Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Shocking Victory
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Everyone watching the sparring platform stood with their mouths agape, unable to close them.
“……He won?”
Nangong Hyuk beat Nangong Jeong?
No matter how much they rubbed their eyes, the scene before them didn’t change.
“Good heavens.”
What in the world was going on?
Nangong Hyuk, the Nangong Family’s biggest weakling, had defeated Sword Tiger Nangong Jeong.
Before this match, had there been even one person who predicted Nangong Hyuk’s victory?
Yet the sight unfolding before them now proclaimed it an undeniable fact.
Moreover, with the Family Head’s official recognition and Nangong Baek’s endorsement, no one in the family dared question it.
As people began grasping the situation one by one, thunderous cheers erupted.
“Waaaaah!”
“Young Master Nangong Hyuk! You’re the best!”
The world is forgiving to victors.
The defeated Nangong Jeong was nowhere in their eyes. They only praised and cheered the triumphant Nangong Hyuk.
Geum Cheomsang couldn’t pull himself together at all.
“……Wh-what?”
What was happening?
The events on the sparring platform had left him utterly flustered.
The world’s weakling.
Nangong Hyuk, who’d dislocate his shoulder in a mere breeze, had unilaterally thrashed Sword Tiger Nangong Jeong.
‘Our young master beat that Nangong Jeong?’
“Good heavens…….”
Geum Cheomsang recoiled as if he’d seen a ghost.
‘Our young master beat Nangong Jeong? The same young master I knew?’
Did this make any sense?
If someone else had beaten Nangong Jeong, he might’ve accepted it.
Matches don’t always favor the strong.
But Nangong Hyuk was different.
Frankly speaking, Nangong Hyuk wasn’t just some weakling.
Search the world over, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone frailer.
Hadn’t he twisted his ankle climbing stairs, sprained his finger lifting a spoon?
A cold wind alone forced him to huddle by the brazier to survive the day, and even a puppy’s bark could make him faint.
‘He was practically a walking corpse.’
And that Nangong Hyuk had beaten Nangong Jeong, one of the family’s top late-generation disciples?
His mind reeled.
‘No, wait. Had our young master ever even trained in martial arts?’
Others might assume he’d secretly trained, but Geum Cheomsang, who’d stuck by Nangong Hyuk’s side all day caring for him, knew that was impossible.
Nangong Hyuk, who’d never trained, suddenly using martial arts?
Could it be……?
Geum Cheomsang’s eyes narrowed as he watched Nangong Hyuk descend from the platform.
Suspicion turned to doubt, and doubt solidified into certainty.
Come to think of it, he looked taller, his build more solid—starkly different. No, it wasn’t just that; his very frame was altered.
‘Ah!’
Geum Cheomsang’s eyes widened.
‘Is this the legendary face-altering technique?’
Clearly, someone else was impersonating the young master. Nothing else explained this outcome.
‘The Family Head or his father must’ve devised this ploy.’
It all made sense now.
‘Of course! There’s no way our young master could beat Nangong Jeong. I never saw him train!’
Geum Cheomsang rolled his eyes, confirming people still lingered nearby.
‘No. Not here. Can’t speak yet.’
He anxiously scanned the surroundings.
“What’re you doing?”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s go.”
Nangong Hyuk strode casually toward his quarters.
“R-right now?”
“Then?”
“……Shouldn’t you enjoy it a bit?”
Nangong Hyuk smirked.
“Celebrating after spanking one brat? Bullshit. Quit yapping and lead the way.”
“Yes, sir!”
Geum Cheomsang shrugged and took the lead.
His shoulders squared with pride.
‘Anyway, our young master won, so I can hold my head high too!’
Basking in stares of shock and admiration, he slowly made his way to the quarters.
Upon arrival, Nangong Hyuk stretched and winced, plopping onto the bed.
“Ugh. This damn body.”
Dealing with one kid, and it hurts like hell.
Even reeds don’t snap this easily.
‘Gotta figure out how to fix this.’
Nangong Hyuk frowned and eyed Geum Cheomsang, who stood rigidly beside him.
“Moving around took it out of me. Fetch something sweet.”
Geum Cheomsang peeked outside, flashed a knowing smile, and looked at Nangong Hyuk.
“Phew! Thought I’d die of shock. You can drop the act now. No one’s around.”
“Drop it?”
Drop what?
Nangong Hyuk tilted his head, and Geum Cheomsang grinned like he knew everything.
“Come on, I get it. Where’s the real young master?”
“You got another young master besides me?”
“Haha. Such professionalism. I know the truth.”
Geum Cheomsang sidled closer and whispered in Nangong Hyuk’s ear.
“You used a face-altering technique, right?”
Geum Cheomsang crossed his legs cockily and grumbled.
“Seriously, young master, give a heads-up next time. Damn, even I almost fell for it. Face-altering? Unreal.”
“Oh, face-altering?”
“You can switch back now. I’ll fetch the real young master. Where are you hiding?”
“Impressive eyesight.”
“I’ve got a knack for it.”
Geum Cheomsang chuckled, scratching his head sheepishly.
Nangong Hyuk burst into laughter.
Maybe replace this mutt with someone competent?
He’d probably do better.
“Come out already? Undo the face-altering.”
Nangong Hyuk sighed and beckoned Geum Cheomsang.
“Come here. Here.”
“Pardon?”
As Geum Cheomsang approached, Nangong Hyuk snapped his fingers, flicking his forehead hard.
*Snap!*
“Ow!”
Geum Cheomsang yelped and crumpled from the stinging pain.
Stunned, he gawked at Nangong Hyuk.
Nangong Hyuk shook his head and clicked his tongue.
“Tsk tsk tsk. And you call yourself my subordinate?”
“…….”
“What’ll it take to convince you?”
Geum Cheomsang’s eyes bulged.
‘No, the voice is our young master’s?’
Then was it real?
“W-wait a second!”
Geum Cheomsang sprang up and grabbed Nangong Hyuk’s face, yanking it.
“Th-this should stretch…… stretch?”
“Heh, you’re crossing the line.”
Geum Cheomsang’s jaw dropped as Nangong Hyuk’s skin stretched.
“Satisfied? Let go.”
“You’re not the young master? Then…… Gah!”
*Snap!*
A sharper crack sent Geum Cheomsang tumbling backward with a scream.
His swollen forehead seemed to smoke.
“Urgh!”
Nangong Hyuk toyed with his fingers.
“Why push it? Flaunting that thick skull?”
Geum Cheomsang flinched at the irritated tone.
Rubbing his rising lump, tears welled in his eyes.
“Quit the nonsense and bring snacks.”
“……Y-yes, sir.”
Geum Cheomsang rose and shuffled out.
Nangong Hyuk called after him.
“Grab a handful of jerky too!”
Geum Cheomsang scurried out, glancing back repeatedly.
“Beat it!”
“Eek!”
He bolted away.
Nangong Hyuk sighed at the sight.
“Sigh, that guy’s getting weirder by the day.”
He shook his head.
Leaning back in his chair, he could still hear the Nangong Family’s cheers.
‘Cheering like I did something amazing.’
Not that it felt bad.
“The Nangong Family.”
Nangong Hyuk grinned.
“Might be fun to really dig in.”
After sorting out this wretched body.
Ugh.
* * *
The spar had ended, but the heated atmosphere refused to cool.
Those who’d witnessed the unexpected result gathered in clusters whenever they could, buzzing about the match.
“Wasn’t it a face mask or something?”
“What?”
“Maybe the person we saw wasn’t the young master.”
“Come on, that’s ridiculous!”
“Hey, hear me out. How could someone bedridden become an expert overnight?”
“He might’ve been training in secret for years.”
“That’s even less likely. We all know he was laid up! So this time…….”
A listening warrior clicked his tongue at his comrade’s words.
“Come on, make sense.”
“……Huh?”
“Even if we missed it, the Family Head and elders watching—especially Elder Lee—would’ve noticed. Think that makes sense?”
“Ahem. It could happen.”
“Tsk tsk tsk.”
The coughing warrior quickly changed the subject.
“So, how many techniques was it?”
“Three!”
“No, ten!”
“You see it right? He just beat him—no techniques involved.”
The excited warriors stuck out their tongues, still baffled.
“Who’d have thought the young master was this strong?”
“Tell me about it. I still can’t wrap my head around it.”
“Sigh, was he really suffering from the Nine Yin Severed Meridians just yesterday? Forget martial arts—he could barely get out of bed from pain.”
Nangong Hyuk was deemed the weakest in Nangong Family history.
They’d watched anxiously as he even gripped a wooden sword.
Yet he’d pulled it off.
A feat that smacked everyone upside the head like a freak accident.
No matter how they pondered, it was miraculous and bizarre.
“No. Maybe that’s exactly why.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Aren’t those with crippled meridians usually geniuses?”
“Ah! I’ve heard that.”
“Most die before blooming or fail to overcome their frailty and never shine, but if they do overcome it, they become the world’s prodigies.”
“Oh…… Indeed!”
Hearing that, the scene they’d witnessed clicked into place.
“Right. His illness improved, so his martial talent bloomed!”
“They say crippled meridian bearers are geniuses. Makes sense.”
“Yeah. Genius versus mortal—no contest, even after a month or two of training.”
Crippled meridians are heaven’s curse.
But overcome them, and they become a blessing.
Throughout rivers and lakes history, those who did always left their mark.
If Nangong Hyuk had truly overcome his illness, his rapid strength gain wasn’t so strange.
“Man, talk about a blessing in disguise.”
“If he fully conquers the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, our young master will be unstoppable.”
“He’ll outmatch other families’ late-generation disciples.”
“Think small, why don’t you? He’ll be a legend.”
“Exactly! No law says overcoming crippled meridians won’t make him one!”
“He might become the world’s greatest.”
“Like the heroes of the Demonic Blood Tribulation!”
The warriors laughed heartily.
And so.
Similar tales spread from the mouths of those gathered throughout the Nangong Family.
Whether Nangong Hyuk intended it or not, the family members’ gazes toward him began to shift dramatically.