Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
Namgung Il was walking down that street for the first ti in a long ti.
'This place is still the sa.'
Just by walking down the street, the sll of food wafted from here and there.
Slling that, saliva naturally pooled in his mouth.
Of course, it might be because the sll was delicious, but in fact, the cause could be said to be this pungent aroma that pricked the tip of his nose.
"Cough, cough— W-what on earth is this sll?"
Just then, Jong Seo-eon, who was walking beside him, coughed with a pained expression.
Ah, co to think of it, does this guy not eat spicy food at all?
It seed the aroma of Sichuan might be a bit overwhelming for Jong Seo-eon.
"It's the sll of food."
"F-food?"
"Yeah, Sichuan is famous for its spicy food. Have you never heard of it?"
"..."
Co to think of it, he seed to have heard sothing like that.
But to think this was the sll of food... Jong Seo-eon muttered with a slightly shocked expression.
"How on earth do the people here eat this kind of food?"
Just by slling it, his mouth felt dry.
If he were to swallow sothing like that, his stomach would surely not be able to handle it.
Food was surely ant to be eaten because it was delicious, so Jong Seo-eon couldn't understand at all why they would choose to eat sothing like that.
"Still, isn't it a bit rude to say that in front of soone whose hotown is here?"
"...?"
Soone whose hotown is here?
At that mont, Jong Seo-eon realized he had made a slip of the tongue.
"M-Miss Wol-yeong! I absolutely did not an it that way!"
"..."
"I can't eat spicy food at all, so I ant that the people here are amazing..."
Jong Seo-eon hurriedly made that excuse to Tang Wol-yeong.
However, Tang Wol-yeong, without even giving him a glance, continued to remain silent.
Is she so angry that she doesn't even want to make eye contact with ? Thinking so, Jong Seo-eon was at a loss for what to do.
"..."
However, unlike Jong Seo-eon's thoughts, Tang Wol-yeong was not angry at all.
Rather, Tang Wol-yeong, just like Jong Seo-eon, was inwardly fidgeting.
'W-what do I do. The Young Master really ca all the way here?'
For the past few days, that was the only thought in Tang Wol-yeong's mind.
Namgung Il is coming to the Tang Family for a field trip... For Tang Wol-yeong, that was a very important matter.
"..."
The Tang Family was Tang Wol-yeong's family ho.
Family. And the footprints left there since she was young.
Thinking of showing Namgung Il a place where her personal traces remained, Tang Wol-yeong felt as embarrassed as if she were revealing her naked body.
'We're not even in that kind of relationship yet, so isn't it too early to show the Young Master my family and ho? Or... is the Young Master the type who doesn't care about such things at all?'
She had only thought of bringing Namgung Il to her ho when they had promised to marry each other.
However, this place was created unintentionally.
Tang Wol-yeong was pondering how she should accept this situation.
'Th-then... is this a eting of the families?'
Since she would be showing her parents to Namgung Il, wouldn't it be okay to naturally think so?
Of course, showing one's parents was possible even between friends, but Tang Wol-yeong was just thinking what she wanted to think.
"Tang Wol-yeong."
"Then I should also visit the Young Master's ho and greet his parents..."
"Tang Wol-yeong."
"Marriage should probably be after graduation, right? And as for children, one daughter, one son. Yes, two would be good."
"...?"
No matter how much Namgung Il called from nearby, Tang Wol-yeong did not react.
She just muttered incomprehensible things to herself in a voice that couldn't be heard by those around her.
In the end, Namgung Il placed a hand on her shoulder and called her.
"Tang Wol-yeong."
"...!"
Only then did she turn her head with a start.
Realizing that Namgung Il had his hand on her shoulder, Tang Wol-yeong was startled.
"Ah, sorry. Did I surprise you?"
"...It's okay."
"Really? Then can you comfort Jong Seo-eon a bit?"
"...?"
Namgung Il said, pointing sowhere with his hand.
