The Return of the Sword God Chapter 117 : Emerging Powerhouse. -02

Chapter 117: Erging Powerhouse. -02

Geum Hoyeon’s eyes glead coldly.

He was genuinely curious about what the Dark Moon Sect, which had toyed with him, had written down.

So although it was a docunt he did not necessarily need to buy, Geum Hoyeon intended to purchase it with his own money.

Others might say he was spending a fortune over re curiosity, but to him it was pocket change.

“It seems this is what caught your eye first, as expected.”

“I’m sincerely curious. It may be a place that has now vanished, but writing remains for a long ti. And there might still be remnants left. I know they were wiped out all at once, but since they were the second-largest force on that side, I think a few people could have survived. So may even have changed their affiliation and continued operating.”

“That could be the case.”

There was nothing perfect in this world.

There were only things that appeared perfect.

And that applied to Ban Hojin as well, so he did not believe he had eradicated them with absolute certainty.

“Do you perhaps know sothing?”

Geum Hoyeon asked carefully.

It had been Ban Hojin who knew the location of the Dark Moon Sect’s headquarters—sothing no one else had known, not even the intelligence networks of the Geum Family Estate and the Hao Sect.

In truth, many places had been curious about the source of that information.

Even the Beggars’ Sect had not known it, yet Ban Hojin had.

However, Ban Hojin had never given a single answer regarding that matter.

There must have been so thod by which he had found out, but since he never revealed it, quite a few people remained curious.

“There isn’t anything. There’s no need to know. If they co looking, I’ll deal with them then.”

“That ans there’s no need to concern ourselves with it?”

“If soone intends revenge, they would have moved in one way or another already. They might be waiting for a later ti, but by then, things will be different from now.”

“That’s true.”

Though not in the present generation, Ban Hojin was a martial artist worthy of being counted among the Hundred Great Masters Under Heaven in the future.

So idle talkers even said he was quite close to that level already.

They claid that since he had single-handedly defeated the Green Forest Great Lord, he was more than qualified.

“So in any case, you intend to purchase all of this?”

“That’s right.”

“We’ve set different prices. The Dark Moon Sect had classified them as first-grade confidential, second-grade confidential, and so on. I’ve read through them myself, and there was more than enough reason for that. Ah, for reference, I intend to forget everything the mont they’re sold. You need not worry about security.”

“This isn’t our first or second transaction. Of course I know that. If not anyone else, I trust Great Hero Ban. Even more than the Estate Lord.”

Geum Hoyeon said with a grin.

There was sincerity in his eyes and expression.

It had been Ban Hojin who turned him—once despairing over a bleak future—into the Young Estate Lord.

That was why Geum Hoyeon trusted Ban Hojin more than his own father.

“I believe that statent could cause so trouble.”

“It’s fine. The Estate Lord trusts money more than he trusts . He says people change, but money never does.”

“That’s quite the saying.”

“But I think that’s why it’s lonely. Money can buy many things, but it can’t buy everything. So when I beco the Geum Family Head, I plan to walk a different path from my father.”

“Because you have your own path.”

Ban Hojin nodded.

He could certainly feel that Geum Hoyeon’s thinking had changed considerably after becoming the Young Estate Lord.

In a way, it could be called growth.

“It could bring bad results. But conversely, it just ans I have to work to make sure good results co of it. If the current Estate Lord built walls to protect himself with money, I plan to create a shield with both money and people. Ah, though I still have a long way to go. Hahaha.”

Geum Hoyeon laughed awkwardly.

It seed he felt embarrassed, as this was the first ti he had revealed his ambitions.

Yet unlike his slightly flushed face, his eyes did not waver.

Encouraging him silently, Ban Hojin concluded the transaction.

Since it was the wedding of Namgung Gwang, the Young Lord of the Namgung Family, many guests ca.

Invitations had been sent far and wide, including to the Geum Family Estate, and nearly all who were invited had answered the call and co to the Namgung Family.

And that also ant that nurous rising juniors had gathered.

Perhaps because it was the wedding of a young man and woman, it seed that nearly every notable sect and Martial Family in Jianghu had co.

“Young Master Seonwu, I request a lesson!”

“I wish to request a sparring match with Young Hero Seo!”

At the Seventieth Birthday Banquet of Dang Bi, the Supre Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Family, many rising juniors had gathered as well.

Sparring matches had naturally followed then too, but the atmosphere this ti was slightly different.

At the Sichuan Tang Family, all attention had been focused on Ban Hojin, whereas now it was evenly distributed among Seo Joun, Seonwu Bang, Moyong Cheok, and Jeong I-ryong.

It had beco known through unspoken rumor that the martial prowess of the four was far from ordinary, so challenges ca from all directions.

‘How gratifying.’

Just a year ago, Seonwu Bang had been completely removed from the center of the rising juniors.

Recalling the ti he had first t Seonwu Bang at Shaolin after returning to the past, Ban Hojin felt a surge of emotion.

It seed he had changed Seonwu Bang’s future in a better direction.

On top of that, he had saved Seo Joun and awakened Moyong Cheok earlier than before.

‘If they continue growing like this, each of them will be able to take charge of a part in the war.’

A pleased smile ford at the corner of Ban Hojin’s lips.

In crude terms, the four had grown at a frightening pace after being chosen by him.

By now, they could easily subdue most rising juniors, and despite sparring without rest, not one of the four had lost even once.

No—they were not rely avoiding defeat. They were winning overwhelmingly.

‘Those various real combat experiences certainly helped.’

With his arms folded, Ban Hojin watched their matches closely.

They had trained desperately under him, but re effort rarely caused skill to increase dramatically.

However, the four had trained diligently on their own and experienced real battles, so their skills had no choice but to improve.

They had achieved great accomplishnt at the cost of risking their lives.

