23

The banquet began.

Across the endlessly long tables, all kinds of delicacies from land and sea were carried in.

Heaps of bright red steamed crabs, golden-brown roasted ducks, pork cut into neat cubes and braised in soy sauce, chicken fried in fragrant oil, carp steamed in a cypress box lined with salt, stir-fried matsutake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, and an array of richly scented liquors of every kind…

Beautiful and handsome servants attended to the guests with gentle, graceful manners.

Since this was a gathering where all the righteous sects and noble families within Anhui Province had assembled, most of those seated in the banquet hall were distinguished guests.

Meanwhile.

Two men were looking down upon the scene from a high pavilion.

One was Namgung Pa, the head of the Namgung Family.

A middle-aged man whose tall height and broad, sturdy build stood out.

As the head of the great Namgung Family, one of the pillars of the Fifteen Righteous Provinces, he would normally seem imposing at all times…

Yet at this moment, Namgung Pa was being exceedingly cautious.

That was because of the elderly man seated before him.

Namgung Cheon.

The former head of the Namgung Family.

A martial artist who had reached a transcendent realm, to the point of bearing the epithet Sword King, and the current Supreme Patriarch of the Namgung Family.

Regardless of whether it was the righteous sects or the demonic sects, the Martial Alliance or the Apostolic Lotus Society, Namgung Cheon had declared that he no longer wished to be entangled in complicated politics and had passed the position of family head—and everything else—on to his son.

After retiring, he devoted himself solely to the sword.

The reason he had appeared here today was only because of Namgung Pa’s earnest request.

“Father. Are you bored?”

“If you knew that, why did you drag me to a place like this?”

“Father, honestly. Didn’t I tell you that the atmosphere in Anhui Province has been extremely unsettled lately? At times like this, the Sword King needs to make an appearance in public so things can be brought under control. Isn’t this all for the sake of the people of Anhui Province as a whole, beyond just our family?”

“Tsk.”

Hearing Namgung Pa’s words, Namgung Cheon turned his head away with a displeased expression.

Below them, the grand banquet hall was visible.

A place where countless people gathered to eat, drink, and sing.

But Namgung Cheon had been sitting there stroking his beard the entire time, showing not the slightest sign of being in high spirits.

“It’s always the same fellows coming, saying the same things, and leaving. Why do I need to show my face too?”

“Father. As I mentioned before, this grand banquet is a little different.”

Clearing his throat, Namgung Pa continued.

“The Jo Family has been exterminated.”

“I know. I’ve heard it several times already.”

“Though their bloodline was insignificant, they were still undeniably a branch family of our Namgung. The head of that branch, Jo Yangja, was distantly related to Namgung Paengsaeng, a core member of the current Council of Elders. Moreover, Jo Yangja possessed our Changung Mu-ae Sword Technique, and was once an outstanding figure who even served as an instructor at the Martial Alliance’s Ascending Heaven Academy.”

“I know that too. I saw Jo Yangja’s face a few times. He was quite a sharp fellow.”

“…And yet, it has now been revealed to the entire world that Jo Yangja was colluding with the demonic faction known as the Heukdo Gang. The repercussions will inevitably reach the Namgung Family as well. Therefore, as a pillar of the righteous path, the Namgung Family must firmly establish that we have not the slightest stain of shame. Right here, at this grand banquet.”

Namgung Pa intended to use this opportunity to firmly assert discipline over Goraehyeon and Naesonghyeon within Anhui Province.

However, Namgung Cheon still looked utterly indifferent.

“Hah— so a few weaklings squabbled among themselves and a handful died. What’s the big deal? You’ve always been one to get worked up over trivial things. Didn’t you once fume for days on end just because you lost a cricket fight?”

“Father. How can you compare the Jo Family and the Heukdo Gang to crickets? And that was ages ago… honestly.”

Namgung Pa lowered his head, pressing a hand to his forehead.

Just then.

Someone came up from the lower level of the pavilion.

“Father. Grandfather. It’s about time for you to enter the banquet hall.”

Soon after, a woman revealed herself.

Fair skin, calm, downturned eyes, a sharply defined nose that looked as if it could cut, and full lips.

A beauty whose expressionless face carried a faint chill.

Namgung Yul.

A prodigious talent who earned the epithet Sword Flower at an age not even reaching full adulthood.

She was the treasured jewel of the entire Namgung Family, and Namgung Pa’s pride.

The moment Namgung Pa saw Namgung Yul, a bright smile spread across his face.

“My proud daughter is here. Father, how is she? It’s been a while since you last saw Yul. She’s grown a lot, hasn’t she?”

A father’s heart is satisfied when he sees his daughter growing up well.

But the grandfather’s heart seemed a little different.

“Yul, is it? So you came home this time?”

At Namgung Cheon’s casually tossed question, Namgung Yul bowed politely.

“Yes, Grandfather. I returned briefly from the Ascending Heaven Academy for the break.”

“Hm— I see. Did you find a suitable groom while you were at the academy?”

At those words, Namgung Pa was startled and raised his voice.

“Father! She’s still so young—how can you already be talking about marriage?”

“At her age, back in my day, people were already married and having children. She’s more than old enough to start thinking about it.”

Even as her father and grandfather argued over her marriage, Namgung Yul’s expression did not change in the slightest.

She answered calmly instead.

“As a matter of fact, I’ve already been looking into it. Once I graduate from the Ascending Heaven Academy, I would like to marry immediately.”

“No, Yul!”

“Father. Grandfather is right. I should marry quickly and become a help to the family. On a personal level as well, I wish to establish a stable household as soon as possible.”

“Even so… already thinking about marriage is a bit… shouldn’t you spend a little more time with your father and mother first… or, or could it be? Don’t tell me—do you already have a man you’re seeing?”

“No. At present, I am fully devoted to my studies and have no thoughts of men at all. But after graduation, won’t things be different? I am merely preparing in advance.”

Hearing Namgung Yul’s flat tone, Namgung Pa wore a troubled expression.

What father would not be shaken upon hearing that his daughter was looking into her own marriage?

Meanwhile, Namgung Cheon merely clicked his tongue.

“If you’re going to look for a son-in-law, look far away. Not among the bland, spineless fools around here.”

“Father, why are you saying that again?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Everyone in this family is full of dull, characterless people. You think I’d want even my grandson-in-law to be some boring fellow like that? I don’t.”

“When the time comes, I intend to carefully choose Yul’s groom myself, and match her with the most upright and sincere man in the world!”

“Tsk— you’ll just bring back another cookie-cutter fellow stamped from the same mold. Do whatever you want.”

Namgung Cheon turned his head away entirely, as if thoroughly annoyed.

Ever since passing the position of family head to his son, he had shown little interest in worldly matters.

Namgung Pa sighed at the sight of his father.

Then, placing a hand on Namgung Yul’s shoulder, he continued.

“Anyway, Yul. You haven’t forgotten your task, have you? The Blood-Oath Ceremony will soon be held.”

The Blood-Oath Ceremony.

A ritual of bonding conducted when those who have agreed to form an alliance gather together.

The procedure involved drawing the blood of a large, ferocious beast into a bronze tray, then taking turns drinking it.

Namgung Pa spoke to Namgung Yul.

“I will attend the Blood-Oath Ceremony myself. Your task is to retrieve the family’s Sacred Sword and escort it to the altar, then draw blood from the sacrificial beast’s throat and collect it in the bronze tray. In a way, it is the most eye-catching role in the entire event.”

The Sacred Sword Procession.

The solemn task of taking the sword ‘Yeojeong’ from deep within the family’s secret vault, carrying it through the center of the grand banquet hall, and placing it upon the altar.

Using that Sacred Sword to cut the sacrificial beast’s throat and catch its blood in the bronze tray was also a crucial duty.

These two steps were the most splendid and solemn parts of the Blood-Oath Ceremony.

Namgung Yul nodded.

“I understand well why you have entrusted me with this important task. I will do my utmost so that, before all the heroes gathered here today, the prestige of Namgung may rise even higher.”

“Hahaha— your spirit is admirable, but your focus is a bit off. I didn’t tell you to raise Namgung’s prestige. I told you to raise your own prestige within Namgung.”

Despite Namgung Pa’s doting banter, Namgung Yul’s expression remained unchanged.

“Just as Namgung is my pride, I will also strive to become Namgung’s pride.”

At her stiff response, Namgung Pa scratched the back of his head with an awkward look.

‘Well now… I didn’t mean for her to answer that so seriously.’

It was good that his daughter was intelligent and cool-headed…

But whenever jokes failed to land like this, he often found himself feeling embarrassed.

Soon, Namgung Pa stood up to break the awkward atmosphere.

“Alright, let’s get moving. It’s about time for the main figures to make their appearance. Father, you should get up as well. Come on—let’s go!”

Grabbing the grumbling Namgung Cheon by the hand, Namgung Pa headed toward the stairs.

At that moment.

Namgung Pa suddenly spoke.

“Oh, right. Yul.”

“Yes, Father.”

Though she did not show it, his daughter was surely quite tense before such an important task.

So Namgung Pa tossed her one more lighthearted joke.

“…The sword. You’re not going to let anyone take it from you, right?”

Once again, Namgung Yul answered her father’s joke with a deadly serious expression.

“Of course not. Who in this world could possibly take the treasured heirloom of the great Namgung Family? Especially in the very heart of the Namgung estate.”

“Haha— true enough. As if something like that would ever happen. I was just joking in case you were nervous.”

Laughing heartily, Namgung Pa descended the stairs.

Namgung Yul also turned in another direction and went down the stairs.

Thus, father and daughter headed in different directions, each to carry out their respective duties.

Firmly believing that everything would proceed smoothly from here on.

…

…

But sometimes, people forget.

That it is often the ‘surely not’ that ends up killing someone.

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