A Tiger Among Wolves
“Family Head. It is Uncheon.”
“Enter.”
Namgung Uncheon pushed the door open gently and stepped inside.
Namgung Jeongcheon’s chambers remained unchanged as ever. A solitary desk and a wooden table—that was all. There was not a single trace of the costly hanging scrolls, exquisite ceramics, or fine furnishings one would naturally expect in the quarters of a great clan's patriarch. It was a life stripped bare of warmth, ascetic to the point of bleakness, and Namgung Uncheon could never quite stifle the pity stirring in his chest.
“Attending to clan business already? It would do no harm to spend a little more time with your son.”
When Namgung Jeongcheon had declared that he would personally instruct Namgung Yun, not a soul in the clan had objected. Even Namgung Myeongcheon had held his peace. While part of it stemmed from the simple fact that he was Yun’s father, the larger truth was that Jeongcheon was a man virtually devoid of a private life, living solely for clan governance and martial cultivation.
For such a man to announce that he would dedicate time to his son was a rare occasion indeed. Furthermore, upon hearing the planned schedule, Uncheon had been struck by how brief it was—so brief he had wondered whether proper instruction could even take place in such a window.
“There should still be time left on your schedule. Leaving so soon could have an adverse effect on Yun's cultivation.”
By all accounts, Namgung Jeongcheon should have been in the thick of instructing the boy right now. Yet here he was, already seated before clan scrolls and ledgers. Uncheon had naturally assumed that the patriarch had cut the training short for the sake of administrative duties.
“There was no need.”
“I am sure you have arranged an alternative, Family Head.” He likely handed the duty off to another senior martial artist of the clan. “Still, he is your flesh and blood. Yun would surely wish to learn from you directly. Besides, receiving guidance from your own hand would do far more for his progress. A martial artist's state of mind is crucial to their advancement, after all.”
Jeongcheon looked up from his desk. Uncheon braced himself, expecting a harsh rebuke for overstepping his bounds and meddling in matters that did not concern him. Yet he harbored no regrets, silently awaiting the reprimand.
“Hoo...”
What came was not a reprimand, but a deep, weary sigh.
“Uncheon.”
“Yes, Family Hea—”
“Call me Hyung-nim.”
“...Yes, Hyung-nim.”
With that single exchange, the rigid distance between Clan Head and clan member melted back into the warmth of kin. Behind the facade of an unfeeling automaton dedicated solely to the clan, Namgung Jeongcheon harbored personal affection for only a handful of people in this world. Namgung Uncheon was one of them.
“Did you think I abandoned Yun's training merely to handle clan affairs?”
“Was that not the case?”
“It was not.”
Uncheon blinked. If not that, why on earth had he returned so early?
“I have taught Yun everything I had to teach.”
“Hyung-nim, you cannot simply measure him against your own standards and assume an explanation is enough. You must stand by his side, guiding him step by step so he can truly grasp—”
“I have taught him everything.”
“......?”
At first, the words failed to register. But when the meaning finally sank in, Uncheon's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
“D-Don't tell me... he has already mastered all of your teachings?”
Jeongcheon merely gave a firm nod. Uncheon stood speechless. He had assumed the Clan Head had rushed back out of concern for clan duties, but the truth was that there was simply nothing left to impart.
Is such a thing... even possible?
By their very nature, the Boundless Firmament Great Evolution Divine Art and the Boundless Firmament Unhindered Sword Art were notoriously abstruse, matching their supreme tier. That was precisely why the clan never taught them to children from the outset. Entry-level disciplines like Hyocheongong or the Great Evolution Cultivation were far better suited for laying a resilient foundation. As a result, an unspoken tradition had formed: these supreme arts were only bestowed once a disciple reached the First-Rate realm.
Yet once a martial artist attained the First-Rate realm, personal enlightenment far outweighed external instruction. Paradoxically, the time required to teach those two arts was never particularly long. Once the foundational framework was passed down, the rest had to be realized through the practitioner's own comprehension.
