RPAGF Chapter 259 : Promise Me You'll Come Back
Chapter 259 : Promise Me You'll Come Back
“Thank you for coming all this way.”
With Jin Seomok’s words of gratitude, Gongsun Su, who had appeared with the third large shipment of supplies, chuckled with his hands behind his back.
“Not at all. If I can help the righteous martial world in this way, I am grateful.”
Gongsun Su, who had delivered the supplies with a benevolent smile, met Cheon Yusin and greeted him with a fist salute.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Cheon Yusin, who is temporarily in charge of the Martial Alliance.”
“I am Gongsun Su.”
“I have heard of your title, Thunderclap Pavilion. I am just grateful that a master like you, Great Master Gongsun, is lending your strength.”
“Rather, I am just sorry for being so late.”
After finishing his greetings, Gongsun Su belatedly discovered Cheon Yusin’s bandaged right hand.
‘His right arm…’
As if he had felt his gaze, Cheon Yusin stroked his right arm and said.
“My right arm hasn’t moved as I wished since I was hit by the Blood Demon. That’s how… dangerous the Blood Demon’s power is.”
“I see. To think that even the White Moon Divine Lord was hit… I resent myself even more for joining late.”
“Don’t mind it. This all happened because of my arrogance. For now, please rest comfortably and relieve your travel fatigue.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Gongsun Su, who had finished his greetings with Cheon Yusin, next met Namgung Muhyeok and checked on his well-being.
“I heard you had a hole in your stomach. Are you okay?”
“Haha. Don’t worry. I’m fine now.”
“That’s a relief. More than that… where is the child of the Jin family?”
“Follow me.”
Gongsun Su, who had arrived at the main training ground with Namgung Muhyeok’s guidance, discovered Jin Sohyun there, having a martial arts contest with numerous martial artists alone.
“Huh!”
Although he already knew that Jin Sohyun’s talent was unusual, seeing his martial prowess in person felt like he was dreaming.
“I’m not dreaming right now, am I?”
“It’s as you see. It’s reality.”
“How on earth was such a genius born in the merchant family, the Jin Clan…”
Namgung Muhyeok, who was silently watching Jin Sohyun, suddenly looked up at the sky and said.
“Perhaps it’s to correct a mistake.”
“Did you say a mistake?”
Namgung Muhyeok, who had nodded his head, continued.
“I’ve thought that maybe the heavens made a mistake and created the abomination called the Blood Jade, and sent down the child named Jin Sohyun to stop it.”
Since it was a plausible statement, Gongsun Su also looked up at the sky and licked his lips.
‘A child like that… should have been born in our Gongsun family.’
Since his grandson, Gongsun Cheong, and Jin Sohyun were not far apart in age, the regret was even greater.
“Grandfather!”
At that moment, his grandson, Gongsun Cheong, came running from behind him.
“Cheong. Have you been well?”
“Yes!”
Gongsun Cheong smiled brightly in front of Gongsun Su, whom he was meeting after a long time.
Behind him, several late-stage prospects were standing with Heonwon Hu.
“Great Master Gongsun.”
“It’s Great Master Heonwon.”
Heonwon Hu approached with a fist salute, and behind him, the disciples of the Black Tortoise Pavilion were standing in a line.
Among them was a man who looked like he was on the verge of death, and it was a face that Gongsun Su also knew.
‘It’s the child of the Tang family.’
He was Tang Hakgi, a direct descendant of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
‘Since his family became like that… it’s natural that he looks like that.’
Gongsun Su felt sympathy and shifted his gaze to Heonwon Hu.
“These children are…?”
“They are the martial artists who will be participating in the upcoming war.”
Heonwon Hu treated the disciples as a single martial artist, not as late-stage prospects or children.
Now was the time to do so.
Gongsun Su, who had realized this, also nodded his head and realized his mistake.
“I misspoke.”
“Don’t mind it. What is wrong is not you, Great Master… but perhaps the world.”
A storm that did not match his age was felt on the face of Heonwon Hu, who had to go through many things.
Gongsun Su, who had to just nod his head because he couldn’t find words of comfort, gently stroked his grandson, Gongsun Cheong’s, head.
“Oh! Have you met Gahyeon? Since she came with the supplies before me, you must have met her already.”
“Ah… that is…”
As Gongsun Cheong’s face turned red and he stuttered, Gongsun Su felt regret.
‘He couldn’t even mix a word. Cheong must form a connection with the Jin family.’
The Jin Clan was already displaying a tremendous power that could be compared to the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families.
