Chapter 136: A Matchmaker Arrives (1)

Namgung Seong occasionally judged people by calling them and observing their reactions.

Though he disliked learning martial arts from unorthodox sects such as soul-binding arts, he didn’t hesitate to make use of them when necessary.

He thought this was one of those situations as he stared at Yong Hwarin.

“It seems Young Master Yong has reached the age where he should start a family.”

While they were conversing, Namgung Seong suddenly brought up the topic of marriage.

Knowing what Namgung Seong was aiming for, Yong Hwarin responded indirectly.

“I intend to pass on the head position of my main family to my younger sibling and dedicate myself solely to martial arts. That’s why I’m not planning to start a family yet. Once I achieve something meaningful in martial arts, I’ll consider it then.”

He spoke with the intention of cutting off the conversation in advance, but Namgung Seong clicked his tongue.

“Tsk tsk, why would you think that way? Do you believe marriage will hinder your martial progress? On the contrary, it often helps one advance.”

“I understand. But in my foolish opinion, I still believe it’s best for me to focus only on martial arts, so I’m not thinking of starting a family.”

As Yong Hwarin spoke firmly, Namgung Seong smacked his lips with a bitter expression.

Namgung Seong soon lost interest in continuing the conversation.

“I’ve kept you for too long, Young Master Yong. Yoo-ah, please show him the way. Since he just finished a match, it’d be best for him to get some rest. And if there are no urgent matters, feel free to stay at our household for a while. Don’t feel pressured.”

Yong Hwarin exited Namgung Seong’s residence and walked alongside Namgung Yoo.

“I watched your match, Young Master Yong. I can say for sure that among the younger generation in the martial world, no one surpasses you.”

Namgung Yoo had been deeply impressed by his match with Eom An.

It seemed he didn’t just outshine his peers but also her older brother Namgung Soomyung.

“You flatter me. I’m still lacking in many ways. If I hadn’t met Elder Namgung Bi, I would’ve been the one defeated by Eom An.”

“Oh, you met Grandfather?”

Yong Hwarin saw no reason to hide it, so he told her what happened the night before.

“That’s quite the encounter. Even among our main family, Grandfather rarely shares his insights. He always says a fruit has to ripen before it’s good—eating it too early will only upset your stomach. The fact that he acknowledged you and gave you his insights means you’ve already reached that realm. Congratulations.”

It was unexpected that she wasn’t jealous of someone outside the main family receiving the Sword King’s insights.

Then she said something else just as surprising.

“And I think it’d be best not to mention this to anyone else. Did you tell my father?”

Yong Hwarin shook his head.

“Good decision. Even within the main family, many complain that Grandfather is stingy when it comes to passing down martial techniques. If it gets out that he shared his insights with a young master from another sect, both you and Grandfather would be burdened.”

Namgung Yoo spoke of her grandfather Namgung Bi with evident respect.

As they continued talking, Yong Hwarin started to see her more as a companion than as a woman.

This allowed them to speak openly about various topics—things he couldn’t say if he were treating her as a woman.

Eventually, they reached the guest room where Yong Hwarin had been staying, but the people who had been bustling about earlier were nowhere to be seen.

Moments later, the Three Deadly Sisters came out from the room.

“Where did the members of River Center Escort Agency go?”

The younger disciples from Mount Hua were nowhere to be seen.

“They were invited to the family head’s hall. Word seems to have reached him that they’re disciples from Mount Hua.”

Yong Hwarin smiled slightly and nodded.

Because of his martial match, they had probably been investigated, and their identities discovered.

If their identities had been unknown, it couldn’t be helped. But once it was known that they were talents from Mount Hua, ignoring it would have been impossible.

“And our accommodations have changed. We’re moving to the VIP Pavilion.”

Jeong Minji had apparently been waiting all this time to tell him that.

Jeong Suji, however, was sulking after seeing Namgung Yoo arrive with Yong Hwarin, glaring at them without a word.

“This is Lady Namgung Yoo. These three are the famed heroines of the Jeong Clan Village in Shaanxi.”

