Their conversation should have ended there.
However, before things could settle down again, Jang Do-woon—who had been standing beside the Head of the Eunha Family the whole time—finally spoke up. He clenched both fists in front of his body, then bowed slightly as a sign of respect.
"Excuse me, Patriarch. There's a request I'd like to make."
Gwan-Ho turned to him. "What is it, Chief Jang?"
Jang Do-woon glanced briefly at Raven before looking back at Mr. Gwan.
"I'd like to ask permission to test Young Master Jin's abilities. Would you be willing to grant it?"
Mr. Gwan raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by the sudden request.
"It seems you're quite curious about our guest."
"Just as Patriarch suspected, I heard from several soldiers that Young Master Jin saved the Young Lady from a bear attack. The way he took down the beast was also quite unusual." Jang Do-woon then looked at Raven. "I'd like to see for myself the skills they've been talking about."
Mr. Gwan chuckled softly.
"Huh… it seems a martial artist's instincts won't let you pass up something like this." He then turned his gaze toward Raven.
"However, if you want to test my guest, you should ask for his consent directly. What do you say, Jin the Generous? Do you object?"
Jang Do-woon immediately bowed his head toward Raven.
"I apologize for my rudeness, Young Master Jin."
He then straightened up and introduced himself formally.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jang Do-woon, Chief Guard of the Eunha family residence. We crossed paths near the entrance a while back. I hope you still remember me, even though I'm just an old man."
Raven looked at the old man for a moment. 'Huh… look at this guy.' Raven understood what he meant.
'Even though it seems like he wants to test me, his true intention is to find out who I really am. His attitude clearly shows there must be a specific purpose behind it.'
"It's fine." Raven remained calm.
"I respect the determination and intuition of a chief guard, so I'll accept the challenge."
"Good that you've accepted it."
Jang Do-woon raised his head.
"In that case, you can set the time."
"How about right now?"
Raven's tone remained calm, but the statement sounded like a deliberate provocation.
Jang Do-woon's gaze immediately turned sharp.
Raven stared back at him, unflinching.
"Are you sure?" Jang Do-woon asked, slightly surprised.
"I'm a martial artist. If you want to fight me, I'm ready anytime," Raven replied with a faint smile.
For some reason, that smile actually made the atmosphere between them feel a little tense.
Her tone remained flat, but Raven's expression made Jang Do-woon narrow his eyes slightly.
"You're quite bold."
Jang Do-woon then gave a slight nod.
"I'm truly impressed by what you said. However, this isn't a real fight. It's just sparring and regular training."
He crossed his arms over his chest.
"And I won't be your opponent."
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"I have three disciples, and they're the ones who'll face you."
"Your disciples? And three against one?"
"Didn't you just say yourself that you're ready to fight anytime?" Jang Do-woon retorted sarcastically. "Or is that too many for you?"
Master Gwan immediately interrupted.
"Guard Jang, isn't that a bit excessive? Your three students even look to be the same age as Dermawan Jin."
"I don't mind."
Raven replied without hesitation.
"Besides, I thought you had a lot of students. If it turns out to be only three, I don't think that's a problem."
Jang Do-woon was silent for a moment before chuckling.
"Hahaha. I can't wait to see what happens later."
Mr. Gwan just shook his head slightly as he watched the two of them.
"All right. If neither party objects, I approve this match."
His expression then grew more serious.
"But make sure your three disciples don't injure Dermawan Jin too badly. After all, he is our honored guest and the one who saved my daughter."
Jang Do-woon nodded.
"Of course. I'll make sure they don't go overboard."
He then turned his gaze back to Raven.
"Although I asked you to set the time earlier, fighting right now isn't the best choice."
Do-woon paused for a moment.
"How about we fight in seven days, right when the Earth Harvest Festival is held?"
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"The Earth Harvest Festival?"
Jang Do-woon turned to Mr. Gwan.
"Do you have any objections, Patriarch?"
Mr. Gwan gave a slight shake of his head.
"I don't mind at all. In fact, I quite agree with the idea you just suggested, Chief Jang."
Jang Do-woon gave a slight nod.
Mr. Gwan then turned his gaze to Raven.
"The Earth Harvest Festival is one of the most important celebrations for the people of the Central Plains, including us here in Haryeong. This festival is usually held every few months, coinciding with the changing of the seasons."
He picked up the cup in front of him before continuing.
"Essentially, this festival is an expression of gratitude to the gods for the changing seasons and the bounty bestowed upon the people. Especially to the God of Nature, who is believed to bestow fertility upon the land and safeguard the harvest."
Raven nodded slowly.
"I see."
"Whenever the festival takes place, the Eunha family also opens our home to the community and the martial artists who come to visit. We host a banquet so everyone can join in the celebration."
Mr. Gwan smiled slightly.
"There are usually various performances, such as dances, music, and other forms of entertainment."
Raven thought for a moment.
"So, a fight like this could also be a form of entertainment at the festival?"
Mr. Gwan nodded.
"More or less."
"Besides, I don't think there's anything wrong with the public getting to watch martial artists compete in live matches. As it happens, this festival could be a great opportunity for that."
Raven fell silent for a moment.
'Seven days.'
Enough time to recover physically and prepare himself.
Besides, ever since hearing about the fight earlier, something inside him had almost surfaced. His deeply ingrained fighting instinct made it hard for him to ignore a challenge like that.
However, this time Raven chose to hold back.
His body still needed time to recover.
"All right, I agree."
Jang Do-woon was silent for a moment before letting out a small chuckle.
"In that case, thank you for accepting this challenge, Young Master Jin."
He looked back at Raven.
"During those seven days, I hope you'll rest and recover your stamina. After that, we'll meet on the appointed day."
Jang Do-woon's gaze grew sharp, accompanied by a smile that was hard to read.
Raven calmly met his gaze before offering a small smile of his own.
"All right."
Mr. Gwan then leaned back in his chair.
"In that case, I suppose our business is all settled."
He looked at Raven kindly.
"If you need anything while you're here, don't hesitate to ask the servants for help. The same goes for your friends. Just consider yourselves all important guests of the Eunha family."
He smiled.
"And tell them that I'm delighted to welcome you all to our family residence."
Mr. Gwan then turned his gaze to Min-ji.
"Min-ji, please escort our guest back to her room. Let her rest."
He then added,
"Lunch will be ready soon. Let her and her friends know when it's time."
Min-ji nodded politely.
"Yes, Father."
Mr. Gwan smiled slightly at the greeting before picking up the documents he had set aside earlier.