Chapter 324: Legitimacy (1)
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The long-awaited shop had opened, but I could not check it immediately. At any rate, it was because I had come out for a walk with others.
Since the shop had opened thanks to Father’s advice, my heart also seemed to have opened a little.
From then on, we seemed to share rather trivial conversations. Words that drifted past like a summer breeze. There were only light words that seemed ready to fly away at any moment. How the weather was, how the mountain contours of Mount Wudang were, how we had lived—such conversations.
The topic or content of the conversation was not important. The bond between family that I had thought was gone. That was what was most important. A sensation felt for the first time in decades. Right now, even I did not want to think about the shop, martial arts, or the tasks I had to do in the future. I only wished for this moment to last a long time.
“By the way, son.”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a woman you are seeing?”
“Pardon?”
Cancel that. I want to return to the Society Leader’s office quickly.
What in the world was this abrupt question? At that moment, I recalled entangling tongues with Gwan Seo-ye for an instant, but that had not been dating. It was merely a trick of demonic qi.
At that unexpected question, not only did I flinch, but Peng Chae-hyang, who was sandwiched in the middle, flinched as well.
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
“Why? How old are you now? Shouldn’t you have married long ago at your age?”
The Imperial Empire encouraged early marriage before twenty years of age. It was understandable. Was not population the very measure of national strength?
Of course, that did not mean everyone married early; those preparing for the imperial examinations or living an official career often married late. In fact, had not even I lived alone in my past life, doing nothing but merchant work?
“How old are you now?”
“You don’t even know your own son’s age?”
“Are you twenty-four, or twenty-five?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Hey, then other people will start speaking ill of you. If you haven’t taken a wife by now, people will wonder if there’s something wrong with you.”
Father spoke in a voice of genuine concern. Furthermore, lowering his voice into an implicit tone, he subtly glanced at my crotch and continued.
“Could there really be a problem?”
“What kind of nonsensical talk is……”
“There isn’t?”
“There isn’t. Good grief.”
“Then that’s fine. What else would a father worry about? Actually, I’ve been curious for a while, but if that’s not the case, then fine.”
Good grief. I let out a wry chuckle. To think that what he had been worrying about was merely something like that. No, of course, as a father, it must have been a topic of great interest.
The ones talking were the two of us, but the one fidgeting restlessly was actually Peng Chae-hyang caught in the middle. Peng Chae-hyang even stole a glance toward the place Father had looked at. Feeling embarrassed, I gave a dry cough.
“Chae-hyang.”
“Y-Yes?”
Peng Chae-hyang was startled out of her wits. She seemed not to have expected me to pay attention to her right now.
“Look ahead. The mountain path is rough.”
“……Yes. Whoa!”
Having been so flustered, Peng Chae-hyang eventually misstepped into a sunken spot and stumbled. In fact, a martial artist could quickly regain balance even after a severe misstep. Yet for her body to flutter and sway like that meant she was in utter panic.
I caught Peng Chae-hyang and pulled her into my embrace for now. Because if I left her alone, it felt like she would truly take a tumble.
A soft sensation and the fragrance of violets brushed against the tip of my nose.
“Are you all right?”
I asked. From my vantage point, I could only see the crown of Peng Chae-hyang’s head, but for some reason, I felt as though I could see radiant heat flaring up.
“……Yes.”
Peng Chae-hyang hurriedly broke free from my embrace. Of course, when it was just the two of us, she had even used my lap as a pillow, but right now my father was beside us. By that alone, the situation was completely different.
“Ugh.”
Trying to step out of my embrace, Peng Chae-hyang staggered once more. Surprised, I caught her shoulder again.
“Did you sprain it?”
“I think so.”
“It’s my first time seeing a martial artist sprain an ankle.”
“……”
Peng Chae-hyang’s face was turning red enough to burst. Thinking she might actually cry if I teased her further, I decided to stop. However, seeing a martial artist sprain an ankle was truly not a common sight in itself. It was a detail that showed just how flustered Peng Chae-hyang was.
“Ahem, ahem.”
From behind, Father was looking at us while pretending to clear his throat. With his mouth curling up wide, he looked thoroughly pleased.
“Shall we rest a bit before going?”
I asked Peng Chae-hyang. However, there was hardly a proper place to rest nearby. Peng Chae-hyang lowered her head deeply and shook it back and forth.
“No. I am fine. It’s just a sprained ankle.”
“Really? Then that’s fine.”
Indeed, she was a martial artist. As for a sprained ankle, she could stabilize it with internal energy and treat it properly later.
“Scolding……”
“……?”
Just as I thought that and prepared to move on, Father suddenly barked a scolding.
“Silence! What nonsense is that!”
At the sudden loud shout, I stared blankly at Father. Peng Chae-hyang was the same.
“Did you drink medicinal liquor before coming?”
I threw out the most rational question in this situation, but Father shook his head.
“Son. I was proud of you, but right now you are truly pathetic.”
“Pardon?”
“Where in the world does a young lady say she is in pain, and you reply with ‘then that’s fine’!”
“No, she said she was fine herself……”
“Haa. Son.”
Father cut me off. Because his voice was filled with genuine pity, my words were blocked.
“Saying one is fine does not mean one is fine, and saying one dislikes something does not mean one dislikes it. Human relationships are like that.”
“I know that as well.”
I experienced that in many aspects too. That was also how we merchants made a living.
Of course, one might speak that way because one had a weak backbone, but people who were not honest about their own desires often used such speech patterns as well. A merchant was someone who drew that out and scratched that itch.
Like planting wild hopes that using this brush would make one pass the imperial examination in a single shot. Those who had no interest might wonder who falls for such things, but surprisingly, relying on superstition was an effective method.
Yet I had no idea what that had to do with the current situation. Could it be that Chae-hyang saying she was fine meant she wasn’t fine? Was there any reason for her to tell such a lie between us?
Furthermore, because she was a martial artist, I also knew that a sprained ankle was no big deal.
“Lady Peng.”
As I was standing dazed, Father spoke.
“Yes?”
“Your foot hurts, doesn’t it?”
“……Uh, um.”
Peng Chae-hyang’s eyes spun around. She looked at me, then at the sky, then at the ground, and then at Father.
“……Yes.”
Ultimately, Peng Chae-hyang answered that way. I was utterly dumbfounded.
Peng Chae-hyang was also a powerful martial artist. She was never the type to complain of pain over a sprained ankle.
“Did you hear that? Son.”
However, hearing Peng Chae-hyang’s answer, Father reacted triumphantly.
“Yes. I heard.”
“Then what should we do now?”
“Shall we rest?”
“What utter nonsense!”
Father strode over to me and chopped the back of my neck with the edge of his hand.
“Ow.”
“Truly a pathetic excuse for a son. I am sorry, Lady Peng. It seems I raised him poorly.”
Father bowed his head toward Peng Chae-hyang. Startled by Father’s sudden courteous bow, Peng Chae-hyang waved her hands in panic.
“Carry her on your back.”
“Pardon?”
“I said carry her on your back.”
Father said to me. Swept along by that momentum, I offered my back to Peng Chae-hyang in a daze. After hesitating from behind, Peng Chae-hyang ultimately climbed onto my back.
Come to think of it, I seemed to have carried Peng Chae-hyang on my back a few times, but back then it was just the two of us; carrying her like this with another person right in front of us was a first. It was extraordinarily embarrassing.
Peng Chae-hyang seemed just as embarrassed, burying her head deeply into my back.
“Good. Now let us walk.”
Only when I carried Peng Chae-hyang on my back did Father finally show a satisfied expression.
“Lady Peng.”
“……Yes?”
At Father’s call, Peng Chae-hyang answered timidly. I was equally fearful of Father’s mouth by now.
“By any chance, Lady Peng, do you have a man you are betrothed to?”
“Father. Please.”
Afraid Peng Chae-hyang would feel uncomfortable, I cut in.
It was finally coming to this. I had noticed from a certain point, but Father seemed to have taken a liking to Peng Chae-hyang as a prospective daughter-in-law.
“No. It is fine, Brother.”
“It’s a question you don’t have to answer.”
“I am fine.”
Unexpectedly, Peng Chae-hyang pushed her own conviction in an odd place.
“I do not have one.”
“Ho. Is that so? That is wonderful.”
Father wore a satisfied smile. Finding it absurd, I chimed in with a word.
“What do you mean wonderful……”
“You stay quiet.”
Now my right to speak was being suppressed. From here on, it was a conversation between Peng Chae-hyang and Father.
“What do you think? Of my son.”
Father had abandoned even minimal restraint now.
“Mmph, mmph.”
When I tried to open my mouth, Father came over and even covered my mouth with his palm. Since I was carrying Peng Chae-hyang on my back, I couldn’t pull his hand away, and kicking him away was also inappropriate.
“Brother is……”
Peng Chae-hyang’s voice trembled from behind. Every time she spoke, the back of my neck grew warm from her breath.
“A wonderful person. Truly, to the point where someone like me could never dare compare.”
“No, what do you mean by that? Is my son that impressive?”
“He isn’t called the Eastern Emperor for nothing. Words like Emperor, Sovereign, and King are originally barred from being used in sobriquets in principle, aren’t they? Yet having such a sobriquet attached to him and being addressed by it shows just how extraordinary his standing is.”
“Ahem. I see. Since I am not a martial artist, I did not know well. I only roughly heard that he sat in the position of Society Leader of the New Justice Association and had become famous.”
“He made truly noble sacrifices, and even saved my life. Personally, he helped me through many difficult times as well.”
Every time Peng Chae-hyang spoke, for some reason my face grew flushed. With the person piggybacked right behind me praising me, it was beyond embarrassing.
“Therefore, I cannot answer. How could I dare discuss this and that about Brother? I am not someone qualified to speak like that.”
Peng Chae-hyang’s voice was filled with sincerity. Father was startled at first, but realizing Peng Chae-hyang’s sincerity, he nodded with a solemn expression.
“I see. Then this rascal of a son is the problem.”
Father finally removed his hand from my mouth.
Coughing and sputtering, I caught my breath.
“Don’t even think about asking me anything.”
The moment my mouth was freed, I declared war on Father. Father’s mouth closed.
Thus, leaving only an awkward air between Peng Chae-hyang and me, the walk came to an end.
Even so, I carried Peng Chae-hyang on my back all the way to the New Justice Association building. Seeing us, the people inside the New Justice Association started to bow, then flinched and hurriedly avoided us while pretending not to notice. Not greeting the Society Leader even upon seeing him. It felt like time to enforce discipline.
“Chae-hyang. Rest well.”
Having arrived at Peng Chae-hyang’s quarters, I set her down onto the bed. Sitting demurely and blushing, Peng Chae-hyang’s figure was peerlessly beautiful.
It wasn’t for nothing that Father coveted her as a daughter-in-law. From the prestigious Hebei Peng Clan, an expert in martial arts, diligent, virtuous, and even beautiful. What person wouldn’t want to welcome her as a daughter-in-law?
For no reason, my heart raced. It was probably because Father had said such strange things. This is all Father’s fault. I laid the blame on Father like that.
Peng Chae-hyang had spoken as if she had no right to choose, but I thought the opposite. Was it not rather that I had nothing to show for myself?
“……Yes. You worked hard.”
In the end, unable to even meet Peng Chae-hyang’s eyes, I walked out.
Now it was time to return to the Society Leader’s office.
There was no one in the corridor. Was it because they had seen me carrying Peng Chae-hyang? Well, in any case, it was a good condition to open the Martial Talent Shop. Having wanted to see only the shop since Father opened his mouth, I opened it immediately.
[ Heavenly Eye ― Grade 2 ]
[ Price: 1,000 Legitimacy ]
And the moment I saw the price, I came to an abrupt halt.
For the price to be Legitimacy. Following priceless treasures, it was one mountain after another.