And why not? The Jin Clan was the only one that had supplied a huge amount of supplies in a situation where all the merchant families and great families had turned their backs on the martial world, and it was the family of Jin Sohyun, who was evaluated as the number one martial artist of the current righteous path.
That’s why Gongsun Su felt like he wanted to send Gongsun Cheong as a son-in-law to the Jin Clan.
Although his earnest wish was felt from his fingertips, Gongsun Cheong could not bring himself to approach Jin Gahyeon.
The reason he couldn’t was.
‘I want to live a long life, grandfather.’
“Kyaaak!!”
It was because of Jong Ryeo'ak’s scream that was heard from afar.
“Kkeueueu…”
Jong Ryeo'ak, who was the only one to have a one-on-one martial arts contest with Jin Sohyun, was a complete mess and was sprawled on the training ground.
Jin Sohyun, strangely, did not use his flying sword in his martial arts contest with Jong Ryeo'ak, but instead threw punches or kicks with his bare fists.
Jong Ryeo'ak shouted at Jin Sohyun to fight properly if he was going to have a martial arts contest, but his empty shout was buried in Jin Sohyun’s punches and kicks.
‘Is there nothing this monster can’t do!?’
Jin Sohyun’s fist and foot techniques, which he had learned to some extent by competing with masters in many fields, had already reached a level that surpassed the masters of each field.
Naturally, with Jong Ryeo'ak’s level, there was no way he could defeat Jin Sohyun, and he had to fall, becoming a rag from Jin Sohyun’s punches and kicks, which seemed to have some emotion in them.
“Kkeueueu…”
Looking at Jong Ryeo'ak, who was being carried away on a stretcher again this time, Jin Sohyun wiped his forehead, which had not a single drop of sweat, with his sleeve with a much more refreshed face.
“Phew—! They say even dog poop has its use! Jong Ryeo'ak is useful too.”
Siu, who was watching the proud Jin Sohyun from a distance, clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Tsk tsk. That’s why you shouldn’t carelessly harbor feelings.”
“Feelings?”
As Jin Gahyeon, who was standing next to her, asked with a puzzled face, Siu laughed awkwardly.
“It’s nothing. Hohoho!”
‘Both the young master and the young lady are strangely dense in this area?’
Jin Gahyeon had no idea why Jong Ryeo'ak was being beaten by Jin Sohyun.
But thanks to that, the young martial artists who were about to approach, mesmerized by Jin Gahyeon’s beauty, were not even able to approach, using Jong Ryeo'ak as a negative example.
“Hmph! That’s right! If you want the young lady of the Jin Clan, you have to defeat our young master first! If you can, that is.”
A girl approached Siu, who was standing with her arms crossed in a triumphant manner, with light steps.
“Big sister Siu.”
“It’s Seol!”
Siu hugged Cha Seol, and Jin Gahyeon also welcomed Cha Seol warmly.
“Young Master Jong is being carried away again.”
“Huhu. It’s the punishment for coveting the young lady!”
“…That’s a relief.”
“What?”
“Ah, it’s nothing!”
Cha Seol let out a sigh of relief as she watched the retreating Jong Ryeo'ak.
‘Don’t tell me… I have to fight big sister Gahyeon to get big brother?’
Winning a person’s heart was a very easy task for Cha Seol, who was a master of soul-capturing techniques, but she was not foolish enough to use soul-capturing techniques on Jin Sohyun’s family.
‘Big brother Jin is a kind person, but he is very cold when it comes to his family’s affairs, so I have to be careful!’
Cha Seol was careful with her words and actions and asked slyly.
“Big sister Siu.”
“Yes?”
“Will big brother Jin also take over the family business and become a merchant later?”
“No. With the young master’s personality, he will never take over the family business. We also have the young lady.”
“Ah…”
Cha Seol let out a sigh of relief again.
If Jin Sohyun took over the family business and led the commercial power of the Jin Clan, the person who would become his wife would likely be a person who was suitable for it.
If that happened, it would be no different from a very high wall being built for Cha Seol, who had nothing except the Great Luo Golden Soul Technique.
“Then what will big brother do?”
“After this is over, he will definitely say, ‘I’ve suffered so much, so I have to rest for a few decades!’ and be lazy.”
“Aha!”
For Cha Seol, it was rather a good thing.
If Jin Sohyun was cooped up at home, it meant that she would have more time to spend with him, and that the potential competitors would decrease.
As Cha Seol smiled, trying hard to hide her happy expression, Siu said lightly.
“Once this fight is over! The young master will finally return to his old lazy young master self!”
At the one word that Siu had uttered, a silence fell between the three.
The present was so peaceful that they had forgotten.
Now was a time of war, and the martial artists were preparing for the final decisive battle with their lives on the line.
Jin Gahyeon suddenly looked at the martial artists who were training their martial arts without a single break.
Letting out hot breaths.
Even while sweating profusely all over their bodies, they did not stop moving.
‘I see.’
For just one battle, the martial artists were preparing to bet everything.
So that they would not have regrets.
And this was the same for Jin Sohyun.
Jin Sohyun was having a martial arts contest, surrounded by martial artists.
In fact, the martial arts contest with them had no meaning for Jin Sohyun anymore.
Nevertheless, the reason Jin Sohyun did not stop the martial arts contest was to prevent even one person from dying in vain, and to save even one more person.
‘Big brother…’
The Jin Sohyun that Jin Gahyeon saw was almost no different from before.
Whenever he had a chance, he would say, ‘Aww, I don’t want to do it,’ and whenever he had a chance, he would lie down with his head on something and sleep or try to slack off.
But every time, the martial artists came to find Jin Sohyun.
Jin Gahyeon bit her lower lip lightly.
‘Why does it have to be my big brother?’
In the past, there were times when she had wished for Jin Sohyun to become a respectable martial artist and to bring glory to the family.
So when the invitation to enter the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple came, she was happy and sent Jin Sohyun off.
If at that time, she had held him back.
If she had dissuaded him from going to the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, would it have been different now?
Jin Gahyeon regretted her past choice and looked at Jin Sohyun with sad eyes.
“Young lady…”
At Siu’s cowering voice from right next to her, Jin Gahyeon came to her senses and smiled brightly.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry… I said something unnecessary…”
“No. It’s just that we were too excited for the situation. We should be a little more… serious.”
A large hand was placed on the head of Jin Gahyeon, who was calmly soothing her heart.
“Gahyeon.”
“Father.”
Jin Gahyeon smiled at Jin Seomok, who had come to find her.
Jin Seomok also smiled and gently stroked Jin Gahyeon’s head.
“How about having dinner with the family after a long time?”
“I’d love to!”
Siu, who had felt Jin Seomok’s gaze, grabbed Cha Seol’s arm and bowed her head lightly.
“We will have dinner separately. Please have a pleasant dinner.”
Thanks to Siu, who had tactfully left, Jin Seomok was able to have dinner with his children after a long time.
The three sat at the dining table and shared trivial stories.
Most of them were old stories from the Jin Clan or stories about Jin Seomok’s past.
“Really?”
“Yes. Hahaha… I was really fearless back then.”
The time he had crossed a mountain path where bandits frequently appeared with his bare body without an escort, and the moment he was chased by demon heads after being scammed.
Even the story of how he had almost died after eating a poisonous herb by mistake while trying to sell a product by eating it himself.
Listening to Jin Seomok’s turbulent past, Jin Gahyeon’s and Jin Sohyun’s eyes sparkled.
“Still, I managed to survive and met your mother, who is the prettiest in the world, and gave birth to such a proud son and daughter.”
Jin Seomok looked at Jin Sohyun and Jin Gahyeon with a gaze full of affection.
“You are my most precious treasures and a gift from heaven.”
Jin Seomok’s hand, which had stretched out over the dining table, held Jin Sohyun’s and Jin Gahyeon’s hands.
“Sohyun.”
Sadness appeared on the face of Jin Seomok, which had felt playful just a moment ago.
“Will you not make a promise with this father?”
“Yes. Please speak.”
“If… really, if, I say… if you are in danger while fighting… if it seems the Martial Alliance will lose the war… then just…”
Jin Seomok’s throat was choked up.
“Run away. For me, your mother, and your younger sister.”
“…”
Jin Sohyun couldn’t say anything.
Jin Seomok shed tears, and Jin Gahyeon also shed tears.
But Jin Seomok soon tried to swallow his tears and smiled over his sadness and said.
“Yes. I know. You are the son of this Jin Seomok… you will never run away.”
“Father…”
“I will never again tell you to run away. Instead, you must come back. To this place where your family is. Do you understand?”
“That’s right. Promise me you’ll come back.”
Jin Sohyun smiled for Jin Seomok and Jin Gahyeon, who were looking at him with an affection that he could not dare to fathom.
And he said proudly.
“I will definitely come back.”
(End of Chapter)