Even so, this is absurdly fast!
There was a limit to how swiftly one could learn. This meant Yun had absorbed every nuance the moment it was uttered.
“Could it be... that familial affection is clouding your judgment, Hyung-nim?” The question slipped past Uncheon's lips before he could stop himself.
“Mine?”
“...Of course not. That would never happen. Then... Yun is truly a monster of a genius.”
A genius.
Jeongcheon cast his mind back to the training session. The moment the mnemonics were interpreted, Yun had grasped them instantly, and the Boundless Firmament Unhindered Sword Art he performed had settled into perfect stability in a heartbeat. And what of the Boundless Firmament Great Evolution Divine Art? Jeongcheon had guided the boy's internal qi through his meridians just once, and Yun had miraculously claimed the pathway as his own.
Remembering this, Jeongcheon answered without a shred of hesitation.
“Indeed.”
And among all the prodigies he had witnessed in his lifetime, Yun was peerless.
To think he could draw the word 'genius' so effortlessly from Namgung Jeongcheon's mouth...
“Congratulations, Hyung-nim. A great weight must be lifted from your shoulders.”
“It adds to the clan's strength. It is indeed something to celebrate.”
Uncheon offered a bitter smile. Even facing death, the clan's welfare would remain his foremost thought. Then again, Jeongcheon had lived like this his entire life; it would be far stranger if he changed overnight.
Still, if Yun possesses talent of that caliber... he might genuinely become the Family Head.
Uncheon had been present when Yun boldly declared his intent to take the seat of Clan Head. A faint ember of hope sparked in his chest.
'I will change the Namgung Clan,' he said. Surely that means returning the clan to what it once was.
Though Yun had spoken of tearing down and rebuilding the clan to his liking without offering specifics, Uncheon felt he already understood. Even though the toxic creed of Respect for the Strong now held sway over the clan, not everyone agreed with its cold brutality.
Admirable boy.
Truthfully, Uncheon had once held no expectations for Yun whatsoever. A boy who spouted empty platitudes about righteousness and chivalry while lifting not a finger to cultivate himself was a disappointment long before any talk of strength and weakness. Uncheon had never believed Yun deserved such cruel torment from his peers, but with no martial talent to speak of and no right to learn the clan's secret arts, how could Uncheon have stood against Jeongcheon or Namgung Myeongcheon on the boy's behalf?
Yet if Yun becomes Family Head and can truly reform the clan...
Hope began to take root.
Perhaps I should test the waters.
“Setting that aside, what brings you here?”
At Jeongcheon's question, Uncheon instantly shed the demeanor of a younger brother, returning to his role as General Administrator delivering an official report.
“The Anhui Mo Clan has sent an inquiry regarding a formal visit.”
The atmosphere in the room turned frigid in an instant.
“What do those dogs want now...? No, the answer is obvious.”
“Yes. It concerns the jiangshi incident.”
“A flimsy excuse.”
Uncheon agreed wholeheartedly. The response to the jiangshi crisis was already being coordinated through the Murim Alliance. With preparations well underway, what business did a single regional clan have meddling in the affair?
“Their stated pretext is that since the incident took place within Anhui Province, they have a right to know the full details.”
“A pack of wolf pups prowling the perimeter, sniffing for the scent of blood.”
“Shall we reject their request?”
“No.” Jeongcheon's eyes flashed with a razor-sharp chill. “Let them come. No matter how wildly a wolf may thrash, it can never best a tiger.”
“Good morning, Hyung-nim!”
As Yun opened his door that morning, he was greeted by Namgung Geol bowing vigorously at the waist. The fellow's diligence was almost frightening.
Beside him stood another boy Yun had never spoken with before.
“Greetings.”
The boy bowed politely. A memory surfaced in Yun's mind.
Namgung Yeon, wasn't it?
A youth roughly the same age as Geol, whom Yun had occasionally seen in the Lower Training Ground.
The son of General Administrator Namgung Uncheon, if I recall.
In most prominent clans, the General Administrator overseeing household affairs wielded immense authority. Not so in the Namgung Clan. Governed by the distorted doctrine of Respect for the Strong, martial cultivation was prized above all else. To shoulder the mundane burdens of clan administration meant forfeiting precious hours of training.
For that reason, the Namgung Clan intentionally appointed individuals of mediocre martial prowess and limited potential to the post, saddling them with the clan's paperwork.
Meanwhile, the real power players devote nearly all their time to their own martial arts.
Consequently, despite holding the critical post of General Administrator, Namgung Uncheon garnered little genuine respect. He was treated like little more than a glorified handyman hired to handle tedious chores.
Perhaps in reaction to his father's plight, Namgung Yeon had become consumed by martial cultivation, largely ignoring the casual torment visited upon Yun. He had made no secret of his quiet disdain, of course.
Then again, the former Namgung Yun was truly a pathetic sight.
So why had this boy come looking for him?
From the look on his face, it doesn't seem to be entirely of his own volition.
Naturally, the image of Namgung Uncheon crossed Yun's mind.
“What brings Yeon here?”
“This fellow suddenly insisted on paying his respects to you, Hyung-nim! So I brought him along. It seems he's completely captivated by Hyung-nim's overwhelming might!”
A sharp light flickered in Namgung Yeon's eyes.
Hmph. So it wasn't purely at someone else's behest either.
“And? Do you want me to inspect your martial arts?”
“...Would you be willing to do so?”
“Hardly a difficult chore.”
“You can look forward to this, Yeon!” Namgung Geol declared proudly. “I thought our Hyung-nim was merely overflowing with martial genius and chivalrous spirit, but his eye for teaching is nothing short of miraculous! Did I not advance straight to the Intermediate Training Ground after receiving his personal guidance?”
Namgung Yeon did not look entirely convinced.
He likely thinks Geol merely reached where he was bound to go anyway.
Even while residing in the Third-rate realm, Geol had possessed the ability to briefly manifest Sword Energy under strain. Breaking through to the Second-rate realm had only been a matter of time. In that sense, Yeon's skepticism was not unfounded.
Yet it was equally true that Yun's instruction had dramatically hastened that breakthrough. And so long as Yun continued to guide them, such rapid advancements would keep happening.
“Very well. Follow me.”
Yun led the two youths to his private training courtyard.
“Which internal art have you cultivated? The Great Evolution Cultivation?”
“Yes.”
“Demonstrate your forms.”
Namgung Yeon drew his sword. Settling into the opening stance, his blade flowed into the Great Evolution Sword Art.
Yun and Geol watched in silence as the forms unfolded.
With a clean, decisive motion, the final technique concluded, and Yeon lowered his blade.
“How was it, Hyung-nim? Yeon is quite impressive, isn't he?” Geol chimed in. “I hate to admit it, but even in the Lower Training Ground, he was considered one of the sharpest talents. He picked up both the cultivation art and the sword forms in the blink of an eye.”
Yun said nothing.
“The clan elders even declared that he would reach at least the Peak realm in the future.”
Ignoring Geol's excited chatter, Yun fixed his gaze squarely on Namgung Yeon.
“What is your goal?”
“To become a supreme master.”
“Not to learn martial arts as quickly as possible?”
“...Does learning martial arts quickly not bring one closer to mastery as a matter of course?”
“Is that so? Then what realm do you define as a 'master'?”
“The higher, the better. But my immediate target is the Super-Peak realm.”
“Is that right?”
“...Is something wrong?”
“Wrong? Everything about it is wrong.”
“Uh, Hyung-nim,” Geol interjected tentatively. “You seem to have spotted a critical flaw in Yeon, but the suspense is killing me. Please, enlighten us!”
Yun gave a casual shrug and delivered his verdict in an offhand tone.
“In your current state, you will never step foot into the Super-Peak realm. At best, the First-Rate realm is your ceiling.”
“......!”
Namgung Yeon's eyes snapped wide in sheer, disbelieving shock.