Chapter 295 Dong Chae-won, the Iron-Hearted Cold-Blooded Father

Chapter 295: Dong Chae-won, the Iron-Hearted Cold-Blooded Father

– Yangzhudong Family patriarch Dong Zhongxue died fighting over a thousand bandits while escorting Guangfeng Bilong Xuefeng, one of the Four Kings’ successors.

This news spread like wildfire throughout Jiangsu Province.

In response, the Four Kings Alliance and every martial arts faction in Jiangsu Province sent condolence envoys to express their sympathies. People praised Dong Zhongxue, who had sacrificed himself defeating the bandit gang that had plagued Yangzhou.

It was also revealed that the one who avenged Dong Zhongxiu’s death against Xuefengdao, the leader of the bandit group Xuefeng Society, was Guangfeng Bilong Xuefeng, and that his mother was originally from the Yangzhou Dong family.

People began to wonder about his future moves, now that he would have the backing of the Yangju Dongga faction.

Many enthusiasts were already buzzing with excitement, suggesting he was a candidate who could rival the prominent next-generation candidates, Gwejeonggi and Gwechanggi.

This was the event that powerfully etched the name Seolpung into the minds of the Four Kings Alliance.

***

Seolpung was now deep within the Yangjudoong Clan’s inner sanctum, meeting with Dong Chaewon, the Iron-Hearted Cold-Blooded Patriarch, alongside his companions.

Dong Chae-won, who had been swamped organizing Dong Jung-seo’s funeral, had only been able to meet Seolpung three days later.

Dong Chaewon held Seolpung’s hand tightly, weeping endlessly.

“I felt it back then too, but you really do look just like Ayeon. How can your features be so identical? Your face resembles Ayeon’s, yet your body has grown into such a tall, handsome young man. Your brother truly raised you well.”

Seolpung also smiled warmly and said to her.

“Grandfather missed Auntie deeply too. He asked me to tell her he was sorry if I ever saw her again.”

Hearing this news about her brother, whom she would never see again, Dong Chaewon wept even harder.

“What do you mean you’re sorry? What is there to be sorry about for a brother who sacrificed himself alone for the family and still raised you so splendidly? It’s me who should be sorry for failing to guide even one nephew properly, even in this comfortable place…”

Dong Chaewon wept for a long time afterward, as if emotions pent up for years had finally erupted.

It was a tender sight unbecoming of her nickname, the Iron-Hearted, Cold-Blooded Father.

Perhaps that was her true self, long hidden beneath the burden of having to protect the Yangju Dong family alone.

Seolpung gazed at her great-aunt with warm eyes and continued talking to her.

For Seolpung, who had lived alone without a single blood relative since his maternal grandfather passed away, this moment—being able to share a conversation about his grandfather with family—could not have been more precious.

Seolpung’s companions watched him silently, their faces lit with warm smiles.

Because they were colleagues who genuinely cherished Seolpung, they could fully sense how happy he was right now.

After a long while, Dong Chaewon finally seemed to notice the others. Wiping away tears, she spoke to the group.

“This old man has been making a fool of himself, failing to properly entertain such distinguished guests. I’m truly sorry. And… thank you. Thank you so much. For standing by our Pung-i, for fighting alongside him. Thank you.”

Then, looking at Seonwoo Jin, he said.

“Moreover, thanks to Young Master Seonwoo, we were able to remove the tumor that had been eating away at our Dongga for so long. Dongga will never forget this kindness.”

Seonwoo Jin didn’t bother with false modesty at his thanks, merely smiling and bowing his head slightly.

The power structure of the Yangju Dong family had been rapidly reorganized.

Dong Chaewon immediately took over as acting head of the Dong family in place of Dong Jungseo, gaining full authority.

Dong Jungseo had been a deeply suspicious man who never cultivated a successor. Consequently, with the annihilation of his inner circle—Bing Hyeol-il, Lee, and Sam—there was no one left who could oppose Dong Chaewon.

Of course, Dong Jung-seo did have a young son and a wife.

