Hong Jin smirked and tilted his wine cup.
“Our Young Master Jin, you’re more ambitious than I thought.”
“I have about as much ambition as the next person. And a request, if I may. Could you just call me Young Master Jin?”
“Oh my, pretending to dislike it when you’re enjoying it.”
‘Family,’ my ass…
“Hm? What did you say just now?”
“Ah, I said it’s nice because you feel like family.”
“Family, you say? I like the sound of that. I’m already looking forward to my meeting with the Lesser Family Head Jin.”
He’s right. No matter how much I talked here, in the end, the decision would be made by Jin Wi-gyeong and Hong Jin. Since they were both pros in this field, it was only proper for an amateur like me to step aside.
“By the way, do you have some kind of grudge against the Seong-un Escort Agency?”
“It’s not so much a grudge… More like giving a slap to a face you already dislike. And it’s nice because I get to pick up the crumbs, too.”
“Aha, so it’s related to the Young Escort Chief of the Seong-un Escort Agency, the one who was supposed to come?”
This man’s perception is no joke. Since he had already figured most of it out, there seemed to be no need to explain everything in detail. I just shrugged my shoulders.
“Well, something like that. How did you know?”
“Young Master Jin, I lived in the Imperial Palace for over twenty years.”
“You what?”
“It means I survived on my wits alone. Reading the faces of children is an easy task.”
Hong Jin gestured with his chin toward the scions of the Five Sects of Shanxi. At the far end of the table, the group, who had been stealing glances our way with frozen expressions, flinched and shrank back in surprise.
“They’ve been like that since they first came in. Just cautiously watching your every move, Young Master Jin.”
“Were they?”
“Yes. It was so pitiful to watch. What on earth did you do to them?”
“Something similar to what happened to the ones who just left.”
“The Three Hands of Zhongnan? Tsk, tsk. So they failed to recognize a great man, did they?”
As expected, he caught on quick. Hong Jin clicked his tongue as if it were a pity, and Lee Poong turned his head sharply to stare at the young talents. His gaze seemed to say, I’ll be sure to remember the faces of those who dared to touch Martial Uncle Cheong Pung.
“L-Lord Commissioner! No, Great Hero Yi! It’s not like that…”
It was Lee Poong, a man of influence in the Shanxi military and a lay disciple of the Huashan Sect. Even if the government and the martial world had a non-aggression pact, it was obvious that if they got on his bad side, the future of the Five Sects of Shanxi would become very un-fun.
Ignoring the group as they scrambled to make excuses, Lee Poong asked me, “Can you tell me more about that story?”
“It’s all over. The person involved even delivered the spanking himself.”
“Spanking?”
“Ah, it means he beat them up. Of course, they apologized before that.”
“Martial Uncle himself did? Hmm.”
To be precise, he only wrecked one of them, but he did hit him. Lee Poong’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at the young talents.
“Do you know what you have done wrong?”
“Yes, yes!”
“We feel it in our bones!”
A resounding shout erupted immediately. It was one thing to fear Lee Poong, but now that they knew Cheong Pung’s identity, they were probably scared shitless. Not only was he a peak master, but he was also the disciple of the Sword Saint and a direct disciple of the Huashan Sect.
They are well and truly screwed.
The Five Sects of Shanxi were, in the end, just minor sects. If the Huashan Sect, one of the Nine Sects, got angry, even their distant relatives might get a taste of the bat. No, they’d be lucky if it ended with just that.
“The conversation we had here today and what you witnessed…”
Before Lee Poong’s heavy voice could even finish, their answers shot out.
“We will keep it secret!”
“We’ll take it to our graves!”
“I’ve already forgotten!”
“Where am I? Who am I?”
…They’re really laying it on thick.
As I watched the scene, which was now producing amnesiacs, I added a word.
“Will that be enough?”
“Y-yes?”
“What do you mean by that, sir…”
“What do you think I mean? If you want to become part of the family, you need to put your own spoon on the table. You there, what’s the meaning of ‘family’?”
The chosen young talent stammered in response.
“People who eat together… I’m sorry if I’m wrong.”
