Episode 137

On the day Sunwoo Jung and Sunwoo Jin met again, Sunwoo Jung looked at Sunwoo Jin with a puzzled expression and asked,
“How can you just turn them away like that?”

Sunwoo Jin smiled slyly and replied,
“Are you familiar with the story of Anzi’s ‘Two Peaches Killing Three Warriors’ from the state of Qi?”

The tale of ‘Two Peaches Killing Three Warriors’ refers to the famous historical anecdote about An Ying, a renowned prime minister of Qi whom even Confucius admired. An Ying cleverly used two peaches to pit three powerful generals—each unmatched in strength—against each other, resulting in their mutual destruction.

An Ying gave one peach each to the two most meritorious generals, sparking jealousy and rivalry among the three, which ultimately led to all three perishing.

Sunwoo Jung’s eyes narrowed in curiosity.
“I know that story well. But why bring it up now?”

Sunwoo Jin grinned and answered,
“I wanted to suggest that Father could simply give them a peach each. Since we have Jeongal Seygara here as an observer, if you toss them a peach, they won’t be begging for more—they’ll be scrambling to protect what they’ve been given.”

Sunwoo Jung frowned at Sunwoo Jin’s cryptic words, but as Jin elaborated, his expression gradually brightened.

Jeongal Jiyong, smiling in response, was already turning over the situation in his mind.

Until now, Sunwoo Jung had always been polite but distant, almost like a wall between them. This was different.

“What’s going on? Has something changed in his heart?”

While Jeongal Jiyong pondered this, Sunwoo Jung sternly scolded his children.
“Can’t you see that Jin has returned safely from the frontlines? Why is no one saying a word?!”

All eyes turned toward a handsome young man seated at one side of the table.

The table was already laden with food, and Sunwoo Jung’s four wives were seated there, but beside them sat a stranger—a young man none recognized.

They all wore awkward expressions, as if they had already exchanged greetings with him.

Then, the Sunwoo siblings’ eyes widened in surprise.
“Y-You… are you really Jin?”
“You’ve lost so much weight, I almost didn’t recognize you. You’ve changed a lot.”
“Brother, congratulations on returning safely.”

Sunwoo Jin, clearly delighted to be reunited with his family, rushed over and clasped their hands, exclaiming,
“Brothers! How have you been?! It’s so good to see you again! Giya! How have you been?!”

His over-the-top enthusiasm left his brothers at a loss for words, and they awkwardly smiled in return.

Then Sunwoo Jin turned to Sunwoo Yeonha and called out,
“Yeonha! How have you been?! Do you know how much your big brother missed you?!”

“Ah, yes, big brother.”

In truth, the moment she saw Sunwoo Jin, Sunwoo Yeonha’s face had gone pale, and she avoided his gaze.

Noticing her pale complexion, Sunwoo Jin asked with concern,
“Yeonha, you don’t look well. Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, it’s just a little dizzy…”

At that moment, Sunwoo Jung, who had been quietly observing, spoke in a stern voice.
“Guests are here. How long do you intend to keep standing? Everyone, please take your seats.”

As soon as he said this, everyone sat down at the table filled with abundant food.

Jeongal Seoyul sat down and studied Sunwoo Jin carefully.

No matter how he looked at him, the transformation was astonishing.

The pig who had been buried under layers of flesh, whose eyes were barely visible, had turned into such a handsome young man.

While the Sunwoo family’s children were all good-looking, Jin’s appearance now surpassed even the fourth son, Sunwoo Gi, who had been considered the most handsome.

Of course, his still somewhat frivolous behavior despite the weight loss was disappointing.

Yet, for some reason, Jeongal Seoyul couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Why? Why was she so drawn to him?

Then it hit her—Sunwoo Jin had never once looked her in the eye before.

Or rather, he had glanced at her like a passerby, offering only a casual nod.

For someone like her, who was used to commanding all the attention of men, this was an unfamiliar feeling.

At that moment, Sunwoo Jung smiled brightly and spoke.
“Today is a joyous day—we have confirmed that our third son, Jin, has returned safely from the frontlines. Once he goes back, who knows when the whole family will gather again? So I arranged this gathering. Let’s all enjoy the meal.”

With that, everyone began to eat.

But the atmosphere was far from cheerful.

Everyone ate silently, their faces awkward or uncomfortable.

Everyone except one.

“Wow! This is really delicious! Food like this is a dream on the frontlines! Oh! This too?! Wow! So good!”

Ignoring the tense atmosphere, Sunwoo Jin excitedly shoveled food into his mouth.

His gluttonous display, combined with his weight loss, drew disdainful looks from his family, as if to say, “Of course you’d be like this.”

