A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 215

215. The Main Guest of the Banquet (2)

Son Bin and Namgoong Hyang continued their conversation in a friendly atmosphere.

Their conversation was warm, but most of the martial artists in the banquet hall frowned as they watched them.

In this tense place, the two of them seemed to be in a completely different world, as if they were in a flower garden.

“What is that guy?”

Someone couldn’t stand it and blurted out.

“Is he acquainted with the Namgoong Clan?”

It was clear that they knew each other. He must have been a writing teacher of the Namgoong Clan, or a scholar who had visited.

The reason they were upset was that Namgoong Hyang showed interest in such a lowly scholar before all the other prominent people.

“Tsk.”

Blood Demon King Wang Sechung was very displeased.

Even though he was from the Demonic Sect, he was a master renowned in Gangnam. Shouldn’t the Namgoong Clan come and pay their respects?

Blood Demon King Wang Sechung thought that people with social status and fame like himself deserved such treatment.

But he couldn’t be happy because that lowly scholar was receiving that treatment now.

“The Namgoong Clan is too arrogant. Are they daring to ignore this Wang Sechung?”

“That can’t be possible.”

Twin Swords Jang Ssang quickly said. He shouldn’t upset the Blood Demon King now, because he didn’t know when his dog-like personality would explode.

“That woman is doing it on purpose. It’s called inciting strategy. It’s a sophisticated trick to upset the Great Hero.”

Blood Demon King Wang Sechung nodded. He didn’t even consider that the Namgoong Clan had no reason to upset him.

Meanwhile, Namgoong Hyang was conveying her regards to Sword Saint Sasooyeon and Seorin. It was the first time since the Yewon [a traditional Korean garden or pavilion] in Hangzhou, so both Sasooyeon and Seorin exchanged greetings with joy.

As Blood Demon King Wang Sechung was watching the scene with an unpleasant expression, someone approached him. Wang Sechung raised his eyes.

“Dungeonryeong [a title or rank within an organization, here referring to the Black Serpent Union] of the Black Serpent Union pays his respects to the Blood Demon King.”

The person who appeared was Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong from the Black Serpent Union. He was still young, but his eyes were intense and his aura was quite formidable.

Dungeonryeong didn’t have any particular respect for the Blood Demon King.

However, even if they were both masters, Dungeonryeong, who had just entered the realm, and the old monster who had been in the Murim [martial arts world] for decades, were on different levels.

As Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong, who attended on behalf of the Black Serpent Union, he had no choice but to greet him. Anyway, it wouldn’t be good to create a cause for trouble later.

“Heh heh. Is Cheol Myeon Mu Sim doing well?”

Blood Demon King Wang Sechung said with a satisfied expression.

Cheol Myeon Mu Sim was the Union Lord of the Black Serpent Union. Dungeonryeong’s stomach twisted slightly at his rudeness, but he replied with a smiling face.

“He’s very busy these days. He’s the leader of the Gangbuk Demonic Sect, so it’s only natural.”

The Black Serpent Union was originally the Black Serpent Clan. It was the only one among the Gangbuk Demonic Sects that had a solid force, and recently it absorbed other Demonic Sects and changed its name to the Black Serpent Union. So the saying that he was the leader of the Gangbuk Demonic Sect was not a wrong expression.

“Heh heh, the Gangbuk Demonic Sect is just a few… Well, tell him to work hard anyway.”

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong glossed over the answer with a bitter smile.

Originally, there were many traditional families and prominent sects in the Gangbuk Murim.

It was difficult for the Demonic Sect to survive in that gap. So the number was not comparable to the many Demonic Sects in Gangnam.

Of course, in terms of quality, there was no Demonic Sect in Gangnam comparable to the Gangbuk Demonic Sects like the Black Serpent Union.

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong also looked down on the Demonic Sects in Gangnam, saying that they were of poor quality.

“Go on.”

Blood Demon King Wang Sechung said arrogantly. Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong turned around, thinking that his personality was as rumored.

‘That’s why he has no followers.’

Even if he was from the Demonic Sect, he had to have his own authority and control to form a force and lead the masters.

What can be controlled by individual force alone is only a third-rate sect or a mountain village, a waterfront village.

But Blood Demon King Wang Sechung couldn’t be satisfied with that. So he was still alone.

Step, step.

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong stopped in front of Namak Old Man. And he paid his respects in the same way as he did to the Blood Demon King.

“Dungeonryeong pays his respects to Namak Old Man.”

Dungeonryeong’s back of the head was tingling. It was clear that the Blood Demon King was glaring at him.

“Who are you?”

Namak Old Man asked, frowning slightly with his white eyebrows. He looked very annoyed, but Dungeonryeong answered politely.

“I am Dungeonryeong of the Gangbuk Black Serpent Union.”

“Black Serpent Union? Ah, I heard you changed your name recently?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Okay, I got it.”

That was the end of the Old Man’s greeting. Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong was about to return to his seat.

“Did you say you came from the Black Serpent Union?”

A young man dressed as a scholar, Son Bin’s voice held him back.

Dungeonryeong frowned slightly, but he couldn’t ignore him because he was a member of Namak Old Man’s group.

“That’s right.”

Dungeonryeong said, glaring at the young scholar. It was an unspoken pressure that said, ‘Don’t you dare talk to me.’

However, despite the gaze that would have intimidated any martial artist, the young scholar asked again with a natural attitude.

“Is Hwasa still in the Black Serpent Union?”

‘Hwasa?’

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong’s eyebrows twitched. He said to Son Bin with a suspicious look.

“What’s the matter… with you?”

Hwasa was a person who should never be touched within the Black Serpent Union.

If you fall for her seemingly light temptation, not only will you lose decades of internal energy without even touching her fingertips, but if you accidentally offend her, you will be beaten to a pulp without any respect for superiors or inferiors.

Why else would even the current Union Lord, Cheol Myeon Mu Sim, pretend to die if she told him to?

To Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong, Hwasa was almost like the sky. He couldn’t help but be careful.

As if unaware of Mujeonggeom’s inner thoughts, the young man dressed as a scholar smiled softly and replied.

“Actually, Hwasa said that she would definitely come to visit. But there’s no contact yet and she hasn’t come, so I was wondering what happened…”

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong couldn’t keep up with what he was hearing now.

Did she say she would definitely come to visit? Could that be a misinterpretation of the words ‘I will definitely kill you’? Besides, how dare he call Hwasa ‘Miss’?

“Excuse me…”

“Yes.”

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong asked very carefully.

“Hwasa… said she would come to visit?”

“Yes, that’s what she said.”

“You, or rather, young master?”

“Yes. She said she had something to say to me, so I told her to come to the Seowon [private Confucian academy] at her convenience. She said she would definitely come to visit.”

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong couldn’t hide his surprised expression. There were too many phrases that he couldn’t understand at all.

Son Bin spoke again to Dungeonryeong, who was bewildered.

“Oh, and that man with the cool beard…”

Son Bin looked back at the Old Man as if he couldn’t remember his name. The Old Man said as if throwing it away.

“Talhondo.”

“Ah, yes.”

Son Bin turned his head and looked at Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong.

“It would be even better if Talhondo came with you. Please tell them that they are welcome anytime.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong hurriedly put his hands together and paid his respects.

It was already overwhelming with Hwasa, but now he was told to bring Talhondo, the actual ruler of the Black Serpent Union, with him.

There was no one in the Black Serpent Union who didn’t respect Talhondo, and Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong also had Talhondo as his goal in life.

“Excuse me, what is your name?”

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong asked very politely. Son Bin answered politely.

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Son Bin.”

“Ah, you’re Young Master Son. My name is Dungeonryeong.”

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong, who put his hands together and paid his respects, said with a smile on his face.

“When did Hwasa and Talhondo meet?”

“I saw them in Hangzhou a while ago, so it hasn’t been that long.”

“Ah, Hangzhou.”

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong also remembered that Talhondo and Hwasa had left somewhere. When they came back, only the coachman and Talhondo came on horseback, and according to the coachman, Hwasa had smashed the carriage.

“Are you close to Talhondo?”

“I’ve met him, but I haven’t greeted him directly. But he seems to be very close to Hwasa.”

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong’s eyes widened. If he knew even the relationship between Hwasa and Talhondo, it was clear that Hwasa’s words that she would come to visit were not false.

“Haha, I see.”

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong nodded with a smile.

But he was straining his nerves, trying not to miss a single word of Son Bin’s in the midst of the tense atmosphere.

To Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong, Hwasa and Talhondo were like the sky.

If he conveyed the words carelessly, and if this scholar young man was talking nonsense, he would bear the brunt of the anger.

If he didn’t convey the words, he didn’t know what kind of thunderbolt he would be hit with later.

For him, it was a matter of life and death, so Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong had to confirm the identity of this scholar young man and the relationship with Hwasa ‘Miss’ no matter what.

He didn’t leave Son Bin’s side. No, he couldn’t leave.

“What is that guy doing now?”

Meanwhile, there was someone who was watching Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong’s desperate efforts with a very unpleasant expression. It was Blood Demon King Wang Sechung.

The Blood Demon King glared at Dungeonryeong, who was trying to talk to the young man dressed as a scholar, with a frown.

“A guy from the Black Serpent Union, why is he sticking to that kind of guy, not the Old Man?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

This time, Twin Swords Jang Ssang had nothing to say. Not to mention Namak Old Man, why was Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong sticking so closely to that scholar young man?

He wasn’t just standing next to him. He was smiling and continuing the conversation, and it seemed like he was trying to match his mood somehow.

Besides, the woman named Namgoong Hyang from the Namgoong Clan also didn’t seem to leave that scholar young man.

Even though he had ignored the Blood Dragon Gate and the Blood Demon King.

In this situation, wasn’t it like that guy was the main guest of this banquet?

“Hmm.”

The Blood Demon King, who was uncomfortable, groaned as if dissatisfied. Regardless of his mood, only the area around the scholar young man was flowing with a friendly atmosphere as if a flower garden had unfolded.

“Huh? That guy is going too.”

Twin Swords Jang Ssang said suddenly.

The young Jade Dragon, who was covering his face with a jade fan and was clearly born with a silver spoon in his mouth, was also getting up from his seat and approaching the scholar young man.

The Blood Demon King’s face became even more distorted. Twin Swords Jang Ssang, who thought he had said something unnecessary, coughed in vain and pretended not to notice.

Step, step.

The young Jade Dragon approached Son Bin with his face covered with a fan. Son Bin stood up from his seat.

“How is it? Are you satisfied with the banquet?”

“I’m having a good time. Thanks to you, I met someone I know like this.”

Son Bin said to Namgoong Hyang.

“She is the one who invited me to this gathering. She is the Moon Lord of the Blood Dragon Gate and the successor to the seat of the previous Jade Dragon.”

Namgoong Hyang’s eyes widened. The new Moon Lord of the Blood Dragon Gate was a mysterious being. Nothing was known about him except that he was the Moon Lord, and now he was revealing himself in front of her.

Chak.

The young Jade Dragon folded his jade fan. As the picturesque nobleman revealed his face, the banquet hall became quiet at once, and sighs of women flowed from here and there.

“Moon Lord? Of the Blood Dragon Gate?”

“That, that guy, or rather, that person?”

People began to whisper.

But the young Jade Dragon didn’t care. He revealed his face and put his hands together to lightly pay his respects to Namgoong Hyang.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Namgoong Hyang.”

Namgoong Hyang, who had a surprised expression, regained her senses and paid her respects politely.

“Namgoong Hyang pays her respects to the Moon Lord of the Blood Dragon Gate.”

“Haha, you don’t have to be so formal.”

The young Jade Dragon looked back at Son Bin and smiled.

“Because the young lady is Young Master Son’s precious person.”

Namgoong Hyang understood the hidden meaning in the young Jade Dragon’s words.

If it wasn’t for Son Bin, he wouldn’t have revealed his face or exchanged greetings with each other.

“I understand.”

Namgoong Hyang bowed her head lightly. Since the other person’s intention was clear, there was no reason to continue the conversation.

It was enough to find out that he was the Moon Lord of the Blood Dragon Gate and the person who succeeded the seat of the Jade Dragon.

Chak.

The young Jade Dragon covered his face with his fan again. Sighs of regret flowed out again from the women in the banquet hall.

Step, step.

The young Jade Dragon turned his head at the sound of footsteps coming from behind. There stood the small and slender Blood Phoenix and the Guigyeonsura [elite warriors] guarding her behind her.

The Blood Phoenix paid her respects to the young Jade Dragon politely.

“I am Geum Saryeon of the Blood Phoenix. It is an honor to meet the Moon Lord of the Blood Dragon Gate.”

The young Jade Dragon did not remove his fan. He glanced at the Blood Phoenix and said.

“I see.”

The young Jade Dragon’s reaction was extremely cold. There was no simple courtesy or greeting, and his gaze was directed at Son Bin, not the Blood Phoenix. Even the sharp eyes of the Guigyeonsura only brushed past indifferently.

“Are you okay? Miss Blood Phoenix.”

The person who spoke to the Blood Phoenix was Son Bin. The question of whether she was okay was a word conscious of the Blood Phoenix faction’s sect. It was because he knew that the Blood Phoenix had received sharp criticism from some martial artists a little while ago.

Son Bin looked at the place where the Blood Phoenix faction people were gathered. There were still people who couldn’t hide their anger, and there were people who were watching this place with tense expressions.

“I’m okay. After all, they’re not the kind of people who will change their minds with just a few words.”

The Blood Phoenix smiled. But that smile couldn’t erase the darkness on her face.

“Someday, those people will also understand. That my choice is the best for everyone.”

Step.

The Guigyeonsura, who was guarding the Blood Phoenix, took a step forward. He bowed his head to Namak Old Man, who was sitting next to Son Bin.

“Thank you.”

A strange light flashed in Namak Old Man’s eyes. But soon the Old Man laughed.

“Why are you thanking me? The guy who saved you is this guy.”

The target that the Old Man pointed his chin at was Son Bin. Son Bin answered with a bewildered expression.

“It wasn’t me…”

“If it wasn’t for you, would they have moved? If you think about it, all the reasons are ultimately you.”

If it wasn’t for Son Bin, Dang Wora wouldn’t have moved. Of course, the Silver Sword Unit wouldn’t have moved either. As the Old Man said, all the reasons were ultimately Son Bin.

“But you’re still not using honorifics?”

The Old Man asked in a quarrelsome tone. The Guigyeonsura hardened his face and said slowly.

“Thank… you, sir.”

His voice was clearly struggling. Even his expression was full of strength, as if he was fighting a life-or-death battle.

The Old Man couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing the sharp Guigyeonsura struggling, it felt like he was a bad adult bullying a child.

“That guy, really. Is that one word so difficult? Okay, do as you please. And I told you it’s that way, not me?”

The Guigyeonsura unknowingly let out a sigh of relief. He was startled by his own actions, but soon turned his gaze towards Son Bin as if nothing had happened.

“Thank you. I will not forget this favor.”

His expression alone was as if he was going to repay his enemy without fail.

Son Bin smiled awkwardly.

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“Is that so? I understand.”

Son Bin smiled bitterly at the too quick answer, and the Old Man clicked his tongue next to him.

‘Who the hell is this person?’

The most surprised person in this situation was Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong from the Black Serpent Union.

It was already nerve-wracking that Namak Old Man was there, but he couldn’t come to his senses as the young lady of the Namgoong Clan, the Moon Lord of the Blood Dragon Gate, and even the Blood Phoenix gathered.

Yet, this scholar young man was responding to them so naturally.

The beauty of Sword Saint Sasooyeon, who was sitting next to him, kept blurring his vision. And that Sasooyeon also couldn’t take her eyes off the scholar young man.

‘Haa.’

Mujeonggeom Dungeonryeong sighed inwardly.

When he first came here, he only looked down on everyone else, but now he even felt like he was the most behind here.

Meanwhile, Blood Demon King Wang Sechung, who was watching the scene from afar, was frowning as much as he could.

“What is this situation now? Huh?”

At the Blood Demon King’s low but eerie words, Twin Swords Jang Ssang slowly looked at him. The anger felt in that voice made his skin tingle.

“Well, I don’t know. It seems to be because he is a guest of the Moon Lord of the Blood Dragon Gate…”

It was not the Blood Phoenix or the Demonic Sects that had the power to influence the country.

It was the Blood Dragon Gate. The Moon Lord of that Blood Dragon Gate had revealed himself.

In fact, Twin Swords Jang Ssang also wanted to go to the young nobleman with the jade fan and greet him right away.

But he was conscious of the Blood Demon King, and Hanwol was raising a terrifying aura, blocking the approach of others.

“Heh heh, are these guys treating this Blood Demon King like a cripple?”

Namgoong Hyang of the Namgoong Clan, who surprised everyone with her unconventional appearance, Mujeonggeom of the Black Serpent Union, who could not be treated carelessly, and the Moon Lord of the Blood Dragon Gate, who revealed his identity, and even the Blood Phoenix and Guigyeonsura.

In short, the most notable and important figures of this banquet were all gathered there. And he, who should have been the center of attention, was stuck in this remote place with the remnants of the Demonic Sect or mountain villages, waterfront villages.

At least Mujeonggeom of the Black Serpent Union came to greet the Blood Demon King, but no one cared about the Blood Demon King. In this situation, it was as if he was being completely ostracized.

He had never received such humiliating treatment anywhere in his life.

Grinding.

The Blood Demon King gritted his teeth lowly. At that sound, the face of Twin Swords Jang Ssang, who was sitting next to him, turned blue. He sensed that something big would happen today.