Chapter 348
Chapter 348
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 356
Chapter Title: Personal Matters
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Namgung Hyeok opened his eyes while sitting cross-legged.
Clear spiritual light flowed through his gaze before scattering.
Feeling the lingering energy of the Soaring Heavens Bright King Art coursing through his veins, Namgung Hyeok let out a pleased breath.
"Now just six left?"
He had opened three meridians so far.
Fast if you called it fast, slow if you called it slow.
"Slow, obviously."
It was an undeniable reality.
But being slow wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"Now that I can control the yin energy of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians."
Not only could he now control the yin energy that had been corroding his body, but it was starting to harmonize with the energy of the Soaring Heavens Bright King Art.
Something unbelievable was happening.
He had thought he would only achieve a body in harmony with yin and yang after fully opening all the blocked meridians of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, but it was already underway.
Slow, yet fast.
It might feel slow, but the righteous path was ultimately the swiftest royal road.
It was amusing for someone once called Poison Tyrant or Overlord to say such things, but it was undeniably true.
In the end, this path of correcting his past mistakes was the right one.
"I created it myself, but damn, what a monstrous cultivation method."
Namgung Hyeok grinned.
"That's why tinkering with just one or two won't cut it."
With energy harmonizing yin and yang, and the ever-growing Soaring Heavens Bright King Art, he could surely extract more than the maximum efficacy from the spirit pills.
In short, a body primed to fully absorb the drugs!
So let's blast through them all in one go.
"Heh, hehehe!"
Namgung Hyeok nodded contentedly with a satisfied chuckle.
It was a chilling laugh, but no one was around to see it.
"And the surroundings are more or less sorted."
He had built a sturdy fence.
The Namgung Family's standing had risen greatly, and the Five Great Families had formed an alliance.
What the Sword King had forced together in the past, he had accomplished in an instant.
Based on this alliance, the Namgung Family and the Five Great Families would grow even stronger.
Perhaps surpassing their past glory.
Anyway.
Well done, me.
Accomplishing something for the history books so easily.
And my inner energy keeps surging forward—nothing could be better.
"Now to handle personal matters."
Hwe was behaving herself, no word from the Millennium Flower, same with the demon sword, and the spirit pills from Horyeok were still...
"What are you mumbling about?"
"Fuck, you scared me!"
Namgung Hyeok glanced at Geum Cheom-sang, who was setting down a tray of refreshments.
"When did you get here?"
"From when you were laughing that eerie 'hehehe' by yourself?"
"No, more importantly, why are you here?"
"Didn't you finish up things in Hangzhou, Young Master? I had nothing much to do. Once the Hwangbo Family was settled, everything went smoothly."
Geum Cheom-sang shrugged as he replied.
Namgung Hyeok eyed him oddly.
Huh, this guy used to stick around all the time, didn't he?
Forgot since he hadn't shown up for a while.
"Fair enough, old chopsticks are the best."
"Treating a person like chopsticks?"
"It's a figure of speech. Old officials are the best, and old friends are the greatest."
"Oh, so we're friends now?"
"Hahaha. Get down, you punk."
Namgung Hyeok burst into laughter, and Geum Cheom-sang flinched back.
Rolling his eyes, Geum Cheom-sang awkwardly changed the subject with a forced smile.
"B-by the way, the Hwangbo Family really packs a punch. Built like oxen and work like oxen, huh?"
"No one's matched them for brute strength since way back."
"They say they're grinding their teeth and going all in? Skipping meals to just work."
Of course they are.
"It's all their money, after all."
"Getting them to fund the construction too? Impressive."
"What're you getting at?"
"I feel like I've got a long way to go. As the future chief steward, that is. Ha, haha!"
Geum Cheom-sang trailed off into an awkward laugh, then turned at a strange feeling.
Clatter.
"Gasp!"
Spotting the demon sword hooked on his hand, Geum Cheom-sang jumped in fright.
He swallowed dryly at the chill creeping up from his fingertips.
It felt like his soul might flee.
"Wh-why is this, why is this here?"
Namgung Hyeok clicked his tongue.
"You punk, if I wanna keep my sword wherever, why're you freaking out?"
"N-no, it just startles me every time? Touching it gives me seizures, for real."
"It's a demonic thing."
"A ghost sword!"
Snicker.
Namgung Hyeok chuckled lightly.
"Not wrong there."
"Pardon?"
The number of souls slain by this demon sword was easily in the tens of thousands, so Geum Cheom-sang wasn't off base.
The demonic qi and resentful spirits clinging to the blade were beyond what ordinary folk could handle.
"Hmm... Come to think of it, I do need to refine this thing soon."
Geum Cheom-sang blurted out.
"Y-yeah, get on it quick! It doesn't faze you, Young Master, but just looking at it gives me the chills!"
"You little shit?"
"...This is Geum Cheom-sang's loyal heart worrying over the Second Young Master of the great Namgung Family. It could cause issues later!"
Namgung Hyeok rubbed his chin.
"Fair point."
There might be some orthodox faction folks who could recognize the demon sword.
A few from 'Hwe' had noticed it, and info-savvy types like the Black Spot's Black Book King had vaguely guessed its nature.
So the righteous sects might know too.
"Was planning to refine it anyway."
"Aha!"
"But Anhui Province has no smiths who can handle this sword?"
That was the problem.
Anhui had decent craftsmen, but none equipped for a true demon sword.
He had tried once before and failed.
"The Sichuan Tang Clan couldn't handle something like this either."
Different league altogether?
The Tangs excelled at hidden weapons and fine work, with plenty of skilled artisans.
But distance aside, this sword was a breed apart.
It needed a master smith who forged true divine weapons.
But where there's a will, there's a way.
Geum Cheom-sang's eyes lit up after pondering.
"Got it!"
"Huh? You do? Where?"
"The Iron God Sect that Paeng Yeon-hwa's old man mentioned we should visit!"
Namgung Hyeok furrowed his brow.
Paeng Yeon-hwa had brought it up briefly while staying at the Hebei Paeng Family.
"That was ages ago, man."
Huh?
Wait a sec.
Pondering, Namgung Hyeok exclaimed.
"Iron God Sect!"
Why'd it take so long to remember?
And he had someone to introduce him there.
Namgung Hyeok's gaze turned to Namgung Ryong entering the courtyard in the distance.
Namgung Hyeok grinned.
"Cheom-sang."
"Yes!"
"Send a message to the Iron God Sect."
"Right now?"
"Of course!"
At Namgung Hyeok's words, Geum Cheom-sang hurriedly pulled out brush and ink.
* * *
Hwangbo Chung stared blankly up at the sky.
Blue.
A blue incomparable to the Shandong coast, leaving his mind numb.
'Shandong... Shandong...'
Why am I here, leaving my home in Shandong?
Why am I stuck in the Namgung Family with its blue-tiled roofs instead of yellow?
"This... what the hell is this... this..."
As the young head bearing the Hwangbo Family's future, he should be busy with family affairs, yet here he was, holed up in someone else's clan without knowing why.
"Father, did they kidnap me? Kidnap..."
But why tell me to thank them?
"Father... what deal did you make?"
He heard you wrecked the family fortune.
"Sob..."
What do you expect me to do, tossing me into this demon den?
Hwangbo Chung wore a face of resentment and despair, utterly deflated.
He just wanted to go home, but without warning, he was sent down a path with no return.
Heh, hehehe...
"You damn Namgung Family bastards."
Urp!
His stomach churned.
The faces of the Thunder Dragon Squad guys who had ridden his back while boozing for three days and nights still haunted him.
'You sons of bitches, how much did you drink?'
How does anyone drink nonstop for three days straight!
Recalling their faces, Hwangbo Chung ground his teeth.
I'll get revenge, revenge...
Then.
Bang!
The hall door flew open as the Thunder Dragon Squad sauntered out.
"Hey! Nice weather!"
"Hm? Hwangbo bro, what're you doing here?"
"Oh, sunbathing?"
"Nice, diligent guy. No wonder the Hwangbo Family's loaded. Not for nothing."
...What the hell are they on about?
'Hwangbo bro?'
Hwangbo Chung blinked.
These lowly retainers calling the Hwangbo young head 'Hwangbo bro'?
Hwangbo bro?
"You bastards..."
The Thunder Dragon Squad cut him off.
"You didn't forget, right?"
"We said brother for brother! No take-backs or you're Hwangbo Dog, not Chung!"
"Yeah, yeah."
...Me?
Did I say that?
"Kuhahaha! Our bro's weaker with booze than he looks."
"...?"
"No worries. We'll build it up slow. Kuhahaha!"
Tak Hyeok-dong patted his shoulder as he passed.
The Thunder Dragon Squad snickered and filed out to the yard one by one.
What the fuck are these crazies doing?
No sooner had they stretched than they fetched clubs from somewhere.
"Alright, let's get started?"
Hwangbo Chung watched puzzled.
"Alright, time to work off the food. Beat!"
Tak Hyeok-dong swung his iron club vigorously at the Thunder Dragon Squad.
Thwack!
'C-crazy bastard?'
Hwangbo Chung's eyes bulged in shock.
What the hell is this lunatic doing?
Suddenly clubbing people?
But his shock didn't end there.
Starting with Tak Hyeok-dong, the Thunder Dragon Squad began clubbing each other.
Splat! Whackwhackwhack!
"Hup!"
"Harder!"
"More power!"
"Arm! Arm! Arm!"
...Did these maniacs get brain damage from three days of drinking?
Beating each other like they wanted to kill, yet laughing uproariously—were they sane?
"C-crazy fucks."
But why?
'I heard back-alley black faction punks periodically club their own to maintain discipline...'
This is the Namgung Family?
They can't be doing that here?
"Kuhahaha! Feels like I'm getting stronger!"
Clang!
"..."
Dude, blood...
Don't smile while taking hits.
Hwangbo Chung gaped, unable to close his mouth, watching their antics.
...
As Hwangbo Chung stared vacantly at the Thunder Dragon Squad.
Thrust!
A pickaxe suddenly appeared before him, making him blink.
He looked at the thick hand holding it out.
Paeng Jung-hyeok stared right at him.
"You're staying with the Namgung Family anyway, right? Gotta work while you're here."
Hwangbo Chung blinked for a long moment before looking at Paeng Jung-hyeok.
Work?
Work?
"...Paeng bro, why are you doing this to me?"
"Gotta work to eat."
"What grudge do you have against me?!"
Paeng Jung-hyeok eyed Hwangbo Chung, who glared back furiously at the pickaxe.
Hwangbo Chung huffed, locking eyes.
"Let me go right now and..."
"Who's holding you?"
"Huh?"
"Go if you want."
"...F-for real?"
What?
This simple?
I can just leave?
'Th-that's right! Officially, I'm a guest!'
Father sent him as a hostage for the family's future, which bothered him, but he could go back, no?
"But..."
Paeng Jung-hyeok dragged it out, then said quietly.
"You might regret coming back."
"..."
"Gwangryong'll be waiting if you do."
Hwangbo Chung looked up at the sky.
Blue.
So blue.
But why's it cloudy?
"...What first?"
At the name Gwangryong, Hwangbo Chung gave in.
"Dig dirt first."
Paeng Jung-hyeok patted his shoulder lightly.