The Namgung Blade Returns
Namgung Woo’s breath caught for an instant at the situation he was experiencing for the first time in Wuhan. Until now, no one who had witnessed the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms had ever connected it to the Namgung Family. Dongbang Hwa was the only one who had seen through the origin of the martial art Namgung Woo had mastered. Even Paeng Hu-sang, the head of the Hebei Paeng Family—a transcendent expert and a prestigious clan with a history as deep as the Namgung Family’s—had not noticed.
That was when it began. Namgung Woo started to lend weight to his hypothesis that the martial arts of Chukrok Murim and this world were different. No matter how perfectly the principles and mnemonic verses engraved in his mind applied to reality, Chukrok Murim and this world were separate realms. Just because they shared the name Namgung Family did not mean their martial arts had to be the same. Yet it seemed they were.
Dongbang Hwa shouted, his voice filled with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
“It’s been twenty years! I can’t believe the Namgung sword still carries on its legacy!”
The moment his surname was exposed, Namgung Woo reflexively thought of the Dokgo Family. He recalled Dokgo Bin, whom he had encountered by chance at Guya Manor, the question he had asked about the Namgung Family, and the extermination order the Dokgo Family had issued against the Namgung bloodline. Namgung Woo had tried his utmost to avoid entanglement. He had hidden not only his name but even his age to stay clear of that storm. His concentration wavered as he pondered the sudden, unprovoked killing intent.
Dongbang Hwa, delighted that his psychological warfare had struck home, gathered his inner energy in his palm. The compressed force of decades of cultivation formed in an instant. Without wasting even a single breath, he launched himself at Namgung Woo. It was the face-palm technique that combined offense and defense—deflecting an enemy’s attack while delivering a fatal counter with the rear hand. Dongbang Hwa extracted only the latter principle and layered it onto the insidious Accumulating Erosion Devil Palm, releasing palm force.
Just as two streams of palm force shot from his hands toward Namgung Woo, Jegal Chong swiftly intervened and countered with a palm of his own.
BOOM—! WHOOOSH—!
The gale of the Borrowing Wind Palm, said to reverse the direction of the wind, blocked Dongbang Hwa’s force and warped the air itself.
“Focus!”
Even after hearing the name Namgung Family—a name that could never be taken lightly—Jegal Chong’s concentration did not waver. Namgung Woo felt the depth of his own inexperience. He needed an immovable heart. A will that would not falter no matter the situation.
“…I will catch him.”
Murmuring to himself, Namgung Woo steeled his resolve. His identity had been exposed? It was inevitable. The moment he had optimistically assumed such a situation would never arise, this outcome had been predetermined. He should have been more cautious.
Dongbang Hwa had seen through Namgung Woo’s identity not through the Thirteen Lightning Sword Forms, but through the Blue Sky Great Expansion Divine Art. If Paeng Hu-sang had witnessed the Blue Sky Great Expansion Divine Art directly, he might have recognized Namgung Woo as well. But regret was useless now. This was not the time for reflection.
The new clue that this world—once thought to be completely separate from his original one—had ties to the Namgung Family, and the fact that he had become entangled in the old grudge between the Namgung and Dokgo Families… he cast all of it aside. He looked forward.
He looked at Dongbang Hwa, who was pressuring Jegal Chong. Changnyeongmanan glowed a pale blue-white, drinking in the world. A single line was drawn across Namgung Woo’s field of vision—the path of the sword that would reach Dongbang Hwa. Following that line, Namgung Woo thrust out a single strike wrapped in azure sword qi.
The ultimate technique of the Boundless Azure Sky Divine Sword: Endless Solitary Journey.
A world without end. It simply runs forever. True to the name of the Boundless Sword, Namgung Woo’s blade surged forward without any hindrance or obstacle. A blue comet streaked across the space. In the briefest of exchanges, it cleaved through the tangled exchange between Dongbang Hwa and Jegal Chong with a single, decisive cut.
SHRRRK—!
The protective qi and defensive techniques—Dongbang Hwa’s double-layered barrier, just like the one Lee Ja-ryong had used—split apart. It was a miracle of one qi severing another. Jegal Chong witnessed it from point-blank range. It was a single strike that seemed to cut through space itself. Amid the scattering droplets of blood, one azure sword path shone with particular clarity.
“Guh!”
A belated groan of pain rang out. Dongbang Hwa, one arm severed from the shoulder, desperately tried to staunch the bleeding. Jegal Chong gathered his inner energy with the resolve to endure even greater internal injuries.
“I’ll catch him! This time I’ll take his head!”
