Lee Jeonghak could not hide his admiration.
“No wonder everyone kept telling to visit the Ancient Sun Pavilion. Now I understand—the view really is this good.”
He had a solid build and a deep, resonant voice. Though he was clearly young, he looked and carried himself older than his years.
“What’s that lake in the distance? Is it Lake Tai?”
“No, not Lake Tai. Just a smaller lake beside it.”
“Smaller? Even from this far away, it looks huge.”
“Haha, only small compared to Lake Tai.”
The boy giving the explanation so confidently looked about the sa age as Yeon Jipyeong.
He was Yang Wu, Jipyeong’s fellow student at the Attentive Prosperity Academy. Though not as renowned as the Yeon Clan, he was the heir of a martial hall respected in the region.
“Jiangsu Province does have fine places. Still, it can’t compare to Anhui.”
“Is Anhui really so extraordinary?”
Lee Jeonghak’s lips curved upward.
“Of course. Haven’t you heard it? ‘Once you see Mount Huang, the Five Peaks no longer matter.’”
“Ah! I’ve heard that saying!”
“And the scenery of Anhui isn’t only Mount Huang. I don’t say this just because it’s my holand—there’s no place in the Central Plains that can compare.”
Lee Jeonghak turned to the young woman standing behind him.
“Don’t you agree, Lady?”
She gave only the briefest nod. Her face was expressionless, her indifference plain.
Lee Jeonghak pretended not to notice.
“In any case, I’m glad we ca, just as Brother Yang said. With good food and a little wine, this place would be perfect.”
He was plainly too young to truly know wine. Still, Yang Wu clapped his hands in quick agreent.
“I think so too. Why don’t we order a bottle then?”
“That’s a fine idea! I heard the fish dishes here are famous—let’s order those with it.”
“Agreed.”
Laughing heartily, Lee Jeonghak suddenly turned his gaze to Jipyeong.
Try as he might to keep his expression calm, the awkwardness showed. Lee Jeonghak tilted his head.
“What’s wrong, Brother?”
“...”
“Brother Yeon.”
“Ah—yes!”
“You don’t look too pleased.”
“Well...”
Jipyeong was a boy of courtesy by nature. But he was not one to lie.
“I thought I ought to introduce my elder brother first.”
Lee Jeonghak laughed lightly.
“Ah, forgive . I forgot your brother was here for a mont.”
It wasn’t grossly rude, but neither was it proper.
It was sothing that could be brushed off with a smile, yet Jipyeong couldn’t simply let it pass. Not when it involved his family.
Just as he opened his mouth again—
“Jipyeong.”
“Yes, Brother!”
“Bring them over.”
The timing was impeccable. Jipyeong, who had hesitated, turned to the two boys and the young woman.
“Please, this way.”
“...”
“Brother?”
“Mm? Yes, let’s.”
Lee Jeonghak still wore an easy smile.
But none of them noticed that his eyes had sharpened.
As the group made their way to Yeon Hojeong’s table—
“Oh? Lady Namgung?”
The young woman had not followed.
She chose a seat at a distance, propped her chin on her hand, and looked out the window, wholly uninterested in the conversation.
Yang Wu’s face showed unease, and veins stood out on Jipyeong’s jaw.
The air grew faintly cold.
Then Lee Jeonghak suddenly burst out laughing.
“Haha! I suppose she’s still displeased.”
Stepping forward, he cupped his fists in salute to Yeon Hojeong.
“I am Lee Jeonghak of the Lee Clan of Anhui. It is an honor to et the First Young Master of the Yeon Clan of Green Mountain.”
Whatever his earlier manner, he was at least observing courtesy now.
Hojeong rose and returned the salute.
“Pleased to et you. I am Yeon Hojeong.”
Lee Jeonghak smiled sheepishly.
“I ask your understanding for my companion. There’s been cause for her displeasure.”
He ant the young woman—Namgung Sanghwa.
Hojeong shook his head.
“It’s fine.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Relieved, Lee Jeonghak’s expression brightened.
“Your brother speaks of you often at the academy. The bond you share is admirable.”
Hojeong glanced at Jipyeong, whose cheeks turned faintly red.
“Unlike , he’s a good and clever one. Please look after him.”
“Of course. He is a truly kind child.”
Their conversation had grown quite cordial when—
A cold voice cut through.
“Is this what you brought here to watch?”
All eyes turned to Namgung Sanghwa. Her face bore thinly veiled irritation.
Lee Jeonghak quickly spoke.
“Of course not. Brother Yeon, it was a pleasure. But we must take our leave.”
“As you wish.”
He hurried toward Namgung Sanghwa.
Yang Wu followed, though he cast a sidelong look at Hojeong. His brows were furrowed.
Though he was fond of Jipyeong, he had no warm feelings toward Hojeong.
The rumors were bad, and Jipyeong had always suffered because of him. To Yang Wu, anyone who made his close friend’s life difficult was not to be viewed kindly.
“Jipyeong. You’ll still be sitting here?”
Jipyeong frowned.
“What do you an?”
Yang Wu turned away as if he hadn’t heard.
“Never mind. I’ll see you later.”
