Chapter 160 - Son-in-Law, Come Here and Let Me Pour You a Drink

As the alliance leader turned his gaze toward us, the noisy hall began to fall silent.

His eyes passed over his granddaughter and settled on me beside her. I kept my head slightly bowed, avoiding his eyes.

Even without looking, I could tell he was scrutinizing me. It was a tense moment, and I made no attempt to hide my nervousness. An ordinary servant who wasn't nervous in a setting like this would have been far stranger.

Even if I was eventually exposed, I would do everything I could to keep from revealing myself.

Martial Alliance Leader Jin Paecheon asked me,

"Who are you, Young Hero?"

At that very moment, Jin Haryeong announced loudly,

"He's the man I'm seeing."

So this was her plan to save my life.

I had chosen a head-on approach, and so had she. I had anticipated something along these lines, but seeing it for myself, I was grateful for her courage and consideration. How could it possibly be easy for the Martial Alliance Leader's granddaughter to say that before so many people?

Murmurs rose around us. Among the guests were Jo Sin and his father, the master of True Dragon Manor.

The manor master scowled. He was arranging his son's marriage, yet his prospective daughter-in-law had brought another man.

Jo Sin, on the other hand, stood beside him smiling at us. But he must have felt deeply insulted.

Jin Paecheon raised a hand, and the room fell silent at once.

"I wasn't asking you."

Having addressed Jin Haryeong, he asked me again,

"Who are you, Young Hero?"

"My name is Geom Yeon."

"Which sect do you come from?"

"I'm a servant accompanying Young Master Seo Ryong of the Western Saber Sect in Gansu."

The word servant set off another wave of murmurs, louder than before.

Jin Paecheon rarely showed his emotions before the gathered heroes, but at this moment he couldn't hide his bewilderment.

He looked at Jin Haryeong. His expression asked, Are you really going to do this? Hers answered with a firm yes.

Jin Paecheon's gaze returned to me. Quite apart from her bombshell declaration, how much had he seen through me?

"Young Hero Geom."

Despite my saying I was a servant, he still addressed me as a young hero.

"Haryeong has been quite the prankster since childhood. Her specialty was startling people. Once, she even applied the principles of a sword art in reverse and nearly suffered qi deviation. Today, she's brought you here to surprise us."

Jin Paecheon spoke as though today's incident was another of her pranks.

"Everyone has had enough of a surprise, so I think you've played your part admirably. It must have been quite an ordeal, being dragged here by that girl's pestering. I'll entertain you separately another time, so you may go home now."

That was how the alliance leader brought the situation under control. Some would believe Jin Haryeong had played a prank, while others would think he was brushing aside her rebellion this way.

At least one thing was certain: no one believed I was genuinely the man she was seeing.

Naturally, Jin Haryeong didn't back down so easily.

"You were terribly startled that time, weren't you? If you hadn't been there, Grandfather, I wouldn't be alive today. That's why I'm done playing pranks. This really is a man I like."

Everyone's eyes converged on me again. Some clicked their tongues or sighed at my appearance.

Their expressions said it all, ranging from Children are only yours while they're still in your arms to Even the alliance leader is no exception. They simply couldn't bring themselves to say it in front of him.

"Did you say you like that man?"

"Yes."

She answered her grandfather without hesitation.

Tension hung between them, tighter than anything on the tournament platform. Everyone except Jo Sin and the master of True Dragon Manor watched with keen interest.

"Then you could marry him."

Jin Haryeong flinched at the mention of marriage.

"Marriage is a major commitment in life. We should spend more time together first."

"You've declared it before all these people. What's there to hesitate about? Very well. Since he's the man you want, I'll have you married."

"Grandfather!"

"I'll marry you off right here and now, so go through with it. Isn't this what you wanted? You don't want a political marriage. You want to marry someone you love. Very well, I'll grant your wish!"

Jin Paecheon didn't stop there. He took it a step further.

"Prepare the wedding immediately."

At the alliance leader's command, his subordinates actually came over and began making wedding preparations.

As events took this turn, Jin Haryeong was visibly flustered.

She knew her grandfather was no ordinary personality, but apparently she hadn't expected him to push ahead with a wedding on the spot.

"I haven't even met his family yet."

"People of Murim aren't bound by formalities. They'll understand. Go and pay your respects properly afterward."

Jin Haryeong looked at me in dismay. Truly, even I hadn't foreseen this.

"My future son-in-law, come here and let me pour you a drink."

Future son-in-law? I had never heard those words directed at me, not even in my life before regression. And now I was hearing them from the Martial Alliance Leader? Father, the Martial Alliance Leader is calling me his son-in-law and pouring me a drink!

I accepted the drink he poured. It was the first drink I had ever received from him.

"Thank you."

"Take good care of my granddaughter."

From the deep, cold look in his eyes, I could tell. He had already discerned my true nature. He intended to settle the issue with his granddaughter before the assembled heroes, then deal with me.

He gave me a faint smile. It wasn't a smile of pleasure, but a warning: I'll deal with you later.

Meanwhile, the wedding preparations proceeded swiftly. Martial artists often held weddings at the Orthodox Martial Alliance, so preparing one wasn't particularly difficult.

At last, Jin Haryeong raised the white flag.

"Stop! I surrender. We're not planning to marry."

Only then did Jin Paecheon smile.

How dare you try to outsmart your grandfather?

I admit defeat, Grandfather. But I need to explain this.

After that exchange of expressions, Jin Haryeong explained what had happened to everyone.

"Honored elders and seniors, I apologize for disrupting this important gathering. There's a reason I caused this commotion today. Someone wants to kill this man out of jealousy, simply because he was with me. I concocted this scheme to protect him, even if this was what it took."

One of the guests began applauding and called out,

"How admirable!"

It was Jo Sin.

"To go so far for that shabby, ugly servant! You're truly remarkable!"

As he clapped, the others joined in.

I could feel how venomously angry Jo Sin had become. All the better. People made mistakes when their emotions ran high. Go on, lose control some more.

Jin Haryeong addressed everyone in a loud voice.

"If anyone lays a hand on this man from now on, I swear on my name that I will take revenge. My grandfather has taught me all my life never to torment the weak. I hope you will all remember that."

Invoking the alliance leader was a very clever choice.

Having finished, Jin Haryeong tugged at my sleeve.

"Come on, let's go. Grandfather, I'm sorry about today. I'll visit you again to offer a proper apology."

We both respectfully bade the alliance leader farewell, and I followed her out.

After leaving the banquet hall, we walked in silence through the Alliance's inner compound.

Then she stopped.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand."

"It's all right."

"You told me before, didn't you? That my selfishness hurts other people."

"I didn't say that outright."

"That's what it amounted to. You're right. Even my way of handling this was entirely on my own terms. But no matter how much I thought about it, this was the only way I could find to protect you."

Regardless of whether her methods were right or wrong, she had genuinely tried to protect me.

"Since I said it before my grandfather, he won't dare try to hurt you. If he still tries something after all this, it'll actually be good for me. It'll give me an excuse never to enter a political marriage. I can say, 'Look, Grandfather. You said he was a good man, but he isn't, is he?'"

"Then I'll gladly die for you, Miss Jin."

Jin Haryeong looked at me with mild anger.

"I know you're joking, but don't make jokes like that. I've heard my grandfather say it countless times since I was a child: protecting good people from the wicked is the sole reason we of the orthodox factions exist. I'm not anyone particularly great, but I won't stand by and watch someone suffer because of me."

"That's admirable."

"I wasn't fishing for praise."

"But are you sure this is all right? By tomorrow, rumors about tonight will spread."

"There won't be any nasty rumors. Instead, they'll say the Martial Alliance Leader's granddaughter caused a commotion to save a servant! The rumors will be favorable. The Alliance manages this sort of thing too. You didn't know that, did you?"

She looked straight at me.

"At least until the Young Dragon Tournament ends, he won't be able to do anything to you. Find an opportunity to leave and go far away. Don't go back home. Go somewhere else, far away."

She took out some money and handed it to me.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to buy you noodles and drinks three times."

