Chapter 643: The Thunderous Sword (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 643: The Thunderous Sword (4)
[…Why?]
He asked again, clearly unable to comprehend the answer. At the man's attitude—which suggested he had never even considered the possibility of a refusal—Woo Hyuk let out a bewildered laugh.
“…Even if you ask me why…”
[I have thought it over, and I still do not understand. Why?]
Why refuse such a monumental opportunity? Is he mad? That was the exact expression on Namgung Myung’s face. From his perspective, he was offering a peerless gift, but if Woo Hyuk had to explain his reasoning…
“Because I am not a member of the Namgung Clan.”
It was a very simple reason.
Woo Hyuk had no way of knowing if this lingering will was truly the legendary Namgung Myung, or why he remained in such a form and had appeared here. But if everything the man said was true, and he intended to bestow this as a fated opportunity…
“I cannot accept it.”
Woo Hyuk had no intention of taking it for himself.
[For such a trivial reason?]
Hearing the answer, Namgung Myung tilted his head. The look of utter incomprehension remained fixed on his face.
“Trivial? I believe it is only right for such an opportunity—such a duty—to be entrusted to your descendants, not to me.”
It might be a different story if the Namgung Clan had fallen into ruin and vanished from the world. But they were still one of the Four Noble Clans, a pillar of the Central Plains.
“Besides… I don't know if you are aware, Senior, but your descendants are also staying here.”
Though both of them were likely in bad shape, Woo Hyuk figured there would be no problem as long as his friend was there to look after them. For him to seize this opportunity under these circumstances? That was something his conscience would not allow.
[Hmm.]
Hearing this, Namgung Myung’s expression grew complicated.
[Descendants, you say.]
Clansmen of the Namgung were here. Even after hearing that, his reaction was utterly flat. Seeing this, Woo Hyuk couldn't help but feel a sense of dissonance.
“…By any chance, did you have some trouble with the clan?”
Unable to ignore the feeling, Woo Hyuk asked. Namgung Myung replied with an indifferent expression.
[Not particularly. It is simply that nothing matters to me anymore.]
“What do you mean by that…?”
[It means I left such lingering attachments behind long ago.]
Left them behind? Did he simply mean that, as a dead man, he no longer felt any connection to his bloodline? It felt too ambiguous to be such a simple statement. Then what did he mean? For now, Woo Hyuk had no way of knowing.
[So, you intend to refuse my proposal?]
“…I have judged that it is not mine to receive.”
[So that is a refusal.]
“Yes.”
It was not his to take. That was what Woo Hyuk believed.
[Hmm.]
Hearing his final answer, Namgung Myung’s expression shifted slightly. Was he contemplating something? Watching him, Woo Hyuk spoke up.
“If you would rather I guide you to the Namgung bloodline, once I have dealt with matters here…”
I will guide you. Just as he was about to say that—
Vrooom—!
“…!”
A vibration from somewhere made Woo Hyuk’s head snap around. The tremor originated from far away, beyond the collapsed wall. It wasn't just a vibration; he could feel an immense, surging energy as well.
His gaze instinctively turned toward the source, and as he looked, Woo Hyuk’s mouth fell slightly open.
“Huh…?”
The night sky was shining brightly. It should have been the dead of night, so why was the horizon over there so clear? And what was this overwhelming energy and heat he was feeling now?
Feeling the heat riding the wind, a thought flashed through Woo Hyuk’s mind.
‘Could it be?’
He thought of his close friend, who had left in a hurry, saying he had something to do. Could that heat and the daylight-bright sky be his friend’s doing? The thought occurred to him, and while he wondered if such a feat was even humanly possible…
‘If it's him.’
The man was always up to something unpredictable, so Woo Hyuk figured this might be his doing as well.
‘And of all places, that direction.’
He estimated it was in the direction of the Lord of the Ice Palace’s hideout. A vibration from that area meant something significant had happened.
‘Then.’
Did something happen not only to the Palace Lord or his friend, but to that child as well?
Kkedeuk.
Woo Hyuk’s muscles tensed automatically.
‘I have to go.’
He had to go now. He couldn't afford to be a second later.
Swoosh—!
Energy began to seep from Woo Hyuk’s heart. It was a strange sensation—the feeling of energy flowing directly from his heart was truly foreign. And yet, it felt strangely familiar. As if he had always used it this way, he effortlessly drew out the energy and wrapped it around his body.
I can make it.
He was certain, feeling his strengthened body and the raw energy it contained. He didn't know how much his level had risen, but he was sure it wouldn't take long to reach the source of that disturbance.
I have to run.
Just as Woo Hyuk made that decision and lowered his stance—
Vroooom—!
The vibrations, which had been erupting ceaselessly, suddenly went quiet. A strange light flickered in Woo Hyuk’s eyes. Was it over? He stared ahead with that question in mind.
Flash—!
“…Kuh!?”
An incredible burst of light erupted, momentarily blinding him. What's happening? Flustered, he tried to force his eyes open.
