Chapter Title: What Takes Precedence Over Family Law (3)
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"Family Head, the eldest young master has arrived."
"Let him in."
The door opened, and Yeon Ho-jeong and Yeon Ji-pyeong entered.
As the two stepped inside, the temperature in the family head's chamber seemed to rise. A wave of intense heat emanated fiercely from Yeon Ho-jeong's body.
"Father."
"Sit."
Two cups of warm tea were already set out on the seats. The fragrant steam rising with the white vapor smelled wonderful.
Yeon Wi glanced briefly at Yeon Ji-pyeong. It was a look that said he'd summoned the eldest, so why had the second come along too?
Yeon Ji-pyeong scratched his head awkwardly and spoke up.
"I couldn't pay my morning respects today."
It was a lame excuse.
"Sit with him."
Yeon Ji-pyeong let out a sigh of relief and took a seat beside Yeon Ho-jeong.
Yeon Wi pushed a teacup toward Yeon Ji-pyeong. The distracted youth didn't even notice.
Yeon Wi scanned Yeon Ho-jeong from head to toe and nodded.
"Looks like you did it properly."
"My legs are still shaking."
It was said half in jest, but Yeon Wi's expression didn't change.
"If you train hard and one day unify your essence, qi, and spirit to reach the heights of a true master, you could go three days and nights without sleep."
"Once I reach that level, I won't be wasting time on sleepless nights."
Yeon Ji-pyeong subtly pressed his elbow into Yeon Ho-jeong's side. Wasn't that too rude to say to their father?
But Yeon Wi didn't take issue with his son's words.
"So, why did you summon me? To check on my homework?"
"I'll say it clearly: that wasn't homework, it was punishment. I thought you'd reflected properly, but you just pushed your body too hard instead."
"Seems like even death won't change my nature."
It was a remark laced with utter sincerity. Coming from someone who had died once, it was only natural.
Punishment only held meaning once the offender repented. And yet, a punishment once given couldn't simply be withdrawn. Yeon Wi let the comment slide without further rebuke.
"I couldn't ask beforehand because of the South Palace Family incident. You're going to learn the Azure Net True Formula?"
"Ah, yes."
Yeon Ji-pyeong looked at his brother in surprise. He hadn't known he'd mentioned that to their father.
But at the same time, it made sense. With the Flying Swallow Heart Method perfected, it was time to properly learn the family's martial arts.
Yeon Wi spoke in a stern tone.
"The Azure Net True Formula is one of our family's Five Great Divine Arts. Without a solid foundation, there's no point in learning it. You know that, right?"
"Of course."
Yeon Wi sensed strong confidence in Yeon Ho-jeong's reply.
"Have you mastered the Flying Swallow Heart Method up to the ninth stage?"
Yeon Ho-jeong silently extended his wrist. He figured it was better to let his father check directly than explain.
Yeon Wi gazed quietly at his son before placing a hand on his wrist.
'Hm?'
Yeon Wi's eyes flickered subtly.
Vigorous true qi flowing strongly. Most meridians in the head and limbs were open.
"When?"
"The morning I left the Ancestral Hall."
Yeon Wi checked his son's internals once more.
And realized one fact.
"The flow of your qi feels unfamiliar. You didn't gradually attune it to your body—you comprehended it all at once."
This time, Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes gleamed.
'Impressive as expected.'
Discerning the flow of qi, the traces in the meridians and acupoints, and how the heart method had reached perfection.
This was no easy feat. Even a supreme master might overlook it if their senses weren't sharp enough.
Yeon Ho-jeong glanced at Yeon Ji-pyeong.
Curiosity clouded his brother's face. He clearly found it odd that their father would bother checking the pulse when he already knew.
'Ji-pyeong's senses must come from Father.'
Compared to them, his own talents were clearly lacking. His keen perception had only blossomed after countless battlefields and constant brushes with death.
He was definitely different from his father and brother.
"You've escaped the confusion qi brings. Did you approach the heart method academically?"
"It just clicked for me."
"Digging persistently down one path is important, but searching for another when it fails is wise too. Well done."
"...!"
Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes widened like saucers. Yeon Ji-pyeong's mouth fell open.
It was the first time they'd ever heard "well done" from their father.
Even Yeon Ji-pyeong, said to possess the greatest talent in the family's history, had never received praise from Yeon Wi. Their father was stingy with compliments and heavy on criticism.
It was a momentous remark for the brothers.
"Good. I permit you to cultivate the Five Great Divine Arts."
"Thank you."
"But why choose the Azure Net True Formula specifically?"
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.
"It felt like the best fit for me."
The Yeon Family's Five Great Divine Arts each had distinct characteristics. And all five were of similar caliber and difficulty.
In the end, choosing which one came down to personal preference.
Yeon Wi silently observed Yeon Ho-jeong for a moment before speaking again.
"I have a question."
"Yes."
"I've only just now permitted you to cultivate the Five Great Divine Arts. Without the family head's approval, no one in the household can learn them."
"I know."
"Yet you told the gate guards in advance that you'd be learning the Azure Net True Formula."
Yeon Wi wasn't scolding his son's insolence.
"Did you already know the Azure Net True Formula's incantations?"
Exactly.
The Five Great Divine Arts couldn't be learned by blood kin without the family head's permission. That meant their incantations weren't leaked outside.
Yet the eldest son had declared in advance that he'd learn the Azure Net True Formula.
