Chapter 19: The Fetus-Bound Fiancée (1)

“Because there is someone I have feelings for.”

Jaegal Cheok subtly tried to provoke Yong Hwarin by nudging Jeok Gwang. But when he saw Yong Hwarin remain unbothered, he felt rather deflated.

‘Not bad.’

In any case, being able to maintain his composure meant that he had cultivated his mind well. That was commendable.

Jeok Gwang threw a veiled, unpleasant glance at Yong Hwarin, which made Jaegal Cheok smile faintly.

In truth, that was how one could say he had the passion typical of someone his age.

“You may go. From now on, there’s no need to visit me just to offer greetings.”

“Yes, Clan Leader.”

The words were tantamount to granting him official permission to come and go from the clan, so Jeok Gwang felt secretly pleased. He also felt as if the Clan Leader had acknowledged his sincerity.

“Young Master Yong, you may leave as well. Don’t you have someone to meet?”

“Yes, Clan Leader.”

Even in front of the Clan Leader, Yong Hwarin neither got excited nor intimidated. Having met countless great figures in his previous life, facing Jaegal Cheok was no difficult feat.

Whether it was authority, wealth, or martial power—he had encountered leaders of major clans and merchant unions alike. Yong Hwarin had reached a level where he could naturally withstand their pressure.

He left the Clan Leader’s hall and was headed toward Jaegal Cheongyeong’s residence but changed direction midway.

He felt it was proper etiquette to greet Jaegal Yugyeol first.

Jaegal Yugyeol was the one who had always been kind to him, doting on his formerly frail and sickly self.

Though he was the father of the outstanding Jaegal Byeok and Jaegal Cheongyeong, he was more of a scholar than a martial artist. His gentle nature was why he had been able to become close with Yong Biyang during his journeys through the martial world.

Yong Hwarin handed over the gift his father had prepared for Jaegal Yugyeol and chatted with him in the pavilion for over half an hour before leaving.

Then he headed to Jaegal Cheongyeong’s quarters.

He knew the location well, having visited a few times before.

On his way there, he ran into Jaegal Byeok.

“Young Master Yong, are you headed to see my sister?”

“Yes, I wanted to pay my respects. How are your injuries, by the way?”

He knew that the injuries Jaegal Byeok had sustained during the ambush were quite serious.

“There are plenty of good medicines in the main house, so I’m well enough to walk around like this.”

“I was worried, but I’m glad to hear that.”

When Yong Hwarin spoke, Jaegal Byeok turned his gaze aside.

“My sister is training at the sparring hall right now. You should head there.”

Yong Hwarin nodded and gave a slight bow before heading toward the training ground. Jeok Gwang, who had been following behind, overheard their conversation and accompanied him.

At the training grounds of the Jaegal Clan, the clan’s martial artists were engaged in training in various forms.

It was an unexpected sight.

He had assumed that a clan of Jaegal’s stature would train in secret. But most of the disciples were honing their combat sense through sparring and drills.

In fact, the Jaegal Clan did not possess as many martial arts techniques as other families. That was why they preferred to complement and reinforce their skills through shared practice of a limited set of techniques.

They also focused heavily on sword formations and training in composite formations, which naturally led them to train openly.

In one corner of the training hall, a young woman was engaged in an intense spar with other women. It was Jaegal Cheongyeong.

She was so deeply immersed in her sparring that she didn’t even notice Yong Hwarin approaching.

‘With that kind of dedication, no wonder she later became one of the Twelve Martial Flowers of the Martial World and, around forty, ascended to the ranks of the Three Martial Queens, leaving her name in history.’

In truth, it was rare for the later generation of the Jaegal Clan to be mentioned alongside those of the major sects.

Most who earned fame came from the Nine Great Sects or the Eight Great Clans.

Only Jaegal Cheok, the current clan leader, had ever made it into the Nine Martial Stars. The Jaegal Clan as a whole had never been able to match the martial prowess of other prestigious lineages.

That was why Jaegal Cheok’s position as one of the Nine Martial Stars was such a great honor.

According to the Martial Records of Moon and Orthodoxy, the Nine Martial Stars were traditionally the highest-ranked masters in the martial world.

Below them were the Twelve Dragons of the Martial World, followed by the Ten Absolutes, and then the Nine Martial Stars.

Above the Nine Martial Stars were the Eight Martial Lords, then the Seven Martial Kings, and finally, the Five Supreme Warriors.

While some in the modern martial world had tried to rename these outdated titles, they were preserved out of tradition, as they had been in use since the Wushi Era, when martial history began.

Thus, the titles ranking the martial hierarchy remained stiff and archaic.

However, the Nine Martial Stars had one unique feature.

Unlike the other rankings, which were determined by reputation and ability, the Nine Martial Stars were determined solely through martial duels.

That was why they were considered the true strongest of the martial world.

Unless the Eight Martial Lords or the Seven Martial Kings participated in these duels, the competition for the Nine Martial Stars was effectively the strongest martial tournament in the world.

This tournament had long been called the Martial Star Festival and was held once every fifteen years, with participants from both orthodox and unorthodox sects.

In any case, just as the Pang Clan of Hebei never rose to power due to their lack of intellect despite their strong physique and martial potential, the Jaegal Clan suffered from a similar fate.

