The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

The banquet prepared by the Namgung Family was indeed grand.

As it was a place to uphold the dignity of the Five Great Families, dishes and liquors made from precious ingredients that even the Jin siblings, from the wealthiest family in Shanxi, had never seen were gathered in one place.

However, the scale of the banquet was not as large as expected.

Since it was a place for the four next-generation talents who had visited the Namgung Family, their banquet was held at the two-story pentagonal pavilion located in the annex of the Namgung Family estate.

It was Namgung Muhyeok's consideration to let the next-generation talents enjoy and rest comfortably.

"I'm already excited! I wonder what kind of guys will come!"

Peng Sopung from the Hebei Peng Family said, raising his thick chest high while holding a wine cup.

"You must be careful with your words and actions. This is a mission that is being carried out in secret."

Zhuge Ming of the Zhuge Family said, as if chiding Peng Sopung's light mouth, and wet his lips with tea instead of wine.

Peng Sopung emptied his wine cup in one gulp.

"This is the Namgung Family! Who do you think is eavesdropping on us?"

"Under normal circumstances, there would be nothing to worry about, as Brother Peng said, but..."

Zhuge Ming's subtle gaze turned towards the three people occupying a corner of the pentagonal pavilion.

"Why are those people here?"

Murong Susu from the Murong Family asked with a face full of pure curiosity, without any malice.

At her question, Tang Hakgi, a martial artist from the Sichuan Tang Clan who had come a long way from Sichuan to Anhui, clicked his tongue and said.

"They must have begged to be included in the banquet! Without even knowing their place."

Unlike Murong Susu, at Tang Hakgi's words, which were full of malice, Zhuge Ming carefully said.

"They will hear you."

"I said it for them to hear."

"It seems that both Brother Peng and Brother Tang need to be careful with their words and actions."

"What's the problem?"

As Tang Hakgi asked bluntly, Zhuge Ming lowered his voice and whispered quietly.

"The one who created this place is the Family Head of the Namgung Family. Therefore, Brother Tang's words could be an insult to the Namgung Family."

Tang Hakgi's face, who had heard the explanation, quickly turned pale.

While Tang Hakgi, who had realized his mistake, shut his mouth, two people appeared, following the stairs.

"You've come."

At Zhuge Ming's welcome, the man who appeared, exuding manliness, smiled brightly.

"Seeing my friends gathered in one place, my heart feels full!"

Finally, Namgung Seong and Namgung Seolu of the Namgung Family came to the pentagonal pavilion.

"Oh! You've come from the Jin Family too!"

As Namgung Seong approached with long strides and offered a handshake, Jin Sohyun, who was sitting with a bored face, extended his hand in return.

"Haha! I am Namgung Seong of the Namgung Family. Like Brother Jin, I am also the son of the Family Head."

"A son? The Family Head had a son."

"Although I was born first, the Family Head always cherishes Seolu, saying she is his one and only daughter, so my existence is sometimes forgotten. Haha! It's not the first time."

Jin Sohyun was confused whether this man named Namgung Seong had a good personality or was lacking somewhere.

But through the internal energy that was unconsciously transmitted from the clasped hands, he could feel that Namgung Seong's martial arts were quite profound.

'At this level... is he about second-rate?'

Jin Sohyun, who had treated the eldest son of the Family Head and a promising next-generation talent in the Namgung Family as second-rate, then discovered Namgung Seolu, who was glaring at him.

'Why is she like that?'

Jin Sohyun had no way of knowing why Namgung Seolu was glaring at him.

'The siblings' personalities are the complete opposite. Yikes! I have to be careful! It's going to be a hassle.'

Jin Sohyun, who thought of Namgung Seolu as just a woman with a bad personality, quickly looked away.

"Everyone, please enjoy yourselves to your heart's content. Everything prepared in this place today is for all of you!"

"Hahaha! As expected of the Namgung Family!"

At Namgung Seong's words to enjoy themselves to their heart's content, Peng Sopung began to eat and drink food and wine to his heart's content, as if there were no restrictions.

On the other hand, Zhuge Ming, who was staring at the Jin siblings with an interested gaze, said carefully.

"As the rumors say, the beauty of the Jin Family's young lady is outstanding enough to be compared to Young Lady Namgung."

"So what."

Tang Hakgi glared at Jin Gahyeon with sharp eyes.

Then, Jin Gahyeon, who happened to turn her gaze and met his eyes, responded with a graceful smile.

Tang Hakgi, who was momentarily mesmerized by her beautiful appearance, hurriedly turned his gaze away.

"Tsk!"

Tang Hakgi bit his lower lip.

In fact, he did not like beautiful women.