There, soone was squatting on the floor like a pill bug, and Tang Wol-yeong belatedly realized that that person was Jong Seo-eon.
"Still, Jong Seo-eon probably didn't an it in a bad way."
"...?"
"So let go of your anger and make up with each other. That guy, he might really die if he stays like that."
Of course, Tang Wol-yeong had no idea what Namgung Il was talking about.
Let go of my anger... is he talking to ?
She didn't know what had happened, but Tang Wol-yeong could tell from the situation that Jong Seo-eon was in that state because she was angry.
"I want to die... Why did I say such a thing without thinking?"
"..."
"You foolish fool. If you had just stayed quiet, you would have at least been in the middle. Ugh—!"
The streets of Sichuan.
To Jong Seo-eon, that place already felt spicy.
***
A huge main gate was visible in front of them.
That was the main gate of the Tang Family, one of the Five Great Families and one of the three major sects of Sichuan.
"That is the main gate of the Tang Family!"
"..."
"As expected, it's as magnificent as I've heard! Just by looking at it, I can feel the dignity of the Tang Family!"
The person shouting in front of the main gate now was not a student.
The teacher who was in overall charge of this Tang Family field trip and was leading the students.
Mang Wu-yeong's eyes were shining as he looked at the main gate like a child.
'No matter how you look at it, he seems more excited than the students.'
The person thinking that now was probably not just Namgung Il.
Rather, the students looked unimpressed even after seeing the main gate of the Tang Family, and from behind, even grumbling voices could be heard.
"Why did I have to co to the Tang Family... I applied too late."
"I know, right. I wanted to go to the Namgung Family, but that place was already full."
"If I had known this would happen, I would have applied as soon as the application date ca."
Almost all the students here had co because they had no choice.
Among the Five Great Families, the application rate for the Tang Family was the lowest.
The students who couldn't go elsewhere because they had applied late had chosen the Tang Family, which had a low competition rate, as a last resort.
'Well... I guess it can't be helped.'
Namgung Il could also understand that feeling.
That was a fact he could tell just by looking at the hidden weapon techniques class he was currently taking as an elective.
Since hidden weapons and poison were so unfamiliar to the students, their interest in the Tang Family, which mainly dealt with those two, naturally decreased.
"..."
Of course, thanks to that, Namgung Il was able to succeed in applying without much difficulty.
Even though he had applied after all the classes were over, wasn't he probably the first one to apply?
Conversely, the one that had closed first was the Namgung Family.
'It's a strange feeling.'
The fact that his own family was the most popular among the students was a little funny.
Perhaps Namgung Cheon had also played a big part in that popularity.
The family of the man called the Cheoncheonilje. If he hadn't been a person of the Namgung Family, he felt he would have wanted to visit at least once.
Creak—.
As soon as the identity verification process was over, the main gate opened.
The students imdiately went inside, and soon, the vast outer courtyard of the Tang Family ca into view.
'This place is also quite spacious.'
Namgung Il had been here in the past as well.
Of course, he hadn't gone as often as he had gone to the Namgung Family, but the appearance of the interior remained faintly in his mory.
"..."
Although it was the least popular place among the students, the Tang Family still had the dignity to occupy a place among the Five Great Families.
An outer courtyard that was not inferior to the Namgung Family. And the sight of nurous disciples training there showed the dignity of the Tang Family.
"The number of disciples... compared to our sect, that alone seems to be more than ten tis."
"...A single sect can be this large."
The students who had been complaining earlier were now overwheld by the dignity of the Tang Family.
If even they were like that, how would a person who had wanted to co here from the beginning be?
Mang Wu-yeong had been unable to stay in one place since a while ago and was constantly looking around restlessly.
"Oh, that's the Tang Family's formation!"
"..."
"What on earth is that hidden weapon? Just by looking at it, it looks like it would feel good to throw!"
