****
Cheon Muryang finished training early after a long time.
Of course, even that continued without rest from morning until noon.
“What is going on?”
Because the Eldest Gongja leaving early felt rather strange, other people whispered.
“Hmph. His patience must have finally run out. Just wait and see, he will cause mangnani acts again now!”
Lee Seok-gi acted out.
However, even if he was a person who held a grudge against Cheon Muryang, Cheon Muryang did not listen to Lee Seok-gi’s words even with one ear.
From a certain moment, Cheon Muryang unknowingly became a yardstick to judge the amount of daily training.
“For some reason, it feels empty.”
Even if they were not favorable.
Cheon Muryang’s empty spot was felt.
It was a truly strange thing.
A wind of change that Cheon Muryang himself would not know was blowing.
“Let’s eat a bit for just one day.”
Since he was carrying out physical training in parallel, there were many times when he craved food excessively.
However, if he ate excessively, he could rather get sick, so he had controlled it according to Wolyeong’s diet until now, but even that was at the limit now.
Ta-da-dak.
Maids running hurriedly.
They were seen carrying cleaning tools full in both hands.
It seemed they were being nagged by the head maid.
“Since the family is certainly bustling, it seems the Gaju is coming.”
It was then.
A maid whose lips turned pale blue ran toward Cheon Muryang like crazy.
“E, Eldest Gongja-nim!”
“Hm?”
At the voice calling him, Cheon Muryang stopped in place.
“Ah, are you?”
She was a sibi who was close with Wolyeong.
She said her name was Hwa-hong.
“Was it Hwa-hong?”
“Yes, yes! N, now is not the time to be doing this here! Wo, Wolyeong is right now! Wolyeong is!”
Hwa-hong rambling.
However, the name Wolyeong was clearly heard in those words.
“Why Wolyeong? What happened?”
“Th, th, that is…… the person called Eldest Gongja-nim’s fiancée…….”
Cheon Muryang’s brow furrowed.
“Fiancée? Did you say fiancée right now?”
“Yes, yes…….”
“Ha, was it around this time?”
Mumyeong was Cheon Muryang’s escort warrior, but around this time right now, he was in the middle of training.
Therefore, he could not remember exactly all the events happening around this time.
‘Clearly…… I heard the Gaju intended to join hands with the Tang Clan to fix this moron Eldest Gongja.’
It was a judgment that if it was the Tang Clan, they would know the method to resolve Cheon Muryang’s imbalance.
For that reason, the Gaju proposed marriage to the Tang Clan.
‘The Tang Clan accepted readily…….’
The Tang Clan accepted.
Perhaps from the time they received that proposal, the Tang Clan might have set up future plans.
‘Therefore, that Young Lady of the Tang Clan visited the family.’
The appearance of Cheon Muryang that the Young Lady saw was the appearance of him fallen asleep drunk.
Since it was like that from the first meeting, clearly all affection must have dropped, but the Young Lady of the Tang Clan declared she would marry.
‘That was a mistake.’
Naturally, the Gaju, who was in the position of the weak (Eul), prepared everything swiftly, and suddenly Cheon Muryang obtained the Young Lady of the Tang Clan as a wife.
That was the starting point of the Cheon Family’s downfall.
‘At least I think so.’
The Tang Clan treated Cheon Muryang’s body as promised.
Over a whopping ten years.
Anyway, watching Cheon Muryang’s body condition improving, the Gaju showed a particularly weak appearance to the Tang Clan.
‘At first, from trivial interests…….’
The Tang Clan’s demands were trivial.
However, as time went by, they began to cross the line.
‘Eventually, the Tang Clan tried to advance into Zhejiang altogether.’
The Tang Clan intended to use the Cheon Family thoroughly as a stepping stone to advance into Zhejiang.
‘And actually, it was so…….’
Ppu-deuk.
Cheon Muryang gritted his teeth.
‘A marriage engagement like this must not be done.’
However, Cheon Muryang had a thought that he was missing something important.
Why did that fiancée's name come out together with Wolyeong’s name?
“By the way, why that fiancée?”
“Q, quickly! There is not enough time to explain with words!”
Hwa-hong grabbed Cheon Muryang’s arm and pulled.
It was not that far.
“S, sorry! I am sorry!”
There, Wolyeong was seen begging for forgiveness repeatedly with her head bowed.
At Wolyeong’s feet, the ‘special meal’ she must have prepared with sincerity since morning was scattered on the floor.
“…….”
“Clothes already soiled do not become clean with a mere apology like that.”
It was a voice like jade beads.
