The Genius Grandson of the Namgung Family
Chapter 63
“Huh?! You know this person?”
“Yes. I got to know them by chance when I was here last time. We met around here then too.”
Aeng-aeng wrinkled her face as if she disliked how familiar Ha Hyeon sounded.
“That… is Yu-chun okay?”
“If you’re referring to Yu-chun whose head was cracked by the young master’s surprise attack, he’s fine now. Thanks to that, he woke up and is training rigorously.”
Ha Hyeon felt the barbs in Aeng-aeng’s words.
“That’s… fortunate. Hahaha.”
“Hyeon. Who is this person?”
Aeng-aeng’s eyes widened when she saw Paeng Ju-eun calling Ha Hyeon’s name without hesitation.
“This is from the Jin family…”
Interrupting Ha Hyeon’s words, Aeng-aeng introduced herself.
“I am Aeng-aeng of the Jin Ju clan. I’m also the bodyguard of Young Lady Yeong-yi, the youngest daughter of the clan head. May I ask who you are, miss?”
“Ah! You’re from the Jin Ju clan. I am Paeng Ju-eun, granddaughter of the Paeng clan head.”
“The Iron disciple’s granddaughter…!”
Aeng-aeng narrowed her eyes and looked back and forth between Ha Hyeon and Paeng Ju-eun.
Despite having done ‘nothing’ wrong today, Ha Hyeon found her gaze burdensome and took a few steps back while saying:
“Hahaha. Well, we should be going now. We need to deliver those rice cakes before they get cold. Ju-eun, let’s go.”
“Okay!”
When Ha Hyeon awkwardly smiled and called Paeng Ju-eun, she nodded and quickly ran to his side.
Seeing this, Aeng-aeng’s eyebrows twitched.
From her perspective, Ha Hyeon and Paeng Ju-eun looked extremely close.
Aeng-aeng’s expression grew increasingly grim, and she muttered in a voice so quiet that no one around could hear:
“My goodness, just like Young Master Hwahwa.”
“Pardon?”
When Ha Hyeon asked, not having heard properly, Aeng-aeng snorted and vanished from sight with a flash of movement.
Paeng Ju-eun, who had been watching, blinked and asked Ha Hyeon:
“Hyeon, did you do something wrong to that person?”
“Not today…”
“‘Not today’ means you did something before?”
“Well, yes. I knocked out one of her subordinates because of a misunderstanding.”
When Ha Hyeon scratched his head as he spoke, Paeng Ju-eun made an incredulous expression.
“You hit someone by mistake? You’re a scary kid, aren’t you?”
“Ah, it was really just a misunderstanding.”
“Even for a misunderstanding, how could you knock someone out?”
“It’s a long story… Never mind. Let’s hurry inside. The adults will be looking for us.”
Ha Hyeon didn’t want to explain as he headed towards the Paeng family’s residence.
“Why? Why? Tell me what happened!”
Ha Hyeon quickened his pace as if annoyed, but because she persistently followed and kept asking, he eventually had no choice but to explain what happened that day.
After hearing the whole story, Paeng Ju-eun burst into laughter.
“Now I understand why that person acted that way earlier.”
“I really thought the guy was being chased!”
“Even so, who would’ve thought you’d swing a sword… no, a club without even asking about the situation.”
Paeng Ju-eun found it so funny that she laughed non-stop all the way home.
As they laughed and chatted, they soon reached the place where the sign of the Northern Paeng Family was visible.
And beneath that sign, Ha Hyeon spotted a familiar face.
“Oh! Senior Hwiyeon!”
“It’s Hyeon!”
Ha Hyeon quickly ran to greet the welcome face he hadn’t seen in a long time.
Namgung Hwiyeon was both a fellow disciple with Namgung Gyu-hyeon at the Blue Dragon Pavilion and they were nearly the same age.
Strangely, unlike Namgung Gyu-hyeon whom he always called “Master,” the word “senior” naturally came out when addressing Namgung Hwiyeon.
“What brings you here?”
“I heard the news. The clan head urgently summoned me.”
“Grandfather should be inside.”
“Yes. I just arrived and was about to knock, but I happened to meet you.”
Namgung Hwiyeon smiled at Ha Hyeon.
“I heard you went through a lot. Well done.”
“Not at all. I just happened to…”
He didn’t listen to the end of Ha Hyeon’s words and messed up his hair.
“Aish, you old soul. Hyeon, you can be more carefree.”
“More carefree?”
Just as Namgung Hwiyeon was about to answer, the door to the Northern Paeng Family opened.
“Are you the Blue Wind Sword?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I was told the Sword Venerable would come. Please enter.”
As Namgung Hwiyeon followed the Northern Paeng Family’s warrior inside, he said:
“Hyeon. Let’s talk a bit later. Meeting the clan head comes first. You’re staying in the quarters here, right?”
