Chapter 128: Chapter 128

“You were lucky. Seeing that you managed to escape from Anhui all the way here.”

“Ahaha…”

Namgung So-hye could not say anything in response to Dan Woo-hyun’s cynical remark. Although she was severely injured, the fact that she had fled to save her own life while her family was destroyed and she did not even know what had happened to them did not change.

Although it was said that it took a significant amount of time to recover her damaged internal energy and body, it was also an unchanging fact that she had done nothing for the family during that time.

“Ev… even if you didn’t say so, I was planning to leave soon. My body has recovered to some extent… and I am worried about the family…”

Dan Woo-hyun watched Namgung So-hye as she spoke falteringly. Soon, he stretched out his finger and poked her side.

“Aack!”

She collapsed and sat down.

It was not even a hard poke, but she clutched her side and trembled for a long time as if he had touched an unhealed wound.

Although she looked fine on the outside, there was still a wound that had not healed.

It was the place where she had been hit by a hidden weapon while shaking off her pursuers.

It was a relief that there was no poison, but it was definitely slower to heal than other places.

“Wh… what are you doing?”

“It seems certain that going with that body won’t be of any help. You made a good choice. Because even if you had gone to the Martial Alliance like that, you wouldn’t have met a good end.”

“Ugh… how do you know that so well?”

“I have just returned from sightseeing in Anhui and Henan.”

“Eh!”

Namgung So-hye’s eyes widened in surprise.

Dan Woo-hyun was a person who rarely went out of Hunan Province. He did not move, as if he had built a wall between himself and the world.

Such a man went to Anhui and Henan?

He had to say something believable.

Namgung So-hye turned her head and looked at Dan So-mi with incredulous eyes.

The small child smiled brightly and held out her hand.

In her hand was a wooden carving depicting the Shaolin Temple.

“Dad made it for me in Henan. He said it’s a souvenir.”

“Did… did you really go to Henan?”

“Yes! There were also some very scary people. I also saw people with no hair. I met Uncle Ma there, too.”

Namgung So-hye glanced out the window.

Come to think of it, she had been thinking that there was a familiar face outside since a moment ago. When she thought about it carefully, it was Ma Jang-gang, a talent ranked at the bottom of the Top One Hundred Masters, who was called the Wolf King.

Why was he here?

Since she could not understand the reason, her mind was in utter confusion.

Then, something suddenly came to her mind.

“The Namgung Family! What happened to the Namgung Family?”

“It was completely destroyed. It will take some time to rebuild it.”

“I don’t care about the house! Did you not hear any news of my family?”

“I heard they destroyed the Sahyeol Syndicate and hid somewhere.”

At those words, Namgung So-hye’s legs lost their strength, and she collapsed. Just because she was living comfortably in such a distant place did not mean she was not worried.

Her father, her mother, and even her one and only brother.

The faces of the people of the branch families and the elders passed through her mind one by one. Some had died, and some had been severely injured. Since she had left them behind and come out alone, how must her heart have felt?

Tears streamed down the corners of Namgung So-hye’s eyes.

“They all seem to be fine, so you do not have to worry too much.”

At the sudden words, Namgung So-hye flinched. Then she slowly turned her head and looked at Namgung Cheon, who was wearing a mask.

An extremely familiar voice.

The build she had always seen, and the pure white beard revealed beneath the mask. The eyes, like a calm lake, made her think of someone she had been searching for desperately.

Even one of his arms was missing, was it not?

For a moment, her pupils shook.

Although she had not seen him for several months, Namgung So-hye’s affection for Namgung Cheon was not so shallow that she would forget that voice. Reaching out her hand, she grabbed Namgung Cheon’s sleeve.

“G-Grandfather?”

“Cough, cough! W… what are you talking about, hohoho.”

He was flustered, but he tried to brush it off as naturally as possible. Since he had not expected her to notice at once, he carefully pulled Namgung So-hye’s hand away and took two steps back.

“Grandfather! It is you, right?”

