek know? He must have kept the layout of the buildings in mind when he established the family. If he hadn't messed with it uselessly in later years, there wouldn't be any obstacles in deploying his formation.]

Shiksin Cheonggyeong said. As he said, they only slightly organized the area where the Yakwangdang incident had occurred and then went straight into setting up the formation.

The figures of Muryangjeon, including Jegal Changsin, buried various objects brought from the Jegal family in the ground or hid them here and there in the inner garden so that they could not be seen.

Hearing said that they were spiritual objects, imbued with the power to help the formation remain semi-permanent. For the Zhuge family, they were like family heirlooms. They must have endured considerable bloodshed.

Of course, that didn't mean that Dang-myeong's mind would be at ease. Since he had originally been thinking of destroying the Zhuge family, he thought that this level of sincerity was something that should be shown naturally.

Anyway, after seven long days and nights, Zhuge Changxin finally came.

"Sogaju. The formation of the Dangga Naewon has been completed. Now, we can say that the hometown has the same level of defense as the main house."

The expression on Zhuge Changxin's face as he reported was grim. The formations set up in the Tang family's inner court this time were not ordinary formations.

Infinite fixed location formation

Extremely hot soul formation

Silver Needle and Arrow Formation

Guan Shu Yeong Mo Jin (Guan Shu Yeong Mo Jin)

The secret formations of the Zhuge family were spread out in several layers. They were all excellent formations that were no less than the Seven-Shackled Ring-Palace Formation of Gongdongsan.

The moment you enter the Infinite Life Formation, you will be trapped in a certain hall. Even after you leave the hall, you will still find yourself trapped in the hall. It is useless whether you use lightness to quickly get out or break the hall. You will literally be buried in an infinite space. If you cannot destroy the formation, you will starve to death.

The Extreme Heat Formation was a strangely hot formation that burned only the soul without affecting the physical body, and the Eunyoungchimmu Formation was a kind of hybrid formation of organ formation and formation, where a huge number of needles would rain down on the intruder in a way that was invisible and difficult to detect. It was bound to be a good match for the Tang family that handled poison.

In addition, the Guan Shu Ying Mo formation was simply a formation in which one spear attacked, but within the space of this formation, the Sheng Jiu Jian Mo, a heirloom of the Zhuge family, could leisurely fly around, search for and kill enemies on its own. Furthermore, it was impossible to avoid the Sheng Jiu Jian Mo within the Guan Shu Ying Mo formation. This was because the Guan Shu (貫術), a surefire technique, was in play, but even in the Zhuge family, there were only three Sheng Jiu Jian Mo. Those who experienced it for the first time sometimes mistook it for the technique of the Yi Gi Eo Chang.

Including the other minor details, it would not have been strange for the work to take two weeks, let alone seven days and nights.

However, Dang-myeong told him to somehow finish the formation within ten days. This was because there was not much time left until the Sacheonjihoe. He wanted to leave after seeing that the family's defenses were properly prepared.

Prove your usefulness_

Those words sent shivers down his spine, and Jegal Changsin, who was saving sleep, urged the people in the Muryangjeon to hurry up. As a result, they were able to finish the work three days ahead of schedule. Instead of saying thank you for your hard work, Yu Sangmyeong just laughed and said,

"See? Just do it."

Zhuge Changxin just stood there with a dumbfounded expression on his face. The Sacheon martial arts world quickly became abuzz.

This is because the opening date of the Sacheon Branch is just around the corner.

Whenever the Sapa people gathered, they would talk about the Sacheonjihoe.

'… By the way, I heard that this Sacheon branch meeting is hosted by Simhwabang?'

'That's what happened. Originally, Cheon Jin-bang was supposed to preside over the Sacheon Branch, but wasn't Bang Joo Jeong Yeon-song a nobleman from Gongdongsan? They say that because Jeong Yeon-seung left without deciding on a successor, there was an internal conflict among the disciples. They all claimed that they were the rightful successor. They were not in a position to preside over the Sacheon Branch. It had to be passed on to the next person.'

'The next one is Taeeulmukgeompa, so I guess he skipped it again. Isn't he the biggest victim of the Gongdongsan Bloodshed? I heard the damage was significant. They say he was hit so hard that he couldn't recover.'

'After the end, the dead Mak Jang-moon led all the elite troops of the sect. I think it was to check the Gongdong faction, but in any case, it ended in a bad ending. So many people were annihilated. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the pillar of the Taeeulmukgeom faction was completely uprooted.'

'Then the territory of Taeeulmukgeompa that Jangmun had expanded during his lifetime will soon become Mujugongsan?'

'No. It's not as simple as I thought. Those who have the quick news have already shown signs of trying to take over the territory of the Taeeulmukgeompa, but there was a place that stopped them instead.'

'Is it Cheon Jin-bang? Mak In-hu and Jeong Yeon-song were close friends to the point that they were almost like best friends while alive, so out of respect for their ancestors' relationship... .'

'No. The Cheonjinbang is currently in a state where they haven't even established proper command authority due to the succession dispute. It's not a situation where they can move troops rashly. Besides, even if it's not as many as the Taeeulmukgeompa, didn't the Cheonjinbang lose some of its elite troops, including Bangju? Even if they had the resources, it would be burdensome.'

'Then who came forward?'

'They said it was a deep-rooted room.'

'... Simhwabang? Then, could it be that the affair between Simhwabangju Yeo Seol-ryeon and Mak In-hu was real?'

'I don't know. It was a long time ago, isn't it? It was when the two were young. However, Sim Hwa Bang stated that he has no intention of sitting back and watching the conflict between factions for the time being as he presides over the Sacheon Branch. If there's something he wants to achieve, he'll have to go through the Sacheon Branch. There's a reason why there's so much interest in this event. There's a lot of vested interests involved. In particular, there will be quite a few people who are aiming for the Taeeulmukgeom faction's successor.'

