Chapter 10: Nine Dragon Society (4)

Nine Dragon Association (4)

“That guy is the Young Master?”

A young man who looked like he’d barely passed his coming-of-age ceremony.

I frowned, watching the troublemaker who was making a huge scene.

Why on earth is a direct descendant of the Peng family here? What’s more, for someone of a prestigious family’s bloodline to be throwing a tantrum in front of everyone.

“No way, it can’t be.”

It shouldn’t be. It must not be.

Pretending to be the Young Master of one of the Four Great Families like a fool… that guy’s going to be in big trouble.

Peng A-hui, whom I’d unexpectedly encountered in Shanxi, immediately came to mind, but I erased her from my thoughts right away.

I could sense a vibe I really didn’t want to get involved with.

Besides, I hadn’t heard of any Young Master of the Peng family appearing at the Nine Dragon Association in my previous life, so this will likely pass without any issues.

It had to.

“What’s going on?”

Just as I was about to ignore him and leave, I ran into Elder Lee.

“It seems like some strange fellow is just causing a ruckus.”

I tried to say it casually and leave the spot. I had things to do, so it felt easier to leave quickly.

But Elder Lee grabbed me.

“My whole body aches from searching for you since the crack of dawn.”

“How can you say that when you look healthier than I do?”

“Just like yesterday, your level of talking back to me has become superb. Your martial arts should be improving just as rapidly.”

He ruffled my hair messily again.

Ah, dizzy…

“But, you were looking for me?”

Why did you come all the way here when you could have just sent a servant to call me?

“Ah, it’s nothing major. After this Nine Dragon Tournament……”

“No, why isn’t it allowed! I’ve shown you everything I can! Do I have to perform the Black Night Sword right here for you to believe me?”

“..Now, now, calm down. We also have our position…”

“No, I’m telling you I don’t have time! You said anyone could participate if their identity was verified.”

Elder Lee’s gaze shifted as I started speaking. Black Night Sword was the name of the Peng family’s unique sword technique.

It was even a bloodline martial art passed down only to the direct descendants of the family head.

Sensing that something strange was about to unfold, I tried to quickly grab Elder Lee, but he was already gone.

“What? Where did he go…”

“Are you the Peng family’s son?”

Elder Lee was already standing in front of the young man claiming to be the Peng family’s Young Master.

“Elder… Elder Lee!”

Seeing Elder Lee suddenly appear, the servants taking applications were startled and paid their respects.

Of course, the gazes of those who intended to apply for the Gu family’s Sword Brigade also focused on the scene.

“Oh, yes, nice to meet you too. So, you’re the Peng family’s son?”

At Elder Lee’s words, the young man adjusted his posture.

“I am Young Master Peng Woojin. It is an honor to meet the renowned Great Hero of the Gu family’s Flame Fang Fist.”

Flame Fang Fist was Elder Lee’s alias when he was active in the Central Plains in his youth.

Elder Lee smiled at Peng Woojin’s words.

Is he pleased to be called by his alias after so long?

“You really are the Peng family’s son. Only your family would have such a hegemonically built body. Your face looks just like the family head’s too.”

Calling the Peng family head ‘that guy’…

No matter how I looked at it, ‘hegemonic’ was a word that suited Elder Lee better.

“So, why did you come here?”

“I came because I want to apply for the Gu family’s Sword Brigade.”

“The Young Master of the Peng family comes all the way here, leaving his own family’s Sword Brigade behind?”

“It’s not fun there.”

Elder Lee burst into laughter at Peng Woojin’s words. His eyes looked as if he’d found someone amusing.

“What a crazy guy. The Peng family had a crazy one.”

“Thank you. I hear that quite often.”

“That wasn’t a compliment, you punk.”

As Peng Woojin made a fist, I noticed a jet-black ring between his fingers.

It was the exact same ring Peng A-hui was wearing.

“Shit, it’s real…”

Why is that Peng family guy causing trouble all the way out here?

“I came because you said anyone could apply if their identity was verified. But even after showing everything, they refused, so I was having trouble.”

“Did you get permission from the Peng family?”

“I figured they’d never give me permission, so I ran away from home.”

A truly crazy guy was right there.

“He really is a crazy guy.”

For once, I felt the same way Elder Lee did.