After Yong Hwarin introduced them, Namgung Yoo gave a slight nod.

“Oh, so you’re the famous Three Deadly Sisters of Shaanxi.”

Namgung Yoo looked at the three with admiration.

“You three embody the dream I’ve long had—to venture into the martial world and uphold justice. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m Jeong Minji from the Jeong Clan Village in Shaanxi.”

“I’m Jeong Suji.”

“I’m Jeong Daji, the youngest of the Three Deadly Sisters.”

Each of the sisters greeted them in their own unique style.

“All three of you are beautiful. Young Master Yong must be quite pleased to travel with such company.”

Namgung Yoo joked like a man might.

“Haha, not only are they beautiful, but their martial prowess is formidable. They’re the best companions one could ask for on a journey.”

Yong Hwarin replied with a laugh, but Jeong Suji snorted, seemingly annoyed.

Then she abruptly asked,

“By any chance, are you the one they call the unorthodox practitioner of the Namgung Clan?”

Despite the potentially offensive phrasing, Namgung Yoo smiled brightly.

“That’s right. I’ve always been a bit eccentric, so I studied unorthodox martial arts.”

Jeong Minji sensed a free-spirited nature in Namgung Yoo, one uncharacteristic of a noble martial family daughter.

Even as she conversed with Yong Hwarin, she didn’t behave in a typically feminine manner.

Finding this refreshing, Jeong Minji started asking her various questions.

Unexpectedly, Namgung Yoo wasn’t just familiar with a few tricks of unorthodox martial arts—she was deeply knowledgeable, prompting increasingly detailed questions.

“Ah, then Lady Namgung, are you well-versed in the Forbidden Techniques?”

“Of course. The Forbidden Techniques require profound knowledge of blood vessels and energy flow. They shouldn’t be dismissed as mere heretical skills.”

“Could you explain a bit about them?”

“Hmm, rather than talk about it here, let’s go to the VIP Pavilion. It’s not something that can be explained briefly.”

Like reunited old friends, Jeong Minji and Namgung Yoo chatted cheerfully as they walked toward the VIP Pavilion.

Yong Hwarin, Jeong Suji, and Jeong Daji exchanged glances as they watched the scene, as if to say, Well, that’s something you don’t see every day.

Originally, Yong Hwarin had planned to stay at the Namgung Clan’s estate for just two days before leaving.

However, unexpectedly, the clan head Namgung Seong insisted on organizing a sightseeing trip to Lake Chao for the younger generation of the gathered noble families, making it impossible for Yong Hwarin to leave.

Initially, this trip had been planned without Yong Hwarin’s group in mind. But Namgung Seong decided to include not only the younger disciples from Mount Hua but also Yong Hwarin’s entire group, increasing the number of carriages to eight.

Each family was assigned one carriage.

Arranging such a trip would normally be difficult even with ample funds, but the Namgung Clan, being on par with the Shangguan Clan in wealth, spared no expense.

“We were planning to leave.”

When Yong Hwarin said this, he almost got grabbed by the collar by Pang Giyok.

“I’ve been wondering when I’d see you again since we parted in the Bamboo Grove, and Namgung Clan’s head made this opportunity possible. We should be thankful! It’s not every day you get to travel and bond with friends. This takes priority over everything else! I’m even skipping today’s training because of you.”

Pang Giyok had spoken to this extent—there was no way to refuse him.

And Yong Hwarin also thought that mingling with the young successors of the noble clans wouldn’t be a bad thing, so he agreed to join the outing to Soho.

Soho (巢湖) was one of the five great freshwater lakes of the continent.

Alongside Poyang Lake (瀋陽湖), Dongting Lake (洞庭湖), Tai Lake (太湖), and Hongze Lake (洪澤湖), it held a place among the top five freshwater lakes.

Although it was the smallest among them, it was renowned for its beautiful scenery.

“This is my first time at Soho.”

The women chattered as they took in the breathtaking landscape of Soho.

Most of the young successors were likely seeing Soho for the first time.

Up until now, they had been locked away within their clans, single-mindedly training in martial arts, without time for leisurely outings.