'It's about vested rights... This time, the Sacheonjihoe will be really fierce. Come to think of it, didn't Mokyeonggung lose the princess and the archers? I heard they lost it while chasing two Taoist priests.'

'What…? Are you saying that Princess Mokyeong Jang Taecheon died? When?'

'The news is late. Don't you know about the disaster that occurred in Seongdo?'

'If you are a saint, are you talking about the party?'

'You really don't know. Let me tell you from the beginning. A few days ago, two Taoist priests wearing doboks entered Sacheon without fear. They were wearing yellow doboks, so I think they were probably from the Gongdong faction, but they must have been confident since they were from the Yukpa faction. In any case, they unfortunately encountered Yeonju. If they had been nothing special, Yeonju would have quietly let it go, but it seems one of them was quite powerful. They engaged in a one-on-one duel. The energy waves generated by their confrontation were said to be enormous. It must have been harder for the nearby factions not to notice Yeonju's arrival.'

'Huh. To have moved Yeonju's heart... Was he a person who had reached Hwagyeong? So what happened to the victory or defeat? Of course Yeonju won.'

'Of course. The Taoist bastards have been defeated. Judging from the fact that they survived, there is a high probability that they have learned proper martial arts. As you know, if the Yeonju can show you a martial art that catches his eye, he often lets them live, even if they are his enemies.'

'You are a merciful person.'

'Anyway, there are those who are chasing the Taoist bastards who escaped under the mercy of Yeonju. They say that the Taoist who confronted Yeonju had obvious signs of internal injuries. In the end, they're saying that they only have to deal with the remaining Taoist... The thoughts of those chasing him are obvious. The fact that he survived after allying with Yeonju means that he has proper martial arts skills. They must have been trying to take him hostage, or they must have been after the secret weapon he had in his bosom. Or they may have tortured him to extract a few words from him.'

'Most of them must have been ignorant. There is nothing more foolish than learning incomplete knowledge.'

'That must have been the case. They say that even the Taoist priests had enough time to fight back instead of running away. Until Mokyeonggungju Jang Taecheon joined in.'

'I've met Jang Tae-cheon before, and his martial arts skills are real. Even if the opponent is a member of the Sixth Sect, he won't be pushed back that much.'

'That's right. After Mokyeonggung joined the pursuit party, the Taoist priests had no choice but to run away helplessly. Jang Taecheon alone would have been difficult, but they say there were quite a few Mokyeonggung archers following him.'

'But why did Jang Tae-cheon die? Just two Taoist priests... and one of them wasn't even in normal condition.'

'The Taoist bastards fled to Seongdo. I don't know if that was their destination from the beginning, or if it was because the only Dangga clan in Sacheon that they could ask for help was there. In any case, the Taoist bastards met the new head of the Dangga clan there.'

'If you're talking about the head of the household, then you're talking about the child named Dang-myeong. I've heard of it. Now, I heard that the mother, Dok-bong Dang Ji-hye, has ascended to the position of head of the household?'

'Yes. What I'm talking about happened right after that. The pursuers, including Jang Tae-cheon, came right up to Seong-do's nose, and the head of the Tang family's household called the Taoist priests guests and pushed them back. When Jang Tae-cheon saw that, he burst into anger and stepped forward.'

'Princess Mokyeong likes to meddle, but she also hates it when others meddle in her affairs. She must have been very upset.'

'Just one move.'

'hmm?'

'The Princess Mokyeong died because of a single swing of the sword that Sogaju Dangmyeong swung without any care, even though he was noisy. Because he couldn't avoid a single poisoned needle.'

'What...? Does that make sense? Dang-myung-myeong is only fifteen or sixteen years old. The princess of Mok-yeong Palace, one of the few factions under the Heuk-sa-ryeon, was defeated by a child like that? Not a master from another faction?'

'At that time, there weren't many people who carried out the order. Just two. And one of them was not a soldier but a merchant. There were more than one or two civilians in the city who witnessed what happened that day.'

'Huh… I knew that Tangga's poison was powerful, but to think that a master as powerful as Princess Mokyeong could be defeated with just one move? To be honest, I can't believe it. And it wasn't even a great secret technique, just a single Umochim that pierced Jang Taecheon's spirit? Could it be that the one who was injured was not the Taoist priest, but Jang Taecheon? I can't help but suspect that the rumor is distorted.'

'It was just a joke… Jang Tae-cheon was just the beginning.'

'what?'

'Since the princess died in vain, would the Mokyeonggung archers who followed her have stayed still? There were only five Taoist priests on Sogaju Dangmyeong's side, and the pursuing force numbered one hundred... no, almost two hundred. The Mokyeonggung archers incited the others to come rushing in. Since they had an overwhelming numerical advantage, they probably had no need to worry.'

'… You're not trying to say that nearly two hundred people were massacred, are you?'

'Good feeling? You guessed it right. When the Dangga Sogaju waved his hands, a huge number of feather dusters covered the sky. And a little later, the feather dusters came down like a downpour. I don't know if they were poisoned with the same poison that killed Jang Tae-cheon, but none of the pursuers survived. Those who were hit by even one feather duster died in a few breaths. Can you imagine? It only took a few breaths to cut off the lives of two hundred people.'

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'There were too many people who witnessed the scene at the time to say that it was an exaggeration or a lie. Most of what the nobles say is also true. It was truly an incredible case of memorization and ignorance.'

'Is it true that even rotten teeth are good? I thought the party had fallen into ruin.'

'What is clear is that many people are paying attention to the Tang family because of this incident. Were there many people who were targeting the city that the Tang family had occupied? If it weren't for the order of the Lienju, there are many factions that would have invaded the city long ago. This incident has made them feel alert, but it has also raised some expectations.'

'What if it's expected?'

'Didn't Sogaju show off his skills openly? There are rumors going around that Dangga might participate in this Sacheon branch meeting. That's probably why Mokyeonggung isn't really coming forward. Wouldn't it be more feasible to take on Sogaju alone rather than the entire Dangga? There's probably no one in Sacheon branch meeting who will take Dangga's side.'

****

A space to discuss the big and small stories of Heuksaryeon.

There were a few middle-aged men with an unusual air about them, and one of them sighed deeply and muttered, "Here we go again."

"Uncles!"

There was a girl who came in with the door kicked open.

She may have gone a little overboard - she had a body that seemed quite mature, but her cute face made it hard to tell her age. Her gestures themselves showed a bit of a tomboyish quality, and she approached the man sitting closest to her and put her arms around his neck.

"This is the Sacheon branch meeting. Can I participate too?"

"What's going on? Last time, you said it wasn't fun and told me to leave before the opening ceremony was even over."

"There weren't any characters back then. They all looked so predictable. Shouldn't the latter half of a prestigious family look more realistic? Even if they didn't have the looks of Song Ok or Ban An, they had an air of elegance…"

"You said you'd do it this time? If you make this uncle go for nothing again…."

"I went to the market a little while ago and overheard everyone saying that this year's Sacheon branch meeting would be different from previous years? I felt like there were some complicated circumstances involved, but I don't know for sure. I heard that the head of the Dang family would be attending this time. The name was unusual. Yes, it was Yeonmyeong."

"Yeonmyeong? That's a weak name. So that's why you said he was handsome?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I heard that he showed up once outside the city walls, and all the girls who caught his eye at that time became lovesick."

"… That's an exaggeration."

"Anyway, I really have to see that man's face. If I like him, I'll take him as my husband."

As the girl playfully muttered, all the middle-aged people present burst into laughter. Those who knew them would have been shocked to see this. The middle-aged people were the core figures of the Black Lotus, having been together with Yu Gil-jun since the time he joined the Black Lotus Sect. They were masters who had received incredible martial arts directly from Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Sect's master, and had all reached a peerless state. However, no one was unafraid of them due to their rough temperaments and cold-hearted natures. How could they, in such a situation, smile gently at a single word from the girl...?

But this was to be expected.

Yeonhee Yoo: She was the only adopted daughter of Heuksalyeonju Yu Giljun.

He is the second most noble being in the Black Lotus.

She was saying that she would attend the Sacheon branch meeting.

Showing blatant interest in the daughter of the owner of the family. When dawn comes quietly.

There were people lined up in the calm air. They were ready to leave, all dressed in clean military uniforms and exuding a cool air like dawn, and they looked like they would be treated well by any breakwater.

They were the armed forces directly under the Dangga Elders. In front of each of the Geonjeongdae, Dokgeomdae, and Amryangdae, there were figures who looked like the leaders standing expressionless, and in front of them, the second elder, Dang Myeong-sin, the chief, Dang Ji-ryong, and the fifth elder, Dang Myeong-hu, were talking quietly.

"… What course do you plan to take? Wouldn't it be dangerous to head straight north toward the commonwealth? I heard that the person in charge of the Sacheon branch meeting this time is Sim Hwa-bang."

"I guess it was decided to go with Simhwabang. After all, Taeulmukgeompa and Cheonjinbang were on the verge of destruction because of Sogaju… In any case, Elder Lee's words are right. Simhwabang is located to the northeast of the main house, so it would be best to avoid it if possible. Even now, the successors of the Sadobangpa from all over Sacheon will be flocking there."

"Elder Lee, President. Do you really need to be that worried? With this level of power, you should be able to easily destroy one or two of the defenses. Even the Taoist priest of the public sect seems to be a master of a level that is difficult to measure."

"O Elder. Those attending the Sacheon Branch are only the young successors of each faction, but the troops guarding the opening ceremony, Simhwabang, will be elites from each faction. Among them, there may be those who have received the teachings of the Divine Sword from the Black Lotus Master. Of course, since Sogaju has decided to attend the Sacheon Branch, he will not openly touch us, but it would be best to minimize the possibility of friction."

"Then how about we just go to Simhwabang as if we're escorting Sogaju? Since we have a justification, I don't think we'll be aroused by the guards."

"It's not a bad idea, but the size of the force is too large, so it could end up provoking the Apostolic forces including Simhwabang. Furthermore, even though they might not be on guard until they reach Simhwabang, there will be those who feel it strange that they don't return to their home."

"Also, since it is a big event in Sacheon, there may be someone from the Black Lotus. I doubt the Black Lotus Master himself will come out, but if even one or two of his sworn brothers show up…."

"… I see. It would be better to avoid it. Then, even if it takes time, I should move east and then head north."

"Yes. It's a bit of a detour, but if you diligently use your lightness, you can reduce the time considerably. In fact, you can prevent unnecessary friction, so you can think of it as arriving faster."

"Is there a reason you have to arrive early?"

"A person named Hyunso from the Gongdongpa asked me to hurry up because the schedule seems to be delayed more than expected. He said that Kunlun may already be engaged in an all-out war with the Demonic Cult."

"Demonic Cult… I really didn't know that I would be fighting them in my old age. Even though my main mission is to provide rear support and deal with the remaining forces, I still feel uncomfortable."

"There's nothing I can do. The Lord has given me a strict order, so I have no choice but to follow."

"… I honestly suspect that this is an opportunity for the Demonic Cult to use their power to eliminate us. Not only us, but the Elder's military forces would also be a thorn in their side."

"That can't be. If he really wanted to get rid of us, he wouldn't have given us the poison of Danggasipdok. Even if he had the poison of Muhyeongmyeongsan, didn't he also give us the poison of Saljohwa? As you know, Saljohwa is a deadly poison that can kill even the most skilled practitioners. Even if things go wrong and we encounter the Demon Lord, it's as good as having a way to survive. However, the only thing that's puzzling is why he only gave the authority over Muhyeongmyeongsan and Saljohwa to Sajangro… ."

"..Even if you look at me with those eyes. I don't know either. It would be much better for the two elders who are well-versed in the art of poison to take charge than me, who is only a swordsman."

"Hmm. Is that so…? Anyway, I guess there's no need to worry too much."

The three nodded while looking at each other. There was a trust between them that stemmed from a sense of kinship. That's why the other two elders didn't pay much attention to the strange sparkle in the eyes of Elder Lee Dang Myeong-shin.

one side.

Among the ranks of the Elder Lee's direct subordinates, there was someone who was quietly suppressing his anger. He was trying not to show his resentment and was looking at Dangsangmyeong, who was talking to the members of the communist faction, with as calm an expression as possible.

'You son of a bitch.'

Tang Moon-chan spat out curses as if he was chewing them inside. They say that a position makes a person. Now, it was a given that he would be completely like Sogaju. He was standing shoulder to shoulder with the people of the Gongdong faction, who were part of the Yukpa faction.

As he watched, his anger rose again. Wasn't this the image of the famous Ji-su Lee that he had dreamed of? It felt as if his position had been taken away. For him, who had lost one of his arms to Deung-myeong, it was a future he could no longer reach.

'I will definitely get revenge…!'

A venom flashed in Tang Moon-chan's eyes for a moment and then disappeared. So fast that no one noticed. He knew that Dang-myeong was a master beyond imagination. If he couldn't control his boiling emotions and let them show, he could have caused a false alarm or made a mistake.

It is not yet time. A gentleman's revenge does not last ten years - I repeat this to myself and calm my mind.

There is only one problem. How can he, who is nothing more than a cripple, take revenge on Dangsangmyeong?

'... First, I need to fix my arm. It's like a stroke of luck that I have the chance to make contact with the Demonic Cult.'

Anyway, he had decided to turn his back on his family. Tang Moon-chan, whose resentment toward his father-in-law had reached the bone of his bones, had no intention of following his family's orders. He even considered the Demonic Cult as a negotiation partner. What if he moved between Gongdong and Kunlun to help the Demonic Cult?

I heard that the magic arts of the Demonic Cultivation are extremely extraordinary and many of them are beyond the scope of human beings. They also said that there are arts that grant regenerative powers that surpass human limitations, so perhaps there is a way to heal the arm.

Or, the one who was called the magic doctor of the time. He was said to be able to reattach severed arms. There were rumors that he had mastered the art of medicine from the reverse side, and that he only listened to the orders of the leader of the magic cult. Can't we ask him to treat us?

Not knowing that there were people plotting such a scheme so close by, Dang-myeong was leisurely exchanging his final farewells with the members of the communist faction.

"Then, take care on your way."

"I am truly indebted to you for all your hard work, Sogaju. Thanks to your consideration, I was able to quickly treat Sa-baek's internal injuries. I would also like to express my gratitude on behalf of the long letter for your decision to lend me your support in the fight against the Demonic Cult."

"Thank you for your help."

Hyunso and Taeheo nodded slightly. Their gestures were filled with deep favor. It was natural. For them, they had truly been saved at a critical moment. Of course, if Taeheo had taken action despite his worsening internal injuries, he would not have been defeated by the Sapa gangsters, but if that had happened, the power of the Gongdong faction would have been irreparably weakened. In the battle against the Demonic Cult, the presence of an absolute master like Taeheo was invaluable, but he was almost rendered powerless in vain. The word "critical" is correct.

Tae-heo still felt uneasy about the name. It was clear that it was a martial arts skill that was far below his level, but there was something that reminded him of the Black Lotus. This was just a feeling, so Tae-heo didn't show it. He simply assumed that it was not a normal martial arts skill, but that it was because he had learned the Dok-gong skill.

"No. It was something that had to be done. The military support for the Guipa was also done in return for a price. I hope that both sides keep their promise."

Dang-myung waved his hand and emphasized once again that there was a price to pay for cooperation between the Tang family and the public.

Hyunso stuck out her tongue and answered quickly.

"… Don't worry. As soon as I arrive at the main branch, I will obtain a long letter of permission and send it to you through messenger. Of course, since this is something that the Four Hundred has approved, permission will naturally be granted."

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"All right."

"Since the amount of money is what it is, we plan to mobilize the disciples of the main sect in case of an emergency, but since we are about to have a fight with the Demonic Cult, it will be difficult to send mid-level disciples…"

"Don't worry about that part. If you tell me where and when to meet, I'll arrange for my family to come pick you up."

"Thank you, Sogaju. And the Heuksa-ryeon side too…"

Hyunso trailed off. He wanted to make one last request, but it was such a sensitive topic.

The Tang family's Sogaju Dangmyeong deliberately attended the Sichuan branch meeting to cause confusion. This was so that the Sasang forces under the Black Lotus would not pay any attention to what was happening above. In particular, as a joint force that had to send most of its elite troops to fight the Demonic Cult, the most worrisome thing was that the Sachuan Apostle factions would attack the empty headquarters. In some ways, wasn't this more important than providing military support?

"The news will probably arrive sooner than you set out. Don't worry about that either."

"I will believe you."

As Dang-myeong spoke confidently, Hyun-so also nodded with great relief. In many ways, he thought that this trip to Sacheon was very beneficial.

Finally, Hyunso and Taeheo greeted the head of the household, Dokbong Dang Jihye, and joined the line. Then, the eyes of everyone gathered in the hall naturally turned to Dang Jihye. It was her turn to give the order to go on a campaign.

"Everyone."

A powerful voice that is pleasant to listen to resonates clearly. This is because it contains profound inner strength. The people present listened as they realized once again that Dang Ji-hye, who had ascended to the position of the head of the household, was a being with outstanding skills as well as beauty.

"As you can see from the family tree, my family has always valued trust. Since we have decided to help, I hope you will go on this expedition with the thought that we will share the common destiny."

Dang Ji-hye speaks in a commanding tone, unlike usual.

If it's a family tradition, then it must be talking about that.

Double the favor, tenfold the resentment.

It has been said since ancient times to show how wicked the people of Sacheondangga were, but conversely, it also meant how much they valued trust.

The eyes of the elder Dang Myeong-sin and several people belonging to the Geonjeongdae twitched slightly at the meaningful words of the head of the household, but soon regained their calm expressions. If the head of the household had known about their plot, there was no way he would have let them go like this.

Then, I wish you success. After quietly folding their hands and bowing to Dang Ji-hye's words, the people began to walk without breaking ranks. Their quiet steps suited the calm morning air. Once they left the main gate, they would immediately launch into a light-hearted gallop.

After they all disappeared, a small breeze blew through the empty space.

"Life extension."

"Yes, Mother."

"The wind is blowing."

"Is it the wind and clouds? I, as a mother, intend to support you no matter what kind of life you lead, but I also have a strong desire to be with you for a long time. I hope you don't push yourself too hard."

"Don't worry. Who am I?"

Who is it? The son of Dokbong. - Dang Ji-hye answered with a smile. Since when, whenever she showed her worries, her only son expressed his confidence in this way.

Dang-myung thought with a smile. He must be worried about getting involved with Heuk-sa-ryeon. However, it was a necessary process for him to live a normal life with his mother. There were also promises he made to his family members as the head of the household.

Heuksaryeonju Yu Giljun didn't have much of a grudge against him. He had a sense of pride, no, a little curiosity, but...

I just felt the need to organize the forces under the Black Lotus that had grown stronger. I used my position as the Sacheon Branch and the Later Index. I thought that the Black Lotus would not move to that extent.

But as always, things in this world don't always go as planned. Are you really a human who has not even been born for twenty years?]

As soon as Dang-myung was alone, Shik-shin Cheong-gyeong spoke to him.

Heung-gyeong was able to gain a fairly deep understanding of the internal affairs of the Tang family for several days. Having been sealed away for a long time and released, he could not help but be ignorant of the current state of affairs in the martial arts world, but that did not mean that he asked Dang-myeong for an explanation. It was not likely that Dang-myeong would kindly tell him even if he asked, and there were many things he could guess from the stories of the family members talking among themselves or the conversations with the people from the Gong-gong faction who happened to visit.

First of all, I realized that it had not been long since Dang Ji-hye had become the head of the household, and then I realized that it had only been a short time since Dang Ji-hye had taken the position of the head of the household. What was surprising was Dang Ji-hye's true inaction—almost no one knew that she had reached the state of Hwa-gyeong.

This meant that either Tang Zhihui had never properly displayed her power, or that she had only recently reached a state of shock.

Hearing was more on the latter side. It was because he had heard that it wasn't long ago that Dang Ji-hye regained her youthful appearance through the transformation. It must have been when she reached Hwagyeong that she achieved the transformation and the transformation.

In that case, it is correct to say that Dang Ji-hye ascended to the throne before Yu Sang-myeong. In some cases, Yu Sang-myeong may have been a decisive help in Dang Ji-hye's achievement. After watching for a few days, I could feel that he cherished his mother very much.

As negotiations with the Gongdongpa went on, I was able to naturally learn about the Elders and their direct military unit. I also found out that they were currently being cautious, and that the reason was that there was friction during the process of Yuanming becoming the owner of the household. There were two guys who tried to suppress Yuanming with a small amount of force, but ended up getting killed instead.

It was a natural thing. Regardless of age, reaching Hwagyeong meant that one was one of the strongest in the world. No matter what the old people did, they would have died in vain. Of course, it was because they didn't know that Yuanming had reached Hwagyeong.

It seemed that the fact that Dang-myeong had reached Hwa-gyeong was something that only his mother and head of the household, Dang Ji-hye, knew. Now, he had completely hidden his achievements by using the closed veins, so even Tae-heo had not found out.

In the end, it was understandable that the Tang family's power was not as great as expected. The head of the family, Dang Ji-hye, had only recently arrived in Hwagyeong, and the head of the small family, Yuan Ming, had hidden his achievements, so no power in Sacheon would know the true strength of the Tang family. This must be why the Sapa warriors who had been chasing the Gongdong faction members invaded the Tang family's territory, Chengdu, without hesitation.

Hearing thought that things would get more interesting from now on. Until the Tang family's power is fully revealed, there will continue to be those who underestimate them.

Although he had become a food god, he was a fool at heart and wanted to see bloody slaughter. He felt satisfaction when he saw the Sa-pa warriors who had been chasing the Gongdong-pa Taoists being slaughtered by Dang-myeong using his own poison.

What else is happening at the Sacheon branch?

Anyway, that expectation was expected, and the reason why I felt doubtful was because of my natural behavior. Didn't I watch the negotiation process with the Gongdongpa Hyeonso from the beginning to the end?

By supporting the Elders and their direct military forces, who were nothing more than a burden within the family, in the battle against the Demonic Cult, he gained a huge amount of money from the common faction. It was a very efficient choice. In a way, he was sending out those who could cause trouble. It would be more appropriate to see it as the removal of a source of anxiety rather than a reduction in power. Besides, if they really did die in the battle against the Demonic Cult, that wouldn't be so bad.

Also, while they were away, Dang-myeong would be able to leave his family home and attend the Sacheon branch meeting with peace of mind.

Yes, up to this point, the hearing was like that. But Dang-myung went a step further here. He ordered the elders to appear and ordered them to read the gossip.

It must have been a bewildering experience for the elders. The value of the family tree was too great to be seen as a trick by the Sogaju to weaken their position by using the help of the Demonic Cult.