That guy was genuinely insane.

Elder Lee scanned Peng Woojin’s body and smiled.

It felt kind of perverted…?

“Your body is well-trained. How old are you?”

“I turned twenty-three this year.”

“You’re young, but that level… The Peng family is raising a dragon. If only our idiot were half as good as you.”

Although I was suddenly compared while minding my own business, I wasn’t offended.

If that young man was indeed Peng Woojin of the Peng family, then he truly was a dragon.

Sword Emperor Peng Woojin.

That was the alias he would receive in the not-too-distant future.

The commander of the Heavenly Demon’s direct Demon Soldier Unit, the Heavenly Net Black Ruin Brigade, was someone who had fought Lord of Defeat, one of the Three Lords, to a draw.

Achieving an equal match with one of the Three Lords meant he was someone whose martial arts level was beyond discussion.

However, he died in a fight against Peng Woojin.

Although he was exhausted from countless battles, Peng Woojin fought him alone and won.

Later, Lord of Defeat, upon hearing the news, personally bestowed the alias Sword Emperor upon Peng Woojin.

Elder Lee, stroking his long beard, grinned playfully.

“His identity is verified, and he looks physically capable. Isn’t that fine?”

What kind of nonsensical statement was that?

Perhaps thinking the same as me, the servant at the reception desk looked troubled.

“…But Elder Lee, even so…”

“What is the problem? Isn’t this what he himself wants?”

“That’s right. I want to participate in the Nine Dragon Tournament. I really want to work for the Gu family’s Sword Brigade.”

“See? Doesn’t he want it this badly?”

The servant’s pupils trembled as if experiencing an earthquake.

His face showed utter confusion about how to handle this situation.

Just as a small puddle was about to form from the cold sweat the servant had shed, a savior appeared.

“Brother!”

It was Peng A-hui, whom I’d met yesterday, appearing suddenly and shouting loudly.

“You crazy bastard!”

With a grunt, she leaped forward.

She definitely put internal energy into that.

Immediately, a kick packed tightly with Peng A-hui’s internal energy struck Peng Woojin’s solar plexus.

“Guh!”

Caught off guard, Peng Woojin flew up, rolled over the reception desk, and collapsed.

“..Wow, that must have hurt quite a bit.”

Is he dead?

“You crazy lunatic! You run away from home with just a letter, holding the title of Young Master!?”

Still not satisfied, Peng A-hui ran towards Peng Woojin and started stomping on him indiscriminately.

Fortunately, Peng Woojin wasn’t dead, as he screamed while being stomped on.

“Agh… Aah! Wait…! Just a moment…!”

“You abandon your post and the best you can do is join someone else’s Sword Brigade? Are you out of your mind, seriously!?”

Ah, that’s not a place you should be stomping…

“Brother, he’s going to die! A-hui, wait…”

“Just die already! Go ahead and die! You crazy bastard!”

“If I die, who will be the family head!”

“Who cares! Even if you left it to a stray dog, it would do better than you!”

“Aaaargh!”

I turned my head away from the brutal sight.

Elder Lee was also scratching his cheek, looking troubled.

I cautiously approached Elder Lee and spoke to him.

“Is it okay to just leave them be? If you let them continue, someone’s going to die.”

“The Peng family members are all tough as nails; they won’t die even if you hit them with ten thousand-year-old iron. Don’t worry.”

“Alive…”

“…Doesn’t seem like it?”

After beating him like a rag doll for a while, perhaps calming down a bit, Peng A-hui panted heavily, catching her breath.

Peng Woojin lay on the ground, either dead or alive.

“Get up.”

Peng A-hui said coldly, but Peng Woojin remained lying there as if dead.

“If you don’t get up, I’ll pick up a rock and crush your balls.”

“I’m up.”

Startled by the unimaginably cruel words, Peng Woojin sprang up, drenched in cold sweat.

Peng A-hui looked at Peng Woojin and let out a deep sigh.

She had a thoughtful expression.

“Haaah, finding you is enough… Let’s go home now, Brother.”

Behind Peng A-hui, people clad in black robes approached.

They were members of the Peng family, including Yeobi, Peng A-hui’s escort whom I’d met yesterday.

Peng A-hui approached, looking surprised upon seeing me and Elder Lee.

“I apologize for inconveniencing the Gu family’s schedule with a trivial family matter.”

“Is it the Peng family’s daughter this time?”

“Yes, my name is Peng A-hui. Great Hero Yeomagwon.”

“You’re as well-trained as your brother. That bear-like fellow certainly raised his children well, making me envious.”

I couldn’t tell who was calling whom a bear.

“The Peng family will not forget and will certainly compensate for any damages caused. We will take our leave first to avoid causing further trouble.”

“I’m not going. A-hui.”

At Peng Woojin’s words, Peng A-hui glared and turned her head.

“Are you going to keep talking nonsense?”

“It’s not nonsense. I have no intention of returning to the Peng family.”

“What on earth is the reason, Brother? Why are you acting like this?”

“The Peng family isn’t fun.”

Why does that crazy guy keep going on about ‘fun’?

As if hearing my thoughts, Peng A-hui said.

“Then is the Gu family fun? Or are other families at least more fun than the Peng family? Why do you keep chasing ‘fun’ in the wrong places?”

“It’s probably more fun than my own home, at least.”

“Brother, please grow up. You’re the Young Master.”

“That’s why I need to find more fun before becoming the family head. The only ways to avoid becoming the head are becoming half-crippled or dying, and I hate both.”

Peng Woojin brushed the dust off his body, his eyes holding a firm resolve.

“I don’t want to be the family head, but objectively, I don’t see anyone else fit for the position besides me. Excluding you, A-hui, the others are just beasts hiding behind the family name; even if they all fought me together, they’d be no match for me.”

He spoke words that were firm and cold while evaluating his kin.

His words were mixed with pride and arrogance, but he clearly possessed the talent to back them up.

“However, I can’t let you, A-hui, become the family head. Therefore, I will eventually take the position. That’s why I accepted the troublesome and disliked title of Young Master.”

A crazy guy spewing crazy words, yet sounding inexplicably justified… Is it because I’ve lost my mind too?

Peng A-hui quickly rubbed her forehead.

She seemed to be getting a headache from the frustrating situation.

Just then, Elder Lee stepped forward.

“Normally, I’d consider accepting him just because he seems amusing, but given the Peng family’s position, let’s do this instead.”

At Elder Lee’s words, Peng A-hui looked anxious, while Peng Woojin looked expectant.

“If you win a spar against me, I’ll accept you.”

“…Seriously, what kind of nonsensical statement is that?”

I thought some wise solution might emerge, but it was completely out of the question.

No matter how much Peng Woojin would become a top-tier master in the future, he was currently just a young prodigy.

There was no way he could defeat the elder of a prestigious family.

“..No, you don’t necessarily have to win through force. We’ll spar for ten rounds; if you can just touch me within that time, you win.”

“Is that all it takes?”

Peng Woojin’s eyes sparkled at Elder Lee’s words.

Behind them, Peng A-hui watched with an anxious face, unable to speak, seemingly not daring to interfere.

“I’ll give you exactly ten rounds. If you so much as brush my collar within that time, you win.”

Before the words were even finished, Peng Woojin drew his sword and took a stance.

Wait… what? He’s going to do it here, with so many people around?

“Wait…”

Just as I was about to try and stop him, thinking he should at least do this in a sparring arena, Elder Lee suddenly threw a punch at Peng Woojin’s face.

Bba-ahk!

With a sound that shouldn’t have registered as a mere impact, Peng Woojin lay sprawled on the ground.

It was different from when he rolled on the ground from Peng A-hui’s attack earlier.

I wasn’t sure if he was actually dead this time.

“I held back my strength, so he’ll wake up soon.”

“…Elder Lee, weren’t you just dodging?”

“I never said that.”

This shameless old man…

“Since it was mutually agreed upon, isn’t it resolved anyway?”

“Even so, how could you just throw a punch out of nowhere? Considering who he is…”

“When someone seems like a troublesome fellow, silencing them is the solution.”

“…Isn’t the problem that the method is violence?”

“Violence! You rascal, what frightening words! It was clearly a spar.”

“And you said ‘brush my collar,’ but my fist made contact, so it counts as contact, doesn’t it…?”

As I quietly pointed out his flaw, Elder Lee let out a cough and moved away.

It was clear he hadn’t considered that possibility.