Whooooosssshhh---!!!
Suddenly, an immense wind pressure slammed into him.
Aaaaaargh—!
Screams could be heard from the people below. Woo Hyuk planted his feet firmly and squinted, looking ahead.
“Huh…?”
From the source of the light, beyond the storm of heat, an overwhelming scene unfolded. His enhanced instincts and widened field of vision barely managed to capture it.
Fwoooosh—!
Something was engulfed in flames. It looked like a beast—a tiger—and it was sweeping across the ground. The hair on his body stood on end as a wave of primal fear washed over him. The immense energy forming the tiger impressed upon any martial artist the presence of absolute power.
What in the world is that? Did my friend really do that?
If it involved flames, it had to be him, but something felt fundamentally different.
[Hmm.]
Namgung Myung, who had been watching beside Woo Hyuk, unfazed by the wind or light, finally reacted.
[How strange.]
His gaze, fixed on the Flame Tiger, was filled with questions.
[In this era… they should never have been able to reach that state. How could this be?]
Namgung Myung muttered to himself, as if he knew exactly what that Flame Tiger was.
[The seal being broken is one thing. It seems there has been an anomaly.]
“Senior…?”
Woo Hyuk looked at Namgung Myung, about to ask for an explanation.
[This will not do.]
But Namgung Myung acted first.
Shunk—!
“!?”
Namgung Myung’s translucent arm plunged directly into Woo Hyuk’s chest.
“What is this—!”
Woo Hyuk cried out in shock, trying to pull away. There was no pain. In fact, he felt nothing at all. But…
Crackle—!
He could feel a faint Lightning Qi emanating from the arm inside him. There was no time to be shocked. The Lightning Qi expanded instantly, and by the time he realized it, it had enveloped his entire body.
[Lend me your body for a moment.]
With those final words, Woo Hyuk lost consciousness.
* * *
Right after hearing the full explanation, I stared at the person in front of me, my brow deeply furrowed.
“So… you came here in that body?”
Nod.
At my words, Namgung Myung—using Woo Hyuk’s body—nodded. His nonchalant reaction made me run a hand over my face in exasperation.
“…He's a damn punching bag, that's what he is. To think he'd get his body snatched again.”
I couldn't help but sigh. After all the trouble I went through to help him, this time he gets his body hijacked by some old geezer from hundreds of years ago.
‘Next time, I’m really not saving him…’
Even if I did, who knows what kind of weirdo would possess him next? It seemed easier to just ignore him from now on.
‘Anyway…’
I peeked at him through the gaps in my fingers. He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at something in the distance. It looked like Woo Hyuk’s body, but as he had already introduced himself, he was not Woo Hyuk.
‘Thunderous Sword, Namgung Myung.’
A man also known by the title of the God of Thunder. And also…
‘The main body of the lingering will that was inside the Thunder Fang.’
The Thunder Fang, which was probably with Namgung Bi-ah now, contained a lingering will. He had said that he was merely a fragment of attachment, and that his main body was likely in the North.
‘So this is the main body.’
A lingering will that had cast aside all attachment to his clan, leaving only the single-minded determination to save the world. That was this man.
‘He’s definitely…’
Something was different. The frivolous and sordid emotions I had felt from the Thunder Fang were gone. As I’d noted before, it was like a sharp blade standing in the form of a man. That was the kind of man Namgung Myung was.
“You, descendant of that damned bastard.”
I reacted to Namgung Myung’s voice. The title was strange, but I didn't object. I knew without being told who that ‘damned bastard’ was, and it wasn't strange that he knew my identity.
‘I’ve been through this enough to know.’
He had recognized the aura of Elder Shin within me. It wasn't just Namgung Myung; seeing the reactions of these figures, it was something I could no longer be ignorant of.
“That over there. Was it your doing?”
He pointed somewhere with his fingertip. Following his gaze, I saw the burnt corpse of the White-Grade Demon.
“…It wasn't me.”
I had tried to catch it, but ultimately failed.
“Then whose doing was it?”
“Why do you ask?”
What was his intention? I grew wary. As I spoke with a guarded tone, Namgung Myung turned to look at me.
“Do you know what that is?”
“…Isn't it a White-Grade Demon?”
The highest grade of demon, said to have appeared leading a calamity during the Great War of the Blood Demon. They were also given the name ‘Dragon’ due to their bizarre and powerful appearance.
“That thing should not have appeared now. Furthermore,” Namgung Myung's gaze intensified slightly, “it is something you people of this era cannot defeat. That is why I ask. How in the world did you kill it?”
“…Excuse me?”
What did he mean? I understood the first part, but not the second.
“What do you mean, we can't defeat it?”
It’s lying right there, dead. What does he mean we can’t defeat it?
“The world is under a curse. As long as that curse exists, the demons cannot be defeated. That should be an undeniable fact… So if not you, who managed to do it?”
“…!”
Hearing Namgung Myung’s words, I flinched.
A curse. That was something Elder Shin had once said. That the world, to deny this world any more chances, had laid down a curse. Because of it, martial artists—unlike those of the past—were blocked by a wall and could no longer grow stronger.
Was he saying that was related to what happened now?
“It is a mystery. I had sealed it away in preparation for such a situation. What on earth happened?”
“…You had it sealed away?”
In other words, that White-Grade Demon—to be precise, he was saying that Namgung Myung was the one who had been preventing Mang from appearing.
[Just a little more…]
I remembered what Mang had said. That if it had a little more time, it would have been perfect. That meant the creature had only recently reawakened or been released. Setting aside why he was doing such a thing, the important fact was that Mang had been unexpectedly freed.
‘You’re saying this might not have happened originally.’
It might not have happened in my past life. I had never heard of a White-Grade Demon appearing in the North. I had thought that perhaps I just hadn't heard about it because it was so far away, but now, a question arose.
‘What if it never happened in the first place?’
What if the White-Grade Demon itself never appeared? What if, by extension, Mang was never able to manifest?
‘That means something happened this time.’
It would be correct to assume that someone had released Mang, who had been bound in the ice crystals.
‘Who the hell was it?’
Who would do such a thing? An unknown unease began to creep up on me. As my mind began to race, Namgung Myung continued to speak.
“Those things should not appear in the world now. The time is not yet right.”
The time is not yet right. Namgung Myung’s words bothered me.
“By ‘time,’ are you referring to when Elder… no, when the Divine Sword of Mount Hua reappears?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“I heard it from The Light of Might.”
The lingering will of The Light of Might, which had been imbued in the white fish of Shaolin. He was the one who said it.
“I see. So you have already met him.”
“Yes.”
Not just The Light of Might, but Tang Jaemoon and Yeon Il-Cheon as well. And also…
“I have also met another of your lingering wills, Senior.”
“...”
When I brought up the Thunder Fang, Namgung Myung’s expression grew slightly uncomfortable.
“He is probably not too far from here…”
“I know. He has been yapping noisily for a while now.”
Hm?
‘The Thunder Fang is talking to him?’
I recalled the Thunder Fang who had been badmouthing his main body like crazy. It seemed they could communicate even from here. As I watched in fascination, Namgung Myung seemed to ignore it and continued speaking to me.
“Descendant, where is Shincheol?”
“...”
The question about Elder Shin made me put on a sour face.
“…He is not here right now.”
“Not right now? Does that mean he was here originally?”
“Yes.”
He was here, but now he is not. Hearing that explanation, Namgung Myung’s brow furrowed deeply.
“Do you mean to say he was completely annihilated?”
“That's not it. He has simply… gone to another world.”
“I cannot understand.”
“Me neither. It’s a part I don’t really get either… but more importantly.”
I looked into Namgung Myung’s eyes and asked.
“What you said earlier. Please explain what you meant by ‘the time.’”
I had heard about Elder Shin’s reincarnation a few times. The heroes who foresaw the Blood Demon’s revival had prepared for the future—a plan to have Elder Shin reincarnate at the right time. This was something I had heard several times already.
‘Including the fact that it didn't go well.’
Reincarnation. I wondered how such a thing was possible, but then again, as someone who had traveled back in time, I was in no position to talk. Having experienced so many unbelievable things, I didn't think it was something I couldn't believe…
But from our conversation just now, I learned something even more important.
“…Are you saying the world’s curse and Elder Shin’s reincarnation are related?”
A curse that prevents people from growing stronger beyond a certain level. As long as one is under that curse, they cannot properly hunt a White-Grade Demon. And if that is related to Elder Shin’s reincarnation…
‘Does that mean if Elder Shin had reincarnated properly, he would have been reborn in a state that overcame the curse?’
If so, I felt I could understand why they had so desperately wished for Elder Shin’s reincarnation. At my urgent question, Namgung Myung tilted his head and said.
“Did you not hear it properly from that bastard?”
“He didn't seem to know much, you see.”
I wanted to know sooner too, but Elder Shin seemed even more eager to find out than I was. The old man had barely any memories to begin with, so he was in no state to explain anything to me. As I told him this, Namgung Myung’s eyes looked at me strangely.
“He had no memories?”
“Yes. Forget reincarnation, he couldn't even remember how he came to be sealed in a treasure.”
Why he was bound to a treasure of the Mount Hua Sect, why his other comrades had endured as lingering wills until this era—Elder Shin knew almost nothing. The memory of our mutual frustration seemed comical now. Since Namgung Myung seemed to know about it, I thought my own frustration might finally be resolved, but…
“What do you mean by that?”
Namgung Myung listened to me and spoke, his expression still one of confusion. Just as I was wondering if it was so strange that Elder Shin had no memories…
“Sealed in a treasure?”
Namgung Myung delivered a rather shocking statement.
“Not in the secret cave of the Mount Hua Sect in Shaanxi, but in a treasure? What are you talking about?”
A cold wind seemed to sweep through my chest.