Chapter 84 : Sichuan Tang Family. -02

Chapter 84: Sichuan Tang Family. -02

“Why?”

“It seems like we’re explosively popular.”

At that moment, Seo Jo-woon opened his mouth in a subtly lowered voice.

He spoke while glancing around.

“So you like it?”

“The men’s gazes are unpleasant, but the women’s gazes are nice. Heh heh heh!”

“You really are consistent.”

At Seo Jo-woon’s answer—so frank it bordered on brazen—Ban Hojin let out a soft chuckle.

However, he was not worried.

That was because he knew well that although Seo Jo-woon spoke like a playboy young master, he did not have much substance.

When he actually stood in front of a beauty, his words noticeably dwindled, so Ban Hojin merely smiled faintly and left it at that.

“Will we finally see all three phoenixes today?”

“Probably? The Mount Hua Sect should come too. Since the senior disciple came, the Mount Hua Sect’s head disciple will likely come as well.”

“Ohhh.”

“You’re already getting carried away.”

As if he had finally caught something to tease him with, Murong Cheok mocked him.

But Seo Jo-woon did not waver.

As he had said earlier, Seo Jo-woon was the type to acknowledge what deserved acknowledgment.

Since he was neither deceiving nor exaggerating, Seo Jo-woon nodded confidently.

“A man liking women is the law of nature. There’s a reason people speak of the harmony of yin and yang. Therefore, my liking beauties is something very natural and entirely proper.”

“Fine. You’re really full of crap.”

Rather than being flustered, Seo Jo-woon accepted it boldly, causing Murong Cheok to pout his lips.

It felt as though he had failed to gain anything in return.

And the more that happened, the more Seo Jo-woon’s shoulders lifted proudly.

“Have the other two arrived?”

“So even you’re interested, hyung?”

“It is curious. I’ve never seen the three phoenixes at all. And there are quite a few beauties here too.”

“That can’t be helped. All the most prominent rising juniors have gathered here, after all. In a way, it’s a gathering of the best potential grooms and brides, so of course everyone has to pay attention to their appearance.”

“Isn’t this your first time at an event like this too?”

Jeong I-ryong wore a slightly surprised expression.

Like him, Seo Jo-woon should also have been attending such a banquet for the first time, yet he was far too calm.

“It is my first time, but since I’ve seen people who were said to be quite something, I don’t really feel nervous. I even saw Young Lady Murong, one of the three phoenixes, in person. And I’ve seen beauties who are not inferior to Young Lady Murong.”

“You’re bragging, aren’t you?”

“You saw her too, hyung. Young Lady Nan.”

“Ah.”

Jeong I-ryong opened his eyes wide.

Come to think of it, he had seen her himself.

A beauty striking enough to make one’s eyes widen.

“In my personal opinion, they’re about equal.”

“Isn’t that impressive, then?”

“It is. That’s probably why she wore a veil, right?”

“My younger sister is prettier.”

Murong Cheok cut into the conversation.

Unless it was Poison Phoenix or Plum Phoenix, he did not think anyone could be compared to his younger sister, Murong Heesu.

It was not because he was her older brother; viewed calmly and objectively, if one judged only by beauty among the three phoenixes, Murong Heesu was the best.

It was not bias—Murong Heesu possessed looks that most men would find appealing.

“So is this a case of the arm bending inward?”

“Objectively speaking, Poison Phoenix and Plum Phoenix have looks that sharply divide tastes, but Heesu is different.”

“I agree with that. I’ve heard the other two have very strong individuality.”

“You’ve only seen my sister, but I’ve seen all three.”

“Wasn’t that when you were young?”

At Seo Jo-woon’s sudden jab, Murong Cheok was left speechless.

It had been several years since the last time he had seen Poison Phoenix and Plum Phoenix.

“You’re full of youthful vigor.”

“It’s the prime of that stage.”

“Doesn’t it seem like they haven’t arrived yet? The Sangguan Family.”

“I don’t see them either.”

Unlike the younger ones, who were busily bickering, Seonwu Bang and Ban Hojin were calm.

Regardless of whether the younger ones squabbled or not, they sipped their tea elegantly while surveying the inside of the banquet hall.

They were looking to see whether Sangguan Jeok was present.

“He’ll probably come. If only out of curiosity.”

“That’s what I think too.”

“Or is he deliberately avoiding it?”

