Chapter 116
The first day’s banquet was held in a large garden.
The sun had set and the sky had already grown dark, but the inside of the Namgung Family estate was bright with lights.
It was beautiful and splendid.
The banquet was not prepared solely for the family heads and their successors, but for everyone.
The Red Moon Unit of the Tang Clan, the Iron Blood Heavenly Sword Unit of the Hwangbo Clan, the Young Dragon Sword Squad of the Jegal Clan, the White Wolf Unit of the Peng Family, and the Sky Sword and Heavenly Wind Sword Units representing the Namgung Family are.
Everyone sat at the numerous tables set up in the garden and ate their meals.
The banquet was characterized by its spacious seating arrangement, allowing everyone to talk and interact comfortably.
There was also alcohol prepared at each table.
On days like this, the alcohol tastes exceptionally sweet.
Of course, that didn't mean there were any clumsy fools among them who would drink and make a mistake.
The family heads were seated at a large table prepared at the head of the garden.
As the assembly was held at each family’s estate on a two-year rotation, each family took great care in preparing the banquet.
At the very least, they made sure not to be told that their efforts were inferior to those of the other families.
Thus, the banquet prepared by the Namgung Family was also very magnificent today.
We were treated to such delicious food and excellent hospitality for three days.
The members of the White Wolf Unit were truly thrilled.
Of course, years ago, they attended a banquet a few times when the Five Great Families held their assembly at the Peng Family.
But after that, they caused every kind of trouble imaginable until they met Yeo Un-hwi and were eventually put on probation, so for the White Wolf Unit, this was truly a banquet after a long time.
Moreover, whenever an assembly was held at another family’s estate, it was always the role of Elder Gu Wang-pyo and the White Martial Squad to accompany the Family Head, so they had even fewer opportunities.
And above all, the Namgung Family’s banquet was the most splendid and wonderful so far of all the banquets prepared by each family, so the White Wolf Unit couldn’t help but be awestruck.
Before long, everyone was looking at Yeo Un-hwi.
At that, Yeo Un-hwi let out a small laugh and said.
“What are you all staring at? Enjoy yourselves to the fullest today. Just don’t get drunk and make any mistakes. If you do, I’ll show you hell when we get back.”
“Come on, we’re already tasting enough hell as it is.”
“That’s right. That’s right. Hell isn’t scary anymore.”
When the brothers Gi-su and Gi-sang joked with such nerve, Yeo Un-hwi tilted his head and replied.
“Hoh. Then shall I promise you an even greater hell?”
“H-Huh? No, that’s not what we mea— Mmph. Mmph.”
“Hey. Please, just shut your mouths. Huh? What are we going to do with these disastrous mouths?”
Gu Tae-san and Peng Do-hwan had already rushed over and hastily clamped their hands over the mouths of the twin brothers, who were needlessly escalating the situation. Then, O Chae-mu tried to smooth things over with a smile.
“Ahaha! S-sorry, Commander. You can just ignore what these idiots are saying.”
“Is that so?”
“O-of course. Ahem. Everyone then, let’s hurry up, take our seats, and eat.”
"Yes."
Before the good atmosphere could be ruined by those fools, Deputy Commander O Chae-mu quickly gestured to the White Wolf Unit.
Soon, the members of the White Wolf Unit, who had gathered in their respective groups and taken their seats, began to eat their meal with cheerful expressions.
It wasn’t just the White Wolf Unit.
Everyone who had participated in this assembly was already enjoying the banquet.
Boisterous sounds erupted from here and there.
In the midst of it all...
*Huh?*
Feeling a strange gaze, the members of the White Wolf Unit turned their heads.
It seemed that the other Martial Force Units attending the banquet were all glancing at the White Wolf Unit.
Why?
It was because the White Wolf Unit was one of the most talked-about groups recently.
The Martial Force Unit that had taken the head of the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon, the Absolute Great Evil.
Seeing the White Wolf Unit in person made the observers even more intrigued.
