My Younger Siblings Are the Greatest Masters in the World - Chapter 88
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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88.
Fortunately, Seol Mujin spoke to him first.
“You said you’re an elder of the Jegal Family, right?”
“That’s… correct.”
No matter how young he was, he couldn’t speak down to him.
“As you know, the family heads came personally from the Namgung Family and Hwangbo Family. They’re in positions to make important decisions. What about you, Elder? Are your decisions the Jegal Family’s decisions?”
This might determine the fate of the Jegal Family, but Jegal Sangpyo couldn’t decide on his own.
“I’m not in such a position.”
“Then there’s nothing more to discuss.”
“Still, shouldn’t I meet His Highness the Third Prince?”
“What do you plan to do by meeting him?”
He needed to make his own judgment about what kind of person he was.
That way he’d have something to say when he returned to the family.
“The Jegal Family seems to be under some misunderstanding – His Highness the Third Prince has no need for the Jegal Family at all.”
“What did you say?”
“Of course, that’s not my opinion. His Highness the Third Prince made that judgment because of this incident.”
Seol Mujin was saying, ‘You’re the ones who overturned the table!’
The Jegal Family had no intention of desperately clinging to the Third Prince either.
If they assessed the situation and it seemed unfavorable, they could just quietly withdraw.
But if their relationship with the Third Prince was severed in this atmosphere, the Jegal Family might become an object of his hatred.
Making an enemy of someone who might become emperor in the future was absolutely something that should never be done.
“This incident wasn’t the Jegal Family’s intention but entirely my mistake. So couldn’t you give us one more chance?”
“Haven’t you heard the saying that the back of opportunity’s head is bald?”
“What does that…!”
“It means once it passes, you can’t catch it even if you try to grab it.”
“I heard that His Highness the Third Prince’s right-hand man is Seol Podoo – couldn’t something be arranged?”
Listening to their conversation, reverence for Seol Mujin grew abundantly in Jegal Sangun’s heart.
To think he was manipulating even the great Jegal Family in the palm of his hand!
“Gang Leader Jegal.”
At Seol Mujin’s sudden call, Jegal Sangun startled awake from his thoughts.
“Yes?”
“Should we give the Jegal Family a chance?”
“Wh-why are you asking me…?”
“If the Jegal Family gets a chance, you’ll serve as the bridge.”
“Me? No, why would I play such an important role? Let me be clear – I may share the Jegal surname, but I’m no longer a member of the Jegal Family!”
“I’m not using you because you’re from the Jegal Family.”
“Then why?”
“Because you’re someone I trust.”
Seol Mujin had this talent for suddenly making people emotional.
Before Jegal Sangun could say anything, Seol Mujin spoke to Jegal Sangpyo.
“If the Jegal Family wants to restore relations with His Highness the Third Prince, send someone with decision-making authority.”
Jegal Sangpyo had no choice but to accept Seol Mujin’s decision.
After all, he was the one who had ruined things.
“Understood.”
***
Returning home, Seol Mujin opened the wardrobe.
Only after rummaging through the pile of clothes for a while could he grasp the box he was looking for.
The box made of ebony was a bribe given as an apology by Go Hwangsan, the leader of the Black Society, through Yeon Seobi.
Opening the box lid revealed the shining sun-shaped ‘thing’.
Seol Mujin held it in his hand and recalled the cave where he had rescued Namgung Hyemin.
The shape on the cave wall and the size and shape of what he now held were almost identical.
Was this simply a coincidence?
Or was what he held in his hand some kind of key?
If it was a key, what would it open?
He could solve this problem by going to the cave to check, but he didn’t have time for that now.
He had to go to Hubei Province to resolve the Bae Cheonman problem.
The cave wasn’t going anywhere, so he decided to check this later.
As Seol Mujin was putting the box back in the wardrobe, the triplets came in.
“Brother, when are you going to Hubei Province?”
“Tomorrow.”
“That soon? The Third Prince hasn’t returned yet either, has he?”
Seol Mantong said.
“Why won’t that guy leave Yeonji-ru? He’s finished all his business in Jinan.”