“Then there’d be no point in coming.”

“There are plenty of excuses. You can always make one.”

Seonwu Bang’s eyes sharpened.

Like the younger ones, he also did not harbor good feelings toward the Sangguan Family.

Damhyeon had asked him to refrain from speaking much about Danwi, so he had not told his father, but that did not mean he intended to let it pass quietly.

And it was not just him—his younger siblings thought the same.

“Hello?”

“Miss Pang.”

“It’s been a really long time, hasn’t it?”

“It has. Did only the two of you come?”

Two slender figures approached Ban Hojin’s round table.

They were Pang Hwayeong and Pang Suyeong.

When everyone else only stole glances and could not bring themselves to approach, the two women strode straight over.

“Yes. Our older brothers are still in closed-door training.”

“I thought they’d come out early, but it seems not.”

“They’ll have to complete at least a year. It might take even longer.”

Although both of her biological older brothers were practically shut away, Pang Hwayeong did not seem particularly concerned.

She thought it was only appropriate.

“May we sit?”

“Of course.”

Unlike Pang Hwayeong, who shrugged her shoulders, Pang Suyeong asked with a smile, and Ban Hojin readily agreed.

Unless there were no empty seats, there was plenty of space, so Ban Hojin answered without hesitation.

“It’s been a while.”

“May we join you as well?”

Once the Pang sisters, Pang Hwayeong and Pang Suyeong, opened the way, others subtly began to approach as well.

However, the rising juniors were startled when they saw the five men and women heading toward Ban Hojin’s table.

Namgung Gwang and Zhuge Gi-jeong—who had not moved once after sitting down—were approaching first, bringing their younger sisters with them.

“It wouldn’t be a problem, but as you can see, there aren’t any seats.”

“We can just push together an empty table.”

Zhuge Gi-jeong smiled nonchalantly and moved swiftly.

He pulled over an empty round table sitting off to the side and attached it to the round table where Ban Hojin was seated.

“Wouldn’t this do it?”

“I suppose so.”

As if to prove they were friends for a reason, Zhuge Gi-jeong moved first and Namgung Gwang continued the conversation, prompting Ban Hojin to nod in agreement.

However, he did not show any particular interest.

To others, Namgung Gwang might have been impressive, but not to Ban Hojin.

To him, Namgung Gwang was no different from any other rising junior, so he treated him the same way he treated the Pang sisters, Pang Hwayeong and Pang Suyeong.

“I’m here too.”

As Namgung Gwang, Namgung Su-yeon, Namgung So-yeon, Zhuge Gi-jeong, and Zhuge Hye-jeong sat down around the awkwardly joined round table, a familiar voice was heard.

Murong Heesu, who had arrived late at the banquet hall, was approaching.

“Sit here.”

“Thank you, oppa.”

With Murong Heesu—the first of the three phoenixes to appear—entering the scene, the gazes inside the hall converged once more.

Sensing that instinctively, Murong Cheok seated Murong Heesu beside himself as though it were only natural.

Then, quite openly, he shot sharp glares at the men staring at his younger sister.

His eyes were clearly telling them not to look.

Swish.

Faced with the intense glare Murong Cheok emitted, the rising juniors coughed awkwardly and naturally averted their gazes.

However, not everyone did so.

Those who had confidence in their own status and abilities did not avoid Murong Cheok’s stare.

Instead, they met his gaze with provocative expressions and eyes.

“Oh?”

Murong Cheok’s expression changed instantly at the sight of those who did not hide their desire for Murong Heesu.

In the blink of an eye, his face turned ferocious.

“An older brother’s life really isn’t easy.”

“It’s a bit unexpected, though.”

“Right? I didn’t think Cheok hyung had this side to him.”

Seeing an unfamiliar side of Murong Cheok, Seo Jo-woon could not hide his surprise.

He had never imagined that Murong Cheok would dote on his younger sister to that extent.

However, Seonwu Bang understood Murong Cheok’s feelings completely.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve been hearing steady news about Young Master Ban. About my elder brother as well. He didn’t happen to make any mistakes, did he?”

“This is how he usually is.”

“Ah.”

Murong Heesu let out a long sigh.

It seemed that even after following Ban Hojin, he had not changed at all.

“But he doesn’t cause trouble.”

“That’s a relief.”

“This is a younger brother who joined us recently.”

“Pleased to meet you. My name is Jeong I-ryong.”

