Volume 1 Chapter 17 – Outing

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Master, I have completed all preparations.”

Jeong-ah, who finished preparations for going out, gave a bright smile.

Although she only wore the single set of outdoor clothes she had when she came to Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment, and paid a little more attention to her makeup than usual.

Even so, since she was someone whose original appearance was so excellent, she was dazzling with just that slight change.

“Is that the best?”

However, Yeon So-hyeon did not seem pleased.

“…Is it not to your liking?”

Honestly, dressing up to this extent was as good as taboo in the Guest House where they received guests.

“It is far lacking for a maid who accompanies the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family.”

…As he said that, he himself only wore a plain white cotton robe.

“Gatekeeper!”

At Yeon So-hyeon’s call, the middle-aged man, who was the ‘guard captain of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment’s main gate’, the ‘liaison of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment’, and an ‘expert of unknown identity’, approached grumblingly.

“Even if you are the Eldest Young Master, what do you mean by gatekeeper? Gatekeeper, my name is…”

“Be quiet, gatekeeper. Stop the nonsense and go to any butler of the Inner Courtyard to receive outdoor clothing for a female. Make it the highest grade.”

The Inner Courtyard was the department in charge of serving the direct line of relatives, centering around the Family Head.

“…W-What did you just say?”

The sound of grinding teeth was heard from the gatekeeper’s mouth.

Yeon So-hyeon smirked.

“If you don’t run right now, you will become a manure carrier of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment, not a gatekeeper.”

The gatekeeper felt his vision turn red at once.

He had dedicated his whole life to the Luoyang Sword Family.

Although he was now half-retired, he was still engaged in the task assigned to him like this in the Main Family of the Luoyang Sword Family.

In the past, he fought countless real battles outside the reach of the Luoyang Sword Family, and the lines of death he crossed were comparable.

How many enemies of the Sword Family had he cut down until now?

Yet this fellow called the Eldest Young Master, who was the shame of the Sword Family and the object of contempt, was mocking him now.

‘Under the pretext of his father’s order, he only confines himself and wastes time…’

“Have you not gone yet?”

At the appearance of Yeon So-hyeon glancing back, he gritted his teeth, unfolded his movement technique, and headed out of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment.

“Ah…!”

It was a movement technique so superb that Jeong-ah involuntarily let out an exclamation at his figure disappearing in an instant.

It was a movement technique so superb that her ‘eyes’ momentarily lost track of his position.

How many people in this vast Central Plains would be able to show that level of movement technique?

‘Damn it…’

That movement technique was the gatekeeper’s own demonstration of force.

However, even after doing so, he did not feel relieved at all.

Rather, he felt a great displeasure at the cold sweat flowing on his forehead.

‘What on earth was that gaze…?’

Actually, his unfolding of the movement technique was no different from an ad-hoc response.

The moment he saw the gaze of the turning Eldest Young Master, he instinctively felt a threat to his life and reacted.

Although he escaped the spot by unfolding the movement technique immediately after, that gaze still seemed to follow him.

‘That was the gaze of a madman. A properly mad one. How does a fellow who only reads books all day long…’

The forest path was ending.

The main gate of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment was seen.

‘Right, let us endure just a little. Since I have submitted a formal request for a change of assignment, let us endure just a little.’

However, the things he had to endure did not end there.

* * *

A moment later, Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment.

“…They said they will not give it.”

“What?”

“They said they will not give it. They said they will not cooperate.”

The Inner Courtyard in charge of serving the direct line of relatives had rejected the Eldest Young Master’s order.

Although the Eldest Young Master making an absurd face was slightly amusing, the one who was rejected to his face was him.

“The reason?”

The gatekeeper shrugged.

“I think you, Eldest Young Master, would know the reason better yourself.”

Although they made up a few excuses, it was all nonsense, and in the end, it meant they did not want to cooperate with Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment where the non-swordsman resided.

“…Absurd.”

