Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Gifts from the Silent Eldest Brother
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Crunch, crunch!
The food on the table vanished one dish after another.
Namgung Hyeok shoveled it in the moment it was set down.
*Delicious!*
The seasoned meat was perfectly cooked, and the spices were just right—not overpowering.
The fish soup had a spicy kick that cut through the richness, adding a savory depth.
Even with the eldest young master sitting right there, Namgung Hyeok's eyes were fixed solely on the food.
Geum Cheom-sang replied.
"The Young Master says to eat slowly, lest you upset your stomach."
"I always eat like this."
"He says you're choking, so be careful."
"It's fine... isn't it?"
Namgung Hyeok answered reflexively, then suddenly sensed something off and looked up.
His gaze turned to Namgung Ryong.
Namgung Ryong was impassively spooning his fish soup, his face unchanged from the start.
"......?"
Namgung Hyeok stared at him in bewilderment.
Their eyes met as Namgung Ryong lifted his head.
Unblinking eyes bored straight into him.
Motionless.
Without the slightest flicker.
Endlessly.
"......"
"......"
Silence descended.
It was only a brief quiet, yet it felt suffocating.
*What's with this guy? Picking a fight? Nah. But have I ever heard him speak since he got here?*
Come to think of it, Namgung Hyeok couldn't recall Namgung Ryong ever opening his mouth since arriving.
He waited quietly for a response, but Namgung Ryong just stared blankly.
What the hell was this?
As Namgung Hyeok let out a hollow chuckle in exasperation, Geum Cheom-sang unexpectedly interjected from the side.
"He asks if you have something to say."
"......Huh?"
When did Namgung Ryong say that?
*Did I miss it? Is he relaying it for him?*
No, his mouth hadn't moved.
Namgung Hyeok turned to him with a puzzled look.
Geum Cheom-sang stood quietly nearby.
Namgung Hyeok fixed his gaze on him and spoke.
"What brings you here?"
No sooner had he asked than Geum Cheom-sang answered.
"He heard the news after returning from a trip and came right away."
Namgung Hyeok blanked out for a moment, his mind empty.
What kind of nonsense was this?
"......What are you doing? Reading minds or something?"
"He says he came to see you."
Geum Cheom-sang grinned widely and pointed at Namgung Ryong.
Namgung Hyeok was even more flabbergasted.
*Does this bastard not talk?*
As Namgung Hyeok glared, Geum Cheom-sang replied as if truly reading his thoughts.
"The Young Master is on the quiet side."
"Quiet?"
*Does this guy not know the difference between quiet and mute?*
*And he's interpreting for a mute?*
*Did he really learn mind-reading?*
*Why is everyone here so off? Damn it. This guy's weird too.*
Whether it was the wordless Namgung Ryong acting like a mute, or Geum Cheom-sang inferring and translating from his expressions.
Even Namgung Jangcheon, who showed off his arms while pretending to be dignified—none of them were right in the head.
*Heavens, the Sword King must be lamenting underground.*
Did the Sword King know?
That his descendants were such lunatics?
"It's doomed."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
It was definitely doomed.
Namgung Hyeok sighed heavily, laden with worry, and looked at Namgung Ryong.
*Heavens, this guy's going to be the head of the Namgung family someday?*
Thinking of the distant future painted a stifling picture that would make even the Sword King wail from the grave.
*Not my problem.*
Namgung Hyeok clicked his tongue and picked at his teeth.
Tsk tsk.
"So, you just came to check on me?"
"......"
Again, no answer came no matter how long he waited.
Namgung Ryong simply stared at him, leaving Namgung Hyeok frustrated to the point of bursting.
"......Interpret."
"He says he has something for you."
"What is it?"
Namgung Ryong pulled a small jar from his robe.
"He thought of you on the way back... says he picked it up thinking of you, Young Master."
Geum Cheom-sang looked off into the distant mountains, avoiding Namgung Hyeok's eyes.
Namgung Hyeok took the jar without hesitation—free was free.
"You didn't have to bring anything, but sure."
He promptly opened it, revealing red powder inside.
*What's this luxury item? Medicine?*
He'd never seen it before.
As Namgung Hyeok scooped some with his pinky and tasted it, Geum Cheom-sang made a fuss beside him.
"Isn't this Celestial Heat Powder?"
"Good stuff? Nom nom."
