Chapter 23: Blood Debt (5)

The banquet began.

All kinds of delicacies from land and sea were brought onto the endlessly long tables.

Heaps of red steamed crabs, golden-roasted ducks, pork cut into cubes and braised in soy sauce, chicken fried in sesame oil, carp steamed on a bed of salt inside a cypress wood box, stir-fried matsutake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, and various kinds of wine emitting fragrant scents…

Beautiful and handsome servants attended to the guests with gentle manners.

Since it was a gathering of all Orthodox sects and clans in Anhui Province, most of those sitting in this banquet hall were distinguished guests.

Meanwhile.

There were two men looking down at this sight from atop a high pavilion.

One was the family leader of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Pa.

He was a middle-aged man with a tall stature and a prominent, robust build.

One would think the leader of the great Namgung Clan, which was a pillar of the Fifteen Pillars of the Orthodox Path, would always be majestic and commanding, but… right now, Namgung Pa was reading the room quite carefully.

It was because of an old man sitting before his eyes right now.

Namgung Cheon.

The former leader of the Namgung Clan.

He was a martial artist who had ascended to a supreme realm, enough to hold the alias of Sword King, and was the current Grand Patriarch of the Namgung Clan.

Namgung Cheon, who had handed down the position of family leader and everything else to his son, declaring that he no longer wished to be involved in complex politics whether of the Orthodox or Heterodox, the Martial Alliance or the Heterodox Alliance.

The reason why he, who had devoted himself solely to the sword after retirement, was present here now was due to Namgung Pa’s earnest request.

“Father. Are you bored?”

“If you know that, why did you bring me to a place like this?”

“Oh, Father, please. Didn’t I tell you that the atmosphere within Anhui Province is quite uneasy lately? At times like this, the Sword King must show his presence in public once to settle the atmosphere. Isn’t this all for the sake of the entire populace of Anhui Province beyond just our family?”

“Tsk.”

Hearing Namgung Pa’s words, Namgung Cheon turned his head with a displeased expression.

The grand banquet hall below was visible.

A place where numerous people gathered, eating, drinking, and singing.

However, Namgung Cheon had only been sitting and stroking his beard for a while, showing no sign of being amused at all.

“It’s a place where the same bastards always come and say the same things before leaving, so why make me go out too?”

“Father. As I mentioned before, the nature of the grand banquet is slightly different this time.”

Namgung Pa cleared his throat and continued.

“The Cao Family Manor has been exterminated.”

“I know. I’ve already heard it several times.”

“Although they were of a humble lineage, they are strictly a collateral branch of our Namgung. Cao Yangzi, the patriarch of that place, is a distant relative of Namgung Paeng-saeng, who is a pillar of the current Elder Council. Moreover, Cao Yangzi possessed our Boundless Azure Sky Sword Art, and was an outstanding figure who once served as an instructor at the Martial Alliance’s Ascending Heaven Academy.”

“I know that too. Cao Yangzi, I met that fellow a few times. He was a pretty smart kid.”

“…The fact that such a Cao Family Manor was colluding with the Heterodox force of the Black Path Gang was revealed to the whole world, and the aftermath will now reach the Namgung Clan. Therefore, the Namgung Clan, as a pillar of the Orthodox path, must solidify the fact that we have not a single speck of shame. Right here at this grand banquet.”

Namgung Pa intended to firmly establish discipline in Gulai County and Inner Pine County within Anhui Province on this occasion.

However, Namgung Cheon still appeared uninterested.

“Oh my—what is the big deal about a few weaklings dying after squabbling among themselves? You have always worked yourself up over trivial matters since the old days. Didn’t you once get angry for days over losing a cricket fight?”

“Father. How can you compare the Cao Family Manor and the Black Path Gang to crickets? And how long ago was that… *sigh*.”

Namgung Pa hung his head while holding his forehead.

Right at that moment.

Someone came up from the lower floor of the pavilion.

“Father. Grandfather. It is about time for you to enter the banquet hall.”

Eventually, a woman revealed her presence.

Fair skin, calmly settled corners of her eyes, a nose bridge sharp enough to cut, and plump lips.

She was a beauty whose impression exuded a subtle coldness amidst an expressionless face.

Namgung Yul.

An extraordinary talent, enough to hold the alias of Sword Flower at an age not even twenty.

She was the precious daughter of the entire Namgung Clan and Namgung Pa’s pride.

The moment Namgung Pa saw Namgung Yul, a bright smile spread across his lips.

“My proud daughter, you have come. Father, how do you feel seeing Yul-i after a long time? She has grown a lot, hasn’t she?”

The heart of a father looking at his well-growing daughter was satisfied.

However, the grandfather’s heart seemed slightly different.

“Ah, Yul-i. Right. You came home this time?”

At the question Namgung Cheon tossed with a lukewarm expression, Namgung Yul politely bowed her head.

“Yes, Grandfather. I have returned temporarily from the Ascending Heaven Academy for vacation.”

