NOVEL NEXT I Will Raise It as the Best Family in the World
Chapter 26
The main hall of the guest house was filled with the fragrance of the Huangshan Maofeng tea, which Woonyeong had left behind along with the golden osmanthus.
Left alone, Jegal Dam clutched the now cold tea mountain as if it were a lifeline. He couldn’t stop the trembling in his hands. Jegal Dam gripped the teacup more tightly. He couldn’t hold back the laughter that was bursting out. He reflected on the conversation he had with Woonyeong. Although he wasn’t sure if it could be called a conversation. Seol Woonyeong mainly spoke, and Jegal Dam simply listened. At some point, it had become that way. Woonyeong thought it best to finish the conversation before the adults returned and then continued to talk nonstop. Woonyeong’s words seemed a bit disorganized, but the message he was conveying remained consistent. Jegal Dam remembered every word that had pierced his heart. It was moments like these when having a sharp memory was not always beneficial. If only it were easier to forget the shameful things. He slowly closed his eyes. – In Hong’an County, there is a unique mushroom called ‘fragrant meat mushroom.’ It’s a mushroom that tastes like meat. Isn’t that amazing? Although he wasn’t very interested in people’s appearances, he still thought the child was quite pretty. But the child who talked about delicious things was even more lively. A pleasant voice, as if she had never raised it. – So, just tell the adults that you heard rumors about the mushrooms. There’s no need to mention why the Young Master visited. The lowered voice soon carried a tone of reprimand. The reprimand was for visiting the Seol Family suddenly without a valid reason. He knew very well. Just the visit of the Great Young Master of the Jegal Family would make the Seol Family the center of attention. Woonyeong’s letter was so significant, and the Seol Family was suspicious. He couldn’t hold back his curiosity. No one knew better than Jegal Dam that he had acted hastily. He couldn’t help but know. Jegal Dam knew better than anyone that the instruction to conduct a discreet investigation would not be followed. – Even after you return, please spread the word about how incredibly delicious the fragrant meat mushrooms of Hong’an Country are. This isn’t a request. You understand what I mean, right? She spoke to the Great Young Master of the Jegal family, insisting it wasn’t a request. The little girl opened her eyes wide and honestly, what she said was ridiculous. However, Jegal Dam had no choice but to take the request, which was actually a threat, seriously. The mushroom, which was never even tasted, would become famous because Jegal Dam, the Great Young Master of the Jegal Family, praised it highly. The rumors would be spread by Jegal Dam himself. – I will let the Head of the Household know that you will stay for a few more days. I’ll provide a separate guest room for you. Please feel free to come back when you have sorted out your thoughts. Woonyeong said that and then got up from the seat. Jegal Dam could do nothing but watch Woonyeong’s back as she walked away, just as he did when he first arrived at the Seol Family. Jegal Dam took out and read the letter from Seol Woonyeong that he had kept in his sleeve. Every time he read each line of the lyrics, Woonyeong’s explanation echoed in his mind again – Yes, the song. It was just fun. The author said that it was a song sung by children, so I was surprised. Oh, I have a weak body, so I have never been outside the Seol Family’s house. She looked healthy, but did she actually have a weak body? – Perhaps feeling sorry for me, who only stays in the residence, the female servants told me stories from outside the walls. And they also taught me this song. – But something seemed strange. Although the lyrics were really meaningless, something kept bothering me. So I tried to think about it. Woonyeong gave a smile that was difficult to understand. It was a strange smile that seemed both bitter and amused. – Spring comes, and flowers bloom. I don’t really know what spring means. But since other words represent martial factions or families, I figured out that flowers refer to something. Among spring flowers, there’s the plum blossom. It must be referring to Mount Hua, right? She was a sharp child. From her expression, it was clear that her claim of not knowing what spring meant was a lie. The kid knew where she was talking about. At the same time, she also showed her intention not to tell Jegal Dam. Her attitude was such that it didn’t matter to her even if Jegal Dam knew her words were lies. – A small pocket full of money. Money is something precious, it must mean a treasure. Historically, Haenam… has been known as a mysterious treasure island overflowing with riches. Yes, the Haenam faction, and the small pouch likely refers to the small room in the mountain behind the Shaolin temple. (t/n : I’m sorry I’m not really sure about this part.) – It’s not a beggar under heaven. Sky, well, it’s Heavenly Sky Namgoong. It means the Namgoong family. A beggar is too simple. The beggar. The child’s emotions about Namgoong and the beggar were clearly evident. The Namgoong family, known as the