Ten Paths of the Master - Chapter 31

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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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Episode 31. Human Relations Are Never Simple
In front of the Yang Family Fabric Shop, Na Bu-gang glanced sideways and asked a question.
“Why did you follow me?”
“Well, I’m worried about you. You’ve been acting so impulsively these past two days.”
“Oh ho! So that’s how you’re going to be?”
Na Bu-gang said nothing more and entered the fabric shop.
Yang Bok, seeing the two of them, bowed and spoke.
“My goodness! Welcome, welcome! If you’ve come about the Won Ryeong Po and Je Heung Yu Gun, don’t you worry. We’ve secured the fabric and begun production—it should be finished in three or four days.”
Na Bu-gang regarded Yang Bok with an impassive gaze.
This goat-bearded man may have seemed cordial, but he was really saying, in so many words, that the order could not be cancelled.
Na Bu-gang found himself thinking anew how remarkable Dan Yeop was.
“Master Yang, I haven’t come about the clothes. I came to meet Dan Yeop. Where is he now?”
“Dan Yeop? Has that boy done something wrong?”
“Nothing of the sort.”
“Ah, I see. Well then, let me think—it’s nearly the hour of You now, so he should be back soon.”
“You must have sent him on an errand.”
“No, no—that boy just likes to wander about. Because it’s me, I let it slide, but anyone else would have no patience for it.”
“I see.”
Na Bu-gang fell silent, as though there was nothing more to say.
An awkward silence settled over the fabric shop.
Yang Bok quietly excused himself, claiming he needed to check the inventory of textiles.
Na Geum-ryeong leaned close to Na Bu-gang’s ear and whispered softly.
“The owner is petty. He’s about to make good money because of Dan Yeop, yet he can’t tolerate how others might treat him.”
“Hmph! Are you angry?”
“Not angry—just stating the facts.”
The siblings were still discussing Yang Bok’s words and manner when Dan Yeop returned.
He arrived just as their eyes met, and he immediately performed the ritual bow of respect.
“Na Bu-gang, Na Geum-ryeong—welcome.”
“You’re here. I came to speak with you about something.”
Na Bu-gang then excused himself to Yang Bok and led Dan Yeop outside.
***
By now it was early evening, and Na Bu-gang did not venture far. Instead, he found a nearby teahouse and entered.
Once they were seated, Na Bu-gang naturally ordered tea.
After a short while, the tea service arrived, and Na Geum-ryeong brewed the tea and poured it into empty cups.
As the fragrance of tea began to drift through the air, Na Bu-gang opened his mouth.
“I hope I’m not holding up someone who’s busy.”
Knowing Dan Yeop’s age, Na Bu-gang spoke to him without formality.
“Not at all. There’s nothing left to do except go home and prepare dinner.”
Though he had been awake for nearly two full days, Dan Yeop still seemed sharp and present.
“Ha! Well, that’s a relief then. To be honest, I came because I was curious about what kind of person you are.”
“Me?”
Na Geum-ryeong interjected then.
“It’s true. He said he likes you because you’re honest, and suddenly he decided to come find you.”
Dan Yeop looked back and forth between them with a bewildered expression.
Na Bu-gang let out a soft laugh and spoke.
“You see, I’m the eldest son of the Jinbo Trading Company, and this is my younger sister. We both studied martial arts at Hyeonmu Gwan. She still goes there, but lately I’ve been studying at Samun Academy.”
“Samun Academy?”
“It’s a place where they teach the Confucian classics. Nobles study at Guozijian or Taehak, but commoners like us learn the Four Books and Five Classics at Samun Academy.”
Though he was the son of a trading company proprietor, Na Bu-gang had no family members in government service, so he studied at Samun Academy.
“Ah, so you’re preparing for the Gwageo examination?”
“Well, it would be nice to pass, certainly.”
As his brother spoke vaguely, Na Geum-ryeong spoke up again.
“My brother wants to inherit the family business. Going to Samun Academy these days is Father’s wish.”
Na Bu-gang smiled ruefully.
“I’m a filial son, after all.”
“Ah, I see.”
Dan Yeop nodded slowly, and Na Bu-gang asked casually.
“Now then, tell me a bit about yourself, Dan Yeop. What kind of person are you?”