“Yes, senior.”
“Understood.” Ha Hyeon was newly aware that what happened yesterday must have been a major incident.
If his grandfather had called even Namgung Hwiyeon, who rarely involved himself in martial arts matters outside of the Bureau affairs.
‘For instantaneous movement techniques, Uncle and I would be the fastest, right? But for covering long distances, Senior Hwiyeon is said to be the best.’
Ha Hyeon remembered what Namgung Min had once told him as he entered the Northern Paeng Family residence with Paeng Ju-eun.
* * *
Already four days had passed since Hwiyeon arrived at the Paeng Family.
Despite Namgung Hwiyeon saying he would talk to Ha Hyeon later, he was so busy that there wasn’t even a chance to see his face.
Ha Hyeon also resumed training after resting for just two days.
However, he didn’t immediately start training that involved physical movement.
He continuously recalled the memories of that day.
The day he confronted Blood Sword Lord.
‘Ah, I feel like I’m starting to understand something…’
But Ha Hyeon continued to feel dissatisfied with the current situation.
It was frustrating, like being trapped in fog.
Ha Hyeon vaguely sensed that he had realized something important back then, but he had no way of knowing what it was.
Slide-
While Ha Hyeon was lost in thought, someone entered.
He didn’t even wonder who it was.
He thought it would be Paeng Ju-eun.
She must have come to find Ha Hyeon first thing after waking up in the morning, as if it were her own room.
“Hyeon.”
“Ju-eun, don’t just open the door and come in… Senior?”
But the person who opened the door was Namgung Hwan.
So-hwa was with him too.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“I told you yesterday. I was fine from the beginning!”
So-hwa sat casually on Ha Hyeon’s bed.
“Hyeon. We’re going home.”
“Really? When?”
“As early as today. At the latest, we’ll depart tomorrow.”
Ha Hyeon nodded.
He thought they would go home soon anyway, as they couldn’t stay at the Northern Paeng Family forever.
“Finally going home, huh.”
“Yes. Dad told me. Also, I heard from Dad that the Martial Alliance has officially acknowledged that the Demon Cult is active again, and they’re forming an investigation team.”
“Investigation team?”
“Yes. Until now, they only suspected Demon Cult remnants without physical evidence, but now there’s definite proof, right?”
The definite proof So-hwa was referring to was Blood Sword Lord’s head.
“So they’re officially declaring that the Demon Cult is active, I guess.”
“Is that so?”
Ha Hyeon’s eyes wavered slightly.
He already knew that Blood Sword Lord was a master from the Demon Cult.
If they could track down the Demon Cult again, perhaps he might find out.
‘Why our Shin Family had to be annihilated.’
Ha Hyeon knew well that all he could do was trust the Martial Alliance and his grandfather, and wait.
He also remembered his grandfather’s promise to tell him if he learned anything related to the Demon Cult.
“And it seems Senior Hwiyeon will be a member of that investigation team.”
“I see.”
Ha Hyeon nodded as he heard the reason why Namgung Hwiyeon had come all this way, even putting the Gyeonggak Hall aside.
He also understood why Hwiyeon had been too busy to visit even once.
There would be no one in the Namgung Family who knew the geography and political situation of the Central Plains better than him.
“Oh! Sister So-hwa! Brother Hwan is here too!”
Just then, Paeng Ju-eun opened the door and entered.
“I said don’t open the door and come in as you please…”
“Hehe. Sorry. I won’t do it again next time!”
“You’ve been saying ‘next time’ for several days now.”
Ha Hyeon shook his head, but Paeng Ju-eun stuck out her tongue and entered with a smile.
“What were you all talking about so interestingly? Sister?”
Paeng Ju-eun said, moving close to Namgung So-hwa.
She had become as close to So-hwa as she had to Ha Hyeon.
Both of them were the only females in the Namgung and Northern Paeng families, and with just a one-year age difference, they had much in common.
“Ju-eun. I was just about to come find you.”
“Why? What’s happening?”
“We… are going home.”
“Huh!”
Paeng Ju-eun took a deep breath, surprised as if she had heard something completely unexpected.
“When?”
“Today or tomorrow?”
“So soon?”
Tears welled up in Paeng Ju-eun’s eyes.
“Can’t you stay just a few more days… no, just two more nights? I’ll talk to Grandfather about it.”
“We need to go back because our grandfather said he has to return home.”
Despite being only a year older, So-hwa consoled the tearful Paeng Ju-eun quite maturely.
“Ju-eun. Don’t cry. Even if we leave this time, I’ll come back soon. Or you could visit the Namgung Family sometime? You could see Brother Paeng too.”
Ju-eun held back her tears and nodded repeatedly. “Yes. I’ll definitely visit someday.”