“You’re right. Now then, what must one do to become family?”
“Ah!”
The young talent slapped his forehead with a cry of realization. At least this one is quick on the uptake.
“Then I will arrange for a fine gathering next time. How about the Crimson Flower Pavilion?”
What a blockhead.
If the successors were like this, it was easy to see the state of the Five Sects of Shanxi. I let out a deep sigh and explained it to them simply.
“Forget the Crimson Flower Pavilion and just do as we say. For instance, on matters related to the Seong-un Escort Agency, hmm?”
“Aah.”
The Taiyuan Jin family had certainly become the number one power in Shanxi, but if the minor sects banded together in opposition, it would undoubtedly become troublesome. Since they were nominally part of the Orthodox Faction, they couldn’t just steal things and hold people accountable like a horde of bandits without facing criticism. In the martial world, was not justification just as important as martial skill?
But if there’s no one left to point fingers, then there’s no problem.
I slowly took in the four men and women with my eyes. They were the successors of the four sects of the Five Sects, excluding the Seong-un Escort Agency. If they took the lead in supporting the Taiyuan Jin family, things would become much easier.
“Watch carefully where you sit when it’s time to eat. That’s how you get to have a bite.”
Even if it was a frontier region, it was still the Seong-un Escort Agency, said to be number one in the province. It was a feast large enough for everyone to get a piece if it was divided up.
At my words, the quick-witted ones quietly let their eyes gleam, while the clueless one cautiously opened his mouth.
“But still, that’s a bit…”
I cut off the bumbling fool’s words sharply.
“You, which sect do you belong to?”
“M-me, sir?”
“Yes, you.”
After a long hesitation, the name Gopyeong Sect came out. It sounded vaguely familiar, but it was a nobody sect that I couldn’t quite recall. That was about the standing of the Gopyeong Sect. No, that was the standing of all the new Five Sects of Shanxi.
“Gopyeong Sect. Gopyeong Sect… doesn’t have a nice ring to it. Should I recommend a new one for you?”
“Pardon?”
I looked into the eyes of the punk who still didn’t get it and continued.
“Starting next month, let’s start fresh with a new name. As the Gopyeong Branch of the Taiyuan Jin family. How about it?”
“……!”
“……!”
“You don’t seem to like it. I was just kidding, you punk.”
Of course, I wasn’t just kidding. I patted the shoulder of the pale-faced Young Master of Gopyeong Sect and surveyed the room.
“Anyone here sworn brothers or sisters with Wu Jin-tae?”
“N-no, sir.”
“Or maybe you have a close bond from seeing each other for over ten years since childhood? A betrothal arranged in the womb? There are lots of possibilities, right?”
“Absolutely! Absolutely not. We’ve only hung out a few times.”
“I-I also just received a few bolts of silk and a little jewelry…”
“Then we’re settled.”
Clap!
At the sharp sound of my clap, the bodies of the four men and women flinched.
“Choose. Will you make an enemy of the Taiyuan Jin family, the Huashan Sect, and the government, or…”
I grinned and enunciated the last words clearly.
“Will you abandon a guy you’re not very close with and share the meal with us?”
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
This time, it wasn’t me. It was Hong Jin, clapping his hands and giggling.
“Our Young Master Jin, the more I see him, the more I like him.”
Please refrain from such dangerous statements, my good sir.
***
“Are you leaving already?”
The voice and eyes were still arrogant, but they were filled with disappointment.
This kid, the more I see him, the cuter he gets.
I was about to pat my little fan, no, Prince Sangsan Ju Pyo’s head, but lowered my hand at Lee Poong’s glare. Ah, right. He’s a king. An imperial family member at that.
“Keuhum. I have some urgent business to attend to.”
“Can it not be postponed?”
“I’m sorry. It is a matter that brooks no delay.”
“Is that so…”
Seeing the dejected little kid’s face made me feel a little guilty, but screw that, I just wanted to go back to my family home and rest. As if on cue, Hong Jin chimed in with his lilting voice.
“Your Highness, I am here, so please let Young Master Jin go for now, yes?”
However, Ju Pyo just stared at me with a stubborn face.
“Then when can I see you again?”
“Umm, let’s see. In about a thousand nights?”
“A thousand nights!”
Ju Pyo cried out with a shocked expression. About three years. To a child who was only ten, it must have seemed like an eternity.
“A-are you that busy?”
“There are adult matters, Your Highness.”
“Hmph, even my deceased father, the former Emperor, was not that busy…”
He seemed greatly disheartened. Just as Ju Pyo’s head drooped, a remark from Lee Poong lifted it back up.
“Your Highness, how about this?”
“What is it?”
“In a fortnight, a grand banquet will be held at the Taiyuan Jin family estate. Your Highness could visit the Taiyuan Jin family in person.”
“To the Taiyuan Jin family?”
“Yes. All the most skilled masters in Shanxi will gather there, so I am certain you will be pleased.”
Ju Pyo’s eyes began to sparkle.
“Of course! There was such a way!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Now what are these guys talking about? They were weaving a fantasy without even inviting me. But if I told them not to come, it seemed like it would cause a scene, so I had no choice but to just nod along.
“Great Hero Yi is right. Please come and visit then.”
“Is that really alright?”
A little late to be asking. I put on my business smile and replied.
“Of course. My brothers will be delighted to have you.”
“I-is that really true?”
“Yes. You know who my brothers are, right? You’ve met my second brother before.”
“The Heavenly-Shaking Sword?”
The bright expression on Ju Pyo’s face was suddenly clouded over.
“Your second brother dislikes me. Three years ago, he just ate his food without saying a word and left. He was even rude.”
“…He didn’t say anything?”
“I do not wish to speak of that day any further.”
Hong Jin whispered in a tiny voice, “His Highness asked for his signature, but he refused flatly.”
Jin Mu-gyeong had said he was invited three years ago… so Ju Pyo was seven years old then. Heavens. How could he refuse an autograph request from a seven-year-old child, and a king at that?
That man is something else, in a way.
In a way, that was very much like Jin Mu-gyeong. Recalling the past memory of his fan heart being brutally trampled, Ju Pyo silently fidgeted with his fingers. Watching him, a corner of my heart felt a pang of sympathy.
“If you come this time, I’ll ask him and get you his signature.”
“Gasp. Really?”
“Promise. Pinky swear.”
I even linked pinkies and made a thumbprint with the bewildered kid.
“What is this?”
“It means I swear to the gods of heaven and earth.”
“Ooh!”
Everyone around him may be making a fuss about him being an imperial family member and a king, but in the end, a kid is a kid. Seeing Ju Pyo overjoyed, the others also smiled warmly.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen His Highness so happy.”
“I know, right? He’s finally smiling brightly after dealing with the boring Commissioner Lee every day.”
“I was only doing my best.”
“Doing your best doesn’t always lead to the best results. It happens.”
“Deputy Chief Military Commissioner!”
“What is it, Associate Chief Military Commissioner?”
While Lee Poong and Hong Jin, whose relationship was impossible to figure out, were bickering, Cheong Pung approached Ju Pyo with a face full of anticipation.
“Can I, can I give you my autograph, too?”
“…This is your first time giving an autograph, isn’t it?”
“Gasp. How did you know? I’ve hand-signed a contract as a guard-porter on my way here, but this is my first time giving an autograph.”
“Would it be weirder if I didn’t know?”
Look at that expectant face. It was the face of someone dying to give someone his autograph for the very first time in his life.
“Can’t I, can’t I give my autograph?”
“No. Go ahead. His Highness will be happy if you give him your autograph.”
However, Ju Pyo’s reaction was unexpected.
“An autograph? From you?”
“Yes! I would really like to give you my autograph!”
“No.”
“W-why? My grandfather is a really famous person. Haven’t you heard of the Sword Saint?”
“I know. Of course, I know. But…”
Ju Pyo shook his head with a deliberately firm expression.
“You do not have a title yet, do you?”
“Pardon?”
“Come back when you have a cool title. Then I will be sure to receive your signature.”
So you have to be a named character to do this.