Just with that, it drew everyone’s attention.
Seu-euk.
Cheon Muryang’s head turned.
There, a woman whose whole body was wrapped in nobility that one dared not approach was looking down at Wolyeong.
‘Like a sheet of ice.’
However, those two eyes were clearly beautiful like crystal but cold like ice.
“Take care of it on your own.”
As if she became a judge, she spoke like a person who held the power over the life and death of Wolyeong.
However, because she was a person with power, those words were no different from a death sentence.
The judgment was handed down, and there were many who intended to execute it.
Seu-reung.
The attendants around her drew their swords.
Cheo-eok!
Those sword tips touched Wolyeong’s neck.
Wolyeong, with her two eyes closed tightly, was trembling her whole body with her teeth clenched tight.
“Let’s stop there.”
Cheon Muryang, who could not endure anymore, stepped forward.
At this, the Young Lady of the Tang Clan, who had turned her head as if she would never look back, turned her body.
“…….”
Cold eyes scanned Cheon Muryang.
With a smile mixed with sneer and contempt, she asked.
“Who are you?”
“The Eldest Gongja of the Cheon Family, Cheon Muryang.”
“Aha, nice to meet you. I am called Tang So-hye of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“Right, Tang So-hye. What is going on?”
“Ah-ah, it is nothing special. Because my clothes got soiled, I just ended up delaying.”
Kkeu-deok.
Tang So-hye nodded her head slightly.
The escort warrior who received that gaze swung the sword as it was.
Swi-i-ik!
Sharp aura directed at Wolyeong.
Tang So-hye expected a fountain of blood to soar.
Ka-ang!
However, that will was not realized.
A single sword blocked that will.
It was the sword of Cheon Muryang known as the mangnani of the Cheon Family, Cheon Gwang.
Hoo-ung!
Cheon Gwang’s blade stood on end.
In proportion to that, Cheon Muryang’s aura settled heavily.
“I must have asked what is going on.”
“The price for my soiled clothes.”
“Are you trying to kill a sibi of the Cheon Family for a mere reason like that?”
“To say a mere reason like that. What if what that sibi spilled was poison? What if she was an assassin disguised as a sibi?”
Tang So-hye exuded a bloody aura.
“It is a lawful procedure based on the laws of the Tang Clan.”
Even though she did not lift a sword, a sharp aura was felt.
However, Cheon Muryang did not back down.
“This is the Cheon Family. We do not use tricks like that. Also, this child is my person. Do not touch her.”
Sing-geut.
A smile spread on Tang So-hye’s lips.
It was clearly charming but looked somewhat ominous.
Unlike the raised corners of the mouth, her two eyes were not smiling at all.
“It is interesting. To think my fiancé was a person who knew how to care for his person this much. As expected, I did well to follow along.”
“…….”
“I will see you at the banquet today. Then excuse me.”
She bowed her head slightly and left the spot.
The one who aimed the sword at Wolyeong’s neck brushed past Cheon Muryang.
“Ah, I hope you will be a little polite at that time.”
Meaningful words of Tang So-hye.
At that moment, Wolyeong convulsed.
“Gong, Gongja-nim……?”
“Wolyeong?”
“My body is…… strange.”
Teol-sseok!
Wolyeong collapsed just like that.
Consciousness blurred.
Hwa-hong who was by her side screamed.
Cheon Muryang, who approached Wolyeong urgently, checked her pulse.
Ppu-deuk!
‘Is it poison……!’
The Tang Clan was a family of poison.
They said their poisoning skills deceived even ghosts.
Kka-deu-deuk!
However, the one who missed it was himself.
That the Tang Clan’s poisoning skills were excellent could never become an excuse.
Cheon Muryang was enraged.
‘That I could not protect Wolyeong is due to my weakness.’
I thought it was enough.
I thought if it was this much, I was advancing in the right direction.
However, it wasn't.
I had to become stronger than anyone else.
“Gongja-nim…….”
Hwa-hong called Cheon Muryang cautiously.
However, seeing the cold eyes sunk into the abyss, she lost her words.
Anger burns red like lava, but sometimes there is also blue anger that wavers quietly.
O-ssak!
Although Hwa-hong clearly knew that the anger of Cheon Muryang was not directed at her, she felt a chill for no reason.
“Hwa-hong, I ask you to take care of Wolyeong.”
“Yes? What are you going to do?”
“They say a banquet is opening. I have to go there. Should the protagonist be missing?”
“……!”
Cheon Muryang, who said that, picked up the special meal fallen on the floor.