It was more than the cost of noodles and drinks. Apparently, she was giving it to me to fund my escape.

There was regret in her eyes as she looked at me. She believed this was our last moment together. Even if I didn't leave immediately, she had no intention of approaching me again, so that I wouldn't be put in danger once more.

"I hope you'll be happy."

I watched her turn and walk away after saying goodbye, then looked down at the money in my hand.

Then I looked up at the brilliantly shining moon.

Father, the unifying of Murim you dream of can only be achieved by killing all these people.

As I gazed at the night sky, I turned around and spoke.

"There's something I need to tell you."

At some point, Martial Alliance Leader Jin Paecheon had silently appeared behind me. He must have heard our entire conversation as well.

"Of course you must. And you'd better choose your words carefully. Your life depends on every one of them."

With his qi presence unleashed, Jin Paecheon was no longer the man I had seen in the banquet hall.

His qi presence felt like the sea. A deep resonance, like a whale's call, came from afar, and the breeze carried the scent of the ocean. I felt as though I were floating alone on an endless sea.

The next moment—

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

Dozens of martial artists dropped down all around me like bolts of lightning striking straight down. They wore white martial robes and covered their faces with white masks. These were the masters of the Heavenly Dragon Guard, said to follow the alliance leader wherever he went, even into hell.

SHING!

Dozens drew their swords simultaneously, yet it sounded like a single blade being drawn. That alone revealed just how well trained and skilled they were. The force emanating from their swords tightened around me like a spiderweb.

"I would like to speak with you alone, Alliance Leader."

"Is there a reason I should oblige?"

"What I'm about to tell you is something only you should know."

He didn't dismiss those around us. Nor would his guards readily withdraw in the presence of an unfamiliar master.

"If I'd come here today to launch a surprise attack on you, there would have been other opportunities or methods. At the very least, I wouldn't attempt it with everyone on edge like this."

Then he told them,

"All of you, withdraw."

In an instant, they leaped away and vanished from sight. But I knew they hadn't truly left. I also knew they couldn't be made to withdraw completely.

They weren't merely people who took the alliance leader's orders. They were his protectors. No matter what happened, they never left his side.

They obeyed every command except an order not to protect him.

Thus, to kill the alliance leader, one had to kill them all.

I sent Jin Paecheon a sound transmission.

—"From here on, I will speak through sound transmission."

—"First, reveal your identity."

I told him who I was.

—"I am of the Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon..."

Before I could finish—

WHOOOM!

A blast of palm force shot from Jin Paecheon's hand like lightning and struck me.

BOOM!

An explosion roared around my body, throwing up the surrounding dust.

When the dust settled, I was still standing there. I had crossed my arms in front of me and raised my protective concentrated qi to block the palm force.

Looking at Jin Paecheon over my crossed arms, I continued what I had been saying.

—"...the cult leader's second son."

SHRIIIING!

BOOOOM!

This time, an even stronger blast of palm force flew at me and struck.

I hadn't been pushed back. I remained in the same spot, my arms crossed to block it. Even with my protective concentrated qi exerted to its limit, my arms hurt as though they were about to be torn off.

—"... Geom Mugeuk."

By blocking those two blasts of palm force, I had proven my identity through my skill.

The alliance leader's tigerlike eyes gleamed. The man who had asked who I was and the man now radiating this fierce force were entirely different people. And I could feel it: this blazing man was his true self.

—"Why has the Demonic Cult Leader's son approached my granddaughter?"

I uncrossed my arms and straightened from my lowered stance.

—"To save her life."

Jin Paecheon's qi presence grew savage. The overwhelming force raging around me felt as though it would tear my whole body apart.

A presence that could rend a person through sheer force alone—this was the qi presence of the current Martial Alliance Leader.

The next blast of palm force would be incomparably stronger than the previous ones. If he drew his sword, every move would decide life or death.

It began now: the battle to persuade him.

—"Only I can save your granddaughter."

Jin Paecheon's qi presence changed from savage to terrifying. Dark clouds rolled in, the world grew dim, and the sea began to churn and overturn.