Chapter 214

Suddenly, the words of her older brother, Jin Jeong-gun, echoed in her mind.

“You foolish girl. Don’t you realize by now that being kind alone won’t get you anywhere? Look at them—those who lived in comfort without ever setting foot in the mountains are now mocking you.”

Jin So-eun recalled that moment vividly.

The moment when it was decided she would go into the mountains with her grandfather.

None of the four siblings, including So-eun herself, had volunteered to go. Their grandfather, Jin Samong, sighed deeply, disappointment etched on his face.

Without thinking, So-eun had raised her hand alone.

“I’ll go, Grandfather.”

It wasn’t because she had some grand plan to resurrect Jayeon-gon or anything heroic like that.

She simply felt sorry for the look of disappointment on her grandfather’s face.

But now…

This was the result.

Because of that decision, she had been confined to the mountains for fifteen years, only recently emerging into the world again—and now, she was awkwardly out of place.

All she could do was laugh bitterly.

She felt utterly empty.

Just then, Jin Gye-gun suddenly addressed the gathered Houjizisu.

“Come on, isn’t it boring just sitting inside? How about we go for a boat ride?”

For the people of Gwangju, who lived along the Zhu River, boating was an everyday affair.

Especially among the wealthy, the size and grandeur of one’s boat was a matter of pride.

So it was no surprise that they were eager to go boating.

But So-eun glanced at the table before her.

It was piled high with untouched food.

She thought to herself, “What will happen to all this food if we go out on the boat now? Are they planning to take it all with them?”

Lost in her thoughts, she watched as the Houjizisu suddenly sprang to their feet and began heading outside.

“A boat ride! Sounds great!”

“Exactly! Jin Daegongja’s heart is just like mine!”

There was no opposition among them.

They all eagerly followed Jin Gye-gun, leaving the mountain of food abandoned on the table.

At that moment, her younger sister Jin Ga-in approached her.

“You’re coming too, right?”

So-eun gave an awkward smile and shook her head.

“Ah, no. I don’t really want to…”

But Ga-in wouldn’t let her off the hook.

“Come on, don’t be like that. You’ve been stuck in the mountains all this time—you’ve never even been on a boat ride. A Gwangju native who’s never been boating? What could be more uncultured than that?”

With that, Ga-in grabbed So-eun’s hand and pulled her along.

Unable to resist, So-eun was dragged forward and cautiously asked, “But what about all that food? Who’s going to take care of it?”

Ga-in gave her a look of mild disdain before replying, “Oh, stop being so pathetic, sister. We’re the children of the Jin family—the strongest sect in Guangdong Province. Stop embarrassing yourself and come on!”

So-eun couldn’t understand the connection between the Jin family’s status as the strongest sect in Guangdong and leaving all that food behind.

Back in the mountains, her grandfather never tolerated even a single grain of rice being wasted.

He always taught her to be grateful for having food and that finishing every bite was the way to show that gratitude.

Even if he hadn’t said so, there was rarely any food left over in the mountains—there was simply never enough to waste.

Yet here they were, abandoning a feast like this.

It had only been a few days since she came down from the mountains, but she was already losing confidence in adapting to life below.

The mountains she had so desperately wanted to leave now seemed like a place she longed to return to.

But regardless of her feelings, the Houjizisu who had left the tavern headed straight to the Zhu River’s dock and boarded a large ship Jin Gye-gun had prepared.

Among the many boats owned by the Jin family, this one was one of the most luxurious yachts, lavishly decorated with extravagant furnishings.

As they boarded, the Houjizisu couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

“Wow! The beauty of the Jinjoho is truly unmatched in Gwangju! Jin Sojangju, you’re the best!”

“How can you say that? To call the finest boat in Guangdong just the best in Gwangju? This is the finest in all of Guangdong, no—the finest in the world!”

Hearing their flattery, Jin Gye-gun laughed heartily.

“Hahaha! Looks like you’re already drunk! I’ve stocked the Jinjoho with plenty of food and drink, so don’t get wasted just yet! Come on, everyone, eat and drink to your heart’s content!”

“Yes, Jin Daegongja!”

“Thank you, Jin Sojangju!”

The Houjizisu bustled into the cabin, chatting and eating as if nothing had changed from the tavern.

And once again, So-eun found herself alone.

Her sister Ga-in, who had brought her along, paid her no attention once on board.

Instead, she sat close to the most handsome son of the Gyo family, Gyo Gwa-ryong, whispering sweet nothings.

So-eun, unable to find a seat, looked around blankly and regretted it.