However, Yong Hwarin, having seen Soho many times in his previous life, felt little excitement.

About one hour later, when they arrived at Soho, they were surprised to see the large boat the Namgung Clan had prepared in advance.

“That boat was borrowed by the Clan Leader for the young lords.”

It was a large boat, spacious enough for dozens of people.

Seeing that even a dozen sailors had been arranged in advance, it was clear the Namgung Clan Leader had made thorough preparations to win favor with them.

It was groundwork being laid in advance for the Namgung Clan to take the lead once the Sejung Alliance was formed.

“Let’s board together.”

Yong Hwarin turned to the members of the Heavenly Central Flying Dragon Unit and spoke.

But the Flying Dragon Unit politely declined, saying they couldn’t accompany the young lords on their leisure cruise.

“Young Lord, we’ll take a separate tour. That would be more convenient.”

Mu Iso declined because if the Flying Dragon Unit also boarded, it would become too crowded.

As a result, only the young successors of the Mount Hua Sect and the Three Killers and Three Companions boarded the boat.

“I think it’s better if we tour separately.”

Understanding their intentions, Yong Hwarin pulled a money pouch from his inner pocket.

“You shouldn’t miss out on sightseeing just because you’re low on funds. Use this money.”

“We’re fine.”

“Please take it. I won’t be asking for it back. Spend freely. Drink some wine too.”

Moved by the young lord’s thoughtful gesture toward his subordinates, the Flying Dragon Unit members gave a respectful martial salute.

“Thank you, Young Lord.”

At times like this, it was impossible to think of him as just a young person.

Jeong Minji, observing how Yong Hwarin handled people, admired him inwardly.

‘Martial artists are usually bad at these things, which always lands them in trouble, but Young Master Yong is just too good at it.’

To her, Yong Hwarin appeared magnanimous, freely spending money on his sect members.

The boat slowly made its way toward the center of Soho.

There were quite a few people out boating on Soho.

With shallow waters, Soho was perfect for water play.

Because of that, it was a popular spot among the locals for casual recreation.

Moreover, it was also one of the most frequently visited sites for tourists in Anhui, so boats were always crowding Soho.

Since he had come all the way to Soho, Yong Hwarin intended to finally relax for a while.

But he didn’t get the leisure time he wanted.

Women gradually gathered around him.

“Young Master Yong, have you come to dislike even associating with me now?”

There was only one person who would approach him so bluntly.

Turning his head, he saw Shangguan Mijong looking at him with a slightly irritated expression.

“Dislike associating with you? Not at all.”

Hearing Yong Hwarin reply calmly, Shangguan Mijong could tell how much he had changed in just a few months.

Even back then, she had sensed a maturity rare for someone his age, but now it was the first time she had felt like a child in comparison.

‘It’s a strange feeling.’

Shangguan Mijong had a habit of looking down on men.

She had a tendency to dismiss them somewhat, but for some reason, she couldn’t do the same with Yong Hwarin.

It felt like she was dealing with an older brother.

“Were there any side effects after that?”

“No, ever since you treated me, I’ve had no problems. I’ve been able to resume training in martial arts with peace of mind.”

“But the martial art you were practicing requires considerable caution.”

“Yes, that’s why I’ve recently been training in a different one. I plan to return to that technique only once I’m confident I can make it my own.”

“That’s a wise decision.”

As Seo Munseoseol, Pang Cheollyeon, and others began to approach him, Yong Hwarin quietly stepped away.

Seeing this, Pang Giyok laughed heartily.

“Hahaha, how strange indeed. Even though Brother Namgung, said to be the most handsome man in the martial world, is right here, all the women are going to Hwarin.”

“And aren’t you the most handsome, Brother Pang?”

Namgung Soomyung replied with a wry smile, and Pang Giyok grinned.

“Even if my face is passable, I couldn’t possibly compare to Brother Namgung.”

Jaegal Cheongyeong simply watched Yong Hwarin quietly alongside Jaegal Yeongcheon.

She wanted to find time to speak with him, but it was near impossible to get close.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep