Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: A New Story - The Namgung Clan
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A month later, I had finally finished crafting the weapon, for the most part.
In the room, heated to a sweltering degree by the furnace, I examined the completed weapon.
"Heh, this is it."
The sleek, exquisitely polished blade and hilt gave it a remarkably refined look at first glance.
It possessed a charm that was the complete opposite of the Gale Blade.
Yet, within that refinement and polish, a dark hue was embedded, giving the slender, elongated form a profound and heavy aura.
The eye, the symbol of a demon sword, was set into the base of the blade.
I had strived to create an atmosphere that was quiet and demure, yet eerie, rather than menacing and threatening.
That’s why, unlike before, I didn't make the eye red. The pupil was a shade of purple, surrounded by black.
However, unlike the previous sword, I hammered the Preta Path's inner core right into the eye. As a result, I could feel an immense sense of mastery and control over the weapon flowing through my will.
"At this rate, it might actually be able to devour its owner."
It wasn't a power I had actually tested, but it seemed possible to temporarily take over the wielder's consciousness.
'I can try something new.'
I wouldn't go so far as to actually steal a martial artist's body to commit evil deeds, but it seemed I could temporarily seize control and unleash new abilities.
"Right. Let's go for a cleaner feel this time."
I admired the finished weapon, turning it over and over.
Just then, Hyeon-a opened the door and entered the workshop.
She grimaced as the searing heat hit her.
"Agh, it's so hot! But you..."
Hyeon-a stared at me intently, a sly expression on her face.
"You're soaking wet. Completely drenched in sweat."
"If you're going to say something weird, just leave."
When I spoke in a displeased tone, Hyeon-a quickly changed her expression.
"Ahem. Hem. Is that the new weapon you made? Let me have a look."
Hyeon-a came closer, pressing against me as she looked at the weapon.
"Hey, don't stand so close. It's hot."
"I was just trying to see the weapon. Really."
With a playful tone, Hyeon-a examined the weapon I had completed.
"This one has a much cleaner design, huh?"
"I definitely made it different from the last one. It's no fun to make the same thing twice."
"That's true. So, what's this sword's name?"
"I haven't decided yet."
I said, inspecting the demon sword from different angles.
"Last time, I went with a somewhat violent and savage name. This time, I'm going for a different feel."
"That makes sense."
"Right now, I'm too exhausted to think straight, so I'll figure it out later."
Hyeon-a nodded and asked.
"Hmm, so have you thought about what type of martial artist you'll give it to?"
I answered with a grin.
"The first was the Heavenly Demon Cult, and the second was the Unorthodox Faction, right?"
"Then, could it be...?"
Hyeon-a smiled faintly, her expression full of anticipation.
I nodded at her.
"That's right. Time to have some fun with an Orthodox Faction martial artist."
***
Near Mount Tianzhu in Anhui Province, a large village was situated along a river.
In terms of scale alone, it was a city the size of a large county.
And the commerce and residences of that village revolved around a single group.
*Thump. Thump. Thump.*
Martial artists in blue uniforms stood in formation on either side of the path leading to a grand hall, creating an imposing atmosphere.
Their posture was perfectly aligned, cultivating a disciplined and solemn mood.
As a man opened the main gate and strode in, the martial artists shouted in unison.
"""We greet the Clan Lord!!"""
Despite the thunderous welcome, the man walked on at a leisurely pace, his face impassive.
The man carried himself like an emperor, and the martial artists' faces tensed at his presence.
The man's name was Namgung Cheon.
He was the lord of the Namgung Clan, considered the most prestigious of the Five Great Clans, a major power in the Orthodox Faction.
His imperial aura was not just for show.
In Anhui Province, he wielded power comparable to that of an emperor.
The imperial family's influence was waning by the day, while the greed and corruption of officials grew ever more severe.
Amidst this chaotic state of affairs, he had seized control of Anhui with astonishing drive.
The Five Great Clans had always been treated as local magnates due to their influence and were constantly kept in check by the imperial court.
But the Namgung Clan had become an exception.
No one in Anhui Province dared to cross them anymore.
All the officials had been bribed and were on the Namgung's side, and the surrounding underworld gangs and Orthodox Faction groups had long since bent the knee.
In this region, they were no different from the king of a nation.
Of course, they limited their activities to Anhui, as crossing the line even slightly would draw the imperial court's attention and become truly dangerous. But Namgung Cheon had no intention of stopping here.
He relentlessly amassed power, authority, and wealth for his clan.
He believed the Namgung Clan's mission would not end here but would be carried on for generations.
For Namgung Cheon, who was at the peak of the Harmony Realm and on the verge of the Profound Realm, nothing seemed impossible.
But even he had one problem.
"What is So-yeon up to?"
Namgung Cheon asked the steward following him.
"Ah, the young lady is..."
As the steward mumbled, Namgung Cheon squeezed his eyes shut and spoke in a frustrated tone.
"Don't tell me... she's out playing again, neglecting her studies?"
"...Yes..."
"Hmph..."
That's right.
No matter how great and accomplished the father of a prestigious family was, raising children was still a difficult task.
"What in the world is wrong with that child? Yeol is doing so well."
"The young lady is still diligent when it comes to her martial arts..."
"Enough. I can't tolerate this any longer. Summon her at once. I need to have a serious talk with her myself."
Namgung Cheon's second daughter, her name was Namgung So-yeon.
Her name was meant to signify wisdom and beauty, but her actions were always the opposite.
She had no interest in anything other than learning martial arts.
She was indeed beautiful, but her name was given in the hope that she would act with the grace and modesty befitting a young woman, not just be pretty on the outside.
Namgung Cheon was frustrated.
