Chapter 4: Presence Born from Experience (2)
Seok Jin-ho snorted.
Anyone could see that the young man’s expression was twisted by jealousy, coming to pick a fight.
Though he was trying to package it nicely, it was clear from the start that his intentions were off.
That also meant he wasn’t very bright.
“Truly cunning guys would be smiling instead. Controlling your expression is the bare minimum.”
Countless faces flashed through Seok Jin-ho’s mind—those he had encountered in his past life came naturally to thought.
“Well then, I guess there’s no need to hold back.”
“Are you really that jealous that the two elders showed interest in me?”
“Jealous?!”
The young man shouted.
Though he had likely trained hard from a young age and built a solid physique, in Seok Jin-ho’s eyes, he was still a greenhorn.
“You’ve got the word ‘jealous’ written all over your face.”
“You bastard!”
At Seok Jin-ho’s sarcastic words, the young man—Ye Joong-ak of the Hebei Ye Clan—flushed with anger and embarrassment.
Seok had struck a nerve, rendering him speechless.
So instead, Ye Joong-ak lashed out with his hand.
He hadn’t come without preparation; he’d investigated Seok Jin-ho beforehand. There was no hesitation in his attack.
‘A mere bastard child who was ignored by servants until recently dares to…!’
Ye Joong-ak still couldn’t believe it.
Even though he had seen it with his own eyes, it was hard to accept.
That this worthless Seok Jin-ho had drawn the keen interest of both the Mount Hua and Zhongnan Sects.
‘That guy wasted away until just recently!’
Shhhik!
Blinded by jealousy, Ye Joong-ak’s hand flew toward Seok Jin-ho’s collar.
His goal was to grab Seok’s collar so he couldn’t escape.
Then he would publicly humiliate him, show everyone what a weakling Seok Jin-ho truly was.
Of course, this wasn’t an impulsive move.
Ye Joong-ak had already calculated the aftermath.
‘I’ll beat him up first, then apologize later. After all, they treat him like an outsider anyway.’
If Seok Jin-ho had been the legitimate heir of the Seok family, he wouldn’t have dared. But a bastard child? That changed things.
And being treated like a nonentity in the household made Ye Joong-ak even more confident.
Fwump!
But his plan unraveled from the start.
Seok Jin-ho dodged the grab with shocking ease.
With a single half-step to the side, Ye Joong-ak’s brutish hand sliced through empty air.
“Since you swung first, I’ll consider it self-defense. And this is my front yard, too.”
“W-What…?”
More than Seok Jin-ho’s cold tone, Ye Joong-ak was shocked that his strike had failed.
While Seok had only recently begun martial arts training, Ye Joong-ak had over ten years of hard training under his belt.
In terms of cultivated energy, the two weren’t even comparable.
Yet Seok Jin-ho had dodged it as if it were nothing.
“So don’t feel wronged when I hit back. In life, you reap what you sow. Maybe not right away, but eventually, it all comes back.”
“Guh!”
Before he even finished speaking, Seok Jin-ho’s kick drove into Ye Joong-ak’s stomach, bending him nearly in half.
Though not completely like a shrimp, he was seriously hunched over.
Ye Joong-ak wasn’t one to go down easily, though.
He swung his left arm like a hook, trying to grab Seok Jin-ho’s foot as he retreated.
Whoosh…
But Seok Jin-ho seemed to predict his move, slipping away effortlessly.
It looked as if Ye Joong-ak had let him go on purpose.
Pupupupupak!
As Ye Joong-ak reeled in disbelief, Seok Jin-ho’s fists ignited, pounding his exposed torso and face mercilessly.
“Aaargh!”
Seok Jin-ho’s internal energy was still low.
He spent every waking moment practicing martial arts, to the point others thought he was mad.
But unlike the body, inner strength couldn’t change overnight. Unless one consumed potent elixirs, it was impossible to become a master in a day.
‘But my experience wasn’t for nothing.’
In pure stats, he was inferior to Ye Joong-ak.
But Seok Jin-ho had something incomparable—experience.
Whoosh!
So Seok Jin-ho effortlessly dodged Ye Joong-ak’s wildly flailing fists.
No matter how powerful a strike is, it’s useless if it doesn’t land.
Ye Joong-ak’s attacks, lacking real combat experience, were so crude and predictable that even with his eyes closed, Seok could have avoided them.
Crack!
What Ye Joong-ak likely thought was a lightning-quick punch, Seok Jin-ho met with a yawn and a fist to the jaw.
“H-How…?”
“If you can see it coming a mile away and still can’t dodge, you’re an idiot.”
“Ughhh!”
Infuriated by Seok’s dismissive reply, Ye Joong-ak finally drew his sword—no longer just out to humiliate, but with murderous intent.