Yeon So-hyeon cupped his forehead and looked into the empty air, and Jeong-ah only bowed her head in dismay.

“What will you do?”

It was a subtly provocative question from the gatekeeper, but Yeon So-hyeon was only dumbfounded and surprisingly calm.

“It cannot be helped.”

Jeong-ah, who was observing the atmosphere, thought it was the right time and chimed in.

“Since time has also been delayed, departing now would…”

However, seeing what Yeon So-hyeon pulled out from his sleeve, her voice gradually reduced and stopped.

“It has been a long time, so I had forgotten.”

At first, the gatekeeper’s jaw dropped as he blankly stared at what was held in Yeon So-hyeon’s hand, wondering what it was.

“T-That is…?!”

Yeon So-hyeon approached the pavilion nearby and picked up a brush.

And he wrote a letter in one stroke.

‘Bring clothes.’

It was a letter of an absurd level, with no format, no courtesy, nothing.

However, the calligraphy was so outstanding that Jeong-ah and the gatekeeper, who were blankly watching, let out a small exclamation in their minds.

Bang!

Before the ink could even dry, Yeon So-hyeon stamped what he held in his hand on the letter.

Then, the grand seal of ‘The Sword under Heaven’ appeared on the letter.

“Here. Take it.”

Yeon So-hyeon roughly folded the letter and handed it to the gatekeeper.

“…!”

Then, the gatekeeper was startled and rushed in front of Yeon So-hyeon.

And on the spot, he knelt on both knees and received the letter with both hands.

“I-I accept your command!”

His hands receiving the letter trembled.

“What are you doing? Run along.”

“I accept your command!”

Before Yeon So-hyeon’s words ended, his figure vanished.

“M-Master. As expected, that is…?”

Yeon So-hyeon sat on the railing and showed what he held in his hand.

“This?”

“Yes. I mean that.”

Yeon So-hyeon grinned.

“Yeah. That is right. The Family Head’s official seal.”

The complexion of Jeong-ah, who rarely revealed emotions, turned pale.

“The Sword Family’s Golden Seal!”

It was a seal and a mystical object symbolizing the absolute ruler who possessed absolute command in the Luoyang Sword Family.

Just seeing the actual object of such a seal was surprising, but for it to be used on a mere command to bring a maid’s clothing.

“H-How does the master have that…?”

Yeon So-hyeon looked at Jeong-ah with a look that asked what she was talking about.

“My father is in ‘that state’, so who else but me, the Eldest Young Master of the Main Family, can have it?”

It was true, grammatically speaking.

“B-But, using such a precious thing to command bringing my clothes…”

“Do not worry.”

Yeon So-hyeon smirked, put the Sword Family’s Golden Seal back into his pocket, and tucked it into his sleeve.

“I used to use it often for useless things since old times.”

Actually, it can only be used for useless things, Yeon So-hyeon added.

“If I do not use this, there is no place that properly cooperates.”

He laughed, haha.

“Well, I use it when buying books, when buying paper and brushes, and that is just how it is used.”

Jeong-ah wanted to faint on the spot.

* * *

After that, it was plain sailing.

The Sword Family’s Golden Seal, the sacred object of the Luoyang Sword Family’s Head, was a mystical object that the Emperor at the time had directly bestowed upon the Family Head.

There was no one foolish in the Luoyang Sword Family to interpret the words ‘bring clothes’ written on a document stamped with such a seal literally.

The one who made her appearance at the very front was the female butler of the Inner Courtyard.

And behind her majestic figure, dozens of Inner Courtyard maids followed in a disciplined manner.

Behind them, strong servants carrying large chests on their backs lined up.

The chests lined up in the yard, and as their lids opened, dozens of female outdoor clothes, shoes, and ornaments revealed their appearances.

Not a single one was missing; they were all top-grade.

And it was also in an instant that Jeong-ah, who was pulled away by the Inner Courtyard maids, changed to look like Chang’e of the moon palace.

“Hmm. This much is sufficient.”

