Chapter 137 Killing Three Men with Two Peaches

Chapter 137: Killing Three Men with Two Peaches

On the day Seonwoo Jung and Seonwoo Jin met again, Seonwoo Jung had asked Seonwoo Jin with a puzzled look.

“How can you possibly drive them away?”

Xian Youjin smiled slyly and replied.

“You know the story of An Zi’s ‘Two Peaches to Kill Three Men’ from the State of Qi, don’t you?”

The story of “Two Peaches to Kill Three Warriors” refers to the famous minister of the State of Qi, An Ying, whom even Confucius respected. He used two peaches to pit three warriors against each other, warriors so formidable in martial prowess that no one dared challenge them.

At that time, An Ying instructed that only the two warriors among the three who had rendered the most outstanding service should each receive a peach. The warriors, each boasting of their superior merit, ultimately killed each other.

Xian Wuzhong then asked with a puzzled look.

“I know that story of Master An well. But why bring it up now?”

Seonwoo Jung asked, and Seonwoo Jin answered with a faint smile.

“Father, I meant to say that giving them a peach would suffice. Since there’s an observer like Zhuge Liang present, if you toss them a single peach, wouldn’t they strive with all their might to eat what’s given rather than beg for more?”

Seonwoo Jung’s expression, which had been frowning at Seonwoo Jin’s riddle-like words, gradually brightened as Seonwoo Jin explained it in detail.

Zhuge Zhiyong’s head spun rapidly as he responded with a smile.

Sunwoo Jung had always been polite to them, but he had always seemed like a wall. This was something different.

‘What’s going on? It seems like there’s been a change in his state of mind…’

While Jegal Ji-yong pondered this, Seonwoo Jung sternly scolded his children.

“Can’t you see Jin, who returned safely from the front lines? Why are you all silent?!”

At that, everyone’s eyes turned to the handsome young man seated at one end of the table.

The table, already laden with food, was occupied by Seonwoo Jung’s four wives, and seated at one end was a young man with an unfamiliar face.

Whether they had already exchanged greetings with the wives or not, all wore awkward expressions.

Then, upon spotting him, the Seonwoo brothers’ eyes widened in surprise.

“Uh, uh, y-you… are you really Jin?”

“You’ve lost so much weight I didn’t recognize you as Jin. You’ve really changed.”

“Brother, congratulations on your safe return.”

Sunwoo Jin, who had been smiling warmly as if simply happy to see his family again, ran toward them, grabbed their hands, and shouted.

“Brothers! How have you been?! It’s so good to see you again! Hey! How have you been?!”

Overwhelmed by Seonwoo Jin’s overly enthusiastic greeting, his brothers couldn’t quite find the words and just gave him awkward smiles.

Then Seonwoo Jin turned his head again and looked at Seonwoo Yeonha, shouting.

“Yeon-ha! How have you been?! Do you know how much your brother missed you?!”

“Ah, yes, yes. Brother.”

In fact, Sunwoo Yeon-ha, who had spotted Sunwoo Jin the moment she entered the main hall, was pale-faced and unable to meet his gaze.

Seeing her expression, Seonwoo Jin asked again with concern.

“Yeon-ha, you don’t look well! Are you feeling unwell somewhere?!”

“Ah, no. I’m just feeling a little dizzy…”

At that moment, Seonwoo Jung, the head of the household who had been quietly observing, spoke in a stern voice.

“Now, with guests present, how long do you intend to keep them standing? Everyone, take your seats.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone sat down at the table laden with abundant food.

Zhuge Xueyu sat down at the table and looked intently at Sun Wujin.

No matter how many times he looked, the transformation was astonishing.

That pig, buried in flesh so thick you couldn’t even see his eyes, had transformed into such a handsome young man.

While it was true that all the young masters of the Sunwoo family were handsome, this level of beauty felt like it surpassed even the fourth son, Sunwoo Gi, who had been considered the most handsome.

Of course, his still-shallow, frivolous behavior even after losing weight was disappointing.

But even so, for some reason, Jegal Seo-yul couldn’t tear her eyes away from him.

‘Why? Why does he bother me so much?’

Then, Jegal Seo-yul suddenly realized.

That Sun Woo-jin had never once given him a glance up until now.

No, he had seen her, but only exchanged a casual nod as if she were a passing stranger.

And for her, who had always monopolized men’s attention, this felt utterly unfamiliar.

At that moment, Seonwoo Jung opened his mouth with a bright smile.

“Well, today is a joyous occasion, for we’ve confirmed that our third son, Jin, is safe on the front lines. Once Jin returns to the front, who knows when our entire family will gather again. That’s why we’ve prepared this gathering—let us all enjoy our meal together.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone began eating.

But the atmosphere was far from cheerful.

Everyone ate their food silently, their faces tense or awkward.

Except for one person.

“Wow! This is seriously delicious! Food I could only dream of back home! Ooooh! This too?! Wow! It’s heavenly!”

Seon Woo-jin, seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere around him, was stuffing food into his stomach with gusto.

Seeing his gluttonous display, his family—who had been shocked by his weight loss—now looked at him with pitying, contemptuous eyes, as if to say, ‘Well, that’s just like you.’

That was when it happened.

Seonwoo Jung, who had been staring at Seonwoo Jin with an unreadable expression, suddenly addressed Jegal Ji-yong.

“Does the Je Gal clan still hold our Seonwoo Thirteen Swords in high regard?”

Though phrased indirectly, it still implied he coveted the sword technique.

At the family meal, when the sensitive topic arose, Jiyong forced a smile and replied.

“Isn’t it an unchanging truth that the Seonwoo Thirteen Swords are the world’s finest sword techniques?”

Seonwoo Jung nodded briefly before speaking again.

“After much deliberation, it is absolutely impossible to casually pass down our family’s sword techniques to outsiders.”

This was precisely what Seonwoo Jung had always insisted.

But bringing up such an obvious point at this moment clearly meant something was amiss.

Zhuge Zhiyong’s gaze sharpened.

Then Seonwoo Jung began to bring up a topic that was somewhat different from what he had discussed until now.

“But if we’re family, it shouldn’t be difficult. So how about we do it this way?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The heir who will become the head of the Seonwoo family and Miss Zhigal over there would spar. The winner would marry into the other family. If our heir wins, Miss Zhigal would become our daughter-in-law. If Miss Zhigal wins, our heir would become a son-in-law by marriage and enter the Zhigal family.”

At that, Zhuge Xiyu’s expression froze completely.

Whatever the case, wasn’t it about her marrying into the Seonwoo family?

It was utter nonsense.

Just as Zhuge Xueyu was about to speak with a stern expression, Zhuge Zhiyong, standing beside her, gently restrained her.

Zhuge Zhiyong’s mind was racing furiously at that moment.

First off, the Sunwoo family still had no heir.

But whoever became the heir, it was obvious they wouldn’t be a match for Zhuge Xueyu.

So becoming the victor isn’t difficult, but that doesn’t mean marrying Zhuge Xueyu to the heir of the Sunwu family is any less absurd. It seemed unlikely that Sunwu Zhong would make such an unreasonable demand in a place like this.

Zhuge Zhiyong chuckled hollowly and asked him.

“Whether we win or lose, if Seo-yul is destined to become the Xianyu family’s daughter-in-law, then the duel wouldn’t be very interesting. For a duel to be fun, the prize for winning should be substantial.”

Seonwoo Jung nodded in agreement.

“Of course that’s how it would be. That’s why I too believe that if the heir of the Seonwoo family were to marry, it would be unavoidable even if the bride were not Miss Jegal over there, but another young lady.”

At those words, Zhuge Zhiyong’s eyes flashed.

“Are you saying it doesn’t matter if it’s not Seo-yul?”

“What matters is becoming part of the Zhuge family, isn’t it? After losing the duel, it would be presumptuous to covet Miss Zhuge as a daughter-in-law.”

At those words, Zhuge Xiyu’s expression also flushed quickly.

After all, his victory was a foregone conclusion.

