Chapter 42

Chapter 42, Don't Get Ahead of Yourself

Goeui clicked his tongue while watching Jaha become friends with Namgung Cheol.

"A country bumpkin sure knows how to talk. Did you learn that while working as an escort too?"

"Senior, what's with calling it escort work like that? Would you like it if I called what you do physician work in the same mocking way?"

Goeui burst into laughter when Jaha smiled and talked back.

"Hahaha. This brat. That tongue of yours really is impressive."

The Goeui of the past would have beaten any youngster who spoke to him that way.

But perhaps because he had watched Jaha learn and improve his ultimate techniques, even this kind of defiance no longer annoyed him.

Instead, it made Jaha look strong-willed.

It was obvious that Goeui had become quite fond of him.

Songrim of the Martial Alliance's Inspection Hall and Magae both knew very well how arrogant the heirs of great families and disciples of the Nine Great Sects could be.

They were not only geniuses, but also carried the hopes of their entire sects and families.

Their pride seemed high enough to pierce the heavens.

Did Young Master Namgung really make Byeok Ho his friend simply because Byeok Ho saved his life? No. He realized that Byeok Ho isn't someone destined to remain a disciple of a countryside martial school. Looking at that, Namgung Cheol may actually be more capable than Dang Jong or Paeng Umyeong. Even to me, Byeok Ho looks like someone who'll become a notable young talent in the martial world within a few years. Keeping someone like that beside him as a close friend before anyone else does wouldn't be bad for the Namgung Family. Otherwise, even if someone saved his life, he wouldn't normally accept a countryside martial school disciple as his friend.

Songrim watched Jaha standing beside the three young family heads.

His presence did not lose out at all.

Songrim asked Magae about him.

Other than what he had heard from Goeui, Magae also knew very little about Jaha.

He only knew that Jaha came from a countryside martial school and had been an escort who brought Deung Hwahong here while avoiding pursuit from the Demon Cult.

Songrim remembered Jaha from their first meeting because he had highly valued Jaha's decision to bring Deung Hwahong to a government office for safety instead of somewhere more obvious.

During this battle, Jaha had shown not only judgment but abilities and intelligence surpassing the three young family heads.

That was not something Songrim could ignore.

As a member of the Inspection Hall, Songrim had monitored and investigated countless talented individuals.

He knew there were not many people with Jaha's level of potential.

I'd really like to place him under me.

Songrim had rarely desired talented subordinates before, but Jaha awakened that desire.

If I raise him properly, he could probably reach Hall Master level.

Songrim decided he should call Jaha privately later and make him an offer.

Within the Martial Alliance, the Inspection Hall occupied a special position.

Except for the Council of Elders, it possessed the authority to inspect almost every department.

It was a department with enormous power.

The timing was not ideal because everyone was disorganized after the battle and grieving over dead companions.

However, Songrim felt he might not get another chance.

He approached Goeui.

Jaha seemed to follow Goeui, so Songrim believed it would be better to persuade Goeui first.

"Senior Goeui."

Songrim spoke in a gentle tone after Goeui finished treating someone.

Goeui looked up at him.

Until now, Songrim had usually treated him like a cow staring at a chicken.

Of course, Songrim was from a much younger generation, but Goeui had never cared about that.

Since he was considered someone between the righteous and unorthodox factions, he thought it was understandable for a Martial Alliance officer to treat him coldly.

Yet Songrim suddenly called him Senior in such a friendly tone.

It gave Goeui goosebumps.

"What is it? Are you injured somewhere?"

Otherwise, there was no explanation for both that gentle tone and those overly friendly eyes.

"No. I actually have a favor to ask."

Goeui's eyes narrowed.

"What is it?"

"I would like to take Young Hero Byeok under my command. Would you help persuade him? I don't intend to make him an ordinary warrior. I was thinking of immediately appointing him as an Incense Master."

Goeui found Songrim's words both ridiculous and somewhat admirable.

At least Songrim had recognized Jaha's potential.

However, his greed came from badly underestimating just how large Jaha's potential really was.

"Your vessel isn't large enough to contain that young man."

"What? Hahaha. I may not look like much, but I'm a Hall Master of the Inspection Hall. In a few more years, I might even become its Commander."

Goeui nodded.