As Yeon So-hyeon nodded, the female butler of the Inner Courtyard briefly shouted, “Withdraw!”

“If they had cooperated obediently in the first place, it would have been convenient for each other…”

What on earth were they doing every time, Yeon So-hyeon clicked his tongue toward her.

However, she acted as if she did not hear So-hyeon’s words, paid her respects, and moved her steps.

In the place where the people withdrew like the tide, the chests they brought and the baggage inside were left as they were.

“What do you do?”

At Yeon So-hyeon’s words, the face of the gatekeeper who was avoiding his gaze crumpled.

“…What do you mean?”

Yeon So-hyeon did not say anything to that reply and fumbled inside his sleeve.

“Ah, I understand, so stop that!”

He shuddered and moved his steps toward the chests.

“To treat such a precious object so casually makes no sense” was heard as a grumble, but Yeon So-hyeon did not care.

“Is it to your liking?”

Jeong-ah was looking into the full-length mirror placed in the yard.

She seemed to maintain her composure, but she could not hide her slightly flushed cheeks.

“…It seems unbefitting of my status.”

Yeon So-hyeon shrugged.

“You came to Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment, and I began to move.”

Although it was a light tone, the meaning contained in it was never light.

“In the future, there will be more days to wear such clothes.”

Jeong-ah’s ebony-like hair shook in the breeze.

At that moment, she had an intuition.

Although this breeze only flowed slowly to the west now, it would ultimately return as a ferocious typhoon.

“…Yes, master.”

Resolution dwelt in Jeong-ah’s eyes.

* * *

“…Is an escort truly not needed?”

Yeon So-hyeon smiled at the appearance of the escort members of the Luoyang Sword Family blocking his way.

“I told you it is fine because this friend is here.”

In the direction Yeon So-hyeon pointed, the ‘gatekeeper’ with a sour expression stood.

Since he, who already had a fierce impression, made a grimace, he looked like a devil.

Liaison, errand boy, and this time, escort.

His mood could not be good.

“For now, we have no choice but to follow the Eldest Young Master’s order, but without the permission of the Head of Escorts…”

Yeon So-hyeon cut off the escort member’s words.

“Yes, yes. Report as you see fit.”

“But we…”

Ultimately, only after Yeon So-hyeon pulled out the Sword Family’s Golden Seal and made a simple order form again, they backed off.

“Who is that guy in the guard clothes?”

“I don’t know. He looks like an expert, he’ll suffer quite a bit instead of us today.”

Escaping from the ‘market escort of the non-swordsman’, they did not hide their joy.

At their appearance, Jeong-ah was about to step forward, but Yeon So-hyeon raised his hand to stop her.

“Enough, the way to go is far.”

However, they had no choice but to be held up again at one of the back gates of the Luoyang Sword Family.

The guards blocked them on the grounds that the ‘Eldest Young Master’s’ outing during the day was not permitted from ‘above’.

And it was natural that Jeong-ah, whose anger exploded, reprimanded them in a fiery momentum.

Only the guards caught between the Eldest Young Master and the captain of the guard were pitiful.

“Haha, we haven’t even departed yet interesting things are overflowing.”

The one who found it interesting was naturally only Yeon So-hyeon.

And the gatekeeper was looking at Yeon So-hyeon with a fed-up look.

‘What on earth does the inside of this person called the Eldest Young Master look like.’

What was the appearance of the Eldest Young Master who pushed him relentlessly yesterday, and what was the appearance of the Eldest Young Master with a mad gaze that occasionally revealed itself?

And what was this appearance of the non-swordsman himself, who seemed to have no pride, showing today?

However, even in the midst of that, there was one thing he could be sure of.

‘I must be transferred as soon as possible!’

In the end, like that,

One maid who looked like Chang’e of the moon palace but had the lowest status in the party.

One expert of unknown identity who looked only like a guard of the Luoyang Sword Family.

And one Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family who looked like a handsome scholar assisting a lady but harbored an ancient monster.

That strange party set foot in the city of Luoyang.