To be more honest, he liked them, but after realizing that their affection would not reach him, he had come to hate beauties in his heart.

The fact that he wanted them more than anyone but couldn't have them made Tang Hakgi annoyed.

'Let's see how long that smile can be maintained!'

Tang Hakgi picked up a carrot that had been deeply marinated in a sauce made of chili peppers with his chopsticks.

As he flicked his wrist and flicked his fingers, the piece of carrot on the chopsticks flew at high speed.

The target was the most prominent bridge of the nose on Jin Gahyeon's pristine and beautiful face.

'Let's see if you can smile even when your face is dirty!'

Since it was a carrot thrown with the subtlety of hidden weapon techniques, Jin Gahyeon, who did not know martial arts, had no choice but to be hit defenselessly.

It was then.

Whoosh—!

A chopstick that had flown from somewhere pierced the piece of carrot that was flying towards Jin Gahyeon like a skewer and flew away.

'What?!'

The startled Tang Hakgi blinked and looked around.

But no one seemed to have thrown a chopstick.

'Was it a coincidence?'

At first, he thought it was a coincidence, but soon Tang Hakgi shook his head.

'It can't be a coincidence. That means there is someone here who has hidden weapon skills comparable to mine...'

Hitting a stationary target by throwing a hidden weapon was only at the beginner level in hidden weapon techniques.

But to accurately pierce a target that was flying unexpectedly, one had to possess hidden weapon skills of at least the intermediate level or higher.

This meant that the person was at a similar level to Tang Hakgi, who had been handling hidden weapons in the Tang Clan for a long time.

'Who is it... who interfered with me? Who saw me!'

Tang Hakgi pretended not to and looked around, chasing the person who had thrown the chopstick, but there seemed to be no one who had thrown a chopstick anywhere.

The most likely candidate, Jin Sohyun, was just sitting with a face that looked like the most troublesome thing in the world.

"Haaam—!"

Jin Sohyun, who was yawning, looked at Siu, who was diligently emptying her food with all kinds of sauces on her mouth.

Siu, who felt his gaze, mumbled with her mouth full.

"You should eat too, Young Master. All this food is made with ingredients that are hard to get in Shanxi."

"I've eaten a lot."

"Aish, don't be like that, try this."

As Siu handed him a dumpling, Jin Sohyun poked the dumpling with the one chopstick that had lost its partner and put it in his mouth.

"Oh? Young Master! Why do you only have one chopstick?"

"I lost it."

"Ugh! This loyal Siu will get you a chopstick, Young Master."

While Siu got up from her seat to get a chopstick, Jin Sohyun's eyes glared at Tang Hakgi.

'Why is that brat acting like that again?'

Although Jin Gahyeon had not noticed, Jin Sohyun had just spotted a piece of carrot flying towards his sister and had hurriedly thrown a chopstick.

'It's too malicious to be a mistake.'

A clear malice was contained in that piece of carrot.

Jin Sohyun wondered if he should question him, but soon gave up.

"If he does it again, I'll deal with it then."

If he were to deny it as a mistake, it would not be easy to get to the bottom of it.

And besides, it was a hassle.

Jin Sohyun was about to let it go with a generous heart.

Until Tang Hakgi picked up a second piece of carrot with his chopsticks.

'I have to find out who it is.'

He had to find out who had interfered with him.

The reason was nothing special.

It was simply because he didn't like the fact that he had been interfered with.

'Let's see... try to block this too!'

This time, he planned to imbue the piece of carrot with internal energy and send it flying.

If things went wrong, Jin Gahyeon could get hurt, but that was not important to Tang Hakgi.

After all, since she was a flower he couldn't have, he didn't care if the petals were hurt or broken.

It was the moment Tang Hakgi was about to flick his chopsticks, aiming for Jin Gahyeon.

Ping—!

A single chopstick that had flown from somewhere pierced through the gap between the chopsticks Tang Hakgi was holding, skewered the carrot that was being held, and stuck in the plate.

'This is...!'

Tang Hakgi could feel it instinctively.

This was a silent warning.

Moreover, Tang Hakgi, who was from the Sichuan Tang Clan, the main sect of hidden weapon techniques, could tell.

The technique and power contained in the chopstick that had flown to deliver a silent warning were not of a level that someone like him could compete with.

Gulp—!

Tang Hakgi put down the chopsticks he was holding with a trembling hand.

"Brother Tang. You don't look well. Are you sick somewhere?"

"N-No. I need to rest for a bit."

As Tang Hakgi left with a pale face, Zhuge Ming shrugged and walked over to where the Jin siblings were.

He clasped his fists with a pristine face and greeted them first.

"I am Zhuge Ming of the Zhuge Family. It is an honor to meet the scions of the famous Jin Family of Shanxi."

"I am Gahyeon of the Jin Family. I am also honored to meet the young hero of the Zhuge Family, who is called the Dragon of Shandong."

"Haha! A dragon is too much of a compliment. I am especially embarrassed to receive such a compliment at the Namgung Family."

"False words are embarrassing, but there is no need to be embarrassed by truthful words, is there?"

Unlike Zhuge Ming's humble attitude, Jin Gahyeon's attitude was rather firm.

Looking at her firm gaze and tone, Zhuge Ming realized that Jin Gahyeon was no ordinary person.

'Excellent flattery.'

If Jin Gahyeon had been embarrassed together here, the compliment she had given earlier would have seemed like a lie even if it wasn't.

But on the contrary, by proudly revealing her words and actions, she revealed her sincerity.

'As expected... is she the talent who will lead the Jin Family in the future?'

Zhuge Ming came to see Jin Gahyeon not just as a noble daughter of a prestigious family, but as a young family head who would lead a family.

Compared to that, her older brother, Jin Sohyun, seemed ordinary.

"I am Ming of the Zhuge Family."

"I am Sohyun of the Jin Family."

The two greeted each other with a clasped fist, befitting martial artists.

"You must have many questions, so if you need, I will answer everything I know."

"I don't have any."

"...What?"

"I don't have any questions."

"Ah..."

While the embarrassed Zhuge Ming was rolling his eyes, Jin Gahyeon stepped forward slightly in his place.

"In that case, would it be alright if I asked a few things?"

At Jin Gahyeon's question, a flush appeared on Zhuge Ming's white face.

"Of course. Please ask as much as you want."

The questions that followed from Jin Gahyeon were so trivial that it was embarrassing to even call them questions.

Zhuge Ming, who had been answering sincerely, laughed out loud, unlike his usual self.

"Haha! The young lady of the Jin Family is truly amazing! To think you would ask questions I couldn't even imagine."

"Were my questions strange?"

"No. Usually, in a place like this, there are some who ask sensitive questions that are difficult for even me to answer. Of course, I would avoid answering or turn it around in another way... but you are the first person to ask such trivial questions."

Jin Gahyeon's first questions were about the names of each next-generation talent and their preferences, such as their favorite food, color, or hobby.

Of course, it could be said that they were questions befitting the scion of a merchant family, but even after that, Jin Gahyeon led the conversation with topics that would be exchanged as pleasantries in a private setting, such as Zhuge Ming's hobbies or what he did in his leisure time.

For Zhuge Ming, it was a rather novel experience.

"What are you going to use these for?"

"My father said that the hardest thing to obtain in this world is a person's heart. Because it cannot be seen or touched, you think you have it in your hand, but in reality, you don't, and there are times when you think you can't have it and give up, but you already have it."

"To think you tried to obtain the hardest thing to obtain in the world through me... the profit and loss don't match!"

"Is that so?"

As Jin Gahyeon asked with a bright smile, Zhuge Ming had no choice but to lower his head.

Was it called a beauty that could topple a nation.

'The words of the elders to be careful of beauties were true.'

A beauty shakes the heart and causes confusion.

Thanks to that, his judgment was clouded and his vision narrowed, so Zhuge Ming found it hard to look at Jin Gahyeon directly.

'She is dangerous in a completely different sense from Young Lady Namgung.'

Namgung Seolu was as beautiful as Jin Gahyeon, but she was just as cold, arrogant, and fierce.

If Jin Gahyeon was the most beautiful flower that bloomed in a garden full of beautiful flowers, Namgung Seolu was like a sharp flower whose leaves were made of blades.

Both were beautiful, but the reason they were fatal was different.

And now, the sharp and beautiful flower, whose leaves were forged from a blade, appeared before them.

"Young Master! I brought the chopsticks."

"Thank you."

"Huh? Where's the other one?"

"I lost it."

"Whaat!? Are you teasing me now!" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"It's true."

"Ugh!"

While Siu went to get the chopsticks again, huffing and puffing, Jin Sohyun faced a woman who had appeared in front of him.

"Young Master Jin."

"Yes?"

"You must already know about me, so I will not introduce myself separately."

A stiff tone and voice.

Namgung Seolu spoke with a voice so firm that it felt authoritarian.

"Will you give me a moment of your time?"

"Now?"

Namgung Seolu, who felt the boredom on Jin Sohyun's face, nodded and said.

"I'll say this in advance, this is not a request."

Namgung Seolu's gaze became even fiercer.

(End of Chapter)