Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Backlash from the Hefei Ten Swords
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68
Nangong So waited anxiously for word.
"Why the hell haven't they gotten in touch yet?"
Recalling how Ju Jacheol had said it would be over quickly, the lack of contact felt excessive.
It had already been more than a day since he'd brought it up.
Even if they'd settled things, it should have been done by now.
"These bastards cozy up when it's time to drink my booze and take my money, but now they're just dragging their feet, huh?"
No, that couldn't be it.
The Hefei Ten Swords had been hunting down Nangong Hyeok right away since that day.
There was no way they'd backed out in the meantime.
And why would they tell such an obvious lie that could get them caught?
'The booze I fed them and the pocket money I handed over—it's not a small sum! If they get caught wiping their mouths clean, it'll be no fun.'
Nangong So sneered.
They were decent fighters, sure, but there was an insurmountable wall between the Nangong Clan and the Hefei Ten Swords' sect all the same.
He could tell just from how eagerly Ju Jacheol wagged his tail at him.
Nangong So waited patiently.
After holding out for about half a shichen, he could bear it no longer and shot to his feet when a servant came rushing in.
"Young master! They say Second Young Master didn't come home last night!"
"Is that true?"
"Yes! I asked the servants working there—it's confirmed!"
Nangong So's face lit up.
If the Hefei Ten Swords had moved and Nangong Hyeok hadn't returned home, what did that mean?
'They succeeded!'
Of course!
There was no way the Hefei Ten Swords couldn't handle Nangong Hyeok.
Their clan might be second-rate, but their martial arts were solid enough.
Especially Ju Jacheol's talent—it was exceptional enough for the Black Tortoise Captain or Heavenly Bow Captain to mention it.
'Yeah, ten of them are plenty!'
Nangong So beamed as he sent the servant to track down the Hefei Ten Swords' location.
It wasn't long before their whereabouts were pinpointed, and Nangong So set off with a grin plastered on his face.
'Good, good. Once these guys handle the job, they need to report back quick! Were they planning to mess with me?'
Nangong So entered the Silver River Inn in high spirits.
Up on the third floor, the Hefei Ten Swords were gathered.
"Hahaha! You all here?"
Nangong So approached them laughing cheerfully, as if it were the most natural thing.
"How badly did you beat him that the bastard hasn't crawled home? Huh? You didn't go overboard and turn him into a cripple, did you? Haha, he was already one anyway."
"......"
"Why's everyone so quiet?"
Nangong So grabbed Ju Jacheol's shoulder, puzzled.
Sss.
Ju Jacheol, who had been holding a drink, turned to look at Nangong So.
Nangong So's eyes went wide.
"......W-what happened to your face?"
His face was so swollen it was hard to find his eye sockets, blackened with bruises.
His jaw was slightly askew, giving his whole face a wrinkled, crumpled look.
Nangong So was at a loss for words.
Then, something suddenly occurred to him, and he let out a hollow chuckle.
"No way you got hit by your old man, right? I told you to go easy. Sheesh, look at that mug. Don't worry—I'll clean up the mess."
Ju Jacheol's face twisted.
This punk doesn't read the room at all.
"What happened to Nangong Hyeok? I said I'd finish him off, but if you guys did it all, I'll feel a bit left out. Hahaha!"
Ju Jacheol couldn't hold back any longer and snapped.
"Wanna die?"
"......What?"
What did this guy just say?
Nangong So blinked and tilted his head.
"Did you just say 'wanna die' to me? Hey, that's a bit much, don't you think?"
"A bit much? A bit much?"
Ju Jacheol ground his teeth and grabbed Nangong So by the collar.
"Gasp! W-what the hell's with you all of a sudden?"
"Can't you see how we look? Shut your trap and just drink and leave!"
"N-no way you guys lost!"
Nangong So's eyes bulged as he scanned Ju Jacheol and the rest of the Hefei Ten Swords.
He stared at Ju Jacheol in horror.
"Y-you said it would work! That ten of you could take on even the Heavenly Bow Captain without fear!"
"Y-you!"
"A-and you bastards! Why take it out on me! You went first and got your asses kicked! Ten of you go and get beat— you idiots!"
"You little shit!"
Ju Jacheol flew into a rage and slammed Nangong So to the floor.
Thud!
"Oof!"
Nangong So grimaced in pain, and Ju Jacheol's eyebrows twitched.
Then he exhaled heavily.
"......Fine. It's our fault, you little shit. So get lost. And don't act like you know us anymore!"
"What?"
Nangong So blankly looked around at Ju Jacheol and the Hefei Ten Swords.