"It's precious! It boosts yang energy—perfect for you, Young Master."
"Really? Nom nom, no wonder..."
"Yes! Dissolve it in bathwater... Why are you eating it?"
"Bathwater? Not to eat? Damn it!"
Namgung Hyeok spat out the Celestial Heat Powder with a retch and waved his hand frantically.
After the commotion, he cleared his throat, sensing a gaze from ahead.
"Ahem, cough! I don't usually do this..."
Namgung Ryong watched him silently, then pulled out another item.
A small bottle.
"Oh, more?"
"Isn't this Fiery Flower Tonic? Great for building up the body. Replenishes yang energy."
"Good for the body?"
With his Nine Yin Severed Meridians, more yang energy was always better. It helped stave off deterioration, at least.
Namgung Hyeok pocketed the bottle contentedly.
*The Sword King raised his descendants well, at least in etiquette.*
No sooner had he done so than Namgung Ryong produced another item.
Thud! Thud, thud!
Jars piled up on the table one by one.
"Huh, what? Why so many? This for me too?"
Thud thud thud! Thud. Boom!
More and more jars appeared.
Namgung Ryong kept pulling them endlessly from his body—who knew where from.
"Huh, enough. Stop..."
"......"
Namgung Ryong said nothing.
His hands moved busily, that's all.
Each motion obscured the view with more items.
As time passed, it grew suffocating.
Even Namgung Hyeok, who never refused freebies, started feeling overwhelmed.
"No, you can give them later..."
In that brief distraction, the table overflowed with Namgung Ryong's gifts.
"......Stop."
The words slipped from Namgung Hyeok's mouth unbidden.
Sure, more was better.
But this guy had no sense of proportion!
While Namgung Hyeok panicked, Namgung Ryong fetched a bundle and unpacked it.
Items spilled out, walling off Namgung Hyeok like battlements.
"......"
Namgung Hyeok gaped at the sudden siege of gifts around him.
*Whoa... fuck.*
How could one person carry so much?
No wonder the Sacheon Tang Clan hid weapons on their bodies.
Namgung Hyeok let out a groan of admiration or lament—he wasn't sure which.
Step step.
Finally, having emptied everything, Namgung Ryong approached.
He gazed wordlessly at Namgung Hyeok.
Namgung Hyeok still looked dazed.
Pat.
Namgung Ryong placed a hand on his shoulder.
*Now what?*
As Namgung Hyeok shot him a questioning look, sorrow clouded Namgung Ryong's eyes.
Eyes suddenly brimming with grief.
No, something deeper.
They looked ready to spill tears any second, utterly unlike his stone-faced expression moments ago.
*This crazy bastard, what's with the sudden act?*
As the bewilderment grew, Namgung Ryong nodded slowly, hand still on his shoulder.
"......"
"......"
Another suffocating silence fell.
Eyes of the two brothers, laden with tangled emotions, locked and traded gazes.
How much time passed?
Namgung Ryong patted his shoulder and quietly left the room.
Watching his brother's retreating back, Namgung Hyeok rubbed his forehead.
*This guy's the real deal. A total lunatic.*
Serves the family head right.
Sword King.
This won't do.
Geum Cheom-sang muttered beside him.
"That's less than usual today."
"......This?"
* * *
The next day.
From morning, Namgung Hyeok soaked in a bath laced heavily with Celestial Heat Powder and assumed a meditative pose.
His belly warmed more than usual.
He circulated the Heavenly Sky Bright King Art lightly, changed clothes, and downed the Fiery Flower Tonic Namgung Ryong had brought yesterday in one gulp.
"Kuh! Good!"
It scorched his throat, hot energy rising from his gut—pretty nice.
Felt like slamming a stiff shot.
"Expensive stuff really hits different. Works like a charm."
Pleased with the smoother circulation than usual, Namgung Hyeok glanced around the room.
*Heavens, so much.*
The gifts Namgung Ryong had left filled one corner despite moving some to storage.
"When am I gonna use all this?"
He went overboard just because it's been a while.
"Still, the sentiment's touching."
So touching it's piled to the ceiling.
Namgung Hyeok shrugged at the sight.
"Eh, I'll use it eventually."
Dismissing it casually, he began push-ups.
One! Two! Three!
As he diligently built stamina counting reps, it happened.
"Young Master! The Eldest Young Master is here!"
"......Again?"
Barely a day since yesterday, and he's back?
Namgung Hyeok dusted his hands and looked up as Namgung Ryong entered.
"He says he has something for you."
"Plenty to give, huh."
Namgung Hyeok chuckled wryly.
*Practically a peddler.*
The bulging bundle on Namgung Ryong's back looked ready to unpack right there.
Thud!
It hit the floor with a heavy boom.
Namgung Hyeok eyed the bundle calmly.
Surprising the first time, less so the second.
And he'd already sized up Namgung Ryong.
No such thing as moderation with this guy.
Pat pat.
*Crazy bastard.*
Namgung Ryong locked eyes with watery sorrow for a long moment, patted his shoulder.
"......"
"......"
Nod nod.
After the eye contact and nods, Namgung Ryong quietly exited.
Namgung Hyeok shook his head.
*Tsk tsk, tough luck.*
He watched Namgung Ryong leave wordlessly, then turned and resumed his push-ups.
The next day.
"Huff! Huff!"
As he ran laps in the courtyard focusing on basics without fail.
Geum Cheom-sang's booming voice echoed.
"Young Master! The Eldest Young Master is here."
"Yeah, okay."
Namgung Hyeok responded indifferently, glancing at the gate.
Namgung Ryong appeared, a huge sack over one shoulder and a bundle bigger than his torso in hand.
Boom! Boom!
The ground thudded heavily.
Freshly dug herbs, still warm with soil, bundled up.
Namgung Ryong set them down and looked at Namgung Hyeok.
Namgung Hyeok eyed the herb bundle apathetically and sighed.
"Can't use these. Got anything else?"
Flinch.
Namgung Ryong's impassive face wavered.
"......"
He stared at Namgung Hyeok with dejected eyes for a long time, shoulders slumping as he turned away.
Namgung Hyeok chuckled dryly at the trudging figure.
*Looks familiar somehow.*
He glanced at the soil-caked herbs, then called Geum Cheom-sang.
"......Hey, clear this away."
The next day.
Boom!
"......"
A bear that could weigh three hundred jin lay tongue-lolling on the floor.
Tiger pelts followed.
A crane with a snapped neck came next.
*The immortals would lose it seeing this.*
Namgung Hyeok tsked at the slaughter scene spread before him.
"Obtain these to use?"
"......"
"Got anything useful?"
Flustered by Namgung Hyeok's unusual reaction, Namgung Ryong's hand hovered awkwardly in the air.
Namgung Hyeok tsked again.
"Can't use stuff like this. Hides are all ruined. I get the enthusiasm, but buy things with money from now on. Eat junk like this by mistake and you'll get sick. Especially fragile types like me. Got it?"
"......"
"Anyway, wasted effort. Must've been a pain."
Droop.
Namgung Ryong's shoulders sagged.
Pat pat.
Namgung Hyeok lightly patted them.
They rose a bit, and his lips curved faintly.
"Take this back."
Droop.
"Leave the bear pelt. That's decent at least."
Smirk.
Namgung Ryong perked up, gathered the rest, and left.
Namgung Hyeok tilted his head.
"......Hey."
"Yes, Young Master."
Geum Cheom-sang, brewing tea nearby, looked up.
Sipping from a cup, Namgung Hyeok let out a scoff-laced remark.
"Is he slow? Or just nuts."
"Mercy! What are you saying? He's renowned for his sharp mind!"
"Sharp mind means something else, I think."
"It's all because he cares for you, Young Master."
"Guys like that are the most dangerous."
"Pardon?"
"No unearned favors in this world, and freebies are always suspect."
Power struggles.
Brothers in the martial world killed each other over trifles, right?
Geum Cheom-sang blinked, then chuckled.
"Nah, not between brothers."
"You don't know the world yet."
"Not the Eldest Young Master. He's looked out for you since you were kids."
"......Really?"
Namgung Hyeok eyed the bear pelt on the floor with surprise.
Then he glanced at the gift piles inside and chuckled.
*Just a good guy?*
After a few days, he did seem far from scheming.
Namgung Hyeok tsked and turned away.
"Still not normal."
Crack!
"Slipped again. Ugh."
Crick crack!
Namgung Hyeok reset his arm and resumed his run.
Watching him go, Geum Cheom-sang tsked.
"Sigh, he's the abnormal one. Running with a dislocated arm."