Chapter 138: Star. (1)
A few months ago, I recalled the time when Peng Woojin showed up at the Nine Dragons Ceremony hosted by the Gu Clan.
An unmistakable presence that screamed he was a blood relative of the Peng Clan, the young man insisted on becoming a swordsman of the Gu Clan.
To top it off, at that time, Peng Woojin was already seated at the position of Young Lord.
So why did he bother wanting to be a swordsman of the Gu Clan?
‘Was it because it was boring?’
It was probably something ridiculous like that.
Peng Woojin himself said it.
He ran away from home because he found the Peng Clan dull. So, declaring he would become a swordsman of the Gu Clan was utterly nonsensical.
Moreover, there was even the time he threw a tantrum and got knocked out by the Second Elder in one blow.
All I had were dizzying memories of him.
I asked Peng Woojin.
“…What are you doing here? Young Lord Peng.”
“Hmm? Is this a place I shouldn’t be?”
He shrugged off my question, casually brushing off his clothes.
His nonchalant tone remained as carefree as ever.
“Well, it’s not like that…”
“Then it must be fine!”
“….”
After exchanging just a few words, my head already started to ache.
It always felt like this when I spoke to people of his caliber.
After all, the guy who annoyingly followed me around in my past life was just like him.
I found myself contemplating while looking at Peng Woojin’s bright smile.
The Heavenly Dragon.
This was a title that Peng Woojin held before becoming the Young Lord of the Peng Clan.
He cast aside this title the moment he ascended to Young Lord.
It was a title bestowed upon the most extraordinary young prodigy.
And it represented the brightest star shining in the night sky.
‘In that sense, didn’t he give it up too soon?’
Peng Woojin was still technically in the prime age of his prodigy years.
If I were in his shoes, I might have felt somewhat reluctant to let go of such a title.
“Young Lord Peng.”
“Oh! What’s up?”
“Did you run away from home again?”
I asked, just in case. His track record had been incredibly outrageous.
At my query, Peng Woojin made a comically dumbfounded expression before bursting into hearty laughter.
“Do you see me as some sort of troublemaker?”
Shouldn’t you be?
“What kind of person would actually show up at the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament after running away from home?”
“Isn’t it possible to run away because you find it tedious and end up here?”
“What madman would do something like that…”
“…Huh?”
What’s this lunatic saying now?
He seemed to have completely forgotten his past shenanigans.
Peng Woojin chuckled at the sight of my bewildered expression.
“Just kidding!”
Oh boy, just a brief chat with him made me want to head home already.
“Don’t worry. I’m here on Murim Alliance business this time.”
I paused to think upon hearing Peng Woojin’s words.
Business, huh?
Did the Murim Alliance have something for Peng Woojin to do?
Even if that were the case, could it be so significant for him to come all the way to Hanam?
As I stared silently at Peng Woojin, he slightly averted his eyes and continued.
“…How could I not come out when such a good excuse is provided?”
Did he confess? It felt more like a slip from the guilty.
“…I’m not breaking any laws, though.”
“No one said anything, Young Lord Peng.”
He seemed desperate to break free from his clan.
What was the point of becoming the Young Lord if he were going to be like this?
‘Not that I should be talking…’
Every family has its complications to deal with.
No family seemed to have as many issues as mine.
“By the way, did you come alone?”
“Hmm? No.”
After saying so, he pointed behind him.
Standing there was Namgung Cheonjun, casting an unknown glare in my direction.
“You came with Nam… the Lightning Dragon?”
I nearly let “Namgung bastard” slip out. What the heck was he doing over there?
“Should I call it a coincidence? That’s how it turned out.”
It was a coincidence that the Young Lord and the soon-to-be Young Lord of the Four Noble Clans were traveling together, huh?
I had a strange feeling about that.
So, did Namgung Cheonjun arriving here early have something to do with Peng Woojin?
“Oh, if you’re asking about my sister, she’ll take a few days to arrive.”
I hadn’t been inquiring about Peng Ah-hee…
Wait, so Peng Ah-hee was arriving on her own soon?
