Light Novel: Volume 22 Episode 22
Manhwa: N/A
While he was dining alone, someone approached the seat where he was sitting.
“Master… Pyo?”
The one cautiously initiating conversation with Pyo-wol was none other than Ju Seolpung.
“Sit down!”
“Indeed, it is you.”
Ju Seolpung carefully looked around before sitting down in front of Pyo-wol.
Pyo-wol slightly lifted his hat to get a better look at Ju Seolpung.
He looked a little haggard, as if he’d been through a lot lately. However, his eyes still shone with spirit.
“You seem to be doing well.”
“I’ve been keeping busy.”
“How are things at the Silver Lotus Society?”
“I’m sorry. Even if it’s Master Pyo, I cannot disclose the internal situation of the Silver Lotus Society. Please understand.”
“I understand.”
“Thank you. But how come you’re here?”
“I’m on my way back from the Xielao Manor.”
“Xielao Manor?”
“Yes!”
“Ah!”
Ju Seolpung inadvertently let out an exclamation.
His eyes were shaking.
Despite cutting ties with the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group, the well-being of his great-grandmother, Noh Tae-tae, was still his primary concern.
“How is my great-grandmother doing?”
“She’s still holding on.”
“Is her condition bad?”
“She seems to have lost a lot of energy.”
“Hoo!”
Ju Seolpung let out a sigh without realizing it.
Noh Tae-tae was already over a hundred years old.
Having lived a full life, it wouldn’t be surprising if her time came at any moment. He had braced himself for the possibility that he might not be able to attend her funeral in the worst-case scenario, but hearing it from Pyo-wol directly made his heart sink.
Pyo-wol extended the bundle to Ju Seolpung.
“Take this!”
“What is it?”
“It’s from Noh Tae-tae, she wanted me to give it to you. It contains tea leaves and a few other things, all of which she picked out for you.”
“Thank you. Really, thank you.”
Ju Seolpung received the bundle, thanking him over and over again.
He hugged it tightly, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
It seemed as if he could feel Noh Tae-tae’s warmth from the bundle.
Ju Seolpung’s eyes reddened.
After a moment, he lifted his head to look at Pyo-wol.
He tried to smile.
“Thank you for such a precious gift. I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”
“I didn’t do it so I could be repaid—”
“Ha! It might be nothing to Master Pyo, but for me, it’s a priceless treasure I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
“Then, go ahead inside.”
Pyo-wol stood up.
Ju Seolpung’s role in the Silver Lotus Society was by no means small.
He was managing the Silver Lotus Society in collaboration with Namgung Wol.
Especially since he had spent a long time in the merchant group, his skills in handling finances and managing people were exceptional.
That meant he had a lot of responsibilities and couldn’t afford to be away even for a moment.
The only reason he came all the way out here was that the person he had to meet was Pyo-wol; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to leave his post.
Knowing this, Pyo-wol also stood up promptly.
Just as Ju Seolpung was about to express his thanks,
Ding, ding, ding!
Suddenly, an urgent bell sound emanated from the direction of the Silver Lotus Society.
It was an alarm bell signaling an emergency.
Both Pyo-wol and Ju Seolpung turned to look at the Silver Lotus Society.
There was suddenly a flurry of activity near the main gate of the Silver Lotus Society.
Noticing the unusual urgency, Ju Seolpung gathered the bundle and said to Pyo-wol,
“It seems something has happened at the society. I must go ahead.”
“Go ahead.”
“I will be off then!”
After giving a bow to Pyo-wol, Ju Seolpung hurried towards the Silver Lotus Society.
Left alone, Pyo-wol sat back down.
Since he had come all this way, he thought, he might as well see what was going on.
Just then.
Boom!
Suddenly, a heavy surge of qi swept through the area.
“Ugh!”
“Heuk!”
Everyone in the room clutched their chests, letting out painful groans.
