Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Cheongsonghakdang.
It was the most renowned hakdang in Akyeong.
The children of notable officials and wealthy merchants attended, and only the offspring of families wielding considerable influence throughout Akyeong gathered there.
The hunjang of that hakdang had once served as a haksa at the imperial court and had earned renown; though not annually, he had a solid track record of sending successful gwageo examination candidates into the world.
Gam Won, the hunjang of Cheongsonghakdang, regarded Hwa Somi with a stern expression as she stood before him and Dan Woo-hyeon.
“Hmm… this girl at the hakdang?”
“Yes.”
At the sudden, informal reply, Gam Won’s eyebrows twitched.
He looked to be in his mid-twenties at most, yet Gam Won did not allow himself to grow angry. The clothes the girl wore suggested a certain level of comfort—at least for her. But the man beside her? Well, he appeared neither prosperous nor well-kept, his appearance somewhat worn.
In truth, Gam Won had not the slightest inclination to accept this request. But the magistrate’s subtle influence had left him no choice but to comply.
‘Who are these people that even the magistrate would intervene?’
In Honam at present, there were two centers of considerable power.
One was the Wangbu, which stood beyond the heavens; the other was the current Magistrate Hong Won-chang, who had recently gained prominence by dismantling the Heugdohoe in one sweep.
To fall out of favor with either could prove more than merely awkward, so Gam Won, however twisted his feelings might be, found himself compelled to proceed with caution.
He studied Hwa Somi carefully.
Standing behind the man called Dan Woo-hyeon, she peeked out timidly, and there was something rather endearing about her posture.
When she grew older, he suspected she would be called quite beautiful.
But whether the family could afford the hakdang’s fees remained questionable.
Many families clothed their children well while harboring little wealth otherwise.
Particularly troubling was that Cheongsonghakdang was the most expensive hakdang in Akyeong—without funds, even the magistrate’s request could not be honored.
“Ten silver coins per month. Will that be acceptable?”
He posed the question with a somewhat uncomfortable air.
Ordinary laborers earned two or three silver coins monthly; the serving girls at wayfarers’ inns scarcely earned one. Ten coins was a staggering sum.
“Ten silver coins… that is dear.”
Dan Woo-hyeon had only recently come to understand the true value of currency in this world.
Ten silver coins, if spent carefully, might sustain him for several months.
Yet spending money on Hwa Somi felt no waste to him whatsoever.
Meeting the penetrating stare of Gam Won, he reached into his pouch. He withdrew a single gold coin and placed it upon the table.
“Will this suffice?”
“W-why, of course it will, sir!”
Gam Won’s voice transformed entirely.
Had he truly just produced a gold coin without warning?
The value of a gold coin fluctuated with the market, but one easily exceeded ten silver coins many times over.
If genuine, this was payment for several months in a single transaction at current rates.
Gam Won’s gaze fixed upon the gold coin resting on the table.
He longed to bite it, to test its authenticity.
But he restrained himself.
Before someone who might prove far more formidable than initially presumed, he could not afford a careless gesture.
“Ahem! By no means! Have no concern whatsoever! This Gam Won shall cultivate your daughter into a scholar whose learning rivals even those who achieved the highest ranks in the gwageo examination!”
Dan Woo-hyeon could not help but smile faintly.
It was amusing how drastically a person’s demeanor could shift in an instant.
What’s more—to see such a stiff neck bend, not before martial force, but before mere coin?
He had heard this man once bore some standing even at the imperial court as a haksa, yet he could not help but feel disappointed.
He shook his head slowly and opened his mouth.
“Such things are unnecessary. I would be satisfied if this child could simply spend her days in joy.”
There was something in that calm gaze that made Gam Won’s body stiffen.
For just a moment, as their eyes met, goosebumps rose across his skin. He felt as a frail creature before some enormous beast, cold sweat trickling down his spine.
Since the magistrate had recommended him, there must be reason enough, and since he seemed far from ordinary, Gam Won resolved to accept the girl.
Whether the child could truly adapt remained uncertain, but that was a concern for later.
For now, securing the money before him took precedence.

***

“So I really start at the hakdang tomorrow?” Hwa Somi asked, looking up at Dan Woo-hyeon from where she sat on the veranda of Jangeowon. In truth, she wished to go, but uncertainty gnawed at her nonetheless.

At a glance, it was the sort of hakdang where children from prominent families studied, and the hunjang himself seemed rather exacting.
She worried she might be imposing, and that anxiety flickered across her clear eyes.
Dan Woo-hyeon reached over and stroked Hwa Somi’s hair.
He knew better than anyone how she grew anxious whenever they parted after being together constantly.
Yet he couldn’t let her depend on him forever—this was only a hakdang, after all, but it was a parent’s duty to give her the path to walk alone.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll make wonderful friends and have a marvelous time.”
“Yes!”
Hwa Somi beamed and nodded readily. It was Dan Woo-hyeon speaking, after all. Everything would surely work out, and only good things would come, just as they had been.
Still wearing that bright smile, Hwa Somi turned away.
Her worries eased, and now she was itching to play.
She bolted toward one corner of the courtyard. What she intended to do was unclear, but her spirits seemed quite high.
“It won’t be easy, though?”
At that moment, a voice reached Dan Woo-hyeon’s ear.
He might have started, but he turned naturally. Only then did he notice Namgung So-hye standing there, exhaling a soft sigh as if she’d been waiting.
“You’re still here?”
“We saw each other this morning, too.”
“You blend into the background so well I didn’t notice. My apologies.”
“Hmph! But are you really sure about this? Cheongsonghakdang is quite well-known even in Akyeong…….”
“Is that something to be so concerned about?”
Namgung So-hye furrowed her brow and shook her head firmly. This man still didn’t understand how the world worked. The more renowned a hakdang, the more it drew children from wealthy families, and such places were rife with favoritism.
Who recommended you mattered, but what background you carried had the greatest effect on the children—it was like a small political arena.
Hwa Somi was charming enough, but with a background like hers, unpleasant things were bound to happen.
“The children there won’t like her. From childhood, they bully the weak and make a sport of crude pranks…….”
“Have you experienced that?”
“Have I experienced that?”
Namgung So-hye’s brow creased.
In the Anhui Province region, the Namgung Clan was more famous and held greater power than the Wangbu, but when she attended hakdang, Namgung So-hye had deliberately changed her name, and because she rarely ventured out, no one knew she was from the Namgung Clan.
Because of that, she’d endured severe harassment.
Any child in Anhui Province with a bit of status would pick fights and bully her; some even hurled insults so vicious they crossed the line.
She bore that shame without complaint.
Her grandfather’s stern teaching rang in her ears: a strong person must know how to protect the weak.
Then came the day when all that patience finally snapped.
‘I really tore into them…….’
Namgung So-hye smiled awkwardly. She’d beaten not just the other children at the hakdang, but even the hunjang who’d stood by watching her torment every day.
She was only ten, but having studied mugong systematically, no one could stop her.
As a result, she’d had considerable trouble finding another hakdang.
“Well, it’s much the same. Either way, it’s far from ideal. Wouldn’t it be better to send her somewhere else? If you had a bit more money, you could hire a skilled haksa to tutor her at home…….”
Dan Woo-hyeon had considered such things. In fact, fewer worries might have made that option more appealing from his perspective.
But then wouldn’t Hwa Somi be like a bird trapped in a cage?
One grows into a true human only by seeing the wide world and experiencing many things. If one only tries to avoid hardship, one can never develop properly.
“There’s no need to worry. That child will find her own way through.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to think about such things when she’s older? That girl has a tender heart and is too kind—she might suffer greatly.”
Dan Woo-hyeon glanced over at Hwa Somi.
In one corner of the courtyard, she was moving her hands as if playing with Jang Sam-tae.
“What is that anyway? Taegeuk Gwon? The form looks similar but something seems off. What on earth is she trying to do with that…….”
Hwa Somi followed Jang Sam-tae’s movements. Rather than a formal practice, it was simply playful mimicry.
Yet both seemed quite pleased with themselves.
Dan Woo-hyeon glanced at Namgung So-hye.
“Arrogance blinds the eyes. How can you see anything clearly?”
“What?”
“Somi is stronger than you think. Whatever she cannot overcome, I will handle for her.”
“……Because you’re her parent?”
“Yes, because I am that child’s parent.”
“That’s only natural. But are you confident you won’t bow before a greater power?”
Namgung So-hye pressed further.
This man who didn’t even seem to have studied mugong.
All he appeared to have was this estate and the people within it. Could such a person truly stand against the pressure of renowned families and officials even in Honam?
The answer was no.
‘It’s really none of my concern, but…….’
Namgung So-hye exhaled quietly and sat on the veranda.
Hwa Somi was endearing, true enough, but her presence here was fleeting—once the business was done, she would not return to this place.
She glanced sideways at Dan Woo-hyeon, who sat beside her. His gaze, utterly unreadable, remained fixed on Hwa Somi, and his firmly set mouth slowly parted.
“Even if all of Jungwon became my enemy, I would protect that child.”
“A noble ambition.”
“Ambition…… Ha.”
Dan Woo-hyeon laughed.
He meant every word.
Should Hwa Somi’s actions make all of Jungwon his foe once more, Dan Woo-hyeon would not hesitate—he would stand with her against them all.
No one would lay a hand on that child. Not while he drew breath.
Flash—!
For a single instant, his eyes burned crimson. Those red eyes, born only to the Cheonsal-seong bloodline, swept across the world.
Shiver—!
‘What…… what is this?’
Namgung So-hye, who had been looking elsewhere a moment before, felt goosebumps rise on her skin. In that brief instant, the air pressed down and the wind held its breath.
Her body trembled, and cold sweat dripped down her spine.
‘What on earth is it?’
The inexplicable phenomenon vanished as quickly as it had come.
It was gone in such a flash that grasping its nature proved impossible.
She sprang to her feet and scanned the surroundings.
“Just now…….”
“What?”
“There was a strange aura just now…….”
“I felt nothing.”
“…….”
Namgung So-hye swallowed hard.
If so, then she alone had sensed it. Could it have been the master hidden somewhere in Akyeong, revealing their presence?
If that were true, then they were definitely in the vicinity.
Namgung So-hye clenched her fist.
‘I will find them. I swear it.’
She renewed her vow.
As the leader of Bonghwangdan, and as a member of the Namgung Clan.
Failure was not an option.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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