“I should have been more clear… I should have said I didn’t want to come, that I wanted to go back.”

Maybe she had already made a mistake earlier.

Perhaps she should have refused when Ga-in, with her catlike, predatory eyes, urged her to come along.

“Or maybe I should have gotten angry?”

She didn’t know.

Dealing with people was just too difficult for her.

“Sigh.”

At that moment, she let out a frustrated breath and looked out at the river.

Her eyes caught sight of several large boats approaching the Jinjoho.

Looking around, she realized there wasn’t just one or two—there were four boats closing in from all directions.

One, two, three, four.

All four vessels were surrounding them.

Panic welled up inside her.

She didn’t know what to do or who to tell.

Frantically, she looked around and decided to speak to Ga-in.

After all, she was her sister and the one who had brought her here—someone she felt closest to.

So-eun hurried over and called out.

“Ga-in.”

Ga-in, still whispering to Gyo Gwa-ryong with a smile, turned to her with a clearly annoyed expression.

“What is it?”

Her tone said, “Just get to the point.”

The coldness made So-eun hesitate, but the urgency forced her to speak.

“The boats… they’re surrounding our ship. Something’s wrong.”

Ga-in scoffed, disbelief written all over her face.

“What? Other boats surrounding us?”

“Yes! Look over there! Those boats…!”

But Ga-in didn’t even glance in the direction So-eun pointed, instead giving her a look of exasperation.

“Sis, get a grip. Who on the Zhu River would dare surround us? We’re the Jin family of Guangdong—the strongest force in Gwangju! How many times do I have to say that?”

“But…!”

At that moment, Gyo Gwa-ryong, sitting beside Ga-in, smiled charmingly and said,

“Miss Jin must be mistaken. There are always many boats on the Zhu River. It probably just looks like you’re surrounded.”

Before he could finish, a loud crash rocked the ship violently.

The less skilled Houjizisu lost their balance and tumbled across the deck.

“Ahhh!”

“W-what’s happening?!”

“What is it?! What’s going on?!”

But So-eun, steady on her feet, stared out the window in shock.

The four boats had already closed in, encircling their ship.

Jin Gye-gun, the Jin family’s heir and the strongest among the Houjizisu present, frowned deeply and shouted outside.

“What’s going on?! What the hell is this?!”

Thanks to his superior martial arts, he managed to keep his footing despite the chaos.

But before he could finish speaking, the sounds of clashing weapons and screams erupted from outside.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Die!”

“Block them! Aaah!”

“Hahaha! This is too easy!”

The sudden noise startled Jin Gye-gun and the others.

The sounds and the scene visible through the cabin windows made the situation clear.

They were under attack.

Here, in Gwangju, Guangdong Province, the Jin family’s ship was being assaulted.

It was something they had never even imagined possible.

The Houjizisu muttered in disbelief.

“An… attack?”

“Who… who would do this?”

“Attack the Jin family’s ship?”

As they struggled to comprehend the sudden crisis, one of the attackers broke through the guards and appeared inside the cabin.

Puhwah!

“Gah!”

“Ahhh!”

Amidst the bloodied guards stood a fierce-looking man with a long scar slashing across his face.

He twirled the greatsword lightly with one hand, a fierce grin spreading across his face as he glanced around the cabin.

“Well, well, young masters, ladies, so you’re all here.”

At that, Jin Gye-gun mustered his courage and shouted back at him.

“What do you think you’re doing?! How dare you attack the Jin family’s ship! Do you want to die?!”

In truth, like the other late-stage warriors, he was scared.

The attack had come so suddenly, and none of them had ever faced anything like this before.

But as the head of the Jin family’s ship, his pride wouldn’t allow him to show weakness in front of the others.

Especially with women nearby, he had to stand firm.

Emboldened by his roar, the other late-stage warriors began to find their courage as well.

One of them, standing near the door, shouted out with newfound bravery.

“That’s right! How dare you attack Lord Jin’s ship here in Gwangju! Do you all want to die?!”

It was the bravest thing he could manage.

Unfortunately, their courage was wasted on the wrong opponent.

And reckless bravery without considering the consequences was nothing but foolhardiness.

The man with the scarred face gave a cold smile, almost admiring, and said,

“Oh? A young hero, are you?”

But his actions betrayed his words completely.

Without hesitation, he swung the greatsword down in a lightning-fast strike.

Thwack!

“Gahhh!”

The massive blade came crashing down like a thunderbolt.

The late-stage warrior’s startled expression froze as the blow split him clean in two.

Instant death.