If only she would listen to him, she could surely live a fine life as an outstanding member of the Namgung Clan. Why did she have to be so disobedient and willful?
But he intended to put an end to his daughter's waywardness today.
Until now, he had watched over her, thinking she would gradually improve, but he could no longer let it slide.
"Today, I'm going to set that brat straight once and for all."
"B-But the young lady..."
"I won't repeat myself. Bring So-yeon to me at once."
"Y-Yes, sir."
The steward hurried over to the Namgung martial artists and ordered them to find the young lady.
Namgung Cheon's heavy footsteps betrayed his frustration.
*Thump. Thump.*
He entered the main hall and headed for the clan lord's office.
His three sons, who had been waiting for his arrival, came into view.
Unlike his second daughter, who always disobeyed him and caused trouble, his three sons were obedient.
To be fair, his youngest son had recently started to show signs of resembling his sister, but for now, he still followed his father's words to the letter.
The sons bowed their heads and greeted their father.
"""Father, you've returned."""
"Yes. I'll be in my office, so you may all rest easy."
Unlike his daughter, Namgung Cheon was very satisfied with his sons.
He headed to his private office, racking his brain for how to fix his problem child.
***
"So-yeon, are you sure this is okay?"
A woman with short hair spoke cautiously.
Another young woman replied sharply to her question.
"Ugh, are you really going to nag me too?"
She had long, lustrous, dark blue hair, distinct features, and well-cared-for skin. She also had an excellent figure and wore magnificent clothes.
Her appearance made it clear at a glance that she was the daughter of a wealthy family.
Her name was Namgung So-yeon.
She was the precious child who was the source of much grief for Namgung Cheon, the lord of the Namgung Clan and the man known as the 'Azure Sky Sword King'.
However, despite her rebelliousness, she knew not to go too far. She didn't engage in truly problematic behavior like promiscuity or violence, but she expressed her defiance by skipping her lessons or hanging out with her friends.
Namgung So-yeon's friend was not a delinquent either; she was the daughter of the village blacksmith who supplied weapons to the Namgung Clan.
Her name was Jeong-a, and she possessed a very gentle and kind personality.
"But your father will be worried..."
Because of her gentle nature, it often felt like Namgung So-yeon dragged her around whenever she was bored.
The Namgung Clan was well aware of this and took no particular action against Jeong-a. In fact, they had once visited Jeong-a's father, the village blacksmith, to apologize in case Namgung So-yeon was bullying her.
However, their relationship was not as one-sided as the adults perceived.
Namgung So-yeon envied Jeong-a's free and unrestricted life, and she kept her close, knowing her kind nature.
Jeong-a admired Namgung So-yeon for her strength and her refusal to bend her will despite her constrained life.
As they both saw something to learn from each other, they could be called true 'friends'.
But because they were true friends, their words could sometimes be a bit harsh.
"Ugh, so annoying! Why does my father always pick on me!"
"Still, it's your father's word, so you should listen..."
"What do you know?!"
"..."
She had snapped in a moment of anger, but realizing she might have gone too far, Namgung So-yeon cleared her throat and said.
"Ahem, ahem. It's just that my father has been particularly hard on me lately..."
"So-yeon. I have something to do at home, so I should get going."
"Ah... really?"
Namgung So-yeon knew.
This was what Jeong-a said when she was hurt and wanted to leave.
"S-Sorry. I got a little angry and spoke too harshly."
"It's okay. See you next time."
Her words were kind, but her tone was cold.
Watching Jeong-a's retreating back, Namgung So-yeon muttered to herself.
"Really... why did I have to get angry for no reason..."
She wasn't a bad person at heart, so she blamed herself.
"I should buy her a little gift next time I go."
Namgung So-yeon thought she should buy some honey cookies, as Jeong-a had a sweet tooth.
"Ah, have I been out for too long? I think I'm going to get a major scolding for this..."
Her contradictory behavior—rebelling yet fearing her father's scolding—was proof that she was not yet mature.
Her body was fully grown, and she would be twenty next year, but her mind was still immature.
"I should hurry back. If I'm any later, I'll be in for a really big... "
She turned to hurry back to the main building when a strange shop caught her eye.
"Huh, what's this?"
There was usually no shop on this street, but a small tent that looked like a store had been set up.
Outside the tent, a small weapon rack indicated that it was selling armaments.
The ever-curious Namgung So-yeon was not one to simply pass by. She immediately headed for the tent.
*Swish.*
She briefly examined the weapons displayed outside before lifting the tent flap to take a better look inside.
Inside was a woman who appeared to be a merchant.
"Welcome, customer. We have a variety of weapons, so please take a look around."
The shopkeeper's familiar and comfortable tone was different from that of pushy merchants.
A little suspicious, Namgung So-yeon said.
"I've never seen anyone selling weapons around here before."
"Ah, I'm a traveling merchant. This is my first time here."
"I see... Is it alright if I look around?"
"Of course."
Namgung So-yeon looked at the weapon rack with curiosity.
As the tent was small, there weren't many weapons.
'Well, they're all just standard-issue quality.'
So-yeon was used to seeing the excellent quality weapons of the Namgung Clan.
Her standards were far too high to be interested in the common iron swords sold in the village.
Just as she was about to leave after a cursory glance, a certain sword caught her eye.
"That's..."
Hanging behind the shop owner, an exquisite but dark-hued sword emanated an overwhelming presence.
Just looking at it made her feel a faint, sinister chill.
Seeing it, Namgung So-yeon slowly approached and asked.
"What is that?"
"Ah, that weapon isn't for sale. Still, would you like to have a look?"
Namgung So-yeon was just moments away from falling into the wicked demons' trap.