Seol Mujin let out a long sigh.
“It seems the Third Prince has caught on.”
“Caught on? To what?”
“Hwanggeum-i.”
The triplets were shocked.
“He knows Hwanggeum-i is his son?”
“He was playing with Hwanggeum-i in broad daylight.”
None of the triplets said, ‘He could just be playing with a child.’
They could tell even without long experience that Ju Cheonmyeong wasn’t that kind of person.
Seol Mantong asked.
“So what happens now?”
Seol Changho answered like a sigh.
“How would we know? It’s up to the Third Prince.”
Seol Ryeoseon offered a hopeful outlook.
“Playing with Hwanggeum-i means he doesn’t have bad feelings, right?”
Seol Mujin agreed with that.
“We have to see it that way for now. From what I’ve observed of the Third Prince so far, he doesn’t seem like he’d do anything bad to Hwanggeum-i.”
“Still, is it okay to leave with the Third Prince here?”
“Actually, the Third Prince told me to go. For him too, it’s better to deal with Myeoncheonhoe quickly.”
Seol Changho asked with a serious expression.
“Have you made up your mind to help the Third Prince?”
“What do you think?”
“What matters to us is your will.”
Seol Mantong said.
“I think the Third Prince isn’t bad. For royalty, he’s down-to-earth, and the kid seems to have some spirit. Plus he’s Hwanggeum-i’s father.”
No one objected to Seol Mantong’s words because they had similar thoughts.
“Then shall we board the ship called the Third Prince?”
“To be chosen by our brother. The Third Prince really hit the jackpot.”
“Well. The Third Prince might get tired because of me in the future.”
Seol Changho said.
“We can always stab him in the back if things don’t work out. Don’t get swept up by emotions unnecessarily. You have what you want, don’t you?”
Seol Mujin still remembered.
The corpses of innocent civilians who had died without cause.
The rage in his heart that he had felt upon seeing those corpses.
He still remembered the goal that had been born from that anger.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be swayed by petty emotions.”
“What are you going to do about the Jegal Family? They said to send someone responsible, right?”
“I’m going to leave it to Zhuge Sangun.”
“Zhuge Sangun… the Wangho Gang Leader? What are you entrusting to that worthless guy?”
“He’s not worthless.”
“He’s worthless because he was mistreated and kicked out of the Jegal Family, then joined the underworld.”
“Without ability, he couldn’t lead the Wangho Association with martial power inferior to a low-level thug.”
“That’s only because you backed him up.”
“Using the people around you is also an ability. From what I see, Zhuge Sangun will do his part well enough if we just set the stage for him.”
“So the position makes the person.”
“The Jegal Family isn’t what’s important right now. We need to deal with Bae Cheonman, but we also need to find clues about the Demonic Cult.”
Since the Reverse Heaven Pill had appeared, it was certain that the Demonic Cult was involved in this matter.
Seol Changho said.
“First, we should go find that corrupt Beggar Sect elder, right?”
Seol Mujin said.
“Before that, there’s someone we need to visit before leaving.”
The triplets asked with curious faces.
“Who?”
“Someone who thinks she’s lost everything.”
Seol Ryeoseon made an ‘Ah!’ expression.
“Namgung Hyemin.”
Seol Changho said.
“Her face is just a bit damaged and there’s no threat to her life, right? It’s not like her dantian was injured either.”
Seol Mantong clicked his tongue at Seol Changho.
“You couldn’t get married your whole life because you don’t understand women like that.”
“What’s your reason for not getting married?”
“Too many women?”
“Ugh! Those scoundrels!”
Seol Ryeoseon, who scolded the two, asked Seol Mujin.
“Brother, do you like Namgung Hyemin?”
“Huh?”
“As a woman.”
Startled, Seol Mujin waved his hands dismissively.
“No! Absolutely not!”
Seol Mantong muttered, ‘They say strong denial is affirmation.’
Seol Ryeoseon comforted Seol Mujin.