“Mmh—right. Did you find a decent husband candidate when you went to the academy?”

At Namgung Cheon’s words, Namgung Pa raised his voice in surprise.

“Oh, Father! How old is she that you are already discussing marriage?”

“In my time, this was the age when everyone was married and having children. At this rate, she is gradually reaching marriageable age.”

Even before her father and grandfather arguing over her marriage, Namgung Yul did not show the slightest change in expression.

She answered instead in a calm tone.

“I was actually looking into marriage prospects anyway. I wish to marry right after graduating from the Ascending Heaven Academy.”

“What, Yul-i!”

“Father. Grandfather’s words are correct. I should marry quickly and be of help to the clan. Also, personally, I wish to quickly form a stable family.”

“Even so… thinking of marriage already is a bit… you should spend a bit more time with this father and mother… Or, c-c-could it be? Is there a man you are meeting separately right now?”

“No. Right now, I am focusing on my studies so I have absolutely no thoughts of men, but won’t the story change after graduation? I am simply preparing in advance.”

At Namgung Yul’s indifferent voice, Namgung Pa wore a troubled expression.

Where would there be a father who would not be shaken by the statement that his daughter was looking into her own marriage prospects?

However, Namgung Cheon only clicked his tongue.

“If you want to find a son-in-law, look from a bit further away. Not the bland and dull fellows around here.”

“Oh, Father, why are you doing that again?”

“What do you mean why? I am saying it because there are only guys without individuality and who are flat in our family. I dislike the idea of even a granddaughter’s husband being such an uninteresting fellow.”

“When the time comes one day, I plan to choose carefully and match Yul-i with the most upright and diligent fellow in this world!”

“Tsk—you’ll probably bring some conventional fellow who looks like he was stamped out from somewhere. Well, do as you please.”

Namgung Cheon turned his head away entirely as if it was troublesome.

He was someone who had shown absolutely no interest in worldly affairs since handing down the position of family leader to his son.

Namgung Pa let out a sigh toward his father.

Then, placing his hand on Namgung Yul’s shoulder, he continued.

“By the way, Yul-i. You haven’t forgotten your mission, right? Soon the ceremony of the blood oath will be held.”

The blood oath ceremony.

It was a ritual of bonding held by those who decided to form an alliance.

The procedure was to draw the blood of a large and wild beast, receive it in a copper tray, and drink it in turn.

Namgung Pa said to Namgung Yul.

“This father will attend the blood oath ceremony. Your mission is to take out the family’s sacred sword, escort it to the altar, and draw blood from the neck of the beast to be used as a sacrifice, putting it in the copper tray. In a way, it is the most spotlighted role in this event.”

Sacred Sword Escort.

The holy task of taking out the sword ‘Fish Gut’ from deep within the family’s secret vault, and transporting it past the center of the grand banquet hall onto the altar.

And cutting the sacrifice’s neck with this sacred sword to receive the blood in the copper tray was also an important task.

For these two processes were the most splendid and solemn parts of the ritual of the blood oath.

Namgung Yul nodded.

“I know well the reason why you entrusted this important mission to me. I will do my best so that the dignity of Namgung can rise even higher before the heroes gathered here today.”

“Hahaha—your spirit is good, but the purpose is reversed. I did not ask you to establish Namgung’s prestige. I am asking you to establish your prestige using Namgung.”

Even at the banter of the daughter-fool Namgung Pa, Namgung Yul remained expressionless.

“Just as Namgung is my pride, I will make sure that I too can become Namgung’s pride.”

At her stiff words, Namgung Pa scratched the back of his head with a sheepish expression.

‘Geez, child. I didn’t say that to get such a serious response.’

It was good that his daughter was smart and cool-headed, but… occasionally when jokes did not work like this, there were frequent times when he felt embarrassed.

Eventually, Namgung Pa stood up from his seat to ease the awkward atmosphere.

“Now, let us stand up. It is about time for the protagonists to step out. Father, please stand up too. Come—hurry!”

Namgung Pa took the hand of the grumbling Namgung Cheon, helped him up, and headed toward the stairs.

Then.

Namgung Pa suddenly spoke.

“Ah. Yul-i.”

“Yes, Father.”

To his daughter, who was probably quite nervous before the heavy task though she did not express it, Namgung Pa offered a light joke once more.

“……The sword. You mustn’t let anyone steal it?”

At that, Namgung Yul, with an extremely serious expression this time too, replied to her father’s joke.

“No way. Who in this world could steal the heirloom of the great Namgung Clan? And that in the middle of the Namgung Clan’s estate.”

“Haho—indeed. As if such a thing would happen. I only said it in jest fearing that you might be nervous.”

Namgung Pa went down the stairs with a hearty laugh.

Namgung Yul also turned in another direction and went down the stairs.

Like that, the father and daughter headed in different directions to fulfill their respective missions.

Without doubting that everything would go smoothly in the future.

……

…However.

Sometimes, people tend to forget.

That complacency breeds disaster.

Unrivaled Spear Ghost