Even after coming inside, the most excited person was still Mang Wu-yeong.
Did he co to lead the students, or to satisfy his own selfish desires?
Seeing that, it seed the latter was the correct answer.
Thud—.
It was then.
As they ca inside to so extent under guidance, a middle-aged man with a stern impression greeted the students.
'That guy is...'
As soon as he saw the man, Namgung Il felt a sense of familiarity.
Sohow similar to soone... He felt he had seen him sowhere, but Namgung Il ultimately couldn't rember who the man was.
"Oh!"
Just then, a cheer erupted from Mang Wu-yeong's mouth.
Of course, he had been cheering continuously before, but this ti, it was more intense than ever.
"Aren't you the great hero, Tang Tae-myeong of the Shadow Piercing Dagger!"
Only after hearing the na that ca out of Mang Wu-yeong's mouth did Namgung Il know who that person was.
'Ah, so he was that guy?'
Tang Tae-myeong was Tang Cheol-go's son.
The last ti Namgung Il had seen Tang Tae-myeong was when he was only about ten years old. And he had only seen him once or twice.
To think that cute child had beco an old man like that... It was a stranger feeling than when he had first seen Namgung Cheong.
Swoosh—.
Just then, Tang Wol-yeong subtly moved back behind the people.
'What's this?'
From his prediction, Tang Wol-yeong's father was probably that Tang Tae-myeong.
Is she not on good terms with her father or sothing?
Since that movent strongly felt like she was hiding behind to avoid Tang Tae-myeong, Namgung Il looked at Tang Wol-yeong with a puzzled expression for a mont.
"It's an honor to et you!"
Mang Wu-yeong greeted Tang Tae-myeong.
Anyone could see that Mang Wu-yeong's side was being deferential.
No matter how much the other party was the head of the Tang Family, since he was from the Flying Dragon Academy, he wouldn't have to be so deferential, but Mang Wu-yeong seed to genuinely respect Tang Tae-myeong, as if such things didn't matter at all.
"I am Mang Wu-yeong, who teaches hidden weapon techniques at the Flying Dragon Academy!"
"..."
"Thank you for allowing us to visit this ti! I'm sure the students will have a lot to learn here."
"...Well, I'll see to it that you're as comfortable as possible while you're here."
Although Mang Wu-yeong had spoken quite sincerely, what ca back was a blunt, short reply.
Seeing that, it seed Tang Tae-myeong had also inherited his father's personality.
Tang Cheol-go also had a tendency to speak almost all his words bluntly like that.
Swoosh—.
Just then, Tang Tae-myeong's gaze turned sowhere.
Simultaneously, his two eyes widened.
Without anyone saying anything, Tang Tae-myeong spread his arms and rushed towards the students.
"Kyaa—!"
As Tang Tae-myeong suddenly rushed at them like that, the female students couldn't help but scream.
Well, wouldn't it be scary if an old man with a stern impression and a prickly beard rushed at them with his arms spread?
Like a beast hunting, Tang Tae-myeong eventually grabbed one of them with both hands.
"Yeong-ah! My daughter, the prettiest in the world!"
"...?"
"You're still lovely even after seeing you after a long ti!"
The people around were all watching that scene with blank eyes.
It was the sa for Namgung Il.
To the point where he doubted if he was the sa person who had been so blunt just a mont ago, Tang Tae-myeong was smiling broadly at Tang Wol-yeong with a foolish expression.
"Get away! I told you not to hug when there are people around!"
"No! I won't let go unless you kiss on the cheek!"
"No... please just go!"
Tang Wol-yeong, with a beet-red face, pushed Tang Tae-myeong's face away with both hands.
However, Tang Tae-myeong, not giving up even with a ridiculous face, pushed his face forward.
Seeing that, no one moved, as if they had beco stone statues.
"..."
So that's why Tang Wol-yeong had subtly hidden behind... Namgung Il now seed to understand the reason.
(End of Chapter)
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