Originally, the Ten Great Masters in the world of Cheondok Witch serve as a sort of MacGuffin.
According to the setting, they are supposed to be incredibly powerful, but since they didn’t even appear half of the time in the main story, they stirred the readers’ curiosity.
It’s presumed that the author intentionally left them out to use in a sequel, but whether they stopped writing or changed their pen name afterwards is unknown, and since no sequel has been written, the truth remains elusive now.
Anyway, the Ten Great Masters can typically be seen as the strongest line in this universe, and in the story, they are commonly referred to as the Three Kings, Three Sovereigns, and One Demon.
The Three Sovereigns can be skipped since they are main characters from Cheondok Witch, but let me briefly introduce the other three:
First, the Three Kings from the righteous side.
The Sword King, Namgung Min, is the father of Namgoong Ruby and the 11th head of the Namgung family.
The Fist King, Son Yuseong, is the master of Jeongalgeondam and the 17th inheritor of the martial art, Gale Strike Iron Fist.
The Poison King, Tang Hochang, is the maternal grandfather of Dokgorin and the 6th head of the Sachendanga family.
There were precisely three of them, and the peculiar thing is that none originate from the Nine Hidden Gang.
Next are the Three Sovereigns from the evil side.
Iron Blood Demon Sovereign, Gu Yangcheol, although he lost to Weijichun due to carelessness in the past, is still referred to as the pinnacle of the evil martial force.
Ice Blood Demon Sovereign, Yelena, is the unmatched female master of the martial arts world, being the only woman among the Ten Great Masters.
The Shura Demon Sovereign, Gwak Cheolyong, is the leader of the huge criminal organization known as the Cheolryong Gang and rules over the entertainment district of Akyang.
Lastly, the One Demon refers to the Heavenly Demon, the leader of the Demon Church, who happens to be right next to us, so I’ll skip the detailed explanation.
*
“Rin! Rin! Rin!”
“…Grandfather?”
Tang Hochang, who was waiting at the door, leaped out as if he had somehow heard we were coming.
Dokgorin mumbled in bewilderment, but it was already too late to escape.
Immediately, he lifted Dokgorin as if a bear were grabbing a salmon beneath a waterfall, rubbing his cheeks together.
“Ha ha ha! You rascal! You’ve grown so much since I last saw you!”
Unable to help myself, I smiled wryly at the goofy sight that still didn’t sit right with me.
“Grandfather, I’m here too.”
At that moment, Tang Sosu, who had been next to Ruby, said that, and Tang Hochang responded with a serious expression as if to ask when that had happened.
“Ah, yes, come in too.”
“?????”
The sudden change in his demeanor left the people around us in confusion.
Well, it’s hard to get used to if you don’t see it every day.
Anyway, as my turn to greet approached, I bowed my head and said, “It’s been a while, Master.”
Tang Hochang nodded and looked me up and down.
“Indeed, it appears you have made some accomplishments at the academy.”
“Yes. I can now proficiently use the technique of Baekyeom.”
After exchanging simple greetings, I introduced my companions.
“This is Namgoong Ruby, a classmate of mine.”
“Hello! Please just call me Ruby!”
“Hmm.”
Tang Hochang looked surprised by Namgoong Ruby’s sudden hand being extended for a handshake.
However, since she was his granddaughter’s friend, he couldn’t refuse, so he awkwardly accepted her handshake.
“And over here are Baek Yujin from Xinkan and their companion, Nguyen.”
“Nice to meet you.”
After Baek Yujin lowered her head, the Heavenly Demon behind her also lightly nodded.
But unlike with Namgoong Ruby, Tang Hochang’s gaze towards the two was peculiar.
“It seems both of you possess quite the skill. Which sect do you belong to?”
Baek Yujin responded with a wry smile.
“You probably wouldn’t know even if I told you. It’s an unnamed sect from Xinkan.”
“…I see.”
Despite seeming suspicious of the two, perhaps because they were guests on our side, he did not pry further.
“Well, come on in. You must be tired from your long journey, so you should get some rest.”
As he said this, Tang Hochang led us into the mansion.
After exchanging glances with each other, our group followed him into the Sachendanga mansion.
*
Tang Hochang provided guest rooms for our party in the annex.
Among them was the room I had previously used, so I quickly took that one.