After a brief pause, Yeon Ho-jeong spoke.
"Not just that one."
"Hm?"
"I know the incantations for all Five Great Divine Arts."
This time, even Yeon Wi couldn't hide his surprise. His slightly widened eyes betrayed his feelings.
Yeon Ji-pyeong, meanwhile, looked on the verge of fainting.
"You know the incantations for all five divine arts?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Because you taught me, Father.
While the family was under attack from some group.
As the Yeon Family's brave warriors bled on the front lines, Yeon Wi had passed all the Five Great Divine Arts' incantations to his two sons.
There hadn't been time to memorize them all. Yeon Wi had handed the true copies of the five manuals to Yeon Ho-jeong and the fake ones to Yeon Ji-pyeong, trying to send them into hiding.
But Yeon Ji-pyeong's luck had run out. He'd died in fierce combat against the experts blocking their escape.
Yeon Ho-jeong had fled in tears of blood. For that moment, he'd wanted revenge for his brother too, but harsh reality and his duty to revive the family had driven his feet into the forest.
And three months later.
Yeon Ho-jeong met his master and conquered the Black Path after years away.
"Did you enter the Warriors' Library?"
The Warriors' Library housed the Yeon Family's martial arts manuals. It was guarded rigorously by the family's top warriors.
"I've never entered without permission."
"Then?"
Yeon Ho-jeong gazed steadily at Yeon Wi.
"You showed me, Father."
"What?"
Part of him wanted to spill everything.
That he was Yeon Ho-jeong, returned from the past. How the future would change, and the life he'd lived—he wanted to tell his father it all.
He truly wanted to confess everything to him.
Yeon Ho-jeong's fists clenched.
'Not yet.'
He might not believe it, and even if he did, now wasn't the time. That's what he thought.
"I showed you the Five Great Divine Arts' manuals? When?"
"When I was young, didn't you take me into the Warriors' Library many times?"
Yeon Wi furrowed his brows.
"When you were young... You mean right after you started learning martial arts?"
"Yes."
"You're saying you still remember the incantations from back then?"
"Yes."
In the end, that was the excuse he had to give.
In truth, Yeon Ho-jeong's memory was several times sharper now than in his childhood. Having deeply cultivated his brain and upper dantian, it was only natural.
He felt sorry for deceiving his father, but he had no choice.
'This is better for the future.'
The Yeon Family's greatest martial art wasn't one of the Five Great Divine Arts.
To awaken the true ultimate technique, one needed to master all five.
Declaring he knew all the incantations was a setup for later. After perfecting the Azure Net True Formula, he planned to learn the family's secret arts too.
Only by mastering the secrets could he become the best.
"Remembering martial arts incantations from over ten years ago..."
Yeon Wi shook his head.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"What use are the Five Great Divine Arts to someone struggling with basic功?"
"Now that you've perfected the heart method, it's time to speak up?"
"Yes."
It felt a bit awkward.
"Even one manual's incantations exceed twelve hundred characters."
Yeon Wi shook his head again.
"Your memory is quite something."
One unexpected thing was that Yeon Wi didn't ask him to prove it.
"Knowing all the Five Great Divine Arts' incantations doesn't mean you need to rush into learning them. Unless you're just showing off your memory, there's no reason to hurry."
There is.
He shouted it in his mind. But as always, Yeon Ho-jeong couldn't say it aloud.
"I just wanted to learn it as soon as possible."
"Cultivating great divine arts requires a calm mind and cautious approach. Keep that in mind."
"I will."
Yeon Wi leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Good. I permit your training in the Azure Net True Formula."
"Thank you."
"Come here before breakfast tomorrow. I'll guide you on converting your Flying Swallow Qi to Azure Net True Qi from the heart method's foundation."
"Understood."
Training alone would surely be faster, but he obeyed his father this time too.
Some things in the world had to be upheld, no matter the haste. For Yeon Ho-jeong, that was his promise and love for his blood kin.
'Just get a little help to start, and I'll handle the rest.'
If that small aid let him share a few more words with his father, it was enough.
Step by step, slowly drawing closer. At least in this life, he wouldn't leave regrets with his family.
"Go tend to your duties."
"Ah, one thing I wanted to ask."
"What?"
"Any word from the South Palace Family?"
He asked just in case, but the answer was shocking.
"Yes."
Yeon Ho-jeong frowned.
"They contacted us? Don't tell me they apologized?"
"Not from the family head."
"Of course not. It's quite a distance to Anhui. Impossible in that time."
"But a letter came from the hall leader himself. Apologizing for the incident between the young ones and for his nephew's rudeness."
A personal apology letter from the hall leader overnight?
Yeon Ho-jeong's gaze turned icy.
'This isn't good.'
A hot-tempered man apologizing so quickly?
It could happen. But Namgung Dae-san was the South Palace Family's outer hall leader and the family head's brother. No matter how weak his position, he wouldn't apologize this fast.
"They're after something."
Yeon Ho-jeong muttered despite himself.
Yeon Wi's gaze on his son no longer held only sternness as before.
"I'll handle this matter. Withdraw."
"Yes."
Yeon Ho-jeong and Yeon Ji-pyeong bowed politely and left.
Yeon Wi stared at the cooled tea, then drained the cup from Yeon Ho-jeong's seat entirely.
Leaning comfortably back in his chair, Yeon Wi's face remained impassive.
"Didn't even take twenty years."