Chapter 368
Chapter 368
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 377
Chapter Title: Aftermath of the Wudang Clash
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Nangong Jangcheon gave a faint smile as he looked at Nangong Hyuk, who was seated at the table inside the Azure Palace Hall.
"So you buried the Wudang Sect disciples by the roadside. Ah, you blocked the road—that makes sense. Yeah, blocking the road could lead to that."
"They drew their swords when we were just trying to pass. What was I supposed to do?"
"True, but it's a relief you didn't kill them."
"Heh heh, I still know the difference between righteous and evil sects."
"Good, at least you got that right."
Nangong Jangcheon stared at Nangong Hyuk with a dazed expression.
'He beat up Wudang Sect Daoists...'
Even Nangong Jangcheon, who rarely batted an eye at most things, couldn't help but be stunned by the incidents Nangong Hyuk brought home.
'One first-generation disciple and ten second-generation disciples.'
And they weren't pushovers.
He ought to be furious about the friction with Wudang Sect, but strangely, no anger rose up.
Instead, the sheer absurdity and magnitude of what had happened left him at a loss.
'...I thought there'd be no more surprises after the Hebi Bloodshed.'
Nangong Hyuk grinned as he chewed on some dried meat.
Even kicking a roadside pebble wouldn't make him smile that brightly.
Chief Steward Geum Gwangmo spoke up.
"It doesn't seem like a big deal."
...Man, if that's not a big deal, then what is?
"It's just knocking down a few long-noses, isn't it? Think about how no one's ever walked away unscathed after tangling with the young master."
There wasn't much to say to that.
"But isn't this amazing? Our young masters took down Daoists from Wudang Sect, one of the twin pillars of the martial world!"
"......"
"This is an achievement for the history books! In the future, the world's greatest master and the Ten Supremes will come from our Nangong family and the Five Great Families alliance!"
That was it.
The reason Nangong Jangcheon felt bewildered but not angry.
He had long known Nangong Hyuk was strong.
Nangong Hyuk's skills were exceptional enough to make the elders of the Nangong family, and even the experts of the jianghu, struggle.
But what truly shocked him was that it wasn't Nangong Hyuk who had defeated the Wudang Sect disciples—it was the Radiant Dragon crew.
'The eldest took down a first-generation disciple.'
It was insane.
Pure skill, no luck involved.
In the current jianghu, was there anyone Nangong Ryong's age who could face a Wudang first-generation disciple head-on and win?
The Four Death Gods? The Seven Dragons?
No, no one but Nangong Hyuk.
For them to have reached a level where they could compete with mid-tier experts beyond their age group was inspiring.
The younger generation was the future of any sect.
Nangong Ryong and Nangong Hyuk were the future of the Nangong family, the ones who would shoulder the next thirty—no, sixty years.
For those heirs to have defeated a first-generation disciple hailed as a mid-tier of the Nine Great Sects...
It held more significance than mere friction with Wudang Sect.
Nangong Jangcheon dipped a toe into Geum Gwangmo's flower garden.
"Our eldest seems to have gained some insight lately! Ha ha, to achieve something like this!"
"Yes, the young master is truly becoming the Sword Dragon!"
"Exactly. As long as no one died, it's fine. They struck first with killing intent, so we're just defending ourselves!"
Nangong Jangcheon raised his voice slightly.
Nangong Hyuk smiled faintly.
"Of course. The long-noses act like brats, but they started it—what can you do? Even bandits wouldn't go for killing blows like that."
Nangong Jangcheon suppressed his rising suspicions amid Nangong Hyuk's banter.
Ha, what a problem.
If Nangong Hyuk was the most reliable guy in the world when it came to action, he was also the least reliable when he opened his mouth.
The Nangong Hyuk who acted and the one who talked might as well be different people.
'...He's my blood, but I can't trust the second son when he starts talking.'
Aigoo, how did this distrust even creep in?
Nangong Jangcheon agonized over feelings utterly unlike those days lying bedridden, fretting daily.
But he had to trust him.
Of course he did.
"You've worked hard, so go rest."
"Yes. Heh heh."
"You handled the Iron Heart Sect matter perfectly. Good job."
Nangong Hyuk shrugged.
"Eh, it was on the way."
Nangong Jangcheon nodded slowly.
As Nangong Hyuk left the room, Nangong Jangcheon changed his expression and turned to Geum Gwangmo.
"What do you think?"
"Yes! It's splendid..."
"No, about Wudang Sect."
Geum Gwangmo, who had been showering endless praise like the God of Wealth had descended, shifted his expression.
He spoke with a serious look.
"Through this incident, Wudang Sect might pressure the main house."
"Is their justification solid?"
"It depends on how they spin it."
Nangong Jangcheon furrowed his brow slightly.
Several scenarios weighed in his mind.
After organizing his thoughts, he spoke softly.
"The main house is still no match for Wudang Sect. No, no sect in the world is."
"It's a process of building strength. Even if it means taking losses, it might be best to appease them and negotiate."
Geum Gwangmo added quickly.
"Fortunately, they won't want rumors spreading either."
Wudang Sect wouldn't want word getting out that a first-generation disciple and ten second-generation ones had been roughed up by juniors while trying to bully them.
They had started the confrontation, so their justification was weak.
There was plenty of room for negotiation.
Nangong Jangcheon spoke lowly.
"The Iron Heart Sect clash could be chance. But a second one means more than mere retaliation."
"More than retaliation?"
"Wudang is a giant sect. Every gesture, every step has meaning."
Even if it didn't, they'd make it mean something anyway.
"We'll have to respond based on their next move. If there's room for negotiation as you say, we'll take a hundred losses to make it happen."
"And if not... what will you do?"
Nangong Jangcheon took a sip of tea and said quietly.
"As a father, I may not be a pillar, but I can at least be a windbreak."
"......"
"The kids saved the house, so the father has to protect the kids. Blood is blood, after all."
Geum Gwangmo smiled quietly at Nangong Jangcheon's words.
"The Family Head's will is the family's will."
He didn't know how things would turn out with Wudang Sect, but Geum Gwangmo was a Nangong man through and through.
The two men silently regarded each other as they lifted their teacups.
* * *
The Wudang Sect elders gaped as Jinkong and the second-generation disciples entered the Taecheong Hall.
The air felt frozen solid in the frigid atmosphere.
Their gazes swept over Jinkong and the second-generation disciples huddled in the center of the hall.
Why were they so ragged?
Daoists who should keep body and mind pure as clear water stood there draped in burlap sacks.
They hadn't believed the reports, and now seeing their state firsthand left them speechless.
Heokang Zhenren, the head of the Elders' Hall and Wudang's Grand Elder, trembled with rage, his beard quivering.
"...Jinkong, is that really you?"
Jinkong bowed his head.
"J-Jinkong?"
"......"
"......"
Where was the face they'd known for decades? In its place was a mug smeared with mud like crumpled clay!
Heokang and the elders stared at their disheveled appearances, mouths agape.
No matter how they looked, they were strangers.
Was this really Jinkong and his second-generation disciples, who had left for Iron Heart Sect just days ago?
No, could a person's face even get this bashed in?
Heokang groaned.
"Where's your Daoist robe? Your headband?"
"......Taken."
"What?"
"Stolen......"
"......Stolen?"
"......"
Had he heard wrong?
Their Daoist robes and headbands stolen?
They were old enough to have kids who could speak, yet they'd been beaten by boys young enough to be their sons and stripped of their robes and headbands?
Jinkong and the second-generation disciples, who should have seized the demonic swords and dragged the culprits back to Wudang Mountain?
"What nonsense is this!"
Heokang Zhenren finally lost it and bellowed.
His flushed face and fingers digging into the table showed just how baffled and furious he was.
The other elders were no different.
What in the world had happened!
For Wudang's first- and second-generation disciples to be humiliated by mere twenties juniors?
And there were more of them, too.
This was the greatest shame for Wudang in nearly a century.
"You really lost to those bastards?!"
Jinkong closed his eyes and fell silent.
What more was there to say?
It was just devastation, utter devastation...
He shivered!
'...That demon...'
Just recalling Nangong Hyuk made every hair on his body stand on end.
More than the pain of the beating, that final glare and aura from Nangong Hyuk were unforgettable.
Jinkong shuddered.
"Jinkong, you fool! Why won't you answer?! Why..."
"......Their level was different."
"What?! What kind of talk is that? Different level?"
"This disciple... couldn't do a thing."
Jinkong let out a pained groan.
At his voice, laced with utter defeat, Heokang Zhenren and the elders swallowed their anger.
Level?
Different level?
Whose?
Jinkong's fists trembled before he said weakly.
"The Nangong family's eldest young master......"
"Eldest young master?"
"......Even against that boy, I lost. It was my carelessness and excitement that clouded my judgment, but in every way, he was superior."
"Even so! Does that make sense?! They're just juniors in their twenties! You think that's an excuse?!"
"......They all piled on."
Heokang Zhenren and the elders flinched at Jinkong's words.
"What?"
"From me on down, all the second-generation disciples couldn't handle the Radiant Dragon—that one guy."
"......!"
"The eldest young master was freakishly skilled too, but the Radiant Dragon—that demon... no, Demon Dragon—not even all of us together could touch the hem of his sleeve."
Everyone was shocked by Jinkong's words.
One first-generation disciple and ten second-generation ones couldn't beat a single Radiant Dragon!
"Wh-what kind of nonsense is that!"
"Can a junior really do that?"
"You're not lying to us, are you?! This is a grave offense akin to destroying evidence—tell the truth, the truth..."
"Ha ha, enough."
Then, Hejong Zhenren, who had been silently watching, raised a hand to silence the elders.
Heokang Zhenren turned.
"Senior Sect Leader!"
He called out to Hejong Zhenren in an agitated voice.
"This is Wudang's honor at stake..."
"Didn't the kids suffer enough? They don't look well—let them rest first. No matter how important the matter, it's not more important than their health, is it?"
"......"
"I've heard your story, so go tend to yourselves."
As Jinkong and the second-generation disciples shuffled out, the elders groaned in dismay.
"Senior Sect Leader! Why are you doing this? It's Wudang's affair! Not only did we fail to recover the demonic swords, but our first- and second-generation disciples got beaten by juniors! Wudang's reputation has hit rock bottom—what in the..."
Hejong Zhenren smiled faintly.
"We can reforge the demonic swords into divine blades, and we can mend ties with Iron Heart Sect again."
"Senior Sect Leader! What empty talk is that? We lost the demonic swords and even let those kids get away."
Hejong Zhenren's eyes, which had been curved in a smile, opened slightly.
A sword-sharp glint flashed, making the air in Taecheong Hall hum.
Heokang Zhenren and the elders, mid-shout in excitement, clamped their mouths shut.
"The kids' defeat isn't Wudang's defeat, is it?"
"Senior Sect Leader."
"Look further, wider. In the end, as long as Wudang wins, isn't that what matters? Against the Nangong family, that is."
"......!"
"The demonic swords were just a good pretext. And it seems like a better one than expected."
Heokang Zhenren and the elders' expressions shifted subtly.
Hejong Zhenren smiled quietly.
"Send word to the Orthodox Heaven Alliance."
The elders' eyes gleamed as they nodded.
They understood Hejong Zhenren's intent.
"Ha ha, the world has changed a lot."
A spark of energy flashed in his eyes and vanished.