Book 2 - C109
The path to the Namgung Family could be summarized in one word.
'Comfortable'.
The feeling of getting on this carriage was incredibly good.
-"Human, this is delicious!"
From sweets to snacks, everything was set on one side of the carriage, and everything was delicious.
'I don't need to do anything at all.'
There was no great presence in Anhui that would touch the carriage with the Namgung Family's banner.
Therefore, the carriage that departed from Mount Huang provided Cale with great comfort and stability, allowing him to take a break.
Squeak~
Suddenly, the carriage stopped.
"Human, I think we're going to have lunch!"
Cale nodded his head.
Thud.
The carriage opened, and the Sword Saint appeared.
"Young Master Kim. Should we have lunch here?"
Outside the carriage door, an exquisite restaurant was visible.
It was much better accommodation than the inn at Mount Huang, and it looked very good.
-"Human, I want to eat there!"
The sound of saliva being swallowed by Raon while invisible resonated in Cale's mind instantly.
And Cale felt the same. What should he eat at that place? It became a problem.
"Ahem."
The Sword Saint cleared his throat as he opened his mouth in response to Cale's serious expression.
"I appreciate your understanding for the slow pace. We will reach the Namgung Family before nightfall."
The Namgung Family was not far from Mount Huang.
However, they were adjusting the overall speed of movement for Namgung Taewi's journey, who was in another carriage.
"No need for thanks."
Cale quickly responded to the Sword Saint's words as he was eager to eat some food.
He had to be kind to the elders who would work hard in the future.
"I'm excited to spend the night at the Namgung Family."
He was sincere as well.
Although Cale's own home was extremely rich, wasn't it exciting to see someone else's mansion?
He was curious about what there would be and how they would live.
-"Human, are you excited to rob them? Me too! Human, let's strip everything from there and then leave!"
Raon's words entered one ear and went out the other.
At that moment, a slight smile formed on the Sword Saint's face.
Eunuch Chief Wi, who was in the same carriage, was surprised by the Sword Saint's smile.
"...I understand. You can have expectations."
The Sword Saint continued speaking.
"However, I feel that I should go to the Namgung Family first. I'm sorry that I can't go with you."
Wi nodded his head silently as he was surprised at how well the Sword Saint expressed his gratitude and apologies. At the same time, inside, he nodded his head to his words of leaving first.
'Yes, surely he will have much to say when he arrives.'
Namgung Taewi, Blood Cult, Young Master Kim.
None of these matters could be taken lightly, so he decided it was better to go and assess the situation before any outsiders arrived.
"Our Captain will guide you without any inconvenience. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to tell them to the Captain."
"Thank you, Sword Saint-nim."
"...Ah, it's not necessary."
As if the Sword Saint had nothing else to say, he left with some members of the Golden Guard.
And Cale stepped out of the carriage.
"Hmm."
"Is there something bothering you?"
Namgung Jihyuk, Captain of the Golden Guard, quickly approached Cale and spoke.
"...No, there's nothing."
There was nothing bothering him.
However, he had the feeling that this wasn't appropriate.
Within the prosperous province of Anhui.
An elegant restaurant located there.
A three-story building.
From the golden carriage to the entrance of the building, members of the Golden Guard were lined up in rows of two, forming a path.
People were murmuring.
They were sneaking glances at Cale.
After hesitating for a moment, Cale spoke to Namgung Jihyuk.
"There's no need for you to go through all this trouble for me."
"No, that's not the case."
Namgung Jihyuk was firm.
"On the path the benefactor takes, we, the Golden Guard, have to clear the way."
Cale felt uncomfortable, but he nodded his head.
"...Understood."
"Good, I will guide you."
Cale followed Namgung Jihyuk into the restaurant. Meanwhile, he looked around.
'Hmm.'
Choi Jung Soo and Lee Soo Hyuk were laughing as they distanced themselves from Cale. Beacrox and the Fist King didn't even need to be mentioned. Even Wi moved a bit away from Cale and walked toward a different spot than the path cleared by the Golden Guard.
"Young master, you must look ahead while you walk. You'll fall."
At that moment, a gentle voice made Cale stop.
Ron smiled softly at Cale.
He could see Choi Han standing quietly by his side.
"Oh, really, the path of the Great Purifier..."
Dust was there too.
"How long do I have to carry this heavy load? Can't I just smash it?"
And also Toonka, who was carrying a bag with the number 7 of the Blood Cult.
Cale simply turned his head toward Namgung Jihyuk.
Even after entering the restaurant, there was nothing blocking Cale's path.
Up to the place with the best view on the third floor.
Cale ascended unobstructed and sat down in the seat reserved for him and his group.
"Please, have a seat comfortably."
"Thank you, Captain. You've really taken care of everything."
Cale sighed as he left, feeling a bit dazed.
Namgung Jihyuk hesitated for a moment, but spoke with a smile on his lips.
"No, please enjoy your meal."
"Yes."
Namgung Jihyuk bid farewell and headed toward the stairs.
'...He has a great personality.'
Cale thought.
He couldn't easily trust the mastery status of his martial skill called the "Nature Realm" because he hadn't seen it for himself. He only had a feeling that this short man wouldn't be able to do it.
However, despite being in the position of a high-ranking official in the Imperial Family, he was grateful for providing him with this restaurant, which wasn't much from his point of view.
'It's a personality that suits the name of the Namgung Family's Benefactor.'
Namgung Jihyuk smiled faintly.
Then he paused.
-"Human, human".
At that moment, Cale constantly heard the excited voice of the invisible Raon.
-"The view from here is good too! It's better because we're together!"
-"Can I order everything on the menu and try it?"
Cale absentmindedly nodded.
"If you want to."
Lately, Cale had been having a voracious appetite.
-"I'm hungry... I have to gather strength... As much as possible..."
The voice of the Vitality of the Heart resonated in his head.
The old whiner spoke to him with an oddly powerful voice.
-"...I must make sure he survives no matter what... For that, I must feed him as much as possible... Even if he faints, he'll recover quickly..."
Although a sense of madness was gradually infiltrating that voice, Cale decided to ignore it for now. For some reason, he felt quite uncomfortable and couldn't help it.
"Young master, would you like to place an order?"
"Yes. Meat and noodles, then..."
Cale stopped mid-sentence.
Tap.
Choi Han stood up.
Ron's gaze headed towards the stairs. At that moment, Cale noticed that there were daggers between Ron's fingers.
'What the hell?'
This cruel old man became more dangerous when coming to the Central Plains!
Just as he thought that...
Boom!
A loud noise echoed from the stairs.
Dust was raised as Namgung Jihyuk, the Captain of the Golden Guard, was thrown backward.
And amidst that, someone revealed themselves.
'What is this?'
Through the dust, it couldn't be seen clearly.
But those who possessed sharp martial skills heightened their vision and saw the face.
-"Young master!"
Wi urgently shouted at Cale.
-"The Trash of the Evil Alliance appeared!"
Huh?
Trash? Like me?
When Cale stopped for a moment...
-"It's the second son of the current Leader of the Evil Alliance, Sama Pyeong!"
Ah.
Cale knew it as well.
He remembered the martial arts records he had received at the palace.
[He is known as the biggest Trash of the Murim. His alias is the Fight King]
At that moment, laughter was heard.
"Kekhahaha! How dare you, Namgung Jihyuk, interfere with my meal? You said the Sword Saint was with you, where is he? Come out and face me, Sima Jung!"
The man, around thirty years old, with disheveled hair resembling a lion's mane, held a liquor bottle in his hand as he laughed.
And then, his eyes met Cale's.
"...What? Where's the Sword Saint?"
Fight King.
A man obsessed with fighting.
Or someone who was so crazy that he only knew how to fight.
"Hic~."
Drinking liquor and belching, the Fight King distorted his face.
"Who are you?"
At that moment, Cale showed him a bright smile.
Suddenly, it seemed like such a guy had appeared like a cliché.
'What the hell is going on?'
Currently, the Evil Alliance, the center of the Evil Faction, was divided into two factions.
One is the faction led by Nokrim (Green Forest), and the other is the faction led by Sama Pyeong, the Leader of the Evil Alliance.
Cale had already established a connection with the opposing faction by recruiting the Carnage Demon, who belonged to that faction.
However, now a connection that could reach another faction had appeared.
With a dissatisfied expression on his face, Cale told the man in front of him.
"Hey, this guy likes to fight, what do you think?"
"What?"
Toonka stood up from his seat. Of course, he grabbed the chair he was sitting on.
"Can I fight?"
A bright smile appeared on Toonka, no, on Du Kang's face. (Note: Du Kang is Toonka's alias.)
"Yes, you can fight."
As soon as Cale said those words, Toonka burst into loud laughter.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
And then, without saying a word, he directly charged at Sima Jung.
Seeing that, Cale thought.
Undoubtedly, a madman is the most suitable to catch another madman.
"Young master, what do you want for the meat and noodles?"
Looking at Ron, who placed the order calmly, Cale thought.
...Yes, this side is scarier.
Kwaah!
Toonka hit Sima Jung with the chair.
"What's wrong with this crazy guy?"
Sima Jung's words.
"Ha, ha, ha! I'll fight! I'll finally fight!"
Toonka paid him no mind.
Without paying attention, Cale calmly placed his order in accordance with Ron's gaze.
---------
In the Namgung Family, the Celestial Comet Palace located in the center was notably smaller compared to other buildings.
Furthermore, the passage of time could be felt, and the sense of decay couldn't be erased.
However, that place had been repaired and maintained since the Namgung Family first settled in Anhui.
When an important discussion about Namgung Family affairs was needed, this place was always filled with people.
And that was true even now.
Celestial Comet Palace.
Inside, the place was chaotic at the moment.
"Family Head, a benefactor for the Namgung Family? What's happening all of a sudden?"
The Family Head, Namgung Mahyuk, frowned as if he had a headache.
But the other side was not an opponent to back down to.
"Our Namgung Family has lived proudly for hundreds of years. But suddenly, a benefactor without the recognition of the Elder Assembly appears? I can't allow it, even if it's a decision from the Former Family Head."
The second Elder raised his voice.
The other Elders at his side nodded in agreement.
"It seems that the Murim Alliance and other places are trying to find out after hearing the news."
Upon hearing the words from the Information Department, Namgung Mahyuk swallowed a sigh.
"... Older brother, or rather, Family Head, haven't you heard anything?"
At his younger brother's words, who was in charge of the Family's finances, Namgung Mahyung lifted his head.
'Hmm.'
Everyone was looking at him.
Starting from the Elder Assembly, the headquarters personnel, the internal and external branch heads, and all the battalion leaders who hadn't gone out to work in other places.
The Namgung Family, whose news about the "benefactor" had suddenly spread in Anhui, was enveloped in confusion from the news and the Sword Saint's announcement.
"Family Head."
At that moment, the man in charge of the Namgung Family's external branch spoke.
"I heard that the benefactor was chosen solely by the Former Family Head. This is wrong. Our Great Namgung Family must maintain its pride."
"I agree with this."
The Second Elder spoke.
He spoke in place of the first elder, who wasn't present in the Namgung Family, leading the Elder Assembly.
"I don't know why the older brother declared a benefactor, but it would be better to cancel it and give a generous compensation instead. A benefactor, it's not just what those wretches from the Sichuan Tang Family mention, you know?"
The Second Elder spoke seriously.
"A Benefactor of the Namgung Family is like someone else from our bloodline."
"Hmm."
The Family Head let out a sigh.
"According to my informant, it is said that the author known as Eunin doesn't seem to be a warrior due to his small stature. So, could it be that someone from the Sword Sect has been favored by him?"
The Second Elder spoke calmly.
"If it's a favor he has received, he should return it himself. There's no reason to involve the Namgung Family in this."
"Um."
Whispers were heard everywhere.
The Sword Saint's younger brother. Given his position, the Second Elder could speak frankly, and no one dared to interrupt.
"Surely, due to his great pride, the Older Brother feels that it would be more comfortable to consider that guy as the Namgung Family's Benefactor. What a stubborn temperament that old man has!"
But the Second Elder's words couldn't continue to the end.
"Krrrk!"
Grasping his nape, the Second Elder suddenly lifted his head.
"Older Brother."
An individual that disappears and appears like the wind.
Without a doubt, it was his Older Brother, the Sword Saint.
The Second Elder turned his head with his eyes burning, and indeed, the Sword Saint had just arrived there.
"We were just discussing how to resolve the problem you caused with your accident-"
"What accident?"
The Sword Saint exclaimed loudly.
When the Sword Saint displayed his irritating temperament, known to the people of the Namgung Family, the Second Elder, who had an even more problematic personality, stood up from his seat.
"Then, isn't that an accident?! I heard that the Namgung Family and the Former Family Head bowed to a guy who seemed to have been starving for ten days. If that's not an accident-"
"Stupid bastard!"
The Celestial Comet Palace was shaken by a shout that contained tremendous momentum.
When the Second Elder opened his eyes wide, the Sword Saint continued.
"Our Young Master Kim is not someone like that."
"... What? Our?"
What is this old man saying now?
The Second Elder stared at the Sword Saint with a defiant expression and exclaimed.
"Did you really get fooled by a guy like that?"
"Bastard!"
The Sword Saint's hand moved like the wind and struck the Second Elder's nape.
"Ah! Brother!"
When the old Second Elder was about to scream in anger...
"Our Young Master Kim saved Taewi, Taewi! My grandson Taewi!"
"... What?"
Unlike the stunned Second Elder, the Family Head stood up surprised from his seat.
"Father, what are you saying?"
"What do you mean!"
The Sword Saint slapped his chest in frustration as he spoke.
"Taewi turned into a Living Jiangshi and our Young Master Kim risked his life to save him! Bastards, if that's not a Benefactor, what is it! Huh?"
Silence descended upon the Celestial Comet Palace where the leaders of the Namgung Family had gathered.