greatest family under the sky, was spoken of with a hint of ridicule, while the beggar was mentioned dismissively and lightly. – Even if the dragon of the sky blocks the light, the Heavenly Dragon itself would likely represent darkness. When the light is blocked, darkness will follow. Yes, it would refer to the secret… of the dark teachings. Did the child know? Jegal Dam is someone who reads emotions from the expression, tone, breathing, and momentary hesitation of the speaker. She probably didn’t know. Because she didn’t know, she must have revealed her emotions so clearly. An inexplicable longing. Jegal Dam read the longing. – Don’t worry, they say the snow will come again. In fact, the reason I became interested in these lyrics was because of this part, ‘The snow will come again.’ Why will the snow come again? The snow and the snow. Seol Woonyeong, who had spoken of the snow as if singing, closed her eyes. – I made a hypothesis. There are seven known Murim sect names and meanings, plus two unknown ones. And the remaining one, which created and spread the song. If you combine them, it’s ten. The child’s eyes lit up brightly. – When I think of Murim and the number ten, one word comes to mind. Woonyeong looked at Jegal Dam as if asking if he had thought of the same thing. – Perhaps it could be the ‘Ten Greatest Masters of the World,’ or something similar. Yet, as I continued to sing the song, doubts kept arising. The child, who had stopped speaking, took a sip of tea and then continued talking. – In those long years, there were countless Ten Greatest Masters of the World in Murim. Could it be that among them, there were ten special ones who were so memorable that they had to be conveyed through song? The secrets of Murim. It was a common occurrence. But the reason the child was interested was… – Wasn’t the snow related to the Seol Family? Although it’s not a Murim sect or a prominent family, I felt that it was only natural When Jegal Dam read Seol Woonyeong’s letter and investigated the Seol Family’s residence, he had the same thought. Hong’an County, where the Seol Family is located, was close to the center of the Central Plains. Excluding spring, the seven locations mentioned in the lyrics were in the east, west, south, north, northwest, northeast, and southwest of Hong’an County. – Seol Family. Well, I’m not sure how the Young Master would view it, but no, that’s not it. Since the Young Master also found it mysterious, perhaps that’s why you came here? There are many secrets about the Seol Family that even I don’t know. I intend to find out about them. Although the child tried to hide many things from Jegal Dam, she still revealed a lot. As if she believed Jegal Dam. Why… what made Woonyeong trust Jegal Dam? That was strange, and also confusing. – The Young Master’s question might be natural. Why is Jegal not mentioned in the lyrics? There are references to the Dang Clan and the Namgoong, but why not Jegal? The reason for coming here. That must be it, right? There were many outstanding people in the great family. Jegal Dam was outstanding, but it was not that the others were lacking. But there were occasionally such people. Those who looked at Jegal Dam with eyes that seemed to show displeasure. Although they tried to hide it in front of Jegal Dam, he knew. He was aware that there were those who looked down on him. Jegal Dam could now understand why they looked at him with such displeased eyes. Jegal Dam’s eyes when he looked at Woonyeong must have been exactly the same as theirs. It’s not like a child. He can’t understand what a child is thinking That’s why it’s frightening. That’s why he wants to avoid it. Can he… avoid it? – What does the Young Master plan to do in the future? May I share my thoughts? The child was bold. To think that she would give directions to the Young Master of the Jegal family. But now he couldn’t be offended by it anymore. – The Jegal family’s records. She spoke the name of the family that everyone had forgotten. – Now, there are nine. It was now pointless to ask how she knew that name. Because he just knew it. “Records of… the Jegal family.” It was another name for the Jegal family, known as the ‘Greatest Record of the World.’ It was also a nickname that no one used anymore. Most of those born with the surname Jegal possess great intelligence. Because of this, they are often called Jegal the Strategist and Jegal the Prodigy. However, in the past, the most common occupation for those with the surname Jegal was recording. The Jegal recorded. They documented countless things over and over again, recording more than could ever be imagined from the outside. They continued to record, not even knowing what they should be recording. “The ten people who should have been passed down….” Jegal Dam closed his eyes again. A vast, hidden library of the Jegal family deep underground appeared in his mind. Countless records were stored there. Somewhere, somewhere…. The records that he, who inherited Jegal’s name, had to find. Now he had to admit it. Jegal Dam quietly muttered once again “Records of Jegal.” In the room, the scent of the osmanthus left behind by Woonyeong still lingered.
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