Chapter 166
Episode 166
“I didn’t know that Sohyeop would personally come out to meet us.”
“Of course I have to step forward. Isn’t it a matter of greeting the Federation of Societies and Societies, not anyone else? Ah, now I guess I should call you Sacheon Branch Manager.”
“You can call me whatever you want. “I don’t really care about things like titles.”
“I heard that you were attacked by demonic cultists on your way.”
“Do you mean that news has already reached Anhui?”
“The Namgung family’s information power is greater than what the Sohyeop thinks.”
“Huh.”
“From now on, we will escort you.”
Jegal Hyuk-jin, who was looking at me and Namgung Seong-hun as we exchanged warm greetings, sneakily joined in and spoke.
“Branch manager. “May I ask you to introduce yourself?”
“Ah, this is Zhuge Hyukjin Sohyeop, the owner of the small family of the Zhuge family.”
“Someone said it was the Earth Dragon (Knowing Dragon) Sohyeop. Nice to meet you. “This is Namgung Seong-hun, the owner of the Namgung family.”
“Sword Dragon! “I never thought we would meet each other like this.”
Talents who would lead the Zhuge family and the Nangong family in the future exchanged greetings.
It may seem strange that the successors of the five great families did not know each other until now, but Zhuge Hyukjin only recently got out of bed.
During that time, he did not engage in any external activities, and when he had to appear to the outside world, Zhuge Hye acted as his double.
In a way, it was natural for the two people to see each other’s faces for the first time.
“By the way, was the Sacheon branch leader close to the Geomryong Sohyeop?”
“We faced each other at the Yongbong Branch Palgang (强). “This is the first time we’ve had a proper conversation.”
“……yes?”
Zhuge Hyukjin gave an expression that he did not understand.
As someone who didn’t know what happened between me and King Namgung, he couldn’t help but feel strange.
Namgung Seong-Hoon said in a laughing voice.
“The head of the family wants to see the Sohyup that he opened.”
“You mean me?”
“yes. “When we arrived, he told us to bring him straight to Gajujeon.”
“……?”
* * *
We finally arrived at our destination.
Hefei, Anhui Province.
As I stepped into the premises of the Namgung family, I let out an inward exclamation.
When I visited Sacheondangga, I was surprised by its size, but even that was nothing compared to the Namgung family.
Sega was largely divided into outer and inner circles.
In a way, it had a similar structure to Manjangse.
There was a big difference in that the size of the inner circle alone was larger than that of most large Sega.
Collateral blood relatives lived in the outer garden, and direct blood relatives lived in the inner garden.
My group and I entered an annex located on the outskirts of Naewon under the guidance of Namgung Seonghun.
“Please use this place for a while.”
“Is it okay to bring outsiders into the hospital?”
“it’s okay. “It’s not possible to invite distinguished guests to just any place.”
While the rest of the group undressed and rested in their assigned rooms, I and Namgung Seong-hun headed to Gajujeon, located in the center of Naewon.
‘It’s a seven-story building. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a building bigger than Cheonhwaru.’
Should we really say that it is a royal palace where the head of the Namgung family resides?
I felt intimidated just by looking up.
As I passed through the long hallway and entered the head of the family’s private office, an elderly middle-aged man came into view.
An angular face and a slightly visible scar above the nape of the neck.
Stubborn lips contrast with softly drooped eyes.
His neatly combed hair gave an idea of his temperament.
Namgung Segaju Namgung Ho.
He was one of the most influential figures in Tanggeum Wulin.
“Welcome.”
He stood up and greeted me with a happy expression.
I immediately raised my arms and bowed my head.
“This is Yeon-woon, the branch manager of the Sacheon branch. “It is an honor to meet the head of the Namgung family.”
“Now I can finally see your face. Sit comfortably. “I’ll tell my husband and ask him to bring the car.”
Nam Gung-ho and I sat across from each other at the table in the center of the office and observed each other for a while without saying anything.
Namgung-ho narrowed his eyes and said.
“You are a much better friend than I heard. “Even I can’t recognize the realm.”
“…!”
Namgung Seonghun, sitting next to me, looked surprised.
Namgung-ho was a talented player who was classified as a high-ranking player among the 100 great masters.
The fact that he, an expert in Hwa-kyung, could not recognize the level of his opponent meant that the opponent was a strong person who had reached the level of Hwa-kyung or Hyeon-kyung.
‘I recognized it right away.’
Actually, I was also surprised.
He had been conserving his energy to hide his state.
I tried to control the outwardly expressed prayers to misunderstand the realm, but it didn’t work at all.
As the head of a huge Sega company, he seemed to have an unusual sense of insight.
‘I never thought I’d get caught this easily.’
I feigned composure and picked up the teacup that Sibi had brought out.
The scent of expensive Longjing tea tickled my nose.
“That’s too much praise.”
“You are too humble. “In the history of martial arts, there has never been a person who achieved enlightenment at a young age like you.”
“It might be possible. There’s just no record left. “The world is wide and there are many strange people, aren’t there?”
“well. “At least according to my common sense, it seems impossible.”
Let’s have a burdensome conversation for a while.
Namgung-ho said as he put the teacup down on the table.
“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to you. “Thanks to you, Seonghun was able to safely solidify his position as the head of a small family.”
“Is it okay to say something like that out loud? “At the very least, the head of the family should appear neutral to the outside world.”
“What do you think? It’s already happened. There is no one who can threaten Seonghoon’s position anymore. In fact, the factional fight over family affairs is over.”
Namgung-ho let out a chuckle and continued talking as he leaned against the back of the chair.
“I hate to say this, but Sang-i was not worthy of becoming the head of the family. “He’s my son, but he’s a bit…”
“It looks like he’s been going through a lot of emotional distress.”
“It was so bad. “It was quite a bit of a pain because her mother was the daughter of the Golden Dragon Sangha.”
A large martial arts force, such as the reign of Namgung, is rarely shaken by external pressure.
What if the group exerting pressure is the Geumryong Trading Company, which holds the top spot among teenage trading companies?
‘No matter how much I am the Namgung family, I couldn’t just ignore it.’
Sega had different factions and tendencies.
If the sect was a group of practitioners, the Sega was an interest group.
Naturally, the influence of sponsors was bound to have a strong influence.
“I heard that Danju of Hwayang Sangdan personally visited the Namgung family.”
“He was a likeable person. “You know very well what this side wants.”
“If you say so, it is worthwhile to introduce you.”
“Saying gratitude through words alone would be meaningless. Is there anything you wish for from the Namgung family? “If there is anything you want, please tell me without hesitation.”
“It wasn’t something I did in particular. And I have already received enough in return.”
“Are you talking about the goods that were sent to the Sacheon branch not long ago? That is, after all, a reward for restoring a lost martial arts skill. “It’s separate from this matter.”
“…….”
“Speak comfortably and without hesitation. If anything, I could introduce you to my daughter…”
“I will decline that.”
“The answer is very sharp.”
“Even if it’s not necessarily a marriage engagement, I think we can continue a good relationship with the Namgung family.”
“Once you meet him, you will change your mind. She’s pretty, kind, and excels at martial arts. “He’s a kid who doesn’t miss anything.”
“If you are such a talented woman, you will be able to find a good partner even if you don’t meet me.”
“Is there a woman you like by any chance?”
“It’s not like that.”
I clicked my tongue and sipped the Longjing tea.
Where does this guy eat raw fish?
It seemed like animosity that wasn’t there before would arise as I openly pierced my nose.
“That’s right.”
Namgung-ho, who was licking his lips with regret, received a small chest from Sibi and handed it to me.
I asked, accepting it with a puzzled expression.
“What is this?”
“Try to open it.”
As I opened the lid, a cool sensation passed through my skin.
A smooth, shiny chunk of metal came into view.
A ‘gasp’ moan rose up to the tip of my chin.
“It’s cold weather.”
“…!”
* * *
After humming a song and leaving the house, I did not go back to the dormitory right away, but just walked around and looked around.
When will there ever be another opportunity for Namgungse to roam around the interior as much as he likes?
Of course, being treated like a VIP didn’t mean I could explore everywhere.
A training ground where warriors train, or a living space where executives of the world class live.
Some places were guarded by warriors from the Changgung Sword Corps, so entry was impossible.
Still, there was no shortage of things to see.
‘It would take a year just to look around.’
How long did you wander around like that?
As I walked through the garden where bamboo grew thickly, I found a familiar face.
It was Damun.
I was having some kind of conversation with the man standing across from me, but for some reason his expression wasn’t very good.
Even if I amplified my hearing with inner energy, I couldn’t hear the voice.
I narrowed my eyes and approached the two people.
As the distance between us got closer, the man turned to me.
After seeing the other person’s face, I let out a quiet sigh.
It was a face I had seen once before.
His appearance matched perfectly with the man I saw in the illusionary hall set up in front of Reporter Cheon’s secret building in the past.
‘Sama Segaju.’
From the looks of it, the Sima Family was also invited to a banquet hosted by the Nangong Family.
I thought I knew why Damun was making such an uncomfortable face.
What kind of conversation might the two have had?
One of the guards lined up behind the man blocked my path.
“Who are you? Please identify yourself.”
“My name is Yeon-woon, and I am the head of the Sacheon branch of the Murim League.”
“Heavenly Dragon?”
There was confusion in the warrior’s eyes.
With his eyes, he asked Sima Seju what he should do.
“…….”
Sima Se-ju, who had bitten the warrior with a hand gesture, looked me in the eyes and said.
“Do you have something to do with me?”
“I’m here to take away Secretary Dam.”
“If you are here to pick up your son, I would like you to wait a moment. “Because we are having an important conversation.”
“I’m sorry, but we have something urgent to discuss. “I will take you there right away.”
“I would have asked you to wait.”
“I would have told you it was an urgent matter.”
“He is my son.”
“I heard it was isolated.”
“My son just unilaterally declared it. I have never accepted that.”
“Secretary Dam. “Let’s go.”
“Are you ignoring me now?”
“I will make time to visit the head of the family separately later. “I think we have a lot to talk about.”
I walked up to Damun and grabbed his wrist.
A moment of displeasure appeared on Sima Seju’s face.
One of the guards standing behind him pulled out his sword and pointed it at me, shouting.
“This is outrageous!”
“Muom?”
I looked back at him with cold eyes and asked.
Who do they dare set their teeth on?