“I have absolutely no idea what… you are talking about…”

He turned his head away, trying to hide his awkwardness.

However, he could not avoid Namgung So-hye’s sharp gaze that was shooting toward him. He desperately wanted to run away, but he could not even do that because of Dan So-mi, who was standing blankly at the door.

“This voice, it is unmistakable. Grandfather! What on earth happened to you? Why are you here… and that mask is also…”

Namgung So-hye clutched his sleeve as if she would never let go. If he wanted to run away, he had to shake off her hand, but he could not bring himself to do such a thing to his granddaughter, so it was simply frustrating.

He cast glances seeking help around him, but Dan Woo-hyun and Sa Do-hak deliberately turned their gaze away.

This was a family matter.

It was something the two of them had to resolve on their own.

Ultimately, it was none other than Namgung Cheon who raised his hands in surrender.

He gave a soft laugh and took off his mask.

For the first time in a long time, his bare face was revealed.

“I knew it! You were alive! I believed it!”

“Hohoho, you brat. Don’t cling to me. It’s hot, so hot.”

He barely managed to detach Namgung So-hye, who rushed at him with a bright smile. Seeing her refuse to let go, he felt as if he had returned to his childhood days.

Because she was very affectionate and relied on Namgung Cheon a lot, the memories of training her that harshly rose vividly in his mind.

“Why… on earth… did you not contact us…”

Namgung So-hye collapsed again and shed tears.

Everyone thought he was dead, and no contact ever came. She tried to find him, believing he was alive until the end, but the situation did not allow it.

Due to Namgung Cheon’s sudden absence, the family shook greatly, and ultimately collapsed to a place whose name, the Sahyeol Syndicate, she had not even heard before.

The surging emotions could not be easily controlled.

She burst into sorrowful, loud wailing.

Dan Woo-hyun led Dan So-mi by the hand and left the room.

Although one reason was that he did not want to disturb the two who were meeting after a long time, the biggest reason was that he did not want to be involved in that troublesome situation.

When they came outside, tears were welling up in Dan So-mi’s eyes. It seemed that she had felt some emotion, just like the one Namgung So-hye had shown earlier.

Dan Woo-hyun smiled slightly and asked.

“Why are you crying?”

“Sob… it’s just, sister is crying so much.”

She wiped away her tears with her tiny hands.

She could understand Namgung So-hye’s feelings. Although she was young, Dan So-mi also had the sorrow of losing her family. She thought that if the family she thought was dead appeared before her eyes again, she would feel that way.

“Dad is mean too.”

“Me?”

Dan Woo-hyun was taken aback by the sudden words.

Mean?

What on earth for?

When he looked at Dan So-mi with a puzzled expression, she wiped her reddened eyes once more and glared at him with an angry look. Her round eyes grew even wider, as if saying, ‘I’m very angry.’

“It… it would have been nice if you had told sister! Then sister wouldn’t have cried that much.”

“Hahaha, that may be so, but isn’t it funny to tell someone when the person in question doesn’t want it?”

“Still…”

“In this world, there are things that cannot be hidden and things that can be hidden. If it were to be caught someday, then now was the time.”

“…Yes.”

Dan So-mi replied with a somewhat puzzled expression. Since it was what Dan Woo-hyun said, she nodded for now, but she could not fully understand his words about connections and such when he could have just told her.

Still, since it was what Dan Woo-hyun said, she had to at least pretend to understand.

“Uh-huh!”

She nodded her head.

“Then now… is grandfather going home?”

Dan So-mi asked with a somewhat disappointed expression. A time that could be considered short or long. Although it was only a few months, she had grown very attached to Namgung Cheon during that time.

She had even imagined on her own that if she had a real grandfather, he would be like Namgung Cheon.

Such a Namgung Cheon was returning home.

In Dan So-mi’s voice, bitterness lingered somehow.

It would have been nice if they could live together…

“Well. I don’t know what he will do, so let’s wait and see.”

“Ah! We can just do this!”

Clap!

Dan So-mi clapped her hands.

