Chapter 112
It was on a day when the sky was endlessly blue and the breeze was pleasantly cool.
*Inside the gardens of the Peng Family.*
Pretty butterflies that Yul-i adored were fluttering about in the flowerbeds, vibrant with five colors, but for some reason, Yul-i had no interest in them today.
“Mommy, when are Daddy, Grandpa, and Uncle coming back?”
Yul-i, who had been strolling through the garden holding her mother’s hand, looked up at her and asked.
Peng Seo-yeon smiled affectionately and replied.
“They’ll be back soon, after Yul-i sleeps just a few more nights.”
“Okay...”
Though she nodded obediently, an unconcealable disappointment was written all over Yul-i’s face.
Since this morning, Yul-i has been repeating the same question over and over.
Her father, grandfather, and uncle had all left for Anhui Province.
With the promise to return soon, Yul-i had been full of energy for the first few days.
She ate sweets with her grandmother and went for walks with her mother.
She watched the butterflies in the garden and sometimes fed the birds that flew by.
But that was only for a while.
To a child as young as Yul-i, a few days felt so vast and long.
She would wake up, and her father wouldn’t be there.
She would go to the training hall where she used to learn martial arts with her grandfather, and it would be empty.
Her uncle, whom she always ran into while wandering around, was nowhere to be seen all day.
Even when she went to play at the White Wolf Unit’s training ground, which was always bustling, it was now desolate.
After Yul-i had repeated such disappointments a few times, Yul-i’s mood had become extremely sullen.
The people she saw every day were gone.
Yul-i already missed them all so much—her father, whom she loved the most along with her mother; her uncle, who always looked at her with such adoration; and her grandfather, who used martial arts as an excuse to keep her by his side.
“*Hmph.*”
In the end, unable to bear her gloom, Yul-i whined once more and clung to Peng Seo-yeon’s skirt.
“Oh, my dear daughter. It’s alright, it’s alright. I told you they’ll be back soon, didn’t I?”
Peng Seo-yeon looked at Yul-i with a mixture of pity and affection as she comforted her.
It was then.
“Haha! So you were here!”
Someone appeared before them.
It was Elder Gu Wang-pyo, a man with a much larger build than an ordinary person's.
Recognizing him, Peng Seo-yeon smiled warmly.
“Oh my. What brings you here?”
Gu Wang-pyo laughed heartily at Peng Seo-yeon and answered.
“What do you mean? What brings me here! I came to see this pretty little lady! Hahaha!”
With a broad grin, Gu Wang-pyo’s gaze turned to Yul-i.
Yul-i, who had been clinging to Peng Seo-yeon, cautiously raised her head to look up at Gu Wang-pyo when she heard herself being mentioned.
“To see Yul-i?”
“That’s right! I had to come quickly at a time like this. I haven’t had a chance to get close to you, thanks to a certain someone.”
Gu Wang-pyo slowly crouched down, gave a meaningful smile, and greeted Yul-i.
“Yul-i. Hello? Your little grandfather is here!”
“Little grandfather?”
“Haha! Yes, yes! Little grandfather!”
When Gu Wang-pyo heard Yul-i say “little grandfather,” his mouth stretched into a wide grin.
In truth, Gu Wang-pyo, who had not gone to the Five Great Families’ meeting, had been counting the days until he could meet Yul-i like this.
Until now, Gu Wang-pyo had rarely had a chance to get close to Yul-i.
The reason, absurdly enough, was Peng Mugang.
He treated Yul-i like such a precious treasure, hiding her away and preventing Gu Wang-pyo from even meeting her.
It wasn’t as if anyone was going to steal her, but if it seemed like Yul-i might run into other elders while passing by, he would appear like a ghost and subtly run interference.
Well, it wasn’t as if he couldn’t understand Peng Mugang’s feelings.
Just look at Yul-i! How adorable she is!
If he were in Peng Mugang’s shoes, he would have been no different.
What if Yul-i were to call all the many elders in the Peng Family “Grandpa!”?
Just the thought of it, to exaggerate a little, made his stomach twist.
And on top of that, what if Yul-i came to like another grandfather among them more than him...?!
That could absolutely not be allowed to happen.
Gu Wang-pyo wanted to be Yul-i’s favorite grandfather.
And so, Gu Wang-pyo had come to take advantage of Peng Mugang’s absence to get close to Yul-i this time.
For a long time, it had been his wish to have a daughter who resembled his wife.
But as if the heavens were cruel, Gu Wang-pyo had ended up with four sons who resembled him.
In the end, since a daughter was out of the question, he had hoped to see a granddaughter who resembled his daughters-in-law.
But he had ended up with eight stout grandsons who all resembled his sons...
Of course... of course, it wasn’t that his sons and grandsons weren’t lovely and cute, but he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
Then, after returning from a long leave, Gu Wang-pyo met Peng Seo-yeon’s daughter, Yul-i, who was the very image of the granddaughter he had truly wanted!
He vowed to himself that he would definitely score points with Yul-i today.
“Now, now. Why don’t we go inside instead of staying out here? Or were you on your way to do something else?”
“No, we were just taking a walk.”
“Then that’s perfect! I happen to have something to give you, so let’s go at once!”
Something to give her?
Tilting her head, Peng Seo-yeon soon headed to Yul-i’s room with Gu Wang-pyo.
Once inside, Gu Wang-pyo placed a large bundle he had been carrying on the table.