Then, with an unreadable look, Sunwoo Jung suddenly addressed Jeongal Jiyong.
“Does the Jeongal family still hold our Sunwoo Thirteen Swords in high regard?”

Though he spoke indirectly, the question was clear: did they still covet the swordsmanship?

Bringing up such a sensitive topic at a family meal, Jeongal Jiyong forced a smile and replied,
“The Sunwoo Thirteen Swords remain the finest sword technique in the world, an unchanging truth.”

Sunwoo Jung nodded briefly, then continued,
“I’ve thought it over carefully, and it’s absolutely impossible to hand down our family’s secret techniques to outsiders.”

This was something Sunwoo Jung had said many times before.

But bringing it up here, now, meant there was more to it.

Jeongal Jiyong’s eyes sharpened.

Then Sunwoo Jung began to speak differently than before.
“But if we are truly one family, it wouldn’t be difficult. So how about this?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The heir to the Sunwoo family and you, Jeongal young master, will duel. The winner’s family will marry into the other. If our heir wins, Jeongal young master becomes our daughter-in-law. If you win, our heir becomes a son-in-law of the Jeongal family.”

Jeongal Seoyul’s expression immediately hardened.

No matter what, this meant she would be marrying into the Sunwoo family.

It was absurd.

Just as she was about to protest, Jeongal Jiyong gently stopped her.

His mind was racing.

The Sunwoo family had no heir yet.

But whoever became heir would be no match for Jeongal Seoyul.

Winning the duel would be easy, but marrying Seoyul to the Sunwoo heir was out of the question.

Sunwoo Jung wouldn’t make such a reckless demand here.

Jeongal Jiyong chuckled and asked,
“If Seoyul becomes a Sunwoo daughter-in-law no matter who wins, the duel loses its excitement. The prize should be worth winning.”

Sunwoo Jung nodded.
“Of course. If our heir wins, I’m willing to accept another young lady from the Jeongal family as the bride. The important thing is that our families become one.”

Jeongal Jiyong’s eyes gleamed.
“You mean it doesn’t have to be Seoyul?”

“Exactly. We can’t be so presumptuous as to demand Jeongal young master as a daughter-in-law if we lose.”

Jeongal Seoyul’s face brightened quickly.

It was practically certain she would win.

That meant if she won, the Sunwoo family would hand over the Sunwoo Thirteen Swords in exchange for marrying off a lesser branch daughter to the heir.

The terms were too good to be true.

Jeongal Jiyong didn’t answer immediately but took a sip of tea, wanting to understand why Sunwoo Jung suddenly made this offer.

After a pause, he spoke again.
“From our side, it’s a condition we’d gladly accept. But I can’t help but wonder why you’re making this proposal all of a sudden.”

Sunwoo Jung smiled faintly.
“Isn’t it all for the sake of the family?”

Jeongal Jiyong caught the bitter undertone in that smile and understood instantly.

“The Sunwoo family is being eroded by outside forces. The talents of the potential heirs are lacking. If things continue like this, after Sunwoo Jung steps down, the family’s decline is inevitable. Perhaps it’s better to become part of the Jeongal family and receive support.”

Having made his calculations, Jeongal Jiyong smiled brightly and replied,
“I can’t answer on my own, so I’ll seek permission from our head of family. But I will do my best to make this union happen for the good of both families.”

“Ha ha ha! Thank you.”

Jeongal Jiyong, smiling with satisfaction, suddenly asked Sunwoo Jung,
“By the way, the Sunwoo family still has no heir, right? Did you make this proposal because the head of family has chosen an heir?”

At that moment, everyone in the room’s eyes sharpened.

In truth, all the wives and children had been listening intently to their conversation from the start.

The news that Sunwoo was to marry into the Jegal family—the heirs of the Jegal clan—was sudden and monumental.

Moreover, the sons’ focus sharpened even further.

After all, this was a chance to wed Jegal Seoyul, their idol.

It was an opportunity none of the brothers could afford to concede.

Sunwoo Jung nodded with a smile.

At his affirmation, the eyes of everyone who had been fiercely vying for succession behind the scenes widened to their limits.

“Yes, I’ve thought it over carefully. The successor of the Sunwoo clan must be the strongest in martial arts, right? I intend to name the child with the greatest skill as the heir.”

At those words, the eldest son, Sunwoo Seong, beamed with joy.

No one could deny that he was the strongest martial artist among them.

Still, he had been uneasy, as his maternal clan—the Gaeyang faction—was weaker compared to the Ha family backing the second son, Sunwoo Hyuk, or the Un family supporting the fourth son, Sunwoo Gi, whom the fifth son, Sunwoo Yeonha, favored.