Then he slowly scowled.
'These guys get slapped around by Nangong Hyeok and now they're bitching at me?'
Were they completely treating him like a sucker?
Did they think he was a joke?
Strictly speaking, Ju Jacheol had been the one to suggest it first, and he'd carried it out.
Who could've known the Hefei Ten Swords would get beaten!
"You ignorant lowlifes! Think you can act up just 'cause I humored you? Don't you know who I am? Are you insulting the Nangong Clan!"
"Humored us?"
"I'm Nangong So of the Nangong Clan! You think the Nangong Clan is a joke?!"
Nangong So shrieked at the top of his lungs.
"When I get back to the main house, I'll make sure you pay! I'll show you what happens when you mess with the main family's bloodline—I'll make an example of you! And Nangong Hyeok......"
"What're you babbling about, you lunatic."
Nangong So looked at Ju Jacheol in bewilderment.
Ju Jacheol sneered.
"Yeah, we suggested it, we acted on it. But you approved it, didn't you? You."
"W-what?"
"If we say you ordered us to go after Nangong Hyeok, what do you think'll happen?"
"T-that was you guys volunteering......"
"Who said anything about volunteering? How could we defy an order from the Nangong Clan's bloodline?"
"Y-you bastards saying something right now?!"
Ju Jacheol spoke coldly.
"No matter what, you're involved in this. Right?"
Nangong So went pale.
Even just being known as the instigator was bad enough, but now they were trying to pin it all on him.
And if word of this reached Nangong Baek's ears?
Nangong So looked up in desperation.
"W-wait. Hold on!"
Ju Jacheol twisted his lips.
"That's why I told you to scram nicely while you had the chance, you little shit. Why'd you have to push it?"
The Hefei Ten Swords had already risen and surrounded him.
At their fierce expressions and rough demeanor, bewilderment filled Nangong So's eyes.
"I-I'm Nangong So of the Nangong Clan. C-calm down, calm down, okay?"
Ju Jacheol bared his fangs.
The situation was already rotten to the core.
"That's why, you little shit! You're in deep today! Die!"
Ju Jacheol yelled and stomped on Nangong So.
Pow pow pow pow!
"Gah, ack! W-why! Ack, stop now and we'll call it even— s-stop! Ack! Gaaack!"
"Call it even? It's already a total mess! Fuck, I get beat by my old man every day, the clan's shaking 'cause of that bastard— you think this is a game?!"
"W-what's that got to do with m— gaaack!"
"Then it's your fault, you piece of shit!"
Ju Jacheol's eyes were bloodshot.
The other Hefei Ten Swords were the same.
Their bruised faces twisted in pain, but they endured and lunged at Nangong So.
Fists hammered in, feet kicked, boots stomped!
"Die! Die! Die! Die!"
"You know how much shit I get from my dad every day 'cause of you?!"
"You little shit, our clan's closing shop today! We're on the verge of sealing the doors!"
The Hefei Ten Swords unleashed all their pent-up grudges from tangling with Nangong Hyeok onto Nangong So.
Pow pow pow pow! Crack! Pow!
"Kaaaaaaaagh! Uwaaaaaagh!"
Nangong So screamed until he passed out.
'W-what the hell happened......'
He lost consciousness, leaving only deep questions about the Hefei Ten Swords' sudden change.
* * *
Nangong Baek silently gazed at the scenery of Mount Huang from the top story of the pavilion.
The view of Mount Huang Sword Villa, positioned exquisitely as if nestled against the mountain, was breathtaking.
Mount Huang Sword Villa had been established by the Nangong Clan to manage their businesses on Mount Huang.
Though created for business purposes, its history spanned over two hundred years.
It had deeper roots than many sects, and some even viewed it as a branch family of the Nangong Clan.
A major reason was the constant presence of Nangong Clan warriors in blue uniforms stationed there.
Nangong Baek looked down at Mount Huang Sword Villa with sunken eyes.
The sun had dipped below Mount Huang, bringing darkness, but the villa blazed like daylight.
Torches lit up from all sides, illuminating the compound like stars fallen from the night sky.
The flickering torchlight made it seem as if Mount Huang itself swayed, evoking a different charm from the daytime.
Yet Nangong Baek's eyes held no emotion as he beheld it.
He slowly turned.
Creak!
The door opened, and Bai Yeonseung, the villa master of Mount Huang Sword Villa, entered.
"Elder! Word from the clan."
"What did they say."
"Well......"
Bai Yeonseung hesitated, glancing at Nangong Baek's expression.
