Absolute Dominion

◈ Absolute Dominion

Chapter- 23

“So, good meat has a bright red color and a smooth, shiny texture. The fat should be milky white, but if the fat is a deep yellow, the meat will be tough and tasteless. The finer the grain of the meat, the more tender it will be. Generally, female cows have better meat quality than males. Now, the next best part is…”

Cha-Ryun sighed as she watched her mother and youngest sibling marvel at Jeok Lee-Gun’s incessant chatter.

This guy really seems to know about everything.

“Enough talk—let’s start grilling already!”

Cha-Ryun shouted, but Lady Ahn and Su-Ryun glared at her in response.

Especially Su-Ryun, who signaled her to be quiet by putting her finger to her lips.

It’s one thing for her mother to fall for that ridiculous flattery—being called ‘big sister,’ but when did Su-Ryun become such an enthusiastic supporter of Jeok Lee-Gun?

“Now then, shall we move on to the actual meat grilling session?”

Su-Ryun even clapped her hands in excitement.

At this rate, she might start calling him brother-in-law. Well, for someone like Su-Ryun who has to stay in her room all day, Jeok Lee-Gun must seem like an entirely new world.

Sizzle.

The sound of meat grilling and the mouth-watering aroma spread, stimulating everyone’s appetite. Even though Cha-Ryun wasn’t usually fond of meat, watching Jeok Lee-Gun grill with such dramatic flair made her stomach growl a little.

“Now, this is the moment when the juices gently seep out! Enjoy!”

“Father!”

Su-Ryun called out to Jeong Lee-Chu.

Even Jeong Lee-Chu and Hwa-Ryun gathered around the grill. Each of them took a piece of meat and tasted it.

“Isn’t it amazing?”

Just as Jeok Lee-Gun had boasted, the taste was phenomenal.

Delicious food always has a way of softening people’s hearts. Even the way Hwa-Ryun looked at Jeok Lee-Gun seemed to soften.

“Wow! This is really tasty.”

Everyone smiled contentedly as they watched Su-Ryun chew the meat.

“Chew it well.”

“It melts in my mouth before I even get the chance to chew.”

Su-Ryun looked more lively than she had in a long time. She picked up a piece of meat and offered it to Jeok Lee-Gun.

“Brother, open your mouth!”

“You’re already calling him brother?”

Cha-Ryun teased, and Su-Ryun stuck her tongue out at her.

Cha-Ryun comforted Jeong Lee-Chu, who seemed to be looking at Su-Ryun with a disappointed expression.

“Raising daughters is pointless.”

“But isn’t the youngest still a child?”

“I wasn’t talking about her.”

They were looking at the scene of Hwa-Ryun feeding Seo Baek meat. She didn’t seem to care about what they were saying as she spoke.

“These days, your brother-in-law’s health hasn’t been great.”

Seo Baek chewed the meat and smiled.

“If you’re jealous, sister-in-law, why don’t you hurry up and find someone for yourself?”

Jeong Lee-Chu sighed heavily, then turned toward Jeong Ahn.

“They say in old age, the best thing is a spouse who can scratch your back, and that couldn’t be more true.”

Lady Ahn, who had been feeding Su-Ryun some meat, replied coldly.

“Is that so? I prefer my daughters though.”

When Jeong Lee-Chu sighed again, Cha-Ryun linked arms with him.

“You’ve got me, Father.”

Jeong Lee-Chu felt content seeing his daughters grow up bright and cheerful.

He wished for nothing more than their happiness.

For that, he needed to be strong. This recent event had taught Jeong Lee-Chu a lot.

It had been so long since they had shared such a lively meal together.

Suddenly, Su-Ryun turned toward Cha-Ryun with a question.

“So, are you still going to participate in the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament?”

The mention of the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament briefly quieted the noisy atmosphere.

Su-Ryun spoke in a timid, apologetic voice.

“Sorry, that was a mistake.”

Cha-Ryun patted Su-Ryun’s head.

“I was just about to talk about that anyway.”

Sensing that something important was about to be announced, everyone turned their attention to Cha-Ryun.

After a brief hesitation, Cha-Ryun spoke.

“Father, I’ve decided. I’m going to participate in the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament.”

The entire family was shocked.

