Chapter 281: Chapter 281

“Are they people you know?”

Namgung So-hye, who was walking ahead with long strides, looked exceptionally displeased.

She seemed to be trying her best not to show it, but she was still filled with a look of annoyance.

“I do not know them.”

“You were talking to them, yet you do not know them?”

“Fine. I know them.”

Dan Woo-hyun looked at Namgung So-hye.

She scratched her head vigorously and let out a small sigh.

“They are the late-generation disciples of the Eight Great Families. Right now… they are no different from enemies.”

“I see.”

Namgung So-hye gnashed her teeth.

The Eight Great Families, including the Hwangbo Family, the Guangdong Jin Family, and the Hebei Peng Family, all had difficult times.

At that time, who helped them the most?

It was none other than the Namgung Family.

They said that human minds differ when entering and when leaving, and they seemed to be exactly like that.

Feelings of affection for the Eight Great Families or thoughts of the friends she had grown up with since childhood no longer existed in Namgung So-hye’s heart.

‘I will crush them!’

Her eyes burned fiercely as she stoked her fighting spirit.

“Right… keep it up.”

Dan Woo-hyun tapped Namgung So-hye on the shoulder to encourage her. No matter how she stoked her fighting spirit, as long as she won, it made no difference to him.

He hummed as he walked toward the manor.

* * *

Having finished his training, Gwon Mu-jin was watching someone.

It was Jang Sam-tae, who was stretched out, completely exhausted.

In front of him, as he gasped for breath, the white cat was grooming its fur, and Jang Sam-tae looked at it with a fed-up expression.

Gwon Mu-jin slightly drew his saber.

At the same time, he radiated a murderous intent that felt as if he would cleave his opponent in a single strike.

Then, the exhausted Jang Sam-tae sprang up from his spot and looked around.

“What… what was that?”

He rubbed his arms and frowned. It was because he strangely felt the murderous intent that had been released just a moment ago, even though there was clearly no one around.

Thinking it was his imagination, he let out a sigh of relief and sat back down.

“Damn it, I am really going to die at this rate!”

“What are you muttering to yourself like that?”

The one who approached Jang Sam-tae was none other than Mae-hyang.

In her hands, she held freshly brewed warm tea.

It was presumably made by her own hands for the exhausted Jang Sam-tae.

“…”

Seeing this, Gwon Mu-jin’s murderous intent grew slightly stronger.

The way the corners of his mouth trembled indicated that something was very displeased.

Shiver!

“What, what on earth is this…”

“What is wrong?”

“No, it feels like someone is watching me…”

Even when he looked around to check, the only person nearby was Mae-hyang. In that case, was Mae-hyang emitting murderous intent to kill him?

That could not be the case.

Jang Sam-tae shook his head and was about to bring the teacup to his mouth, but hesitated.

“…”

“What is it now?”

“There is not poison or something in this, right?”

“I should really just kill you.”

“Ahem…”

Since she had brought it out of consideration, Mae-hyang glared at him with a highly displeased expression at his remarks about poison. Indeed, if she had wanted to kill him, she would have used a different method long ago rather than this.

Jang Sam-tae sipped from the teacup with an awkward expression.

Fortunately, there did not seem to be any poison in it.

“By the way, why are you training so hard? You will not win anyway… and even if you do, you said the money will not come to you.”

“He said he would share some.”

“Do you believe that?”

“…”

At Mae-hyang’s sharp words, Jang Sam-tae clicked his tongue.

She also seemed to have properly grasped Dan Woo-hyun’s personality.

Although that was highly unlikely, even if he did win by some miracle, at most a few silver taels would be all he got.

However, Jang Sam-tae smiled as if he knew all along.

“I know. But I still have to do it.”

“Why? You are not even treated like a human and get beaten up every day. What is so good about those people…”

Mae-hyang muttered in a somewhat grumbling voice.

From her perspective, the people of this manor seemed to regard Jang Sam-tae as a punching bag. They would beat him, kick him, and even make him stand in punishment at the slightest provocation.

‘Of course, it was mostly because he did something wrong…’

If he got hit ten times, nine of them were due to Jang Sam-tae’s own faults.

Although she knew that, Mae-hyang had a strong aversion to seeing someone get beaten.

If it were her, she would have left long ago.

“Stop it.”

Jang Sam-tae slightly raised his head and glared at Mae-hyang.

At that expression, which she was seeing for the first time, Mae-hyang stepped back.

“I do not care if you insult other people… but do not badmouth the people here. Especially if you do that about the Family Head, I will not forgive even you.”

It was impossible to tell where his usual giggling and frivolous behavior had gone.

“I… I did not say anything.”

“I am telling you not to talk nonsense in the future either. I do not care if you insult me.”

“Ah, I got it.”

Jang Sam-tae put down the teacup and sighed.

He had ended up losing his temper in a fit of emotion.

Mae-hyang had probably spoken out of concern for him, but hearing unfavorable remarks about the people of the manor had made anger surge up within him without him realizing.

To Jang Sam-tae, this place was very special.

In the beginning, he could not leave out of fear of Dan Woo-hyun, and later, he stayed because he was worried about Dan So-mi. In that way, Namgung Cheon and Sado Hak entered, and Namgung So-hye and others joined one by one, forming the current family.

Thanks to the various events that occurred in the meantime, he felt the sense of family for the first time since losing his younger sister, and he had come to strive to protect it.

“Of course, they are definitely obnoxious. Hahaha.”

Jang Sam-tae drank the rest of the tea and laughed heartily.

Whether it was Dan Woo-hyun or anyone else, they were undoubtedly obnoxious. Of course, the fact that Jang Sam-tae was also an exceptionally obnoxious person among them remained unchanged.

Tap.

Just then, a sound was heard.

Jang Sam-tae glanced in that direction.

“Guard Gwon?”

“Ahem… Yes.”

“Were you not training?”

Gwon Mu-jin cleared his throat and broke into a cold sweat.

Goosebumps broke out all over his body.

He had been astonished by the momentum of Jang Sam-tae that he had felt indirectly a moment ago.

The fellow whom he had thought was not even third-rate had grown enough to threaten him before he knew it.

Although he did not want to admit it, Namgung Cheon’s words seemed to be true.

“You…”

“What is the matter?”

Jang Sam-tae looked up at Gwon Mu-jin with a puzzled expression. A sense of anxiety crept over him for no reason at the sight of Gwon Mu-jin coming out of nowhere and hesitating.

“I have no money, so do not ask me to lend you any.”

“It is not that.”

“I do not know any women either.”

“…That is a bit of a pity.”

Gwon Mu-jin showed a genuinely disappointed expression.

Mae-hyang, who was listening to the conversation nearby, stared at Gwon Mu-jin in disbelief.

Are all men like this? She let out a sigh without realizing.

‘Everyone here is strange.’

Mae-hyang truly thought so.

“I heard you have been training hard lately.”

“Ah…”

Jang Sam-tae quietly recalled it.

If being chased by the white cat, almost dying to the white cat, or being pushed off a cliff by the white cat were considered a type of training, then he was certainly training hard.

Jang Sam-tae nodded, cold sweat dripping down.

“Well… if you can call that training…”

At that, Gwon Mu-jin wore a satisfied expression.

He slammed the saber scabbard, which he had slightly raised, onto the ground.

With a short thud, the momentum dug into his whole body.

Mae-hyang backed away in surprise, but Jang Sam-tae did not even budge. Since he was exposed to Dan Woo-hyun’s momentum on a daily basis, Gwon Mu-jin’s momentum was nothing to him now.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Let us spar.”

“Me? With Guard Gwon?”

The one flustered by the sudden proposal was none other than Jang Sam-tae.

Who was Gwon Mu-jin?

He was known as the Minor Double Sabers and was quite famous in the Martial World.

Furthermore, since he had been receiving guidance from Namgung Cheon recently, it was obvious that looking down on him would lead to serious trouble.

Jang Sam-tae shook his head.

“I refuse.”

“Why?”

“I just do not want to, do I need a reason?”

“…”

Jang Sam-tae waved his hand dismissively.

He had no desire to compete with anyone. Especially if it were Gwon Mu-jin, it felt like trouble would brew whether he won or lost.

If Jang Sam-tae won, Gwon Mu-jin’s pride would crack and he would go wild, and even if Jang Sam-tae lost, it would be natural, so he would not be happy at all.

Weighing the gains and losses, there was nothing to be gained.

“I just want to fight once.”

“Not interested.”

Jang Sam-tae waved his hand with a bothered look.

It was Jang Sam-tae’s philosophy not to engage in fights where there was nothing to gain.

Just as Dan Woo-hyun did.

“…”

Gwon Mu-jin swallowed a groan.

He felt that speaking normally would not work. The look of genuinely not wanting to fight was clear on Jang Sam-tae’s face.

Since it seemed he would not comply no matter what he said, there was only one thing Gwon Mu-jin could do.

He quickly drew his saber and aimed for Jang Sam-tae’s neck.

Shiver!

The draw, so fast it gave goosebumps, was truly like a flash of light.

The moment he placed his hand on the hilt, the extended blade swept past.

Slash!

However, Gwon Mu-jin’s saber cut through the wind.

The sound resonated in all directions, and a large crack was carved beyond where Jang Sam-tae had been sitting.

“What kind of dangerous thing are you doing, you bastard?!”

Jang Sam-tae had instantly moved out of the attack radius, and he shouted while caressing his chilled neck.

His body, showing not a single wound, did not seem to have been hit by the saber wind at all.

He had perfectly evaded the attack.

Thud.

Mae-hyang fell to the ground in surprise, and the collar of her shoulder slightly tore open.

“…”

Tremble!

Gwon Mu-jin’s grip trembled.

He had swung with the intention of stopping halfway, but perhaps due to his shaken mind, he failed to do so.

Yet, despite that, Jang Sam-tae was perfectly fine.

He showed his health by shouting and hurling abuse at Gwon Mu-jin.

“Hahaha…”

Watching this, Gwon Mu-jin chuckled in disbelief.

Soon after, he glared at Jang Sam-tae as if he would never lose.

“I will definitely win.”

“What are you talking about, you bastard! I almost pissed myself!”

Jang Sam-tae shouted repeatedly to stop the departing Gwon Mu-jin, but Gwon Mu-jin, who had already closed his ears, showed no intention of stopping.

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