Chapter Title: Something Prioritized Over Family Law (2)
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Namgung Dae-san's face flushed red like a ripe persimmon.
"You call her a worthless wench? Watch your tongue!"
"You'd do well to watch yours."
Yeon Wi showed none of Namgung Dae-san's agitation or bluster.
He was calm and composed. His usual stoic expression hadn't changed.
"Have you properly confirmed the sequence of events?"
"Sequence? Is this the time to quibble over that nonsense?! What the hell did you hear? Even if she picked a fight, breaking the limbs of a kid who hasn't even come of age? How did you raise your son, Family Head?!"
His rudeness was excessive, but Namgung Dae-san's outrage wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
Even if she wasn't his own child, his cherished niece had been left half-crippled. Anyone would be furious.
Yeon Wi understood Namgung Dae-san's position in his heart.
But he couldn't tolerate his words or actions toward Namgung Sang-hwa.
"I'm almost disappointed that my son showed such restraint."
"What?!"
"If it were me, I wouldn't have forgiven someone who insulted our family and even tried to kill me."
Yeon Wi's voice grew a touch colder.
"It was my son's mercy that saved your family's girl. You should be grateful."
"You... you insolent bastard!"
Namgung Dae-san trembled with extreme rage.
But he couldn't erupt further.
Words he'd brushed off at first were now being repeated by the Yeon Family Head. That repetition cooled his head just a fraction.
'Insulted the family and tried to kill his son? What does that mean?'
As if reading his thoughts, Yeon Wi spoke.
"Your family's Sang-hwa got drunk and said she'd never once considered the Yeon Family of Bi Mountain—as one of the Seven Great Families—on par with her own."
Namgung Dae-san ground his teeth.
"And you take that as insulting our family? For something so trivial...!"
"I wouldn't take the words of an immature child who can't even control her own mind as representing the South Palace Family's will. Especially drunk? It's just drunken babble—easy enough to dismiss."
He knew it made sense, yet it only fueled Namgung Dae-san's anger more. The Yeon Family Head was calling his precious niece immature and a drunkard.
How could he not be furious?
"But things change when she bares her killing intent and demands that the Yeon Family's children kneel."
"What did you say?"
"Not content with threatening to kill them, she tried to humiliate them too. I have to wonder how the South Palace Family Head raises his children."
Namgung Dae-san's eyes wavered.
No matter its short history, the Bi Mountain Yeon Family was one of the Seven Great Families.
To be counted among them with only fifty years of fame in the Central Plains meant the Yeon Family's power was in no way inferior to the others.
If anything, its potential surpassed them. No one would mention a weak family alongside the martial world's greatest prestigious clans.
Namgung Sang-hwa had tried to kill sons of such a family—and humiliate them to boot.
"I can't believe it!"
Namgung Dae-san's face flushed red again.
"Do you have any witnesses? If you're just taking your son's word and insulting the South Palace Family...!"
"This is a matter between the children of the Seven Great Families. Do you think I'd investigate carelessly?"
"Urgh! Then bring the boy here! Let me hear it straight from the Family Head's son...!"
"Listen here, Namgung Hall Leader."
Yeon Wi's eyes deepened.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"..."
"My children were insulted and threatened. If I had my way, I'd cut your niece's head off myself."
"What I mean is—"
"Even if your Family Head came in person to apologize, it wouldn't sate my anger. And you're saying some mere Outer Hall Leader shows up to make this mess?"
Yeon Wi said no more.
"Do you have a death wish?"
Flash!
A subtle killing intent emanated from Yeon Wi's eyes, which had lost none of their composure.
Feeling it, Namgung Dae-san suddenly imagined himself trapped in an ice cave. It was so chilling and sharp that his internal energy stirred unbidden.
"If this is the South Palace Family's will, fine. I'll test the sharpness of your family's sword myself. I'll cut off your head and bring it straight to the South Palace Family."
At the chilling voice ringing in his ears, Namgung Dae-san shouted without thinking.
"W-Wait a moment!"
"Do you have something to say?"
Namgung Dae-san swallowed hard.
He'd only bared a needle-like killing intent—no more momentum than that. Yeon Wi remained stoic and calm.
Yet from that intent alone, Namgung Dae-san knew. Yeon Wi's martial prowess had reached a level beyond his own grasp.
"Just wait a moment. I think I've made some mistake here."
"A mistake? Do you think you're in a position to spout such drivel before me?"
Namgung Dae-san bit his lip.
Even he had to admit it was a humiliating, petty response.
But he had no choice. He lacked the confidence to handle the man before him—and if Yeon Wi's words were true, this could balloon into an enormous disaster.
'Damn it!'
He regretted it. His brothers all held key positions in the South Palace Family, but he was still just an Outer Hall Leader.
They treated him like leadership within the family, but a Hall Leader was still a Hall Leader. His elder brother, the Family Head, hadn't granted him greater authority.
It was because of his hot-blooded nature. Fearing he'd botch external affairs, the Family Head had kept him as Hall Leader even at this age.
He'd resented it countless times, but now he wondered if his brother had been right.
"For now..."
His lips were dry.
The prideful Namgung Dae-san gritted his teeth and spoke.
"I apologize for barging in without considering the full context."
"..."
"My niece was in that state, and it made my vision go red. I have no face left before the Family Head."
Yeon Wi silently stared at Namgung Dae-san.
His gaze was clear as glass. Namgung Dae-san's mouth opened on its own.
"I-I'll look into the details again. So today's matter..."
"Don't worry. I won't forget."
"Family Head!"
"I'll make sure the entire White Path martial world knows of this. Unless your family offers the proper apology."
Namgung Dae-san's face paled.
This was it. This was the problem.
If everything Yeon Wi said was true, a stain would mar the South Palace Family's heroic reputation. And the blame would fall not just on Namgung Sang-hwa, but on him too.
This was bad. He'd stormed in blindly out of anger, and now his hot temper threatened to tarnish the family's honor.
"F-Family Head..."
"I don't even want to look at you. Get out."
"..."
"I'll be watching closely to see how your family responds."
Yeon Wi turned away.
Namgung Dae-san, biting his lip, exited through the south gate. The entrance he'd smashed through himself now looked like the maw of hell.
And so Namgung Dae-san left the Yeon Family grounds.
Yeon Wi shook his head at the shattered south gate.
"What a waste."
A waste, but perhaps for the best.
"Where's the Chief Steward?"
"You called for me, Family Head!"
A lanky man came running from afar. He had trained in martial arts, but not to any great depth.
A man in his mid-thirties, the Yeon Family's Chief Steward, Tae Gyeong.
"Commission the door from Elder Sang of the Workshop Division. Tell him to use better quality timber than before."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Tae Gyeong said with an uneasy expression.
"But Family Head... are you alright?"
"Hm?"
"Wasn't that a bit too aggressive...?"
He'd apparently watched the whole thing from afar.
Yeon Wi shook his head.
"Clean up from here, and look into it starting tomorrow."
"Y-Yes! Understood."
Leaving the cleanup to Tae Gyeong, Yeon Wi walked alone toward the inner quarters.
At that moment, a shadow appeared.
It was Yeon Ho-jeong.
"Father."
Yeon Wi wasn't surprised. He'd already sensed his eldest son's presence.
"It's late. Go to bed."
"I can't sleep."
Yeon Wi stopped and looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
The moon was especially bright that night. Free of the building shadows, his eldest son's eyes looked profoundly deep in the moonlight.
About to tell him to go to bed again, Yeon Wi suddenly wanted to ask his son something.
"What do you think?"
"About what?"
"About how the South Palace Family will respond."
Yeon Wi didn't know why he'd asked so abruptly.
But his son's answer startled him inwardly.
"The South Palace Family isn't what's important. Isn't it our own family?"
"What do you mean?"
"Even if they don't apologize, you'll let this slide."
"Why do you think that?"
"No need to burn the house down just to brush off some dust on your clothes."
To think he could see it that way.
Setting aside the awkward metaphor, Yeon Wi thought his son's insight wasn't bad. No—in light of what he'd shown so far, it was a leap beyond measure.
Perhaps his belief that he knew his son well had been arrogance.
Yeon Wi, who had been watching Yeon Ho-jeong, turned away again.
"Do you think this is some trivial incident we can just gloss over?"
"Pardon?"
"You are my son."
Yeon Ho-jeong blinked.
Yeon Wi had already finished speaking and was walking off into the distance. His gait was utterly unchanged from usual.
Yeon Ho-jeong stared blankly at his father's back and scratched his head.
"Who doesn't know that?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The next day.
"Urgh."
Not even the crisp autumn breeze could cool his body.
Sweat dripped steadily, already forming puddles. But Yeon Ho-jeong's stance remained perfect.
Creeeak.
The door opened, and Yeon Ji-pyeong appeared.
"Brother, I'm here... Huh?!"
Yeon Ji-pyeong's eyes went wide.
"Brother, what are you doing?"
"Can't you see? Horse stance training."
"H-Horse stance?"
Yeon Ji-pyeong had every reason to be flustered.
The horse stance, for training the lower body, was the foundation of all martial arts. But for his brother, who had mastered the Flying Swallow Heart Method, there was no need to practice such a basic of basics. If it was about tempering the body, there were plenty of other methods.
Yeon Ho-jeong scowled.
"It's Father's punishment."
"P-Punishment with horse stance? Wait, how long have you been at it?"
"Mao hour."
"Gasp! That's almost two hours?!"
"Not much longer."
Yeon Ho-jeong's body wasn't mature enough yet. Holding horse stance for half a day without using internal energy would kill anyone.
Yeon Ho-jeong grumbled inwardly.
'Doing this won't change anything.'
He'd received his father's message via Chief Steward Tae Gyeong at dawn.
'Given the circumstances, you don't seem at fault. But you have one sin—the sin of a martial artist. Cruel hands invite blood, and that's not the White Path way. Recover your初心 with two hours of horse stance training.'
If a mindset changed from horse stance training, even the Black Path wouldn't spare them.
He'd thought it absurd at first, but he'd thrown himself into it anyway, calling it training. He'd circulated the Flying Swallow Heart Method and reviewed what lay ahead.
Yeon Ji-pyeong whispered softly.
"Brother, that's enough. It's about two hours."
"No problem."
He didn't see it as much of a sin, but with the family atmosphere like this, what could he do? There'd be plenty to grumble about, but he'd try to get used to it.
A short while later, just past two hours.
Only then did Yeon Ho-jeong release his stance.
"Whew, my legs are shaking."
"Must be tough. Wait here—I'll get some food."
That was when it happened.
Thud. Thud.
Someone knocked on the main gate.
"Is the Young Master here?"
"Urgh, who is it?"
"The Family Head summons the Young Master."
Yeon Ho-jeong grumbled in annoyance.
"Probably checking on my homework. Jeez."