Of course, from the perspective of someone who had already gained hearing, it was a decision that could be made because reading the gossip was no longer that valuable.

Anyway, since the party had already been swept up in gossip, the elders had no choice but to go. In a way, they probably thought it was a chance to restore trust within the family. If things continued this way, they would never regain their former power until they died. The only possibility was to establish a proper achievement.

In addition, Dang Sang-myeong secretly called in Dang Ji-ryong as the president and entrusted him with reading the party gossip along with some requests.

'Elder. I think that the second or fifth elders may have other intentions. They may pretend to follow the family's orders while plotting a scheme. You are to keep an eye on the second and fifth elders. If you see any signs of betrayal from them, immediately inform me. If there seems to be a problem in the battle with the Demonic Cult, inform the public in advance so that they can be on guard. Do not hand over the Tang Gossip Poison to the second or fifth elders unless it is absolutely necessary. You may fall victim to their poison magic.'

'… Sogaju. No matter how much the elders and the three elders tried to take Sogaju's life, we have lived our whole lives as members of the Tang family. How could we turn our backs on our family?'

'That's your opinion.'

'… So, does that mean that you can trust me, Sogaju?'

'President. I heard that you are originally a descendant of the swordsmanship. I heard that you have been practicing swordsmanship since you entered the family as a son-in-law.'

'I'll make you an offer you can't refuse. When you return after finishing this task, I'll teach you a few techniques.'

After saying that, Dang Yuanming swung his shuriken several times in the air. He seemed to be swinging it around carelessly, but Dang Jiryong couldn't hide his excitement as he watched. Having practiced swordsmanship all his life, he could tell. What Dang Yuanming was using now was on a different level from simple swordsmanship. This was something more fundamental.

'… How can the Lord Sogaju do such a noble inspection…?'

'I realized this while practicing. What do you think? If you learn these sword techniques, your swordsmanship will advance to the next level.'

'…I will follow the orders of the Sogaju.'

Heung-gyeong was amazed by the obviousness of the dragon's leadership. He was not simply seeking to gain an advantage, but he was also using his tactics to make the opponent do as he wished. He was also considering the opponent's betrayal.

It was hard to believe that this was the level of conduct of someone who was not even a member of the terms and conditions.

What surprised him the most was the level of swordsmanship of Dangsangmyeong. As a former Yimaengryang, he had watched Muyeonggaek defeat the world's best swordsman several times, and Dangsangmyeong realized that the level of swordsmanship that he had briefly shown was far beyond his imagination. It was strange. He had not displayed any great swordsmanship, but it was to the point where he felt as if every stroke of his sword was imbued with spirituality.

It was surprising that at his age, he had properly continued the progress of the Muyeonggaek and reached the Hwagyeong, but apart from his memorized martial arts, his swordsmanship had also reached this level…?

Even if he was born with outstanding talent, it didn't seem to make sense. Wouldn't it be much more plausible to assume that the master who had turned back time was hiding his true identity?

That's why I asked. Is it true that you are a guy who hasn't even been born for twenty years?

"You're curious about everything. In a situation where there's even a Black Lotus that can see through the principles of ignorance at a glance. This year marks my sixteenth year since I was born. I'll be seventeen soon."

Dang-myung answered as if he was talking to himself.

[… •…]

I could feel that he still had difficulty believing his hearing. However, I did not feel the need to resolve his doubts. Remembering his past life as a swordsman was a secret that he had to take with him to the grave.

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'… Black Death Lotus.'

I wonder if he was subconsciously aware of me before the Sacheon branch meeting. I don't think we'll ever meet again.

Deungmyung realized that he had unknowingly mentioned Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus, and thought about it for a moment.

A person who was born with the qualities of a great master and quickly became a world-class master. With the martial arts he had accumulated on his own, he overthrew the three old factions, Cheongseong, Ami, and Jeomchang, and created the Sixth Faction. Naturally, he stood in complete opposition to the Jeongdo faction.

Perhaps because of this, he insisted on only learning the Sado Confucianism, and now he reigns as the supreme ruler of the Sapa faction, and he is the one who actually made the land of Sachon the Sado world.

Suddenly, a question occurred to me. Could an ordinary person stand tall like that just with the qualities he was born with? Could it be that Black Lotus also has some kind of secret, just like Deungmyeong himself?

one side.

My hearing was also lost in thought.

'… It's definitely not a dragon.'

There is a saying, "A dragon among people."

It was also used to refer to an extremely talented person, but Cheonggyeong knew exactly why the word came to be. Originally, dragons were something between a two-faced being and a spirit, and before they awakened to their own existence, they were mostly in human form. And dragons usually had physical abilities or intelligence that were beyond the scope of humans, and those who displayed such outstanding qualities began to be called Injungryong.

Although it is now extremely rare for people to know about dragons, it is still common in the martial arts world to compare outstanding later-stage talents to dragons.

The two-faced Cheong-gyeong could sense the existence of the dragon. The reason why the Muyeong-gaek made Cheong-gyeong a true poison and brought him around was not only to obtain extreme poison, but also to find the dragon. Contrary to popular belief, the dragon was not a being that was only auspicious. On the contrary, it often brought great disaster to the human world.

In any case, it was an amazing achievement to the point where it was believed that the name Yong was obvious to the hearing.

'Why on earth did this guy come out? When he grows up, he'll probably be worse than Muyeonggaek…'

Heaven does not send people down without a reason. - Heunggyeong recalled the words that Bangsa, who had reached a high level of wisdom, often said. In the declining Tang family, a being comparable to a dragon called Dangmyeong appeared and even broke his seal. It could be a sign that a great misfortune was coming to the world.

'Are you trying to manifest a few dragons?'

