Chapter 262
Chapter 262
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 262
Chapter Title: Madly Guarding the Treasure
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He stroked his turned jaw and blankly stared at Namgung Hyeok standing in front of the guest hall.
A smile clear of even a speck of dust, eyes gently half-closed, cheeks appropriately raised, exuding a warm glow.
Benevolent.
Yet madness was mixed into that benevolence.
Insane benevolence.
‘……The justice of the martial world is dead.’
Sogolgae cast his gaze toward the luxurious, antique wooden box cradled in Namgung Hyeok’s arms.
Held as carefully and devotedly as if hugging a baby.
Even from a zhang away, the pure and elegant fragrance wafting over richly stimulated the tip of Sogolgae’s nose.
It was the scent of the Great Return Pill.
The shock of beholding that mystical Great Return Pill—golden with a reddish tint—in the flesh still hadn’t faded.
‘……He really traded for it.’
These are the end times.
Was the Great Return Pill something that could be exchanged so easily?
In the face of this common-sense-shattering shock, Sogolgae could only let out a sigh.
The eyes of Namgung Hyeok, who had been smiling benevolently, met Sogolgae’s in midair.
Namgung Hyeok asked with a soft smile.
“What’re you staring at?”
“……C-Can’t I even look?”
“Why? Wanna steal it?”
“……”
“Oh? You were just looking again, weren’t you?”
You called me, you bastard!
Sogolgae pressed his temple firmly.
With his benevolent smile, Namgung Hyeok growled at every passerby.
He seemed to see thieves everywhere and wouldn’t let his guard down for a moment.
Namgung Hyeok eyed his surroundings warily, his eyes bloodshot.
His lips twitched upward, eyes threaded with red veins—Sogolgae was left speechless by the eerie expression.
Well, now?
Before he knew it, Namgung Ryong and the Thunder Dragon Squad trio had gathered beside Namgung Hyeok.
“Beggar bastard! Keep your eyes off it!”
“Hey! You just met my eyes! You were gonna steal it, weren’t ya? Steal it!”
“That guy’s been glancing over here suspiciously from earlier!”
The trio clamored in front while Namgung Ryong quietly drew his sword beside Namgung Hyeok.
Shing!
His aura was sharp, as if facing a mortal enemy.
The Thunder Dragon Squad trio flinched.
“Whoa, whoa. C-Calm down, now.”
“Khuh, hahaha! Young master, the sword is a bit……”
“W-We’ll handle it ourselves.”
The trio clung to Namgung Ryong, trying to restrain him amid the commotion.
The Peng siblings and So Hye-yeon ignored them.
“We don’t know these guys.”
“We’ve got luggage to carry.”
“I’ll just meditate a bit.”
The three slipped quietly to the rear.
Sogolgae clicked his tongue and turned his head.
Sichuan Tang Clan warriors in green robes were busily hauling luggage in the guest hall courtyard.
“Move it this way!”
“Load that on the cart.”
“Clear the path for the Namgung Clan warriors so they can pass comfortably—stack the goods to one side!”
“Bring more carts! Carts! There aren’t enough carts!”
Sogolgae let out another sigh, murmuring “Heavens.”
Tang Myeong-ok was directing the Sichuan Tang Clan warriors.
Seeing the piles of goods stacked in the courtyard, Sogolgae drooled profusely.
Every item stacked there was gold, silver, jewels—no exceptions—and unheard-of rare herbs filled the loads.
‘Crazy, they’re giving all that away?’
He half-suspected they’d uproot the family pillars next.
Not content with the Great Return Pill, they were stripping bare……
‘The beggar’s gotta be that guy.’
Enviable, so enviable.
A guy who gets rice cakes falling into his lap just by sitting still.
He’d never starve anywhere.
In front of Namgung Hyeok, Tang Myeong-jin wagged his tail politely, explaining hidden weapons enthusiastically.
“This is our headquarters’ pride, the Storm Flower Needle. Spin it like this, and the embedded needles pour out like rain and scatter like petals.”
Tang Myeong-jin set down the Storm Flower Needle and pulled out a Thunder Orb.
“This is a Thunder Orb—the one we burst to sweep away those Poison Sect bastards under the cliff. Nowadays, we’ve improved it to control the blast radius. Hehe, think of this as a token of friendship from our Tang Clan to the Namgung Clan. Take it without burden. Hehe.”
Tang Myeong-jin grinned sheepishly as he laid out the Sichuan Tang Clan’s secret hidden weapons before Namgung Hyeok.
“……Even giving hidden weapons.”
A poison barrel was already placed to one side.
It truly felt like the Sichuan Tang Clan was uprooting their foundations.
But what surprised Sogolgae more wasn’t that.
‘Was the Sichuan Tang Clan always this open?’
Weren’t these guys supposed to be secretive and gloomy?
Why so friendly to Namgung Hyeok?
Why so kind?
Hadn’t the Sichuan Tang Clan stood alone without exchanges, even as one of the Five Great Clans, due to their arrogance and closed nature?
Yet the Sichuan Tang Clan now seemed more approachable than a stray dog by the roadside.
Sogolgae was more shocked by that than the mountains of wealth.
Just look at the Emperor Sword Squad and Peace Guards who’d arrived as rear support, standing like luggage piles off to the side—their expressions said it all.
“Good lord……”
“The Tang Clan is being too kind.”
“Why the sudden change overnight……”
“It must be because the young masters achieved such great merit…… great merit……”
“It must’ve been real great merit. Heh, heheheh.”
The Emperor Sword Squad and Peace Guards chuckled dryly.
Being around Namgung Hyeok made it feel like all of Sogolgae’s known common sense shattered.
He suddenly looked up at the sky.
‘……I wanna get back to headquarters quick.’
Master! Teacher!
Catch that Thousand-Year Flower Carp quick and save me!
Sogolgae desperately longed for his absent master, Chwi Geolgae.
Shortly after, once the luggage was sorted.
The Sichuan Tang Clan leadership personally arrived at the guest hall.
Tang Uicheon and the leaders approached Namgung Hyeok, their faces beaming with smiles so friendly they overflowed.
People, weary of being surprised, just accepted it.
Tang Uicheon walked up to Namgung Hyeok.
Grab!
Tang Uicheon seized Namgung Hyeok’s hand.
“Leaving already?”
“Gotta head back to headquarters now. Been away too long.”
“Oh no! We couldn’t even properly host a meal. Such a shame!”
“Oh come on! We ate till we burst. I’m still full.”
Pat pat!
Namgung Hyeok habitually tapped the wooden box.
Tang Uicheon smiled warmly.
“Give my regards to Family Head Namgung. Tell him our clan owes a great debt.”
“Of course! You raised it well for a thousand years. If it lays an egg, send one over.”
“How could we not?”
Tang Uicheon readily agreed and beckoned the Tang siblings.
Tang Myeong-ok and Tang Myeong-jin approached without a word.
“These two will see you off.”
Tang Myeong-ok and Tang Myeong-jin bowed politely.
Namgung Hyeok nodded vaguely as he rose.
Clutching the wooden box tightly, he said.
“Then we’ll be off. Thanks for the precious hospitality from the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“That’s the least for a close friend!”
“Kuhuhu! Indeed, indeed! With such reliable allies on the Namgung Clan’s side!”
“Heh heh heh heh!”
The two clasped hands and nodded repeatedly.
‘Heh heh. The day the Sichuan Tang Clan hands over spirit pills might come too—and we’ll live twice over.’
They used to just chuck poison pills before.
Namgung Hyeok smiled contentedly.
As Namgung Hyeok turned, he glanced back at Tang Uicheon.
Namgung Hyeok said quietly.
“You might really need to come as allies.”
“Hm?”
Tang Uicheon’s eyes widened slightly before he replied calmly.
“Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Namgung Hyeok and Tang Uicheon’s gazes briefly crossed in midair.
Namgung Hyeok bowed his head slightly and turned away.
* * *
Rattle. Rattle.
Atop the cart, Namgung Hyeok chewed jerky vigorously.
“Kuhuhu! Sweet as honey, sweet as honey!”
Was it because of the Great Return Pill?
The world looked so vividly blue. Yeah, really blue.
He felt like he could ascend to the heavens any moment.
Hee hee, hee hee.
Namgung Ryong stared silently at Namgung Hyeok, who looked ready to float away.
He quietly called out.
“Hyeok.”
“Yeah?”
“Great Return Pill.”
“Sigh! No can do.”
“……Golden Immortal Pill. Ingredients.”
Namgung Hyeok flinched.
‘Oh, right.’
He’d obtained two priceless Great Return Pills, but strictly speaking, they weren’t ingredients for the Golden Immortal Pill.
They’d come to Sichuan precisely for Golden Immortal Pill ingredients, so it wasn’t all good news.
‘Just grind ’em up and use?’
Better than adding that poison Crane Spirit Red from Hak Jeong-hong, right?
But Gwangmok hadn’t chosen the Thousand-Year Red Crane’s Crane Spirit Red lightly.
‘That guy.’
Terrifyingly thorough.
If he’d selected Crane Spirit Red, there had to be a reason.
‘Need the Golden Immortal Pill.’
He now knew those fighting over the Thousand-Year Red Crane were deeply tied to the Demonic Path.
Thus, the Golden Immortal Pill was no longer just for him—it was essential for the entire Namgung Clan.
If it was his fastest way to overcome the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, for the Namgung Clan, it meant advancing their martial arts.
Only then could they survive.
The spark called the Demonic Path would burn fiercer than expected.
‘……Demonic Path.’
Muttering the name brought fragments of the past surging, stabbing his heart.
The hell of the Demonic Blood Tribulation resurfaced.
‘……Can’t do it alone.’
Even if he rampaged, not everyone would survive.
It was like the past, and even harder now.
Getting stronger alone wouldn’t suffice.
But with no substitute for Crane Spirit Red yet, he needed a backup plan for contingencies.
Namgung Hyeok scratched his head.
‘Just eat it myself and blast open the meridians?’
With his deepened Heavenly Creation Bright King Art realm, it was possible.
Better than uncertain use as an ingredient—maybe consuming it solo was preferable.
As a last-last-last resort, Namgung Hyeok considered ingesting the Great Return Pills himself.
‘Save that for when there’s no choice.’
The Great Return Pills were his final card; he wasn’t ready to use them yet.
Opening meridians wouldn’t instantly restore his past martial prowess.
‘Once home, prep first. Open another meridian with the Heavenly Creation Bright King Art. To die on my own terms…… no, to ascend.’
He couldn’t just wait desperately for the uncertain Golden Immortal Pill.
He had to grow stronger himself.
Recalling his fight with Ma Young, Namgung Hyeok regulated his breathing.
No more whining over a single meridian.
His enemies wouldn’t wait.
Namgung Hyeok suddenly turned his head.
‘……Can’t make the Golden Immortal Pill right away, so these guys need to get stronger too?’
Training was basic, paired with sparring and real combat.
Above all, filling their shortcomings came first.
‘Make them manuals?’
It was no longer just about these kids.
Even now, he was thinking the whole Namgung Clan needed strengthening.
‘Manuals……’
Namgung Hyeok quietly gripped the wooden box.
“We’ll figure that out once we’re back.”
“Golden Immortal Pill. Make it. Ingredients.”
“Yeah, we’ll make it, so don’t worry.”
“Returning. When.”
……Hey, why’s his speech more slurred since that neck injury?
Did he hit his head?
But Namgung Ryong was more serious than anyone.
Namgung Hyeok cleared his throat awkwardly.
“We’ll come up with something once back.”
“Mm!”
“Hey, for real?”
“Mmm!”
“……D-Dude doesn’t trust me! I’m your brother!”
Namgung Hyeok yelled at Namgung Ryong.
Namgung Ryong just nodded silently, offering no reply.
Geon Cheon-hwi, Tak Hyeok-dong, Jang Ung, and others glared pricklingly at his back.
“You’re not planning to hog it alone, right?”
“Ahem! As if!”
“Right? You promised to make spirit pills for us!”
Caught off guard.
Namgung Hyeok, who’d flinched as if his thoughts were read, scowled fiercely.
‘……Fuck, I’m racking my brains to save these bastards, and they doubt me?’
Argh, screw it!
His fist trembled, but Namgung Hyeok sighed.
“Whew, my fate. All karma. Should’ve ascended back then to avoid this mess.”
Namgung Hyeok shook his head with a deep sigh.