Looking at the bundle, which was so large it was almost the size of Yul-i, Peng Seo-yeon asked.
“What is this?”
“What do you think? They’re things I brought to give to Yul-i.”
“All of... this?”
“Of course!”
He had brought a bundle full of gifts that children Yul-i’s age would like.
A secret weapon, so to speak.
In fact, Gu Wang-pyo had wanted to rush over the moment Peng Mugang left the Peng Family.
However, for the first two or three days, he had been cautiously watching in case Peng Mugang came back, and for the next few days, he had been preparing gifts for Yul-i, so he had ended up coming a little late.
“Yul-i? This little grandfather of yours brought lots of presents for you.”
“Presents?”
“Yes. Now, let’s see...”
Soon, Gu Wang-pyo began to take things out of the bundle one by one and show them to Yul-i.
“Wow...!”
Yul-i’s eyes widened as she saw the dolls and various gifts coming out of it.
The sullen look she had just a moment ago had vanished without a trace.
Watching Yul-i’s eyes sparkle with curiosity, Gu Wang-pyo let out a *heh heh heh* laugh.
*“Good, very good.”*
It seemed the first step of his plan to get close to Yul-i was going well.
It had been worth asking around to find out what girls Yul-i’s age liked and packing all sorts of things.
“My goodness. Still, why did you bring so much?”
“Hey, this isn’t much. It’s fine, it’s fine. As long as Yul-i likes it, that’s all that matters. Isn’t that right? Haha!”
Gu Wang-pyo laughed boisterously.
And soon, a cool light flashed in his eyes.
*“I will be the grandfather Yul-i likes the most, Family Head.”*
In the war between grandfathers trying to monopolize Yul-i’s love, Peng Seo-yeon could only let out a hollow laugh, finding it absurd.
***
*Shiver.*
*Inside the moving carriage, Peng Mugang, who had been sitting with a dignified air, suddenly trembled.*
Hmm? What was that?
Having unknowingly shivered, Peng Mugang tilted his head.
At that, Peng Seo-jin, who was with him, asked with a curious expression.
“Father. What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Although he had a strangely unsettling feeling, he shook his head at Peng Seo-jin’s question.
It was probably just his imagination.
Sometimes, on a long journey, things like this could happen for no reason.
As far as he could tell, there was no reason at all to feel such an unsettling sense of crisis...
“More importantly, what about the cleanup?”
At Peng Mugang’s question, Peng Seo-jin answered quickly.
“A few members of the White Wolf Unit have just finished and returned.”
“Good. Well done.”
He was talking about the bandits on the road they had just passed.
He didn’t know about the other families, but for Peng Mugang, it felt wrong to just leave the bandits who had hidden from them be.
As he had always been, Peng Mugang despised robbers and bandits who plundered and trampled on ordinary people.
No, he loathed them.
He thought such humans were nothing more than pests gnawing away at the world.
And so, even though they had already passed, he gave the order to take care of them.
Peng Mugang nodded his head slightly, satisfied.
Soon, Peng Seo-jin, who had slightly opened the carriage window to look outside, spoke.
“It looks like we’ll be arriving soon, Father.”
“I see.”
Beyond the hill, Anhui Province was already in sight.
“Hey, what’s all this about? Why is everyone gathered here?”
A man living in Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, tilted his head at the unusually boisterous atmosphere and asked after spotting a familiar face in the large crowd.
“Haven’t you heard?”
“Heard what?”
“They say the Five Great Families are gathering here in Hefei today.”
“The F-Five Great Families, all in one place?”
Then the commotion made some sense.
“Ah! Here they come now.”
The first to appear was the Hwangbo Clan.
A middle-aged man with a massive build appeared on horseback, leading warriors who exuded a spirited yet disciplined aura.
He was the head of the Hwangbo Clan, Hwangbo Gyun, the Raging Wind Divine Fist, and the Iron Blood Heavenly Sword Unit was with him.
Beside Hwangbo Gyun was Hwangbo Cheonwoo, known as the Strong Dragon of the Six Dragons.
The people were overwhelmed by the palpable, domineering aura.
Next to appear was the Tang Clan.
Warriors dressed in green were following a middle-aged man who subtly emanated a chilling aura, like a poisoned dagger.
He was the one who led the current Tang Clan, Tang Jinwoo, the Poison Rain.
He had come to Hefei with the famous Red Moon Unit.
“Then that person next to him must be the Young Master of the Tang Clan, Tang Guhwi.”
“Tsk, tsk, you’re really behind on the news.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“It’s been a while since the Tang Clan’s heir changed. How can you say that?”
“Huh?”
Tang Guhwi was no longer the heir of the Tang Clan.
Why?
One day, he became a complete cripple, unable to move, let alone speak.
But nothing was known as to why, or by whom, he had been left in such a state.
It was widely rumored that someone had taken revenge on Tang Guhwi for his repeated evil deeds.
But even amidst such whispers, the Tang Clan never opened its mouth about why Tang Guhwi had ended up in that state.
“Then who on earth is that person next to him?”
“Who else could it be? Isn’t it obvious? Wasn’t there someone in the Tang Clan who was more suited to be the heir than the Young Master?”
“Ah, ah.”
The man who heard the story quickly recalled someone.
Tang Mujun, the Poison Dragon.
A being was called one of the greatest geniuses in the history of the Tang Clan.
Somehow, the man with a friendly impression, quite different from his father, was none other than Tang Mujun.
Then, not long after they had passed, another group appeared.