Chapter 3 – I Told You I’m Not Interested in That Side (2)
Seok Jin-ho let out a faint chuckle as Seok Man-ho stormed off, glaring till the very end.
It seemed he still thought of him as the old Seok Jin-ho.
But he didn’t mind that too much.
“Seok Man-ho might actually be the perfect way to fire the signal that I’ve changed.”
For someone from a merchant family, Seok Man-ho’s talent wasn’t too bad.
Slightly above average.
But within the Seok family, that was considered quite good.
“Though only by the Seok family’s standards.”
“Are you okay?” someone asked.
“Of course I’m fine. That punk’s nothing. Honestly, someone like him isn’t even worth dealing with at my level. More importantly, how’s it going learning the Heavenly Extreme Iron Body Art (Cheongeuk Cheolgapgong)?”
“Hehe! It’s tough, but fun. And I think it’s making me healthier, too!”
“The Heavenly Extreme Iron Body Art is a martial technique that, once mastered, can withstand even qi strikes. You have to keep at it consistently.”
Seok Jin-ho spoke with a firm expression, but his eyes were filled with satisfaction.
Despite the hardship, Tak-yoon was following along better than expected.
“I’ll master it and protect you, Young Master.”
“Doesn’t seem like that’ll be necessary. But I’ll accept the sentiment.”
“You never know. Besides, trash should be dealt with by other trash, right?”
“Don’t put yourself down like that. To me, you’re like my own younger brother.”
“Y-Young Master…”
Tak-yoon’s already large eyes widened even more.
He was touched by the heartfelt words.
But Seok Jin-ho just smiled faintly and patted his shoulder.
“The Heavenly Extreme Iron Body Art is for your sake too. I want you to stay healthy and strong by my side. Though… saying it like that kind of makes it sound like it’s for my own sake.”
“I like it better that way, hehe!”
“You rascal.”
While chatting with Tak-yoon, Seok Jin-ho arrived at the banquet hall.
So many guests had shown up that they were using the courtyard in addition to the indoor space, yet it was still packed to the point where there was barely room to move.
“It’s incredible. Feels even more crowded than last year.”
“Even the leaders of the Ten Great Sects of the Central Plains are here.”
Seok Jin-ho muttered as he recognized some familiar faces.
But he wasn’t particularly impressed.
They were only considered amazing here — in the grand scheme of the martial world, they weren’t all that important.
If anything, the real big shots were people like Song Il-gang and Go Cheok, whom he had met a few days prior.
“Wow…”
Though the venue was crowded enough to make one think of the phrase “a sea of people,” the divisions within were clear.
There was an unmistakable, invisible wall of status.
The division between the mainstream and non-mainstream sects.
While watching this with interest, Tak-yoon spoke up in admiration.
“You’re a guy too, huh?”
“Hehehe!”
Seok Jin-ho followed Tak-yoon’s gaze and smiled faintly.
Two incredibly beautiful women stood out among the crowd, impossible not to notice.
And just like bees couldn’t resist flowers, a swarm of young men had gathered around the women.
“They’re at the age to be head-over-heels.”
“Aren’t you affected at all, Young Master?”
“Women are all the same. Once you actually meet them, they’re no different. But yeah, it’s better to be pretty than ugly.”
Tak-yoon blinked his round eyes.
His Young Master seemed to react completely differently from other men.
There wasn’t a trace of lust in him — more like an old man who had seen it all. Tak-yoon tilted his head in confusion.
“You’ve never had a first love, right?”
“I’ve read about it in books.”
“Ah…”
“But it’s all pointless anyway. They’re not getting those flowers no matter how hard they try.”
Seok Jin-ho clicked his tongue.
If it were that easy to win them over, they wouldn’t be flowers worth chasing in the first place.
True beauties were the kind that had to be lured into opening up on their own.
“Two of the Five Flowers of the Martial World are here. They didn’t show up at last year’s birthday banquet.”
“They’re from Mount Hua and the Jegal Clan, right?”
“Yes!”
Tak-yoon replied loudly, sounding more excited than usual.
But when he realized people were staring, he shrank back like a turtle.
He had only just realized how loud he’d been.
Meanwhile, Seok Jin-ho didn’t bother to hide his presence.
“Those are some pretty high-ranking families.”
“It shows just how esteemed the Grand Elder is.”
“Maybe.”
While Tak-yoon looked proud, Seok Jin-ho remained indifferent.
Even if the old man was technically his grandfather, he never really felt like one.
Even going by memory, he’d only met the man a handful of times.
“There are so many big names, it looks like we’ll be waiting quite a while.”
Tak-yoon said, still sneaking glances at the Five Flowers.
Just the line of people waiting suggested a long wait.
“I’d like to say we can skip the line since I’m family, but that only applies to legitimate heirs.”
“Ah, Young Master…”
Tak-yoon looked disheartened, worried that his Young Master was belittling himself.
He seemed unsure how to respond.
“I’m not putting myself down, don’t worry. I’m just being realistic. And I’m not planning to back down either.”
“I’ll assist you!”
“That’s enough. Two’s better than one. Besides, seeing this, I’m glad I came. Heh.”
