“I am Son Mi-ok, the owner of the Sogapomokjeom.”
While it might seem unusual for a woman of the Son clan to run a clothing store, it wouldn’t be surprising if a couple started a business together or continued a family tradition.
I observed my mother-in-law, Son Mi-ok, who is also the mother of Black Cat.
As the owner of the store, she was dressed elegantly and neatly, with a style that was neither excessive nor neglected, easily signaling her exceptional taste in clothing.
It seemed she had decided to overlook my embarrassing behavior outside and responded quite normally.
“I didn’t expect a hero of the Martial World to visit such a small clothing store, so my reception is a bit delayed.”
“Hero of the Martial World? That’s too much praise.”
“I’ve cheered for the Brain Knife Outcast Great Hero when I heard the whispers of your adventures. Everyone knows about your efforts to defeat the Blood Sect and bring peace to the world. How could someone at peace address the Brain Knife Outcast Great Hero lightly?”
My mother-in-law was delicately mentioning that she was well aware of my reputation.
Hearing those words, my mind began swimming with thoughts of solitary nights, gambling, debauchery, outcast guy, and beggar, but I managed to hold onto my sanity.
Having already blown my first impression, I had to redeem myself somehow.
“If I’m not mistaken, the beautiful woman accompanying the Brain Knife Outcast Great Hero is… isn’t she the Sacheon Outcast known as Black Cat?”
“… Yes.”
I replied cautiously, alternating my gaze between Black Cat and my mother-in-law.
In truth, it would be hard for my mother-in-law to recognize that Black Cat was her daughter. She hadn’t seen her since childhood, and although they had finally met after so many years, Black Cat was covering her face with a mask and black hood.
So it wouldn’t be strange if my mother-in-law didn’t recognize Black Cat as her daughter, So Yeon-hwa.
Yet, perhaps there is such a thing as maternal instinct.
My mother-in-law began to stare at Black Cat intently. Black Cat didn’t avoid her gaze, and in my mother-in-law’s eyes, suspicion turned into horror, ultimately giving way to intense emotion.
“I’ve heard that the Sacheon Outcasts wear black hoods to hide their identities, so I know this question might be rude, but I must ask,”
Her voice trembled, and her hand squeezed tightly as if revealing her tension.
“Do you perhaps have ties to this Hunan region?”
Black Cat didn’t answer. No, she was too overwhelmed by her emotions to speak.
“You look so familiar, even though it’s our first meeting…”
That statement seemed to trigger something. Black Cat ripped off her mask and hood so fiercely that her neatly combed hair became disheveled, and her lip makeup was slightly smudged, but to both her and my mother-in-law, it was hardly a trivial matter.
“Mom…!”
“Yeon-hwa, it’s you…!”
The two embraced each other without a second thought.
It was a long-awaited reunion between mother and daughter after so many years.
*
It took quite some time for the emotional outburst between Black Cat and my mother-in-law to settle down. Of course, while their feelings had calmed, they still held onto each other tightly, exuding affection.
“So, now… are you okay?”
Once their emotions had subsided a bit, my mother-in-law seemed to remember her practical concerns and asked about the Taeyum condition.
Black Cat slowly shook her head.
“There was some improvement, but I’m not completely free of it yet. However, it’s okay. The renowned Poison Doctor Tang said that if I cultivate the Hwa-gyeong level, I can resolve my physical issues.”
“I see… I see. They say you’re at the Peak Stage, so you just need to hang in there a little longer.”
She spoke as if impressed, yet her expression grew somewhat dark.
Was this a chance to score points?
I put on a bold face and spoke up.
“You needn’t worry, Mother! I have promised to train with Black Cat until we both reach the Hwa-gyeong level. I will ensure that Black Cat, no, So Yeon-hwa’s progress is solid!”
“… Is that so?”
My mother-in-law, who had been looking at me with doubt, suddenly widened her eyes as if she had realized something and turned her gaze to Black Cat.
“I have heard that the Brain Knife Outcast Great Hero has quite the entourage. However, the fact that you came to see me alone… could it be…?”
“Um, Mom…!”
Black Cat lowered her head shyly, and my mother-in-law’s eyes went wide as she finally realized I was a potential son-in-law.
“Really, is it true…?”
Black Cat only blushed and didn’t respond, but her demeanor was the answer. My mother-in-law, who was alternating her gaze between us, placed a hand on her forehead.
“Ugh, I simply can’t get my head around this…”
As she said that, she scrutinized me.
“I apologize, Great Hero. So much has happened in such a short time that it’s hard to process. I hope it isn’t rude to ask a few questions?”
“Of course, mother. I’ll answer anything!”
I puffed my chest out and tried to maintain as dignified a composure as I could while facing my mother-in-law.
“Great Hero, you came here with my daughter, which means I can take this situation as standard protocol?”
“That’s correct. Black Cat, no, So Yeon-hwa and I have confirmed our mutual feelings.”
“Ah, I see. But why did you refuse to see me in the hallway?”
And just like that, my shoulders shrank in an instant.
“Uh, I was just a bit tense and got carried away…”
“Is that so?”
Ah, I can hear it.
I could practically hear the score point dropping inside my mother-in-law!
“I’ve heard you enjoy gambling quite a bit.”
“It’s just a casual enjoyment like everyone else! Hahaha!”
“I’ve heard you’ve explored every gambling den in Sacheon City over the years.”
… My mother-in-law was more in-the-know than I expected. Why does a clothing store owner in Hunan know so much about the Martial World gossip?
And those busybodies!
Wait, what’s so important about a martial artist’s skills? Why is my gambling history spreading everywhere!?
“While you were incognito, I heard you frequented the gambling halls every night.”
My mother-in-law’s glares became sharper, and my shoulders shrank even more.
“Um, Mom…?”
“Yeon-hwa, quiet down. I’m having a conversation with the Great Hero here.”
… This is strange.
Why am I sweating so much? As I wiped the cold sweat from my neck, my mother-in-law continued.
“I don’t view gambling negatively. After all, men find it hard to build networks if they abstain from drinking and entertainment. It may be excessive for someone with such a renowned gambling skill, but I suppose it’s better than being insufficient.”
“That’s a valid point.”
Without noticing, my slumped shoulders lifted a bit.
However…
“But even if you enjoy gambling, wouldn’t you need a fortune to match that kind of spending?”
Her words were merely bait for her next question.
“So, do you possess assets that reflect such extravagant spending?”
With that follow-up question, cold sweat began pouring down my back.
“I’ve heard the Sacheon Outcast earns a decent living, but surely you can’t be visiting gambling halls in Sacheon City every day… a person of such renown must have other means to acquire wealth, right?”
Where on earth is this place, Hunan?
It’s one of the top tourist spots in the Central Plains, home to Dongjeong Lake and Ak-yang Tower. To be more specific, it’s a place where people go not for the scenic beauty of Dongjeong Lake, but to indulge in drinking and entertainment against that backdrop, so calling it the place with the highest flow of money in the world isn’t an exaggeration.
So for someone like my mother-in-law to run a clothing store this size here?
She must be raking it in like it’s nothing!
I had a fair amount of gold in my pocket, but it certainly didn’t compare to the amount a store owner like her must have.
But!
Upon being asked that question, I could hold my head high!
“I, Ho Cheon-an, have invested about three hundred gold!”
Having been a major shareholder at Gwang Jae-ryeon’s Gwangcheol Workshop, the renowned trust and credibility proportions were backing me up.
My mother-in-law looked at me in shock, her eyes wide as saucers.
“You mean to say you invested all that money somewhere?!”
… However, my mother-in-law’s astonishment was not what I anticipated.
“Where did you invest it?”
“… Umm, Gwangcheol Workshop… in Hubei…”
“Is it that massive smelting furnace that’s losing ground? You didn’t throw all three hundred gold there, did you?!”
My mother-in-law’s shock was palpable! I could only marvel at how clued-in she was.
How does someone managing a clothing store know so much about gossip from different regions and industries? Black Cat must have inherited this informant talent from her family!
“Have you lost your mind? Get your money out immediately!”
“No, I can’t do that.”
“Not a chance! That’s three hundred gold! With that kind of cash, reputable investors from across the world would jump at the chance to grow your wealth! Pouring that money into one shop is madness!”
“Gwangcheol Workshop will definitely succeed.”
“Hah! That’s what every gambler says! But do you have any solid proof to convince me?”
… What do I even say to that?
The odds of Gwangcheol Workshop making it big are solid. There’s no way that the new smelting method is going to fail. The variables will only be the degree of success; failure is out of the question… but I can’t point to any evidence.
Without any firm proof, regardless of how it looked, I resembled a fool about to ruin his family.
“You see, I’ve built a solid connection with the successor of the workshop, and I trust him completely. He will succeed for sure.”
“… You’re saying you are confident about it?”
I could feel the chill in her stare as she begrudgingly paid me a compliment, and it was so cold that even a winter soldier would run away.
It was so unusual.
I found myself drenched in cold sweat just from her intense gaze!
“Hehe…”
As I wiped the sweat accumulating on my forehead,
“You can ease up now, Great Hero.”
My mother-in-law suddenly flashed me a gentle smile.
“Eh…?”
“My daughter has grown up now. How could I block the choice she made just because I’m her mother?”
She said this and placed her hand over Black Cat’s hand, gazing at her with an affectionate stare.
“I was merely curious about who the Brain Knife Outcast is, so I pretended to be strict for a moment.”
Upon hearing that, it felt like the cold sweat trickling down my back had suddenly stopped.
“As for the investment, I have a mountain of thoughts about it. But what’s truly important is that two people become intertwined to care for each other.”
“Mom…!”
With that, it was practically a consent for their relationship, and Black Cat jumped into her mother’s embrace. My mother-in-law’s face was radiant, filled with warmth and affection.
“Wow, you’ve become quite spoiled during our time apart. Go ahead and release all those pent up grievances.”
Black Cat tightened her embrace silently. Watching them, I smiled.
“Let’s rest here in this store for a while. As a mother, I have a stubborn side, so I hope you can accommodate that?”
“I will simply follow your wishes, Mother.”
“Great! Let’s unwind and have dinner together.”
Receiving such a clear display of affection left me a bit flustered. I hadn’t shown myself worthy of such trust, yet being received this way, I felt like a clueless beggar who borrowed money without paying back.
So, I resolved to show them I am worthy of this trust.
With that, I bowed to my mother-in-law.
She seemed pleased with my display and sent me a kinder gaze…
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yeo Il-ye, a member of the Ten Prodigies, known as Hong Juk-gun.”
“And I’m Hwang So-wol, a friend of Black Cat.”
“I am Dokgo I-seol, a rumor master of the Dark Dragon Sect.”
“I am Moyong Yeon-hwa of the Moyong Clan.”
The warmth in her gaze froze solid as she assessed the faces of my dinner guests.
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