Paeng Ju-eun hugged So-hwa tightly.
So-hwa winked at Ha Hyeon.
It was a signal telling him to add a word or two to comfort Paeng Ju-eun.
After pondering what to say, Ha Hyeon finally spoke up.
“Um, Ju-eun.”
“Yes?”
Paeng Ju-eun, who had buried her face in So-hwa’s chest, turned to look at Ha Hyeon.
Her face was just barely holding back tears.
“You know, there’s a saying: ‘Those who meet must part.'”
“Those who… what?”
“‘Those who meet must part.’ It means that people who meet will inevitably separate, and nothing in this world is eternal… ”
Glare!
Namgung So-hwa shot Ha Hyeon a fiery glare.
“Ah, that’s not what I meant. What I’m trying to say is… ultimately, there’s no such thing as an eternal farewell either. We will meet again.”
“Mmm.”
Paeng Ju-eun didn’t fully understand the meaning, but she nodded anyway.
Ha Hyeon’s use of difficult words seemed to help calm Paeng Ju-eun down.
As Namgung So-hwa sighed in relief, Ha Hyeon added more:
“And we could meet at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, right?”
“Dragon Phoenix Gathering?”
At Ha Hyeon’s words, Paeng Ju-eun naturally recalled the Dragon Phoenix Gathering she had only heard about.
A place where young martial artists from all over the martial world gather to build friendships and showcase their skills.
When Ha Hyeon mentioned this event, known as a meeting place for talented young men and women throughout the martial world, Paeng Ju-eun immediately stopped sniffling and spoke confidently:
“Yes! Let’s meet at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering!”
Her eyes, which moments ago were filled with tears, now curved into half-moons with a smile.
Namgung So-hwa and Namgung Hwan gave Ha Hyeon approving looks.
They hadn’t expected Ha Hyeon to stop Ju-eun’s crying so perfectly.
“Oh, wait!”
But Ha Hyeon seemed to have remembered something.
“What is it?”
“By the way, Ju-eun.”
“What?”
“I wonder if you’ll be able to attend the Dragon Phoenix Gathering?”
“Of course I can attend. Why do you ask?”
Ha Hyeon tilted his head.
“Hmm… I think it might be difficult? As far as I know, you can’t participate in the Dragon Phoenix Gathering unless your martial arts skills are quite advanced. And from what I’ve seen, your skills aren’t that great…”
“What did you say?!”
Paeng Ju-eun shouted loudly.
Her voice was so loud that Namgung Hwan, who was standing next to her, instinctively covered his ears.
“No, no! Ju-eun. That’s not what I meant!”
So-hwa, startled, tried to calm Ju-eun down, but tears were already streaming down Paeng Ju-eun’s face.
“Just you wait! I won’t let you get away with this! See you at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering three years from now. Be sure to be there!”
Paeng Ju-eun left these words behind, slammed the door, and left the room.
Ha Hyeon stared at the door with a dumbfounded expression.
“Tsk, tsk… I knew this would happen. Sigh…”
Namgung So-hwa clicked her tongue and sighed deeply.
“I wondered why you were suddenly speaking so well. Do you have no emotions at all?”
“No, that’s not what I meant by that…”
“Forget it! Ju-eun!”
So-hwa gave Ha Hyeon a pitying look and left the room to follow Paeng Ju-eun.
Ha Hyeon glanced at Namgung Hwan, who was still beside him.
Namgung Hwan made a troubled expression for a moment, then said to Ha Hyeon:
“Hyeon. I think that was a bit harsh this time.”
“But I didn’t say anything wrong…”
“…”
Instead of answering, Namgung Hwan patted Ha Hyeon’s back a few times.
Several hours later.
The members of the Namgung family finished preparations for departure and stood in front of the Paeng family’s nameplate.
It felt similar to when they had left for the Moyong family not long ago.
Like then, Paeng Gil-san and Paeng Yong-so saw them off today.
Ha Hyeon kept looking around to see if Paeng Ju-eun would come out, but she never appeared.
“Gil-san. Thank you so much for these past few days.”
“It’s nothing. You should have stayed a bit longer until your internal injuries were completely healed.”
“They’re almost healed. We’ve been away from home for too long. It’s time to return now.”
The two old masters exchanged farewells.
No matter how many times one experiences it over decades, parting never becomes easier.
Namgung Mu-ryong took his first steps as he received the farewell.
“Well, let’s really go home now.”
“Yes, Father!”
“Yes, Grandfather!”
They could finally head south.
As Namgung Mu-ryong said, truly to their home.
Additional Story:
After the Namgung family members left, it is said that the lights in the training ground located in the innermost q
uarters of the Northern Paeng Family stayed on all night long.
According to someone who passed through Beijing at midnight, there was a rumor that from far away, one could hear someone vowing to defeat Ha… someone.
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