Losing face had cost him his composure.
At that moment, Seok family guards stationed at the banquet hall rushed in, anticipating the worst.
Clang!
But there was no need.
Seok Jin-ho, no longer bored, moved like lightning and snatched Ye Joong-ak’s sword.
“Young master!”
“Ha!”
Everyone who had been watching discreetly gasped.
Especially the junior martial artists—they were stunned.
Despite having years of training, Ye Joong-ak was being toyed with by Seok Jin-ho, who had seemingly no inner strength.
“I’m fine.”
“We’ll report this incident directly to the Ye Clan.”
“W-Wait a minute…”
Ye Joong-ak stammered in the face of the Seok guards’ icy glares.
No matter how illegitimate, Seok Jin-ho was still family.
And this was the 70th birthday banquet of the Grand Elder—this incident couldn’t be overlooked.
“Wait a moment.”
Just then, Seok Jin-ho walked between the guards and approached Ye Joong-ak.
Though they had come to help, they hadn’t really been needed. If anything, they had just gotten in the way.
“Young master?”
“I’d like to finish this myself.”
Clang.
Without sparing them a glance, Seok Jin-ho stood before Ye Joong-ak and tossed the stolen sword to the ground.
“What are you—urk!”
“You started it, so it’s only right I finish it.”
Still reeling from the guards’ pressure, Ye Joong-ak was frozen in place—until Seok Jin-ho grabbed him by the neck and slammed him down.
As Ye Joong-ak trembled in pain, the guards actually looked satisfied.
‘So the rumors were true… He’s changed this much?’
‘There’s no wasted motion in his movements. Is he really a genius?’
They looked at Seok Jin-ho with a shared gaze of admiration.
But others were watching too.
Song Il-gang and Go Cheok, who had been rejected earlier, now stared hungrily at Seok Jin-ho.
“Come back for more if you want, but next time, I won’t go so easy on you.”
Seok Jin-ho whispered to Ye Joong-ak, who was still trembling on the ground.
He hadn’t crushed him completely because there were too many eyes. But he was provoking him—hoping he’d come again in private.
Ye Joong-ak, however, didn’t react.
“We’ll take care of this.”
“Please do.”
“You did well.”
The head of the Seok guards gave Seok Jin-ho a thumbs-up with a grin.
The others didn’t say anything, but their faces mirrored the same sentiment.
“Take care.”
Though their attitudes had clearly shifted, Seok Jin-ho remained indifferent.
He turned around and headed back to his quarters.
“Wait for me, young master!”
“Hurry up.”
“Yes, sir!”
“You saw how I handled him, right? You should be able to do that by the end of this year.”
“Huh?”
Tak Yoon blinked wide, surprised by the ridiculous standard.
“Why? Think you can’t do it?”
“W-Won’t it be hard for me?”
“There’s no such thing as impossible. Only those who try.”
Gulp.
Tak Yoon shivered.
It wasn’t just the words—it was the look in Seok Jin-ho’s eyes, his expression. It felt like the gates of hell had just opened in front of him.
“You’ll do it. Because I’ll make you.”
“I-I’ll do my best.”
“That’s the spirit.”
Satisfied, Seok Jin-ho left the banquet hall.
He had finished his business—there was nothing more to linger for.
But unlike when he first arrived, all eyes followed him now.
“He’s really changed, huh?”
“Guess almost dying really does change a person.”
“Looks like he might be useful?”
“It’s too early to tell, miss.”
A middle-aged man in scholar’s robes waved his fan thoughtfully.
Though the change was real, he thought it premature to make any decisions—he might revert at any moment.
“Caution is good, but sometimes you need boldness too.”
Seok Mi-ryong, the third daughter of the Seok family lord and a contender in the succession war, signaled to those around her.
She wasn’t the only one keeping her eyes on Seok Jin-ho.
“Mmm… I think it wouldn’t be bad to secure him first and worry later.”
“He might not let himself be caught.”
“Which is why we need to act faster than the others, right?”
Seok Mi-ryong licked her lips.
Her already red lips glistened even brighter.
“Personally, I think watching him a bit longer wouldn’t be bad.”
“But you know the choice is mine, right?”
“Of course.”
“He’s worth looking into.”
At her words, the middle-aged man nodded.
He gestured to one of the subordinates standing behind him.
“Look into everything. Even the smallest details.”
“Yes, sir.”
The subordinate quietly left to gather information.
“Hopefully, that boy turns out to be a game-changer.”
“That would be perfect.”
“But nothing’s duller than a man with no ambition.”
Seok Mi-ryong shrugged.
Despite her casual words, she had no intention of giving up the position of Seok Family Head.
She was determined to surpass her two brothers and claim the throne—as a female emperor, just like Wu Zetia