Seeing Murong Heesu at a loss for how to respond, Ban Hojin introduced Jeong I-ryong to her.

It was also to lighten the atmosphere.

However, at the exchange of greetings between the two, seven pairs of eyes focused on Jeong I-ryong.

Everyone had already been curious about the appearance of a new face.

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Murong Heesu of the Murong Family.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“From whom?”

“Uh……”

Jeong I-ryong panicked.

He had not expected her to ask that, as it was something he had said out of courtesy.

Swish.

Still, his gaze was honest.

Jeong I-ryong’s eyes turned toward Murong Cheok and Seo Jo-woon, who were still locked in a silent battle of stares.

“Oh my?”

“Eek!”

Murong Cheok did not notice Jeong I-ryong’s gaze, but Seo Jo-woon did.

Since he was already acquainted with her, he had been quietly listening to the conversation, but when Jeong I-ryong looked at Murong Cheok and him, he flinched in surprise.

“Tsk tsk tsk.”

Ban Hojin clicked his tongue at that bashful 모습.

It was completely different from the bold demeanor he had shown earlier.

Have you heard of his name?

Not at all. This is my first time hearing it. What do you think of him?

……I don’t know.

Meanwhile, although they were seated at the same table, Namgung Gwang and Zhuge Gi-jeong—who were oddly sidelined—glanced at Jeong I-ryong.

They knew something about Seo Jo-woon and Murong Cheok, but Jeong I-ryong was different.

He had joined Ban Hojin’s group one day as if he had fallen straight from the sky, so there was no information about him at all.

Moreover, what his friend Namgung Gwang said made Zhuge Gi-jeong even more astonished.

You can’t see through him with your eyes either?

Yeah. He wouldn’t be at the Return to the Origin Realm, so that must mean he’s around my level.

That’s impossible.

Zhuge Gi-jeong wore an incredulous expression.

But once was hard; twice and three times were easier.

There was no rule saying that someone like Ban Hojin could not appear again.

Still, he’s not at Young Hero Ban’s level. He’s not vague.

Even so, the fact that you can’t gauge him means he’s at least Four Dragons level, doesn’t it? That alone makes no sense.

Where in the world did he meet him?

Namgung Gwang was genuinely curious.

Why such talents gathered only around Ban Hojin.

If he had met him first, Jeong I-ryong would have been with the Namgung Family, not Ban Hojin.

‘And Seonwu Bang has grown tremendously too.’

Namgung Gwang cast a sidelong glance at Seonwu Bang, who was seated beside Ban Hojin.

In the past, Seonwu Bang had not even been worth considering.

But now it was different.

He had grown so much in the time they had not seen each other that Namgung Gwang could hardly believe it.

‘What kind of sorcery did he use?’

For a disciple of Buddhism like Ban Hojin, sorcery was practically anathema.

In other words, he knew it made no sense, yet sorcery was the only word that came to Namgung Gwang’s mind.

That was how unbelievable Seonwu Bang’s growth was.

At the same time, he was extremely curious.

‘That kid suffered from the Nine Yang Severed Meridians, so his explosive growth makes sense, but.’

Namgung Gwang’s gaze briefly landed on Seo Jo-woon.

However, unlike Seonwu Bang, Seo Jo-woon was understandable to some extent.

The fact that he had suffered from the Nine Yang Severed Meridians itself proved that he had been born with extraordinary talent.

I’m curious too. If I’d met him first, he might have become my sworn younger brother. Then what about Murong Cheok?

A forgotten genius has revived.

Honestly.

Zhuge Gi-jeong let out a sigh.

As if it were not enough that geniuses were already pouring out, hearing that a genius from the past had revived filled Zhuge Gi-jeong with a sense of despair.

It felt as though his own place was gradually being pushed aside.

Swish.

Meanwhile, like their older brothers, Zhuge Hye-jeong, Namgung So-yeon, and Namgung Su-yeon quietly read the room.

It was awkward for them to insert themselves into the conversation between Murong Heesu and Ban Hojin’s group.

Sitting there like sacks of barley left out to dry, the three women pouted their lips.

It was the first time in their lives they had been treated this way.

“You’re all gathered here?”

At that moment, the three siblings of the Sichuan Tang Family—the ones who could be called the protagonists—revealed themselves.

Tang Seorin, another of the three phoenixes, approached with a smile.