Doesn’t that mean if you win the duel and marry off the daughter of the collateral branch to the heir of the Sunwoo family, you can pass on the Sunwoo Thirteen Swords?

It was an excessively favorable condition.

And to those excessively favorable terms, Jegal Jiyong didn’t respond immediately. He took a sip of tea instead.

He had to understand why he’d suddenly made up his mind like that.

After a brief pause, he spoke again.

“Naturally, we would like to accept such favorable terms. But I do find myself suddenly curious as to why you would make such a proposal out of the blue.”

Seon Woo-jung smiled faintly and replied.

“Isn’t it all for the sake of the family?”

Zhuge Zhiyong could precisely discern the bitter emotion mixed within that smile.

And in that moment, he understood.

‘The Seonwoo family has been too deeply infiltrated by external forces. Moreover, the talents of the sons destined to be successors are nothing to write home about. If things continue like this, the decline of the Seonwoo clan after Seonwoo Jung, the clan head, steps down is as clear as day. Perhaps he thought becoming part of the Zhuge family and receiving their support would be a far better choice.’

Having finished his calculations, Zhuge Zhiyong answered with a bright smile.

“This is not a matter I can answer lightly, so I shall first seek permission from the head of the household. However, I will do my utmost to ensure it comes to fruition for the sake of both families.”

“Heh heh heh! Thank you.”

With a satisfied smile, Jegal Jiyong suddenly asked Seonwoo Jung as if something occurred to him.

“By the way, doesn’t the Seonwoo Clan still lack an heir? Could it be that the head of your clan is considering an heir…?”

At that, the eyes of everyone present in the hall flashed sharply.

In truth, all the wives and children had been intently focused on their conversation since earlier.

The marriage between Seonwoo and the heir to the Jegal clan was an utterly sudden and momentous affair.

Moreover, the sons’ focus was even more intense.

Wasn’t this a chance to marry their idol, Zhuge Xiyu?

This was an opportunity they absolutely could not yield to their brothers.

Then Seonwoo Jung smiled and nodded.

His affirmation caused the eyes of all those who had been fiercely battling for succession behind the scenes to widen as much as they possibly could.

“Yes, I’ve given it much thought, but surely the heir to the martial arts family must be strong in martial arts? I intend to designate the child with the strongest martial arts skills as the heir.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the eldest son, Seonwoo Sung, beamed with unparalleled joy.

After all, no matter what anyone said, Seonwoo Seong himself possessed the strongest martial arts skills.

However, the truth was he had been anxious because his maternal clan’s faction, the Gaeyang Sect, lagged far behind the Ha Clan backing his second brother, Seonwoo Hyeok—one of the Guizhou Eight Families—and the Yun Clan backing his fifth brother, Seonwoo Yeonha.

It was then that Father finally resolved to choose his successor based solely on merit.

Moreover, he had gained the chance to marry the beloved Zhuge Xiyu. Nothing could be better than this.

At that moment, the family head, Sun Woo-jung, asked his sons with an indifferent expression.

“Who among you possesses the highest martial prowess now?”

At that, Sunwoo Seong leapt to his feet and answered.

“It’s me, Father! Only I have reached the first-rate realm! Moreover, I recently advanced to the intermediate level of the first-rate realm!”

At his words, Seonwoo Jung smiled warmly and praised him.

“Is that so? Seong-i must have worked very hard. Still, we’ll decide fairly through a sparring match between brothers soon enough. Don’t let your guard down; keep up your steady efforts.”

“Yes! Understood!”

While Seonwoo Sung’s expression couldn’t have been brighter, the other brothers’ faces were grim.

Their father’s sudden bombshell had been devastatingly critical for them.

Seonwoo Sung had reached the realm of a top-tier intermediate practitioner. For the other brothers, who hadn’t even surpassed the realm of a sword energy merchant, this gap was simply unimaginable.

The wives felt the same way.

As the plump first wife beamed brightly, the second wife, with her sharp features, cautiously opened her mouth.

Under normal circumstances, she would have shouted immediately, but she couldn’t afford to appear rude in front of the people of the Zhuge family.

“Merchant, even so, deciding the successor based solely on martial prowess…”

At that, Seonwoo Jung scolded her with a stern face.

“With the battle to become part of the Zhuge family imminent, if we don’t choose the successor based on individual skill, are you suggesting we let the maternal family’s influence decide the successor?!”

Madam Ha, the second wife, wanted to answer that it was only natural to do so, if she had her way.

But she wasn’t so shameless as to say such a thing in front of the people of the Zhuge family.

In the end, Lady Ha had no choice but to keep silent.

And the fourth and fifth wives, who had been quietly pinning their hopes on Lady Ha, were no different.

Xian Wuzhong now declared with a stern expression.

“Two weeks from now, the successor of the Sunwoo family shall be decided through a duel between brothers! And the successor thus chosen shall then face off against Miss Zhuge over there! This is the decision of Sunwoo Jung, head of the Sunwoo family, and I hereby declare that no objections will be accepted afterward!”

Zhuge Xiyu, who had been watching the scene with an intrigued expression, suddenly glanced at the faces around him.

Some beamed as if they owned the world, while others wore crumpled expressions, their complexions turning ashen. It was incredibly entertaining just to observe.

But for Zhuge Xueyu, who, for someone from the Zhuge family, didn’t particularly enjoy using his head, he couldn’t quite grasp exactly how this situation was unfolding.

It seemed like things were getting interesting, though.

Suddenly, he asked his uncle, Zhuge Zhiyong, through telepathy.

– Uncle, is this okay for us too?

The reply came back immediately.

His voice sounded remarkably cheerful.

– It seems the Sunwoo family has decided to reach out to the Zhuge clan to tighten internal control. What harm could come to us? You just need to stay focused and win the duel.

That was how it seemed.

Then there would have been no problem at all.

After all, winning a duel was precisely what Zhuge Xueyu loved most.

Against that Sun Woo-sung, who proudly boasted about being merely a first-rate intermediate, there was no chance of losing.

She, too, could now smile brightly.

Then, she suddenly turned her gaze to one side.

It was toward where Seonwoo Jin was seated.

He seemed utterly disinterested in the situation unfolding around him, busily shoveling food into his mouth.

It was such a pathetic sight, yet she couldn’t understand why her gaze kept drifting back to him.

That was when it happened.

Father Seonwoo Jung suddenly said to his eldest son, Seonwoo Seong.

“And Seong-ah, let’s go to Dangajang together in a few days.”

Seonwoo Seong, who had been smiling broadly, asked with a puzzled look.

“Huh? You mean the Dan family? Why would we go there…?”

The Dan family was the family of Dan Hasang, whom his third younger brother, Seonwoo Jin, had killed while drunk.

Back then, when sending Seonwoo Jin to the front lines, they had sent a large amount of wealth to the Dan family as an apology. Now, Father Seonwoo Jung suddenly wanted to go there.

Then Seonwoo-jung glanced at Seonwoo-jin and spoke again.

“The place that weighs most heavily on my mind is Danjagang. Now that Jin has returned safely, I feel it is my duty as head of the household to pay my respects there once more. Since Jin cannot go there himself, I suppose I must…”

Seonwoo Seong immediately replied with a sly smile.

“Yes! Understood! I will accompany you there, Father!”

Under normal circumstances, he would have shown his displeasure and made various excuses to back out. But once the phrase ‘duty as head of the household’ was mentioned, there was absolutely no way to avoid it.

Moreover, what could it mean that he was taking only him among his sons?

It was clear he had already been recognized as the next head of the family.

Seonwoo Sung was now burning with passion to go to Dangajang in place of his incompetent younger brother.

But he was completely unaware.

The sharp glances from the other family members who heard that he and the head of the family, Seonwoo Jung, would be visiting the ancestral shrine alone.

And they, too, were unaware.

That Seonwoo Jin, who had briefly looked downcast when the Dan Family Manor was mentioned before shoveling food back in, was smiling inwardly at their mood.

Seonwoo Jin thought to himself.

‘Alright, now kill each other.’