It was something that was still unknown, but if that happened, he would have to use the peerless secret technique of the Muyeonggaek to secure his freedom, and Cheonggyeong shook off his thoughts.

For now, I was looking forward to the massacre that would occur at the Sacheon branch. Sogaju. Are you sure it's okay…?"

Bongwidaeju Dangwonjin asked cautiously. After the communist faction figures left, the next step was for Sogaju, the owner of the small house, to attend the Sacheon branch meeting. However, Bongwidae, who was planning to follow him, declared that he would go alone to the Simhwabang where the Sacheon branch meeting was held. He said that if he brought so many people with him, it would only attract attention.

There was some truth to it, but in fact, this was something that questioned the very purpose of the Bongwidae. After all, the duty of the Bongwidae, the direct military unit of the Sogaju, was to escort the Sogaju and perform the mission without inconvenience. From the Bongwidae's perspective, it was right for even a small number of people to follow the order.

"Of course, we do not doubt the power of Sogaju, but the world is full of unexpected things. Didn't the Lord Taeheo of the Gongdongpa encounter the Black Lotus Pearl while walking lightly? It would have been better to bring an escort just in case…"

"no."

Dang Yuanming cut off Dang Wonjin's words firmly.

"If you really meet the Black Lotus, you will be nothing more than a mere second thought to your level. You will die in vain. I have no intention of using my subordinates as swords. I will quietly build up my skills and protect my family."

The party members remained silent. In the end, it meant that it was difficult for the current Bongwidae to even claim to be the guard of Deungnyeong. It was bittersweet.

After returning to the clan, Yuan Ming occasionally watched the training of the Bongwidae. Those who witnessed Yuan Ming's use of force accepted his guidance without much resistance. Even though he was young, it was clear that Sogaju was an incredibly skilled man. Didn't he kill the elders who were revered as the best in the clan one after another?

The advice on cultivation from a master who has reached the realm of perfection is truly as valuable as gold!

Most of the Bongwidae warriors felt that their achievements were limited. It was understandable, because they had been training hard and gritting their teeth for over ten years, from the bloody battle with Magwangcheon until the Sogaju competition. They had long since poured in the effort to fully display their talents.

The sage saw through their condition at a glance. They lacked talent, not effort. What they needed was either a divine revelation or detailed teachings from a master who had reached a much higher level.

1. Be more precise in your internal energy management. Not a single bit of your true energy should be wasted. If you manage your internal energy in a way that you think will produce some power, even if you reach the highest level, it will be difficult to be called a true master.

Although this Sogaju is not very knowledgeable about the secret weapon, it is clear that relying only on the performance of the secret weapon itself will have its limits in terms of power. There are countless weapons in the world, but there must be a reason why the simplest forms of the sword, sword, and spear have been in the spotlight for so long. First, make sure you can handle simple secret weapons like shurikens or blades. Once you become completely proficient in handling one, you can continue to increase the number of them by two, three, four... It will get harder and harder, but don't give up. Of course, it may be tempting to use irregular secret weapons because their killing power will increase easily, but if you truly want to reach the realm of ascension with the secret weapon, it would be best to follow my words.

一 The battle does not always go in your favor. For example, suppose you meet a master of the martial arts. They are usually very good at closing the gap because of the martial arts they have learned. What would you do if you encountered such a situation? Even if you have not neglected your training in the divine arts, the opponent's divine arts may be superior. It is natural to prepare a way to deal with an enemy who approaches. Since you have always been thinking about fighting at a distance, there may be things you have not seen. Always keep this in mind. You never know where you might get the clue to enlightenment. You may open your eyes by practicing something you have not done before.

The advantage of the secret weapon is that it has stealth and distance advantages, but the greatest advantage is that it can unleash multiple attacks at once. In an instant, it can do the work of several people alone. It is not a sustainable killing power as the number of secret weapons is effective, but

In any case, when fighting against a master of a certain level or higher, it is advantageous to be able to unleash more force in an instant. It is more efficient to build up your skills by making use of your strengths, so keep that in mind.

In some ways, there are few martial arts that specialize in combined attacks as much as memorization martial arts. If you keep a distance and pour out your memorization, you don't have to worry about your allies getting hit. However, on the other hand, because there is no such worry, it seems that the breathing between each other is not very important. Just attacking together does not make it combined attacks. The attacks must continue without stopping, like the spokes of a carriage turning. From the perspective of the person being attacked, it would be more burdensome to attack continuously than to attack all at once. Don't think of it as petty and seriously practice your passing technique. At some point, you will be able to naturally sense the flow of attack and defense.

The essence of the original family's Dok-gong is the basic Dok-yo-cheong-gwang-sim-beop. I don't know if you believe it, but the main family master only learned the Dok-yo-cheong-gwang-sim-beop and achieved great success. The other mind methods of the family are branches of the Dok-yo-cheong-gwang-sim-beop. Of course, that doesn't mean that the mind methods you learned are useless. I just want to say that sometimes it might be helpful to go back to the basics and study them.

I don't really recommend learning the Dragon Poison Technique separately. Of course, if you have a huge amount of poison in your hand, you can show considerable lethality with the Dragon Poison Technique alone, but it's almost impossible to deceive the spirit of a master who has reached a high level and poison them. Except for the formless poison, the poisons that are similar to it usually have a noticeable color or scent. It would be much more powerful to refine your secret technique to the level of the secret technique and use the secret technique that has been coated with poison.

The Bongwidae warriors were all shocked by the straightforward teachings of Dangmyeong. He easily suggested the direction in which they should focus their efforts, and in the process, it was clear that he had a very deep insight into the family's martial arts. The gap in skill was so great that, rather than feeling jealous or envious, they naturally felt admiration. As the head of the family and as a warrior who walked the path of memorized martial arts, they came to admire him.

The desire to somehow be recognized by Dang-myung was prevalent among them. Days passed by, with them sparing their sleep to practice, and then to practice again.