To address my curiosity, Peng Woojin spoke with a slightly trembling voice.
“…Initially we planned to set off a bit later together, but I probably left early because I wanted to get here faster. She might be a bit mad, but it’ll be fine.”
At that point, I couldn’t help but think that causing trouble for Peng Ah-hee seemed to be Peng Woojin’s biggest hobby.
Last time I saw him, he looked like he was getting smacked around like a dog.
Was he really okay? I strongly doubted it.
“That’s that.”
“I don’t think you can just brush it off so easily…”
“Do you still have the wood I gave you last time?”
This man casually ignored my words.
‘The wood he’s talking about…’
It had to be the black wooden insignia he gave me previously.
He had mentioned that I would receive the same kind of treatment as Peng Woojin if I went to the Peng Clan with it.
An utterly burdensome item to possess.
As I recalled that, it seemed like Peng Woojin felt a bit disappointed.
“You said you’d come visit, yet here we are.”
“It hasn’t even been a year, Young Lord…”
But it was close to a year since that day.
I had been traveling nonstop, leaving no time to visit the Peng Clan.
Even if I had the time, I probably wouldn’t have gone anyway.
“U-Um.”
In the midst of our conversation, Gu Jeolyub timidly chimed in.
“Are you, by any chance, the Heavenly Dragon, Young Lord Peng Woojin?”
What was with that tentative voice? It was the first time I saw Gu Jeolyub being so cautious.
Peng Woojin turned his gaze toward Gu Jeolyub and nodded.
“Yes, although I no longer go by that name…”
“I-I’m Gu Jeolyub… Is it possible for me to shake your hand?”
“Hmm…?”
After hearing Gu Jeolyub introduce himself, Peng Woojin’s gaze naturally shifted back to me.
“Is he perhaps your older brother?”
“Nope. Our clan only has one son.”
“That’s fair, you aren’t alike at all! This guy is good-looking unlike-”
“I don’t know what’s about to come next, but please don’t!”
“Just kidding again.”
With a hearty laugh, Peng Woojin seized Gu Jeolyub’s hand.
In response, Gu Jeolyub made a blissful expression, as if he had received an immense gift.
‘What’s with him, for real?’
For me, it was a bit embarrassing.
Muyeon, who was with us, probably felt the same way… Well, it seemed he was also feeling a bit envious. Was he out of his mind?
If that wasn’t it, was the name “Heavenly Dragon” worth so much to people?
I had seen it in my past life, yet it felt novel every time.
‘Brat, are you the one who cares too little about such things?’
‘That could be true.’
I had been full of myself, and just the mention of dragons or phoenixes made me shudder.
So I avoided looking into any of their abilities in the past.
But now, I could see them everywhere.
‘He’s strong.’
Peng Woojin’s physique didn’t fit the typical image of the Peng Clan, known for their massive and destructive builds.
Instead, he looked lean and had a flexible appearance.
However, I could definitely sense the overwhelming strength he possessed.
The Peak Realm and beyond, huh?
My instinct was screaming such thoughts.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one examining him; Peng Woojin spoke as if he was reading me too.
“I expected you’d grow stronger.”
His sparkling black eyes brimmed with curiosity.
After hearing his remark, I couldn’t help but smirk.
“No one thinks of me that way. How unique of you.”
“Indeed, I wonder why no one considers you that way. That fascinates me even more.”
“I find it more interesting how certain you seem, Young Lord Peng.”
“People always tell me I’m odd, but my instincts aren’t wrong. See? The proof stands before me right now.”
As I appraised his cultivation level, it seemed he felt something from me too.
I was doing a decent enough job hiding it, though.
Somewhere along the line, I realized he wasn’t just guessing; it was either innate talent or profound experience.
In my case, it was definitely the former. But with Peng Woojin, it seemed to lean towards the latter.
Put simply, it was a matter of natural ability.
Skills honed over extensive practice…
Were easily apparent in those born with unjust advantages.