But honestly, the members of the White Wolf Unit still found that fact to be a burden.
Because the one who had actually killed the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon was Yeo Un-hwi, not they.
They also felt embarrassed to receive such attention for an achievement that wasn’t their own.
However, Yeo Un-hwi’s thoughts were different.
The White Wolf Unit had faced the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon and, despite seeing his overwhelming martial power, not a single one of them had given up and had charged at him until the end.
How much their actions had drained the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon’s strength was not that important at the time.
What was important was the spirit of the White Wolf Unit, which had not surrendered to evil until the very end.
Thus, Yeo Un-hwi sincerely believed that it was an accomplishment he and the White Wolf Unit had achieved together.
And he believed that in the not-so-distant future, the feat of slaying the Extreme Evil Laughing Demon would become a small, insignificant event for the White Wolf Unit.
In any case, seeing the awkwardness of the White Wolf Unit, Yeo Un-hwi smiled as if amused and continued to eat his meal at the banquet.
And not long after,
“Greetings.”
A few warriors who had been watching quietly couldn’t contain their curiosity and began to approach the White Wolf Unit members one by one to strike up a conversation.
“I am Jincheon of the Red Moon Unit.”
“Gukryang of the Sky Sword Unit.”
“Minjung of the Young Dragon Sword Squad.”
Every one of them had a face full of goodwill.
Thanks to that, the White Wolf Unit reacted with bewilderment.
It was because they were only used to being treated as delinquents and troublemakers by others.
Having been treated that way for so long, when the renowned warriors of the Five Great Families’ Martial Force Units approached them first and showed favor, the White Wolf Unit didn’t know what to do.
Of course, they could say confidently they could handle it more skillfully than anyone if someone came looking for a fight.
“...Hmph.”
And naturally, not everyone held them in high regard.
Those who were confident in their own skills or had great pride in the Martial Force Unit they belonged to thought that the White Wolf Unit’s achievement was simply a matter of a little luck.
Thus, there were not a few who wanted to test them directly.
But that didn’t mean anyone would dare to cause a commotion in a place like this.
They, too, knew well how important the assembly of the Five Great Families was.
To cause trouble over such a trivial sense of rivalry was tantamount to tarnishing not only the name of the Martial Force Unit they belonged to, but also the name of their family.
Therefore, no matter how restless or itchy their mouths were, they had no choice but to endure it.
Unless they were approaching with good intentions, that is.
And so, for various reasons, the first day’s banquet was proceeding very peacefully and enjoyably.
but, at that moment
“Family Head.”
“What is it?”
“Well...”
The Commander of the Sky Sword Unit, who had received an urgent message from one of the Namgung Family’s warriors, approached Namgung Hwan and whispered.
Soon, Namgung Hwan’s brow furrowed deeply.
“Hmm. Very well. Let them in.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“What is it?”
Seeing Namgung Hwan’s expression, the other family heads of the Five Great Families asked, and Namgung Hwan replied with a cold face.
“An uninvited guest has suddenly arrived; it seems.”
And not long after, the doors were thrown open violently, and someone entered.
Leading a large group of people.
“So you were all here.”
The peaceful atmosphere of the banquet became quiet, as if cold water had been thrown on it.
Everyone’s gaze turned to those who had just burst into the banquet.
Judging by the aura they felt, they were warriors who were not far behind the representative Martial Force Units of the Five Great Families.
The middle-aged man with an aquiline nose standing at their forefront looked around at those gathered at the banquet and gave a sly smile.
Yeo Un-hwi, who had been watching them quietly, raised an eyebrow slightly.
It was because he had spotted a familiar face among them.
A woman who was noticeably beautiful, but whose face held a venomous expression.
*“Danmok Hwaryeon.”*
It was none other than the woman who had been soundly defeated not long ago in a duel with his wife, Peng Seo-yeon, and had left as if being chased away. She had appeared here, at the assembly of the Five Great Families.