However, no matter how much enthusiasm there is, it is not easy for people to change much in just two weeks. No matter how they feel, in the eyes of the sergeant-major, the Bongwidae would still seem substandard. It would be difficult to even use it as a sword.

It is probably because they are aware of this fact that the party members are smiling bitterly now.

There was no way. They just had to become stronger until their masters recognized them and needed them.

Dang-myung said it like this.

"Don't be too upset. Protecting the family is also an important task, so I'm leaving it up to you. Take good care of the head of the household."

"…I obey your orders."

"And if you receive a call from the Gongdongpa before I return, go to the designated location to meet me and receive the promised money. That is more important than my escort right now. It is a large sum of money that will allow us to not have to worry about our family finances for the next few years."

"Okay, I understand. But… ."

"Why is that?"

"We are not going together, but are you planning to attend the Sacheon branch meeting alone…?"

"I was planning to go alone."

Yu Myeong-myeong said with an expression that said, "What's the big deal?" Yu Myeong-myeong originally had no intention of attending the Sacheonjihoe. He didn't feel the need to attend an event where the Sa-pa rascals gathered to bond with each other.

The reason I changed my mind was because of the communist faction.

While they were away fighting the Demonic Cult with Kunlun, Hyunso was worried that the Apostle factions under the command of Heuksa-ryeon might invade the Gongdong faction, so he asked Dang-myeong to suppress the movements of the Sacheon Apostle forces until the battle with the Demonic Cult was over.

Dang-myeong confidently promised that he would not let the Sapas under the Black Lotus look elsewhere.

Although they were the elite directly under the presbytery, they were able to receive quite a lot of money for supporting only three armed forces. Dang-myeong was planning to fulfill his promise with Hyun-so by causing a commotion at the Sacheon branch. There must be many who look down on Dang-ga, the only true military family in Sacheon. He planned to deliberately accept their troubles and make them angry, ultimately turning all the disciples of the Apostles' faction in attendance at the Sacheon branch into enemies. Naturally, he planned to kill and eliminate a significant number of them to cause strife.

Since it was such a place, I thought it was natural to attend alone.

But Dang Won-jin shook his head and said.

"I'm sure you know the rules for attending the Sacheonjihoe. You must bring along yourself and one escort and servant who are not of the age limit. It is against the rules to bring more people, but it is also against the rules to attend alone without an escort or servant. They may deliberately find fault with you and treat you coldly."

"Hoo."

Yu Myeong-myeong's eyes lit up at the words of the party member who pointed out something he had not thought of. It certainly made sense. If he had refused to attend the party's Sacheon branch meeting, citing rules, things would have been messed up from the start. Of course, if that had happened, Yu Myeong-myeong would have turned the entire Simhwabang upside down.

Although he was a man of destiny who remembered his past life of over a hundred years, he spent most of his time swinging his sword, so when it came to dealing with situations where interests and prestige were intertwined between powers, people like Dang Won-jin were more experienced.

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"If the Sogaju suddenly decided to attend the Sacheon branch meeting, there must be some reason for it. If you want to attend the Sacheon branch meeting smoothly, it would be a good idea to meet the conditions they have set."

"Escorts and servants…."

I thought about who I should bring. Since there was a restriction that it had to be someone who had not yet been appointed, the first thing that came to mind was the members of the competing team.

Before the party, before the party's departure, before the party's departure, before the party's departure.

"Besides, Your Majesty will surely get involved in one thing or another… . It will be a hassle to handle everything yourself every time. There will be various chores, such as sending and receiving letters. Still, since you are the small master of the household, it would be good to bring along some people to help you out."

"Okay, I understand. I'll follow the opinion of the Bongwidaeju on that part."

"thank you."

****

A girl with a lively and cheerful appearance opened her mouth.

"Uncle. The Sacheon branch that Sogaju attends. How about I go with you? It seems like a great opportunity to get closer."

Jegal Yeongyeong was in a state of shock. He wanted to somehow establish contact with Tangga Sogaju Dangmyeong.

Dang-myung was the first young man she had ever seen in her life, and he was also the only man of her age who had not wavered after seeing her for the first time. In many ways, he was the man who had taken her first steps. In addition, his background was also very powerful. He was almost certain to become the head of the family and lead the family. There could not have been a better match for a spouse.

"… It could be dangerous. The Sacheonjihoe is not an ordinary social gathering."

Zhuge Changxin warned with a calm expression.

"This is where the Sa-pa forces under the Black Death League fight over all the vested interests of Sacheon. The order of the factions is decided there. In the Sado faction, the martial arts of the Bangju or Munju are important factors in determining power. If it is known that the next Mu-wi of the Bangju is insignificant, he will inevitably become prey at the Sacheon branch meeting. It is common for three or four of the attending Hujijis to lose their lives. In particular, in the case of the Dangga, since the positions of the Gaju and Sogaju have been vacant, many people will seek to gain vested interests in the city. Even if that is not the case, since they are the only Jeong-do Mu-ga in Sacheon, they will be treated as public enemies. If you follow them for no reason, something might happen to you."

"Uncle, how can I win his heart without taking such a risk? No, I would rather have something happen at the Sacheon branch. It might be an opportunity for Sogaju and I to become closer. My uncle says so, but I think he is secretly happy for me to accompany him to the Sacheon branch… ."

"anyway."

Zhuge Changxin habitually straightened his face, slightly covering his mouth, and spoke.

"Despite these dangers, if your will is truly firm, I will go see the head of the household and speak to him. If the personnel have not been decided yet, it may be possible for you to join."

"Please, Uncle."

Jegal Yeong-yeong thought with a smile. Maybe this time, he would be able to see the true nature of Dang-myeong. She was determined to capture Dang-myeong's heart, even if she didn't know what would happen at the Sacheonjihoe.