There were shadows in the past, where I lingered behind such talent…
Now, I had to shed all those thoughts.
‘It’s the same now.’
I torched the jealousy simmering within me.
I only needed to look forward.
If I wasn’t good enough, I just had to strive harder.
That was the only way to twist and seize whatever lay ahead.
‘Good mindset, you got there.’
‘You’re praising me for once.’
‘Should I not? Is there anyone more incompetent than a martial artist who criticizes others striving for improvement?’
‘Why are you acting cool all of a sudden? It’s a bit creepy, you know.’
‘Haha, you rotten being… Should I perform my Plum Blossom Sword Art using only my words to wake you up?’
Even though I responded with a hint of rebellion due to the embarrassment, what Elder Shin said truly moved me.
Elder Shin likely sensed that too.
“Oh, I heard you got engaged. So now you’re family with my Namgung guy over there, right?”
Peng Woojin said, smiling and gesturing toward Namgung Cheonjun, who flinched slightly.
Seeing that, I replied.
“Not quite yet.”
“If you’re engaged, then you’re family.”
“Then what about back when I was engaged with the Peng Clan—”
“Of course, fate brought us together early; how about we have a duel?”
Why bother talking to me if you won’t pay attention? What the heck, man…
Seeing Peng Woojin so eager made me sigh and turn down his invitation.
“It’s a bit tough right now.”
Dueling out of nowhere? Does he think he’s Namgung Bi-ah or something?
When I turned him down, Peng Woojin pouted in disappointment.
I really didn’t understand why all the fellows I met were so eager for a duel.
You’d think they would tone it down after becoming Young Lords.
…
Suddenly, I cleared my throat, recalling what I had done during my time as a Young Lord.
It wasn’t my place to judge him.
“Let’s save it for next time. I feel it’s too early.”
Too early.
Upon grasping what that one word implied, Peng Woojin started to chuckle.
“This is why I appreciate you.”
I frowned at his unsettling words.
It was only our second meeting, so why did he make me feel so uneasy?
“Young Lord Peng… I’ll say it again, but I like women.”
“Don’t worry; I like women too, you know?”
“Why the question mark at the end!”
Is he going to leave that question mark up? I swear I’m going to strangle him.
As I fumed, Peng Woojin threw his head back in laughter.
Namgung Cheonjun, who had been watching, approached and spoke to Peng Woojin.
“Brother Peng, it’s almost time for us to leave.”
“Oh, already?”
Peng Woojin scratched the back of his head at Namgung Cheonjun’s words, clearly reluctant to move.
“…I guess I can’t help it. Young Master Gu, let’s meet again for sure! It’ll be soon.”
“No, really, you don’t have to.”
“I’ll bring my sister the next time!”
“…Why?”
Why bother when she and I had our awkward relationship?
Had he completely forgotten about how I had called off the engagement between my clan and the Peng Clan?
Noticing my sour expression, Peng Woojin spoke as if he were sad and waved goodbye as he walked away.
As he passed by, I could sense Namgung Cheonjun’s piercing gaze on me.
Jealousy.
Our eyes met, and I noticed a whole mix of familiar emotions in his look.
Those with such eyes were always up to no good.
I had been like that in the past, and many others were too.
“Not good.”
“What do you mean?”
Gu Jeolyub questioned, intrigued by my words.
His eyes sparkled with curiosity, a stark contrast to when he was dragged to the training area earlier.
“Nothing. By the way, you seemed thrilled earlier.”
“Pardon?”
“Did you really like Young Lord Peng’s hands that much?”
“He’s… the Heavenly Dragon.”
To be precise, he used to be the Heavenly Dragon.
At Gu Jeolyub’s words, even Muyeon slightly nodded in agreement.
That ridiculous title! I’ll get it, dirty or not.
“Let’s focus on training.”
Training was my objective from the start, so whether it was Peng or Namgung, I decided it was time to put in work.
Bringing Gu Jeolyub along turned out to be a brilliant move.
Watching him play pretend while training managed to ease the tension I had been feeling.
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