If that was the case, then they were...
“What is it, Head of the Danmok Clan? I don’t recall inviting you.”
The Head of the Namgung Family, the Sword Emperor, Namgung Hwan, greeted the uninvited guest coldly.
However, the Head of the Danmok Clan, Danmok Cheol, did not flinch at his words and instead scoffed.
He actually despised the assembly of the Five Great Families. No, he despised the Five Great Families themselves.
It was perhaps because he could not forget the days long ago when they were called the Seven Great Families, along with the Moyong Clan.
However, the Moyong Clan and the Danmok Clan had fallen into decline due to “a certain incident” they had caused in the past.
At the time, the heads of the Danmok Clan and the Moyong Clan took responsibility for the incident and stepped down from their positions. Since then, the Seven Great Families, with them excluded, came to be called the Five Great Families.
The Danmok Clan had recently recovered its strength to some extent, but it was still a far cry from being compared to the Five Great Families.
However, the current Head of the Danmok Clan, Danmok Cheol, was a man known for his arrogance and hot-headedness.
“Hmph. It’s not like I wanted to come! But how could I possibly endure it!”
“What do you mean by that?”
Soon, Danmok Cheol’s gaze turned to Peng Mugang.
“I have business with the Head of the Peng Family over there!”
“With me?”
“Hmph. That’s right.”
Danmok Cheol glared and spoke toward Peng Mugang, who wore a puzzled expression.
“Does the Peng Family know no shame? You should know why I’ve come here.”
“I have no idea.”
“You all ganged up on my daughter, Hwaryeon, and shamed her!”
“What?”
What an absurd situation this was; Peng Mugang was utterly dumbfounded.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know! I heard everything! You forced my daughter into a duel, used some dirty trick to make her lose, and turned her into a laughingstock!”
Ha.
Yeo Un-hwi, who was watching the situation, couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
What kind of nonsensical story had that man heard?
It was the same for Tang Mujun and Hwangbo Cheonwoo, who had been there at the time.
Naturally, the gazes of the three turned to Danmok Hwaryeon, who was standing behind Danmok Cheol.
However, Danmok Hwaryeon maintained a shamelessly straight face.
*“You're disappointing to the very end, Hwaryeon.”*
Tang Mujun shook his head.
Danmok Hwaryeon made up a story and lied to her father.
But what was even more pathetic was the action of Danmok Cheol, who had believed Danmok Hwaryeon’s words and appeared at the Five Great Families’ assembly with a group of men.
Like father, like daughter, one might say.
The two were so alike in how they acted on their feelings without grasping the situation in the slightest.
There are people like that.
Crazy people who interpret a situation to their own liking and believe it to be true.
“It seems there’s been some misunderstanding. How could such a thing happen?”
“That’s right. Instead of getting so worked up, why don’t you come over here and we can talk it over slowly.”
While Tang Jinwoo looked puzzled, Hwangbo Gyun, sensing the situation was not good, stepped forward with a good-natured attitude.
And Peng Mugang, too, though he would normally have roared in anger and drawn his blade, was exercising his patience and minimizing his words as much as possible, given the setting.
However,
“I was about to go to the Peng Family and lay waste to it, but I heard you were here, so I came here first as a courtesy to a fellow martial artist! So listen to me carefully!”
“Sir. That’s enough.”
“What do you mean, enough?! Head of the Peng Family! I’m telling you clearly.”
Danmok Cheol pointed a finger at Peng Mugang in a highly agitated voice.
Seeing Peng Mugang being more compliant than expected, he realized his spirits had risen.
“It was absurd enough that you took back a wench who abandoned her family after falling for some lowly man, but to use our precious daughter because of that good-for-nothing daughter of yours. I will absolutely not let this matter go!”
...What did you say?
In that moment, a massive aura exploded from Peng Mugang’s body as if it were an eruption.
Danmok Cheol had crossed a line he should never have crossed.
His patience had reached its end.