Swish.

anwhile, many rising juniors glanced sidelong at Ban Hojin.

In their hearts, they wanted to brazenly approach him and casually strike up a conversation, but the aura flowing from him was far from ordinary.

He exuded an unmistakable air that seed to say not to co near if one intended to babble useless words, so no one dared approach easily.

But at that mont, one person broke the ice.

“Great Hero Ban!”

“Young Estate Lord.”

“This spot is rather nice.”

“I see you’ve been quite troubled?”

“It’s beyond words.”

Unlike yesterday, Geum Hoyeon approached with a face full of distress and sat in an empty seat.

Then he let out several deep sighs.

“You must be feeling your changed position quite clearly this ti.”

“The pleasant part lasted only briefly. Being constantly hounded makes it feel like my blood is drying up.”

As if his throat were truly parched, Geum Hoyeon took a cup of water from the tray his maid was carrying and gulped it down in large swallows.

He even drank two more cups in succession, as if that were still not enough.

“From the ladies’ perspective, this is a good opportunity. When else would they get to see the Young Estate Lord again?”

“It’s not that I don’t understand that, but it’s still exhausting.”

Geum Hoyeon let out a quiet sigh.

It was not that he disliked the current situation.

On the contrary, he was pleased to be receiving attention.

However, the degree of attention he received now as the Young Estate Lord was completely different from when he had rely been the Second Young Lord.

Yet just as even the most delicious food grows tireso when eaten constantly, excessive attention was the sa.

At first, it had been delightful and pleasant, but now it felt sowhat frightening.

“You’ll get used to it soon enough.”

“Ah, Great Hero Ban, you’ve already gone through this, haven’t you?”

“I’m still going through it.”

“So you knew.”

“Wouldn’t it be more of a problem if I didn’t?”

Ban Hojin smiled playfully.

If not anyone else, he could fully understand Geum Hoyeon’s current feelings.

“Great Hero Ban, do you still have no such thoughts?”

“I do wish to marry. I have no intention of living alone for the rest of my life. It’s just that I don’t believe now is the right ti.”

“Our situations are different.”

“Isn’t it because, now that you’ve beco the Young Estate Lord, marriage has been permitted?”

“That might be part of it.”

During the succession competition, marriage had not been allowed due to issues of fairness.

But now that he had officially beco the Young Estate Lord, he could marry as he pleased.

Even so, just because marriage was possible did not an he intended to marry just anyone—not in the slightest.

“Since things have turned out this way, you might as well enjoy it. They say if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.”

“Personally, I would like to learn your thod, Great Hero Ban. But realistically, that would be impossible.”

“I believe you’ll navigate through it just fine, Young Estate Lord.”

“By the way, the skills of those four are remarkable. They all have such composure. They’ve been sparring without rest, yet they show no strain. In other words, that must an there’s quite a gap between them and the others?”

“They’ve all worked hard.”

Intending to take a brief rest, Geum Hoyeon shifted his gaze.

In truth, even while dealing with the ladies, he had been stealing glances at the four’s sparring matches.

Since they were acquaintances, his eyes had naturally been drawn to them.

Yet up until now, not a single one of them had been defeated.

“At this rate, won’t a new Dragon be born? The Heavenly Dragon won’t be rashly challenged since he’s the host of this banquet, but the others are a different matter.”

“For that, the Poison Dragon isn’t here.”

“The Sichuan Tang Family is at war, so we should consider that an exception. Honestly, don’t the remaining two have a real chance?”

Geum Hoyeon asked in a subtle tone.

He spoke as softly as possible.

Though his own martial prowess was not particularly high, his discernnt was different.

He had a keen eye for judging people, and his eyes glead.

“The possibility is certainly there.”

Ban Hojin smiled aningfully.

It might be difficult against the Heavenly Dragon or the Poison Dragon, but against the remaining two, the four of them could certainly contend.

And in the past as well, those who bore the title of Dragon had steadily increased until there were even Nine Dragons.

So there would be nothing strange about adding more to the group.

“Shouldn’t you yield, Great Hero Ban?”

“I don’t particularly like the epithet Divine Dragon.”

“Hahaha.”

Geum Hoyeon burst into hearty laughter.

He knew all too well that it was not re bravado.

In truth, not only he but many others thought the sa.

That Ban Hojin’s level was on a completely different tier to be grouped together with the Four Dragons.

“Whether they earn the title of Dragon or not will be decided by the four of them from now on.”

“They’re already doing so. Just look around—there are plenty who want to request a sparring match with you, Great Hero Ban.”

“I don’t refuse unconditionally.”

“I know. You were the one who approached Young Master Seonwu first, weren’t you? Perhaps because of that, Young Master Seonwu also shows no discrimination.”

None of the four refused requests for sparring from the rising juniors.

However, the number of challengers differed slightly.

Compared to Moyong Cheok, there were twice as many who requested sparring matches with Seonwu Bang.

Geum Hoyeon believed that difference lay in kindness.

“He has always had a good personality.”

“Rather than that, it seems he is returning to others what he received from you, Great Hero Ban.”

“If that’s the case, isn’t that good in its own way? Better than being rude and ill-mannered.”

“That’s true.”

The scions of the Five Great Families did not even exchange greetings if the other party was not of equal standing.

You could call it their own sense of superiority.

Geum Hoyeon knew that better than anyone.

During the ti he had competed with Geum Sangryong, the Four Dragons had exchanged nothing more than brief greetings with him.

‘The difference in the warmth of their voices had been unmistakable.’

Geum Hoyeon suddenly recalled that day.

The mont when he had been t with cold treatnt and discrimination right before his eyes.

Yet amusingly enough, in the end, it was not Geum Sangryong but he who had survived and beco the Young Estate Lord.

‘What kind of expressions will they have this ti?’