Chapter 8: Nine Dragons Ceremony (2)
Not much time was left before the Nine Dragons Ceremony began, and I was being held hostage by a bear-like man.
The man spoke to me.
“You’re not running away this time, huh?”
If someone were to be called “Giant Mountain,” this would definitely be the guy.
He had to be at least 8 feet tall, and the intimidating aura radiating from his broad shoulders was impressive.
His white hair and the wrinkles on his face hinted at the years he had lived, but he was still a martial artist before being labeled as an old man.
He was Gu Lun, the Second Elder of the Gu Clan.
“So, this ‘lazy’ lad who always flees at the sight of me actually decided to show up, huh?”
“Well, you did say you’d split me in half if I didn’t come… And how could I possibly miss the Nine Dragons Ceremony?”
“Oh? Talking back to me, are we?”
He ruffled my hair with his giant hands in a way that made me feel like a rag doll (sfx: whoosh!).
The Second Elder had always had this non-obsessive obsession with me, probably because I was the only son of the Gu family.
With his uncontrollable strength, every time he ruffled my hair, it was as if my head was washing along with the tide.
‘Ugh, I feel like throwing up…’
Just when I was about to black out, Gu Yeonseo appeared. She was like a beam of light in my gloomy universe.
Gu Yeonseo grimaced at the sight of me, but quickly adjusted her expression and bowed respectfully to the Second Elder.
“Greetings, Second Elder.”
“Oh! My Yeonseo is here too!”
Seeing Gu Yeonseo, he finally let go of me and pulled out a piece of yakgwa.
I feel like I’ve seen this scene somewhere…
“This troublemaking little brat never has a cute day, huh? Yeonseo must have had a hard time coming all the way here. Grandpa didn’t bring you anything in his rush… Want some yakgwa?”
Gu Yeonseo stiffened a bit at the sight of the offered yakgwa, and then managed a small smile as she declined.
“Sorry, I don’t feel too well right now…”
“Oh no…! I must call the medics!”
“No, it’s okay, Second Elder! I’m just nervous about the ceremony. I’ll gladly accept the yakgwa next time.”
She bowed politely before leaving to change her clothes.
“She’s so polite and well-mannered, unlike someone here.”
“Can I see a doctor? I feel faint because you’re messing with my head!”
“That’s easily cured by rubbing some spit on it, so just be quiet.”
What kind of nonsense discrimination is this?
I felt a bit wronged by it, but considering how unique his personality was, I just let it slide.
“Second Elder, if you’re not going to eat the yakgwa, could you share it with me?”
“I’ve told you before, you need to eat a little less. What kind of nonsense is it for the son of the Gu Clan to crave a yakgwa?”
“But you were just about to offer it to the daughter of the Gu Clan! And what does being a child of the Gu Clan have to do with yakgwa…”
“Yeonseo trains consistently, while you just eat, sleep, and… do whatever you do.”
“It’s not me eating it, so what’s the problem?”
As I said this, I grabbed the yakgwa from the Elder. Naturally, I intended to give it to Wi Seol-Ah.
Now, every time I see yakgwa, I think of Wi Seol-Ah. Is it because I saw her enjoying it so much?
Once I had the yakgwa, I noticed Wi Seol-Ah approaching with some other servants.
As the servants greeted us, Wi Seol-Ah followed their lead.
The Second Elder waved his hand, signaling that there was no need for such formalities.
Wi Seol-Ah then bounded over to me.
“Young Master! There are so many people outside!”
“Of course, it’s a festival.”
“They’re selling dumplings! Beef skewers! Noodles!”
“…Didn’t you just mention there were a lot of people? Why are we suddenly talking about food?”
“But the dumplings…”
Wi Seol-Ah stopped, startled, and hid behind me.
I turned around to see what startled her and noticed the Second Elder looking down at her with an odd expression.
Being gazed upon by this giant man towering over me was really terrifying.
Moreover, the Gu Clan bloodline was known for having fierce eyes, which meant that they never looked particularly friendly.
“…Second Elder, people will be scared if you just stand there staring like that.”
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Is that child your concubine?”
“…What on earth are you talking about? Look at her clothes, sir. She’s a servant.”
Among the servants, those of the bloodline wore yellow robes, just like Wi Seol-Ah.