Pyo-wol curiously searched for the source of the qi wave.
The source of the qi wave was a man approaching the Silver Lotus Society in the distance.
A man with an imposing appearance, carrying a sword on his waist.
A mountainous momentum was emanating from him.
Pyo-wol recognized the man immediately.
“Lee Geumhan!”
* * *
Crumple!
Yong Hasang crumpled the letter he had been reading moments before.
The letter was essentially a challenge.
[To the leader of the Silver Lotus Society, Yong Hasang.
Today, at the hour of the dog,1 I challenge you for the leadership of the Silver Lotus Society.
If you are not afraid, I trust you will accept this challenge.
―Sincerely, Lee Geumhan.]
In simple terms, it was a proposition to fight over the leadership of the Silver Lotus Society.
Yong Hasang was under no obligation to accept.
The Silver Lotus Society was not a child’s plaything.
It wasn’t something to be handed over or taken on the basis of a single duel.
Naturally, Yong Hasang could refuse Lee Geumhan’s challenge.
The problem was a matter of face.
As the leader of the Silver Lotus Society and the young leader of the Dragon Sky Valley, if he avoided Lee Geumhan’s challenge, everyone would ridicule and criticize him as a coward.
Though people say face is the most useless thing in the world, he couldn’t ignore it entirely.
Because martial artists do not follow someone who has lost face.
Thus, sometimes, one had to risk their life to maintain face. That was the harsh reality of Jianghu.
Moreover, Lee Geumhan had been gaining a fiery reputation recently.
Defeating the masters of the Golden Heaven Society one after another, his reputation soared to the skies.
If he shied away from Lee Geumhan’s challenge, people would see him as a joke and not follow him.
There wouldn’t be many followers for a leader whose prestige had hit rock bottom.
“Ha! So, fighting the martial artists of the Golden Heaven Society one after another was a preparatory step for this?”
Yong Hasang finally understood why Lee Geumhan had taken such reckless actions.
He had been caught in a perfect trap.
Whoever painted this picture, it was simple yet flawless.
There seemed to be no escape anywhere.
That’s when Namgung Wol, who had delivered the challenge, spoke.
“You can refuse if you wish.”
“Don’t you know better than anyone that I can’t do that? Perhaps you’re secretly rejoicing. Weren’t you the one who disliked everything about my approach from the start to the end?”
“That doesn’t mean I want you to fight so recklessly. The position of leader of the Silver Lotus Society is not something to be taken lightly. Although there are a few things I disagree with, I still hope you continue in your role as leader.”
“I wish you were sincere.”
“I am.”
Namgung Wol answered without any hesitation.
Yong Hasang stared at Namgung Wol for a long while before continuing.
“Even so, I can’t avoid this challenge.”
“Hasang?”
“My dignity is on the line. I don’t want to hear stories about the heir of the Dragon Sky Valley avoiding a challenge out of fear.”
Namgung Wol clenched his teeth at Yong Hasang’s response.
He couldn’t understand why Yong Hasang would accept Lee Geumhan’s challenge out of mere pride.
The leadership of the Silver Lotus Society wasn’t a position to be contested over matters of face.
It was a role that required a profound sense of responsibility and leadership more than anyone else.
He couldn’t believe that Yong Hasang was willing to accept such a high-stakes fight just to save his own face.
It made him doubt whether Yong Hasang was in his right mind.
‘This must also be my sister’s doing.’
This was a trap that could not be set without a proper understanding of Yong Hasang’s personality, and the Lee Geumhan he knew was not the kind of person who would paint such a detailed picture.
Surely, all of this must have been orchestrated by Namgung Seol.
The problem was, even knowing all this, there still seemed to be no way out.
Yong Hasang’s fighting spirit ignited, and his expression was one of someone who thought things had turned out rather well.
In Jianghu, when it came to discussing the strengths and talents of young martial artists, Jang Mugeuk and Lee Geumhan were always mentioned and rated at the top.