Nangong Baek quietly urged him.
"Speak."
"......Eighth and Tenth Elders aren't giving firm answers like before. They say the mood and attitude are completely different from when they first agreed to join."
"And?"
"......The other elders haven't responded at all."
Bai Yeonseung finished with difficulty.
Deep furrows formed between Nangong Baek's brows.
"Not even proper responses......"
A chill settled on his face.
It was shocking.
Just half a year—no, three months ago—they had been elders willing to stand with him.
They had even tacitly supported him when he sought to oust the family head.
But now their attitudes had completely flipped.
Something unbelievable was happening.
'How did it come to this!'
With his decade-long grand plan shaking, Nangong Baek's aura flared fiercely.
But the surging energy soon subsided like dying embers.
Nangong Baek exhaled turbidly.
'......This plan won't falter over something like this.'
Something had changed the elders' minds.
That something was the cause of his decade of steady preparations starting to go awry.
Bai Yeonseung swallowed dryly.
"Elder."
"Speak."
"......While you were away briefly, something happened at the clan."
Nangong Baek eyed him to continue, and Bai Yeonseung spoke in a shrinking voice.
"While you were here, it seems the other elders tried to make contact with Nangong Hyeok."
What was this now?
The elders had sought out Nangong Hyeok while he was away?
Nangong Baek narrowed his brows.
"The elders?"
"Starting from the Grand Elder, eight elders have been visiting Second Young Master's residence."
"......Ridiculous."
He knew from past experience how heavy the elders' asses were.
After years of effort, he'd only swayed four.
Yet now eight out of twelve were trekking to Nangong Hyeok's place? It was hard to believe.
Nangong Hyeok's notable actions had only been in the last three months or so.
That meant in that short time, he'd won over eight elders.
But how could Nangong Hyeok's actions compare to the years of work he'd put in!
Absurdity and rage surged forth.
"What the hell does that punk have!"
What could have made those stubborn-as-rocks elders flip like reeds in the wind?
The Grand Elder, who controlled the Elder Hall, ditching his duties to run barefoot to that punk!
What the hell was Nangong Hyeok!
What else had happened while he was briefly away from the Nangong Clan!
It was an astonishing change that was hard to accept.
A seismic shift that completely altered the landscape.
He couldn't even predict how far the elders' leaning hearts might tilt.
They might fully turn their backs on him and stand at the opposite pole.
Three months ago, Nangong Hyeok had been nothing, but now he was generating dozens of variables.
Faced with the unimaginable, Nangong Baek's expression refused to smooth.
Crack crack crack!
The table in Nangong Baek's grip screamed as it twisted grotesquely.
'......Everything's twisting because of that punk. Again.'
It had all started twisting since Nangong Hyeok barged into the elders' meeting.
Nangong Jangcheon’s position, shaken by financial woes, remained secure, and the clan's headache, the Thunder Dragon Squad, had completed their mission and gained standing.
Now the elders were showing immense interest in Nangong Hyeok.
Meanwhile, he hadn't ascended to family head, hadn't secured the elders' support, and his position was crumbling.
His two sons had nearly become invalids, and here he was, fretting away.
Nangong Hyeok, the root of all this chaos, was flying high.
Every time that punk moved, everything shook.
The clan buzzed with talk of him, heaping endless praise until mouths went dry.
No matter where you went, Nangong Hyeok's name came up—it was maddening.
'Can't let it go on like this. No.'
He needed a different plan.
"Elder."
At Bai Yeonseung's call, Nangong Baek looked up.
"Speak."
"......Actually, they contacted the main house recently."
"They did?"
"Yes."
Nangong Baek's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What did they say?"
"......Nothing special, but they mentioned your whereabouts."
"My whereabouts?"
"Yes."
"Hah, those vulture bastards. They smelled it."
A groan escaped him.
A bad move had arrived.
After a brief moment of thought, Nangong Baek spoke to Bai Yeonseung.
"Why tell me now?"
"......My apologies."
"Never mind."
Nangong Baek exhaled lowly.
"When I return to the clan, send word at once. Say I'll contact them separately soon."
"......You're heading back right away?"
"The clan's in turmoil, so no choice."
A chilling glint flickered in Nangong Baek's eyes before vanishing.
Bai Yeonseung flinched and bowed.
"I'll send it the moment you arrive."
Nangong Baek gave Bai Yeonseung a once-over before turning.
He stepped out of the room with a hot breath.
'......One slippery eel muddies the whole pond.'
Nangong Baek promptly turned his steps toward the Nangong Clan.