“As I mentioned before, until recently I lived with orphans. Then, fortunately, I found work at the fabric shop, and now I’m earnestly learning the trade.”

“Have you studied martial arts?”
“…….”
When Dan Yeop didn’t answer readily, Na Bu-gang quickly changed the subject.
“If it’s difficult to talk about, you needn’t say anything.”
“Thank you for understanding. I promise I’ll tell you about that part whenever the opportunity arises.”
“To hear that story, we’ll need to meet often and grow closer.”
“It’s nothing grand, so please don’t expect too much.”
Dan Yeop’s manner was dispassionate, as though he spoke of someone else’s affair.
Na Geum-ryeong’s brow furrowed slightly at his words.
He had belittled his own sect as “nothing grand.”
But she reasoned there must be a reason and didn’t press further.
As Na Bu-gang finished his cup of tea, he spoke abruptly.
“I’ve taken a liking to you, but what of you? Do you think I’m unfit to be your brother?”
“Oh, not at all. How could such a thing be?”
“Then why do you keep calling me by my merchant name? I call you by yours.”
Na Geum-ryeong’s face went perfectly blank, and she shook her head emphatically.
Her brother Na Bu-gang had spent his life keeping people at arm’s length.
Too many sought to exploit his position as heir to the trading company.
And now this brother was suggesting formal brotherhood with a mere shop clerk he scarcely knew!
It was something others would call a lie.
Na Geum-ryeong watched carefully to see how Dan Yeop would respond.
But his reaction caught her off guard.
She’d expected him to accept eagerly, yet he did not.
“I’m grateful for the offer, but if the heir of Jinbo Trading Company were to form such a bond with a mere fabric shop attendant, people would think it strange of you.”
Na Bu-gang’s expression grew stern.
“Do you choose friends based on their family’s station? Have you forgotten what I told you about studying at Samun Academy? Aside from the fact that my household has made some money through commerce, we’re quite ordinary. Wealth comes and goes—is that not the way of things? To refuse me for such a reason alone… I’m disappointed in you.”
At those words, Dan Yeop understood something profound and quickly bowed his head.
“My thinking was too narrow. Please guide me well, brother.”
“Ha! You should have said so from the start. Come now, stand up.”
Dan Yeop thought this meant they were parting and rose quickly to bid farewell.
“Yes, then. Please take care on your way.”
“What? You said you only had dinner to prepare at home, didn’t you? Now that I’ve gained a precious brother, how can we part like this? Let me treat you—come along.”
“Yes.”
Since Dan Yeop had to eat dinner anyway, he didn’t refuse.
***
Na Bu-gang led the group to Hwageum-dang, the largest and most lavish restaurant in Po-si Bang.
The server, recognizing the Na siblings, showed them to a prime window seat on the upper floor.
Once they were seated, the server spoke hesitantly.
“Young master, what shall I bring you? Our house specialties include Barbarian-Style Lamb Roast, Phoenix Song Drunken Chicken, Jade Mountain Delicacies, Dragon-Hair Golden Noodles, Flower-Carved Abalone Steamed, and Yellow Wine Drunken Beef.”
“Bring everything you just mentioned.”
Na Bu-gang spent money lavishly, befitting the heir of Jinbo Trading Company.
“Yes, yes.”
The server vanished downstairs with lithe, swift steps.
Dan Yeop was startled by his sworn brother’s generosity but showed no outward reaction.
As the atmosphere grew awkward, quick-witted Na Geum-ryeong spoke first.
“Our brother does have a generous hand, doesn’t he? That’s why so many people tried to get close to him.”
“Sister, you can speak more casually with me.”
Na Geum-ryeong was two years older than Dan Yeop, twenty years of age.
Dan Yeop had asked to be spoken to informally first.
Na Geum-ryeong accepted without further hesitation.
“All right, well said. You’ve become our younger brother now—surely you can tell us about your sect?”
Dan Yeop, who’d been scratching his head, glanced around before speaking quietly.
“I’m a disciple of the Diviner’s sect within Hao Men.”
“…….”
At this unexpected answer, both Na Bu-gang and Na Geum-ryeong went momentarily blank, their eyes blinking.
Both were disciples of Hyeonmu Gwan and held strong prejudices against Hao Men.
Dan Yeop was from Hao Men—the most despised sect in the martial world!