With that, he walked off with Namgung Sanghwa and Lee Jeonghak.
Jipyeong bit his lip as he watched Yang Wu’s back, then sat across from Hojeong again.
“I’m sorry, Brother.”
“For what?”
“Just... because I dragged you here.”
He was unsettled by the sour atmosphere. Worse, it felt like those others had been slighting his brother. He was upset himself, but nothing compared to how Hojeong must have felt.
Hojeong chuckled.
“Don’t worry about it.”
He ant it.
He had no patience for aningless chatter, but exchanging greetings with a smile was nothing to take issue with. And those were, after all, students visiting his brother’s academy.
However long they stayed, he would not let Jipyeong suffer awkwardness because of him.
Still, he had sothing to tell him.
“There’s a difference between being courteous and being timid. I want you to understand that.”
“...?”
“The martial world doesn’t listen to kind n. Kindness is fine, but I hope you’ll strive to be better than that.”
Jipyeong tilted his head. The words seed clear, and yet puzzling.
Hojeong smiled.
“Do you still have enough in your purse?”
“Huh? Oh—yes, plenty!”
“Then shall we have a drink too?”
Jipyeong’s face brightened.
“Yes!”
They ordered wine imdiately.
He hadn’t told his brother, but this would be Jipyeong’s first ti drinking. Between his age and his focus on martial arts and studies, he had never had the chance.
For the first ti, the brothers shared a cup. It was a mont of deep emotion for them both.
Ti passed.
Bang!
A chill silence fell.
“Damn it!”
A sharp shout shattered the stillness.
“Stop talking already! I told ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ you—I hate that academy and every fool in it!”
The voice was Namgung Sanghwa’s, piercing and shrill.
Whether from wine or fury, her face flushed crimson. Her breath ca ragged, her eyes bloodshot.
When silent, she had a striking beauty. But in anger, she looked a demoness.
Lee Jeonghak quickly tried to soothe her.
“My lady, you misunderstand. But in the end, how could you disobey the Clan Lord’s order—”
“Shut up! Do you think I ca crawling to this filthy backwater just to please my father?!”
“M-my lady!”
“Sent to the academy to cool my head? Damn that old bastard! Too cowardly to cast out, so he dumps in this countryside! What does he take for?!”
Her words were vicious. She hardly sounded like the daughter of a noble clan.
Yang Wu spoke hesitantly.
“My lady, please calm yourself. Brother Jeonghak only arranged this gathering for your sake. If others see, it could—”
Smack!
“Ugh!”
Yang Wu crashed sideways to the floor.
Namgung Sanghwa looked down at him coldly.
“I let you trail after like so mutt needing to piss, and now you dare lecture ? Do you want to die?”
Stunned, Yang Wu looked up at her.
Lee Jeonghak hurried to intervene.
“My lady, enough. I understand you.”
“Understand ? Who are you to understand ?!”
“I an only that Yang Wu overstepped. That much I can see.”
Yang Wu stared at him in disbelief, but Jeonghak ignored it.
“Still, there was so truth in his words.”
“What?!”
“Surely you ca here as a representative of the Namgung Clan. It would be dangerous if others witnessed this scene.”
Namgung Sanghwa sneered.
“Others? You an him? Or that worm?”
“Lady—”
“Or those two?”
She pointed straight at the Yeon brothers.
Lee Jeonghak’s face stiffened.
Namgung Sanghwa shouted.
“Don’t try to lecture with your pompous talk! I am a daughter of Namgung! If anyone whispers, I’ll tear their mouths apart!”
She was utterly beyond reason.
Jeonghak felt troubled. He had known she was arrogant, but today she was worse than ever.
Her fury would not cool quickly. He weighed his options.
Better to turn her anger elsewhere...
He glanced back.
Hojeong sat with his back turned, unaware. But Jipyeong’s face was tense and sour.
Of course it was. They weren’t strangers, and yet his brother had been insulted like that. Anyone would be angry.
Jeonghak’s eyes lit.
“Still, you must endure.”
“What?”
“This is the company of descendants of clans counted among the Seven Great Clans, alongside your own Namgung. Should we not maintain so dignity?”
“The Seven Great Clans? Dignity?”
Namgung Sanghwa snorted.
“Since when has my clan ever recognized that rabble Yeon family as one of the Seven?”
It was a dangerous thing to say.
Jeonghak had ant to divert her wrath toward the Yeon brothers, but he hadn’t expected her to go that far. He stamred to cover.
“I didn’t an it that way. Both Yang Wu and I only—”
His words trailed off.
Though polite and formal, to soone seasoned in far darker intrigues, his intent was plain.
Hojeong let out a quiet laugh.
“What a childish ga.”
“...!?”
The words slipped out with his chuckle, loud enough for even Yang Wu—the weakest there—to hear. Sanghwa and Jeonghak certainly heard.
Bang!
Namgung Sanghwa slamd the table, eyes blazing.
“You bastard, what did you just say?”
Hojeong drained his cup without reply.
Not a flicker of unease or tension touched him. To Sanghwa, that calm was scorn.
“I asked what you just said, you damn wretch!”
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