Chapter 26 – The Young Master Does Not Tolerate

Chapter 26 – The Young Master Does Not Tolerate

A plaque carved from blue jade.

The jade plaque, adorned with a rich knot, was engraved with the cloud pattern that was the symbol of the Namgung Family.

Namgung Chun, the Family Head of the Namgung Family, held out the jade plaque in his hand and spoke.

"It is a plaque of gratitude. If you show this anywhere, everyone of Namgung will help you with all their heart."

Plaque of Gratitude .

A plaque given to a benefactor by a person, family, or organization that received a favor. If the holder of this Plaque of Gratitude requested help, they would repay the debt by helping him just once, anytime and anywhere. Since they would grant whatever it was, its value was truly limitless.

Much less, it was the Plaque of Gratitude of the Namgung Family.

A massive sect called the prestigious family of the sword while simultaneously possessing wealth that would make anyone sad to be second under heaven. Considering the influence that the name of Namgung exerted in the Jianghu, just possessing this Plaque of Gratitude was equivalent to receiving the protection of the Namgung Family.

For no one in the Jianghu would want to make an enemy of the Namgung Family's benefactor.

Tang Hwa-seon, the Family Head of the Tang Clan, who knew its value better than anyone, pushed the Plaque of Gratitude back.

"Family Head Namgung, you have already given many gifts. To add the Namgung Family's Plaque of Gratitude on top of that… Is it not too excessive? I have fully understood your sincerity, so I will accept only the sentiment of this."

"Please accept it. I cannot lift my head because of my foolish child. To think he would come all the way to Sichuan alone and cause trouble…"

"Cause trouble? Not at all. Guests of Namgung are always welcome. However, since the young master's body was injured due to an unfortunate accident, as the host welcoming a guest, I am rather only apologetic."

At Tang Hwa-seon's words, Namgung Chun shook his head side to side and cast an unfavorable glare at Namgung Yeon.

"That is all because of the foolish child's own actions. Please do not worry."

"Yes, Family Head Tang. Actually, since it was the first time Yeon-ie left home on his own… he did not know many things, and when I think of the trouble he must have caused the Tang Clan, I wish to give you something even more precious than this."

As Tang Hwa-seon still wore a troubled expression, the Young Clan Leader Namgung Hyun added his words.

"Haha… Since you speak so, it would not be polite to refuse any further. Then I will put it to good use."

When Tang Hwa-seon, who ultimately could not overcome the offensive of the two, accepted the Plaque of Gratitude, Namgung Chun smiled contentedly.

"By the way, is it true that the young master saved Yeon-ie? I did not see him at the last assembly…"

"Oh, Father. Can you not believe my words? Did I not tell you that Brother San-ho saved me all by himself!"

"…Yeon-ah, stay still for a moment."

Because Namgung Yeon suddenly answered instead, Namgung Chun stopped him with a troubled expression. However, Namgung Yeon, with an unconcerned expression, looked at Tang San-ho with shining eyes.

The saying that no parent can win against their child seemed to hold true in the Central Plains as well.

Unable to do anything about Namgung Yeon, who had even run away from home, Namgung Chun touched his forehead as if his head was starting to hurt. Laughing softly at the sight, Tang Hwa-seon spoke.

"Since my child was recuperating from a chronic affliction , he could not attend the assemblies in the meantime. However, as he began to learn martial arts a year ago, I intend to formally introduce him at this assembly."

"What? Then are you saying the young master showed such achievement in just a single year?"

Namgung Chun's eyes, asking back in surprise, turned toward Tang San-ho.

Namgung Chun had also heard the rumor at some point that the young master of the Sichuan Tang Clan suffered from a heavenly punishment. However, since the Tang Clan was so closed off, he simply could not determine whether the rumor was true. Even that was a story known only to the people of the great families, and since asking directly was not polite, most people simply dismissed it as a nonexistent rumor.

Yet, not only was the young master alive, but he had also shown such achievement in just a year.

If this was all true, before long, there would be no one in the Jianghu who did not know Tang San-ho.

'How did a child of Yeon-ie's age catch eighteen bandits of the unorthodox path? If he is at this level in just one year, then next year, and the year after that… Phew, someone who cannot be underestimated has appeared.'

Witnessing a shining rough diamond, Namgung Chun's eyes shone with a peculiar light.

"My, as a martial artist, I look forward to the young master's growth very much. As the Family Head of Namgung, I am getting nervous. Haha."

After that, words that seemed like boasting, yet not boasting, and yet boasting, were exchanged between Tang Hwa-seon and Namgung Chun.

"Well, did Yeon-ie not also learn a high-level sword art just a year after grasping the sword?" "Oh, is that so. Did I mention that San-ho mastered all hidden weapons in less than half a year since he began practicing martial arts?" "My, that is amazing. Yeon-ie, around the age of eleven, the Boundless Sky Sword Art…"

If just a quarter of an hour more passed, they seemed poised to say that their children mastered the Thousand Character Classic at three, flew through the sky at two, and were born from an egg at birth.

'Please stop… I am going to die of embarrassment…'

The two fathers, who were completely absorbed in bragging about their children, seemed to pay no mind to Tang San-ho and Namgung Yeon, whose faces had turned as red as ripe persimmons beside them.

In the end, the elders, who had more to discuss regarding the assembly, remained in the Unhui Hall, while Tang San-ho and Namgung Yeon stepped out of the place first.

***

On the way to the annex, Tang San-ho asked about what he had been curious about all along.

"By the way, what was that story about you only staying at home in Anhui?"

"Ah, um…"

It was unbelievable that Namgung Yeon, who enjoyed himself so much just by going out to the market, had only stayed inside his house in Anhui.

After hesitating for a moment, Namgung Yeon spoke in a low voice.

"I… Ah, no. I…"

Namgung Yeon stopped talking and stole a glance. It was because he had his cheek pinched by his older brother while talking to Tang San-ho in the Unhui Hall. Ultimately, after being scolded once about what kind of rudeness that was to his benefactor, he changed his course to a more polite tone.

Correcting his tone here and there, which still remained like a habit, Namgung Yeon brought up his story.

"When I was even younger than now, there was… was a maidservant named Yun-deok. Was she about two years older than me? She looked like a rabbit… She was the maidservant I had seen for the longest time."

"………"

"Anyway, one day, I nagged and nagged Yun-deok and went to see the market. On that particular day, I think I wanted to eat the snacks sold at the market. It was not a major reason, and I just wanted to do so…"

The face of Namgung Yeon, who stopped speaking, had already sunk into loneliness.

Painful memories are bound to pop out like an awl no matter how much one tries to hide them. Even more so at an age when hiding anything is clumsy.

"…I see."

Tang San-ho did not ask further and stroked Namgung Yeon's head.

He felt he could understand even without hearing it.

'There was a maidservant named Yun-deok.' Judging by the past tense, it meant she was no longer here now. Thus, he could vaguely guess that the young master and the young maidservant, who had secretly gone out to the market, had met with a bad incident.

"Since that day, except for family events, I did not go out alone. Because I kept thinking of that day."

Only then did Tang San-ho realize that Namgung Yeon's innocence came from a lack of experience.

The righteous spirit of following the unorthodox path bandits alone because they threatened a child originated from his past memories, as did why he wanted so much to find the Dark Flower, who he believed must have taken courage from the position of the weak. The person who possessed the appearance he wanted to become. To Namgung Yeon, that was the Dark Flower.

She was closer to an ideal aspiration rather than an ideal partner, but the still young Namgung Yeon did not seem to know the difference.

"By the way, Brother. I… there is something I did not say earlier. That Lady Dark Flower…"

Seeing Namgung Yeon hesitating and wavering, Tang San-ho suddenly recalled what happened in the Unhui Hall.

"Ah, right. Did you know? That I am the Dark Flower?"

"I knew… knew not long after I arrived at the Tang Clan Estate. I-I did not mean to deceive you."

"Then what is it? Knowing everything, you obstinately demanded that I find Lady Dark Flower in the annex all this time? Look at this cheeky fellow…"

Phew. As he let out a short, grandfather-like sigh, Namgung Yeon muttered as if embarrassed.

"It was just… because being with Brother was fun. I was afraid you would tell me not to come anymore if I said I knew…"

"Look at that, this Joraengi rice cake is quite sly. Deceiving your innocent brother like this, huh?"

As he gestured as if to give a quick noggin-strike, Namgung Yeon shrugged his shoulders and stole a glance.

Then, since he had confessed everything now, he began to chatter about why they should not become sworn brothers. When Tang San-ho replied that he had no intention of increasing the number of his siblings, Namgung Yeon sulked like a round bread roll, and because he kept asking once every five minutes, Tang San-ho's mind became dizzy. In the end, Tang San-ho left the swollen bread roll in the guest hall and quickly turned his steps back.

***

Starting with the Namgung Family, who had hurriedly come to Sichuan to find their runaway son, guests from other great families also arrived at the Tang Clan Estate one after another.

Once the guests from the Murong Family, the Hebei Paeng Family, and finally the Zhuge Family arrived, the morning of the assembly day finally dawned.

"It has been a long time. Have you been well?"

"Aha, Family Head Paeng! How long has it been? You seem to have become even younger somehow."

The guests gathered in the banquet hall were exchanging greetings and welcoming each other warmly, but even while doing so, they constantly glanced at the seats of the Tang Clan. They seemed to be waiting for the person who would sit there.

Before long, all the prepared seats were filled, and Tang Hae-soo and Tang San-ho also took their seats on both sides of Family Head Tang Hwa-seon.

Then, the guests looking at that direction tilted their heads in unison.

"I heard that Lady Dark Flower is coming…"

"Mmh, I heard so too. She is a direct descendant of Family Head Tang, right? Rumor has it that she is a peerless beauty ."

"But she does not seem to have come today, does she?"

At the gathering where all the Five Great Families were assembled, the topic of the first day was without a doubt the Dark Flower.

When the Flower of Sichuan, who was expected to sit next to the Family Head of Tang, was nowhere to be seen, everyone looked at Tang San-ho sitting in that seat with questioning eyes.

'That damn talk about the Dark Flower, sigh… Once the assembly is over, I will definitely go out to the Jianghu and get an incredibly strong title, I swear…'

Because his five senses were highly developed, their whispering could be heard all the way to his seat, causing Tang San-ho to bite his lip hard.

Stealing a glance, Tang Hae-soo had a calm expression, fitting for the Young Clan Leader… but his hand, clasped beneath the table, was trembling. It seemed that holding back his laughter was quite difficult.

Family Head Tang Hwa-seon rose from his seat and delivered a welcoming greeting.

"Thank you all for traveling such a long way. Please stay without any discomfort and enjoy the banquet. With the Five Great Families harmonizing like this, what better day could there be?"

He then placed his hand on the shoulder of San-ho, who sat beside him.

"Oh, I have yet to introduce him. This is my second son, San-ho. He is foolish and has much to learn, so please look upon him kindly."

The family heads of the great families, including the family members seated with them, stared at him with surprised eyes. The young master of the Tang Clan, whose life or death was uncertain and about whom only rumors abounded, had made his appearance for the first time.

But the shock was brief, and starting with Namgung Family Head Namgung Chun, who had already seen Tang San-ho, compliments of 'fine jade born in Lantian' followed.

"The young master's handsome appearance is truly like a face of polished jade . Did you say he turned sixteen this year?"

"Ho, he resembles Family Head Tang exactly, and his momentum is truly outstanding."

"Aha, Family Head Tang. How could you hide away such a grown son so tightly?"

However, not everyone in the room was like that.

Murong Seol-ju, the Family Head of the Murong Family, spoke with a gentle smile.

"More than that, would you perhaps also introduce the Flower of Sichuan? Lately, when I was tired of Jianghu rumors, I heard the rumor about Lady Dark Flower and became so curious."

"………"

It was a place where Tang Hwa-seon, the Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, had just introduced his son for the first time.

Asking to see the flower of rumors before they could even finish their proper greetings was not manners suited to the situation.

Murong Seol-ju was not someone who would not know such etiquette. Nevertheless, the fact that he used words that ignored both the Family Head and the young master caused embarrassment to spread across the faces of those present.

"Ahem…"

"…Haha, my…"

It was then.

Tang San-ho, who had been sitting quietly, whispered something to Family Head Tang Hwa-seon and then stood up from his seat.

All eyes in the banquet hall gathered in one place.