“I’m going to crush the pride of that bastard, Jang In-Gyeol.”

“Absolutely not!”

“Why not?”

Jeong Lee-Chu didn’t want his daughter to get involved in the conflict with the Palm Heart Clan. Moreover, with the Palm Heart Clan openly hostile, Cha-Ryun could be in danger.

“No means no!”

At that moment, Hwa-Ryun asked calmly.

“If you go, who will you go with? Don’t tell me you plan to go with Young Master Jeok?”

Jeok Lee-Gun was so focused on eating that he didn’t even seem to care about the conversation that was taking place.

‘Please, at least look serious at times like this.’

“Yes, I’ll be going with Young Master Jeok.”

Jeong Lee-Chu and Hwa-Ryun were stunned.

“Do you realize that the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament is an event that all martial artists from the Central Plains have their eyes on?”

Cha-Ryun shot a glare at Hwa-Ryun.

“So? Are you saying I’m not qualified to participate?”

“No, quite the opposite. I believe you’re more than capable.”

Hwa-Ryun’s gaze shifted towards Jeok Lee-Gun.

Cha-Ryun suddenly stood up.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

In contrast, Hwa-Ryun remained calm. She formally bowed to Jeok Lee-Gun, her hands clasped in a fist salute, and lowered her head.

“Thanks to Young Master Jeok, our family avoided a great disaster. Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, the outcome is what it is. I thank you once again.”

But her tone turned cold as she continued.

“However, I believe we must clearly distinguish between public and private matters. The Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament isn’t just about personal honor, but also the honor of one’s family. To be frank, we cannot trust Young Master Jeok.”

Jeong Lee-Chu added his thoughts.

“Please understand. We don’t mean to belittle you.”

Understanding the situation, Jeok Lee-Gun smiled lightly and nodded, then placed a piece of meat directly into Su-Ryun’s mouth. Caught off guard, Su-Ryun awkwardly smiled as she chewed.

Cha-Ryun yelled out in frustration.

“What the hell is going on here?!”

“Cha-Ryun!”

“Fine, ignore my opinion all you want. But shouldn’t you at least ask Young Master Jeok’s opinion too? This isn’t any different from how the Palm Heart Clan behaves! This is really too much.”

Jeong Lee-Chu was taken aback by the comparison to the Palm Heart Clan.

Hwa-Ryun raised her voice sharply.

“Watch your mouth!”

“No, I won’t!”

“You used to despise the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament! Why the sudden change of heart?”

“…”

“If you participate with Young Master Jeok… you’ll just become a laughingstock, won’t you?”

“Even if I become a laughingstock, that’s my burden to bear.”

“No, it’s a burden our entire family will have to bear.”

“Your sister is right.”

“Father!”

The heated argument between the three continued.

Despite his name being mentioned several times, Jeok Lee-Gun was entirely focused on eating his meat. Feeling a bit guilty, Su-Ryun leaned toward him and whispered into his ear.

“Our family is always a bit noisy. There are just too many women.”

Lady Ahn, across from them, smiled warmly.

“Please try to understand.”

Jeok Lee-Gun grinned and fed Su-Ryun another wrapped piece of meat.

“That’s family for you… families are supposed to be like this.”

That night, Jeok Lee-Gun came to visit Cha-Ryun in her room.

As soon as he opened the door, he walked in like it was his own room.

What kind of visit is this? Does he not feel any shame?

“No matter how much you think of me as a martial artist… I’m still a woman.”

“But you hate being treated like a woman.”

“That’s a separate issue! And barging in late at night like this is rude, regardless of gender!”

“Ah—”

And that was the end of it. He insolently took a sip of the tea Cha-Ryun had poured to drink herself.

“Delicious.”

“Of course. My mother made it herself.”

“Your mother is a wonderful person.”

Why is he suddenly praising my mother? Why does he have so much to say about her?

“And your younger sister is adorable.”

What’s wrong with him?

“I’d like to have a harmonious family like this one day.”

Jeok Lee-Gun looked directly at Cha-Ryun.

Why is he looking at me like that?

Jeok Lee-Gun let out an uncharacteristic sigh.

“Having a good family is really difficult though.”