There was only one reason.
It was because the sects they belonged to, the Celestial Martial Sect and Frenzied Warrior Sect, were considered the Two Strongholds of the world.
Even though the Dragon Sky Valley, the sect to which Yong Hasang belonged, was one of the Three Supremes, they were always seen as subordinate to them.
Yong Hasang didn’t like that fact.
It wasn’t for a lack of opportunity. He firmly believed that if it came to a direct confrontation, he could win at any time.
Namgung Seol must have been aware of this fact to have set up such a trap.
‘Ha! Should I really hand over the Silver Lotus Society to my sister like this?’
Just thinking about Namgung Seol made his skin crawl.
It was then.
Ding, ding, ding!
Suddenly, an emergency bell rang out at the Silver Lotus Society.
Yong Hasang kicked off from his seat and stood up.
“It seems he has arrived.”
As he stretched out his hand, the sword hanging on the wall flew into his grasp.
Yong Hasang, strapping the sword to his waist, said,
“Just watch. I’ll show you how I deal with the Sword Maniac.”
“Yong Hasang!”
“The things you’re worried about won’t happen.”
With those words, Yong Hasang walked outside.
“Leader!”
“Master Lee Geumhan has appeared!”
His confidants appeared and reported the situation outside.
Yong Hasang walked past them and went outside.
At the main gate of the Silver Lotus Society, Lee Geumhan was waiting, surrounded by onlookers.
A mountainous aura flowed from Lee Geumhan’s entire being.
“Lee Geumhan!”
“It’s been a long time, Yong Hasang!”
The two recognized each other.
Although they hadn’t interacted much, they had seen each other’s faces a few times in passing.
Yong Hasang walked towards where Lee Geumhan was.
“I’ve been hearing a lot about you lately.”
“Is that so? Well, I’ve been active a lot lately, and it seems the rumors have reached your ears.”
“Why did you do it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why would you come all the way to this faraway place, stirring up trouble when you could just stay in the Frenzied Warrior Sect?”
“Stirring up trouble?”
“If it’s not causing trouble, what should we call it then? Blackmailing?”
“You might want to think a little before you speak. That’s the problem with you– you always speak without thinking.”
“Are you insulting me now?”
Yong Hasang’s voice grew sharper. Despite the barely concealed hostility in his tone, Lee Geumhan responded with an unwavering expression.
“No, I’m just stating the facts.”
“If I make a move here together with the forces of the Silver Lotus Society, it would be the end for you.”
“That might be true. But you won’t do that.”
“Why are you so sure? There’s no reason for me to throw away my advantage and fight you directly.”
“Because you are a martial artist.”
“Because I’m a martial artist…”
“Blackmailing and scheming don’t suit you. The same goes for me. Martial artists like us prove our worth through strength.”
“I like that reasoning.”
“So what do you say, will you accept my challenge?”
“I will accept it.”
The martial artists nearby were all surprised by Yong Hasang’s response.
They hadn’t expected Yong Hasang to accept Lee Geumhan’s offer so easily.
“What? Is the leadership of the Silver Lotus Society really going to be decided by a single duel?”
“How is this going to unfold?”
“My goodness! A duel between the Young Lord Dragon and the Sword Maniac!”
The unexpected showdown excited the crowd.
Both Lee Geumhan and Yong Hasang were rare masters in Jianghu, and though their reputations were sky-high, not many people had actually seen them fight.
The winner takes all, and the loser loses everything.
Just being able to witness such a fight with their own eyes made them feel fortunate.
‘It’s going according to my plan.’
Among the crowd, a woman secretly smiled.
It was Namgung Seol.
Namgung Seol gazed at Lee Geumhan’s back with infinite trust in her eyes. However, beyond Lee Geumhan’s back, she spotted an unexpected figure at the window of an inn.
‘Pyo-wol!’
Her smile instantly disappeared.
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