After unpacking my things in the room, I headed to the dining room where the group had already gathered and was eating.
Dokgorin, who was quietly eating next to Tang Hochang, beckoned me with her eyes.
I naturally sat down in the vacant seat beside her, and Tang Hochang laughed heartily and said to Dokgorin,
“You still seem to like this pretty boy, Rin.”
Though his words bore a jibe, Dokgorin, accustomed to Tang Hochang’s way of speaking, just smiled gently and shrugged it off.
“Well, it doesn’t hurt to have a good-looking lifelong companion.”
It was like a fight between shield and spear, wasn’t it?
The grandfather wanted his granddaughter to marry someone more respectable, while the granddaughter maintained a standoffish attitude towards her grandfather’s opinions, creating a perfect scene during dinners at Sachendanga.
Now, accustomed to such sights, Tang Sosu sighed and explained to Namgoong Ruby, “Whenever it’s about Rin, Grandfather becomes quite over the top.”
Beside her, Baek Yujin chuckled as if finding it amusing.
“It seems like Grandfather is very fond of his granddaughter. It’s nice to see.”
“Unlike his biological granddaughter, he behaves sternly towards the outer ones.”
Tang Sosu had an expression of someone who had reached enlightenment when she stated this.
Hearing her talk, Namgoong Ruby suddenly raised her hand.
“Grandfather! Can I ask you something?”
“Hmm?”
“?”
Tang Sosu, taking aback that she suddenly fought for a speaking right, stared at Namgoong Ruby with an astonished expression.
My expression wasn’t much different as I watched this scene.
‘What on earth is she going to say now?’
Though I thought I was already used to Namgoong Ruby’s impulsiveness, apparently, I was mistaken.
Eventually, Namgoong Ruby spoke.
“Why do you openly show favoritism towards Rin and Sosu?”
As soon as she said that, the atmosphere froze.
Everyone already knew this, but no one dared to ask the question until now.
Even Dokgorin, who had been quietly eating, seemed to sense a strange tension, glancing at her grandfather, Tang Hochang.
Finally, with everyone’s attention on him, Tang Hochang opened his mouth.
“It’s because Sosu is a crucial person who will lead Sachendanga in the next generation.”
……?
Surprised by the rather normal reason, I was taken aback internally, and Tang Hochang continued, stroking his beard.
“Sosu is one of the few direct descendants of Sachendanga. Unless something special arises, she’ll likely inherit the head position after me. Were it that she had no responsibilities, I could treat her like Rin, but that child needs to learn how to be someone who stands above others from a young age.”
“So, treating Sosu sternly is part of the training to be the head?”
“In a way, yes.”
“…Grandfather.”
Tang Sosu looked at Tang Hochang with a moved expression upon realizing that his usual harshness was for this reason.
Wait, is this a moment to be touched?
I momentarily thought this, but since the involved party seemed to accept it, a third party shouldn’t make a fuss about it.
“I’ll work even harder in the future!”
With that, she clenched her fists in determination, and Tang Hochang nodded in affirmation.
“That’s how my granddaughter should be.”
Just when the conversation seemed to wrap up warmly,
“No, no, no, no.”
The instigator of this situation, Namgoong Ruby, said while shaking her hands side to side.
“No matter the reason, couldn’t you just be nice to them normally?”
“Hmm?”
“Even if you’re being strict due to education, being overly fond of your outer granddaughter while treating your biological granddaughter like this is frankly uncomfortable to witness, you know?”
“Ruby?!”
Before Tang Sosu could stop her with a shocked expression, it was already too late to halt Ruby’s gallop.
“It’s not like flattery will cost you anything, so how about complimenting Sosu like you do with Rin?”
Namgoong Ruby stood firmly, and Tang Hochang blinked in disbelief, then quickly broke into a wry smile.
“Indeed, you have a point.”
Who would’ve thought at this age, I’d get lectured by my granddaughter’s friend?
Chuckling to himself, Tang Hochang turned to the now flustered Tang Sosu and smiled kindly.
“I guess I’ve been a bit harsh lately. Let’s aim to get along better from now on.”
At first, Tang Sosu, who was bewildered, had her eyes welling with tears.
“Grandfather…!”
Waaah!
In the end, she burst into tears and embraced Tang Hochang.
Seeing a flustered Tang Hochang patting her shoulder, I couldn’t help but smile blissfully.
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