“Brother, it’s okay. It’s natural for someone your age to be interested in women. It’s fine to like someone. But don’t pity her. Especially not Namgung Hyemin. That’s what makes a woman more miserable.”
“Ooh!”
“What’s gotten into Ju Gwi to say something so right!”
“I’m a woman too! You bastards!”
Seol Mujin barely restrained the triplets and went to Yeon Gok’s clinic.
But he returned not long after.
“She doesn’t want to meet.”
He could understand Namgung Hyemin’s feelings of not wanting to show her face covered in red scars to others.
“Miss Hwa will take good care of her, so don’t worry and go.”
Seol Mantong said.
“The Illusion Enchantress may not know other things, but she has the skill to enchant people.”
“Then shall we also prepare to depart?”
***
Click! Click!
Bang Goyang’s fingers flicking the abacus beads had been going on for half a si-jin.
He wasn’t calculating numbers.
It was Bang Goyang’s habit when he was deep in thought.
Jang Baekjoong, sitting in front of Bang Goyang, just listened to that sound.
“Children killed the Twelve Zodiac Gods?”
Bang Goyang asked this as soon as he stopped his fingers.
Jang Baekjoong, startled, answered.
“Yes. It was truly in an instant.”
“You’re saying they were really children who looked only about seven or eight years old? They weren’t disguised?”
“They were really children.”
“It was Podoo who threatened you?”
“That’s correct.”
“And you believed his words that he wouldn’t harm me?”
“He seemed sincere.”
“Sincere… sincere…”
Humans are the most untrustworthy animals in the world, so how could one believe in a human’s sincerity?
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I should have kept my mouth shut even if it meant death.”
“What kind of foolish talk is that? If you died trying to keep my secret, what would become of me?”
“But because of me, you’ve been put in a difficult position, Master.”
“Not because of you, but because of the incompetent Twelve Zodiac Gods. Nothing is more important than you living. So don’t blame yourself.”
“If the Beggar Sect finds out about this…”
“Do you think I would have started this without being prepared for that much?”
“What do we do now? Should we just run away?”
Bang Goyang chuckled.
“Where to? Where in the Central Plains could we hide from the Beggar Sect’s eyes?”
“Couldn’t we go beyond the borders?”
“I don’t want to live so wretchedly. Whatever decision I make, it’s not time yet. Since this Podoo said he would come, it’s not too late to decide after meeting him.”
“Still, shouldn’t we prepare something?”
“What kind of preparation?”
“For instance, hiring bodyguards…”
“If two children killed the Twelve Zodiac Gods so easily, what bodyguard could protect us? It’s useless.”
“Then you’re going to meet this Podoo without any preparation?”
Bang Goyang put the abacus in the drawer.
It meant the calculation was finished.
“I have to meet him. From what you’ve told me, he seems like a very interesting character. We’ll have a few days, so I should investigate this Podoo and Bae Cheonman more deeply.”
***
Shaolin Temple needs no explanation with just that name alone.
The abbot of Shaolin Temple was always closest to being the world’s greatest master, and the current abbot, Seon Hyeondaesa, is no exception.
Seon Hyeondaesa, who became the Shaolin abbot at sixty and has led Taesan Bukdu Shaolin Temple for twenty-two years, one of the Ten Greatest Masters Under Heaven, was sitting on the cold cave floor.
“Master, what do you mean by that?”
There was only one person whom Seon Hyeondaesa, the Shaolin abbot, would call Master.
Throughout Shaolin’s thousand-year history, someone who possessed martial arts skills that would rank within ten fingers, and who was revered as a living Buddha – Bongwon Daesa.
However, Bongwon Daesa was known to have entered nirvana twenty years ago.
“Abbot. How long has it been since I entered this North Repentance Cave?”
Seon Hyeondaesa hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Twenty years.”
“Twenty years… Twenty years….”
His hair and beard, tangled like loofah vines, dragged on the ground, and his clothes were so worn they barely covered his private parts.
“Do you know what I’ve realized during all those long years in the repentance cave?”
“This disciple does not know.”
“That repentance is impossible.”
“Pardon?”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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