"I know. Your background is respectable, and even this old man believes you have the potential to rise far."

Songrim smiled at Goeui's praise.

"Then please persuade Young Hero Byeok and send him to me."

"But that child would not be unworthy even as the Alliance Leader's disciple. Someone at your level cannot handle him. That's also why I couldn't simply take him as my own disciple."

"Mm!"

Songrim swallowed a groan.

Songrim knew exactly what kind of person Goeui was.

Because of the nature of the Inspection Hall, he possessed detailed information about famous martial artists.

Public opinion ranked Goeui's medical skills among the top three in the martial world, while his martial arts were considered somewhat inferior, roughly around the level of an elder from a great sect or prestigious family.

However, the Inspection Hall ranked Goeui's martial arts even higher.

Several incidents had revealed just how powerful his martial arts truly were, so the Inspection Hall had reevaluated him.

Songrim remembered Goeui fighting Go Deung.

His level had definitely not been inferior to the elder of a great sect.

Go Deung himself was roughly at that level, yet Goeui had handled him without much difficulty.

That proved the Inspection Hall's evaluation was correct.

If someone like Goeui evaluated Jaha's potential this highly, there was a very high chance he was correct.

"That child doesn't stand out greatly right now because he's only the disciple of a countryside martial school. But give him a few years, and his name will shake the martial world. Do you know why? Because he learned my ultimate techniques. He isn't someone you can keep beneath you."

In some ways, Goeui's words wounded Songrim's pride.

However, after experiencing Jaha personally, Songrim could not truly reject them.

"Namgung Cheol accepted him as a friend. Do you think that Namgung boy is stupid? He saw the child's future and secured the friendship before anyone else could. Do you think someone like that will enter under your command?"

Then Goeui delivered the final blow.

"To speak frankly, if that child joins the Martial Alliance, within a few years you'll probably be working beneath him."

The words were unpleasant.

Strangely, Songrim could not argue.

Goeui continued.

"So I'm telling you this instead. You should earn his goodwill now. He's going to become an important person in the future."

Songrim had approached intending to recruit Jaha as a subordinate, only to be scolded instead.

He smiled bitterly.

He realized he had underestimated Jaha simply because he came from a countryside martial school.

If anyone else had spoken this way, Songrim might have ignored them.

But these words came from Goeui.

He had to take them seriously.

Especially because Goeui had even passed down his own ultimate techniques to Jaha.

Songrim had never heard of Goeui taking a disciple before.

He had also never heard of Goeui passing down either his medicine or martial arts.

After Songrim quietly left, Magae, who had secretly listened to their conversation from within five jang, smacked his lips.

Magae had also intended to turn Jaha into a member of the Beggar Sect.

He had gone looking for Goeui with the same thought.

When he overheard Songrim's proposal, he became nervous that Songrim had acted first.

But after hearing Goeui's answer, he realized Jaha was not someone he could recruit either.

Unlike Songrim, he could not offer Jaha the position of Incense Master in the Inspection Hall.

The most he could offer was the status of an ordinary Beggar Sect member.

If things went well, he could introduce Jaha to the elders and perhaps arrange for one of them to accept him as a disciple.

However, Goeui claimed that even he could not simply take Jaha as a disciple because Jaha's potential was too great.

An ordinary elder of the Beggar Sect would probably not satisfy him either.

Magae looked toward Jaha regretfully.

Jaha was standing beside Namgung Cheol.

Dang Jong and Paeng Umyeong were also there, both wearing stiff expressions.

They had come to discuss something.

However, Namgung Cheol had insisted that they absolutely needed to hear Jaha's opinion.

"Brother Namgung, why do we need to ask this person about our matter?"

Dang Jong looked completely unable to understand.

Paeng Umyeong nodded beside him in agreement.

"Right now, all three of us have the same opinion. That's exactly why I believe we should hear someone else's perspective. And he's my friend."

"Even if he's Brother Namgung's friend, that doesn't make him my friend."

Dang Jong was still clearly dissatisfied with Jaha.

"I merely want to hear his opinion. Is that really so unacceptable?"

Namgung Cheol's voice became hard.

Dang Jong flinched when he saw Namgung Cheol's expression turn cold.

Dang Jong had usually been the loudest among them, but no one could deny that the true center of the Five Great Families was the Namgung Family.

It was the largest and most powerful among the Five Great Families.

It was difficult to even imagine the Five Great Families without the Namgung Family.

That balance had continued for hundreds of years.

Over those centuries, some families had risen and fallen, and some had even dropped out of the Five Great Families entirely.

But the Namgung Family had never once lost its place.

Even the Tang Clan had once fallen outside the Five Great Families around two hundred years ago.

So when Namgung Cheol became serious, Dang Jong finally gave in.

"Fine. I suppose I can't break Brother Namgung's stubbornness."

Jaha watched them argue among themselves and became irritated enough to leave.

However, Namgung Cheol had sincerely asked him to stay, so he endured it.

Little bastards. In the past, I would've beaten all of you until you were half dead.

Jaha stared at them with little interest.

"Byeok Ho, listen to what I have to say."

"Go ahead."

Dang Jong and Paeng Umyeong both frowned.

They hated Jaha's tone.

How dare some worthless disciple from a countryside martial school speak to people like them as though they were ordinary neighborhood friends?

Before the battle, they would have openly criticized him.

But after witnessing Jaha's performance, that was no longer easy.

Jaha had accomplished far more than either of them.

Now his presence felt difficult to ignore.

"We were traveling toward the Shandong Ak Family to discuss the Jade Talent Gathering."

Jaha replied,

"So?"

Dang Jong and Paeng Umyeong snorted at his indifferent response.

"But this time, we suffered major losses. As you know, I was badly injured, and every family guard secretly protecting us died. So we've agreed that rather than continuing toward the Shandong Ak Family, we should return home."

"And?"

Jaha understood why Dang Jong and Paeng Umyeong were resisting Namgung Cheol.

There was honestly no reason Jaha should be involved in a decision like this.

"Byeok Ho, I'm asking for your opinion. I want to know if that's truly the right choice. I thought you might notice something we haven't considered."

Namgung Cheol sincerely believed it.

Ignoring the fact that Jaha had saved his life, nearly every situation had unfolded exactly as Jaha predicted.

They were in this miserable condition because they had insisted on fighting when they did not need to.

Jaha had seemed to predict that such a disaster would occur and tried to avoid battle.

Yet once the battle began, he displayed exceptional judgment and intelligence and played a major role in turning the fight around.

That was why Namgung Cheol trusted Jaha's judgment.

He himself could no longer be certain that returning home was the best choice.

Jaha decided to place another debt on Namgung Cheol.

"Since you're asking me, I'll speak honestly. The three Young Family Heads left your families and were traveling toward the Shandong Ak Family for the Jade Talent Gathering. On the way, you encountered Hwancheonma and the Black-Hearted Jade Demon, suffered a terrible defeat, and returned home. What do you think your families and the martial world will say?"

Namgung Cheol had never considered that perspective.

He suddenly exclaimed.

"Ah! You're saying they'll view us as defeated losers."

"Exactly. And it may not stop there. They might even reevaluate whether you're truly suitable as successors to your families."

"Right. That's definitely possible."

Being the successor of a great martial family was not something guaranteed to just anyone.

Jaha looked across the three of them.

"But what if, despite everything that happened, you still reach the Shandong Ak Family and return with a successful agreement for the Jade Talent Gathering? Then the way people see you changes completely."

Namgung Cheol realized what Jaha meant and slapped his knee.

Then pain shot through his chest and he grimaced.

"Ouch. Right. That's it. If I return home now, I'll return as a loser. But if I reach the Shandong Ak Family, finish the negotiations, and then return, I'll be seen as a successor who overcame great hardship and still achieved results."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Namgung Cheol secretly admired him.

In truth, part of him had wanted Jaha to tell him that returning home was clearly the best decision.

He had wanted reassurance that he had no other choice.

He also did not fully trust Dang Jong or Paeng Umyeong anymore.

However, after hearing Jaha's words, the path he should take became clear.

"Especially you. You're seriously injured. If you ignore your own condition and still achieve results for the family, both the public and the Namgung Family will look at you very differently."

Namgung Cheol nodded.

"I really think I gained an excellent friend."

Dang Jong and Paeng Umyeong both fell into deep thought after hearing Jaha's opinion.