In the urgent situation, Jegal Chong forgot his usual polite speech and shouted desperately. Namgung Woo was prepared to accept Jegal Chong’s determined proposal to end it here. Though Jegal Chong had expended considerable stamina and inner energy in his brief clash with Dongbang Hwa, Namgung Woo still had plenty in reserve. In terms of total inner energy alone, he could rival Dongbang Hwa, who had greedily absorbed countless cultivation methods and elixirs over more than fifty years. But Namgung Woo could not follow Jegal Chong’s request.
Just as he was about to scatter his sword qi, a chilling sensation ran down Namgung Woo’s spine. It felt as though a blade had been pressed against the back of his neck. If killing intent could take physical form and target his throat, it would feel exactly like this. An absurd pressure clamped down on the arm holding his sword. Yet Namgung Woo could shake it off if he wished. The problem was what would come after.
If I swing…
He might die. In the brief instant it would take Namgung Woo to swing his sword and recover it, the presence that had revealed itself could easily threaten his life. That was how strong the enemy was. It was a power that naturally reminded him of Paeng Hu-sang and Gwak Dan.
Namgung Woo’s sword moved on reflex. The moment he sensed the crisis, he twisted his body. And that decision was correct.
KRKRKRK—!
The sound was closer to a saw grinding through something than an explosion. The incoming energy was grotesque, woven in an intricate structure. If Namgung Woo had not changed direction, even his protective qi would not have saved him from serious injury.
When Namgung Woo raised his focus and blocked the ambush, a stranger’s voice rang out alongside Dongbang Hwa’s relieved cry.
“You’re late!”
“I told you. I’m not fully recovered yet.”
Namgung Woo was not the only one who sensed something amiss. Jegal Chong had also noticed Namgung Woo turning and had already withdrawn using the Heavenly Secret Evasion Step. It had not come without cost. Unlike Namgung Woo, who had blocked the attack cleanly and prepared for follow-ups without a single scratch, blood dripped steadily from Jegal Chong’s fingertips.
The man standing before Dongbang Hwa clenched and unclenched his fist, then flicked the blood from his hand. It was Jegal Chong’s blood.
“I was trying to tear off one of his arms as well. Your Heavenly Secret Evasion Step is quite impressive.”
The man who had pinned Namgung Woo down with his attack and left a wound on Jegal Chong. He appeared to be in his middle years, wearing an unremarkable gray-black robe. Even the well-traveled Jegal Chong did not recognize him.
“…Who are you?”
The man did not answer. Perhaps he had not even heard. His gaze was fixed solely on Namgung Woo, showing no interest in Jegal Chong.
“Heorok, fall back.”
“…The losses are too great.”
“I won’t say it twice.”
The exchange was so casual it was hard to tell whether the man even belonged to Banunbang. Dongbang Hwa was the official leader of Banunbang. As its founder, his position within the gang should have been absolute. Yet the man treated Dongbang Hwa like a subordinate. Dongbang Hwa retreated. At the sight, Jegal Chong roared.
“You think I’ll just let you leave!”
They had invaded as they pleased—did they expect to walk away unscathed? The Jegal Family’s reputation would be tarnished. One arm was not enough compensation. To balance the scales, he needed Dongbang Hwa’s head, or at the very least, that unidentified man. Jegal Chong forced his inner energy through his damaged meridians. The Borrowing Wind Palm, which could control the direction of force, generated attraction. But the actions of the two Banunbang members were beyond Jegal Chong’s control.
Dongbang Hwa neutralized Jegal Chong’s force with the Taiji Reversal Step using his remaining hand. The moment Dongbang Hwa escaped with his movement technique, the man who had been keeping Namgung Woo in check also launched himself into the air. Namgung Woo easily shook off the attraction of the Borrowing Wind Palm and watched the two figures leave the manor grounds.
If we had fought… would I have won?
He did not know. He could not tell. Even against the Five Tigers Severing Gate Blade, Namgung Woo had believed that if he unleashed every technique he possessed, he could somehow hold his own. But against that man, he could not even entertain such a thought.
The enemy had escaped. All that remained was the ruined manor. Jegal Chong looked around blankly. The wind blowing over the half-destroyed buildings carried the acrid smell of gunpowder that still lingered. With a single sigh, Jegal Chong cast off his despair and turned to Namgung Woo, cupping his fists.
“I will express my gratitude properly once we have dealt with this situation.”
“As you wish.”
“…We will also need to speak about Namgung.”
“I will make time.”
Jegal Chong nodded with a complicated expression at Namgung Woo’s reply. There would be much to discuss the next time they met. Both Namgung Woo and Jegal Chong sank into deep thought. Though their minds raced in completely different directions as they calculated the complex situation and the future, they shared the same starting point.
Banunbang versus the Jegal Family. The opening battle of that war had ended in Banunbang’s victory.