But the son was still under ten years old, and the wife had been completely marginalized within the power structure even while Dong Jung-seo was alive.

Unlike Dong Chae-won, who had treated Dong Jung-seo with great courtesy at least in public, Dong Jung-seo had openly mistreated his wife in a way visible to everyone.

In fact, Dong Chae-won ended up caring for Dong Jung-seo’s wife more than Dong Jung-seo himself did.

Dong Chaewon looked back and forth between Seonwoojin and Seolpung as he spoke.

As proposed by Young Master Seonwoo in your previous letter, our Dongga Clan will henceforth fully support Pung-a. Though our forces currently lag behind those of the Jinjiang Clan and the Black Forest Clan, we shall compensate by dedicating all our strength to aiding Pung-a. Immediately, we shall assign the Ice Blood Brigade to serve as Pung-a’s escort.

The Ice Blood Corps, originally composed of seven divisions, had lost the First, Second, and Third Divisions entirely, leaving only the Fourth Division remaining.

Consequently, with the Dong Clan’s strength drastically diminished, the role of the Ice Blood Brigade had become far more crucial than before.

Despite all that, Dong Chaewon was saying he would support Seolpung with the Ice Blood Corps.

Exchanging glances with Seonwoojin, Seolpung smiled faintly and said.

“We truly appreciate your grandmother’s kindness. But there’s no need for that. We…”

It was a polite refusal.

Dong Chae-won’s expression hardened slightly as she cut Seolpung off.

“There’s no need for that. Wasn’t it Young Master Seonwoo himself who told me that the one who moved Dong Jungseo this time was Gwejeonggi? Such incidents will continue to recur. My offer to support the Ice Blood Brigade despite Dong’s current predicament is not meant to flex my power. It’s because you could be in danger otherwise. So don’t refuse. No, you must not refuse.”

At her words, Seolpung looked at Seonwoo Jin with a troubled expression.

Then Seonwoojin spoke.

“May I speak on your behalf?”

Dong Chaewon nodded, and Seonwoojin immediately began speaking.

“As you said, Gwejeonggi will never give up. From now on, he won’t just repeat this incident—he’ll try even stronger tactics.”

“Hmm, given his prideful nature, that’s only natural. So, the Ice Blood Brigade…”

“But that was precisely what I wanted from him. We revealed our plans to come to Yangjudoongga in the first place to draw out his actions.”

“?!

Dong Chaewon was so startled by Seon Woo-jin’s words that he momentarily lost his voice.

The fact that Seolpung’s group was heading to Yangjudo-ga spread among the people because those who had overheard their conversation inside the Four Kings Pavilion had done so.

Yet Seonwoojin was now claiming he had deliberately spread that information.

“…You mean you deliberately leaked the news?”

“Yes. I wanted to see how he would react.”

“…So he knew our Dongga’s former head had joined him…?”

“No. I didn’t know that far. But I did think he would have reached out to the Dongga in some way.”

“Hmm.”

Dong Chaewon let out a low grunt at Seon Woo-jin’s words.

She found it hard to believe every word spoken by this handsome young man, who was far younger than her.

Listening to him speak, he seemed like a sage who could see a thousand miles from where he sat.

Dong Chaewon was well aware by now that Seon Woo-jin’s martial arts and strategic acumen were anything but ordinary.

But even so, she couldn’t be certain those words weren’t born of youthful recklessness and arrogance.

Of course, she couldn’t simply dismiss it outright either.

Seon Woo-jin was the one who had single-handedly resolved the Dong family’s problem, which Dong Chae-won had been unable to touch for so long, not knowing what to do about it.

Dong Chae-won decided to hear him out further before making any judgments about him.

“So, did you learn anything from his reaction?”

Seon Woo-jin smiled faintly and replied.

“Yes, I learned a lot. For starters, I learned he’s a coward who only pretends to be smart on the surface.”

At those words, Dong Chae-won frowned.

It was nothing short of a remark that utterly disregarded the Gwaejeonggi.

“…Did you call me a coward?”

Dong Chaewon found it difficult to accept Seonwoo Jin’s words at face value.

Within the Four Kings Alliance, Gweojeonggi was widely regarded as an almost perfect successor.

Of course, it was true that Gweojeonggi received significant support from his maternal family, the Jingangman Clan, and reaped many benefits through their connections.

But that was merely a secondary advantage.

If Gwe Jeong-gi himself didn’t possess outstanding abilities, he would never have gained recognition from the people of the Four Kings Alliance.

In fact, he was highly skilled in martial arts, wise, and possessed a temperament that was more cold-blooded than impulsive, earning him the reputation of being nearly perfect as the next Great King.

Having commanded numerous subordinates for a long time, his leadership skills were beyond question.

Yet Seonwoo Jin had defined that very Gwejeonggi as nothing more than a coward pretending to be clever.

Dong Chaewon felt his trust in Seonwoo Jin slipping away.

But he decided to ask again.

“This old woman doesn’t quite understand what you mean, young hero. Why did you come to that judgment?”

Seonwoo Jin answered as if it were obvious.

“Brother Seolpung kept rubbing salt in his pride at the Four Kings Alliance. He ignored his warnings and picked fights, overwhelmed his most prized subordinate, and even showed he could match him without giving his all. I wanted to see how he would move after that.”

This meant that confronting him at the Four Kings Alliance had been a deliberate act.

Though Seolpung had been told separately afterward, the others were hearing this for the first time. Their eyes widened as they focused intently on Seonujin’s words.

“The most challenging scenario I had envisioned for his reaction was if he took no action at all. That would have meant he possessed the capacity to simply let it pass. If he truly was that kind of man, then Brother Seolpung would have had to compete fairly against him. Facing someone with such a solid foundation, he would inevitably have been at a disadvantage.”

“Hmm.”

Dong Chaewon let out a low grunt.

Truthfully, upon reflection, no matter how much Yangjudoongga bolstered his strength, it was nearly impossible for Seolpung to surpass him through straightforward means.

His influence within the Four Kings Alliance was already too overwhelming.

Therefore, Dong Chaewon couldn’t help but nod in agreement with the notion that if he had chosen to compete fairly with Seolpung without any retaliation, that very restraint would have been the most threatening thing to Seolpung.

He also realized that the fact Gwejeonggi ultimately did not do so and instead took action against Seolpung wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Seon Woo-jin continued speaking.

The next most difficult scenario would have been if he resorted to any means necessary to kill Brother Seolpung. Had he done so, we would have had to engage him head-on at his main base, forcing us to take the risk as well. Truthfully, his best chance to eliminate Brother Seolpung was when we crossed the Yangtze. Had he targeted that moment, we would have faced immense difficulty. That’s why I hurried to cross the river myself. But as you know, he didn’t do it.”

At those words, Dong Chaewon frowned slightly and countered.

“But as you know, Young Master, the Four Kings’ successors cannot openly target each other within Jiangsu Province. So it wasn’t that he couldn’t step forward himself, was it?”

Then, Xian Wujin answered with a faintly cold smile.

“If I had been the Four Kings’ heir and resolved to stop at nothing, I would have killed all the other heirs. And I would have done it all in one day.”

At those words, Dong Chaewon’s eyes widened.

“Wh-what did you say?!”

Seon Woo-jin continued with a bitter smile.

“If there are no other heirs anyway, then there’s no need for competition, is there?”

“Ah, but that’s…”

“Didn’t the current King Gwaegalhyun become king that way? So he certainly couldn’t punish the sole remaining heir using that method either.”

At those words, Dong Chaewon swallowed hard.

She realized the young man before her was far more formidable than he appeared.

Yet at the same time, she couldn’t help but acknowledge he was right.

She murmured, her voice low and hushed.

“Young Master… you’re a truly terrifying person.”

Then Seon Woo-jin smiled softly again and said.