It was Dong-pa-yuk (Braised Pork Belly) that Cheon Muryang particularly liked.
Although it was covered in dirt, Cheon Muryang ate it without caring.
“It is really tasty.”
“Gong, Gongja-nim?”
“If Wolyeong wakes up by any chance, tell her to me. The special meal was really tasty.”
“Ah…… Yes!”
“Right. Thank you.”
Seom-tteuk.
Right after expressing gratitude, Cheon Muryang’s expression hardened coldly again.
Jeo-beok, Jeo-beok.
Cheon Muryang walked somewhere straight away, and Hwa-hong intuited an accident while watching that back view.
“Please…….”
Hwa-hong earnestly hoped that the Eldest Gongja’s mangnani act, which she would have thought so terribly of if it was usual, would succeed just for today.
<><><>
The Gaju of the Cheon Family returned.
Holding the surprising news of the marriage between Cheon Muryang and Tang So-hye.
“Hmm. Marriage, you say.”
Cheon Seon-hak, who had left the family for a mission, also returned on this day.
“To draw in the Tang Clan, what are you thinking, Brother.”
Cheon Seon-hak felt ominous.
The Tang Clan was neither a fox nor a wolf.
It was a tiger that could easily devour the Cheon Family.
“Tsk.”
Cheon Seon-hak intended to change clothes and go meet the Gaju.
However, a terrible killing intent from somewhere grabbed Cheon Seon-hak’s ankle.
‘Training hall?’
The source was the training hall.
Cheon Seon-hak headed there as if led by something.
Since the banquet opening because the Gaju returned included trainees, there should be no one there.
“…….”
However, Cheon Muryang swinging the sword without fail in the center of the training hall was seen.
However, from that sword, a killing intent that could not be found until now was felt.
‘It is a terrible killing intent.’
It was not Dan-cheon, the sword cutting the sky.
It was a sword intending to cut a person, not the sky.
Cheon Seon-hak stopped his steps and watched Cheon Muryang’s sword.
Hoo-woong!
Sword cry flowed out.
Contrary to that clear sound.
Cheon Muryang’s face was distorted like a vicious god (Hyung-sin-ak-sal).
‘Dangerous.’
It was a precarious state.
A situation where anger could swallow the body if he made a mistake.
At this, Cheon Seon-hak stepped forward.
Seu-reung!
The clear sound of a sword being drawn.
However, Cheon Muryang did not want Cheon Seon-hak’s intervention.
Ka-deu-deuk!
Cheon Gwang’s trajectory changed minutely.
The sword harboring killing intent fell toward Cheon Seon-hak as it was.
Kwa-a-ang!
Two swords met at a contact point in the air.
Cheon Muryang’s body bounced back strongly.
Ju-reu-reuk!
Blood flowed.
Ptu!
Cheon Muryang, who spat roughly, stood in place not caring about the rushing pain.
“At what point are you so angry?”
“I am weak.”
“…….”
“I must become strong.”
“For what?”
“To protect what is mine.”
“What is yours?”
“The Cheon Family.”
Go-o-o-o-o-o-o!
Cheon Seon-hak’s aura bloomed.
It wrapped around Cheon Muryang in an instant.
Although Cheon Muryang was suppressed, unable to move an inch in that aura, he did not bow his head at least.
“Can you take responsibility for those words?”
Cheon Muryang said without an inch of shaking.
“Yes.”
“Good. For the first time, you are like my nephew.”
“…….”
Cheon Seon-hak smiled faintly.
Hoo-ung!
Along with a clear sword cry.
Cheon Seon-hak’s sword rose slowly.
“Look. If you intend to harbor anger anyway, make it Yeok-rin (Reverse Scale), not a petty person’s anger.”
Yeok-rin was a dragon’s anger.
There is a rank in anger too.
“A dragon is like water. However, even if it is a benevolent existence, if you touch the Yeok-rin, it will return and become a typhoon.”
Cheon Seon-hak’s sword ascended while tearing the sky apart.
The whirlwind hovering around truly became a dragon’s anger and bit and ravaged the opponent to its heart's content.
“…….”
That ruthless sword was sufficient to contain Cheon Muryang’s anger.
Cheon Seon-hak smiled and said.
“Well, will you try learning it?”
“What is the name of that sword?”
“Name, you say……. Since it contained the dragon’s anger, Yeok-rin, wouldn't it be Yeok-rin-cham (Reverse Scale Slash)?”
“Please give me the teaching.”
Before he knew it, Cheon Muryang was free from Cheon Seon-hak’s aura.
“Okay.”