Their intellect surpassed the bounds of human understanding, but their physique and innate martial talent were lacking.

The clan’s practice of forming marriage alliances with strong martial families was an effort to bestow better physical qualities on future generations.

They believed that mixing their intellect with the bodies and talents of great martial clans would eventually produce well-rounded descendants.

‘In terms of swordsmanship, she has already far surpassed me.’

As Yong Hwarin watched Jaegal Cheongyeong spar, he fell into thought and slowly approached her. But before he could greet her, Jeok Gwang stepped forward.

“My lady, it has been a while.”

Jaegal Cheongyeong looked blankly at Jeok Gwang, who had interrupted her training, and replied coldly.

“Are you planning to settle in my clan, Jeok Swordsman?”

Her words alone revealed how often Jeok Gwang had been visiting.

“Haha, that is precisely my wish.”

At his frivolous response, Jaegal Cheongyeong gave a pale smile, but then her gaze shifted to the man behind him. She stared for a long while before recognition struck her.

“Oh… Hwarin Orabeoni!”

Yong Hwarin smiled softly as she exclaimed in surprise.

“Yeongmae, it’s been a while.”

Seeing Yong Hwarin—who had once been too frail to leave the Heavenly Central Sect—standing before her now brought many thoughts to Jaegal Cheongyeong’s mind.

“What happened? You look healthy.”

She still seemed dazed as she asked.

“Yes, thankfully I’ve recovered my health recently. I came out for some sightseeing, and since I was nearby, I thought I’d drop by to see you, Yeongmae.”

“Ah…”

Jaegal Cheongyeong let out a small gasp as she looked at the healthy Yong Hwarin.

There was no trace of a sickly aura, and a dignified presence now emanated from him like that of a true man. Still, aside from being glad to see him, she didn’t feel any particular emotions.

The truth was, she had already let go of her feelings for him long ago.

“Will you be staying for a few days?”

“No, I plan to leave early tomorrow morning. I just came to see your face for a bit. I’ll be in the guest hall, so come by after your training.”

Jeok Gwang felt sour as Yong Hwarin ended the reunion with Jaegal Cheongyeong so blandly. He knew that Yong Hwarin was her fetus-bound fiancé.

Jaegal Cheongyeong had once said so in passing, trying to fend off his persistent advances. But from the information he had gathered, Yong Hwarin of the Heavenly Central Sect had been a dying invalid.

That gave him confidence to pursue her.

He believed he had far better qualifications than a sickly heir of a mid-tier sect, being a rising star of Songcheong Sect in Hebei.

Even now, seeing Yong Hwarin seemingly recovered didn’t worry him. After all, not long ago people said he was so frail he might die any day.

‘Even if he’s recovered, at best he can walk around.’

With that thought, Jeok Gwang wanted to humiliate Yong Hwarin so he wouldn’t dare show interest in Jaegal Cheongyeong again.

He figured that since she liked strong martial artists, she wouldn’t care for someone who couldn’t even properly wield a sword.

Just then, he noticed Yong Hwarin heading toward the guest hall.

Jeok Gwang followed.

Yong Hwarin arrived at the guest hall intending to quietly rest and circulate his qi, but was met with an unexpected visit from Jeok Gwang.

Mo Biyoung and the Two Wook Sword Demons had each gone to their own quarters, so it was just the two of them in the room.

Jeok Gwang ordered a servant, “Bring tea. Ah, make it Iron Goddess. Last time it wasn’t very good. Bring the fresh one we got recently.”

He acted naturally, like someone who had visited many times.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

Yong Hwarin asked as Jeok Gwang suddenly barged in.

Jeok Gwang had a plan.

“I wanted to ask what kind of relationship you have with Miss Jaegal Cheongyeong. It’s important because I have feelings for her.”

He said it proudly, and Yong Hwarin admired his boldness. Back then, he had never had that kind of confidence.

“Yeongmae and I are fetus-bound fiancés.”

“Then are you planning to marry her?”

“That depends on the decision of our parents. Of course, not all fetus-bound engagements lead to marriage.”

Jeok Gwang relaxed after confirming that Yong Hwarin lacked a firm will to marry her.

That meant there was still a chance for him.

But to make things certain, he fiddled with the pouch at his waist. Inside was a small jade bottle containing Gentleman’s Powder.

Then he changed his mind.

He planned to embarrass Yong Hwarin in a duel before he left the Jaegal Clan. If he defeated him in a match, Jaegal Cheongyeong might see him in a new light.

Jeok Gwang was confident of winning.

He believed there were no more rivals among his peers.

His clan had invested heavily in rare elixirs to boost his cultivation, and their martial techniques were top-class.

Even during the ambush on Jaegal Yohye, the masked attackers had been repelled by the guards he brought along.

Recalling how Yong Hwarin had cowered and needed protection back then, he wondered if there was any point in using the Gentleman’s Powder.

‘Using something like Gentleman’s Powder on a guy like this would just hurt my pride.’

Jeok Gwang let go of the pouch as he looked at Yong Hwarin, who was clearly inferior in martial strength.

“I just came by to chat a bit. It seems late, so I’ll take my leave now.”

The servant who had been bringing the tea stared at Jeok Gwang’s back for a long time as he left before the tea even arrived.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep