Not only martial artists, but people who have achieved accomplishments in one field have something different from ordinary people.

It was an atmosphere or momentum that came from the experience accumulated over a long period of time.

When that momentum filled the room, the mouth of Neung-heo’s father, Neung Jo, slowly opened.

The moment the cold voice spread throughout the room, the surroundings froze.

“You are truly great. Great.”

On the surface, it was a compliment, but the meaning was not.

The voice, which was full of anger, was so dry that there was no one who would not notice that it was sarcasm.

Because even a resentful light was cast on his firm face, which had no change in expression.

“…”

Neung-heo closed his eyes and then opened them again.

A long time. To be precise, after a whopping 18 years, his father’s voice was the same, but his face was not.

His hair had turned white, and under it, fine wrinkles were revealed.

Perhaps because he was not a martial artist and had stayed away from exercise, his father’s appearance had aged faster.

As Neung-heo was silent, Neung Jo sneered.

“Yes, you ran away, saying you wouldn’t become like this worthless father, and in the end, you achieved that goal.”

“A man should keep his word.”

Was that just a rebuttal to Neung Jo’s words?

No. Neung Jo, while anger welled up from the depths of his heart, felt a throbbing pain in one corner.

‘He left, saying he wouldn’t become like his father, and became a lawless swordsman.’

Yes, in the end, he had kept his word. Because he had become a martial artist of another world, not a scholar like his father.

But one side of Neung Jo’s heart ached. Because he had not been able to keep his word and had disappointed his son.

‘That’s right. I couldn’t keep my word either.’

Neung Jo smiled bitterly. A feeling of apology arose, but what came out of his mouth was a poisonous tongue.

“Yes. Unlike your father, you kept your word. You abandoned all the propriety and benevolence of a gentleman and became a lawless swordsman. Look at yourself. Where did your eye go, and which lawless ruffian cut off your right arm?”

Flinch.

Neung Jo, who had poured out so much, suddenly shifted his gaze to the presence he felt in the corner of the room.

For some reason, he saw the face of a young man who seemed to have flinched at his words. Neung Jo suddenly became angry.

‘You foolish child. It’s foolish enough to become a swordsman, but to be a subordinate of that young warrior?’

He had heard from his youngest, Neunggok, that he called that young man ‘lord’.

He was angry that he had thrown away books and taken up a sword. And he was even a subordinate of a child?

Such a displeased gaze was felt without having to be said. Neung-heo curled the corners of his mouth.

It was a smile, and a laugh. But it was not a smile that brightened the surroundings and made them comfortable.

It was a terrible sneer.

Neung-heo’s eyes, which were looking straight at Neung Jo, blazed like fire.

“After meeting your son for the first time in 18 years, is that all you have to say? Rather than worrying about my severed arm, you are laughing at my appearance with a severed arm.”

“…”

It was not a wrong statement. Neung Jo bit his lip and glared at Neung-heo.

Neung-heo also did not avoid his gaze and met it.

It was a suffocating war of nerves, and Neunggok, who was in the room, was on the verge of tears.

Zhuge Seola sent a telepathic message to Cheon Mubaeck.

‘What should we do? This is not something that can be reconciled. They look like enemies, not father and son.’

‘That’s right.’

At the surprisingly calm reaction, Zhuge Seola glanced at Cheon Mubaeck.

Unlike her, who was worried, Cheon Mubaeck was calm and composed. No, rather, he was looking with shining eyes, not wanting to miss a single thing.

That appearance was like…

‘Are you watching?’

Weren’t those the eyes of someone watching an interesting spectacle?

Cheon Mubaeck smiled awkwardly.

‘Ahem, isn’t it a little exciting? Let’s just watch for now.’

‘…I’m curious to see what will happen.’

Honestly, it was a little interesting.

“Then have you come back now? Have you given up your life in the martial world and come back home?”

It was a voice full of anger.

But it was different from before. A slight expectation and pity were contained in it.

Although it was a fierce and harsh face, Cheon Mubaeck saw the numerous colors of different saturations flashing beyond that face.

‘He’s a typical awkward father who can’t say nice things.’

How anxious must he have been inside?

He must have missed him for 18 years. Because blood ties were not something that could be cut with words. Perhaps he had even thought he was dead.

They had met for the first time in 18 years. The halo of light that spread on his face was affection and gladness. But what came out of his mouth were sharp and poisonous words.

At that discrepancy, a light of self-reproach flashed again.

Cheon Mubaeck, who had guessed his inner thoughts, had a hunch that the father and son were not as cold as they appeared on the outside.

“I will not be returning home. I had no intention of ever setting foot here again. If I hadn’t met Gok by chance.”

“You learned Confucianism for a while, so are you going to practice filial piety?”

“If it weren’t for Gok’s earnest request, I would have thrown that virtue of filial piety in the trash.”

“How dare you say that!”

Kwaang!

Neung Jo, who had slammed the table fiercely, shouted with a flushed face.

“You are the eldest son of the Neung family of Qufu! A family that has produced numerous scholars and has raised its will through academics in the Hanlin Academy for generations, you are the legitimate eldest son of this Neung family! And yet you will continue to live a lawless life in the martial world?”

“There’s Gok, isn’t there?”

“I’m saying you’re the eldest son! And yet you’ll continue to live as a martial artist? Have you abandoned humanity and propriety, and do you think that everything in the world can be done with just that lawless sword?”

Despite the endless anger and the cold words like a blade, Neung-heo was not shaken.

Rather, what was felt from his curled lips was contempt.

“What’s the use of learning such great Confucianism? When my mother was dying, you just leisurely read books in the imperial palace, so wouldn’t it be better than that? Well, it must have been a pity. You spent your whole life with academics, received a high government post, and were leisurely in the imperial palace, so would my mother’s illness have come into your eyes?”

“…!”

“Things that couldn’t be done with the words of Confucius, when I did them with a sword, fame and money followed, so the world was rather more enjoyable. When I was young, if I had held a sword, I think I could have served my mother more comfortably.”

“…”

Cheon Mubaeck roughly guessed the situation.

In any case, it seemed that Neung-heo’s mother was the decisive cause of the complicated family affairs.

‘Does he think that his father committed a great sin in his mother’s death?’

So he had run away from home in his youth.

Of course, he could not know the more detailed circumstances, but it seemed that the rift of conflict was deeper than he had thought.

Although he did not know his inner thoughts, what was expressed on the outside was a sharp conflict.

Such a sharp conflict would hide the inner thoughts and would continue to cause hurt.

‘If this continues, they will only hurt each other and will never look at each other again.’

Zhuge Seola sent an urgent telepathic message and fidgeted in her seat.

Although Zhuge Seola, who had a relatively delicate heart, did not like Neung-heo that much.

But it was natural that she had grown fond of him after traveling together.

Wouldn’t it be nice for the family to be happy? Zhuge Seola sincerely wished so.

So she could not bear it and cut in.

“Wait a minute. Neung-heo uncle did not live such a lawless life.”

“…Who are you, Young Lady?”

At Zhuge Seola’s sudden interruption, Neung Jo, perhaps because he could not vent his anger as he had with Neung-heo, looked at her with a slightly softened gaze.

Zhuge Seola bowed her head with a polite expression.

Her appearance, which showed the etiquette of following the excellent teachings of a famous family, a strange light flickered in Neung Jo’s eyes for a moment.

“My greetings are late. I am Zhuge Seola of the Zhuge Clan.”

“The Zhuge Clan…!”

As Neung Jo’s eyes widened and his mouth was momentarily blocked, Zhuge Seola, who felt that the atmosphere had changed, immediately continued.

“What’s important in Confucianism is to go through self-cultivation and then managing the family, right? Neung-heo uncle has cultivated himself and has gained a reputation in the martial world as a great hero, and he has managed his family, formed a new family with his lover, and has had a child, so he has not lived a lawless life.”

To correct oneself and to govern one’s family.

It was the most basic story in the teachings of Confucianism. Although it was a saying that anyone who knew how to write would know, in fact, that alone was enough for Zhuge Seola’s intention.

The intention that he was not just a lawless martial artist, but that he was living a sufficiently great life.

Did that get through?

Neung Jo, who had been shooting at Neung-heo without hesitation, flinched for a moment. An awkward silence filled the room.

Neung Jo’s strange gaze was fixed on Neung-heo.

“…You have a child?”

“…It’s still in the womb.”

Neung-heo answered somewhat reluctantly. Because Neung Jo’s face was so stiff that it was difficult to guess.

“What kind of woman is she?”

At that question, something welled up from the depths of Neung-heo’s heart.

Perhaps it was because he had felt a slight warmth in Neung Jo’s voice.

Was he trying to act like a father-in-law now?

Or was he trying to act like a father, wondering if she was a good bride?

Neung-heo, with a twisted heart, sneered and shot back.

“She’s a courtesan. Why, are you satisfied?”

The answer did not come out right away.

‘This is.’

Cheon Mubaeck clicked his tongue inwardly. Was it because he was a stubborn intellectual?

When the word ‘courtesan’ came out, Neung Jo’s face flushed red.

A face that was turning red like a volcano that was about to erupt.

And in the end, it erupted.

“You, damn it! You bastard!”

“…”

Neung-heo closed his eyes. Although he had pretended to be calm because it was an expected reaction, it was difficult to hide the slight twitching of his face.

“You damn bastard. What? You come back after 18 years and what do you say?”

If he was a damn bastard, wasn’t he saying that he himself was a damn bastard?

Cheon Mubaeck, on the one hand, had a strange thought as he saw Neung Jo, who had finally exploded.

‘Like father, like son. I see where Neung-heo’s mouth came from.’

Seeing the scene of a noble and stubborn scholar spewing cheap curses, the saying ‘like father, like son’ came to mind.

He was so shocked that Neung Jo threw away all his dignity and jumped up.

‘Is he so angry just because she’s a courtesan?’

At Zhuge Seola’s pitiful telepathic message, Cheon Mubaeck smiled bitterly.

‘In any case, it’s a scholar family with a deep-rooted lineage that has served as a Hanlin scholar for seven generations.’

‘In the end, is it difficult for Neung-heo uncle to reconcile?’

‘…There seems to be no sharp way out for now.’

In any case, it seemed difficult to mend that torn conflict.

Even the great Cheon Mubaeck had no way to make another’s family happy. Because family conflicts were ultimately a problem that the members had to solve.

“You trash-like bastard, did I raise you like that? The eldest son!”

“We’ve already cut ties, so what’s the problem?”

Neung-heo also answered coldly to Neung Jo’s reaction. At that, Neung Jo’s face turned red and blue. The veins on his clenched fists bulged and trembled.

Neung-heo, seeing Neung Jo’s reaction, sighed. He had not expected it, but he could guess what would come out of that mouth.

‘A courtesan daughter-in-law. Would he accept it? Perhaps he would think it was a relief that they had cut ties.’

Neung-heo looked at Neung Jo with a slightly pitiful heart.

A fiery shout erupted from Neung Jo’s mouth.

“You foolish guy! The eldest son, a guy who has learned academics, a swordsman, huh? You had a relationship with a woman and she’s pregnant, huh? You leave a pregnant woman alone and come here?”

“…Huh?”

“You idiot. A father-to-be should be with her. He should protect her side!”

“…What?”

“You frustrating bastard. Do you know how much pain a pregnant woman goes through? And yet you leisurely come to Shandong?”

At the completely unexpected reaction, Neung-heo had a dazed face.

Neung Jo, without caring about that gaze, jumped up and moved around restlessly.

“If not that, huh? You should have come on an outing with your daughter-in-law! How could you leave her alone! You should have at least come together and introduced her to this old father! Wait a minute, I have quite a few medicinal herbs that are good for pregnant women in the warehouse… Gok-ah! Gok-ah! Go to the nearby pharmacy! No, no. I have to go myself for this.”

“…What on earth.”

“Ugh. You bad guy. How could you leave a pregnant woman alone? Are all martial artists so lawless? Yes. You said Henan, right? It would be better for me to go to Henan. That would be better.”

“No, what…”

Neung Jo, who was flustered with a flushed face, and Neung-heo, who was looking at him with a dazed look.

‘They say that giving a grandchild to an old man is the best filial piety.’

Watching that scene, Cheon Mubaeck let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep