The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

"Who... are you?"

"Ah, my introduction was late. We are martial artists belonging to the Special Operations Unit dispatched from the Martial Arts Alliance at the request of the Deungho Sect."

"Ah... the Special Operations Unit..."

The young martial artists of the Deungho Sect blinked their eyes.

They had clearly heard it with their own two ears, but they couldn't understand.

The young martial artist, who had been scratching his head for a while, hesitated and said.

"Please wait a moment."

Half a koku passed after the young martial artist who was guarding the entrance of the sect went inside.

"What!? The Martial Arts Alliance sent people?"

The bright voice of a middle-aged man was heard from inside.

And the sound of running that followed.

The sect leader of the Deungho Sect had come running as soon as he heard the news that the Martial Arts Alliance had sent martial artists.

There was no time to save face.

The middle-aged man, who had come running as if he were flying, with his long robe fluttering, appeared with a bright smile.

"You are...!"

The middle-aged man, who had discovered the martial artists belonging to the Martial Arts Alliance's Special Operations Unit, said.

"Who... are you?"

Looking at the stuttering middle-aged man, Un Bang, who had hidden his identity as a member of the Martial Arts Alliance's Special Operations Unit, said.

"I am Un Bang, a member of the Martial Arts Alliance's Special Operations Unit."

"Ah..."

The middle-aged man's gaze shook violently.

It was understandable, as the martial artists who had come from the Martial Arts Alliance were in a shabby state, with shabby and humble plain clothes.

And as if they didn't even have the money to ride a carriage, they had appeared on a cart pulled by a yellow bull and covered with a pile of hay.

'What... are these beggars?'

Ham So'eon, the sect leader of the Deungho Sect, could not easily understand this situation.

Un Bang, who had discovered the light of suspicion in his gaze, called someone with a sigh-mixed voice.

"Wake up the team leader."

Yu Useon hurriedly pulled something out of the pile of hay.

It was surprisingly a person.

The man's face was dazed, as if he had been sleeping in the pile of hay until now.

"Haaam... have we arrived?"

"Yes."

Jin Sohyun, who had gotten off the cart, staggering, looked at Ham So'eon with eyes full of sleep.

"Ah, hello. I am Jin Sohyun, the leader of the third group of the Martial Arts Alliance's Special Operations Unit."

"Are you really... the martial artists who came from the Martial Arts Alliance?"

For some reason, Ham So'eon's tone was as if he was hoping they weren't.

Of course, Jin Sohyun, who had no way of knowing this, was bright.

"Yes!"

"F-First, come inside."

"Yes. Is there a place for the bull to rest?"

"There is a horse stable inside, so you can let it rest there."

"Thank you. Un Bang, take our Hwanggu and let it rest."

"Why me!?"

Jin Sohyun tapped the golden armband without a word at the roughly protesting Un Bang.

That was the end of it.

"Keuk!"

Un Bang ground his teeth and moved the bull and the cart.

In the meantime, Jin Sohyun went inside the Deungho Sect with Ham So'eon.

The Deungho Sect was very small, as befitting of a minor sect.

The size of the estate was so small that it could accommodate at most two hundred people, and the number of buildings was also small.

Moreover, as if it was not being managed properly, there were cobwebs overflowing here and there, and there seemed to be many parts that needed repair.

"Ah, Ham Mun. Come here."

At Ham So'eon's call, a boy named Ham Mun approached.

"This is my son. Greet them. They are the martial artists who have come from the Martial Arts Alliance."

"You've come from the Martial Arts Alliance?"

Was he about sixteen?

The boy looked at Jin Sohyun and the rest with a face full of disbelief.

"Escort these people to the reception hall."

"Yes..."

Ham Mun guided Jin Sohyun and his party to the reception hall with a reluctant face.

In the meantime, Yu Useon whispered with a small voice.

"They don't seem very welcoming."

"Hmph! Who would welcome people who look like this? Besides, the team leader is like that."

Sangsuk glared at the back of Jin Sohyun, who was walking, yawning.

'If it weren't for the Peng family!'

If it weren't for Peng Ogyeong, he would have snatched the armband and taken the position of team leader long ago.

But the Hebei Peng Clan was not an easy opponent.

Due to his blunt personality, if he said even a little something to Jin Sohyun, Peng Ogyeong would immediately rush at him.

So Sangsuk and Un Bang were calling him Jin Sohyun's dog.

A loyal dog that protects its master.

The loyal dog, Peng Ogyeong.

"Since it has come to this, I want to just deal with it and go."

Sangsuk's powerless mumble.

Jin Sohyun also agreed.

Arriving at the reception hall, Jin Sohyun passed the time by drinking the tea that Ham Mun had personally brought.

As he scratched his head, dandruff fell like snow.

Ham Mun, who had discovered this, frowned.

'Why did the Martial Arts Alliance send a brat like this...'

Ham Mun was doubtful whether these people were really from the Martial Arts Alliance.

'Perhaps... are they spies sent by those brats?'

Looking at Jin Sohyun, who was already dozing off after having been sitting on the chair for who knows how long, his suspicion was gradually turning into conviction.

'If they really are spies!?'

Ham Mun caressed the dagger hidden in his bosom with his fingertips.

'I'll deal with them myself!'

"Are you really saying that those people were sent by the Martial Arts Alliance?"

"For now, that's what they say."

"Ahem!"

The three elders of the Deungho Sect let out a sigh.

How happy they had been at the news that the Martial Arts Alliance had sent people.

They had held hope that they could finally escape from their clutches.

But the martial artists that the Martial Arts Alliance had sent were not normal.

If someone who didn't know had seen them, they would have thought that the beggars of the Beggars' Sect had appeared in white clothes.

"I knew it."

One of the elders let out a deep sigh.

"There's no way the Martial Arts Alliance would obediently send martial artists to a small sect like ours."

"Then they shouldn't have sent them at all! Isn't this completely ignoring the Deungho Sect?"

"In the first place, the fact that they came on a bull cart instead of a carriage or a horse is ignoring the main sect. We have our pride too! Let's kick them out at once!"

At the heated criticism of the elders, Ham So'eon could not say anything.

And yet, he could not kick out the people who had been sent by the Alliance.

"Elders, please calm down. No matter what they look like, if it's true that they were sent by the Alliance, we can't kick them out. I'll talk to them and send them back."

Ham So'eon, who had escaped the meeting room as if he were running away, heard the voices of the elders flowing from inside the closed door.

"Tsk! Isn't this all because of the incompetent sect leader?"

"Although it's a shabby sect compared to a prestigious one, hasn't our Deungho Sect protected Hebei for a hundred years?"

"How about we replace the sect leader at this opportunity?"

"Hey! Who would want to be the sect leader in a situation like this!"

At the criticism of the elders coming from inside, Ham So'eon lowered his head.

'This is all my fault.'

He regretted it.

If he hadn't gone there that day.

If he hadn't met that man there.

This would not have happened.

"Hoo... I have no face."

Ham So'eon's footsteps towards the reception hall were heavy.

Click—!

The door of the reception hall opened, and Ham So'eon entered.

"Brother."

At Peng Ogyeong's call, Jin Sohyun opened his closed eyes.

His squinted eyes found Ham So'eon.

"Ah, you've come."

At the sight of Jin Sohyun making a fist and palm salute, Ham So'eon barely managed to hold back a laugh.

'At least he's pretending to be a martial artist.'

Although his own situation was ridiculous, the appearance of these third-rate martial artists sent by the Martial Arts Alliance was also ridiculous.

Perhaps they were at the bottom of the Martial Arts Alliance.

Just having the plausible name of Special Operations Unit.

An empty shell.

'They're similar to me.'

Ham So'eon felt a sense of kinship with them.

Was that why?

It was difficult to treat them harshly.

"I'll introduce myself again. I am the sect leader of this Deungho Sect, Ham So'eon."

Ham So'eon showed a demeanor befitting of the head of a sect.

His voice was serious, and his gaze was calm.

At this, Jin Sohyun also straightened his back and took out the silver plaque that symbolized the Martial Arts Alliance from his bosom and said.

"I am Jin Sohyun, a member of the Martial Arts Alliance's Special Operations Unit."

"You've worked hard coming a long way."

"Yes. I heard you requested mediation from the Martial Arts Alliance. What exactly should we mediate for you?"

"That's..."

Ham So'eon, who had been hesitating, said with a forced smile.

"We've resolved it well. I'm sorry you had to come all this way."

"What? You've resolved it?"

The other team members, including Jin Sohyun, made puzzled faces.

"There was a minor argument with a sect called the Hongjung Sect. But it has been resolved well, so don't worry."

"Ah... is that so?"

"Yes. You must have worked hard coming all this way, so please rest well today and go back."

This was the end.

Jin Sohyun and his party, whose first request had ended in vain, were able to wash up after a long time and have a meal with warm rice in the room that Ham So'eon had given them.

Late at night.

Jin Sohyun, who had come out of his room when everyone was asleep, found a quiet place and took a night walk.

"Sigh, what a hassle."

The reason why the lazy bum, who didn't even sleep, had come out for a walk, which he usually didn't do, was truly surprising.

"No-work or whatever... it's really annoying."

It was because of the realm of no-work that Kang Cheon had left behind.

This was more difficult and complicated than when he had first learned the Void Grasping Art.

Jin Sohyun, who was wandering the estate in search of a quiet place, finally found a small training ground.

"Aha! There's no way there wouldn't be a training ground..."

"Haap!"

There was already a guest at the small training ground.

A boy who looked to be about sixteen.

It was the sect leader's one and only son, Ham Mun.

"Haap! Haap!"

Jin Sohyun watched Ham Mun training in his sword technique for a while.

'He's lazy in his training.'

The level of Ham Mun, whom he had watched for a short while, was truly pathetic.

It was so embarrassing that it was hard to even call him a third-rate martial artist.

His movement technique was clumsy, and if Bieunggaek had seen this, he would have foamed at the mouth and collapsed.

His sword technique had lost its way and was wandering here and there.

It was similar to a child swinging a sword without thinking.

"It's a hassle to find another place... how long is he going to do this?"

Jin Sohyun sat down and took a deep breath.

Since it was a hassle to find another place, he quietly circulated his qi, hoping that Ham Mun would do it moderately and go back.

How much time had passed?

Finally, Ham Mun, who was sweating profusely, put down the sword he was holding.

"Haa..."

Tears flowed down Ham Mun's eyes, which were looking up at the sky, like a stream.

"Sob... sob sob..."

At the sight of Ham Mun, who was crying, covering his face with his sleeve, Jin Sohyun scratched his cheek.

He felt as if he had seen a scene he shouldn't have.

"It's not like me to meddle."

Jin Sohyun, who was bothered by the crying Ham Mun, got up from his seat and quietly moved his feet to the training ground.

Ham Mun, who had not even known that Jin Sohyun was approaching because he was crying, was startled when he discovered him late.

"Ugh!"

Ham Mun, who had fallen in surprise, quickly got up and dusted off his bottom.

"The uncle from the Alliance... wh-why are you here?"

"A night walk because I can't sleep. And I'm not an uncle, I'm a brother. I'm only twenty."

"..."

Ham Mun stared at Jin Sohyun, on whom the moonlight was shining.

"Handsome..."

Ham Mun, who had muttered without realizing it, covered his mouth with his hand.

"I know."

Jin Sohyun, who had approached, shrugging his shoulders, wiped the sweat flowing on Ham Mun's forehead with his sleeve.

At his touch, Ham Mun was startled.

"It's... it's alright. I'll wipe it myself."

"It's late, but you must have been training in martial arts."

"I have to become stronger."

"Why?"

"So that... I can protect the sect."

Ham Mun, who had been thinking about something intently, raised his head.

"Uncle! N-No... brother!"

"Yes?"

"How can I enter the Martial Arts Alliance? You're a member of the Martial Arts Alliance, so you must know well, right?"

At the unexpected question, Jin Sohyun was quite flustered.

'I don't know either.'

In the first place, the Special Operations Unit was just a unit that the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple had created arbitrarily.

The fact that he was a member of the Martial Arts Alliance was also thanks to being an official, so Jin Sohyun did not know how to enter the Martial Arts Alliance.

"If you become stronger... wouldn't that be it?"

As he gave a difficult answer, Ham Mun's face became determined.

"As expected, that's the only way, right?"

"That's the fastest way."

Jin Sohyun shrugged his shoulders.

It was the advice of a senior of the Martial Arts Alliance.

Ham Mun nodded his head and raised his real sword.

"Then please watch my skills! And tell me what I'm lacking!"

At the determined boy's request, Jin Sohyun said with a gentle smile.

"I don't want to."

(End of Chapter)