“Well, that’s only when I’ve resolved to stop at nothing. If I’d decided to take action, that’s what I should have done. But… the problem is that Gwejeonggi didn’t do that. Unable to hold back, he took action, yet to avoid revealing his connection to me, he delegated it to someone else. Just as I had hoped.”

Having said that much, Seon Woo-jin looked at Seolpung and continued.

Thanks to you, Brother Seolpung gained what he needed most through this incident: a foundation and reputation within the Four Kings Alliance. It was truly a blessing.

“Hmm!”

Dong Chaewon realized his words were true.

Under normal circumstances, the former head of the Dong family, Dong Jung-seo, would never have considered supporting Seolpung.

But thanks to Gwejeonggi swaying him, Seolpung ultimately gained the support of the Yangju Dong Clan. Moreover, he was even able to spread the news so that everyone within the Four Kings Alliance could know about it.

The reputation of having slain the Bloodwind Great Sword—a feat even Dong Jungseo, the former head of the Yangju Dong family, couldn’t achieve—was just the icing on the cake.

At this point, one might even suspect that Gwejeonggi had deliberately bolstered Seolpung’s standing.

It was the price paid for attempting to intervene clumsily, just as Sunwoo Jin had said.

Dong Chaewon stared blankly for a moment, then stammered slightly as he asked.

“But… can we really guarantee we can stop his future attacks without the Ice Blood Sword?”

Seon Woo-jin smiled faintly.

“No. I can guarantee it. Because I knew what kind of man he was, I also knew what choices he would make going forward. He will continue to use others to target us, ensuring his own involvement remains hidden. And I can assure you, that won’t be enough to harm us.”

Dong Chae-won looked at Seon Woo-jin for a moment. He spoke calmly, which only made him seem more confident.

Then, sighing, he said.

“I understand now that my young hero is truly remarkable. But isn’t it a bit arrogant to use the word ‘absolutely’?”

In response to her anxious question, Seon Woo-jin smiled faintly and said.

“How much power do you think Lord Noma needs to face two of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Masters and three supreme masters?”

…What? Two of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars?

Dong Chae-won’s eyes widened once more.

She knew exactly who he was referring to without needing to be told.

Dong Chae-won stared in shock, shifting her gaze between Seol Pung and Seon Woo-jin, before suddenly realizing.

He had been blinded by their youth, failing to see their true nature.

She sighed as she spoke.

“Two of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Masters and three supreme masters… It’s impossible with Dongga’s current strength alone. And… no matter how great Guijingqi’s power is, it won’t be easy.”

That was it.

Ultimately, if Guozhengqi truly wanted to deal with Shufeng, he would have to commit every ounce of strength at his disposal.

And even if he did, it was only a fifty-fifty chance—whether it would succeed was anyone’s guess.

Dong Chaewon now understood Seon Woo-jin’s words: that it would be useless for Gweojeonggi to clumsily target Seolpung by using others.

And he felt a slight sense of regret.

“Well then… the Ice Blood Clan probably wasn’t much help anyway. It just made our actions more cumbersome.”

Seon Woo-jin smiled slyly and said to her.

“So, about that… Would it be possible to ask Lord Noma for a favor on your brother’s behalf?”

“Huh? Ask me for a favor?”

Dong Chae-won asked back with a puzzled look.

Now that she knew the full strength of Seolpung’s group, she couldn’t imagine how the Dong family’s power could be of any help to them.

Then, Seon Woo-jin began his explanation with a mischievous expression, like a troublemaker plotting a prank.

“Actually…”

As he listened, Dong Chae-won’s expression changed several times.

At first he was furious, then his eyes flashed, and finally he wore an expression similar to Seon Woo-jin’s.

It was the very look of a mischievous child plotting something naughty.

She said to Seon Woo-jin.

“That sounds incredibly tempting. For something like that, I couldn’t just stand by, especially for our Four Kings Alliance. Leave it to me. I absolutely won’t disappoint Young Master Seonwoo.”

Seon Woo-jin responded to Dong Chae-won’s words with a respectful bow.