“Is that so? If you say so, then it must be true.”
After I insisted she was a servant, he seemed to lose interest and stepped away. I needed to prepare as the sun was beginning to set.
I handed the yakgwa to Wi Seol-Ah.
“Eat this and behave.”
“Huh? I already ate some earlier…”
“Why? Didn’t you say you liked it? Are you tired of it now?”
“No… My grandpa said not to eat more than five a day.”
“…When did you even eat five already?”
I thought I only gave her one in the carriage? When I shot a glance at the servants, they all seemed to be avoiding eye contact.
“So they’re the culprits…”
They most likely didn’t give her my snack, so they probably used their own coins to buy her some.
I decided to leave the yakgwa with her to eat whenever she wanted, then hurried to change my clothes.
I didn’t have many preparations to do. All I needed was to wear the red robe, the clan’s symbol.
As the sun set and the evening haze settled, lamps began lighting up throughout the venue.
In the center of the hall, the Second Elder stood, and Gu Yeonseo and I flanked him.
All blood relatives had to join the Nine Dragons Ceremony, but the youngest was absent, and the eldest was busy with sword training, which left only me and Gu Yeonseo in attendance.
Usually, the Lord would directly participate in the ceremony, but due to his urgent matters with the True Gate of Demons, he couldn’t move easily.
The same was true for the primary swordsmanship squad directly under the Lord.
Thus, currently attending were the second, third, and fourth squads, while the fifth squad was away on a mission.
This year’s first Nine Dragons Ceremony had a relatively small turnout.
Though the venue was massive, thanks to Heaven Market’s sponsorship.
The scale of the venue was truly immense compared to the number of attendees.
This allowed many spectators to come, but it raised the risk of accidents due to the overwhelming crowd.
Of course, no insane person would start trouble with the swordsmen gathered.
The hundred or so present before me, excluding the Second Elder and Gu Yeonseo, were all warriors of the Gu Clan.
Even though they were lightly armed, the sharp aura they all emitted proved that each was a formidable martial artist.
“Captains of each swordsmen squad, step forward.”
The playful demeanor the Second Elder had earlier was now replaced by a dignified presence, as he commanded respect as an Elder of the clan.
His brief words echoed loudly in the hall, amplified by the internal energy he cultivated.
At his command, many squad captains stepped forward.
“Deputy of the Second Squad, Woo Ahn-Seon! Greetings to the Elder of the Gu Clan.”
“Captain of the Third Squad, Ma Cheol-Hyun! Greetings to the Second Elder.”
“Deputy of the Fourth Squad, Hyuk Jooyum! Greetings to the Second Elder.”
A captain along with two deputies from the sword squads had stepped forward.
Only a single captain step forth at once was a safety precaution in case of an emergency.
This arrangement had been prearranged among the squads.
The Second Elder nodded at the squad leaders before continuing.
“For the sake of the civilians and the Gu Clan…”
The details of what he said next were rather long, and I ended up tuning out during his speech.
To sum it up: Thanks for all your hard work, and please continue to work hard in the future; and because you’ve all worked hard, you’ll be rewarded.
The rewards given to the squads consisted of generous medicine and a salary doubled for the month.
However, what resonated more with them than the rewards were the expressions of appreciation shared by the Elder,
Something I really wasn’t able to understand.
As for Gu Yeonseo and me, our role was merely to stand beside the Elder. It was a formal gesture to acknowledge their toils as blood relatives of the Gu Clan.
Such displays were vital for uplifting the morale of the warriors.
“…I express my gratitude for your hard work.”
As the Second Elder’s speech drew to a close, I seized the moment to refocus my thoughts on the event unfolding.
As the Elder expressed his gratitude, not only the swordsmen but also the spectators burst into applause.
When I looked up at the sky, the sun had already set.
The first day of the Nine Dragons Ceremony was closing.
Thank goodness, nothing troublesome happened.
It was improbable that something chaotic would occur in the presence of our clan’s elite warriors, yet I remained cautious nonetheless.
My foggy head couldn’t recall everything accurately.
While I could remember some significant events, I couldn’t clearly recall the minor incidents that happened during that time.
