Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Thunder Dragon Squad
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"Congratulations!"
"I've heard that Young Master Yi's condition is improving day by day."
"Hehe, I hear he's already regaining his strength."
"They say he's throwing himself even more diligently into his martial arts training these days. Hehehe, he's the Namgung Clan's great fortune."
"I've heard that too. He's finally blooming. Ahem!"
Pleasant smiles lingered on the elders' lips without fading.
Even though several days had passed since the sparring match ended, the elders' conversation was still all about Namgung Hyeok.
The enthusiasm showed no signs of cooling—in fact, it only grew hotter.
Namgung Jangcheon kept stroking his beard to calm his twitching mouth.
"That talent is extraordinary. I've met plenty of prodigies in Anhui Province, but there's never been a junior like him who showed such absurd growth!"
"Anhui Province? I doubt there's any junior with talent like Young Master Yi even in Shaanxi or on Mount Song! I've never seen one!"
The elders showered him with endless praise until their mouths went dry.
It was only natural, really.
In a martial clan like the Namgung Clan, martial arts came first—first and second, in fact.
And for these elders, who had mostly stepped back from the front lines, their top priority was properly raising the next generation to produce geniuses who could dominate the world.
Talented successors were always welcome.
After the Sword Dragon and Sword Tiger, the Namgung Clan had been parched for standout young warriors. Namgung Hyeok's emergence was like rain in a drought.
And when that talent showed clear signs of growing into a towering tree?
The explosive reaction was inevitable.
The Grand Elder Namgung Wigung finally cut off the praise that seemed like it would never end.
"Family Head."
"Yes."
"You didn't gather us here without reason, did you?"
At Namgung Wigung's voice, the elders quietly shut their mouths.
Namgung Jangcheon cleared his throat softly and looked around at everyone.
"I'm at a loss for words with all this praise for my unworthy son."
"We're praising him because he did well."
"Ahem, in any case, I believe he's proven himself capable to all you elders. So, what do you think about entrusting him with leading a squad?"
Namgung Jangcheon asked as he looked around at the elders.
As the elders coughed lowly and hesitated to respond, Grand Elder Namgung Wigung stepped forward.
"I see it a bit differently."
Namgung Wigung said.
"I acknowledge that Young Master Yi's martial prowess has grown remarkable, but he's still not even twenty. Don't you think it's too soon to entrust him with the main house's elites?"
The other elders chimed in one by one.
"The Grand Elder's words are right. Personal martial skill and leadership are different things."
"There's an order to these matters, isn't there? We must be especially cautious with this."
"Young Master Yi's display was astonishing, but leading a squad is another matter..."
"Family Head, please reconsider."
Namgung Jangcheon let out a low groan.
The elders certainly had a point.
What Namgung Hyeok had shown was individual prowess.
Impressive, yes—but in another sense, he'd only just proven one thing.
Entrusting an elite squad to him on that basis did seem premature.
'Not yet?'
It was while Namgung Jangcheon inwardly felt regret.
"Entrust it to him, Family Head."
Namgung Jangcheon's eyes turned toward the voice.
At the end of the table where the elders sat, Namgung Baek was gazing at Namgung Jangcheon with a faint smile.
The other elders flinched in surprise.
They hadn't expected Namgung Baek to support it so suddenly.
"Elder Namgung Baek!"
"What do you mean? Isn't that too hasty?"
Several elders shook their heads and tried to dissuade him.
Namgung Baek smiled faintly.
"Hasn't Hyeok—no, Young Master Yi's exceptional ability already been proven to everyone? If he's exceptional, we should naturally entrust him with commensurate duties."
"...Are you serious?"
Namgung Baek nodded gravely.
"Of course. In fact, judging purely by age, it's already a bit late for Hyeok. He was only delayed by his illness."
At Namgung Baek's words, the elders nodded.
Indeed, if not for the illness, someone of Namgung Hyeok's age would normally already be assisting with clan affairs.
"Young Master Yi is certainly at an age where he could..."
"He is of age to take on duties."
"Still, his illness hasn't fully recovered yet. It's concerning."
Many elders still voiced concerns, but subtle positive remarks began to emerge nonetheless.
The mood was shifting little by little.
However, watching the scene, Namgung Jangcheon couldn't help narrowing his brow.
'Why all of a sudden?'
Namgung Baek, who always nitpicked his opinions, was now actively supporting it—and it left a bad taste.
"How can we know his ability if we don't even give him a chance? Proof comes from entrusting him with tasks."
"Hmm!"
"Young Master Yi overcame the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, a heavenly punishment. We should trust him more and give him the chance. Even if he fails, it'll be valuable experience."
The elders began voicing agreement with Namgung Baek.
"That's certainly true."
"He needs experience. Definitely."
As the elders seemed to settle on an opinion, Namgung Baek turned to Namgung Jangcheon with a faint smile.
"Isn't that right, Family Head?"
Namgung Jangcheon nodded heavily.
"I'm grateful you see it that way. So, the one I had in mind is..."
"How about the Thunder Dragon Squad?"
Namgung Jangcheon's face stiffened rigidly for a moment.
"...What did you just say?"
Unlike Namgung Jangcheon, a relaxed smile bloomed on Namgung Baek's face.
"I said the Thunder Dragon Squad."
Namgung Jangcheon furrowed his brow. The other elders did the same.
"No, the Thunder Dragon Squad...?"
"Good lord, those guys are no joke."
"Those guys are still around?"
Groans erupted from all sides.
The Thunder Dragon Squad was one of the Namgung Clan's headaches.
In any large group, there were always cliques that didn't fit in and caused trouble and incidents.
The Namgung Clan was no exception.
Given its massive scale, it had produced quite a few such individuals.
Those who couldn't blend into other groups had gathered one by one to form the Thunder Dragon Squad.
A group of troublemakers who'd been causing chaos for over a decade—it was no wonder the squad didn't function properly.
Yet they weren't disbanded because their martial talent wasn't inferior to other squads', and no matter what, the Namgung Clan's current situation wasn't good enough to discard even these headaches.
If their dispositions had been truly vile, it might be different, but the Thunder Dragon Squad gathered the rowdy—not the wicked.
"Ugh, the Thunder Dragon Squad? Can Young Master Yi handle those guys? Even seasoned warriors have given up."
Thrown in with elites, they'd fight the elites all day; placed among regular warriors, they'd lord over them.
Over the past decade, their tempers had grown even more prickly and twisted, to the point where everyone had washed their hands of them.
The Namgung Clan's bundle of trouble.
That was the Thunder Dragon Squad's current state.
Namgung Baek continued with a smile.
"Aren't they family from the main house? They cause trouble, but at root, they're warriors inheriting the main house's will. We can't just leave them be, can we?"
They caused trouble, but they picked their spots carefully.
Ten years of eating scraps meant they knew where the punishment line lay.
It was a tightrope walk.
But how long could they afford to just watch?
Namgung Jangcheon knit his brows.
"Are you serious?"
Namgung Baek replied with a leisurely expression.
"Yes. Deadly serious."
"Even our experienced main house warriors couldn't properly lead the Thunder Dragon Squad, and you're saying entrust it to Hyeok?"
"That's exactly why Young Master Yi should take it."
People looked baffled at Namgung Baek's words.
He scanned the surroundings leisurely, as if enjoying it.
"It's too early for Hyeok."
"Not at all."
"How..."
"I originally planned to entrust the Thunder Dragon Squad to my own son."
"..."
Namgung Jangcheon scowled, but when Namgung Baek looked to the elders as if seeking agreement, some nodded as if confirming it was true.
"The direct descendants of the Namgung Clan must bear greater burdens than others by nature. Anyone bearing the Namgung name has that duty."
"...Hmm."
"It was something my son intended to attempt. But Young Master Yi, superior to my son—surely he can do it?"
"But Hyeok is..."
"Family Head."
Cutting off Namgung Jangcheon, Namgung Baek continued firmly.
"If you try to confine a dragon by human standards, it becomes a mere snake. If you truly believe in Namgung Hyeok, you must sometimes be bold."
The elders nodded at Namgung Baek's eloquence.
"Right. That's true."
"He's no ordinary talent."
"As Elder Namgung Baek says, let him prove it. If he can lead the Thunder Dragon Squad well, we'd trust him with any elite squad."
The elders' opinions seemed to be leaning that way.
'Damn...'
Namgung Jangcheon bit his lip slightly.
The phrase "dragon among men" had clearly swayed the elders' hearts.
This was undoubtedly Namgung Baek's cunning ploy.
Namgung Jangcheon glared at him with fierce eyes, but Namgung Baek met it with a look that said, "See?"
"What do you think, Family Head?"
Namgung Jangcheon sighed inwardly.
'I can't back down now.'
The elders' minds were already turning; refusing here would make it seem like he was coddling his son.
It would invite comparisons to Namgung Baek, who had intended to entrust it to his own son.
In the end, Namgung Jangcheon had no choice but to nod heavily.
"Fine. For now, we'll have him lead the Thunder Dragon Squad first."
The corner of Namgung Baek's mouth curved up.
"An excellent choice, Family Head."
* * *
"Family Head, why on earth did you accept such a proposal?"
Chief Steward Geum Gwangmo let out a sigh-laden voice.
Namgung Jangcheon took a sip of tea before exhaling lowly.
"I had no choice. The words were already out—how could I?"
"You should've refused somehow! Isn't the Thunder Dragon Squad too much?"
"The mood wasn't right. Elder Brother had already seized control. It's not like I wanted to accept it."
Namgung Jangcheon wore a bitter expression.
"Even the Heavenly Bow Squad Leader grew fed up with them. The outer court warriors grind their teeth at the mere mention of the Thunder Dragon Squad. Their antics have gone too far—can Young Master Yi handle that?"
It hadn't been long since even the leader of the Namgung Clan's top elite squad, the Heavenly Bow Squad, had tried leading the Thunder Dragon Squad, only to recoil in disgust and step away.
Their brutality and savagery had reached extremes.
Could Namgung Hyeok, not yet twenty, truly manage such a group?
Namgung Jangcheon set down his teacup.
"Isn't it a trial he must face eventually? The elders seem eager to see more of our Hyeok's abilities."
"But..."
"It's for the best. We need to gauge Hyeok's capabilities around now too. If he's lacking, we fill the gaps."
Geum Gwangmo said no more at Namgung Jangcheon's words.
If the Family Head said so, it was so.
Namgung Jangcheon let slip a faint smile.
"Good is good. If Hyeok truly tames the Thunder Dragon Squad, won't it be like giving wings to a tiger from then on?"
"Isn't that too far-fetched?"
"True. It's arduous. Near impossible. But..."
Taming the Thunder Dragon Squad meant many things.
Succeeding where even targeted experts had failed—proving his abilities to the clan.
It would demonstrate not just martial prowess, but leadership and everything else.
Namgung Jangcheon's gaze deepened.
'If he pulls it off, perhaps...'
The Namgung Clan would shake once more.
As Namgung Jangcheon sank into thought, a servant's voice came from outside.
"Family Head, Young Master Yi has arrived."
Hyeok?
Namgung Jangcheon tilted his head and said.
"Tell him to come in."