She showed a bright smile as if there was no better idea than this. And, blocking the path of Dan Woo-hyun, who was walking slowly, she spoke with a beaming face.

“You just need to marry sister, Dad! Then Grandfather will become a real grandfather. He won’t have to leave this place… and you can get a sister. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?”

“Hahaha! Do you like that grandfather that much?”

“Yes! Grandfather Namgung dotes on So-mi so, so much. And the Gentleman Sword mask is cool too!”

Dan Woo-hyun could not understand the child’s thoughts at all. As for doting on her, Dan Woo-hyun would do it even more, not less, yet she wanted to hold onto Namgung Cheon?

He felt a strange sense of jealousy.

“From my perspective, I wish he would just leave.”

“Eh?”

Dan Woo-hyun smiled as he looked at the startled Dan So-mi.

He thought that this child also knew how to make such an expression.

He felt a strong urge to play a mischievous joke, but looking at her tearful eyes, his heart grew weak for no reason. Dan Woo-hyun gently pulled Dan So-mi’s cheek and said.

“Since our So-mi likes Grandfather more than Dad, I am jealous.”

“Ah… Ah! N-No! I like Dad the best in the world!”

“Haha, thank you very much for that. But you like Grandfather too, right?”

“Uh… yes…”

“Between Dad and Grandfather, who do you like more?”

“Th-That… is of course Dad!”

Dan So-mi clenched her fists and made a sharp sound.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but so what?

Dan Woo-hyun, who grinned, stroked her head.

“Right, right. In front of Dad, you can say you like Dad, and in front of Grandfather, you can say you like Grandfather. That is the way to live comfortably in the world. You have realized something good despite your young age.”

“I-I mean it! So-mi is speaking from the bottom of her heart.”

“Haha, yes, yes.”

Dan Woo-hyun, who laughed loudly for the first time in a while, led So-mi toward the main pavilion. Since there was still time left until dinner, he seemed to want to rest for a bit.

There were eyes watching the two of them quietly from afar.

Jang Sam-tae, Gwon Mu-jin, and Ma Jang-gang.

The three of them pictured Dan Woo-hyun’s appearance from just a moment ago in their minds.

They trembled so much that a sudden chill ran down their spines.

“Th… that guy also knows how to make that kind of expression.”

Jang Sam-tae rubbed his arms and shivered, wondering if he got goosebumps. Because the expression from just a moment ago was a face he had never seen before in his life.

The Dan Woo-hyun they knew was a person whose mere presence made the surrounding air heavy and whose gaze froze one’s entire body.

“Cough! O… our lord is also a human, I suppose.”

Ma Jang-gang muttered softly, expressing relief.

He also did not think of Dan Woo-hyun as a human. No, more than that, other than the three people here, were there even humans in this manor?

Just looking at the old man called the Gentleman Sword and the old man called Ma Cheon-gun, they were already individuals who had reached the level of the Heavens Beyond Heavens.

Add to that Dan Woo-hyun.

‘This place is a gathering of monsters.’

Ma Jang-gang thought once again that it was a relief he had followed Dan Woo-hyun. Imagining a situation where they met and clashed swords in the Martial World without knowing anything, a fear that made his knees tremble surged just by thinking about it.

“It doesn’t matter, but… I don’t know if we can afford to be this relaxed.”

At that moment, Gwon Mu-jin spoke.

It had not even been a day since they returned to the manor. Furthermore, considering the skills of the people in this manor, they were individuals who would naturally counter whatever happened.

However, the world had found out.

That experts of this level were gathered here.

Also, Martial Sovereign Castle would move.

Because they found out Gwon Mu-jin was alive.

Ma Dok-jin was as cunning and persistent as a snake. He would surely move once again to take Gwon Mu-jin’s head.

Gwon Mu-jin, narrowing his eyes, clenched his fists.

He did not want to break this peace no matter what. To do that, he needed to rise to a slightly higher level.

He turned his back.

At the end of his gaze was Sa Do-hak, who was sitting leisurely on the veranda.

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