But now, their father had finally decided to choose the successor based solely on ability.

And on top of that, there was the possibility of marrying the beloved Jegal Seoyul—a prospect better than anything else.

At that moment, clan head Sunwoo Jung asked his sons with a casual expression, “Who currently has the highest martial skill?”

Sunwoo Seong sprang to his feet and answered proudly, “That would be me, Father! I’ve reached the first-class level! In fact, I recently advanced to the intermediate first-class rank!”

Sunwoo Jung smiled warmly and praised him.

“Is that so? It seems you’ve worked hard, Seong. But don’t get complacent. Soon, the successor will be decided through a fair duel among the brothers. Keep training steadily.”

“Yes, Father! Understood!”

While Sunwoo Seong’s face shone brighter than ever, the expressions of the other brothers darkened considerably.

Their father’s sudden bombshell was devastating to them.

Sunwoo Seong’s advancement to intermediate first-class was a gulf they couldn’t hope to bridge, especially since they hadn’t even surpassed the Sword Qi Merchant rank.

The wives felt the same.

While the plump first wife smiled brightly, the sharp-eyed second wife cautiously spoke up.

Normally, she would have shouted, but she couldn’t afford to be rude in front of the Jegal clan’s people.

“Master, even so, deciding the successor solely by martial skill is…”

Sunwoo Jung cut her off sternly.

“We’re about to become one family with the Jegal clan. If we don’t choose the successor by individual merit, are you suggesting we pick based on maternal factions?!”

The second wife, Lady Ha, wanted to say that was exactly what should happen, but she knew better than to embarrass herself in front of the Jegal clan.

So she fell silent.

The same went for the fourth and fifth wives, who had quietly pinned their hopes on Lady Ha.

Sunwoo Jung then declared with a grave expression, “From now on, in a week’s time, the successor of the Sunwoo clan will be decided through a duel among the brothers! The chosen heir will then face off against the young master Jegal! This is my decision as clan head, and I will not entertain any objections!”

Jegal Seoyul, watching the scene with keen interest, glanced around at the faces of those present.

Some smiled as if they owned the world; others looked pale and drawn.

It was all very entertaining to observe.

But as someone from the Jegal clan who wasn’t fond of overthinking, Seoyul couldn’t quite grasp the full situation.

Something interesting was definitely unfolding, though.

She sent a quick message to her uncle, Jegal Jiyong.

“Uncle, is this alright for us?”

The reply came immediately, cheerful and clear.

“It seems the Sunwoo clan head is trying to keep order by tying us closer. What harm could that do? Just don’t let your guard down and win the duel.”

That settled it.

There was no problem at all.

Winning the duel was exactly what Jegal Seoyul wanted.

And if her opponent was the boastful Sunwoo Seong, who was only at intermediate first-class, there was no chance she’d lose.

She allowed herself a bright smile.

Then her gaze drifted toward one side—where Sunwoo Jin sat.

He seemed utterly uninterested in the unfolding drama, shoveling food into his mouth with abandon.

It was a pitiful sight, yet she found herself drawn to him for reasons she couldn’t explain.

Just then, clan head Sunwoo Jung suddenly addressed the eldest son.

“Seong, a few days from now, let’s go together to the Danga estate.”

Sunwoo Seong, still beaming, looked puzzled.

“The Danga estate? Why there…?”

The Danga estate was the family of Danha Sang, whom their third brother, Sunwoo Jin, had killed while drunk.

At the time, their father had sent Sunwoo Jin to the front lines and sent many gifts to apologize to the Danga family.

Now, unexpectedly, he wanted to visit them in person.

Sunwoo Jung glanced at Sunwoo Jin and continued.

“The place that weighs heaviest on my mind is the Danga estate. Now that Jin has returned safely, it’s my duty as clan head to pay them respects again. Jin can’t go himself, so…”

Sunwoo Seong grinned and replied immediately.

“Yes, Father! I’ll accompany you!”

Normally, he might have made excuses to avoid it, but with the phrase “clan head’s duty” mentioned, there was no way out.

Besides, why else would only he be taken along?

It was clear he was already recognized as the next clan head.

Fueled by the passion of representing his less capable brother, Sunwoo Seong was ready to make the trip.

What he didn’t realize was the sharp glances exchanged among the other family members upon hearing that he and their father would go alone.

Nor did they know that Sunwoo Jin, who had briefly looked sullen when the Danga estate was mentioned but then resumed eating, was quietly smiling to himself.

Sunwoo Jin thought inwardly, “Well then, let the killing begin.”