After hearing those words, Na Geum-ryeong suddenly saw the boyish face of Dan Yeop in a new light—like a procurer’s agent.
Na Bu-gang felt the same.
The thought that he was “oddly honest” shifted to suspicion of cunning.
Dan Yeop felt a bitter pang at Na Bu-gang and Na Geum-ryeong’s lukewarm reaction.
Poverty itself was no matter, but it seemed the Hao Men gave them pause.
‘I couldn’t exactly tell them “Hao Men” from the start. My apologies.’
As time passed, the ordered dishes arrived one by one on the table.
The spread could have been called an exquisite feast, yet Dan Yeop found it nowhere near as satisfying as the Yu Hyeop Mak he’d enjoyed at the Hyangman Pavilion.
Na Bu-gang, who had been steering the conversation, grew quieter.
Na Geum-ryeong, usually swift to read the mood and offer witty remarks, had fallen silent too.
She stole a glance at her brother’s expression.
Her brother, who had always shied away from making acquaintances, had made an effort to approach this man—and of all people, it had to be someone from the Hao Men.
Worse still, Na Bu-gang was a senior student of the Hyeonmu Gwan, and as such carried considerable pride in his sect’s traditions.
‘Tsk! He hesitated so much, I thought he belonged to the heterodox sects…….’
If that had been the case, her brother’s nature would have allowed him to brush it off with a laugh.
But the Hao Men—that was something else entirely, even by her reckoning.
To the martial sects of the Orthodox tradition, the Hao Men were nothing but petty thieves, con artists, and swindlers.
With half their meal left on the table, the three of them rose to their feet.
Dan Yeop parted ways with the Na siblings in front of the Hwageum-dang.
He trudged toward the Bosun Lodge, where his lodgings lay.
***
Bosun Lodge.
Old Master’s House.
As Dan Yeop stepped into the courtyard, Ma Deung, who had been eating his evening meal, waved at him with a grin.
“Dan Yeop! You’re late, aren’t you? Did you eat?”
“Yes, someone treated me.”
“Lucky you. But why the long face? Is the work at the fabric shop wearing you down?”
“No, it’s not the work. It’s just that getting along with people isn’t so easy.”
“Woman trouble? With a face like yours, you shouldn’t let a woman tie you in knots.”
“It’s man trouble, actually.”
“Huh! That’s even worse. Don’t tell me you swing that way?”
“I like women.”
“Well then, human relations are just hard. That’s why I work alone even when it’s difficult.”
Dan Yeop quickly steered the conversation elsewhere, not wanting Ma Deung to misunderstand further.
“What about the old master?”
“Haven’t seen him all day. I’m starting to wonder if the old fellow’s passed away.”
“Surely not.”
“If we don’t see him for a few more days, we should check. The man who used your room died last spring, remember?”
“Seriously?”
Dan Yeop’s eyes widened in surprise.
It seemed the flint the old master had given him must have belonged to that man.
Shortly after, Dan Yeop took his leave of Ma Deung and retreated to his room.
Sitting idle only filled his head with a thousand worrying thoughts.
‘With Ma Deung in the courtyard, I can’t even practice martial arts. What am I supposed to do?’
He resolved to find a suitable place to train elsewhere.
Having made his decision, he hurried outside.
Since Old Master’s House lay in a remote spot, just a short walk further brought him to open wasteland.
After wandering about for some time, an abandoned house came into view.
Though the atmosphere was eerie, Dan Yeop entered without hesitation.
With the remaining walls and crumbling structures, it seemed he could train in solitude without anyone knowing.
“Excellent!”
Compared to the back courtyard of Old Master’s House, this place was a hundred times better.
Soon Dan Yeop began to slowly unfold the martial techniques of the refined Yuk Mun he had cultivated.
Tian Peng Quan, Ho Hak Ssang Hyeong Gwon, Beon Cheon Su, Seom Jeon Gak…….
The unrest stirred by his troubles with the Na siblings gradually subsided.
‘That’s right—the body must move.’
Next he picked up a fallen branch and executed the Baek Ryu Do Beop.
As time passed, Dan Yeop sank deeper into a state of perfect absorption.
Around him, vital energy swirled like a Yong Gwon Pung vortex.
Whirrrrr———.

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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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