Cha-Ryun was inherently optimistic and believed that if two people met and loved each other, they could build a happy family if they put in the effort. Just like her parents, whom she had watched her whole life.

Jeok Lee-Gun, on the other hand, was far more cynical.

“When you get married, you lose too many things.”

“Like what?”

“Freedom, for instance.”

Cha-Ryun stayed silent for a moment. She had never seriously considered that aspect before.

“Freedom… is it really that important?”

“Of course. You don’t understand its value because you’ve never lost it.”

“Is that so?”

“Imagine starting tomorrow, you have to cook, do laundry, and clean from morning till night. All the time you used to spend reading, training in martial arts, and taking walks—all gone.”

I don’t like where this example is going.

“But still…”

Cha-Ryun paused for a moment before speaking again.

“If it’s for someone you care about, aren’t you going to make breakfast for them, wash the clothes they’ll wear, and keep the space you share clean? I think that’s just as important as reading, walking, and practicing martial arts.”

Jeok Lee-Gun stared intently at Cha-Ryun.

“Do you really think that feeling won’t change?”

“The future is uncertain, but… that’s how I feel now.”

A smile crept onto Jeok Lee-Gun’s face.

“That’s why I like you. You’re smart but also family-oriented.”

“What?”

Was that a compliment or an insult?

Jeok Lee-Gun finished the last sip of the tea, put down the cup, and stood up.

“Come on, let’s go!”

“Where to?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“At this hour? Whatever it is, let’s go tomorrow. It’s late.”

“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. It’s an unchanging principle for success—though admittedly, almost no one follows it. But let’s be the ones to keep that principle alive! Let’s go!”

“That’s your business! This has nothing to do with me.”

“It could be our business. How do you know what the future holds?”

Before Cha-Ryun could finish telling him to stop saying such nonsense, Jeok Lee-Gun was already pulling her along—she didn’t stop him.

Maybe I’m okay with such things because it’s him.

That was Cha-Ryun’s true feeling. If it weren’t Jeok Lee-Gun, she never would have gone out this late at night with anyone. At the very least, he had a knack for making these secretive night excursions feel less worrisome.

The two of them strolled side by side down the night road.

“Where are we going?”

Jeok Lee-Gun pulled out a large piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.

When Cha-Ryun unfolded it, she saw it was a map of Wuhan. It was a highly detailed map, accurately depicting the terrain and landmarks, including the locations of the major martial sects.

“Due to the martial arts tournaments happening this year, the land prices in Wuhan have skyrocketed.”

“Really?”

Maybe the value of our Righteous Sword Sect’s land has increased as well?

The thought made Cha-Ryun chuckle. It was a rare sentiment for her, one that didn’t quite fit her usual self.

“Look here.”

Jeok Lee-Gun pointed to a spot on the outskirts of Wuhan.

“Starting from this pass, there’s a bandit group called Abundant Mountain Stronghold. It’s the area with the lowest land prices. No one expects the prices to rise.”

“So?”

“I bought the land there.”

“What?”

Cha-Ryun stopped in her tracks, utterly shocked.

“Why?”

“To build a house.”

“What?”

Cha-Ryun was even more shocked. She never imagined Jeok Lee-Gun was thinking of building a house in Wuhan.

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why? Why else would someone build a house? To live in it, of course.”

“But why here of all places?”

“The land is cheap and I need a large piece of land.”

How big of a house is he planning to build?

“What about the bandits of the Abundant Mountain Stronghold?”

“I’ll either chase them out, make them pay taxes if they beg, or maybe have them keep watch. We’ll have to see.”

“What?”

Oh my god, my head. Talking to this guy is really exhausting.

“Do you even have enough money to buy the land and build the house?”

“I have some money saved up.”

Ah, is he talking about the money he got from the Spring Breeze Inn? But can he really afford to buy land and build a house with just that? Didn’t he say he was going to build a big house?

“But isn’t it cheaper to just buy a house? Why go through the trouble of building one?”

“No, I’m planning to build something special.”

“What kind of house?”

“Curious?”

Honestly, Cha-Ryun was curious. She found herself looking forward to whatever crazy idea he was going to come up with next.

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“Where are we even going?”

By now, the two of them had ventured out to the outskirts of Wuhan.

“Like I said, you’ll see when we get there!”