Seok Jin-ho grinned.
The arrogant Seok Man-ho from earlier was now running around like a servant, cleaning up after the heirs of prestigious clans.
Groveling, flattering — even the three legitimate sons were doing the same.
“There you are!”
“What took you so long?”
Just then, two figures appeared, blocking Seok Jin-ho’s view.
He frowned before even looking, having already recognized the voices.
“There are designated seats for Mount Hua and Zhongnan Sect elders.”
“We old folks prefer to step aside quietly.”
“Otherwise, the young ones won’t enjoy the party properly.”
Despite Seok Jin-ho’s clear disdain, Song Il-gang and Go Cheok grinned and continued talking.
They weren’t fazed by his curt behavior — they’d seen it from the start.
“I don’t like it either.”
“Still, don’t you think you’re being a bit harsh? We’re your elders and guests.”
“…”
Seok Jin-ho didn’t respond.
He could tell that if he said anything more, they’d just keep talking.
Though he looked like a youth, inside he was an old soul who gave no opening for further conversation.
“Hmph, how cold. We’re respected martial artists, you know.”
“There are countless young people who’d love to be taught by us.”
The two men put on hurt expressions.
But their eyes glinted with mischief.
No one had ever treated them this way before.
And unlike his cold demeanor, Seok Jin-ho wasn’t the least bit intimidated.
“I’m going to see my grandfather now.”
“We know your name is Seok Jin-ho. But I think you’ll be waiting a while.”
“How about chatting with us in the meantime? It wouldn’t be a loss for you.”
Song Il-gang and Go Cheok smiled as if they knew everything about him.
While doing so, they kept an eye on each other, clearly competing.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“But we have something to say.”
“Isn’t it hard learning martial arts on your own?”
They spoke as though they knew all about him.
Seok Jin-ho furrowed his brow.
It was clear they’d investigated him.
“What does that have to do with either of you?”
“It’s not too late. Why not reconsider? With your talent, becoming a Plum Blossom Swordmaster isn’t out of reach. True, starting over might be scary, but with the martial arts of our sects, you’d recover your internal energy in no time.”
“There you go again, jumping ahead!”
“First come, first served!”
Song Il-gang grinned slyly.
He’d rather risk looking pushy than miss out on recruiting talent.
He could rebuild his dignity later.
“Come to Zhongnan Sect. I’ll raise you to a level where Plum Blossom Swordmasters are no big deal. I swear on my name!”
Go Cheok didn’t hold back either.
Even if the public saw his sect as beneath Mount Hua, that just meant he could focus more on Seok Jin-ho.
Zhongnan’s martial arts were in no way inferior.
“What’s going on?”
“Who are those people?”
“Aren’t those elders from Mount Hua and Zhongnan?”
As Go Cheok raised his voice, people began to glance over.
Especially the younger ones — their eyes lit up.
Those from minor sects or side branches looked at Seok Jin-ho with pure envy.
Their dream was to be recognized by high-ranking masters.
Some couldn’t even hide their jealousy.
“Hmph.”
Seok Jin-ho snorted.
If they had real talent, they wouldn’t be here hoping for a shortcut.
And he despised those who waited for luck rather than working for results.
Not once in all his lives had he wished for a lucky break.
“Who is he?”
“Someone from the Seok family, I think.”
“They really think someone from a merchant clan has talent worth Mount Hua and Zhongnan’s interest?”
“He’s not a legitimate son, but I’m still jealous. So, so jealous.”
Everyone in Hebei Province knew about the Seok family’s three heirs.
They had the largest merchant influence and power — of course their succession war was well-known.
No one bothered looking into side branches.
“But what’s with his face?”
“He looks like the exact opposite of how I’d react…”
“If it were me, I’d be on my knees thanking them.”
“It’s Mount Hua and Zhongnan! Damn.”
Children of small sects had expressions full of longing.
And since neither sect belonged to Buddhist or Taoist orders, marriage wasn’t forbidden.
So they envied him — and didn’t understand him.
“I believe I’ve already made my thoughts clear last time.”
“Thoughts can change. You know the martial art you learn determines your future.”
“With our sect’s arts, becoming the strongest under heaven isn’t impossible. If you master them, you could reach the top.”
“And who’s done that? Has anyone since Zhongnan’s founder reached that level?”
At Song Il-gang’s jab, Go Cheok’s face turned red.
It stung, especially since it was true.
“And what about Mount Hua? Who mastered the vaunted 24 Plum Blossom Sword Arts? Who besides your founder ever unleashed the Sword’s Fragrance?”
“Ugh!”
The two began to bicker over Seok Jin-ho, voices rising.
Yet Seok Jin-ho’s expression didn’t change at all.
“Let me make this clear. I’ll continue learning the martial art I’m practicing now. Please stop. You’re wasting your time.”
“Mm!”
“Huh!”
Both elders froze like statues.
His tone made it obvious there was no room for discussion.
And strangely, rather than feeling offended, they felt regret.
They, who had never been satisfied with just anyone, couldn’t help but find him impressive — and frustrating.