It could be attributed to the fact that I was young and distracted back then, or perhaps I simply chose to forget most memories, keeping only the cherished ones.
Regardless,
At least it seems nothing went wrong during this Nine Dragons Ceremony.
I recollected the ‘incident’ that lay ahead in winter, yet I could not recall any misfortune happening from the spring Nine Dragons Ceremony.
As the applause began to wane, I headed out with the guides from Heaven Market.
—
As night fell, a small festival was in store for the warriors of the Gu Clan.
I’d say it was a festival given the abundance of food and drinks carefully prepared by Heaven Market.
Though the leaders and deputies initially hesitated to drink due to their positions, the Second Elder urged them to enjoy themselves just for today.
Seeing that, the swordsmen cheered more boisterously than when they received their rewards.
“What a chaotic situation.”
They, being human beings, naturally craved drinks and rich foods, which had been off-limits for them.
But now that the Second Elder had eliminated that restriction, the atmosphere became electrifying, to the point it was complete havoc.
I stood up, planning to step outside for some fresh air, and Muyeon tagged along, almost as if he had been impatiently waiting for me.
“Huh? Why aren’t you drinking with them? Why are you following me?”
“How could an escort drink? This festival is for the swordsmen, not for me, so I’m fine.”
“Huh. Aren’t you technically part of the sword squad too?”
At that remark, Muyeon paused.
The martial artists assigned to escort the Gu Clan were, in fact, part of the swordsmen squad. Therefore, Muyeon was technically included.
“I… um…”
“Whatever. Want to stroll around the streets a bit?”
I changed the topic, noticing he was struggling for an answer and, honestly, I wasn’t overly curious to delve deeper into it.
“The legendary Pavillion is indeed glorious, but seeing this place bustling with life in person is simply astounding.”
The streets were livelier than those of the Gu Clan, especially with places lighting up after dark.
Could this street compete with the marketplaces in Anhui or the great market in Sichuan?
Feeling trepidation for Muyeon, who remained vigilant in case anything went awry, I nevertheless found joy in wandering.
Watching people strolling about peacefully reassured me that the turmoil of the past had not yet come.
“Should I buy some dumplings?”
Suddenly, I recalled Wi Seol-Ah’s chat about dumplings.
“Is this for that servant, huh?”
Upon mentioning dumplings, Muyeon instantly referenced Wi Seol-Ah.
“Not just her. Everyone will be happy if I buy some for them too.”
Why not pick up some for the other servants as well? Muyeon wore a proud expression.
“Ah, the Young Master is quite different from the rumors. They say a person shouldn’t be judged based only on hearsay. I see I have much to learn!”
“What’s all this grand talk about? I’m merely buying dumplings. Wait… how long have you been my escort?”
“It’s been just under 15 days.”
…So he started his post shortly before my resurrection, huh? That would explain his words.
I pondered whether he was the lucky one or if I was the one getting fortunate.
Remembering Muyeon didn’t leave me with many recollections, it seemed the escort changed daily just like Muyeon did.
“Hey, Muyeon, look! There are dumplings being sold over there!”
As I was lost in thoughts, I turned to find a building with steam puffing out—seemingly a dumpling station. My appetite peeked despite my earlier lack of hunger cues.
“That looks good, let’s go there.”
My decision was swift and firm.
While approaching the dumpling vendor, I heard a voice.
“Miss, it’s dangerous for you to roam around like this.”
“You worry too much! The Nine Dragons Day is on, what could possibly happen with so many warriors of the Gu Clan around?”
Then, I spotted a familiar face.
“That’s why I’m worried… What if you run into the Young Master of the Gu—”
“There’s no way that would happen. Look at how many people there are!”
Ah, that wasn’t the smartest thing to say…
Right after she uttered those words, our eyes locked.
At the moment our gazes met, the girl froze like a statue.
Even her female escort behind her appeared to be shocked.
With hair cut just above her shoulders and coal-black eyes, she stood out strikingly.
Then, I noticed a black ring on her finger.
The symbol was hard to decipher unless closely examined, but since I already recognized her, I easily understood what the ring signified.
The Peng Clan of Hebei.
The girl was of a renowned family in the Central Plains, a practitioner of the sword and a member of one of the Four Noble Clans.
And she was my former fiancée.
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