At Tianguang's greeting, Cheonyeong looked at him with sharp eyes and spoke.

"What are you doing right now?"

Though killing intent accompanied his words, Tianguang showed no sign of intimidation and instead tilted his head.

"What am I doing? What did I do?"

"What?"

"I said I came to meet the Tang Family Head, and asked to be let through. It was this gentleman who first attacked by swinging an iron ball."

"This..."

At that response, Cheonyeong couldn't curse or throw a punch.

The truth was, he had done nothing.

He had merely thrown eight stones on the ground.

It was Cheonyeong who immediately moved because he knew it was the Heavenly Thunder Boundless Formation...

"It's as if I did something wrong."

"..."

At Tianguang's words, Cheonyeong took a breath and calmed his anger.

He couldn't mention the Heavenly Thunder Boundless Formation.

Since they might fight later, it was far more advantageous to let him think Cheonyeong didn't know about it.

Though irritated, he decided to back down for now.

He didn't know why Tianguang had come, after all.

If he came alone, he hadn't come to fight.

There was no need to give him a reason to be angry first.

"I misunderstood."

"Huh?"

"It was something I said to the Secondary Family Head."

"Huh?"

"'What are you doing right now?' I left out the beginning: 'Swinging an iron ball at a visiting guest?' That's why there was a misunderstanding."

"Weren't you looking at me?"

"I have the habit of not looking at the direction I'm speaking toward. Sometimes I cause such misunderstandings."

"...A misunderstanding?"

"That's right."

"Then why did you roll on the ground with the Secondary Family Head?"

When Tianguang looked at him suspiciously, Cheonyeong spoke as if it were nothing.

"Once this fellow gets angry, there's no stopping him."

"..."

"So I jumped in and rolled with him to prevent his next action."

Cheonyeong made excuses with a face like he had a steel plate on it, then criticized Yongcheon.

"What kind of rudeness is this toward a guest?"

"...Huh?"

"An iron ball? An iron ball! Haven't I told you repeatedly not to carelessly use an iron ball!"

"F-Family Head? What's this about?"

"Quiet! Tsk tsk, still haven't fixed your habits! Go inside and reflect immediately!"

"..."

"Hey! Why aren't you going in?"

When Cheonyeong suddenly shouted, Yongcheon pouted with an aggrieved expression, sticking out his lips several times, and went inside.

His walk seemed quite disappointed.

Well, he could smooth things over later.

"Ah, so you've come from the Zhuge family?"

Cheonyeong turned back with a smile and asked kindly.

For Tianguang, it was simply absurd.

It was forced.

How could he not know?

But he also couldn't openly question his suspicions.

When the other person insisted otherwise...

However, this told him something. The Tang Family Head was a completely different type of person from those he had seen before.

Someone who didn't hesitate to change his story, who acted and spoke as he wished regardless of what others thought.

And such people were usually overflowing with confidence.

Either they possessed such wisdom or such strength.

He decided to leave the question for later.

It wasn't a problem that needed to be solved immediately, was it?

"...It seems I misunderstood, as you said, Family Head. Now that I think about it, I also bear responsibility for trying to enter so recklessly."

Tianguang bowed and apologized.

As expected... that bastard was as unlucky in his past life as now.

How did his expression not change at all?

"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Tianguang of the Zhuge family."

"I am Cheonyeong, Family Head of the Tang Family. But what brings the Zhuge family here? I'm certain I sent a letter to the Family Head?"

"Ah, I heard about it. The Second Young Master of the main family was quite rude, I'm told? So the Family Head asked me to convey his deepest apologies on his behalf."

"Of course, that's how it should be."

"...Yes?"

"A deep apology is only proper, isn't it? I experienced such a thing for the first time and was truly troubled."

At Cheonyeong's reaction, Tianguang smiled bitterly.

It was an apology, but one filled with formality.

Usually in such cases, responses like "Please don't mention it" or "Such mistakes can happen sometimes" would come, but the Tang Family Head accepted it as naturally as if receiving what was due.

"So, are you planning to offer compensation?"

"..."

"I've already strained myself quite a bit buying the Gongsun family's estate... I'd appreciate it if the compensation were quite generous."

"Compensation?"

"Hmm? Was I only supposed to convey the apology?"

"Ha ha, of course. That's only proper."

Not refusing, but hoping for generous compensation...

There had never been such a vulgar person.

No, he spoke so confidently that the word "vulgar" didn't quite fit.

Tianguang thought that Cheonyeong was a person who had deviated from normal conventions.

So he pushed a bit further.

He wanted to see how he would respond.

"How much would be appropriate? Since I'm a subordinate, I can't provide it immediately... If you tell me the desired amount, I'll inform the Family Head and we'll try to find an appropriate figure."

"An appropriate figure? Ha! I thought you understood, but apparently not?"

"Huh?"

"What negotiation is there in compensation? True compensation is giving as much as the victim wants."

Embarrassment?

It seemed this person had never experienced such a thing.

Tianguang found the increasingly interesting conversation amusing and smiled.

"You're absolutely right. Indeed. There can be no negotiation in compensation."

"Hmm, now that you say so, I feel sorry. Come in for now. I'm not so extremely vulgar that... let's discuss the amount slowly while having tea."

"I'm at a loss for words at such hospitality. You must have been quite angry because of the Second Young Master... I'm grateful for the Family Head's generosity."

At that, Cheonyeong laughed silently.

Tianguang, matching his words and laughing along, seemed truly cunning.

Now he understood the purpose clearly.

He wanted to know Cheonyeong.

Probably acting on Zhuge Changyun's orders.

The Jade-faced Divine Dragon was a name earned to the point of being called one of the most exceptional of his generation.

How curious must he be about someone who drove away such a son and even beat him?

So Zhuge Changyun sent Tianguang.

To understand what kind of person Cheonyeong was.

"This way..."

Cheonyeong guided him, muttering as if to himself.

"Let's see, the money spent buying the Gongsun family's estate was five hundred gold taels, wasn't it? No, that's not right. Adding his gambling debts and mortgaged property, plus the compensation for damages in the northern district... phew, I'd have to use an abacus to figure this out?"

In his words, the compensation grew like a snowball rolling down a mountain, but Tianguang just laughed.

Compensation?

Nonsense.

Report and wipe your mouth clean. He hadn't yet said he would give anything.

What mattered was what kind of person Cheonyeong was.

The appearance before his eyes was unmistakably vulgar.

But there was something sinister about him.

He knew how to hide his true nature and didn't reveal anything outwardly.

Smiling knife—a dagger hidden in a smile.

Someone who hides sharpness in laughter and approaches to cut throats.

His blade would have no hesitation. A person with such sinister qualities was quite dangerous.

Moreover, through the events that had already occurred, he could roughly grasp the strength Cheonyeong possessed.

His strategy was superior to Zhuge Wuhui's.

He had unconventional methods, was skilled at manipulating people, and had the eloquence to create justifications.

Furthermore, from meeting Zhuge Wuhui before coming to the Gongsun family, and from the defeated Zhe Xian martial artists, he understood.

Zhuge Wuhui's Heavenly Mystery Divine Skill was at a level that wouldn't be insufficient to be called first-rate. Moreover, the Congealed Blood technique was so fierce it could leave finger marks on hard wood.

Yet Cheonyeong had broken all of Zhuge Wuhui's fingers and beat his buttocks with the sword sheath under the pretext of correcting his habits.

It wasn't easy.

He had said he couldn't even properly resist and had to endure it. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Then Cheonyeong's martial arts might exceed even his own, the Family Head's personal bodyguard.

The same went for the man called Yongcheon who had sulked at the Family Head's rebuke.

His skill with the iron ball was not ordinary.

Moreover, the needles thrown by the Tang Family's martial artists had targeted only the vital points of Zhe Xian's martial artists.

The wounds showed it.

If they had struck the death points, there would have been numerous casualties, but there weren't.

Their accuracy was superior.

Tianguang's eyes, watching Cheonyeong's back as he walked ahead, turned cold.

The Tang Family won't be easy to deal with.

Though he hadn't seen everything, they possessed martial artists capable of individual combat, and needle techniques would be a significant force in chaotic battles.

And most importantly.

If Cheonyeong possessed such sinister qualities, he would certainly not easily expose the forces they possessed.

"The Second Young Master must have had no choice but to endure it."

While Zhuge Changyun's words about the Second Young Master's emotions being ahead and lacking cultivation could be considered, it was difficult to attribute it solely to Zhuge Wuhui's insufficiency.

Cheonyeong was simply more monstrously superior.

"Huh? Why are you standing there? Come on, hurry."

"Yes! Family Head!"

At Cheonyeong's urging, Tianguang stopped thinking and quickly followed.

A battle where they had to hide their true selves from each other.

A kind of psychological warfare.

But Tianguang didn't know.

That before being a Family Head, Cheonyeong was an assassin, and had fought the Zhuge family countless times.

* * *

"Allow me to introduce you. This is Gongsun Seung, the Family Head of our branch family."

"Gongsun Seung."

At Cheonyeong's introduction, Gongsun Seung bowed to Tianguang.

"Ah! So you're the famous person! I'm Tianguang from the Zhuge family."

Tianguang clasped Gongsun Seung's hands.

"I've heard much about you."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed. Dongting is near Hubei, isn't it? The name of the Gongsun family, which carried out the ideals of noble virtue and broad business, deserved respect. I was so saddened to hear of the Family Head's passing."

"Ah, I see."

Gongsun Seung was so pleased that he felt embarrassed.

"Gongsun Family Head."

"Yes, Great Family Head."

Gongsun Seung deliberately added "Great" to the title.

Like a weak insect puffing up its body, he was bluffing.

So as not to be intimidated by the Zhuge family's name.

In other words, we have many branch families, so we're not just a Family Head but a Great Family Head.

That's what it meant.

Anyway, his perception was quick.

Cheonyeong, seeing Gongsun Seung's bluff, made a stern expression and rebuked him.

"In front of a guest... just call yourself Family Head."

"Huh? But how..."

"Hey!"

"Understood."

Gongsun Seung bowed and answered.

They were perfectly in sync at times like this.

Like real brothers.

"Anyway, the Zhuge family wants to express its apologies to us quite sincerely through this incident."

"Are you talking about compensation?"

"That's right. Calculate how much damage we've suffered this time."

"Understood. I'll calculate it carefully and return. Then Warrior Tianguang, I'll see you again later."

"Yes."

Gongsun Seung left and the atmosphere became slightly awkward.

"But, Great Family Head."

"Hey, don't mind what Gongsun Family Head said unnecessarily. Just call yourself Family Head."

"How can that be?"

"Ha ha, but how should I address you?"

"It seems buying the Gongsun family's estate wasn't just for the branch family?"

"Hmm?"

"Isn't that right? Having a branch in Dongting Lake is the wish of quite a few sects..."

At Tianguang's question, Cheonyeong smiled slightly.

This friend... he knew how to speak indirectly, but he's quite direct?

(End of Chapter)